Chapter 7
"Is it necessary to interlock our arms?" Natsu hisses in Juvia's ear when they put some distance in between Gray and Lucy.
"It's just like what Natsu-kun did yesterday. This'll make Lucy-san jealous." She whispers. "Natsu-kun has done so much for Juvia that Juvia decided to return the favour." She continues earnestly.
Natsu is stunned by the seriousness in her blue eyes and nods at her.
They take a seat in front of Levy. The petite bluenette looks at them curiously. Her eyes land on their interlocked arms. Natsu disentangles their arms.
"Are you both going to tell me what's going on?" Levy asks before Natsu says anything. Her eyes sparkle with excitement.
Juvia smiles with embarrassment, "Levy-san, it's nothing. We are just friends."
"Whatever she says. But there are more important things to discuss right now." Natsu declares.
"There are?" Juvia and Levy say together.
Juvia is struck by the seriousness in Natsu's voice. 'Natsu-kun looks so cool when he is all serious.'
Natsu scratches behind his ear while finding the words to say. "So, Levy…" Natsu briefly explains how they both broke down his house.
Levy looks at them dubiously. "Hmmm… So, why are you telling me this, Natsu?"
"I want you to use your magic and build me a new house." The pink haired wizard expresses his desire rather confidently.
Levy is shocked by the strange request and her left eyebrow twitches, "But Natsu that's not possible. My magic is meant for immediate consumption." She throws a quick glance at a certain Dragon Slayer. "Actually, everyone's magic is like that. We all need to keep refilling on magic to grow."
The three of them hear a 'gi hi hi' from the table next to them.
Natsu frowns at her, "You're sure about this?"
For moment Levy considers the request, "No Natsu. It's not possible to make a house with solid script magic at least." She pauses. "Well, if I did make you a house, I'd have to be there all the time to lend magic to the home to make sure it stays."
Natsu sighs.
"Ummm, maybe Levy-san can give Gajeel-kun some iron and he can give us some nails and nuts and bolts and …"
"No way in hell am I helping Salamander." Gajeel interrupts Juvia.
"No one asked you." Natsu shouts.
"Actually Natsu-kun, we need him. Gajeel-kun, please help us." Juvia tells the dragon slayers.
Gajeel folds his hands on his chest and looks at Juvia, "I don't even know what you are doing with him." He says gruffly. "Did you finally give up on Stripper?"
"Gajeel-kun!"
"I can hear you both talk, Ameonna. So, I know what's happening."
She opens her mouth to say something but stops herself. 'Best way right now is to change the topic.' "Please Gajeel-kun, Juvia needs your help."
"Um, Gajeel, I think there's nothing wrong with helping friends out." Levy says in a small voice.
Gajeel looks at the two bluenettes in his life. One, a sister-like friend and the other, his 'shrimp'. 'Gosh, when she looks at me with those eyes, I can hardly say no to her.' He frowns and looks away from Levy, "I'll think about it." He turns around and walks away with Lily following him.
'He is so smitten by her. He should just tell her already.' Lily thinks to himself.
"Well, that's as close to a 'yes' you'll get." Levy observes.
"Juvia thinks so too." She smiles cheerfully.
Natsu folds his hands on his chest and sulks, "it's not like I asked for his help." He murmurs.
"But we need it Natsu-kun." Juvia answers him.
"Okay, okay, don't get so serious." Natsu tells her.
"Wish Jura-san was in Magnolia…" Juvia states absent-mindedly.
Natsu looks confused, "Why are you thinking about 'Bald-Man'?"
Levy giggles, "She wishes to use Jura's magic to re-build your house."
"REALLY?! 'Bald-Man' can do that?" He ponders for a second, "that's right! His magic solidifies earth. Let's go get him."
Juvia pulls Natsu back into his seat, "Natsu-kun don't get so excited. Anyways, I think we can do this."
"Yes, we can! I'm all fired up now!" His fists start to burn and Juvia douses them in water almost immediately. "What you do that for?" Natsu asks in disappointed voice.
Juvia just giggles at his antics. Levy watches their interaction closes and concludes, 'there's more to this than meets the eye.'
"C'mon Natsu-kun, let's go find Laki and ask her for her help." Juvia gets up from her seat.
Natsu nods and gets up as well. He turns back to Levy, "You will help too, Levy?"
Levy, surprised at being included, nods enthusiastically. "Whatever I can do to help, I will."
Like that, Natsu and Juvia enlist the entire guild to help them. The guild members help after their jobs. Two of them whoS stayed all the time to help were Gray and Lucy. While Lucy is a bit obvious about her intentions, Gray plays nonchalant. His reason for being there, "Well, everyone is helping out so I'm here. It's not like I want to be here, anyway." This statement almost always caused fights in between the ice mage and the fire mage.
