It was a little over a week later and Natsu had finally been allowed to return to the small home that he shared with Happy. Lucy was there with him. She had walked alongside him as he left the guild and journeyed home. She couldn't seem to stop herself from walking closer and closer to him, to the point where their hands would graze against each other as they walked. It sent pleasant tingles down her spine. But, neither dared move their hand to grab the others and as soon as they had entered his house Natsu darted away from her. Her hands tensed slightly at the image of his quickly retreating figure. She wanted to question him about it, but the way he plopped down on his bed reminded her that he was still recovering. While the walk hadn't been too long, he still looked tuckered out. She smiled warmly at him and walked over to his bed, kneeling down beside him. His head twisted on the pillow to look at her and his eyes widened slightly when he realized how close she was. Her smile only grew as she took the blanket that had fallen to the floor and covered him with it.

"Th-thanks," he mumbled out, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. Lucy couldn't help but blush slightly too at the way he nervously turned his head away from her, breaking eye contact as he squirmed to get comfortable in his bed.

"No problem," she nearly whispered. Things had been weird between them, just a little bit off. They hadn't touched since that day Happy had flown into the guild, carrying a bloody and battered Natsu. There was an odd tension there and she couldn't figure out exactly what it was. She didn't like the way his head was turned away from her though, so she stood up and started climbing into the bed beside him. "Scoot over," she said with a small laugh when she saw the startled look on his face.

"Oh, um, ok…" His voice trailed off as he scooted over in the bed. As soon as she was laying beside him she instinctively curled up against his side. She was careful to mind his broken arm and bruised ribs. She wrapped one arm carefully around his torso and rested her head on his shoulder, his arm now helplessly trapped beneath her side. It wasn't until she had fully snuggled in, breathing in his scent, and digging her fingers a bit more into his skin to pull herself even closer, that she realized how stiff he had become. Her eyes flashed up nervously to his face. She didn't have the best angle from where her head lay, but she could tell that he was trying his best not to look at her and his arm that was beneath her side simply laid there lifelessly instead of holding on to her.

"Natsu? Is everything all right?" She saw his neck muscles move as he gulped silently before glancing down at her. His wide eyes met hers and he smiled slightly before his arm tightened around her, wrapping around her waist, and actively held her close. His other arm came up and rested gently alongside the arm she had draped across his torso.

"Yea," his voice was deep, "everything's ok." He pulled her in a little closer and turned his head so his face was in her hair. She could have sworn she heard him take a deep breath, smelling in the scent of her lilac shampoo, but she couldn't be sure. Her arm tightened around him, feeling how taught his abs were underneath his thin shirt, and she realized just how extremely close they were. As soon as that dawned on her, her whole body flooded with an intense fire that she couldn't quite squash. She found her leg inadvertently sneaking up to wrap around his lower half, pressing herself even closer to him. His body stiffened again before it relaxed. She knew this position they were in, this way of cuddling, wasn't at all platonic. The way her arm desperately clutched around him and the sheer fact that she had wrapped her leg around him, as if claiming him, demonstrated her feelings in a whole new way that she wasn't quite prepared for. She squirmed slightly, all of a sudden a bit nervous and unsure about the way she was holding him.

"Luce…" His voice was breathy, his face still in her hair, but his grip around her tightened. It seemed to simultaneously want to still her while encouraging her to wiggle against him again. She chose the former after her cheeks turned red and her mind recognized the suggestive way she had squirmed against him.

After a few minutes, his fingers were gently rubbing along her arm, sending chills throughout her entire body. He was seemingly doing it absentmindedly, his fingers stroking in weird and unpredictable patterns. Still, that simple touch sent her emotions on a free-for-all. Her heart was beating like crazy and she could feel her palms becoming a bit clammy. She dug her head a little deeper into his shoulder and felt him sigh.

"I'm just so glad you're ok, Natsu… I was so scared." She felt his head nod against her, before he turned his head so that his cheek was laying on top of her head. It was quiet for a moment as he continued to run his fingers along her arm before he took a deep breath and began.

"Are you happy, Luce?"

The question surprised her and she snuggled into him a bit more, tightening her leg around him and blushing into his chest. "Yes," the feelings rushed inside of her. Breathing him in like this, holding him like this, there was nothing better, nothing at all. But, instead of the response she expected, his body stiffened around hers. She felt his hands clench protectively around her, as if he wanted to shield himself from the question he was about to ask. She leaned in and instinctively kissed the nape of his neck, sending a rush down her spine as she felt his heartbeat speed up. She couldn't help but somehow blush a little more as she removed her lips from his hot skin.

He took a breath, seemingly to steady himself, before he spoke. "Is he your boyfriend?" His voice was low and weak, timid even. It wasn't a sound she was used to, and his words made her freeze.

She had completely forgotten about Daichi.

