7Nalu Week Day 4, here we come! The prompt for this one was "note" and honestly, I took the boring, upfront approach to it. Hope you guys still like it.
Title is from "My Love" from Sara Bareilles.
As always, comments would be highly appreciated.
Before going on with the story, I want to quickly shout out the lovely comments of Jedi Jelsa777 (You have no clue how much they uplift me!) and Amanny, who have commented on all my FT stories so far. And to Carla the Wizard: I don't know if this will reach you, but HOLY SHIT YOU PICKED UP ON THAT I'M SO HAPPY! That's who Yoko was meant for, in the end!
By the way, if anyone has questions or just wants to chat for no reason, you can also find me on tumblr under the same URL.
Now, though, finally on to the story. Enjoy!
When Lucy woke up in the morning, her bed was empty.
Theoretically, that shouldn't be too alarming, she didn't have a boyfriend, after all - but she did have a Natsu. And sure, he didn't sleep in her bed every night, but most of them, and when she had gone to bed last night he had been there, already asleep, unconsciously cuddling her when she had joined him.
The spare pillow in the corner of the bed was lacking any signs of his blue Exceed as well and Lucy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Something was going on.
When she checked the time she realized it wasn't even eight in the morning, and considering the fact that Natsu was a late riser who could probably sleep through a rock concert that made her only more suspicious. If she wanted him out of bed before ten she usually had to basically shove bacon into his open mouth, and even that was only effective around half the time.
She got up and tied her hair into a messy bun, and when she moved to make her bed she realized the window was wide open, indicating what she had already suspected: Natsu and Happy had left through the window sometime in the morning. Which wasn't a reason for her to panic, obviously, Natsu was one of the strongest mages she knew, but he was also crazy. She just hoped he hadn't conjured up another plan to surprise Erza in her sleep again, the last time that had happened the requip mage had left the guildhall in shambles.
She put on a pot of coffee and then moved to the fridge for some breakfast, but she halted in her movement as she realized that someone - Natsu of course, who else - had pinned a note to the door.
For a second, fear's cold fingers got a hold of her heart, she was thrown into the past, into the last time she found a note from Natsu - the note that had left her to live a half life for almost two years. Being seperated from Natsu - not something she was particularly eager to repeat.
She took a deep breath, trying to shake the panic that was creeping up her spine, and took the note down to read it.
Luce,
meet me at my house tonight at 6. Wear something nice!
Natsu
it said in his large, scrawly handwriting. Beneath that, Happy had clearly pressed his paw onto the paper.
Lucy blinked at the note, almost dumbfounded. She had no idea what to make of this - sure it was pretty clear on what Natsu wanted her to do, it was the whole rest that she had no idea of.
What was he doing? Was this just another one of his pranks or had he found a very specific mission again? Or was this… something else entirely?
She was still blushing as she got out the ingredients to make breakfast. She would go. And she would wear something nice. Just in case.
The day went by even slower than anticipated. Considering she was pretty sure Natsu wouldn't bother her anymore before they'd meet up later she had planned a whole lot of things to do that she normally just didn't have enough - or any - time for.
Unfortunately for her she couldn't concentrate on anything. She tried writing but found herself continuously losing her focus, unable to formulate proper sentences, let alone build a storyline to follow. She tried rearranging her closet, too, but when she'd put the shirts in the same place three times without realising she gave up on that as well.
Ultimately, she just soaked in the bathtub for far too long. She read a few chapters of her newest book, too, but it took a long time and she just couldn't get lost in the story like she wanted to.
Still, she somehow managed to pass the time and at six pm sharp, she stood in front of Natsu's cottage on the outskirt of Magnolia. She had made a compromise with herself and was wearing a nice, red dress, but had foregone any fancy makeup or hairdos.
Before she could knock, however, the door already opened and revealed Natsu - in a suit.
For a second, Lucy just stared. "Natsu?" she asked then, hesitantly. She was unsure about what to make off this situation - first that weird note that was too unspecific, now this.
The dragon slayer smiled and scratched his neck, a sure sign of him being uncomfortable or uncertain about something. "Hey, Luce. You up for some dinner?"
