I THINK I SHOULD APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THIS CHAPTER!
ANYWAY, ENJOY!
XOXOX
Friday afternoon, or was it technically evening?—was the best for Lucy. Nothing she loved more than spending her free time with her friends.
"I'M SO MAD," Natsu vocally complained to the chat.
"What's wrong, Natsu?" Mira asked. "Did Gray confess to Lucy before you had the chance?"
Lucy fell out of her seat, landing in front of Plue's tank.
Plue cocked his head to the side and stared at her.
"Don't look at me like that!" she glowered, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Who ya talkin' to, Lucy?" Natsu inquired curiously.
Her face warmed and as she opened her mouth to speak, but Erza talked over her, "Did she say yes?"
"Probably, if he had his shirt off…" Cana's tone was suggestive, causing Lucy to blanch.
"What?!" Natsu gasped. "No! I mean he coulda'! The hell would I know?!"
"He didn't!" Lucy spoke up finally, as she sat back on her chair.
"Then why are you angry, Natsu?" Levy wondered.
"BECAUSE I RAN INTO THAT DAMN STRIPPER AT SCHOOL!" he cried. "HE GOES TO THE SAME SCHOOL AS ME! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
"Oi!" Gray finally joined the chat. "It's not like I'm happy 'bout this either! And how did you get home before me?"
Natsu ignored him and shouted, "HOW DID I NOT KNOW THAT THERE'S A STRIPPER IN MY SCHOOL?! LET ALONE, IN THE SAME YEAR AS ME?!"
"AND HOW DID I NOT KNOW THAT THERE'S AN IDIOT WITH PINK HAIR IN THE SAME SCHOOL AND SAME YEAR AS ME?" Gray shouted back.
And before Lucy had realized it, she had broken down with laughter.
This tops them living in the same town as each other…It was perfect.
"Luccyyy, why are you always laughing at not-funny stuff?" Natsu groaned, causing her laughs to cease thanks to embarrassment.
"Did you two run into each other at school?" Erza asked.
"More like we both got detention together…" Gray grumbled.
"Well duh you got detention!" Natsu snorted. "I mean what'd you expect would happen? You stripped in school."
"It's not my fault!" the other boy protested. "And they should be used to it by now…"
He strips in school?!
Lucy nearly fell off her chair again as another series of laughter bubbled up.
"I don't think anyone should get used to that…" Levy murmured.
"Thank you, M—" Natsu started to say, but was cut off.
"Call me Mira and I swear you will regret it," Levy's voice turned surprisingly dark.
With an audible gulp, Natsu choked out, "Levy! Thank you, Levy!"
"Good boy," she giggled.
Lucy was finally able to get a hold of herself and asked, "So what was it like meeting each other for the second time?"
"I remember when Jellal and I met for the second time," Erza reminisced. "We couldn't keep our hands off each other…"
"THE HELL?!" Natsu sputtered.
Lucy smacked a hand over her mouth to stifle another possible round of laughter.
"Well I meant it in an innocent way…"
"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL!" Gray frantically yelled. "AND BESIDES, NATSU'S A TOTAL WEEB!"
"AM NOT!" he growled.
"ARE TOO!" Gray growled back.
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!"
"SHUT UP!" Erza roared.
"How is Natsu a weeb, Gray?" Lucy asked, wondering what Natsu is like at school…
"He has his entire right arm wrapped up in a bandage just like Haru!" Gray snorted. "So embarrassing!"
Lucy chortled. Poor Natsu…
"OI!" Natsu complained, "I ain't a weeb! I actually injured my arm, you insensitive, dumbass!"
"What could you possibly have done to injure your entire arm?" Gray challenged.
"I…don't want to say…" he muttered.
"Because you're a weeb!" Gray jeered.
"Ammm nottttt!" he moaned.
"You can tell us, Natsu," Mira said coaxed.
Lucy decided to answer for him, "He set his arm on fire."
"LUCY!" Natsu sputtered, causing a smug smile to form on her face.
"HE WHAT?!" everyone gasped.
Licking her lips, she said, "He took a lit torch and rubbed it all over his right arm while we were video chatting. I swear he had gone mad."
"Wowww…" Levy awed.
"…Idiot," Gray murmured.
"Oh my…" Mira said.
"Very reckless…I greatly disapprove," Erza said threateningly.
"LUCY'S A SADIST!" Natsu blurted out.
