Title: Back to December
Couple: Natsu and Lucy (NaLu)
Genre: Romance/Drama
Song: Back to December by Taylor Swift
Age: Lucy – 19, Natsu – 19
Warning: Contains Swearing
Rated: T+ for Strong Language
xXx
She stared at the phone and drummed her fingers on the counter as terrified nerves crawled up and down her spine. It was just a phone call, nothing more, right? She shouldn't be so nervous, especially when she was to one that would be doing the calling. She was nervous though, scared of what he might say. They hadn't spoken in forever.
Lucy sighed through her nose, trying to swallow her nerves and pride as she picked up the cell phone, she turned it around in her small hands and examined it from every angle. She was stalling. What if her number wasn't in his phone anymore? What if he didn't remember her . . . No he would remember and that was what scared Lucy the most.
She swallowed again, the action was difficult. It felt as if a giant lump was stuck in her throat and it wasn't planning on going down any time soon, no matter how hard she tried to force it. Her hesitant fingers moved slowly, dialing a number she had memorized so long ago but hadn't called in almost that same length of time. The blonde put the small object to her ear, listening silently to the ringing as she bit the nail on her index finger nervously.
The first time she hung up after the second ring. The second time was right after he answered. Well third time's the charm right?
"Hello?"
Lucy couldn't breathe. He sounded irritated but his voice was the same as how she remembered it. She hadn't heard it in so long and she found that she had missed the way his voice had sounded, how it had whispering sweat things in her ear.
"Uh, hello?"
Lucy jumped slightly and almost dropped the phone as his voice came from the other end of the line again. Yes, he was diffidently irritated now. She tried to slow her breathing and ended up failing miserably as she put the cell phone back to her ear.
"N-Natsu? It's me . . . Lucy."
The line went dead.
Lucy took the phone from her ear and looked wide eyed at the small object. Sure she had hung up twice before saying a word to him, but he was a guy! Guy's weren't supposed to hang up like fussy little girls. She sighed and shrugged, she should have expected as much, but at least no one could say that she hadn't tried.
Lucy had been expecting rejection from the start, but that doesn't mean it still didn't hurt.
Letting a frustrated shriek escape her dry throat the blonde pushed herself from the counter chair and collapsed on the blanket filled couch as a hopeless pout graced her lips. Irritation crept through her as she started to feel all her previous confidence slip away. Here she had just about peed herself from fright and he couldn't even say one word to her? Yes, he was diffidently acting like a fussy little girl.
Lucy's phone vibrated as an incoming call reached her phone. The blonde looked at the phone, not wanting to talk to anyone at the moment. She felt her previous fear seep back into her pores as Natsu's name flashed across the caller ID.
Fuck, Lucy thought as she threw the phone across the room. It hit the opposite wall and continued buzzing as it hit the floor.
Levi, having heard the phone as it knocked against the wall, poked her head through her bedroom door and glanced at Lucy. She frowned, "What the hell are you throwing out here?" The blue haired maiden asked her best friend as she watched her fidget on the couch.
Lucy pointed at the buzzing phone by Levi's feet.
One of Levi's eyebrows rose in curiosity as she bet down to pick up the now silent phone. Her thumb moved swiftly as she clicked through Lucy's the missed calls. "Natsu?" Levi looked up at Lucy with disbelief written all over her face, "Why didn't you—" Levi paused as the phone buzzed to life again.
Lucy looked at Levi over her pile of blankets, "Is it him?"
"Yes."
"Do you think he'll take a message?"
"Who called first?"
"Me."
"Yeah, you're screwed." Levi stated as she tossed the phone onto Lucy's blanket mound. "Good luck, Lu." Levi called as she turned towards her room. Lucy glared after the bookworm as she disappeared from view, honestly Lucy loved the girl to death but she could be a real pain in the ass sometimes.
Lucy sighed for what she hoped was the last time that night and picked up the buzzing phone. She pressed the talk button and put it to her ear.
"Hello?"
There was yelling in the background and the sound of Natsu's voice was absent for the first few seconds. After a moment she heard him. ". . . Hey . . . sorry about, yeah."
