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Jason is a bit like a natural disaster. Whenever he comes rolling through a town, it’s like everything stops. Sure, he was a famous reporter with some connections in high places, but he was pretty difficult to stand. Yet, as Lucy knew, he was hardworking and dedicated.
Jason had liked Lucy quite a bit when she worked for him briefly. He was so glad when she finally got her head on straight and wanted a job in journalism. Not that he didn’t respect the models and the work they put in. He could Lucy’s talents from a mile away and during that year she worked for him, she wrote numerous heavy hitting articles. Sales went up when Lucy wrote and people always complimented her writing when reviewing the magazine. If Jason was being honest, Lucy had been on the fast track to success in her journalism career.
So, when she left, he was more than a little disappointed.
Still, he's respected her decision and was even more grateful when the news of Zeref and Aconologia’s defeat finally made it his way.
With Lucy being an ex-protégé of his and now one of the saviors of the world, Jason felt it was only fair to do a special article on her.
…
Lucy Heartfilia was a name that most people knew. Either from her work at Sorcerer Weekly or the fact she was a Fairy Tail wizard, there was no denying that she had reached some level of fame within the right circles. Powerful, beautiful, and badass-that’s how Jason chose to describe her when he was asked about her.
Though, that got him wondering, how would other people describe her? Was her coolness only apparent to him? He decided he needed to find out and it was a good way to get some material for the article about her. Person of the year was definitely going to Natsu, but where would that fire mage be without the support of his friends?
Magnolia was a sleepy town, usually quiet and calm. That is unless the Fairy Tail wizards are up to trouble, which they usually are. Jason quite liked the town when he needed a vacation, but Crocus was far cooler. It kinda rubbed off on him too, he felt cooler being a city dweller than out here in a small town. But he could admit that it had it’s charms.
He wasn’t here to do a review of Magnolia, though it was a good idea, however. He was here to get inside info on the celestial spirit mage everyone knows and loves.
Setting his sites on the guild, he marches there was an energy that even Natsu would struggle to rival.
….
The first person he finds is Gray Fullbuster. Ice make mage and another savior of the world. He’d been interviewed already for his own article that would serve as a companion piece to Natsu’s, so he was a little surprised to see Jason back in town. Much less approaching him.
“Hey, Jason. Didn't expect to see you again so soon.” Gray waved as he spoke, his clothes miraculously still on. Jason smiled and pulled out his note pad and pen. “Gray, can I interview you again for a different article?” He asks, eyes shining with anticipation.
“Oh uh-yeah. I guess.”
“Cool! Let’s get started!” Jason’s eyes shone as he clicked his pen and leaned forward toward Gray. “Just what is this article about?” he asked the reporter. Impossibly, his eyes seemed to shine more.
“Lucy! She’s totally cool!” He pointed toward the unassuming blonde who was caught up in her own world. “Oh, Lucy’s great. Glad she’s finally getting some recognition.” Gray nodded like a proud brother. He’d never tell her, but she had grown into something more than a friend to him. Family, like most people were at Fairy Tail.
“Alright! Lightening round! Go!”
“How did you two meet?” Jason asked. Gray hummed for a minute before remembering. “Natsu brought her to the guild one summer. She got caught up in the brawl and I asked to borrow her clothes.” His voice seemed to carry his smile, a joyful lit at the the memory of her face when he asked. Jason nodded and took diligent notes, he was nothing if not dedicated.
“Cool! Cool! Favorite memory of her?”
Gray blanked, he hated questions like that. He had a lot of good memories of his friends, but he was a bit of a private person, despite what his general state of undress normally said about him. “Well, if I had to pick one, it would be when we fought Zero. Honestly, I hadn’t realized just how dedicated she was until she got back up after that fight. Seeing her practically drag herself to the finish line because she knew we needed her-well, it really made me think of her differently.” His cheeks flushed slightly from embarrassment.
Jason hummed and nodded as he wrote. “Favorite feature?” He pointed his pen toward him. “Her brains” Gray answered instantly. Jason seemed taken aback for a moment before writing down his answer.
