So, I had NaLu feels out of NOWHERE and started to write this story that I had in mind since a while now. And then realize it's NaLu Week on tumblr so I was fated to write this.
Anyway, title not coming from a song for once! Also, I do now own Fairy Tail.
Enjoy!
Newfound
Lucy sighed yet again.
God she hated her job.
She tried to rearranged the documents for the nth time as her boss was never happy with the way she did it. Of course, today too the fat man would be unhappy about something totally unrelated to her but still lashed on her.
Once done, she knocked again on the door.
"Watanabe-san, I rearranged the portfolio as you asked me."
The man tched and yelled for her to enter. She entered politely and gave the file to her boss.
Watanabe was a corpulent small man who was the artistic director of Magnolia's famous photography magazine "Piacevole". Lucy had found herself work for him as his assistant and secretary after she had sent her works to the company. She had thought a job in a publishing company, even not in the literature department, would help her understand what she lacked to publish her book. Yet, it was now a year and four months since she had been working there and all her drafts had been refused by the literature department. She "lacked" something, they kept saying.
It had been six months since she had last wrote something. Between the job giving her long days and her lack of inspiration, she hadn't took any time to write.
Watanabe tched again, making Lucy focus back on her present.
"You forgot one picture."
Lucy's eyes narrowed. "You only gave me five photos with their matching texts."
"There's six photos." He spatted, giving her a new one. She refrained herself to roll her eyes. Of course it was his mistake he tried to pass as hers. "A newbie the higher ups are loving. He must be at the end."
She sighed. That meant to redo everything. "Yes." She replied as she took all the documents.
"And write something about the picture. I have no text. Only the title."
She looked at the time. "Sir, with all respect, I'm supposed to go ho-"
"Done in an hour."
She bite the inside of her cheek to refrain from replying badly. "Yes."
She got out the office and sat back at her desk in a grunt. So much for getting home early.
Lucy didn't let herself beat up by the misery and took the picture in her hand.
It was a pretty picture of a sunset over a beach with what looked like the shadow of a happy family in the corner. You couldn't see their face but they gave an aura of happiness and calm. Lucy looked at the title: "Guardian".
She tilted her head in wonder. "Guardian…" She whispered. Her fingers found themselves moving on the keyboard, writing a text about the picture. After writing few sentences, she stopped. Reading back, she wondered if she had put too much of her feelings in it. After all, artistic pictures could be open to interpretation. After rereading it a couple of time, she decided she liked it and if her boss wasn't happy, he could just write it himself.
She rearranged the others pictures and texts and printed the new version. She let it in her boss' pigeonhole and escaped before he'd caught her.
Once home, she kicked off her shoes and let herself fall on the couch. She growled. She felt too tired to cook something.
She changed into more comfortable clothes and went down the street to buy take out from a small restaurant. She waited for her food there, chitchatting with the waitress that she had learned to know.
It didn't took time for her to be back to her house, eating in front of her TV. She glanced at her computer.
She took a long bath after her supper and changed into her pyjama. She opened her computer and surfed the web; going on Facebook where all her high school friends seemed so happy in their lives.
She finished by open her word processing software but she stared at the blank page two minutes before closing the computer and going to bed. She read few chapters of her current book and fell asleep, already cursing the next day.
-;-;-;-
It was another shitty day at her job. Watanabe seemed even more stressed today and kept lashing on her about random things she had to do.
Lucy soon figured out that it was the visit of one of the higher ups plus a new photographer that made him so edgy. Apparently, this new photographer was going to have a corner in the magazine.
She sighed. As if she needed someone else to take care of.
She continued to clean and arrange the library as Watanabe had asked her to do. The door of the office opened.
"Good afternoon!" Lucy exclaimed professionally before even looking who it was. She turned and saw a young man, probably around her age, with pink unruly hair. She stared a bit. "How can I help you?"
He smiled at her, a warm and really friendly smile. "Hey. I'm Natsu Dragneel. I was supposed to meet a certain Watanabe with Kobayashi at two. I'm a bit early… For once." He murmured the last part.
"The new photographer?" She asked.
