THESE CHARACTERS ARE NOT MINE. I DO NOT OWN THEM. SAME STORY, REWRITTEN, CHECK BOTTOM FOR MORE DETAILS

/

Lucy smiles as she steps into the guild and the first thing she hears is, "Wanna go at it ice freak?"

Then she remembers she has no money for rent and drags herself over to the bar, where Mirajane is. "I saw that smile you had when you walked through the door," is the first thing Mira says.

"W-what smile?" Lucy stutters. "Why would I smile? I still haven't payed rent, so I would have no reason to."

"Acting coy like you don't know," Mira says with a small smile. "I saw the look you gave Natsu, don't try to fool me. And that silly 'I need rent so I won't smile' isn't wo-"

"You need rent money, Luce?" Natsu asked me as threw his arm around Lucy.

Mavis, he appeared out of nowhere, Lucy thinks as a blush suddenly manifests on her face.

"See what I mean," Mira mutters, but it is still loud enough for Natsu and Lucy to hear. Her side comment does nothing to cool the fire on the blonde's face, and leaves Natsu more clueless than he already is.

"Uh, so Luce, how about that mission?" Natsu says with that adorable, but questioning look on his face.

\\\\\\\\\\\\

I'm so tired, Lucy thinks as she yawns on the train ride back from the mission. Natsu is laying on her lap, and though she wants to be mad at him (and Gray and Erza) for destroying half the town, she has enough money for the rent to be payed so she can't really bring herself to it. Also Natsu looks pretty adorable, the celestial mage adds as an after thought, before mentally slapping herself. This was her best friend she was talking about! She couldn't fall for him! She refused to.

Though she already knew it was too late.

Lucy knew she was in love with him the moment Lisanna came back from Edolas, and the young blonde couldn't help but feel an irrational sense of jealousy. Oh how she denied her feelings for the fire mage in the beginning. This was nothing. Soon, however, time wore her out, and she couldn't deny it anymore. She denied it to the world, told them they were crazy whenever the subject of her and Natsu as a couple came along, but she always knew the only person she was trying to convince was herself. She could tell from the looks the guild gave her that they didn't believe her either.

As Lucy ran her hands through Natsu's pink locks, she let herself dare hope that he might feel something for her. That somewhere in his dense mind, there was room for romance. She could almost feel his calloused hands roaming her body, and his tongue exploring her mouth. Almost.

But then the train stopped, and as Natsu stood up, her dreams came crashing with reality. The young man in front of her knew nothing of romance, and she was stuck being his guild mate, his best friend, his nakama.

\\\\\\\\

Natsu awoke the next morning with Lucy on his mind. His plushy bed was uncomfortable compared to blonde's lap. Or her bed. With her in it. And his arms around her. Natsu sighed, and wished he had gone over to her apartment to sleep last night. She seemed off after the mission, but she wouldn't tell him why.

Team Natsu got off the train, and all went separate ways, except Natsu and Lucy. Happy was off visiting the Exceed Village. Their whole walk to Lucy's apartment was quiet, and it seemed as though the celestial mage had forgotten all about Natsu. When they got to her home, he realized she truly had forgotten he was walking with her, as she turned to him in surprise when she almost closed the door on him.

"Natsu?! What are you doing here? I thought you left your own way at the train station," Lucy said.

"No, I was here with you the whole time Luce," Natsu said, a bit hurt his best friend forgot about him. "Well are you going to let me in?"

Lucy bit her lip, and Natsu knew something was wrong. "Can you- Can you just go to your house tonight? Please?"

Natsu knew his surprise and anguish showed on his face because Lucy flinched and looked guilty. "I- Are you okay Luce?"

Lucy nodded, but she looked a bit unsure. "Just this once, please."

"O-Okay," Natsu says, but his voice is a bit hoarse. He didn't understand why Lucy didn't want him there, but she doesn't look like she doesn't want to talk to him about it. This one time, he won't push. But only because Lucy looks like she might cry if he does, and he hates to see her cry. It would kill him if he was the reason for her tears.

So he leaves.

\\\\\\\\\\

Natsu slumps in his seat at the guild bar. Mira looks at Natsu with a soft smile before saying, "What's wrong Natsu? Sad because Lucy's not here?"

"Yeah… She looked really sad last night, and when i walked by her apartment this morning, she wasn't there," Natsu said with a pout.

Mira opens her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by Happy. "You liiikkeee her."

"Oi! I thought you were at the Exceed Village," Natsu says as Happy lands next to him. "You said you wouldn't be back till after tomorrow."