“I think that’s all I got for you today! See you around Gray!”
…
“About Lucy? Very well, you are welcome to question me.” Erza answered with a plain demeanor. Her voice was cool and smooth. Jason continued without missing a beat and pulled out his notepad and pen. It was nice to hear the people of Fairy Tail sing the praises of his old apprentice. That’s how Jason liked to think of her, anyway. It may have been only a year, but Lucy had made herself invaluable and well known in the world of journalism.
“Favorite memory?” Erza hummed, thinking for a moment. She had many good memories with Lucy, how could she pick just one? “I suppose if I had to pick one, it would be her arguing with me on Galuna Island.” Erza smiles fondly at the way the blonde’s big brown eyes were so stern. Though she had quickly relented and turned meek once more, it was the first glimpse at Lucy’s strong character. “She insisted that we help the people of Galuna, despite how frightened she was of me. It showed me more of the courageous and just woman I’ve come to know as a friend.”
Jason nods fervently, trying to keep up with the words flowing out of Erza’s mouth. “Favorite characteristic?” Jason asks, not looking up from his notepad. Again, Erza takes a moment to think.
“Her noble and fair sense of justice. Lucy is always willing to help those in need and will steer us along that path if we get sidetracked. Her caring demeanor has befriended quite a number of old foes.” Erza stands proud as if she was talking about family. In a way, she was. Lucy had come to mean quite a lot to her over the years.
“Cool! Cool! Thanks Erza!”
…
“About Lucy?” Wendy asked nervously. Jason kind of intimidated her if she was honest. He was loud and boisterous and trouble seemed to follow him. Though the others seemed to ahve a good rapport with the man. “Well-I do have some time…” her voice was quiet and nervous.
“Coooool! Let’s see…what’s your favorite memory of Lucy?” He pointed his pen toward her as he asked. Wendy seemed to perk up at the question, her eyes sparkling. “Most of my favorite memories of Lucy are when we fight together. She always encourages me when I need it most. But the scariest moment was during our battle with Hades.” A cold chill runs up her spine. Sure, there were other foes that were much stronger than Hades that put up much more of a fight; but none had truly made her lose hope in such a way that he did. “When Natsu called out to us and I looked to Lucy, I felt a sense of hope fill my senses again. When we blasted our magic all together to propel Natsu forward, well, it made me feel so much closer to them all. Lucy being by my side gave me the last bit of courage I needed.”
Wendy smiles earnestly at Jason. The reporter nods, his heart constricting painfully. Of course, he knew that all Fairy Tail wizards had fought battles that none could ever hope to imagine-but to think of this small girl fighting those wars, well, it filled him with a sour feeling. Jason shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts and continues. “Favorite characteristic?” he asks.
“Oh! Her kindness for sure! Lucy is always helping others and she was so welcoming when I first joined.” Wendy smiles so bright she might outshine the sun. “Anything you’re hoping to see from her in the future? New move sets?” He asks. Wendy hums for a moment.
“I’m just excited to see how much stronger she gets! And read her next book of course.”
…
Jason continued like that, roaming around the guild and asking each member he found questions about Lucy.
“Lu, huh? Well, I love when she shows me her new chapters.” Levy answered brightly.
“Lucy? She’s a real man if I’ve ever seen one! Girl has a strong moral code!” Elfman made a show of flexing for Jason, which he deftly ignored.
“Lucy? Why, I’m excited to see where her love life ends up!” Mira smiled as she blushed, fawning over the prospect of Lucy’s suitors. “But really, I love the warmth she brings to the guild.”
“Blondie? She’s got a good head on her shoulders, that’s for sure.” Gajeel let his voice go quiet before leaning in closer to Jason. “Now don’t tell no one-but I can’t thank her enough for forgiving me.”
“She’s always doing something dangerous.” Laxus answered. “I’d like to see her take care of herself more.” He knows how hard she pushes herself, he just hopes her body will hold up.
