Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

I just love writing Natsu and Lucy stories. They are just so cute, that I can't help writing little pieces about them. They deserve more fluff pieces, don't you think?

I was actually debating over whether or not to put the little ending there or to end it. I eventually decided with the former. I hope you enjoy this one! And, I thank in advance those who read (if there are any...) the story!

Just 'Friends'?

It was clear that their relationship was far beyond the desolate realm of 'just friends', but then the next question to ask was whether someone was friendzoned, or they were both just oblivious.

They all knew it. They all knew that the pair was far beyond what many called a desolate realm; just friends. But the next question that left them baffled was whether one of them was 'friendzoning' the other, or if both of them were really that oblivious.

Most bets – and yes, they had actually made a bet about it – were placed on the latter.

Their eyes were all trained on the pair, as they had done many times before. They were all simply waiting for when... something would happen between them. But alas, months had passed and there was still zero progress between the idiotic pair.

It was irritating to the point that most of them were severely tempted to just smash their faces together so that they would see the obvious.

But they were all too stubborn to do such a thing. There was a silent agreement between the friends to keep quiet about their suspicions, the consequences if they actually spoke of it to the pair too dire to think about.

So they silently waited, getting highly impatient on their part. Little had they known about the near cataclysmic occurrences that would happen in the near future.

..O..

"Don't you get the feeling that you're being watched?"

She tore her gaze from the cloud-filled sky above, turning it towards him. He was looking as laidback as ever, hands tucked under his head as he continued to stare at the skies. Her lips quirked into a smile. "Being watched?"

His head turned towards her, his eyes twinkling with honesty. "Yes! I swear, I am being watched by some mysterious being that totally digs the pink-hair and dragon-scale scarf combo I've got going on here!" he stated, her smile growing into a full-blown grin. "I swear to God, I'm being honest about this!"

She edged back slightly, laughter slowly prying from her lips. "Right..."

He sat up and leaned closer towards her, his grin mischievous. She edged back even further, as he slowly began creeping onto her like a predator to its prey. "You do believe me, right?" he asked, his right eyebrow shooting up. One of her giggles escaped, and she knew immediately that she was in trouble. "You don't believe me! I can't believe you Luce! You're supposed to be my best friend!"

She laughed and stood up, walking backwards to tease him. She winked and poked her tongue out. "I may be your best friend Natsu, but that doesn't mean that I have to agree with whatever statement you're saying. Who knows? Maybe the mysterious being had actually fallen for me – because of my amazing looks – and is staring at you wondering how an idiot like that could be my friend."

She squealed when he pushed himself off the ground quickly, taking off in her direction. She began running forward, jumping over a railing and leaving the park. She bolted down the sidewalk, dodging people that stood in her path. From the sounds of gasps behind her, she knew that he was hot on her tail.

She began sprinting as she found the familiar path which led her home. She could hear panting from behind her, but it was more distant than what she originally thought. Feeling confident, she slowed her pace, but quickly realized her mistake once the panting sounds came closer.

She suppressed a gasp when she felt arms encircle her from behind, lifting her a few inches from the ground. Hot breath touched her ear as the boy behind her spoke between pants. "Got you."

She yelped, beginning to squirm in his arms in a feeble attempt to get away. He chuckled and held his grip tighter, nuzzling his face into the back of her neck. She struggled some more, grasping at his arms and pushing them. "Natsu! Stop being such an idiot! Let me go right this instant!"

"No."

She glared and pouted, her arms falling limp. An idea then clicked in her head and she grinned. She turned her head and cuddled closer to him. She felt him freeze, and her grin spread even further.

"Natsu? Could you be a good friend and carry me home?" she asked, her tone innocent and shy. Natsu immediately recognized it as her 'I-want-something-and-I-want-it-now' tone, and gulped. "I'm so tired from that running we did, and it's only fair right? You are my best friend, right?"

Without a second's hesitation, he swiftly removed his hold on her, letting her fall unflatteringly on the floor. She spluttered, scowling at Natsu who was delightfully laughing his head off. "God. That was pure genius!"

