A Matter of Perspective

6.23.17

Chapter Six: Closer

When I broke the news to Levy, the smaller girl nearly started to foam at the mouth. She spoke so fast that her face became a concerning shade of blue. I looked on in alarm when that didn't slow her down.

"Levy," I interrupted, "Breathe."

Her words cut short, and she inhaled deeply, exhaled even quicker. She didn't pause though. "So do you think you guys would have gone all the way if the groundskeeper didn't interrupt?"

I shrugged, letting the last curl of hair fall from the iron. "I don't know, maybe?" I placed the curling iron down on the bathroom sink, unplugging it. "Probably not, I want to be official before I just screw a guy."

Levy waggled her eyebrows at me in the mirror. "But this isn't just any guy. This is Natsu, the guy you've been hot for since you met, the guy who singlehandedly jump started your new life. The guy who's been undressing you with his eyes for months."

"N-no!" I didn't know what statement I specifically said no to, but it didn't come out very convincing anyway.

Levy smacked my arm. "There's no use in denying it now! You guys are going to the Sakura Festival together, if you're not official yet, you're going to be by the end of the night!"

I checked my phone, gawking at the time, and thankful for the excuse to change the subject. "Speaking of which, we're going to be late meeting the boys at the bar! We have to hurry!"

"You have to hurry, I'm ready!" Levy crossed her arms, huffing.

Levy wore a sunshine yellow sundress that had a modest neck line, but a flirty skirt, and a pair of sky blue pumps that matched her hair. She had makeup on, but even I couldn't distinguish what she painted on, and what was her natural beauty, aside from the bright pink matte lipstick.

"I'm going to go wait for you in the living room so I stop distracting you." She smiled, winking at me, "Make sure you look extra sexy!"

Blushing, I waved her off. "Yeah, Yeah!"

The stroll to the bar filled me with insecurity. Levy looked cute, and like she had put little to no effort into prepping herself. Even though I knew she had put just as much effort into it as I. But I looked like I was going to a dinner party instead of a festival.

Levy had insisted that I wear the champagne colored floor length dress, it had a provocative neckline, dipping past my boobs, and it fell just as low on my back. It clung to my every curve, made my ass look great. I smothered my hands down my hips, biting my lip.

"Stop worrying, you're going to ruin your lipstick." Levy chastised, "You look great, I don't know why you're freaking out so much."

"I feel overdressed." I confessed with a heavy sigh.

Levy looked me over before waving me off. "Don't be silly, I wouldn't let you look dumb. You're not overdressed."

I adjusted the sun glasses in my hair, the aviators getting tangled in the fine curls. "It's too late for me to change my mind anyway, we're here."

Levy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we're also half an hour late, I wouldn't let you change your mind."

I chuckled, pushing the door open with my back. "True, now let's make these boys fawn over us."

Levy grinned back. "Like the queens we are!"

We strut into the bar together, the regulars were the first ones tipped off by the bell hanging over the door. I propped the door open, letting Levy pass by me. All of the dirty old men's jaws gaped open when they saw us. One of them, a guy that just started coming with his pals last month whistled at us, and the others turned to him, wide eyed.

The guy blinked in confusion before a fist connected with the back of his head. He toppled over onto the floor with a thud. Gajeel leered down at him, daring him to get back up. Natsu, who stood next to him, fixed the other men with a scathing glare. Try us, it said.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry we're late, I couldn't decide on a dress."

The boy's attention snapped to us, and all at once they seemed to have forgotten that they were trying to be intimidating. They approached, Gajeel with a softness in his gaze I had never seen, and Natsu was looking at me the way he had looked at me when we were supposed to be catching fire flies.

Gajeel and Levy embraced in a long hug, and he was whispering something to her I couldn't quite catch. Natsu stepped closer to me, and suddenly the dress was a little too low cut for me.

He took my hand, squeezing it. "You look really nice." He said, his face gaining pink ting.

I smiled back, closed lipped and a little tense. "Thank you." Looking up at from underneath my mascara enhanced eyelashes, I tried for a coy smile, but with the way he was staring at me, I felt more bashful than seductive.

"We should get going." Levy said, and I looked up at her. She smirked at me.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I didn't want to just squeak at her or something.

As we walked towards downtown Magnolia, we talked about the festival, and work, and joked like I wasn't hand in hand with my best friend the entire time.

Upon arrival, I noticed two things right off the bat. One, the festival was vast, and smelled like sweet citrus and tea. Two, Levy, despite knowing I was really nervous about spending time alone with Natsu, booked it into the festival with Gajeel in tow. She didn't as much as peek behind her as she disappeared into the crowd.

So there I was, on a date, with my best friend, who I almost had sex with a week prior. Natsu, to his credit, seemed pretty laidback, like he wasn't sneaking glances at my cleavage or glaring down any guy who so much as glanced in our direction. Even though I would bet money he did all of this while I had my back turned.

