He was nine, she was seven.

The two girls kicked around a pinecone in the wide backyard. The blonde exchanged glances with the blunette next to her. "What should we do, Wendy?" the blonde one asked.

"I dunno," the blue haired one responded. "Saturdays are so boring."

"Well, then make it fun!"

The two girls looked around, only for their gazes to meet nothing. Suddenly, a pink haired boy swung out of a tree he was climbing in and he flashed a toothy grin.

"Natsu!" Wendy said. "Don't scare us like that."

Natsu jumped out of the small tree and onto the ground. He picked up a branch and pointed it at the blonde. "See, like this, Wendy. Make it fun!" He then looked at the girl he was pointing at. "I challenge you, Lucy Heartfilia, to a duel!"

Lucy's brown eyes were wide, as she was held at 'swordpoint'. Then she grinned as well. "Okay, Natsu," she said. She picked up a stray stick off the ground. "I accept!"

They clashed branches. Wendy stood, watching her older brother and best friend swordfight. "Come on, Wendy!" Lucy shouted.

"But don't you think it's a little too violent?" she asked timidly.

"Aw, please," Natsu shouted. He looked at her with a goofy glance. "It's fun!"

Lucy then poked his belly with her stick. Natsu, in turn, clutched his stomach and pretended to keel over. "She's killed me!"

Lucy preformed a victory dance. "Haha! I win!"

And that Saturday was the best one yet.

She was ten, he was twelve.

"Lucy!"

Grandine warmly welcomed Lucy into their home. Lucy pardoned her intrusion when Grandine responded, "Don't be silly, Lucy. You're adopted into our family. Come in whenever you feel like it."

Wendy rushed into the room. "Lucy-chan! Are you excited for our movie marathon?"

"Of course!"

Wendy pulled her best friend upstairs to their movie loft. Natsu was putting a CD into the CD player, for they were all going to watch LOTR together. (the little nerds they are, yep)

"Do we got the popcorn?" Lucy asked.

Natsu held up a big bowl of popcorn. "Yes ma'am!"

"Then let the movie marathon start!"

.

.

.

A couple of hours later, the three were snuggled up on the couch.

Natsu looked beside him at Wendy, who looked like she was about to cry because of one of the character's deaths on screen.

The pinkette saw that Lucy noticed too, who was sitting on the other side of Wendy.

'She's totally crying', he mouthed.

Lucy giggled, then quickly covered her mouth and checked if Wendy heard. She didn't, so Lucy mouthed, 'yeah, and I don't even like this character.'

'Don't be a hater', he responded.

Lucy rolled her eyes. 'oh, be quiet'.

Natsu snorted.

Grandine then came in with more popcorn. "Do you guys need more?"

She then saw the two laughing silently with each other. "Ooooh," she began, catching the kids' attention. "All we need is for Lucy to marry Natsu and she'll really be part of the family."

And the two turned red.

She was twelve, he was fourteen.

Wendy and Lucy were sitting around a campfire in the Dragneel's backyard, roasting marshmallows.

The girls were chatting, giggling, and Wendy was about to eat her marshmallow when Natsu came in and plucked it off.

"What are you weirdos doing?" he said, his mouth full.

"Natsu!" Wendy said. "Stop! Why are you here anyway?"

"Football practiced ended early."

Wendy huffed. "Then why aren't you hanging out with your friends?"

"Those losers are all busy."

Lucy watched, slightly amused by the siblings' argument. She kinda tuned out after a while and stared into the fire until Natsu said, "Okaaaaaay, then," and he turned to Lucy. "Do you wanna know who Wendy likes?"

Wendy turned beet red. "If you do that, I'll tell her who you like!"

Lucy, amidst all this, felt deeply offended. "WENDY!" she shouted. "How come you never told me who you liked?"

Wendy looked at her feet. "Well, you don't really know him."

"So?"

"It's Romeo!"

Natsu blurted the name out, and Wendy was infuriated. "Oh yeah? Natsu likes Lisanna!"

