Love

Lucy groaned, folding her arms across her sizeable chest. "I am so sick of this," she snapped, kicking away a small branch that lay on the ground. She, Natsu, and Happy were searching for a man by the name of Nikushimi, an infamous thief that had been last seen retreating into the forest. They'd been walking around for three days trying to find this guy, and they still haven't found any clues to where he might be. Lucy's patience was drawing thin.

"We'll find him eventually, Luce," said Natsu enthusiastically. "You just gotta be positive!"

"We've been out here for three days, Natsu! I'm telling you, giving up and going home without a reward is sounding better and better."

"What?" Happy chirped incredulously. "We can't just go home!"

"Happy's right, Luce. That would taint the guild's reputation."

"The two of you can stay if you want to, but I'm growing increasingly annoyed with this job."

"You can't just leave!" Natsu whined. "We're a team, Luce! It wouldn't be the same without you!"

Lucy snorted. "That line isn't going to work on me this time, Natsu. You're gonna have to do better than that." Natsu stopped in his tracks and cupped his chin, closing his eyes as he tried to come up with something to convince her to stay. After a couple of seconds, an idea hit him.

"Oi, Lucy!" he called as he jogged to catch up with her. "Am I gonna have to do the face? You know you can't resist the face."

"Try me." Natsu grinned before he stepped in front of her, halting her stride. He took her hands in his and got down on his knees. He stuck out his lower lip in a pout, his obsidian eyes glinting innocently as he looked up at her. Lucy's frustration steadily melted away at the sight. It was undoubtedly one of the cutest faces she'd ever seen him pull, and she could feel herself begin to cave. But she wasn't going to let him win. "No, Na—" She cut herself off when Happy landed on his shoulder, mimicking the Dragon Slayer almost exactly. Only the Exceed's eyes were bigger, and his ears were lowered. Now she was screwed. She wouldn't be able to hold out against both of them making such an adorable face.

"Please, Luce?" Natsu begged in a small voice, gently tugging at her hands. He scooted closer to her, holding her knuckles to his chin, his lower lip beginning to tremble. Don't cave, Lucy, be strong, the novelist told herself, trying to hold onto whatever willpower she had left. She sucked in a small breath when the boys' eyes turned glassy. She switched her gaze from Natsu to Happy, and then back. Fake tears? Damn, he's good.

"Fine," Lucy sighed, disappointed with herself. "I'll stay." Natsu smiled brilliantly as Happy leapt off his shoulder and flew in triumphant circles around them. The rosy-haired boy lunged to his feet, wrapping his arms around Lucy's hips on the way up and lifting her off the ground, trapping her in a tight embrace. Lucy squeaked and reflexively held onto his neck as he spun around, like Happy. "Natsu! You're making me dizzy!" He stopped spinning, but continued to hold her midsection. Laughing, the blonde rubbed his back to return the hug. Her smile fell when she realized that in their current position, his face was shoved between her breasts. Feeling her face heat up, she placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a push. "Natsu, you can, uh… put me down, now."

"Ah," he breathed, setting her down. That radiant grin was still dancing on his handsome face when he pulled away, which was making Lucy's blush darken several shades. She brushed passed him to avoid being seen.

"Come on. Let's catch this guy already."

"Aye, sir!" exclaimed Happy and Natsu in unison as the followed her.

That Night…

Despite their determination earlier that day, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy still didn't find Nikushimi. The trio was sitting in a small, rock alcove at the base of a cliff, a small campfire – courtesy of Natsu – sitting in front of them. It was quiet that night. Happy had long fallen asleep on a blanket from Lucy's bag, and the only sound that echoed through the night was the popping of wood as the flames licked at it, and the soft chirping of crickets. The two wizards stared blankly at the fire, watching as red and orange mingled and danced with each other, their shadows flicking around due to the constant light change. It was hypnotizing.

"I love fire," Lucy said suddenly, catching Natsu's immediate attention. "It's so beautiful." So are you, the pyro thought dreamily, a lazy smirk forming on his face. It quickly turned into a surprised frown and he forced himself to look away from the blonde sitting just a hand's length away from him, a blush threatening to sneak up his neck. He wasn't blushing because of embarrassment, per se, but because of how… cheesy that comment was. He really couldn't believe he'd just said something like that. He was just glad it was to himself instead of out loud, because Mavis knows how Lucy would react. And just thinking about her reaction made his cheeks darken. "That probably sounded like a compliment to you, didn't it?" she asked teasingly, turning her head to face him.

