A/N: And here it is - as promised! Many of you expressed when Angel of Oops ended that you would have liked to have seen deeper into their dating lives.
This will be a 3-part Anniversary special, outlining the first three days together. If you'll remember, Natsu kissed Lucy on the first day, then didn't kiss her again for 3 days. This is their story...ENJOY!
Please leave a comment at the end!
~Shana~
Natsu entered the precinct, crutching his way up the stairs carefully. Gajeel watched from the doors, making sure that he didn't slip and fall down or anything that would be so very Natsu.
"You didn't come home til this morning," he chastised.
Natsu blushed, "I stayed out almost all night with Lucy."
He didn't see the crowd behind Gajeel until they all started hooting and hollering.
"Our little Natsu's growing up!" Macao exclaimed, holding his hands over his heart.
Natsu blushed, nodding thankfully when Gajeel opened the door for him.
"Okay! Back to work, slackers!" Sting ordered.
The officers grumbled, dissipating back to their respective posts.
Sting turned to Natsu, observing the bandaged knee, "Whatdja do to your knee?"
Natsu blushed again.
"He met a girl," Gajeel announced, "My girlfriend's roommate."
Sting and Rogue exchanged glances, clearly happy about this tidbit of information.
"And how did that happen?" Rogue asked.
Natsu followed Gajeel, Rogue and Sting into the coffee room. He heaved a sigh as he relaxed into a plushy chair, glad to be off his feet.
"I pushed her out of the way of an oncoming car," he told them, "My knee is sprained…the doctor said I can't work for a few days."
He pulled back the bandage, revealing the swollen, dark purple mess underneath. It was scraped all to hell. Both Sting and Rogue reeled back.
"Damn! Looks like it hurts!" Rogue remarked.
Natsu nodded, handing Sting a note from the doctor.
Sting glanced at the note, tucking it into his pocket almost immediately, "No problem, Natsu. We'll work around you for a few days."
"Great!" Natsu exclaimed, standing to his feet again, "Then I've got a date in half an hour! Seeya!"
"HOLD ON!" Sting yelled, pointing to the chair, "You can't go until we have full details!"
Natsu froze, "Say what?"
"I need the report of what happened," Sting insisted, "Full details."
Natsu cocked his head, "A car came barrelling toward a sidewalk. I realized a girl was crossing and –"
"Not that!" Rogue interjected, "Tell us about the girl – or we'll make you stay here and process paperwork!"
Natsu flushed again, but he sat back into the seat, "Since when did the three of you become gossipy women?"
"What's her name?" Sting demanded, ignoring Natsu's statement.
"What happened after you saved her from the car?" Rogue asked.
"What's her cup size?" Droy's voice rang out from the hallway. Gales of laughter came from the hallway, indicating pretty much no one had returned to work as ordered by Sting.
"Mind your own damn business!" Rogue shouted, crossing the room to shut the door to the coffee room. He turned to Natsu, "But for the record, we want to know that too."
Rogue, Sting and Gajeel all stared expectantly at Natsu, leaning forward in their seats as they anticipated his answers.
Natsu was quiet for a long moment, fiddling with his own fingers.
"C'MON MAN! WE NEED DETAILS!" Gajeel urged.
"Her name is Lucy," Natsu said quietly, "And after I pushed her and her dog out of the way of the car, she realized I'd gotten injured…so she took me up to her apartment."
"Wow you work fast!" Sting exclaimed with a suggestive smirk.
Natsu shot him a glare, "She doctored up my injuries...and then we went to the Pharmacy to get some crutches."
"That's it? A girl takes you to her apartment and nothing happened?" Rogue demanded.
Natsu went quiet again, turning a few shades of red.
"Spill!" Sting leaned forward even closer.
"I asked her if I could kiss her before we left the apartment…and it was single most amazing moment of my life," Natsu muttered, "Then after we went to the Pharmacy, we just talked…all night."
"Did you kiss her again?" Rogue asked.
Natsu shook his head, "It didn't seem right. I mean…I wanted to…and it totally felt right…but I've only known her for a few hours. I was shocked I had the nerve to do it the first time…but she's so different from anyone I've met before. It's like we were meant to meet. She's gorgeous. Blonde hair, chocolate-brown eyes…I had to know why I was drawn to her like I was…every fibre of my being was entranced with her…and that 2 second kiss was the most intense kiss I've ever had. Like ever."
