Chapter Ninety-Seven: Tour
I think we're almost there.
Natsu exited out of his messages to go back to his browser, reading reviews on creams to reduce scars. He was using one recommended by his doctor since his stitches came out, but he wanted to know if there was a better one out on the market. The constant presence of bandages on his face had grown annoying, especially after starting school. At least twice a day someone would ask him why he was covering up.
"It's just a cut, nothing serious," was all he could say, but eventually that excuse wasn't going to work. They were bound to find out, especially since two weeks had already passed since they started school.
Luce: That's good. Did you decide to just to the tour or are you staying the day?
Luce: do* the tour, not to the tour. lol
Natsu chuckled at her need to correct herself before clicking on the notification to reply. We're gonna stay the day. Should be home around 9ish. He wouldn't get a chance to hang out with Lucy over the weekend due to the tour and work, but he wanted to give Clover Town a real shot.
'If this place is good and not expensive, I might be able to swing it. I can take a bus home on the weekends since it's not far from Magnolia.' Speaking of transportation, Natsu's stomach held up, the Troia pills doing their job.
Since motion sickness wasn't holding him back anymore, he had even started practicing driving a few times in Gajeel's car. His plan was to get his driver's license before winter break. Since he was eighteen, he could skip the permit part and go straight for the driving test.
But that was something he could focus on later. Right now he needed to see if the college they were headed to was worth considering.
"I'm just looking at volunteer opportunities. Why are you getting so worked up?" Erza asked, catching Natsu's attention. Despite sitting next to her on the bus, he had been in his own little world for most of the trip.
"You're gonna wear yourself out if you keep this up," Gray said, his brows narrowing when Erza brushed him off.
"I'm fine."
"Juvia agrees. Erza is taking on too much."
Natsu's eyes flitted from Gray to Juvia, then to Beth who was one row behind the two, sitting next to one of her friends before returning to Gray once more.
His cheek twitched in annoyance as he tilted his head, trying but failing to get Erza's eyes to leave her pile of pamphlets. "Seriously though. I get you wanna get into a good college 'n shit, but you gotta make time for fun."
Erza raised her head, her expression hidden from Natsu as she turned towards Gray. "I maintain a healthy social life. See, I'm hanging out with you now."
Gray rolled his eyes, but Erza wasn't backing down. As she turned away from him, she added, "I have fun. I just also want to do more for my community."
"Volunteering, working, running for student council, homework, schoolwork, that's too much stuff!"
Shaking her head, Erza said, "I disagree. I do everything in moderation so I don't burn myself out."
"Did you decide which one you want to go with?" Beth asked, the girl leaning forward to join their conversation.
Natsu glanced at the papers in Erza's lap while she shuffled through them. She set two on top, a soft smile resting on her face. "I'm undecided between these two."
Gray grabbed one of them, raising a brow at the title of the organization. "Magnolia Harm Reduction?"
"What's the other one?" Natsu asked while Gray flipped to the first page of his pamphlet.
"Magnolia's TNR organization. It's to help with the overpopulation of stray cats in Magnolia," Erza answered, passing the brochure to Natsu. "They trap stray cats, neuter or spay them, then release them back to their colonies after they recover."
"Why not just put them in a shelter?" Beth asked, prompting Erza to use the knowledge she acquired moments ago.
"Over half of the stray cats brought to shelters are euthanized to make space for more cats or they just die of natural causes. It seems like the right thing to do by taking them off the streets, but it's actually better to return them to their outdoor homes."
"I guess if they're fixed they can't make more kittens," Natsu said, his heart tugging at the thought of all those cats without proper shelter or food.
"Exactly. Slowing the birthrate is the best solution we have right now, so this group traps, neuters, then releases. I can't really help with the trapping or transporting part of it, but I may be able to help with letting a cat come stay with me for a bit while they recover before they're released."
"I could do that!" Natsu perked up, taking a picture of the brochure's cover for future reference. He went ahead and replied to a text he got from Lucy as well, halfway listening to the rest of the conversation.
"I thought you might be interested," Erza said with a smile, accepting the brochure back before sliding them into her purse except for one.
"Hmm..." Gray handed Juvia the last pamphlet to read over, his brows furrowed before looking at Erza. "I understand where they're coming from, but it does kind of feel like enabling."
Before Erza could open her mouth to respond, Gray shook his head. "But it's a very real thing happening right now, and it's going to keep happening, so reducing as much harm as possible seems like a good option, especially if it saves taxpayers money."
