Author's Note:

Alrighty! It's... well it's Monday. Because I suck sometimes. Sorry guys. 😓

As always, HUGE thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. Big hugs and kisses to: stranger1999, sakshishetty3003, valerioux, FireShifter, AshleighLeeann17, Bugseey, ABT4Life, Melga92, Starstruck-MJ, Lovetoreadff, SistershoOk, Catleana, CathJorda, Leomae2.0, and NarukoSon. You guys are all amazing. :D

Okay, now let's get right to it. On with the show!


"Um, excuse me, Father…. May I ask a question?" Lucy inquired over breakfast the following morning.

It had taken her at least half the meal to build up enough courage to confront him, but she was determined to get a straight answer about last night.

"What is it, Lucy?"

"Since we were unable to discuss the details of King Eisenwald's social call last night, I was wondering if you could tell me now what its purpose was?"

A small huff and narrowing of his eyes told her that he wasn't amused by her question.

"As I told you last night, it's none of your concern."

"So he wasn't here to discuss marrying me?"

"Yes, that was one of the many things we talked about," he finally conceded, and she felt her gut clench in concern.

"I see. And has anything been decided yet?"

A heavy sigh indicated his growing annoyance, and Lucy felt her own irritation increase as well. He was handling her like an irrational child he had to put up with, and she did not appreciate the treatment.

"He has made an offer for your hand, and I've agreed to take it into consideration. The matter is still under negotiation though, and I intend to wait and see if any of your other suitors are willing to make a better offer. Once they discover a serious proposal has been made, others might be inspired to do the same."

Lucy's teeth gritted with frustration and stress after hearing the news, but she tried to push it all down and stay calm. It helped to remind herself that nothing was decided yet, so she'd have some time to figure out what to do. At that thought, the memory of Natsu's offer last night drifted through her mind, and she twisted the napkin in her lap as temptation and anxiety did battle inside her. The thought of finally being free was as exhilarating as it was terrifying, and she could barely even process it.

His proposed plan was actually really smart – she was shocked she hadn't ever thought of it – but no matter how clever the escape plan was, she still couldn't imagine it working. The fear that something would go horribly wrong was just too paralyzing. On top of that, now she had to worry about Natsu and what would happen to him if they were caught running away together.

If they failed… he would probably be charged with kidnapping her and put to death. He would be risking everything to help her, and she couldn't stand the idea of getting him hurt, much less killed. Just thinking about him being executed made her stomach want to reject the small amount of food she'd put into it.

Her thoughts were so jumbled that she clammed up and silence reigned over the rest of breakfast, and afterwards she was in no state to attend her morning lessons. Instead, she went to the gardens to try and clear her head – even though she knew it would get her in trouble later.

The brisk morning air slapped a little sense into her, and she glanced up to see that the sky was gray with autumn clouds. Many of the trees in their garden were evergreen, but a few lost their leaves, and she made her way to a large oak that was currently cherry red. This particular part of the garden was at a higher elevation than the rest, which meant that it gave her a good view of the castle grounds…. and from here, she could see the tip of her mother's mausoleum among all the other marble spires and angels that populated their private graveyard.

This was another place she came to when she wanted to speak to her mother but didn't want to actually visit her grave.

Risking grass stains, she sat on the ground and leaned her back against the trunk of her chosen tree. For a little while, she rested her head against its bark and looked up into the branches above her, admiring the fiery light filtering down. It made her feel warm inside despite the chilly air, and she sighed, watching the tiny wisp of mist that came out of her mouth.

"What should I do?" she whispered to the leaves and her mother, wondering once again where to go from here.

No matter what she chose, her life was about to take an abrupt turn, and the thought was frightening. There was nothing she could do to keep things the way they were… not that she wanted to continue living under her father's thumb. But there were so many people here that she cherished as close friends, and she hated the thought of leaving them.

