AN: I'm sure you all will love the ending of this chapter as much as I did. :) Please make my day and leave a nice review as always! :D
Chapter 10
Lucy sighed as she slouched into the booth. After her food fight with Levy, Hibiki insisted that they go out to eat. She only wished he would let her go home and shower first to cleanse herself of the alcohol and pasta. At least the noodles slid off during the walk. Now all that was left was the alcohol and the sauce. She wished again that she could have showered before coming.
Lucy was seated across Hibiki in the restaurant that she had went to on her date with Loke. It was a dimly lit building and the aromas that drifted from the kitchen enticed her nostrils. It was also relieving that the food was cheap even though it tasted amazing.
"Lucy, you there?" Hibiki asked, waving his hand in front of the distracted girl's face.
"H-Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Hibiki. I guess I'm just a little zoned out," the blonde replied. The truth was, even though she was sitting in front of her crush on what seemed like a date, she couldn't care less about it at the moment. All of her thoughts drifted towards her blue-headed friend.
"Let me guess, about Levy?"
Lucy nodded weakly. "She's one of my closest friends and this was our first fight. I'm scared that we aren't going to make up."
"Did you want to?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then there's nothing stopping you," Hibiki said, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "I can tell that you two are best friends and that this fight is just a little bump in the road. All you have to do is apologize and make amends."
"What if I don't want to apologize?" Lucy questioned stubbornly.
"Well then you would have let your pride come in the way of your friendship, and I highly doubt you want to do that."
The blonde nodded and smiled. "You're right. I'll apologize to her first thing tomorrow morning."
The boy returned the smile gracefully. "By the way, I don't want to sound intrusive, but can I ask what you girls were fighting about in the first place?"
Lucy crossed her arms and averted her gaze. She contemplated telling him about it and was hesitant considering it was indirectly because of him.
"It's because of me, right?" Hibiki asked.
Lucy knew then that there was no point hiding it, so she nodded her head in response.
Hibiki sighed and said, "Lucy, I like you. I do. But I don't want you changing anything about yourself for me. I have to side with your friend on this one. You just met me and already have me entranced with your beauty, changing yourself would only distract from that."
The girl flushed from head to toe. She had dealt with flirting from her potential grooms and even Loke, but none of them had the same effect on her as Hibiki did. Perhaps it was because she actually liked him. He had manners, a way with words, was handsome, and intelligent, everything she had ever wanted in her soulmate. He was her prince.
"Thank you," she finally murmured.
Hibiki chuckled and placed his hand on top of hers. "Lucy, I would like to get to know you, if you give me the chance. Would you like to go on a date with me this weekend?"
A slight gasp escaped Lucy's lips as she locked gazes with the boy in front of her. "Really? I-I mean, sure! That sounds fun."
Lucy shared a warm smile with the boy and drowned in his dark orbs. This was it. She found her soulmate.
"Why don't you just call her?"
"Because she's being stupid!"
"Well, you sorta are too… Ouch! What the hell was that for!?"
"For being a jerk! Now go away, Gajeel!"
"This is my apartment!"
Levy sat on the cold, metallic couch- which for some reason was stripped of its cushions. It wasn't comfortable in the slightest but she didn't notice. Instead she was still too enraged due to a certain blonde friend of hers. Her arms were crossed, her nails digging into her biceps as she squeezed them. She had just gotten into her first fight with her best friend and it certainly was not making her happy.
"Just call her and apologize," Gajeel said. He took the girl's cellphone, pried her arm away from her, and slid it into her palm.
"Why should I apologize?" Levy asked incredulously. "She's the one that threw food at me first!"
"She did that because you were making fun of her in front of Pretty Boy."
"Are you taking her side!?"
Gajeel groaned and ran his hand down the side of his face. Girls were confusing and complicated. Cheering them up was even worse. The boy had no idea what he was doing and found his patience dwindling by the second. Whenever he had gotten into a fight with Natsu or any of the other boys, they fought with their fists- not food- and then forgot all about it. Girls on the other hand tended to stay mad and hold grudges, something that he wasn't sure how to help with.
