Hey guys.
First of all, I want to thank all of you for your favorites, follows and sweet reviews. It really really really made me happy. Although, I am sorry for not replying to your reviews. Been a bit busy. I will reply to your reviews from this chapter on. Sorry.
Without further ado, I present to you Chapter-2.
Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. It belongs to Hiro Mashima sensei.
I do not own cover image also.
Previously:
"….I will always come back to you, no matter where I am…"
Just to be Clear:
'Natsu's Thoughts'
Chapter-2
I promise…
~Cafeteria~
"Hmm…"
Droopy onyx eyes slowly dragged around the table of chattering group, as Natsu munched on a piece of bacon strip.
Ever since his brain got aware of the fact that his 'other half' had returned, it was as if his mind had woken up from a 7 year sleep, and told him that-
'Something's missing…'
Onyx eyes narrowed a little more, as they skimmed over the chattering table again.
'It's too calm an-'
A familiar giggle to his front immediately drew his attention towards it.
Darker shade of pink tinted his cheeks as he immediately buried his nose into his scarf, forgetting his previous task… or rather.. he abandoned his earlier mission replacing it with the mission to 'silently observe the lost princess'…. which ended up with his eyes permanently glued on her.
A blissful sigh escaped him as he silently watched her, while chewing on the same piece of liquefied grub that has been in his mouth from the time they had gotten their food from the cafeteria.
Next to him, white strands stuck out from a white tuft of hair at random places, as if shocked, with the white-head currently simmering in purple vexing aura.
A tick mark threatened to appear on her forehead, as Lisanna sipped on her drink while silently watching Natsu next to her, who was silently staring like a lovesick puppy, at the blonde who sat across from them surrounded by their friends, as he nibbled on a piece of bacon strip.
Nibbled!
It has been fifteen minutes since they reached the cafeteria and got their food, and yet Natsu still hasn't finished his first bacon strip.
Natsu was never known to be silent and a slow-eater. Everyone else was too absorbed with their beloved blonde to notice this drastic change in the pink-haired teen.
Lisanna felt like yanking on her hair out of frustration.
Twelfth grade had only just begun today and this happens!
Come on! Homeroom period hasn't even started yet!
Could he be anymore pathetic?!
"Luuucy!"
Lisanna jumped in her seat at the sudden yell as everyone at the table turned towards the direction of the voice.
Before anyone could comprehend what was going on, Lucy's right hand was already held by an orange haired teen kneeling next to her, startling the poor blonde.
"Your prince on white horse has arrived!"
"Loke!", the blonde's voice came out as a squeak.
He brushed his lips over her knuckles as Lucy blushed slightly while sweat-dropping.
A low menacing growl emanated from somewhere causing a shiver to unconsciously run up everyone's spines.
Lisanna shuddered at the dark aura that emanated from the pink-haired teen next to her while Erza adjusted her glasses as she curiously looked around the table, "Was it just me or did someone just.. growl..?"
"I see you promoted yourself from knight to prince?", Lucy deadpanned at Loke.
Loke adjusted his blue tinted shades as he smirked, "What can I say..? When your beauty- Gwah!", a medium-sized sachet of hot sauce smacked into his face exploding all over him.
Everyone jumped in their seats as the orange haired teen ran away screaming about his burning eyes.
Lisanna watched the retreating figure of poor Loke before snapping her head sideways just in time to see Natsu with a wicked toothy grin on his face as he sneaked another sachet of hot sauce from his pocket onto the table, immediately putting on a bored face as everyone turned back towards the table.
The group continued to chatter with Lucy while Lisanna and Natsu watched them silently, with the pixie-cut girl sneaking glances at Natsu every now and then.
"N-Natsu-san…"
The table fell silent as everyone turned to look towards Natsu who had turned around to face the owner of the timid voice.
"Um.. Do I know you?", Natsu tilted his head in confusion.
The long-white haired girl flinched before gripping onto the package in her hands, "Ah.. W-Well.. I-I am in almost every one of your classes. M-My name is A-Angel, Angel Sorano. Y-You might not have noticed me since.. I-I sit in the far back with my friends.. so that's okay..", the girl sheepishly laughed.
"Oh, sorry. Um.. I don't know you.", Natsu tried to sound as sorry as possible although he ended up being rude to her anyway, irritated at getting interrupted from his precious blonde-watching.
"A-Ah, that's okay. I-I have been watching you for some time now and have been dying for an opportunity like this. I-I just came to give this to you…. I-In hopes that….that you will accept my feelings…", the girl blushed as she extended the pink gift-wrapped heart shaped box towards the puzzled teen, "P-Please go out with me, Natsu-san!", the girl squeezed her eyes shut tight.
Natsu was taken aback as he stared at the pink package in bewilderment.
"That's around the zillionth girl to confess to Natsu..", the whisper had Lucy turning to her side, to see Mira next to her who was staring worriedly at the girl, "…poor girl.. I can't help feel worried for her already."
Lucy slightly tilted her head in confusion, "Why is that?"
Mira turned to look at her, "Well, Natsu was never the one to accept confessions.. given how dense he is.. and hence the girl ends up in a depressed state with his words or actions of maintaining friendship. But, that's not what I'm worried about.."
This piqued the blonde's interest as she stared back at the timid girl.
Mira continued, "Every time a girl confesses to Natsu, she ends up not coming to school for a week or a month. And when they do return back, they avoid him like the plague…", Mira sighed as she looked back at the white-haired girl, "At first, we thought that it was due his rejection. But lately, we've been hearing rumors of some gang threatening and harassing these girls to stay away from him. We're not sure about it though, since none of the victims have admitted to it.", Mira shrugged as she looked back at the blonde who had turned to look at her, "And since the rumor was deemed false every time, the confessions keep coming on and on."
"I'm sorry.."
Both of them turned towards Natsu whose head was now lowered as bangs overshadowed his eyes.
"I'm sorry.. I cannot accept your feelings."
Mira's eyes widened as she gasped lightly, the sound not going unheard by the blonde who snapped her head towards the surprised girl, "What is it?"
Mira continued staring at Natsu with wide-eyes, "It's… It's the first time I'm seeing Natsu act so mature. Most of the time, he always laughs it off or gets distracted by fights and insults from Gray or others. But this… this is a first.."
"M-May I know the reason?", the now teary-eyed girl stared at him.
They watched as Natsu flinched in his seat, his head still lowered as his lips tightened into a thin line before lifting his head to stare up at the girl who was standing beside him, looking straight into her eyes.
Lucy's eyes widened a little, 'Is he… blushing..?'
His eyes onyx wavered a little, but otherwise stood fixated on the girl's teary eyes, his blush intensifying, "I just don't see you that way is all.."
"I-It's not just that.. is it?", the girl clenched her fists at her sides, her grip on the present tightening as she gritted her teeth, "There's more to it than that! Isn't there?!", her face was red with anger.
Everyone was shocked at her sudden change in demeanor.
Mira frowned in slight annoyance, "This girl sure is stubborn.."
Lisanna watched the pink-haired teen as he lowered his head again while letting out a heavy breath while his lips tightened into a thin line. Her inner self was doing flips and happy dances at his rejection, while her outer self just glared at the obstinate girl, 'What the hell is up with her?'