"Don't worry about it. I did the same." Lucy was gripping one of her blankets so tightly she thought it was going to rip.
"I noticed." Of course he did.
Silence came from both ends of the conversation. Lucy bit her lip, "Hey, can we meet?"
"What?"
Lucy slapped her forehead in mortification. What the hell was she thinking asking him a question out of the blue like that? Way to fuck things up even more Lucy! She though as she bit her bottom lip again.
"Now?" Lucy froze and felt the pressure on her lip lift. He was actually considering it? Talk about a miracle. Lucy glanced up at the clock on the wall which read 10:42pm. Underneath the clock there was a dent in the wall. Lucy blinked as she looked at the dent; Levi was going to kill her.
"Yeah . . . now."
There was a long pause before she heard Natsu whisper, "Ok. I'll meet you at the old place."
"Right." Lucy said before she ended the call.
The old place. Lucy felt her heart clench as she thought of the fountain that sat at the center of Magnolia. It had been a special place for them both in the past; it was a place that they had spent a lot of time at.
"Levi!" Lucy called as she pulled on her winter coat. The blue haired maiden exited her room once again, this time with a toothbrush in her mouth and toothpaste ripping from the corners.
"Wha?" Levi asked as she continued her brushing.
"I'm going out."
"Do fu fow wha tam it es?" Levi said while trying to keep her toothpaste in her mouth and off the floor.
"Yes, Levi I do." Lucy stated as she pulled on her boots. "Watch the house!" She opened the door, "Oh and I broke the wall."
Levi no longer cared about her dripping toothpaste or the currently clean floor as the foamy substance went flying, "Lucy, what the hell?!"
The blonde only laughed and headed out into the snow. She didn't care that it was cold, or that snow was falling outside. She was glad, because he hadn't shut her out completely.
o~O~o
She had been waiting for the last ten minutes, bundled up in a warm white winter jacket, a pink hat on her head and matching mittens sheltered her hands from the cold. She kicked the fresh snow that had fallen from the dark sky with her pom-pom boots.
The sound of crunching snow came from behind her. Lucy stood up from her place on the fountain and smiled softly as she glanced at Natsu over her shoulder.
Natsu didn't return her smile. He only glanced at her face before he began drawing patterns in the snow with the toe of his boot.
Lucy frowned and walked over to him. She lifted her hand to try to comfort him, to ease the awkwardness he felt, but then decided against it. It wouldn't be right for her to touch him, even if she meant it as a way of comfort. Lucy knew she was no longer a source of comfort for the young man.
"Would you like to walk with me?"
Natsu glanced at her again before returning his attention back to the snow. "Sure."
They walked in silence for a time; the only real sound was their feet crushing the snow beneath their winter boots. Natsu had his hands shoved deep in his coat pockets and Lucy could see that he wasn't wearing any gloves. He did always forget things like that.
The blonde didn't have to look to know he had been constantly glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Lucy pressed her mitten covered hands to her mouth and tried to focus on the snow instead of how awkward she felt.
"So," Lucy started while she rubbed her hands together, "How's life been to you lately? Are Wendy, Grandine, Igneel and Happy doing alright?" She paused for another moment, "I haven't seen them . . . in a while."
Natsu watched Lucy rub her red nose silently for a moment before nodding his head, "They're fine, good. Life's good." He paused for another moment, "Wendy misses you. A lot." The young man turned his eyes to the ground as he thought of the last time his step sister had asked when she would be able to see Lucy again.
It had been the summer just following last December.
Natsu was sitting on his bed, his legs crossed as he looked at Happy with a calculating look on his face when Wendy, his now 14 year old step sister opened the door. A frown crossed her face when she saw him looking at Happy. "I swear, Natsu," She said as she came and stood by his bed with her hands on her hips, "Dye that cat a normal color already!"
Natsu looked up at her then back at the blue cat, "No way! The day he fell into that can of blue paint was the day I decided that he would forever be original."
"Whatever," Wendy said as she scooted Happy away so she could take his place on the bed. Natsu frowned at her for moving his cat against its will, Happy however didn't seem to mind, he only yawned and moved to make himself comfortable in Wendy's lap.
