Hello, everyone !

I'm back with the seventh chapter :D

I hope you enjoy reading this one~

Disclaimer: I only own Haru Heartfilia and the plot

Natsu stared at the photo frame in his hand. He stared at the smiling Lisanna captured in the photo and his brain automatically replayed all of the happy memories he shared together with her. Even though five years had passed since they broke up, but every memory they shared was a precious one for Natsu. Maybe Lisanna herself had already forgotten all about it. After all, they didn't have any contact, not even once, after they broke up. Even so, she was still an important part of his life and his heart, a part that Natsu didn't want to forget.

But, maybe now is the time for him to move on.

That doesn't mean that Natsu will forget her, though. It means that Natsu will stop himself from hanging on to those past memories he shared with her. With everything that had been going in his life during these past few months, maybe now is the time for Natsu to create new memories with someone else. Memories that he will hold dear for the rest of his life. Memories of certain someone that will be a part of his heart.

Memories which he created with both Lucy and Haru.

Now that Natsu knows Lucy isn't a married woman, his courage to spend time with her grew. They are simply friends now, but who knows what kind of future they will have? Natsu is a type of person that is open to any sorts of possibilities, as long as it doesn't cross his moral codes.

Natsu smiled again as he stood up from his bed and took out an empty box from his wardrobe. Then, he gently put the photo frame into it and squatted down in front of his wardrobe. He reached out into it, taking out all of the things that Lisanna had given him. He placed everything that Lisanna gave to him when they were still a couple into the box. Then he took a duct tape and sealed the box tight.

"Natsu?" Loke lifted up his head from the documents he was reading when he heard the sound of an opened door. His eyes darted to the box in Natsu's hands and he raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Just some old things." Natsu smiled. "I'm going down real quick to throw these out."

"Oh, okay." Loke shrugged his shoulders. "Don't forget to wear your cap."

"I got my trusted hoodie right here." Natsu laughed as he flipped his hood over and walked out.

"Was that Natsu?" Gray peeked out of his room a few seconds later.

"Yeah." Loke answered.

"Where is he going?" Gray raised an eyebrow. "He's not going to meet Lucy this late, right?"

"He said he's throwing some old stuff away." Loke said.

"Old stuff?" Gray walked out of his room in utter confusion. "What kind of old stuff does he have in there? Pretty sure he's the type of person that loses things often and has to buy new ones."

"Some old clothes, maybe?" Loke asked back.

Gray scoffed. "I doubt Natsu is throwing away his clothes. He always keeps his clothes, like that old smelly hoodie of his. The only old stuff that comes to my mind is—OH. MY."

"What?" Loke asked in confusion upon seeing Gray's shocked expression.

Without answering his manager's question, Gray bolted into Natsu's room. A second later, he bolted out again with an even more shocked expression than before.

"Loke!"

"What?"

"He threw it away!"

"What?"

"That photo frame of him and Lisanna!"

"What?!" Loke automatically stood up, threw his documents onto the sofa he was sitting on, and bolted into Natsu's room as well to look.

"What's going on in here?" Right on then, Gajeel and Jellal also peeked their heads into Natsu's room.

"Where's Natsu?" Jellal asked.

Gray and Loke pointed to the nightstand in unison. "Look!"

Gajeel and Jellal looked over and their eyes went widened.

"Holy." Jellal muttered.

"Geehee." Gajeel snickered. "Guess he has finally moved on, huh?"

"All of the sudden?" Jellal raised an eyebrow towards his friend.

"Pretty sure not all of the sudden." Gajeel folded his hands in front of his chest. "He's been spending time with that blonde reporter and her blonde son, hasn't he?"

"Does this mean… He's finally taking things with Lucy to the next level?" Jellal asked.

"Hold your thoughts there, you lads." Natsu scoffed, turning four heads towards him. The box was no longer in his hands, showing that he indeed had thrown it away. He raised an eyebrow and folded his hands in front of his chest. "What are you lots doing in my room?"

"You threw away those things?" Gray barged out.

"I did." Natsu nonchalantly said.

"Does this mean… You and that Lucy is going serious?" Gray asked again.

"Who knows." Natsu shrugged. "I'm open to all sorts of possibilities. But for now, I'm just friends with her."

