Misunderstanding.

Lucy sat in the guild waiting for Natsu to appear when she heard it, something she never ever wanted to hear. Macao and Wakaba had heard that Natsu will kick her out of the team and let Lisanna take her place. The pain she felt when she heard it was terrible. Was this the reason why Natsu had asked her to come to the guild early today? He said yesterday that he wanted to talk to her about something.

She decided to not stay in the guild and wait for the painful words that waited around the corner. She ran and found herself outside Fairy Hills. She went inside, avoided any contact with the other girls in the building. Right now she needed Levy – her best friend.

"Natsu, what if she misunderstand! I mean I asked you to go with me on a mission but you two are partners and I don't want her to think that I'm trying to break up your partnership. I just want your help to get back on my feet. I mean, I haven't used my magic for two years and considering that Elf-niichan are out on a mission with the Thunder God Tribe and Mira-nee is busy with the guild so there's only you left that I trust with this." Lisanna said.

"Calm down Lisanna. Lucy will listen and she will understand. Wouldn't surprise me if she will get happy instead. She has her money for her rent, so she will probably want to hang in the guild and talk about books with Levy. Wouldn't be the first time." Natsu said and opened the guild doors. He looked around for Lucy, but couldn't find her anywhere.

"Strange… she said yesterday that she was going to be here at nine and the clock is already half past ten. Let's ask Mira if she knows were Lucy is." He said and walked towards the bar.

"Hey Mira! Have you seen Lucy? She said yesterday that she was going to be here at nine today. But I don't see her." Said Natsu and looked around the guild.

"You just missed her. She ran away suddenly. I don't know where she went or why she ran away. I'm sorry." Mira said and continued. "Have you two been fighting? I mean Lucy would never just run of like that."

"What? No! We haven't been fighting! Everything was fine yesterday! Something must have happened before I came. I will go and look for her." Natsu said and ran off.

"This can't be true! She must have heard that I asked Natsu to accompany me on a mission! I knew she would misunderstand!" Lisanna said and pulled at her hair. Mira smiled sadly at her. "Well if you are right then she probably is at Levy's place." Mira said.

"So have Natsu told Lucy the news yet?" Macao said and looked at Lisanna. She looked at him confused. "What are you talking about Macao? What news?"

"That he is going to kick her out from his team! I heard you two talk yesterday!" He said and looked at her angry. "I guess I don't decide what he should do but I think it's very wrong of him! We raised him not to become someone to something like this! I'm very disappointed in both of you!"

"Macao! Natsu isn't going to kick Lucy out from their team! He is just going on one mission with me! I asked him if he could help me get back on my feet since I haven't used my magic in two years! He said yes since it was only one mission! I would never try to get Natsu to kick Lucy out from their team and even if I had tried, he would never have listen to me! They are partners and Lucy means extremely much to him!" Lisanna shouted at him.

"Oh. I guess I misunderstood you yesterday then. I apologize." He said.
"Macao. Could Lucy have heard you say this?" Mira asked him.

"It's possible. Me and Wakaba sat and talked about it this morning. We decided to talk to Natsu about it and let him hear what we thought of his decision, but he disappeared as quickly as he came – so we never got the chance. I decided to talk to Lisanna about it instead. Why do you ask?" Macao asked.

"Lucy ran away suddenly from the guild this morning. I think she must have heard you, and just like you two she believed it. She must have been hurt by the words and chose not to stay and get it confirmed from Natsu. Poor Lucy." Said Mira and shook her head.

"Mira-nee! We should go and talk to Lucy! Make things right! Tell her that it's not true!" said Lisanna.
"I'm sorry Lisanna, but I don't think that is a good idea. Lucy will probably don't want to talk to you and Levy will probably won't let you in to begin with. I think we should let Natsu talk to her. If he don't find her himself, he will come back and then we should tell him what's going on. I know Lucy will believe him if he only get the chance to explain to her." Mira said and went back to work.

"Lu-chan?" Levy asked when she found Lucy outside her door. Tears flowed and she looked like a mess. "Can I come in Levy-chan?" Lucy asked with a cracked voice.
"Of course!" Levy said and let her in. "Do you want something to drink Lu-chan? I was just going to take a cup of tea, do you want some?" she asked her. Lucy nodded at her and sat down on her couch. Levy came back with two cups of tea. "Thank you." Lucy said as she took her cup.