"Yeah. That."
She smiled. "Ok, I'll say to Watanabe-san that you arrived. He might wait for Kobayashi-san to arrive though, before seeing you."
"Thanks."
She smiled and phoned Watanabe of the photographer's arrival. Watanabe grumbled on the phone and told to wait for Kobayashi.
"As I thought, he'll wait for Kobayashi to arrive before. So please wait here." She looked up to see that the man was looking around the office the various pictures that were hanged on the wall. "Do you want anything? Water or tea?"
He turned back slowly at her and beamed again. "Water would be great."
Lucy ignored her heart fluttering at the photographer's toothy smile and went to the small kitchenette to bring him back a glass of water.
She went back to the cleaning she had been doing. Lucy felt a bit uncomfortable feeling the man's eyes following her moves. She had been hit on before, but something in the way he looked at her made her think it was something else.
She sat back at her desk and continued to arrange some files in the computer. She glanced back at the photographer. He was looking at the pictures on the wall yet again and Lucy took her time to examine him. He was handsome, a tad boyish yet manly. He glanced at her and Lucy blushed as she realized she was caught staring.
A knock was heard on the door and Kobayashi entered.
"I'm sorry I'm late." He said in his usual easygoing manner. "We had a meeting upstairs and it took longer than we thought." He paused and looked at Lucy. "Still as lovely as ever, Heartfilia-san."
Lucy smiled. "You're too kind. I'm calling Watanabe-san right now."
She had met Kobayashi a few times. Not only he was supervising the magazine, we was also in the committee for the literature department. He had told her about her potential and he had helped her to find her current job when she had been fresh out the university. She owned a lot to him.
She made the call and with Watanabe's grumbles, she told both men to go to his office.
She let herself dropped on the chair. She hadn't much to do now and with Watanabe in a meeting, she's probably be bored by the next hour. Since the end of the month had passed, the time at work flowed way slower. Most her co-workers didn't even bother to come by at that time since they were more meeting photographers for interviews and such.
Lucy jumped as the Watanabe's door opened in a "bang!".
The photographer walked to her and stopped to her desk. "How did you know for the dragon?"
"What?"
"The dragon! The picture of the sunset with the family! Why a dragon?"
Lucy blinked perplexed but she finally understood what he meant. "I don't know. It just gave me this feeling. The sunset reminded me of a dragon. Some ancient legend talk about dragons being protectors so when I saw the title… It seemed to fit."
He gave a whole heart-warming smile. "I want her."
"Eh?" Lucy replied, not following at all what it was about.
Kobayashi went out the office, a knowing smile on his face. "So you're the one who wrote it. There was no signature at the text."
Lucy was still confused and looked at Watanabe behind that looked annoyed. "Can I ask what's going on?"
"Watanabe-san didn't tell you?" Kobayashi asked. "Natsu will be a new regular in the magazine but he seemed to have fallen in love with the text you wrote. He wanted the person who wrote it to always write a small text next to his pictures. It seems like this person is you, Heartfilia-san."
"Me? I can't never…"
"You saw the dragon." Natsu interrupted. "I was exactly thinking of that when I took the picture. It's like you read my mind."
Lucy blushed at the ardent look he was giving her. "Well… If you want me to do it…"
"So it's decided!" Natsu replied in a smile.
"Don't worry," continued Kobayashi to her, "you'll be payed a little bit more for the extra work."
She bowed at him. "Thank you very much."
They continued to talk about technicalities and soon Kobayashi and the photographer left the office. Watanabe's mood was sour, but he seemed to let Lucy out of the hook for now. She could leave at five like she was supposed to.
"Yo!"
Lucy jumped at the sudden voice as she exited the company's building. She recognized the photographer who was smiling happily at her.
"You finished early! Kobayashi told me you could finish later."
She was taken aback. "You've been waiting for me?"
"Yeah. We'll be partners!"
Lucy sighed. "Look, Dragneel-san…"
"Call me Natsu. Just Natsu."
"Natsu. Look, we'll be working together but it doesn't mean we'll be friends are anything."
"Why not?"
