Lucy watched the boy seated across from her. The sound of his pencil scratching at the paper echoed through the nearly empty library. She chewed on her pencil, after helping him get started on the essay, Lucy had found herself a book of dragon photos to use as reference and was now seated sketching them next to Natsu. He'd laughed when he's noticed which book she'd picked out.

"Dragons, eh?" He'd teased.

However Lucy couldn't seem to focus on any dragon for too long, her eyes always wandering back to his face.

Something was off about him today. Last week when they'd first met in the alleyway he'd been different, looked different even. She continued to stare, aimlessly tracing the outline of his face in her newly returned sketchbook. She moved her line of vision higher, slowly marking out his features, his lips, his nose, and...his eyes. She flinched as her eyes locked with his. He'd been watching her. She flailed, quickly rearranging her arms to cover what she'd drawn.

"Need help?" She sputtered a little too loudly.

He shot her a smile.

"Nope, just wanted to see what you were drawing." He said as he leaned over to look at her paper.

Lucy grabbed the book, hugging it tightly against her.

"No way!" She cried.

Natsu looked around the library.

"Luce, we're in a library keep your voice down."

She rolled her eyes.

"There's no one in here, besides…" she trailed off as she took in what he'd just called her.

Luce. A comforting warmth spread through her chest. Taking in a deep breath, she placed the book down, face first so that he still wouldn't be able to see, and slid his essay towards herself.

She squinted at the messy writing, trying her best to decipher it.

"You're going to hand this in?" She asked in awe.

He looked at her quizzically.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Lucy looked up at him, then back at the paper.

"The writing is barely legible!"

"What? It is so totally legal!"

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Legible, stupid. It means I can't read it."

He snatched the paper back, eyes quickly scanning it.

"I can read it."He stated.

"But will the professor be able too?"

Natsu shrugged.

"That's his problem."

Lucy shook her head, taking his paper out of his hands, she pulled out her laptop.

"Actually it's your problem. Now read it quickly so I can type it up for you."

Opening a new document, Lucy listened as he read out his essay. Every here and there she'd correct his misused grammar.

By the end of the hour, they were done.

"How the hell did you type so fast?" He marveled, as he read the document. Lucy smiled smugly.

"Back in high school they called me lightning fingers, I've won the national typing competition four years in a row."

Natsu stared at her, a childish gleam in his green eyes, as if she'd just told him she were santa claus.

"Really?"

Her smile faltered, he'd really believed her?

"W-well no...I was just joking."

His face dropped, turning into a small frown. He looked so sad, Lucy desperately wanted to wrap her arms around him, hug him protectively. Make sure he was happy.

"Sorry…I was trying to be funny."

He pushed the laptop back towards her.

"Nah, it's fine. But you really should enter a speed typing competition, I'm sure you'd win."

Lucy couldn't help but smile back this time. It had been much too long since anyone had thought she could do anything. It felt nice.

"Thanks for all your help."

He told her, picking up his things.

Lucy blinked, realizing that they were done and that it was time to leave.

"I have to get to class, I'll text you my address, you can come over after for some tea and We can even work on our next project."

"Wait proj-?"

He was already running towards campus.

Lucy hastily paced in front of the entryway. It was exactly five minutes after Natsu had texted her, telling her he'd meet her outside the building so that they could walk to his place together.

His place.

Lucy couldn't remember the last time a friend had invited her over. Hell, she hadn't had a real friend since middle school.

"Luce!"

Lucy turned at the sound of her new nickname.

She had a nickname.

"Hey! How was class?"

She greeted, falling into step beside him.
"Great! The teacher really liked what I wrote, he said it was one of the best things I'd ever handed in."

Lucy laughed.

An awkward silence grew between them, Lucy fidgeted with the pins on her bag strap.

"Do you live alone?"

The words tumbled out of her before she could rethink it. Feeling him turn towards her she blushed.

"I-I mean not that I don't trust you not to...but like what if you're an axe murdere-"

She was cut off abruptly by his laugh.

"Hey don't laugh at me! It's a perfectly reasonable concern. I-"
"It's not that Luce."

She stared at him, feeling the warm feeling go to her chest again. Must be the nickname.

"You're just such a weirdo."

She stopped in her tracks. Replaying those words in her brain. He was halfway across the block before he turned back to her.

"Lucy I'm only teasing. I have a roommate!"

She scoffed, running to catch up.

What an idiot.

A/N: hey since it's been more than a year I thought I'd upload whatever else i'd written for this lmao (i forgot this fic even existed) If you want another chapter just ask nicely and i'll think about it maybe (depends on how nicely you ask ) haha jk hope it's been a great year for everyone