Chapter Thirty-Seven: The gift- Part Two

Lucy felt pretty confident until the game started. Natsu seemed to know exactly where to go and when the randomly generated dragons would pop up while she struggled. She easily fell behind, having to insert more coins just to keep playing alongside him. When the game finally finished Natsu spent one dollar and Lucy blew through four.

She laughed, saying she was wrong for doubting him. She would just have to find something else to beat him at. Natsu grinned, typing in a name for the game since he beat his previous high score.

"E.N.D.?" Lucy blinked, wondering why he chose to submit that for his name.

Natsu shrugged as he stepped away from the machine. "My brother joked around for a while calling me that. I guess I kinda like it."

"Does anyone else call you that?" Lucy asked, following him as he led her towards the back of the arcade, unaware of what he had planned.

"Nah," Natsu shook his head, feeling his hands sweat a little. He tried to tell himself this would be fine. He would just hand her the gift, try to tell her he liked her, everything would work out... 'Or it'll all blow up in my face and I'll ruin our friendship... Either way...'

"Why not?"

Natsu ran a hand through his soft pink locks. "Probably 'cause I never told anyone else besides my family..." And that was only because they personally heard Zeref call him that a few times. He never bothered mentioning it to his friends. It didn't seem that important.

Lucy nodded. "Really?" She was a little surprised he hadn't told them, but it didn't sound like a big deal, so she figured it wasn't.

"Yeah," Natsu was thankful for the silly conversation. He was trying to downplay his near-panic attack. He hoped Lucy didn't notice the shallow breaths he started taking. He wouldn't allow let himself to get anxious, especially when he was about to take a huge risk.

Lucy wanted to say something about it, but she stopped when she realized they were walking further and further away from everyone else. "Where are we going?" Lucy asked when she noticed the machines around them weren't even turned on. Even the lighting was dim, giving the place a weird vibe.

Natsu sensed it too, so he stopped. He looked around, deeming the place suitable. Maybe in the dim light she wouldn't see the beads of sweat collecting on his forehead. His bangs did a good job of covering them up for the time being, although at this rate they would soon be matted to his skin. "I just wanted to, umm..."

His hand dug in his pocket, fingers curling around the gift. He could feel a lump forming in his throat, preventing him from saying what he wanted to say. He pulled out the gift, making sure to keep his fingers around the package so it wouldn't get revealed too soon.

"Are you okay?" Lucy reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch away from her touch, finding it oddly comforting. "Natsu?"

"H-here," he managed to say as he held his hand out, head darting to the side in embarrassment. Hesitantly, he released his fingers to show her the gift.

It took Lucy a second to register what she was looking at. It wasn't that she couldn't tell what they were. It was quite obvious. She was more surprised they were in Natsu's hand, presented to her like a-

"Is it for me?" Lucy looked up to see him look at her through his peripherals, then back down to the Poké Ball earrings in his hand. They were about the size of her little finger's nail and painted with bright colors, but that wasn't what caught Lucy's attention.

The Poké Ball earrings were heart-shaped.

She quickly looked at his eyes, waiting for an answer. He simply nodded, throat too tight to form the right words. Lucy's lips parted, unsure what to say. "Th-thank you." It honestly didn't seem like enough. She lunged forward, nearly knocking him over when she embraced him. "Thank you! They're beautiful!" She couldn't remember the last time she got a random gift from someone.

Natsu had to grasp onto the earrings to make sure they didn't fall from his hand. When he caught his balance he stood there, wondering if he was supposed to hug her back. He decided to do it, one hand coming high on her back while the other wrapped a little lower around her. His nose filled with her scent again, finding it both exciting and relaxing. Natsu really didn't know what this girl was doing to him, but he liked it.

Lucy swore she felt his rapid heartbeat against her chest. Or maybe it was just hers pounding wildly. She didn't care, all she knew was she was happy with the present. More importantly, she was happy Natsu went out of his way to get her something. He really didn't have to do that.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his scarf.

"Y-you said that already," he tried to laugh it off, but he ended up choking a little. "I umm," he grimaced when he realized he really was sweating quite a bit. He'd never felt so nervous in a good way. "I... I was wondering... if maybe... maybe you..."

'Damn it, Natsu,' he thought to himself. 'How hard is it to ask her if she likes you?'

"Maybe you... like... like-"

"Yes!" Lucy said without hesitation.

"Really?" Natsu felt his stomach flip, his heart rise, and a weight lift from his chest. He was amazed one simple word had this effect on him. "You do?"

