v. Erza
It ends with a proper answer, a proper closure and some stuff.
..
Natsu's pace, as he trails along the riverbank, is slow. The person nigh meters in front of him is also walking slowly. She seems engrossed on what's on her mind, but Natsu fathoms her awareness of his presence.
"Natsu." The almost distant voice startles him into a halt, but he quickly catches up to her as she speaks. "Why are you following me?"
Natsu rests his hands on the back of his head, leaning on them slightly.
"Because you're drunk."
"I'm not. I only had a sip."
"Because it's getting late, it's nighttime already."
"I don't see any problem with that."
"Because I told you to never leave my side again."
She sighs, tired but softened.
"I'm going home. You're not allowed in my dorm."
"That's not even the way to Fairy Hills."
She stops this time and Natsu brings his hands down and walks a little faster. When he reaches her, she just drops all her alertness and sits herself on the pavement.
Artlessly, he follows suit.
He sits right across her but her gaze is somewhere else and all he wants to do is to reel her mind away from what's occupying it.
The place they have settled, in the spur of the moment, isn't even eye-catching. It is just a dim spot under the bridge crossing, a few steps from the riverbank. The only illumination they can get is from the moonlight and it lands unsatisfactorily on a portion of her face.
Still, Natsu is able to see the expression she's making. He's seen this before, has broken his heart, and has come to hate it. Now, he's seeing it again and it goes without saying that it is breaking him apart again.
She's... crying without tears. Just like that time, she's in pain and so conflicted, enough for her lips to quiver and her hands to tremble, and just like that time, Natsu keeps his eyes on her, watches her as she goes through the pain alone.
'But', he thinks, 'this time is going to be different'.
He's not going to let her be alone this time.
He leans closer to her. "Erza, forgive me," he whispers before pressing his lips against hers.
He feels her go tense in surprise, but as tender as the kiss is, it is also done with intent, and she gradually relaxes in it. Natsu admits that he isn't skilled with it, but as long as he succeeds in snatching her attention and focus, then he's satisfied. For now, at least.
When he draws back, Erza's eyes are on him, her cheeks hinting a blush. He blinks. "What was that for?"
"For you to focus on me," he says. "For you to get drown with thoughts of me instead."
She casts her gaze down again, but Natsu's instincts tell him he has her full attention.
"Natsu," she pauses, a frown marring her face. "I hurt Lucy."
Natsu has seen this coming. He has predicted that Erza, as big-hearted and caring as she is, will incessantly fault herself for something that is completely out of her control. It is an endearing trait of her but unhealthy at the same time. So, he has an answer prepared for this.
"No, I did."
She peers at him, still unconvinced. "We did. We made her cry, too."
Natsu sighs. He places both of his hands on either side of her cheeks and prompts her to listen, to hear him out and really listen.
"Erza, it's not your fault. Lucy's pain, Lucy's tears, we won't forget about them. We won't forget the reason behind them. But Lucy... she wouldn't want to see you like this. I don't think she'll want for us to live in guilt. She's a mage from Fairy Tail, she's strong. She'll forget about this and move on and find her own happiness. She wished you happiness, didn't she? Are you going to deny her that?"
He lets her go, waits for his words to sink in, and concentrates on her eyes that are shining with understanding and reverence. He feels proud of himself.
"Natsu," she calls and Natsu internally cheers because she's sounding like her usual self already. "Since when have you become so mature and wise?"
It has gotten noticeably darker and the temperature from their spot has dropped to some degrees, but Natsu is chuckling so cheerfully. He leans a little closer to her body and sends the warmth that he knows she craves. She accepts and takes relish in it.
"Since the time I felt the need to protect your heart."
"Why my heart?"
There are strands of her hair that have strayed from their lot and Natsu follows his impulse on brushing them behind her ears, partly so not to obscure her face and partly so he can make a sweet contact with her. "You're the strongest woman ever, but your heart is not that strong. At least give me the privilege to protect it.
"You don't have to be alone anymore, you don't have to cry all by yourself. I'll be with you, always."
Erza doesn't say anything. She's staring at him like she's contemplating, like she's calculating something, and it honestly makes him panicked. But he's brimming with resolve and he's sure she sees it, feels it, gets reassured by its promise. So he waits.
And then she smiles.
"Okay, Natsu, I'm giving all my heart to you."
And his world brightens remarkably.
"Let's go home, okay? Tomorrow, let's test your magic again. Then let's go to missions, Lucy's whining about her rent again."
She giggles, he grins.
"Yeah. Let's."
..
"Hey, Erza, can I ask something?"
Erza takes a forkful of cake in her mouth and closes her eyes in appreciation before answering Natsu. "Yeah."