She growled. "Natsu! You stupid idiot!"

..O..

He was walking through the hallways, hands behind his head in a casual manner. A girl walking beside him glared fiercely at those whom she passed. She emanated excellence. The girl on the boy's other side kept on giving shy, secretive glances at him, her cheeks already flustered.

"You saw them at it yesterday, didn't you," he drawled out to no-one in particular. Both girls glanced at him, confused at the way he had phrased it. He sighed. "I mean, you both saw them together yesterday, right?"

The girl who was staring at him nodded eagerly. "Yes! Juvia saw them yesterday! They seemed closer than usual too. He hugged her from behind and got quite close to her, though he did drop her in the end..."

The other girl simply turned her head away. "Yes, I saw both of them yesterday. They were running around in the park, after Lucy had said something to him. They seemed happy then as well."

They all glanced at each other, a silent pause before they sighed simultaneously. The boy in the middle slapped a hand to his forehead. "How can two people be so dense? Can't we just go up to them and say, 'Oi! Stop being so blind knuckleheads!', or something like that?"

Both girls shook their heads, and the boy sighed once more. They walked a bit further, reaching the door to their classroom. The boy opened it, and the trio was surprised at the commotion that they saw before them.

"Erza! Gray! Juvia!" a petite blue haired girl cried out, sounding quite frantic. "Good! You're here! You're gonna need to see this!"

The exchanged looks as the girl led them towards the windows, where most of their class was gathered. They pushed to the front to see what the commotion was about. At the scene below them, their eyes widened.

"Levy, what on Earth is going on?" Erza asked, her tone scarily dangerous. The girl looked up at her, confusion evident in her eyes. Erza's mouth was in a straight grim line as she turned her head towards the scene once more.

Their beloved Lucy was standing on the grounds below them, face-to-face with the so-claimed 'badass of the senior year'; Sting Eucliffe. That picture alone would equate to destruction, since Sting was Natsu's rival, but it seemed that things were worse than just a simple meeting. Lucy's cheeks were stained pink, her mouth opening and closing – a sign that she was debating on what she was meant to say.

They felt antsy when they saw Sting, who seemed quite calm despite the situation. He had his hands tucked into his pockets, a smile – not smirk – worn on his face. His gaze never drifted away from Lucy.

The class couldn't hear what they were saying, but they knew what the scene meant, and if their assumptions were right, then calamity would begin.

"When did it start?" Erza asked, her voice demanding. They all exchanged glances, silently deciding which one of them would speak.

"A few minutes ago," Mira replied, her tone worried. They all knew that she was the largest supporter of their prized couple, and seeing Lucy in a position like that would make her anxious. "He came into our classroom, looking all high-and-mighty, and asked Lucy to come with him outside. I heard him, even though he tried asking her discreetly. After that, we all gathered here to see, but we can't hear whatever she saying!"

Cana smacked the hysterical girl on the arm, irritated by the whining. "Mira, shut it. It'll be fine! We all know that Lucy wouldn't accept a date with a guy like that in the first place! We all know who she's meant to be with!"

Mira whimpered. "But still! They're so similar that –"

"What're you guys talking about?"

Heads turned, eyes fearful as Natsu began walking over to the crowd. He seemed passive, not noticing anything wrong with their startled and worried expressions. Levy darted forward and stood in front of him, just before he could see anything through the windows.

"I'm sorry Natsu, but I absolutely cannot let you see what's going on," she cried out defiantly, raising her arms to the sides. He looked quizzically at her.

"C'mon! I wanna see! It would be totally unfair if you guys get to see it while I don't! Levy, move aside," he stated, pushing her away gently. She squeaked, before she was caught around the waist by their fellow pierced-classmate.

"You heard her. Just don't look out there," Gajeel murmured gruffly, not letting go of his grip on the small girl. Levy squeaked again, her face reddening in a matter of moments.

