chapter one: undeniable feelings

"Ugh, I'm never riding a train again!" Natsu Dragneel complained. He was laying on the concrete sidewalk in front of Lucy Heartfilia's apartment.

"Aye. I would have thought your motion sickness would have worn off by now, though," his cat, Happy, told him.

"Yeah, me too."

Happy sat down by his head. "Let's go to Lucy's. You could use some water," Happy told him.

"Alright. Should we go through the window or use the door?" Natsu asked him.

"Let's use her window."

"Okay, little buddy. Let's go!"

"Aye, sir!"

Happy grabbed Natsu and flew him up to Lucy's window. He looked around inside her apartment before letting himself inside. "She's not here."

"She could be at the guild," Happy told him.

"I'll stay here and wait on her. It's almost dark. She'll be home soon, right?" Natsu said nonchalantly. "What's the harm in that?"

Happy immediately pictured Lucy coming home to Natsu camped out on her couch like he always was. "Scary Lucy."

Natsu sat down on her couch and waited. He then sat down on her bed and began to look out her window for her.

"She's a little late, don't you think, Happy? Happy?" Natsu asked, turning his attention away from the window.

"Aye," the blue cat said, snoring lightly. Natsu turned back to the window in time to see Lucy walking along the edge of the river, talking to her Celestial Spirit, Plue.

"I haven't seen Natsu today. I wonder how his job went. I hope he didn't tear anything up or set anything on fire," she was saying. "Man I can't wait to get home."

Natsu smiled. He couldn't wait to tell her all about his job of capturing escaped convicts in Hargeon Town. He did burn a few buildings though. He'd just keep that to himself. He felt his face turn red.

"What the crap? Why am I blushing at the thought of Lucy?" he mumbled. He looked back at a snoozing Happy and was relieved to see that he hadn't heard him.

"How did you get in here?" Lucy asked him, scaring him.

"Happy. We just flew up and I just let myself in," Natsu replied.

Lucy looked over and saw Happy sleeping away. "Well, can you guys leave? I'm about to get ready for bed."

"Yeah sure. Come on Happy." Natsu picked him up.

"Aye, sir."

Lucy watched as Natsu left through the door. She sighed before sitting down to write on her story.

"Wait, what am I thinking? I don't like Natsu!" she blurted out suddenly. She groaned before putting pen to paper. "Why am I lying to myself? I like him. I like him a lot."

Natsu sneezed as he walked along the dirt path leading to his little house. He was musing over his newfound feelings for Lucy.

"She is really pretty. And I'm positive that I'm not lying to myself here." He set Happy down in the living room and headed back outside. "She's one of my closest friends. But friends can have feelings for one another, right?"

He laid back in the grass and looked up at the stars, which reminded him of Lucy. She was a Celestial Spirit wizard and had many powerful spirits contracted to her.

"This is all staying between me, myself, and I. No one needs to know about my feelings for Lucy," Natsu said. "Maybe she feels the same way about me. Who knows?"

"Natsu? What are you doing out here?" Happy asked him from the doorway.

"Just doing a bit of thinking."

"Don't do that! You'll hurt yourself!" Happy told him worriedly.

Natsu plucked blades of grass and held them in his hands. "Yeah. Maybe."

"You know that we never got to tell Lucy how our job went?" Happy told him. "I'm sure she'd want to know!"

"Nah. We'll tell her tomorrow. We'll see her at the guild, right? Let's just get rested up for when we tell her!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy flew off and Natsu exhaled deeply.

"That was close."

He stood up and began walking back toward the door. He thought about telling Lucy his feelings the next day but he felt his face burn at the thought of it.

"I need to stop being embarrassed! We're a team! Our feelings will just get in the way of our jobs. Whatever happens, happens! That's that," Natsu decided before falling asleep.