"Why exactly is Lucy here?" He points at Lucy, who is in the middle of biting a sandwich. She looks at them with questioning eyes.
"Because she said she wants to give me moral support."
Natsu sighs and moves on.
"Then what about this Underpants?" He points at Gray. They both ignore Gray's protest of being called Underpants.
"Same reason," she says.
"Then what about Wendy and Charle? Even Happy is here, too."
"Hey! You're mean. It's only natural that I'm here," Happy exclaims and Natsu only side-glances him at where he's busy trying to woo Charle.
"Still the same reason." She takes a peek at his face and finds it full of question marks.
"Eh? But I thought this is a date?"
Erza's eyes riffles through where Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Charle, and Happy are peacefully eating what she has prepared earlier for another picnic set. They look really relaxed and it puts her in bliss. "It is." She faces Natsu by her side. "It is a family date. Do you have a problem with that?"
Natsu purses his lips in a pout, glimpses at their family, particularly at Wendy, and heaves a sigh. "No, of course not. It's good to have a family date with my little sister Wendy, too, I guess." Then he proceeds to stuff his mouth with food.
Erza can only smile in satisfaction.
After a while, Wendy grabs their attention and asks, "Erza-san, Natsu-san, are you a couple now?"
It isn't even worth thinking over and Erza means to say yes, but Natsu beats her to it. He answers, "No."
And she mirrors the shock expression the rest of them have.
"You're not?!" Lucy and Happy exclaims simultaneously, even pointing a finger at them in disbelief.
Gray, on the other hand, remains silent, but his brows are furrowing and he's shaking his head in incredulity.
Charle behaves indifferent but her eyes betrays her curiosity. And Wendy is simply looking at them in confusion.
Meanwhile, Natsu is nonchalant all along.
Erza thinks back to the time she has given her answer and recollects the words she has said.
'Oh, right.' Their relationship is still tentative, she has yet to give him a proper response. And the reason he has said no is probably because he's respecting her decision.
But then she also remembers that nights ago, she has given him all her heart, she has entrusted her life to him and has decided to devote herself to him.
Is that not enough to indicate that she has fallen in love with him and is now ready to become his lover?
Then again, Natsu has used direct and uncomplicated words so maybe what he needs to hear is just as simple.
"Yes, we are a couple," she mutters firmly, providing her own answer to Wendy's question. It stops their movements and leads them to stare at her, Natsu above all.
"What?" he asks as he blinks rapidly, the piece of meat in his hand being suspended in the air.
Erza clears her throat. The cake that she's been eating has been momentarily forgotten because of her musings so she quickly resumes consuming it in a carefree manner. Her heart is full of love yet she feels light and unrestrained, her hefty and loaded emotions becoming a security blanket instead of a burdensome weight.
"Natsu, I love you, too. This time, let's be in a proper relationship."
Natsu does a comical stumble as he flails his arms in the air and Erza enjoys seeing how his easygoing attitude becomes hyped and disorganized in only a span of two seconds. He blinks rapidly, opens his mouth, darts his tongue out to wet his lips, then blinks at her some more.
"R-really?" he whispers.
Erza's gaze suddenly meets Lucy's and what she spots in it makes her all the more sure of her decision. She's smiling at her, wide and supportive, and her eyes doesn't have any trace of sadness in them, only optimism and content.
"Yes, Natsu. It's a bit late to ask this but... will you go out with me? As lovers this time."
Natsu swallows, fixes his gaze on her and nods enthusiastically. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
She smiles at his eagerness and apparent joy. She smiles at her family's approval and blessing. (Gray is snickering, Lucy is grinning, Wendy is beaming, even Charle is smiling at them, and then there's Happy who is celebrating up in the air and shouting how much they liiiiiike each other.) And she smiles at the intensity of her fast beating heart.
She feels so happy to be in love.
..
To test Erza's control of her magic, she's attempting to summon all two hundred of her normal swords in one go.
Even before, this is a feat that takes a lot of her effort and energy, but she says that if she can do it now without breaking a sweat, then she's more than ready to go to a mission. As expected, she likes to go overboard and work herself to the limit.
Lucy watches in the sideline as Erza takes deep breath and puts herself into an immense concentration. Natsu and Happy are on her side, cheering and encouraging her. Gray, Wendy and Charle are with her and they, too, are watching in anticipation.
On the first try, not a single sword has appeared and her casual clothes have been replaced instead. Only, rather than an armor, Erza is suddenly wearing her pair of pajama.
Natsu laughs at her and both he and Happy give her a pat in the shoulder with an utterance of "Don't mind!"