Natsu glared and tried to push past his larger peer. Gajeel stood there like stone, which irritated Natsu to no end. "Gajeel, get out of the way! Why can't you all just let me see what's going on out there! And - guys... where's Lucy?"

At the quick change of his tone, they all stiffened. Eyes flickered around, wondering how they were meant to explain the situation to their fellow classmate. They all knew how... protective Natsu could get sometimes, and if Lucy was involved, then they didn't want to know the consequences.

"Everyone! I'm back!" a cheery voice called from the door, and they were all immediately relieved. Lucy shut the door behind her, grinning happily at her friends. Her cheeks were stained pink, making her look the tiniest bit flustered.

"Luce!" Natsu called out, his grin wide. "Where'd you go?"

She stopped in her footsteps, eyes widening at the question. Natsu's eyes narrowed, his suspicion growing at her curious actions. She scratched her cheek – a habit that she made when she was nervous, Natsu noted.

"Err... Well..." she murmured, her cheeks turning a fair red color once more. "Someone... Me... Date..."

His eyes narrowed further, as he purposely strode forward to face her. She ducked her head down, embarrassed at the tirade of questions that she expected from him. He bent down and looked up her. "I didn't catch that Luce. Can you repeat that one more time?"

She looked at him, eyes wide with terror. A loud bang from the door saved her from answering, as heads turned to see the 'badass' himself, smirking at the whole class before settling his gaze on Lucy. She blushed and quickly looked away.

"And what are you doing here?" Natsu spat, striding over to Sting with his arms crossed. "This ain't your class stupid."

Sting scoffed. "Speak for yourself dumbass. But I'm not here to pick a fight with you – surprisingly – because..." he walked over to Lucy, draping his right arm across her shoulders. She froze and looked at him in disbelief. "I forgot to tell this little lady here about the details for our date."

Lucy's eyes widened further, mirroring the alarmed expressions her classmates showed. Natsu couldn't believe his eyes and ears for a moment, in utter shock about the scene playing out in front of him. Unknowingly, he began clenching and unclenching his hands into fists.

His voice came out menacing. "Date?"

Sting ignored Natsu's comment, whispering something quietly into Lucy's ear. She parted her lips and nodded, cheeks gradually turning into their normal color. That is, before Sting went up and boldly kissed her cheek. Sting then took his arm away, giving her a casual wave before heading towards the door.

"Remember Natsu; you guys are just friends!" he exclaimed cockily, tossing the class one last conniving smirk before taking his leave.

Eyes turned to Lucy who was standing quietly, looking very embarrassed about the entire situation. Natsu was simply dumbfounded, unsure whether or not to believe that the spectacle had just happened right before hiseyes.

"Natsu..." Lucy muttered, her tone soft and concerned. She reached out to grasp his arm, but he turned and moved away, making her miss. "Natsu!"

The teacher cuts her off before she could say anything else. "May you all please sit down in your seats and stop the dilly-dally and chit-chat? Class has already begun students! Now, may you all return to yours seats and open your textbooks..."

As Lucy moved to her seat, she stole one last glance at Natsu, half-expecting him to turn around and grin at her like usual.

He didn't.

..O..

"You're being really irrational about this. You do know that, right? Or are you being more of an idiot than usual?" Gray asked, sipping his energy drink as they got off the field. Natsu stood beside him, hands on knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Shut up."

Gray stared at his friend blankly, taking the drink away from his lips. Natsu stood up, full-form, and leaned against the concrete wall behind him. "Honestly, why do you have to get so upset about it? It's just Sting. Lucy's not that stupid. She might have just been blackmailed."

Natsu glared, arms crossing defensively over his chest. "Even if, it's still with Sting. She could've gone on a date with any other jackass," Gray stared at him pointedly, and Natsu rephrased. "Okay, I would've killed the jackass before he could've gotten the shot, but this time, it just had to be with that specific jackass."

"You know, you sound like some jealous ex-boyfriend, right?" Gray pointed out, smirking at Natsu's reaction.

