Lucy couldn't help but laugh as she heard Asuka explaining to her parents that Natsu and Happy had shared a kiss. Both Natsu and Happy, however, wore a blank look on their faces as they heard the "Ahaha! They sure do get along well!"

Once the family of three was long out of the guild, Natsu dropped the blank look and walked over to Lucy as Happy flew off to go cry to Carla about his "tainted lips".

A look of confusion came across her facial features as he approached her. She found herself backing up a bit due to him seemingly getting closer to her. "Eh?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "I will make you kiss me."

Lucy gulped at the seriousness in his tone. Hesitating to open her mouth to say something, she gave a sigh of relief as she saw Natsu walk away through the doors of the guild.

"Is something the matter?" Erza, with a plate of strawberry cake in her hands, asked the baffled blond.

Lucy quickly shook her head. "N-no, nothing at all Erza."

"Well if that's the case then I assume it is alright," She told her, not questioning her any further. "It looks like Mira is calling you over."

Lucy turned around the opposite direction, and in fact saw Mira waving a hand to her as a way of calling her over. Lucy walked up to the barmaid and sat down on a stool as Mira finished cleaning one of the beer mugs.

"Lucy~" She said with a bright smile.

"Yes?"

"I. Heard. Everything."

Lucy's mind immediately recalled Natsu's words, making her face instantly heat up. "W-what? Do you have dragon slayer ears or something!?"

Mira giggled at her friend's reaction. The reaction she had for certain known that Lucy would display. "My, my Lucy you are so predictable!"

"H-huh?"

"Of course I didn't hear anything," She gave her a blissful smile, "But your reaction tells it all."

"Natsu's just trying to be the devil that he is and play a mean prank on me. Yes that must be it…" She said as a way of reassuring herself.

Mira placed a hand on her chin as a way to appear innocent and oblivious. "I never said it was about Natsu, but now that you mention it, why don't you tell me all about it!" She ended cheerfully.

"I-I don't know…"

"I promise I won't say anything."

"It's not that it's just…" Lucy looked over her shoulder to see if she could spot the pink headed dragon slayer anywhere, but found it quite silly since she had seen him walk out a while back. "Never mind...Well it all started earlier today…"

As Lucy finished up her story, which she titled "Natsu and Asuka", Mira giggled once more. "My, my. It seems to me that he was disappointed that he didn't get to kiss you Lucy."

Lucy, half-heartedly listened to Mira's words as she nodded. "Exactly! It's because he wanted to follow Asuka's order till the end—wait…what!?"

Mira smiled at the celestial mages antics. "Natsu wanted to kiss you and you didn't let him Lucy."

Lucy abruptly stood up and walked out of the guild. No one of at the guild, not even Mira, took notice of the extremely scarlet shade on her cheeks.

"Careful not to fall in Lucy!" The two men on the boat warned her, as usual.

Lucy didn't reply; her mind was still too preoccupied with what Natsu had said and what Mira had said. She grabbed her head in frustration. "It just doesn't make any sense!"

"What doesn't make any sense?"

At the sound of Natsu's voice, Lucy lost her balance. "Kya!"

"Hey Lucy!" He called out to her as she fell inside the water. Natsu sighed as he saw the blond struggle to get out, leading him to get in the water and help her.

"What are you—eeek!" She said as Natsu carried her into his arms bridal style. "N-Natsu…"

Natsu then took this as the perfect opportunity to lean in closer to Lucy's lips.

Lucy took notice of this. Her eyes widened as she tried to get away. "What the hell are you trying to do!?"

"Kiss you! What else would I be trying to do!?"

"D-don't be so blunt about it!" The girl blushed as she struggled to get out of his arms.

"H-hey stop squirming! I'm going to drop you," He cautioned her.

Lucy ignored him and continued to squirm, causing both of them to eventually fall to the floor. Though to Lucy, it didn't hurt as much since Natsu had broken her fall. Realizing she was sitting on top of him, she quickly got up and found herself with an even darker shade of red. She then realized how she was just overreacting a bit. Sighing, she reached out her hand to him. "Thanks for breaking my fall."

Natsu grinned as he took her hand and got up. "No problem Lucy!" Lucy couldn't help but smile a little back…until Natsu ruined it by pulling her hand that was in his, closer to him.

Lucy twitched as she released her hand from his grip. Now that both her hands were free, she used it as an opportunity to push him inside the river. "You need to cool it!"

Natsu watched Lucy head towards her apartment and in through the doors. "Is this the thanks I get for helping out!?"

Natsu groaned as he had been inside the river for a good while. He kicked some water and started trying to blow some bubbles out of the water he splashed.

"If you stay in there any longer, you're going to catch a cold," Lucy told him as she slowly came out of her apartment with a towel in her hands.

Natsu noticed she was wearing now wearing some pajama short shorts and a tank top, he also couldn't help but smell the strong scent of strawberries.

Lucy became self-conscious as she handed Natsu the towel. "W-what is it?"

"Did you take a shower?"

"Y-yes. Now will you hurry up and get out of there before you catch a cold?"

Natsu wrapped himself in the towel. "Dragons don't get colds."

Lucy had to hold in her laughter at the silly statement Natsu had just made in order to say something on the more serious note. "Yea, yea. Now will you go home? I don't even understand why you waited in the cold water for that long to begin with."

"I was waiting for you to come back."

Lucy tilted her head. "How did you know I was going to come back out?"

"Because you're a good person Lucy," He grinned.

Lucy felt her face warm up. "J-just go home already. You can return that towel to me whenever you want."

"Aw can't I sleepover?"

"No you can't!"

Natsu pouted. "Why not Lucy?"

"You know very well why not!"

He shook his head. "No." He then tried to close the space between them. A smirk formed on his lips as he saw Lucy's nervous reaction. "Why don't you tell me?"

Lucy gulped before blurting out, "Your behavior today! That's why! Why else!? See you tomorrow at the guild." She then stormed off, leaving Natsu.

As she made it all the way to her room, Lucy headed straight for the window. She made sure to lock it and also made sure to double check that her door was locked. Falling onto her bed and getting into the pink covers, she murmured, "It feels like a burglar is going to come in and steal…" She paused as she lightly placed her hand over her lips. Lucy thought about his bluntness and annoying persistence over the time period of today. Lucy thought about how many times she had blushed today and sighed deeply, with nothing else to think about, she hugged her pillow and gently closed her eyes. "Stupid Natsu."

I was re-reading the Natsu and Asuka chapter (because it is such a cute side story with Nalu in it :)) and I suddenly got this idea! I also thought, since it is Lucy's birthday today, and the beginning of Nalu week, what a more perfect day to publish it! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter ^-^

Happy Birthday Lucy!