This wasn't like before when they had just had their first date and she had forgotten. This time, it was different. They were officially together, yet here she was clutching Natsu for dear life. Immediately, a rotten feeling settled within her gut. She was a terrible person. She snuggled closer to Natsu, holding onto the one person that truly made her happy. Her eyes widened as soon as she thought that. Did Daichi not really make her happy? He loved her… was that enough? She frowned slightly, no matter how much Daichi loved her, she simply didn't like him like that. Ever since Natsu had returned, she had noticed her feelings for Daichi slipping away, as if her time with him had just been some sort of dream that you would forget as soon as you woke up. With a sudden pang she realized it was Tuesday, and that meant she was supposed to be next to Daichi, drinking coffee, and reading books in just a few hours. She had pushed off their last date, giving him a lame excuse about needing to care for Natsu's wounds that she knew he didn't fully believe.

The instant she had seen his green eyes watching her the day Natsu was brought back to the guild, she knew everything would end in ruin. He had a smile on his face as he walked into the room and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. He was hurt, and not the kind of hurt that you could get past. It was the kid of hurt that resonates and grows deeper. He hadn't said anything about what he had seen. She kept expecting him to, but all he did was act the same as usual. But, now there was something lurking behind his eyes, a fear that he didn't dare speak out loud in case it was proven true. Whenever she held his hand, she felt like she was betraying not only herself, but him and Natsu as well. Her heart was caught in a torture pit, tearing itself apart for what she had done to him. She knew, deep within her soul, that she would have to leave Daichi. As soon as she had crawled into bed with Natsu and wrapped her body around his, she knew that even if their moment had passed, she couldn't ignore these feelings. There was no way for her to push aside the sheer intensity of her feelings for Natsu. The ones for Daichi had faded into ruble so fast that it had actually scared her when he had leaned in to kiss her and she no longer felt anything. How could those romantic feelings fade so quickly? How could they evaporate, as if overnight? No matter how or why it happened, what mattered is that it did happen. She wished she could go back in time and just be friends with Daichi. He was such a great guy. He was the romantic, charming, hero straight out of one of her books. But, she just simply couldn't delude herself anymore. It wasn't healthy, it wasn't right, for her to carry on with him when every moment she was with him her heart cried out for the salmon-haired man she was currently clutching. She just truly dreaded breaking Daichi's heart and confirming the fears that she knew he had. He had been so perfect to her, and she had been so rotten to him in return. She could barely stand herself.

"Luce?" Natsu's voice was hesitant but prodding. Lucy squeezed her eyes tightly closed as she steeled herself to give an answer she didn't really want to provide. She couldn't lie to Natsu. Even though she knew she had to end it with Daichi, the truth was, at that moment, he was her boyfriend and they had been together officially for nearly three weeks. She couldn't hide that from him. Before she could give him a real answer, he took her silence as a yes. "Oh…" The word lingered there for a moment before he sighed loudly and continued. "For how long?"

She leaned in and kissed the top of his chest right below where her head lay. She knew it was wrong, she knew it wasn't something she should do, yet she couldn't stop herself. He froze beneath her warm lips and she mumbled the answer into his skin. "About three weeks, but, um, we dated the entire time you were gone." She felt his muscles stiffen some more before going lax, his arm fell away from her waist and the one that had been holding her arm went lifeless and limp. "But…" Her voice meekly began until he cut her off.

"But what, Luce?" His voice was gruff and laced with an unquenched anger that shocked her. Her head was still laying on his chest and she could have sworn she heard a growl work its way past his lips. Lucy bit her lip, stopping herself from saying anything else in that moment. After all, shouldn't Daichi be the first one to know she was breaking up with him? She had been cruel enough to him as it was, he didn't deserve to be the last one to know the state of their relationship. Natsu pushed her aside and abruptly sat up. She followed suit, sitting up and turning to look at him, her body automatically leaning towards his direction. His arms were crossed against his chest and his eyes were staring daggers at her. "You've kissed then." The statement came out so harsh that Lucy couldn't stop the guilty look from spreading across her face. Yes, logically, she knew she had nothing to technically feel guilty about. But, still, in her heart she knew that she had tried to diminish her immense feelings for Natsu and she knew, now, just how wrong that had been.

He looked betrayed. His eyes stared into hers as if searching her soul, looking for something that she couldn't give. She didn't know what he wanted in that moment. She could barely comprehend the weird mixture of hurt and sadness that was exuding off of him because she was so wrapped up in the anger she held for herself in that moment. His eyes held her for a minute more before his expression softened and he lifted one hand up to her face, cupping her cheek tenderly. Lucy sighed and leaned her head into his touch, it was so relaxing, so comforting, that it baffled her. His other hand reached up and he combed his fingers through a few strands of her hair. Then, he slowly withdrew his touch, gave her one last sorrowful look, and turned his head away, his bangs hiding his eyes from her questioning view.

