Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Being partners for so long had made both Natsu and Lucy very very comfortable with each other. Natsu may not pay much attention to his appearance and may sometime forgo shower in favor of doing more exercise, but when he is with Lucy, he would take the effort to shower and make sure that she don't look like a fool by always picking up a fallen eyelash off her cheeks and would go as far as to wet a napkin to remove the dirt on her face. He knows how important it is for her to look her best at any given situation even though in his opinion she still look beautiful even though she was covered in bruises and dirt after finishing a tedious mission. But for Lucy, she had been nurtured from a very young age to always make sure that her appearance is flawless. This was one of the many things that she was thankful for her upbringing despite the unpleasant memory. Besides, this gives Natsu a chance to touch her face by 'helping' her.

The first time that she had fallen ill was on the day of the long-awaited Hanami Party. Lucy had caught a cold after being in the avalanche while on a mission with Team Natsu, Wendy and Carla to look for some herb on Mount Hakobe the day before. After seeing Lucy, Natsu wasn't able to enjoy the Hanami Party. While everyone was enjoying the scenery while having fun by playing bingo and eating, or drinking in the case of Cana, Natsu was just sitting there thinking about Lucy. At the end of the day, both Natsu and Happy had uprooted the Rainbow Sakura tree and had it float on a boat at the river that was right in front of her house. Of course, even though both Natsu and Happy tried to act innocence when the Master was angry, Lucy knows that it was both of them who send the Rainbow Sakura for her to enjoy it. "Thanks!" said Lucy while hugging both Natsu and Happy. "W-what are you talking about?" "I-I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about…"

The next time when Lucy was down with a fever, Natsu wouldn't leave her side no matter what she said. She had told him that he might catch her sickness but that still doesn't stop him from staying with her by arguing that she would need someone to take care of her. He had been there to change the cloth that was placed on her forehead to help keep reduce her fever and by some sort of miracle, he was able to cook for her some soup and porridge.

Natsu wouldn't let Mira or anyone else to assume the role of caretaker for Lucy. This was after he had long realize and accepted his feeling for her and knows that she was the one Igneel had tried to tell him about when he was a child, his mate, and after this realization, he had become more protective of her. When he first started realizing strange feeling that he felt when around her, he had been confuse and scared as he didn't know what was going on. He did some solo mission to help release some pent up emotion but this did not help. Being the resident match maker and mother figure of Fairy Tail, Mira notice the changes of how Natsu was around Lucy. He had been looking at Lucy when she wasn't looking. Even when he was in a brawl with the other members, Natsu would occasionally steal a glance in her direction making sure that she was all right and was not caught up in the fight. Mira also notice how Natsu would blush when he was with Lucy. The blush on his face intensifies a bit when Lucy smiles in his direction or when she touches him. He chuckled when he thought back on it and question about how dense he can be and not realize it when he first met her when all the sign had been there.

Mira had been a savior for Natsu when she had come up to talk to him about these 'problems' that he was having. It was one of the days that the guild wasn't full of people and Mira had some free time and was able to stay and talk with some of the guild member and Lucy had enough money for her rent so she had decided to work on her novel. Natsu had sat quietly near the bar while seem to be in deep thought. "What's wrong Natsu? You seem to be in deep thought." "Oh hi Mira. Nothing's wrong. It's just that I have been feeling weird around Lucy. Maybe her weirdness is contagious and now it's affecting me." How dense can this guy be thought Mira. She was determined to have Natsu realize his feeling for the blond mage. She had always thought that they look good together. Sure she thought that maybe Natsu would end up with Lisanna since they were close but seeing the way Natsu look at Lucy or the way he act around her, she realize that nothing could ever happen between the two childhood friend. The look on his eyes when he was looking at Lucy was full of adoration and love.

Lucy may try to deny this every time Mira try to tell her that Natsu may have feeling for her that is beyond the boundary of 'best friend' but she know, what she saw was not how one see their best friend as. "What is it that you feel exactly when you are around her?" asked Mira as she tried to lead him in sharing more of his feeling. "Well, you see, whenever I saw her, I feel like my stomach is in knots, but it feels better when she's near me and my heart would be racing. This also happen when she smiles at me and it always feel like my body gets hotter which is weird since I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer and not even the hottest of fire can make me feel this hot." What the young dragon slayer had shared with her had made her very very happy and all giddy inside. She had then went on to tell him that he love her. This cause the pink-haired mage to be confused as he told her that he does love her and also everyone in the guild but none of them had made him feel this way.

