I AM ALIVE! I'm sorry for the delayed update but I think you guys already know my schedule by now, one chapter per month but if we're lucky, two! Anyway, I have the perfect excuse this time around. I am actually leaving for Japan by the end of the month so I'm very busy with preparations and dealing with unfinished school business. Maybe by the next update, I'm already in Japan!

I'm currently working on two stories at the same time and starting a one shot so I would like everybody's understanding if I'm very slow on the updates. I'm planning on finishing the other story before publishing it so it could get a regular update schedule instead of something like this. Anyway, enjoy the long awaited chapter!

Secret Love Chapter 18: 冬のフォーマル (Winter Formal)

Previously on SL:"You don't need to be so cautious of your clothes though, you look hella fine in everything." Natsu muttered, turning to her. His eyes lingered on her face before landing on her lips for longer than a second. "Well, for whom will you be wearing the gown, then?"

Lucy took a second to think before smirking. "The gown would be for me," She disentangled one of her hands from Natsu's and traced his arm before continuing. "Everything underneath will all be for you."

"Where are we going?" Lucy yawned, resting her head against the window of Natsu's car. It was still 6 in the morning when Natsu came barging in Lucy's bedroom, demanding that she wake up so they could go before it's late.

"Amaryllis."

Lucy shot up in her seat, any remnants of sleep flying away with the wind. "What?!"

"Amaryllis." Natsu dead-panned, his attention focused on the road before him. "We gotta pick up my suit."

"Natsu, I need to get ready!" Lucy complained. "It's a two-hour ride from Magnolia and the ball's at 6 PM!"

"Yeah, and it's still 8 AM, you've got time." Natsu said, "Besides, we're almost there. You've fallen asleep for most of the ride."

Lucy grumbled, knowing there's no going back now.

By the time the car pulled to a stop in front of Mermaid Heel, Lucy didn't accompany Natsu outside, too embarrassed with how she currently looked. Natsu handed Lucy his suit, hanging by a hanger with a plastic protecting it from outside dangers.

The drive back to Magnolia was silent, Lucy still too sleepy to initiate a conversation with him. However, one thing was bothering her that she just had to ask despite her lack of sleep. "Why didn't you pick up your suit beforehand?"

Natsu shrug his shoulders before replying, "Forgot about it."

He saw Lucy roll her eyes at his answer before turning to the window to stare at the greenery that passed by them as they drove.

When they got back to her house, Lucy was quick to her room to take a bath before preparing for the ball. Natsu, on the other hand, stayed behind at the living room to watch the recap of yesterday's football game with Jude.

"Aren't you going to get ready, Natsu?" A sweet voice that reminded Natsu of Lucy asked. He turned to see Layla coming down the stairs wearing formal business clothing, a book bag on her left hand while her right was wrapped around a set of keys.

"Nah, it's still too early." Natsu replied, giving Layla a crooked grin. "I didn't know you have work today."

"Tomorrow's my only day off work, Natsu." Layla laughed, patting his head before giving her husband a peck on both cheeks. "I'll try my best to be home before you guys are off to school."

Natsu nodded his head and turned his attention back to the television. He heard the garage door open outside before closing again, signalling that Layla had already gone.

"Are you getting ready here?" Jude asked him, his eyes set on the game before him.

"Yeah, I don't see the reason why I should get ready at home when I could just have Lucy help me with my hair."

Jude nodded his head at him. "I see, that is far more convenient. Are you driving her to school as well?"

"No, I'm driving with my partner." Natsu grumbled, still not fully used to the fact of another girl besides Lucy, Wendy, or his Mom will be inside the car with him.

"Oh, yes, right."

"Natsu! Can you come help me?" Lucy's voice erupted within the house.

Natsu and Jude, whose attention was neck-deep on the game that was playing before them, jumped in surprise upon hearing her voice.

"Y-yeah, Luce!" Natsu answered before shooting up in his seat to run to Lucy's bedroom.

