March

A year and a half. He's been gone for a year and a half now. Lucy sits at the bar, staring at nothing, idly stirring her coffee like she does every morning. Like she has been doing for the past year going on two. Day 547, she thinks, letting her eyes close. He had taken one of those hundred year quests. He'd taken Happy with him, too, but left her behind. He said that it would be too dangerous, that he can't lose her, but what if she doesn't want to lose him? Did he even think about that? Probably not. That idiot rarely thinks of anything other than food and fighting, She wonders where he is.

What's he doing?

Is he alright?

Is he happy?

Does he look different?

Sound different?

Act different?

She hopes he's still himself. She hopes he isn't hurt.

"Good morning, Lu-chan!"

Lucy turns to see her best friend, a large grin—almost too large to even be possible—plastered on her face. "Hey, Levy-chan."

The bluenette plops down beside her with a wistful sigh. A smirk finds its way to Lucy's face when she spots a red-ish blotch just below her friend's ear. "What's this?" She asks, knowing full well what it is.

"Um…well that's uhh…" The solid-script mage stammers, blushing a dark red.

Lucy's smirk widens. "So how's Gajeel?"

"Lucy!" Levy exclaims, covering her face.

"Well?"

"He's…he's great? I guess?" Her face reddens and she hides it behind her fingers. "I just…I just can't believe that…that he'd…I just don't…wow…"

Lucy laughs. "You really like him, don't you?"

Levy grins at the counter top. "Yeah…"

A bittersweet smile toys at the corners of Lucy's mouth. She takes a sip of her coffee. "I'm happy for you."

"Levy must notice the tone of her voice because her smile falls. "He'll come back."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he always does.

June

Three months pass. No sign of him. No one's heard from him since he left all those months ago. Lucy begins to doubt that he's alive. It's like he's dropped off the face of the earth without so much as a single hair left behind. Not a single trace of him anywhere. In all the time that she's known him, he's never disappeared like this. Ever.

Lucy sits at the bar , staring at nothing, idly stirring her coffee like she does every morning. Like she had been doing for almost two years now. Tomorrow's the first day of summer; his birthday. The day Igneel picked for him. She knows this because it came up in a conversation a while ago.

May

It's been three years.

She's still waiting.

July

Day 1277, Lucy thinks. Three and a half years. She doesn't bother to buy coffee anymore. She never drinks it, anyways. She can think of many things—sexdrugsalcohol—that people usually resort to, but none of them would even come close to filling the empty void he left. Lucy lets her head fall against the counter, a loud bang resonating out from the wood. She groans—albeit softly—and sits up, rubbing her forehead. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. No one really asks what's wrong anymore, either. Everyone knows what's wrong. Everyone knows they can't help. Everyone knows she won't let them if they try.

It's pointless.

Everyone knows that.

There's only one person who can possible help her, but he's been gone for three and a half years.

August

It's the first time she's cried in a long time. She's sitting at the bar when Mira asks her is she's alright, and she just…breaks down. Erza's holding her now. She knows what Lucy's going through. She been there, done that, but Jellal came back. Jellal's here because he recently joined Fairy Tail. They're together now. They're happy. Lucy feels like a horrible person for being so painfully jealous of them; of how he is when he's with her and vice versa. It makes her sob harder and clutch onto Erza's shirt when she sees Jellal glancing sympathetically at the scene from across the room.

Lucy knows he doesn't deserve her tears, but she gives them to him anyways.

December

It happens four months later. Lucy's sitting at a table with Erza, Jellal, Gajeel, and Levy, just making idle conversation. The guild doors swing dramatically open, a tall silhouette in the doorway. When her eyes adjust to the sudden sunlight, her breath hitches.

It's him.

He's here.

He glances around the guild, unsure, as if he doesn't know whether he belongs here. Gray's the first one to stand up. "Natsu…" He says, almost breathlessly.

Natsu looks different. He's taller—almost as tall as Elfman—and his face and jaw are angled and sharp, not round and kind of childish like they were before. His muscles are more defined and he's wearing different clothing, too; worn semi-ripped jeans with a black tank top that fits tightly—but not too tightly—to the frame of his torso. He flashes his trademark grin—even more breathtaking than she remembers.

"Hey, Snow-cone. Didja miss me?"

His voice. God, his voice. It's a deep, rumbling baritone rather than the cheery tenor. It makes her insides twist into knots and her breath catch in her throat.

"Why you—!" Gray begins, but Erza silences him. She rises to her feet, flicking her crimson hair over shoulder, and strides over to meet him. "Natsu," She greets formally.

"Hey," He drawls.

"Well? Did you complete the job?"

His face breaks into a grin as he holds up a massive bag of jewels. "You betcha! It was a tough one, though. The sonuva bitch nearly killed my client." He says good-naturedly, but his tone is somewhat guarded and cautious.

Erza smiles warmly and pulls him into a hug, just about surprising everyone in the guild.

"It's good to see you," She says, "You look well."

Natsu hugs her back after a few moments. "Likewise. I missed you guys."

Erza lets him go after a while. Lucy feels her heart stop when he locks gazes with her. The pure joy in his smile nearly knocks her right out of her chair as it stretches across his face. She stands. He rushes towards her and wraps his arms around her waist like a vice, spinning her in a circle and burying his face in her hair. She squeals in surprise and holds onto him for dear life. His carefree laugh fills the air, the rumble of the sound resonating from deep in his chest. He suddenly freezes with a wince. Lucy cradles his face in her palms and frowns.

"Natsu…you're hurt."

He shakes his head. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

She moves the strap of his tank-top to find something that looks like an old stab wound. "Natsu…" She says softly.

He sets Lucy down and tilts her face towards his with his thumb and index finger. His hands are so warm. "Luce, listen to me. This is nothing I can't handle. The guy had a knife. It was inevitable." His voice is so…assuring.

She believes him.

She always does.

"Inevitable," She muses, trying the word on her tongue. "Big words, Natsu. Don't strain yourself."

He grins. "Learned a few tricks while I was gone."

She laughs and wraps her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest. "I missed you so much,"

He's shocked by her words. She can tell by the way he stills and holds his breath. She doesn't let go, though, and soon he's hugging her back.

January

Lucy finds him out on the balcony, twirling a glass of wine, seemingly mesmerized by the way it moves with the swaying of the glass. He's quiet; calm. It's strange.

"Hey," She starts, "Don't be a stranger. What are you doing out here?"

He takes a sip of the beverage and hums responsively.

"Ne, Natsu. What's wrong?"

Finally, he turns to face her. Her heart skips a beat—fluttering like a caged bird in her chest—when she sees him. She can't get used to his appearance. He's clad in khaki colored jeans and a pin-stripe dress shirt. In all honesty, he looks ravishing. Good enough to eat.

