Chapter 1: Getting Lucky

"Maybe you'll get lucky tonight," Cana casually.

Cana, Erza, and Wendy were sitting in Lucy's room while waiting for Lucy to get ready. It was the night of Lucy's 20th birthday and guild wanted to celebrate in the usual style of singing, dancing, and plenty of drinking. While Lucy was sitting at her vanity to fix her hair, the other girls showed her their presents. Wendy gave Lucy a handcrafted scarf, Erza gave a whip made out of premium leather, and Cana promised to invite as many cute guys as she could find to the celebration. A large sweatdrop appeared over Lucy's forehead.

"I don't need to get lucky. I just want to have a good time," Lucy said.
"I hear what you're saying, but I'm still inviting them." Cana said winking. "You never know."

Wendy, who had been quiet for most of this conversation, looked at the three older girls with a little apprehension. By now, she's gotten used to hearing them talk about their love lives and admittedly she has been curious. When it came to Lucy, though, Wendy had already chosen a side. "M-maybe Lucy doesn't need to meet anyone new!" The other girls looked at Wendy with surprise. "M-maybe she can be happy with what she has," Wendy explained.

Erza had been on the fence with Cana's plan. Erza agreed that it would be nice if Lucy found someone, but she wasn't sure this was the way to go. When she heard Wendy speak up, Erza couldn't help smiling warmly at the girl because she knew Wendy was quietly cheering for Natsu. "Maybe you're right," Erza agreed.

"Look, guys, I appreciate the concern," Lucy said looking at them through her mirror. "Honestly, though, I'm not really interested in guys right now."
"So you're not even going to try?!" Cana said, a little indignant. "Seriously, Lucy, when have you ever been interested?"
"I've been interested in some guys," Lucy shot back. "What about that guy with the glasses?"
"I was trying to help you out that time, too." Cana said, pulling out the Lovers card from out of her deck. "And then you stood him up to go play around with Natsu!"

Wendy and Erza looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "He was fun to talk to that day," Lucy admitted. "But ultimately... I don't know... There wasn't anything about him that made me want to see him again. Besides, if I remember correctly, you scooped him up pretty quick after I left."
"Oh yeah," Cana said pretending she hadn't remembered that detail. "That didn't work out for me either."
"This all might be moot anyway," Lucy said turning around to face her guests. "Capricorn was organizing what's left of my family estate records, apparently there's a contract promising my hand in marriage when I turned 20. I'm meeting with my supposed suitor in a few days."

There was a moment of dead silence as the three girls stared at Lucy, jaws dropping to the floor.

"WHAT?!" Cana, Wendy, and Erza screamed in unison. The three of them rushed to Lucy, towering over her in a panic. "You're getting married?!"
Lucy had to pry herself from Cana, who took to shaking the blonde mage by the shoulders. "It's just a marriage contract," Lucy said casually. "It's not uncommon for rich families."
"But I thought your family's estate dissolved," Erza said.
"It did," Lucy clarified. "The contract was created when my father's business was still flourishing."
"Why didn't you say something sooner? I wouldn't have gotten all of these guys to come."
"I only found out recently… Besides, if money has anything to do with it, I bet the other family involve will agree to break to contract once they find out that the fortune is gone. That's what I'm expecting will happen when I meet with them."

The three women in Lucy's room only stared at her dumbstruck. Lucy felt the spirit in the room suddenly drain for some reason. Obviously, all three believed in marrying for love and not business.

"Oh, come on you guys, it's not a big deal!" Lucy said. "I don't plan on thinking about that tonight. Let's all have fun!" Erza and Wendy both seemed to perk up at the sound of this, though Cana still seemed upset. Lucy sighed. "Fine, I'll give those guys a chance," Lucy promised. "Just don't get your hopes up."

With this, Cana cheered.

Lucy was not much of a drinker. She's been down that road a few times and each time was not pretty. Usually, she has a few nonalcoholic cocktails while watching everyone else overdo it. In the end, she would be the one to walk home in a perfectly upright and steady manner, which is way more than she can say for the rest of her guild.