When he got there, Lucy was wearing nothing but a white towel. Natsu gulped, knowing that he shouldn't think of such lewd thoughts when Jude was just downstairs. "What can I help you with?"

"Which eye shadow would look good with my dress?" Lucy proceeded to showing him a black palette that held various of shades, from black to white.

Natsu approached her to take a good look at the palette before pointing to a circular color that resembled both Lucy's night gown and his hair. "How about this one?"

"I knew it! Thanks!" Lucy said, shooing Natsu away with a flick of her wrist.

Natsu, who has lost interest in the replay of some football game when he caught sight of Lucy, sat down on her bed to stare at her while she got ready. He looked at her as she applied the salmon pink dust on her eye lids. She then proceeded to dabbing some nude colored something to her face, then to her neck, and blending it together.

As he looked at Lucy covering her beauty with makeup, he couldn't help but wonder how it would taste on his tongue. He wondered if the lipstick that Lucy was applying to her face was one of those cherry-flavored ones that drove him crazy.

When she was done, it was already almost one in the afternoon but Natsu couldn't help but think that time just seemed to have flown by as he watched her get ready.

Lucy turned to him, her lipstick-covered lips twisting to a wide grin. "How do I look?"

Natsu blinked, surprised at Lucy's question. Did she have to ask? Didn't she see how drop-dead gorgeous she looked? Natsu racked his brain for any words that would justify Lucy's beauty at the moment. When he took too much time, Lucy raised her filled eyebrows at him.

"Y-you, uh, okay, I guess." Natsu internally face-palmed. Okay? She looked okay? She looked beyond okay. She looked like a fucking goddess. But of course his dumb brain didn't have enough wires to connect it with his mouth. He considered re-wording his intentions but before he could, Lucy's voice snapped him out of his internal debate, telling him that she understood him.

"Thanks, Natsu!" Lucy's smile widened at his words. She stood up and opened her closet to get her night gown out. Natsu stared at her hips that swayed at every step she took and at her hair that danced in rhythm with her movements.

She was about to go inside the bathroom when Natsu's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Where are you going?" He was meant to voice out his question but when it escaped his mouth, even he couldn't deny the lust that was just leaking out from his words.

Lucy turned to him with a nervous smile, "To the bathroom? I have to change."

"I know." Natsu answered, his voice too deep even for him. "Get changed here. What's the big deal?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Natsu." Lucy laughed, her eyes traveling from his pair of green orbs, to his lips, and to the tent that was clearly making itself known in his pants, making his trousers a bit tighter than it originally was.

"Why? I've seen you naked countless of times before."

"The bulge in your pants is why, Natsu." Lucy laughed, pointing to his pants.

"Ignore it then."

Lucy sighed, Natsu stared as her eyes flashed with the familiar twinkle that precluded her giving up the argument. She closed the curtains behind her and turned around to face away from him. Her hands raised from her side to clasp around the towel that covered her body. She unfurled the twist of knots that helped it remain in place before hanging it on rack by her closet.

Natsu felt his pants strain further at the sight of her backside. The one that he had pounded against time and time again. His eyes feasted on the dimples on her back that he had mindlessly traced every single time they lay on her bed.

He fought not to move from his rather uncomfortable position from her bed to move his calloused hands against her shoulder blades that moved from her every push against the bed to keep herself upright while her head lie defeated on the pillows on her bed as Natsu groaned out her name.

Lucy bent over to slip her curvaceous body on the very thing that Natsu himself had picked. At the time, he was beyond proud that Lucy had liked the material that he had chosen but this time, his desire to punch himself in the face for picking out a dress that showed so much of her beauty was not making the situation any easier.

He was torn, unable to decide between showing her off for everybody to see or to keep her inside a glass cabinet for him and him alone to admire day after day, hour after hour, minute by minute, and second after second.

He was torn and doesn't she know it.

