It didn't take long for Lucy to detect that Natsu didn't want anything to do with her after the confession. Other than the occasional glances they shared during the rest of the festival, not one word was exchanged between them.

Lucy understood it wasn't because he was upset—it was because he was giving her some space to think. Natsu was being considerate of her feelings, and for once, she didn't want him to.

As a result, she spent the last half hour of the festival without anyone but her thoughts. She knew this was the perfect time to think about it, yet she couldn't figure out what it was. She had blurted her out her bottled up thoughts to Natsu impulsively; she didn't understand why she said what she did.

Though the majority of her felt frustrated at what she did, a small part of Lucy felt as if a heavy weight on her chest had been lifted. Perhaps what she said wasn't because she wanted to, but it was because she needed to.

"So, Lucy, how did it go?" a voice took her out of her unorganized thoughts, bringing her back to the cleaning she was to do.

"L-Lisanna!" Lucy jolted in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You and Natsu, of course," she replied with a laugh. "Did you two do what I think you did?"

"He confessed to me," Lucy stated quietly, returning to sweeping the floor.

"And?" Lisanna leaned in with anticipation. "What did you say?!"

"I said I had to think about it," Lucy responded simply.

There was an unexpected flicker in Lisanna's eyes as she became expressionless. Lucy watched her for a few seconds, regret swelling up in her chest.

"That's okay!" Lisanna guaranteed quickly, getting out of her daze. "You didn't reject him, though, right?"

Lucy shook her head. "I could never."

"That's good," Lisanna sighed with a hint of relief. "I don't want Natsu to feel anymore rejection. He's been through enough."

Lucy wasn't sure what to say, so she remained silent. No doubt Natsu had been through enough—Lisanna did break up with him, after all.

"I should probably get back to cleaning up now," Lisanna said after a while. "But, hey, Lucy, just remember that you're the only one who can make Natsu happy."

Before Lucy could think of what to say back, Lisanna was already gone, helping with wiping the counters.

Lucy sighed under her breath—why did things have to be this complicated?

"Need help?" another voice offered behind her.

Lucy was about to decline the offer, but after seeing that they were the one who had the dustpan, she couldn't refuse.

"Thanks, Gray," she smiled slightly at him as he bent down to the floor.

"Why the down face?" he inquired, eyes narrowing at her once he had swept everything into the dustpan.

"I don't have a down face," she frowned.

"That's a down face," he chuckled at her expression. "Flame-brain's not going to be happy that you look like that, you know."

"I'm working on it," she mumbled. "Where's Juvia?"

"She went to get us some water," he answered. "She loves water too much."

"Sounds like you have competition," she teased.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "It's not a competition if I've already won."

Lucy tried her best to suppress her laughs. It was obvious Gray was confident about Juvia's feelings for him. Yet for the first time, Lucy could tell that Juvia's feelings were finally being returned.

"What are Lucy and Gray talking about?" Juvia questioned when she came back with the water bottles.

"How much Gray likes—"

"Water," Gray spoke over Lucy quickly. "Thanks for bringing it. Now let's go, Lucy doesn't like that we're distracting her from cleaning."

As Gray directed Juvia away from her, Lucy stuck her tongue out him while he glanced over his shoulder at her. She was going to finish her sentence someday whether he liked it or not.

Despite the fact that everyone was to tidy up the classroom, the actual cleaning day wasn't until tomorrow. Of course, nobody wanted to go back to school on a Saturday just to clean; so, at the end of the cleaning day, everyone that attended was rewarded with a bonfire and delicious barbecue.

The barbecue was enough to win everyone over—they were definitely coming back tomorrow to help clean.

"See everyone tomorrow! Get ready to clean up!" Erza announced at the end of the night. "Remember, no clean up means no burgers!"

"What Erza doesn't see won't hurt her," Gajeel snickered once the group had stepped outside and started heading to their homes.

"You're going to clean, Gajeel!" Levy lifted up a scolding finger. "I'll make sure you're cleaning the entire time we're here tomorrow."