"Yeah, but I couldn't stop thinking about Charle, so I came back," Happy said with a smile. "You think she'll take this fish? I put a bow on it!"

Mira giggles, "You can go try, but she said she doesn't like fish remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Happy said as he went into a depressed state, but immediately brightened up as he said, "But you liiiiiikkee Lucy!"

"Duh," Natsu said, "She's my nakama."

But even as Natus said the words he felt them ring untrue to his own ears. Something had changed, but he didn't know what. Suddenly, he would think about Lucy all the time, everything constantly remind him of her. It was as if her very essence was next to him. He would often find himself talking to her though she wasn't next to him, and he could feel himself missing her though he had only seen her five seconds ago. Just being around her would lighten up his mood, and make him extremely charismatic.

"Natsu! You know what Happy means!" Mira says with a scolding look that warns me not to lie.

"No I don't! Honest!" Natsu swore, ready to high-tail it out of there at any second.

Mira pouted. "He means as in more than friends!"

Natsu thought hard about it, before saying, "Like you and Elfman?"

This too, however, felt wrong. Natsu knew he loved Lucy, it just was different. It wasn't like Elfman and Mira, but it was very strong…

"No!" Mira said, beginning to get irritated. The salmon haired young man began to slowly creep away, before Mira dragged him by the collar, and back on to the stool. "Don't you even think about it," she growled, "we mean, like Bisca and Alzac."

"OOH!" Natsu exclaimed as he finally understood. "You mean do I like her, as in to mate with her? Like to have little dragons with her?"

That's what he felt for Lucy, he realized. He wanted to mate with her, he loved her, and as much more than nakama, he had that clear now.

But did she love him?

"Aye, sir!" Happy exclaimed, "Exactly like that!"

Natsu's cheeks turned a pink hue. "No."

"WHAT?!" Mira and Happy exclaimed.

"I looooveee her."

All you saw was a dust cloud left behind by Natsu, as Mira and Happy fainted.

\\\\\\\\\\\\

"Ouch!" Natsu heard an annoyingly familiar voice say as something hit his head.

"Watch where you're going, idiot," Natsu yelled at him. "Can't you see I'm going somewhere!"

"You're the one with the sensitive sense, flame breath," Gray answered.

"I was too busy thinking about whether I should tell Lucy or not!" an agitated Natsu replied, before realizing what he said.

Gray's eyebrow went up into a curve, "What did you destroy this time?"

"Nothing! And besides it's none of your business!" Natsu said, as his face erupted into flames.

"Are you blushing, Flame Brain? What were you gonna tell Lucy that you loved her?" Gray said jokingly, only to get silence as a reply from Natsu. "You're not serious?!"

Gray looked around to see if he was being punked. "You were finally gonna tell her?"

"M-M-Maybe," Natsu muttered.

"Oh shit," Gray mutters in shock.

"But I don't want to mess up our friendship…." Natsu said, with a worried expression. "What if she doesn't love me?"

Gray was quiet for a moment. "I can…. find out for you."

"Really?!" Natsu exclaimed, before squinting his eyes. "What's the catch?"

Gray rolled his eyes. "No catch, I just think Lucy loves you too, and I want her to be happy."

"Thank you," Natsu said in awe of the ice prick.

"This does not make us best friends."

\\\\\\\\\\\

His hot kisses trailed down her neck, and back up to her ear. "Luce," his husky voice whispered. "Lucy," he said more urgently.

"Lucy!" Gray said.

"Mgrahm, five mwo minutes," the lazy blonde begged, wanting to go back to her dream.

"Lucy!" Gray whined.

"Mgrhmahh," Lucy groaned, as she sat up. "What?" she snapped. "A girl needs her beauty sleep."

"But you're already beautiful," Gray muttered.

"What?!" the celestial made exclaimed, not sure she heard him right.

"Hey Lucy," Gray began.

"Yeah…?" she answered.

"You don't have a boyfriend, right?"

"Uh, well, um," Lucy said, "No."

"Are you in love with anyone…?" Gray asked, looking kind of hopeful.

"Uh, well, er," Lucy wasn't sure what to say. She thought of Natsu, and of her dream that she knew couldn't become a reality. Do I lie or tell the truth? She thought. "No."

I lie.

"So can I pick you up around seven for a date?" Gray's eyes shone, and Lucy grimaced on the inside.

"Sure," Lucy said, and a word had never tasted so vile.

\\\\\\\\\\

"Can I come in?" Gray asked.