The three men were wide-eyed, hanging on his every word, although Gajeel had an air of smugness about him.
They exchanged knowing glances, noting the far-off look in Natsu's eyes as he withdrew into his own little babbling world. All of them were really happy to hear that it had finally happened…the fated meeting of Natsu the human and Lucy. It was true…they were destined to be together and all their sacrifices would be worth the lifetime of happiness they were guaranteed to have together.
"But you didn't have the balls to kiss her again," Gajeel shook his head, unable to resist teasing his friend, "You are so lame."
"Screw you, jerk!" Natsu yelled, "I'm trying to be a gentleman!"
"You can still be gentle with her!" Gajeel snapped, "It doesn't have to be rough!"
Natsu threw a nearby plate at him, sending Gajeel into a fitful laugh when it broke on the wall behind his head.
"Anyway," Natsu announced, snapping out of his stupor, "We made plans to hang out again today….so if you'll excuse me…"
Natsu made a move to get up, hindered by the fact that his crutches wouldn't cooperate.
"I won't wait up tonight!" Gajeel called out.
"Shut the hell up!" Natsu warned, throwing a nearby book at Gajeel's head, "I fully intend to take it slow. I don't want to mess this up with her. So I'll be home. At a decent hour!"
Sting and Rogue hit the ground, rolling in their laughter as Gajeel fended off the unexpected attack.
Natsu's face was beet red, partially from embarrassment. He crutched toward the door.
"Look," Sting sat up, still trying to shake off his fit of laughter, "Natsu…you like this girl, but you've known her for what…12 hours?"
Natsu glanced down at his hand, nodding.
"So why hurry?" Rogue asked, "Don't let Gajeel get to you. Seriously – it's not like you're Sting and you're going to sleep with her the first night!"
Sting whacked Rogue on the shoulder, growling at him, "For the record, I've known Yuki for years. Just because we slept together the first night doesn't mean there's not grounding for a relationship! This coming from the man who's already living with his girlfriend!"
"We're not sleeping together! Well, not yet anyway. My point is," Rogue reiterated, "You don't have to kiss her again. Just enjoy your date. Relax around her and see if things go as well as they did yesterday."
Natsu nodded, thankful that at least one of his friends could be level-headed about things.
"Of course, if she's willing, there's really no harm in going for it," Rogue finished his thought, making both of the other men burst out laughing.
"Oh yes!" Sting sighed dramatically over Gajeel's snickering, "Listen to Mr. Morals over there."
Natsu's ears burned as he left the room scowling. The guys were no help. No help at all.
Lucy smoothed out her skirt again, glancing in the mirror to see if perhaps this outfit was 'the one'.
"You look amazing," Levy said softly, straightening Lucy's pink hoodie for her.
Lucy clapped her hands excitedly, "Levy, I'm sorry again for causing you so much trouble. I really should have listened to you. Natsu is incredible."
Levy's eyes filled with genuine tears, "I am so happy for you, Lu. Really…I hope you have a fantastic time today."
Lucy sighed happily. She had gone over every detail of the meeting with Levy when she returned home in the morning. Despite being on crutches, Natsu had insisted on walking her right up to the door of her apartment. She had been sure he'd try to kiss her again, but he didn't. He simply told her he wanted to see her again as soon as possible. They made a date for later that day, giving both of them time to sleep and Natsu time to let work know that he couldn't come back for a few days…a strict, but suddenly very convenient order from his doctor.
And now, Lucy realized as she noticed the time, she had to hurry or she'd be late!
Levy watched the door close behind her, fighting the urge to go invisible or flit into the shadows after her to watch them. Her intervention hadn't helped matters before. Natsu and Lucy had needed to come together on their own.
She should definitely not follow Lucy.
Definitely not.
Levy glanced at her shoes, sitting patiently, lonely even, by the door.
Absolutely not.
Levy inched a bit closer, eyeing the shoes as though they'd have an opinion on what she was about to do.
Erza appeared beside her, wiping her own tear from her eye. Levy jumped 3 feet high.
Busted.
"It's finally happening," Erza sighed contently, blocking Levy's path to her shoes. Levy frowned, unsure of whether Erza had done that purposefully or not, "Our little Natsu has a date with fate! Lucy looked so cute! He won't be able to resist her!"