However, today was July 1st. Her birthday! Loke volunteered to look after her if she went overboard with the alcohol. Loke may talk game all the time, but she knew she could trust him with something like this. Lucy started the night with an alcoholic cocktail alongside her guildmates. Lucy was a lightweight drinker, so it only took the one drink before she started smiling wider than usual. Natsu knew exactly what that smile meant. Natsu jumped up onto one of the tables.

"Come here, Lucy!" Natsu said pulling her up to the table. "Celebrate!"

Natsu started dancing. He was a horrible dancer, but he was so full of joy for his friend that he didn't seem to care. Oddly enough, Lucy started dancing with him. Suddenly, the two of them were dancing goofily on the table, arms slung over each other's shoulders as if they hadn't a care in the world.

So started Lucy's night of birthday drinking.

Natsu, who had been so excited that Lucy was willing to really drink that night, became overzealous about encouraging her that he drank himself into passing out way before everyone else. Lucy went over to him and placed an water bottle beside his head. "Lucy…" he grumbled. "Drink…" Natsu fell completely asleep, a wide goofy grin spread across his face. Oh, Natsu... she thought fondly.

Lucy heard her name being called by the table behind her. A shot of rum that had been poured into a shot glass labeled "Birthday Princess", followed by a line of young men who wanted to see her. Lucy looked behind her to where Cana was sitting. The brunette gave her thumbs up, causing Lucy to groan internally. Well, she said she would try.

For the next hour, Lucy talked to one guy after another. Some of them were sweet, some were boring, and a few were totally disgusting. There was one guy who she really hit it off with. He was good looking, well read, and fun to talk to. Actually, Lucy really liked this guy. She could feel Cana's glowing approval from behind her. So when he asked her out on an actual date, Lucy was at a loss as to why she turned him down. There was nothing wrong with him per se, but… Lucy just wasn't interested.

He was the last person Lucy talked to that night. The blonde mage walked over to the table where Cana and Erza were sitting.

"Lucy!" Cana whined. "You looked like you were having a great time with that last guy."
"We were," Lucy admitted. "He was very sweet… But, I didn't really feel anything when I was with him. There was no spark, I guess."
Cana grumbled. "If that wasn't a spark, I'd like to see what is."
"Now, now," Erza said calming Cana down.

Lucy looked up at the clock and realized it was just a few minutes from her time of birth. Everyone who hadn't passed out gathered around her. Loke, who had been watching over Lucy to make sure everything was on the up and up, placed a shot glass labeled "Birthday Princess" in front of her.

"For your hard work," he said with a wink.

Lucy looked at it tentatively. Mixed drinks were one thing, but shots were another. Memories of past experiences caused her throat to tighten up just looking at the small glass of alcohol sitting before her. She watched the clock tick to 11:18PM, the time she was actually born. The crowd around her began to sing happy birthday, making her smile happily. She took the shot quickly and immediately regretted it.

It was then that she heard the sound of delicate glass shatter. She looked around. There were mugs being broken around her, but the sound she heard didn't fit quite fit the chaotic scene of the guild hall. The sound she heard was gentle and had a flutter to it. It was a little muffled, like a secret only she was allowed to hear... She let the thought pass, thinking it was just her imagination.

Almost instantaneously, Lucy felt her body relax. The change in her body was sudden and almost overwhelming. It was as if something she had been holding back had just been let go. Was it the alcohol? she wondered. She surprised that the shot hit her so quickly. Again, she let the thought pass. Feeling good and free, (it was her birthday, after all!), Lucy boldly took another shot in one loud gulp. She nearly gagged, but she kept it down. She gave everyone thumbs up when she knew she was safe.

The rest of the guild cheered and it seemed like each member started lining up more shots for her, which she took every once in a while as the night wore on. Lucy soon found herself spiraling ever downward towards a drunken stupor. The room was spinning, but her body felt real good. She could feel the smile on her face widen at her own enjoyment.