He grins. "Nothing. Just needed to get some fresh air. It's pretty packed in there, yeah?"

She leans on the railing next to him in her low-cut dress that seductively hugs her curves and stops about mid-thigh. She thinks she sees his eyes flick down to her outfit, but she could be imagining it. She hums thoughtfully in agreement. He takes another sip of the red wine and his face pinches a bit as if the taste bothers him. He shakes his head and exhales loudly.

"Do you even like wine?" Lucy asks incredulously.

"Not really. It's bitter, but it goes down smooth. It'd be fantastic wine if I liked the taste. Mira offered me some, and I didn't want to be rude or anything." He scratches the back of his neck and grimaces slightly at the ground.

Lucy sighs. She knows that he's still worried about what everyone thinks of him. She knows he's a bit confused as to where he stands in the guild; if he's still considered family or not.

"Oh, give me that." Lucy orders, snatching the alcohol. "You don't have to drink it if you don't want to."

He smiles gratefully as she takes the drink from him, but looks kind of surprised when she drains the entire glass in one go. He's right, though. It is good wine, and it leaves a pleasant burning in her throat after she swallows.

"Wow, this is good stuff," Lucy says thoughtfully.

"That's what I said."

"I know."

He laughs, and it makes her stomach twist. "Ne, Natsu."

"Hm?"

"The countdown's starting! Together, right? Like we usually do?"

"It is New Year's tradition," He smirks. Lucy starts.

"…Five!"

"…Four!"

"…Three!"

"…Two!"

This night can't be more perfect. He's here. He's perfect. He's amazing. He's—

—Kissing her,

His lips are soft and gentle, which surprises her. He's warm, too. She has to stretch up on the very tips of her toes to respond. Lucy's arms wrap around his neck as he pulls away. He rests his forehead gently against hers and chuckles quietly. Probably because of the color of her face.

"Happy New Year's, Luce," He breathes. His breath smells of wine and citrus as it fans across her face. Maybe she spoke too soon.

February

It's ruined. Everything's ruined. If that stupid alley cat hadn't barged in, none of this would've happened. All of the other chocolates are perfect.

Except for his.

People will worry if she doesn't show up soon, so she doesn't have time to make him another one. Why did she decide to make chocolate from scratch? Why didn't she just buy it like a normal person?

Oh, right.

Because she's an idiot.

Lucy plops down in a chair at her dining room table. He's going to be mad. He's going to hate it. How could she be so careless?! She had one shot at this. One. And she still managed to screw everything up.

Lucy glances warily at the clock. Time to go. She gently places Natsu's burnt chocolate in the heart-shaped box and ties a decorative bow around it to keep it together. She then fills a bag with Valentine's Day treats for all the guild members.

The walk to Fairy Tail is nerve-racking. Her brain keeps conjuring up different scenarios, each ending in rejection. Maybe she's being dramatic. Call her crazy. Lucy hesitates at the doors to the guild. Here goes nothing. She pushes them open, the noise of the guild instantly flooding her ears. She grips the bag of chocolate tighter and takes a deep breath.

"Luce! Hey, Luce!"

She feels strong arms wrap around her waist and lift her from the wooden floor, spinning her in a circle. He smells like campfire smoke and chocolate, and she finds herself smiling against her will.

"Natsu, put me down!" She says, not really angry. She hears him laugh, and he sets her carefully back on solid ground. She scowls at him and he grabs her wrist, pulling her towards a table.

"Look!" He says excitedly. "Look at all this chocolate I got!"

She smiles at his childlike excitement. "Half of it's just wrappers."

"Yeah, well, I already ate most of it, but it was really good!"

Lucy feels her pulse quicken considerably. Oh, man. She's going to be the only one to give him horrible chocolate. She contemplates not giving him any, but how would he feel getting chocolate from everyone but his best friend?

Hurt.

Angry.

Offended.

Sad.

Maybe even embarrassed, and she would feel guilty, so that's obviously not an option. She sees that he's gone back to stuffing his face with candy, a blue exceed stationed on his head, munching happily on a fish. Alright, it's time to go.

She walks around the guild, handing out her chocolate to various guys. She calls Loke over to give him his, she gives one to Gajeel, to Jet, Droy, Elfman (who comments about her chocolate being "manly" and how she's such a "man" for making it herself.), Freed, Romeo, Laxus, Bixlow, Macoa, Wakaba, Nab, she even gives one to Master. Lucy pulls out another box and approaches Gray, who sits at the bar in only his underwear (of course).

"Good morning, Gray," Lucy says brightly.

"Oh. Hey, Lucy," He grins. Lucy hands him the box and he takes it, a surprised look on his face. "For me?"

"Of course! Happy Valentine's Day!"

He opens the box and studies the chocolate. "Wow, thanks. It this homemade?"

Lucy nods. "Yeah! Made it myself."

He pops it into his mouth, chews, and swallows.

"Mmm, these are really good, Lucy." He says, eating another.

"Gray!" Cana calls. "Put your damn clothes back on!"

He jumps out of his seat, nearly tossing his chocolate into the air. "What the—ah, hell! When did that even happen?!"

Lucy feels a glare burning into the back of her skull. She turns around slowly, already ware of who the livid gaze belongs to. She sees Natsu, but he's grinning at her. Even so, she knows that he's jealous and angry. Mostly jealous. Really jealous. She's realized that Natsu is extremely possessive and overprotective; a quality that can be both endearing and extremely irritating. Lucy goes to sit across from him and his grin widens.

"Where's mine, Luce?" He says, tone light and joking.

Lucy gulps and pulls the heart-shaped box out of her bag, handing it to him. His eyes brighten considerably.

"Wow! Thanks. Luce!"

He opens it and takes the large chocolate heart out of the decorative box, staring at it in fascination. "It looks so good, I almost don't wanna eat it!" He laughs. "Did you make it?"

Lucy nods nervously. He takes a monstrous bite out of the gigantic, milk-chocolate heart (his favorite), closing his eyes with a hum of appreciation. Lucy clasps her hands in front of her, hiding her face behind the pleading gesture.

"I'm sorry! I'm really, really, really sorry!" I was cooking, and I lost track of time, and it was in for too long, and I'm so so so sorry that I burned your—!"

"You mean you didn't do that on purpose?"

Lucy freezes. "…what?"

Natsu looks at her for a moment and bursts out laughing, slamming his fist onto the table.

"What?!" Lucy repeats, her guilt suddenly dissolving into anger. He wipes tears from to corners of his eyes, sighing happily.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy," He says, shaking his head, "Don't you know that things are so much better when they're burnt?"