Levy nodded her agreement happily, forgetting her plan to follow them…for now.
"She gave me all the details!" Levy exclaimed, prompting a wayward look from Erza.
"You will…share the details, won't you?" Erza asked, an eyebrow raised.
Erza headed to the fridge for the strawberry shortcake she knew she'd seen in there yesterday, her eyes never leaving Levy's.
"Don't worry…I'll tell you," Levy promised.
Erza grinned, solidifying their agreement to share everything they knew by reaching for a second fork.
He was already at the park, staring at the kids who slid down the slide, their arms over their heads as they squealed with laughter.
"Oh, to be a kid again!" Lucy grinned as she approached him.
Natsu turned, instantly feeling the magnetic attraction to her again. Her long blonde hair was swept up into pigtails, bangs framing her face. She wore a simple jean skirt with a pink zip-up hoodie, a soft white tank top underneath with a pair of platform heels on her feet.
They stared at each other until Natsu reached for her hand.
"Hi," he said simply.
She blushed, making them both giggle, as she slipped her fingers into his.
"Hi," she replied.
They walked/crutched in silence for a moment, aiming for a nearby bench so Natsu could get off his knee.
"So…what did the doctor say?" she asked, sitting down beside him. She scooted closer...so that they were touching.
"Sprained," he cocked his head to her, "You called it. I'm off work for a few days…which is probably good. I didn't sleep much."
"Me neither," she admitted, "I couldn't stop thinking about yesterday."
"Should we pick up where we left off?" Natsu asked, a light in his eyes.
"I think '20 questions' has turned into more like '100 questions' at this point!" she giggled before nodding affirmatively, "You go first."
"Favourite dessert!" Natsu declared, "I'll eat anything sweet."
Lucy laughed, "I admit…I'm partial to strawberry parfait or milkshakes. I…made a strawberry shortcake yesterday. It's in my fridge if you want to try some later."
Natsu tried not to let his face flush. He definitely wanted to go back to her apartment…cake or no cake.
He threw an arm around her, excitement coursing through his veins as she leaned into his side to relax. It was so natural…he loved the way their bodies curved into each other.
"My turn," Lucy announced, "Favourite childhood memory."
Natsu smiled, feeling a pang of sorrow as he remembered one particular time, "I was about 4. My mom and dad took me to the mall and I wasn't paying attention to them. The next thing I knew, I was totally alone. I had a great time. I found the bikes in the toy department and took one for a spin between hardware and textiles. But my parents were frantic…couldn't find me for about 15 to 20 minutes."
"Why is that a favourite memory?" Lucy asked.
"Because after I was found and given supreme hell for my stunt," Natsu sighed, "They took me home and cuddled me for the rest of the night. I don't remember ever being so happy. Something about being cuddled and loved is just special."
Lucy nodded, appreciating the sentimentality of it, and she squeezed her arm involuntarily around him. He flushed again, squeezing her back. The feeling was back again- the one that told him this was 'it'…she was his special someone.
"Your turn," Natsu stated.
Lucy thought back, searching through a myriad of not-so-nice memories to look for a good one. She and Natsu had discussed her past the previous night, so he knew this might not be so easy for her. He squeezed her hand to reassure her.
"Stargazing," Lucy said decidedly, "My mother woke me up one night…late spring, after the last of the rain…and said she wanted to take me somewhere. We went to a field with a blanket and a few bottles of water, laid on our backs, and watched the stars for hours. She told me all about the constellations…how the stars above are souls of Heaven. It's a wonderful thought, right? That Heaven sends souls to the stars when they retire?"
He watched her face as she sighed contentedly.
"My mother died not long after that," Lucy continued, "But I will never forget what she told me. It's where I draw my hope. I'd like to think her star is up there, watching over me."
Natsu squeezed her hand again, drawn in by the expression in her eyes. He wanted her to love him that much…he wanted her to wear that happy expression because of him. He shook his head, feeling rather silly considering he'd known her for all of twelve hours.
"Do you want to go do something fun?" he asked, maneuvering so that he could reach his crutches.
She turned, the light in her eyes stabbing his need to please her even more, "What do you have in mind? Nothing that will jar your knee!"
He shook his head, "I have an idea...no knee jarring involved."