Lucy sighed yet again a tad more annoyed. "Because I have other things to do."
"Do you really?"
She opened her mouth to reply but closed it back. Indeed, she had nothing to do.
"Ok, let's make a deal. Let's go eat together tonight, if you really hate it, I'll leave you alone and we'll only be co-workers. Deal?"
Lucy thought about it. She had nothing to lose: worst case was to have a really boring night. "Deal."
"Great! I know an awesome place!" He pulled her by the arm and Lucy had no chance to say anything.
They arrived in a small Izakaya.
"Oi Natsu! You're finally bringing a girl!" The man at the counter exclaimed.
"Yup! She's my new partner!"
Horrified by the implication this conversation was going, Lucy quickly added: "At work. We are partner at work."
The owner laughed. "All Natsu's friends are my friends. You're welcome here!"
"Thank you." Lucy said sincerely. They sat on a table more at the back of the restaurant.
"Do the lady have a special request?" The owner asked.
Lucy shook her head no. "Whatever you propose."
"Ok! Do you mind if it's spicy? Natsu always asked for extra spicy."
"Nah. Do it regular today." Natsu replied. "Just put a lot of spicy sauce on the side for me!"
"Rogers!"
Natsu gave back his attention to Lucy. "Do you drink?"
"Yes…"
"Macao! Bring us beer too!"
"Isn't a bit early?" Lucy asked and Natsu smiled in a "there's no such thing as too early" way.
"So… What's your name again?"
Lucy scoffed. "You don't even remember my name and you invite me."
"I don't need to know your name. I know you know what I think."
"I don't know what you think. I just…" Lucy drifted. "I don't know. I just got lucky."
"It was no luck. You just saw right through it. There's never been anyone who saw right through it."
Lucy suddenly felt shy. "Lucy. The name's Lucy."
"So, Lucy… How come you're working there?"
She shrugged. "I finished university in Literature and I got the chance to encounter Kobayashi-san. He proposed a job and I said yes. The end." The owner, Macao, arrived with some appetizer and Lucy took one to munch on. "And you? How did you became photographer?"
Natsu shrugged. "My father was a photographer so I used to follow him everywhere he took pictures. Before I knew it, I had a camera in my hands. In high school I won a contest and since I've been in contests and such. I've done the tour of Africa and Europe too."
"Wow." The beer had arrived to their table. "It's impressive."
He gave her his toothy smile again. "Thanks."
They continued to chat while the food arrived and Lucy found herself enjoying the moment way more than she would've previously thought. Natsu was loud and weird but he always achieved to make a laugh.
As he was relating a story about his friend Gray (whom he affectionally called "bastard") and him getting in trouble for founding themselves into some unthinkable situation, Lucy realized how much she was enjoying the night. They had finished eating and she was probably at her third glass of beer.
Natsu finished his story and after Lucy's laughter subdue, she said: "It's getting late. I should get going before I can't wake up tomorrow morning."
Natsu agreed and payed the bill. They bed their farewell to Macao. It's when the cool air hit Lucy's face that she realized how tipsy she was.
"It's been awhile since I drank like that." She mused out loud.
"Then we definitively should do it again."
Lucy laughed. "We should." She looked at him and realized he had a camera in his hand. "What are you doing?"
"Taking pictures."
"Of what?"
"You."
Lucy hid her face with her hands. "Don't! I probably look horrible right now."
"No. I only take pictures of pretty things. And you're pretty. Especially when you smile."
Lucy felt herself blush to the tip of her ears. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you're flirting with me."
He showed his face from behind the camera and smiled. Lucy felt her heart flutter.
"I should get going. I'm a bit more tipsy than I thought."
"I'll bring you back home." Natsu replied, putting back his camera in his bag.
"It's ok. I'll take a taxi from here." She called for a cab and one stopped in front of her. "It was a pleasure, Natsu."
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. So, partners?" He raised his fist.
She laughed and fist bumped. "Partners."
-p-p-p-p-p-p-
"You seem radiant today."
Lucy frowned to the comment. "What do you mean?"
Her friend Levy smiled. "You seem like something good happened in your life. Are you over your writer's block?"