Wow. That makes so much sense. He's a Fire Dragonslayer. He burns everything, so why wouldn't he like burnt food? He even eats fire for God's sake! She feels stupid. She got herself so worked up for absolutely no reason whatsoever. The thought makes her join in on the laughter. They sit there for what feels like forever just laughing, and it's making her cry, and her stomach hurts, and she can't breathe, but she doesn't care because it feels so right just sitting here, like this, with him. Suddenly, he's standing and leaning across the table, brushing strands of golden, blonde hair out of her face. His fingers dust across her cheekbones, flushed with color and life, pulling her towards him, and he bites his lower lip. She doesn't know if it's a conscious thing or not, but she finds it incredibly enticing. Then, those lips capture hers, and she instinctively wraps her arms around shoulders, toying with the wisps of rose-colored hair along the nape of his tantalizingly lean—and strangely…elegant—neck. She feels him smile against her mouth and she laughs. He leaves a series of chaste pecks on her gloss-coated lips as he pulls away, playfully kissing the tip of her nose. She giggles girlishly.

"Silly, Lucy," He smiles fondly, "I'll love anything you give me."

April

Torrents of rain pour from dark gray clouds, drumming a soft rhythm on the roof of her apartment. April showers, alright. She sighs and falls back on her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. She hasn't seen Natsu for a few days, and it worries her. She had gone to the guild for a while, too, and the sudden typhoon had thoroughly soaked her clothing on the way home. She had then showered, changed, eaten a bowl of ice-cream, and written a bit before getting bored and just giving up on finding things to entertain herself with. Lucy stares at the ceiling, hands clutching the pillow. She closes her eyes and breathes slowly, calmly, clearing her mind, relaxing every muscle in her body and just letting the quiet soak into her skin. It's quite peaceful, laying here in complete—

—What's that noise?

It sounds like a soft knocking on the door. She doesn't even know anyone capable of doing anything quietly except maybe Wendy, but she's been sick, and it's quite late. Lucy slowly gets up and creeps over to her door, pressing her ear against the smooth, finished wood. There it is again. Definitely someone knocking on her door. She wishes she still had the door with the peephole that are on most apartment doors, but Natsu had broken it in half in one of his excited rampages of destruction to convince her to go on a job with him and Happy. Since she had been low on money—Natsu had destroyed half the city and pay for damages so she was left with zero rent money—, she had to settle for another door on the cheaper side. Well, if it's a serial killer, she guesses she's screwed. She slowly opens the door to peer out in to the hallway, only to find the one and only Natsu. He is absolutely drenched, water dripping the tip of his nose, hair and clothing plastered to his body. He's shivering, teeth chattering loudly.

"Natsu?" Lucy asks, obviously surprised.

His arms are wrapped around himself, shoulders hunched against the cold. The way he stands makes him look scared and vulnerable. He stared at the floor with a blank kind of empty expression. She doesn't like it. She's never seen him like this, and it worries her.

"…Natsu?" She repeats slowly. Still no reaction. He just stands there, shaking like a leaf, a puddle of frigid rainwater forming underneath of him. Lucy grabs his wrists and tugs him forward until he's past the doorway, so that she can slam the door behind him.

"Hold on," Lucy sighs, "Let me get some towels."

He doesn't reply. She wasn't expecting him to. She returns moments later to find him exactly how she left him. She watches as he hugs himself tighter, tucking his chin to his chest.

"Natsu. Hey, look at me."

Nothing. Lucy sighs and sits him down on the couch, tossing the towel over his head. She gently starts to rub the water from his hair in absolute silence, but this kind of quiet isn't peaceful. It's suffocating and so thick that you could cut it with a knife. It's uncomfortable and unnerving; the kind of silence that just doesn't happen between her and Natsu. He suddenly hunches forward, face in his hands. She stops drying him, then, furrowing her brows in confusion. It's the first time he's really moved on his own since he got here. His shoulders tremble in a way that she knows isn't from the chill of his rain-soaked clothes. He exhales shakily, as if to calm himself down, but a soft sob escapes his mouth. That startles Lucy, He's...he's crying? Natsu is crying?! It's absolutely heartbreaking. She pulls the towel off his head, his hair still dripping with water.

"Natsu. Natsu, look at me." She prompts gently, wrapping her fingers around his wrists to pry them away. "Please, Natsu."

He shakes his head, trying in vain to pull away.

"Natsu…" Lucy breathes.

He lifts his head—slowly revealing his face—and she almost wishes he hadn't. Her breath catches. He looks so…so broken, so distraught, so…not himself. Lucy is instantly hugging him, cradling his head to her collarbone. His arms wrap around her, clutching at the fabric of her clothing. His damp hair soaks the shoulder and chest of her shirt as he buries his face in her neck, but she can't bring herself to care. She just sits there, holding him, but it's strange because he's usually the one comforting her. She's the weakling, the cry-baby, the pampered princess playing dress-up. It's him who holds her in her times of need, not the other way around. It makes her happy—in a bittersweet kind of way—that he came to her. It makes her feel…honored. She feels kind of flattered that—of all the people he could've chosen—he walked through the pouring rain to her apartment. Not Gray's, not Erza's, not Lissana's—hers. Lucy feels his breath even after a while. He draws in a shuddering breath, and then he's still—quiet; just holding her while she holds him. He sighs into her neck and hugs her tighter.

"Natsu?"

His responsive hum is quiet, almost non-existent, but she hears him.

"…What happened?"

She feels him tense. Damn her. She's a horrible person. Just when she calms him down, she just has to ask that horrid question. It's probably the worst possible thing to say at a time like this.

"He's dead, Luce."

His voice scares her. It's hollow, and it sounds so…broken; so full of despair that it hurts her.

"Who, Natsu?" Lucy asks gently.

"Igneel" His voice cracks. "Igneel's dead."

Dear God. God, this poor boy. His real parents abandon him, and now the only father he's ever known, the father he hasn't seen in eight years, is gone, too.

"I saw him, Lucy. I saw him," His voice is angry now. "He was—some son of a bitch killed him. Hunters. God, Luce, I just…It's not…I just can't, I can't, Luce. It hurts. I haven't seen him in forever, so why does it hurt this much?"

Lucy pulls his face from her neck, gently cradling it in her hands. He looks so fragile. His emotions are written all over his face and there are so many of them. Hurt, anger, sadness, confusion, betrayal, and it kills her to see him this way. She wants to see him smile again. She wonders if his smile will ever be the same; so full of hope and determination and happiness. He covers her hands with his own, tightly lacing their fingers together.

"Are you going to leave me, too, Luce?" His voice is barely a whisper in the quiet room. He looks so sad, so…scared. It makes her angry. How could he ask that? She yanks her hand away and slaps him across his face. Hard. The force turns his head to the side. He looks shocked, one of his hands coming up to gingerly touch the red mark forming on his cheek.