"Well?", her tone turned demanding, as the girl's stare turned into a full-blown glare.
Gray got up from his seat diagonally across Natsu's, clearly annoyed with the once shy girl, "Hey! Wasn't his answer good enough for yo-"
"Why don't you stay out of this? Huh?", the girl raised a sarcastic brow at him, "This is between me and him. I don't want any perverted man-whores butting in-"
"Only I get to call him that!"
Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at the pink-haired teen who had shot up from his seat, and was now towering over the girl, his cold slitted eyes boring into hers, "Boy. Or girl, I don't give a shit.", he bared out his fangs at the word, "..I won't tolerate anyone badmouthing my friends. No matter how annoying that person is, a friend is still a friend."
The trembling girl took a step back as she gaped up at a frightening Natsu, "And to answer your question… my reasons for rejection are mine only. You don't have anyright to force it out of me. Am I clear?"
Even though the venomous hiss was directed at the quivering girl, everyone couldn't help but shiver at this unusual personality of his. Even Gray unconsciously gulped as he stared at his frienemy, his brow lining with sweat.
The girl briskly nodded in fear.
"Good..", Natsu turned around to sit down but he paused as he lowered his head, "..Oh, and one more thing… If I see you or your minions anywhere near my friends for this matter..", he slowly titled his head sideways to direct a deathly stare at her from the corner of his eyes, as his voice came out sinisterly low, "I will personally see to it that your life is a living hell."
The girl held back a shriek as she took another step back.
Natsu turned around, his voice still low, "Now go before I lose it!"
He needn't repeat himself as the girl and her lackeys scurried away for dear life while Natsu settled down in his seat.
Eerie silence loomed over the whole table as the group sat still, staring warily at Natsu, with the exception of Gray who was still standing as he looked down at the pink-haired teen who was now squirting hot sauce from the sachet over his bacon strips, with a poker face as if nothing happened.
Lisanna was so happy that if Natsu weren't as intimidating as he was now, she would have tackled him to the ground, squealing into his ear. She was trying hard to keep the smile from attacking her lips.
Noticing the unnerving silence, the pink-haired teen raised his head to look at everyone with a blank face as he chewed on the sauce drenched bacon strip in his hand, "What?"
Everyone jumped out of their skin before snapping their attention back to the blonde.
'Is it me.. or does he look.. pale? And.. why is he chewing on that bacon strip as if… he was giving birth to a baby..?'
The thoughts disappeared as Lisanna watched the pink blush that appeared on Natsu's cheeks as he caught the concerned glances shot towards him by a certain blonde every now and then.
She glanced down at her wrist-watch and her eyes widened. 'Only a half hour left!'
"Lucy!"
The said blonde snapped her head towards the pixie-cut girl with a questioning hum.
Lisanna smiled widely, "Could you swap seats with me? I need to talk to Mira-nee about something."
"Oh, sure.", the blonde nodded, rising up from her seat.
Natsu gulped, before stiffening as Lucy's arm brushed against his as she slid in next to him, goose-bumps instantly shooting up all over his body followed by an increase in his overall otherwise abnormal temperature.
Since the whole table was tightly packed, the blonde had no choice but to sit close to Natsu, which involved both of them being tightly squeezed together.
Every slight movement from the blonde send shivers throughout his whole body, each laugh that elicited from her sent his heart soaring. Even the slightest of breath she inhaled or exhaled was sending his mind into a state of frenzy.
And that scent…
His nose wouldn't stop taking deep breaths.
'Oh God…'
His eyes drooped a little as he unconsciously took in another long whiff.
'Strawberry and with a hint of Vanilla.'
He was in a state of bliss.
'I missed this….'
He sighed in content as a small smile appeared on his lips.
'It's been so long…'
Suddenly his eyes widened as his body stiffened.
'What the…'
What just.. happened?
'What the hell was I doing?'
He must be looking like a pervert now!
He felt his body temperature rise even higher and higher.
Heat began to creep up from his neck and he felt the tip of his ears scorching hot.
His eyes immediately darted around the table to see if anyone noticed his.. behavior.
Everyone was focused on the blonde.
His shoulders sagged as his eyes drooped back still trailing around the table.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips, before freezing up again.
Wide onyx eyes locked with cerulean eyes which twinkled in amusement.
A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as Lisanna maintained her sideways gaze on him.
Amusement turned into full-blown surprise as her eyes widened, snapping her head towards him on seeing his adorable blush deepening into dark red covering the entirety of his face at being caught.
"Eh? Natsu! Are you having a fever?", Levy, who was seated on the other side of Natsu, peered up at him with wide eyes, "Your skin feels way too hot! Hotter than that abnormal body temperature of yours!"
Natsu jerked at the sudden attention, his heart beating more erratically. And it didn't help when the blonde suddenly turned around to silently look up at him with those beautiful doe brown eyes which he loved so so much, her intense stare keeping him in place.
'Aw Gawd…'
He wasn't sure if smoke was coming out of his ears as he sat stiff, with the blonde peering up into his eyes and he didn't even feel Levy's hand on his forehead as she checked his temperature.
If he didn't divert his eyes now, he was sure he would get lost in them.
But a sudden twinkle to the side, behind the blonde caught his attention.
His onyx eyes momentarily darted towards it before widening even more if possible on seeing Lisanna still smiling at him knowingly, before winking at him and turning back to carry on with her conversation with Mira.
Now, he was damn sure that smoke was spewing out of his red ears...
'Damn you Lisanna! I'll get you back for this!'
"Uwaaa… So much has changed..", the blonde breathed out as she looked around, brown eyes twinkling in awe at the newly constructed park that surrounded the grassy slope where they were currently perched on.
Erza hummed with a soft smile as she stood with her arms crossed, enjoying the evening breeze that blew through her scarlet hair, her navy blue skirt fluttering along with the wind, "So much has changed…"
"I'm glad that they didn't cut down the tree and this hilltop is just the same as before..", a reminiscing smile appeared on the blonde's face.
"We often come here and hang out.. it's like this spot was made just for us..", Levy smiled at the blonde.
"I wonder what else hasn't changed…", the blonde rested her head on her knees which were pulled to her chest, as she looked far off with a blissful smile on her face.
Onyx eyes widened a little on realizing the implication behind her words, as he watched the girl who had a longing look in her eyes.
'Does she still…'
He hoped she still hasn't forgotten.. He wished, that was what she meant..
The blonde must've thought that the group must have come to know about it by now, since it was a childish idea they had back then.
Lowering his head, he sighed, a small smile playing across his lips.
Looking back now, it was childish.
But to him, it was still the place that held their most precious memories…
He wondered what Lucy thought of it.
Does she also feel the same way?
He hoped so..
Lifting up his head to rest it against the tree trunk, he continued to carefully watch the blonde, as she silently listened to the girls with a small smile, occasionally throwing in her opinions here and there when needed.
His eyes stood transfixed on her.
No matter how many times he watched her, he never got tired. In fact, it was the complete opposite of tired, always exited to learn a new thing about her, every moment his eyes rested on her.
Every movement… Even the slightest flicker in her eyes..
