Part 1

Bright white clouds clung together over head draping the south side of Magnolia in a cool blanket of clouds. The temperature hung around a low 40 degrees Fahrenheit which Lucy was not at all happy about.

Bundling up in a fluffy white peacoat with matching pink hat and mittens was doing little to combat the bitter cold. It also didn't help that their bus was ten minutes late and that her and Natsu were surrounded by five other of their close friends. Normally being with her friends wouldn't be an issue, she loved her friends after all, but right now she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around her boyfriend and bury her face in his warm chest.

But because their friends didn't know they were dating she could only stare as her attractive pink haired boyfriend laughed, his breath visible is the cool air. She rubbed her arms impatiently as they all laughed at whatever Levy had just said. Their talking died out as another five minutes passed and still no bus had come to take them home.

Lucy huffed out an impatient breath and dropped her hands since rubbing her arms was making no difference. Natsu was standing right next to her while Gray was slumped in the bus stop seating a few feet away gazing out bored onto the street next to Erza who was tying mercilessly at her phone. Gajeel had Levy leaning against his chest with his jacket wrapped around her to keep her warm, his head laying on top of hers while she read something on her phone.

Lucy couldn't help but feel a stab of jealously at her friend's open relationship even though it was her idea to keep her and Natsu's a secret. It was just that their friends had predicted and teased her for years about how they would eventually get together and how Lucy was so blind to Natsu's obvious attraction to her (which is another story entirely) that she really didn't want to deal with their reactions if they knew they had been correct.

But seeing Levy and Gajeel being all cuddly with each other she couldn't deny she wanted that too. So lost in her thoughts she jumped when she felt someone slip their hand into hers. She looked up at Natsu's contented face while he didn't even spare her a glance, only continued to look out at the street in front of them watching the snow fall lazily.

"Natsu?" She whispered, though she wasn't exactly sure why.

He flashed her smile and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry," he whispered back to her, "I'll let go if they look over."

His smile gave nothing away but Lucy could hear sadness behind his voice, after all it wasn't his idea to keep their relationship a secret. If it were up to him he would have shouted on a rooftop for all to hear that Lucy was his girlfriend and she would have been wrapped in his arms all afternoon at the bus stop much the same way Levy was in Gajeel's, warm and content.

But he was respecting her wishes, even though he didn't understand the reasons why. He was disappointed and now that Lucy thought about it, was probably really hurt by her actions. When she had first told him she wanted to keep their dating a secret she saw the hurt in his eyes. But she was so scared and embarrassed she just ignored it.

Lucy frowned as she remembered more times where his smile would fall when their friends would approach them at school and would have to dejectedly let go of her hand or waist. Or how when one time during their three month secret relationship, Cana had tried to set her up with someone over lunch and Natsu had watched her, waiting for her to come clean about them. When she didn't he stormed out and she didn't see him till the next day after she had begged for forgiveness.

Wow, she was stupid, she thought as she gazed up at Natsu's face. She really didn't deserve someone so sweet and loyal and yet here he was standing beside her and she was a fool for wasting any second she had with him.

The roar of the bus and the cheers and the "finally"'s cut off her thoughts. The others raised from their respected places as the bus pulled into the stop.

Natsu made a move to let go of her hand and pull away, but Lucy held his hand firm.

"Lucy?" he whispered, confused.

In answer, she dragged him onto the stuffy bus and plopped them down into two seats before wrapping her arms around his and leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

He blinked down confusingly at her as the others eyed the couple both with the same confusion as Natsu but also, or for the case of Erza and Levy a not so small, small smirks playing on their lips.

She felt the moment when the tension left his muscles and he relaxed into his seat humming contently at this new development and rested his head on top of hers.

The bus jolted to life to carry them home where Lucy would make sure Natsu knew just how much she loved him.

-Lucy didn't know how this war started she only knew that Natsu would be defeated, God help her. She was currently stationed behind the couch, pillow in hand, waiting for Natsu to creep around the corner.

She had made the mistake earlier of whacking him the face with said pillow before laughing her heart out at his disgruntled look before his face melted into a look of pure evil. Next thing she knew most of her very large assortment of pillows were laying haphazardly around her overturned house and random feathers were floating around in the air as testimony to what had become known in her mind as The Great Pillow War.

Suddenly her floor board creaked and Lucy took her chance. She jumped out from behind the couch, smirking, and whacked him straight in his bewildered face. He fell on his butt with a loud thump, siting there stunned for a moment before growling playfully and launching himself at her.

She scrambled to get away but her fuzzy green socks slipped on her dads hardwood floors allowing him time to wind his arm around her waist and pulling her down to ground with him.

She laughed, tears leaking out of her eyes, as he tickled her relentlessly.

"Na-Natsu! Stop!"

He paused, acting as if he was deep in thought while he straddled her.

"Hmmm….. I think not!" and with that continued his attack.

Sometime later, after Lucy was able to retaliate, they were both laying side by side on the floor surrounded by pillows and feathers.

Lucy's eyes were drooping after using so much energy during the battle. She jolted as she felt herself start to slip into the throngs of sleep.

"Natsu, we need to get up my dad will be home in-" she lifted her head to look at the clock on her T.V. "- two hours."

He grumbled before lifting his arm and wrapping it around her bringing her closer to his relaxing warmth.

"Five minutes." he mumbled.

Lucy was too tired to even feel embarrassed and instead let herself be lulled to sleep by Natsu's soft breathing.

-The first time Natsu realized Lucy was hot, he was totally caught off guard. He had always known that his best friend was pretty, beautiful really, but hot was never in his vocabulary when it came to Lucy's appearance.

But now standing on her porch at night with the moon's glow reflecting off her hair and skin making her shine like a goddess, dressed in the shortest crop top he had ever seen with knee high black leather boots, he had to whip his head away from her before his thoughts fell into the gutter. He was also pretty sure he was blushing tomato red and the last thing he needed was her to notice and be awkward all night at the concert.

This was Lucy for heavens sake, his best friend of five years, he shouldn't be thinking about her flawless skin or taut stomach or-

"Natsu are you coming or are you going to keep staring at the ground like an idiot? I don't want to miss the opening set!"

Natsu blinked stupidly and silently wondered why Gray wasn't here to punch him out of these thoughts now of all times.

He wandered over to where she stood by the car, stifling a groan when she leaned over to adjust her jeans and boots, giving his eyes the perfect view of her chest.

Yeah, it was going to be a long night.