(I do NOT Own Fairy Tail)
…
…
Chapter 2
…
…
(WARNING: If you have not read past Fairy Tail chapter 324, you may not want to read this. Contains spoilers)
The days passed and Natsu and Happy continued to invade their favorite celestial wizard's home in hopes of continuing to have their awesome sleepovers. Lucy's protests diminished as time went on and eventually she herself was looking forward to nights filled with flashbacks and laughter. (She did however start worrying about the memory stone; there were many noticeable scratches on the thing and she wondered how that was possible. Natsu usually took care of his souvenirs or gifts he received so the blonde wondered what exactly he has been doing.)
Whenever they weren't remembering a time they shared together, Happy and Natsu would show her events that occurred before she joined the guild. They were either of an embarrassing moment of someone or a mission where they defeated a pathetically weak villain or sometimes when they caught very big fish. Once in a while, Happy would show her one of Natsu's less heroic moments and Natsu would do the same to Happy; either way the blonde enjoyed it.
In return, Lucy would show them the memories she had of her mother. She claimed that the memories after Layla passed away weren't that interesting; her teammates knew better though and would hold their teasing until after the memory was done.
Slowly, Natsu began to share his moments of Igneel too. Though she bought him the stone for that use (for him to recall the good times he had with his father), she hadn't been expecting him to share them with her. Internally, she was overjoyed that he thought of her as a very good trustworthy friend to share those memories to.
Tonight was no exception of their memory sharing activity; however tonight was the first time they had an awkward moment. Lucy had finished sharing one of her flashbacks about her mother when the blue cat had spoken up.
"Lushi…" Happy had asked nervously. "Was your dad…was your dad really bad that you don't have good memories of him?"
The girl had been taken back; she couldn't even give her friend a good answer. She had hastily said that he wasn't the worst father out there, only that he was never around, which is why she had less memories of him.
Natsu had changed the subject right after and they want on like nothing had happened.
Yet here she was, still awake when she was supposed to be sleeping for tomorrow's trip. Seeing that Natsu's birthday was in two days, Master Makarov had given the dragon slayer a two-day pass to a beach resort. Apparently the man who owned the resort owed the guild master a HUGE favor and vowed not to report anything if the room was "a bit" messy.
The fire mage was excited and invited Lucy and Happy to accompany him. Then Erza and Gray commented that they were part of team Natsu so they should be allowed to go as well. There's no way Juvia would stand for her beloved to be left with her love rival and volunteered to follow along. Carla and Wendy chipped in and said they were interested in the trip as well. Gajeel, never wanting to be left out of something, stated he and Lily would go to. Soon everyone was inviting themselves along, including the Master himself but everyone had to buy their own rooms.
The point was this was going to be a long trip and Lucy should really be resting. Instead, she was lying on her side, Happy nuzzled against her stomach and Natsu next to her, thinking about her teammate's question.
"You still awake?" The dragon slayer whispered.
Lucy flinched. She hadn't been expecting him to be up. Then again, maybe he was just thrilled about the trip.
"Yeah. How come you're not?"
The bed shifted and soon he was leaning over her. She slowly turned to face her partner, making the cat snuggle against her side instead.
Natsu shrugged. "Same reason you can't I guess."
"I doubt it."
"Still thinking about what Happy said?"
She looked up at him startled. "How'd you know?"
"You made that one look on your face when you're thinking about something and it's not something good." He pointed out. "You've been making it since Happy mentioned your dad."
The girl lowered her gaze. "Am I that obvious?"
He shrugged. "Well yeah. But only to us at the guild. I think you can fool other guys who don't know you that well."
She chose not to answer. It was sweet but didn't help in any way.
"It's not that my father was bad." Lucy whispered. "He just wasn't around much, even when my mother was alive. It's hard to remember the good times when they're so far away."
Natsu lightly gulped; the dryness of his mouth made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't know what to tell her. He didn't live in a big fancy house, surrounded by money and figuring out how to keep it through paper and law. Having money does make things easier but growing up, he and Igneel didn't need it. It was just them; living off the land together. Igneel never had to work so he spent all his time with him. He didn't know if not spending a lot of time with your child was normal where she grew up in. However, there was one thing he was certain.