Lucy couldn't tell how many hours passed before the celebration came to a point where only a few people were still standing. Remarkably, Lucy herself was one of them. Mirajane was still up, entertaining a drink with Gajeel. Then there was Cana, naturally, with Loke, Gray, and surprisingly Natsu, who came back from the drunken dead to sit with them. Happy sat on Natsu's soldier, eating away on a fish.

They'd been chattering away about something or other, but Lucy was having a hard time following. Lucy had five too many shots, though there was still one in front of her that she hadn't taken yet. It took a few moments for her to realize that Cana was saying something to her.

"20 years of life and you still don't have a boyfriend," Cana said laughing. "Have you ever even kissed a guy before?"

Lucy blushed and tried to stammer a response to no avail.

"Don't tell me you've only kissed girls!" Cana said.
"I have not kissed any girls!" Lucy screamed, getting another laugh from Cana.
"You know what, Lucy?" Cana said with an evil grin "The solution is simple. You're a cute female. I bet you could get any guy to kiss you if you just tried." Cana paused to take another gulp of her barrel. "Why not kiss Natsu?" Cana said, turning towards him. "Might as well make your first kiss be with someone you get along with."

The normal response from Lucy would include sweat drops and some form of exaggerated protest with her saying how dumb of an idea that was. Without fail, that was Lucy's response when it came to her interacting romantically with other men. Everyone knew it, everyone expected it.

To everyone's surprise, Lucy did no such thing. The stellar spirit mage was just looking at her friend with the oddest expression.

"Oooo!" whooped Cana "Looks like you've got a response over here!"
"She loooooves him!" Happy squealed as he flew in circles above them.
"Now, now," Loke interjected. "Let's not force Lucy into something she doesn't want to do. Right, princess?"

Lucy paused for a minute to, fanning her cheeks with her hand. She was looking a little flush.

"No, it's okay, Loke," Lucy said, her head tilting slightly. "I am... curious..."

Lucy looked at Natsu, who had been sitting there quietly with his arms crossed. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Lucy's cheeks felt really warm. The more she stared at him, the more curious she became. What would happen if she kissed Natsu? What would it feel like? Her eyes continued to linger on him. She's known Natsu for many years and has spent a considerable amount of time with him. Everything about him was familiar to her. The color of his hair, the scars he's gotten in battle, the shape of his body, the look of his smile. She always knew that Natsu had handsome features, but it wasn't until this moment that she really felt how attractive he is. Felt as in her body was reacting in a way that her mind had no control over. Right now, her body felt like it really want to kiss Natsu. Maybe the alcohol was getting to her because her mind wasn't protesting.

"Do you want to?" she asked rather innocently, the question slipping out surprising even her. "We don't have to if you don't want to."
"If you want to," Natsu said simply.
"I do," she said in a whisper that everyone could hear, but was really meant only for Natsu.

Lucy and Natsu turned to each other. Closing her eyes, Lucy gently pressed her lips against his. In the background, Cana and Happy cheered, while Loke and Gray only watched in surprise. Lucy paused, pulled back to look at him again, her expression asking if it was okay. By then the hall fell into dead silence as everyone who was still there and conscious stared at what was happening. Natsu's face was so close to hers that no one else could see his expression, but whatever look he gave her encouraged her because she went in for a kiss again, this time with tongue. If this was Lucy's first time kissing, then she must be a natural because there was nothing awkward about her kiss with Natsu. Lucy was getting into it and she didn't seem to care that other people were there watching her. Her left hand reached up to touch Natsu on the check when she was gently yanked away from him.

"Alright," Loke said "that's enough."
Lucy said struggling against his grip "What are you doing?"
"I think you've had enough to drink."
"Wh-what?! No I-"

Lucy stopped mid-sentence as all the alcohol she'd been taking in the last half hour finally hit her blood stream. Nausea quickly followed. Damn, he's good, Lucy thought recalling Loke's sharp instincts when it came to women and/or alcohol. For some reason, her celestial spirit was a very accurate at gauging her alcohol tolerance levels.