She stood upright and glanced at Natsu from her shoulders, half-lidded eyes not helping the bulge in his pants the slightest.

"Zip me up?" Lucy asked, her voice sultry as she spoke.

Natsu's adam's apple bobbed in his throat. This woman was going to be the death of him.

He nodded before leaving the safety of her bed to approach her. He traced the line of her spine with his pointer finger, feeling pride swell on his chest when he felt her breath hitch. His finger reached the end of the line and took the silver zipper to draw her gown together before he completely loses control.

From the distance, he heard Lucy thank him and he could only nod, finding it hard to even come up with coherent words.

"Now," Lucy turned around to face him, her smile wide and her face empty with any trace of lust. "Let's do you!"

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Natsu smirked, grabbing Lucy's waist to draw her closer to him. She gasped, feeling the very bulge that she had been eyeing for a few minutes now rub against her. Natsu heard her moan before he felt her hand in his shoulders.

"No, Natsu!" Lucy grumbled, her eyes scrutinized in judgement while her arms crossed across her chest. "We have to hurry up."

Her direct denial of any sexual interaction with him went through his brain and he felt his dick calm down. Lucy sighed when she could no longer feel his excitement trying to rub against her.

Lucy ordered him to get dressed while she heated the straightener for his hair. Once he was done, he sat down in front of Lucy's vanity mirror. He tried to stay still for her, despite it not being in his nature, just so she wouldn't have a hard time trying to tame his messy hair.

He watched Lucy's face twist in concentration while she pressed the flat iron against his hair and pulling it back. When she was done, only a strand of hair remained drooping from his head which was according to Lucy, was for pure style, while the rest of his pink locks were pulled back for a neater look.

Lucy sprayed her setting spray on Natsu's hair before moving to open a lip balm. "Whoa, you're putting that on me?"

"Yeah, why?" Lucy asked. "Don't tell me you don't want it because it's girly?"

"No!" Natsu hurriedly denied, knowing that that would be a trigger subject for his girlfriend. "No, I just don't feel comfortable wearing it."

"Your lips are chapped." Lucy dead-panned before applying it on Natsu's dried up lips.

"Just kiss me, then."

He heard Lucy laugh before he was being shooed away from her mirror. "I don't want to because my lipstick will get smudged."

Natsu sighed, opting to instead check on his watch for the time to see that it was already quarter to four. Did they really take that much time getting ready?

The doorbell rung, echoing against the walls of the house.

"Natsu, can you open the door?" Layla's voice boomed from the kitchen. When did she come home?

"Sure!"

Natsu ran downstairs to open the door, expecting to see a mailman of some sort only to see blonde-locks that looked so much like Lucy's greet him.

Sting was standing in front of his face, his ugly mug in poker mode. He was wearing a faded yellow turtleneck that complimented his hair well, a black tie and a black tuxedo to complete the look. His crystal ear ring still dangling from his ears.

"Can I come in?" Sting asked, peeking inside to probably catch a glimpse of Lucy.

Natsu opened the door wider to let the man in. He was about to introduce Sting to Lucy's mom when she beat him to it.

"Sting!" Layla exclaimed, her hair pulled into a bun while an apron was tied around her neck. "It's been so long!"

"Aunt Layla!" Sting greeted back, his grin widening at the sight of the lady. "I'm sorry I couldn't come by sooner."

"Oh, it's okay. I know it must have been hard to familiarize yourself with the town again." Layla smiled, offering Sting to sit down on one of the stools by the kitchen island. "Make yourself comfortable, the pasta I'm making is about to be done."

Sting nodded before sitting down. Natsu followed and sat one seat apart from the yellow-haired man. "Where's Uncle Jude, Auntie?"

"Oh, he's fixing that old beat up car of his. He wants Lucy to use it." Layla answered, placing the pasta on a Pyrex glass before placing the sauce on top of it. "So, I heard you played a prank on my Lucy to get Natsu to confess?"