Lucy shook slowly her head no. She knew Levy since University since they had done the same major. Lucy considered Levy as her best friend, she even had been the first person to read her drafts. Levy was now working in a library and was going out steadily with Gajeel, a mechanic she had met when she had crashed her car.
"Then, there most be a boy involved!"
A certain pink-haired man flashed in Lucy's mind and made her slightly flush.
"Am I right?" Levy said seeing her friend's reaction.
"No!" Seeing she was convincing no one, she continued: "It's nothing. I had a new writing work at my job and it's been good for not getting rusted. That's it."
Levy looked at her blonde friend, unimpressed. "And this new work make you work with a really handsome guy, am I right?"
"No!" Lucy sighed. "Well, yes. But we're only friends. Nothing more."
"And have you been hanging out with this new friend?"
"Yeah. We went for drinks a couple of times." And literally every day this week, Lucy added on her mind. There was no way she'd tell her friend how much she've been seeing Natsu since the start of their "partnership". It was now soon to make two months since she had started to work with Natsu and he was literally the person she saw the most. She even had let him sleep at her place a couple of times that he had been a bit too drunk to go back home. But nothing had happened.
"Ok. You'll tell me when more will happened."
"Levy-chan! I swear we are only friends!"
"For now."
Lucy grunted which made Levy laughed.
"But seriously, I'm sorry I wasn't much there those last months."
Lucy smiled. "It's ok. You've been busy with the job, I've been busy with the job. And you've been busy with your new cohabitation! How is it? Living with Gajeel?"
Levy's eyes shined at the mention of her boyfriend. "Weird at first. We all have a little habit that the other one is kind of breaking. But we're finally getting to get use to it. And his cat too. You must visit soon! The apartment is so much bigger than what I had! And Gajeel let me have a room only for my books!"
Lucy laughed at the mention of Levy's enormous book collection. "I'd love to visit!"
"Why not today?"
Lucy grimaced. "No. I have something later on."
"Oh. With your "friend"?"
"Levy-chan…"
Levy laughed. "Ok. No more comments. But I'm there if you need anything."
"Thanks."
They continued to brunch and chat till Lucy said she had to go. She ignored her friend's mischievous smile and waved goodbye to her friend.
Yes, she was indeed meeting Natsu again tonight. And even with a small part of her brain told her she was going way more toward love then simple friendship, she preferred ignoring all together. She loved Natsu's company but she didn't know if she was ready to change what they had. Plus she didn't know if he wanted to change what they had. Or if he was attracted to her like that. He was quite dense when it came to those things.
However, he just had this power to make her feel better and even if she had the crappiest days, only his smile could bring all the colours to her world.
Maybe she falling more badly then she thought she was.
She arrived at her place and see Natsu waiting at her doorstep. "Yo!"
She sighed. "Aren't we were supposed to meet up at the restaurant?"
"Yeah… But I thought I'd come to pick you up and then I realized I had a bottle of wine in my larder which I had no recall of. So I thought that instead of going out, we could drink in your apartment!"
Lucy yet again sighed but this time a smile on her face. "Ok. I'll see what I have in my fridge."
Natsu did a childish "yeah!" as she opened the door of her apartment.
"By the way, where were you? It's so rare for you to be out."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "I have friends, you know."
"Seriously? I thought I was your only friend."
She punched him on the shoulder.
"That hurts! And it's not my fault if you never talk about your friends!"
Lucy gave an exasperated look. "It's true that I didn't really stay in contact with my high school friends." She started as she went to the kitchen, deciding on doing simple spaghetti. "Then in university I mostly kept to myself. I then met Levy-chan and we had a lot in common. We still talk till now. She's just been busy with her job and her boyfriend. We still phoned each other and stuff but our schedule never matched to meet up. She works most weekends while I'm only free on weekends."
Natsu was at the counter, looking at her cooking and nodded at her story. "But why didn't you stay in contact with your high school friends?"
