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Once a Sinner

Summary:

Lucy Heartfilia is just a young woman trying to overcome her past, get her journalism career off the ground, and remember to feed her dog on time in the face of manic 21st century life. After repeatedly (and literally) bumping into the same edgy looking stranger again, and again, her life begins to feel like a noir novel. All she dreams of is to be able to write stories that can help change lives by day, and zonk out on her sofa with ice cream and a glass of pinot by night. None of this is possible as the dangerous veins of the underworld unfurl into Lucy's life, unbeknown to her.

Notes:

This is my first ever fic, I have been sat on it a while working up the guts to post! I have a lot of chapters already typed out so updating will hopefully be quick at first. I'm not sure my summary has done the story justice, but I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Chapter One

Notes:

IN THE PROCESS OF EDITING CHAPTERS TO TIDY THINGS UP

Chapter Text

Lucy was late.

She dashed through her apartment pulling on her navy, midi dress, diving for the wash basket to find a clean pair of socks. Her little dog, Plue, was crashing around her feet as she stood on one leg, then the other, pulling her socks on.

"Really, Plue? Are we doing this this morning? I haven't got time to walk you buddy, I'm a crappy owner, I know, I get it," she mumbled as she petted his head.

Quickly tying up her long blonde locks into a messy pony tail she gave him a smile.

"See you later ok, don't mess up the place!"

She grabbed her satchel and leather jacket, pulled on her heeled boots and dashed out the door.

She paced as fast as she could down the apartment building stairs without working too much of a sweat. As she reached the great outdoors, her dress, a light cotton material, fitted at the top with no sleeves, and loosely pleated from the waist down, was flying around in the breeze behind her as she scrambled to get her jacket on. She checked her watch, ten minutes until she was meant to be at work.

"Goddamnit," she grumbled.

It was an half hour journey. Hopefully her colleague Levy would cover for her.

Lucy was a journalist. Kind of. When she was a child she dreamed of becoming a famous author, yet as she grew up her curiosity developed and that dream turned into becoming an investigative reporter. Using her flair for writing to help expose the wrongs of this world. Instead, she ended up working for the Magnolia Daily Inquirer as a photographer's assistant. Helping out now and then in an attempt to prove herself, by writing the fluff pieces none of the serious journalists could be bothered to cover.

Always trying to prove herself meant she was always under scrutiny, and turning up late was sure to be noticed by the editor, Mr. Leo.

As her mind was racing with all these thoughts it was safe to say, she was not paying attention to her surroundings and suddenly found herself crashing into someone. She made the least graceful noise possible as she stood there feeling winded.

"Achhh!" she wretched.

Gathering back her breathe she whipped her neck round to see what seemed to be a pink haired man, walking down the street as if nothing happened.

"I'm sorry!" She called after him, for the man to only half turn his head and grimace in her general direction.

"Rude," she thought, and carried on her way.

Lucy dived into the wooden doors of the grand, old building that housed the newspaper offices, and pummeled the marble stairs beneath her feet as she raced to the top. When she reached her office door she sighed with relief, but as she stepped in noticed the grimace on her co-worker, Levy's face.

Levy was one of the most positive girls Lucy had ever met; always trying to find the best outlook on all things. Not only this, but she was stunning. Petite in stature, with striking blue hair that she always managed to have up in that way that looked casual and cute, but took a lot of meticulous maneuvering to get the right side of messy. She manned the arts desk at the paper. 

However right now her positivity waned, as her bright eyes stared at Lucy apologetically as Lucy noticed Mr. Leo stepping out from behind a cubicle. There was no denying that the red headed man was also stunning, however he did not share Levy's approachablity.

He was down right intimidating.

"Again, Miss Heartfilia? How many times do we have to revise the ability to read a clock?" He pushed his glasses up his nose and stared at her as she was struck dumb.

He sighed.

"You know, there a women tripping over themselves to be in my company, and you appear to do everything in your power to avoid me," smirking, he adjusted his impeccably fitted suit and carried on, "the next time will be the last time, Miss Heartfilia. There's no shortage of pretty girls, willing to polish camera lenses and write about puppies. You are replaceable. Don't forget that."

Lucy stood silently watching him strut away, then collapsed into the chair next to Levy's desk. Lucy didn't get her own desk, she just shared her friend's when she needed to write something.

"Goddamnit," she whimpered and threw her head up to the ceiling, "I've had enough of arsehole men already this morning and it's not even ten o'clock."

Levy gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder.