"S-Sure?" It sounded more like a question than an actual answer, but he didn't seem too concerned. He just nodded, closed the door behind him and led her around the house to something that could be considered the backyard. He had set up a table and two chairs opposite each other. There was a pot of pasta in the middle of the table, and the whole area was decorated with several candles.
Lucy's breathing hitched as she stepped inside. It was still light out, but the sun had almost set and she knew that in no time it would look even more spectacular. "Natsu," she whispered, in awe, and turned around to him.
"Do you like it?" he asked sheepishly, his hand on his neck again.
"I love it."
Feeling brave, she took a step forward and pecked him on the cheek, then she turned around and stepped inside the circle of candles. She had a sudden flashback as she moved, saw herself and the other girls in the guilds talking about their perfect date, and suddenly it made sense that Happy had stoically sat on their table. She had thought he was trying to get ideas to ask Carla out, but maybe... Her heart jumped in her chest when she realized, but she just tightened her hold on reality.
This proves nothing.
"That looks delicious, Natsu," she complimented when they'd both sat down. She thought he was blushing, but it was probably just the setting sun casting an orange glow on everything. Plus - this was Natsu. He was one of the most shameless person on earth. He didn't blush.
Dinner was spent with companionable smalltalk about this and that, and Lucy felt herself loosening up like she always did in Natsu's present. Not only that, but for the first time in years, she actually felt hope. It was bubbling up like boiling water, and she found herself unable to push it down. It was slowly but surely making its way to something else: her feelings for Natsu.
She'd accepted he would never reciproke them ages ago, had pushed them into a box in the corner of her mind, closed the lid and locked it with several different keys she'd all thrown away, never to be seen again. But now hope was gnawing on the locks while her feelings pushed against the lid from the inside, and suddenly, the box she'd thought had been closed forever threatened to break open.
They kept talking for a while after they were done eating, relaxed and easy. The sun had completely gone down by now, but the moon and the candles shone a pleasant light on them. When there was a lull in conversation Natsu stood up, offering her his hand. She took it with next to no hesitation and he pulled her over to a log nearby. A blanket was spread over it and they sat down side by side.
From one heartbeat to the next the silence suddenly felt heavy and the air was charged with something unidentifiable. Lucy looked up to the stars, trying her best to stay calm and collected, but her heart was racing and she didn't know how to stop it. When Natsu took her hand her breathing hitched and the box inside of her mind was holding on by a thread.
"Luce," Natsu whispered, and she turned to him almost on accident. He was already looking at her, his eyes burning against the darkness of the night sky, holding hers in a grip stronger than steel. "We've been friends for a long time. Best friends. But there's something I've been keeping from you…" He trailed off and bit his lip. She squeezed his hand, encouraging to go on, and he squeezed back, taking a deep breath.
"The truth is that I love you. I couldn't tell you because you are so damn important to me and I was too scared of losing you. But Gray and Gildarts knocked some sense into me and… This morning I just knew I had to try. Because the only thing worse than losing is to never try."
Lucy stared at him in stunned silence. Her eyes had gotten wider with almost every word and by now her mouth had joined them.
"You… You…" she stuttered, unable to find words. The box was was almost open now and its creaking sounds were so deafeningly loud she could hardly concentrate. Her thoughts were running in circles in her head and she didn't know what to do until -
Until one thing stood out blaringly clear against the jumbled mess of her mind and she just went with it without hesitation.
She leaned forward and kissed him.
The box burst open with a stream of light and the world got thrown off of its axis. The bounds of time and spaces blurred and then vanished completely, leaving her with nothing but Natsu's lips on hers and love in her heart. She was tumbling through space without control, but she wasn't scared. As long as Natsu was there she would be just fine.
When they finally separated the world slotted back into place with a satisfying click and Lucy couldn't help but smile, so widely her cheeks hurt.
"So does that mean-" Natsu started but she didn't let him finish.
"I love you too, Natsu," she said, her eyes bright and her heart full. "I have for a long time."
He stared at her, wordlessly, obviously unsure what to say, but then he just closed the gap between them and kissed her again.
Lucy didn't need the words anyways. She understood him without them.
Somewhere inside of the cottage, hidden behind the curtains, Happy looked at the scene, his smile wide. "Finally," he whispered into the silence of the room, then he turned around and flew out of the door.
The rest of the guild would just love to hear about this.
