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Cookies and Matches

Summary:

“Why aren’t you opening your eyes?”

“Natsu, if something ridiculous is in front of my face, I’m going to roundhouse kick you out of my apartment.”

“Just open your eyes!”
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Natsu can't figure out what to get Lucy for her birthday, and in the process of asking around, the guild realizes that Lucy hasn't been able to celebrate a single birthday while in the Fairy Tail Guild.
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AKA: Everyone Loves Lucy, but Natsu loves her the most

Notes:

I changed Lucy's birthday because it doesn't make sense in canon. Soooo instead of it being July 1st, it's June 1st. :) <3

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“Hey, Canaaaa.”

Cana looks up from her barrel to eye Natsu, only a little tipsy. Which is good, because Natsu has a question, and he can’t ever get a proper response out of her when she’s drunk.

“What’s up?” Cana looks at him like he’s about to say something crazy. Like she’s suspicious of him. “Whaddya want?”

“Don’t be like that, Cana,” Lisanna light scolds from across the table. “Natsu might not have anything weird to say this time.”

“I dunno, Lis,” Levy looks up from what she was writing and smiles at her nervously. “Natsu usually starts saying something weird when he comes to Cana for something. Last time, he wanted to know if Cana could predict if the king of Fiore would come back for his crown.”

“Oh, well, when you put it that way…” Lisanna gives up all faith for Natsu. He has half a mind to be annoyed by this, but he instead huffs out a frustrated sigh and crosses his arms. He’s on a mission, and can’t be distracted. It’s super important.

“Actually, I’m glad you two are here too. I gotta ask something.”

Natsu doesn’t know what he said, because suddenly Levy had dropped her pencil, Cana choked on what she was drinking, and Lisanna’s eyes lit up with wonder. The choking spurred Wendy and Erza to look back from their table.

“What’s going on?” Wendy asks, patting Cana’s back.

“You want to ask us something? Why?” Lisanna presses, and she has that weird look that Mirajane gets in her eyes sometimes.

“I can’t ask a boy.” Natsu huffs.

“Is it about Lucy!?” Levy nearly stands up, squealing in delight.

Natsu isn’t exactly sure what the heck Levy’s magic is, but he’s sure it was Cana that knows fortune telling. He steps back suspiciously from Levy and asks, “...How the heck did you know that?”

Lisanna screeches with joy, and Levy looks over the moon. Wendy put a hand over her mouth in shock and Cana chokes on her booze again. Erza was nodding proudly like she won something. Seriously… Natsu doesn’t get girls… what in the world did he say that would spark this kind of reaction?

“It’s my girl power!” Levy tells him. “What did you wanna ask?”

“It’s finally happening!” Lisanna says dreamily.

“What’s finally happened?” Natsu asks, but then he waves it off. “Ugh, whatever, you guys are too weird to interpret. Anyways, what kinda gifts would Lucy like? I can’t think of one and it’s getting too close.”

“Huh?” Levy’s smile fades into wonder. “What’s getting too close?”

Natsu tilts his head in confusion. “...Lucy’s birthday? It’s tomorrow.”

He ignores whatever reaction they’re about to have in order to explain why he hasn’t gotten her present yet. “It’s not like I forgot, you know! I just can’t think of something she’d like! Whenever I get her souvenirs she always says she doesn’t like frogs and lizards and rocks. I thought maybe clothes but the lady at the store told me girls prefer jewelry? But I don’t got enough money for jewelry… what are you guys doing?”

He’d finally looked at them when noticing they were too quiet. Each of them was in shock.

“It’s… Lucy’s birthday tomorrow?” Erza asks after a moment.

Natsu stares.

“Yeah?”

“How’d you know that!?” Lisanna asks in shock. “Apparently no one else knew!”

“Wait, guys,” Cana stops them. “Natsu is terrible with dates and stuff, remember? Natsu, how did you figure out it was Lucy’s birthday tomorrow?”

Natsu is once again sure he should be offended, but he brushes it off. “Lucy talked about being a Gemini in the zodiac, which is why she gets along with Gemini so well. I asked when it was and she said June 1st.”

“But we’ve… never celebrated her birthday before…” Levy pauses, looking around at the group. “Have we? Birthdays are a big deal at the guild.”

“Wait, if it’s June 1st…” Cana hesitates, mulling it over. “Then… when Lucy joined…”

“Yeah,” Natsu nods. “She joined on July 4th. I met her July 2nd.”

“Wait, Natsu, you remember that?” Lisanna holds up her hand. “But you don’t remember, like, everything else…”

“What?” Natsu squints at her. “I’m not that forgetful.”

“Um… Sorry, Natsu…” Wendy shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “But you really are.”

“So you remembered when Lucy joined, is what you’re telling us?” Cana raises a brow at him. Natsu doesn’t really understand what the big deal is.