Every single time he becomes aware of the next available chance to watch her, a burst of new energy spreads throughout him like wildfire sending his heart and nerves into a state of frenzy.
That morning, on the first day, when he and Lucy sat together in the cafeteria, he did try to talk to her, so many damn many times!
He even rehearsed his opening lines like a zillion times during those first fifteen minutes they had sat in the cafeteria - before that nagging 'realization' had hit him-, plus those extra minutes before they reached there.
But the moment they sat down, his courage started to slowly deflate like steam whistling out of a pressure cooker.
And when that girl, whatever-the-hell-her-name-was, confessed to him, the first thing that came to his mind was the reason he never accepted any girls' confessions. The reason he always acted dense in front of everyone.
The reason, at the time, that was sitting across from him, being the center of attention of his group.
The reason for his blush at that time..
But when the girl decided to pry into his matters and insult Gray, no matter how annoying the stripper was, his anger took over, bringing out the 'dark' Natsu in him. And just like that, he had forgotten what he had wanted to say to the blonde.
Only after the girl and her lackeys had run away did he realize that the blonde was there.
Oh.. How badly did he want to just bash himself so hard to the point he would forget his own name.
But then, even if he did forget his name, he could never forget her..
Natsu lowered his head and chuckled lightly, before a frown took its place.
He remembered his dilemma, internally torn between wanting to scream out like a girl in the stripper's face and wanting to dig a hole under the table and crawl into it, paling when he couldn't choose either while he robotically squirted hot sauce all over his bacon strips.
He remembered how hard he tried to not run out of the cafeteria in embarrassment, taking out his frustration on the bacon strip he chewed on.
But.. Lucy didn't seem affected by his rash behavior at all, or why else would he have blushed like a high school girl when he realized she was looking worriedly at him every now and then that morning.
Oh… And don't get him started on what happened after that.
When the blonde had sat next to him he had decided then and there that he would say whatever that came first to his mind, in order to break the ice.
He internally sobbed.
When those brown eyes peered into his soul, his last ounce of courage melted away.
Ugh! He was a sucker for those cute doe brown puppy eyes…
Why did she have to look at him like thaaat?!
Speaking of which…
A sinister smirk tugged on his lips, as red eyes peered from under the shadow of the pink bangs, gleaming at a certain pixie-cut girl.
He still had a score to settle with that girl.
He cracked his knuckles as his smirk turned toothily evil.
'Just you wait…Lisanna..'
In her spot near the blonde, a cold shiver ran up her spine. Lisanna froze before cautiously looking left and right.
'I feel like…something bad is going to happen.. to me..?'
Natsu sighed, his gaze trailing back over to the blonde..
One week had passed and he even didn't get the guts to say a 'Hi' to her.
He internally groaned, wanting to melt into dirt puddle.
His shoulders sagged in disappointment.
'Ugh. I loathe myself..'
Some childhood friend he was.
It's not like he never tried. He had tried. So many damn times to at least open his mouth, only for air to pass out of them and her walking away not knowing that he was right behind her.
And every. Single. Time when she did notice him, he would open his mouth, encouraging himself that it was the same old Lucy, only to end up gaping like a fish the moment her brown eyes met his. And all thoughts and encouragements of the blonde being his same six-year old partner-in-crime from back then, went out the window…
Onyx eyes took in her features… like they had, for the past one week.. whenever the blonde was in sight.
She looked nothing like that girl back then.
In fact, there were no words to describe her.
He admits that he did have a poor vocabulary. But he did know simple words like, beautiful, gorgeous and so on.
But looking at the blonde, what idiot would even think of using those words to describe her?
Even the word 'goddess' won't be fitting. The said goddesses will shy away from the beauty that radiated from her.
She was the definition of perfection. No. That was also wrong. If one wants to know what perfect means, then they only need to look at her.
If someone's beauty is to be rated, then it would be on a scale of 1 to Lucy.
His eyes never got tired of looking into her doe brown eyes which turned into a light shade of caramel every time the sun reflected in them.
His never got tired of the scent which never failed to turn his insides all gooey.
And that figure of hers…
Oh! Don't even get him started on it. Cause.. he would never be able to stop.
She has got the perfect set of curves in all the right places.. was all he will say.. to be precise.. he would stop himself there… or rather someone should stop him there before it was too late.
If he went into detail, then he would be lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood.
Yep! He's turned into a pervert!
But then.. he was a pervert when it comes to the blonde only.
'But…'
A soft smile tugged at his lips.
She looks like her mother…
Every time she smiled, he felt at home. Safe and loved.
Always had, back then... And still is, now.
But still..
That smile she wore now…
His smile dropped a little.
…Her smile has lost its shine.
Her eyes didn't seem to hold the same brightness in them.
She's changed over seven years. She never talked or laughed or smiled like the Lucy they knew. Maybe, it was the fact that they are all grown up now.
But still, it was like she was holding back. Or rather, something was holding her back.
But he knew…
That somewhere deep inside, their Lucy was still there.
The Lucy he knew was still there..
And he wanted to be the one to bring her back. To be there for her no matter what.
He wanted to be one to bring back that shine of her smile.
But it was so damn hard to talk to her.
Yet, he was happy that the girl had almost all the classes with him, even though they never got the chance to talk with each other, being hogged by his friends almost all the time.
But who can blame them? She had been away for seven freaking years! That's like… like 2555 days!
And to him it was like 220752000 seconds!
Woah! Did he seriously calculate that last night?!
Wait. No, no.. It was even more than that, since he missed her every single moment when he'd always think of what she would be doing, all the smiles he'd have missed, all the adventures he'd missed.
When in fact, he was wrong in thinking that he had missed them…
How would he have missed them, when there were none in those 7 years…?
His heart clenched as his mind wandered back to last week.
Although the blonde had laughed and smiled and listened to each and every thing of what her friends had been up to, she had never told them about hers. Everyone had been so happy that their blonde was back that they had been too excited about who got to tell their story first, and hence forgot to ask her about her seven years.
Natsu sighed, his face turning serious while onyx eyes still stayed on the blonde.
It was that, or the blonde was too clever to divert their attention from her life.
.
.
.
One day, after school, Natsu had rushed back to retrieve his forgotten assignments from his locker. And for the first time in his life, he was glad for his forgetfulness.
After retrieving them, just as he was about to make his way back towards the exit of the building, voices from a nearby classroom caught his attention.
Natsu was never one to eavesdrop on people. Hell, he was never even one to give second thought about who they were, but an all too familiar voice that he had started to want to hear more and more, after missing it for seven years, had drawn him to the almost empty classroom.
Peering in through the glass pane of the closed door, his eyes caught sight of his beloved blonde with a smile on her face, leaning against the windowsill on the far side of the room as Levy and Erza talked animatedly.
The blonde was never one to stop them in mid-sentence… which she did.
"Don't tell me you guys told me to wait here for you after school, so that you could tell me about hanging out at Levy's for a girls' night?", the blonde raised a brow at them with arms crossed, "You could've told me about this during the recess.. If not, by calling me on my cell? Seriously guys? You and I both know that this was not why you wanted to talk to me.", her face turned neutral as she looked at them.
