"A… A-choo!" This was then followed by a fit of endless coughing.

Twenty-one year old Celestial Spirit Wizard Lucy Heartfilia groaned and placed a trembling hand to her burning forehead. Trust her luck to have caught both cold and fever at this time of the year! Even so, Wendy had contributed by casting one of her curing spells on the blonde haired young woman, guaranteeing that she will be better the next morning, so long she rested. Happy was assigned the task of nursing Lucy back to health by placing cold towels on her forehead and bringing her the occasional mug of hot water infused with lemon. Sometimes, they were even sweetened with rock sugar.

There was a big birthday bash going on back at the guild, but no matter how many times Happy denied, Lucy could see in his eyes how much he longed to go and join in the merrymaking. Nevertheless, the little blue Exceed knew that his friend's wellbeing was more important than his own personal desire, so he swore to stay by her side until she was better. Her cheeks were a glowing pink. She looked pretty even though she was breaking out in cold sweat.

"How are you feeling now, Lucy?" he wanted to know. She was sitting up in bed, sipping at her fourth mug of hot lemon water.

"Okay, I guess," she managed to say between swallows. "Really, Happy, I'm fine. I'll be sad if you had to stay here and then miss out on the party."

"B-But… But I can't leave you like this, Lucy! Who knows what'll happen to you if I left you alone?"

"Happy, I'm not all that sick. It's okay; I'll be well and swell by tomorrow. I'll play with you then, alright?"

But he wasn't really listening: he was too lost in his own thoughts.

"That's right!" he said finally. "You haven't eaten anything since breakfast, have you, Lucy? You need to eat, you know... it's almost time for dinner."

"Now that you mention it," said Lucy, patting her belly, "I'm feeling kind of hungry." To prove her point, the blonde haired young woman's stomach began to rumble loudly.

"I can't cook you anything, but how about this? I can go back to the guild to ask someone to come over and fix you something."

"Well, that will have to do," sighed Lucy, but she smiled gratefully at him as he climbed on her window sill, his wings ready to soar. There were times when Happy enjoyed teasing and mocking her, but in her heart she knew that he was a true friend and a kind-hearted Exceed who cared very much for his comrades.

"Okay, I'll be on my way to the guild now but I promise to be back soon! Make sure to get some sleep as well!"

Lucy shut her eyes the instant he left. An hour or so later, she woke up to the lingering smell of charcoal in the room and someone pushing the hair from her eyes. The young woman fluttered them slowly to see Happy returned, watching her anxiously by her side, and Natsu sitting on a stool. Even though she wasn't sweating anymore, the Fire Dragon Slayer still wiped at her cheeks with a cool damp flannel. When she opened her eyes, she was comforted by their reassuring smiles.

"Evening, Lucy!" said Natsu. "How're you feeling?"

"Are you getting any better, Lucy?" Happy asked at the same time.

"I think so," she answered. "At least, my headache is gone, and I'm not feeling the hot and cold flashes anymore, either." Lucy tried to sit up but as she did so, Natsu placed a hand on her face as well as pressed his forehead against hers, deepening the rouge in her cheeks at the close distance between their nose and lips.

"Well… your forehead's not as hot as it was thirty minutes ago," he told her professionally, "but you still need your rest."

"O-Oh," was all Lucy had to say as he pulled away.

In spite of the situation, Happy giggled. "You liiiiiiike him!" he teased.

Lucy blushed some more. "N-No, I don't! Stop making weird accusations!" she said. "And quit rolling your tongue like that!"

"Is that true?" broke in Natsu. He sounded oddly disappointed. "Don't you like me, Lucy?"

She started and, unable to face him, hid behind a curtain of hair. "I-It's not like that," she murmured. "I do, just as a friend… nothing more."

He seemed to contemplate what she had just said for a moment, but then waved it aside. "Never mind; anyways, first thing's first, we'd better get some food in you. What do you want to eat?"

"There isn't really much in my fridge: just some meat and vegetables and bread, I think. Wait, I didn't know you can cook, Natsu!" she said, surprised.

"Aye, he sometimes cooks at home, but not as good as Mira," replied Happy. "One of his specialties is his All-Fired-Up Curry. It's really good, Lucy. Would you like some?"

"Curry, eh?" breathed Lucy in admiration. "Natsu, you're more talented than I thought you'd be!"

Natsu glared at her. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?!" he snapped.

Lucy heaved a sigh. "What it sounded like."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, just get back to sleep while Happy and I cook you dinner."