"Well I have a proposition which might cheer you up... Fancy coming to a gig with me? I'm going to review the local music scene as part of a piece on whether or not the city council is right to cut arts funding in schools, and a band called Sabertooth is playing tonight. We can get dressed up, drink sassy sounding drinks, and put it all on the work tab. Sounds like good pay back, yes?"

Lucy slowly lowered her head and looked at Levy cautiously but slowly cracked a smile.

"You had me at dressed up, I've been wanting to go out and feel nice. Swing by my place at seven?" 

"Perfect," Levy mused, "see you there!"


The rest of Lucy's work day was uneventful.

After she left Levy, she went to the photography lab to find out who she would be shadowing for the day. She got through her menial tasks and helped dress some models who were in a photo shoot for the Sunday style supplement.

Even though she hardly exerted herself, as she reached home she still felt exhausted. Unlocking her door, she prepared herself to be greeted by Plue, who jumped up and licked her as much as he could. After feeding both him and herself, she set to work on glamming herself up.

She settled for keeping her hair up in a messy ponytail, and added simple makeup with emphasis on defining her eyes. She dressed in a ruby, strappy tea dress, made of satin, boasting a plunging neckline. All in all the garment looked more like a night-slip than anything suitable for outside the house. She liked it though, teaming it with her leather jacket, sheer black tights and platform boots. She felt grungey enough for a gig, but sexy enough to give her the confidence boost her ego was crying for.

"Bring on the gin and tonic! I am forgetting all about this crappy day, Plue!" She cheered, putting her hand out to high five the dog, who just stared at her and walked off.

"Fine. Ignore me then..."

As Lucy harumphed and slouched back into her couch the buzzer for her door went off and she could hear Levy's excited babbling through the speaker. Lucy grabbed her things and ran to meet her friend.

Levy wore an orange, high waist, mini skirt teamed with a baggy band tee tied to be a crop top, under a leather jacket. She finished the outfit with thigh high boots, a hint of blue knee socks poking over the top. Lucy couldn't help but think they looked like a force to be reckoned with, and got even more pumped to take on the night.

They turned up at a bar called the Kotoko Inn that was dimly lit, with walls lined with peeling band posters.

Lucy noticed Levy's eyes were darting around everywhere as if she was trying to find someone in the crowd of people. They ordered their drinks and treated themselves to the most expensive gin in the place, courtesy of the Magnolia Daily Inquirer. Pushing themselves to the front, Levy pulled out her work pad and it held it with one hand.

"You know, got to keep up appearances and at least look like I'm working," she winked.

Soon Sabertooth came onstage, the lead singer was a skinny, yet muscle bound blonde guy, who wore his hair all spiked up, and donned the tightest black jeans imaginable teamed with an unsusual cropped white tee. The guitarist looked gothic; his hair and clothes all black. He didn't even bother to register the crowd. The bassist was gorgeous; a curvy woman with long blue hair, wearing a long skirt with a slit all the way to the top of her thigh.

The person that garnered the most of Lucy's attention however was the drummer.

He was huge, muscles bigger than any Lucy had ever seen. Long messy black hair, and piercings all over his face. He wore a tight tank top which showed off his arm tattoos and he looked fierce. It wasn't his looks that struck Lucy however, it was the fact he was staring directly at Levy, and he unmistakably gave her a wink.

Levy blushed.

"What the hell was going on there," Lucy mumbled out of the corner of her mouth.

The gig got started and the band was heavy; the lead singer half shouting, half singing.

The crowd was manic and Lucy was instantly regretting the platform boots. This was not the kind of night you, 'get dressed up' for she internally grumbled.

Levy on the other hand let completely loose, jumping around and hollering her praise. Even going as far as wolf whistling during the drum solo.

Once the band had finished, Lucy stared at her friend.

"Spill it, Miss," she poked her friend in the shoulder and waited.

"Ok you got me, there may be an alterior motive as to why I bagged this particular job," Levy fumbled with the hem of her skirt and looked at her feet as she mumbled, "I may or may not have been talking to the drummer, Gajeel, and we may or may not have ended up on a date last week."

Lucy stared a moment longer before she cooed, "Aww, Levy! Why didn't you tell me? He is so, so not the kind of guy I ever imagined you with though!"

"What's the type of person you think Shrimp should be with then?" A rough voice growled from behind Lucy.

"Goddamnit," Lucy mumbled under her breath before spinning on her heels to face the man she now knew as Gajeel.

"I didn't mean any offence, I was just surprised is a- wait, Shrimp? Is that really what you call Levy?" she laughed.

"No it is most definitely not what he calls me, it shall never be uttered from his lips again!" Levy stepped around Lucy to berate the giant in front of her and pound his arm with her fists.