However, she didn't have a choice in the matter. No matter what she decided, she would be leaving this place behind and might never return. Her father would either marry her off, or she could run away. Tears ran down her cheeks unnoticed as she contemplated never seeing Aquarius, Brandy, or any of her other castle and town friends again. She would also be leaving her mother behind, and that added another layer of sadness onto her emotional cocktail. Even though Lucy knew that she didn't need to be close to Layla Heartfilia's grave to talk to her, it had always helped her feel more connected to her mom somehow.

A small sob alerted her to the tears, and she reached a hand up to touch her cheek, pulling away to see the moisture dripping from her fingers. It glittered orange in the warm light but made her fingertips cold, and she found the mixed messages ironic.

With a sigh, she let her hand drop and rubbed her tears onto the grass next to her.

It took a few minutes to pull herself together, but eventually she managed to force her mind away from anything too emotional. Blubbering wasn't going to solve her current problem… only looking at the situation objectively had a chance of helping her.

No matter how she looked at it, leaving was inevitable. She really only had two choices: either roll over and take whatever her father decided for her, or fight back and make her own choices. She'd been doing the former all her life and it hadn't been a fun experience. The only thing she had ever done for herself was to become Lady Luck – and that decision had changed her whole life for the better.

The answer was very clear the more she thought about it. Marrying someone and moving to another kingdom was not what she wanted, and it would mean the end of Lady Luck. If she left on her own terms, at least she could make arrangements for a new Lady Luck to take her place, and she would be much happier. Plus, someday she might even be able to return in disguise to see all her friends again.

When her mind was finally made up, she clenched her fists and whispered, "I'm going to fight back," with all the strength and conviction she could muster.

As if answering her, the wind chose that moment to blow through the tree, rustling the leaves and causing a few to fall down around her. It made her smile, and she decided to take it as a sign that she'd made the right decision.

Her eyes drifted down from the sky towards the peak of her mother's grave in the distance, and she murmured, "Thanks, Mom."

For a little while longer, she just sat and enjoyed the calm atmosphere. Then, when she felt like she'd absorbed enough peace and quiet, she stood and brushed off her skirt.

Naturally, as soon as she entered the castle, a servant told her that the king had summoned her to his study. She'd known it was coming, but a snap of anxiety still made her stomach tighten with dread. Somehow though, she was able to remain a little calmer than usual – as if her decision to fight back had given her a big confidence boost.

She followed the servant to her father's study and glared at the huge doors, thinking that nothing good had ever happened behind them.

After the servant announced her presence, she entered the room with her head held high and focused on keeping her breathing slow and even. She was determined to remain calm and unflustered during this confrontation and not let her father cow her. It was the first challenge she assigned herself.

Her determination wavered a little at the sound of the doors closing behind her and when she caught sight of her father's deep scowl, but she managed to pull herself together again after a second.

"I understand you missed your morning lessons today."

Another deep breath helped stop the jitters that tried to pop up, and she was able to answer in a calm voice. "That's true. I was somewhat upset after our conversation this morning and took a walk in the gardens to clear my head."

His brow furrowed even deeper and his fingers pressed together harder. "And why have you been skipping your music lessons while I was gone?"

"My wrist was not healing as it should while taking them, so I decided it would be better to abstain until it stopped hurting."

His glare tried to pin her in place, but she did her best to remain strong and unaffected.

"Your lessons are meant to mold you into a proper royal young woman. They are compulsory, and it's not up to you to decide when you will attend them. Shirking your responsibilities is entirely unacceptable."

"I understand," she said simply.

It was true. She did understand his point of view and agreed with it up to a certain point. Learning and gaining knowledge was never a bad thing… even if she didn't like the things she currently had to study. However, when the process actually hurt her health, she thought it was perfectly reasonable to put her lessons on hold.

He blinked, as if surprised by her answer. "You seem different."

"How so?"

His eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to read her mind, and she met his gaze head-on. It made her knees get a little weak and her stomach tried to strangle itself, but she forced herself to stay strong.

"You have a new air about you… perhaps arrogance? I don't believe it suits you."

She was actually a little amused that he thought her new self-confidence was 'arrogance.' It was just like him to twist a positive character trait into an unpleasant one to suit his needs.