"Wait, me as well?" said Happy.

"Who else is going to help me clean up?" Natsu pointed out. "You're my partner, aren't you?"

"Alright, then… Well, Lucy, try and get some rest, okay?"

"Oh wait, you two, don't make it too spicy. The curry, I mean," she reminded them.

"We won't, don't worry."

Her worries drooped down low and because there would be less fuss, she agreed to let them cook her something to eat. Natsu helped Lucy lie back down and as soon as her head touched the pillow, she was sound asleep.

~XXX~

"Wow, Lucy's kitchen is so clean," observed Happy.

They were strolling into said room, admiring at its orderliness and neatness in awe. It was very, very unlike the kitchenette at their own home, with its skyscraper of dirty dishes that hadn't been washed since last Monday and discarded food scraps and broken stove. But in Lucy's apartment, everything was tidy and in neat order. In her refrigerator they found a jug of sweet rice milk, a loaf of brown bread, plates of leftovers, fresh butter, raw beef, raw chicken breasts, strong-smelling sausages, and a small leg of ham. In the freezer was a container of ice cubes, a block of cheese, tub of frozen yoghurt, a packet of frozen peas and carrots, potato cakes, and frozen trout.

They inspected the cupboards and rooted about, discovering sacks of jasmine rice, button mushrooms, bulbs of garlic, scrubbed potatoes, carrots, salad vegetables, onions, canned fruits, a tube of honey, a jar of bramble jam, a packet of flour, a rack of aromatic spices stored in small vials, cooking sherry, oatmeal, a crate of eggs, homemade cakes and cookies, and tea leaves. The two of them set to work, and began assembling the ingredients for Natsu's All-Fired-Up Curry.

"Listen, Happy," Natsu said all of a sudden as he cut the beef up into cubes, "I've got a plan."

The blue Exceed stopped measuring out the garam masala, and stared at his partner. "Plan?" he echoed. "What are you talking about?"

"Never mind what, just listen to me for a sec," said Natsu and proceeded to whisper it into Happy's ear. After a while, he pulled back. "Now you understand?"

"I see, so you're going to…"

But Natsu placed a finger to his lips, gesturing the bedroom in which Lucy was sleeping, and Happy trailed away into silence.

"Aye, sir!" agreed Happy. "Anything you say, Natsu."

"Let's finish making the curry first, okay?"

Natsu heated some oil into a large pot, and sautéed the onions until they caramelised. Then he added the beef cubes, before putting in the diced carrots and potatoes and water to bring it all to a boil. While waiting for it to simmer, he started on cooking the rice. He first rinsed four and a half cups of the grain in three changes of water until the liquid ran clear, then transferred them into a large stone pot, added the right amount of water, covered it, and allowed the cereal to cook. Meanwhile, Happy helped by working on the roux for the curry by adding flour and garam masala to melting butter in another saucepan. But when he took out the hot spices and Tabasco sauce, he was suddenly overcome by indecisiveness.

"Natsu, how much of these should I add to the roux?" he asked.

"It's okay, I can do it," said Natsu and he tipped in the entire contents of the Tabasco sauce bottle as well as the vials of chilli seeds and cumin and cayenne peppers and ground black peppers.

"Um, Natsu… I think that's a bit too much."

"That's how I always make it at home. Why else would it be called All-Fired-Up Curry, eh?"

"I don't think Lucy will be able to handle such a spicy curry. Besides, she asked us not to make it too hot."

Natsu grinned at him. "Isn't that all part of the plan?"

"But…" said Happy, as he eyed the piquant mixture in concern.

"But nothing: I told you, I can handle it."

"You never told me that," Happy reminded him.

"Well, I'm telling you now, aren't I? I'm asking you to trust me."

Sighing, Happy had no choice but to agree. Lowering the heat, he contributed some ketchup and apple purée and Worcestershire sauce, continuing to cook the combination until the paste started to crumble. Finally he scaped off all the roux and immersed it into the now simmered pot of boiled beef and tender vegetables, stirring the stew until it thickened. Natsu checked to see if the rice was cooked and when he found that it was, fluffed it with a spatula.

Forty-five minutes later, when everything was ready, Happy and Natsu stood in the middle of the kitchen and stared… just stared. Staring at the enormous mess they had made. Here and there you could spot the occasional dusts of flour and garam masala, onion skins, potato and carrot peels, burnt stove. There was, unsurprisingly, a tower of dirty pots and pans stacked in the sink.