"What are you going to do if I don't?" he raised a challenging brow.

"Come on, lovebirds, leave your flirting for when you're alone," Cana butted into their conversation, mocking them.

"We're not flirting!" Levy insisted with a pout.

"Juvia is certain that was flirting," Juvia commented.

"Does Gajeel even know how to flirt?" Natsu inquired.

"Do you?" Gray retorted.

"He definitely doesn't," Lisanna confirmed.

"Guys," Lucy said cautiously, eyes flicking at the boys whom were already cracking their knuckles to start throwing punches. But before a fist was thrown, a foot was punted in the air first.

"No fighting until we've cleaned the classroom!" Erza declared, gracefully landing on the ground after her kick.

"How did you get here so fast?" Gray asked incredulously.

"We ran," Jellal explained with a plain shrug.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Cana recalled, turning to Natsu. "Why were you running in the hallways with your maid outfit on earlier?"

"Because I wanted to change as soon as possible," Natsu grumbled. "The dress was more uncomfortable than I thought it would be."

"Please, tell me someone took pictures of him," Gray pleaded the group.

"I took a few," Lisanna giggled softly.

"Delete them!" Natsu commanded, scowling at her.

"Lisanna already sent them to Juvia," Juvia mentioned.

"And Juvia sent them to me," Cana chimed in.

"Guys," Natsu whined at them. "Don't ever show them to anyone."

"No promises," Cana cackled. "Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow at the barbecue."

"No clean up means no burgers," Erza reminded her as she walked away.

"Yeah, yeah," Cana brushed her off.

Soon enough, everyone else began to scatter off into their own directions. Lucy didn't know how to feel when it was just Natsu and her walking.

The light-hearted atmosphere from before had vanished into thin air. Lucy felt incredibly tongue-tied, not being able to remember how to start a casual conversation. The synchronized clicks of their shoes only intensified the awkward air between them.

"So, did you enjoy the festival?" she ended up settling with.

"It went a little downhill at the end, but it was fun," Natsu replied. "How about you?"

Lucy's heart leapt into her throat. It was crystal clear she was the reason it went downhill. "Y-Yeah, it went a little downhill for me, too. But for the most part, I enjoyed it."

"Do you have any pictures of me with the maid outfit on?" he asked urgently.

"Maybe," she sent him half a smile.

"Luce, don't do this," he groaned. "Do you have them or not?"

"What if I do?" she giggled at his disgruntled expression.

"Just don't show them to anyone," he repeated his words.

"I don't have to delete them?" she tilted her head.

"Only because I prefer you over everyone else," he muttered.

Instantly, Lucy's face lit up brighter than the streetlights guiding their path. She couldn't believe just how easy it was for him to make her face redden like this. Since he liked her, did she have the power to make his face do the same?

"Why?" she blurted out. "Why do you prefer me over everyone else?"

"B-Because," he stuttered, taking a long pause it was almost enough for her to change the topic. "Because you make good food."

Lucy stifled a laugh, shaking her head. What else could she expect, anyway?

"And you care about us more than you should," he continued. "Like with Gray and Juvia. Even though you knew how Gray felt, you knew you weren't the right one for him. You also helped with Levy and Gajeel getting together. I'm not really sure if you helped with Erza and Jellal, though I wouldn't be surprised if you did. I have no idea about Cana, but you're a good friend to her.

"And then you didn't say anything when Lisanna and I were together. You were hurting a lot, and you still didn't say anything."

Lucy's mouth fell in surprise—her face becoming darker each second. She had no idea Natsu was aware of any of these things; she always assumed he was as oblivious as he made himself out to be.

"You're pretty admirable, you know?" Natsu tilted his head up at the stars above them. "I think that's one of the main reasons why I like you so much, but I'm sure there are a lot more reasons, too."

"I see," Lucy whispered so soft, she wasn't even sure if he heard her. Her cheeks were on fire, but as she sneaked a peek over to Natsu, she realized their flushed cheeks were matching. She couldn't help but feel content that she could in fact make his face as rosy as hers.