It was definitely satisfying to know that he apparently couldn't see how much she was still shaking inside, and she gave herself a mental pat on the back. Just knowing that helped to boost her confidence a little more, and she was able to take an extra draw from her new inner strength…. Which was good, because it was all she could do to stay calm and collected in the face of her father's calculating glare. He looked like he was trying to pick her apart with his eyes, and she didn't like the feeling.

"Was there anything else you needed? As you pointed out yourself, I have lessons to attend."

This was the first time she had ever dismissed herself, and his eyes widened for a brief moment with surprise and then squinted at her again, his scowl even sharper and more cutting than before. He looked like he wanted to say a lot more, but after a bit of teeth grinding he eventually flapped his hand at her with a sudden violent movement.

"Very well," he spat. "Go to your lessons. I have work to do and you're delaying me."

She didn't bother saying goodbye, she just curtseyed and walked out.

Once past the doors, she almost went limp with relief but somehow kept herself from flopping to the floor. She was hoping to make her father think that she'd turned over a new confident leaf, and collapsing in the hallway right after he'd lectured her definitely wouldn't help. So she kept her back stiff and forced her limbs to work properly as she made her way towards her first tutoring session of the day.

…

For the rest of the day, Lucy's concentration was split. No matter what she ended up doing during her lessons, she was constantly distracted by her spinning thoughts as she tried to figure out what to do next.

By the time she made her way into town as Lady Luck, she'd come to several important decisions.

She would use Natsu's plan, and if he wanted to join her despite the risk, he was welcome. Of course she planned to try and convince him that it was too dangerous, but something told her that he wouldn't take no for an answer.

As for Lady Luck… she needed to find a replacement soon and wanted to train them for at least a few days before she left.

A lot of the day had been spent trying to figure out who would make a good replacement, and eventually she'd reluctantly settled on Brandy. On the plus side, she already knew about Lucy's secret identity, which would make the switch much less complicated. However, the greenette was so incredibly lazy that Lucy anticipated a lot of fussing about how much work it would be.

She had contemplated asking the kitchen staff, and even briefly thought about Aquarius – very briefly – but in the end, Brandy was her oldest friend and she trusted her. Besides that, Lucy knew that Brandy had several close friends in town that might be willing to help her out... and if that didn't work, Brandy also had a number of men at her beck and call that she could order around.

Ultimately, Lucy was confident about her decision and resolved to ask Brandy about it tonight when she got home. After finding out about King Eisenwald's proposal, she was eager to get the ball rolling and hightail it out of here.

Her distraction must have been obvious because Natsu asked her several times if something was wrong while they picked up food. She didn't want to discuss it where anyone could overhear them though, so she told him that they could talk about it after she finished handing out food…. And then she tried extra hard to focus so nobody else would pick up on her absentmindedness.

It was pretty hard to concentrate though, because she quickly started to get anxious and excited about telling Natsu her plans.

In fact, she was so eager to talk with him about it, that as soon as they were done for the day, she immediately dragged him to a place where she knew they could discuss things without anyone eavesdropping. There were several nobles who owned fairly large pieces of land, and some of that land had patches of foresty areas. Since she had trespassed so many times, she knew all the spots that would be good for a private conversation and how to get to them without being spotted – not that it would really matter if they were seen. All of the guards in the noble district had seen her around so much, they probably thought that she was a freelance gardener or something that worked on all of the nobles' estates.

Of course Natsu didn't come quietly with her, he immediately started asking questions.

"Where're we goin'?"

"Somewhere that we can talk in private," she responded, feeling herself flush a little at how that sounded.

"Oh… okay. Cool."

At least he didn't seem to be fazed by it and he followed along without protesting. Since it would be a hassle to push the cart through a wooded area, she decided to stop by the castle really quickly to drop it off, and then headed straight for the nearest piece of land with lots of trees. Luckily there was one right by the castle, so it only took a couple of minutes to get there.

Once they finally arrived, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, preparing herself for what was sure to be a rollercoaster of emotions.

Of course, Natsu didn't hesitate at all to launch into the conversation.