"Don't you dare say that." Lucy growls. "Don't you ever accuse me of doing something like that. Natsu, you know I would never do that."

He tucks his chin to his chest, and it kind of looks like he's scared. Of her. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't—"

"I'm not going anywhere, Natsu."

He smiles faintly.

"I know."

May

They have a funeral for the dragon two weeks later. Natsu doesn't cry, doesn't speak—he doesn't really express anything, but everyone that knows him can tell that he's in pain. The loss of his foster-father had his abandonment issues lurking just beneath the surface. His friends cry for him since he can't seem to do so himself. No one says anything. They stand in silence in front of the blank headstone. They didn't dig a grave. There's no point if there isn't a body to bury. Natsu inhales slowly and grimaces at the rock that marks his father's grace. Lucy sniffs and feels a tear run down her cheek. She covers her mouth with her hand to stifle any noise, screwing her eyes shut. She feels a hand on her face and looks up to see Natsu brushing a tear away with his thumb, the rest of his fingers nestles in the curve of her jaw under her ear.

"Why are you crying?"

Lucy laughs a bit and wipes her eyes. "I honestly don't know."

He smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't cry, Luce." Natsu takes her and laces their fingers together, squeezing her hand. She squeezes back reassuringly.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asks softly.

"I'll be alright," He says, brushing his lips across her knuckles. Lucy hums appreciatively.

"He was great. I wish you could've met him." Natsu whispers.

"Me too."

Natsu smiles sadly. "He would've loved you."

August

He smells the ocean before he hears the waves. It's salty with a hint of fish, the warm smell of sand and sun and sunscreen flooding his nose. He's always love the smell of the beach. He finds it…comforting. He closes his eyes, head tilted upwards, and inhales slowly, painting a picture in his mind with the smells dancing through the summer air..

"You okay, Natsu?"

He opens his eyes and looks down at Lucy. "I'm great."

She smiles and takes his hand, lacing their fingers together. She treats him like some kind of fragile bird—a damsel in distress—always checking on him, most conversations filled with direct and/or subtle are you okay's that she probably thinks he doesn't she notices. It irritates him, but he'd never tell her that. He knows that she's just worried about him. He squeezes her hand, leaning down so that his mouth is close to her ear. "Really, Luce. I'm perfectly fine."

The sand is hot when his feet sink into it. Natsu digs his toes into it and watches the waves crash onto the shore. Seagulls bicker loudly, casting shadows across the beach as they fly overhead, and children laugh and squeal, chasing and splashing and building sand castles. He looks out over the horizon, the ocean practically calling him.

"Hey ice-cube," He says suddenly."

Gray turns to look at the fire mage. "Whaddaya want, flame-brain?"

"Last one to the water faces Erza's wrath."

Gray smirks. They both take off towards the waves, but Gray slows to a stop half way there.

Natsu looks back at him, kicking up water as he runs. "What's wrong, Ice Princess? You scared?"

"As if," Gray scoffs. "But you should be."

"Hah!" Natsu laughs. "Well it looks I w—!"

A huge wave smacks him in the back of the head, shoving him under the water and into the sand. It scratches at his skin and the current grinds him into it. After a few moments of being tossed around under the water, he rolls up onto the shore, just laughing. The kind of laughing that makes his stomach hurt. Lucy leans over him, an amused look on her face.

"You okay?"

Her blonde hair curtains their faces, its fruity scent the only thing he can smell. He shoots her a grin and she helps him to his feet. He promptly shakes his hair out, spraying everyone in a five foot radius of him with an array of water droplets.

"Ugh, Natsu!" Lucy shrieks.

"Oops! Sorry Luce!" He laughs. She smiles, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Natsu frowns.

"…Lucy," He says slowly, "I don't like that look."

Her grin widens. Lucy scoops up a handful of water and sends it in his direction. The sea water splatters his face. He quickly closes his eyes, mouth set in a grim line, droplets of ocean dripping from his nose and the ends of his hair. He blinks a few times.

This means war.

His mouth slowly spreads into a devilish grin that could give the Cheshire Cat a run for his money.

"You should have done that, Lucy," He says slowly, voice dangerously low. Her eyes widen. He practically sends a tidal wave her way that's—even though dives—impossible to dodge. It leaves her completely drenched. Her eyes narrow.

"You," She growls. A full on splash-battle breaks out between the two teens. They sprint across the shore-line, waves licking at their ankles. Lucy runs up onto the dry sand, Natsu not far behind her, but before she can reach Erza's protection (he guesses she would seek safety in the barbaric requip mage), he scoops her up and slings the blonde over his shoulder. She shrieks in surprise, limbs flailing in an attempt to free herself.

"Natsu!" She screams, "Put me down!"

He doesn't reply, just grins, and continues his march towards the ocean. She pounds her fists into his back, yelling and ordering him to put her down, you pervert! As they near the water's edge, Lucy freezes.

"Natsu…" She says slowly, "You better not be doing what I think you're doing."

He cackles evilly and tightens his hold on her. She resumes flailing then, twice as frantic as before.

"Natsu!" She says, drawing out the "u" in a whinier voice than he thought possible.

He suddenly grabs her under her arms, knee-deep in the salt water. He swings her out in from of him and she screams, but instead of tossing her into the ocean, he spins her around, laughing, her arms circling his neck. He wraps his arms around the small of her back when she starts yelling at him, and he winces at the volume. She needs to shut up.

He can arrange that.

He kisses her, instantly cutting off any protests or witty insults. She's smiling when he pulls away.

"You're an idiot," She says.

Natsu grins. "Your idiot."

She laughs.

He really loves her laugh.

December

"Brr…" Lucy shivers. "It's freezing."

Natsu wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side. "Hm. Smells like snow."

"You can smell snow?" Lucy says incredulously.

"Mhmm. It smells…I dunno, clean?"

Lucy laughs at the ways he crinkles his nose in thought and scoots closer to him. He's so warm. He's like a walking space heater, heat radiating off of him and soaking through the countless layers of clothing she wears.

"You're so warm." She breathes.

"I know," He grins. "My body temperature is higher than normal."

She didn't know that. She looks up at him. "Really?"

He nods, and—just as he predicted—a single flake of snow floats through the air and lands right on his nose.

"Whoa…" He says, and stops walking. In all honesty, she thinks it's adorable; the way he goes cross-eyed to look at the snowflake, and she watches it, too, as it melts a split second after it touches his skin.

