a/n: i wrote this forever ago and i just found it again
edit: big sweet thanks to KatanaNoNeko who gave me some amazing tips for writing! she's really sweet, please give her works a look.

key:

natsu
lucy
gray

[ 00:05 ]: LUUCCY

[ 00:05 ]: LUCY I lost my mood ring

[ 00:11 ]: I don't know how I feel about this

. . .

[ 08:34 ]: Sorry, Natsu. I was sleeping like a normal person in the middle of the night.

[ 08:35 ]: Did you find it?

[ 08:50 ]: God, are you sleeping? You have a lecture in ten minutes, Natsu!

[ 08:51 ]: Just how late did you stay up looking for your ring?

[ 08:58 ]: I'll buy you another one.

. . .

On time to her lecture like a modeled student, Lucy sat with one leg crossed over the other with her binder and class book opened and ready in front of her. The professor, though, was nowhere in sight and the session began nearly twenty-five minutes before. She used the passing time to go over today's topic, look for Natsu, check her assessment, and look for Natsu. But one quick look around the room and Lucy confirmed to herself that the male was not present.

There was none of the usual yelling, pen throwing, fist pumping, or paper balls flying towards her from the other side of the room. And although and it was a usual occurrence for Natsu to oversleep and miss a lecture, she could not help the sinking feeling in the bottom of her gut when she did not see him around. It was disappointing when the start of her day didn't go with a bang.

"Hot head's not coming," Lucy turned to the male claiming the seat beside her and sighed. "He knocked on my door early this morning asking about a ring. I'm assuming he was up all night and crashed not long ago."

"That idiot," Lucy murmured to herself. "It's just a ring."

Gray rose a brow as he dropped his belongings on the wooded desk. "It's the mood ring, isn't it? The one you bought for him at a convenience store last year? He's worn it every day since then. I guess I understand the panic."

"I don't!" The blonde slumped and crossed her arms under her breast, puckering her bottom lip. "I'll buy him another one if it's that big of a deal. I'll even buy him a mood necklace. It only cost a few piece."

"I'd stick with a ring if I were you. I haven't seen him wear a necklace since Erza forced him to wear that spiked choker as punishment in high school."

Lucy winced and rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. She wasn't there when it happened, but she saw the multiple pictures that were taken before Natsu found them and burned them in one of the courtyard trashcans. He was not allowed out of his dorm for two weeks.

"Then why don't I get him a real ring? One that is not made out of cheap metal and cost over a coin," she suggested. "I'm sure he will like that better, right?"

"You're asking me?" Gray asked, sitting up and dismissing his own question at the downed look Lucy gave him. "Look, that ring was a piece of crap and he treasured it like it was gold because it was from you. You can hand him a bag of dirt and he will place it on a pedestal."

It's true, Lucy thought, placing her arms on her desk and turning her head. Her cheeks burned and she started nibbling on her lip the moment their teacher finally walked in.

"Finally—you're late, Gildarts!" Gray cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled, and the man looked up and gave the young male a pointed, exhausted, baggy-eyed look. He was hung over.

"Sorry," sarcasm dripped in the instructor's tone. "I didn't want to come."

[ 15:17 ]: Is that Natsu sitting alone in a chair in the middle of the courtyard?

[ 15:19 ] : Of course it is.

Lucy rolled her eyes, staring out the window of her class as she typed her reply. Natsu slumped lazily in his seat, legs spread long out in front of him, and head hanging back. He had his arms crossed and appeared to be yelling towards the social building behind him. Students and Professor Laxus peeked their heads out the window to yell back, their complexions pink with rage.

[ 15:19 ]: What happened this time?

[ 15:20 ]: He stood up on his desk and shouted his asshole was a dragon.

[ 15:20 ]: And then farted.

Lucy closed her eyes and put her head down on her table. She couldn't believe this. She probably should believe, since it was Natsu.

[ 15:21 ]: Laxus dragged him out and put him there.

[ 15:22 ]: It seriously smells like a fire in here, Lucy.