“Lucy? She’s the best!” Lisanna exclaimed happily. “She got me all caught up on what happened while I was away, plus she makes a great conversation partner!”
Jason had never heard so many good sentiments about one person in his life. Did everyone just..love Lucy? It sure seemed that way. It wasn't that he was looking for negative comments, he truly did believe all these good things, but ti was surprising that not even one person had something negative to say. He turned slightly, catching sight of a blue haired woman, the water woman Juvia. He had seen her fight in the grand magic games and she sure was fierce. Even fiercer was her love for Gray.
“A story about Lucy?” Juvia questioned with a flat tone. It seemed she was only expressive when it came to things about Gray. “She’s a love rival!” Her lips fall into a frown as her brows furrow. Huh, Jason had found the one person who had something negative. “She’s always hanging around Gray!” Juvia bites her lip before opening her mouth to say something else, thinking better of it, she closes it.
“But…Lucy accepted Juvia despite what she did to her. She helped show me a world I never thought I’d see–when we performed that unison raid, it was like the beginning of a new chapter for me. I guess you could say, Juvia couldn't be the Juvia she is without Lucy.” Her voice was meek and quiet, her cheeks turning a deep red.
Jason nodded, slightly taken aback by her sudden change in attitude. “But! I won’t forgive her for trying to steal my Gray away!” She shouts as she turns away from him, seemingly running toward Gray. Jason can only sigh.
It was a strange sentiment, but an interesting one nonetheless.
…
“Lushee is the best!” Happy exclaims. “She gives me fish and listens to me talk! She doesn’t even hit me as often as before!” Jason pauses writing and looks at the young exceed with a quirk in his brow. “She even forgave me for scratching up her trophy.” Ah, Jason ignored his previous statement and continued writing.
There’s a brief pause where Happy’s face turns serious. “She’s always been there for Natsu and I, he calls us his family these days.” If Happy could blush, Jason would surely see his ears turning a twinge of pink. “I can’t imagine my life without her around anymore.” A memory flashes briefly in the exceed’s mind, he shakes it away best he can, but the mere thought brings tears to his eyes.
“I know Lucy would do whatever she could to try and save everyone. She always does, that’s just how Lucy is.”
…
Jason went over his list of potential interviewee’s once more before he left. He had been most curious as to what Natsu would say, but he had been curiously absent from the guild that day. It was a shame, but if Jason didn’t want to be spending outrageous money on a hotel room for the night, he needed to get going.
“Yo! Jason! Long time no see, what are you doing in town?” He exclaimed as he ran toward him. The reporter paused, weighing his options-oh well, the revenue he’d earn from this article was enough to cover one night. “Salamander!” He shouted back, his smile wide. They greeted each other briefly before Jason answered him. “I’m doing an article on Lucy and I’m asking everyone around how they feel about her. Care to share your answers?” He asked, his hands already reaching for his pen and notepad.
Natsu’s smile grew even wider as he nodded.
“My favorite memory?” He wondered aloud. He hemmed and hawed as he thought. “All my memories with Lucy are my favorite.” He said plainly. “I guess if I had to pick one, it would be when we went on our first job. Man-the look on her face when she saw Everlue, nothing can beat that.” Jason wrote with fervor as Natsu spoke, managing to get every word that rolled out from his mouth. This was pure gold.
Sure, the article was about Lucy and her accomplishments, but if one of the interviews sparked a little rumor-well, Jason wouldn’t be all that against it. It might drive up sales after all.
“Cool! Tell me about how you first met.” Jason was trying his best to wipe off the self satisfied smirk that was crossing his face. The price of a hotel would be worth it just for this. “Well-I broke some sort of charm spell this guy, Bor-bar-whatever doesn’t matter, was using to kidnap women.” Natsu started, stuttering over Bora’s name for a moment. He could barely remember his own.
