Chapter 1

Lucy was really curious right now, and so was Gray. Natsu hardly comes to the guild nowadays, and when he does he looks sad and is completely unapproachable.

'Oi! Flame Brains! Why are you staring at me like that HUH?,' Gray barked slamming his fist in the table where Natsu was sulking with his head laid in it.

'I wasn't staring at you Gray. Please leave me alone,' Natsu said his face still buried in the table.

'Are you scared you'll lose huh? Flame breath?,'

Natsu slammed his fist in the table standing up. He glared Gray with an extremely angry face.

'I TOLD YOU TO STOP BOTHERING ME GRAY! ARE YOU DEAF?!,' Natsu yelled.

Gray was taken aback for a moment. He knew when Natsu was picking a fight with him and when he was really angry. 'Oi Natsu… what's wrong-,' Gray began. But Natsu stormed out of the guild without saying a word. Gray looked at Erza for some explanation, but she looked as shocked as he was.

Natsu didn't come to the guild for four days. On the fifth day Gray was searching for the pink haired dragon slayer. He couldn't find him, but he saw a worried looking Happy talking to Erza. Lucy sat beside her and Wendy had Happy in her lap, both with a worried expression in their face. Gray approached the table and sat beside Wendy.

'-and he came very late in the morning. He was gone all night long,' Happy said with a sad look in his face. 'What happened?' Gray asked.

'After he stormed off the other day, Natsu didn't return home till the next day and he is gone most nights,' Erza said while analyzing what could be the reason. 'What do you mean gone?,' asked Gray. 'He just wakes up at midnight and leaves,' Happy explained

'Did you ask Natsu-san, happy?' asked Wendy.

'I did! But… but he keeps dodging the question,' Happy said.

Just then Natsu walked into the guild and as the others saw, he went and sat in a lonely corner in the guild. A blue haired water mage was observing all this. As she saw, Happy flew towards Natsu.

'Natsu!,' Happy exclaimed on landing on his best friend's head. 'Hey Happy. Did you miss me?' Natsu asked with a smile which Juvia could say was fake right away. Lucy approached Natsu with a job request in hand, Erza and Gray followed.

'Hey Natsu,'

'Oh hi Luce,'

'Um.. my rent is due next week, so I am going to do some jobs. You're coming right?' asked Lucy.

'Of course he's coming!' exclaimed a very excited Happy.

'Awsome!' Lucy exclaimed.

'I got the job sanctioned my Mira,' said Erza. Gray was smiling and gave Natsu a Thumbs-up.

'So Lucy, Gray, Natsu and Happy. Meet me in the train station in an hour,' Erza said turning around to go and pack her things. 'Um, about that... actually,' Natsu said raising his hand. Erza glanced at him with eyebrows raised.

'I have some things I need to do, so you guys go on without me,' Natsu said giving them a toothy grin. Juvia heard herself gasp; she quickly covered her mouth with her hands on realizing what she had done.

Natsu gave Juvia a quick glance before placing Happy on the table. 'Well guys, I'm off!,' Natsu said. 'Wait! Natsu!,'

'What is it Happy?,' Natsu asked. Juvia could tell that Natsu was desperate to go. Happy flew and landed on his shoulder. 'Let's go,' the exceed said. Natsu looked at the exceed. 'Happy I need to be alone for a while, so please stay in the guild,' Natsu said picking up the exceed one more time.

'But-,'

'Thanks Happy,' with that Natsu placed Happy on the table and left the guild. Happy looked very sad, 'You guys saw how he dodged the issue right?' he said sadly. Everyone in team Natsu nodded.

'How will I help him, if I don't know what's wrong?,' Happy looked as if he was on the verge of crying. Lucy pulled the exceed into a hug.

'It will be alright happy. It will be alright,'

Juvia hurried past the streets of Magnolia desperately trying to find the fire dragon slayer. She passed a couple of shops before the dragon slayer came into view. Juvia maintained her distances keeping his sense of smell in mind. Natsu walked towards the forest and Juvia followed. Natsu kept on walking in a through the forest without a well defined path. After about quarter of an hour they entered a clearing, on the other side of which was a huge lake. The place was unbelievably silent with only occasional sound of birds and the water. The water was crystal clear; one could see the bottom of the lake easily. Natsu went and sat by its shore. Juvia decided to approach the dragon slayer. As she walked towards him, he sniffed the air. Then he turned and saw Juvia. She stood next to him and said, 'Can I join you Natsu-san?'