[ 15:23 ]: We even opened all the windows.

[ 15:24 ]: Okay, I get it. I'm so sorry.

[ 15: 25 ]: That was a literal bomb coming out of his ass.

. . .

[ 18:45 ]: Natsu, did you take my vacuum again?

[ 18:45 ]: I just spilled granola on my floor and I can't find it.

[ 18:47 ]: Yes

[ 18:48 ]: You have your own vacuum, stop taking mine!

[ 18:50 ]: But your vacuum sucks

[ 18:50 ]: Mine doesn't

[ 18:51 ]: Bring. Me. My. Vacuum.

[ 18:55 ]: Right now!

[ 14:50 ]: Luce are you in your dorm

[ 14:50 ]: I'm in the hall and you locked your door :(

[ 14:51 ]: Are you sleeping?

[ 14:53 ]: I can wait

[ 14:55 ]: You don't have classes today why are you napping? It's nacho night

[ 14:57 ]: If you don't open the door before 1500 I'm taking your glittery wreath

. . .

[ 16:14 ]: I'm up! Give me a few minutes to throw some clothes on. I unlocked my door.

[ 16:20 ]: Natsu, are you there?

[ 16:24 ]: WHERE IS MY WREATH?!

[ 16:25 ]: You were warned

[ 08:21 ]: Is that your wreath at the top of the flag pole?

[ 08:22 ]: It's a nice touch.

[ 08:25 ]: Oh my God, I am going to strangle him.

[ 08:26 ]: Careful, he might like that.

. . .

"Natsu Dragneel!" Lucy pounded her fist into the wooden door before grabbing the doorknob and thrusting herself through the threshold. "You go get my wreath this instant! Natsu!" She got a few feet inside, slammed the door shut, before Natsu appeared in front of her dripping wet from his shower, and in nothing but a pair of red boxers. She was suddenly struggling on words and to keep her eyes above the neck.

"Wow! You found it already?" Natsu grinned, hands on his waist, hair weighed against his face, water dripping down his sun-kissed skin, a flushed blonde standing in front of him. He was completely oblivious. "That was fast."

"Ye—Yeah, just please get it down," Lucy was now aggressively staring at a oddly shaped stain on the wall beside his bed, trying her hardest to keep her eyes in one place and away from him. "And put some clothes on."

"Alright, I'll go get it," Natsu brushed passed her, giving her shoulder a firm pat. Lucy watched him pull on a pair of baggy sweats from the floor before he darted out of the room. "I'm not giving it back, though!"

"Natsu!" She chased after him, watching his bare back get farther and farther ahead with every kick he took.

Damn him for being on the track team! And these heels.

. . .

[ 08:40 ]: Is that you and Natsu running in the courtyard? And did I just witness you throw both your heels at him? Hot!

[ 08:41 ]: By the way this is Levy. Gray is presenting.

[ 08:47 ]: Mira is asking where you two are but I think she's just pretending not to notice you hugging the flag pole outside the classroom window. Is that Natsu up there waving around the wreath I got you last Christmas?

[ 08:48 ]: It is so sad watching you try to climb the pole. Bad day to wear a skirt, Lu. I bet you regret cutting the gym this year. You're so out of shape.

[ 08:50 ]: I'd like to see you try to climb this, Levy! I just want my wreath!

. . .

[ 13:00 ]: This whole hunting game for your wreath seems exciting. I want in.

[ 13:01 ]: If you find it, please give it to me.

[ 13:02 ]: Finders, keepers.

[ 13:02 ]: GRAY!

[ 13:02 ]: Are you seriously joining Natsu's side? I want my wreath!

[ 13:04 ]: Sorry, I weighed my options. Do you remember the night before graduation when we all decided to play hide and seek and Natsu trespassed onto the Church property to hide? And when the priest called the police, they couldn't find him and gave up? Yet you hid behind a bathroom door.

[ 13:08 ]: Fine! I'm getting Erza, and I WILL get Juvia.

[ 13:08 ]: I'd like to see you TRY.