"I don't think it mattered if he spent a lot of time with you or not; I'm pretty sure he loved you like any dad would."
His words touched her heart and the celestial wizard couldn't help but send him a sincere smile with glossy eyes. "Thank you Natsu…"
The pink haired teen grinned. "Anytime Luce."
Silence roamed the room. Happy's unconscious purrs were the only noise besides their breathing. Lucy's giggle broke the silence.
Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You just reminded me of a good memory I had with my father." She said.
The dragon slayer smiled. "That's great."
"Can I borrow your memory stone? Please?"
"Sure thing."
He gently hopped over his partners and picked up the stone from her dresser. Once he was lying in front of her, Natsu gave her the memory stone.
"Thanks."
When the stone shined, the male turned around so his back was facing her. She raised an eyebrow at his behavior. She was about to inquire what was wrong when she saw how stiff his shoulders were.
Lucy chuckled lightly. "You can watch you know."
He looked over his shoulder. "Are you sure?"
She nodded with a smile. Natsu gave her a cheeky grin before turning back around. They watched the memory stone do its work.
Six year old Lucy was sitting on the library floor; her eyes were locked on the book in front of her.
"Lucy."
She turned around and spotted her mother and father. "Have you chosen your book?" Layla inquired.
"Ah-huh!" The child answered brightly before handing her mother the book. Her parents paid for the rest of their items. Soon servants began taking their purchases to the carriage.
"Mama!" Little Lucy said before holding onto her mother's hand as they exited the shop. "I a princess right?"
"In a sense you are sweetheart." The older woman replied gently.
This cased the girl to beam brighter. "And mama is queen and papa is king!"
"It's fair more complex than that Lucy dear." Jude commented. Seeing his daughter's confused stare, he merely grinned. "But…yes, you are correct. I am king of the household and you are a princess."
"Yay!" The youngest blonde cheered. "Like in the fairy tale!"
Layla ruffed the child's hair before sending her husband a soft smile. "Perhaps we should walk around the town a little longer. It has been so long since the three of us have spent the day together."
The tall male frowned. "Layla, you know the doctor said-"
"The doctor won't mind if I spend an extra few minutes outside with my family." She replied. She took Lucy's hand into hers as the two girls walked down the sidewalk. Once her father caught up, the youngest blonde looked at both parents.
"Mama, papa I need a prince!" She said joyfully.
Both were taken back. "Why would you need one sweetie?" The mother asked.
She raised an eyebrow at her parents. "Princesses always have a prince!"
"Nonsense; you are too young for that." Jude commented. "You don't need a prince, especially with daddy here."
Besides him, Layla giggled. "I'm afraid you father is right Lucy. You're too young for a prince. Besides he might try to kiss you?" She added with a wink.
"Eww..." Lucy whined. The older blondes laughed at her expression.
"Then…then can I have a dragon? Princesses always have dragons!" The child argued.
"Lucy, now you're being ridiculous." Her father scoffed. Layla shot her husband a dirty look before kneeling in front of their daughter.
"What your father means is dragons can't be bought. They are free creatures that love to fly and have adventures. Plus right now all the dragons are protecting something special to them and they can't come over to play just yet. Do you understand sweetheart?"
"Ohhhh…. Like their babies?" The small girl inquired.
Her mother laughed. "Yes. Like their babies."
The young blonde smiled cheekily. "I get it Mama."
"Lucy."
She turned her head to where her father was standing. He offered her his hand. "Will you accompany me to a certain shop?"
"Ok Papa!" Lucy took his hand and Layla said that she would wait for them at the carriage. The two walked a few more steps before they entered a small store. It was filled with a variety of smells and many noises.
"Puppies!" The child squealed as she can towards a group of dogs. She laughed as she moved around the cages, loving how willing these creatures wanted to play with her. She moved more to the side and spotted a large white dog. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an 'O'
"Papa look! This one big!" She said as she pointed to the sleepy fluffy creature.