"... Alright." Lucy said somewhat disappointed.
"Come on" Loke said wrapping Lucy's arm over his shoulder "I'll take you home."

Lucy looked back at Natsu as Loke escorted her out of the building. She could still feel the warm tingling on her lips.

The walk back to Lucy's place was relatively quiet. For the most part, Lucy spent much of the time concentrating on walking straight. Public drunkenness isn't illegal in Magnolia, but it was tacitly frowned upon. Lucy was too cheap to spend money on a ride back home, so she tried to fake sobriety until she made it to her apartment. When they made it to her place, Loke stopped at the door.

"Are you okay?" Loke asked.
"I'm doing okay considering all that drinking," Lucy said. "Thanks for looking out for me."
"My pleasure," Loke said. "Though, it's not the hangover I'm asking about."
"What is it?"
"It's just that..." Loke tried to find a delicate way to pose his question. "You seem different. I always thought you weren't interested in things like kissing."

Lucy paused for a second to try to figure out what Loke was saying.

"If you were curious about kissing, I would have happily shown you," Loke added. His suggestion earned him a smack on the head. Now that's the response I was expecting earlier! Loke thought to himself. "Sorry!" he said. "I'm only kidding."
"Something is on your mind, Loke," Lucy said crossing her arms, though doing so made it harder for her to stand up straight. She leaned against her door for support. "Spit it out," she commanded.
"I just wanted to know what made you want to kiss Natsu now of all times."
"I was drunk and when Cana suggested it, it seemed like a good idea. Why?"
Loke said waved his hands apologetically. "Just be careful, princess. I know that was your first kiss. A woman like you will certainly attract all kinds of attention, good and bad."
"You're beginning to sound like a father," Lucy said chuckling a little.
"Well, your father is gone now and all of your stellar spirits want to protect you in his place. Myself included."
"Thanks, Loke," Lucy said with a warm smile. "I really appreciate it. Though, frankly, I'm disturbed that you even know that was my first kiss."

Loke stood there, watching her carefully, almost as if he were looking for something. Lucy thought it was weird, but didn't say anything about it. She was tired and desperately wanted to get into bed.

"Be careful. That's all I'm saying," Loke said, finally.

Lucy gave Loke a half smile before wishing him a good night. He disappeared back into the Stellar Spirit World in a puff of smoke.

Lucy stood there a few moments, waiting to make sure he was really gone. Using all of what was left of her concentration, Lucy walked slowly and steadily into her home. After drinking a glass of water, she walked to the second floor to her room. She decided to leave her window open just a little bit because the weather had been warm and Lucy could use the fresh air.

She plopped onto the bed and took a deep breath, waiting.

It's true, that was her first kiss. It's not as though she never had a chance with other men. She's even had a chance with other women, for that matter. But this time was the first time ever that she ever wanted to kiss someone. The desire to do so came on suddenly. It was like a switch simply turned on inside of her. Specifically, she wanted to kiss Natsu. If Cana had suggested any other man, then probably, Lucy wouldn't have gone for it.

She could still remember the softness of Natsu's lips. Just thinking about it was making her feel warm. She wanted to kiss him again.

Lucy closed her eyes tightly.

Speaking of wants, this would also be a first.

Lucy's heart was beating quickly as reached down to touch herself. Up until this point, Lucy never really felt the need to touch herself. The thought never even occurred to her. Right now, though, she was welling up with desire. Her body was spreading with an unfamiliar ache for physical pleasure and it all seemed to center around her thoughts of Natsu. She was so wrapped up in these thoughts that she didn't even realize Natsu had jumped up to her window or that he heard the distinct sound of his name rolling off of her lips in a whisper.

A/N: The someone-gets-drunk-and-does-something is my favorite Fairy Tail fanfiction trope. It's just fun. Just a few things to note beforehand: 1) The updates for this story will probably be irregular and have long periods in between. The actual writing has been really slow for me. 2) This is strictly a Natsu x Lucy story. There will probably be other men who will play into the story, but this is by no means a love triangle. NaLu!