Chapter Text
"The best couples usually begin unexpectedly."
At Fairy Tail Academy, a prestigious institution gathering the most brilliant and eccentric individuals in the Kingdom of Fiore, the name Lucy Heartfilia was synonymous with perfection. She was beauty made into a walking legend, spoken of in the same breath as other campus icons like Erza Scarlet and Mirajane Strauss, they were one of famous gorgeous Fairy girls.
Whenever she walked down the sunlit hallways, it felt like the whole world paused to watch. Her radiant, ethereal beauty was captivating; her blonde hair looked as if it were woven from morning sunbeams, glowing brilliantly under the light. With a face framed by warm brown eyes as clear and sweet as melted chocolate, she was the "muse" of every student boy’s dreams.
Even in a simple school uniform, Lucy carried herself with the refined elegance of a noble young lady… yet she still had that bright, youthful energy that made her feel untouchably radiant.
Lucy wasn’t just a normal pretty girl, she was also the pride of the Book Club in a school overflowing with strange geniuses and loud talent.
And yet…, the beautiful Lucy Heartfilia had a secret she absolutely could not tell anyone.
Lately, she had developed a bizarre condition, a sickness, a curse, a tragedy. She was addicted to a scent !!!
Even worse? The only "cure" that could save her from her sudden, debilitating fatigue came from Natsu Dragneel.
Yes, that idiot Natsu. The pink-haired, battle-hungry ace of the Fairy Tail basketball team. He was her sole rival, her constant headache, and the only person capable of making her heart race in a chaotic, thumping frenzy. Since their freshman year, the two had been at each other's throats, fighting over everything at school.
Lucy’s body had been growing alarmingly weak for the past month. Despite a thorough examination by the doctor, nothing was found amiss with her health.
However, everything changed when she had a chance shouting match with Natsu. As she stood close to him, the scent of fire, smoke, and a distinct, sharp spice enveloped her. In an instant, every cell in her body sprang to life.
And that was how the string of embarrassing moments in her life began.
"Lucy! Get to the gym, now! Natsu is there!" Her best friend Levy McGarden chirped over the phone.
Ten minutes later, Lucy arrived at the gym looking like a wilted flower. Natsu was in the locker room, but his discarded t-shirt was draped over a treadmill.
Her logic screamed: Don’t do it, Lucy! This is soooo creepy! You’re a deviant!
But her instincts took over. Her hands reached out, trembling, as she brought the fabric to her face and took a deep, desperate breath.
"AH... I’m alive again!"
"Lucy??? What the hell are you doing with my shirt?"
Lucy froze. Her breath hitched.
Natsu stood there, partially clothed in nothing but a pair of white gym shorts. His raw, vibrant energy was mesmerizing, causing her head to spin. Sweat beads raced down his tanned skin, tracing the firm muscles of his chest before disappearing past his rock-hard abs.
But most importantly, he was staring at her with a look of absolute, soul-crushing horror at her bizarre behavior.
Panicked and dying of shame, Lucy bolted from the scene, clutching the shirt to her chest and dragging a bewildered Levy along with her.
"Why didn't you tell me he was back?!" Lucy wailed once they were safe.
"I tried! Multiple times!" Levy sighed. "But you were so focused on... umm... communing with that shirt that you didn't hear a word I said."
"I'm ruined. That pink-haired idiot is going to think I'm a weirdo. Worse, the 'Blonde-Haired Pervert' of Fairy Tail Academy!" Lucy gripped her head, screaming internally.
Levy patted her shoulder.
"It might not be that bad."
Then she pointed at Lucy’s hands.
"Except for the part where you stole his clothes. How is he supposed to get back to the dorms?"
OH MY GOODNESS!!! In her rush, she had accidentally kidnapped his shirt. There was no washing this stain off her reputation now.
Lucy had no choice. She pleaded, begged, and promised to pay for Levy’s lunches for an entire week to get her friend to return the shirt, because Lucy was still way too embarrassed to show her face anywhere near that gym again.
Lucy waited in their shared dorm room, pacing like a caged animal until Levy returned. The moment Levy returned, Lucy rushed her.
"Well? What did you say to him?"
"I told him exactly what you told me to say. That you've had some 'unmentionable personal issues' lately, something hard to explain. That’s why you acted weird, and it was all a misunderstanding, and you hope he doesn’t mind about it. I told him to just forget it. Then I gave him his shirt back. Done."
"And? Did he say anything?"
Levy’s mouth twitched, like she was trying not to laugh.
“Natsu said…” she paused, then delivered the words like a final blow, “so Lucy finally realized she’s a total weirdo, huh?"
Lucy: ^_^ ……… (I’m fine… I’M TOTALLY FUCKING FINE!)
NATSU DRAGNEEL! You tactless, bastard, idiot, annoying pink-haired jerk!
The next morning, her phone buzzed with a message from The One she absolutely did not want to know who it is.
Natsu: "Yo Lucy, I know a really good brain doctor. Want a recommendation?"
Lucy: "YOU’RE the one who needs a doctor, and this is called Psychiatrist not Brain Doctor! I just... picked up the wrong thing!"
Natsu: "You 'wrongly' sniffed it like your life depended on it? Or do you just liiiiiiike me?"
Lucy: "Why don’t you assume I grabbed your shirt by mistake instead of the shirt of the guy I actually find attractive!"
Natsu: "Liar. You're weird and you have terrible taste. There's nobody cooler or hotter in that gym than me."
Lucy hurled her phone across the bed, her face burning as red as Erza’s hair.
But as the days passed, her "energy source" remained out of reach. After that horrifying gym incident, Lucy swore on the Heartfilia honor that she wouldn't go within ten meters of Natsu for a week. But life isn't a fairy tale, and her body was a traitor. She grew so weak she couldn't even finish a 100-meter dash in Coach Gildarts’ PE class. She had to stammer out a lie about "girl problems" just to get out of the workout.
Every muscle ached. Even holding a pen felt like lifting a boulder. She was "starving." A gnawing hunger for a scent that only that annoying pink-haired idiot could provide.
Damn it all. This is all Natsu’s fault! That stupid, annoying, perfect-smelling pink-haired jerk!
(To be continued)