"The money they save can go towards other things, like fixing roads or better funding for public schools," Erza added, causing Gray to nod.
"Juvia agrees," she said, looking over the highlights of the pamphlet before it got more detailed inside. "No matter how much people are struggling with addiction, they still deserve compassion and respect. How can she help?"
"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked, but before Erza could respond, the bus slowed to a stop. "Are we already here?"
Natsu looked out the window, eyes widening when he saw the college campus. It looked bigger than the photos online. A wave of nervousness flushed through his chest, but he ignored it, reminding himself he was just browsing today.
As far as he was concerned, it wouldn't be a day of significance.
If only he had been right.
"We'll talk about it later," Erza said, adjusting her purse before standing, a line of students already forming to file off the bus.
Natsu quickly sent a text to Lucy, a grin on his face as he prepared for their adventure.
It's about to start.
"I could really see you and Gray fitting in here," Erza said as she saw a few boys messing around at the table beside them, acting like a bunch of children as they teased one another. "Too bad I won't be around to keep you two in check."
"We'll be fine," Natsu said, waving a dismissive hand as he stretched on the bench. Old habits died hard, the group finding themselves a nice picnic table after their general tour of the campus.
"I'm not even sure I wanna go here." Gray looked over the booklet they were all given at the start of the tour. It included a map of the college, as well as all the courses they offered. "I might just do Magnolia Community College. It's not like I need a special degree or anything."
"Oh come on," Natsu said, nudging Gray's arm. "If we both go here we can be roomies!"
Gray scoffed before shaking his head. "It's decided! I'm not going here!"
"Juvia is considering applying."
Upon hearing that, Gray reconsidered. He had noticed Juvia's interest piqued when the tour guide mentioned a swim team, but he hadn't seen anything there that he couldn't get at Magnolia. "Really?"
When his girlfriend nodded, he shrugged his shoulders. "I might take a second look around. See if there's anything special about this place."
Erza let out a sigh before looking over at Beth, the girl reading her own booklet. Her friend had already taken an earlier bus home, so Natsu invited her to join their group so she wouldn't be alone. "What about you? Are you interested in going here?"
"I haven't decided yet," she said, giving Erza a smile. "I think it'll depend on the science department."
"When does your tour start?"
"At three," Natsu answered, his system buzzing in anticipation. That would be a deciding factor for him as well. He had already looked over the average cost per year for tuition and housing. He had enough in his savings for the first year, but after that he would have to take out student loans.
'If I can't get any scholarships or grants. I'm sure I could get at least one. Plus, I might be able to get a part-time job somewhere up here to help cover expenses.'
There was still a lot to figure out, and he wanted to discuss his options with his parents before making any big decisions. He had the grades to get in no problem. Everything else was up in the air.
"Well you two better get going," Erza said, causing Natsu to raise a brow.
"It's like thirty minutes from now?"
"Twenty-seven minutes, but you want to be punctual. You need to account for walking time too."
Gray laughed as Natsu groaned, hating that idea. If he was going to sit around waiting for his tour to begin, he'd rather do it with his friends. He shook his head in defiance, but it wasn't working. "I have plenty of time. It only takes like ten minutes to get to that side of campus."
"You don't want to make a bad first impression, do you?" Erza asked, giving him a pointed look.
"Well, no, but—"
"We could look around while we wait," Beth suggested, catching his attention. "Get our bearings before the tour?"
"Flame Brain over here's probably gonna get lost on his way there anyways. He needs all the time he can get."
"Shut up," Natsu growled, but it lacked any threat. He pouted in a last ditch effort to sway his friends' decision, but they all seemed adamant on sending him away.
After letting out a small grumble, Natsu gave in. "Fine, but I still think it's way too early."
"Have fun!" Gray didn't bother holding in his amusement as Natsu and Beth gathered their things before taking off to the other side of the campus. "Well, since we don't have anything else to do, wanna wander around? Maybe check out the food court?"
"Juvia could eat! Erza?"
Erza smiled, her brown eyes lighting up at the prospect of food. More specifically, dessert. "Sounds like an excellent idea! I'll lead the way!"
How do you tell the difference between a chemist and a plumber?
Natsu raised his head to look at the professor as he slid his booklet back to Beth. It didn't take long before he felt it nudge against his arm, Natsu's eyes falling to look at what she wrote.