The ground was littered with light pink flower petals, even still the trees that hung over head were still in full bloom. Bees traveled from blossom to blossom and buzzed around food stands that were selling confections. We had only been at the festival for 20 minutes, and I caught Natsu already ogling a BBQ stand that was grilling meat on an open fire.

"Hungry?" I asked, "Didn't you just eat at the bar?"

Natsu swiped his mouth, as if to wipe away drool. "Since when has that stopped me before?"

"True," I shrugged, "What are you waiting for then?"

He shot me a blinding smile. "That's why I like you."

"O-Oh?" I stuttered, he tugged me along as he broke through the throngs of people, weaving his way to the BBQ stand. When we came to the line, he turned to me, dragging me to his side and wrapping an arm around my waist.

By the time we reached the front of the line I relaxed into him, I could feel the muscle of his arm against me, and when I pressed even closer, a warm fuzzy sensation tingled my stomach. His arm didn't budge when he ordered, or while he paid.

We sat beneath one of the cherry blossom trees, and even though I had sat with a decent distance between us, Natsu scooted over, offering me a bit of the turkey leg he had purchased.

Something in the way he was peering at me over the meaty leg made me believe that he wouldn't take no for an answer. The tangy flavor burnt my tongue, but it was delicious all the same.

He took a bite right next to mine, and then scoffed. "You have such a tiny mouth." He showed me the bit marks, and indeed, his bite mark looked three times the size of mine.

"I know," I stole one of the napkins he had picked up from the stand, "It's why I'm such a messy eater."

"Well, I think it's cute." He said, leaning over entirely too close for comfort. He took the napkin from me, dabbing at a place on my cheek I missed. I looked across the way, at the BBQ stand, waiting for him to lean away. When he didn't after a few seconds I felt my heart begin to race.

My eyes shifted to him, and I got a glimpse of his subtle smile before my nervous eyes casted my gaze elsewhere.

"We haven't talked about what happened in the field." He started, resting his other hand on his bent knee. The half-eaten leg lay forgotten on a paper plate by Natsu's thigh.

"Yeah," I blew air through my lips, making a motorboat sound, "I wasn't sure how to bring it up."

Natsu cleared his throat, looking to the sky. "Are you…okay with it? Do you—"

"No, I don't regret it," I rushed out, "I just, I don't know, it's awkward."

Natsu cocked his head to the side, drumming his fingers on his knee. "Well, how about we make it a game then. Truth or dare, but just truths."

On one hand that could be a great idea, I had so many questions for him, but on the other, I would have to answer questions too. I felt my face heat up just thinking about the types of things he could ask me.

But, I didn't have a better idea. "Alright, but how about we walk around the festival some more while we talk." That way I'd have something to look at other than his dark, intense eyes.

He agreed, moving to stand upright. He began to reach a hand out to me, but his eyes strayed to the abandoned BBQ. He all but dove for it, and I chuckled, how could the same man who had me all hot and bothered be the same guy who chose a turkey leg over me.

He ripped at it, and in less than a minute, the bone was all that remained, clean of any meat. His content sigh made me smile. "Man, I love festival food." He said, patting his belly for emphasis.

I giggled. "You love any kind of food."

He threw an arm around my shoulder, leaning in close to my ear. "When I like something, I really like something." His tone was not a tone used when talking about turkey legs.

At a complete loss, I ducked my head so my curled hair obstructed his view of my face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He replied without hesitation, he tucked the chunk of hair behind my ear, and I could feel my heart beating as if it was working its way out of my chest. "Where do you wanna go first? Anything you were looking forward to?"

"I'm most excited for the fireworks tonight, but I wouldn't mind going to see the petting zoo." I answered, avoiding his gaze like it was my day job.

He nodded. "Cute animals it is!" His arm dropped from my shoulders, his hand brushing up against mine. He didn't grab it though, and judging by the way he kept his palm facing mine, he was waiting to see if I would initiate anything more intimate.

I bit my lip, took a deep breathe to try to calm down a little. Jeeze, it was just hand holding, not like the world was ending. Or that I was agreeing to marry him. Well, I guess, this could lead to marriage. I felt my palms begin to sweat, and I shook my head of the thought, snatching his hand with mine.

Maybe it would lead to something more, maybe it would end in flames, either way I wouldn't know if I didn't try. Right now, his hand felt so warm, and big in mine, and I don't know, it just felt right. That's right, walking amongst the pedals of the Sakura Festival hand in hand with my best friend felt right.

A/N:

Sorry this was a tad late, I have surgery scheduled for Monday and I spent Friday prepping for it instead of writing. Sorrynotsorry.

I know I said that this was going to be the last chapter, but I suck at gauging the duration of story arches sooooo, now there's one chapter left? Maybe? Probably.

Going to also post a really sad oneshot today so look out for that loves!