Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail! Hiro Mashima does!

It's Called the Friend Zone

Chapter 1:

Stuck in the Friend Zone

I don't believe in love at first sight. Or in soulmates.

I sometimes questioned if I even believed in love at all.

As a child, my mother read me all kinds of fairy tales, in which the princess would be saved by the prince and they would live happily ever after, in love. Of course, back then I bought all that crap and believed something like that would happen to me as well. Now, I am much smarter and know that love is not something that happens in two days or that will be reciprocated by the one you love.

The reality is that love can hurt you more than it can do you any good. It stings, really. Or at least, it's hurt me a couple times in the past.

But never as much as it has with him.

You see, I act hard to get at times, because- though I may say otherwise- I crave for love and affection. As such, I am looking for someone that will take me seriously. Someone that will want me for more than just one night of pleasure. But, unluckily for me, I was born in a time where commitment is apparently not in everyone's vocabulary.

I'm the typical weirdo that smiles when she sees some happy couple walking down the street holding hands and smiling at each other.

As hard as it is to admit, I am a romantic at heart.

I want to be the stupid looking, lovesick couple walking down the street and sending 'I miss you texts' every other hour.

Okay, no. I honestly do not want to be THAT couple but I do want someone who makes me smile at random moments or when I'm feeling down. I want someone who makes me believe in all the crappy romantic stories out there. Someone who makes me believe that love really is real.

He made me believe it is.

He made me laugh even when I was mad at him. He made me think about him all the time. Distracted me from reality. Gave me hope. And love. And so I fell in love with him.

I fell for a stupid, idiotic, childish, and dense pink haired guy (yeah, PINK hair). A guy that may not have been the most attractive I'd ever seen but he was cute, sweet and had the biggest and brightest smile that was just so contagious.

I fell for this guy that made the randomest of jokes and made me smile and laugh and just made me happy. And as hard as I tried, I couldn't get him out of my head even when I really tried not to think of him and get mad at him for the stupidest of reasons.

He was sweet and made me feel butterflies in my stomach (Yes I know it sounds cheesy and overused and just extremely corny) whenever he smiled at me.

And I was just so glad I met you, Natsu Dragneel.

You showed me what real love was. You made me believe in those stupid fairy tales. You made me think happily ever afters are not impossible. Because for the few months I've known you, you made me believe in them.

Do you remember how it all started?

We didn't bump into each other in school, like in all those crappy romance novels I read in high school.

We didn't meet at a club, or at a party, or at a reunion or wedding.

We didn't have friends in common.

We were just two strangers with common interests and battling past demons.

You saw me first, remember?

You looked up from your phone and saw me approaching you, smiling and maybe mocking you a little as your eyes widened and your cheeks blushed a similar color as your hair.

You thought I was pretty, right?

That's why you were so quiet at first and maybe even a little awkward. You even apologised for that hours later.

But you're not quiet. Not even a little. You're loud and make your presence known anywhere and everywhere you go.

You're also far from awkward. I never felt awkward when I was with you. It was easy talking to you. Like I'd known you my whole life. It was never that easy with any other guy I've ever hanged out with.

You're hands were shaking too. Maybe you thought I didn't notice, but I did. They were shaking when you paid for the popcorn.

You know, I was nervous too. That's why I couldn't look you in the eyes most of the time and kept looking away as soon as your dark green eyes caught mine.

Meeting you that night was just one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

I didn't expect to meet anyone that day, much less to fall in love a month after that day. But I did. The moment you looked up and your eyes caught mine I knew there was no turning back. Don't ask me how, I just knew, as cheesy and overused as that may sound.

We were just two strangers that had gotten tickets to go watch one of our favorite anime movies. The two weirdos who decided to go watch the Sword Art Online movie by themselves because most of our friends were either not into anime or busy that night.

You were standing by yourself, wearing your work shirt and I didn't really want to do the long line of people who'd been outside the theatre waiting for the movie to start.

I walked right passed you, and you looked up from your phone when you realized what I was about to do. I couldn't help the small grin forming in my lips when your eyes widened and your cheeks warmed with color.

You cleared your throat before I could even make my move, however.

"You're here for the SAO movie or…" Was the first thing you ever said to me.

I blinked my eyes up at you. You were a head taller than me, eyes such a dark green that I couldn't look away at first, and you were smiling at me, almost in a mocking way, as you'd figured my motive.

I smiled back, crossing my arms over my chest as I nodded. I looked down at your shirt and then back up at you before I answered, "Yeah. Just trying to skip the line."

You smiled the largest and brightest smile I had ever seen then. "Well, you're the honest type, huh?"

I only shrugged, my grin never faltering.

Shaking your head, you then cheekily continued with, "Well, I'm afraid you can't do that." You caught my eyes then, "That is, if you don't work here or know someone who does."

I raised an eyebrow at that, your smile never wavering and then I shook my head.

Extending my hand towards you, I introduced myself, "Lucy."

Your smile, if possible, got wider and brighter as you shook my hand and said, "Natsu. It's nice meeting you, Lucy."

Nodding, I stepped back and continued on my way towards those glass doors, cheekily and playfully looking back at you as I said, "Same." Winking I continued, "Now I know someone who works here, right?"

Maybe it wasn't the typical meeting. Or something I would've done if the line hadn't been so long or if I hadn't been all alone and hated being surrounded by people I didn't know and feeling like a loner.

But I was glad I chose to go watch that movie by myself. I was happy that I had tried to be a badass for once and tried to break the rules, as stupid as it turned out being. But it got me to you. It started one of the best friendships I've ever had. And then became so much more than that.

At least it became so much more to me.

And I'm sick and tired of being stuck in the friendzone.

It hurts. It really does. But I can't control how I feel. And much less how you feel.

But it'd help if I at least knew.

If you could tell me if I should keep my hopes up.

Or if I should just give up completely.

Ignoring our feelings will do us no good, Natsu.

And I may be selfish, but I need an answer. Cause just being your friend is just not good enough.

Staring at the letter I'd just written for the pink haired idiot I was in love with, I sighed loudly and shoved it on one of my desk's drawers. Laying my head down in my desk, I covered my flushed face with my arms and closed my eyes.

I hated having these feelings for him. Because it made everything so complicated. It made us complicated. And that's not who we are. We're Natsu and Lucy. Always together. Always fooling around and laughing. Things shouldn't be complicated.

But they are. Because I'm in love with him. I've been in love with him for some time now.

Curling up into bed, I noticed the text message he'd sent me about advancing on his game status. I smiled. Some things just never change. And Natsu is just one of those people. The type that doesn't change, ever. And that's one of things I love most about him.

Looking up at my ceiling, I smiled softly and whispered, "Maybe the friendzone is not such a terrible thing."

Yeah, that was until the idiot I love texted me, "Dude! I just got fucking killed! The idiots I'm playing with suck!"

I groaned loudly into my pillow.

Yeah, the friendzone fucking sucked.

A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this first chapter!

Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! More chapter coming soon!

Thank you for reading!

~ Blue