She nodded, standing to set his crutches up for him. He took them from her gratefully, locking eyes with her. The chocolate colour of her eyes drew him in, making his heart beat faster. She was so pretty.
10 minutes later, they had pulled up to a harbour. Lucy had protested Natsu's driving, but it was the left knee that was twisted. It was completely fine for him to drive his automatic red Cavalier with his right leg.
She waited for him to untangle himself from the driver's seat, going to the back to retrieve his crutches and have them ready for him.
"What are we doing here?" she asked, taking in the pretty scenery.
"Let's rent a rowboat!" he suggested, his eyes alight.
She nodded, waiting for him as they approached the dock master. He presented them with a small dory. Lucy got into the boat first, reaching for his crutches, which he passed to her with a grin on his face. Getting into the boat wasn't exactly easy. Finally, he sat on the edge of the dock and transferred himself awkwardly, falling face first into the boat. The dock master raised his eyebrows, but didn't offer to help. Natsu righted himself, sitting on the middle bench so he could face Lucy. He grinned, taking the oars from the dock master before he walked away whistling.
"Are you sure about this?" Lucy asked, watching him adjust his knee to a comfortable position.
"Nothing wrong with my arms!" Natsu exclaimed, pushing off the dock.
He started to row, his pectoral and biceps bulging as he began to stroke them through the water. He was wearing a muscle shirt, giving her the best view of his upper body muscle groups.
"Nope," she dead-panned, "Nothing wrong with your arms at all."
Lucy tried not to stare, instead trying to focus on his eyes. They were greenish in colour today. They were clear, bright, and filled with contentment as he returned her gaze. His eyes bore into her, searching for all the secrets behind them. Honestly, she could feel herself getting lost…
"It's your turn," she said finally, breaking her stare. She watched the coastline as he took them out of the harbour. She knew there was a little cove around the next bend, "Your question."
He smiled, noting the blush in her cheeks, "Boyfriends…have you had a lot of them?"
She tried not to choke. That was an odd question to be asking on their first date. First? Or would it be counted as second? She wanted to be upfront with him. He had always, in their short thirteen hours of history, been completely honest with her.
"I've had one," she told him, "The man I just escaped from…remember last night we talked about how that whole fiasco a couple of weeks ago on TV was all about me?"
He caught her eye again, growling as he recanted in his head the story she'd told him…the obsessive ex-boyfriend and his brother that were trying to capture Lucy and her friend for years on end. He felt jealously boil to the surface…and relief that he was now out of her life.
"He's going to jail," Natsu muttered, more to himself than her, "He can never hurt you again. And so help me Mavis if he tries."
She gawked at him, surprised to hear him make such a bold statement. They both blushed, then she nodded, gesturing to him that he needed to answer the same question.
Natsu cocked his head, thinking about it.
"I had a couple girlfriends. One of them was semi-serious," he told her, straining his memory to think of her name, "It was so long ago, I don't even remember her name."
She giggled, "Can't have been that long ago! What are you…22, 23?"
"24!" he cried out defensively, "Anyway, it doesn't matter now. Neither of those relationships worked out."
"When's your birthday?" she asked, her eyes alight with amusement.
Natsu paused again, having to think about it for a moment. She found that odd, but he was so funny, scrunching his eyes as he thought, she didn't dwell on it, instead bursting out laughing.
"November 30th!" he said finally, grinning ear-to-ear.
"I can see that," her eyes twinkled as she leaned forward, looking past him to see the cove that was now coming into view, "You're a Sagittarius…laid back…optimistic…great sense of humour."
"And what about you?" he challenged.
"July 1st!" she replied immediately, "That makes me loyal…and tender-hearted…and when I love…"
He was staring at her again, pausing his movements as he watched her. She gulped as the oars came into the boat and he patted the seat beside him. She shifted, rocking the boat slightly as she transferred to the centre seat. His arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her in for a hug.
"…I love very deeply," she whispered. She paused, their lips less than an inch apart as he stroked the bangs out of her eyes.
"You know it's funny," Natsu said, "I still feel it. All of the attraction I felt from yesterday."
"Me too," she squeaked out, her eyes darting from his eyes to his mouth.
Their foreheads were together. She was sitting so close, if she was any closer, he'd be pulling her onto his lap. Both of them felt the pull of wanting they'd felt yesterday.