I don't know, how?
He smothered a grin as he jotted down the punchline to the joke, words curving around the printed text on the back of the booklet. He had no scratch paper, but he made do.
You ask them to pronounce unionized.
Beth snorted before composing herself, the two trying not to draw attention to themselves. They continued passing the booklet back and forth, writing notes and jokes while passing the time.
Natsu would have tried paying attention to the lecture the professor was given had he any knowledge on the subject they were listening to. It was an advanced class, one they wouldn't need to take until they were a few years into college, but the tour guide brought their group there anyway, saying it would be fun.
Clearly Natsu and them had different definitions of the word.
Still, he listened occasionally, trying to picture himself at the university. He liked the general feel, plus there were clubs he could join similar to the one back at Magnolia High, which held his interest.
Things appeared in Clover Town's favor, but Natsu wasn't jumping any guns. He hadn't even bothered looking at other colleges, mainly because it had terrified him months back.
He didn't want to get ahead of himself and say his confidence was solid, but he had acquired a few tools from his therapist that made dealing with anxious thoughts more manageable, something he never thought possible not too long ago.
Natsu glanced down when he felt the booklet against his arm again, raising a brow as he read the question.
What's the fastest way to determine the sex of a chromosome?
'Hmm...' Natsu bounced his pen against his finger with his thumb as he thought it over, unable to figure out the answer. He saw the professor glance their way, making him nervous they were going to be called out for not paying attention.
He slid closer to Beth, sitting on the edge of his seat. He didn't have to pass the booklet as far, his nerves at ease as he wrote back. What?
Beth wore a giddy smile as she wrote down a few words, sliding it back for Natsu to see.
Pull down its genes.
He shook his head as he bit back a laugh, loving the jokes. Natsu didn't write anything back for a moment, paying a bit of attention to the professor before looking back at Beth. Most of the time she seemed a bit timid, but she had started relaxing. He always associated her as a teacher's pet, but there was a sense of humor buried under those layers.
'If I do go here I hope at least one of my friends goes here too. I'd hate to be stuck by myself,' Natsu thought as he faced the front of the classroom, which seemed more like an auditorium.
"Just like helium—" the professor continued on, reminding Natsu of another joke. He looked down at the paper, frowning when he realized they filled the back up with their notes. Instead of flipping to a different page, Natsu turned, planning on whispering the joke before he forgot it.
'I read a book on helium. I couldn't put it down,' he rehearsed in his head, tapping on Beth's arm before leaning in. He kept his eyes on the professor so he wouldn't get caught talking, ready to retreat at a moment's notice.
However, instead of the girl turning her head to present her ear like he expected her too, Beth leaned in too, her eyes slowly slipping shut as she tilted her head up. Natsu didn't notice, already forming the words when he felt a sudden pressure on his left cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his mouth.
He jerked away, his hand sliding on the table to try to catch his balance as he almost fell out of his seat, but that only caused his booklet to go flying forward and hit the student one row ahead of them.
Natsu paled before his face rushed with heat, a burning blush taking over. He scrambled out an apology, but the guy gave him a dirty look. He didn't bother trying to get his booklet, unable to look at anyone as he stood, needing to get out there as soon as possible.
The embarrassment was enough to send him running, but that was nothing on the sheer shock of what almost happened had he not been quick with his reflexes.
"Natsu?"
He didn't dare turn around, even when he heard her following behind him. Shaking his head, Natsu exited the classroom, knowing he would have to apologize to the tour guide too when he returned.
If he returned.
Natsu took a deep breath as he slipped past the heavy door, cursing the sound of footsteps behind him. However, they were drowned out as soon as he moved into the hall, the noise of other students filling the air.
He heard his name being called twice more before he made his way outside, failing to come up with an appropriate response for what just happened. What could he even say?
Natsu thought he would be speechless when she finally caught up to him, but as soon as Beth ran around him and blocked his path, the words flew out of his mouth without him thinking.
"What the hell was that?!"
Beth flinched as she backed away, blue eyes widening at the rage in his voice.
"Hey!"
Natsu and Beth both looked over, spotting a large guy and two girls storming up towards them. The girls took to Beth, shielding her while the guy bucked up to Natsu, easily standing a foot taller than him.
"You shouldn't be yelling at people," he said, red brows darting as he turned his head, checking on the girls. "She okay?"