The business man kneeled besides his daughter. "Yes he is." They stayed quiet for another minute, letting the barks and meows of the animals fill the silence.
"Lucy…" Jude began. "I know I can't get you a dragon like you hoped. Trust me, I wouldn't want nothing more for my daughter to always be protected. But until we meet a dragon, perhaps one of these dogs can be your friends? Would you like that?"
She gasped loudly but her eyes twinkled with excitement. "Really Papa?"
He nodded. She squealed once again and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. "Thank you…" She mumbled.
"Anything for my little girl." The male responded. She let go of her father and pointed at the large sleeping white dog. "I want this one!"
Jude smiled. "Of course. Have you chosen a name?"
Lucy grinned brightly. "Ah-huh! Plue!"
"…How about an actual name?"
"….Pedro?"
"….We'll ask your mother…"
Lucy hadn't even noticed that she was crying until she felt Natsu's fingers wipe the tears away. Feeling embarrassed, she gently pushed his hands aside and removed the water drops herself.
"I'm sorry…." The blonde whispered. "I probably look stupid right now; crying when I should be happy."
"Not stupid, just weird." Natsu mumbled as he moved closer and gently collected the woman into his arms. "Only you would think there's something wrong with crying when it's not."
She sniffed. "Thank you…"
He let her cry. Once her sobs diminished, the dragon slayer lifted her chin up with his index finger. She looked at him with a confused gaze.
Natsu gave her a cheeky smile. "Want to see the time Igneel taught me about mating?"
The girl blinked. "Huh?"
"My old man tried to keep a straight face during the whole thing but he ended up looking pretty stupid. Wanna see?"
Seconds passed by before the girl processed what he was trying to do. A gentle look overcame her features. "Okay."
He grinned brightly. After snuggling closer, he took the object into his hand.
"Alright boy, I believe you're old enough to learn about human mating." The red dragon said, looking confident in the subject he was about to teach. "Now pay attention, otherwise you'll never find a mate…"
He muttered more quietly. "And I'll be stuck with an overgrown child for the rest of my life."
Igneel looked at his son and noticed that he was still attempting to burn a section of the forest. Growling in annoyance, he smacked Natsu behind the head with his tail. This caused the child to do a face-plant.
"Owwww…what the heck was that for?!" The human grumbled as he lifted himself up.
"You weren't listening."
"I don't need to know that stuff." 10 year old Natsu waved him off. "Mating sounds boring. Why do I need a mate anyways? You can't eat them."
"Mates are long life companions and eternal lovers." The gigantic creature pointed out.
"Boooorrrriiinnngggg…"
Another smack to the head was applied.
"Ouch! Cut that out Igneel!" He whined before charging at his father. The dragon sighed. He picked up the fussing child with his talons and placed him on the floor.
"Perhaps now you find the idea of a mate less appealing but sooner or later you'll run into her and when the time comes you must be prepared."
"Prepared for what?"
"Prepared to impress her of course!" Igneel beamed.
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Oh for the flames of-" The dragon stopped himself from cussing. Instead he took a deep breath and released it. "Never mind that. Now, human mating and dragon mating a bit different. For example, a female human will not lay an egg when mating is complete. However, from what I've seen, humans are just as passionate when it comes to making love as we are. First-"
"Seen where?"
Igneel blinked. "Pardon?"
"You said from what you've seen. Where have you seen it?" Little Natsu inquired innocently.
The gigantic red creature scratched the side of his cheek with a talon. "Well in the forest multiple times-"
"Pervert."
Igneel smacked him a third time. "Child, how is it that you know that term yet don't know the concept of mating?!"
The dragon didn't give him time to answer. "Never mind. Now hush, not a sound from you or you'll be sleeping outside the cave."
Seeing that his son was finally quiet, Igneel continued. "Once you have selected the woman you plan to spend the rest of your life with, and the feelings of love are neutral between you two, you will have urges to mark her physically. The process begins whenever the male or female-"
The images disappeared and Lucy looked up at her partner with a pout. "Hey, why'd you stop?"
