Chapter 4: Getting To Know Each Other
(Lucy's POV)
Natsu was first to break the silence after Makarov left the room, "I'm sorry Luce—"
There we go again with that nickname . . . Luce. Why was he calling me that?
"—that you were brought into this situation. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, ya know. I just wanted you to live and marry someone you actually love. And, I was trying to keep you away from Sting and I basically ruined your chance of falling in love—"
I interrupt him quickly, "Stop talking, Natsu. Stop mentioning him already. Just drop it, okay? I get that you were helping me, and I appreciate it. And, you didn't ruin my chance of falling in love, because guess what? You saved me from Sting, and now I can have a chance to get to know my boss and my future husband better. Besides, maybe you didn't ruin my chance, because maybe I can fall in love with you." I blush all of a sudden at what I said.
Natsu grins softly after what I said, "Thanks Luce."
I couldn't decide what was stupidly cute about Natsu—his grin or the fact that he "saved me" from Sting. After I talked to him, we decided to go out for lunch and talk to each other more. After he suggested that, something inside of me was warm. I couldn't believe Natsu actually bargained his company to be alongside my father's stupid Konzern. That's when some hate came rushing into me. Greedy ass fucker actually tried to sell me! Especially when I loose connections?! I sigh in defeat. None of that matters anymore, what matters now is that I'm running up and down the office trying to get Natsu some documents and some coffee. I'm running to my last stop which was Natsu's co-assistant, Juvia Lockser.
I could see her desk from afar. The blue haired female was talking with a dark haired male—clearly they were flirting. As I get closer, I could practically see Juvia have heart shaped pupils for . . .
"Lucy? Hah! What a coincidence!" The dark haired male chuckles. I see the male and I instantly recognize him.
"What's up Gray?" I greet Gray. I knew Gray from a long time ago . . . well I mean ever since I was a toddler. After all, he is my cousin.
"You know Gray-sama?" Juvia asked me with some worry and pain in her voice. Why was she mad all of a sudden?
"Yeah, we go way back! Oh yeah, Juvia, Lucy. Lucy, Juvia." Gray grins as he introduces me to Juvia.
I smile and offer her my hand, "Hi Juvia, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Juvia takes my hand and shakes it with a smile, "You too, Love Rival."
"L-Love Rival?" I say with a cocked eyebrow. WHAT THE HELL? I'M HIS COUSIN!
"Juvia, don't get a bad idea! Lucy's my cousin!" Gray smiles. His smiles were very warm-hearted. That was what I liked about my cousin. He was there for me when nobody wasn't.
"Juvia wants Lucy-san to forgive her!" Juvia says talking in third person perspective. Hmm . . . maybe a trauma?
"Oh, it's fine Juvia. Anywho, I came to get Natsu's important papers." I say and Juvia nods calmly. She walks towards her station, swaying her hips side to side—she was trying to impress Gray—especially with such a small pencil skirt and such a tight white dress shirt. I just shrug consciously.
"So how's working as that asswipe's assistant like?" Gray says sipping out of his mug of coffee. I started to brew some coffee for Natsu.
"Eh, well he's calm. Besides, he's nice and goofy." I reply with a smile. That's when I see that Gray is just in boxer briefs and shirtless. I kick him on the groin, "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON YOU PERV!"
"OW! WHAT THE HELL?!" Gray yells in pain. He holds his groin in between his hands and quickly puts his clothes back on. He speaks after putting his clothes back on, completely.
"Well watch out, fire breath is like a dragon—I guess you can say." Gray says with a cocky grin.
"A Dragon? Hah! Why?" I say holding my stomach at the joke—but Gray wasn't laughing.
Oh.
"It's not a joke Lucy. He has a . . . past."
I snort in disapproval of how the way he said it, "Doesn't everyone?"
He shakes his head side to side. "Lucy, what I mean is like a dark past."
My eyes widen, and that's when our conversation was interrupted by Juvia walking in with a small pile of documents. That's my cue. I pour a mug of coffee for Natsu and I walk towards Juvia. "Here you go Lucy-san."
"Thank you Juvia. I'll see you guys around." I say forcing a smile. I walk out the break room with the mug in my right hand and the documents on my left, I walk towards Natsu's office. A dark past? I mean everyone has one don't they? Besides, what's in the past—stays in the past. At least, that's what mom used to say. I sigh and look upwards finally reaching Natsu's office. I open the door and reveals a studious Natsu. Is he alright?