It's snowing visibly when Lucy refocuses on their surroundings, and they stand there; unmoving. Natsu angles his face towards the sky, mouth open, catching little dots of ice on his tongue. She watches the little trail of steam as the temperatures conflict. She never noticed how long his eyelashes are. Flakes of snow cling to them and his hair, making him look…angelic, in a way. She's never noticed how light they are, either—almost white. She removes his arm from around her waist, earning a confused look from the dragonslayer. She just smiles at him and laces their fingers together. He squeezes her hand and smiles at the clouds.

Her heart clenches. She knows this feeling. She's read about it in countless books and heard about it in so many conversations with girls at the guild. She's had plenty of boyfriends, but she's never felt like this. She loves him. She loves Natsu. Lucy smiles wider at the thought.

"Lucy, we're here," Natsu says, breaking her train of thought.

"Oh, right."

He opens the doors and freezes. The entire guild goes silent.

Wait a second, what's going on? Mira's smile is widening by the second—to the point where Lucy feels like it's going to jump right off of her face and maul her—and Lucy feels like she's walked right into a trap. Natsu gives her a strange look. His brows are furrowed in…what was it—confusion?—and hislips are pursed in thought as if he's…torn between whether to do something or not. As if he's deciding whether said-something is a good or bad idea. It's a look no one sees often—one he doesn't wear often—and Lucy wonders what's causing him to make it. He turns to face her, the conflicted look still adorning his face, but slowly, very slowly, it melts into a grin. One she knows all too well. His fingers ghost across her jaw-line to the back of her neck, and suddenly he's kissing her. In front of the entire guild. Kissing her. When he pulls away, his mouth settles into a lazy grin, and he gestures upward with a jerk of his chin, hand sliding from her skin to his pocket, fingertips catching on hers as they slide down. Of course. It makes so much sense when she looks up.

Mistletoe.

March

She's tired. God, she's so tired. Her limbs ache, everything aches, and she wants nothing more than to just lay down and give up, but she can't. Her breathing is ragged by now, and her magical power is too close to gone for comfort. Lucy pauses, staring down her opponent, sizing her up. She's strong—too strong, Lucy's come to realize. Her opponent is a requip mage. Not as fast as Erza, but fast, nonetheless.

Everything happens so fast.

A yell.

Her name.

Her opponent pulls her arm back. A sword flies through the air, and Lucy braces herself. It's the end. She screwed up. No going back. It's done.

Nothing happens.

Lucy opens her eyes just as a figure jumps in front of her. Blood splatters on her face. Her eyes are glued to the blade jutting out of the man's back, tinted red. He makes a noise of pain. Who is it? She looks up to see salmon colored hair.

No.

"…Natsu?" She says quietly. He doesn't reply. She vaguely realizes that her opponent is getting away, but she doesn't care. Lucy puts her hands on his shoulders and turns him around to face her. His face looks frozen in shock. It's strange, no; surreal, to see the sword handle stabbed through his chest. His beautiful onyx eyes flick up to hers, wordlessly searching her face. His hands grip the sword handle that's stabbed through his chest, knuckles white, face pale. He coughs and a hand flies from the weapon to his mouth, dark crimson now seeping through the creases in his fingers. His eyes screw shut—his depthless, obsidian-like eyes—and he hunches forward slightly. Lucy goes to catch him and he slumps onto her. She hugs him to her, feeling the warmth of his blood soaking the front of her shirt. His face is pressed into her shoulder, staining the fabric red, ragged breath humid against the skin of her collar bone. There's so much blood everywhere, and it won't stop.

"Luce."

It's so quiet that she barely hears it.

"Out. Get it out," He manages through tightly clenched teeth.

She doesn't know if she should or not. She doesn't know if she can.

"Lucy! Gray, I found her! Is everything alright? Are you hurt?" It's Erza. Her voice holds some relief. Then it hits her. Compared to him, she's unscathed. He sacrifice himself for her. To save her. He's always saving her. She's not strong enough. She's too weak. She's useless. Her eyes sting, glassy with tears. Even now, she can't be strong. She feels one slip down her cheek. Natsu stirs. He slowly leans away, cradling her face with shaking hands—stained with his own blood—and smearing red across her cheek bones, but she hardly cares. She covers his hands with her own. He smiles, that breathtaking, sad heart-wrenching smile that's tearing her apart from the inside out. His smiles falters, and he coughs again, bright red spilling from his lips and down his chin.

"Don't cry, Luce," He says, voice cracking. Lucy hears a gasp from behind her. Erza kneels beside the dragon slayer, and Lucy feels Gray grabbing her arm, pulling her away.

What's he doing?

She needs to be with him. She needs to.

Of course, she resists. She tries to push him away, to get back to Natsu, but Gray hugs her to him, pressing his face into her hair and holding fast while she beats her fist against his broad chest.

"Lucy, stop," He says quietly, "She's helping him."

"No!" Lucy screams, "I need to help him! He was saving me! It's my fault!"

"Lucy, stop. Please." Gray says, pleading with her.

"But I need to…he's…Gray, he's…is he dying?" The words slip out without her wanting them to. Gray's tightens his hold on her. She feels him inhale slowly, feels the way his chest shudders when he releases the breath. His jaw clenches. She feels the muscle taut against her scalp.

"I don't know."

Natsu

It hurts. It's a blinding agony. Her face is there, but then it isn't Where'd she go? Then Erza's face comes into focus. She looks angry, but her expression softens.

"Oh, Natsu…" She breathes and hugs him. If he could hug back, if he knew where his arms had gone, he would. The blade shifts and he gasps, body reflexively lurching forward. Pain sears though his abdomen. He feels like he's being torn apart. He looks down to see Erza's hand around the handle. No. No. He doesn't want the sword out anymore. He doesn't want any more pain. He finds his limbs in that moment, that moment when she rips the serrated blade from his chest cavity, and he screams, bloody fingers clutching at the torn fabric that covers her back. He feels it—his blood—draining from his body, soaking his battle-damaged clothing, the dirt, her hands; everything. It's pooling around him. It won't stop. Erza seems to realize this—the severity. He feels light-headed. He needs to see her. Just one last time.

"Luce," He breathes. His chest feels tight, like something is squeezing his throat, constricting his breathing.

"What?" Erza says quietly, "I can't hear you."

"Lucy," He says, louder this time. Natsu isn't positive of what communication goes on between the two, but he's suddenly on his back, two sets of hands pressing into the wound, making him grit his teeth. Lucy appears above him, eyes rimmed red and glassy from unshed tears.

"Why, Natsu? Why?" She says in a pleading, desperate voice. It makes his heart clench painfully. His mind is foggy, and he can't seem to remember how to form words. His mouth opens to speak, but instead, he coughs, dark red oozing down his chin. He can't breathe. He's drowning in his own blood.

He's dying.

God, he's going to die.