"Geez Luce, I didn't know you were such a pervert." The male teased.
She flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not!" She snapped. A whiny groan from her thigh informed her that she was too loud. When deciding to whisper, she continued. "I just want to know what Igneel taught you. I'm curious to hear what he had to say about human love."
"He said some stuff. Nothing too important." Natsu answered with a shrug.
The woman frowned at his lack of effort. "Natsu…"
"Lucy…"
"Tell me!" She hissed.
"No way."
"Why not?"
"Just cause. It's something you don't need to see." The dragon slayer stated. He must have remembered what he didn't want her to see and had forgotten that the memory stone was still in his hand because the next second she knew, she heard a loud horrified yell from child Natsu.
"I PUT MY WHAT WHERE?!"
He dropped the stone onto the sheets but the damage had already been done. Lucy burst out laughing.
"SHUT UP! STOP LAUGHING!" The fire mage whined; his cheeks were a bright red. But his friend didn't stop.
"Mmmm…" Happy rubbed a sleepy eye. "Do you have to be so loud?! I'm trying to sleep!" He pouted.
Lucy's loud laughter diminished to quiet chuckles. "Sorry-Happy." She breathed. The blonde stroked the back of the cat's head and eventually he went back to sleep.
She looked back at her partner; she noticed that he turned his back towards her. She could tell that he had his arms crossed and his head was tucked in, indicating that he was still embarrassed.
The celestial wizard released another giggle before she snuggled against his back and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"Come on, don't be mad. You have to admit it was funny."
He didn't response to her words or her actions.
"I'm sorry for laughing."
He still didn't comment.
Lucy sighed. She buried her face into his back. "Thank you for showing me that memory. You made me feel a lot better."
"Weirdo." The male shifted and she released her grip on him. Once facing her, he pulled her back into his arms.
She smiled and slipped her arm under his to be more comfortable. Once she laid her head on his arm, the girl slipped into a peaceful slumber and Natsu followed right after.
The group's mouths dropped in amazement. Makarov stood in the back, smiling smugly. He was proud he could finally get his brats to be speechless. The group of guild members, which consisted of almost all of them, stared at the inside of the beach resort with amazement.
"Look! They have an all-you-can-eat buffet!" Natsu cheered as he eyed one of the resort's restaurants.
"Aye! They must have a lot of fish!" Happy drooled as he imagined a variety amount of fish.
"Calm down you two," Their blond partner lectured but the smile was a dead giveaway that she wasn't upset. "We need to check in first before we do anything."
"Aye sir!"
The trio walked back to their family before dividing into groups. Each group scattered to get their room. Natsu and Happy got the room their guild master booked for them before approaching the celestial wizard. She was talking with Levy but that wouldn't stop them from getting to her.
"Luce, we got the room!" Natsu stated as he showed her both keys.
"That's great guys." She smiled warmly but made no move to take one of the hotel keys from her teammate.
It was an awkward few seconds but Natsu got over it by taking the girl's hand and pulled her away from the blunette. "Natsu, what are-"
"Well you're taking so long. Let's leave our stuff in the room and then go have some fun!" The dragon slayer stated as he continued to drag her.
"Hold it!" The girl planted her feet firmly on the ground. The action caused the male to stop as well. Natsu and the Exceed stared at her in confusion.
Lucy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I'm sorry I forgot to mention but I won't be sharing a room with you guys on this trip."
"WHAT?! WHY!" Both boys looked devastated.
Ignoring the guilt she was feeling, she continued. "The rooms are kind of expensive so some of the girls asked me if I can help them out by sharing a room with them."
"But….but LUCCEEE!" The pink haired male whined loudly. "We're always together!"
"Aye! And Natsu brought the stone so we can remember more things! Why are you such a meanie Lushi?" Happy sobbed.