"Whoa, wait a minute." Loke held a hand up. "You're open to all sorts of possibilities? Natsu, you don't mean that you're willing to break her marriage, right?"

"Of course not." Natsu retorted. "What kind of a bastard I am?"

"Then why are you after for a possible married woman?" Loke asked.

"She's a single mother, isn't she?" Gray voiced out his suspicion. "I was right, wasn't I?"

Natsu nodded, feeling his friends had the right to know because they knew about Lucy and Haru too. "But there's a story to that."

"What kind of story?" Jellal asked.

"Let her tell you that herself." Natsu said. "It's not my place to tell the story to you."

Gray, Gajeel, Loke, and Jellal instantly looked at each other.

Lucy Heartfilia…

Just what kind of life had she gone through?

"Haru!"

"Yasashi-no-nii-chan!" Haru ran to Natsu's opened arms, as usual. "I miss you!"

Natsu scooped Haru up in his arms and laughed. "I miss you too, little buddy."

"Hey, Natsu." Lucy walked over to them.

"Hey, Luce." Natsu greeted back.

"Where have you been these past three days, Natsu-nii-chan?" Haru let out a slight pout. "You didn't come to play with me at all."

"Sorry, buddy." Natsu apologized. "I was busy with… My hero duty."

"Ooh!" Haru's eyes sparkled up. "Did you save a lot of people in the past three days?"

"You can say that." Natsu chuckled. "As my apologies, I'm going to take you to a fun place right now."

"A fun place?" Haru tilted his head.

"A really fun place." Natsu winked at the toddler. He then turned his head towards Lucy. "You're free today, right?"

Lucy nodded. "Are you taking us somewhere?"

"Yep." Natsu said. "My manager's car is just around the corner. Let's go."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked in doubt. "I mean… What if people recognize you?"

"Relax, you can always count on my disguises." Natsu chuckled.

"Haru will keep his mouth quiet, too!" Haru promised.

"I can truly count on you, Haru." Natsu praised proudly. He then casually took Lucy's hand into his, while he took the mother-child pair towards the car.

Natsu's heart beat a little bit faster than usual, as he could silently feel the way Lucy's hand fitted into his. Turns out she had a tiny hand. It flinched a bit when he took it into his hand, but Natsu didn't let go. He had the urge to hold her hand today, and he decided to follow his guts. And to his secret delight, Lucy didn't take her hand away, either.

It made Natsu think that perhaps, even if for just a little bit, she was feeling comfortable with him.

Well, that's a good sign.

Natsu couldn't hold his happy grin as he opened the passenger's seat and sat Haru down on the child seat.

"Sorry for troubling you." Lucy muttered.

"Nah, it's okay." Natsu said. "I want to make sure that Haru is happy and safe."

"Ooh, Haru has his own seat!" Haru flapped his hands excitedly.

"Come in." Natsu opened the door for Lucy.

"Thank you, Natsu." Lucy couldn't stop her smile from showing.

The way Natsu treated her… It didn't feel fake at all. Instead, it felt… sincere.

Whoever becomes Natsu's girlfriend would surely be the happiest girl in the world. A thought crossed her mind, causing her cheeks to softly blush. She shook her head to shake the thought away and fastened her seatbelt. She forced her fastened heart beat due to Natsu holding her hand to calm down.

Get a grip, Lucy., she inwardly scolded herself. You and him are just friends and nothing more. Don't start wondering that sort of what ifs.

Right on then, Natsu opened the driver's door and Lucy's heart helplessly skipped another beat again before turning into a full speed race. She unconsciously gripped the sides of her seat, trying as best as she could to stop a blush from forming in her cheeks. The previous thought that she shook away swam back into her mind.

I'm sure it'll be amazing if I can be Natsu's girlfriend.

To Lucy's surprise and initial doubt, Natsu took her and Haru to an amusement park. Since today's a weekday and still at noon, there weren't many people there. Environmentally speaking, it was a good place for Natsu—disguised with a wig and a pair of fake glasses which surprisingly looked good on him—to blend in and enjoy the fun with a rather low risk.

Haru's eyes sparkled upon seeing the various attractions in the amusement park. He had never been to one before because Lucy was pretty busy with her work every day.