"So what's up? You've been edgy and weird all day."

She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "You think 'weird' means everything from hungry to itchy."

He shrugged. "I dunno. Weird means weird, ya know?"

"Oh! Of course. I understand now. That cleared it all up," she exclaimed with amused sarcasm.

He snorted, crossed his arms, and propped his back against a nearby tree. She mimicked him, shooting him a small grin as she leaned against her own trunk.

"Great, glad I could help," he snarked back. "So are ya gonna tell me what's goin' on?"

It took her a moment to try and figure out how to start, and she sighed, glancing off to the side as she thought about it.

"Hello? Lucy? Anybody in there?" he pestered after a minute, and she sent him a slightly disapproving look.

"I'm thinking, alright? This is a big deal, and I don't want to mess it up."

"Jeez, Luce… you overthink things way too much. Just say whatever's on your mind."

She blinked at the new nickname, rolling it around in her mind to figure out if she liked it or not. It didn't take her long to decide that it felt nice for him to have a special pet name for her – maybe a little too nice if she was honest with herself – and she flushed with warmth.

Somehow, being flustered made it easier to do what Natsu had suggested and just spit out what was on her mind.

"Okay, well… I've been busy thinking about plans for the future," she started, and his eyes lit up.

Before she could continue, he interrupted her train of thought. "Did ya decide to bust outta here with me?"

"If you would let me finish…" she snapped, shooting him a mild glare, and he mimed zipping his lips closed.

With a snort, she continued, finding his antics mildly ridiculous. "As I was saying, I talked to my father this morning and found out that the man he brought with him last night made a proposal to marry me. Thankfully nothing's been decided yet, and my father says he wants to wait and see if anyone else will make him a better offer. So that really got me thinking, and, yes, I decided to leave… but I don't think it's a good idea for you to come with me."

He started to interrupt her again, no doubt with some kind of protest, but she held her hand up and shushed him. "Let me finish! I was going to say that it would be really bad for you if we were captured. There isn't much they could do to me, but you would probably be executed for 'kidnapping' me. I can't risk that."

"No way! I'm coming with ya!" he burst out, obviously unable to hold his tongue any longer.

"Why? Don't you have other things you need to do? When we first met, you said you had plans."

"I do! But it's nothing I can't put off for a while. Getting you to safety is my first priority right now."

Her belly tightened and did a few fancy flips she was sure she couldn't replicate.

"Oh…" she said softly and looked at her feet, hoping the evening shadows hid her blush.

Everything inside her was all warm and melty in a way she still wasn't used to, and she suddenly felt like she might pop from the pressure. Judging from the sheer intensity of it, she was pretty sure that somewhere along the line 'falling' had become 'fallen' when it came to her love status.

Without thinking about it, some of what she was thinking and feeling came out of her mouth. "I'm not saying that I don't want you to come with me, you know. I'd actually much rather be with you, it's just… I'm afraid. I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt because of me. I really…"

When she realized that she was about to say a whole lot more than she intended to, she came to a screeching halt and bit her lip.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm pretty good at getting myself outta trouble," he said softly, sounding like he was trying to comfort her, and she choked on a laugh.

"I should hope so, with all the trouble you probably get into," she chuckled soggily, wishing her voice didn't sound so thick. At that point she realized that she'd teared up again for the second time today and felt a little silly about it.

It helped when his low laughter joined hers, masking some of the tears in her voice.

There was a brief, slightly tense silence as she focused on trying to rein her emotions back under control, but after a couple minutes of wrestling, she gave up on it. She had already been emotional from everything that had happened today, so she was too weak to fight the fresh wave of feelings. Besides, they were too huge for her to contain anymore anyways.

She hadn't planned to confess her feelings to Natsu yet, they were still too new and overwhelming and difficult to understand, but something in the air made her suddenly want to tell him right now. The pressure in her chest was so intense that she felt like she would burst if she didn't release it.

Still, she reminded herself that she didn't have to jump into this without a plan… she could be strategic and test the waters a little first before diving.