"Lucy," Natsu moved his hand behind her head, tilting it slightly.
Lucy closed her eyes, parting her lips.
Natsu's other hand moved from her back. It was an attempt to bring it up to cup her face, but in his haste, he knocked one of the oars over the side of the boat.
"Oh shit!" he exclaimed, as she jumped back in surprise.
Lucy started to laugh.
"I'll get it!" he promised, grabbing for the other oar.
Lucy scooted back to the end of the boat so she'd be out of his way as he maneuvered the remaining oar to work for him as a reaching pole. He put too much weight on his knee, crying out as he inadvertently dropped the other oar in his attempt to quell the bolt of pain careening through his body. The boat rocked and Lucy squealed as the oar started floating past her. She turned, benching her knees as she reached for it.
"I'm okay!" Natsu announced, hissing out the last of his pain as he fought for balance. He was queasy…why did he think boating was a good idea? He knew he'd probably get motion sickness!
Lucy was reaching for the oar with her fingertips, bent so that her ass was pretty much in his face. His eyes widened, gawking at the shape of it as he forced himself to resist the urge to grab it. She managed to grab hold of the oar, picking it out of the water. She turned with it, not realizing Natsu had drawn so close to her. The oar connected with the side of his head. He yelped, jumping up. His knee jolted with pain again, rocking their small vessel violently.
…and then the boat capsized.
The water was over their heads. Both began to tread immediately, Natsu swimming for the oar that was nearest him, Lucy swimming to get the one near her.
"My crutches!" Natsu yelped.
Lucy pushed her oar toward him, took a deep breath, and plunged beneath the waves. She spotted both crutches but they were moving in different directions. The tide was going out. Diving frantically, she managed to save one, but the other was swept away…and there was no way she could go after it without being swept out of the cove too.
They met back at the boat, Lucy staying back as Natsu flipped it. Both oars and one crutch safely inside, they each grabbed a side of the boat, pushing it slowly to the shoreline.
"Are you okay?" he demanded as they reached the edge of the shoreline.
He was thankful there weren't sharp rocks. Neither was there sand. It was kind of in the middle…smaller rocks. Lucy had to drag the boat ashore mostly on her own. Natsu retrieved his crutch, hobbling after her and cursing his knee to anyone that might bother to listen. He had never felt like more like a heel in his life! Completely useless! He wasn't sure how he was going to be much help in dumping the water out of the boat. He wasn't sure if he could help her get it back out to water deep enough to shove off again once it was empty…let alone get into the boat again.
Lucy made a noise and at first, he couldn't tell what it was. He limped over to her, using the one crutch to support him. It was awkward and he almost fell again…but that the was least of his issues.
"Luce!" he exclaimed, "Please don't cry!"
He whirled her around, pressing her face down into his shoulder. Her body was shaking as the noise got louder. Natsu pulled her back to examine her face, suddenly realizing…she was laughing.
"It's not that funny," he stated. His knee was killing him.
"Oh c'mon!" she snickered, "It's a little funny!
He regarded, sopping wet from head to toe. Her pig tails had flopped, sticking to her wet body as she laughed. Just barely, he could see beneath the lowered zipper of her pink hoodie that her white tank top outlined the curve of her….
"C'mon!" she interrupted his thoughts, grabbing one arm so she could support him to solid ground, "Let's get you off that leg."
He leaned into her as she helped him to a nearby log.
She looked at the boat, humming to herself as she dragged it up a little further up the rocks so it couldn't float away.
"It's not going to be easy to get all that water out," she surmised, "I don't think I can turn it on my own without damaging it."
"I can't even help you," he muttered glumly.
She grinned at him, "No matter! I'll figure something out! We need to dry out a little bit too."
He pulled some matches from his pocket, "Waterproof matches…never leave home without them."
Her face beamed, "You're a freaking genius!"
"Not that much of a genius," Natsu sighed, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. Water poured down from it, "We can't call for help."
Lucy grinned as she went straight to work, gathering drier twigs from the edge of the coastline. Natsu busied himself by creating a small ring of stones to contain whatever blaze they managed to create.
Their cove was largely secluded, the forest coming almost right to the water's edge. She brought back a small supply of wood. Natsu shifted himself to the ground so he could arrange the pile into something that could start a small campfire.