"Of course!" Lucy pulled away to look in his eyes. "Of course I like the earrings!"

Suddenly a heavy weight came crushing down on his heart. 'She likes... the earrings...' Natsu had to force himself to keep smiling. He didn't want her to know just how disappointed he was to find out she hadn't meant him. She was just talking about the gift. "I'm... glad," he said, voice strained.

Lucy on the other hand was beyond excited. Her crush gave her a present! Not only was it in the shape of a heart, it was personal. He didn't just grab some random jewelry off a shelf. He bought them because Pokémon brought them together. At least that's the reason she assumed he bought them. She wouldn't ask, not wanting to risk getting a different reason.

"Thank you!" And before Lucy knew it, she was leaning in to press her lips to his cheek.

Natsu jolted when he felt the pressure on his heated skin. He gulped, not expecting her to actually kiss him. He didn't even have time to wonder if that was in a friendly way or something romantic. Before he knew it she was pulling away, a soft shade of pink adorning her cheeks.

Lucy opened her mouth to explain herself. She didn't know what came over her, but she hoped he wasn't upset she kissed his cheek. However, she barely got a word out before someone came crashing into their moment.

"Natsu, I-"

"Ya call that a kith?!" Cana hollered when she suddenly showed up. One hand grabbed the back of each of their heads before smashing their heads together.

Lucy's mouth overlapped his, teeth digging into her lips from the force behind Cana's shove. She felt Natsu's nose bop against her cheek just as hers smacked into his. Lucy jerked away, her hand coming up to cover her pained mouth. Anger spiked in her when she glared at Cana, the girl swaying with a lazy grin on her face.

"What the hell?!" Lucy yelled, not caring if anyone heard. "You can't just do that!" Her brown eyes were narrowed, a slight tick in her forehead.

Cana only shrugged, raising a brow when she looked over to Natsu, then back to Lucy. "Fiiigured yous two needed shome help. I's shorry."

Lucy opened her mouth to say more, but her voice cut short by a choke in her throat. Only then did she realize she was crying, tears streaming down her face.

"Luce?"

She didn't turn to see Natsu. She didn't want to see his reaction right now. All she wanted to do was get away, to escape the embarrassment, so that's what she did. In a flash Lucy was racing through the arcade and towards the exit. She didn't notice the stares she received, or the shouts coming from Natsu to wait. She just kept running until she made it to the parking lot.

Lucy slowed down to a walk, which eventually ended with her stumbling. She didn't have a chance to fall, strong arms coming out of nowhere to steady her. "Lucy," Natsu said, letting go of her when he felt her get her balance. "I'm really sorry for what Cana did, but please don't be mad at me. I promise I had nothing to do with that."

Desperation was clear in his voice. Lucy turned, facing him with watery eyes. "I'm not m-mad at you. I'm... I'm sorry," she said, throwing him off.

"What?" He must have heard her wrong. "Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry for acting this way," Lucy scrubbed at her face with the back of her hand, vision turning blurry. "It's just... That was my first kiss." More tears formed when she realized she could never get that back. "I know it sounds stupid, but I wanted it to go differently."

Natsu didn't know what to say. He felt awful he took her first kiss, but he knew it wasn't his fault. He had no idea what Cana had planned. "Luce-"

"No," she shook her head, trying to will away the tears. "I'm overreacting, I know that." She sniffled, pushing some strands away from her face. When she regained some of her composure, she explained. "I didn't expect firecrackers or that stupid leg raise," Lucy demonstrated with her foot for a moment before realizing she wasn't in the right state to be challenging her balance.

With two feet firmly on the ground, she continued. "I was just wanting something more special. I wanted something better than getting my face smashed against a boy's. No offense to you." She finally looked down at the ground, feeling stupid for caring so much about a dumb kiss.

Natsu felt his stomach churn, similar to how he felt getting in a vehicle before it started moving. He pushed the nausea aside, sucking in a deep breath before saying, "I'm sorry your first kiss was with me."

Lucy's head snapped up. "What? N-no!" She shook her head, hands coming up to give a small wave. "That's not what I meant. Honestly... Honestly I don't mind you being my first. I just..."

"Wanted something special?"

Lucy frowned. "Yeah. Does that make me sound spoiled?"

Natsu shook his head. "No. I don't blame you." He could understand her wanting a good first kiss, even if it wasn't possible. Still, something she said stood out. She said she didn't mind him being her first kiss. Maybe there was a way he could turn this around.