"Whatever, Shrimp. You wanna drink?" Gajeel said with a smirk as he turned to walk towards the bar, "And your friend, she want one too?"

Levy ran up to his side nodding. Lucy just stood there stunned into disbelief.

"There goes our girl's night then..." she sighed.

Once Gajeel had fetched the drinks, the three of them sat down in a booth and Levy formally introduced her two friends to each other. Lucy attempted to exchange pleasantries but soon clocked that Gajeel did not concern himself with small talk. Thankfully, the rest of the band came to find them, and introduced themselves to Lucy, cutting the tension.

"Juvia. Nice to meet you," the blue haired girl stuck out her hand, which Lucy apprehensively shook.

"Nice to meet you too, Juvia!" Lucy tried her best to smile with feeling.

"I'm Rogue and this imbecile is Sting," the black haired guy stated monotonously as he hit his friend in the chest with the back of his hand, "don't let him fool you, he has a girlfriend."

Lucy again looked up apprehensively at the blonde, who was scowling at his friend's remark but also making no attempt at hiding the way he was staring at her chest.

"Right... Thank you for the heads up?" Lucy questioned, as Sting slid into the booth beside her.

"Ignore ol' grumpy guts over there, he just can't stand that I have such natural charm, women can't help but fall in love with me!" Sting jested.

Rogue sat opposite the two of them, next to Gajeel. Juvia followed him.

"Don't flatter yourself. Juvia has not once even considered you to be worthy of her love interest," Juvia jibed, confusing Lucy even more by talking in the third person.

The drinks kept coming, and the conversation eventually became less tense.

They were joined by Sting's girlfriend, who was a suprisngly meek girl, but altogether gorgeous. She was slim but possessed a big chest, and had stark white hair cut into a bob. She looked so pure and innocent, but she commanded Stings attention all the same. The guy might have been a natural flirt, but the look in his eyes as he stared at his girlfriend was that of hopeless devotion.

Lucy sighed, maybe one day she'd know what that felt like.

She was then snapped out of her day dream by Gajeel's phone ringing. Again.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Levy pried.

"It's my flame brain cousin, he just wants a place to crash. I'm not giving him the time of day," Gajeel retorted.

"Oh... Natsu is in town?" Rogue said, all too seriously.

"Great," Sting shifted in his seat with an annoyed look on his face, "I could do without that."

"What's wrong with your cousin?" Levy asked the question Lucy didn't feel like she had the right to.

Gajeel downed his drink.

"Nothing is wrong with him particularly. He's my best friend and my worst enemy rolled into one. I just don't need his drama around tonight when I'm just trying to have a good time. Flame brain always attracts trouble," he tried to explain.

"Stay away from him Yukino, he always, always tries to steal my girlfriends. Spits them up and chews them out just to prove he can, all to wind me up. Guy's an asshole..." Sting slammed his glass on the table looking like he was chewing on a wasp.

"Oh... Huh, how many girlfriends have you had?" Yukino looks up at Sting, a little taken back.

Gajeel butted in before the couple's conversation got too awkward.

"Sting and Natsu have been rivals since the moment they first laid eyes on each other. Everything has been a competition to them since they learned how to catch a ball," he grunted.

"Well there's no competition for who I have eyes for," Yukino innocently cooes under her breath.

Sting spat his drink out and blushed, as Rogue and Gajeel laughed at the gushiness of it all.

Lucy and Levy looked at each other amused, before Lucy looked at the time.

"Ok, I'm beat. It's been a blast meeting you guys, but I need to get going. I've got a needy dog at home who will be pulling apart my furniture, and a job to save in the morning!"

"Ugh, don't remind me of that place!" Levy buried her head into her arms on the table, "You're right though, we should go."

Gajeel suddenly looked at the two girls with a pained, yet eager expression as they stood up.

Wait, do you want me to call a cab, we can ride together?"

Levy smirks, knowing all too well what the man might be hoping for from the cab ride.

"No it's fine, we'll manage. You can stay here with your friends and plot revenge against your infamous cousin," she jeered.

As everyone got up to let the girls out, Levy reached up as she walked past Gajeel, patted his face and gave him a wink.

"Maybe next time!"

Gajeel looked slightly stunned but recovered quickly. Lucy linked arms with her friend and laughed, the girl might seem sweet, but Levy sure had a devious side.

As they approached the exit however, the door swung open and a figure nearly crashed into them. Lucy gathered her bearings and looked at the figure from the feet up.

They were wearing black Dr. Martens, dark jeans rolled up to just above the ankle, what looked like a white scaled scarf sticking out of his back pocket, a white tee tucked in slightly to the front of his jeans, and a leather biker jacket. Then she noticed the hair.