"Sure," Lucy answered sweetly, tasting the vile in her mouth again.

The date had gone wonderful. Gray was on time, the restaurant was neat, the music was great… But he wasn't Natsu. Lucy knew it was wrong of her to say yes to begin with, but she wanted so desperately to forget about the young man with pink hair. She wanted to badly someone to help her forget.

But Lucy was in love. And nobody could change that. Not even Gray, who treated her like a Princess, who was everything she thought she wanted as a child… It was just that Lucy no longer wanted the Prince in Shining Armour, she wanted the fierce dragon. She wanted Natsu. Now, she knew, that no matter how much it hurt, she had to admit it, not only to Gray, but to herself.

Still, Lucy let Gray come to the table, and they sat and talked for a good thirty minutes, while in her head, she was only comparing him to Natsu.

As Gray stood to leave, he gave me a hug. "I love you, Lucy, " he whispered into my ear.

At those words, Lucy pushed him away and knowing she had let things get way out of hand. "Gray…"

"What?" Gray asked, looking worried. "Did I do something wrong? Did I rush things? I'm sorry, I'll slo-"

"Gray," Lucy said as she cut him off, "I'm so sorry. But you didn't do anything wrong, if anything, you did everything right, and you didn't rush things because… well because there is no thing, there is no us…"

"What do you mean?" Gray said, sounding so hurt, Lucy's own heart broke for having to do this to him.

"I'm sorry Gray, but when you came here this morning, I was scared, and trying to run from my own feelings," Lucy said, her voice trembling. "But I know now how wrong it was to use you to do that."

"So you don't love me?" Gray's voice cracked.

"My heart belongs to someone else," Lucy says with a sad smile. "It has for a very long time, it's just that I'm only now beginning to realize that."

"Natsu."

"I..Yeah. Natsu," is all Lucy can manage to say.

"When you agreed to go on a date with me, I thought everyone was wrong, that you didn't have feelings for Natsu," Gray says, sounding a bit hollow.

"I'm sorry," is all Lucy could say. She could just keep repeating it over and over again, with her voice shaking too.

Gray turns his back to me, but stops just at the doorway before he leaves. "He loves you too, you know?"

Though she know's she just broke Gray's heart, her own begins to soar with the clouds in the sky.

\\\\\\\\\\\

Lucy sighs in annoyance as she wait for her fellow bookworm and best friend. They had agreed to meet by the corner of their favorite bookstore, but Levy was supposed to be there 15 minutes ago.

"Did you do it?" A familiar voice asks.

"Yeah," someone replies. Lucy knows those voices… It's Natsu and Gray, Lucy thinks as her eyes widen. Knowing she shouldn't but dying of curiosity, she stays quiet and continues listening.

"What did she say? She loves me?" Natsu seemed eager to hear his answer.

"Yeah," Gray said quietly, "She loves you. Lucy's been in love with you for quite a while."

"Yessss," Natsu said, and Lucy could hear the giggles in his voice.

Suddenly a thought hits her, and it takes all she has not to lurch forward and throw up her stomach's contents. They set me up… This whole thing was a joke… I trusted Gray, I told him I was in love with Natsu, and he went to go tell a laughing Natsu. Natsu is helping Gray play me because I rejected him…

Lucy's throat tightened up as her eyes filled with tears. She stepped around the corner, to see both boys smiling.

"Hey Luce," Nasu said with shining eyes.

SLAP

"Lucy, what are you-" Gray began.

SLAP

"You both are… IDIOTS," Lucy yelled at them, tears streaming down her face. The two boys looked down at her in shock. "I trusted you," she whispered hoarsely, before running off.

\\\\\\\\

Natsu doesn't understand what just happened. He wants to go chase after the beautiful blonde, but he doesn't know what he would say. Fuck this, Natsu thinks. I'm going after her.

Natsu takes off running, only getting three feet away from his original destination before getting hit by a Regulus Impact.

A seething Loke appears as Natsu falls to the ground. "What the hell is your problem?"

Loke punches Natsu. "What the hell is my problem? WHAT THE HELL IS MY PROBLEM?" Loke gives into a crazed laughter. "Lucy is in tears, that's what my problem is!"

"W-What?" Natsu choked out. Lucy, his Lucy, his beloved, strong Lucy was crying?

"You-You didn't know?" Loke seemed confused.

"W-Well, she mentioned something about me and Gray, and how she trusted us," Natsu said. "She looked really hurt, and slapped us both, but I'm not really sure why."

"You broke her heart."

