It has been two whole weeks now since Lucy has gone on a mission with Natsu and honestly he's starting to get a little worried. But today was going to be the day. He had just picked out the best job for Lucy. It has to do with books and a massive reward. Even though it will be boring for Natsu at least he will be able to go on a mission with Lucy.
He walks confidently up to the bar where Lucy was drinking her strawberry milkshake talking to Mira. Waiting for Lucy to notice him, he holds the job request up to her face.
"And what's this?" She asks whilst trying to get a look at Natsu's face from behind the paper.
"A perfect job! Just for the three of us." Natsu replies impressed with himself, "And look, it's to do with books and has a big reward in the end." Natsu continues whilst pointing to the details inscribed on the paper.
"Oh I'm sorry Natsu but I can't. I'm meeting someone tonight. I told you that I'm going to be busy for a few weeks. But the job does sound amazing. Maybe next time." Lucy apologises with a sweet sincere smile.
"Oh that's okay, maybe I can get Mira to hold the job until you're not busy anymore." Natsu says whilst turning to leave the bar, looking like a child who has been told no a few too many times.
"Why haven't you told Natsu what it is you're doing that's masking you so busy?" Mira asks curious of the answer.
"Because I know if I tell him, he'll just want to come along. And you know that probably won't go well. Anyways, Hibiki wouldn't be able to learn anything with Natsu around. He'd be, just so…distracting. Plus the sooner I can teach Hibiki all I know, the sooner I can go back in missions with Natsu." Lucy turns to look at Natsu, who now looks like a sulky chicken.
"Thanks Mira for the drink. I think I'll go home and prepare for the last bit of stuff I'm going to teach Hibiki tonight." Lucy waves as she exits the guild hall.
Natsu perks up as his dragon hearing picks up on the last bit of what Lucy was saying whilst leaving the guild hall. 'Teaching Hibiki tonight? I wonder what she's teaching. Maybe I should pop by later and check it out. Could this be why she's busy. Because of Hibiki. The nerve of that guy. Keeping my Lucy away from me like that. Why I should…' Natsu gets caught up in his thoughts as the day passes by.
"Natsu," Mira calls out sweetly, motioning him to the bar, "I've noticed that you haven't moved for about..." She turns and looks to the clock, "a good half hour I think. Is everything alright?"
"No," Natsu deadpans; obviously not happy.
"What's wrong? Is it to do with Lucy teaching Hibiki?" Mira asks determined to get an answer from the boy.
"How did you know? Is it that obvious?" Natsu asks, curious to how the demon figured it out so quickly.
"Yes it is that obvious, and I just know this sort of thing." Mira replies with a sweet smile.
"Oh, that makes sense." Natsu looks down at the bar and resumes his sulky chicken position.
"Don't you think you're overreacting just a tad Natsu?" Mira questions; still worried about the young dragon slayer.
"No, Lucy is my best friend and she's been spending all of her extra time with Hibiki, and it's not fair! She should be spending it with me. Not him!" Natsu complains to Mira.
"Do you think you might be a bit jealous then? You know, about Lucy being with Hibiki?" Mira questions ever so sweetly.
"I'm so not jealous of that pretentious playboy!" Natsu looks up kind of in a defensive mode.
"Oh, is that so. Is that why you are doing a sulky chicken? And might I just add that pretentious is a big word for you. Where did you learn it?" She questions with a playful smirk at her mouth.
"What?! What do you mean sulky chicken?" Natsu asks, confused of what Mira is implying. "And Lucy taught me about the word pretentious. Well not directly, I might have read it in her novel, or her diary. I can't remember which one it was. But that's beside the point Mira."
"You just don't want Hibiki to spend time with Lucy because you want to spend time with her. Isn't that right Natsu?" Mira explains in a stern but sweet manner.
"I guess you're right. I might be jealous. What do you think I should do about it?" Natsu asks; aware that Mira probably already has a plan.
"Come here," she gestures in and whispers her plan into his ear.
Natsu nods profusely as he now understands what he must do so Lucy will spend more time with him and less with the 'pretentious playboy'. He thanks Mira and exits the Guildhall excited of what he now must do.
Later on, back at Lucy's place she continued her lessons on Celestial Spirits and Mages. They were sitting atop her roof with a telescope, a few pillows and a blanket. She started with Leo, pointing him out in the star, then got Hibiki to point out the rest to demonstrate how much he has learnt so far. He was really successful in identifying all the rest of the 12. Lucy was amazed that in only two weeks she was able to teach Hibiki about the Celestial Spirits, and what their traits are individually.
Natsu arrives and notices the two sitting on the roof pointing at the stars and started to feel a burn in the back of his throat. 'They're too close together. And they're sharing a blanket. How dare he get that close to my Lucy?!' Natsu jumps up to the window sill and then to the roof. The soft noise of him landing started Lucy. As she turns around she notices that he's wearing black slacks and a nice shirt. Different compared to his normal attire. 'Wait, is that lilies that he's holding?'
"Lucy," Natsu starts as he motions closer to her. "I care about you a lot. You're my best friend. But lately I've been feeling more towards you. Different towards you. But I definitely know that I care more about you than that pretentious playboy Hibiki." Natsu said gesturing to Hibiki in the background; who really didn't seem to care about the comment.
"Pretentious, I'm impressed. I care about you too Natsu" Lucy said; grateful of the darker surrounding, as her blush was prominent.
"So I was wondering, if you want to, maybe, go on a date with me. Or at least that's what Mira called it. Oh! And the flowers are for you too." Natus said slightly embarrassed; passing the flowers to Lucy.
Her face couldn't have gotten any hotter. "Natsu, Hibiki and I are just friends. I'm helping him with his archive magic in the section of Celestial Mages and Spirits. But yes, I would love to go on a date with you." Lucy lunges forward and wraps her arms around Natsu's neck, embracing him in a tight hug.
"Awesome! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu is excited, but then looks down.
"Natsu, what's wrong?" Lucy questions worried about the sudden change of enthusiasm.
"Ummm...Luce. I don't actually know what a date is. Mira didn't tell me. She just said that I should ask you on one because I was jealous of the time you were spending with Hibiki." Natsu explains, still a bit embarrassed about the turn of events.
"Oh, that's ok. I know what a date is." Lucy says trying to improve his self confidence.
"Awesome. Maybe after you have finished teaching Hibiki about Celestial magic, then you can teach me about dates?" Natsu askes whilst leading Lucy back to the area where she was originally sitting with Hibiki.
Sitting down, Lucy laughs a little, "yeah, I'll like that."
Natsu takes a seat next to her, but instead of letting her share the blanket with Hibiki whilst she continues to teach him. Natsu wraps his arms around her waist and increases his body heat slightly. Immediately Lucy feels contempt with how everything has gone.