"You should go." His voice was a command, not a suggestion, and she found herself standing up, almost against her own will, and heading towards the door. With her hand on the doorknob she turned to look back at Natsu one more time. His bangs were still hiding his eyes from her, but he was slumped down as if defeated by some invisible foe. She couldn't bare the way he looked and before she knew it words had slipped past her mouth unwillingly.

"I love you, Natsu."

Her eyes widened in shock at the words she had unwittingly said. She saw his body tense before his head flicked up towards her, his hair flying out of the way, as a look of complete surprise dawned in his eyes. A heated blush spread across her cheeks and she immediately pushed the door open, and ran.

It wasn't until she was all the way back to downtown Magnolia that she stopped, hands on her knees, panting as she gulped in desperate breathes. Her words floated in her head, dancing around, teasing her. She couldn't believe… she just simply couldn't believe that she had told him that. She tried to steady herself as she stood up, but her mind was griped with fear. She hadn't planned to tell him. She hadn't wanted to tell him yet, if ever. Yet, here she was because she couldn't control her own rampaging voice.

"Shit." She whispered, the swear word escaping her lips without permission, yet it managed to relieve some of the pent up frustration she had bubbling inside. As soon as she managed to somewhat accept what she had just done, she knew what she needed to do next and began the short walk to her destination. When she reached the door to Sunset Books the guilt within her chest grew even heavier. Daichi was a great guy, he didn't deserve this. He deserved the person he thought she was, not who she actually was. No one deserved to be played with, thrown around, their emotions toyed with like a battering ram. That's what she knew she was going to do to him, she was a wrecking ball coming in to smash his world. She pushed open the door slowly and searched the store for him. She found him staring off into the distance absentmindedly on the little, old, leather couch. When she sat down beside him he smiled sadly before reaching out to grab her hand. She didn't resist his touch.

"Daichi…" Her voice trailed off, unable to continue after seeing the hint of tears within his eyes. He wasn't looking at her, it was like he couldn't look directly at her face. So, instead, he looked down at their entwined hands.

"I know…" His voice was deep with a level of unnerving understanding laced within it. "I've known since that day." He took a deep breath before meeting her eyes. She was surprised to find tears pricking her eyes as well. Yes, at one point not that long ago she had truly cared for him… But, those feelings were nothing in comparison to the fire that burned in her belly for Natsu. That was a fire she couldn't ignore, while her feelings for Daichi were only a flicker, one that had already been extinguished. "You love him." He stated simply, his eyes desperately searching hers for some sort of rebuttal, for her to tell him that he was wrong. She stayed silent, allowing the stiff air between them to answer his implied question. "I love you…" His voice broke a bit on his words and she found herself pulling him in, wrapping him in a hug as she whispered into his ear.

"I know."

His arms came up and wrapped around her, holding her closely. She let herself relax in his touch. She needed to comfort him, the man she had hurt so deeply that she wasn't sure she would ever be able to forgive herself. She squeezed him tightly one last time before she leaned back. Before she could completely escape his grasp, he pulled her in for one last, longing, kiss. His lips were hot against hers and she felt her lips move of their own accord, following the dance they perfected weeks ago. But, now, the fire was gone. There was no tingle down her spine, just more self-resentment that snaked up from the pit of her stomach, taking her over. Their lips separated and he leaned back, their eyes met and she couldn't ignore the tears that gleamed in his eyes. He seemingly refused to let them fall though, at least while she was sitting there in front of him.

"I'm so, so, sorry Daichi… I…" Her voice caught in her throat and she had to force herself to say the words that she was holding back. "You're the man I thought I wanted, but he's the man I need."

A shot of pain flitted across his face but he quickly squashed it, not allowing himself to show the pain she had caused. Lucy gulped nervously, she had done that to him, she had caused that look, she had hurt him in such a way that she could never be completely forgiven.

"It's ok, I understand, don't cry…" His voice was soft and kind, but her eyes widened at his words. It was only then that she realized she was crying softly. Her tears slowly fell down her cheeks and he reached up a hand to tenderly wipe them away. "Just promise me one thing, Lucy…" She reached up her hands and finished clearing her tears before meeting his watery gaze.

"Anything."

He tilted his head to the side and smiled sadly at her. "Be happy." She found herself nodding at his words as fresh tears managed to slip down her cheeks, she leaned in and wrapped him in another tight hug.

"Thank you, Daichi." She could feel something wet fall onto her neck and knew that he couldn't hold back his pain anymore.

"No problem," he leaned back from her and with one last lingering look between the two, Lucy stood up and slowly walked out of the bookstore, breathing in the smell, and running her fingers gently across the spins of the old books on her way out the door for the last time. She would miss this place and she would even miss him, just not in the way he wanted.

~ Author's Note ~

Only one more chapter left! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time. The last chapter is written, I may just add a few more things. Let me know what you think might happen. Once again, please review, the more reviews the sooner I will update! The final chapter will hopefully be up within a day or two. Thank you so much for reading this story.

Please review, and thank you in advance. I really appreciate it.