"Sorry if I said too much," he sent her a sheepish look.

"You didn't," she assured with a gentle smile in return.

In spite of her blazing cheeks, Lucy shivered as a chilly breeze blew past her exposed skin. She rubbed her hands together for warmth.

Natsu hesitantly stole a glimpse of her—he slowly reached out towards her.

"Can I do this?" he questioned with his scarf extended out to her.

"Okay," she nodded, enjoying the warmth that surrounded her as he wrapped the scarf around her shoulders. She couldn't stop herself from soaking in his sweet smell; however, her thoughts were somewhere else.

If it weren't for what she said, Natsu wouldn't be having second thoughts on touching her. If it weren't for what she said, she would be happy with him right now. If it weren't for what she said, she would still have a chance with him.

An apology was in the midst of crawling up Lucy's throat until she decided to swallow it back when they reached their apartment. After taking a look at Natsu giving Happy a flimsy handshake, she knew it wasn't the right time for it.

"I'm glad your mom is okay with us living together," Natsu stated before they entered their bedrooms for the night. They leaned against their doorframes as they talked.

"What if we never started living together?" Lucy wondered aloud.

"I would have never been called a maintenance man, then," he answered with a shudder. "That still haunts me."

"How was I supposed to know you weren't?!" she protested. "And let's not forget that you called me a cleaning lady. I have nightmares about that."

"The line dividing the apartment was the worst," he remarked.

"Tell me about it," she agreed with her own shiver this time. "You really knew how to push my buttons back then. Especially when we kept meeting up with each other at the aquarium and arcade."

"I still know how to push your buttons," he smirked while reaching over and giving her cheek a playful poke.

"I'm happy we're like this now," Lucy admitted, moving her face out of his reach with a laugh.

"Me too," Natsu nodded, though something in the back of his eyes showed he wasn't entirely content just yet.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning, then," she brought up her hand to wave.

"See you," he replied as she entered her room.

Once Lucy had closed the door, she stood behind it for several seconds. Even after Natsu had closed his door, she felt as if she forgot something.

"We didn't say goodnight!" the two stuck their heads out of their room simultaneously. They looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Goodnight, Natsu," Lucy sent him a smile.

"Goodnight, Luce," Natsu grinned.

Shutting the door for the final time, a smile had permanently placed itself onto Lucy's lips as she slipped into her pajamas.

Glancing at the wall only made her smile widen. She now understood why she wasn't the only one with glowing cheeks.

Now if only she could understand why she wasn't able to say what she wanted to say the most.

"I'm so tired of coming here," Natsu complained when he reached the school the next morning. Every sign that promoted each classroom had been taken down. Magnolia High was as bland as it was before the entire festival.

"No clean up means no burgers," Lucy recited Erza's words with an amused expression.

"Can we make another bet so you can help me clean up?" he negotiated, though it sounded too desperate for it to be taken serious.

"Maybe on the next midterms," she answered, loving how fast it was for his pout to form.

The hallways were already bustling with people carrying all sorts of props they had during the festival. As Natsu and Lucy headed for their classroom, they were forced to walk as close as they could by the walls so they wouldn't get in anyone's way.

"Why is everyone working so fast?" Natsu inquired once they reached the classroom.

"Because no clean—"

"We get it, Erza," Gray grumbled, interrupting her. "You've said it a hundred times today."

"Are the burgers even that good?" Gajeel asked skeptically.

"Not only do Erza and I make the best s'mores in Fiore, but we also make the best burgers, too," Jellal announced proudly.

"Your s'mores are pretty good," Gajeel commended. "Alright, let's start cleaning, then."

"I never knew Gajeel would actually be the first one to say that," Cana said with a scoff.

"If there's food involved, Gajeel will do anything," Levy sighed with disapproval.

"That sounds familiar," Lucy responded, glancing at Natsu.

"Tell me about it," Natsu nodded while casting a look at Gray.

"She's talking about you, idiot," Gray glared in response.

"Girls, come with me," Erza beckoned them to follow her. "I have a special job for you."

