When Natsu suddenly doubts if he's worth enough to date Lucy, Gray and Gajeel try "comfort" him. Yeah, really. x792. NaLu, Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray bro!fic. Hints of Gruvia and GaLe.
It had been a few days since Fairy Tail reunited. They couldn't have been happier - in fact, Lucy was the happiest among them all, considering she was the one who sent them letters. What was more, she had gotten such positive responses.
Everybody was laughing inside the guild, drinking whiskies, dancing; and like the old times, Lucy just sat at the bar, holding a glass of strawberry milkshake.
Just when her lips could reach the straw, a pair of warm lips pecked her.
"Natsu!" she exclaimed, sighing happily as Natsu pulled away.
"Yo, Luce," Natsu grinned, sitting next to her.
They stared at each other lovingly, before a loud thud was heard.
"Mira?!" Lucy got up and looked at Mira who had just fainted from happiness. Hearts flew from her eyes. "Uh.."
"Mira-nee!" Lisanna rushed to help her sister. Then she smiled at Lucy and Natsu, "Oh guys, I didn't know that you're dating."
"You didn't?" Natsu asked.
It took 5 seconds for Lucy only to gasp. "You idiot! The whole guild also didn't!"
Natsu turned away from the bar, only to see his guildmates stared at him and Lucy shockingly.
Natsu squinted his eyes. "...Ooh. That makes sense."
A jaw dropped Gray closed his jaw as he proceeded to walk to Lucy. "Lucy, are you under a spell?"
"Of course no! Why do you ask?" asked Lucy.
"Ah, I figured - "
"I didn't cast a spell on Lucy, Ice Freak." said Natsu irritatedly. Gray smirked. He then sat on the bar table, between the couple.
"I mean, no way a girl like Lucy would date someone like you," Gray laughed at his own joke. "Right, Lucy?" Natsu gritted his teeth.
"What did you say?!"
"I don't know, Gray," Lucy cut them both, smirking. Oh, she enjoyed teasing Natsu, too. Oddly enough, her boyfriend seemed anxious.
Lucy frowned. Then again, Natsu's quiet... sensitive and thoughtful on the inside. No, he never showed it to the guild. But, she had seen that side of him before.
Just like when she was sick on Rainbow Sakura day - Mira told her that Natsu became quiet and thoughtful during the picnic. Or, after Future Lucy died, he got more protective to her. That was when he confessed to her. They began dating after that. Or after Igneel died, he disappeared for a week before he left a letter on her desk. She knew he needed alone time, but she never expected he would left her, just like that - traveling with Happy.
Sure, she felt lonely, even when she got new work mates in Sorcerers Weekly. She still missed him. When they met in Grand Magic Games, she still couldn't bring herself to talk to him, about how he left her and such.
But when Juvia had the same case with Gray, Lucy finally snapped. Though, he insisted that he had left her a "will", he had this anxious look on his face. For a second. Very slightly.
Thus, they made it to Magnolia safely, out of the blue Natsu whispered that he would make it up to her, before crashing his lips against hers. That night, he'd been so gentle with her -
"...cy? Lucy!" Natsu's voice snapped her to the reality.
"Natsu!" Lucy gasped.
"What were you thinking? Ignoring me like that," the Fire dragon slayer pouted. "Your cheeks are all red, you know."
"Ah, they are?" Lucy laughed nervously.
"Ignoring us, dumbass," Gajeel added, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Now, shoo, Bunny Girl. I think shrimp and the others want to kill you or something."
"Yeah.. if looks could kill," Gray muttered, shuddering while eyeing the girls' deadly glares. Probably mad at Lucy for keeping her relationship with Natsu a secret.
Lucy laughed nervously once again, "Right."
Natsu, unusually quiet, looking thoughtful as he stared at his lap; not that Lucy hadn't see that.
She sighed, "Natsu."
He looked up, only to feel Lucy's shy peck on his lips, "Remember, I love you." she grinned, waving as she walked toward the girls.
"Aaaaw, how sweet," said Gray sarcastically. Gajeel laughed.
"So how did ya end up with Bunny Girl?" asked the Iron Dragon Slayer.
"None of your bussiness," Natsu growled.
"That's suspicious," Gray commented, "you did cast a spell on her, didn't you?"
"No!" Natsu almost yelled. "You heard her," he then smirked. ""Remember, I love you."" he air-quoted Lucy's words earlier with his two fingers.
"Yeah, right," Gajeel laughed again as Gray made a kissing sound.
"Mmmnn~ *kiss* *kiss* Lucy I love you!" Gray and Gajeel threw their heads as they laughed.
Natsu growled. "SHUT UP!"
"Alright, alright," Gajeel managed to slow down his laugh. "No need to get so worked up, Salamander."
"You guys are starting to make me think if I'm not worth enough to date her," Natsu hid his face between his folded arms on the table, his voice muffled by the scarf.