. . .

[13:10 ]: We're in trouble.

[ 13:10 ]: Lucy has Erza. I'm on my way to get Juvia before she does.

[ 13:11 ]: I got Gajeel

[ 13:11 ]: And Laxus didn't say yes but he also didn't say no

[ 13:11 ]: So I'm taking it as a yes

. . .

Gray spent a moment thumbing through Natsu's messages as he pulled the door to the swim building open, and followed the striking white hallway he found himself walking down more often than he could count, until he could hear the familiar sound of the pool pump coming up to his left. The walls smelled lightly of pool chemicals. Juvia more often than so would have the scent lingering in her hair and on her skin, so he had become quite accustomed to it.

Dropping his phone in his back pocket, he pulled open the final door before he entered the pool grounds. The lot was empty, safe for the loving head of blue ocean waves and a blonde giving him a look of total triumph.

"Gray-sama! Lucy just told Juvia about the game!" His heart picked up a few paces as her voice echoed around him, her smile stretching her rose kissed cheeks as she skipped over to meet in front of him. She hugged the damp towels she had hanging off her arms into her stomach, her eyes absolutely shining as she looked up to him. God, he couldn't get enough of that. "Juvia is excited to join in on the fun!"

"On my side," Lucy walked up, her heels clacking against the rough pavement, and leaned her arm upon Juvia's shoulder. She grinned up at him. "I stole your girlfriend."

His eye twitched.

"Forgive Juvia, Gray-sama . . . but she did already promise Lucy—"

"Juvia," choosing to ignore and turn away from the smug woman, Gray leaned his head down and ran the tips of his fingers up Juvia's jaw line, tilting her chin up to brush up against his own. He felt the towels she was holding bundle up at his feet and smiled.

"Yes! Yes Gray-sama!" Juvia squeaked, her face blossoming with a healthy hue of red.

His patient and yearning lips grazed over her trembling and needy ones, his soft breath caressing over her skin. "Why don't you come to my side?" He ran a hand gently up the side of her waist, his nails feathering the one-piece suit she was wearing, her skin erupting in cold bumps.

"Ye–Yes, Gray-sama," Juvia's knees buckled from under her, and Gray's arms were around her the instant her balance swayed.

"Hey!" Lucy's jaw dropped.

Gray turned a smirk in her direction, reflecting her previous triumph, and Lucy was practically steaming in fury. With her fist balled tightly on each side of her, she stomped out of the room.

. . .

[ 13:32 ]: I got Juvia. Lucy looks pissed.

[ 13:35 ]: I GOT MIRA

[ 13:36 ]: How the hell did you do that? I thought for sure Mira would be with Lucy.

[ 13:36 ]: Because Laxus

[ 13:37 ]: ...

[ 13:37 ]: Gross.

. . .

[ 18:09 ]: If I find or see you anywhere, you are so getting it, Natsu!

[ 18:11 ]: Sounds festive ;)

Lucy slammed her dorm door shut as she entered, ripping her boots off her feet and tripping in the process. She climbed her way from the floor to her computer desk where she pushed her window curtains open and grabbed the pair of binoculars from her top drawer. She hadn't seen Natsu in two days now and her wreath was still missing from its prized place on her door. The light in Natsu's dorm was on from what she could see, but the devil wasn't in sight.

"Where are you?" Lucy muttered to herself, her foot shaking irritatingly and uncontrollably. She adjusted the focus of the lens and started looking up, down, left, right, and everywhere around Natsu's window for anything out of place. Now that almost the entire student body was looking for her precious wreath, the suspenseful feeling to find it before all else was heavy. She had a small team on her side, no thanks to Natsu snatching the loyalty of many, but she had hope for the kind ones on her side.

"Who are you looking for?"

Lucy yelped and jumped upright from her seat, resulting in her chin smashing against the window and binoculars being tossed somewhere behind her, and somehow, just somehow, she stubbed her toe.

