Hello my darling readers!
So sorry for making this chapter so short... I'm still feeling really under the weather and it was difficult enough just to get this little bit out... The chapter still went how I wanted it to... Not to give anything away but I'm only really going to be going into detail on the controlling jealousy portion of Natsu's training... I'm saving the romantic stuff for the real deal! ;) I won't let you guys down, you'll get the cuteness you're craving.
I've been watching Fairy Tail all day (watching the episode where Frosch gets lost right now and squealing at all the cuteness, it's too much to handle), so I'm super excited to get this story finished... But for those of you that read the manga and are caught up to chapter 416 you'll understand why I'm kinda in tears about this latest chapter... T^T Fairy Tail really knows how to get ahold of all of my feels... I'm already dying for the next chapter and I just read the new one this morning! *heart breaks into little pieces*
Anyway, I'll stop my sickness-induced rambling and let ya'll get on with reading! Again, I'm sorry about the shortness of the chapter and if it isn't up to my usual standards! I promise that I'll try and make the next one better! I'm taking lots of meds and doing everything I can to get over this cold!
Lots of love
Sabina
Chapter 11
Five Days Till Lucy's Date
Natsu's POV
Natsu yawned as the entered the guildhall. He had had a vivid dream about Lucy the night before. He blushed as he remembered how he and Lucy had been intimate… He remembered every exquisite detail of Lucy's body and how amazing everything had felt, but he couldn't remember anything that either of them had said…. He thought that it was strange….
"Natsu!" someone called to him, and he stiffened as he recognized that lovely voice. He turned slowly and his eyes found her. She really was beautiful when she smiled…
"Oh… Hey Lucy!" he called back, trying to sound like his normal self so she wouldn't be suspicious. She ran up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, he felt his body flush as she made contact with his bare skin. He really really hoped that she wouldn't notice.
"I'm going out on a job with Juvia today, so don't wait up for me! You just focus hard on your training!" she said, smiling at him sweetly. Natsu nodded at her and she gave his shoulder a little squeeze before heading over to join the blue-haired water mage. Natsu watched her as she began to animatedly talk with Juvia, and as he did his eyes met with the blunettes. She smiled at him and gave him a knowing wink. Juvia must be in on the whole plan as well… Natsu was glad, it would be nice to have someone other than happy keeping an eye on Lucy. He waved at them as they exited the guildhall, hope forming in his chest as he thought of all the support that the guild was giving him.
"Alright then," he muttered to himself. "Time to get this special training underway…" He quickly located the group that was to help him on this first day… The ones who would be helping him what it truly meant to love someone. He walked up to them and the greeted him as he sat down.
Alzac, Jet, Droy, and Elfman… He really didn't know how they were supposed to teach him to understand his feelings for Lucy…
"So Natsu," said Alzac, smiling warmly at the younger mage. "Our job is to get you to understand how you feel about Lucy." Natsu nodded, still feeling skeptical.
"Not to sound like a jerk or anything," said the fire mage, being oddly polite. "But I'm not so sure about the Master's choices for this group… I mean I get Alzac cause he's married, but what do you three know about love?" he asked, pointing at the two members of Shadow Gear and the take-over mage. He was surprised when they all laughed at him.
"You've got to be kidding us Natsu!" said Jet, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I mean it's not that surprising cause you've never been good at noticing stuff like this, but surely you would have picked up on the fact that we're all madly in love!" Natsu stared at them in silent bewilderment.
"WHAT?" he shouted, causing everyone in the hall to laugh. "W-what do you mean you all are in love?" He stammered, utterly confused. Alzac, Jet, and Droy just continued to laugh while Elfman stared at his mug, looking a little embarrassed.
"Looks like we're going to have to spell it out for you Natsu," managed Droy, holding his sides. "You see, Jet and I have both been competing for Levy's affection for years!" Natsu stared at them, dumbfounded.
"Are you guys being serious? You're both in love with Levy? How have you not beaten the crap out of each other yet?" he said, wondering at how he had not noticed this before.
"Well that's because we want Levy to decide who she wants on her own," said Jet. He and Droy gave each other a knowing look, which seemed to Natsu to be tinged with a bit of sadness. "Even if she chooses someone other than us."