"Cheer up," she said softly, noting his forlorn look.
"This is not how I wanted our first date to go," he answered, pouting slightly.
She bent down, pecking the top of his head with her lips, "Look at it like it's our first adventure together!"
He grabbed her wrists, holding her in that position.
She paused, noting how close they were. As he lifted his lips to kiss her, she closed her eyes again. She felt the rush of adrenaline, realizing how much she wanted this kiss. His hand came up to her hair, smoothing it out of her eyes….
She sneezed, right in his face.
"Mavis!" she exclaimed in horror, "I'm so sorry!"
He chuckled, wiping the residue off his face. He noted her shivering slightly, "You're freezing cold. Maybe we should have a bigger fire…we need to get dry."
She nodded, flushing her embarrassment, "I'll get some bigger pieces of wood."
"Something is wrong!" Levy insisted, slamming her hands down on the table in front of Gajeel.
Gajeel and Gray stared at her blankly. Juvia sat in the chair next to Levy's, her brows furrowed.
"They've only been gone a couple hours," Juvia reminded Levy, "We promised we wouldn't intervene again. Don't you think we should give them a little more time?"
Levy shook her head, "I feel it. Something is wrong and we need to go look for them!"
Gajeel reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly, "Shrimp…ya know I love you…but when it comes to Lucy, you tend to be a bit…overprotective."
Levy's eyes widened as she glanced to Gray for support, "I'm her Guardian!"
Gray shrugged, "Sorry, Lev…he's kinda right."
Levy's mouth dropped open in shock.
"If it makes you feel better," Jellal interrupted when Levy's face went as red as an exploding thermometer, "I'll go take a look around town."
Levy nodded thankfully, not even sure when Jellal had joined them. She turned back to Gajeel, casting him the evil eye.
"Okay, fine!" he relented, "I'll go look too. Better be fuckin' worth it."
Lucy sat in the boat, bailing wildly with her hands. She was completely absorbed in her work, leaving a pitiful Natsu, still sitting forlornly on his log.
He cursed his knee for the 1000th time, feeling completely useless. He had managed to get the fire started, but it wasn't big enough to do much. Lucy had promised to go get more wood…she just wanted to see if she could empty the boat first. He had never felt so helpless in his life.
He grabbed his crutch, joining her at the side of the boat. He removed his shoe, digging in to help too. She glanced at him, smiling slightly as they both went to work.
"You know your shoe is full of holes, right?" she asked, "You're not accomplishing much."
He nodded, returning the smile.
"They ripped on the rocks, I think. I'm just trying to find ways to do my part," he remarked, noting her hands weren't moving much water either, "I'm feeling a bit useless."
"You're not useless," she said softly, covering his hand with hers, "And it's my fault your knee is injured in the first place. We'll be fine."
"I don't think we're going anywhere in this boat though," he remarked, noting how little progress they'd made.
She sighed, halting her activity, "It's hopeless, isn't it?"
He watched her as she stood, glancing back at the fire. She was considering their options.
"My cell phone is toast too," she murmured, "We can't call for help. We also can't bail out the boat because we don't have the tools to bail effectively. We can't dump it out because it's too heavy for me on my own and your knee isn't doing so well. Our clothes are sopping wet…"
Natsu felt worse by the moment as she summarized their situation.
"So," she said, her eyes lighting up, "I'll walk out and get help!"
He shook his head adamantly, "No way! It's too far!"
"Magnolia can't be that far," she argued, "The cove is literally around the corner from the main harbour. It stands to reason that if I walk west, I'll run into Magnolia!"
"No way!" he crossed his arms stubbornly, "It took us 20 minutes following the coastline to get here. It'll get dark within an hour or two and there's no way I'm letting you go into those woods alone!"
"Well, we have to do something," she sighed.
He glanced back at the fire, "Let's make the fire bigger."
She followed his gaze, nodding slowly.
"We need to dry off," he told her, "And although I'm sure Gajeel and the guys will never let me live it down for the rest of eternity, it's a good flag signal. Sooner or later, someone will realize we're missing."
She nodded, breaking for the beach again. He hobbled behind her, grabbing a large piece of driftwood on his way past. He used it as a second crutch, glad to finally have contributed an idea.