She snorted. "I went to a total preppy school. It was all sons and daughters of big companies bosses or politicians. When I decided to go to university by my own means, it was like I wasn't from their world anymore. I told you my father was against me going in Literature, right? I was dead set to study in it so I started to work part-time in third year and the school was against it, it was big story! So at that time I just distanced myself with the others. They didn't understand. Only a girl that I continued to talk to but… we weren't on the same wavelength. Then there's the workers at my father's mansion that I still talk to and hang out with sometimes but these days, it's been hard to meet. End of my pathetic story."
She added spice to the spaghetti sauce, not daring to look at Natsu. She had talked a bit about her story but never in such length. She sometime felt so pathetic and so ordinary compared to him.
"It's not pathetic. A bit sad but that only mean you're due for awesome things."
She looked at him. He was grinning. She looked back at what she cooking. "That would be cool."
They stayed a moment in silence as Lucy finished to cook. She got out the spicy sauce and handed to Natsu.
"I heard you were going to have an exposition. Watanabe-san was grumbling about it." She finished by say as she sat on the table. He soon followed her and sat next to her.
"Yeah. Just got lucky. Someone desisted last minute and they needed someone to take the spot." He sighed. "But I hate those things. If there wasn't the private view that you have to be there and shake hands and do as if you cared about those people."
Lucy laughed. "But it's good for your popularity. I'll help you if you need anything."
Natsu's eyes shined. "You will?"
"Of course! Isn't that what friends are for?"
"You're the best!" He got up to give her a big bear hug and then took the bottle of wine. "Shouldn't we start drinking?"
She laughed. "Still so early." But got up to get the glasses anyway.
"To your exposition!" She said.
"To us." He replied, looking at her with the same ardent look he had been looking at her once in awhile. She still had trouble to look back at him when he did.
The glasses clicked and they drank. Soon enough, they had finished the meal and the bottle of wine was almost empty.
They were installed on Lucy's couch and Natsu was flicking between channels of the TV, looking for something to watch. Lucy felt a little buzz that meant she was getting tipsier and tipsier. Not helping that she had put her legs on Natsu's legs and that he had been with one hand going up and down on her tights. She tried to push back the thought that it wasn't friends that did that.
"Will you decided on something?" She complained as he switched again of channel.
"But there's nothing good!" He complained as well.
"Then close it and talk to me!" She replied.
He raised an eyebrow at her and closed the TV. "What what do you want to know?"
"I don't know. Talk!"
Natsu paused. "Why did you stop writing?"
Lucy straighten up, suddenly feeling a lot more sober. "Who told you about that?" She slowly asked.
He shrugged. "I guessed. Kobayashi told me you were a writer and that you had already submit two stories that hadn't been chosen. He then said it had been awhile since you propose any new ideas or even talk to him about your writing."
She didn't know what to answer. It was getting more than a writer's block; she didn't knew why she wrote anymore. She had lost all inspiration, she didn't have a story to tell. "I guess I gave up. I don't have the talent for it."
"You can't say that! You've been writing my text for two months now. I don't even need to tell you anything and you just write!"
It was true. She never had any problem for his pictures. "Your pictures inspire me. It's not the same."
"But you inspire me too."
She blushed and looked down. She only looked up when she felt him move closer. She didn't have time to react that he posed a fleeting kiss on her lips. She didn't dare to say anything, but she moved a little bit closer to kiss him again.
They moved in sync into a kiss, getting more and more passionate. All Lucy's thoughts were out of the window as she just tried to only focus on the man kissing her.
She founded herself laying on her back with Natsu covering her of kisses. His hands soon find their ways under her shirt. She moaned his name.
As if the spell had broken, Natsu got back and cursed. "Sorry." He got up.
"For what?" Lucy replied truthfully. "For kissing me?"
"No!" Natsu seemed to look for his words. "It wasn't supposed to go like that… I mean, I want it, I want you but…"
"But what?"
He paused. "You'll understand. You'll understand soon enough. For now, can we just like, press pause what just happen?"
"Press pause? How can we press pause?"
Natsu did a "I don't know" hand move. "Just… Will you still help me for the exposition?"
Lucy looked at him. He was making no sense at all. But then, when was he making any sense? She sighed. It was weird on how easily she could trust him. "Yeah. Yeah I'll help you and we'll… pause. Whatever that means."