"Natsu, what're we going to do about all this mess?" said Happy. "Lucy is going to get angry at you."

But the said person just shrugged nonchalantly. His belly grumbled so loud he felt sure everyone in the world could hear it. "We'll clean it later, won't we? Me and Lucy, I mean. After all, we can overcome any problem if we all work together. Right?" he winked.

"You're right. Okay, I think I'm going to go now, Natsu. You two enjoy your dinner. Or date, I should say." Happy smiled impishly.

"Can it already!" said Natsu, blushing. Then he remembered something. "Oh, and Happy, don't forget to bring me that!"

"I won't!" said Happy as he flew off.

Natsu began to set the table, draping a lovely white tablecloth over it, with the addition of two scented candles as a final touch. But they didn't look enough, so he ventured to the garden behind Lucy's apartment to pick the sweetest smelling roses he could find. He put them in a vase, placing it in the centre of the table, until something gave him an idea. Everything was not quite ready, but he decided to wake Lucy up first so that while she washed, it would give him time to finish off all that he had to do. After all, it was going to be a surprise.

Natsu shook her shoulders gently. "Lucy... Lucy, get up." No response. He tried again. "Lucy, dinner's ready."

Slowly the blonde haired girl began to stir. She opened her eyes and, when she saw his face, smiled at him.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Quite well, I guess," she replied, sitting up. "Wait, where's Happy?"

Natsu shrugged absent-mindedly. "He left."

Lucy blushed to the roots of her hair. "H-He left? As in, left us alone… together?!"

"What are you so worked up about? It's not like it's the first time you and I were left alone."

Her stomach growled and she sighed. "Ugh, I'm so hungry. Natsu, is dinner ready?"

"Yeah, but you should go wash up first. Oh and don't forget to wear something nice…. Something cute," he added shyly.

Lucy got out of bed as his last words reached her. "Huh, what for?" she wanted to know, slipping her feet into her slippers.

"J-J-Just do it, okay? And take your time, I'm in no hurry," said Natsu, before turning away and going back out, making sure to close the door behind him.

Lucy went into her bathroom, still in her embarrassing flannel pyjamas, and looked at her dreadful reflection in the mirror. Her long blonde hair was in such a mess, as was her face which was all pasty and sickly-looking. She sighed again.

"No wonder Natsu wanted me to dress nicely," she said to herself. "He probably can't stand looking at me like this."

Tonight it was just going to be the two of them, so Lucy was extra careful in deciding how to look her best. Could this even be a date? As Lucy pondered this – trying to reassure herself of it otherwise – she took quick shower to wash her hair with honeycomb and strawberry shampoo and conditioner. Ten minutes later, she stepped out and filled her bath tub, adding drops of deliciously-smelling bath oil she bought the day before. She soaked for fifteen minutes before drying herself off.

Then, this was the difficult part. Lucy stood in front of her wardrobe, filled with uncertainty, not knowing what to wear and what accessories to match. In the end she had decided on a sexy but scarily short white velvet dress. It had a low-cut heart neckline, embellished with rose-pink crystals, which placed a great deal of emphasis on her cleavage. On her feet she wore her favourite black strappy heels. As for accessories, Lucy substituted her heart earrings for diamond chandelier drops and put on a floral filigree bib necklace.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy prepared herself for disappointment as she turned to the mirror. However, when she glanced at her reflection, she found that she looked… well, terrific. She had been extra careful in keeping her makeup as natural as possible, with the application of eye glitter and a small amount of kohl to bring out the colour in her eyes. Since she had a beautiful, healthy milky complexion, Lucy never bothered much with foundations or BB creams. Neither did she ever pick up a blusher in her life, for there was a lovely glow in her rosy cheeks which were now flushing with excitement and nervousness. Her golden hair was styled into a silky, graceful hairstyle with a simple flower arrangement behind one ear.

Suddenly some of her excitement drained away: she wondered if she looked a bit too much. Perhaps this may be her idea of cute and pretty, but it might not be for Natsu.

What if he doesn't like me dressed this way? Lucy worried. I don't want him to think I'm trying to seduce him or anything. Oh God, please prevent me from making an arse of myself in front of him tonight. I BEG of you!