"Try to go easy on us, okay?" Lisanna suggested with worried eyes.

Lucy reluctantly followed her friends, concern rising in her chest after noticing the mischievous glint in Erza's eyes. She had no idea what Erza was going to make them do, especially when they were brought outside and out into the field beside the school.

"Here you go!" Erza presented.

The girls blinked at the empty space Erza presented with blank expressions.

"What are we supposed to be looking at?" Levy questioned uneasily.

"The grass?" Cana inquired.

"Exactly," Erza nodded. "I need you guys to find the best rocks and sticks to use for the bonfire tonight and create a pit."

"That's all we're supposed to do?" Juvia tilted her head.

"Is that a problem?" Erza lifted a brow.

"There isn't anything else?" Lucy double checked with the same unease as everyone else. "Like, carrying something heavy across the school? You don't even want us to get you a slice of cake?"

"The cake is taken care of," Erza guaranteed. "I made sure to save this job for all of you because I know we're all exhausted from this week. We want a break already, so I decided to give you an easy job."

"You're the best, Erza!" Lisanna cheered while lunging onto her and wrapping her arms around her.

"Yeah, you are!" Levy followed suit, finding an opening to give her a hug as well.

Before Erza could stop it, all of the girls were around her, hanging onto her as though they were afraid to let go.

"You're welcome," Erza smiled at them like they were her children. "Now, start working! Because no clean up, means—"

"No burgers!" the girls clamored together.

"That's right," Erza replied firmly as she began to go back inside the school to give out more tasks. "Have fun!"

"I love Erza," Levy sighed happily.

"I'm going to tell Gajeel you said that," Cana sneered.

"Alright, girls, less teasing, more picking up rocks and sticks!" Lisanna proclaimed.

Nobody objected due to the fact that they didn't need to do anything else but this. It was comforting to know that once they were done, all they had to do was wait for their tasty burgers.

Lucy enjoyed the laughter the girls shared as they created the pit. They didn't talk about anything that included stress or boys—they simply talked about what made them happy. Although, it took several minutes for Juvia to think of something else that made her happy.

However, their stress-free talk didn't last as long as Lucy would have liked it to.

"So, Lucy, how are you and Natsu doing?" Cana wriggled her eyebrows at her.

"W-We're doing fine," she answered, stumbling over her words.

"Juvia saw Lucy go into the classroom Natsu was waiting in yesterday," Juvia said. "What did Lucy and Natsu do?"

"Don't tell me he confessed to you!" Levy gasped. "Why didn't you tell me, Lu-chan?!"

"He did?!" Juvia raved. "Lucy, why didn't you—"

"Wait," Cana interrupted the frantic girls. "We don't know if he confessed to her."

"He did," Lucy admitted bashfully, not bothering to beat around the bush. "He told me how he felt about me yesterday."

"How do you feel?" Lisanna questioned more gently than she did yesterday when they were cleaning.

"Frustrated," Lucy replied immediately. "I know I like him, too, but I can't say it."

A smile spread across Lisanna's lips. "Why don't you try saying it today, then?"

"Yeah!" Levy nodded in agreement. "It'll be so romantic with the sunset's rays flooding in the classroom, and your shadows becoming one as you—"

"No way!" Lucy waved her hands in front of her. "Something like that would never happen."

"We'll make it happen," Cana grinned. "You're going to tell Natsu your feelings during the barbecue."

"Juvia will not allow Lucy to back down on this!" Juvia declared.

Lucy gulped as she scanned her best friend's determined expressions—she already knew she wasn't going to have a choice.

"Okay," Lucy gave out a shaky breath. "I'll tell Natsu how I feel about him."

"Oh, what's that I hear?" Erza joined the group. "You're going to confess to Natsu?"

"Respond to his confession," Lucy corrected.

"I'll make sure your burger and s'mores give you lots of energy!" Erza vowed.

"Thanks," Lucy gave her an appreciative smile. "I'll need it."

With newfound motivation, Lucy helped put the final touches on the bonfire pit before it was time to light it up. Now that her friends were wholeheartedly cheering her on, she felt like she could do anything.

