Overheat by TsukiNoKagura

Title: Overheat

Length: 2000 words per chapter, no. of chapters undetermined

Structure: Linear, canon-based narrative; followed by a non-sequential collection of one-shots, a sequel, perhaps.

Pairings: Natsu x Lucy centric, with a dash of other subtly implied couples.

Summary: As a self-proclaimed 'average person', Lucy had long decided that Magnolia, a city ruled by the notorious Fairy Tail gang, had not been her ideal place of residence; until she accidentally runs into a certain pink-haired pyromaniac, that is.

Note: I based the conceptual, fictional city of Magnolia on the US (and made small Japan references). Since I am Australian, I am not over-familiar regarding lifestyle and educational systems outside my country. I apologise in advance.

Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

Lucy had long forgotten when she had first arrived at First Celestial Home for Gifted Children. The title of the place itself had not been too compromising for the fact that it was an orphanage. Of course, she would like to believe that everyone who lived there had a secret talent that separated them from the rest of society. However, aside from the little 'orphan perks' that each one of them picked up along their tedious, lacking-of-parental-guidance journey Lucy did not think that they were 'special' in any other way.

She supposed that some of them did stand out from the rest and have a bright future ahead of them. Cancer, for example, is an expert in hairstyling. He had recently landed a job at the local hairdressers after he had graduated from college. Taurus had been known for his unfathomable strength, he had been hired as a bouncer of a famous downtown nightclub as soon as he decided to leave school. Lucy strives to become like her preceding seniors and grow up to be a well-known name around the neighbourhood.

Speaking of her neighbourhood, Magnolia… hadn't exactly been her ideal place of residence. As a matter of fact, the whole nation of Fiore did not have one decent city where an average person like her would want to live in. Due to the diminished employment levels in law enforcement; different gangs roamed free on the streets, restrictions had not been placed on weaponry and things like bank robberies, murder and rape happen on almost a daily basis. Each gang may 'claim' an area as their own and should another gang 'intrude' on another gang's area fights and shooting incidents usually take place.

The city of Magnolia had been claimed by the infamous Fairy Tail gang. They were known to be the most fearsome and revered gang in the whole of Fiore. While they were responsible for the majority of infrastructure destruction that costed millions of jewels (official currency of Fiore) they had something other gangs do not- respect. Compared to its neighbouring cities Magnolia had a relatively safe environment (save for the constant collapsing of buildings the gang held responsible for) as Fairy Tail did not believe in hurting citizens to the extent of protecting its people from harm.

Lucy would never admit this to anyone but- she secretly admired Fairy Tail, and fantasised about being a part of it. They seem to bring about destruction everywhere they go, cause havoc in other cities and start fights with other gangs for fun. But hell, compared to everywhere else, Magnolia is relatively livable. She could go out at night without carrying instruments like a pocket knife or a rape whistle.

The only form of government-controlled education in Fiore would be of tertiary level. Elementary schools and high schools were all shut down years ago in order to ensure the safety of school students. While majority of the children were home-schooled the wealthier may hire private tutors and purchase expensive textbooks. At First Celestial they were taught by Professor Crux- a wise, old man who appears to be asleep all the time.

Lucy had no plans of going to university; instead she aspired to become a novelist. She had written plenty of books, their manuscripts neatly stashed in the back corner of her wardrobe. She had never shown anyone her works because they would most likely laugh at her and mock her writing. As soon as I get out of here she would think to herself I'll get myself a publishing deal, and then I'll live off the royalties I earn.

It had been an average morning for Lucy as she stepped into a stationery store; her last pen had just run out of ink... again and she wondered whether her part-time job as a locksmith's assistant would be sufficient for her bad, bad spending habits. Not only did she require the latest fashion trends Lucy also have constant cravings for sweets. Her closet-writer self also needed constant supply of pen and paper.

The radio broadcasted about a nearby fire-incident as Lucy grabbed several plain leather-bound notebooks and two tubs of ink, before she set her large, brown eyes on an item in the glass display cabinet next to the counter. It was a pen- coated in gold and encrusted with amethyst crystals. It made Lucy's own plain boring capped pen worthless in comparison. She knew she just had to have it, let her two week's salary be damned!

"H-how much does this pen c-cost…?" she settled down her items on the counter and stammered to the shopkeeper who barely looked interested in his own shop. If it was put in the display cabinet it had to be worth a fortune, Lucy made an estimate of around seventy jewels. She could afford that, she just had to work hard for two weeks.

"One hundred jewels." The shopkeeper barely casted her a glance and fixed his droopy eyes back to his magazine. Lucy froze.

"How can this thing be worth so much?" she threw her hands up in the air "I mean, Magnolia is famed for its abundance in amethysts! They're not of much worth!" The shopkeeper ignored her.

Perhaps I could use my feminine charms? Lucy thought with a smug face as she unbuttoned the top button of her blouse and rested her hands provocatively atop the counter.

"Aw come on Mr. Meanie" she pouted cutely "Surely you would make an exception for a cute girl like me?" The shopkeeper finally looked up; he fixed his eyes on her… womanly traits.