"Here's your coffee and your documents, sir." I say nervously. He looks up and mouths the words 'Thank You'. Why couldn't he say it? That's when I heard a voice on the phone, he had it on speaker.
"Mr. Dragneel, I expect that this alliance is good for my Konzern and your company as well. Oh, and do me one favor, take care of Lucy . . . and if she's not behaving or being obedient, you can just sell her back to Sting. I'm sure he'll want her back." The man said. I recognized his voice and it was my father. How could he say that? Is that how he sees me? As some object? I start to tremble but I breathe in and out, trying to calm myself. I'm not going to cry, nor will I ever.
"Ya know Mr. Heartfilia, I was the one who offered the deal, I can just simply take it back . . . and I'd keep Lucy even if you think she's trash—Oh, and guess what Mr. Heartfilia? The next time you call, please contact Gray Fullbuster. If it's not Layla I'm speaking to, you can talk to him. Thank you for your time, sir." Natsu quickly ends the call and drops his head onto the desk. He pulled his own hair with his two hands gripping a handful of pink locks.
"I'm sorry." I manage to say. He thrusts his head back up and has a confused face. I sigh and walk towards his desk and place the documents and the mug of coffee on his desk. I sit down on one of the black chairs facing him and I face him. I continue to speak, "I'm sorry you have to speak to him. He's an ass and I apologize that you have to face him."
He chuckles lightly and stands from his chair and walks to the window. He looks at me with a worry face, " Lucy, I know he's an ass. But don't worry about it! I've dealt with worse, besides if he tries to pull some stupid shit on me—well I'll burn him into a pile of ash." Natsu said calmly.
My eyes twitch. A pile of ash? I start laughing at what he said. He looks at me weirdly, "What's so funny?"
"A pile of ash?! Hah! That's priceless!" I say calming my laughter down.
"That's my personal line of kicking some ass. What? Does it sound weird?" The pink haired male looked at me and I start laughing again. I hold my stomach at the joke. He mumbled loudly, "Weirdo."
"Oi! I heard that pinkie!" I retort at his comment.
"Pinkie?! FOR YOUR INFORMATION IT'S SALMON!" Natsu snorts with disapproval.
"Could've fooled me." I say crossing my arms in annoyance.
He huffed childishly, "Do you not know your colors?"
I gasp and stand up from my chair and lean on his desk with my palms flat on the desk. "I do know my colors and your hair is pink!"
He stands from his chair and mimics my scene, "UGH FIGHT ME!"
I instantly smirk, "Stop being so childish, Natsu." I get cocky and childish, "Besides, I wouldn't waste my time on you."
Natsu smirks, "You really are my future wife . . . Lucy Dragneel."
I blush and sit on my chair.
Natsu sits and he grins. "Point one for the dragon. Zero for the princess."
"Princess? Dragon? Isn't the dragon the villain?"
Natsu laughs and smiles, "Not in my version. The Dragon is the one who rescues the princess. The prince is just some "girly girl" just in a guy version."
I laugh at his comment. "Girly girl? Oh god, so you saved me from the prince a.k.a Sting and you got to keep me—the princess?"
Natsu smirks at the idea of my story. "Yep, and the princess marries the dragon making dragon babies and she helps him rule his dynasty!"
Where did serious Natsu go? It's as if he was instantly replaced with a childish Natsu. But then again, he's Natsu for crying out loud.
I laugh, "Alright whatever you say Natsu. Let's go get some lunch before your stom—"
"Too late." He says and that's his cue. His stomach grumbles loudly. We both laugh at his stomach noises.
Natsu drives us towards his favorite restaurant called 8 Island's. I've never really heard about this restaurant before. The best part was that his car runs on the same transmission as my car does! And his car makes noise when you drive. Now I'll know when Natsu is near . . . aww man but he would know when I'm near too.
Dammit.
"So Gray shitted on his pants back in the third grade and he had to scrub his underwear in front of the class." Natsu explains as he drives us. I laugh at his stories. They're mostly about his fights with Gajeel, Gray, and Erza. But he said that Erza scares him, and that he could literally pee on himself.
"You think that's funny? Get a load of this, one day he was trying to impress some girl named Ultear, so he was creating a song. The next thing you know, he ends up writing a song about some guy he hated and accidentally sang it to her." I say. Now that I think of it, if Natsu and Gray were friends before than that song must've been about him.
"How are you even related to him? Wait, how'd the song go?" He asks me.