Lucy recoiled, overloaded with everything that just happened. "I think I've seen Romeo around the neighborhood once or twice," she started. "And Lisanna? I know her! She's really nice and I met her during summer camp last year!"

Natsu had a slight blush on his cheeks. "W-well, Lucy, now that you know, you have to swear on your life you can't say anything."

Lucy rolled her brown eyes. "You don't trust me? I'm offended."

"I do, but…shake on it." Natsu extended his hand.

Lucy took it. They promptly shook, and Natsu sat back, relieved.

"Soooo," Lucy said, resting her chin on her palms, looking slyly at both of them. "You both have a little explaining to do."

She was fourteen, he was sixteen.

"Merry Christmas!"

Lucy stood on the front porch, the cold air biting her nose. Grandine immediately ushered Lucy inside. "It's cold out there! Come in!"

"Thank you," Lucy said. The girl then presented the blue haired woman with a plate of cookies. "This is for your family!" she said cheerily.

"Oh, you didn't have to!" Grandine said. "Here, sit down, I'll make some hot cocoa real quick."

"Also, I have a present I want to give to Wendy. Is she here?" Lucy asked, looking down at a nicely wrapped package.

Grandine sighed. "Oh, she isn't. She's at a Christmas party, but she should be back pretty soon. But-yes, Lucy, I think you left your jacket in our backyard last week."

"Alright," Lucy said. She set the present on the table and then opened the back door. Cold winter air blasted in her face and snow fell softly.

"Oh, Natsu!"

The rose haired male looked at Lucy. "Hey, where'd you come from?"

Lucy laughed. "From the planet Mars, nice to meet you. What are you doing?"

"Collecting firework for the fireplace," he said. He bent down to pick up another chopped log when he spoke up again. "Oh, yeah, Lucy….uh, can you talk for a second?"

Lucy plopped down on the ground and smiled. "Of course, Natsu. What is it?"

Natsu walked over beside her and sat down, putting the firewood down. "Well, uh-"

"The stars," Lucy suddenly interjected. "The stars are so beautiful."

Natsu looked over at Lucy. Her eyes were filled with this incredible wonder, a look that was indescribable. And in that moment, Natsu blinked and realized what Lucy really looked like, from a perspective where he didn't see her as a little sister.

And his breath was taken away.

"Sorry," she said, smiling. "What did you want to talk about?"

Her blonde hair was adorned with snowflakes, and a pink scarf bundled her up. She had a cute blush that dusted over her pale face, and warm chocolate brown eyes that held pure love.

Natsu blinked again, and that perspective was gone. He just saw Lucy as a good friend, the other little sister that's always been around.

But for some reason, he liked both.

Natsu shook his head to clear his mind. "Yeah, uhm.." he started. "You know how I like Lisanna, right?"

Lucy nodded. "Yep, and I don't know why you aren't going out yet."

Natsu sighed. "That's not the point." He glanced down. "But… she told me she feels like she's not good enough…that she's lonely…"

Lucy looked at him, concern in her eyes. "Oh no, is she okay?"

Natsu shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know how to help her, because I've never really felt that way before… So I was wondering if you knew how to help me comfort her."

The blonde girl had a slight pout on her face, as remorse for Lisanna. "Well," she said, thinking about it for a little while. "You always always ALWAYS want to make her feel included. Make her feel important, talk to her. And compliment her. Don't force it, or else girls think you're lying to make her feel better."

The pink-haired male cocked his head slightly, wondering how she just knew all this advice. But soon, his eyes widened in realization. "Don't tell me that you've…"

Lucy stared at Natsu with a sad smile on her face. "Yeah, I've felt that way before, but hasn't everyone?"

No…Natsu thought. Not really…

"It's just…" Lucy sighed, her voice trembling in the slightest. "I haven't really told anyone, but my dad's kind of a jerk."

Natsu then knew why Lucy got all those bruises on her leg.

"And he's been like that ever since my mom died, about seven years ago."