Licking her lips, she felt her heart kick up in speed as she carefully said, "It's a shame that you couldn't court me… since you're a noble and all. I know that's probably impossible, considering how you left home, but… it would have been nice."

"No kidding?"

This time it was his voice that sounded a little choked, and she risked peeking at him.

It was starting to get a little dark now, so she couldn't see as clearly as she wanted, but she thought she saw some extra pink in his cheeks. His eyes were also wide and shocked, but he didn't look upset…. if anything, there was something in his eyes that gave her a little hope.

That helped her muster up the courage to say, "Yeah. Of course, you would've still had to win over my father… but I would have picked you."

The silence was so thick after she spoke that she heard his breath catch. His eyes got even wider and his jaw dropped a little, then he licked his lips and swallowed – several times. He definitely looked flustered, but he seemed to be taking it well and her flicker of hope got even brighter.

"Is that just 'cause we're friends?... Or… uh… something else?" he eventually asked,

Well, she'd tested the waters and nothing had bitten her yet, so she decided to go a little deeper. With a fortifying breath, she hesitantly asked, "Well… that depends. I do consider you a friend, and I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize that friendship… so… how would you feel if I told you it was more than that?"

He blinked and swallowed again before asking, "More than what?"

It took another couple of deep breaths to get up the courage to say, "More than just friends."

When he still looked like he might not get what she was asking, she repeated herself, even though it nearly killed her. "How would you feel if I told you that I was… uh… falling in love with you, for example?"

His eyes widened dramatically and he sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. For a long moment he stared at her like she'd shocked the air out of his body… and the longer he stayed quiet, the quicker Lucy started having second thoughts.

…

.

…

Natsu was definitely shocked. He was downright stunned in fact. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe… couldn't even think. It felt like she'd kicked him in the head and knocked him out, but his eyes were still open for some weird reason.

He snapped out of it a little when she started shuffling uncomfortably, and then he completely came to when she started speed-talking like her life depended on it.

"I'm sorry… um… I shouldn't have said anything. It was just a hypothetical question; I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. You can totally forget everything I just said. Unless you also think that maybe you have a hypothetical situation… I mean… uh… what am I saying? Just never mind. Don't worry about it."

Her hands waved around in the air – like she was trying to scare off a fly or fan away a bad smell – and she was looking more and more embarrassed and scared by the second. Without thinking about it, he grabbed one of her flapping wrists and stopped her.

"Woah… easy there. Calm down."

She took several big shaky breaths and then seemed to hold them, looking at him with big hopeful eyes that made him wanna yank her close so he could kiss her or something. It was freaking unbearable, and he had to crunch his eyes closed and shake his head to get himself together. He hadn't expected this, and it was throwing him for a loop, but he knew he had to come clean with her quick or he could lose the opportunity to be with her.

"I… uh… I actually have a girlfriend… bu-"

Before he could even finish what he was about to say, she gasped and started spewing apologies.

"I'm so sorry! That was completely inappropriate… I never should have said anything! Please forget the whole thing… It, uh… it didn't really mean anything, you know, I was just joking around… so…"

He squeezed her wrist harder and gave a little yank to stop her from pulling out of his grip and probably running away, if the panicky look on her face was any indication.

"Hey! Stop that! Wait just a minute and hear me out!" he practically shouted over her, and she froze, looking totally freaked-out and scared but finally paying attention to him.

He blew out a deep breath of relief that'd gotten stuck when she started fighting him.

"Jeez, you scared me, Luce. I thought you were gonna run off before I could finish," he sighed, and then got serious.

After clearing his throat, he kept going and hoped he'd say the right thing this time. "So… all that just a second ago was bullshit, right? 'Cause I get the feeling that you weren't just 'joking around' when you said ya loved me…"

She turned bright red and looked away. "I… um… but… you have a girlfriend, so…"

"Okay, yeah. That's not where I should've started, obviously. So let's try this again. You asked how I'd feel if you said ya loved me, right?"

She slowly nodded and he felt his shoulders relax just a bit.