Taking a deep breath, Lucy stepped out and then suddenly choked out a big gasp. The room before her was unmistakably her dining room, but it was her dining room transformed! All the overhead lighting in the apartment had been turned off, replaced by the delicate serene glow of two wax candles in the centre of the dining table, as well as the many tiny pumpkin spice candles placed around the room arranged in elegant silhouettes. Whirling about in fascination, Lucy could clearly see the amount of effort Natsu put in to decorate and festoon the expanse in which they will be dining in… almost as if he had had this moment planned from the beginning. Hanging over her furniture and doorframes were fairy lights fashioned as satin roses tied with ribbons in miscellaneous shades of roseate and garnet.

The curtains were drawn to allow a sliver of the full moon's light spill in through the windows, adding an inkling of fairy tale magic about the room. But in the heart of everything was her dining table with red rose petals sprinkled over Lucy's best lace tablecloth. Crimson napkins and fine table- and silverware at both place settings contributed to the romantic vibe given off by the decorations. Everything was so beautiful, so gorgeous, so dazzling they nearly brought tears to the beautiful Celestial Spirit Wizard's eyes, except she stopped herself before she could ruin her makeup.

Then someone turned on the Melody Lacrima for there was suddenly the gentle sound of soothing ballad music in the background. Gasping, Lucy saw the Fire Dragon Slayer come into view before her – and he, similar to her dining room, seemed like a different person altogether! The Natsu Dragneel standing before Lucy was strikingly handsome, with an ambience surrounding him like she had never felt before. Anyhow, he looked so cute and gorgeous in a black tailored suit with a scarlet carnation protruding from his left breast pocket, his messily arranged hair flopping over one eye.

Natsu, for his part, stood there as still as a statue when he laid eyes on her. His heart had ceased beating – Oh man, he thought, I guess this is the end of me – causing him to forget all that he had learned at infancy how to breathe. The Lucy Heartfilia standing before Natsu looked so alluring and sexy and kissable that he just couldn't resist the temptation to chuck her under the chin and plant his lips against her plump juicy ones. Unable to find the words to speak, the young man simply took in her ethereal beauty… her revealing décolletage beneath the velvety fabric of her dress… her golden locks spilling over her smooth white neck where her necklace laid peacefully… her twinkling, kohl-rimmed chocolate eyes… her pink glossy lips, parted to reveal even white teeth, that he so badly wanted to kiss.

But most of all, Natsu couldn't help himself staring at the beautiful young woman's flawless curvaceous figure, wishing for a diversion that would take his mind away from stripping that outfit of hers and then making love to her in front of the fireplace. His wish was granted instantly when the six year old cerulean Exceed, wearing a little suit, flew in through the wide-open window, clutching at a giant bouquet of roses.

"Natsu, there you go!" he said excitedly, handing them to the clean-shaven, heart-stopping mage. "These are the flowers that you wanted to give to Lucy. Oh wow, you decorated the room really well, Natsu!" When Happy saw the young woman in her evening dressed self, his mouth dropped wide open. "Lucy," he gasped, "you look just like a princess!"

Smiling at him, Lucy said: "Thank you, Happy."

Natsu took the bouquet distractedly, not even glancing at the flowers so that they nearly fell from his reach when he grabbed them. His black eyes were still staring fixedly on her. "Yeah," he breathed, "you look…"

She cocked her head to one side, confused. What could he have wanted to say? she wondered to herself. He wouldn't be thinking that I look sexy, would he? Don't be such a nitwit, Lucy! He would never think of you as more than a friend. Besides, I can never be good enough for him!

However, she couldn't help thinking: But friends don't organise romantic dinners, do they?

At last, Natsu managed to peel his eyes away to stare at the roses he held in his hands. He was suddenly overcome with shyness, but was clever enough not to let it show in his voice which he kept steady. "Um, these are for you," he said almost casually, handing them to her.

Lucy blushed deeply and accepted them. "T-Thank you," she said half under her breath. She buried her nose in the flowers gracefully and drew in their aroma, her heart turning cartwheels inside of her. "These are beautiful, truly."

Out of the blue, Lucy Heartfilia did something neither Natsu nor herself expected: she went up to the young man all coy and kittenish, rested her hands gently on his shoulders and gave him a bashful kiss of gratitude on the cheeks. Before she pulled away, she couldn't help but inch her nose a little nearer to his neck so that all she could breathe in was his scent. Lucy recognised the brand of cologne he used; it was one of her favourites. Without thinking, Natsu grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in an embrace, startling her. He closed his eyes as her body fragrance, a tantalising combination of wild mint and field strawberries and honeycomb and romantic rosemary and delicious jasmine, filled his nostrils. Heart beating fast inside his chest, Natsu proceeded to envelop his arms around her person, firmly but tenderly so as to not pain her.