"I-I'm fine," Beth choked out, her uneasiness leading them to believe she wasn't okay.
"Is this guy bothering you?" one of the girls asked, causing Beth to shake her head.
"It's my fault, I—"
"It's not your fault, Sweetie," the other girl started, sending Natsu a glare. "He had no right to yell at you or anyone else. What's your problem anyways?" She raised her voice when speaking to Natsu.
He shook his head, mind struggling to comprehend what was happening. "No, I... She—" His voice faltered, hands reaching out before dropping. "This is a huge misunderstanding."
"Okay then," the guy said, his tone even but firm. "Explain it then. Why are you yelling at this girl?"
"She tried to..." Natsu clenched his teeth, unable to get the words out.
"I tried to kiss him," Beth said, hands covering her face in shame. "But he didn't want me to."
The girl glaring at Natsu eased up, but she kept herself between him and Beth, unaware that he was no threat to her. The guy sighed, shaking his head before lowering his voice.
"Okay, I get it, that's a tough situation to be in, but that doesn't give you the right to yell at her. Talk to her in a civilized way or don't talk to her at all. No one's going to be at their best if they're feeling degraded."
"I didn't mean to make her feel like that," Natsu pleaded, earning a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. He resisted the urge to jerk back, not wanting to get on the guy's bad side again.
He didn't think he was in physical danger, the guy appearing level-headed.
"Miss," he started, looking over at Beth. "Do you want to talk to him or would you like your space? There's no wrong answer."
"I... I want to talk to him," she muttered as she dropped her hands, but she couldn't look Natsu in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I thought— Never mind. I'm so sorry Natsu." She bowed her head, hiding the tears that formed in her eyes.
Natsu covered his face with his hands, groaning at the mess between them. "I'm sorry," he muttered, trying to separate his emotions. "I didn't mean to yell. That wasn't called for."
While he had every right to be upset, taking his frustration out on her wasn't acceptable, and he knew better. "Just, please help me understand what happened back there?"
He lowered his hands, seeing Beth's shoulders shake as she remained silent. It wasn't difficult for him to recognize someone trying not to cry, his heart sinking at the thought of hurting his friend's feelings, even if it wasn't entirely his fault.
When Beth started to sniffle, the strangers took a few steps back, giving them space while observing to make sure both parties were alright. Natsu wanted to tell them to beat it, but he figured that would be the worst thing he could say in that moment.
"Did," he started, fighting off a cringe as he replayed the last few minutes from the classroom in his head, trying to find out where he went wrong. "Did... I do something to, I guess, lead you on or something?"
Natsu's flush showed no signs of calming down any time soon, the heat radiating off his skin uncomfortable. He loosened his scarf, now feeling the dampness on his neck from sweat.
Beth refused to make eye contact with him, not that he could blame her. He struggled with the awkwardness of the moment, so he could only imagine what she felt.
"I'm sorry," she repeated, the words only making Natsu's eye twitch, but he didn't interrupt, letting her gather her courage.
Beth swallowed hard, her voice rough from holding back her tears. "I, I thought you were... We were having so much fun, and I thought... It's stupid, of course you don't... I'm so sorry."
Beth squeezed her eyes shut as she finally lifted her head. "Please don't be mad."
"I'm not—" Natsu rushed out, cutting himself off when he heard how harsh his voice sounded. Pausing, Natsu took a moment to collect himself, his tone softer when he corrected himself. "I'm more confused than anything. Why'd you do that?"
He couldn't say the words, even though they screamed in his head.
'Why did you try to kiss me?! What were you thinking?'
"I misread the situation," Beth forced out. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake."
Natsu closed his eyes before taking a deep breath, still trying to grasp what just happened. Beth had tried to kiss him, or she kind of already did kiss his cheek. He didn't want to overanalyse it, just move on and put it behind them. So, he didn't try dragging anything else out of her, hearing enough.
Natsu strained his jaw as he thought about what he should say, trying to put into words how he felt without hurting her feelings. He glanced at the group of students watching them, the three looking more at ease now that they had more knowledge of the situation.
"Beth, is it okay if we talk alone? Not in private, just like, over there so no one can hear us?" He looked at the others, giving them a shrug. "It's kinda really weird having y'all stare at us. I promise I'm not gonna do anything bad."
"If she's okay with it," was all one of the girls said, the other two nodding in agreement.
"Sure," Beth said, giving him a small nod.