“Well, Lucy’s my teammate. ‘Course I remember.” Natsu sighs.

“The Tenrou Island incident happened in December,” Levy thinks on it. “And we woke up seven years later on May the 29th… and got to Magnolia on-”

“June 1st.” Erza breathes out in astonishment. “It was Lucy’s birthday when we got back? Why didn’t she tell us?”

“She forgot.” Natsu says quickly. “Because she wanted to check on her dad.”

The mood shifts somewhat. The day Lucy found out that her dad died was the day they got back, and apparently it was only Natsu that knew it was her birthday when she found out. Then, it was understandable that Lucy hadn’t wanted to celebrate with everyone right about then…

“It was September when we fought against the Tartaros Guild… and when we disbanded. And then the guild disbanded for a year…” Levy pauses. “So this is Lucy’s first birthday officially with the guild…”

“Wow…” Wendy blinks, trying to keep up with the math. “So everyone we got close to Lucy’s birthday, something happened and we couldn’t celebrate…”

“Which is why I wanna get her a gift,” Natsu says impatiently. “What would Lucy like? That was the whole reason I came over here, you know.”

“Well, Natsu,” Cana grins at him, but it’s particularly evil. “We’re not gonna tell you now.”

“Huh? Why not?” Wendy asks for Natsu.

“We gotta get her gifts too! It’s a competition to get Lucy the best gift!” Cana jumps up from her seat and puts her fist in the air dramatically. “We’re gonna make sure Lucy’s first birthday with the guild is a good one!”

“Hey! Wait!” Natsu is in shock. “But I- This isn’t fair!”

“All’s fair in love and war, Natsu!” Cana points at him, and she starts flipping through her cards.

“You’re using your magic to see what she likes best!? That’s cheating, Cana!” Lisanna stands up from her chair and slams her hands down on the table. “ I’m going to get Lucy the best gift!”

“No,” Erza chuckles darkly, her eyes alight with her competitive streak. “I am.”

“W-w-wait-” Natsu starts pathetically, but no one is listening.

“Charle!” Wendy calls out to the exceed who’s at the bar. “We need to go shopping!”

“Huh? What for?” Charle asks.

And by the time Charle knows, word is already spreading around the guild, the explanation for why like wildfire as well. Lucy’s first birthday with the Guild, even though it’s been years! Natsu looks around at the chaos that’s happening.

People have already started to decorate: Elfman and and Bickslow were starting to hang up a banner that Reedus made, Macao and Romeo were looking through the storage upstairs for tablecloths and candles…

Man… Natsu only came to ask what Lucy would want as a gift. He doesn’t even know if Lucy wants to have a big celebration.

Birthdays are always a big thing for Fairy Tail: it was an excuse to party, and Fairy Tail loves to party. Lucy always participates, sometimes even more excited than the birthday person themselves. And everyone wants to give Lucy the best gift because for everyone who’s had a birthday so far, it’s been a fact that Fairy Tail lives by: Lucy gives the best gifts.

It’s just something Lucy does. She gives the best gifts, the best hugs, the best advice. She’s that type of person, and she loves a good birthday.

But Natsu knew Lucy a little more personally than everyone else did. Not rude because it’s true.

Lucy hadn’t just told Natsu her birthday. She’d talked about what her previous birthdays were like, and she told Natsu why she likes celebrating other people’s birthdays.

Lucy’s dad didn’t care to remember when she was little. And until her deb… debant? Debu… debby something- all Natsu can say was it was her 14th birthday, she spent that day in her room reading and talking to the people that cared, the people that worked for her dad. When Lucy was 14, her birthdays weren’t about her, but were about society.

‘Cause Lucy grew up in high class, they apparently do birthdays different than what everybody else does. There’s never been a cake with candles that she has to blow out, and no one sang happy birthday around a crowded table. It was just a bunch of other high class people in stuffy gowns and suits there to talk politics and give Lucy’s dad a gift, or a gift that Lucy would end up never using in her life.

Lucy had only celebrated one birthday: the one when she was on the road after leaving her old life behind. She was on a train the entire day, and it was raining outside. She sat down with a good book, and bought a cookie from the trolley lady. She stuck a match in the cookie while it was lit, sang Happy Birthday to herself, and then blew out the match.

She said that was her favorite birthday, even though she felt a little lonely. Because that was her first birthday not as “Lucky Lucy Heartfilia”, but as just “Lucy, the adventuring Celestial wizard”.

Now, it was time to celebrate Lucy of Fairy Tail’s birthday…

But would she want to? With such a big crowd?

The thing was, was the Lucy before Tenrou would have wanted to. She’d have gotten all cute and dressed up and babbled on and on for hours and had the most fun of her life, surrounded by people who loved her.