Irritation started to slip through the 19 year old, he knew why his sister had suddenly showed up, it was always the same reason now a days and even though he didn't want to talk about her he asked Wendy what she wanted anyways. Just in case. "What do you want, Wendy?"
Wendy wouldn't look at him, she preoccupied herself with petting Happy as she asked, "When is Lucy coming over again, Natsu?"
"Never," Natsu growled at his sister as he ran a frustrated hand through his pink hair. This was how things went now. Wendy would come into his room, comment about the color of Happy's fur and then ask him about Lucy and each time he would tell Wendy that she was never coming again, Wendy would then pout and leave the room.
This time however was different.
"Well why not?" She asked as she glared at her older brother, "How come I never see her anymore, why is she never here, why do you always leave the room when her name comes up in conversation? Why, Natsu? Is it because you're depressed or do you just hate her?" Wendy was screaming at him by the end.
"I have my reasons." That's all he said, all he would say and Wendy knew very well that that's all the reason he would ever give her. She was his younger sister after all; she didn't deserve an explanation to his problems.
"You just don't want to admit you're not over her!"
Natsu glared at the young girl, "Shut up," he said as he grabbed Happy from her, "You don't know anything so just shut up!"
"Natsu, you idiot! I hate you," Wendy screamed as she ran out the door.
She didn't hate him of course, Wendy never could hate Natsu. He was her only brother after all. She had come back a few hours later to apologize but that's it, it took her a week before she would really talk to him again. After that Wendy stopped asking about Lucy, she hadn't asked about her once since then.
"She does?" Lucy asked as a small smile slipped across her face again. "I miss her too."
xXx
Snow had started to fall lightly again. It was currently collecting in Natsu's hair and he glanced up at the pieces that hung from his pink spikes. Lucy still walked beside him her hands now in her own coat pockets.
"So how have you been," Lucy pressed, "You've told me all about Wendy, Grandine, and Igneel, you've even went into detail on how Happy is," she laughed at the thought of how the blue cat's life had been, "but you haven't told me anything about you, Natsu." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I want to know about you."
Natsu remained silent as he listened to her request. It shouldn't come as a surprise to him that she would want to know how he had been, that was just the kind of person Lucy was. She cared about people, even if things weren't the best between her and the person she was asking about. Right now, Natsu was that person.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I've been good, very good actually. Work keeps me busy, the weathers been nice lately too, which always seems to make things better." They had been talking for at least an hour now and Natsu was still giving her very blunt, strait forward answers. "So how have you been, Lucy?"
The blonde flinched as he said her name, but, of course he would call her Lucy. She wasn't Luce anymore; she wasn't just plain old Lu either. No, now to Natsu, she was Lucy, and that's all she may ever be. The young girl nodded her head once before putting on a fake smile, "Good, I've been good. How's everybody at Fairy Tail?"
She hadn't been quick enough though, he had noticed her pause, had seen the flinch and with the sudden change of topic it was obvious that she was trying to keep the topic of conversation away from herself. Natsu didn't acknowledge his findings; he knew it would make her feel uncomfortable to say anything so he went on to answer her newest question.
"They miss you of course."
Natsu frowned as he thought of the café he worked at and how it had changed since Lucy stopped working there. Things were still lively of course, it was impossible for things to not be lively at Fairy Tail, with Cana's excessive drinking, Gray's stripping and Erza beating the shit out of people it was pretty much impossible, but some of the calm, gentle atmosphere the café sometimes had went away with Lucy. It was like she had packed it up in her suit case and took it with her when she had quit.
Lucy glanced at Natsu as he looked at the ground in thought. Even now that thick wall that they had both built was still strong on Natsu's side. He wasn't letting his guard down, nor was he planning too. And Lucy knew why.
xXx
It had happened last December. The snow had been falling lightly outside, kind of like how it was now. The frozen crystals were piling up on the trees, causing them to sparkle when the sunlight hit them. And Lucy sat in her living room reading a book as she waited for Natsu.