Erza sighed, crossing her arms across her busty chest as she lowered her head, "Okay.. you caught us..", she looked back up at the blonde, a somber look on her face, "The reason why we called you here was because we wanted to talk to you alone."
Lucy titled her head a little, "Huh? You mean, only we three will be there for the sleepover..? But still, you could've told me that through the phone?"
Erza shook her head as she smiled at the little miscommunication, "No, Lucy.. What we meant was, we want you to talk to us alone.. Since you never told us about what you've been up to, in front of everyone, we figured it was because you were never close with the others as you were with us.."
The pink-head frowned as he growled inwardly, 'Me! She was closer with me!'
Erza's smile dropped as she stared at the blonde, "We want to know about what happened with you, Lucy.."
The blonde's eyes widened, "Wha- Why are you guys-"
"We all missed you, Lucy.", Levy stepped forward, gazing up at her with teary eyes, "When you suddenly disappeared on us, we were all… we were all devastated! You were the one who brought us all together. If it weren't for you, we would never be here together, like this.. And we all swore that we would stick together, no matter what... But…"
Erza interjected, "You think we never thought about how you were doing..? That we all moved on from you, and made new friends…..?"
A moment of silence passed before the red-head continued, her voice grim, "You found us, Lucy…", Erza lowered her head, her brown eyes trained on the floor, "Each one of us were going through our darkest times.."
Natsu lowered his head, onyx eyes quivering a little and his face mirroring pain of a forgotten past.
Erza continued, her voice now low and soft, "An erstwhile introvert, who was shown a world outside the books in the school library she had chosen to hide herself in."
With a small sad smile, Levy lowered her head as tears started to well up at her forgotten life.
"A reckless pig-head, who finally found a place he could fit in because no one would be with him because of his stripping persona.", Erza chuckled lightly.
The corners of the pink-haired teen's lips threatened to tug up at the red-head's mention of a certain raven-haired teen.
"An intimidating and apathetic boot-face, always mistaken for his intimidating aura, who finally found people who aren't scared of him, when he helped the said persons who tried to stand up to their bullies."
Natsu watched as Levy's eyes closed, her reminiscing smile widening a little more. He remembered Levy telling him about how she and Lucy met Gajeel.
"A whilom outcast, once accused for an inadvertent accident happened while trying to save a friend, the punishment for which was accepted willingly, wandering aimlessly while shouldering an endless guilt, who finally learned that one can overcome any pinch if he's got his loved ones by his side…", a small smile tugged at the red-head's lips, "…who is now a playboy 'prince on a white horse' to a princess who gave him the courage to move forward…"
Natsu couldn't help but feel happy for Loke. Even though it was a long time back, the words still affected him. He didn't know much about Loke's past, but he did know that the boy had suffered a lot, going as far as to let a silly yet fatal fever take his life, if it weren't for the blonde.
And they say, princes save the princesses all the time..
Natsu chuckled inwardly.
"A used-to-be selfish snob, with no care for those around him, who finally started to grow fond of the girl, who lectured him out of childish innocence while unknowing of his fearsome personality, to the point of being an overprotective brother figure for her and still is, to this day…", the red-head closed her eyes, the smile still on her face, "….and through her eyes, has learned to grow very fond of the family he has now, to the point of laying his life for them."
His lips ached and Natsu had no choice but to let them curve up into a loving smile as he stared with soft glassy eyes, at Lucy who stared at the ground with a grim face.
Laxus..
"A once frequently bullied orphan, with no one to point to as someone he had talked to for at least one time… who is now surrounded by a large family.. whom he would die for.."
A melancholic smirk tugged on his lips, a painful lump forming in his throat, as a lone tear slid down from under the shadow of the pink bangs that covered his eyes.
"And finally…", Erza lifted up her face to smile softly at the wide-eyed blonde, "A once one-eyed recluse, who was formerly known as the school's resident intimidator which was erased once she was taught to open up to others…", a lone tear slid down the red-head's once damaged right eye.
Erza continued, "Each one of us were going through situations, so tough that at some point we started to lose hope and think that were meant to be alone… that we deserved what we were facing… But you… you found us.. You were like a beacon in our dark life… unknowingly guiding us towards the light in our world.. Encouraging us to move forward, to push and to fight against our demons with all we've got.."
Erza's smile faded as she looked into the blonde's eyes, her voice wavering slightly, "So don't think for o-one second… t-that we never really care to know about you.."
Golden bangs shadowed her eyes as Lucy lowered head, her voice coming out low, "There is nothing you need to know about.."
Erza wasn't willing to give up, as she pressed on, tears starting to well up in her eyes again, "Y-You knew everything about us…"
The scarlet haired president tried to maintain her voice as she spoke, "Back then also.. you were always like that.. you a-always listened to anything and everything we had to spout out.. be it a lousy joke, a nonsensical thought… a happy past… or even a s-sad f-feeling… whatever we felt like saying.. or sharing.. every feeling we-e felt, you were the one who listened to us…"
Her voice lowered a little, "…and even though you never had answers to each and every thing we told you.. you being there for us… was more than enough…"
Guilt clouded her voice as she continued, "And-And to think that, we never knew or asked anything about you…about w-why you suddenly left us.. Where do we stand Lu..cy? A-Aren't we your friends? We at least deserve to know why you moved away..", Erza's face looked pained.
Natsu watched the blonde's shaking hands clench into fists at her sides as she turned around to face the window.
Levy sniffled as she croaked, "W-We were like….the best of friends, Lucy…", the bluenette's shaky voice turned breathy, "..Weren't we?"
Natsu's eyes widened and his heart clenched painfully when he caught a glimpse of the blonde's face.
A lone tear slid down from under the shadow of the golden bangs, streaking down to the side of her trembling pink lips.
"Alright…"
Even though it was a whisper, his sensitive ears still picked them up.
The blonde's voice became audible and Natsu could see that she was trying to keep her tone as normal as she could, "The reason I never told you guys…was because I-I didn't… I didn't want you guys to be worried for me… Even when I came back… I wanted to forget.. And being with you guys, helped me a lot. That day.. I didn't tell you guys that I was leaving, because I wanted to remember all of you, smiling and laughing and being yourselves.."
Her voice turned slightly louder yet a little shaky, "I love you all so much, that I never want any of our days to be different... I wanted that last day to be like any other day, so that I could still remember our reckless filled days…with the hope… t-that,", her voice started to lower slowly, "..if I ever were to come back… I sti-ill wanted to enjoy being our rowdy selves…"
The blonde's voice turned soft, her back still turned to the girls, "Tell me Erza.. Would all of you have behaved as you did on any other day, if I had told you I was leaving?"
Erza only lowered her head to stare at the ground as her lips tightened into a thin line, her brows wrinkled slightly in grimace while her fists lightly clenched at her sides.
A silent chuckle escaped the blonde, her golden bangs still covering her eyes, "Thought so.. And Levy-chan.. Would you have sent me off, with a promise of reading a book together when I come back, like we used to make every day… and that bubbly giggle of yours that I love so much..?"
The bluenette also just lowered her head, her brows already scrunched together, staring sadly at the blurry image of the ground as she sniffled.
Natsu watched the corners of the blonde's lips tug up into a sad smile.