On the second try, a couple of swords have appeared. But just as Lucy thinks it is going to be a success, they all disappeared suddenly before the rest even emerge. Though maybe, this is already branded as a failure as it isn't in one go.
Erza closes her eyes and takes another lungful of breath.
On the third try, not only it is a success, it also exceeds her prerequisites. Right there above the vast land, two hundred swords are steadily floating, resting and solid as stone in their shining glory. Plus, all her special weapons that come as a set with her armors are visible, too, as if they're an exhibitions for all to admire.
And Erza doesn't even look tired.
Lucy brings her hand together and expresses her amazement, her eyes filled with awe.
She catches a sight of Natsu by Erza's side and sees the admiration in his eyes that mirrors her own. But there's something else in there, something like pride and fascination and... and there's one more thing that she hasn't had the knowledge to identify.
And then she remembers that she has seen Natsu looks at Erza like this before: back when they have destroyed the moon in Galuna Island, back when Erza has royally conquered the Pandemonium in Grand Magic Games, back when the initial airships of Alvarez Empire have been fortuitously destroyed.
Seeing that look again, now at this very moment, Lucy certainly can name that one thing. It is love. Natsu looks at Erza with pride, fascination and love.
And it makes Lucy laugh at herself because really, there isn't any competition at all. Right from the start, Natsu has eyes only for Erza, she's the only one he will ever look at like this.
And surprisingly, she doesn't mind it anymore.
It isn't a complete move-on, her feelings are still strong, but Erza's happiness is so precious that it is infecting her. Even if she stays with them, even if she witnesses their involvement to each other, even if it is hurting her just the tiny bit, she willingly accepts her fate.
If they're happy, she is, too. If they have found their happiness, she will, too.
..
"Why are you dressed like that?"
Erza opens an eye when she hears Natsu speak. She's lying on a newly-acquired sofa that she insists on becoming a replacement for Natsu's old tattered one. She takes pleasure at the softness of it and appreciates how much her body fits right into it.
"I'm taking a break." She closes her eye again and lets herself melt with solace.
"Yeah, but why are you dressed like that?" She hears his footsteps nearing her and feels him hover.
"My magic is also taking a break," she replies.
"Okay, but why are you dressed like that?"
Erza opens her eyes and glares at him. "Natsu, if it looks bad, just say so."
He lets out a shriek, seemingly still overly affected by her strong glare, and hurriedly says, "I'm not saying it looks bad. It doesn't look bad at all." He composes himself again and gives her another once over. "You look like a doll, you look very pretty."
"Oh." Erza inspects the dress that Lucy has urged her to wear while she stabilizes her magic. She has mentioned something about testing theories and has asked her to report her findings tomorrow. The dress is different from the few daring evening gowns she owns, it is slightly on par with her Goth-Loli outfit but with dissimilar accents. It has laces and frills, too, and is cut and designed in a way that looks charming and elegant at the same time. She actually fancies it very much. "Thank you. Do you like it?"
Natsu scratches his cheek as he averts his gaze, a faint blush coloring his face. "W-well, I like you so I guess I like it."
Erza smiles fondly at him. "Natsu, you're adorable."
He splutters in response and bares his fangs. "Don't call me that! I'm manly as hell."
She laughs at him. He really is cute. "Come here, my adorable man." She scoots over and pats the cushion. "Your new sofa has enough room for the two of us."
"I said not to call me that!" He protests but still willingly lies down beside her.
While Erza lies on her back, Natsu is only lying on his side as he faces her. His elbow is propped above them and his hand is supporting his head. He's staring at her and Erza can feel his eyes boring holes on her.
Normally, she doesn't get affected by other people's eyes on her. But with Natsu so close to her, so intent on looking at her, so determined to concentrate on her, even she will feel self-conscious. Her heart is racing on her chest and she finds herself anticipating for something she doesn't know what.
"Can I kiss you again?"
She swallows a lump on her throat. That's probably what she's waiting.
"You don't have to ask. I have given my all to you." Involuntarily, it comes out as a whisper and it makes the mood suddenly intimate.
"What a coincidence, you just happen to own my everything, too." She hears him before she feels the lips touching her own.
They are both unsure for a moment, testing and trying where to and how to move their lips together. Natsu does an experiment nibble on her lower lip and it sends a shiver down her spine. She brings her hand to rest at the back of his head and pulls him closer, letting her lips mingle with his. He lets out a soft groan of appreciation.
By the time they have gotten used to it, Natsu's left side is already on top of her. His hand is cupping her cheek and Erza's own hands are tangled on his hair. Natsu's tongue is unassertively asking for entrance and Erza is sighing in content as she welcomes it.