But Lucy’s last two birthdays… she’d found out her dad died and then went on a job with Natsu and Happy, and then the last one… she’d been all alone. Without her guildmates.

In any case… maybe he should warn Lucy.

Oh.

Natsu claps his hands, and then realizes people were in front of him. Gray and Gajeel apparently were trying to get his attention.

“Dude, why are you spacing out? We asked if you were gonna help decorate or not.” Gray complains, crossing his arms. “You better not skip out-”

“Can’t!” Natsu is already off towards the door. “I just figured out what to get Lucy!”

-

“Hmmm hm hmmm,” Lucy hums, brushing her hair in the mirror. “What to eat~ I’m hungry~”

She hasn’t decided on what to get for dinner today yet. She could always go to the guild, because they had great food there… but she’s ate there the last two days. There’s a new restaurant she’d been wanting to try out too, but she didn’t want to go alone. She also doesn’t feel like cooking herself…

“Mhm, so many choices~” Lucy sings, setting the brush down and getting up from her mirror to stretch. It’s then that she sees movement at her window.

Her first instinct isn’t even to scream anymore when Natsu opens the window and comes into her room- at least he had the decency to not put his shoes on her bed. She sighs and puts her hands on her hips as Natsu enters, setting a bag down on Lucy’s bed.

“Natsu, when are you gonna learn to use the door?” She scolds. “At this point, you can just enter when you want but at least stop scaling up the wall like some kind of spider-pervert. My neighbors asked me if I wanted to put a restraining order out on you, you know? Hey, are you listening to me?”

“Shhh,” Natsu waves her off, rifling through his bag. “Gotta do something.”

“Do what?”

Natsu doesn’t answer her. He moves towards the main light switch and turns off the big light, dropping the room into semi-darkness, where the only light comes from the pink lamp on Lucy’s desk.

“What are you doing?” Lucy asks, but Natsu puts his hands on her shoulders and has her sit back down at the desk. “Natsu?”

Natsu returns to his bag, pulling something out, and then he turns to Lucy over his shoulder and grins. It’s not the toothy, know it all grin that Lucy is used to, nor is it that innocent one he uses. It’s the one where he looks all soft, which he only uses when it’s something important.

“Close your eyes.” Natsu tells her, pursing his lips and squinting at her suspiciously.

“Why?” Lucy is a little nervous now.

“Just do it!”

“Fine, fine!” She closes her eyes. It gets a little easier to hear when she does, and her heart quickens despite the fact that she tells it not to. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

Natsu still doesn’t answer. She can hear him walk closer to her, and even dragging her table, until he’s right in front of her.

“Okay, open.”

Lucy waits a beat.

“Why aren’t you opening your eyes?”

“Natsu, if something ridiculous is in front of my face, I’m going to roundhouse kick you out of my apartment.”

“Just open your eyes!”

Lucy, unprepared for whatever nonsense Natsu is about to pull, opens her eyes.

Natsu’s sitting on her table- which, rude- and grinning at her all proud of himself. He has a box in his lap decorated with pink wrapping paper, but it’s torn in some places and taped awkwardly to show he did it himself. And sitting in his hand, held out in front of her, is a chocolate chip cookie with a match lit on it.

“Happy Birthday, Lucy.”

What is it that she’s feeling? She tries to place a name on it.

The last time she had celebrated her birthday was on that train all those years ago, when she had left home for the first time. She had eaten that cookie like it would save her life, and she only cried a little bit- missing her mom and the people that cared for her who would have remembered.

She hadn’t celebrated at all when she was alone last year.

She couldn’t bring herself to do it. She kept thinking about all the birthdays she didn’t get to celebrate with them because of the disbandment, and it made her think about how this time, she was all alone again. It had felt just like when she was a kid, and only a few people knew. Her celestial spirits had all wished her a Happy Birthday- but there was that one that was missing. And it had made it all the more bitter to take in.

And right here…

“You remembered?”

Natsu blinks at her, confused. “Your birthday?”

Lucy almost shakes her head, but realizes it also fell under the question she asked. “Well… yeah. But… the cookie.”

She can’t exactly tell because the only light was a match and a lamp that was behind her now, but she thinks Natsu smiles with a red face.

“I always remember you, Lucy.” Natsu sounds embarrassed. “Just hurry up and make a wish before this match burns the cookie.”

Lucy hesitates, unsure of what to ask- and her mind still reeling about what to label the emotion she’s feeling right now. But she blows out the match a second later.

Please let me have more birthdays like this.

Natsu takes out the match and instead of disposing it like a normal person, he starts to chew on the end. Lucy stares at him in shock, but then she’s laughing at him before she can ask what the hell he did that for.