"Levy! Oh God, you scared the very life out of me," but she was very relieved to see the petite girl. Her heart found a new home lodged in her throat, it seemed. Her pinky toe thumped painfully, angry, and hot.

Levy eyed the binoculars on the ground as she threw herself comfortably on Lucy's bed. "Are you peeping on Natsu?"

"Wha— I'm not — I'm not peeping! I was just seeing if he was in his dorm!" Lucy defended, horribly.

"He is clearly almost naked and you are sitting at your window with binoculars."

"What!" Lucy whipped around and cupped her eyes against the glass, squinting out towards the opposite side of the court. She flushed when she realized Natsu wasn't there and Levy was laughing. "Levy! I swear I was not peeping! I'm still looking for my wreath."

Levy had buried her face between the mattress pillows and sat up to rub her eyes, her giggles slowly dying in her throat. "Oh yeah, that's what I came here for. I found it, but I need help getting it down."

"You found it?" Lucy jumped up and was already hopping and pushing her boots back on her feet. "Where is it?"

. . .

Lucy dropped to her knees because leave it to Natsu to be as creative as ever with his hiding places. The tallest out of the one-story buildings their university had was two stories, and Natsu had picked that particular one to hang her wreath up on. It was the service building, and there was a single wall clock nailed in the center towards the edge of the roof, just above the awning. Her wreath, glitter and all, was around it.

"Levy, I can't climb up there! You saw me with the flag pole—" her pouty complaint was hushed by Levy holding up a hand.

"Give me a boost," Levy said, walking up under the awning and rolling up her sleeves. "And yes, I did see you with the flag pole," she grinned. "It was amazing."

Lucy felt herself flush, and moved forward to help lift her feet with her cupped hands, grateful that Levy easily managed her weight and did not come slipping down on her when she pushed her arms against the edge of the awning, and started pulling herself up. Levy got one leg up and Lucy had just started pushing up against her back when a voice interrupted them.

"Oi, what'cha doin'?"

Levy shreked, both her leg and arm slipping from the awning, and the loss of grip caused her to fall back and crash into Lucy. Both girls grunted as they hit the ground. The male laying on the roof, arms hanging over the edge with his legs crossed and swinging behind him, laughed. Levy was first to stand and dust herself off.

"Gajeel?! How did you get up there?"

The man blinked down at her for a few moments and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "The stairs."

A look of disbelief fell on both of the girl's features, and Levy placed her hands on her hips. "The main building is closed on the weekends. How did you get in?"

Gajeel grinned "Gi hi hi," and placed an elbow on the edge and rested his chin in his palm, eyes gleaming, long hair lightly moving with the breeze. "Wouldn't you like to know, pocket woman? I'll keep this one to myself," he winked.

"Hey, get my wreath right there!" Lucy cut in, pulling herself up off the ground, pointing to the clock that ticked away. Levy offered help in dusting the dirt off the back of her skirt and legs.

Gajeel dropped his gaze down. "You mean this wreath?" His arm, in perfect length, extended down and plucked the garland off the wall and twirled it a few times around his fingers for good measure. The floral arrangement Levy gave to her as a decorative gift, and that she dearly loved, glistened in the early evening light, and Lucy nodded and watched the male perched on the roofs edge let the ring loop around his forearm. "Sorry, bunny, but no can do."

"Gajeel! Since when do you listen to Natsu?" Levy's question and scold was quickly dismissed as the man slowly rolled over on his back and pulled a few bills from his pants pocket, and held them against his face.

"He was paid?" Lucy slumped, her head dropping low. She just wanted her wreath. Why was this becoming so troubling? And why was Natsu paying people to keep her wreath away from her? Was this all because she missed their routinely nacho night? How cruel.

"A nice pay to keep the bunny away," the cash was tucked back into his pocket, and Gajeel pulled himself up into a stand position, offering the girls a wave as he turned to leave. "Catch ya later."

Levy huffed, balling her fist and rolling her sleeves as she made stride for the front doors, grumbling and cursing softly under her breath. "I'll show him," she muttered, puffing from her ears. "I'll show him real good," Lucy sighed and shook her head as she watched her best friend jiggle the locked doors. "How did he get in? Stupid Gajeel! I told him to stop picking locks!"