"I just think that you overreacted," Gajeel finally answered. He gently grabbed the girl's wrist after seeing she was getting up to leave and held her in her place. "Tell me this, why exactly is it a big deal for Bunny Girl to wear makeup?"
"Because she never does!" Levy shouted. "She's changing herself for a boy!"
"And? Are you telling me that you act the same way you do around me that you do with Lucy?"
"Of course I do-"
"No you don't. Look, you said it yourself. This is Bunny Girl's first try at this sort of stuff. She's probably just nervous, and if putting on makeup makes her feel more comfortable and confident, what does it matter?"
"Well-"
"Levy, what difference is there with her old man controlling who she dates and you controlling how she dates? You're both overstepping your boundaries."
Levy slouched further onto the uncomfortable couch. Her butt was starting to throb painfully with how hard the piece of furniture was. Gajeel was right. No matter how much she hated to admit being wrong for once, she was. She had to make sure this was a onetime thing.
"You're right," the petite girl muttered. "I'm just being controlling."
"So you're going to apologize?" Gajeel questioned, feeling much more relieved that this dreaded situation was finally going to come to an end.
Levy nodded. "Yeah, I'll apologize tomorrow morning. Thanks, Gajeel… You're a good friend…"
The boy smirked and leaned closer to the girl, relishing in the sight of a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Just a friend? When are you going to say it?"
"F-Fine, boyfriend."
"That's better."
Lucy stopped just outside of her apartment, Hibiki stopping as well. She unlocked the door and shyly turned around to face the boy that had escorted her home. They both shared a lovely night together. After finishing their meals at the restaurant Natsu worked in, they strolled through the park and gazed at the stars. The blonde knew she would be swooning over him the rest of the night and that she would lose sleep over it, but she didn't care. She was convinced her soulmate was standing in front of her. Nothing else mattered then.
"I-I guess I should get going now," Lucy finally said. While she knew that she was head over heels for Hibiki, she wasn't fond of the idea of letting him into her home so soon.
"That sounds wise," Hibiki replied. "But first…"
The light-haired boy stepped forward, then stepped forward once more. He was mere inches away from the girl. It was then that Lucy noticed just how much taller he was than her. Then, he began to lean towards her, his bangs falling forward and his lips slightly puckering. Lucy knew what he was going to do and braced herself. It was going to be her first kiss, it had to be perfect. But just as he was only millimeters away from pressing his lips on hers, the blonde threw her arms around his neck and hugged him instead.
"T-Thanks for tonight!" she exclaimed before entering the apartment and practically slamming the door shut behind her. She didn't spare the boy another glance.
"Oh Mavis, what did I do?"
Natsu ran through the streets of Magnolia, ushering half-assed apologies to those he knocked over that were in the way. His legs guided him in the familiar direction. Wind rushed through his pink locks and his breaths turned to pants. Finally his destination was in view. With a last burst of energy, the boy thrust himself up the flight of stairs and threw open the door, revealing the blonde that he had been worried about sitting at her dining table, her head buried in her arms.
"What's wrong, Lucy!?" Natsu asked as he rushed to her side. It had only been a mere thirteen minutes since he received a frantic text urging him to rush over saying it was an emergency. Lifting the girl's head to meet her gaze, his frown deepened when he saw tears rolling down her cheeks, which were blotchy and red. "What did he do?" he seethed.
"W-Who?" Lucy questioned with an arched brow.
"Hibiki! What did he do to you!?"
The blonde groaned and returned her head to her arms. "He didn't do anything!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled.
"Luce, look at me!" Natsu said, bringing her head up once again. "Why are you crying?"
Lucy forced herself to meet her friend's eyes and answered, "I messed up, Natsu-"
"Oh you mean with Levy? Yeah, but you guys will make up soon."
"I didn't mean that. But good to know you took her side too. Anyways, I was talking about with Hibiki." The blonde's voice cracked at the mention of her crush.