Natsu gave a breathe out in relief. "Thanks. I swear you'll understand." He then took his things as if he was leaving.
"You're going?"
"Um… I won't be able to stay here and not do anything with you like that."
Lucy realized that her shirt was raised, showing her stomach. She probably also was still flushed. She tried to arrange herself.
"Yeah… hum… I'll get going. I'll pass at the office for the exposition. Kobayashi is supposed to help me too so yeah." He got closer again and kissed her on the forehead. "Bye."
He smiled slightly and went out. Lucy felt herself fall on the couch.
All that had just made no sense. She just had got the proof Natsu was attracted to her, yet he wanted for them to "press pause". He wasn't ready for a serious relationship? Or he wanted to keep their relation in friendship. She sighed. There was really a piece she was missing and it was annoying her.
Feeling an headache coming, she got up to close the door and take a cup of water. Her emotions were a mess and she had a hard time to clean how she felt.
She glanced at her computer.
Before she knew it, she was on her desk, opening the word processor, typing all her emotions.
She stopped and looked outside; it was morning. She had wrote all night.
-)-)-)-)-)-
It was finally the day of the private view. Two weeks had passed and her relation with Natsu had indeed "paused". They had seen less of each other yet every time they had to work, it seemed like nothing had changed.
It was still a bit lonely not go hang out with him like she had been used to the last months. It was crazy how in few months the pink-haired man had took so much space in her life.
She arrived at the place in advance. She had wanted to see the pictures before the view would start. But before she could get in, Natsu stopped her.
"Hey, you there already!"
"Yes, I told you I'd help right?"
"But you already help with the invitation cards and the paper work. And you'll be the one doing the speech, right?"
Lucy smiled. "Kobayashi-san asked me so there's no helping."
"Thanks anyway."
Lucy took a step forward but Natsu stopped her again. "Come on! I just want a peek!"
He smiled cheekily. "Nope! You'll have to wait like everyone else."
She pouted. "Not fair."
She turned her heels and went to help the ones bringing the flowers and the appetizers. Soon enough was the time most people came into the room. Lucy was waiting on the side of a small stage, cards in hand ready for her speech.
"Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming at the private view of Natsu Dragneel." The owner of the gallery said. "I'm please to have in my gallery such a talented young photographer that already took the heart of thousands of people. I will now invite Lucy Heartfilia for a short introduction of Dragneel-san's work."
Everyone clapped their hands and Lucy went on the small stage.
"Good evening everyone. Thank you for coming at the first exposition of Natsu Dragneel." She paused to take a breath. "As presented earlier, I am Lucy Heartfilia. I first encountered Natsu few months ago through my job at the photography magazine "Piacevole". I came across his picture "Guardian" and had the chance to write a short description of it.
The first thing that hit me of his work was the warmth and calmness that it came from. So you can guess my surprise when it was this colourful, loud, hyperactive man that I encountered." Few person chuckled in the room. "Yet, he surprised me again with his work being a lot more deep than what you will think at first glance.
Natsu's pictures show the world as he sees it: A pretty world. He once told me he only take picture of what he founds pretty. It shows his own world, his own values, his own hopes and his love he gives to the world. Please accord more time as you look at his work: you might be surprised by the feelings it will give you." She turned to Natsu. "Congratulations on your first exposition. Might it be the first of many." She faced back the public. "Please enjoy his fabulous work."
The public clapped their hands as she went down the stage. Natsu smiled at her and she smiled back. They opened the door of the exposition and people started to wander.
"Lu-chan!"
Lucy jumped at the familiar voice. "Levy-chan? What are you doing here?"
"You'll never guess!" She exclaimed. Gajeel was fallowing her.
"You actually came!" Natsu exclaimed to Gajeel how seemed to grunt in respond.
"Shorty there forced me."
"You know each other?" Lucy asked, confused.
"He's my cousin!" Natsu replied.
"No way."
"Yes way! Who would've guess?!" Levy laughed. "So Natsu was your "friend"."
Natsu beamed at her. "And you are Lucy's only other friend!"