Since the girls were already outside, they were one of the firsts in line for the grill. And of course, a group of troublesome boys squirmed their way in between them.

"Hey!" Levy exclaimed as Gajeel stepped in front of her.

"Gray can cut in front of Juvia any time!" Juvia squealed.

"Hey, Luce," Natsu grinned at her, also getting in front of her.

"What do you think you're doing?" she smirked at him while tugging him back so she can get to her initial spot.

"Want to eat our burgers together?" he offered, hardly noticing that he was behind her now.

"Sure," she accepted faster than she realized. "Will we eat our s'mores together, too?"

"Of course," he smirked this time.

Lucy smiled in content, but in the inside, she was nearly having a panic attack. How was she was going to tell him how she felt about him? If she wrote it down, she would surely be able to say it. Right?

"You can do it," Erza whispered as she handed Lucy her burger. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Lucy whispered back.

Surprisingly enough, none of their friends joined them as Natsu picked a spot for them to sit and enjoy their food. Although, Lucy could sense the girls' eyes glancing at her every few seconds.

"I can't even imagine how good Erza and Jellal's s'mores are going to be!" Natsu proclaimed after he had finished his burger in less than two minutes.

"You didn't have them during the trip?" Lucy asked, only being halfway done with her burger.

"I didn't have enough time," Natsu scratched the back of his head.

Lucy nodded in understanding, knowing the exact reason why he didn't have time. But for once, Lisanna's confession wasn't bothering her anymore. There wasn't a reason why she should let the past hold her back like it usually did.

"Good thing you're going to have time today," she replied.

"Let's go watch them light up the bonfire," he rose from the ground and extended his hand out to her. He was planning on releasing her hand once she stood up, though it was impossible by how much he loved feeling her warmth.

Lucy didn't mind the multiple stares they received as they headed for the pit, hand in hand. "You really like fire, don't you?" she watched him with amusement, seeing that he was already bouncing on the tips of his toes.

"It's awesome," he responded. "I could look at it all day."

"After we eat our s'mores, I need to tell you something," she revealed. "Is that okay?"

"Alright," he answered with a nod. "We'll go back inside the school afterwards."

Lucy's heart was hammering in her chest despite the fact that she wore no expression. The hand that wasn't entwined with Natsu's trembled by her side.

"Okay, everyone, it's time to light the pit! Because Natsu and Lucy were here first, they're first in line!" Erza yelled out to the field. "We thank you for helping clean up today!"

Lucy was able to feel the anticipation coursing through Natsu's veins as Jellal leaned down to ignite the pit. Even though she wanted to see the flames flare up into the sky, she just wasn't able to tear her eyes away from Natsu.

"Your s'mores," Jellal extended the marshmallow filled sandwiches towards them.

"Thanks!" Natsu shouted with a grin. "Cheers, Luce."

"Cheers," Lucy giggled as they gently knocked their s'mores together. Taking her first bite, her eyes widened at the melted marshmallow and chocolate oozing out of the s'more. "This is really good!"

"Is this your first time, too?" he lifted a brow at her.

"Yeah, I didn't want any during the campfire," she answered, still caught off guard by how heavenly the s'more was.

"I wish I didn't eat it so fast," he muttered in disappointment at the nonexistent s'more.

Lucy couldn't help but agree—she wished she could rewind time and eat it again. She was definitely going to eat another one.

"Want to go inside now?" he asked.

"Okay, let's go," she replied.

Making sure everyone was being distracted by Erza and Jellal's s'mores, Natsu took Lucy inside the vacant school. They were still able to hear everyone outside, so the silence wasn't too tense.

"Looks like this is the only open classroom," he spoke. "Is that alright?"

"It's fine," she assured. Of course, the only open classroom was the classroom they were in yesterday— unwanted memories flooded into Lucy's mind. She didn't realize their hands weren't connected anymore until Natsu strolled to the window.

"The front of the school is so empty now," he said.

"At least we'll know that there isn't anyone watching us," she joked.

