All rights to Hiro Mashima

~ Shooting Stars Across Fiore ~

NaLu Week 2017

A/N: Happy July! Welcome to the beginning of NaLu Week 2017 (courtesy of the nalu-week tumblr). I've decided to do something a little different and post more than the 'usual' number of one-shots, so keep an eye out. I'll be posting multiple in a day.

Some of the prompts are from the 'official' list, but most of them I pulled from random words in the dictionary that gave me a little inspiration. Enjoy! -xoxo

Words

Natsu was flustered. Lucy was staring, expecting something from him with a furious scowl on her face. No matter how much he tried to speak, how many deep breaths he took or shirt hems he plucked at without making eye contact, he only stuttered at her.

Maybe flustered wasn't the right term. Anxious? His stomach was knotted enough for that. Paranoid? He tried looking for a clean exit but Lucy stood between him and the only available door in the room. Afraid? The window was starting to sound like a good option.

Natsu fiddled with the fringes on his favorite white scarf. He kept his eyes to the floor, hoping to avoid Lucy's fury. He thought it was working until the pattern of her breathing slowed and he heard small sniffles join the orchestra she made when upset.

Natsu looked up at his best friend in surprise. Her large brown eyes shone with fury but were starting to fill with tears. He watched her shed a single drop down a smooth, pale cheekbone. His fingers twitched at his side. He wanted to brush away her tears, to press his forehead to hers like they did every day and tell her… everything. But he couldn't find the words.

So he stared back, hoping his guilt and fear were obvious enough to offer some comfort.

"Are we not friends anymore?"

He almost missed it. Lucy had spoken so softly he had to strain to hear her.

"What?" he was dumbstruck.

Lucy blinked and turned her head away from him. He saw her fists clench at her sides and knew by the way she shifted from foot to foot that he would be on the receiving end of some serious hurt if he didn't watch what he said next.

"Do you… do you not want to be my friend anymore?"

"What?" he repeated and mentally kicked himself. "I-I don't want- why would y-you…"

"You've been avoiding me lately, Natsu," she spat bitterly. "I'm not blind, I can see it."

"I haven't… it's n-not what you think…" his heart was pounding. This is not what he wanted at all.

"You won't talk to me anymore and I know it's only me. You don't have any problems with Gray or Erza… I see you talking to them just fine so it has to be me."

"L-Lucy," he stammered. He felt a bead of sweat run a path down his back. He tried not to shiver.

"Just tell me, Natsu," she begged, wiping her face clear of tears. She sniffed loudly and released a small choked sob. "If you don't want me around… don't lead me on anymore."

"That's not… Lucy I…" Why couldn't he just say it? He just wanted to say how he really felt about her.

"JUST TELL ME AND I'LL GO AWAY FOREVER, NATSU! JUST SAY IT!"

"NO!" Natsu stared at her, eyes wide, surprising himself with the shout.

Lucy stared back in equal surprise. Then, after a deep breath, her brow furrowed and she turned away completely. "Fine. If you won't do it, I will. Goodbye, Natsu."

Natsu watched in horror as his best friend, the love of his life, and the only woman he wanted at his side began to run away from him.

He quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and began scrolling through his messaging application until he found Lucy's name. He had to talk to her before she cut him out completely. His fingers hovered over the keys.

He still couldn't find the words.

"Are you kidding me?" he shouted at the ceiling.

Fine, he'd show her. He pressed the smiley face in the corner that led him to the collection of stickers and emojis they often sent back and forth. In a small, unused folder at the end of the list, he opened the expressive stickers that showed a plethora of possibilities he had never had the guts to send before.

Natsu steeled his resolve. He had the guts now.

Without a second thought, he pressed on a sticker to send and ran after Lucy.

She had not gone far. Natsu found her curled up against the wall in the south wing where she had her phone tucked firmly in front of her face, staring at the sticker Natsu had sent her.

A small white cat and a small blue cat sat side by side with their tails entwined with a small heart floating between their noses. They'd sent other stickers from the set before but not this one. Never the one that flooded her screen with hearts the moment she opened the message.

Lucy turned around when she heard him approach. A soft blush dusted her cheeks and she regarded him with wary surprise as he stopped in front of her.

"Please don't run away again," he panted.

Lucy held out her phone to show him their messaging chat. "Explain."

"I-I…" Natsu coughed and looked at his feet, his face flushing. He barely managed to mumble, "I'm not good with emotional words 'n stuff."

Lucy looked down at her phone and smiled in understanding. Natsu watched out of the corner of his eye as she quickly typed something on her phone.

A moment later his own phone dinged. He looked down quickly and saw that she had sent him a message back.

Opening it he froze, stunned. She'd sent him a sticker that he'd never seen before.

Two dragons, one pink and one yellow, held hands and pressed their snouts together. Hearts flooded his screen while hope flooded his heart. He looked up at Lucy.

"Really?" he whispered.

Lucy's flush got darker when she nodded. "For a while."

Natsu grinned then and scooped her up into his arms. Lucy melted into his embrace as he pressed their foreheads together. As she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, he realized that he didn't always need words. Pictures worked just as well.