"Awesome. It'd make me feel awesome… and amazing… and super happy. I mean, I was kinda shocked earlier, but it was a good shock. So… yeah… can I hear ya say it?"

When she glanced up at him, she still looked a little scared, but now she also looked happy and confused, which was definitely a step in the right direction. But seriously, she had to stop chewing on her lip. If she bit it one more time, he was gonna go nuts.

"I… I do love you…" she finally whispered, and he felt several things in his body jump and do cartwheels. It was a really interesting feeling… but kinda nice.

"But… you have a…"

"Stop right there," he interrupted her, determined to nip that in the butt and fix this whole mess. "Look, I never said I don't wanna be with you. I love you too, ya know."

She blinked, and then blinked again, looking a little spazzy for a second. Then her face crumpled up in a completely confused frown. "I… don't understand. You did say that you have a girlfriend… and I don't… How can you love me if…? Maybe I misunderstood you. By, 'be with me,' do you mean…?"

Thinking fast, he tried to figure out how to say it so she couldn't misunderstand him, and then a lightbulb went off in his head when he remembered how she'd worded it.

"I mean I wanna court you. I wanna be together… like together. Dating and kissing and boyfriend/girlfriend type stuff."

"But… how can you say you love me… and also have a girlfriend…" she asked, looking really upset, and he realized he was gonna have to give her a quick rundown of his situation for her to understand.

With a sigh, he let her go and took a step back. "Look, it's kind of a long story, but I'll try to shorten it some. Basically, when I was growing up, there was this other noble family with some kids that I liked to play with. We were all great friends, but I really liked the youngest girl, Lisanna. She and I were best friends, and we sorta had baby crushes on each other. We didn't really know what it meant, but we really liked each other, and I thought she was pretty and stuff."

He could see she was getting uncomfortable, so he skipped through some of that. "Uh, yeah, anyways… all the adults saw us together and they kinda went into matchmaker mode. Everyone was always talking about how cute we were together, and eventually they started saying we'd get married and stuff when we grew up. Nothing was ever signed, but there was sort of a verbal agreement between our parents."

After another short bracing breath, he forced himself to continue, even though he didn't like thinking about what happened next. "Unfortunately… we've got a demon problem in my kingdom. They're always attacking us… and one day they got into town and… it didn't end well. Lisanna's parents died in the attack, and when that demon went after Lisanna and her siblings, her older sister – Mira – used magic to stop it. But Mira's magic is a takeover type, so she basically had to absorb the demon. After that… well, the rest of the nobles and even the king saw her as a threat because she couldn't really control it. Parts of her body would turn into a demon without warning, and sometimes she would lash out. Eventually, the whole family was told to leave…"

Lucy still looked a little confused, but her gaze was more sympathetic and she'd obviously been caught up in the story. Now, if he could just get through this next part without messing it up, maybe things would work out between them.

"I left a couple years later, and after a bunch of traveling around and training with Igneel, eventually I found my current home. It's a guild, and most've the members don't have family, or are on the run. Actually, it's the safehouse I told ya about. But anyways… yeah. Turns out that's also where Lisanna and her sister and brother ended up after they got kicked outta my kingdom."

"I bet that was a surprise. To see them again like that," Lucy said softly when he paused for breath, and he nodded.

"Yeah. It shocked the hell outta me. That's part of why I joined the guild. And when I did… Lisanna and I sorta picked up where we left off. We were super-close friends for years after that… and I guess we were kinda together. Everyone thought we were anyways."

This was the hard part to explain, and he figured he'd better just cut to the chase and spit it out. "I really hate to admit this, but… I thought I loved her. I really did… 'cause I didn't know any better. I'd never been in love, and I was still in the mindset that we were supposed to be together. So, when she suggested that we actually start dating, I agreed. But… something wasn't right and I could never put my finger on it."

With a rough exhale, he pushed his bangs out of his eyes, fidgeting with them uncomfortably. "I was so stupid!"

"What happened?" Lucy eventually asked, when he had a hard time figuring out what to say next.

"I met you," he said easily, and saw her eyes widen.

"What… do you mean?"