“Basically, Lucy thanked me with a meal and talked about how much she wanted to join Fairy Tail! Some other stuff happened, but we beat that guy up and ran away from the guard all the way back to Magnolia.” Natsu’s eyes seemed to light up as he spoke. That day, almost ten years ago now, was one of his favorites. Not only had it lead to meeting his best friend, but it had been so much fun putting that guy in his place.
“Last question-what’s your favorite characteristic about Lucy?”
Natsu’s eyes widened-but he spoke immediately, his face melting into a soft smile.
“Her smile of course!”
…
Lucy walked slowly toward the guild, it was a sleepy morning and the town seemed quiet. As she passed, the fisherman waved as they always did.
“Ms. Lucy!” The newspaper stand attendant called. “Ms. Lucy, here’s your sorcerer weekly, all wrapped up for you.” She said, a knowing grin plastered on her face. Lucy took it from her gratefully. “Thanks for always saving one for me.” She said with a small smile.
“Oh no, no, don’t thank me-I’m just glad to have such a consistent customer.” The older woman waved Lucy off, deflecting the gratitude. Lucy just shook her head with a smile and walked away. She held the magazine, wrapped in brown paper, to her chest as she walked. The cafe she liked to frequent was far up ahead. She checked her watch, paused and thought for a moment, then entered.
She had plenty of time before Natsu would wake up and drag her off somewhere, so she decided to have a leisurely morning drinking coffee and reading. It was those simple parts of her day that made the craziness all bearable. If it weren’t for the quiet, she’d have gone crazy by now.
Settling into her usual nook, Lucy placed her bag and magazine down. A waiter came and gave her her usual drink. It was nice to be known by others, Lucy thought. The familiarity, the ease-it all made her feel at home. When she waved to the fishermen everyday and when the waiter gave her her usual and when Natsu came barreling into the guild, she felt home. Some might find her day to day monotonous, but Lucy was thankful for it.
She took a moment to sip on her drink and eat a few bites of her pastry before she opened the magazine. Her hands were gentle with the paper wrapping as she tore it open. It always excited her-it was like a surprise, she never knew what would be on the front cover.
Though this time around, she really never could have guessed she’d be staring at herself.
“What?” She said softly, catching herself before she could yell. It was an older photo, back from when she worked at Sorcerer Weekly. Was it her ID photo? Why would they still have that? Nevermind that, why was she on the front cover?
“After the War: the Girl Behind Fairy Sphere and Many Other Feats.” Lucy read quietly. An article, about her? Really? An article-the main article-the one they advertised to sell copies, that article was about her? Lucy really couldn’t believe it.
She flipped it open and scanned the page before settling in. There was a brief background on the article, written by Jason. He described her as ‘cool’ more times than she could count. Though the sentiment about him missing her at work was unexpected, yet kind.
“Interviews?!” She screeched, a few patrons looked over at her and Lucy chose to hide her face in the magazine in shame. “Interviews?” She repeated again, this time much quieter to herself. Jason had interviewed her friends? It was more than enough that he had somehow written a complete history of her accomplishments, he must have spoken to Makarov and the magic council at some point she assumed, but to go even further and have people speak on her character? That was too much!
Lucy wasn’t sure whether to be embarrassed or flattered. It was nice to have an article written about her and how-awesome?-she was, but it was a little embarrassing to be sung as a hero when it was the collective effort of all her friends. Sure, she had contributed her fair share to battles and even learned how to cast Fairy Sphere, but that had all been a joint effort. She never would have been able to cast that large of a sphere had it not been for the magic from all of her friends.
Lucy reads Gray’s interview and almost cries.
She reads everyone’s words and she can’t stop the tears from falling. If anyone notices, they don’t say anything to her. Truthfully, Lucy had always felt a little lackluster compared to her friends. She had no doubt in her mind that she was a capable mage, but to constantly be fighting alongside the people she had once idolized-it took a toll on her. Was she really good enough to stand next to some of the greats? Was Lucy really important to the team? She mostly kept these thoughts to herself and at bay best she could, but sometimes she’d catch herself comparing her feats to Erza’s or Natsu’s.