"What do you mean?"
Pink dusted the girl's cheeks as she recalled her previous embarrassment. How would Natsu react to the story? Would he ridicule her for having never been kissed? With a deep breath, she began to speak.
"After Hibiki and I went on a date, he tried to kiss me outside of the apartment," she said.
Natsu ignored the jealousy and rage he felt brewing in his gut and asked, "What happened next?"
"I hugged him! I freaking hugged him! How embarrassing is that!? All because I was too scared of having my first kiss! I don't have any experience with that and I didn't want to mess up, I still don't! I want my first kiss with him to be good because I don't want him to stop talking to me if I suck-"
"Wait, that's what the emergency is?" Natsu asked incredulously, narrowing his eyes. "You're telling me that I sprinted here worried for this? Lucy, this isn't an emergency. You're overthinking things."
"You don't understand! You don't want a relationship or anything so you don't know what it's like to be scared of sucking for your first kiss!"
"You're right, I don't. But I do know that the guy wouldn't dump you or anything over that. And if he does, he's nothing but a jerk and I'll kick his ass for you."
Lucy giggled and brushed away the tears on her face. "Thanks, Natsu. But you still don't get it."
Natsu glared at the girl. "Get what?"
"How scary it is! It means a lot and I want to be good but I've never kissed anyone and-"
Lucy was interrupted at the sudden warmth that graced her lips as Natsu crashed his own upon hers. She didn't move a muscle, tensing at the sudden contact. Was this actually happening? Was Natsu of all people actually kissing her? Blinking once, then twice, she saw that it was indeed reality. The kiss itself was innocent and sloppy. Neither moved their lips nor opened their mouths, their lips were simply glued to each other awkwardly. However, though the kiss itself wasn't all too great, the feeling that erupted in the blonde's stomach was. It was like a volcano erupted with hot lava, followed by swarms of butterflies. It ended much too quickly for her liking when Natsu finally pulled away, his cheeks along with hers blushing.
"Told you it's no big deal," he said, his voice hushed. Though his face betrayed his words. His cheeks were stained pink and his eyelids were heavy. Inside of him was a lit fire, a feeling that he found himself enjoying.
"N-Natsu," Lucy released breathily. Then realization dawned on her and her eyes widened as she broke out of the spell she was under. She and Natsu kissed when she was trying to get with another boy. "Natsu, why the hell did you kiss me!?"
The boy covered his ears and answered, "Sheesh, Luce! Stop yelling at me! I did it so you could stop worrying about it since apparently it's such an emergency!"
"W-Well yeah, but I'm going to be with Hibiki!"
"So?"
"So you made me a cheater!"
Natsu sighed and argued, "No I didn't. You two aren't together yet, right? There you go."
Lucy smacked him upside the head and replied, "It's not that simple, idiot!" Seeing her friend's face, she knew that no matter what she said wouldn't change how she thought. "J-Just don't tell Hibiki what happened, alright?"
"Don't need you telling me that. Not like I'm friends with the guy or anything."
There was a moment of awkward silence, Natsu uncaring and Lucy fidgeting in her seat.
"…Was it good?" the girl finally asked. Her cheeks regained warmth and she glued her gaze to the table.
"The kiss?" Natsu questioned, noticing her shy expression.
"Yes…"
The boy smiled and ruffled the blonde's hair. "I don't really have anything to compare it to so I'm not much help."
"C-Can you try?"
Crossing his arms behind his head, he leaned back and thought about their brief contact. He felt the familiar warmth rising in his stomach and cheeks but ignored them in order to help his friend.
"I-I guess it would've been better if you kissed back," Natsu finally said.
Lucy groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I'm hopeless! I'm going to die alone now!"
The pinkette chuckled and pried her hands from her face and stared into her brown eyes. For a second, he completely forgot what he was going to say, too enticed by the richness in her eyes. Shaking his head, he released himself from his trance and spoke.