Natsu reddened immediately, turning his head swiftly away from Gray's smirking face. "I'm just being the concerned best friend dumbass. Why the hell would you even describe it like that?"

Gray realized that the 'unofficial' rules of the class bet could screw themselves for all he cared. He couldn't handle it any second longer. Gray began walking away, punching Natsu on the arm as he passed. "Idiot. You guys passed the best friend zone a long time ago."

Natsu was left dumbstruck.

..O..

"Lucy, are you alright? I mean, after what happened between you and Natsu, I thought that I should probably ask what happened..." a young white haired girl stated, sitting down next to her friend who seemed to be caught up in reading a romantic novel, though her eyes kept straying from the page.

Lucy remained silent for a few moments, trying to fight the urge to vent out all her frustrations and feelings to the girl. Lisanna stared at her imploringly, eyes shining with concern. After a few minutes, Lucy shut her book, placing it carefully on her side before turning to face Lisanna.

"It all started when Sting came to the room and called me out..."

She began pouring her heart out, telling Lisanna all of the conflicting emotions she felt as she faced Sting, and when she saw Natsu. All the while, Lisanna nodded understandingly. Once Lucy finished, Lisanna reached her hand out to squeeze Lucy's.

"In my opinion, I think that our little pink-haired friend is jealous."

Lucy gaped, almost falling out of her chair at the statement. She then began to vehemently deny the claim, while Lisanna continued to smile knowingly. She too was involved in the bet, even though she wasn't part of their class, and was quite tired of the silent agreement. If something large had happened, that was reason enough to give them a large hint.

"Lucy," Lisanna began, making the girl quickly close her mouth. "Why are you denying it so much? You know that he can be jealous because a boyfriend would take away his time as a best friend."

Lucy visibly relaxed, slumping against the wooden chair she was seated in. Lisanna smiled, happy at how easy it was to lure Lucy into her little trap. The white haired girl stood up and grabbed the book Lucy was previously occupied with, tucking it under her arm as she took a step towards the door.

"But then again, I don't think that the title best friend rather suits what his relationship with you has grown into," she stated, a hint of teasing in her voice. She then spun on her heel and walked off, proud of her achievement.

Lucy was left puzzled.

..O..

"They haven't talked since Monday. Oh my gosh. They haven't talked since Monday. What are we going to do? What are we gonna do? Her date is tonight, and they haven't reconciled, and if they don't get back together, then –"

"Mira!" Cana cried, walking up the girl who was once again hysterical, grabbing her shoulders to shake her out of it. "You're being too cynical about this! It'll be fine! We'll all come up with something, right Erza?"

The aforementioned girl nodded, sitting on the teacher's desk while he was out doing god-knows-what. Erza crossed her legs and folded her arms, her glare causing everyone in the room to sit down. Once everyone followed her silent command, she spoke.

"Since all of you do know what is occurring at the moment, I would like anyone who has any suggestions to come out and speak. Our time is short, because we underestimated the extent of their stubbornness. But, I believe that we can do something if we work quickly."

Two people stood up, both looking quite smug. Lisanna was grinning, as if she had done something so terribly amazing that they'd all love her. Gray was smirking, a new level of haughtiness surrounding him. Eyes rose at the bold move.

"And what do you have to say?"

Lisanna smiled. "Well... I may have given Lucy just a teensy-tiny little hint about their situation."

Gray shrugged his shoulders. "And I may have told the dumbass that they weren't really best friends anymore..."

Voices began rising, as people shouted their opinions about Gray and Lisanna's actions. Erza tried to calm herself down, so that she could resume order in the hectic classroom. A loud whistle resounded, and heads turned quickly to see Mira, her earlier fears seemingly dissipated.

"Guys, I think that this is actually a good thing. We'll just have to put our trust in them that they'll both know what to do about it."

..O..

He already tried suffocating himself with a pillow.

It wasn't actually working though, and it made him feel even more stupid than ever.

