"You gonna tell him?"

Lucy's eyes snapped to those of one of her closest friends, Levy McGarden. Levy's brown eyes glinted knowingly at Lucy's startled expression, Lucy's subtle jump earning her a "Tsk!" from Cancer, who promptly returned her head to his desired position. "Do you want me to mess this up, Baby?" he grumbled.

"Sorry!" she quickly apologized; pink dusting her cheeks as she lowered her gaze. She would have dropped her head had the crab not been busy styling her blonde locks. To answer Levy's pointed question, she finally muttered, "What's the point? It wouldn't make any difference if I did." Even as she said the words, her heart ached, and she gnashed her teeth together to fight the stinging in her eyes as she squeezed them shut.

"Lu," Levy chastised, moving to sit in front of her friend on the coffee table – Lucy was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. The floor was protected with a cloth provided by the celestial spirit occupied with her hair, but who was also closely paying attention to his master's conversation. "You never know unless you try. And who knows? Maybe if he hears about it, he'll do something."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Levy leveled Lucy with her gaze. While Lucy had not exactly willingly confessed her budding feelings for her partner, Levy had known they were there long before. Unlike Lucy, she sensed the dense fire dragon slayer felt something in return, even if he didn't quite understand it. Lucy just wasn't confident enough to see that. "Are you?" she challenged.

Lucy's cheeks darkened as even more blood rushed to them, and this time she covered her face with her hands. "Yes!" she cried, earning her another "Tsk!" from Cancer.

Letting the moment pass, Levy sat back, waiting for Lucy to relax as Cancer continued with her hair. Once a calm silence settled over them, she was quick to break it with, "You know it will crush him when he finds out about it from the others, right?"

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as Lucy lowered her eyes to her hands. Her left thumb trailed over the pink guild emblem on her right hand. Natsu was the reason she joined Fairy Tail. He was the reason for a lot of things – even the reason for tonight – he just didn't know that. "I can't tell him, Lev," she whispered.

Smiling softly in understanding, Levy reached forward and grasped Lucy's hand, offering her what encouragement she could. "I understand, Lu."

The relieved smile that crossed Lucy's lips made Levy's heart soar and she realized how much pain Lucy must be in to have been so down at the thought of bringing such news to Natsu. She could empathize, she couldn't imagine saying the same thing to Gajeel, although he would likely act like he couldn't be bothered… Even as these thoughts ran through her head, Cancer stepped back with a satisfied snip of his scissors. "Finished, Baby!"

Lucy's hands immediately went to her hair before she jumped up to look in the mirror. "Wow, Cancer!" she exclaimed as she turned around to check out the back. He had left half of her hair down in a style similar to what she used to wear, but had curled it, leaving it to flow down her back in loose waves. The rest was piled on top of the back of her head in loose curls. Ringlets framed her face while her bangs swept across her forehead. "I love it! Thank you!" She bounced up and down in her excitement.

"He's not going to know what hit him!" Levy cried as she checked out Lucy's new do with a wide smile. Cancer had done her makeup first, and while it was subtle – her lips shone a soft pink and her eyes were lined and covered with a delicate layer of color, drawing attention to their wide and innocent depths. Her cheeks, which easily flushed sometimes, were lightly dusted with blush. "Now let's get you dressed and get you out of here!"

A few hours later, Natsu opened Lucy's bedroom window to come inside like he normally did, curious to find the window closed until he realized she wasn't home. "That's strange," he muttered to Happy, who hovered over his shoulder. It was relatively early on a Friday night, so he supposed she could just still be out, but she hadn't said anything to him, so he had assumed she'd be home. Then he caught a whiff of something different in the air and took several deep breaths to let the scent fill his lungs. "Levy was here," he immediately picked up on her former presence. "But what's that?"

Happy also sniffed, although Natsu had a much better nose than he did. "It smells good!" he immediately answered.