They walked about ten paces into the grassy area beside the building, away from any curious ears. The students went back to sitting on the benches near the entrance, keeping Beth in their vision while resuming their conversation.
"Okay," Natsu started when they stopped, his stomach in knots at the confrontation. Avoidance was his go-to plan for anything that made him feel uncomfortable, and their current situation fit the description.
Part of him wanted to brush it off, tell her they could pretend it never happened and to not worry about it, but he knew he had to address the issue, even if it made him feel sick. If there was any chance she might still try to act on her feelings, he had to nip it in the bud now.
"Look, Beth, I'm sorry if I hurt you, I—"
Before Natsu could finish, she shook her head, cheeks and eyes red as she finally looked directly at him. "No, the only thing that hurt me was my own stupid expectations, which I'm used to."
She broke eye contact, her arms coming up to wrap around herself, probably to feel more secure. Natsu couldn't blame her, his hands itching to come up and do the same to himself. Being honest and vulnerable with someone was difficult, especially when both parties weren't on the same page.
"It's not your fault," she added, a quiver in her bottom lip as she tightened her grip. "I thought we were having a moment, kind of forgot about everything else and thought you were..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I got carried away. No boy's ever been as nice as you are to me, and we have so much in common."
Natsu held his tongue, wanting to tell her they didn't have a lot in common aside from school and lame jokes. Hell, she didn't even like Pokémon, which seemed silly to put so much importance on, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that was a deal breaker to him.
He doubted Lucy would ever dislike Pokémon, but he couldn't see himself being as attracted to her if even she told him she was over it. The thought alone made his stomach turn.
Or maybe it was the conversation they were having that had him feeling queasy.
Or maybe it was the three pairs of eyes on them.
Who knew?
He pushed past it, knowing boundaries had to be drawn, even if it left him feeling like the bad guy. Had he lead her on? He thought they were just being friendly, but apparently their interaction meant something else to her.
"You'll find someone else who's nice to you," Natsu started before sighing. "And really, you don't need someone to make you happy. You're a complete person on your own."
"I don't feel complete," Beth mumbled, causing Natsu to shrug.
"Sometimes I don't feel complete either, but it's fine. My therapist says we're all works in progress."
"You go to therapy?" Beth asked, eyes widening.
Natsu paled, remembering she didn't know that. 'Of course she doesn't. Only my family and closest friends do.' He scratched the back of his head before saying, "Yeah, for a few months now."
"Oh."
Nothing was said for a moment, Natsu wishing the awkwardness would melt away. It was certainly hot enough to do the trick, autumn still three weeks away.
"Anyways," Natsu drew out, not wanting to delve into that topic, especially with her. "Nothing like that can ever happen again. I... I don't see you as anything but a friend."
Beth nodded, though he saw the way her eye twitched. "And you have a girlfriend."
Natsu's jaw went slack when he realized what that meant, a groan tearing from his throat as he dreaded the upcoming conversation he had to have. "Lucy's going to be so pissed."
"I'm sorry," was all Beth could say, but he was already shaking his head.
"I told her not to worry, that we're just friends. I thought her paranoia was for nothing, but I was wrong. Damn it. She's gonna be angry."
"Do..." Beth rubbed her arm before looking up at him. "Do you have to tell her? We could pretend it never happened?"
Natsu's mouth opened, but he hesitated to speak. "Of course I do," he said, but the words weren't as strong as they should have been. 'I have to tell her, right? Doesn't she have a right to know?'
"Should I tell her sorry too?" Beth asked, her question causing him to panic.
"No, please don't say anything." He didn't know how Lucy was going to react, but he guessed she would be more upset if Beth spoke to her about it. He knew he would want to punch a guy if they kissed his girlfriend, even if it was on the cheek.
White hot anger flooded him at the thought of any guy touching Lucy, so much so that it made him second-guess himself.
'If the shoe was on the other foot, would I even want to know? Nothing really happened with Beth, barely anything... Maybe Lucy would be better off never knowing about it?'
"I guess it would be better coming from you," Beth said with a sigh.
"I'll let her know nothing is gonna happen," Natsu started before narrowing his eyes, reaffirming his stance. "I'm only your friend, nothing more."
"Yeah, I get it," Beth mumbled, Natsu detecting the annoyance in her voice.
He might have sounded like a broken record, but if they were going to remain friends he had to be sure she understood.