"Lu-chan, I don't want to sound rude, but what have happened? You look like a mess!" Levy asked.
"I heard from Macao and Wakaba that Natsu is going to kick me out from the team. They heard Natsu and Lisanna talk about it yesterday, and Natsu told me yesterday that he wanted to talk to me about something today. How can he do this to me!
How much I try I can't get the teas to stop flowing!"

"What! Oh, when I get my fist on him, he will regret that he is alive! How can he! I mean you are partners. That is nothing you break just like that! – And don't say I'm wrong when I say that you two had come closer to each other. I thought that you two were close to become a couple!" Lucy didn't answer her, instead she started to cry even more.

"We will go through this together Lucy, I promise." Levy said and hugged her.

Where can she be! Natsu has been looking all over Magnolia, but still he has not find her! He is starting to get worried that something has happened to her! He decides to head back to the guild and look there again in case she has returned there.

"Did you found her Natsu?" he hears Lisanna ask when he comes in.
"No! Where can she be? I'm beginning to be worried that something has happened to her!"

"I think I know where she is." Mira said and looked at him.
"Where Mira! Please tell me!" he said with panic in his voice.
"I will. But first I think you need to know why she ran away to begin with. We found out why she ran away while you were looking for her.
Apparently Macao heard you and Lisanna yesterday when you were talking. To him, it sounded like you had decided to kick Lucy out from the team and replace her with Lisanna. This morning Macao and Wakaba were talking about that and Lucy must have heard them and she probably believed in what they said." Mira said.

Natsu's heart stopped beating. Lucy thinks he want to kick her out of the team?
He would never do that! Lucy means everything for him. She is Lucy! – His Lucy.

"I told you that she was going to misunderstand! This is all my fault!" Lisanna cried.

Natsu ignored her and looked at Mira. "You said you know where she is. So tell me where is she?"

"She is probably at Fairy Hills with Levy." Mira said but Natsu had already begin to run out from the guild. Good luck Natsu, Mira whispered to herself.

"LUCY!" Natsu shouted outside Fairy Hills. "LUCY"

Erza opened the door and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing Natsu!"
"Erza! I know it's against the rules, but I have to come in! Lucy is here and I have to talk to her! She thinks I want to kick her out of our team! Macao misunderstood me and Lisanna yesterday when we were talking so he talked about it today in the guild and Lucy heard him and ran away. I need to talk to her so that I can explain that I would never do that! Please Erza!"

"What where you and Lisanna talking about that made Macao thought you were going to kick Lucy out from our team?" Erza said and glared at him.

"Lisanna asked me if I wanted to go on a mission with her. Since Elfman is out on a mission with the Thunder God Tribe and Mira is taking care of the guild she wanted to go with me. She just wanted me to help her on one mission, to help her get back on her feet. Since she hasn't used her magic for two years she didn't wanted to go alone. I told her that I will help her on one mission but after that, she has to go either with Elfman or someone else.
Macao must had heard when I said yes, but not the rest. Please Erza!"

"Okay. But it will never happen again – you hear that!" she shouted at him.

He ran in and shouted over his shoulder. "Thank you Erza! I own you one!" she shook her head. Good luck Natsu she though as she headed back to her room.

Levy's room I have to find Levy's room he though as he ran. Finally!

He knocked at the door hard! Please Levy open the door!
"Just a second" he heard from inside.

"Natsu?" she asked when she opened the door. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to get you killed by Erza? No forget that I'm going to kill you myself!"
"Actually, it was Erza that let me in. I really need to talk to Lucy, Levy! Please let me inside!" He begged her.

"And why should I let you inside my room! You hurt Lu-chan!" she glared at him.
"I didn't do that on purpose! I would never kick Lucy out from our team! Macao heard when I accepted to go on a mission with Lisanna. She wants help to get back on her feet and Elfman and Mira are busy with other things, her so she asked me. I told her that I can help her on one mission after that she has to ask someone else. We were going to tell Lucy this morning. Lisanna said that it was going to be Lucy that took the final decision. She didn't want Lucy to think that she was trying to break our partnership! Like she even could." Natsu said. Levy just looked at him. "It was a misunderstanding?" Levy said more to herself.