The blonde had smiled when she heard the doorbell ring. Forgetting to mark her page completely, she had thrown her book to the side and it had landed on the couch with a soft thump. She felt the nervous butterflies begin to flutter around in her stomach.
She had answered the door with a half smile. And Natsu had been waiting patiently for her with a bundle of roses in his hand. When she saw the roses her smile had faltered and she felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to rage as if there were going to burst right out of her.
She couldn't handle it. Every fear she had begun to feel over the past week or so came bubbled up to the front of her mind. He had smiled at her and she had slammed the door in his face.
xXx
Lucy rubbed her cold nose as she stepped into the apartment. Shrugging out of her winter jacket she hung it on the hook before stepping into the kitchen. Ramen sounded really appetizing at the moment to her. She grabbed a bowl and a package of the delectable instant noodles before turning to the stove to boil water.
Levi, having heard the blonde when she walked through the door, looked up from the book she was currently reading to watch her best friend make her late night snack. "So?"
Lucy glanced at the blue haired maiden and gave her a half smile, "Well . . . I guess it could have been worse."
"Ah, Lu," Levi cooed as she moved to the kitchen to hug her friend.
"I never said it was terrible, Levi," Lucy stated as Levi embraced her.
"You don't have too. I can tell. Your heart is hurting and that's ok, it'll heal," Levi paused, thinking carefully, wondering if it was ok to say what she really wanted to say. In the end she decided it was. "Maybe you shouldn't have gone to see him."
Lucy's shoulders began to shake as her friend's words began to sink in, "I love him so much, Levi."
"Shh, I know. Don't cry, Lu tears are pointless," Levi squeezed Lucy a little bit harder and Lucy nodded into her friends shoulder. Levi was right; there was no point it crying. Tears wouldn't help her now so she would not cry, no matter what. She was done.
Now Lucy sat alone on the couch with her ramen in her lap. She nibbled at the noodles, her appetite suddenly lost. Levi had gone to bed. She wanted to stay up to comfort her friend but Lucy had insisted, because she knew what sleepless nights were like. She had received many after was happened last December.
And she still had them.
Lucy glanced to the side, her mind in a daze as her eyes landed on an old calendar that had been lying around. It was still set to July. Brown eyes darted away and Lucy shook her head, she hadn't called to wish him birthday this year.
xXx
"Luce!"
Lucy screamed as she was shoved into the ice cold water.
The blonde submerged from the river, dripping wet. She glared at Natsu, who was laughed from the bank as he watched her blow bubbles in the icy water. Lucy stood and smiled at the boy on the shore, he sure was something.
"Cold, Luce?"
Lucy shrugged as she walked over to the shore line. Natsu sat on his haunches and smirked as she glared at him.
"Not particularly. How about you?"
Natsu blinked and gave the blonde a confused look as she smiled at him from the water. Suddenly a devious smile crossed the blonde's face and Natsu only had time to blink in surprise before she pulled him into the river.
Lucy laughed as she watched him thrash around before his head bobbed above the water. Once surfaced water shot from his mouth and hit her in the face. "Gross, Natsu!" She may have sounded annoyed but she was smiling as scolded him.
His arms encircled her. Lucy smiled, in his arms she felt safe, loved. She felt strong.
"I love you, Luce."
Her face was wet, and it wasn't from sweat either. Lucy wiped her eyes and frowned, so much for not crying.
It was unlike the blonde to fall asleep like she had, without realizing it. It was even more unlike her to dream of Natsu, let alone her memories of him. Of course not everything in the dream was entirely accurate either. Natsu had never said he loved her when they had gone to visit that river with their friends. There had been a point when she though he was going to say those three little words, but Gray and Juvia had shown up so the boy had kept quiet.
A buzzing noise came from beside her. Lucy looked down at her blue phone. It read 4:00 in the morning and she had a new text message.
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
4:00 AM
You ok?
Lucy gazed at her phone for a moment, unsure if she wanted to reply or not. In the end she did, but it wasn't to answer his question.
To: Natsu Dragneel
From: Lucy Heartphilia
4:03 AM
Why would you suddenly ask something like that?