"Look, you aren't going to die alone, Lucy. Stop stressing so much about it!" he said with a reassuring smile. "…If you want, we can try again?"
Lucy whipped her head to meet her friend's gaze. Her mouth was hung on its hinges and her eyes were bulging from their sockets. "R-Really? You would do that for me?"
Natsu shrugged and replied, "I don't see why not. Not like kissing hurt anyone. And if it gets you to stop worrying, then I'll do it!"
Lucy smiled and nodded her head. "Thanks, Natsu. So… Can we try again?"
The boy nodded, cursing himself mentally due to how joyed he felt when she said she wanted to retry. He could feel himself blushing but focused on the girl in front of him. Her body had the same reactions, though her eyes slowly drooped closed and she puckered her lips. Natsu gulped and braced himself, mirroring her actions. It was now or never.
Finally, his lips met hers softly, again not doing anything. Luckily, he felt Lucy mold her lips with his. He suppressed a moan as he felt Lucy's lips open just a bit. He allowed his mouth to open as well and found himself sucking on her bottom lip. Instinct took over and he nibbled lightly, enjoying the plumpness of her lips and the sweet taste of the girl.
Lucy was shy at first, but she soon learned the hang of it. Her lips moved on their own as she sucked gently on Natsu's top lip. It was soft like a feather, their kiss pure and sweet. He tasted spicy, probably with all the spicy food he ate, but she didn't mind. Instead, she found herself sucking harder, enjoying it. Soon, their kissed morphed of one of lightness to one more rough. They pushed against each other, trying to go deeper. The blonde squeaked when she felt Natsu's tongue graze her lips, but mustered her courage and allowed it entry into her mouth. There, she allowed her own tongue to dance with his, quickly becoming used to the feeling and enjoying it.
Breaking away from the kiss, the two panted and recollected themselves. Their faces were flushed and they couldn't break their gazes from each other. While their first kiss wasn't too pleasant, this one sent them to whole other worlds.
"W-What about that one?" Lucy finally questioned in a hushed tone. She was still panting, part of her wanting to kiss again.
"T-That one was better," Natsu answered. He stared at the girl and was proud seeing her bottom lip swollen a bit. He wanted to pat himself on the back at the sight of her blushing cheeks. It took all he had not to pounce on her again.
"Really?"
"Really."
Lucy smiled brightly and hugged the boy. "Thank you so much, Natsu. Now I'm not scared!"
That was when Natsu remembered why he kissed her in the first place. He was training her for Hibiki. All previous happiness and pride was instantly replaced with anger and jealousy knowing that soon another boy would experience what he just had. He found that he didn't want anyone else to experience Lucy's lips, he wanted them all to himself. He wanted her all to himself.
After the two talked for a bit, Lucy excused herself to get ready for bed, Natsu situating himself on her couch. Once she came back, she was adorned in silk shorts and a tank-top.
Lucy smiled at him and said, "Well, I think it's time for bed now, Natsu."
Natsu nodded and walked past her towards her bedroom. "Yeah, I'm tired."
"Where are you going?" Lucy inquired once she saw him opening her bedroom door.
He turned back and answered, "Your room. I'm staying the night." He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You can't sleep here, Natsu! How many times do I have to tell you, you can't sleep in my bed with me!"
"Sheesh, then I'll sleep on the floor."
"You can't do that either! You can't sleep in here at all!"
Natsu frowned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Why? I do it all the time."
Lucy sighed seeing as how he was right. The night after he came over to her apartment for the first time, he had snuck in through her window and slept beside her in her bed. When she awoke the following morning, she practically had a heart attack and beat the ever-living snot out of him. Much to her chagrin, he never learned and always snuck in through her window after their late night phone calls.
"Look Natsu," the blonde began, "you can't sleep here anymore because I'm going to try to have a relationship with Hibiki now."
"So?" the pink-haired boy questioned obliviously.
"So it would be wrong of you to sleep here."
"Wrong? We just kissed, Luce."