Natsu chuckled, trying to play off his obviously visible blush. "Kinda," he said simply, shifting awkwardly where he sat. Lucy vaguely wondered why he was blushing, but quickly disregarded it. She was admiring his face, how the flickering light of the fire seemed so… natural on him. She could see the flames' reflection in his eyes, and it was giving those expressive, onyx eyes a mischievous undertone. She must've been staring for a considerable amount of time, because those very eyes turned away from the fire and toward her, an eyebrow playfully raised. "What're you staring at me like that for?" It was Lucy's turn to blush, and she quickly turned away from him.

"N-no reason," she stammered. Natsu laughed lightly, gazing at her as she watched the fire. He knew he's said this to himself millions of times over, but she was absolutely heart-stopping. Everything about her was simply gorgeous. And with the way the fire was lighting up her face, making her eyes shine and her hair glow a delicate gold, she looked positively angelic. And when she turned her head toward him, he felt some kind of urge wash over him, and he couldn't stop himself from leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. It only lasted three seconds before he pulled away, horrified at what he'd done.

"I-I-I'm sorry," he stuttered, averting his eyes. Lucy sat there, surprised. She hadn't been expecting that, and she wondered if it even happened. But she noticed him nervously fidgeting, and she knew that he'd just kissed her. Natsu had full on kissed her. "Really. I don't know why I did that."

"Natsu…" she said slowly, trying to form the right words. She was confused and it was evident in her voice, but he mistook it for anger.

"Dammit!" he cursed softly. "I'm really sorry, Luce. I-I shouldn't have done that." Lucy stayed silent for a moment, before laughing at his embarrassment. This piqued his interest and caused him to turn toward her, the entirety of his face flushing to an incredibly visible shade of scarlet.

"What makes you say that?" she asked in between giggles. Uncharacteristically bashful, he turned away.

"Well… i-i-i-it's just that… you're my best friend, Luce. I… I don't want anything to get in the way of our friendship." Lucy's amused grin slowly fell from her face. He thought that kissing her would ruin their friendship? Silly boy. If only he knew how in love she was with him.

"Natsu, look at me." He refused, turning his head away even more. She sighed and reached out, gently touching her fingertips to his chin. Stunned by the action, he allowed her to turn his head with no resistance. Instead of the disappointed frown he was expecting, he was surprised to see a warm smile on her lips, a smile that made his heart pound so hard it made him dizzy. "Natsu… nothing ever could." He furrowed his eyebrows, confused. It took him a couple of seconds to realize she meant nothing could ever come between them. "So there's nothing to be afraid of." Oh, he wanted so badly to believe her. But he couldn't. Maybe going through with kissing her again wouldn't completely tarnish their relationship, but it would certainly change it. And he didn't want that. He liked things the way they were.

"B-but, Lu—" He cut off with a sound of shock when she quickly pushed her lips to his. He was frozen in his place, until he fully processed what was going on. He pulled away. "Luce…" he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. He licked his lips, trying to ignore how badly they were tingling. "Lucy, I… I can't…"

"Oh, shut up, you idiot," the celestial wizard snapped, making Natsu jump. "You and I both know that you want this just as much as I do." The boy's eyes widened. She… wantedhim to kiss her? But… he had no romantic experience what so ever. Surely she was implying something else. Someone as nice, and funny, and beautiful, and… perfect as her couldn't possibly want to kiss him, of all people. There was no way she reciprocated his feelings for her. Lucy looked down, biting her bottom lip. "Natsu, I… I'm in love with you." His heart stopped. He must've imagined that.

"Wh… what?" he said softly.

"I s-said that I'm in love with you." There was a long pause. Fuck it. Natsu quickly reached forward and cupped her cheek, pulling her into a kiss. She was surprised at first, but quickly recovered and melted into him, lifting her hand to cradle the back of his neck. It was a sweet kiss, slow and tender. Lucy was pleased to note that his lips were surprisingly soft. She'd expected them to be chapped or cracked, but they were pliant and moist. Much to her disappointment, the kiss ended when a chuckling Natsu pulled away. "What's so funny?" she asked quietly.

"I just kissed my best friend…" he said slowly, as if trying to convince himself that it was really happening. Lucy smiled.

"And?" Natsu looked up at her, his obsidian eyes drilling into her brown ones, and making her heart spasm. He inched closer to her, resting his forehead against her own.

"And… I think I'm in love with her." Lucy blushed, but ignored it as they leaned forward for another kiss.

"Aww…" Both teens jumped at the unexpected voice and moved apart, both of them looking over in Happy's direction. He had a smile on his furry face, his tail flicking happily behind him. "You liiiiike each other!" Natsu and Lucy blushed, and they decided it was time for them to go to bed.

Although they both knew sleep was the last thing on their minds.

Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… how was it? I hope it was fluffy enough for you guys! Let me know in a review!

Oh, and happy Valentine's Day!

Cover photo belongs to LucyHea123 from deviantART.