"I'M NOT BEING MEAN!" The female snapped. "I'm just helping out friends. Look it's going to be for one night so what's the big deal?!"
Instantly the dragon slayer and feline went into a depressed state. Any guilt that she was trying to cover up resurfaced. "Guys…please don't do this."
"Fine. But promise you'll visit at night so we can do our memory sharing." Natsu said. The blue cat nodded besides him.
She smiled warmly. "I promise."
"Lucy, I have the keys." Erza stated as she walked up to the group. "It shall be Juvia, Levy, you, and myself sharing a room."
"Okay! Sounds great!" The blonde turned back to her teammates. "I'm going to go get ready. The whole group plans on meeting by the large pool with a water slide in a half an hour. I'll see you there."
"But-"
"Do you have a problem with the arrangements I have made?" The S-class wizard inquired with a glare that sent shivers down Natsu and Happy's spines.
"N-nooo! Not a single one! Right Happy?" He stated as he saluted her.
"A-aye!"
The women walked away, leaving the two boys to pout that they lost their celestial wizard to a 'monster'.
As they walked to their room, Natsu muttered things such as 'stupid Erza' or 'damn Lucy for leaving him' or 'stupid girls taking away his partner.' "Grrrr….AND I'M THE ONE WHO INVITED HER!" He shouted in the hallway, successfully and unintentionally screaming off an old couple.
He continued to grumble as Happy opened the door to their room. The dragon slayer moodiness temporarily vanished as they stared at the room in delight.
"Wooooahhhh…." They breathed. Master Makarov hadn't gone cheap on his most destructive brat. The room contained a living room, a kitchen, and magnificent view of the beach. To the side was a hallway and when they peaked inside, there were two bedrooms, each with a king size bed.
The pair dropped their belongings and jumped on one of the beds.
"It's not as soft as Lucy's." Happy whined as he rolled on it.
"It doesn't smell as nice either." The pink haired human added.
Happy gave him one of his famous mischievous grins. "You lllliiikkkkeeee her!"
"Shut up!" Natsu snapped with a light shade of pink on his cheeks.
The cat chuckled before flying out of the room to investigate the kitchen. The other male grunted before collapsing on the king size bed.
Unconsciously, his thoughts went back to his blond teammate. He had been doing that more often. He thought about his partner a lot before but now it seemed like she permanently stayed in his head.
Lucy Heartfilia. The strange girl he met in Hargeon Town who wouldn't stop talking about joining his family without even knowing it. She had little experience as a mage but that didn't stop her from being a kind, strong and passionate woman.
She…she was a lot of things to him; the first girl he brought to the guild; his first real human partner; the one person he was constantly visiting; the only one he's ever tried anything with.
Lucy Heartfilia. She was her own category. She was a weirdo, his guildmate, teammate, best friend…someone he couldn't ever let go. She was just too damn important to him.
He remembered the night Lucy gave him the stone. He stayed up longer, continuing to watch memories of his little family as they slept away. The memory stone did have him relive such wonderful times, but it also gave him the ability to look at the less pleasant ones.
"You stole something precious from me right before my eyes!"
Thinking so much about his blonde teammate caused him to remember the time he could have lost her. He didn't lose his Lucy per say, but he still watched her die. He just stared at her as she slowly withered away.
Many emotions stirred inside of him and the only thing keeping him from losing his mind was the fact that his Lucy was still around and there was still a chance to prevent her death.
If Rogue had succeeded in killing Lucy that day, he honestly wouldn't know where he would be today.
That's why he'll be grateful his Lucy didn't pass away; that's why he'll appreciate her weird habits just a bit more. That's why he'll stop denying and accept that he-
"Hey Natsu! Look!" The cat cried from the living room. The dragon slayer stopped his train of thoughts and exited the room to join his partner by the window.
"What's up buddy?"
"Look!"
The fire mage followed Happy's finger and saw a small souvenir stand on the beach. "What about it-"
Then he saw what Happy was pointing at. There were so many of them. And it gave him an idea.
"Hey Happy, I'm going to need you to do me a big favor."