"Simple. I fell in love with you. And after that, I realized just how dumb I'd been. What I felt… what I feel for Lisanna is WAY more platonic than I'd thought… it's basically just a super close friendship with maybe a remembered crush or something. I do love her – and I think she's pretty and stuff – but I don't really love her. Not like that. I had no idea what real romantic love felt like until I met you… and it was like being bowled over by a train. There's no comparison between the two."

It was obvious that Lucy was trying to absorb everything he'd just told her. She was definitely still freaked out, but she was starting to look a little calmer. There was a lot of blinking and spastic frowning as she worked through it all, but she didn't seem scared or angry. Then, when she suddenly flushed and her eyes went wide, he guessed that she'd finally put everything together and got what he was saying. She immediately looked away from him and bit her lip… again.

Just like he'd known it would, seeing her teeth dig into her lip again made him go a little nutty, and it was only worse now because she was blushing. He completely lost track of what they were talking about for a second, as his insides suddenly got all tight and hot. It felt like his belly was on fire, and he was pretty sure he could breathe the stuff without using any magic right now if he wanted to. He also probably had heartburn… or else his heart was just shooting off fireworks or something.

When her dark eyes finally flicked back up to meet his, he felt helpless and drunk and kinda queasy and sparkly all at the same time. Time literally stood still, as dumb and poetic as that sounded, but he honestly couldn't feel the minutes passing as they just stared into each other's eyes like a couple of idiots.

She sucked in a shuddering breath and her eyes closed for a really long blink. When she opened them again, they weren't as wide as before… like something heavy was sitting on her eyelids. Whatever had her eyes going half-mast must've gotten him too, because he couldn't seem to open eyes all the way either.

"So… you really love me?" she finally whispered super softly, and he instinctively leaned in closer, even though he could hear her just fine.

Her breath hit him in the face, and he shivered at the feeling. It was warm and kinda wet and a little salty from whatever she'd eaten earlier… and he quickly decided that the whole thing was weirdly intimate and sexy.

He liked it so much that he got even closer, until he could feel warm air against his face every time she breathed, and it took him a second to remember that he still had to answer her.

"Yeah. Crazy as it sounds."

She huffed a small laugh, and he absorbed the puff with a smile.

"I know what you mean… I can't believe I've fallen for you in only a couple of weeks. If I believed in soulmates or destined lovers or something like that… I would say that something very special and strange is going on."

"Everything you do is special and strange."

She gasped and smacked him on the arm lightly, before chuckling and letting her forehead rest against his. It was incredibly warm, and he felt his eyes slipping closed.

"You just won't give up on that, will you…?" she laughed, obviously talking about his little joke.

Though it wasn't exactly a joke. He did think she was weird and strange and different, but in all the best ways. She wasn't like anyone else he'd ever met… she was special and unique to him.

He felt like telling her to take it as a compliment, but in the end he held off because he enjoyed pissing her off a little. The way her eyes got all fiery when she was irritated at him would never get old… and it was kinda hot to be honest.

After they both stopped laughing, things went real quiet. Without the other distractions, he suddenly realized just how close they really were, and the space between them seemed to heat up and get super muggy… like the sticky air right before a storm. Speaking of storms… he could practically feel electricity running between them, and his lips tingled, an unbearable urge to kiss her kicking him in the gut.

Before he knew what was going on, his hand had grown a mind of its own again and was reaching for her face. The feel of her cheek in his palm made him realize that he'd gotten handsy, but it was a little too late at that point to rethink the decision. He might've been the one to grab her, but it felt like she'd grabbed him too, because he couldn't pull back.

Her skin was so damn soft… like seriously, seriously soft. Hot too… 'cause she was blushing of course, and the heat was amazing. It made him wanna feel even more of her. Which was not a good… 'cause his curiosity immediately bit him hard in the ass, and he suddenly started wondering if she'd be just as warm everywhere… or if there were parts of her that were even hotter.