Lucy slapped him on the arm. "Don't say only!"
They continued to chat till Natsu got asked by someone else.
"We're going to see the expo!" Levy said, leaving with Gajeel. Lucy was tempt to follow them but was stopped by Kobayashi.
"Heartfilia-san, it was a pretty speech that you did."
Lucy smiled. "Thank you. I only said the truth."
KObayashi laughed warmly. "You two have really a deep bond. It was no mistake to make you work together."
Lucy felt herself blush. After small talk, Kobayashi too left to talk with someone else.
"So you are flame-brain's girl."
Lucy narrowed her eyes at the tall dark-haired man that had come to talk to her. "You are?"
"Leave her alone, ice bastard." Natsu suddenly said, popping out of nowhere.
"I wasn't doing anything. I just curious of what kind of girl would be crazy enough to date you."
"You're Gray?!" Lucy exclaimed, interrupting them. The dark-haired man smiled.
"The one and only. So you talked of me to her."
Natsu snorted. "You could present to us your girl too."
It's only then Lucy remarked the beautiful blue-haired girl behind Gray, who blushed as she was mentioned.
"We're not dating…" murmured Gray, embarrassed. "She's my neighbour. Juvia, this is flame-head and his girl."
Juvia bowed. "Nice to meet you Natsu-san. Gray-sama often talk about you. Your pictures were really pretty. Juvia especially loved "Dedication"."
Natsu laughed. "You have the eye to find the only Gray related picture!"
Juvia blushed even more as Gray too seemed ten times more embarrassed. Both guys continued their banters till a red-haired woman arrived to interrupt them by hitting them. Lucy learned that this woman was Erza, their childhood friend. She was with her fiancé, Jellal. During the evening, Lucy met more of Natsu's friends and relatives, never correcting them about not being Natsu's girlfriend. Natsu either didn't bother to correct them. Still, Lucy kept wondering what those secretive smiles she kept receiving by Natsu's entourage were all about.
Even Levy had an even bigger smile when she had came back from the exposition's tour. But sadly for Lucy, she had no chance to check it out in the evening. It was only when everyone left that she took the time to make a tour.
Some pictures she knew, and others were totally new. She then stopped at the picture called "Newfound".
She blushed.
"You found it." Natsu said behind her.
"This is so embarrassing! That's why everyone kept giving me those smile and those "you're so loved!" comments. I should've known. This is so you!"
It was a picture of her, the first night they had gone out. You couldn't see her face properly but everyone who had seen her once could recognize her. The lighting behind was dazzling and the effects made the head get dizzy.
"Newfound love."
"I knew you'd understand."
She turned to him. "I so hate you right now."
He smiled this toothy smile of his and bent down for a kiss.
Lucy woke up the next morning an arm around her waist and a hot breath on her ear. She never knew waking up in the arm of someone could feel so right.
She got up, putting a shirt and panties on, and made coffee for two. Once a cup was ready, she went to the computer.
She didn't know how much time passed before Natsu came behind her, wrapping his arms around her neck.
"You're writing." He stated.
"I guess you really are my muse."
He kissed her on the cheek. "Can I read?"
"No!" She exclaimed, hiding the screen with her hands. "You'll only read it if I finish it."
"Cheapskate."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who couldn't confess before showing me a picture."
He kissed her yet again, this time on the lips. "But it was worth the wait."
They kissed and Lucy yelped as Natsu lift her up to bring her to bed.
"Natsu!" She complained.
"You can always write later."
It took few months for Lucy to complete her first draft of a book. She gave it Levy for the first read and her friend encouraged her to send it again for a try to get it published. It took few corrections but the edition house decided to give her chance. A year later, the book "Newfound" by Lucy Heartfilia, cover by Natsu Dragneel, was on every bookstore's shelves.
The End.
I'm sorry if the end felt rushed. I just couldn't find a way to write differently. But the more I read it, the more I have mixed feelings. I really like it but urgh. And I actually started the Gruvia version of this AU but... yeah. Do not expect it to have it soon. (or ever, because who knows?)
Hope you enjoyed! Review, please?