Natsu turned away from the Exceed, stepping further into Lucy's apartment as he searched for the source of the smell. Happy was right, it did smell good, but he wasn't going to admit that. It was something of Lucy's, he could tell – so he couldn't admit that it smelled good. As his eyes raked across her belongings, he could tell she had been busy before she left. Clothes were scattered across her bed, but not just any clothes, nice clothes. Makeup and some perfume was also scattered across her dresser but by the smell she had decided not to use any. Thank Mavis, he thought to himself. Perfume overpowered his sensitive nose and often tickled him and made him sneeze. A chair sat peculiarly in the middle of the room, similar to how it would when Cancer cut his hair or worked on Lucy's hair. "Was she doing something today?" he asked Happy, looking at the Exceed from over his shoulder with a furrowed brow. His memory was notoriously bad.

Happy shrugged. "She didn't say anything to me."

Now things really didn't feel right and Natsu had to fight to keep the hair on the back of his neck from rising. It suddenly felt wrong that he was there without her, that her things were so half-hazardly left about without thought – something so unusual for her since she was always so neat. She had been stressed or anxious or excited, he couldn't quite tell which. The only thing that kept him from bolting from the apartment and tearing the city apart in search of her was the distinct lack of the scent of fear or tears. So whatever had been going through her head had had her nervous, but not scared which meant she was more than likely all right. Regardless, he was suddenly filled with the overwhelming need to see her and make sure she was okay. Moving back to the window he simply called, "Come on, Happy!" before jumping back to the street below them. They would go to the guild. If she wasn't there, someone there had to know something.

When Natsu burst through the doors of the guild, Levy cringed but kept herself from looking over her shoulder. She could tell it was him by the way the doors flew open, crashing into the walls so hard the building seemed to shake. No way! Does he know already?! She panicked internally, but Mira simply winked at her from behind the bar, settling her nerves. Some.

"There he is! Where have you been, Fire Ball?" Gray shouted.

Erza, who sat between Levy and Gray, calmly took a sip of her drink, trying to enjoy the last few moments of peace and quiet while they lasted. Her eyes closed as though closing them could keep out what was about to come.

"At Lucy's," Natsu answered immediately. Levy flinched and downed her drink in an attempt to hide it. Thankfully, Natsu wasn't paying attention to her. "Do you guys know where she is? I haven't seen her all day."

They did. In fact, they knew exactly where she was.

"It's like she's been avoiding you," Gray answered, a glint in his eye that hadn't been there before.

Natsu looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Why would she be avoiding me?" he snapped.

Erza sighed, putting her drink down with a heavy hand before she turned around. It had long ago been decided that she would be the one to break the news to him. Not only would he take it better coming from her, but she was also better suited to handle his reaction, should there be one (and everyone other than Lucy was expecting one). Levy turned to the side so she could see the fire dragon slayer's expression, but didn't want to risk fully facing him and drawing attention to herself. "She's on a date, Natsu."

Natsu's mouth fell open and he gaped, blinking at Erza several times before he shook himself back to the present, his face breaking into a smile as he scratched the back of his neck. "Whew! I was worried there for a second!" The others stared at him, their mouths agape in disbelief, until his face fell, his hand sliding limply from his neck to hang at his side. "Wait, what do you mean she's on a date?"

You mean he seriously doesn't get it? Levy asked herself, her own mouth falling open in disbelief.

"I mean she's on a date. It's exactly what it sounds like." Erza wasn't reproachful and wasn't harsh in her words, but she wasn't sugarcoating it either. Levy was grateful for that. Sometimes the band-aid just needed to be ripped off. Regardless, Erza was keeping a wary eye on the fire dragon slayer.

The air around them grew warmer, but the only one to comment on it was Mira, who uttered a soft, "Oh!" before she blushed and smiled it off with a wave of her hands. Levy sweat dropped.

"She's," Natsu hesitated, his eyes squeezing shut as he pinched his nose in thought, "on a date?" His voice was low and quiet – something very unusual for him – which set Levy's nerves on edge. The added heat in the air wasn't helping matters any.

Gray "Tsk'd" and raised his eyebrow. "What don't you understand, Flame Brain? She's out."