"I-I know, but that was before Hibiki and I started dating! We're going to start dating soon, I can feel it!"
"Well, you aren't dating now. And I helped you, remember? I ran throughout town for you, you can't possibly kick me out now," Natsu said with a smirk.
Lucy crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue. "Fine. You can sleep here tonight. But once Hibiki and I start dating you aren't allowed to sneak in here anymore, got it?"
"Got it!" Natsu exclaimed, jumping into the bed. He removed his coat and slid under the covers happily.
Lucy sighed seeing him shirtless but got into bed anyways. She had long gotten used to him sleeping shirtless in her bed, no matter how weird that sounded. She slid under the covers and faced the opposite direction of her friend, her eyelids drooping closed and slumber started to take over her.
"Night, Natsu," she whispered.
"Goodnight, Luce," he replied.
Lucy quickly doze off to sleep, though not before feeling Natsu's warm arm drape around her waist and his body pushing against her back to cuddle.
Once Natsu knew that the girl was asleep, he released a heavy sigh. No matter how badly he wanted to deny it, he knew that their kisses meant something, at least to him. His jealousy spiked and he finally knew why. It was because he didn't want to share Lucy. He wanted her all for himself. And finally, the reason why became clear. He was falling for her. Thinking of her happiness with Hibiki, he frowned. He knew he couldn't act on these feelings anymore, their friendship was just far too important to risk it. If she was happy with Hibiki, then he would be happy as well. Or so he hoped.
AN: You can all thank me in the reviews! Now do you see why Hibiki is imperative to the story? :D He made Natsu find out how he felt about Lucy and now they shared their first kiss. :') Much more to come!
PineappleText: THANK YOU SO MUCH I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED!
1-800fangirl: Yes! And now he understands why he's jealous! :D And thank you very much! His backstory will play a part in the story! And I can only imagine your inner fangirl cringing with how much they communicated this chapter too haha! Just a heads up, it will get worse lol. And yes! I've never read a fanfic with the two fighting and while I wanted to cry writing it, I loved it! I thought it spiced up their friendship haha! Thanks again! :)
Grimnack: Haha yes it was deserving of dramatic music! And well, he did something! Just isn't going to stop their relationship. Tsk tsk.
Snavej: I know. I wanted to erase the fight and start over but it had to be done.
Shunakoo25: I know, poor Mira having to clean it up hahaha! And yes Natsu is really jealous! :D
Soul Eater Maka: I KNOW A FIGHT WITH LUCY AND LEVY IS HEARTBREAKING BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE.
BloodRedRubies: Thank you so much! :D I'm glad the story is progressing nicely! And ooh, I like that quote! I remember seeing that one too! I'm not entirely sure if I agree with it, but it's fun to think about. :) And Mira is too nice to do that haha!
Humbleblossom: Don't worry, they'll makeup soon! And as you can see, there was a lot to be happy for in this chapter haha! :D
MirrorFlame: Oh, well then RIP Hibiki. All because you got in the way of Nalu.
Brynn chan: Whaat!? We have a hilu shipper here! How dare you! Haha just kidding! :) Hilu will happen for a bit, then Nalu will prevail! :D
Kamui-Kamuy: No problem! :D It'll be a while before the Jerza moment, I already know where I'm going to add it! But it will come eventually! :) And I know, Levy was ruthless haha!
21jhauptman: You get a couple Nalu kisses, I hope that'll be enough for now! :D
Guest: Oooh, good guess! You'll just have to see! :D
Rylee88: Thank you so much! I agree, all friends fight, so I needed to write one between them! And now he knows why he's jealous too! :D
CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai: AT LEAST NATSU ISN'T DENSE ANYMORE! :D
Zexallforever39: If you're talking about Gajeel and Levy's plan, they will continue it! :D
Lunahartz: Aww school started for you already? That must suck! I don't start until the 19th! :D And it seems everyone was getting impatient for nalu, luckily the ending was jam-packed with it! :D