Placing a trembling hand on the window sill, she lifted up her face to stare out the window.
The lump in his throat which had begun to fade away, started to ache again on seeing her emotionless face.
No tears moistened her eyes.. No color graced her pale white skin..
Her face was devoid of emotions.. as if… it had lost the ability to mirror what she felt…
It was like, she felt nothing..
His widened slightly..
Just like the smile she wore from the first day she came back.. as if.. her smile held no emotion in them..
As if…
As if she wasn't capable of feeling anything.. anymore..
"You remember how Mama always felt dizzy, waving it off as being due to the heat of the sun..? Do you remember when you used to ask her how she managed to stay so thin…?"
The blonde never waited for their replies as she continued, "The day before I left, Mama collapsed from exhaustion.. Exhaustion from what…no one ever knew, since she was always with me or Papa and at times managing the mansion, but otherwise she was always relaxed…."
"Our family doctor couldn't find out what was wrong with her, except that her heartbeat was steadily decreasing. He suggested moving to America, where she would be under the care of renowned doctors… And so, everything was immediately arranged in order to fly over there…"
She paused, taking in a shaky breath before continuing, "I couldn't not see you guys for one last time. Believe me, I-I really wanted to tell you guys everything but… I didn't know when we would come back.. and I didn't want to part with you guys being worried for me... I-It took every ounce of willpower in me to not let my smile falter, on my last day with you guys..."
Her trembling hands clenched, trying to stop them from shaking, before relaxing them again, "Mama undertook a series of treatments and tests for almost a year… I watched her every single day as she became more and more thin…I was so helpless, not being able to do anything for her.. I felt weak.. But that smile of hers was what kept me going… And you guys too…."
"The doctors were never able to find out the cause..", she let out a breath, "And after a year, she was moved into our mansion there.. By some miracle, the color had started to return back to her face and the fading hope in me began to strengthen once more…I began to hope that she would make it…"
Her lips tugged up again into one of reminiscence, "I remember how happy she looked on my eleventh birthday... Even though she was still confined to her bed, that day was the most memorable day of all..", trembling hands went up to her shirt collar.
Onyx eyes caught a shimmer in between the blonde's fingers..
A locket..?
Her brown eyes still gazed out of the window, a far-off look in them, "She was the one who taught me to smile through my pain.."
Her smile faltered a little, "I continued to spend as much time with her as I could… her telling me stories.. me telling her how my classes went…."
Her other hand went up towards the glass, her slim fingers lightly brushing down against the pane ever so slowly, as her eyes trailed upwards into the evening sky. Her smile faltered a little more.
Natsu's lips tightened into a thin line on seeing her brown eyes that reflected the light of the evening sun…
Still emotionless..
Her voice turned breathy, "I still remember the night.. we watched the stars together…."
His chest ached… so hard.. the pain yet dull.. as if it knew beforehand, what was to follow next..
The painful lump in his throat only grew heavier and it was becoming more difficult for him to swallow..
His eyes moistened on catching the slightest quiver in those brown eyes that stared off into the pinkish orange sky outside.
It was getting difficult for him to breathe..
His ears had now turned sharp and alert, as if not to miss each and every breath that escaped the blonde.
Why…? What happened to her mom…?
Her hands dropped to her sides, as the blonde slowly lowered her head again, her golden bangs falling over her eyes, while her lips tugged up into a melancholic smirk.
A small shaky breath escaped her she continued, her voice turning lethargic, "Well.. that… was the last time.. we watched the stars together…", she let out another shaky sigh, her voice slightly trembling, ".o-or, anything of that sort…".
Quivering glassy onyx eyes watched helplessly, as she gripped onto her skirt to hide her trembling hands.
Her face was pale.
Except for her hands, overall she looked composed.. as if.. she was already used to it.
As if… she had no more tears to shed… no more emotions to spare..
As if… she was empty inside…
His fists clenched at his sides..
Oh, how he wished he was the one standing there in their place… he would just pull her into a hug and tell her to let it all out as he held her as close to him as their bodies would let him…
He watched as the girls stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at their friend with parted lips.
"L-Lucy…", the bluenette whimpered.
"Don't worry Levy chan..", her voice was soft as the blonde turned around.
His breath hitched in his throat, staring at the blonde with slightly parted mouth.
'Lucy..'
A sad yet loving smile stretched across her face as another lone tear slid down from the corner of her eye, and trailed down her pale cheek.
Even then… her eyes were still emotionless..
"I'm okay now..", her eyes trailed away from the bluenette, looking off into a corner, "I am happy that Mama didn't have to suffer for long... In fact… she looked like she didn't suffer from any pain… like she was sleeping.. and.. she had that smile on her face that I love so much.. So yeah… I'm fine …"
"Besides…", brown eyes looked back at the two girls, the sadness in her smile faltering, "I've got you guys. Right?"
Natsu inhaled sharply.
It was too much too for him.. He didn't know how he was managing to hold himself back..
'Lucy.. '
He hated the fact that she wasn't crying…
His heart was beating with pain for the blonde..
'What the hell happened to her…?'
'You were the light in our dark world..'
His breath was becoming erratic, becoming short and shaky… and broken..
That emotionless face of hers…
Before she knew it, two pairs of arms encased her into a tight hug as the bluenette squeaked, "W-We're so s-sorry Lucy.."
Erza's rasped, "We.. We didn't know.."
The blonde just hugged them back, bangs overshadowing her eyes again, with the smile still on her face, "Hey.. Hey.. I told you, I'm fine.."
Her voice was soft.
'Our pillar of courage..'
The lump in his dry throat was becoming so painful that he couldn't tolerate it.
'What the hell is up with that smile.. you weirdo…'
His whole body shook and his knuckles turned white as his fist tightened more and more.
His teeth clenched, as he squeezed his eyes shut.
Tears dribbled down from under the shadow of his pink bangs.
Even though, it was her who should be doing this, he was the one who wanted to cry out loud.
Ugh! Look at him. All pathetic and broken..
'Even after you found us… we were still haunted by our past.. our demons..'
He furiously wiped at his eyes, taking in deep breaths to calm himself.
"Shit..."
He sniffled a little to clear his running nose.
The effect, this blonde had on him…
'Only you can make me go all weird like this, you weirdo!'
He lifted his head up to peer in through the pane again.
The blonde, who still had that soft loving smile on her face, was still hugging the girls, the red-head who was crying into her shoulder while the bluenette wailed into her chest, as the trio kneeled on the ground in a pile of tangled limbs.
Natsu frowned before turning away…
That smile…
Even though he knew, it was held back…
Why does it always manage to make him feel all calm inside..
'….with that smile on your face… you were always there…'
He growled inwardly, the scowl still present on his face as he stared once more at her smiling face, before letting out an abrupt sigh.
He turned around, titling his head sideways to gaze at the scene again from the corner of his eyes.
A soft smile tugged on his lips.
'Those idiots.. They are the ones who are supposed to comfort her.. not the other way around..'
He looked away and shook his head slightly, chuckling silently to himself.
'…for Levy… Gray.. Gajeel… Loke.. Laxus… Erza…'
He looked back to stare at the blonde.