"Levy's gonna have a hay day with this," Gajeel muttered as he and Jellal met at the rooftop of the Magnolia Police Department, "She was right…they're nowhere."
"They have to be somewhere," Jellal replied with frustration. He'd called the rest of Crime Sorciere out. The more eyes looking, the better, "Magnolia is only so big."
"Natsu's trying to impress her," Gray said, pacing back and forth, "So he'll take her somewhere they can either have fun, or be alone."
"We've checked the movie theatre and the aquarium," Juvia reported, "And just about every other public place we could think of."
"Then we'll have to keep trying," Erza said in a low voice, "There's got to be something we haven't thought about."
Lucy was blushing as she reached to the bottom of her tank top, heaving the wet garment over her head. She reached down to her shorts, undoing the button slowly.
Natsu's back was turned as he removed his own shirt.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Lucy asked, turning to him. His back muscles flexed as he kicked his shorts off, "I don't usually undress on the first date."
He chuckled, "We don't have much choice. We're completely soaked. Can I turn around?"
She blushed again, gathering his discarded clothes. They had stuck the oars upright in the ground, amongst other long sticks Lucy had found. She hung her clothes, then his next to the roaring bonfire.
She looked down at her lacy pink bra and panties. If she'd known she'd be semi-naked in front of him, she might have gone for the black matching set instead. Still, she decided, he shouldn't be disappointed.
She certainly wasn't. She could only see his broad back, riddled with muscles, and the back of his black boxer briefs, but it was enough for her to fully appreciate just how handsome he was. Natsu Dragneel was the whole package: sexy, funny, and intelligent. She thanked her mother in the stars briefly, then took a deep breath.
"It's okay, Natsu," she said softly, noting his downcast look, "You can turn around."
He turned, resisting the urge to ogle her. He kept his eyes glued to the ground as he crutched his way back to the log. Lucy decided then that the front view of Natsu was just as impressive as the back view. She sat beside him, trying not to let her eyes drift over to him.
Impossible.
Lucy loved Natsu's body. He was really muscular…and she found his tousled pink hair unbelievably sexy…not to mention his bare chest…and sculpted legs…
"Hey," she patted his hand, "It's okay to look at me."
"I'm afraid to do that," he admitted, "I'm not 'that guy'. I don't want to rush things. I really like you…and I'm pretty bummed that this date has not gone as planned."
"I told you before," she scolded him, "It's our first adventure…and it's not so bad, right? It's not like we'll be stuck here forever."
Natsu's stomach growled, making Lucy giggle and Natsu go red with embarrassment.
"However, we might be stuck here long enough that we'll need to eat!"
She stood up, scanning the treeline, "Maybe there's some mushrooms or something."
"You can't go far!" he reminded her.
She nodded, squeezing his hand.
He finally looked at her as she advanced toward the forest, once again struck by her perfect ass. He could see the back of her bra and her matching panties as she sauntered with determination into the forest. He had never met anyone like her before. The exterior was easy to look at, yes…but she was sweet…and funny…and one of the kindest people he'd ever met. She was choosing to look at this situation as humorous rather than dire. She refused to give up. And if she refused to be worried, then so would he!
"The harbour reports that a boat didn't return," Sting told Erik and Jellal as he grabbed his keys off the desk, "Natsu's car was found in the parking lot. According to the harbour master, they were supposed to be back 3 hours ago. He only rented them a dory and it won't be any match for the waves when they pick up. There's supposed to be a storm tonight."
Jellal and Erik exchanged glances, now very worried.
"Gajeel – take the helicopter!" Rogue ordered over the radio, "Sting and I will join Harbour Patrol."
A few minutes later, Lucy came back with some mushrooms and berries. Natsu glanced at them, wondering if they were safe to eat. A large slug fell off one of the mushrooms. She shrieked as he picked it up, dangling it over his mouth.
"We could cook it first," he suggested at her disgusted look.
She burst out laughing, only sitting down once he'd flung the offensive creature away into a nearby bush.
It was a meager supper, but both Natsu and Lucy found themselves enjoying each other's company as they resumed their 20 questions game.
"Worst mistake ever!" Natsu challenged, "Mine was shooting off a potato gun in the carport with the garage door closed. Man, my dad was so mad! You should've seen the hole!"