He slowly took a step towards to her, closing the distance between them. He felt nervous, but his need to help her outweighed his fear. "Lucy, do you trust me?"

Her fingers twitched, her eyes widened, but she didn't speak. Instead she nodded.

Natsu brought his hands up. One gently resting on her waist while the other came up to brush the rest of the hair out of her face. He used his shaky thumb to trace under her eyes, collecting the excess tears that hadn't spilled yet. When she seemed better, he took a deep breath.

'It's now or never...'

Natsu peered down at her, absorbing the concerned, yet hopeful look in her eyes. He leaned in an inch, testing her reaction. She didn't move. She didn't even flinch.

Knowing in his heart this was what he wanted, he leaned in the rest of the way, warm chapped lips pressing against soft ones. He couldn't taste anything since he kept his lips sealed, but he could definitely smell her lip gloss now that he was so close.

His hand drifted to her cheek, cupping it as he tilted his head and closed his eyes. Lucy's eyes fluttered shut a second later, her mouth finally applying pressure as she accepted the kiss. She felt their noses touch each other's cheeks again, but this time there was no pain, no sudden spike in fear, only the sweet and gentle kiss shared between them could be felt.

Natsu shifted his mouth a bit, his lips overlapping hers so her bottom lip was captured between his. He didn't open his mouth, not wanting to push the kiss much further than that, but he did give her bottom lip a little squeeze. Lucy let out a surprised mewl, causing Natsu's heart to skip a beat.

Natsu was the first to pull away, his eyes staying closed for a few seconds longer as he collected himself. He did it. He actually really kissed Lucy, and she didn't freak out on him or flat-out reject his offer. His tongue swiped over his bottom lip, tasting her vanilla lip gloss. He felt a shiver run down his spine when he finally looked at Lucy. She appeared in a daze, staring at his mouth before her eyes slowly flitted to his green orbs.

"Wow," she breathed, her lips still feeling warm from the kiss. She brought her hand up, fingers ghosting over her lips. "That was..."

"Your first kiss," Natsu finished for her, hands still on her waist and cheek. He leaned in again, fooling Lucy into thinking he was going to kiss her once more, but instead he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Was that better?"

"Y-yeah. It was awesome." Lucy still felt a little shocked, but overall blissful. The kiss was simple, yet wonderful. It was definitely better than that horrible mashing of teeth and mouths when Cana bopped them together. This was a kiss she would be proud to call her first.

"Was that your first kiss too?" She looked at him, seeing his eyes close and his brow furrow.

He didn't want to answer.

Natsu pulled away from her, hands falling from her body to land by his side. His lips twisted into a frown as he debated what to say to her without lying.

"Oh..." It didn't take a genius to figure out what Natsu wasn't saying. That wasn't his first kiss.

"It was my favorite," he finally offered up. It was the only truth he wanted to tell her right now. The real truth was too painful. If he even allowed himself to slip back into that memory he may have another anxiety attack, and he definitely didn't want that.

Lucy felt herself reflecting a broken smile. "Well..." She started, heart a little pained, but she knew she had to get over it. It wasn't Natsu's fault he kissed another girl. It's not like they were dating or anything. Plus she guessed it happened before they even knew each other. There was no way to hold him accountable for that.

Still, the truth hurt.

"Thanks for giving me a good first kiss," Lucy felt her bottom lip quiver when she tried to flash him a real smile, so she didn't push herself past that. "You're a... great... friend..."

If only Lucy could hear the way Natsu's heart shattered. If after all that she still saw him as just a friend, well he didn't know what else he could do. He felt more crummy knowing the kiss went from 'awesome' to 'good' in less than a minute. He knew he should have lied to her, told her she was the first girl he kissed, but he couldn't do that to her.

There was no way she wasn't going to find out eventually anyway. It was only a matter of time until she discovered the truth.

'I really wish you were my first kiss, Lucy...' Why he couldn't say those words out loud? He didn't know. He also didn't know why he cared so much.

Natsu did well to cover his sadness. All Lucy saw him as was a friend, but at least he gave her a decent first kiss. He would always have that.

"Let's go inside?" He turned to look at the arcade. It was getting dark, the neon 'OPEN' sign lighting up the entrance.

"Yeah," Lucy said, gently taking Natsu's hand to follow him to the arcade.

They didn't say anything more about the kiss. When they entered Natsu handed her the Poké Ball earrings again, saying he was glad she liked them. The two went to join the others, neither wanting to dwell in the uncomfortable silence that fell between them after the little truth about Natsu came out.