"Haru, be careful!" Lucy called out. "Watch where you're going as you run!"

"Okay, Mommy!" Haru replied without turning his head back, his chubby legs hopped in excitement.

"I'm glad Haru likes this place." Natsu said.

"Thank you for taking us here, Natsu."

"No problem. By the way, are you sure you're free today? Today's a weekday, you know."

Lucy chuckled. "I have my own ways."

"You're not going to get scolded or fired because you skipped work today, right?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not!" Lucy laughed. "Don't worry, I've finished my work. Besides, my boss knew about my situation. I was given the privilege to work from home most of the time, so I could still take care of Haru."

"Wow, you're boss sure is a considerate one." Natsu whistled.

Lucy nodded. "I'm glad I met someone as kind as my boss is."

"But… What if you have to go to the field? You dropped Haru at the daycare?" Natsu asked.

Lucy softly shook her head. "Registering for daycares is… a bit tricky. As a single mother, there are way too many questions. Moreover, I live by myself and have no other guardians. Not to mention the stares and all sorts of things people could say towards Haru. I couldn't bear the thought of that."

"You don't have other guardians?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"My parents lived overseas." Lucy said. "When Yukino was kicked out of her family and lived with me, my parents also sort of disconnected me out of disappointment. Of course our relationship gets better overtime, but they deemed me as someone who is independent already and doesn't need their help."

"I see." Natsu muttered. "So… Who's taking care of Haru if you're away?"

"I have a friend who helped me sometimes." Lucy said. "She's my best friend since college and she also knew what truly happened with Haru's birth. But if she also has work to do, usually I take Haru to work with me. Though that rarely happens."

Natsu's eyes softened. It always amazed him how much Lucy loved Haru, even though it turns out he wasn't even her real son. Natsu was sure Haru's mother was so glad leaving her son in Lucy's care.

"I'm proud of you." Natsu instinctively rubbed Lucy's head, bringing her even closer to him.

Lucy blushed, her heart was filled with warmth upon hearing Natsu's words. She unconsciously leaned closer to him. "Thank you, Natsu."

"Mommy! Mommy!" Haru waved his tiny hands and pointed to a carousel. "Haru wants to ride that! Can Haru ride that?"

Both Natsu and Lucy looked at each other in unison, before breaking in chuckles and ran towards Haru. Natsu scooped the toddler up into his arms. "You can ride everything you want, Haru!"

"Hurray!" Haru excitedly said and stretched out his hands. "Come on, Mommy! Let's ride some horses!"

"Okay, okay, Haru." Lucy chuckled and took her son into her hands.

Natsu fished out his phone. "I'll snap your pictures."

"Pictures!" Haru's eyes gleamed up. "We can put it inside the album! More photos!"

"Thanks, Natsu." Lucy smiled as she and Haru entered the carousel area.

Natsu positioned his phone and started to snap some photos. Seeing how happy Lucy and Haru spent their time together spread warmth in Natsu's heart. Capturing their smiles and happy faces through his phone's lens formed an image in his brain. An image where Natsu finally became a family with Lucy and Haru… An image where Haru happily called him 'Daddy'… An image where Haru was playing with a younger boy with the same salmon hair as his and a pair of chocolate orbs as Lucy's while being followed by an even younger girl with Lucy's hair and Natsu's eyes… An image where he and Lucy were just standing at the side seeing the children happily playing… An image of the Dragneel family…

Natsu's body suddenly tensed as his senses snapped back. After blinking for a few times, a smirk made its way to his mouth. He put down his phone and stared at the blonde pair with his own eyes instead.

Huh…

Seems like without him actually knowing it, he's starting to see Lucy as someone more than just a friend.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat first?" Natsu asked for the umpteenth time as he drove Lucy and Haru back to their apartment.

Lucy chuckled. "I'm sure, Natsu. Besides, Haru is exhausted playing today. I'm sure he wants to get into his bed as soon as possible."

"Right. But… Are you sure I can eat dinner at your place for tonight?" Natsu repeated his second question again.

Lucy couldn't stop her chuckles. "Yes, I'm sure. You've taken us to the amusement park today, so this is just my way of repaying your kindness."

"Then, I'll take it." Natsu grinned.

