The way back to the guild. Awesome. Even though my joints are hurting a lot, I really hope my Secon Origin will be showing soon (not that I'm gonna be selected for the Daimatou Enbu or anything, but still... I think I can sense my magic getting more powerful already). The only one here that looks somehow normal is Erza, but even she looks a little down. I really hope things go well with Jellal in the end, she really deserves to be happy.
However, there's something else troubling my mind, and that same "something else" is sitting right in front of me, looking like the world is spinning around.
I really, really have to suppress my thoughts about what happened between us... Even though a lot more of time has passed than the one we percieved while we were in the Celestial Spirit World, I still can't believe it has been almost a month since that night... For me it all feels like it was just this morning when I found myself waking up in his arms.
"... Right, Lucy?" Is Erza talking to me? Shit. Say something, Lucy!
"Er... Yeah, sure." "I see. That's what I thought. However..."
I have literally no idea what question I just answered to. I need to pay more attention from now on, I promised myself and Natsu I would put Fairy Tail's success before my personal issues. I can not afford to act selfish now that the guild needs me. I have to give all my support and help in anything I can.
"Are we there yet?" Natsu looks awful... I think he's about to throw up or something. Yup, motion sickness at its best.
"Shut up, bastard! We get there when we get there." Gray really doesn't look in the mood to put up with anything... Poor Natsu, he looks too ill to throw a comeback at him. He just looks at Gray with half-closed eyes and mutters a "fuck you".
"And it looks like we've arrived to Hargeon, Gray-sama."
"Right. Everyone, let's get off!"
"Gray, your clothes..."
Hargeon. It was here where Natsu invited me to become part of Fairy Tail eight years ago. What distant memories... This makes me feel really nostalgic. If only I had known then how my life would change from then on.
"Finally! I'm not riding a boat ever again!"
"Yeah, whatever, Flamebrain! There's still the train to Magnolia... Jussayin'..."
"I feel ya, Salamander. I'm not getting on that thing. Not ever."
"Gajeel, why don't you just ask Wendy to cast Troia on you and Natsu?" Levy... I'll ask her about Gajeel later.
"Not possible. Wendy is still too weak from the Second Origin awakening."
"But I want to help! I swear I can do it!"
"Think about yourself, Wendy. If you don't feel well, then how will you make Gajeel and Natsu feel better?"
"Hey Charle, I brought you this fish..."
"Put that away, Happy."
"Aye."
Well... Everyone is hungry, so I guess it's only natural for them to go look for whatever food they feel like having. However, this leaves me with...
"Yo, Lucy!" Well, now that he's on stable ground he looks almost as energetic as ever. It's the first time we've been alone since that night, and I still don't know how he just acts so cool about it.
"Natsu! You okay now?" I ask, since he looked so ill up there.
"Yeah, I'm better now" he says while he puts one arm around my shoulders, making me blush "Wanna go grab something to eat?"
"Yeah, sure" I answer.
"You like each otherrrrrr" I hear the little blue cat purr. Damn you Happy!
"Let's go!" I hear Natsu say. It's just remarkable how he, unlike me, is completely in control of his reactions. We walk in silence for a while, neither of us saying anyt"Hey, I see they rebuilt that!" He says, pointing at the port. It had been eight years, after all. "Yeah, I can see it too. So... Uhmm..." I start, not knowing what to say "You remember this place?" "Yeah" he says. After that, he just stares ahead of us, not adding anything.
"Cool" I answer. Shit, this is all too awkward. What are you supposed to talk about with your best friend who you just slept with in the city where you met each other?
"You still want to take it slow?" he asks, all of the sudden. The look of his face is completely neutral, and his eyes look concerned.
"I don't know" I answer, taken aback
"It just feels.. Weird." "I don't want it to be weird" he says, taking his arm away from me "But you don't look like you're taking it too we'll, are you?"
"Just give me some time... I promise things will go back to normal."
"That's the problem" he says, still not looking at me "I'm not sure I want things to be the same either. Maybe your weirdness rubbed off on me, or something, but now I don't know what to think when I see you. It's not that simple anymore."
"Same here, but remember who was the one who said that we needed to focus on becoming number one? We can't rush so much."
"I say the hell with that. We can totally focus on makin' the guild win this thing and be happy at the same time! C'mon, don't tell me you don't trust in yourself, because you know I do. If you don't believe me, let me just show you how much I really mean it" he says, leaning in. Panic, panic...! I turn around, because THIS IS TOO DAMN WEIRD! Natsu doesn't talk like that, he just doesn't. He isn't supposed say that kind of things; he's supposed to set things on fire, and eat like a beast, and don't give a care in the world about anything. Ughhh just kill me already!
"Lucy is being really mean to you, Natsu... What are you two talking about?"
"WHO'S BEING MEAN HERE, YOU DAMN CAT! YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND THIS EVEN IF YOUR BRAIN WAS THAT OF A HUMAN'S!" "NATSU, NOW LUCY IS BEING MEAN TO ME, TOO!" Happy cries, hiding behind Natsu.
"Okay, okay, Luce... Maybe I took it too far... I'm sorry, I know we said we'd be just friends. That's it. I agreed to that, it's my fault." He says, a smile that doesn't reach his eyes spreading through his face.
"So... Start over?" I look at him, dumbstruck. I don't feel quite happy about it, but at least I have something less to worry about. Now, I just have to sort out whatever I'm feeling to be able to respond like Natsu deserves. I'm the one to blame, after all.
"Start over" I say to him, not sure I really want to do it, but making myself the promise of doing my best to act like nothing ever happened.
