Camp Crush |✔️|

The Macrame Bracelets

"Hey, Gray," Lucy greeted cheerfully one afternoon a few weeks into summer.  "Hi pretty lady," she added, giving Erica's hair a tousle.

"I am rather pretty, aren't I?" Gray joked, giving Lucy a wink and causing Erica to giggle.  She was finally warming up to Gray, much to everyone's relief, but that didn't stop her from having a special relationship with Lucy.

"What are you guys up to?" Lucy asked, straddling the end of the bench at their outdoor table.

"Just taking a break to hydrate.  Want some OJ?"

"Sure," she grinned, and Gray tossed her a carton from the cooler by his feet.  She caught it with a flash of aqua nails and a smile.

"Where's your group?"

"With Erza for field games.  And I," she emphasized, "am on a much needed break."  She propped her chin in her hands and looked at him.  "And I'm booooooored."

Gray chuckled, catching sight of something a little ways behind Lucy.  He smirked.  She wouldn't be bored much longer.  "Well, I live to amuse, Heartfilia.  How's life?"

She shrugged.  "Same old, I—"

"If it isn't my two favorite women," a voice interrupted, and Gray watched in amusement as Lucy's entire body colored and she jumped slightly in surprise.

"Hi, gorgeous," Natsu said, leaning over between Lucy and Erica and smacking the latter on the cheek sloppily.

Erica squirmed in delight, squealing.  She then looked at Natsu expectantly.  "Now Lucy," she instructed, tone utterly charmed.

All too happy to oblige, Natsu turned toward Lucy, who was struggling to get her breathing under control.  "Can't leave out Lucy," he said mock-seriously, giving her a kiss on the cheek as well.  "Hi, gorgeous," he added in a lower voice.

Lucy thought she was going to pass out.

Pull yourself together, Heartfilia, she reminded herself firmly.  He's a wolf, remember? "Hi, Natsu," she managed to say with relatively believable calm.  She hoped.

He lifted his eyebrows once in smugness before sliding between her and Erica on the bench, successfully scooting them apart, his arm pressed right up against hers.  Lucy refused to pull away, knowing he was trying to get to her.  He does this to all the girls.  He does this to all the girls.  He does this to every single freaking one of us, she chanted in her head.  Gray watched the interaction with an expression of entertainment etched on his face.  "Hi, Flame Brain," he deadpanned, reminding his best friend that he was, in fact, present as well.

"Hey, Ice Pop," Natsu greeted, seeming to notice him for the first time.  "What's up?"

Gray shrugged.  "Pyro missed you at the bonfire last Friday," Gray informed Lucy, and Natsu shot him a dirty look that Lucy missed.

Still flushed and trying not to notice Natsu's cologne, Lucy shrugged.  "I was pretty beat.  I decided to skip it and go to bed early."

"You're going tonight, though, right?" Natsu asked.

She raised an eyebrow at him.  "I...probably.  Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Natsu just shrugged casually.  "Just curious."

Gray snorted.

"Hi, Lucy!" a breathless, younger voice joined them, and they all turned to see a couple of boys from the 8-10 group, both looking shifty and on the verge of laughter.

"We made these for you!" one of them, a boy named Devon, announced, holding out a friendship bracelet for Lucy and elbowing his friend.  At the reminder, the other boy held his up as well, albeit more shyly.

"Awww, thanks guys," Lucy said, accepting their offering with exaggerated delight, making sure to fuss to show her appreciation.  "That's so sweet!"

"We know you like them because you wear so many," the second one, Brian, explained in a rush, his freckled face going bright red.

Lucy beamed.  "You're right.  I love them," she gushed, leaning over to give first one, and then the other, a friendly hug.  "Thank you.  Now you guys better get back to wherever you're supposed to be!" she instructed.

"Bye, Lucy!" Devon waved while his friend embarrassedly tugged them away, and they both finally turned to sprint away.

"Well that was cute," Lucy said pleasantly, turning back to the rest of the table, only to find Gray and Natsu raising their eyebrows at her.  "What?" she asked self-consciously.

"Yeah," Gray snorted.  "Adorable."

Lucy rolled her eyes.  "Oh whatever, it was sweet and you know it."  She fumbled with one of the bracelets as she attempted to tie it onto her own wrist.

"Here," Natsu rolled his eyes, snatching up her arm and the bracelet to tie it for her.  She swallowed tightly.  His hands were so much larger than hers and coarse from archery, and they were warm.  Natsu eyed the long expanse of bracelets on both of her arms.  "One, two, thr—yep, this officially makes every boy at camp, Gray," he announced holding up Lucy's arm for Gray to examine after pretending to count.

"I do believe you're right, Doctor Holmes!" Gray exclaimed dramatically.

"Seriously, does every kid here have a crush on you?" Natsu asked Lucy.

Lucy's mouth opened to deny any such thing, but Erica beat her to it.  "Yup," she said cheerfully before slurping the last of her juice box loudly.

"Don't be silly," Lucy said.  "They don't have a crush on me.  Their counselor is a friend of mine.  She probably put them up to it."

"Right.  And did she put them up to all the other ones?" Natsu asked humorously, taking the other bracelet to knot for her.

She eagerly awaited the moment he would release her arm, but he was taking his sweet, precious time.  "I...no...they just...like me."

"That's what we're saying," Gray wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh don't be dirty," Lucy rolled her eyes.  Natsu was still holding her arm, pretending to actually count the bracelets individually.

"Hey, I wasn't being dirty," Gray threw his hands up in innocence.  "I just mean they all have crushes on you—"

"Every last single one," Natsu interjected.

"—and it's cute how you don't notice it."

"They do not."

"Erica?" Natsu asked, and Erica perked up at being included.  "How many boys are in your group?" he asked.  Lucy stared at his hand, which was still holding onto her arm on the table.

"Six," Erica informed him proudly after counting heads.

"Uh huh," Natsu said, glancing around at the table.  "And how many do you think have a crush on Lucy?" he asked.

"All of them."

"Oh, right, because that's reliable," Lucy sighed.

"Hey, everyone in Gray's group!" Natsu announced, and a dozen little heads looked up from their juice boxes and gummy snacks.  "Who here has a crush on Lucy?  Raise your hands!"

Exactly half a dozen chubby little hands flew into the air, as well as Natsu free one, while he looked at Lucy smugly.

She blushed furiously.  "Oh shut up," she sighed.

Gray sniggered in the background.  His best friend was so far gone.