"Eighty Jewels," the man swallowed "you either take it or leave it."

"You have yourself a deal, sir!" Lucy immediately paid for her purchases, placed the pen carefully in a sealed compartment within her handbag and skipped out-

…only to bump head-on with a stranger, knocking herself over and him on top of her.

A pair of fierce, determined eyes locked with her own and Lucy felt her breath hitch in her throat. The boy's messy, salmon-coloured hair did not look weird at all and, on the contrary, looked quite handsome falling over his tanned face. What shocked Lucy the most was the fact that, this strange boy's well-built torso was only covered with an open short-sleeved jacket and a geometrically-patterned scarf, and she could not help herself staring at the irresistible sight that was of his biceps.

"Gah, sorry…" he let out a strangled sound and climbed down from their awkward position, before he scurried off in a hurried pace, a cute scowl adorned his cheeks.

She was left in a daze.

That afternoon Lucy slurped heartily on her bowl of beef ramen. Her friend, Virgo, back at First Celestial worked for Starry Ramen and she could eat whatever she wanted there for a special staff's discount. She thought of the boy back at the stationery store, he couldn't have been any older than her because she could literally feel the hot-blooded, youthful aura that dripped from his body. Why had he been in such a hurry? Isn't he cold from that flimsy jacket he wore? Other miscellaneous thoughts and questions troubled her brain and she let out a groan.

"What's wrong? Is the ramen too salty?" Virgo had been cleaning plates near her and Lucy denied her assumption. She wanted to tell her friend about the boy from earlier but it seemed slightly strange since she rarely gossiped about boys.

Just at that moment, as if by fate, said boy rammed through the doors of the restaurant and sat down right on the stool next to Lucy's. He requested for an extra large spicy ramen, and when the price of his order had been announced he seemed to have been caught in a dilemma. Lucy watched out of the corner of her eye as the pink-haired boy fumbled through his pant pockets to no luck.

I can't believe I'm doing this… Lucy thought to herself before she cleared her throat, the boy turned around to make eye-contact with her, his eyes glistened, but he did not seem to recognise her.

"I-I'll pay for that, if y-you want…" her gaze fell down to her own ramen and she could barely keep her voice steady Lucy, what is wrong with you? You're simply performing an act of random kindness! Just do it for that set of gorgeous abs of his…

To Lucy's surprise the boy's face transformed into a happy grin, he did not thank her or promise her anything about how he'd pay her back, but Lucy could see that he had been grateful towards her. She smiled back at him.

"I-I'm Lucy, n-nice to m-meet you!" she held out a hand shakily and tried to make her introduction sound as nice and smooth as possible.

The boy ignored her hand and placed an arm around her shoulder, causing her to blush furiously "I'm Natsu, thanks for the meal; I'm starving my ass off!" his voice was loud and clear, confident, too.

Lucy watched Natsu eat with her chin in her hands; she did not regret her decision in buying him the biggest size on the menu. It would probably cost her two day's worth of lunch money. He sprayed two layers of hot pepper flakes on top of the fire-red soup and finished his food within two minutes. Natsu must be a fan of spicy things.

"So, um, I haven't seen you around here before, are you new to the city?" Lucy tried to strike up a conversation with the boy. Magnolia is a relatively small place and it was a common thing to recognise faces everywhere.

"Oh?" Natsu replied "Nah, but I do go traveling a lot." He called for Virgo, and whispered something in the waitress' ear. Virgo nodded in understanding and headed back into the kitchen.

"You don't look any older than I am; do you travel with your parents or something?" The word 'parents' sounded foreign coming out of her mouth. It was considered a taboo word in First Celestial.

Virgo arrived back at the bar counter they sat by, she held a plate filled with raw red chilli peppers. She settled the plate in front of Natsu and told him that it was on the house. Lucy watched in shock as the boy picked up a pepper and tossed it into his mouth, before chewing thoughtfully and swallowing with a content sigh. He picked up another pepper.

"That's just it, I don't have any parents." He sounded quite casual talking about his family business "My adoptive dad disappeared one day and I've been looking for him ever since." Lucy felt sorry for him; she couldn't imagine a life without Mr. King (owner of the orphanage), Professor Crux and her fellow 'siblings' back at First Celestial.

Natsu took the remaining peppers and shoved them, all at once, into his mouth. "Ah, I'm all fired up!" he exclaimed before taking off his jacket, revealing what would become the biggest shock of her life to Lucy.

A red symbol, illustrating the abstract shape of a winged creature, with its long tail the shape of an arrow, had been embedded on his left arm. Lucy would be an idiot to not know what it signified.

"Y-you're… you're…" she fell over on the stool she sat on and backed away from him. He stared at her matter-of-factly.

"Salamander, of Fairy Tail…" her voice was barely a whisper.

A/N: It seemed very common of me to start a brand new piece of writing, and most likely end up never completing it. Anyhow, Fairy Tail would be my most recent obsession. I instantly fell in love with the NaGraLu Threesome, not that it would be incorporated into this story. Threesomes can come another day.

Liked it? Hated it? R&R it!