"My mom's sister is his mom. Hold on, I have the video on my phone." I pull out my phone and his eyes wander to my iPhone.
"What? I'm not rich and fancy like you are with your iPhone 8." I say with a little blush.
He chuckles, "No worries Luce, I wasn't looking at your phone, I was actually looking at your fingers."
I snort, "Creep much?"
"Don't get the bad idea! I was just wondering about your ring size that's it." Natsu grins as he parks his car on the parking lot.
"EH?! Way to spoil the moment, Natsu!" I whine as I look for the video, trying to hide my blush.
"Heh." Was all he said.
"Found it!"
"This song is specially made for you. I love you Ultear Milkovich." Gray says playing his guitar slowly, He sings lowly,
"Everytime I see you, I see pink. The pink irritates me and the next time I'll smear ya like ink. You remind me of garbage that'll burn, cuz the way I feel about ya, will eventually return to ya like a pile of corn. I hate ya you stupid, filthy, piece of nature, and I hope one day you die along with your kind. You stupid pinkette ruined my life and now I'm gonna make ya pay by making ya die."
Ultear got mad and kicked Gray straight on the groin before he continued. "I'M THE PIECE OF GARBAGE? FUCK YOU AND YOUR HORRIBLE LYRICS! THEY DIDN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE AND THEY DIDN'T RHYME!"
Gray's eye twitched and then he saw the lyrics that were written. "STUPID FIRE PIECE OF SHIT!" With that Gray ran to catch up with Ultear but ended up getting kicked again.
We both laughed at the video and Natsu was practically shedding tears. "He sucks at writing lyrics. Oh but that was way too funny! Is that on YouTube?"
I wink childishly and smile, "Hell yeah, One million and seventy-three views. Oh and did I mention that this happened five years ago and people still make fun of him?!"
"That's what he gets for being a pervy popsicle." Natsu chuckles.
"Aye." I say and then we look at each other and laugh.
"He's always strippin'." We say in unison and we laugh even more.
We walk out of the car and we head towards the restaurant after locking Natsu's car.
We walk in the restaurant and Natsu was instantly greeted by a small pixie silver haired woman. She's wearing a blue and dark blue striped long sleeve shirt with some dark military shorts and some blue shoes.
"NATSU!" The girl yells in a high pitched voice and tackling him with a hug.
Natsu smiles and says, "Hiya Lis. What's up?"
The girl—woman replies, "Just helping Mira-nee, you?"
He replies, "Ah, just taking my fiance out to eat." He points at me and I instantly blush.
The white haired girl looks at me and stares at me head-to-toe. I say nervously, "Hi, I'm Lucy."
I offer her my hand but she ignores it and just waves at me, "I'm Lisanna!"
Instead of Lisanna shaking my hand, Natsu grabs it and he smiles at Lisanna, "I'm getting my spot so yeah, great seeing ya!" He yells and he rushes me to the table. To be honest, I wasn't jealous of Lisanna hugging Natsu. I don't really like Natsu in that way to act jealous or anything—besides, she might be his best friend or something. So I just shrug the thought off.
We sit on a booth by the window that showed a perfect view of a fountain outside. "That's a beautiful fountain." I say.
He smiles, "Yeah that's why I always choose this table. You really like stars don't ya?"
I avoid contact, "How'd ya know?"
"Your eyes avoid contact on the mention of stars or your eyes begin to twinkle just like one." He says smiling.
"I'm surprised you noticed." I smile softly.
We sat in silence for a few seconds until he broke the silence, "Oh I just remembered somethin!"
"What is it?" I cock my head to the side.
"I forgot to call Gramps!" Natsu says and pulls his phone out.
Gramps?! Oh Makarov . . . that's what he calls him.
"Hey Gramps I forgot to ask ya somethin . . . Huh? Yeah she's right here with me. I took her out to eat . . . What? . . . What do you mean he's hurt? . . . Someone broke in?! . . . Well call the cops! . . . I can't leave Luce! . . . But! . . . Fine! We'll be right there! Make sure he's ready to come with us!" Natsu slams his phone on the table and he breathes deeply.
"Natsu, what's wrong?" I ask worrying about him.
"Luce . . . we have to go. I'm sorry, I'll make this up to you, it's just something came up, and you're coming with me—if that's okay of course."
I nod and stand up, "Let's go."
A/N: And That's Chapter 4! Hope you enjoyed! Please Review and I'll update once again on Sunday. This was just a bonus chapter so, Happy Reading! Thank You!
~Lucy Heartfilia92003