What? Natsu fell to his knees. Lucy was crying because of him? "I don't…" Natsu cradled his head in his hands, he didn't understand what was happening.

"She thinks you played her," Loke explained after seeing that Natsu was clearly clueless.

"What? Why would she think that?" Natsu was at a loss for words.

"Gray asked her out on a date, and then-"

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Natsu turned around sharply to look at Gray who had been quiet the whole time. Natsu picked up the ice mage by the collar. "You told me you would asked her if she loved me, not ask her out on a fucking date," he growled.

Gray's bangs hung over his eyes. "I love her too."

"YOU SON OF A-"

"STOP." Gray's eyes remained hidden, but Natsu looked at Loke, though he refused to let go of Gray. "Why did you agree to help Natsu if you love her Gray? Do you realize how stupid that is?"

Gray remained quiet.

"Answer the fucking question Gray," Natsu hissed.

"I…" Gray began before emitting a sigh.

"Let go of him, Natsu," Loke gently told the angry Salamander. The angry young man relented, letting go of Gray with a toss.

Gray picked himself up, and sat on the floor, not daring to look up at Natsu. "I love her too. But I didn't realize it until I went to her apartment. I went to go ask her if she loved you, but I already knew what the answer was, and I didn't want to hear it. She looked so cute, and kissable-"

Natsu surged forward, causing Gray to fall back upon the ground again. "Tell me you didn't kiss her, or I swear to Mavis-"

This time Gray shoved him back, causing Natsu to have to stand back up. Gray stood up, and this time, looked Natsu dead in the eye. "I didn't kiss her. But I did ask her out on a date, and she said yes. We went out, but when we came back, I couldn't help myself, I told her the truth, that I loved her. Lucy told me as gently as she could that she was scared you wouldn't love her back, so she didn't tell you, and instead tried to deny it, which is why she went on the date with me. I just want her to be happy, so I came here to tell you the truth anyways, that she did love you."

Realization dawned on the Lion's face. "She must have heard you two talking, and because of that stupid stunt Gray pulled, assumed you two played her."

"That's not what happened…" Natsu began.

"Go tell her that," Loke said. "Gray and I have some talking to do."

\\\\\\\\\\

Lucy sat in her bed, crying silently. How could she be so stupid? She should've known better.

Suddenly, the front door opens, and as she gets up to go hide in the bathroom, he walks in. Lucy freezes mid-step, bound to her spot by his gaze. She opens her mouth to tell him to leave, but she can't seem to find the words. Natsu walks toward her, and stops right in front of her. They're breathing the same air, and if one of them were to talk, their lips would brush against one another.

"It's not what you think," is the first thing that comes out Natsu's mouth. Lucy shivers as his lips brush hers.

"Then explain it to me," she says hoarsley as a tear drop falls. "Because it seemed pretty clear to me that this was all just some sick game to you."

Natsu brushes the tear drop off her cheek in a soft manner that she didn't know he possessed. "Gray was only supposed to ask you if you loved me."

"Why couldn't you just tell me yourself?" It takes all Lucy has in her not to throw herself at him.

"I was scared," Natsu says. "If you didn't love me, I didn't want to ruin our friendship, I'd rather keep it to myself."

"So Gray's confession, that wasn't staged?" Lucy bites her lip, and her teeth barely grazing Natsu's lip, but it's enough to make him visibly shiver, and Lucy can't help but blush.

"No," Natsu says, and his breathing is a bit hitched. "He did that on his own."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Natsu keeps looking down at Lucy's lips, and Lucy can't prevent herself from looking at his.

"You'll just have to trust me," he says, and then they're done talking. Natsu's lips crash against her own, and take her lip into his teeth. She clings onto him for dear life, and allows herself to get carried away by his wonderful kiss. They don't part until they're desperate for air, and Lucy notices that they're on her bed. She has no idea how they got there, but she can't really bring herself to care. Natsu wraps his arms around her, and Lucy smiles into his chest.

"Hey Luce?"

"Hm?"

"I love you," Natsu says, and Lucy knows he must feel her big smile because he chuckles.

"I love you too, you idiot."

\\\\\\\\\\\\

"You realize he probably won't forgive you for a good while, don't you?" Loke says as he sits down on the curb of the street.

Gray sighs and joins him. "I know, but I had to try."

/

This is not a continuation of the story told preciously (in the second chapter). This is the same story, rewritten, with some changes. If you would prefer for only this story to be available online, please tell me, and I will take the original out. But if you prefer both versions, I will leave them be. Thanks.