That smile of hers certainly can bring out a whole lot of emotions that they didn't know they had in them..
Onyx eyes were trained on her face.
'Me…'
She may be able to fool the others with that smile..
He turned around and leaned back against the wall near the door, burying his hands into his pants pockets.
But she has to try more than that to fool him..
He sighed again, his head drooping to rest his chin against his chest, as he closed his eyes.
'Helping us through it all…'
Even though that smile seemed natural, it held so much behind it…
His relaxed visage turned serious.
There's more to her story…
'And now that you're lost in your own dark void…'
His eyelids fluttered open as he gazed at the ground.
That smile of hers held a lot behind it… and he was gonna find out..
'I can't just stand by and watch as you disappear right in front my eyes…'
His heart thumped heavily against his chest, as his slightly trembling lips tightened into a thin line.
He was gonna bring the Lucy they all once deeply loved and cared for…
'I swear with every breath of my life.. that I will bring you back, no matter what..'
Onyx eyes glinted with determination.
'I promise you… Lucy..'
.
.
.
.
Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
If only he could gather the courage to at least say 'Hi' to her..
"Ah!", someone snapped their fingers.
Broken out of his thoughts, his ears sharpened to hear in on the girls.
"I remember overhearing one of the girls in the library that, she went to the same school as you in America, because she kept on saying how she knew you and that you were dating or engaged to some.. blonde guy.. there?"
This caught his attention as onyx eyes flew open to see Lisanna wiggling her eyebrows at the blonde who was warily leaning away from her.
A slight blush coated the blonde's cheeks.
Natsu clenched his jaw, as he felt his stomach tying into painful knots.
"Oooo… Care to share the dirt, Lucy?", Cana smirked.
Erza and Levy looked at the blonde in concern. Although they knew she hasn't told them everything, after their encounter, they understood the pain she went through and had decided to wait until she was ready to open up to them. They knew well enough to know that anything regarding those seven years was a touchy subject to her.
Erza leaned forward, her hand reaching out to touch the white-haired girl's shoulder, "Lis-", but cut herself off on seeing the blonde lightly shaking her head at her with a reassuring smile before looking back at Lisanna.
"Well, what you heard is true… It was back in middle school if I remember correctly..", her face scrunched up as Lucy tilted her chin up in thought.
Natsu felt his heart drop into his stomach, dread beginning to fill him.
"EH?! Are you stil-"
"Hey you guys! Mind helping us over here?"
Everyone looked down the hill to see Mira waving them over. Behind her, Elfman was already carrying over the barbecue grill set before going off to bring out other utensils from his truck, while Laxus and Gray were bringing out the charcoal bag and the steak packs.
"Aww…", Lisanna pouted.
"Come on girls! Up! Up!", Erza was already in leader mode.
"Yes Ma'am!"
One by one the girls scurried down the slope as Natsu watched the blonde slowly get off the ground to follow them.
His eyes narrowed a little.
Was it him, or was it relief he saw on her face?
"Hey idiot! Mira meant everyone! And that includes you, ya sick Salamander!"
"Don't get your panties in a twist, Iron face, I'm coming!"
-8 Island-
A chime sounded.
"Orders up!"
A tuft of pink hair made way towards the source.
A toned muscular arm slid in through the rectangular opening of the counter of the otherwise closed kitchen.
Sizzling sounds and plonks of spatulas and others utensils against woks and pans sounded out from the opening, as the hand picked up the dishes of French fries and a huge burger and slid them onto the serving tray held in the other hand.
After moving away from the kitchen counter, tan fingers slowly wiggled towards the French fries, only to be slapped away.
"Natsu Dragneel! I thought you knew better than to eat from the food for the customers!"
The said person snapped his head to the side with wide eyes to see Lisanna, donned in an orange maid attire, scowling at him, with one hand on her hip and the other supporting a tray.
Natsu scoffed, waving her off as he passed her, "Puhlease.. It's not like I am doing this for the first time.."
"Ohohoo.. You think you can get away with it, eh?", Lisanna smirked, before looking sideways at the wide-eyed pink-haired teen behind her, propping her chin in between her thumb and forefinger, as if pretending to think, "I wonder what Lucy's got to say to this..?"
Instantly, a cold shiver ran up her spine.
Red eyes gleamed from within the shadow of the pink bangs behind her, a cold eerie voice sounding, "Hmm? Did you say something.. Li-sa-nna?"
"N-No! None at all!"
"Thought so..", Natsu smirked as he turned around to make his way to serve the food, before making his way back.
"I still don't get why you haven't spoken to her yet..", Lisanna sighed.
That stopped Natsu in his tracks, his heart thumping against his chest, a little loudly.
Ever since that trick, Lisanna pulled on him at the cafeteria, he knew the girl was watching him closely, trying to get him to talk to the blonde.
"Lisan-"
"You don't think I don't know why you took this job? The others might have not figured it out, but I know you well enough, Natsu.. Instead of silently watching her from afar and trying to protect her, why don't try talking to her and make it easier for the both of you. It just pains me to see you like this… you are hurting inside… She is hurting…"
Onyx eyes widened as he twirled around to face her, "What do you me-"
"Welcome to 8island! I will be your waitress for the evening. May I have your orders?"
Both of them snapped their heads towards the source.
A darker shade of pink coated his cheeks as wide onyx eyes stared at the sight.
Black buckled shoes paired up with white socks that complimented her slender legs, before the orange skirt started just above her knees.
A white apron was tied over the orange attire while the off shoulder neck showed off her milky white skin.
And not to mention, her amplified cleavage.
His blush deepened, as his ears turned red.
Her well-defined collar bones accentuated the locket that hung from the thin chain around her slender neck.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed thickly.
Second week into their work, and he still hasn't been able to get used to this sight.
And those twin pigtails and that cute white bonnet on her head that contrasted her blonde hair.
Man! She looked so cute as well as powerfully alluring all at the same time.
His lips slightly parted.
That smile she gave to the customers..
He wished she would show him a different one when he summons his courage to talk to her, like he used to, 7 years ago.
His eyes drooped low, while his lips tugged up into a blissful smile.
A smile meant only for him..
A snicker broke him out of his trance.
"You are soooo in love with her."
Natsu growled, "Don't you have a table to wait on?"
"Fine, fine. I'm going..", the pixie-cut girl turned to walk away before pausing, "But Natsu.."
He looked at her questioningly, "If you don't get to her soon, someone else will.."
He sighed in frustration, "I kn-"
"Hey, this uniform isn't bad. I think I might wear it every day..."
Again both of them snapped their heads towards the new voice, before their jaws dropped to the floor.
There stood Gray next to Lucy, clad only in black boxers wearing a red bowtie and his ever-present silver cross locket.
Levy who had reached the duo, deadpanned, "Then try wearing one."
Cana's head popped up from behind him "Gray, your clothes."
"Hmm?", the teen looked down only to drop his tray at the sight of his half-naked self.
Lucy sighed, "First day into work and you're already on the verge of flashing around your sweet willy.."
Cana snickered.
Lucy shared a silent chuckle with her, before Gray appeared beside them again, "Hey, check it out..", he nodded into another direction.
Everyone's eyes trailed over to where he was pointing at.