Natsu had always had a taste for fire – he kinda liked it a little more than he should honestly – and right now she was like a torch he wanted to eat. The thought, 'I wonder what she'd taste like?' started out innocent enough, but it switched to something else real quick, and his mouth dried up like he was in a desert as his temperature went through the roof.

…

.

…

Lucy felt the shift as keenly as Natsu, and her breathing picked up until she was almost panting. Her heart pounded so fast she worried it might escape somehow or at least explode from overexertion, and it felt like all her nerves were on fire and vibrating with intensity. But even though it was a little scary, it was also exhilarating to feel everything so intensely and clearly.

Her body swayed towards him, the desire to get closer too strong to resist, and she ended up grabbing onto his upper arm tightly. The surprisingly firm muscles underneath her hand flexed, as if in response to her hold, and she felt the fingers on her cheek twitch. A warm palm landed lightly on her waist, and his breath stuttered on her lips. Her own breathing hiccupped at the new contact, and she felt compelled to hold it for a moment, her chest growing tight with the added pressure. Her stomach rolled as if it had just fallen off a cliff and then fluttered as it learned to fly.

The anticipation was almost painful.

Those last few inches started to feel like miles, and she desperately wanted to close them. However, as soon as their lips brushed, he suddenly gasped and shoved her back.

She wobbled for a moment, thrown off balance and stunned into idiocy, but she quickly regained her footing and her lungs as she gasped for air, the question of 'what happened?' sitting on the tip of her tongue. Before she could ask though, he was answering in a tone just as breathless as hers would've been.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…! Ugh… I'm such an idiot!" he sputtered, sounding like he was in pain and very annoyed with himself.

One look in his conflicted eyes told her all she needed to know, and any feelings of hurt were quickly squashed…. but the disappointment was a lot harder to get rid of.

"I'm sorry!" he repeated, but this time continued to say, "It's not that I don't wanna kiss you… trust me, I really, really, really wanna kiss you right now, but I can't do it before I break things off properly with Lisanna. I can't hurt her like that."

She cleared her throat and licked her dry lips, trying to pull herself together enough to say, "I understand. You still love her as a friend, and you want to respect her."

Her voice was still a little husky and hoarse, which was embarrassing, but she did her best to not worry about it. There were bigger things to think about right now.

Honestly, she fully respected and supported his decision – even if the less logical parts of her were still throwing a little temper tantrum. If anything, this just proved that he was the honest and trustworthy man that she'd thought he was.

"Yeah, exactly…" he breathed out on a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you get it…"

"Of course."

And then an awkward blanket of tension fell between them as they both got flustered by what had almost happened. It lay thick and heavy and uncomfortable, until Lucy cleared her throat again and glanced up at the sky.

"It looks like it's getting a little late… I guess I should start heading home now."

"Oh… yeah," Natsu grunted, and followed her back the way they came until they reached the castle gates.

There was a short pause, and then he asked, "See ya tomorrow?"

Normally when her father was home she wouldn't be able to see Natsu every day, but since she was behind in her food rounds – thanks to King Eisenwald's visit – she figured it would be okay to go into town again. The people on the eastside would be expecting her anyways.

"Okay…" she agreed and then hesitated, not wanting to leave just yet, but unable to think of a good reason to stay. And so she eventually sighed and gave him a smile as she said, "Goodnight, Natsu…"

He swallowed and his voice was a hair thicker when he responded.

"Night."


Sneak Peek

"No, I don't want to go back into town… could we just talk about our plans for leaving and get everything ironed out? I think that would help me feel better more than anything else," she asked.

He shrugged. "Sure, I'm game. You wanna go back to that spot we hung out at yesterday?"

She nodded and started leading him towards the nearby forested area, a little nervous about returning to the place where they'd confessed their feelings to each other just yesterday. But even so, it was the best place to talk about secret plans… that was the whole reason she'd taken him there yesterday in the first place. She just had to get over her discomfort and suck it up.

When they finally arrived, she immediately launched into hushed conversation, wanting to get the ball rolling to distract herself.


Well, it looks like we have some plans in the works. Anyone wanna start a betting pool about whether those plans are going to go smoothly?