It was pink.

It was the same guy she crashed into this morning.

He looked straight into her eyes with his own, a piercing onyx. His skin was tanned and he had a scar on his face.He was, for the lack of a better word, hot. The obnoxious grin on his face told Lucy that this guy was trouble though.

Not forgetting his rudeness that morning, she took a step back and glared at him.

"Watch where you're going, would you!" she snapped rolling her eyes.

She didn't know why those words escaped her mouth, considering she was the one who crashed into him earlier, but she stood strong.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Rich coming from you," he looked her up and down, "you leavin'?"

Lucy gulped, he did remember her.

"What are you doing here, Natsu?" All of a sudden Gajeel was by their side again.

"You weren't returnin' my calls, but I'd done some detective work and found out you'd played here tonight. Rude of ya not to invite me, really," his cousin explained.

Gajeel growled under his breathe.

"The others are over there, I'll meet you in a minute," he said gesturing to the table behind him with his head.

The two men stared each other out and then Natsu smirked, and began to walk off before stopping and leaning close to Lucy.

"I prefer this look on you," he practically purred in a husky tone.

Gajeel took a protective step towards the girls, and Natsu chuckled as he disappeared towards the rest of the band.

Levy looked all kinds of confused and Lucy just stood there, stunned, yet again.


The next morning Lucy felt rough, but she had definitely felt worse.

She lay in bed collecting her thoughts, replaying Natsu's wink in her head.

"What an obnoxious jerk," she decided.

Why was it even in her head? She's had her fair share of men hit on her, she's done her fair share of flirting herself. The way everyone talked about that man though, he seemed like a whirl wind. Also, a man that liked to play with women's emotions because he knew he could get anyone he wanted...

She was startled from her thoughts by Plue scratching at her bedroom door.

"Ok, let's forget about that, it's time to face the music. Ugh, today is going to be long," she sighed, as she got up and trudged towards that incessant scratching.


Across the city, Natsu was also waking up, to find a heavy weight on his chest.

"Fuck is this?" He muttered, half asleep.

"That's my goddamn cat telling you to get the fuck up because it's morning."

The sound of Gajeel snapping from somewhere in the distance whilst banging about getting ready for work jarred Natsu.

He sat up, pushing the cat, Pantherlily, off him, and ran his hands through his tousled hair.

"Ah, I see, but he's forgotten my breakfast in bed," he drawled sarcastically.

A wad of dirty clothing was flung at his head.

"Fuck off, Natsu," Gajeel snapped again.

"I wish you were the first person to greet me with that in the morning. You're definitely the least sexy though."

Gajeel didn't even bother with a retort and went to the kitchen to make his breakfast. He refused to look at Natsu, who was lying on his sofa in just his boxers under a moth-eared blanket. He was angry with the man who had crashed his apartment and persuaded him to drink flaming whiskies until the early hours, despite having work in his chop shop the next morning.

Natsu just stared at him, hoping Gajeel's humanity would get the better of him and an extra plate of bacon and eggs would be made. Natsu won out as a plate slammed down on the side that divided the kitchenette and living room. Gajeel still made no eye contact with him as Natsu crept from under the blanket and grabbed the plate before returning to the sofa. Gajeel joined him, and they both sat in silence eating their food.

"So, now I know all about this Levy chick you're hopelessly in love with..." Natsu started.

Gajeel growled.

"...I didn't forget as much as you hoped I would after a night on the whisky. However the one thing I can't remember, is the name of her rambunctious, blonde friend?"

"Rambunctious?" Gajeel sneered, "Where did you learn a word like that? And where did ya get the idea she is rambunctious anyway?"

"Aren't blondes meant to be more fun?"

"Fuck off, Natsu."

"Right. Her name though?"

"Don't you dare go near her. You're right, I might like Levy, and I don't think she'll take kindly to my cousin sticking his hamster dick in her best friend and screwing with her goddamn heart. Stay. Away."

"Gaj, I hate to admit it, but you've seen my di-"

"I'm going to work, Natsu."

The steel studded giant stormed off to grab his things, and headed out the door slamming it behind him. Natsu was left with his thoughts.

Why did everyone see him as a liability? He had a chequered past, sure, but couldn't a man change? He looked out of Gajeel's apartment window, observing the city skyline. It bought back too many memories.

"Whatever," he muttered, "I wasn't even interested in her anyway."

He skulked off towards Gajeel's en suite to take a shower, suddenly feeling suffocated by the recollections of a past best left forgotten.

The problem being, that it was a past he missed.