It feels good, she feels extremely good. Natsu's kisses are so great and his actions are so gentle and so sweet and Erza feels like she's high on ecstasy. He's so addicting and so so lovable.
They pull apart slowly. Erza's eyes remain closed and her demeanor stays relaxed, so calm, so serene. Her hands are still on his hair and she feels his head moving as he peppers her face with feather light saccharine little kisses.
She smiles.
He kisses her eyelids, her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her chin, the corner of her mouth, her cheekbones, the middle of her eyebrows, the other corner of her mouth. Then Erza feels his lips on hers again. They share another slow and leisure yet affectionate kiss and find themselves get lost with each other.
Eventually, as their lips tingle and their eyes continue to droop, they stop.
Natsu drops one more peck on her cheek and speaks in his tranquil state. "Erza... Your pain are my pain, your tears are my tears as well, and your happiness, it's my greatest happiness, too. I'll keep on loving you for all eternity and beyond it and I promise that you will always be the only in my heart. I love you."
She smiles. "I love you, too, Natsu." She can't think of any other words that can convey all her emotions and can compare to what he has just professed, so instead, she shows him through action.
She kisses him, passionately, sentimentally, and pours all her love into it.
..
"I'm glad to see you well."
"You're looking quite happy, as well."
"I found it, my happiness."
There's a significant pause. His gaze lingers, it looks regretful.
"I'm sorry for being a coward, but I guess it worked out well for you."
She smiles. "Let bygones be bygones. I'm wishing for your happiness, too."
"I'm really happy for you, Erza. I hope we can still be friends."
"Of course, Jellal. I will always care for you, we will always be friends."
"I'm glad to hear that. Can you give your friend a hug?"
Natsu is so quick on leaving his not-so-hidden hiding spot to run toward them and go in between. He's swift as a flash, too, as he brings his arms on the back of Jellal and gives him a brief hug.
"There, you have your hug, buddy. Good luck on your journey!" he speaks in a monotone and the look of surprise on Jella's face is so satisfying to see.
"Natsu," Erza calls behind him, but she isn't surprised at all.
Jellal chuckles as he recovered. "Natsu, thank you for that." Then, the expression he wears suddenly is painted with guilt. "I know I don't have the right to say anything, but I'm really glad that it's you, Natsu."
Apart from shallow jealousy, Natsu doesn't feel any bitterness or grudge toward this man anymore, probably because Erza is smiling so friendly at him. He has accepted his existence on her life has learned to respect their relationship.
Which is why, the grin that he gives Jellal as a response is filled with sincerity and genuine hope for him.
Ultimately, Jellal finishes what he needs to do and bids them all a farewell as he takes his leave.
Natsu and Erza stays a bit longer in there, right at the space behind the back doors of the Fairy Tail guild. Natsu knows that the people hiding behind that door are listening, watching, and gossiping about them, but he doesn't care.
"Do you really need to steal the hug?" Erza asks, amusement evident in her tone.
"Do you want it? Here, I'll let you feel it," he replies with laughter in his voice and walks over to embrace her, letting her have an indirect hug with Jellal.
She laughs and Natsu hears the gasps and exclamations from the other side of the door. He doesn't mind them knowing about their relationship, but he wants to keep their intimate moments as private as possible.
So he calibrates his magic and motions his hand to create a ring of fire with a height that can serve as a curtain for them. It isn't the usual flames that he uses in battles, it isn't hot and damaging. It is dense at the bottom and goes lighter and lighter at the top and it glows and shimmers and it glitters at the center. It envelopes them, confines them and keeps them away from the prying eyes, from the outside world.
"It's beautiful," Erza comments, the brilliance of his flames reflecting through her eyes.
"You are, too."
He closes the distance between them and claim her lips. He lets those others run their imagination by themselves because this, this is his and Erza's moment alone.
..
"Hey, Natsu. Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah."
"You said that it was right from the start, but what was it that made you fall for me?"
"Do you remember the first time I attempted to get a job but couldn't read the characters on the request? Mira and the rest were teasing me and I was so close to crying because Igneel definitely taught me yet it appears like he didn't."
"You were a child back then."
"I was. It was really frustrating. Then you appeared and told me and everyone that it was not Igneel's fault at all. You, who is so scary yet so strong and beautiful, have defended Igneel, the most important existence in my life, so how can I not be taken over by that? I didn't immediately know what love is, but right from that moment, I know that you have a place in my heart."
Erza's heart flutters so wonderfully.
"I see."
..
A/N: This is to settle the pairing issues once and for all; Natsu will ever have romantic feelings only for Erza and Erza will ever be happy only if she ends up with Natsu. End.
-krizza-