"Levy, hey," Lucy placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, gently tugging her away from the entrance. "It's okay, let's forget it."

Levy sighed. "I'm sorry, Lu," the blonde leaned towards the hand that started rubbing her shoulder for comfort, both girls falling into a matching pace as they headed in the direction of the dorms. "Honestly I'll say, I'm touched you're making such a big deal over something I gave to you, especially that cheap thing."

Lucy smiled, lifting an arm and wrapping it around Levy's shoulders, and pulled her into a side hug. "What do you say we go for some tea?" Levy nodded in agreement, her own arm coming around the small of Lucy's back. They changed directions for the school gates. "Would you have really fought Gajeel for me?"

"Yes." No hesitation.

"I love you, Levy."

[ 16:15 ] : Hey Luce, you home?

. . .

Lucy took a deep breath of the familiar scent as she unlocked and entered her room, her boots coming off her feet as she placed her keys on her desk. She walked over to her bedside and placed a finger on the calendar she had pinned to the wall, eyeing the present days date with a sigh and small frown. It was pizza night.

Normally she would quickly straighten up and dial up Natsu to meet, but instead, she sat down on her bed and laid down. She stared at her ceiling for a short while, her fingers casually rubbing her quilt before she sat up and moved to her computer desk, and fished her phone out of her pocket. There was a waiting text message at the top of her screen from Natsu that she had received nearly an hour before. She hesitated before taping the message open, her thumbs hovering over the keys.

She hadn't seen or spoke much to Natsu in over a week by now, easily exchanging challenging looks during lectures and shallow threats through occasional text messages. Ever since he started the whole 'hunting game' for her wreath, the campus had been a mixture of war and giggles whenever she stepped outside her room. Lucy would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about walking right up and shaking the very life out of people unless they told her where her wreath was. Once she finally got it back, she needed to find a better and safer space to hang it on.

Commotion was common with Natsu, he exhaled chaos and brought a party wherever he went, and Lucy knew that the day she allowed him in her life. And despite recent dispute, light hearted as it was and if you were to call it that, she missed him. The past week was long without talking to him everyday. Missing their nacho night, barely talking to him, barely seeing him, and now they were on the verge of missing their favorite pizza night.

[ 18:58 ]: Yes, I just got in.

Lucy nibbled her lip as she hit the send button and laid the phone down in front of her. Seconds of waiting for a response turned into minutes, and Lucy anxiously tapped her nails repeatedly into the wood before she plucked her phone back up to type up another message, her bottom lip still between her teeth.

[ 19:04 ]: Pizza?

She set her phone back down, keeping the chat box open. Her fingers started to drum again. Minutes went by again with no sign of a response. Lucy was just about to get up and call it a night and heat up leftovers from her mini fridge when a dull knock sounded from her door. Lucy pushed her phone to the corner of the bedside and stood to look through her peephole, surprised to find a grumpy looking, coral-haired male standing outside her threshold with a red-hot hand mark across his cheek, and a box of pizza balanced in one hand.

"Natsu," she opened the door and stepped aside to let him enter, her eyes following his swollen cheek curiously. "I was just texting you."

"Yeah, phone's in my back pocket," he turned around and gestured toward his backside. "Can't text and carry pizza at the same time."

"Yes you can," Lucy smirked, locking her door and moving over to sit beside him on her bed as he placed the box down between them. "You're just terrible at multitasking."

Natsu pointed a pizza in her direction accusingly. "Hey, can we not insult my abilities when I just brought us both pizza?" He proceeded to shove the slice in his mouth and kept talking. "It was either this or that, and I wasn't going to risk dropping it again."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand to suppress a giggle, and Natsu sent her a glare. She recalled the dreadful night that only had happened a few weeks ago. She was waiting for Natsu when she heard him yelling from the stairs down the hall, and went running to see what was wrong. And all she found was a distressed Natsu on his hands and knees, and a dumped pizza box across the floor in front of him. His dramatic yell had disrupted nearly the whole dormitory, and they both got an earful from Erza afterward. Lucy dragged him out and bought another pizza for the both of them after she got her laugh.