"NATSU!" Now it was Lucy's turn to sputter as she leapt out of her seat.
"Damnn…" Cana laughed. "Who knew Lucy had such a fun side?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" her right eye twitched.
"Lucy…I didn't realize you were into that…um kind of stuff…" Levy sounded flustered.
"I'M NOT!" she screeched, slamming her hands down on her desk, "NATSU'S JUST MAKING STUFF UP!"
"Am not!" he said for the umpteenth time. "Lucy was laughin' at me while my arm was on fire! A normal person woulda called for help!"
"YOU TOLD ME NOT TO!"
"And the only reason I set it on fire was 'cuz she asked!"
"WELL IF I'M A SADIST," she cried, "THEN THAT MAKES YOU A MASOCHIST!"
"Heh?" Natsu choked, surprised by her accusation.
"Ooh," Gray chuckled, "she got you there, Fire Balls."
"Wow, Natsu," Cana sounded impressed, "Maybe me and you could have a little fun some time…"
"No thanks…" he sounded grim.
"I'm still trying to understand why he would set his arm on fire just because Lucy asked…" Levy said.
"I'm still trying to understand why Lucy would ask him to set his arm on fire," Gray said next.
"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" they both cried.
"Well I don't know why Lucy asked him to do it, but I know why he did. It was for loovvee," Mira sweetly cooed.
Lucy sunk back into her seat, I wish…She rubbed her temples.
"I DID IT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT I COULD DO TRICKS WITH FIRE!" he wailed.
"You can do tricks with fire?!" Levy gasped.
"I wanna see!" Cana sounded excited
"Maybe when my arm grows some skin back…" he murmured.
Lucy instantly felt guilty. How bad were the wounds? "I'm sorry, Natsu," her voice was glum as she sulked her face into her palms.
"Err don't apologize!" Natsu said quickly. "It-It doesn't hurt at all! I can do more tricks for ya right now if you'd like!"
"Maybe he is a masochist after all," Erza commented.
"I think he's just stupid," Gray remarked.
"That's so sweet," Mira awed.
"Ahh no thanks," Lucy felt all warm inside. He was willing to burn himself again just to make her feel better?
Her stomach fluttered.
She placed a hand against her stomach, what is he doing to me?
"Aww so Lucy isn't a sadist!" Levy sounded relieved.
"You really thought I was one?" Lucy's eyes bugged out.
"Anyway," Levy acted as though she hadn't heard her, "are we all excited to watch Fairy Tail together tonight?!"
"I can't," Natsu groaned. "Have to write a history paper due by midnight as punishment for fallin' asleep in class."
Gray snorted.
"What's it on?" Lucy asked, eager to offer him some help.
"How Crocus became a blooming city or somethin'…" he grumbled. "I don't have any notes on it. I'm so screwed."
Blushing slightly, she said, "I could help you…we just covered that topic last week and history's one of my favorite subjects…"
"Really?!" he perked up. "That would be awesome! Thanks, Lucy!"
She giggled, "No problem."
"Awww," Cana teased, "Luccyy likes youu!"
"Offering him help," Mira gushed. "So cute!"
"It's not like that!" Lucy tugged on her hair.
"Say, Lucy," Mira said. "Do you still like that guy you said you liked a while back?"
Lucy's brows furrowed as she distantly remembered the conversation…So random…
"Do you?" she asked again.
"Umm…" Lucy thickly swallowed. She wanted to say no, she really did, but the thought of denying her crush on Natsu…It didn't sit well in her stomach, "Yes."
"Hmm…" Was the only thing Mira said, while everyone else didn't give their conversation a second thought.
Gray and Natsu started to argue over nothing and Levy babbled about what chapters were going to be covered in the new episode of Fairy Tail, as Lucy let out a sigh of relief.
The last thing she needed was to be attacked with questions about that…
XOXOX
"Okay!" Natsu beamed at Lucy through the screen. "Where do I start?
The two decided to video chat as she helped him with his essay.
She had pulled out all her notes and lay sprawled on her bedroom floor with Plue laying down next to her.
"Oh hey, Plue," Natsu waved, just noticing the iguana. "He looks bigger."
"Does he?" Lucy glanced over at the iguana. He didn't look any different to her… Still the same brownish color…so she shrugged.
"Say hi, Happy," Natsu placed Happy on his head.