Natsu felt warmth creep through his neck and up his cheeks. He was about to answer for the both of them when Lucy's voice interrupted him.

"Stop interrogating them, Mom." Lucy laughed. Natsu turned around to see her descending to stairs, her silver heels on her right hand while his tie was on the other. "Hey, Sting."

Right, he completely forgot about his tie.

Lucy placed her shoes on the living room before making her way to the kitchen. She wrapped the tie around Natsu's neck before tying it around to secure it. Her proximity despite Sting being there made his chest warming with pride.

"Why's he here so early?" Natsu muttered, aware that Sting and Layla could hear them but not having enough fucks to care.

"They wanted to see him after so long and I kinda forgot about telling them that he's back in town." Lucy laughed, adjusting Natsu's tie to make sure it looks perfect.

Natsu nodded, remembering the past that the two had shared.

"Now, would you be so kind so as to help me with my hair?" Lucy asked.

"Sure." He said. They both went back to her room where he helped her hold portions of her hair up while she curled them.

By the time they were done, Jude's constant cluttering at the garage had stopped. They both went back down to find Sting enjoying the company of Lucy's family, talking about what his parents have been up to back in Alvarez during the time that they hadn't seen each other.

"Sting, let's go?" Lucy inquired. The man nodded and they all bid their goodbyes, Sting falling behind as he was taking longer.

Natsu and Lucy were the first ones out of the house, though not without being forced into a picture by a very incessant Layla Heartfilia. "It's still pretty early, are you sure you guys are already heading off?"

Lucy nodded her head. They approached Sting's Juke and stood there to wait for him. "We still have to drive all the way to the other side of town to pick up the sashes for the competition and maybe grab a few bites."

Natsu sighed and tucked in a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you sure you can't just ride with me?"

"I'm sure." Lucy laughed. They both turned to see Sting approaching them with the keys on his left hand.

"You know, I'm happy that we're out in the open and all but I just can't help but think that things could have gone way better if I just waited." Natsu sighed, rubbing his hand against Lucy's exposed shoulder. "Instead, I was hasty and asked Lisanna out in a whim."

"It's fine, Natsu." Lucy smiled, her eyes kind and filled with understanding. "Besides, we've got a mini ball to plan later, right?"

Natsu couldn't help but smile, the warmth in her eyes contagious.

"Ready?" Sting asked Lucy, waving the keys on his hand on the air.

Lucy nodded and gave Natsu a peck. She waited for Sting to open the door of the car before going inside, the tinted windows disabling Natsu a single glance.

He sighed before walking to his own car to go home before picking Lisanna up. He still had a good few hours before he needed to drive by her house.

Deciding to use his time for the better, Natsu drove by the mall to buy the stuff they'll need for their private mini-ball later tonight. He first went by to pick up the flowers he had ready a week before and ordered food for delivery before mindlessly walking around.

The whole mall was decorated with festive decorations and the word December echoed in his mind again and again. Now that he thought about it, they only had about six months of school together before they all went their separate ways. Before that day, he had always been so sure of Lucy's presence in his life but as he looked at the Christmas-y decorations, reminding him of how academically accomplished Lucy was, he wasn't so sure anymore.

She had always been future-oriented and found joy in looking at the possibilities of tomorrow. And although he did love envisioning the future, the ones he looked forward to were more moments to treasure with friends while Lucy longed for the opportunities for success. Heck, she already even had a school in mind.

But him? Oh, school was the farthest thing from his concerns during the past few months. Looking at their old seniors who have lost relationships to distance and lack of communication reminded Natsu of how him and Lucy could end up and it scared him.

Natsu sighed, not seeing the value in getting so anxious of how the future may badly turn up when Lucy was right there with him at the moment. He pulled himself back to his surroundings, looking around the jewelry store that he had somehow ended in and that's when it caught his eye.