Lucy clicked the send button. It surprised her when Natsu answered almost instantly.
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
4:03 AM
Donno. Just had a feeling something was wrong.
To: Natsu Dragneel
From: Lucy Heartphilia
4:05 AM
Does it really matter? It's not like it concerns you to begin with.
She wasn't being fair, and this she knew. Lucy didn't know why she was behaving the way she was. Natsu was only trying to be nice, and here she was pushing him farther away from her than he already was.
When he replied she was expecting him to get angry, tell her off, or something. But this was Natsu, he had always been a little difficult for her to read. This was still true.
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
4:08 AM
Are you ok, Lucy?
Her lip was quivering. The tears were threatening to spill again. She was not strong and she knew it. When it came to him she was weak and defenseless, he had always been her weakness. He always will be. He had to power to make her as strong as a brick wall or crumble in an instant. Right now she was crumbling.
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
4:15 AM
Lucy?
To: Natsu Dragneel
From: Lucy Heartphilia
4:23 AM
Sorry. I'm not ok; I'm not strong like you, Natsu. My wall is crumbling, I'm crumbling.
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
4:25 AM
You are strong, Lucy. Why have you never been able to see that? Is there anything I can do to help?
His words spoken or typed had such evil ways of biting into her heart.
To: Natsu Dragneel
From: Lucy Heartphilia
4:27 AM
No.
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
Why not!?
Was he really going to make her say it, or in this case type it? It would seem that he was.
To: Natsu Dragneel
From: Lucy Heartphilia
4:34 AM
Because. You're the one making me crumble.
Why did he have to make her love him so much?
xXx
To: Natsu Dragneel
From: Lucy Heartphilia
4:34 AM
Because. You're the one making me crumble.
Him? Natsu looked at his phone. He couldn't fucking sleep because of her and she was blaming him? For what?
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
4:37 AM
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Five minutes passed, then ten with no answer.
To: Luce Heartphilia
From: Natsu Dragneel
4:44 AM
Lucy? I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out that way.
Another ten minutes and still no replay. Natsu frowned, his brows pulling together as he stared at his phone.
"Way to go idiot," Natsu said to himself as he slammed his phone onto his bedside table, leaving it on just in case. The sudden noise startled Happy, who twitched in his sleep before he opened his eyes and yawned.
"Sorry, buddy." Natsu said as he stroked the blue cat. Said cat purred happily before turning in a circle and falling back asleep.
Natsu rubbed his eyes and groaned. He was so tired, and it was all because of her. After they had parted ways he had come home already half dead and bent on going to sleep, but ever since his head had hit his pillow he had had this nagging feeling in the back of his head that there was something wrong with Lucy.
And now he knew what, sort of.
Women had always been confusing to him, but none more so than Lucy. Sometimes he just didn't get her. She said one thing but meant something else; she smiled even when she didn't want to. If Natsu had to rate her a 1 to 10 on confusing she'd be a whole other level.
Her begin confusing reminded him of what had happened last December. It wasn't a memory that he liked to dwell long on. Lucy slamming the door in his face had never been something he was expecting but even though she had, behind that closed door he didn't sense rejection, but fear and confusion.
It almost made him open the door, almost.
But he hadn't and it may very well have been one of the biggest regrets of his life.
Ever since that door had closed and he hadn't opened it they had stopped talking, hanging out, dating. Everything just stopped.
And he hated it.
xXx
His tan skin, his voice, his sweet smile, his hair, she missed everything about him. He had always been there for her, holding her when she needed to be held and comforting her when she needed comforting. Not comforting her in the way Levi could or Mira or Erza or Juvia or Gray for that matter but in a way only he, only Natsu could.
And that may have been the very thing she missed the most. The way he comforted her.
He had always been good, to her, to everything and something about him was just, just right.
And she, foolishly, had not seen that when she had had the chance.
It was six in the morning and her phone buzzed. She knew who it was knew that picking up was foolish, that it could hurt her. But Lucy had decided that she was not done being a fool.
"Do you remember that one night in September? When you broke down and cried because you missed your mom?"