"I hope not," he chuckled, facing her. "So, what is it you need to tell me?"

The question made Lucy's mind become completely blank. No matter what thought she focused on, she couldn't settle on one. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and clenched her fists. She was going to remove the filter from her thoughts and allow them to stream out.

"I never thought that I would hear the words that you liked me," she blurted out. "I dreamt about it a few times, honestly. I felt so embarrassed to wake up."

Opening her eyes and seeing Natsu wasn't laughing at her like he usually would, she continued.

"Sometimes, I would ask myself, why were you the one I ended up living with? Why were you the only one making me feel like this? Why was I feeling jealous when you were with Lisanna?"

Natsu felt the impulse to hold her quivering hands which she tried her best to hide, but he froze once she went on.

"I haven't forgotten about our kiss at the beach. It was an accident, I know, but after it happened, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I thought about it so much, I actually forgot to tell Levy-chan and everyone. Can you believe that?"

A soft laugh escaped Lucy's lips. She blinked away her tears that wanted to fall.

"I don't think you know how much you've put me through," she whispered. "So I want you to know now that even though you've put me on a rollercoaster of emotions, I have never regretted a single second we spent together."

Lucy took a deep breath, letting what she said sink in to not only Natsu, but herself, too.

"No matter what I was feeling, you were always there for me," she stated.

"I'll be there for you," Natsu promised. "Always."

"Thank you," Lucy sent him a small smile. "I'll always be there for you, too. No matter what."

Natsu returned her gentle smile, his fingers twirling on the loose ends of his scarf.

"I-Is this the part where we hug?" he stammered out anxiously.

She giggled, nodding. "Yes, this can be the part."

Natsu didn't waste a second to tightly wrap his arms around Lucy and press her against him as much as he could. They stood there for a few moments, listening to one another's matching breaths.

"I like you a lot, Luce," he mumbled into her hair.

"I like you a lot, too," she spoke, butterflies endlessly swarming in her stomach.

"I've wanted to hear that for so long," he breathed out.

Lucy couldn't stop her wide smile from forming, even if Natsu wasn't able to see it. Shifting her head to where her ear pressed against his chest, her eyes landed onto their shadow.

"Our shadows are together," she squeaked.

Natsu's chin which rested atop of Lucy's head rotated to their shadow. "I can make our shadows become even closer."

"How?" she tilted her head up at him curiously.

"Close your eyes," he instructed, though he didn't need to since Lucy had already instinctively done so once he began to lean in. Both of them had no intention on making this an accident this time.

Similar to their kiss at the beach, Natsu and Lucy's lips merely brushed against each other. However, this time, neither of them jerked apart. Instead, they deepened the kiss, creating a small spark.

That small spark soon turned into fireworks as he cupped her cheeks while she ran her fingers through the hair she couldn't get enough of. When they involuntarily parted, their breaths were heavier than ever before.

"Be my girlfriend," his breaths traveled across her skin. He finalized the kiss with a chaste peck.

"Be my boyfriend," she countered slyly, giving him one of her own innocent pecks in return.

"Okay," he leaned his forehead against hers, gazing into her eyes. "Sorry, I forgot to remind you to look at our shadows."

"I'll have to look at them later, then," she responded, stifling a laugh.

Natsu smirked before stealing another kiss from her. "This is better than the one at the beach."

"I couldn't agree more," she smiled into his lips as he kissed her again. He just wasn't able to get enough of her.

It wasn't until their shadows had disappeared when they realized that they had spent more time locking lips than they thought they had.

"You don't think they noticed, right?" she asked nervously once they ran out of the classroom to return to the field.

"No way, those s'mores are enough to distract anyone for hours," he gave her an assuring hand squeeze. "I hope."

Lucy wasn't sure if the s'mores were enough to distract anyone at all, and their crimson cheeks gave it all away, anyway. Though they were just going to have to hope for the best.

The outside air felt extremely fresh as they strode back to where everyone else was. By how everyone was facing, they were able to blend in a bit too well.

Then, on cue, their group whirled around and surrounded the new couple.