"You have to admit it was funny."

Natsu shook his head, his mouth full of pizza. "Nope."

Lucy smiled and shook her head, fond, reaching in the box for a second helping. They sat like that for the while, eating, expressing, and sharing what they went over in their classes. She particularly enjoyed listening to him tell her about his track practice, listening to him tell her how much longer and farther he ran, how much higher he jumped, and about the meet that was supposedly around the corner. He got a twinkle in his eyes when she told him she'd be there to cheer him on, but she knew that he knew she wouldn't miss it for the world.

When Lucy finished her fill, her eyes fell on the mark he still had on his cheek. Though it wasn't as red as it was when he first arrived, the outline was still there and if she wasn't mistaken, there seemed to had been a slight bruise forming. She had to ask.

"Hey, Natsu," she leaned towards him, hand rising and extending towards his face to brush her fingers lightly against the hot mark. "What happened here?"

Natsu swallowed what he was chewing, a cringe flashing across his features. "Erza slapped me when I was coming up the hall."

Lucy gaped at him even though it was hardly anything new. "Why?"

There was a pause as Natsu regarded her, his eyes looking between her and the hand that was still against his cheek. "Your wreath. I put it back on your door," he took a large bite of his food.

"Is that why she slapped you?" Lucy asked, a little surprised. Natsu nodded and she took back her hand, her expression losing it's remorse. "That's what you get." Natsu chuckled as she pushed herself off the bed and made stride for the door, opening it and taking her wreath off from upon it. "I'll be taking this and putting it someplace you won't touch it again."

"Sorry, Luce," Natsu said, amused, and not sorry at all.

"Mhm," Lucy hummed with disbelief, giving him a stern look as he stood to take their now empty box to the trash. Since the dorm was lacking a kitchen and therefore a trash can, Natsu had to leave the room to escort the box to the cans down the hall. She used the time to straighten the bed and brush crust crumbs off her quilt and sheets from where Natsu was sitting. Lucy grabbed the corners of her blanket to flip it up and flatten it when she noticed something untangle from the fabric and fall to her feet. Leaning down to pick up the small object, Lucy felt her breath hitch as she recognized what it was.

"So I was thinking," Natsu announced as he re-entered the room, kicking the door shut as he pounced on the bed, wrinkling the quilt she had just straightened. "Why don't we get everyone together and go to Fairy Tail tomorrow? Since exams are coming up and all, I figured we could use a drink or two."

"Uh-huh, yeah, good idea. Hey, did you ever find your ring?" Lucy questioned, her back still towards him. She heard Natsu sigh behind her.

"No! And I looked everywhere," Natsu sulked. "I even asked around, and no one has seen it."

Lucy slowly turned around to face him, revealing the band she was holding between her fingers. "Why was this here?" the male shot up from the bed and tried to take the ring from her, but she held it out of his reach, a blush staining her cheeks as she already was mentally answering the question she was about to ask. "It was in my bed. Why was it in my bed? I told you to stop sleeping in my bed! When were you—"

"Luce, give me that!" Natsu moved to snatch it from her, but Lucy ducked under his arm and backed herself up towards the bathroom threshold, gripping the ring against her chest. She saw Natsu's face momentarily flushing, which did not help the heat that was stinging her face. It wasn't often Natsu got embarrassed, let alone blushed.

"Answer me! When were you in my bed?"

"Does it matter? Give me it!" Natsu flung forward and grabbed her hands, squeezing them and trying to peel her fingers apart. Lucy struggled against him, trying to push his hands off her as they backed into her bathroom where she became pressed against the sink.

"Do you sleep here sometimes?" Lucy asked, squealing when Natsu's hands finally pried hers apart. "No, Natsu!"