"I suppose that makes sense…" said Natsu, his eyes fell on Elfman. "But who are you in love with?" he asked the take-over mage. Elfman's face reddened and he gritted his teeth.
"Do I really have to tell you guys?" he said, obviously uncomfortable.
"Come on Elfman," teased Alzac, winking at the others. "A real man wouldn't be afraid to admit his true feelings." A vein began pulsing on Elfman's forehead as his manly pride was questioned. After a few moments he grumbled out his answer.
"Evergreen…" Natsu balked at this.
"You're joking!" he scoffed. Elfman shook his head solemnly. "Wow… That's great Elfman," he said, really thinking that the big guy was taking on more than he could handle, falling in love with the fairy-obsessed woman.
"Enough about us Natsu! Lets get started on you!" said Droy, clapping the young man on his shoulder.
Natsu had a feeling that it was going to be a very long day…
Several hours later they had made little to no progress.
"I just don't get what these books are trying to say!" raged Natsu, throwing what felt like the fiftieth one across the table. The other men were looking tired and exasperated, all frustrated with the dragonslayer's inability to understand the words written on the page.
"It can't be that hard to understand Natsu!" groaned Jet, passing a hand over his eyes in frustration. "All you have to do is read the words on the page!" The fire dragonslayer glared at him and growled.
"Easy for you to say! Readin' hasn't ever been one of my strengths! I do so much better with my fists!" he said angrily. This was getting them nowhere. "I like things laid out simply!"
"That it!" exclaimed Elfman, slamming his fist down onto the table, startling the others. "We just need to lay things out simply for him!"
"Could it really be as easy as that?" wondered Alzac. Droy shrugged.
"It's worth a shot," said Jet. "Alright Natsu, we're going to lay things out clearly for you."
Twenty minutes later
"YES! That's it Natsu you get it!" exclaimed the small group. They all hugged the beaming dragonslayer as he yelled in triumph.
"It all makes sense to me now! All those feelings… I get them!" he said, a blush staining his cheeks.
"We knew you could do it!" said Alzac, relieved that they had finally broken through the young man's thick skull.
"You're a real man now for admitting your feelings!" roared Elfman, picking up the fire mage and squeezing him in a bear hug.
"You're..crushing me!" croaked Natsu, causing the other men to laugh.
"Well you all seem to be in a cheerful mood!" said Master Makarov, approaching the small group. They all nodded in unison.
"I understand them master, the feelings that I have whenever I look at Lucy," said Natsu, smiling a bright smile full of joy. "I never realized it before…but my whole world revolves around her!"
"Glad to see you've finally caught up to the rest of us in knowing that!" said the master, and Natsu scowled. "Part one of your training is over, but tomorrow you'll face another more difficult part. Now that you understand your feelings of love for Lucy you have to keep yourself from going overboard. Jealousy is a powerful emotion… You don't want it taking control, cause you may end up hurting the one you love by mistake."
Natsu nodded, his heart squeezing at the thought of hurting the woman that he loved.
"I'm ready!"
Lucy's POV
She had finally returned home for the night, tired but happy with how the day had gone. She had really enjoyed her bonding time with Juvia, even though the water mage had said some things that had gotten Lucy a little bit irritated…
The water mage had insisted on pestering her with dozens of questions about Darius. What had he been like? What did she know about him already? Had she heard this rumor or that one… It was really off-putting, and she hated to admit it but it was making her question her choice of agreeing to go out with the Blue Pegasus mage… Juvia had also been constantly pestering her about her feelings for Natsu…
Lucy sighed as she stretched her legs out in her bath. The mission hadn't been too difficult but her muscles were sore from the exertion of beating up the group of thugs they had been paid to capture. She slid down in the bath until her eyes were just above the water level.
Why did Juvia have to keep bringing up her feelings about Natsu…? She had been so persistent… Asking all sorts of questions about the depths of her feelings for the fiery mage, even managing to get details about last night's dream from the exasperated celestial spirit woman.
Lucy flushed at the memory of Juvia's teasing about the dream. The water mage hadn't passed much judgment on her, admitting that she had similar dreams about Gray, but Lucy had still blushed deeply with embarrassment.
She wished that she had been able to remember what the Natsu in her dream had said to her…
