You Never Know What You're Gonna Get

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

It was Valentine's Day, and to go along with tradition, Lucy prepared a box of chocolates for the most important man in her life: Natsu. She wrapped it neatly and looked pleased at the gift.

"Alright! Now to give it to Natsu. I wonder if he'll blush. He's sorta cute when he does that." She looked down to Plue. "Ready to go?"

"Puun!" he nodded.

Lucy walked out into the cloudy February morning only to bump right into a tiger-stripped tie.

"Morning, princess!"

She quickly backed up a step. "Loke! What are you doing here?"

"I came to rake in the chocolates. I always get a huge haul every year." He leaned right into her face. "I decided to give you the honor of giving me my first box of chocolates." Then he held his hands out expectantly.

She clutched the box to her chest. "These aren't for you, stupid playboy lion. Go to your other girlfriends." She stomped away from him, but slowly she loosened up. She felt bad treating him like that. "Maybe I should have made him something too. And something for Gray. I was rather thoughtless, only making chocolate for Natsu."

She balanced along the low wall of the canal, and Plue followed behind her, shaking slightly. She waved to the boatmen shouting for her to be careful. When she got to the Fairy Tail building, she stopped so suddenly that Plue ran into her ankles. Seeing what was up ahead made her fragile heart break.

Right in front, apparently trying to be discreet from the noisy crowd inside the guild hall, Lisanna was bright pink and holding a gift behind her back.

"Hey Natsu?" she said happily. "Remember when we were kids and I'd give you chocolates."

"Oh yeah!" he laughed carefree. "They were always really good, especially the ones with nuts."

"Well... I..." Too embarrassed to speak, Lisanna held out her present.

"Lisanna!" Natsu whispered in shock. "Are these for me?"

She nodded happily. "Happy Valentine's Day, Natsu."

His face turned pink, and he tried to hide down into his scarf. "Th-thank you," he stuttered.

Lisanna looked pleased by his cute reaction. "How about we eat them in the park?"

"Y-yeah," he said, and slowly his confidence returned. "Come on, I know a really good place. We should go before Lucy or that ice bastard show up." He laughed in a good-natured way. "They'll just tease us or try to steal the chocolate."

He took Lisanna's hand, and she blushed at the contact. The petite mage followed the grinning dragon slayer away toward one of Magnolia's parks.

Plue looked up sadly to Lucy and tugged on her boot. "Pu-puun?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said softly, her head lowered. "I... I'm okay. Should've known, right? Lisanna and Natsu were always so close." She sniffed a little. "I guess I should be happy for him, though. He's still my friend and teammate. I know he'll always be there for me. That's... enough."

She turned and walked out to the field outside of town where the mages practiced their magic. It felt a lot colder in that direction, so she figured Gray was there.

"I'll give my chocolates to Gray. He has protected me so many times, and I have to admit," she said confidentially to Plue. "Gray is rather hot! Don't tell him I said that, though."

Plue shook his head. "Puun puun!"

She saw shards of ice on the ground, and soon she heard voice. Around an icy wall, which had apparently been erected to give privacy, she saw the half-naked Ice Make mage and Juvia sitting together. He laughed as he took out a chocolate and tried to make Juvia eat it.