Natsu knew about that, but barely. But all he felt was mad. He was mad at Lucy's father for making her like this.

"So…" Natsu said softly. "How do you do it?"

Lucy looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Huh?"

"How do you keep on smiling?"

Natsu stood, as if to prove his point further. "I…I never knew! You're always so kind and pure and helping others, but I never knew how you felt! And now, I feel like crap for never noticing…"

He trailed off, but the anger in his heart remained. He was angry at himself for not helping her. But he also felt admiration, for the girl who managed to smile through it all.

Lucy stood too, to try to meet his gaze. "It's fine," she responded, a smile gracing her lips. A smile. Out of all things, a smile. "I've actually managed to move on. The funny thing is, I don't really feel anything!"

She forced a small giggle to try to lighten the mood. But soon, a tear fell out of her eyes. The another. And another.

"Eh?" she questioned, wiping away the tears with her jacket sleeve. "Ha, what…what is this?"

Natsu couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her into a hug, Lucy's head up against his chest.

Sobs racked through the blonde's body, tears soaking Natsu's shirt. They wouldn't stop. She felt his strong arms securing her, and he smelled like a comforting scent of cinnamon and smoke.

That night, she let it all out. All of her hurt. The painful memories of her parents, the utter loneliness, and the sorrow.

And the hurt of giving advice about love to the one she loves.

.

.

.

A couple months later, Natsu was hanging around with his group of friends as Lucy and Wendy chatted to the side.

"Colleges are already sending me a bunch of ads!" Natsu exclaimed. "I don't really know where to go, though."

"Go to a sports college, duh," Gray said.

"Yeah, cuz, football." Gajeel added, crossing his arms.

"I dunno, I might be a little too lazy for football," Natsu commented, grinning sheepishly. Then he looked at Lucy. "What do you think, Miss Genius?"

Lucy looked up at the mention of her name and Natsu came along, pulling both her and Wendy into a choke hold. "Lucy is already getting college ads 'cuz she's taking really genius classes," he metioned.

"Wah, stop!" Lucy said, embarrassed. "I'm not that smart."

He snorted. "Oh, please. You're smarter than me."

The two, ever since that night, have acted totally natural. Up to doing the same things, laughing, and nothing was awkward. But it wasn't forgotten. Natsu had took Lucy's advice, and he's applying it alright.

For her.

Lucy choked back a sob as she held her best friend in her arms.

The two were still fourteen, and Wendy was moving to Hargeon.

Tears pulled at both of their eyes. "Well, I guess this is good bye, for now," Lucy said, a slight tremor in her voice. She flashed such a bittersweet and loving smile that made Wendy want to burst into tears.

Natsu stood, watching everyones' families say their goodbyes. He was going to miss this place, too. He had to leave all the friends he'd managed to make over the years. He was going to miss Erza, Mira, Gajeel, Lisanna, and heck, even Gray.

And Lucy.

Lucy, that blondie who was his little sister's best friend. That blonde who was the closest to him out of all Wendy's friends. The girl he accidently shared his secrets with. The girl he respected and admired. The girl who was only like a little sister to him. Right?

Right…

Once the two girls were done crying their hearts out, Lucy came over to Natsu to say goodbye.

"Well, bye, Natsu," she said with a sad smile. "Have fun in Hargeon!"

And there was that familiar sparkle in her eyes.

And in that moment, he knew that he couldn't leave her.

Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of emotion rushed through his body, tying a knot in his throat. The realization that they were actually leaving everyone, leaving her, behind, forever.

"Well, this is good bye, huh?" he said casually with a grin, forcing a lighthearted tone trying to keep his cool. But it was no use; Lucy saw through it. Sometimes, she was just too pure-hearted.

Lucy then pulled the sixteen year old male into a hug. Natsu was caught off guard with the sudden gesture. He quickly responded and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smelled like vanillas and strawberries.

They pulled away after a few seconds, and she had tears in her eyes. But she kept a smile on her face.