Lucy sat down on the small bed, drying her recently washed hair with a towel. Levy and Erza were showering while Juvia had disappeared, probably out stalking Gray again.
She sighed as she stared out the window. It was dark, close to midnight in fact and Natsu hadn't shown up the whole day! She didn't see him in the pool, nor the spa; heck not even in any of the restaurants this resort had.
Was he that disappointed in not sharing a bedroom that he would go out of his way to avoid her and the rest of the guild? Or was it something else?
The girl thought back to Happy's words. Had Natsu really bought the memory stone with him? Even on his vacation?
She blushed. She was extremely pleased that he loved her gift so much. Knowing that he didn't hate it warmed her heart in only ways he could do.
Watching those memories through the stone gave her a lot of time to reflect. To imagine that her life changed for the better the moment that idiot brought her along on his crazy escape from the royal army.
He was a kind stranger who introduced her to his family and shared them with her after one day of knowing her.
And it didn't stop there. He took her under his wing, made her a member of his team and gave her a world filled with adventures.
He protected her, saved her life countless times and became one of the few people she could rely on.
Natsu was an idiot, an annoying roommate from time to time, a precious guild member, her best friend and more.
As much as she hated to admit it, she fell in love with the great Salamander. She never wanted to accept it; after all he meant so much to her that she never wanted anything to break their friendship, including her one-sided feelings.
But after reliving all those amazing memories with him, she knew she was never going to find anyone else like him again. She won't deny them (to herself anyways) because denying them would mean she was ashamed. She wasn't; Natsu was a wonderful person but for the sake of their friendship, she'll learn to keep these feelings to herself.
The girl released another breath of air as she continued to look out the window. Should she even bother going to their room tonight? Natsu and Happy seemed like they wanted nothing to do with her.
She closed her eyes as she imagined what they possibly could be doing and where the hell they've been all day.
Her questions were answered the moment she felt someone in front of her. She opened her eyes and would have screamed if Natsu hadn't covered her mouth with his hand.
How did he-? How long was she zoned out that she didn't even hear him open the window and land right in front of her?! How did he even get up?! It was the fourth floor damn it!
"Sorry Luce. No time to explain." The pink haired teen mumbled. He released her mouth for one second before he picked her; one arm under her shoulder and neck so he could cover her mouth once again with his hand. His other arm snaked around her thighs to help keep her up.
The next four seconds involved Natsu jumping outside the hotel window, and Lucy screaming into his hand the whole way down.
They walked down the beach. The dragon slayer held onto his stinging cheek; the one Lucy punched once he released her.
Though she looked like she regretted it, the blonde refused to apologize, saying it was his fault and how his actions were completely unnecessary.
"So…where are you taking me?" She said instead.
"Well here I guess."
"You guess?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.
"Here it is!" Natsu ran a few feet away from her and pulled out a ruffled bag. He sat down Indian style and motioned the girl to sit with him.
The celestial spirit mage grunted before kneeling besides him. He gave her a cheeky grin.
"Ta-da!" He dropped the bags' contents on the sand. The girl's eyes widened. "Are those-"
"Yeah, all memory stones!" Natsu said as he continued to grin. There were about two dozen memory stones in front of her.
"Where did you find them? And how could you afford them! Just one was more than my rent!" She exclaimed.
"That's not important." He said as he waved her off. "I got a whole bunch of these to show you stuff!"
"Why would you need so many?" Her eyes narrowed. "And what happened to the one I gave you?"
"I still have it!" The dragon slayer pulled out his memory stone from his pocket. "See! It's right here!"
Lucy let out a tiny breath of relief. For a moment she thought he lost it. She picked one of the newer stones and analyzed it. She frowned. "Natsu this one has a scratch on this. You should really be more careful."
"Huh?"
"See." She held out the stone to show him the scratch. Much to her surprise, the male only laughed.
The girl frowned. "What?!"
"You seriously don't what that is?"
"No. What?!" She asked again; though this time with a hint of annoyance.
