Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to Chapter A of my Natsu/Erza alphabet challenge!

Now, the way I'm doing this is that I came up with twenty-six prompts, one for each letter of the alphabet, and I plan to write one-shots based around those prompts. And this is Prompt A, as in Awestruck. So, without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter Rating: K+

Every time Erza looked at Natsu, She was awestruck.

Erza didn't know when it started. She had thought it was a fleeting feeling, born of the heat of the moment, and would die out with time. But circumstances would more often than not bring that feeling to the surface, somehow stronger than ever.

It was love, no doubt about it. Yes, she had felt love before, but she knew from bitter experience that it would only lead to suffering. Her childhood had been totally defined by love, and the betrayal that came with it. But part of her knew that this love was not something to be afraid of.

For it was love for Natsu Dragneel.

It started a long time ago. She couldn't say when, but there was something about the Dragon Slayer she found adorable, though that didn't equate love. Still, it was a place to start.

Her feelings were made quite clear when Natsu barged in on her trial, dressed in her exact likeness, damning them both to a night in prison. And what a night it was – they hadn't done anything, of course, but being around him was comforting, like the worries of the world were as far behind her as they were behind him.

Then came the fated night – the battle of the Tower of Heaven, against her first love, Jellal, twisted by what she thought was the Dark Mage Zeref. She had quickly gained the upper hand, but in the end, she was held back by love. Perhaps if she had done the deed, Siegrain would have disappeared, prompting the Council to realize something was wrong, and halt the firing of the Etherion posthaste.

But no. Her love had doomed everyone she had ever cared about. That is, until he showed up. That lovably idiot, idiotically lovable Salamander with the pink hair.

Natsu. Her Natsu. The dragon that had unknowingly become her knight in shining armor.

His simple presence was enough to shatter the world around them, if only for a moment. Just like that night they spent in jail.

He fought on par with Jellal for a time, a feat that was impressive in and of itself. After all, "Siegrain" had been one of the Ten Wizard Saints by himself, and he was only half of Jellal's true power. But that's not what awed Erza.

Natsu was only that powerful because he was fighting to protect her. For her sake, he defied the odds, went to extremes never ventured by any other mage before him, the greatest of which was eating Etherion. That power boost was more than enough to defeat Jellal and put an end to his evil ambition.

But then, the tower became unstable, which left Erza no choice but to sacrifice herself to save everyone. Of course, Natsu would have none of that, and so went in after her.

Looking back, Erza didn't know whether the vision of her own funeral was what could have been or what her subconscious wanted to believe, but Natsu was the only one who refused to accept her death. He spoke of her with the furor of a lover.

And then, she woke up in Natsu's arms. The only thought she had in that situation was that she was safe, and no one would hurt her as long as he held her close. She had only felt safe in armor before now – not even Gray could calm her fears – and that seemed to drive home the point that she was in love with Natsu Dragneel beyond a shadow of a doubt.

She had wondered if Natsu had felt the same way about her, or whether that was just his hero complex driving him. But her fears were laid to rest when, during his Etherion-induced sickness, she had asked him if everything he'd done was worth the pain and suffering he was feeling.

Natsu had smiled weakly and said, "For you, what isn't?"

Four simple words, but they had had so much meaning.

People knew for a fact that Natsu was afraid of Erza, and he wanted to surpass her, perhaps even more than he wanted to find Igneel. In Erza's mind, if there was any justice in the world, she would be afraid of Natsu, and he would be the S-Class mage that she wanted to be. But of course, the need to get stronger had been greater in her, and if she hadn't been a Tower of Heaven slave, if she hadn't felt the need to stop Jellal, Natsu would've long since surpassed her.

That knowledge only made her love him more.

Every time Natsu looked at Erza, he was awestruck.

Natsu didn't know the first thing about the fairer sex when he came to the guild seven years ago. Still, he knew for a fact that the scarlet-haired mage was truly beautiful, if not a little scary.

He didn't know what made Erza take such an interest in him, but he thanked God she did. Once upon a time, they were equals, though Erza was clearly stronger. So strong, in fact, that she became an S-Class mage within a year of his joining.

It was then that Natsu decided that he would defeat Erza, his scarlet inspiration, and prove himself worthy of her praise.

But as pretty as Erza was, the thing that made her truly beautiful was her personality – stern but kind, truly befitting of one dubbed Queen of the Fairies. She wasn't afraid to threaten force if need be, yet she never let it go to her head. To her, the mere fact that you were a member of Fairy Tail made you her equal in her eyes.

Natsu was lucky enough to call Erza a friend, but until he defeated her in battle, he would keep his true feelings to himself, though he had almost let the secret slip on a few occasions, his favorite being his Etherion-induced illness. He felt like crap during that time, but Erza's smiling face made it all worth it.

Just before the S-Class Trials, however, they shared a moment of reflection that had somehow ended with them kissing each other. It was nothing, just a soft, innocent kiss on the lips. They hadn't brought it up again, but that kiss only reaffirmed his drive to defeat her, and to prove he was someone who could take care of her.

After all, he promised he would. And he would keep that promise, come hell or high water.

I wanted to add another section about their daughter, but I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be repeated in the next chapter, B for Baby, so until then, please remember to review, fave, sub, or even all three. Until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!