They arrived back at Lucy's apartment. This is the second time Natsu visited it and it still looked neat, just like when he first visited. Natsu stepped in with a smile. He liked being in here. Lucy's home spelled out… home to him too.

"Just sit there." Lucy pointed to the small dining table. "I'll make us something quick after changing Haru's clothes and putting him to bed."

"Take your time." Natsu nodded.

He sat down on the cozy seat and 20 minutes later, a fresh plate of cream pasta was served in front of him.

Natsu whistled in amazement. "I can tell you're a great cook."

"You haven't even tasted it yet." Lucy pointed out with a chuckle. "I hope it matches your taste, though."

"I'm not a picky eater." Natsu grinned and took his fork. He twirled the pasta around it and brought it into his mouth. His eyes widened as the food touched his tongue. "This is so good!"

"Glad you like it." Lucy smiled in relief.

Their first homecooked dinner went well. Natsu showed all of the pictures he snapped with his phone to Lucy. Natsu commented how Lucy's skill as a reporter made his phone's camera's abilities shone. She just knew where and how to take the perfect angle. Natsu wasn't as good as Lucy, though, but she nevertheless loved all of her pictures that he snapped.

"Thank you for today, Natsu." Lucy earnestly smiled. "I'm truly happy today."

"Me too." Natsu agreed. "We should do this again sometimes. Haru loves it too."

"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "Why don't you relax on the sofa for a while before you went home? I'll make you some coffee."

"Nah, let me wash the dishes." Natsu offered.

"No, it's okay! You can just—"

"Let's just wash it together, then." Natsu chuckled.

Lucy chuckled back. "Alright, alright."

Feeling even more comfortable with each other than before, the two started to goof off while washing the dishes. Just a minute into doing the chore, and they began to launch soap attack towards each other. They also blew bubbles and splashed some water towards each other. They laughed and yelped happily, but was still mindful with their voices so they wouldn't wake Haru up.

"You might be a sloppy in dish washing, but I have to admit that you're really great in dish drying." Lucy laughed.

"Of course." Natsu puffed out his chest in pride. "I'm the best one to dry the dishes among my friends."

"Did you guys do the chores in turn?" Lucy asked.

"Sometimes." Natsu nodded. "Although most of the time, we leave it to a daily helper."

"I see. How does it feel like to live—whoa!"

Natsu readily stretched out his hand to catch Lucy, as her foot slipped on a spilt soap water on the floor. His toned arm firmly wrapped around Lucy's waist, bringing both of their bodies closer towards each other. Lucy looked up to say thanks to him, but then stopped before being able to mutter even a single word upon realizing how close they were at the moment. Blush creeped into Lucy's cheeks, but she found her chocolate eyes were unable to tear itself from Natsu's own orbs. Now that she's taking a good look at it, turns out Natsu had such deep green eyes.

Silence fell between them after that.

No words could be muttered, only the sound of their hearts hammering against their chests that vibrated in their ears. Both were afraid the other party could hear how crazy their hearts were beating, but neither wanted to let go. It was as if the whole world had stopped and the only thing they could see was each other's eyes.

Lucy didn't know who started it, but she faintly realized that the distance between her and Natsu slowly became even closer than before. She could feel her body began to heat up and Natsu's own body seemed to exude more heat than the usual. Her logical mind buzzed somewhere there, reminding her that Haru was not far from them, but she quickly toned the sound off. All she could think about right now is the man in front of her, Natsu Dragneel.

As if she was a magnet, Natsu's body instinctively pulled closer to her. Natsu felt like he was drowning in her chocolate orbs. He could faintly smell vanilla from her, a scent that Natsu didn't know could shut his brain down. His consciousness faintly reminded him that he wasn't supposed to do this at the moment, not before making things clear between them, but reasons be damned. Natsu was being pulled towards her and he didn't care. Maybe he was indeed interested in her right from the start or maybe he was indeed enchanted by her right from the start, who knows? What matters to Natsu right now is the woman in front of him, Lucy Heartfilia.

Both Natsu and Lucy their eyes tight as they could feel their breaths were inching towards each other closer and closer.

Done !

Ha ! My favorite part as a writer is the cliffhanger ! *evil laugh*

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