Lucy whispered something that Natsu couldn't quite catch. Then she directed her attention to Wendy once again, and Natsu found himself almost reaching out to take her back.

"Wendy," Lucy said, taking the other girl's hands into her own. "We're still going to attend Fiore University, right?"

Wendy nodded. "Of course."

Lucy laughed. "I'll meet you in four years, then."

Shortly after that, the Dragneel family loaded in their car.

Wendy was crying a river.

They waved goodbye through the windows.

And Natsu thought he saw Lucy, who was holding it all in, let a single tear roll down her cheek.

And right then, Natsu made up his mind.

I'll see you at Fiore University.

College was lame.

Natsu had his backpack slung over his shoulder, fuming internally about all the essays he had to write. Plus, it was only the second week of school. He didn't even know why he got accepted into Fiore University anyway. Or why he even applied, for that matter.

And then that painful memory came back.

For Lucy.

He ran a hand through his hair as he walked across the campus of the university towards his dorm. If it was his third year, wouldn't it be Lucy's freshman year? He knows Wendy got accepted, but Lucy…

"Natsu?"

The said male turned at the sound of his name.

And it was that blonde girl.

Lucy ran towards him and flung her arms around his neck. Natsu hugged her waist and spun her in a circle, grinning like crazy. Bystanders observed the two as if they were a couple, and a few girls sighed at the cute reunion. Natsu heard, but he didn't really care.

He set Lucy down. "Lucy Heartfilia!" Natsu began. "You're really here,"

Lucy giggled. A sound Natsu had missed. "And so are you," Lucy said. "But you came here? I thought you were thinking about applying to a sports college,"

Natsu shrugged. "I dunno, just felt like coming here."

Lucy smiled. "I'm glad you did, then."

The two caught up with each other, laughing and talking. They ended up going to a small café off campus for an hour, and were headed back to the dorms when it started pouring rain.

"Okay, good! Wendy was right, I did need an umbrella!" Lucy said gratefully, puffing out the umbrella and shielding them both from the raindrops.

Natsu listened to each words she said, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. As they continued talking and walking towards their dorms, he knew she was acting oddly. Before he could think it through, the question left his lips. "Are you okay?"

Lucy stopped. She looked at him with a confused look, before sighing. "You know me so well, Natsu." She cleared her throat, and continued:

"Um…my dad passed away three months ago."

She let her response out, shrugging. "I've just accepted it now, and you know? I don't feel sad…or anything, really."

"Lies."

Lucy gave him a look of confusion mixed with surprise as his voice meant he was dead serious.

Natsu gave her a stern look with his dark onyx eyes. "Don't lie to me, Lucy Heartfilia. You have too much of a heart to not care."

She blinked a few times. It took a few long seconds before she responded. "You're right," she finally said, her breath catching in her throat.

"I… miss him…I miss my parents, Natsu!"

Lucy looked straight ahead, trying with all her heart not to let the tears spill over. It was a sign of selfishness and weakness, her mother used to say. But Natsu had stopped. She turned around to check what he was doing when he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her towards himself.

Within moments, Lucy felt Natsu's lips on her own. She was surprised, but melted into it, her head spinning. The umbrella was laid on the ground and the two kissed in the rain, not caring about anything else.

"I love you, so so much," Natsu said quietly when they broke away. "I'm so sorry for not even noticing how you felt all these years."

"I love you too, Natsu," Lucy replied, blushing profusely but smiling genuinely. "I have, ever since I was seven. I even said so when you moved away, didn't I?"

So that's what she had said.

"I fell in love when you challenged me to that duel all those years ago," she said. She bent down and picked up a stick covered in mud then pointed it at Natsu.

"So, I challenge you, Natsu Dragneel, to a duel!"

But she kissed him instead.

So how was it? Was it okay? Personally, I liked it.

But anyway, I hope you liked it as well!

Now pardon me as I slave into the night with last minute homework .

BYEEEE

-Inksomnia