By the time they found the others they'd all been informed about 'the kiss'. Of course Lucy didn't correct any of them. She didn't care if they counted that messy mashup as her first kiss. Natsu and her knew the truth, and it was something she could treasure in private. She would probably tell Levy later though, but only after the girl told her whatever she'd been trying to talk about since Monday.

Natsu didn't protest when Lucy was dragged away by Levy to go play some games with her. He decided to hang out with Gray and Juvia, even if he felt like a third wheel. Talking to Gajeel was always an option, but he wouldn't take it. Their relationship was already ruined. He didn't think there was a way to fix it given their combined stubborn attitudes.

Still, somehow he found himself left alone when Gray and Juvia rushed away to play something else. He was tempted to follow them, not wanting to be alone, but decided to give them some space.

Natsu shuffled back over to the 'Dragon Slayer' game to play it again. He stopped when he saw Gajeel already putting some coins in. He was about to turn and walk away when a gruff voice said, "You wanna play?"

Natsu raised a brow, looking up to see Gajeel was indeed talking to him. "You sure?" He asked, a little stunned he would even offer. This already was their most civilized conversation in over two years, and it was only two sentences.

Gajeel shrugged, hands falling over the buttons on the machine. "I don't mind the company, but I ain't payin' for ya."

Natsu figured that was fair enough. He took one quick glance around, not seeing anyone he recognized. With a short sigh he said, "Sure."

Slipping in the coins, Natsu got ready for the game. Once it started the two boys were off, slaying dragons and earning points. Minutes passed while they remained silent, until finally half an hour went by.

Natsu was in the middle of attacking a jade dragon when Gajeel asked, "Tonight was really her first kiss?"

"What?" Natsu jerked his head to the side for only a moment before refocusing on the screen.

"Lucy. That was her first kiss?"

Natsu furrowed his brows as he tried to concentrate on the dragons. He didn't want to talk to Gajeel about anything personal. "Yeah. Why?"

"Just askin'." The way Gajeel said it sounded like he wasn't 'just asking'. Natsu's suspicions were confirmed a few minutes later when Gajeel added, "Levy said somethin' about maybe thinking you two've been sneaking off to fool around or somethin'."

Natsu raised a brow, his cheeks warming at the thought. "Wh-why would she think that?"

Gajeel huffed. "I dunno. Maybe 'cause y'all are always touching each other. I wouldn't be surprised. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch given your history with chicks."

"Hey!" Natsu glared at his cousin, lips curling back in a snarl. "You and I both know I didn't do it, and it's your fucking fault she-"

"Calm down. Geez. It was a joke," Gajeel groaned, a headache setting in from talking to Natsu. He forgot how annoying his cousin could be. "I... I know you didn't do it." He killed a dragon on the screen, trying to muster up the guts to say what he'd been wanting to say for years. "I'm..."

Natsu turned back to the screen when he realized Gajeel wasn't going to finish that sentence. He saw his character died, so he put in two more coins to continue playing. Time went on as the two boys continued slaying dragons. Natsu grew used to the sound of chatter and video games in the background. So much so that he flinched when Gajeel finally spoke again.

"I'm sorry."

Natsu's jaw went slack. He glanced up, seeing a strained frown form on Gajeel's face. "You're sorry?"

"Yeah," he tried to ignore Natsu's gaze as he attacked another dragon. "In my defense, I honestly didn't know she was gonna do that. I... I thought I was doin' you a favor."

"Some favor," Natsu said sarcastically. That 'favor' caused him two years of hell and counting. The endless name calling, the senseless fights, the bloody noses, the black eyes, the teasing, the harassing... It was some fucking favor.

Gajeel growled, but there was nothing he could say in his defense. "I don't expect this to change anythin'. I just wanted you to know I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to turn out like that. She seemed nice."

"God, please stop talking about her." Natsu felt like his skin was covered in spiders. Every unwanted touch started coming back to his memory. He stuttered as he barely fought off the memories. "I'm not forgiving you, but please, please, stop talking about all this."

"Fine by me," Gajeel scoffed. This talk was more than he bargained for. He hadn't expected it to even happen given how hard it was for him to simply apologize. He figured the only reason he apologized was due to his situation he was in right now. It got him thinking about his life a lot.

They settled into their silence again, both passing another level in 'Dragon Slayer'. Natsu hated to admit it, but Gajeel was actually pretty good at the game. He considered challenging Sting and Rogue to see who could get more points. He already agreed to hang out with Sting anyway for doing Lucy that favor. At least this way he could do something he enjoyed during their 'play date'. He just didn't know if his cousin agree to a team challenge.