Swaying her hips, with the skirt reaching just above mid-thigh and thigh high socks accentuating her attire, Erza strutted towards a table, her scarlet ponytail swishing behind her as she walked.
Propping her knee on the table, the red head leaned forward, resting a hand on the surface, as she smiled sensually at the newly arrived male customers, a low voice emanating from her.
"May I have your order..? What do want? Come on, tell me.."
Everyone, except for a smirking Cana, watched wide-eyed with jaws dropped and blush coating their cheeks as the customers' nose flared open, with red coating their own cheeks.
The temperature inside the cafe felt hot.. sweltering hot, that even the air was boiling…
"E-Ehm.."
"I-I want…"
The red-head pressed on, "Yes..?"
The customers threw their hands up in the air and yelled out, "Give us all the dishes you have!"
The red-head smiled gratefully, "Oh, that's a big help. I have to offer my gratitude."
The customers squealed, "The pleasure is ours!"
Natsu swore he could see smoke billowing out of their ears.
Gray sweat-dropped, "Some people are.. really getting into this.."
Natsu watched a small smile crawl onto the blonde's lips, "I guess, I will also have to do my best."
Erza must have heard the duo for she turned to look at them, "This is yet another battle."
Lucy tilted her head in confusion, "Battle?"
"Here are your orders, Masters!"
Natsu and the others turned towards the sweet voice to see Lisanna's older sister smiling brightly at the another group of male customers seated at another table, as she placed their food in front of them.
"Now..", her sweet smile turned into a smirk as Mira pulled out a steel ruler and smacked it against her open palm, "Who wants to go first…?"
All of them jumped up with their hands in the air, "MEEE!"
Everyone shuddered at the demon Mira.
Lucy shivered a little, "C-Count me out of the b-battle.."
As soon as he heard those words from her, Natsu's mind wandered off..
.
.
A blonde clad in an off-shoulder black and white maid outfit that hugged her body at all the right places, reaching only up to her mid-thighs, with thigh high black socks paired up with knee-length black combat boots.
Her hair fell perfectly on her creamy shoulders, with only a white bonnet to keep them back, while her golden bangs framed her face perfectly.
Dazed onyx eyes drooped.
Black suited her flawless skin perfectly.
Temperature was sweltering hot now..
Brown eyes gazed at him with a glint of mischievousness in them
A smirk adorned her face, as she winked while cracking a whip in her hand.
"Time for punishment, Master.."
.
.
The scene faded off into another one…
.
.
This time, the blonde was wearing a similar off-shoulder black and white maid attire.
Instead of thigh-high socks, she donned a pair of black pantyhose, highlighting her alluring charm.
Glazed doe brown eyes stared up at him, while her pink supple lips parted.
His own lips parted unconsciously as he gulped down hard.
Pink tinted her cheeks as she turned her back to him.
Leaning away from him, the blonde looked back at him with the same flustered expression, her ass barely covered by the ruffles of her black skirt.
"Do you wish to punish me, Master..?"
.
.
A dropped of sweat trickled down his forehead as his imagination faded away, the words still ringing in ears.
He squeezed his eyes shut, 'NO! NO NOOO!'
Smoke came out of his ears, as his face turned a dark shade of red.
No… darker than red.
He vigorously shook his head.
'I WONT LET ANYONE LAY A FINGER ON HER! NEVER EVER EVEAHH-'
"Oof!"
Natsu's hands shot up to massage the sore spot on his ribs, where Lisanna had jagged her elbow into, as he glared at her.
Lisanna's eyes were closed as her brow twitched, an annoyed expression on her face, "Keep those perverted vibes from spreading, will ya?!"
"Wha-"
"Which one of you boys ordered 'Sweet Punishment'.."
Everyone turned towards the sultry voice, and their eyes widened when they landed on Evergreen wearing the maid attire, her hair put up into a beautiful bun, the tips protruding out into a side ponytail while her brown bangs beautifully framed her face
One hand was planted on her hip while the other upheld a tray lined with tall glasses filled with colorful drinks.
One hand jerked up, the owner's face red while smoke streaked out of his ears, "I DID! I DIIID!"
"NO I DID!", the one next to him cut him off, glaring at him, unconscious of the blood that trickled out of his own nose..
"NO! I DID!", the one on the other side head-butted the other two.
Pretty soon, the three of them were brawling.
Everyone watched as Lucy sweat-dropped, "Is it me, or have we been receiving only male customers…"
Cana pouted, "Aww.. if only those three didn't fight.."
Lucy sweat-dropped, "I don't even want to know the service that comes along with it.."
Evergreen smirked at the red-head who was watching her, "Well, well, well, Erza.. The winner of this battle is obvious. Don't you think?"
Mira stepped in, a sinister smile on her lips with her arms crossed, "Don't get your hopes up Evergreen. We have a good 3 hours till our shift ends."
"Oi! Quit yapping around and bring us our food."
Lucy jumped out of her skin before twirling around to see a grumpy Laxus seated at another table accompanied by poker-faced Freed and a grinning Bickslow with his tongue hanging out.
"I still wonder where you get the money to come in here every day..", Lucy crossed her arms as she squinted at her older cousin-slash-brother-figure who only raised a brow at her, before walking away with a sigh.
Laxus jumped in his seat, startled on seeing his sister ignoring him and walking away, "Hey! I mean it, Lucy! We didn't get our food!"
Natsu chuckled silently as he watched the blonde.
He remembered how the blonde had been desperately searching for a job in order to pay off the rent of her apartment located in Strawberry Street, which thankfully for him, was not too far away from his house.
To his and everyone's shock, the principal of their school, Makarov Dreyar happened to be her grandfather, but that deserved a slap to their face for forgetting that he was already Laxus's grandfather. He and Laxus had both offered to help her financially, but she was too stubborn saying that she wanted to know what it meant to be independent.
Luckily, Master Makarov- as they call him- got to know of a new joint opening at Hargeon, which was a 1 hour train ride from Magnolia, and had right away informed Lucy.
She got the job promptly, since the owner of the joint happened to be a friend of Master's, Mr. Yajima.
When she had first informed the group of her job, they were against it because of the work hours which can go up to late at night, to which Lucy had flexed her frail arms saying that she was capable of kicking ass if needed, with her trademark 'Lucy kick'. It took a whole week before the group half-heartedly agreed to her whines.
But Natsu still didn't feel like letting it go easily. And for the first time, he was thankful that he still hadn't established communication with the blonde then, taking up a job at the restaurant with the help of Master.
Lucy also never questioned him, throwing occasional glances in his direction every now and then, helping him with juggling tables when needed and he was happier that he can now make up reasons to talk to her. At least the awkwardness between them had lessened.
He always got the chance to ride the train with her, both ways-wherein he was able to enjoy the time, thanks to the miracle known as Troia motion sickness patches-, going to work with her after school, walking her home after work, even secretly volunteering to stay till closing time whenever Lucy was asked to. He never minded the silence between them, as long as he got to spend time with her.
But those happy times did not last very long.
Two weeks after, they were scared out of their wits by Erza, Evergreen, Levy, Lisanna and Mira, all clad in maid outfits, saying that they always wanted to know what it was like to work as a maid. Along came Cana, the day after.