But seeing this, seeing how highly they all seemed to think of her-it changed everything. It soothed the aches in her heart. It silenced the twinges of doubt. It relived her. Most of all, it made her so warm to see that her friends truly did love her. She liked reading their favorite memories of her the best.
Erza’s favorite was a little surprising. Of all the things to pick, her arguing with her wasn’t what she expected. Yet, it felt exactly like something Erza would say.
She continued to read, wiping the tears from her eyes when the words got too blurry and reached Natsu’s part.
Upon reading those words, Lucy paid for her breakfast and ran out the door.
…
Things were unusually quiet in the guild, which should have been a warning for everyone that something was about to happen. Nothing ever stayed peaceful in the Fairy Tail guild. Not for long anyway.
It came when Lucy burst through the doors, her eyes red and puffy and a copy of the latest issue of Sorcerer weekly in her hand. The members sheepishly smiled at her, wary of her response or feeling a little embarrassed by the high praise they gave her. But Lucy ignored them as she rushed past toward Mira. “Where is Natsu?!” She shouted. Mira blinked in surprise before shrugging her shoulders. “He’s not here this early…I can only assume he’s still at home?”
Lucy left as quickly as she entered, leaving a confused group of wizards in her wake.
…
Natsu hadn’t thought much of anything when he told Jason how he felt about Lucy, it was what came naturally to him. It was the truth, it was how he honestly felt. So, of course, he was surprised that anyone would be taken aback by what he said.
So, when Lucy came barreling into his home, throwing the doors open, he was bewildered. Normally, it was him barging into her place-not the other way around. But it wasn’t like he could complain, seeing her always made him happy, put a pep in his step, made him feel all floaty-like a roller coaster without he vomit. “Natsu Dragneel!” What excitement he had quickly vanished, she only called him that when he was in trouble in some way. Though Natsu couldn’t think of anything he’d done recently-so what exactly was the cause of her anger? Her adorably explosive expression that he’d grown weak to over the years.
“You idiot!” She yelled, her face red and eyes glassy as she light punched him on the shoulder. “What? What did I do, Luce?” He asked her, his hand coming to rest gently on her forearm. “What’s wrong?” Lucy frowned, setting her shoulder’s back as she dropped her arm. “Nothing.” She said quietly. “You’re just the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” Natsu was confused and a little worried, but he didn’t say anything as Lucy gathered her thoughts.
“How could you say such sweet things about me to Jason but not to my face?” She finally looked up at him, her eyes glassy with tears and cheeks stained. “You’re the most stupidly sweet person I know.” Natsu was taken aback and not sure how to respond. “I-Don’t I say those things to you?” He tried to ask. “Yeah, but nothing like that! That might be the single handedly nicest thing anyone has ever said about me!”
“That I like your smile?” He questioned, feeling a little ridiculous. “Not just that-everything, everything you said-the tone, the wording, the emotions. I can feel it all when I read Jason’s article.” She finally stopped frowning, a small smile creeping across her face. “It brought me to tears-I cried at breakfast.” She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve, it was gross-but Lucy didn’t care. “You made me cry at the most important meal of the day.”
“I don’t understand-do you like what I said?” He asked nervously. Lucy laughed lightly and nodded. “Of course I do.” She pulled him in for a hug, letting her cheek rest near his heart.
“Then why am I the biggest idiot ever?” He asked. Lucy shook her head against his chest. “You just are-you saying such sweet things and think nothing of it. It’s a good quality, don’t get me wrong, but now everyone in Fiore is going to know we’re together.” Natsu rested his chin against her head, breathing in her scent as he thought.
“What’s so bad about that?” He asked. “Nothing, but I hope you’re okay with rumors flying around about us now. They might create some crazy lies about our relationship.” Natsu laughed, his chest rumbling and shaking with the movement.
“I don’t care about what anyone else says, I’ll always trust you. Besides, even I can tell when something is a rumor.” Lucy squeezed him as hard as she could with her arms before letting him go.
“I love you too, Luce”.