"Natsu, how would you feel when Lisanna is with another guy?" "Nothing in particular. Should I feel any different?" Mira shook her head and continue to ask him. "Now tell me, how do you feel when Lucy is with some guy?" In an instance, his facial expression change to one where he seems to be glowering. "Why would she be with someone else when she has me?" This causes Mira to have a smile on her face. Seeing this, something in his mind clicked as he recalled what Igneel had tried to tell him when he was a child about the one person that they are fated to be with, their mate, or in this case, his mate, his soul mate, his Lucy. After realizing this, he had quickly run out of the guild. "What was that all about?" asked someone who saw him ran off but had quickly dismissed this and had gone back to what they were doing.

Natsu burst into the Guild the next day and quickly scan the guild for the blond beauty while greeting everyone. He caught her at the bar having a sip of her milkshake while talking to Mira. He couldn't help but thought about how beautiful she was with a smile on her face and how much he hate it was she doesn't have it on her when she is sad. After he ran from the Guild, he had gone back home and thought about his feeling for Lucy. He had enough time to reminiscence about their past from the moment he met her and realize over time, he had grown to love and be comfortable around her even when he was doing nothing in her house while she was working on her novel because being around her was what feels right, it was where he feel he belong to.

"Lucyyyy~~ I miss you!" said the blue exceed while flying across the guild into her bosom. "Hey Luce. How is your novel coming along?" "Hey Happy. Hey Natsu. I manage to finish three chapters before I turn in around midnight." Giving him a satisfied smile. "So what are we doing today? Do you want to go on a mission?" asked Lucy while tilting her head to the side. Cute! Thought Natsu of her action who was oblivious of how it was affecting him. He could just sit there and stare and listen to her while she talks animatedly about everything with her melodious voice. And those lips! Oh how he wish to just lean in and capture them with his own. To have a taste of her and show her how much he had come to love and want her. How he wish that he could just kiss her senseless there and then in front of the whole guild to show them that she belong to him and only he. How he wish that he could just carry her back to her home to make love to her and claim her as his own. To mark her so no one will come and take her away from him. How he yearn to have her writhing and squirming under him while exploring her body, all the while showering her with his love and affection, and to have her scream his name when she have her release, bringing her to experience a new level of pleasure and satisfaction that he gave her.

"Nah, we still have food money and you have enough money for rent. What do you want to do?" This causes Lucy to look a little surprise at him. "Natsu are you okay?" "Yeah. Why?" asked a puzzled Natsu. "Well, I would have thought that you want to go on a mission to destroy things seeing as we didn't go on one yesterday." This cause Natsu to chuckled at her.

After realizing his feeling, Natsu was determine to court Lucy. Yes people. The great and almighty Salamander of Fairy Tail is not as dense as everyone thought he was. With enhanced hearing that was bestow upon dragon slayer, he was able to listen to the conversation by some of the older guild members. He also heard what the girls talk about when it comes to romance and the way they would like some guys to sweep them off their feet.

Natsu had the whole night to thinking about what he was going to do. As much as he would prefer to just claim her and deal with everything later, he can't do that to Lucy. It would hurt her and she might not agree to be his mate. This might be fatal to both of them as he might get violent with her and hurt her and if he can't control himself, he might end up killing her. This will drive him to his own demise as one without its mate will not be able to keep on living. With this, he was going to woo her, make her love him like how he had fallen deeply in love with her, and with her consent, claim her as his mate.

"Well then, since you're being generous about giving me more time to rest, I think I should go clean up my apartment and do my laundry. See you later then." Lucy said with a smile while standing from her seat ready to leave the guild. "Wait Luce. Let me come with you." "NO." came her reply which cause the dragon slayer to look crestfallen. "You will just be in the way and adding more work for me." "But Luce, it's so boring without you. I promise not to make a mess." Plead Natsu with a puppy face. "No Natsu. That's not going to work on me. The last time I give in to you, you had managed to make my room look like someone had come to rob my place all in the span of five minute!"

They continue to argue while the white-haired barmaid had been keeping quiet about the whole ordeal and Happy was eating a fish given by the said barmaid. After a while, she decided that it was enough of bantering and suggest that Lucy go back to clean up while Natsu have his breakfast. Natsu was not keen on this idea but Lucy had promise that she would come back after doing her chores and maybe they could go fishing or do some grocery shopping. With great reluctant, he had let her go while looking at her figure disappears through the guild door all the while having some of his own thought running through his head. You will be mine Lucy, and when that time come I will never leave you and nothing will ever separate us.

Well guys. This is my first attempt in writing my own fanfiction. Let me know what you think about it.

Still not used to writing dialogue. I just can't seem to come out with word other than said and thought. I would appreciate any help I could get on that.

And lastly, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.

~Rol~