Chapter 8

A Challenge for Natsu

"It's all your fault, why'd you laugh at her?"

"I didn't! Weren't you the one who laughed?"

"No! Because of you that Lucy cried!"

Everyone almost threw food at each other again, but Mira-sensei stopped them.

"Nobody is to blame." She spoke loudly, hands in hips. "When she return here we will all apologize and put a blind eye to this case. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone yelled in unison.

"How about I go look for them?" Levy offered. Mira-sensei nodded, and Levy jogged towards the balcony. She opened the door, not knowing the ongoing scene she's about to see.

"LU-CHAN!" She called. Upon realizing that there are one more person in the balcony, Lucy and Natsu instinctively broke apart, both flushed crimson. Levy, also realizing that the had interrupted a big moment, bowed in attempt of apology. "So sorry! I didn't know that you—"

"It's okay, Levy-chan, we had.. um.. cleaned things up here anyway." Lucy smiled weakly, hoping that her best friend was going to buy it, and dear god how lucky she was. The couple followed the blunette back to the basement. And when they opened the door...

"WE'RE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE!" Everyone yelled in unison while still doing a dogeza*. Yes, everyone. Even Gajeel. Even Erza. Even Mira-sensei. Gray too.

Erza was the first to get up and the rest followed suit. "I apologize for hurting you, Lucy! Friends aren't supposed to hurt each other, please hit me!"

"No need, Er—"

"Lucy-san! Juvia must apologize to Lucy-san for thinking that she is Juvia's love rival!" Juvia crushed Lucy with a bear hug. "And Juvia wanted to say thank you for not harming her Gray-sama."

Lucy made a mental note to beat Gray up later for not realizing Juvia's feelings this whole time. Before she had time to answer, however, she was thrown into crushing bear hugs and handshakes from the students and Mira-sensei.

When Gray offered her a friendly hug, Natsu kicked the shirtless guy in the gut.

"What was that, icebrain?" He asked angrily, rubbing the spot where Natsu kicked him.

"Friendly ot not, you won't hug my Lucy with just boxers on."

Gray ran around the room, looking for his shirt and jeans. "SHIT! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?"

Natsu saved her from all the commotion, and they continued partying until late at night.


And that morning Lucy woke up quite early and realized that they all fell asleep in her basement.

She didn't remember bringing her pillow with her but she was asleep in something hard and warm with black cover and... golden dragon print. Don't forget the scarf that hung onto his neck.

She slept with Natsu's chest as a pillow. Natsu himself was lying on the floor, his left arm wrapped around Lucy's torso while his right arm forming a punching stance. He purred softly. I never knew he's this cute when he's sleeping.

After ten suffocating minutes Lucy finally managed to get herself out from Natsu's arm (he kept pulling her closer and closer everytime she tried to get out). She sat on her knees, eyes swimming throughout the whole room which was a complete mess, everyone with their hilarious sleeping postures, then returned to Natsu's sleeping face.

She got up from her position, readying her cellphone for taking a picture of Gajeel and Gray's hilarious sleeping posture. They laid on the floor, facing each other with the halfway-punching-each-other pose.

"L-Luce.."

She turned from Gray and Gajeel, and found Natsu looking for something to grab onto in replacement of Lucy. Lucy walked over to him, kneeled and cupped his hands in hers. He crawled onto her, head resting on her lap and hands around her waist. Lucy stroked his spiky hair, which, much to her surprise, is very soft.

"I woke up this early and you two are already in lovey-dovey mode..."

Lucy looked up and found Cana with a mug—of course filled with beer—standing over her with a lazy expression. "Anyways, I'm headin' home. Don'tcha worry, I cleaned the barrels up. This party rocks!" She ranted as she walked outside the door.

"Bye, Cana!" Cana winked, and the door shutted.

Lucy continued to stroke the pink hair covering his head for the next ten minutes in a very comfortable silence, before stopping all of a sudden. She glared at the pinkhead, asking with an annoyed tone, "How long are you going to pretend sleeping, huh?"

He cracked open one eye, and pouted. "But I like you strokin' my hair."

"You suck at excuses."

"Right back at you."

"At least I have better choice of words."

Natsu opened his other eye, sat straight up without unlocking his gaze from Lucy's. He looked at her intensely, causing the girl to avert her gaze from his. She opted to look at the hard wooden floor.

"W-What is it?" She asked shyly. Natsu didn't answer, instead he leaned closer and closer until their noses are just inches apart.

"You know what, Luce?" He retracted from Lucy, now back to his favorite cross-legged sitting position. "You're really cute."

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed. She looked into his slanted onyx eyes. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Nope."

He pouted. "Why? Couples kiss all the time."

"You haven't even take me to a date yet."

Lucy stood, brushed a few of Natsu's messy bangs and started to clean up some of the horrible messes, leaving Natsu to ponder about her earlier remark.

"A date, huh..."


The bell rang, and Natsu and Gray walked out from the class.

"Now or never, ash brains."

"Shut up, ice cubes."

Gray shoved Natsu's back and he stumbled to Lucy's walking body, almost hitting her in the process. He slung an arm around his shoulders. "Yo!"

She smiled. "Hey. What's up?"

"Say, y-you wanna go f-fetch dinner?" He asked nervously.

Lucy grinned smugly. "Is this supposed to be a date?"

No replies. All she could hear was a low growl, and what can she do better at that time but chuckle. Natsu blushed a million shades of pink, and ran away.

"I'll pick you up at six!" Was all he could say. Lucy waved her hand, and Natsu grinned, and left.

As he walked home, he thought about... his date. Hell, he even asked Gray for advice, and it was the last thing he wanted to do. He nearly asked Loke, but refrained from doing so, knowing his nature.

This is his first date, and he imagined all the bad possibilities waiting. Then Lucy will slap her and tell everyone what happened...

He imagined Erza glaring at him with a murderous aura enveloping her. "YOU INSOLENT FOOL! HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO TELL YOU, GIRLS ARE DELICATE!"

And Levy. "You don't deserve a girl like Lu-chan! You can't even guarantee her a life like all those fairy tales she loved to read!"

And Mira-sensei. "How many times I've got to tell you, you should treat girls more carefully. Especially if she is your girlfriend. You have no more regrets, right, Natsu?"

And that ice-princess. "Listen well, tabasco-freak. She's like my little sister. I told ya earlier, you mess up and I'll beat you up real good."

And Lisanna. "Natsu, you did it. Look at Mira-nee. She's super pissed. And now I won't be there to defend you."

And Juvia. "Juvia will happily watch Gray-sama punish Natsu-san for hurting his friend!"

And Cana. "You did what? You make my liquor taste bad!"

And Loke will take him to a girl-talk session all day.

Oh shit. All of a sudden he regretted asking her out. He wanted to call her and cancel the dinner so badly but those girls and Gray will beat him up for sure. What kind of boy—ahem, a real man (courtesy of Elfman) will ask his girlfriend out and chickened out after fifteen minutes of asking? It'll be the shame of his life. He was widely known through the city for being one of the strongest highschooler. He could beat a gang of five in less than ten minutes. How can he chicken out by just one, single -delicate girl?

And he, the Fire Dragon Natsu Dragneel, will never change his name to 'The Great Chicken Natsu Dragneel'.

-LINE HERE, THIS IS TORTURING ME TO SEE THE LINES DISAPPEAR MOST OF THE TIME-

A/N

IM SORRY IT TOOK SO LONGGG! I'VE BEEN BUSY AND WHATCHAMALLIT~~

Anyways for you who was wondering what the hell is dogeza, it is a way of bowing in apology. google if you still don't understand-_-

And thanks for all the reviews, I love you!