"Where did you two come from?" Levy was the first to begin the investigation.

"Why do your faces look like that?" Gray inquired.

"Who said you were allowed to go inside the school?" Jellal interrogated.

"How did you respond to Natsu?" Cana smirked.

"How did you respond to Lucy?" Gajeel sneered as well.

"Juvia wants to know how it all went down!" Juvia exclaimed.

"Did the burger give you energy, Lucy?" Erza demanded.

"Tell us, tell us!" Lisanna urged.

"We can explain," Lucy spoke when their questions had eventually died down. "Natsu, you go first."

"The reason why we were in there is none of your business," Natsu shrugged.

"Come on!" the group yelled in unison.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you," Natsu grinned. "The reason why Lucy and I were in there was because…"

As his voice trailed off to create unnecessary suspense, the group stared at Natsu with such large eyes, Lucy was sure they were going to pop out.

"We decided we're never going to stop living together!" Natsu proclaimed.

Immediately, all shoulders of the group slumped.

"That's it?" Levy pouted.

"That's it," Lucy confirmed with her own grin.

"Are there any more s'mores?" Natsu asked, taking Lucy with him as he searched for them.

"Here," Jellal roughly handed him the s'more. "Enjoy it."

"I want some more," Gray said. "Flame-brain, get out of my way."

"Make me, Ice Princess!" Natsu retorted.

"I want some more s'mores, too!" Cana shouted, pushing the boys out of the way.

"So do I!" Lisanna added.

And just like that, all of them were munching on another s'more, not paying attention to the several dirty looks they received from other students who didn't have a chance to get seconds.

Lucy's cheeks throbbed while the girls all gave her arm a squeeze as their congratulations. The boys simply gave Natsu a subtle approving nod.

"Were you serious about what you said earlier?" Lucy questioned when nobody was paying attention to them.

"About us always living together?" Natsu inquired. "Of course! Who else is going to make my breakfast?"

"True," she laughed, shaking her head. "Promise you'll help me make breakfast a few times?"

With their pinkies hooking around one another, they shared another grin, ready for anything that was going to be thrown their way—especially breakfast.

And thankfully, it didn't seem like the play button to Lucy's not so independent life was going to be pausing any time soon.

And here we are! You've all made it through the last chapter of this story! (which is also 5k words, heh)

I hope you guys were able to get through all that Nalu fluff because omfg, I needed a breather after writing all of that, haha.

I actually can't believe that it's over... I want to write so much more but I have to keep strong and move on to bigger and better things!

I'd just like to thank you all sooo much for reading this story. I can't stress enough how happy you guys make me and asdfghjkesd I never want to stop writing for you guys!

I'll never forget the day this story hit 2000 reviews, the day this story hit 1000 follows, and the day that this fic hit 1000 favorites. It honestly amazes me that all of this happened in less than a year. I don't think you readers realize that you're all creating memories for me just as much as my stories are creating memories for you. Hopefully, at least!

Thank you, guys. I really mean it. Thank you so much for everything.

Alright, alright, before I burst into tears, I'll change the subject.

So yes, I'll admit that this story was a pain in the butt to update once I started school again. Such a pain in the butt, this story made me have to take a break from Deal With The Devil! So as a reward for myself, I'll be taking a short break from writing, but will try my best to update DWTD as quickly as possible~

AND ALSO, I'll be participating in Nalu's Love Fest in October! Get ready to read some poorly written smut by me. ;-) In addition, I'm planning on branching out to other FT ships as well! I have a Jerza fic in mind and also a Zervis fic which was requested by a friend! Zervis is my guilty pleasure at the moment and I'm not even sorry.

So if you think you've seen the last of me, nope nope, you have not!

That's enough of this gigantic A/N. Again, thank you very much for reading and all the feedback you have all given me!

Leave a review if you want! To make up for all the reviews I haven't responded to, I'm planning on replying to all of your reviews this time! :-) Feel free to follow me on tumblr as well! (amehanaaa)

Hope to see you guys again on another one of my stories someday! Thanks for everything.