“Here’s your cookie,” Natsu hands it to her, then picks up the box. “And did you know how hard it was to find you a present?”

“You didn’t have to do that, Natsu.” Lucy informs him, but Natsu shakes his head.

“I did! You got me a that really cool lighter! The flames from it still taste good!” Natsu digs in his pocket for the lighter and pulls it out. 

Everyone else thought it was weird to get Natsu a lighter, considering he was a flame dragon, but she had gotten it made specifically so that it’d “taste good”. That request had made her look crazy at several different stores.

But Natsu loved it- said it reminded him of chicken? All Lucy knew was that she did awesome, and while it wasn’t enough to power him up during a fight, it was a nice snack for him when he would usually start complaining about being hungry.

“Still, though,” Lucy sighs.

“Just open it.” Natsu presses it into her hand. Lucy sets down the cookie on her desk, and wonders what in the world Natsu got her.

Sitting inside the box was a framed photo. She had entirely forgotten it had been made at all, since it’s been so long. Natsu had his arm around Lucy’s and Gray’s shoulders, Happy smushed in to sit on top of Lucy’s head, and Erza was giving Gray and Natsu bunny ears with her fingers, smiling. Reedus had asked them to pose for him like that right after their first ever job together.

“I thought we all lost this,” Lucy looks up at Natsu.

“It got put into Reedus’ sketchbook and he left with it on accident. He never opened it again because he moved onto another one and forgot where he put it. He let me look through all of his stuff to find it, and you know? I know that guy is an artist and his magic is art and all, but geez does that guy draw a lot. Took me a while to find-”

Natsu’s cut off when Lucy leans forward and quickly hugs him. She holds him as tight as she can, pressing her face into his neck and grinning from ear to ear. 

“Thank you, Natsu!”

Natsu hesitates, but then he hugs her back. His hugs are always really warm, and he always squeezes her shoulders tight to trap her in. When Natsu hugs someone, he likes to take his time, because he doesn’t hug people all that often. Except, apparently, for Lucy. Which she’s grateful for now.

Fondness. Happiness. Acceptance. That’s what Lucy is feeling right now.

It’s the affection that bubbles up in her chest and makes her eyes water, trying to hold back the fact that she was crying because she doesn’t want Natsu to get any wrong ideas. This is the most loved she has ever felt.

And even though they’ve been together again for months, everyone and their team, she thinks back once again to when she had missed him so much that it hurt. It’s been a while since then, but she knows. She missed him.

“Thank you,” She says again, knowing she needs to emphasize this for him. “This is the best birthday gift ever.”

Natsu laughs in her ear, and says, “So I win.”

“Huh?” Lucy pulls back to look at him.

“I didn’t know that everyone else didn’t know your birthday was tomorrow,” Natsu says. “So I asked what to get you because I just couldn’t figure it out, and it kinda started a whole thing with the guild.”

“Thing?”

“It’s your first birthday with Fairy Tail,” Natsu shrugs. “They’re all excited to give you the best birthday ever, since you always give everyone else the best gifts and stuff. There’s a contest going to get you the best gift. And also, I think Gray is supposed to come get you to bring you to the guild?”

“But it isn’t until tomorrow?”

“Lucy…” Natsu scolds lightly. “Tch tch tch… you should know better. Obviously, the party starts today and lasts until tomorrow night at midnight. It’s Fairy Tail. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless you don’t want a big party,” Natsu looks at her nervously. “That’s okay too. If you want that. I’ll take you somewhere and we can hide it out.”

Lucy laughs, strangely almost accepting that idea without thinking about it. But…

“I never pass on a good Fairy Tail party, Natsu.” Lucy tells him. Natsu’s smile grows wider, liking that response and Lucy half wonders if he’d have had the same reaction if she chose to go with him instead. “Still, though, a competition?”

“It’s already decided though,” Natsu sighs wistfully, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. “You said my gift was the best gift ever… so…”

“Ah, well, we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?” Lucy teases.

Natsu’s face drops into shock. “What!? But- But-”

“Kidding, Natsu.” Lucy goes easy on him today. She smiles at him, hoping he gets the gist just from her face alone without her having to say what she really wants to say right now. “Seriously. Nothing tops this.”

“Even if Erza gets you a giant cake and Cana’s fortune telling gets you the best outfit ever?”

“Oh… well… if there’s cake and a new outfit-”

“Luuuucyyyy!”

“I’m kidding!”

Notes:

You know what's insane? I previously wrote a good 9500 word chapter for my other writing project on here and right before I was about to go to bed like three hours ago I realized Lucy hadn't been able to celebrate a SINGLE birthday with Fairy Tail until the couple months before 100 years quest... so I wrote this in under three hours, it is now 6AM, and I am so tired but this was NECESSARY for me to get a good night's (day, actually) sleep.