"Yes!" He raised his voice, successfully taking the ring from her grasp but still not moving from their position. "We only have one class together and I don't see you a lot for the rest of the day. I sometimes come crash here while you're in class."

Lucy lowered her guard, her shoulders relaxing but her pulse thumping in her ears. "So, you're saying . . . you miss me? So you stay in my room while I'm gone."

"Your room smells nice," he said blatantly.

"Don't say things like that," Lucy scolded. She rubbed her sweating palms against her skirt.

Natsu's hands pressed against the bathroom counter on either side of her hips, the ends of his hair tickling against her cheek. He heaved a sigh, blush still on his cheeks. Lucy watched him nibble at his chapped lip thoughtfully and patiently, admiring the new Natsu in front of her. Natsu was normally an open man, if you asked him something he would tell you point blank. There was trust and comfort in their friendship, and for a while now, there was something else. He looked exposed in front of her.

"Ugh! I've been found out."

"Why," Lucy started, swallowing. "You sleep in my bed . . . when I'm not here," she reiterated, much to Natsu's displeasure. He burned in front of her, frowning as she spoke. "You sleep in my bed because you miss me? Why?"

"Because . . ." For the first time the male was hesitating on words. Natsu was the booming type, the outgoing and most extroverted person in their group. He was blunt and straightforward and always said what was on his mind. Always acted without thought and got himself in tensed situations. But he was chewing on his tongue in front of her, wracking for the words to say.

"Yeah?" If their roles were reversed, Lucy would already have her answer. She knew she missed him too when they were apart, even for the few hours between classes during the week. One of the first things on her mind in the morning was how much she looked forward to seeing his bright face again.

Lucy leaned her shoulders back as he started closing the air space between them, his eyes lowering and gazing at her parted lips. Her breathing started coming in and out in quiet breaths and her eyes fell to his lips, and she unconsciously started to bite her own. Her hand gripped his shirt and lightly tugged to urge him closer, sensing his hesitation. The pad of his thumb feathered over her chin as he leaned down, and Lucy closed her eyes as his lips met hers in a chaste kiss.

It was short, shy, and sweet, and Lucy savored the feeling. She licked her lips when they parted, but she was pulling him back down without a second to spare.

"I hate using public bathrooms," Gajeel grumbled into his beer bottle, scowling bitterly at the space in front of him. His tablemates raised an eye at the commented but looked accepting.

"The lot of them are disgusting, but when you gotta go, you gotta go," Gray agreed with a short nod and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well, there's that, but also every time I go to use the throne, Natsu reaches under the stall and unties my shoe," the table erupted with comical laughter from either side of the irritated male. He clicked his tongue and gulped down the rest of his beer. "Asshole."

"Where is Natsu anyway?" Levy asked, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "And Lucy."

"Laxus kept Natsu back after our lecture to make up time because he came in late," Gray informed. "Lucy went to go get him."

. . .

[ 19:19 ]: Natsu, I'm at your dorm. Everyone is already at the bar waiting for us.

[ 19:20 ]: When are you coming back?

Finding the door to be unlocked, Lucy let herself in and was instantly greeted with the balmy scent that drenched the room. She inhaled it through her nose as she clicked the door shut behind her, walking straight for the bed and dropping herself on it. It wasn't something she would normally do, but there was no reason she couldn't. Her face became buried between his tossed pillows, and she felt herself relax with a content sigh. She remained there for many minutes, and could have fallen asleep accidentally if she suddenly didn't remember why she was there.

[ 19:28 ]: Natsu?

Lucy looked around the room, her sights falling on a colored ring that was sitting on his bedside table.

He must've forgot to put it back on, she thought. Lucy smiled as she studied it between her fingers, and even tried it on for size. That smile soon turned wicked as an idea entered her mind. How careless.

[ 19:29 ]: You better come back now or I'm taking your mood ring.

. . .

[ 19:35 ]: I just left I'm heading your way now

[ 19:38 ]: Lucy?

[ 19:40 ]: WHERE IS MY RING

[ 19:40 ]: You were warned.