'Wait, is Lucy even gonna let me stay friends with Beth after she finds out? Can Lucy even decide who my friends are? There's no way she'd try to stop me from being friends with certain people, but I guess she'd have a good reason if she did try. Ugh! This fucking sucks!'
The more Natsu thought about it, the less he wanted her to find out. 'Wouldn't it be easier to sweep it under the rug?'
'Just this once?'
"Well," Natsu started, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep from crossing his arms. "I'm glad we got that settled. We should pro—"
"I did," Beth spoke, cutting him off, "want to ask one thing."
"Oh, sure?"
Brushing away the stray tears, Beth asked, "Can I know why?"
Natsu cocked his head. "Why what?"
He didn't think it was possible, but her face grew a deeper red. "I can accept you're not interested, but I wanted to know why?"
Natsu's shoulders dropped, wishing this next response was enough. "I'm just not."
But Beth pushed, like she always did.
Whether it was for him to look at colleges or do more in school, she always tried to push him to be better, to try harder, as if he was never good enough as is.
He suppressed a sigh as he tried putting into words how he felt without also hurting her feelings, which meant he was walking on eggshells. "There's nothing wrong with you, I promise. You're great, and pretty, but I don't feel that... I dunno, spark."
Natsu paused, hoping that was enough, but she kept waiting, needing more. "Like, imagine we're puzzle pieces. We might be in the same box, but you're not my side piece."
Natsu's eyes widened as soon as he said the words, realizing 'side piece' also meant a person to use for cheating on a significant other with. He held back a cringe, disgusted at the thought of doing something so intentionally hurtful.
Clearing his throat, Natsu went on. "I just don't think we're a good fit. I just don't feel that way about you, and that's not gonna change. I don't wanna see you wasting your time on me since nothing's gonna happen."
He risked saying it again, hoping she wouldn't be mad that he repeated himself once more. "I gotta know though, if you think there's even a chance of something happening, I need you to tell me so I can back away from this friendship."
"No, I got it," she whispered, the girl looking crushed all over again. "Can, can we stop talking about this now? I don't think I can take any more humiliation."
Natsu's stomach dropped, his chest aching at the pain he caused his friend, but there was no other way he could handle it. They were now on the same page, even if it hurt to get there.
"Yeah, okay. Umm, I don't think I'm gonna finish the tour. I'm just gonna go find Gray and them." Natsu ran his fingers through his hair before taking a step back, closing his distance between him and the building's wall. "Meet up with you later for the ride home?"
"Yes," Beth said, nodding as she took a step away from him. "I'm going to rejoin the tour, if they're still there."
"Good idea."
Beth started turning, leaving behind a tension that wouldn't dissipate right away. Their friendship was strained, but with any luck it was still salvageable. "See ya," she said, walking back towards the entrance, leaving Natsu alone with his thoughts.
He leaned against the building, the rough texture hard on his back, but he couldn't be bothered with it as he brought his phone out. His plan was to text Gray and see where they were, but his heart panged when he saw he had an unread message from Lucy.
Luce: How's it going?
His throat tightened as his hand began shaking, Natsu staring at his screen until it went blank, just like his mind. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before giving himself a pep talk, knowing it had to be done.
With a heavy heart, Natsu typed out what happened, starting at the dumb jokes and ending with the difficult conversation that followed. He told her at least three times through the long message that nothing would ever happen between him and Beth, and that he didn't mean for anything to happen. He asked for her forgiveness for dismissing her when she said she was jealous, and told her he hoped she wouldn't try to make him end his friendship with Beth, but he would keep more distance between them from now on.
He typed so many words that a notification popped up telling him how many characters remained in his message, something he had never seen before.
After constructing the massive text, Natsu went to hit send, his thumb hovering over the button. However, no matter how much he told himself it was the right thing to do, he couldn't do it.
Instead, his thumb held down the delete button, his eyes watching the cursor as each letter disappeared until nothing remained.
Natsu released his breath, heart pounding and palms sweating as he typed a new message, already feeling his stomach twist as he sent it, knowing it was wrong but afraid it was the only logical choice.
The tour went well. No incidents to report.
As he stared at the words, he felt the ground beneath him shifting, as if he were riding in a vehicle without any pills. His stomach tightened as well as his chest. He typed out a smiley face to ease his discomfort. He sent it seconds later, feeling ridiculous when it said 'delivered'.
"You're a fucking idiot," he groaned, wondering if he was making the right call.