Gray and Gajeel stared at each other questioningly.
"Whoooo, sensitive!" Gray exclaimed after a minute. "That's weird."
"No, he's weird," Gajeel said, "You're not the Salamander I got ta know. Being self-conscious like that."
"The hell am I supposed to say, then?" Natsu growled.
Gray and Gajeel looked at each other again.
"Nah," Gray finally sighed. "Anyway, what makes you think of that?"
"I don't know." The Fire dragon slayer mumbled. "Been thinking about this since forever. What if I'm not worth enough to date her? I mean, she's a freaking Heartfilia, not that I see her like that. Lucy is Lucy. And, she's kind, and smart, and strong, and also - "
"Geez." Gajeel cut him off. "Ya should think 'bout your abilities as well, Salamander." he then smirked, "Like I always think about my song when I wanna cheer myself up."
"Very helping," Gray said with a blank look.
"Yeah?" Gajeel growled, clearly offended. "Then what's your resolution?"
"Think about you and Lucy, of course," Gray smirked proudly. "I mean, what do you have in common with her?"
Natsu stared at Gray while thinking, when Gray himself got slightly uncomfortable. "...Nah. Dunno."
"What?! Seriously?!" the Ice Devil Slayer yelled.
"Yeah..." Natsu mumbled again with no spirit.
Gray and Gajeel looked at each other, this time awkwardly.
"Ya know, Salamander, I think I found one."
"Yeah?" Natsu took a quick glance at Gajeel.
"You and Bunny Girl is short."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"THAT'S RELIEVING!" Gray whisper-yelled at Gajeel. "Now look what you've freaking done! He got more depressed!"
"HUH?!" Gajeel shot back. "Fix it if you can!"
"Now now, Flame Brain," Gray then stood up beside him. "To prove Gajeel's point, basically you've grown taller over a year, and see? You managed to catch up with me like an inch. Lucy there, still the shortest among the girls - please do not count Levy - Metal Face don't look at me like that! - but I think even Juvia is taller than her like, an inch - so, an inch and an inch that is! Height proves that you are compatible with her!"
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Natsu shot offended. "Shut up. I'm not that short." With that, he slammed his head onto the bar table.
"Nice cheerin'," Gajeel scoffed.
"THE HECK DO YOU WANT?!" Gray almost roared in frustation.
"THE FUCK? ASK SALAMANDER!"
"HIS DEPRESSION MAKES ME SICK!"
"YA THINK?! IT ALSO MAKES ME FUCKING DEPRESSED!"
"THEN WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?"
"THE HELL ARE WE DOING?!"
"CHEERING HIM, YOU DUMBASS!"
"LIKE I KNOW!"
"Shut the hell up," Natsu growled. "Like you two would know."
Thus, his comment made Gray and Gajeel stop bickering, and more importantly... Natsu is right.
They even hadn't claim their... 'future' girlfriends.
"So.. I guess Salamander has zero potential," Gajeel finally sighed.
"Sorry to hear that," Gray mumbled irritatedly. "But, yeah, well.. as far as I know, Flame Brain and Lucy are quite the opposites."
"Yeah, knew that already," the Iron Dragon Slayer grunted. Stealing a glance at Levy's direction, he then said, "I think it has something to do with this 'Opposites Attract' thingy."
"It has?"
"Levy explained to me once."
"So you actually listen to her."
"Fuck it, we ain't talking about her."
"You were the one who mentioned her - "
Gajeel then slammed his hand to the bar table. "The fucking point is, the only thing that Salamander and Bunny Girl have in common is their fucking love. Nothing else matters. Screw personalities and HEIGHTS. End of discussion."
As Gajeel finished his 'conclusion', some of the guild members stopped talking and stared at him. What was more.. Levy even gave him a grin and a thumb up.
Shit, shit, shit - his cheeks felt like burning.
Was he blushing? Meh, the almighty Gajeel surely wouldn't blush just because of his crush.
But, still..
"Gotta go." he muttered, walking away not before slamming the guild's door.
"Gajeel sure can be a love adviser, can't he?" Lucy smiled teasingly at her best friend.
"I-I... I don't know!" Levy said.
"More importantly, why did he even bother give Natsu an advice?" Mirajane wondered. The other girls perked up at this. Especially Lucy. Though.. she predicted that Natsu's sensitive side was on show.
"You're right," Erza said. "Something must've been bothering him. Don't you know anything, Lucy?"
Lucy just shot them a quick smile. "I'll take care of that. Don't worry."
And with that, she got up and walked toward her boyfriend.
Only to see him grinning all the way to her.
"Natsu?" she blinked. "What's with the smile? And I swear that you got all depressed a moment ago."
He waved her off. "Nevermind that."
Lucy grinned back.
Gajeel's right. Who cares about what do you have in common with your couple? All that matters is that they love each other.
Gray sighed as he stared at Juvia from afar.
"Guess I'll answer her feelings after the war..."