Ever since Gray's words at the field, he kept thinking that something's been... missing. Like, a piece of information was secretly taken away from him, and he hadn't realized it until then. And because of it, he's been beating himself senselessly.

He realized that he wasn't just friends with Lucy anymore.

Oh no. They seemed to be far past that title, and everybody had known it, with him as the exception.

Did that mean that Lucy knew? And furthermore, did that mean that he was just being friendzoned by her?

Those questions were what led him to his futile attempts at suffocating himself with the pillow. Honestly, how could he have been so blind? He thought that what they acted like was purely platonic, but it wasn't actually?

A beeping from his cell phone reeled him out of his reverie. Natsu grabbed the device and switched it on, surprised at the little message that was given to him from an unknown, but decidedly considerate, person.

7:00 pm, The White Dragon; don't you dare miss this chance Natsu, because this might be your only one.

Before he knew it, he was already sprinting towards his old, beat-up pick-up truck, determination clear in his mind.

..O..

She gulped her fears as Sting smiled at her from across the table. She felt anxious about going out with the boy, not only because of his 'badass-edness' but because of Lisanna's words at the library. They echoed through her head every other minute, almost as if it were warning her of some type of impeccable doom.

Her relationship with Natsu had gone far beyond being just friends.

She knew the fact that she didn't know, but did Natsu know about it beforehand? Was he just being friendly with her, even though almost everyone thought they could have been something more? Did he consider her as just a friend?

A small cough made her jump, her hands flying away from the hem of her dress. She looked up to see Sting lean forward, closer to her. "Hey, you alright? You seem flustered."

She touched a hand to her cheek, and realized that they were warm. She shook her head fervently, giggling a little. "No! It's alright! Don't worry Sting. I'm just... a little nervous about this. That's all..."

He chuckled a bit, which made him seem more... normal than usual. She hoped that he wasn't just putting up a facade to please her as he turned back to his menu. "You have nothing to be nervous about. I promise that I'll give you a night to remember. Now, are you ready to order?"

She looked at her own menu, scanning the array of food before finding something appealing. She nodded and Sting raised his arm up. After a few moments, she heard some sort of scuffle in the kitchen before a hooded waiter came out to approach their table.

She and Sting raised a brow at the peculiar looking waiter but made no move to question his appearance. The waiter halted to a stop beside Lucy, and for a split-second, the waiter almost felt familiar.

"Well, I'm having the rump steak and potato wedges that you guys have. Give me Coke with that as well. Lucy?"

"She'll be having the fish fillet, along with extra tartar sauce and fries instead of some healthy, foul-tasting salad. She'll also have a Coke, since she thinks that Diet Coke and Coke Zero do not taste like the actual, awesome tasting original," the waiter replied, his voice on the edge of smug. Lucy and Sting both snapped their heads up to see a well-known pink-haired boy grinning at them in an almost impish fashion.

Lucy opened her mouth, but the boy just winked at her before mock-bowing.

"My name is Natsu and I will be serving you for the rest of the night."

..O..

The rest of the night went off without a hitch – excepting their wonderful, meddling waiter.

At any shining opportunity, he took the chance to embarrass Sting in any means possible. One blunder after the other and by the end of their fist meal, Sting looked as if he had gone swimming in a pool full of meat and pasta.

She couldn't suppress her giggles when Sting finally cracked, shouting out words that would make a sailor blush like a little school girl. After vowing to take revenge on Natsu, he stormed out of the restaurant. Natsu only replied back by saying that he was filling his obligatory duty as a friend.

It disheartened Lucy a bit to hear him say it.

The manager had come out to see what the commotion was about and was quite ticked off when he saw a teenage couple laughing idiotically as the patrons looked on in disdain. To put it simply, they were never to step foot into the restaurant ever again, even if their lives depended on it.

But they just laughed the warning off carelessly as they hopped into Natsu's old pick-up.