He had never been an insecure person nor was he the kind of guy that needed confirmation every single moment. But being reminded of how limited his carefree time with Lucy was made him long for a confirmation and maybe a physical material was exactly what he needed.

Approaching the glass case full of expensive looking jewelry, Natsu pointed to a necklace that had a fire pendant hanging from it. Right at the very center of the golden fire was a small red opal stone.

"You've got good taste, dear sir." The man behind the glass case told him. "This just arrived today, it's called Dragon's Breath."

Natsu drove back to the Heartfilia's to drop off flowers he had to set up at the dinner table and to let Lucy's parents know that they needed the living room to themselves. Pulling the car to a stop, Natsu saw Jude's car back out from the garage. Natsu honked his horn to let Jude know he was here.

The windows by the passenger side rolled down and Natsu got out of his car to jog to Layla's side. "Where are you guys going?"

"Didn't Lucy tell you?" Layla asked, fishing her bag for something. "We're going to be off town this weekend as well. The branch by the West has been failing and we're trying to either pick it back up or turn it to ashes."

Natsu accepted the keys Layla handed him and pocketed them. "Has this been going on for long now?"

"Yes, actually. I'm surprised Lucy hasn't told you yet." Layla answered. "We've been out of town every weekend for the past year now."

"Anyway, we've got to be off, kid." Jude butted in. "Just do your business inside and don't be late to the dance."

Natsu nodded his head before waving goodbye to the couple as they drove away. Shaking his head, he wondered why Lucy had kept something so serious from him for such a long time now. Though now wasn't exactly the best time for contemplation.

He only had about thirty minutes before the dance starts and Lisanna has been texting him nonstop to ask him where the heck he was. He hurriedly ran inside the house and dumped the carnations to a glass vase before placing it at the already decorated table. Huh, so Layla did know that they were having a dinner date tonight.

Flipping his phone out, he hurriedly sent out a reply to Lisanna telling her that he was on the way. When he arrived at her house, she looked like she wanted to strangle his perfectly tamed hair with her tomb-shaped nails which made him apologize profusely for losing track of time.

When they arrived at the venue, the gymnasium was already packed to the brim with sweaty, hormonal teenagers. The air was heavy with the musk of the men's deodorant and the women's perfume that made Natsu's sensitive nose twitch in protest.

The whole gymnasium was lit up in various colors by lights that changed colors in sync with the music blasting from the speakers. Slow, romantic music was being played by the moment they familiarized themselves with the place.

"Now, dance to the beat of your hearts with the partners that you came with!" Max, a friend of theirs shouted from the stage.

"I guess we should go as well?" Natsu inquired Lisanna, her silver gown glittering beautifully from the lights and perfectly complimenting the color of her hair.

"Sure."

Natsu placed his right on Lisanna's mid-back while his left hand was held out for her to take. Their proximity was something that Natsu wouldn't really want to share with another person aside from Lucy but seeing as this was only a harmless dance made him decide it was okay.

Everybody swayed with the rhythm of the music. Natsu observed the others, seeing how far he and Lisanna actually were compared to the others who were wrapping their arms around each other and whispering sweet nothings to each other's ears. He tried his best to locate his friends and saw Levy being carried off by a grumpy looking Gajeel to the exit and Gray on his dress shirt and pants with Juvia on his arms as they both talked and smiled at each other.

Looking around, Natsu longed to dance with Lucy as well and admire her beauty from such a close space (something that he never really gets tired of). By the time the song ended, Natsu waited for Lisanna to be with her friends before he went off to look for his.

"Are you okay by yourself?" Natsu asked her before leaving.

"Yeah, have the rest of the night with yourself." Lisanna smiled, fiddling with the corsage Natsu gave her before turning away to talk with her newfound friend whom Natsu heard was a friend of Laxus named Bickslow.

Natsu nodded and looked around the gymnasium for any sign of his friends. He saw them huddled together at a table talking animatedly. Lucy was sitting between Sting and an empty chair while she nodded at something Erza had said.

