Natsu closed his folder and slid it into its place on his shelf. Finally his homework was finished and he had the whole weekend ahead of him. He leaned back in his desk chair and sighed a deep sigh. He yawned and checked his watch, he was due to meet everyone at Mira's cave in an hour, and he should probably get ready. He threw off his baggy tracksuit trousers and sports vest and pulled on some smarter trousers and a loose shirt. Outside he pulled his motorbike out of the garage and swung onto it.
He locked up his bike around the back of the club and went in. he spotted his group instantly. Juvia was cuddled up in the corner of the booth with Grey. Nearby Levy was forcing Gajeel to dance… an interesting sight to say the least. Happy was talking to a girl called Carla, whose best friend was being chatted to by a boy Natsu didn't recognise. He walked over and sat down, happy pulled him into a conversation with him and Carla. It didn't last long though because Natsu caught sight of a flash of red across the room. He looked over and saw Erza dancing with another girl while four boys watched on. Two of those boys were blonde, one had long dark hair, like Gajeel's but straighter and slicker and the last was Jellal. Jellal spotted him and waved him over.
Natsu walked over and Erza joined them with her friend. "Natsu, hi!" Erza smiled.
"Hi Erza." He smiled.
"Ok let me introduce you all." she smiled. "This is Cana." She waved to her friend, these two are Sting and Rouge and this is…"
"My boyfriend, Luxas." Cana said, gripping his arm and looking up at him. He looked down and smiled, you could see the energy spark between them.
"Nice to meet you all." Natsu nodded.
"Guys this is Natsu, he's a friend of Levy's." Erza said.
"Nice to meet cha man." Sting nodded. Luxas shrugged and Rouge nodded.
"Natsu you came by!" Natsu was nearly knocked over when Lisanna leapt at him from behind.
"Hey Lisanna," Natsu laughed, turning around to greet his friend. "How's business?"
"Good," she smiled "Mira-nii said she was happy with our intake lately."
"That's good." Natsu smiled.
"Hey Erza is your friend coming tonight?" Lisanna asked Erza.
"She was supposed to be," Erza nodded "But she as shown up yet, we're starting to think she forgot about it."
"Don't worry Erza," Lisanna smiled "Maybe Mira or Levy will work their magic on her next time."
"Yeah I guess so Lisanna," Erza nodded, "I think I'll escort her personally next time."
"Erza!" Natsu jumped as Levy appeared behind him with Gajeel, screaming in his ear.
"LEVY!" Erza screamed even louder as Natsu dived out of her way she leapt past him at Levy.
Natsu slipped away during this time of commotion. He was going to return to the booth on the other side of the room but his eyes were caught by something else. Across the room in one corner he saw blonde, and not any blonde, a certain shade that stabbed at his heart like a knife. She was facing a mirror, her hair was loose and feathered lightly around her shoulders in soft waves. He neared her, taking in her sky blue dress and black, kitten heels. He stayed out of the reflection as he watched her. She placed her hand against the mirror in front of her and he saw tear brimming in her perfect blue eyes.
He stepped forward so his reflection showed in the glass to her left. A soft smile played on her lips as he saw it, a tear spilled down her cheek as she touched his reflection. She let her forehead fall forward and touch the glass as more tears fell. "Why are you crying?" he asked. She visibly stiffened and spun around, she pressed her hands against the glass behind her as her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak but instead stood there, her mouth opening and closing like a gold fish. It was her, it really was her. "Lucy?" he asked anyway.
She nodded "Na…Natsu?" he voice was light and sweet, like twinkling bells over his ears, just like he imagined, at it pulled at his heart.
"Who else." He smiled. She smiled back and stepped forward.
He took a step forwards as well to meet her, he reached up to touch her but stopped himself, it had been a while since they'd last spoken, if you could call it that. He was in shock when Lucy herself reached up and brushed her fingers over his cheek, "I… I can touch you." she said softly, she brushed a hand though his hair, "Your real."
"I am." He said, "So are you."
"Yeah." She nodded.
Without warning Natsu swept her up in his arms in a tight hug and spun her around. He put her down, holding her tight, his face buried in her hair, breathing in her scent; it was sweet like strawberries and vanilla. She was holding him as tightly as he held her, neither of them wanted to move. But Lucy pulled away first, "The mirror broke, it stopped letting me see you." she said.
"I know, it was the same for me." He nodded, "I…I gave up hope." He admitted.