"So," Gajeel started, disrupting their silence again. "I just wanted to let you know, since I don't have anyone else to tell, but Levy and I ran into a problem."

Natsu furrowed his brows. He wanted to make a joke about Levy finally realizing how idiotic Gajeel was, but he refrained from doing so. The tone in Gajeel's voice sounded serious enough to pull an equally serious attitude from Natsu. "What's up?"

Another minute of slaying dragons passed before Gajeel decided to tell him. "We had sex and the condom broke."

Natsu thought he might snap his neck from how fast he looked over. He opened his mouth, yelling, "What?!"

"What do you mean it broke?!" Levy flinched at Lucy's loud voice.

"The condom just... broke." She didn't know how else to explain it without getting into some pretty graphic details.

"I... I didn't even know you two were having sex," Lucy shook her head, not wanting to believe the innocent little Levy actually did that! And here she thought she was going to blow Levy out of the water with her story of her first kiss in the parking lot. It was child's play compared to what Levy was going through.

"We didn't really mean for it to happen. We were at his house, one thing led to another..." Levy's face slowly took on a crimson tint. "He grabbed a condom he found in his dad's bathroom. Turns out it was a really cheap one..."

"Oh my gosh," Lucy shook her head. "When did it break?"

Levy dropped her head. "At the very end." A few tears came to her eyes. She would cry more, but she'd already cried every night since it happened, and sometimes during the day when she was alone. "We didn't mean for it to happen."

"I'm sorry," Lucy wrapped her friend in a hug. She pressed the side of her face to the crown of Levy's head, but she had to pull away when her new earrings stabbed against her neck. "When are you due?"

Levy's eyes widened. "D-due?"

"For your period," Lucy clarified. Only after hearing it out loud she realized what she asked sounded like a due date for a baby. "I guess I should have chosen a better way of saying that."

Levy breathed a sigh of relief. She already thought about the possibilities of getting pregnant, but to hear someone else talk about it was nerve-wrecking. "Next Saturday is when I should start."

The two girls pulled away from the hug. "Did you try taking that emergency contraceptive?" Lucy had overheard some girls in one of her classes talking about that method if a slip up happened.

Levy sighed. "Kind of. I went to the pharmacy, but the guy wouldn't sell it to me unless I brought my parents with me."

Lucy cocked her head. "I thought you don't need your parent's permission."

"You don't," Levy frowned. "When I told him that he suggested I should just let nature take its course. He basically wouldn't sell it to me unless I got my parents, and I was too scared to tell them."

"So you didn't take it?" Lucy asked, she beckoned for Levy to follow her towards the back of the arcade where she had her horrible 'first' kiss with Natsu. It gave them some much-needed privacy.

"I did," Levy said on their way to the back. "But it was right at the three day mark. I don't know if it'll work. I'm just really scared that I messed up my whole life." More tears formed, but Levy stubbornly wiped them away.

"So how'd you get the pill? Did you tell your parents?"

"No," Levy shook her head, mortified after imagining their reactions. "I just went back when he wasn't working. Another guy was there and he was a lot nicer."

"Well, that's good," Lucy still couldn't help but think it wasn't fair the first guy denied her the sale. Levy would surely be feeling more secure if she took it right after it happened. "So you said Saturday, right? That's when your next period should be?"

Levy nodded, wiping a few more tears from her eyes.

Lucy gave Levy another hug. She couldn't bear seeing her friend so sad. "Then don't worry about it until then."

"But-"

"Nope," Lucy shook her head. "Worrying about it now isn't going to do you any good. Just wait until Saturday. Either you will, or you won't get your period. If you do, awesome! If you don't-"

"Then I ruined my life," Levy groaned, head burying into Lucy's shoulder.

"No, it won't be the end of the world. You're really smart Levy. I know you'll do great things no matter what happens." Lucy could feel her friend shake in her arms. She was crying again, but this time Lucy didn't try to stop her. She had a feeling Levy just needed to let it out.

It turned out she was right. Levy cried for a few more minutes, eventually getting a hold of herself. Lucy told her to keep her updated if any happened between now and Saturday when she wasn't around. Lucy already knew she'd be asking Levy about it a lot until they got a clear answer.

Lucy suggested she should take a pregnancy test now, but Levy said she'd rather wait until Saturday. She was too nervous to take anything now anyway. The two girls ended up sitting in the back of the arcade, talking about pregnancy tests until Levy changed it to what happened before the condom broke.