"With who?!" Natsu ground out, his hands clenching into fists as his eyes snapped open. Jealousy flooded through his veins like fire although he didn't understand that that's what he was feeling. The air around him rippled from the growing heat.

Bingo! Levy cried inwardly and tried not to smile as Natsu's eyes quickly scanned the guild for any missing members.

"That doesn't matter," Erza waved his question off. She was still sitting on the barstool, her elbows braced on the bar behind her, one leg crossed over the other. She looked incredibly relaxed given the volatile wizard she was addressing. Levy felt ready to spring away at a moment's notice. Gray, who also appeared completely calm, leaning back on one elbow with his legs spread, still looked more prepared for a physical altercation than Erza did, but Levy knew appearances could be deceiving.

Levy suddenly found herself dragged into the conversation when Natsu's fierce green eyes suddenly bore into hers. It was as though his physical heat came through in that gaze and she found herself blushing. "You were at her house," he accused with a pointed finger. "Where did she go?"

"I," Levy stumbled, holding her hands up in front of her.

"Natsu," Erza's voice was stern. "Don't you think you're overreacting?" she asked with one eyebrow quirked up.

"How can you be so calm about this?" he snarled.

"Because it's Lucy. We want her to be happy, Moron!" Gray argued. "Don't you want her to be happy?"

Gray's words struck Natsu like a physical blow and he actually took a step back, one arm coming up as though to ward off an attack as he looked at the Ice Make Mage in surprise. Gray looked up at him with narrowed eyes – eyes that spoke of some hidden challenge Natsu was unaware of. What the hell is going on?! His shock short-lived, Natsu quickly channeled it into anger and ground his teeth together. "Of course I want her to be happy!" he roared, his fists smoking. When the guild was stunned into silence around them, all eyes suddenly on their small ensemble near the bar, he glared at them, unable to comprehend how they could possibly be so calm. Lucy is on a date! I don't even know who she's with! She could be in trouble! Her smile and laugh flashed through his mind and he had to fight the urge to flinch from the pain that shot through his chest. He couldn't imagine her being happy with someone other than the members of their team, or was it that he didn't want to? What's this feeling? Why does it… hurt?! Erza cleared her throat from beside him, quickly bringing his attention back to her. The guild quickly went back to their own business out of fear of her. "Of course I want her to be happy," he repeated, his voice now calm and quiet, almost defeated. "I just never thought…"

"She'd do so without you?" Erza wisely finished for him. Natsu painfully dropped his gaze, her words more true than he was ready or willing to admit.

"Why didn't she tell me?" he growled, his voice low. His fists relaxed since he had no one to focus his rage on. Happy pressed his small blue paws into his shoulder to offer encouragement but he ignored him.

"Because of how you're acting right now," Erza answered, rising to her feet.

"Why?" he asked again, his voice quieter. The pain in his chest was only growing the more he thought about Lucy on a date, smiling at some other guy. She's on a…date?! Why the hell is she on a date? Since when is she even interested in going on dates?! Who the hell is she with?! His stomach felt tight, and for a moment he felt like he might be physically ill.

Picking up on the slight change in his demeanor, Erza gripped his shoulder firmly in one hand. "Natsu, think about it." She paused and watched as some of the fire left his eyes. The darkness that replaced the fire tore at her heart, but it's what the idiot needed to hear. "A girl's not going to wait forever. Lucy's been alone for a long time."

"No she hasn't!" he argued, brushing her hand off of his shoulder. "She has us!"

Erza shook her head. "It's not the same."

"Like hell it isn't!"

A dark aura appeared around Erza. How can he not understand?! "IT IS NOT THE SAME, NATSU!" she shouted, her voice reverberating through the hall so much so that the entire guild fell silent once more and looked upon the small group clustered around the bar with wide eyes. A few murmurs erupted through the crowd.

"Nothing to see here!" Mira urged them back to their own business.