Lucy bit back a laugh as she greeted the salamander and then she got down to business, "Okay, first—"
"Lucy," her bedroom door opened. "I have to leave for a business trip right now…won't be back until Sunday most likely—oh hi there, Natsu."
"Yo, Lucy's old man," Natsu cheekily greeted.
"Don't call me old man," her dad scratched his forehead.
Lucy frowned at her dad, "But it's Friday night! I don't want to be home alone when it's late…"
"I know," he frowned back. "But I have no choice…Just remember I'm only a phone call away."
"I'll keep Lucy company," Natsu lazily grinned. "Got nothin' better to do 'sides this dumb paper…"
Her heart stuttered, "Natsu…"
"Alright," Jude nodded approvingly.
Lucy stood up and hugged her father goodbye, not caring one bit that Natsu was watching.
Suddenly Jude pushed her away, "KYYAAAAA! IT GOT BIGGER!" he pointed at Plue before bolting out of her room.
And Natsu broke down laughing, "That will never get old! And, HAH! Told ya he got bigger!"
Lucy giggled, "Yeah, yeah…Okay, now let's get started! I'm going to send you copies of my notes."
"Alright," he shrugged, watching Lucy as she took photos of her notes with her phone.
Her hands shook, causing her to retake the photos about four times, thanks to the pressure she felt from Natsu watching her.
"Okay, sending them to you now," she opened the app up on her phone and messaged the photos into their chat.
"Got them."
She gazed at his dark eyes as they moved back and forth, reading her notes.
"Your handwriting sucks," he commented with a smirk.
"Does not!" she glowered and then glanced at her notes. She cringed. It did look like scribbles… "Okay…maybe it does a little…"
He chuckled and then his eyes grew wide, "Oi! Is that my name?"
"Huh?" she blinked.
"My name!" a huge smile grew on his face. "In Hiragana!"
Her face instantly drained of all color.
No.
"And in Kanji!" his smile grew even wider and then he looked at her. "Oi, why do you have my name written in your notes?"
Her heart literally stopped.
She wanted to die, "I-I don't know what you're talking about…"
"Look at your notes."
She glanced down, knowing exactly what she was going to see…Natsu's name doodled on the top of her paper and in the margins… How could she make such a stupid mistake? She knew she drew his name on everything.
She felt so stupid.
But how could she have known he would ever see her notes? … Her heart clenched in her chest. "That's not your name!"
"It's not?" he raised a skeptical brow. "'Cuz I'm pretty sure that's the character for Na and that's the character for Tsu and I know how to write my name in Kanji…sooo…" he put his palms up and shrugged.
"I-I…it's not your name…it's the season…which happens to be your name…" Oh God, she was dying…Sweat dripped down her forehead. How was she supposed to get out of this? Especially with a lame excuse like that?
"So you're telling me you like to doodle the season that happens to be the same name as mine?" Natsu cocked his head to the side. "With hearts surrounding it...?"
She sucked in a breath, shoving her hair in front of her face, hoping to hide her burning face.
How could this be happening?
And on top of all this, Mira had asked that stupid question about her liking someone and Lucy stupidly admitting to it…
Even Natsu could put two and two together…
No…Lucy wanted to cry...She wasn't ready for this…
Right on cue, Natsu's eyes widened with realization. His cheeks tinted a pale pink, "Wait! The person you like…it's—"
"I have to go!" she cut him off. "My dad…He…" she remembered her father had said goodbye to her in front of Natsu. She mentally cursed as she buried herself deeper into the grave she had dug…
She couldn't think straight with the frantic pounding in her chest…
As if sensing she was going to hang up, he called out, "Lucy, wait—"
She mustered up a fake smile, despite the pain and said, "Good luck on your paper."
And she hung up, slamming her laptop closed, not wanting to see Natsu messaging her or calling her or something…
Nothing but silence and her uneven breathing filled the room.
She angrily brushed the hair out of her face, but froze when her fingers grazed something wet.
She was crying?
When did that happen? She briefly wondered.
But it wasn't like that mattered.
As if sensing her pain, Plue crawled onto her lap.
She absentmindedly petted the iguana as tears silently spilled.
Maybe tomorrow she would be able to pretend nothing happened, but for now, she needed to let her emotions pour out.
XOXOX
OMGG DID I JUST WRITE SOME PROGRESSION!
*Cries* was this chapter okay?
Asdasf hope you all liked it!
Thanks for reading!