Title: Meaning

Pairing: NaLu (Fairy Tail Fandom)

Summary: Do you know the meaning of love? Come here, and let me explain it to you.

Rating: K+

Chapter 1: Stepping Stones

*Reposted from my tumblr account – was written last March 2013.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

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It started out as a single dare.

"Ne Lucy, we dare you to ask Natsu about his crush." Levy said with a glint on her eyes.

They were supposed to have a long exam on Japanese history when Gildarts-sensei called in sick for the day. Bored and with nothing to do for the rest of the class, Lucy, Levy, Juvia, Cana, and Erza decided to play a game of truth or dare.

"That's impossible. He would never answer that question." Lucy protested.

"If you did the dare, we'll give you the latest 'Fro and Lector's Adventure' book series." Erza quipped in.

"I'm still out of this one."

"Lu-chan, I'll ask Gajeel to get Rogue and Sting to sign your books."

As soon as Levy said the magic words, Lucy scrambled out of her chair and walked towards her target.

Her feet stopped as soon as she stood a tad foot away from Natsu. She took a long look at his profile (admiring him in the process) before clearing her throat and finally catching his attention.

"Yo." Natsu said with a raised hand as a greeting.

"Hi."

Maybe she should back out now? After all, dipping down naked at the nearby lake seemed a lot easier than asking her crush about who his crush was.

"So, what's up?" Natsu asked – clearly oblivious to the brewing turmoil inside Lucy's mind.

"Um... The girls wanted to know-" Lucy pointed a finger over where her friends were sitting, "- um, can you tell me who your crush is?"

That's it.

She was doomed for life. If it weren't for her favorite books, none of this would be happening. And as much as she wanted to back out from the dare, Levy hit the right spot when she said the words 'autograph' and 'Sting and Rogue' in one sentence. Oh how she wanted to rip the hairs out of her inner fangirl persona. Natsu would definitely -

"What's a crush anyway?" Said boy scratched his head and grinned.

Lucy could not believe this was happening. Natsu must have bumped his head into a wall because there's no way in hell that a fifteen year old boy doesn't know the meaning of the word 'crush'.

"Um, let's see-"

Hesitation clouded Lucy's mind, but one look at the girls (who were mouthing the words 'Remember, Fro and Lector with the autograph') made her swallow every last bit of shame she had in her person.

She really needed to kick her fangirl persona out of her mind.

"-a crush is someone you like, someone who makes you happy whenever you're with them, someone who makes you smile." Lucy recited as thoughts of her with a certain pink-haired boy filled her imagination.

Natsu grew silent as she finished her explanation. Dread filled Lucy's body entirely.

Can I just disappear into nothingness?

Finally, after a gruesome five seconds (and after Lucy felt like sinking into the bottom of the ocean), Natsu smiled at her and spoke the words that will haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Then you can be my crush Lucy, you're fun to be with and I like being with you."

Then you can be my crush Lucy.

You can be my crush Lucy.

My crush.

MY CRUSH.

She felt her heart swell.

And she have probably fainted (hard) because one moment she was seeing Natsu's smiling face, the next she was hearing some voices calling for her name.

It felt like heaven.

Slowly, things started to have more meaning than what they used to be -

After the incident in the classroom two weeks ago, Lucy finally understood the meaning of the words 'love struck' - literally.

At first there were the occasional 'hi's and 'goodbye's, some 'how are you feeling' and 'I hope you're fine'. And then, the girls started asking Natsu to join them for lunch (together with his best friend Gray – much to Juvia's delight).

But then, Kami-sama must have been laughing at her from Heaven because one day, she found out everything was a lie.

It was Friday and classes were about to end. Lucy was walking through the corridor to hand over the class papers' to Gildarts-sensei when she saw the inevitable.

"You should be careful Lisanna. I'm not always there to catch you." Natsu said as he held Lisanna close to his chest.

"You're such a worrywart Natsu."

"That's because I care about you Lisanna."

Her brown orbs blinked a few times as she tried hard not to drop the stack of papers on her hands.

She felt her heart make a breaking sound as the first batch of tears rolled out of her eyes.

They weren't exactly hugging (not with Lisanna's awkward position) but they seemed to fit each other perfectly – like lovers straight out of her romance books.

That's when Lucy finally realized his words were nothing but a friendly remark.

Then you can be my crush Lucy.

Because the look on Natsu's eyes as he search for any scrapes or bruises on Lisanna's knee –

Then you can be my crush Lucy.

The way he gently patted Lisanna's head as he found nothing was amiss –

Then you can be my crush Lucy.

Clearly shattered the seven words she hold onto these past fourteen days.

Then you can be my crush Lucy.

She was such a fool to believe something as trivial as that.

"Lucy?"

A jolt of surprise filled her as she heard Natsu's voice calling out her name.

"What are you doing here?"

Her feet took a step backwards and the papers on her hands fell on the floor.

She tried to find the voice to answer his question but found out that all she could produce right now were broken cries and sobs of a girl with a broken heart.

And then, she fled.

-opening her eyes to the bitter truth called reality.

Thanks for reading and I'm hoping to hear your wonderful feedback/comments/criticisms/thoughts.

hugs and kisses,

Fia