"Team Natsu and being with friends is not the same as what," she struggled to think of an example that Natsu would understand. She couldn't compare them to herself and Jellal – she barely understood that herself. Comparing them to Gray and Juvia would just make Natsu angry – and Gray embarrassed, plus it wasn't the same as that. Her eyes roamed over the members of the guild until they fell upon a certain couple. "It's not the same as what Bisca and Alzack have," she finally came up with the perfect analogy.

Natsu's eyes turned to follow hers. Bisca and Alzack sat in one of the booths, Asuka across from them, coloring, while Bisca rested her head against Alzack's shoulder. He remembered when they used to deny having any feelings for each other – not that he had really taken the time to notice. Then they went away to Tenrou island and came back to find them married with a child! "Y-you're saying Lucy wants to be married and have kids?" Something deep within him both stirred and broke at that thought.

Gray laughed. He couldn't help himself. "Natsu, you idiot! Maybe some day she wants that! She just wants someone to be close to right now! Look at Bisca and Alzack minus the kid."

For once, Natsu did as Gray suggested without argument. He looked at the gunslingers from a distance, forcing himself to ignore the small child everyone felt like an aunt or uncle to. It was hard to recall a time when he didn't see them together. Funny, that's kind of how Lucy and I are… They always looked happy when they were together. Happy or… what's the word? Content! Wow! Lucy would be so proud of me for thinking of that one! The sudden turn of his thoughts put a sour taste in his mouth and his lip curled in disgust, but he thought he might understand what Erza was talking about. It was hard to see the couple when they weren't together and when they were together, they were usually touching in one way or another. Come to think of it, Lucy and I sometimes do that too… He threw his arm around her shoulders so much it was practically a habit. They sought each other out when they needed comfort for one reason or the other and every time they faced an enemy, they ran to each other, Lucy often with tears in her eyes while he inwardly panicked at the thought that she was hurt, and would embrace. He had come to really enjoy those moments she was in his arms… "I think I see," he muttered, feeling his cheeks grow warm.

"And?" Erza prodded for more.

Natsu closed his eyes, pulling his sight from the happy couple before him. "And what?"

"Honestly!" Levy finally snapped, unable to hold her tongue any longer. "No wonder Lucy had to go out tonight!"

The remaining four members of Team Natsu and Mira looked at the small bluette with looks of utter shock. Erza had almost forgotten she was there, and Natsu actually had. "What's that supposed to mean?!" he snapped.

"You were at her apartment before you came here, weren't you?" She waited for him to nod. "Then you noticed she didn't put any perfume on. You know why she did that?"

His heart squeezed his chest, but Natsu shook his head. "No."

"Because she knew it bothered you. That it made you sneeze. She went so far to say she didn't know why she even still had them!" Gray, Erza, Wendy, and Mira gasped around her. Happy smiled and Natsu simply blinked at her. "She was more stressed out about how you would handle hearing about her date than her actual date itself!"

Confused, Natsu scratched the back of his neck. "Is… that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Exasperated, Levy dropped her head back and sighed. "I. Can't. Even."

Wendy, who had remained quiet through the entire exchange, stepped forward then. "What if we go see how the date is going?" she asked innocently.

Many eyes immediately sparkled mischievously. Natsu, conflicted, shuffled his feet, while Gray was the one to keep his head. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Wendy. Taking Natsu there might prove disastrous."

"Oh, come on Ice Princess! What are you trying to say?!"

"I'm trying to say you can't control yourself when it comes to Lucy and you just might destroy everything in a jealous rage!"

Gray's assessment, while accurate, made Natsu even angrier. Rather than lash out, he folded his arms across his chest, wary of Erza's deathly stare. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you ruin this night for her I will destroy you," Erza threatened.

Natsu looked at the ceiling. "Noted."

"Then let's go!"

Surprised Erza was so willing (of course she wanted to spy on Lucy's date), Natsu immediately turned and sprinted after her, Happy, Gray, Wendy, and Levy also hot on her heels. Mira quickly passed the bar off to Lisanna and chased after them. There was no way she was going to miss this!

A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, I just love them and love to write about them. They all belong to Hiro Mashima. I hope you enjoyed this! I look forward to writing more on this so keep an eye out!