"It's kind of hard to forget." She whispered into the phone. Why was he bringing up such painful things?
"That was the first time."
"The first time for what?"
"It was the first time you let me see you cry. It was the first . . . And the last." He was whispering too.
"I don't like crying." Lucy stated, "No matter what it's about. It makes me feel weak."
"I know you don't." He paused, "But crying doesn't make a person weak, Lucy. It makes them stronger."
Lucy frowned into the receiver and sighed, "You can't possibly believe that."
"It's true. I've seen it many times; I've seen it in you, Lucy."
She didn't say anything, he was making her angry. Constantly insisting that she was strong was making her angry. She even considered hanging up.
"Don't you dare hang up, Luce."
Lucy paused, her fingers just millimeters away from the talk button.
"Please don't hang up." She brought her hand to her mouth and shook her head.
"You're making this really hard for me, Natsu." He was making it hard and yet so incredibly easy. With just one word, one name, he could stop her. Lucy wiped at her dry eyes as if she was expecting tears to be there, she absolutely hated the power he held over her, "Why did you ask me about September, Natsu?"
"You hated that night. But I can't say that I feel the same."
"Why?"
"Because you let me see you cry. You showed me that you trusted me, you let me see the real you."
xXx
It was wishful, and maybe impossible.
For the first time in a long time Lucy found herself wishing for many things.
Maybe she was dreaming, it would diffidently make more sense than if she was actually awake. But if this was a dream and not in fact her reality, she never wanted to wake up.
"Lu?" Lucy blinked; her eyes were heavy and tired from lack of sleep.
"You ok, Lu?" Levi asked as she came and climbed over the blanket mound so she could sit beside her best friend.
"Levi, do you believe in second chances?"
Levi stared at Lucy for a moment before glancing out the window where the first rays of sunlight were spilling through the remaining clouds from last night's snow. "Yes, Lu I do."
"Do you think that maybe," Lucy didn't get to finish.
"Yes, Lu I believe in that too."
A new kind of smile tugged Lucy's lips, it was one filled with a new happiness, a new hope. The blonde pulled her knees to her chest and crossed her arms over the top of them before resting her head in the vacant space on the couch behind her. Levi did the same, "You know, Levi if I do get that second chance, I'd love him right this time. There would be no more running, no fear."
"I'm glad to hear it."
xXx
Lucy shivered as she stepped out the front door. Fresh snow lay on the ground, it glistened from the sunlight of a new morning and Lucy was glad to be the first to make footprints in the newly formed white fluff.
Heading down the sidewalk, Lucy thought of heading the opposite direction, but there was a chance he wouldn't be there. So she headed towards the one other place she knew he could be.
Lucy couldn't say she was proud of what had happened between them, if anything she regretted it. If she could she would change it but that was impossible, so there was only one other option: Fix the problem herself.
And this time she felt she could do just that and all it took was an early morning phone call and the sun of a new morning.
She felt better about things, he on the other hand might not feel the way she did, but that would be her loss. If he was just being nice and last night had just been on a whim then she would accept that. If he chose to chain the doorway that could connect them then she would not complain.
xXx
Lucy continued her way down the sidewalk, snow collected in her shoes and her hair but at the moment she wasn't really one to care. Hell her feet could get frostbite and she wouldn't have cared.
Standing in front of the café was in a word: nerve-racking. Lucy felt her legs go numb as she stared up at the sign above the door. She was shaking and butterflies were raging within her queasy stomach.
You can do this. Come on, Lucy you can do this, Her pep talk however did nothing to calm her nerves, nor did it seem to make her stomach feel any better as she pushed the café door open.
Lucy had half expected the whole café to go silent, kind of like what happened in the old movies. This did not happen however and the blonde released a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she shuffled to the side, away from the doorway so she could gaze around at the old café.
Little to Lucy's surprise the café hadn't changed. It was still alive with noise, chatter, the smell of fast food, the faint smell of beer courtesy of Cana, as well as the faint sound of Mirajane's guitar in the background.
It was all a little overwhelming but Lucy still felt happiness explode within her all the same. Damn, she had missed this place.