"Would you care for a dance?" Natsu offered, handing out his hand for Lucy to take. She looked up, unfazed by his sudden appearance before looking at Sting and whispering something and smirking. She took his hand and laced their fingers together while he led them to the dance floor. He wrapped both his hands around her waist, pulling her in closer. Lucy snaked her hands to Natsu's neck where she played with the ends of his hair before pulling him closer and bumping their foreheads together.

"I missed you." Lucy said before clashing their lips together making Natsu gasp in surprise. Damn, he thought he couldn't get anymore attracted to Lucy and here she was, making him fall for her again with just a kiss in front of a crowd. Natsu felt warmth spread from his cheeks to his stomach from the action and inevitably, his excitement made itself known. Something that Lucy made fun off as she pressed their hips closer. "Oops, I guess I got you all excited."

"Y-yeah, well you've always been so against public affection." Natsu sighed, biting his lip in desperation to feel more of Lucy's.

"I'm feeling adventurous at the moment." Lucy sultry said, her left hand leaving his neck and tracing the front of his suit before unbuttoning it. "What do you say we ditch this party and head home?"

Natsu laughed, forcing himself to think straight for the both of them. Was she drunk? "We can't, Lucy. You guys are the event organizers, you don't have the option to ditch."

Lucy groaned before letting her head fall to his chest. "I've been waiting for you for so long. What were you doing?"

Yep, she definitely was. And it must have been the work of two she-devils named Cana and Mira. "I just went back to your house to drop off the flowers for later tonight." Natsu replied.

"Oh,"

"Yeah, and I saw your parents leave. They said they've been staying out of town every weekend. Why didn't you tell me that?"

"I did, you weren't listening because we were watching How to Train your Dragon." Lucy laughed, mindlessly playing with the strands of Natsu's hair.

Natsu laughed along with her before remembering Lucy's action before she took his hand. "What did you tell Eucliffe?"

Lucy looked at him, confusion in her face before it warped into understanding. "Remember that girl he likes? Yukino? Well I told him I'm helping him with Creative Writing if he gets to take her home tonight."

Natsu's eyebrow raised in amusement before he dipped his head down to kiss her again. "Well I hope he doesn't because if you help him that means I'll lose more Lucy time and I'm already losing enough private Lucy time. It's getting annoying."

Lucy shook her head and dragged him back to the table just in time for the song to end. The chairs on either side of Lucy was unoccupied so Natsu decided to sit by the chair that Sting was sitting on moments prior.

"Who was seating there?" Natsu asked, pointing to the empty chair on Lucy's other side.

"Levy. Last I saw her, she was with Gajeel." Lucy smirked before motioning for Natsu to come closer so she could whisper something in his ear. "Probably fucking somewhere."

Natsu pulled away with a wicked grin before it turned to a smirk. "Wanna do that too?"

Lucy laughed at him, handing him a plate full of chili con carne. "You were the one who just said that I'm not allowed to ditch this event. Keep your pants on."

Natsu started eating the food Lucy gave him and was well on his second plate when the guy on Lucy's Calculus class came to ask her to a dance to which she happily accepted. He stood up, deciding to eat while Lucy started to kill her feet with all her dancing. By the time he got away from the buffet table, Lucy was massaging the heel of her right foot with a pained expression.

"Too much dancing?" Natsu laughed, hauling Lucy's feet to rest in on his thighs to massage them for her. "I thought you were a nerd?"

"Ugh, I hope everybody stops asking me out to dance for even a minute." Lucy grumbled, letting her head hang from her neck in exhaustion. "My feet are killing me!"

Natsu finished massaging the heel of Lucy's foot and was about to move on to the ball's of her right foot when a light tap stopped him. "W-wanna dance with me?"

He looked up to see a brown haired girl wearing a black body-con dress. "Sorry, kinda busy at the moment."