Honestly though, Gray is not happy about the building closeness in between Juvia and Natsu. His own reactions surprise him and confuse him. 'Do I have feelings for Juvia?' He found himself asking that question a lot ever since the evening Natsu and Juvia showed up at his place. He mostly dismisses it as 'momentary jealousy'. 'What the hell is momentary jealousy? Now I'm just making up stuff to evade the truth.'
Lucy notices the changes too. The way Natsu and Juvia are very caring towards each other. They are extremely playful around each other and that makes her jealous every day. 'That's how he is with me usually. But now he, hardly, is around me. I don't like this. I don't like this at all. And… and why is Juvia not fawning over Gray like she used to do?' Lucy mentally tears her hair every time such thoughts came into her mind, which is very often.
"What's wrong, Lucy? You look like you are constipating or something." Natsu asks with concern.
Lucy goes red as soon as she hears Natsu's voice, "Baka, Natsu!" She punches him and runs away.
"What was that for?" Natsu asks while nursing his cheek. "Where'd she go?"
"What do you think, you moron? She left." Gray answers bitterly.
Natsu scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, "What should I do?"
"You should go after her, Natsu-kun."
"But won't it spoil everything we've done till now?" He whispers in Juvia's ear.
"But if you don't go after her, all this could come back to bite us in the ass." She whispers back.
Gray looks at them dubiously.
"You think we went too far?"
She taps her chin with her index finger, "Slightly."
"Okay. I may have to reveal everything to her." He informs her.
"Maybe, it is time, Natsu-kun."
They nod at each other. Natsu sniffs around to catch her scent. He dashes off into the forest. "Looks like she went deeper into the forest rather than getting out of the forest."
He follows her scent and catches up with her near a small pond.
"Lucy!"
"Go away Natsu! I don't want to see you right now." Her voice breaking.
Natsu stands in front of her and pulls her closer, "Why are you crying?"
She tries to push him, "Let go off me! Aren't you supposed to be with Juvia?"
"That's not the answer to my question."
"I don't have to give you any answers. Go, hang out with Juvia!"
Natsu finds it difficult to hide his smile, "Are you jealous of Juvia?"
"Wha- What makes you think that?"
"You sound like that." He says confidently.
She scoffs forcibly, "Don't flatter yourself, Natsu."
He frowns at her. Lucy, finally, breaks free from his grip. She turns around to leave.
"But I did it all for you!" He blurts it out.
Lucy stops mid-step. "What?"
"You and Gray act so indifferently that Juvia and I came up with a plan to make you both jealous." He confesses. "So, you both would pay attention to our feelings."
Lucy blinks as she lets Natsu's words sink in. 'Natsu is strong and everything but he is one of the most tactless person on Earthland. He and Juvia getting together to make an elaborate plan sounds so farfetched. Like that is possible!' "Please Natsu don't lie to me. I see what is happening in front of me. You definitely seem to be interested in Juvia."
"Wha-? Are you deaf? I'm here, telling you that I've feelings for you and you think I have feelings for someone else!" Natsu is at his wit's end.
"And I can tell even Juvia is into you."
"Do you even hear yourself? I'm in love with you." Natsu yells at her.
Lucy's eyes widen in surprise and shock. 'He finally says the words. If only he meant it.' "Don't say words stuff you don't mean."
"I mean it. I'm not sure when my feelings for you changed but after I saw 'Future Lucy' die, I just couldn't bear it. I felt unbearable pain. I just knew I didn't want to be apart from you anymore."
Lucy's eyes widen in surprise. 'I knew never knew this. I never even suspected that his feelings changed. But why do I find it hard to believe?' "N-Natsu, I need to think about it. Please give me some time."
"Whatever you want." He replies instantly. 'Although, I wish you'd just believe me. Was my acting that believable?'
"I'm going home."
"I'll take you."
"No, I want to be on my own." Lucy says sternly.
Natsu nods and watches Lucy walk away from him. 'I should find Juvia. She'll know what to do.' Though, he is dejected by Lucy's reaction, he walks back quickly, in the hopes of getting some advice.
"What the hell happened here?!" Natsu yells when he goes back to his half constructed house. The entire area is soaked.
Gray looks like he fought a wave of water. "I…I think, I… screwed up." He says in between breaths.
The fire mage sits down next to the ice mage, "I think, I did too."
After some moments of silence, Gray says, "Wanna go to the guild? We'll get some drinks."
I apologise! The problem is when you start something funny, it's tough to continue to keep it funny. I didn't know how to move the story forward. Anyways this was supposed to be a short story, it should be over in a few more chapters!
So please read and tell me what you think. You can even tell me you are angry because of the haitus. I'm truly sorry.
Enjoy. Neepa... :-)