Natsu was just starring at her till she spoke. Her words seemed to bring him back from the trance he was in. 'Suit yourself,' he muttered looking across the lake. Juvia sat next to him and looked at the beautiful lake before her. The climate was a little chilly, even though it was sunny in the city. The lake was clear with stones of different colours spread throughout the bottom of the lake. There were trees entirely covering the other side of the lake, beyond which were lush green mountains. With all their reflection falling on the lake, the sight was truly magical. After a few minutes Natsu broke the silence.

'How did you know where to find me?,' he asked looking at the girl beside him. 'I didn't,' came the reply.

Juvia was still looking at the astounding sight before she finally turned and looked at Natsu in the eye.

'I followed you, Natsu-san,' she said with a slight tinge of pink in her cheeks. Natsu just smiled before looking at the lake again. 'It's beautiful, isn't it?,' he said. 'I am at a loss of words,' the blue haired girl said.

'I guess this is the reason you haven't come to the guild recently,' Juvia said while giving him a smile. Natsu looked at her before saying 'Yep, I think you know,' with a smile that she could swear was forced.

'Natsu-san can stop now,'

'Huh?,'

'Juvia can tell your smile isn't genuine these days. Why is Natsu-san sad?,'

Natsu sighed. He could say that Juvia wasn't going take a 'no' for an answer. He had been dodging the question for several days now, but whenever he forced a smile people couldn't find anything wrong with him. But this girl just teared the mask he was using until now to protect himself. Natsu revealed his sad face.

'Actually what happened was-,'

The next day Juvia was still thinking about her meeting with the pink haired dragon slayer, when Gray came and sat opposite to her with a drink in his hand. 'Juvia what happened? Why are you looking so dull?,' he asked. His words brought her back from her thoughts.

'Nothing's wrong Gray-sama, why do you ask?,' replied the water mage. Gray took a sip from his glass, not convinced with her answer.

'HUH? NATSU-SAN SAID 'NO' TO A JOB,' a shocked Wendy said, who had just heard yesterday's events from Lucy.

'I really thought the plan to take Natsu out on a job would solve everything,' Lucy sulked with her head down, Wendy was sitting beside her. Mirajane who was listening to their conversation made a thinking gesture, before a light bulb popped in her head.

'Maybe he is meeting someone,' she exclaimed with a shine in her eyes. Juvia had Goosebumps when she heard that.

'Maybe they met while he was on a job and immediately fell in love. Now they might be married with twenty kids,' the silver haired girl puffed with steam literally coming out of her nose.

'Lucy-san, Mira-san's imagination is even more wild than Juvia-san's,' Wendy whispered to Lucy. The blue haired girl puffed her cheek when she heard that.

'You don't say,' Lucy said smiling nervously.

Just then the guild's doors opened and Erza with a smirk in her face walked in. As she made her way to the bar, Juvia's eyes followed her. Erza folded her arm; Lucy, Wendy Mira, Juvia and Gray's full attention were on the scarlet haired mage.

'Lucy-,' Erza began with smirk growing on her face.

'Yes ma'am!,' Lucy squeaked.

'I've come up with the perfect plan to find out what is bothering Natsu,' she said.

Wendy's eyes gleamed. 'If Erza-san has come up with a plan, then we'll surely know what's bothering Natsu-san,' the young girl said while interlocking her hands together and looked at Erza with anticipation. Erza nodded with the smirk still on her face. Erza chuckled.

'Lets…,' Erza began. Mirajane paused from her work and glanced at Erza. Gray leaned to hear what Erza was going to say. Juvia gulped as she thought what might happen to Natsu when Erza found out the truth.

'LET'S STALK NATSU,' Erza said with pride in her eyes while pointing towards the heavens.

Gray sprayed the drink in his mouth all over Juvia's face.

'WHAT?!,' Lucy and Wendy screamed.

'Oh, my!,' Mira said as she giggled at Erza's "perfect plan".