"Yes! Can you please let me inside now?" Levy moved out of the way and let Natsu in.
"Levy who was it?" Lucy asked. Natsu came in and saw Lucy look away from him. It was clear that she doesn't know that it's he who stands behind her. "Levy?" she asked and turned around. When she sees Natsu, she gets stiff and is just staring at him. "Natsu?" she whispered.

"Hey Lucy." Natsu said and gave her a small smile.

"So you looked for me, so you can get it done. I see… OK, just say it!" she shouted.
"My silly Lucy." Natsu said and shook his head. "I'm not silly!" Lucy cried.
"Why would I want to kick you out from our team? It wouldn't be the same without you. It would be like cutting off a part of myself.
Macao heard when I talked to Lisanna yesterday. She asked me if I could go with her on a mission. Elfman is out on a mission with the Thunder God Tribe and Mira is taking care of the guild. She didn't wanted to go alone since it will be her first mission in two years. So she asked me, I accepted but she told me that it was going to be you who's going to have the final decision. So I told you yesterday that I wanted to talk to you about something. I never thought it would lead to this." Natsu said.

"You are not going to kick me out?" Lucy whispered. "Never." He said and walked up to her and hugged her. She began to cry in his arms. He held her tightly and kissed her forehead.

It's been a tough day Lucy thought when she was crying in his arms. She never wanted to let go of him. But too soon he let go of her. He looked at her face and smiled at her. "My silly Lucy" he said again and smiled bigger. She blushed at his words. She was gladly his.
"Yes - Yours" she whispered. "Lucy." Natsu said and she looked at him confused. "What?" she asked. "There is something I want to try. Is it okay?" she nodded at him even although she was confused.

He leaned closer to her, while his eyes stayed on her lips. Did he want to kiss her?
She couldn't wait and took the matters into her own hands and kissed him. He was warm and his lips were softer than she had imagined. A faint shade of smoke invaded her sense of smell. It just made her hungrier for him – she wanted more of him.

Levy cleared her throat.
Natsu and Lucy tore apart from each other, both very embarrassed.

"I'm happy that you sorted out your problems, but I'm not so interested in seeing you make out. But if you like to continue this at Lucy's place – I won't stop you." Levy said and smirked at them.

They blushed at her words but decided that they need to talk, and they need to that alone. They left Levy's place and headed to Lucy's apartment.
During the walk to Lucy's place they were silent. They just didn't know what to say.

"Ehm... Natsu, I'm sorry that I… – I mean. Ah, I don't know what to say." Lucy whispered.
"You have nothing to apologize over Lucy." Natsu said and looked her deep in her eyes. "You don't know for how long I have wanted to kiss you, Lucy." She blushed at his words but felt happy.

"Why haven't you done it then?" she whispered. He smiled at her. "Because I respect you." He said and continued. "We should talk, I don't want any more misunderstandings between us." He looked her in her eyes. "I agree." She said and smiled at him.

"Lisanna, calm down please. It doesn't help to go rounds here back and forth, we have to wait and see if they can solve this themselves." Mira said.

"Then you don't have to wait much longer." Mira turned around and found Levy in the doorway. "I found them before in my room making up and making out." She said and laughed. "They went to Lu-chan's place after that. I think they decided to talk about it. But who knows." She smiled. Mira fainted with joy and Lisanna blushed at her words. Natsu making out – he had really grown up in these two years.

"What are you talking about?" They heard from the door. Natsu and Lucy stood there and held hands. Lucy was blushing but smiled.

"Lucy! I'm so sorry!" Lisanna said and begged her to forgive her.
"Lisanna, it is okay. Natsu told me everything. You don't need to apologize." Lucy said and smiled at her. Natsu kissed her cheek and Lisanna blushed at the sight. To see Natsu kiss Lucy like that was something new but it made her happy.

"So Natsu, are you two finally together now?" She said to him and smiled at them.

"Absolutely!" Natsu said and smiled big.

"Hey Lucy, I love you." He said and smiled at her. She smiled back at him and kissed his cheek. "I love you too Natsu, more than you can imagine." He laughed at her. "I think I can, because I love you more than everything." He said and kissed her forehead. She smiled big at him. "Idiot." She shook her head. "Well, I'm your idiot." He laughed. "Yes, you are my idiot." She said and smiled.
"Lucy, be my girlfriend and I promise that I will love you forever."
"Yes."

"Ehm will you still go on a mission with me Natsu?"