Most of the guild was reunited and a celebration was underway where everyone gathered and exchanged stories over a drink and a dance. They had rented out a hall with a bar, which Mira tended, and a dance floor with a live band. Lucy was standing off to the side of the dance floor as she watched Natsu dance with Asuka who was standing on his toes and laughing hysterically. Watching the two, Lucy couldn't help but smile.
Lucy found herself smiling the majority of that day; the guild was celebrating their reunion - again - and everyone was together. It was well into the night and Lucy was overheating from all the warmth in the room, she decided to venture outside to cool herself. Stepping outside was like diving into river water on a brisk winter morning, however the heat from her happiness kept her core cosy. She walked over to a wide, but small, stone fence and rested her forearms onto it. Inhaling the cool night air, she felt refreshed and awake. The moon's glow was a sight she could never get over and she watched it until her eyes blurred.
"Hey, Lucy, you okay?" A voice emerged from the hall.
She spun around, smiling.
"Mhm!" She looked at Natsu walking towards her, he was dressed in a black tuxedo with a pink shirt and black tie. His shoes had slight dents from Asuka's weight.
"You're quite the dancer," she laughed.
"Gildarts taught me some," he grinned.
He joined her at the stone fence and looked at the sky.
"He showed me a lot of things during my training," he said while watching the sky.
"I saw when you interrupted the grand magic games," she smiled.
"Not just physically, he taught me other things too," he paused, turning towards her, "Lucy, I..."
"Come on you two! The best part is happening!" Mirajane called from the hall.
There was a pause before they looked at her suspiciously and started heading for the party again.
Back into the oven of a party, Lucy saw everyone slow dancing: Gajeel and Levi, Bisca and Alzack, Elfman and Ever, and Juvia was in the process of dragging Gray over to the dance floor. As her eyes panned across the room, she noticed there was an outstretched hand near her, when her eyes focused, she realised it was Natsu's.
She blushed and took his hand.
His hand was warm, not the nasty stuffy warmth of the hall, but the familiar warmth of finally being at home.
When they had reached the dance floor, he pulled her closer, hooking one hand with hers and placing the other on her waist. The sudden sensation of his touch made her face red but she forced herself to relax and place her hand on his shoulder. They swayed gently, gazing at each other. After a while, Lucy felt a wave of self-consciousness and, almost too quickly, broke eye contact by looking over his shoulder to the other pairs dancing.
"Everything okay, Luce?" He cocked his head to catch her gaze.
She swallowed, "Yeah, I just, didn't know you could dance."
He smiled.
There was a tingling sensation from the bottom of her stomach, Natsu was childish and oblivious before he left to train, what had happened during that year? He seemed different now, more grown, knowing when to be serious and when not to be.
Lucy felt him tense and looked up to see him looking to the side in thought, lips tight.
He turned his head back to her and met her gaze, "Lucy, I'm sorry I left you."
Lucy processed what he had said, lost for a moment, then rested her head on his chest to conceal the clumps of tears that threatened to surface.
"Dummy," she said into his chest, "don't ever leave me again."
She felt him relax and breathe out the breath he was holding in.
"I promise."
She eased herself away from his chest and looked up to him, matching his smile.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Lucy lifted her arms to hook around his neck and buried her face into him.