In Pursuit of Perfection | Nalu | Collab with ofthefeels

| Chapter 28 |

Rise by Katy Perry

| Previously on Chapter 27 |

"So I was thinking," he started. "After Sunday's show, do you want to go to the carnival and celebrate for the night?"

"Just the two of us?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Erza, Levy, Lisanna, and Gray will probably come. If that makes you feel better," he said.

I tilted my head. "Okay. Why not?"

"And then there, I can—"

"Don't get your hopes up too high, prince," I said, smirking. "You never know."

He cupped my face, a wide grin on his lips which were inches away from mine. "Oh, I know." He leaned forward—

I pushed him away, my cheeks burning. "The show's not over yet, so don't even try. Come on, let's go to the auditorium before Erza gets mad."

| Chapter 28 |

"Pins! Someone get me some pins!" Erza yelled over the chattering dancers, frantic directors, and bubbling audience. Levy handed her a couple safety pins, and she tucked in a loose strap on Lucy's tutu. "That should hold it for the performance."

Lucy let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"Erza, help!" Lisanna said, running towards them. She held up two fallen feathers. "I didn't pluck them, I swear!"

"Where's my hot glue gun?" she asked, her eyes scanning the floor. Lucy spotted it on the table and forced it into her hand. Erza brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Stand still." She quickly glued them on and patted them to make sure they stuck. "Worse case scenario is if they all fall off one by one, but," she said, glancing at Lisanna's widened eyes, "that probably won't happen."

Igneel stuck his head in the dressing room. "Is everything ready?"

"No, sir." Erza sighed.

"What are you waiting for? We've only got ten minutes!" he said, storming off.

"You guys still need to get your makeup done," Levy said, pushing them into chairs. "Sit, and try not to blink; this will be over soon." She dabbed blush on their cheeks, applied mascara on their eyelashes, gave them silver eyeshadow, and swiped red lipstick on their lips. "All done," she said, taking a drink from her water bottle. "How much time 'till seven?"

"Five minutes," Erza replied, straightening the cuff of Natsu's jacket.

"This is killing me," he said. "I'm not even dancing, and I'm already sweating."

"Just deal with it," Gray said, entering the room in his Darth Vader-like costume. "It'll be over in two hours."

Levy took a makeup brush, dipped it in a white powder, and brushed it over Gray's cheeks. "Lucy, do the same for Natsu."

"But I don't know—"

"Is everything going smoothly here?" Mr. Gowan asked. "The show will be starting in three minutes."

"Yes, we're all good," Erza lied, breathing heavily. Lucy grabbed a makeup brush, dabbed it in the white powder, and copied Levy's movements.

Natsu chuckled as she swept it over his cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin. "That tickles."