"O-oh, then maybe later, perhaps?" The girl insisted.

"Sure, if I have the time." Natsu smiled, focusing back to his task at hand without bidding the girl goodbye or ending their conversation properly.

People kept coming by to ask Natsu out to dance until Lucy spoke up. "Why don't you go ahead and dance? I can massage my feet just fine."

"Nah, why should you have to do it when I'm here, fully capable of relieving you of the pain?"

Lucy smiled, resting her head in her hand elbow that was connected to the hand that was tucked in her neck. Not long, someone approached them yet again but before the person could speak up, Natsu beat them to it.

"Look, I'm focusing at Lucy in the moment so I can't dance with you."

"Man, I was coming over to ask Lucy out, not you." They both looked up to see a black-haired man in a red tux looking at Natsu in confusion before turning to Lucy with a wide grin. "So how about it?"

"Can't you see her feet hurt?" Natsu growled, protectively pulling himself in Lucy's space. "Go away."

Before Lucy could react, the guy was already scampering away from them both. "You didn't have to be so rude." The guy spat before turning on the other direction.

"There's no need to be hostile, Natsu." Lucy smiled, caressing Natsu's arm to try and calm him down.

"Yes, I actually did." Natsu grumbled. "He clearly knows your feet hurt and yet he still has the nerve to ask you out in a dance. Someone like that don't know how to treat a girl right meaning there's no way I'm letting him touch you."

The night went on from there. While everybody went off getting drunk from the alcohol-laced fruit punch by the buffet table and grinding against each other, Natsu and Lucy spent the night talking and laughing with each other.

"Now it's time for our finale for the night!" Max's voice echoed across the whole gymnasium. "The awarding ceremony!"

The crowd erupted in drunken cheers and Natsu couldn't help but join in on the fun. Max opened an envelope and started calling out names.

"When you're called, come up on stage!" Max shouted, seeming to not remember the use of a microphone in his drunken stupor. "Give it up for our Dancing King and Queen, the ever so grumpy Gajeel Redfox and sweet yet dangerous, Mirajane Strauss!"

Natsu heard Gajeel bark out an insult before running to the stage to hit Max's head. They both stood by the side to wait for the announcement of the other winners.

"Next up, Mister and Miss Head-turner, resident stripper Gray Fullbuster and Nerd Princess, Lucy Heartfilia!" Max announced.

Natsu's eyes grew wide with pride at Lucy's win, not minding Max's comment about Lucy's smarts. He hastily put Lucy's shoes on their rightful place before letting her stand up and accompanying her to the edge of the stage, helping her walk up the stairs before whipping out his phone and taking a picture of her.

He went back to his seat knowing that the winners will be up there for a while.

"On to the royals!" Max said, continuing. "Prince and Princess of the Night, the new student turned popular Sting Eucliffe and school sweetheart, Lisanna Strauss!"

The two joined the others up in the stage while the teachers pinned their sashes in their clothes.

"Last but certainly not the least, the King and Queen!" Max shouted, his voice seeming endless in energy. "Who do you think it is?!"

The crowd erupted in a series of names thought the most prominent one were Natsu and Loke's names for the King while Erza's name was on the running for Queen.

"You certainly know your batch mates well!" Max grinned, flipping the envelope to show it to crowd. "This year's Winter Ball King and Queen, basketball team captain and school heartthrob, Natsu Dragneel and our very own Student Supreme Council President, Erza Scarlet!"

Natsu grinned, shouting out in victory before running to the stage and placing the crown in his head before roaring. He nudged Gray away from Lucy before taking his place beside her. He grabbed her waist and smiled at the camera man.

"Congratulations." Lucy said, wrapping her arm around his wider back.

"Can the King please stand beside the Queen please?" The photographer politely asked.

"I already am!" Natsu cackled, placing a sloppy kiss right on Lucy's lips without warning. Which was something that the crowd went loose and batshit crazy about.