Another Nalu short I came up with in the middle of the night. I can't say I really know the context here - you guys can decide that for yourselves.

I liked playing around with a sad or broken hearted Natsu and this was what I came up with. Don't worry though, it's not all doom and gloom, but you'll have to read 'til the end to find out (Like you hadn't already guessed).

Enjoy!

"Come back, Lucy. We can talk about this!" He begged as he ran after her. He didn't want to see her go, he couldn't… It would break him and his aching heart.

"No, Natsu! I can't keep pretending I'm okay with this!" Her voice was strained and her eyes blood shot, torn between walking away and running straight back to him. "It's better this way!"

"No it's not, Luce! How could it be, if you're not with me?" Natsu was trying to make her see, to make it known that he needed her with him, by his side, like always. "I won't let you leave!"

"But I… It's not your place to tell me-"

"Then who's is it? Because if you walk away now, I'll follow. Until the day comes that you're no longer happy here, I'll always be with you. You can't stop me!" He yelled, voice strained with frustration as tears built up in his eyes, slowly spilling down his cheeks.

Her reddened chocolate orbs were wide and focused on the dragon slayer. A gasp escaped her lips as she watched one of the strongest mages she knew break down in front of her, and all because she couldn't keep her turbulent emotions in check.

"Lucy, please… What do I have to do to get you to stay?"

He was begging this time... How had it come to this? A misunderstanding? A broken promise? She didn't know any more. The image in front of her was one that shattered any resolve she had. All that was left to do was to run to him, hold him close and never let go, but she couldn't—not yet. Not until he told her the truth.

"Why?"

His brows furrowed, broken and confused; he didn't understand the question, "Why, what?"

"Why, Natsu? Why all of this? Why, me?" Fresh tears began to cascade down her blotchy cheeks. She needed answers from him; why did she matter so much? "Tell me!"

"Why'd you think?" He said wiping the wetness from his face, sniffling into his sleeve, "I thought that would be obvious by now. But for someone so smart, you really are dumb, Lucy."

"Hey! I didn't ask to be insulted, just answer the damn question!" She huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"You can't leave because you're special... because you're Lucy and to me, that's everything." His lip quivered, but tried to remain strong. She was giving him an opportunity, a reason to explain why she had to stay with him. "It just wouldn't be the same without you. But I've never been very good with explaining things, so maybe…" He paused and took one trembling footstep after another, slowly closing the distance between them.

She watched his every move, until he was standing only mere inches away. His eyes remained serious and piercing, even though they held so much sadness within them; did she really mean that much? Could her absence really affect him so greatly? His gaze was intimidating to most, but for her, there was a familiar comfort about being so close to him, a feeling of warmth and protection that was so inherently Natsu.

"N-Natsu… What're you-" Her words simply vanished in her throat when a pair of warm and slightly damp lips connected with her puffy, red ones, giving her little time to do anything before they pulled away again.

"That's why you can't leave…" His tone was gentle, a small but sad smile playing on his lips, "You can't…"

Still feeling the warmth from his skin on her mouth, she grazed it with her fingers, having never known how much, or for how long, she'd been craving those very affections from him, "Why didn't you do that in the first place?" She asked, placing her hand on his cheek to wipe the remaining tears away.

But he couldn't answer. He didn't have an answer that justified his lack of confession. There was no way he could tell her it was because he kept chickening out; didn't have the courage; fear she'd not reciprocate his feelings; the list went on. However, it seemed she'd figured it out all on her own when her arms came to wrap around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair.

"You're such an idiot..." She chuckled close to him, her sweet voice brightening the sadness surrounding them.

Unable to wait any longer, for fear she might still disappear, he tenderly melded their lips together once more. A smile peeked out at the corners of his mouth as he succumbed to those deep seated feelings he'd been hiding for so long, having finally accepted that she felt just the same.

"I don't mind being an idiot if it means you'll stay with me forever." It was heartfelt, his voice sincere and full of emotions that felt so foreign to him.

She felt foolish to have ever doubted him; to have put him through such turmoil and heart ache when she should have just been honest with herself. Maybe she was the dumb one after all?

"You already are, Natsu." She whispered, leaning back up to his mouth again, her eyes flickering between his dark, penetrating gaze and his smooth, soft lips, "And so am I…"

Thanks for reading!