"And you're supposed to be the smart one." He commented as he mockingly shook his head in disappointment.
"Just tell me already!" She snapped.
"Okay! Okay! Well I noticed that the stone you gave me was scratched after we used it. When I ran my finger over it, a memory we shared played over again. I asked the old man who sold me the rest of these if that was right and he said that's what the stones do. They hold memories so we can never forget them." He smiled brightly, obviously pleased.
"Woah...I didn't know that." She mumbled. Her eyes scanned the rest of the stones and noticed they all had a scratch.
"But they all have scratches."
Natsu's cheerfulness slowly diminished; his expression reflected happiness but in a more peaceful manner. "That's because they all hold a precious memory."
He picked up one of the newer stones. The male looked back at her and Lucy could see the nervous feelings he was trying to hide. "Lucy...I'm going to show you some things. Promise not to say anything until you see them all okay?"
The dragon slayer looked at her with such an intense gaze that it had her blushing in two seconds top. Though a little nervous, she nodded and muttered. "Okay."
She watched as he traced his finger over the line and an image appeared on the stone.
'You want to join Fairy Tail right? Then come with me!'
That was the first time they met, she realized. Natsu let it play and picked up a different stone.
'Let's Make a Team.'
He grabbed another and traced his finger over the scratch.
'You're Lucy from Fairy Tail right? This is your home.'
'If my friend is hurt, I might burn you to a crisp.'
Her heartbeat accelerated. She watched with wonder as each memory played.
'We should take it back as a souvenir for Lucy!'
'You bastards lay one finger on Lucy and I'll turn all of you to ash!'
'Let's form a team.'
'Let's go Lucy!'
'Let's do it Natsu!'
'I won't want…to run away by myself…because no matter what…I'd rather be together with everyone…'
Without even noticing, tears trailed down her face.
'We can't let it end here!'
'Okay. We'll never give up!'
'I'm sorry…for making you worry about me.'
'…Whether your tears fall or they don't, I don't think that has anything to do with how you feel…'
'You were amazing'
'I won't betray everyone's emotions. That's why I'll never give up.'
'STOP IT!'
'I'll definitely get revenge for Lucy.'
'Natsu…I believe in you. I have ever since I joined the guild.'
'If Lucy and I get separated here, what's the point anymore?'
'Why would I doubt Lucy's words?'
'I won't let anyone steal Lucy's future'
'Is something wrong Lucy?'
'No…not really. Just…thank you.'
As all the memories played around them, Natsu cupped her face and whipped the tears away with his thumbs.
"I'm-sorry." She sniffed. "Gosh, this-I hate crying! And I'm not even sad!"
The fire mage cracked a gentle smile. "Weirdo. Only you would think there's something wrong with crying."
She released a quiet laugh. "I guess I am weird after all."
He rested his forehead against hers. The playful atmosphere turned serious again.
"Lucy Heartfilia," He breathed. "I have feelings for you... Feelings that tell me you're more than just my partner. They make me want to do weird things like in your books...and...damn it why is this so hard..." Natsu whined quietly. It didn't stop the blonde from smiling though. "Arggg... if I say it I'll sound lame or maybe like a pervert like the stripper...but Luce, I-I-I-"
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tilted her head and crushed his lips with hers. The dragon slayer seemed taken back but eventually complied and kissed her back.
They stayed like that for a few minutes; it was only when they needed air that they let go. Both of them had blushes and goofy grins.
"Natsu Dragneel...I'm in love with you." She confessed.
He grinned. "I love you too Luce."
She smiled. Everything seemed right at the moment. She guessed he thought so too because he looked like he was going to kiss her again, only for a loud frightened yell to stop them.
"NATSU! HE KNOWS!"
Happy frantically flew to the two. "NATSU! HE KNOWS! AND HE'S MAD!"
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What are you-"
"NATSU!" Another voice bellowed through the sky. "YOU SHITTY BRAT! I TAKE YOU TO A RESORT AND YOU REPAY ME BY BUYING 1,000,000 J WORTH OF ROCKS! YOU'RE REALLY IN FOR IT NOW!"