He waited so long just to hold her like this… to smell her perfume… to nuzzle her neck and shoulders… to protect her from harm. Natsu prayed that this moment would last for an eternity: just him and her, together, alone and without a care in the world. On the other hand, though, Lucy felt his warm breath cascading down her neck and slowly, she tore away from his embrace. Natsu seemed surprised and all she could think to herself was how vulnerable and poignant he looked. Their lips inches away from each other's, Lucy finally broke the silence between them.

"L-Let's eat now, shall we?" she said to Happy, avoiding looking at Natsu although she was aware of his intent gaze on her.

"Aye, sir!" answered Happy. "Tonight I will be your maître d'hôtel."

Lucy smiled beautifully at him. "Well, then, we shall be in your care!"

Now that their senses were coming back to them, Natsu and Lucy each deemed it safe to sink down in their allocated seats and make eye contact. Once, they even exchanged smiles as Happy in his tuxedo poured them some champagne into their flutes. Lucy touched hers to Natsu's. The latter even forgot how aroused he was just a few minutes ago, now beginning to shoot a friendly grin in his so-called date's direction.

"So, is your cold and fever all gone now?" asked Natsu, staring at her all frantically in case she fainted in the middle of the meal.

"Yeah, yeah it finally is. Oh, but I never expected to get sick in summer!"

"Well, it's not like anything I would know about, since I've never gotten sick or anything in my life (except on vehicles), but I hear there's a flu going around town. Sounded pretty serious from what I heard. A lot of them catching it are kids, and a few adults."

"Oh dear, that's terrible!" wailed Lucy.

Natsu took a sip, staring down at his drink which he swirled. He nodded.

"I hope they get better soon. I should be sad if children had to die because of an illness. I mean, they're so young! There is so much to be expected in life: adventure, friendship, wisdom and… and love," she added. "To have such wonderful experiences thrown away at – at – any age… it's a tragedy. And to lose someone dear to you before your eyes is the worst pain of them all."

He raised his head, sentimental black eyes searching. The way he gazed at her, Lucy realised he was no longer the juvenile, immature Natsu Dragneel she once knew. In fact, he was now more refined, more level-headed, more sophisticated than she ever saw him. "Were you thinking that, when you nursed me back to health after I got injured in battle against Abyssal Grunts' master, Gal Piercer?"

Surprised, Lucy said, "What are you saying, Natsu? Of course I was thinking that. At least, I was afraid… afraid of losing a good friend to the deep void of eternal sleep."

"A good friend, eh…?" he repeated, raising his chin a little. Now Lucy felt frightened. Why was he acting so strangely? "Is that all I am to you?"

She cocked her head to one side, nodding slowly. "Yeah… Yeah, everyone at Fairy Tail is my good friend, including you, Natsu. That can never change."

The young man drained his glass, poured himself another and emptied that too. Lucy watched him, anxious, as he got to his feet. What was going to happen now? "Eleven years have passed, huh? Do you even know that?"

"What? Of course I do!"

"Seven of them blank, four of them equally meaningless... Four meaningless years of saving you, watching your back, and all this –" he motioned at the ornamentations about the room – "yet still you do not notice? How stupid can you be, Lucy?!"

"N-Notice what, Natsu?" said Lucy, alarmed, also standing up. "A-And don't shout, please, speak calmly. It's okay. If it's something I did… t-then tell me and I'll do my best to make it up to you."

Natsu shook his head. "Make it up to me? First of all, do you even know what crime you committed that you want to make reparation?"

"What, Natsu? Just say it!"

"Forget it, there's no point –"

"Yes, there is! Natsu, whatever it is I've done, I'm sorry. I really am. Please, just tell me."

Before he had the chance to answer her, Happy came into the dining room, carrying a tray with two decorative bowls of rice swimming in pieces of meat, curry sauce, carrots and potatoes. When he saw the two of them standing and facing each other so intently, he hesitated. "A-Am I interrupting something?" he asked warily.

Natsu glanced away in disdain, but Lucy shook her head. "No, no, you came at just the right moment, Happy! Natsu and I were so hungry we nearly lost ourselves. It's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of. We were just talking."

"Standing up?" Happy said doubtfully.