Lucy's hand is on his cheek, gently stroking the skin there. All he smells is copper and he can't feel anything other than the searing pain that's tearing apart his insides. Is this what it feels like to be on fire? Is this what burning alive feel like? If it he's, he's sorry. He doesn't want anyone to feel this kind of pain, even if they deserve it. He tries to speak again, struggling for breath.

Gray is frantic and panicked when he speaks. "He can't breathe!"

"You think I don't know that, Gray?! We need to stop the bleeding!" A woman says. Erza, he realizes a split second later. Everything is blurry, and the edges of his vision are black. He doesn't realizes his hands are clutching at Gray's shirt (he idly wonders why it's still on the ice-mage's body) until he feels the fabric between his fingers. He pulls Gray towards him. Natsu's airways clear for a moment, and he gasps desperately for air.

"Make it stop," he pleads, voice barely audible. It hurts. God, it hurts. The pain is so intense that he'd almost rather be dead. He can't feel his limbs anymore, and the fabric slips from his grasp.

He's staring at the sky now.

It's so blue.

Has it always been so blue?

He doesn't know, but it's so…captivating. So bright. And vivid. It's so quiet and peaceful, and the pain slowly ebbs away, warmth replacing it. He feels his heartbeat, a pulsing throughout his entire being. It's a strange feeling; feeling his own heart tire and slow. The sky is blurry now. All he can see is that brilliant blue. His breath is loud, blending with the pounding of his heart. He can feel the organ struggling, fluttering weakly in his chest like a caged bird. It goes still. He can't hear it anymore.

He breathes.

Once;

Twice;

Then the brilliant blue is gone.

The sky is gone.

Then there's nothing.

May

"…been weeks…ake up?"

"—on't know…oon."

"…long time…"

"…yeah…miss him…"

"—e too…"

June

He hears voices, but they're distant; like voices from a conversation that he's not really paying attention to. He can't make out any words; just broken bits of sentences. Feeling floods through his limbs like ice through his veins; a cold washing over him. It's a strange feeling—one that he's never felt before, but it's not unpleasant. Not that it's necessarily good either. He cracks an eye open and instantly shuts it. Too bright.Way too bright. A groan slips from his mouth, and the voices stop. He hears a voice—maybe a girl's—forming a short sentence with some sort of inflection at the end. A question; he knows that much. He feels something—maybe a hand—on his forehead, smoothing his bangs out of his face. The voice speaks again.

"Natsu?"

Natsu. That's his name, isn't it? It means summer.

"Lucy," Another voice says. "I don't think he's awake yet."

What are they talking about? He's awake! He's definitely awake. He can hear them. Doesn't that mean he's awake?

"Did you hear the noise he just made?"

"Just because he made a noise doesn't mean he's awake. Give him time, Lucy."

Lucy. The name makes his chest clench.

"…Lucy."

He likes the shape of her name, the way it rolls off of his tongue, the way the syllables flow like water; all of it. Her name is sweet and rich, and warm like the sun. Like summer. The hand cups his cheek, gently stroking it with their thumb.

"Natsu, are you awake? Open your eyes. Can you hear me?"The voice is soft and gentle; like a lullaby. He wants to reply. He wants to answer her so badly, but he can't remember how. Another voice replaces Lucy's. It's sinfully sweet and gentle, like a mother. At least, what he thinks a mother would probably sound. He's never had one before.

"Natsu, sweetheart. Can you open your eyes?"

Sweetheart? Huh. That's new. Open his eyes? How does he do that again? It seems like an impossible feat. Open your eyes, Natsu. It's not that difficult.

Sunlight. He sees sunlight. He hears sighs of relief around him.

"Natsu?" It's Lucy again.

His eyelids honestly feel like a thousand pounds. It's really hard to keep them open. He feels tired and sluggish, and…drunk? That's not it. Whatever. How does he talk? Think. All that comes out of his mouth is some kind of groan akin to that of a zombie. Well that didn't work.

"Can you look at me?"

He slowly turns his head to the source of the sound. It's her. Lucy. She's here. He really just wants to hug her and kiss her until he disappears, but he can't move.

"Luce, I—."

God, that sounds awful. His voice is hoarse and extremely unused. His throat is raw, and his mouth feels like some shade of death—all dryness and sand. He coughs shortly and tries again.

"Really wanna hug you right now," He croaks. He sounds like a frog.

He's gently helped into sitting position, and he gasps, pain crackling along his nerves. Arms wrap around him, holding him tightly, and he buries his face in a neck, the scent wafting from the skin so distinctly Lucy that he kind of wants to cry. It's overwhelming; the emotion he feels right now. He loves her. He loves her, and he's missed her so much that it hurts. It hurts more than being stabbed in the—well, maybe not that badly, but it's a close second.

"I missed you," She breathes into his hair. Can she read his mind or something? He wraps his arms around her waist, tapered fingers splayed flat against her shoulder blades.

"That's not fair," Natsu mumbles against her skin.

She pulls back, confused. "What? Why?"

Natsu smiles. "'Cause I was s'posed to say that first."

June (several weeks later)

One does not simply keep Natsu occupied for a few hours. It just doesn't work that way. His attention span is too short to focus on anything for more than a half-hour, and even that's pushing it. He is probably the most hyperactive person she knows, and she knows a lot of hyperactive people.

Lucy steps out of the shower, frowning at the change in temperature. She goes to reach for her towel, but her hand is met with air. It's not there…? That's strange. She always brings her towel with her when she goes to shower.

Shit.

She left it draped over her headboard. How is she going to get that? She slowly cracks the door open, peering into her room. The coast seems clear. Lucy bolts from the bathroom, glancing wildly around her room for her favorite fluffy towel.

"Hey, Luce? Where are you—?"

Lucy screams and quickly crouches, covering all she can in those crucial seconds. She looks up to see Natsu, hands over his eyes with a deep red color crawling all the way across his angular cheekbones to the tips of his ears. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thinks that his embarrassment is quite adorable, but she's mostly focused on the fact that she's naked and he's in her house. She feels her face heat up and hugs herself tighter. He looks so tall. Has he always been so tall?

No.

Focus, Lucy. Get your towel.

Easier said than done.

Natsu

He thinks it's a good idea; to go to Lucy's house. He goes there all the time. Maybe now that they're…well, he doesn't really know what they are. More than best friends, that's for sure, because he doesn't think the title "best friend" includes make-out sessions on said-"best friend's" couch. On various occasions. Sure, he's dense. He get's that, he really does. Dense, yes. But stupid? No. Natsu Dragneel is not stupid. Naïve? Ignorant? Maybe, but he's probably as far from "stupid" as you can get. Well, maybe not the farthest, but pretty far, to say the least. He definitely couldn't beat Levy in a battle of book smarts, that's for sure. He gets to Lucy's house around noon. She should be awake, right? If not, he guesses he can take a nap. She shouldn't mind. And with their new-found more-than-best-friend status, maybe she won't get to angry at him. He jumps swiftly through her window, landing with an almost nonexistent thud.