He pulled his hands apart, his eyes wide as he indicated the hole was about 2 feet wide. Lucy was laughing so hard, her sides hurt.
"From a potato gun?"
"It was a big potato!" Natsu exclaimed, "Your turn!"
"Toilet paper!" Lucy blurted out, "Over the top, or underneath?"
"There's a difference?" Natsu dead-panned.
Lucy smacked her forehead.
"This is very important!" she stressed, "It's a relationship breaker if you give me the wrong answer!"
He stared at her, noting the gleam in her eye. Noticeable beads of sweat formed along his brow. The pressure was incredible. He really didn't want to give the wrong answer.
"Underneath?" he asked feebly.
She smacked her forehead again, "AAAGGGGHHHH…."
Natsu's face paled.
She burst out laughing again at the horrified expression on his face, smacking his arm, "It's okay! It's the first date…you're still trainable."
He relaxed again, reveling in the sound of her laugh.
"Stupidest thing you ever did!" Natsu challenged.
"Lit the kitchen on fire at the restaurant I worked at!" Lucy replied without hesitation, "Same question!"
Natsu crooked his head, thinking about it, "I've done so much stupid shit, I don't even know where to start!"
Lucy's sides were hurting from laughing so hard, so she chuckled at that remark instead, "More stupid than the potato gun?!"
He nodded solemnly, "Too much to count."
"You have to name one!" Lucy demanded, her finger in his face.
Natsu thought hard, going through his memories for a 'stupid thing' that would make Lucy laugh. He watched her expectant face, begging for a funny tidbit of his life. Mavis, he'd never met a woman like her before. Only having known her for less than a day was irrelevant. Natsu was sure. She was the one he wanted to spend his entire life with.
"My stupidest moment," he said softly, taking both her hands and gazing deeply into her eyes, "was not listening to Gajeel when he told me that I needed to meet Levy's roommate."
Lucy stilled, her heart thumping.
"If I'd listened the first time," Natsu continued, squeezing her hands gently, "this wouldn't be our first date…and I wouldn't be terrified that you'll never want to see me again after this."
"Natsu…" Lucy whispered.
They'd all but forgotten they were in their underwear until now. Lucy let go of his hands, running her fingers down his biceps lightly. He closed his eyes, relishing in the tingles her touch provoked in his body as he skimmed his hands down her back.
He leaned in to kiss her for the third time that day, resting one hand on her naked thigh, the other poised behind her back. Lucy leaned in, waiting to accept the kiss.
The sky above them darkened exponentially. He glanced upward, realizing a storm was coming in. He sighed, placing his forehead on hers again as a crack of lightning lit up the sky. The thunder roared right behind it, indicating the storm was directly above them.
"And here comes the rain," Natsu muttered.
Sure enough, a wall of rain exploded overtop of them.
"Of course," he groaned.
Lucy reeled back, crying out as the water doused part of the flames on their bonfire, sending up vast plumes of smoke that threatened to choke them both.
"The treeline!" Natsu yelled, grabbing his crutch.
She became his other crutch, both of them moving backward to the treeline.
"Our clothes," Lucy muttered forlornly.
The fire was seemingly fighting to stay alive, still giving off vast amounts of smoke.
Natsu sighed, glancing upward. It was getting so dark, he could barely see anything...but he could hear something.
"Oh, this is rich," Gajeel cackled over the cell phone to the rest of the searching Angels. He was in the police helicopter. The pilot had already warned him they'd have to turn back. The rain was too heavy and the lightning and thunder were getting more serious by the moment. It was a stroke of luck that Gajeel had spotted them when he did, "I've found them. Their boat looks like it's been capsized about 10 km along the shoreline."
"Why is that 'rich'?" Gray asked from the other side of the phone line, waiting for the punchline he knew was coming.
Gajeel cackled again as the pilot relayed Natsu and Lucy's coordinates to rescue crews. They could not be rescued by helicopter. A boat would have to come.
"Hang on," Gajeel told Gray as he took out his cellphone. He was really glad he'd had it upgraded not long ago…the camera on it was incredible and would take great pictures, even in this dark and stormy weather, "I think the best way to explain it is to take pictures…lots and lotsa pictures!"
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed the first installment! See you in 2 days with the next one! Thanks again to Wordsaremyspells1331 and OtakuPrincess28 - you guys rock!
~Shana~