"Me too, but sometimes I imagined saw you in the reflection with me, I knew I should give up… but I couldn't stop seeing you everywhere."
"Everyday," he nodded "Everywhere."
"I found you Natsu." She said with a teasing smile.
"I think I found you." Natsu argued playfully.
"No way!" she cried "You gave up!" poke his chest. His arms were wrapped around her waist as he looked down at her. He could barely believe she was there, he was touching her, he could hear her, it was like a dream. "Oh gosh, I need to go and find my friends."
He smiled and released her, he dug his phone from his pocket, "Give me your number first ok?"
She took his phone and tapped in her number handing it back. "There I'll see you around." Then she was gone again, like a butterfly in the breeze.
Natsu returned to his table in good spirits, he brought his friends a round of drinks and sat back to chat with his friends, knowing Lucy was real and she was back, ad her number was safely stored on his phone.
"Natsu!" Natsu flinched, expected Lisanna to attack him but when the impact didn't come he turned. "Mira needs your help." She said.
"With what?" he asked.
"Just come on." She tutted at him and pulled him along. Back across the club's now packed dance floor, squeezing thought the dancing people. He found himself back at Erza's table.
"Good Natsu," Mira smiled, Levy next to her all smiling, Natsu narrowed his eyes, Mira and Levy, this one would be hard to talk his way out of.
"Natsu I want to introduce you to my friend." Levy started.
"Look Levy, the thing is I've just met someone… I'd kind of like to…"
"This is Lucy, Lu-chan this is Natsu." Natsu's jaw dropped, Lucy stood her big blue eyes shining with amusement. Natsu let out a small laugh and Lucy joined him until they were full on laughing, everyone around them looking very confused. "Lucy?" Erza asked,
"We've met." Lucy said.
"And you wouldn't believe how if we told you." Natsu added.
"You know each other." Mira asked.
"Yeah we do." Lucy nodded, "Very well actually."
"How do you know each other?" Levy asked.
"We met in a rather…unconventional way…" Natsu said.
"And we've know each other for a while now." Lucy said, slipping closer to Natsu, who wrapped his arms around her again, she leant into him.
"Are you two dating?" Lisanna asked.
"N…Not yet." Natsu said.
"Not yet?" Lucy asked, raising an eye brown.
"Well I was going to ask you on a date, but I guess the surprise in ruined now." He smiled down at her.
"Well, I think that it a brilliant idea." she smiled. Before Natsu could respond she had lent up and brushed her lips across his in lightest of kisses. The group around them cheered and cat-called loudly.
"We're amazing!" Mira declared to Levy as Natsu and Lucy slipped away together.
"Need I remind you, you tried to set him up with me?" Erza asked.
"But that was the only time!" Levy cried.
"Shrimp," Gajeel touched her shoulder lightly "You tried to set up me and Juvia."
"I thought you liked her… that was for you!" she cried. "I was trying to make you happy," she mumbled.
"I know shrimp," he laughed lightly kissing her head. "But give up ok, Natsu and Lucy are perfect as they are, just leave them to it."
"I can manage that," Levy nodded, she glanced at Mira who was gazing in the direction Natsu and Lucy had just escaped "But we need to find a distraction for Mira."
"What about Lisanna's boyfriend's friend?" Gajeel suggested, "The older guy with green hair."
"Yes!" Levy cried, "Freed would be Mira's perfect match."
Gajeel sighed, he gave up, but at least that idiot had found his perfect girl, he had his after all.
Years later Lucy and Natsu were celebrating their ten year anniversary. Natsu was leading Lucy thought their apartment with his hands over her eyes. "Natsu," she giggled "Where are we going?"
"You see," he told her. He led her into the bedroom and stood her in front of his gift to her then slowly uncovered her eyes. She took in the view in front of her and took in a long breath. The sight she saw was the frame of Natsu's old full length Tailed Fairy mirror and instead of the glass that had been lost long again there was a full length image of the two of them, taken the year before when they had met up with all their friends at Mira's Cave, still alive and thriving and in fact now a franchise chain. "Natsu's it's beautiful." She said brushing her fingers over the frame and turned to him to give him a hug. Only to find him on his knees holding an open ring box up at her, with a shiny diamond ring in it. "Natsu?"
"Will you marry me Lucy Heartfilia?" he asked.
"Of course I will Natsu, of course I will." She smiled. He placed the ring on her finger and lifted up, encircling her waist in his arms. He leant down and they sealed the deal with a kiss.