She watched him as he drove her home, her eyes sparked with interest. Ever since the Lisanna incident she couldn't help but sneak a glance at him every so often... Okay, more than every once so often, in the timespan of a minute. She was looking at her closest friend in a whole new light.

She didn't know whether it was good or not.

Time flew, and they were finally in front of Lucy's house. Natsu leaned against the door to the driver's side as Lucy hugged him. "Thanks for that," she murmured, squeezing him tight. "I didn't even know why I said yes. You're a really great friend."

Natsu didn't miss the hint of disappointment in her voice and wrapped his right arm around her waist. He grinned in her hair. "Hey Luce, I don't think that we're friends anymore."

Lucy froze and broke away from him, looking at him with a shocked expression. He continued grinning, already starting up his car. She couldn't hide her tone of sadness. "Wh – What do you mean? You just saved me from a horrible date. You've been my friend for years now! Why can't we be friends anymore?"

He leaned forward and pecked her cheek lightly.

"Because I think we might be more than just friends now," he whispered, hopping into his car as Lucy stared at him in a dumbfounded state. He winked and began to drive off, watching in the mirror as Lucy began walking to her front door, a goofy smile on her face.

They weren't just friends anymore, and he didn't want it anything less than that anymore.

..O..

"OH MY GOSH! YOU GUYS ARE WHAT NOW?" Mira all but screamed in Lucy's ear on Monday morning of the following week. Though she couldn't have blamed the girl, since at telling them the news, most of her friends had the same mirrored expressions.

"Me and Natsu are well..." she stated, drifting off since she didn't want to repeat the point.

Mira squealed before running out of the classroom. The teacher wasn't there, so there was no-one to stop her from what she was going to do. Lucy feared at what Mira was up to, frightened that it would be something mortifyingly embarrassing.

"Congrats Lucy!" Levy cried, hugging her best friend tightly. "I feel so happy for you guys! It's been a long time coming!"

Lucy blushed. "Well... yeah. I guess so..."

"TESTING!" a voice cried over the PA system. Lucy's eyes widened as she recognized the voice, fearing what news was to come. "Is this thing on? Okay, I believe that it is. Well, good morning to Magnolia High! This is Mirajane, and if I'm speaking through here, you guys should already know what it means!"

Lucy was scared out of her wits when through the classroom – no – the classrooms and the hallways, cheers echoed. She heard a loud giggle from Mira, who seemed to be jubilant. People started crowding around Lucy, all of them giving their congratulations.

"Well," Mira began, her tone chirpy. "To elaborate to those who don't know what this means, I would like to say that the couple that we've all been waiting for have finally managed to come together! Give some loud cheers for Magnolia High's new golden couple, Natsu and Lucy!"

More deafening cheers resumed, making Lucy's ears ring. At the call of her name from a familiar source, she looked around, peeking outside to see a few figures barreling their way through students to get to her.

"Luce!" the scarf-clad boy cried, his tone concerned. "Are you alright? I mean, about Mira just bursting out to everyone about well... us, and –"

Lucy placed a finger to his lips, pleasantly surprising him. "Natsu, you worry too much. I'm fine. The whole school knowing about us is alright, although you may have to worry about Sting and his buddies," he smirked at her. "I know you'll finish them off anyways. It's all alright. It would just be really bad if they had made a bet about this."

"One more thing!" Mira said through the speaker, everyone quieting at her voice. "From my correct information, I believe that those who had chosen 'oblivious and friendzoning each other' were the winners! If you would like to collect your reward as soon as possible, that would be great! Once again, congratulations to Natsu and Lucy! I'm so happy for you guys!"

Lucy slightly quivered, which made Natsu glance at her in worry. "You know," Lucy began, her tone scarily serious. "It might have been easier if we just stayed as friends."

Celebrations around them paused, heads turning as quick as a whip. They all stared at Lucy with bewildered expressions. Natsu's face fell, as he tried to his disappointment. Lucy laughed at the reactions, before stepping forward to lock arms with the previously mentioned friend.

"But, I think I prefer being more than 'just friends' way better."