Lucy swore her face couldn't get any hotter. After Levy told her -in detail- what happened before the condom broke, Lucy told Levy about her tame kiss with Natsu in the parking lot. Despite it not being as crazy as full-blown sex, Levy still congratulated Lucy.

"Are you two going out now?" Levy asked.

Lucy frowned. "No. I don't know if he did it because he actually wanted to, or because he was just trying to make up for what Cana did."

"Hmmm..." Levy said it could go either way, but she was leaning more towards Natsu actually liking her option. Lucy said she wished, cheeks ablaze when she realized how great it felt saying out loud. If only she had the courage to say it to his face. Levy suggested trying to kiss him, seeing how he reacted. Lucy said she would honestly consider it. Levy was a smart girl. If she thought Natsu liked her then maybe it was true.

The girls got lost in conversation, switching topics from boys to school, then to the walkathon happening next Saturday, then that led to Levy crying again because Saturday was when she was due for her period.

After another five minutes Levy's tears were gone and they were ready to go join their friends again. Unfortunately when they found Gray and Juvia they learned Erza and Jellal had already left. They were actually about to leave too, but they didn't want to go before giving them their backpacks and shopping bags.

At that point Natsu and Gajeel came strolling up. Lucy didn't notice the strain in Gajeel's jaw, her focus on Natsu and his wide eyes. They all headed out of the arcade and to the parking lot. On the way to Gray's car Lucy whispered to Natsu, "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Natsu's eyes didn't change when he said, "No... Gajeel just told me some things. You'd never guess what it was."

"I think I have an idea," Lucy said, no humor in her voice. If it was about anything else she could see laughing, but this was a serious matter.

Testing it out, Natsu whispered, "Does it have anything to do with something breaking?"

Lucy saw Gajeel and Levy were a few feet in front of them. She hoped they couldn't hear them talking. "Yes."

"I guess you already know then."

Neither said anything else on the subject. They had plenty of time to talk tomorrow on the train ride. "What time do you want me to meet you at the train station?" Natsu asked as he grabbed Lucy's backpack and shopping bag from Gray's car. He was riding home with Gray while Lucy would be getting a ride with Gajeel and Levy.

"Meet me there at nine," Lucy said, pushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, revealing one of the heart-shaped earrings. "If that's okay."

Natsu stared at her ear a little too long, surprised she couldn't hear his beating heart. It sounded louder than a drum to him. "S-sounds great. See you later, Luce!"

They hugged quickly, not wanting to take up everyone else's time. It was already late. Lucy didn't realize how long they spent in the arcade until she saw how dark it was outside. She guessed the saying was true. Time does fly when you're having fun.

'Or when your friend says she might be pregnant...'

Lucy doubted that would ever become a saying. It just didn't roll off the tongue well.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Lucy said as she started pulling away. As her cheek brushed against his, she tilted her head to place a soft kiss on his cheek. She doubted he felt it, but it made her body sizzle in a mix of excitement and fear. Lucy turned away without looking at his face. She was too scared to face him now.

"Y-yup," Natsu smiled. He definitely felt the kiss, even if it barely had any pressure behind it. He watched as she walked away with the other two, fading into the night.

Natsu was feeling a little anxious, but overall pretty good despite the news Gajeel dropped on him. He climbed into Gray's car, already feeling sick before the boy started the engine. Natsu could only think about two things before they took off.

One. He hoped there wasn't going to be a new addition to the Redfox family anytime soon.

And two. He really, really couldn't wait to see Lucy tomorrow.

Natsu was starting to suspect his feelings weren't just one-sided. It seemed like there was maybe, just maybe a chance Lucy actually liked him as more than a friend. He could only guess she was just as scared as him to confess, or maybe she wasn't ready yet. Either way, he was determined to find out.

Thanks for every favorite, follow, and review! Shout out to those who reviewed: Soul-of-glass, Snavej, BloodRedRubies, quite-a-riot, FairyTailxFanGirl, Abdltf, LucyMarieHeartfilia, thebigzit, ThatOneFriend-3, ThayetJade, Dark Shining Light, SakuraStar1862, AshnMarley, PrincessSarahDragneel, MystpopGIRL(x2), The Crystal Rose, Crimsonlink310, Animemama328, sparkla28, xXPokeFictionXx, FlameDragonHime, and ElementalMiko12!

Up next, Chapter Thirty-Eight: Doll

Let me know what you thought of this chapter? Thank you for reading! I hope you liked how this chapter turned out. They finally kissed! :) (It only took 37 chapters)