It was a little late now, the decision made. He had to live with it, but hopefully it wouldn't be long before it all smoothed over. In a few weeks no one would remember the tour, and no one ever had to know about what happened in the science building.
'As long as Lucy doesn't know, she can't be upset.'
He almost dropped his phone when it buzzed, an incoming message taking over his screen.
Luce: So, did you decide if you like it or not? :)
Natsu wanted to puke. He could almost feel the bile in his throat, but he pushed it and his feelings down as he did his best to act normal, which was easier than he thought since they were just messaging.
When they saw each other in person... Well, he would worry about that later.
The school was pretty cool. Dunno if I wanna go here or not though. What are you up to?
He rested his head against the building while closing his eyes, wishing he could forget the past thirty minutes ever happened. Unfortunately for him, it was burned in his mind, but that wasn't the only thing burning.
His guilt had already set in, and it would do nothing but tear Natsu apart from the inside out, slowly torturing him for the weeks to come.
Honestly, the author's note is gonna be super long, so feel free to skip if you want to. I won't be offended. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! Hope you enjoyed the start of the next mini arc in the story!
I recently told a guy I hooked up with nothing more could ever happen between us besides friendship because I had no emotional connection to him. The deal breaker was he isn't an animal person and doesn't want any animals, and I can't see myself without at least one furbaby, so there's no point in even trying for anything more than friendship. The other two main things that kept me from having feelings for him was he doesn't like Pokémon or anime. Like, that's a hard pass for me. I have a list of 'qualifications' a person would have to meet before I would consider pursuing them as a partner, and those are my top three. Likes animals, Pokémon, and anime, lol. He seemed to take it well, if anyone was curious. I did it over messaging because he lives in a different state (another reason we couldn't work out, but he visits here occasionally. We hung out around xmas last year which is when I realized there was absolutely no way it would work out, so why waste both of our time? Being honest can be hard, but sometimes it's necessary. Anyways...
Happy Valentine's Day! This chapter... wasn't so sweet. What do you do in this type of situation? Do you tell your partner someone tried to kiss you? Do you pretend it never happened? I remember once I got told I was beautiful by a coworker, and felt guilty about it, so I immediately called and told my partner at the time, and he said while he wasn't mad at me, he was mad at the guy, but then after that every time the guy was mentioned it put my partner in a bad mood, so maybe it would have been better if I never mentioned it? Who knows? Well, in the situation above with Lucy and Natsu, I think he should have told her right away, but probably through a phone call or wait until they were in person, but as you can see Natsu's going to try the 'pretend it never happened' method, which I'm sure you know will not end well, because this is a story and we writers love making the lives of our characters difficult. :P It's just too much fun.
Anyone have any Valentine's Day plans? I'm single af, so I'll be chilling by myself at home, hopefully writing some CHDH.
Thank you so much for reading! Your support means so much to me! I'm blown away my all the favorites, follows, and reviews! Like, it's amazing how much it keeps a writer motivated! Thank you to those who left reviews last time: shootingstarssel, CupcakeGoddess22, stranger1999, BeachBumBabe, Lodemai04, FlameDragonHime, FairyTailxFanGirl, sakshishetty3003, sthokat, Wolfcry77, heyitsmeduhnat, CelestialDreamer15, ThomasGabrielWhite(x3), Stubenhocker, Kitty9453, and AthomeinFairytail! Have a fantastic day!
Also! Shout out to Doginshoe! I just started reading her work and OMG it's amazing! Go check her out! I'm dying to find out what happens in 'What You'd Do To Me Tonight'! It gives me the feels! Check them out! (It is rated M)
In the words of Bob Barker, have your pets spayed or neutered! Let's try to slow down the number of stray cats and dogs out there! :) There's two groups I'm interested in volunteering for, but it's looking like the one dealing with cats will be better suited for me since talking to people is too terrifying, but we'll see.
*A guest commented before saying they didn't like how much cussing was in this story, but before the story even begins I said this story will contain foul language in the author's notes, so please don't tell me you don't like the cursing. It's fine if you don't like the cussing, but I'm not going to change how I write. I write for me and share it with you. That might sound harsh, but there are plenty of other stories that don't have any cussing in them if you're truly uncomfortable.
Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a review before leaving! :) Hope you liked the chapter, and I hope you have a great day/night!
Oh, and up next, Chapter Ninety-Eight: Pass the glitter