"RUN!" The dragon slayer snatched her hand, which caused her to yelp before he took off running. Happy put the memory stones back in the bag and he flew above his teammates with it.
"NATSU YOU BOUGHT THE MEMORY STONES WITH THE GUILD"S MONEY?!" She screamed. "HOW IDIOTIC ARE YOU?!"
"He lllliiikkkeeesss you." The Exceed purred from above.
"I think it was worth it!" He responded to the girl. "Don't you?"
She blushed and muttered, "You idiot."
"Your idiot." He corrected with a smile. Of course Lucy returned it.
"Besides," Natsu yelled as they continued to run. "The stone you gave me is covered in scratches. Now we can start filling up the new stones with our new adventures!"
The smile on her face only increased. However, the smile disappeared as Lucy panicked. "Wait! What time is it?!"
"12 o'clock last time I checked." Happy answered from above.
"Natsu stop! I forgot something!"
The male stopped and turned around. The sudden stop caused the girl to crash into his arms. Thankfully, he was strong enough to keep them both in place. The pink haired teen looked at her with confusion. "What?!"
She placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed his lips. "Happy Birthday."
Natsu blinked; it was obvious he had forgotten. However, he beamed anyways. "You remembered!"
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Of course you idiot. I could never forget something as important as your birthday."
They seemed to forget that they were running away from their pissed off guild master; Happy didn't though. He flew off in a hurry, yelling out "You llliiikkkkeee each other" once he was in the distance. His words made them chuckle but not run like they were supposed to.
"This day is definitely going on a memory stone." The dragon slayer stated as he placed his hands on her waist and leaned closer to her face.
When she was an inch away from his lips, she replied. "Yes. And every adventure we have afterwards."
'Because anything with you, is worth remembering...'
A/N: Dedicated to Ryuoujin, who wanted a Nalu story were Lucy thinks back on the adventures Natsu has given her and how meaningful they are to her while Natsu thinks back on those memories to realize that Lucy is extremely precious to him. Then it leads to a romantic epiphany. I hope you enjoyed it :)
Special thanks to those who reviewed; again your kind words have encouraged me not to give up and continue writing! Thank you-
Sawakaze-Steph16, NgocHuong, XxFairy-chanxX, PieLover139
ThunderMastery24, Brokenangelsely, Ryuoujin, fairyglitter101,
Arwen2712, FDsecretart, Twishadowhunter, AbsentAngel,
TheDragonThatBreathesIce, RichardianScholar Clark-Weasley
LightSpeed Athlete24, rebma726, , Yumi-kii,
ishould-stab-u, NyankoSenpai,
wwnetww (Guest- thank you but can you be more specific by what you meant as 'future references?')
romjponsaran, Searching for my Rushmore, ChaosxXx, Tuskihimesama95,
and justanotherdreamgirl
The final chapter is finally complete! I'm so happy! I'm hope you enjoyed it and thought it was worth the wait. Please dismiss the cheesy ending though. I didn't know how else to end it and I feel like it was a bit OOC for my taste.
I'm so sorry this took too long. I thought once I was on winter break I would have more time to write but now that I'm home, it seems like work and family don't want to give me a moment's rest, especially my ten year old sister and work. I swear they're both teaming up together to make sure I never have a true day off XD
My original plan was write the next chapter of "What You Make Me Do" but at this point I don't know what's next. It depends on my mood. Plus I have a long list of requests I need to finish so I'll try to get those done.
If you're bored, feel free to check out my Nalu stories. Also, if you haven't voted on my poll please do so. I'm closing it after December 25.
Thank you for your patience and support on this story! Please leave me a review with any thoughts/comments. Your reviews always make my day when I'm at home or on my break at work.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
From Your Friend
Dark Shining Light
P.S. Rather than rant on the Celestial Spirit Arc (I've given up hope at this point), I want to hear your favorite Nalu moment. I couldn't get every single Nalu moment in this story so I'm curious to hear which one is your favorite :)