True to the blonde's week long silent suspicions, Laxus and the gang were ratted out one evening, when they foolishly opted a window seat, causing a strong breeze to blow off Laxus's wig onto a nearby customer's plate, thereby creating a ruckus. Lucy had demanded Laxus to stop following her, to which he replied that he had come to love the food of the café and has made it his… 'thing' to hang out here.
But Natsu knew very well that the blonde was more worried about his sister than greedy over some café food.
And that left Stripper, who wanted to know what his friends were all fussing over and hence joining the squad today.
Now, the blonde had to manage all of them, since she wanted to keep her job.
Squeals erupted from behind him, snapping the pink-haired teen out of his trance.
Turning around, his eyes landed on a group of shrieking girls with hearts in their eyes, seated at a table in the back, ogling at the half-naked raven-haired waiter who was about to unconsciously take off his boxers.
Guess there were female customers after all…
"Take those boxers off, and I will personally make sure, you won't have a pee-pee to pee with!"
Natsu shuddered at Lucy's venomous hiss, while a shrieking Gray ran around to find his discarded uniform.
A sigh escaped his lips.
Lucy sure can be scary sometimes.
"Gajeel, you're doing it again.."
Oh yeah. Then there was Metal Head. Guess he joined the work force, since he literally followed Levy around like a pathetic lost puppy! Although, the red-eyed teen would never in a million years, admit to it.
Natsu snapped his head towards the said person who had a spoon hanging from his mouth, a scowl present on his face.
"Can't help it shrimp. I eat 'em when I get irritated."
Levy crossed her arms as she raised a brow at him, "And what exactly is that.?"
Gajeel tugged on his red bowtie as he grunted, "Couldn't the old geezer have chosen more comfy clothes? This suit is…it's...GAH!"
He grabbed a spoon from the nearby customer's table and started to chew on it, startling the poor customer who gaped at him in fear.
Levy scoffed, "I don't see what the fuss is all about? Even Gray likes it."
"Provided, he wears one all the time!"
Natsu looked down at his uniform as he adjusted his scarf with his free hand.
He gotta admit, the waiter's uniform was quite cool. And he was glad that Yajima-san allowed him to wear his scarf. It got well along with the black vest and white shirt, which was paired up with a pair of black pants. Overall, he looked handsome.
He smirked at the thought, before his lips turned upside down.
If only he knew what Lucy thought.
"What can I get you ladies? A 'Strawberry Fantasy' or… 'A Chocolate Kiss'.."
A silent groan escaped him.
Oh.. how could he have possibly forgotten the Playboy.
He tilted his head a little to the side to see Loke with his hand cupping a female customer's chin as she gazed up at him with a blush, "Oh, Loke-sama.."
"Loke, I would suggest for you to not flirt with our customers..", a ticked off Lucy appeared beside the orange-haired teen.
"Lucy!"
In an instant, the teen's arm was around her waist, "You're so beautiful that I'm forced to look at you through these sunglasses.", he adjusted his shades by its rim.
A tick mark appeared on the pink-haired teen's forehead, a low growl escaping him.
Loke leaned forward, his voice getting softer, "If I take them off, I'll be blind for sure.."
"Then just take them off", Lucy scowled, her brow twitching as she clenched her fists at her sides.
"Aww…", he brought her closer causing Natsu to ready his fist, "Don't say that Princess. I'm sur-"
A tray smacked the backside of Loke's head emitting a painful metallic sound.
"Oi! Quit flirting with my sister and go get me more fries!"
Natsu snickered as he watched Laxus scowl from his table at the orange-haired teen on the floor, while cracking his knuckles.
Loke's face scrunched up in pain as he looked up at Laxus, a smirk tugging on his lips nonetheless, "No wonder Mira doesn't notice you with that cocky attitude of yours."
That was it.
Loke got pulled up by his collar as Laxus snarled in his face while kneeling on the floor, "One. More. Wor-"
"Woah!"
Natsu's eyes widened as an unsuspecting Gray tripped over the duo who was in his way, causing his plate to smack into a nearby Gajeel's face, before landing face first into the ground with half his body over the still hunched over duo.
"Ya damn stripper. You tryin' to pick a fight with me?!", Gajeel rushed over to kick Gray who smirked and rolled over just in time, causing the kick to land in Laxus's gut.
"You looking for a fight, punk?!", Laxus snarled as he got up and cracked his knuckles.
Gajeel readied his fists as he smirked, "Gihi! Bring it on!"
"Oi! Gajeel! We are in a friggin' restaurant!", Gray got up but his head ended up knocking off a strawberry cake off the plate held up by a giddily smiling Erza who was in the midst of enjoying her treat, as she sat on the counter.
"M-My s-strawberry…c-cake.."
As an unknowing Gray went off to hold back Gajeel, a trembling teary-eyed Erza gazed down at her destroyed treat on the floor before letting out a weak cry when a large geta sandal clad foot squashed it.
"FIGHTING IS MAN!"
Oh, and let's not forget Elfman.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!", Erza's foot implanted in his face, and away he went.
Out of nowhere, a cup hit his head causing the pink-haired teen to snap his head around with a growl, "Who the hell…"
He trailed off when his eyes landed on Gray in all his half naked glory again, standing on the counter top with hands planted on his hips, while watching the fighting trio of Laxus, Gajeel and Loke, with a disappointed look on his face.
All thoughts of finding the culprit who had smacked him with the cup forgotten, a wicked toothy-grin spread across his face, as Natsu aimed the empty tray in his hand for Gray's head.
A metallic smack sounded and Gray fell off the counter with a loud yelp.
Natsu cackled out loud only to be cut off when an ice pack hit him square in the face.
Before he knew it, an all-out brawl had broken out. Even some of the customers had joined in while some of them sought safety under their tables.
Taking a momentary breather-not that Natsu ever needed one- so as to see whether the blonde was safe or not, his eyes landed on a quivering blonde head under a table far away from the brawl, along with a white-head and a blue-head.
Onyx eyes widened in worry, before lightening up when his sensitive ears picked up the familiar peals of suppressed giggles amidst the noise… that pleasant sound, his ears had missed so much…
He felt his face immediately warm up.
His eyes never left the blonde who was giggling at the scene along with a disappointed Levy and a chortling Lisanna, as she sipped on her favorite strawberry shake which she got just in time when the show started.
Come to think of it..
He turned to look back at the large commotion.
A sigh escaped him as his lips tugged up into a small smile.
It all clicked now…
This was what's been missing from the scene after all.
The loudness, the liveliness…
It was like, the blonde had taken the spirit of her family along with her when she left them..
And now that she is back…
It's all how it should be..
Natsu grinned a wide toothy grin.
And there is nothing he would change about this scene…
He turned back around, his onyx eyes glazing over as they landed on the blonde's smiling face.
His smile turned soft.
Even though that smile didn't hold the same shine, he was hell of a lot determined to bring it back.
A determined smile spread across his face.
'Just wait for me, Lucy…'
'….I'm coming for you.'
I hope I did well in this chapter.
Tell me what you think.
Sorry for any errors.
Thank you for your time.
Arigatou!