"Hey, Luce! What're you—?"

He hears a scream. Right in front of him is a surprised and very naked Lucy. She crouches so quickly that he shouldn't have been able to see anything, but his eyes have always been unusually keen. Everything about his is absolutely, mouthwateringly perfect. There's so much skin. It looks so smooth and soft, and she smells like pomegranate and some kind of soapy smell mixed with vanilla. It's intoxicating, and it makes his head spin. The skin that she usually shows with her everyday outfits is nothing compared to this. He feels his face heat up, and he slaps his hands over his eyes as fast as she had crouched, if not faster, but the image of her is burned into the backs of his eyelids. God, he's never going to look at her the same again.

Play it cool, Natsu. You didn't see anything.

"Um, Natsu?" Lucy says hesitantly. Her voice is laced thickly with embarrassment .

"Y-yeah?" He replies.

"Can you hand me my towel?"

"Uh," He blurts stupidly, "Where is it?"

"My, um, headboard," She mutters.

"Yeah, sure."

He's smart. He really is, so he turns around before opening his eyes. He spots the towel and snatches it, holding it out to her while looking the other way. He feels her take it, the weight of the cloth leaving his hand. Of course he just has to picture her in the towel, how the beads of water cling to her hair and skin—God, her skin—and the way she glares at him through those thick, long, black lashes of hers, lips pursed in a scowl, dark chocolate eyes like liquid fire, and the way the towel clings—no. Stop. Stop it , Natsu. He feels the blush on his face darken. Damn it. Damn it all.

"Natsu, you can—uh—turn around now," She says, jerking him from his thoughts—thank God. He does so, noting that she is—in fact—fully clothed. Granted, he knows she still has to fix her hair.

"Ah, man," She sighs, " I still have to dry my hair. The words are out of his mouth before he even realizes what he's saying.

"I can do that for you."

Idiot.

She quizzically arcs a neatly plucked eye brow. "Do you even know what a hair-dryer is?"

He scoffs. "I'm offended. Yes, I know what a hair-dryer is. I just don't use one."

She frowns "Air dry?"

"Nope," He replies, smirking, "I use these." He wiggles his fingers for emphasis. She doesn't get it at first. When it finally dawns on her, she points an accusing, manicured finger at him.

"No! No way! I'm not going to let you burn my hair!"

"I'm not going to burn your—!"

"You burn everything."

"I'll be gentle," He says, "I promise,"

He doesn't know why he's so determined to get her to agree. Why is drying her hair something he just has to do? He's never wanted to dry her hair so badly before. Actually, he's never wanted to dry her hair at all. Why is it so…important all of a sudden?

She studies him for a moment.

"Geez, Luce. Don't you trust me? Besides, you'd look even weirder with no hair. But…maybe it would make you lighter so Happy could carry you…" He doesn't know why he loves getting her all worked up. She's…cute when she's angry. Getting smacked around is definitely worth seeing her all flustered. Well, his comment sure did the trick. He can almost feel her rage.

"God, you're such an idiot! I do not look weird, and I'm not heavy! I can't believe you have the nerve, the audacity to—!"

"Luce, just let me dry your hair."

She huffs, shooting him an icy glare. "Fine." She plops down in a chair. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Natsu shakes his head. This isn't weird. You're drying her hair. That's all. Just…drying her hair. Nothing more. He runs his heated fingers gently through the strands of blonde hair, reveling in the texture. It's like…silk. His fingers catch on a small tangle, and she winces.

"Sorry," Natsu says quietly. Lucy hums responsively. He continues to thread his hands through her hair long after it's dry. They just…glide so smoothly. Her hair is like spun gold, and it's so soft; softer than Happy.

"Are you done, Natsu?"

Her voice startles him and he jumps. "O-oh, right. Yeah."

She stands , smiles, and kisses his cheek. "Thanks."

He nods and falls backwards onto her bed.

"So what do you want to do today?" Lucy asks.

He thinks. Hasn't she been wanting to do something? Damn, what was it? He frowns in thought. It started with a "d." Dot? No…dinner? Oooh, dinner sounds nice right—focus. Right.

Oh.

Ohhh.

Oh.

" How 'bout we try one of those…date-things." He says, propping himself up on his elbows. He knows what a date is. He's not completely inexperienced when it comes to women. Hard to believe, he knows. He has been on a few in his teenage years—er, now, he guesses, since he's technically still in his teenage years. Nineteen. That counts, right? If it doesn't, it should. It has "teen" in it, so…whatever.

Lucy looks very confused. "You…want to take me on a date?"

"Yeah!" Natsu grins at her. Her disbelief intensifies.

"Really?"

Natsu smirks. "Ya know, Luce. I'm not as stupid as you think."

"I never said you were stupid!"

"Clueless?"

"I—you! You just—it's not—damn it. Maybe a little?" She says, pinching the air with her fingers. He just laughs.

"Alright, alright. Maybe I have no idea what I'm doing, but…what the hell? It could be fun, yeah?'

Lucy smiles brightly at him. "So where are we going?"

Crap. He has no idea as to where to take her. Quick; think of something romantic or…sweet to say.

"I dunno, where do you want to go?" He counters. Uhh…say something else. Something…more-than-best-friend-y. Yeah. "'Cause anything's fun when you're there."

Score.

He watches the words process, and her smile widens. God, he loves her smile. It—yes, he knows it's really mushy—brightens his day. Honestly, it does. It's contagious, too, and he finds himself smiling right back.

"Well…" Lucy begins, a dreamy look in her eyes. "There's this really nice bookstore…"

Books? He should've seen that one coming. He doesn't really like reading all that much, but he doesn't necessarily hate it. Erza made him read a few "classics", and some if them, he actually enjoyed. Others? Not so much. He found that when he absolutely had to read, he enjoyed suspenseful things; horror novels. Authors such as "Stephan King" tended to be his favorites. Things like Pet Cemetery and Duma Key tended to pique his interest more than Wuthering Heights ever did. Reading isn't really a habit, and he isn't about to make it one. But…if that's where Lucy wants to go, he'll drag his sorry ass down to that bookstore regardless of his opinion of reading. Call him whipped, but it's true.

"We can grab some lunch afterwards, if you want."

Or…she can bribe him with food. That's always a sure-fire way to get him on the bandwagon. He's not sure why she still thinks she had to bribe him, though. She should know that—sadly (or is it?)—he'll run to the moon and back for her. He'd eve ride a train (yes, he did just say train) across all of Fiore if she was there. With all these mushy thoughts, Elfman would really hate him right now, that's for sure.