"Lu?"
Lucy turned to the sound of her name and saw Levi sitting at a wooden table a couple yards away from her. Lucy smiled and made her way over to her best friend.
"Hmm, so looks like the picky novelist is back," Gajeel Redfox commented from beside Levi, which only earned his a knuckle sandwich in the face from his much smaller, blue haired girlfriend.
Lucy however didn't mind the comment, besides in a way it was true, "Yes, and it's good to be back. Levi have you -,"
Levi interrupted the blonde by jabbing with her thumb to the back of the café. She didn't need to hear Lucy's question to know what she was going to ask. That's just how they were, they just got each other. Besides Lucy would only show up at Fairy Tail now for one person, and one person only.
"Good luck, Lu."
Lucy nodded to her friend as she maneuvered her way towards the back of the café.
Natsu frowned as he looked at the little slips of paper that hung before him. Who had put him on cooking duty the pink haired teen didn't know but they were going to get an earful when he found out. Who the hell was the idiot who thought he could cook?
Natsu sighed though his nose as he plucked one of the yellow slips from the wire they hung from. He frowned as he squinted at the paper; trying to read the contents, forget the idiot who had made him cook now he just wanted to know what the hell this customer was trying to order.
If Natsu had gotten an ounce of sleep the previous night he would have clearly known that the customer was trying to order a cheeseburger, sure that doesn't mean he knew how to make one but at least he knew what he was going to make Gray cook for him once he found the bastard.
Sighing through his nose once again the exhausted teenager tossed the paper on the counter and placed his head next to it as he sat down on a stool next to the counter.
"Natsu, what are you doing back there?" Mirajane called from the counter.
If it had been anybody but Mira he would have answered with a "Shut the fuck up!" but this was Mirajane, the sensitive white haired waitress who was also a complete demon at times and he didn't want to get on her bad side.
"Nothing!"
"Well could you hur—?"
Natsu waited for Mira to finish her sentence but was greeted with silence. He shrugged and closed his eyes, damn he was tired.
Slowly the boy started to drift into unconsciousness so he didn't hear the light clicking of a pair of heels at first as they made their way toward him. And just as slowly he became aware of another presence standing beside him. He opened his eyes slightly and stared into the big brown eyes of Lucy Heartphilia as she stood beside him.
A small smile spread across his mouth as he stared at her. He felt like he was in a dream, having her stand there with a small smile of her own on her face as he chocolate eyes did nothing but watch him.
"Hey," he said as he lifted his head from the counter and turned so his body was facing her.
Lucy remained silent as she folded her arms behind her back. A serious look crossed her face, replacing the smile she had worn only seconds ago. "I–I have something to say."
Natsu merely stared at her. He said not a word, his curiosity has spiked. He watched her fidget as she stood before him, her index fingers tapped together and she was biting her lip. He couldn't help but think she was cute when she was nervous.
"I-I wanted to say that I'm sor—,"
Lucy's eyes widened slowly as Natsu's warm arms encircled her. She stood, limbs stiff as he held her securely to his chest, she could feel his warm breath on her neck and a light blush dusted the bridge of her nose. "Don't say anything." He whispered into her hair as he crushed her to his chest, she felt one of his large hands wind into her golden locks. "I understand."
Lucy gasped as the warm tears slipped from her chocolate eyes and down her cheeks. She was not sad, nor angry. She felt light, like a tremendous weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Natsu's voice was whispering to her quietly, saying things like, 'I'm here, Luce' and 'It's ok stop crying'. He was trying to hide it, but he was crying too. A smile slipped across the blonde's lips as both their tears fell; she reached up and clutched the back of his shirt with her small hands.
"I love you."
xXx
Natsu's lips met Lucy's as those three little words left her mouth.
His lips were warm. They made Lucy's fingers tingle as she reached up to grab his face. The tingling sensation in her finger's spread down her arms, her chest until she could feel it everywhere. Her whole body felt warm, loved.
When they parted Natsu placed a kiss on Lucy's nose, then her brow and her temple. He placed his forehead against hers and stared into her endless brown eyes.
"I love you," He whispered.