With her heart in the pit of her stomach Lucy Heartfillia reluctantly knocked softly on the dark wooded door, ashamed. It had to be the fifth time this week, not to mention after the biggest fight she ever had with her best friend, Natsu, who she had been friends with since she moved to Magnolia in the first place.

Her first friend, her first heartbreak.

"Just, not in a romantic way," She'd think, "You just don't go falling for your best friend. Especially if it's a Dragoneel."

This all started last Saturday, when Natsu hesitantly agreed to help his blonde friend find love by setting her up on not one, not two, not even three, but seven blind dates with his friends. Lucy, who was extremely desperate for love-and who was completely dense of her friend's love for her,-jumped at the chance. Lucy, the smart, beautiful, down to earth girl, was the dense idiot this time without her even knowing.

Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, something she was now used to. Her hair was a mess, stray hairs flying from her ponytails, she even stopped dressing to amuse men after the seven dates that ended tragically. From now on, Lucy Heartfillia promised to always wear sweatpants. Nothing revealing. It was stressing her out. Her baggy black tank top flowed on her gray sweatpants, obviously three times the size of her normal size. Her feet were bare, scratches and trickles of blood on her toes from stubbing them on her way here. Her eyes were dull and almost life-less. The darkest bags under her eyes seemed to hug them tightly.

She knocked again, knowing there was a chance he wouldn't even come to the door anyway. The fight between them ended viciously with harsh words flying out of both the two's mouths. The cause? Jealousy.

"Lucy," Nastu had said, avoiding her gaze as she tried on dresses for her upcoming date, "I don't think you should go on this date tomorrow."

Lucy frowned, "And why not? Come on Natsu, be real here. I'm going. Now, what dress do you think Dan would like?"

Natsu looked at his closest friend with a scowl. "I mean it," he had said, "I'm not setting this date up for you. You won't tell me what happened on the last six, and honestly, you're just going to get hurt-"

"I said I was going." Lucy had spat, glaring at the pink haired male through her mirror, "You promised me you would do this, so you will. Plus, it's none of your business what-so-ever on what happened on those dates anyway."

Natsu had just crossed his arms, refusing to budge. "I'm sorry Lucy, but I'm not setting this date up."

Lucy remembered getting furious at her friend and throwing her dresses on the floor. She spun to face the male who sat in the armchair across from her. "And why the hell not? Oh, I see now. You don't want me to find love, is that it? It's all because you can't, right? You want me to fall with you so you won't be the only one alone in your life, huh?"

"Where the fuck did that come from?" Natsu growled, narrowing his eyes as he jumped from the armchair. He grabbed his jacket when Lucy just glared, giving him the silent treatment. "You know what? I'm done with…whatever this is. I'll set up the stupid date, happy? And for your information I have found love, but now I'm deeply regretting it."

That was the last time she talked to Natsu, and now here she was. Knocking on his door like an idiot at four in the morning. The door slowly opened and the front window lit up as Natsu stood in front of her. His hair was wild, his eyes were clouded with sleep, and he was just in his normal black sleeping sweatpants. "Lucy? What are you doing here? It's late and you look horrible."

Lucy sniffled, looking at her toes as she wiggled them. The sleep from Natsu's eyes quickly drained as he looked at her concerned. "Shit. Lucy, are you alright? Was it about that date-?"

Silent tears dropped from Lucy's cheeks as she stood frozen, not answering any of Natsu's questions. He raked his hand through his hair, sighing. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to his backyard's gate. "Come on."

They laid on his hammock, gazing at the stars that were slowly fainting into the sky, thanks to the rising sun over the horizon. The beer in her hand started to condensate, dropping water droplets on the back of her palm. Natsu sat up-since they were sitting head to feet-to face her. "Wanna tell me what happened on those dates now?"

Lucy nodded slowly, sitting up and hugging her knees and putting her beer can between her feet. Her cheeks stained with her recent tears. Natsu sighed and raked his free hand, his other clutching his beer. "Okay, we'll start from the beginning. Date one, Loki."

"Player." Lucy mumbled, taking a sad swing of her beer.

Natsu nodded, watching her closely. "Okay, the next one…Gray?"

"Likes Juvia."

"That swimmer girl?"

Lucy nodded in dispare as she took yet another sip of her beverage. Natsu cleared his throat. "Sting?"

"More interested in you."

"Huh?"

Lucy just looked at him before sipping yet again. Natsu looked at her nervously. "Luce, you might wanna chill with-"

"Can it."

Natsu sighed, tapping his beer can. "Okay, what about Rogue?"

Lucy mimicked Natsu, sighing. "He barely talked and when he did, it was about shadows and his cat."

"Laxus?"

"Wouldn't even take his earphones out the whole date."

"Gajeel."

"Likes Levy."

"Bookworm? Really?"

Lucy nodded.

"And finally, Dan?"

Lucy let out a groan. "Gay."

Natsu's eyebrows raised in surprise. "No way. Really? How do you know?"

"He introduced me to him on our 'date'." Lucy huffed, taking a big gulp of her drink.

Natsu grabbed the beer can from Lucy slowly and placed it away from her, causing her to pout and hit his arm. "At least let me drink away my problems. I at least went through with trying to find love. Meanwhile, you're not even making a move on yours, whoever she is."

His onyx eyes bored into her brown ones, searching to see if she knew it was her. She didn't. Natsu sighed as he looked at her. "You're right."

Lucy pursed her lips in triumph. "Good, now give me my drink-"

He grabbed her the collar of her tank top and yanked her forward, slamming his lips on hers softly. Her eyes quickly fluttered shut as she kissed him back, her stomach doing little summersaults over and over again. It was almost like he was talking to her with the little jabs of his chin with every kiss he gave her. She wanted him to hold her, but at the very least she wanted to open her eyes. Open here eyes at take a look at his abnormal pink hair, or the scar he had on his neck from a fight he got in high school. But, she came straight to him after her date and she was so tired. It was like once her eyes fell shut, they were glued shut.

He pulled away, pulling her into his lap. "I love you, Lucy Heartfillia."

Her breath hitched as her heart jumped to her throat. "I love you too. Natsu?"

"Hmm?"

"It seems I can't open my eyes."

He let out a chuckle as he kissed her forehead, then her nose. "Then I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, m'love."

And with that, she fell asleep in his arms. That's when it all dawned on her. She was in love with her childhood friend this whole time. Through middle school, though high school…now, she was silently kicking herself for not realizing it until college.

Who knows, maybe eight is just her lucky number after all.