"Lunch sounds awesome. I'm starving." Natsu grins.

"You're always starving," Lucy scowls, but she catches the hint of fondness in her voice.

The bookstore actually isn't that bad, aside from the fact that he accidentally knocks down three book shelves. He thought it was cool. He tried to show Luce how cool it was, too, how it looked like giant dominos, but she just got angry. When he'd told her that they were "just books", she's fumed and hit him a few times. Other than that, it wasn't so bad. Sure, his head hurts a bit (he doesn't know how she turned a book into a damn weapon), but that's nothing lunch can't fix.

Natsu picks the place he knows is her favorite—he practically knows everything about this girl—and an…usher? Yeah, maybe that's right. Well, the usher-guy leads them to their table. It's an outdoor table by some garden that smells really nice. He inhales, drinking in the scents clinging to the air. Lavender, maybe? And maybe some…hell, he doesn't know what any flowers are called, let alone match them with their scent. He only knows lavender because Lucy had some lavender shampoo at one point in time. Wow. Okay. He really is whipped, isn't he?

Ah, hell.

Their lunch is really great, though Lucy checked her watch from time to time. That doesn't really bother him, but it does make him curious.

"Ne, Natsu," Lucy grins, "That was good, wasn't it?"

The sun momentarily blinds him for a moment when he leaves the shaded area, and he squints in her direction. "Yeah! It was delicious."

"I'll pay you back sometime."

Natsu just laughs.

Lucy frowns. "What?"

"Pay me back," He repeats, but it's more of a statement than a question.

"Um," Lucy says, "Yeah. Pay you back."

He tilts his head in question. "Now, why would you do that?"

She frowns harder.

"Because it's…polite?"

Natsu shakes his head with a tsk, draping an arm around her shoulders and chuckling. "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy." He scolds. "Do you understand the concept of 'taking a girl on a date?' You don't make them pay. That's not polite."

She looks surprised for a minute, but then smiles warmly, stretching up on her toes to give him a chaste peck on the mouth. "Don't know how I found someone like you."

Funny, how she steals the words right out of his mouth. She check her watch again.

"Ne, Natsu. Why don't we go to the guild?"

He frowns. She mirrors it. "What?"

"The guild?" He questions, "Why?"

"Why not?" Lucy shrugs. "Don't you want to see everyone?"

"Well yeah, but…"

"But what?"

"Ehh, nothing. Let's go!" He can't tell if she's hiding something or not, but what would she have to hide? He takes her hand, earning a smile from the blonde. He grins back.

The walk to the guild is pleasant and filled with idle chatter and laughing. It's a hot day, and the sun beats down on the back of his neck. The sky is a bright cerulean blue, not a cloud in sight, and there's a slight breeze that carries the scents of the town through the air and eases the relentless heat. It's a perfect day. They reach the guild doors and Lucy slowly opens them. Everything's…dark? That's weird. It always has at least ten people inside. Even Mira's nowhere to be seen.

"Go on," Lucy urges. He hesitates. He smells people. Really fresh, too. Lucy gently pushes him and he obliges, the clicking of his shoes echoing off the walls o the seemingly vacated guild hall. The lights suddenly turn on.

"Surprise!"

Natsu is honestly shocked that he didn't jump right out of his own skin. His heart stutters in his chest, and he sucks in a surprised breath. He can tell that his eyes are wider than usual and his pulse is racing.

"Mavis," He exhales. "You nearly gave me a heart-attack."

The guild erupts in laughter and cheering and they crowd around him. Mira pulls him into hug, which he gladly returns. "Happy birthday, Natsu!" She grins. He freezes. Wait…

Birthday? Is it the 21st already? The first day of summer. Wow. His own birthday slipped his mind. He forgot his birthday. How does that even happen?

"My, God," Natsu breathes. "I'm twenty. That's really weird."

Mira hugs him tighter. "My little Natsu's growing up!"

Natsu grimaces at that. He's not really one for that kind of thing. "Mira!" He whines. "Get off!"

She laughs and moves to the side slightly. Cana comes into view, eyeing their conjoined hands.

"Ohoho! What do we have here?" She muses, voice thick with innuendo. He smells embarrassment rolling off of Lucy in waves. Natsu looks down at their hands, too. He feels a smile spread across his face. He tries to hold it back, but he knows it isn't working. He looks back up, the lopsided grin still plastered on his face, and shrugs. He squeezes Lucy's hand. She squeezes back.

They have cake and presents; like an old fashioned birthday party. Erza buys him a bed to replace his hammock (he's been meaning to do that), Happy got him some really rare fish, Gray got him a ring made of frozen fire (that couldn't melt, nor was it freezing cold)—which he thought was really cool—and a lot more. The present from Lucy is his favorite, though. She gives him a necklace. It wasn't just any necklace. It's an ancient zodiac key. The spirit had died a long time ago, she had told him. She also said that it was her mother's

"Take care of Draco, okay?" She says when they leave the guild that night. Natsu raises an eyebrow.

"Draco?"

"The Dragon, Natsu," She smiles. "Draco, the Dragon."

Natsu grins. "You," He points to Lucy. "Are the best girlfriend ever."

Now it's Lucy's turn to ask the questions. "Girlfriend?"

"Yep."

"When did that happen?"

"When I figured out that I love you," He smiles.

She grins. "When was that?"

"A while ago."

"Well. I love you, too." She confesses, grabbing his hand.

He didn't think they'd ever get this far. He really doesn't. But he's glad that they did. Someday he'll leave, explore the world, but not today. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. He's not going anywhere. But when he does, she'll be right beside him, smiling just like she always does and he'll love her just like he always has; always will. He looks up and the night sky, and swear s he sees the outline of a dragon in the stars.

Wow, okay so that was really long. Sorry this took so long to post. I've been procrastinating for months. I'm awful at updating unless everything's typed out and ready to go. But then I'm still awful 'cause I just want to update everything all at once.

And where's the fun in that?

God, it's so late and I'm actually having trouble keeping my eyes open. You guys are lucky I love you so much. Anyways, hope you guys like this :) This is probably the story that I'm most proud of but it's so long and the typing and editing of this was so tedious. My back hurts from being hunched over the computer all day. Well, give me some prompts! Come on, I get bored in history class. I need something to do. Please, please, please REVIEW. DO IT PLEASE.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW and tell me watcha think, yeah? I think yes. GIVE ME SOME CRITIQUE. I want to know what I could've done better, what you liked, the whole shebang. I'm a review whore. I really am. They make me squeal. Thanks again, my lovelies!