"Of course," said Lucy. "I was just about to stop Natsu from scattering the flower petals on the floor." The fib sounded extremely lame, but what else could she say?

Fortunately, Happy didn't seem to think twice about the lie. Instead, he went on to serve them as though nothing had happened. "Well, here is Natsu's All-Fired-Up Curry, served with rice," he announced. "Enjoy, you two." Happy went back to the kitchen and giggled mischievously to himself, knowing that something very exciting and passionate was about to happen. This meant that they would need privacy, so the little Exceed left them without notice, soaring out through the open kitchen window.

Back in the dining room, Natsu and Lucy stared down at their meal, not even pretending to eat, but not making any effort to say anything either. A wave of helpless irritation swept over them both, hoping that the other party would come up with something to say to cover the awkwardness and unease in the atmosphere. Grabbing her napkin and shredding them into little pieces, her hands shaking, Lucy looked at every corner of the room but Natsu's face. Fortunately, it was he who broke the silence.

"What I wanted to say earlier… is, um…" began Natsu.

Lucy looked up, her eyes hard. "Which 'earlier' do you mean? The part where I asked you to explain yourself of the fictional crime I committed or –" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"– the part where I was about to comment on how you looked," Natsu finished.

Hearing this, Lucy's cheeks flushed crimson. Her voice was no longer sarcastic but, rather, nervous and wobbly. "W-What did you want to say?" she stammered.

"That you look really fetching," admitted Natsu. "That's all. That's all I wanted to say to you then."

"Fetching?" echoed Lucy. "Me?" She shook her head slowly, thinking he was having her on in a joke.

But Natsu's face was solemn and resolute, and her chocolate-brown eyes slid away from his gaze. "Yes, you," he confirmed. "Think about it: who else could be more beautiful in this world other than the one and only Lucy Heartfilia?"

Now the blonde haired young woman could only feel her face set ablaze at the words. She ogled at the young man, who was sitting opposite her, in disbelief. Natsu Dragneel had just called her beautiful – nay, the most beautiful person in the whole world.

NATSU DRAGNEEL JUST CALLED HER THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON IN THE WORLD!

Why, she asked herself, why do things like these always happen to me? Me, of all people?!

To hide her embarrassment, Lucy bent her head over her bowl, picked up her cutlery and sampled a spoonful. No sooner had the curry rice mixture entered her mouth did the extreme spiciness of the dish begin to register in her head. Oh, the burn, the pain was instantaneous! It felt as though all the saliva in her mouth had been stripped away by a powerful acid, exposing the raw pain receptors in her tongue to an intense scorching sensation that travelled up to her sinuses, making her eyes water profusely. Lucy seriously wanted to cry, but she didn't. Instead, she took a deep breath and swallowed hard, feeling the exact same sensation spread down her throat and into her stomach, where it must have ignited a small fire.

Natsu dashed out of the room to fetch a glass of chilled water, which she snatched out of his hand and gulped down in one mouthful. And still the pain did not subside. Oh no, not at all. Lucy truthfully thought she was going to die, but she burst out laughing as tears of pain ran down her cheeks. She was in agony, something that she had brought on herself. Finally, when all seemed lost, Lucy passed out…

Until the next thing she knew, she felt the kind, affectionate hands of someone on her shoulder and cheek, its gentleness seeping in through her skin. Before the Celestial Spirit Wizard could focus her eyes properly, this person leaned down and tenderly pressed his lips against hers. Lucy's body went rigid with surprise as trembles shook her limbs and the euphoric warmth blossomed within her, but she made no effort to break away or retaliate. Even the side-effects of the immensely spicy curry faded, almost as though the kiss was the cure to make Lucy feel better.

At last, Lucy was able to meet the eyes of the culprit who stole her first kiss and, unsurprised, found that it was none other than her teammate and best friend, Natsu Dragneel. She realised that she was still sitting in her chair, thank God, with him towering over her: had she been standing and gotten kissed in the same manner, she would've – without a doubt – lost her head and collapsed in a dishevelled heap on the rose carpet.

The young woman gazed up at the salmon haired man, now no longer a thoughtless, immature teenager, as he drew back to spend a moment studying her angelic beauty. His charcoal eyes softening, Natsu looked at her adoringly and then, holding her chin up, he kissed her some more, moulding her body gently against his. Now Lucy wanted nothing else in the world than to be held by somebody who loved her so deeply and so passionately. And because it was simplest thing to do, she kissed him back.

"I love you, Lucy…"