Natsu collided with someone carrying a huge pile of books. For the first time that day, books flew around him as he stumbled back and he saw a blond woman falling on her behind.
"Oh God… I am so sorry, I was distracted looking around and didn't se… Hey!" Natsu interrupted his own rambling, in surprise, as he was helping her stand up. "It is you!" He recognized the woman now. She still looked gorgeous as he remembered from two weeks ago and he felt his heart skipping a beat at the sight.
"W-what… N-Natsu?" Lucy asked, a bit shaken from the tumble and from seeing him. She never expected to find him again after that night. She left him a note, but he never called her, so she figured he was not interested in continuing what they had started then.
"Do you need some help with those?" he asked, pointing at the books she was carrying and were now scattered on the floor. He had that smile that made her melt from the first moment she laid eyes on him.
"Oh… yeah, please. I think they should put a little basket in book stores… just like the ones in supermarkets, you know?" she rambled on, as she handed him half of the books she had gathered so far. She was still a bit sore from his rejection and wasn't sure how to react now, after bumping into him in the mystery session of her favorite book store.
"I don't think people buy this many books at once, though. Heheh…" said Natsu.
After that night, he came back to the hotel where he had left her, but there was not even a trace of her. They hadn't had time to exchange last names or phone numbers, so he couldn't find her. He was scared she got frightened of him and regretted what they did, so she decided to run away. Natsu had been wishing for a chance to meet her up again, so he could see her at least one last time, and apologize for anything that might have hurt her.
"This is research… I'm going to write a piece about psychopaths and I wanted to read a bit to get into the mood of the subject." She said, feeling awkward with the encounter and trying to think of a way to leave without embarrassing herself.
"Oh, you did mention you were a journalist."
"Yup… and by the way, are you ok? I was worried about you that night… I hope you didn't get hurt". She mentally cringed: that was the one thing she was not supposed to bring up in front of him, but, apparently, her brain and mouth had different plans, since she could only think about it for the past 2 weeks. Lucy desperately wished for a hole in the floor to open and swallow her up.
"I'm ok, I'm ok… that fire was almost under control when I arrived, so it was just a matter of finishing it up and helping with the paperwork. I did kick my friend's ass for calling me out that way… specially because I was not supposed to be at work at all" He looked at her with that intensity she remembered from the last time they were together, and she couldn't help but blurt out:
"I-I'm happy to see you again", she said with a blush on her face. "I wanted to apologize in person for leaving the hotel like that". He seemed like he was going to say something, so she continued in a rush:
"I hope the cash I left with the note helped pay for the room". She was looking at his shoes now, unable to face him.
Once again, her mouth and brain took over and mentioned the damn note! Obviously he would feel pushed into acknowledging it and reject her in person. Immediately, her agile brain, which was not working in tandem with her intentions today, painted the beautiful scene of her as a stalker, and Natu's holding a restraining order as a shield. Before she fainted out of embarrassment at the prospect of this image becoming reality, she exclaimed in a desperate squeak:
"I'm going now. Thank you for picking up the books for me. Bye!" She rushedly put down the pile of books she was holding and turned to leave; her purchase wishes were forgotten for now. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder holding her in place - a warm and big hand she could not stop thinking about.
"Note? What note?" Came that dark voice that lived in her dreams for the past two weeks.
Natsu couldn't believe what she was saying. What note? What money? After two weeks of only thinking about her and what would be the reason for her to leave the hotel without a trace, she was finally in front of him, and what is more, talking about a note and money. He couldn't care less about the money, but he wanted to know more about the note. Natsu didn't want her to leave again without an explanation.
The blond looked over her shoulder with an embarrassed expression. Natsu's face showed a mixture of confusion and seriousness. He had also put down the pile of books he was carrying.
Before she could say anything, there was a loud noise from the side and, for the second and final time that day, books flew in every direction and people screamed. Natsu's reflection was to hold the woman in front of him in his arms to protect her, and they were pushed down on the floor by an unknown force.
"What the h…?" Natsu's outburst was cut short by the book shelf collapsing on top of him, and he lost consciousness.
...
Natsu woke up and could only see that he was in what looked very much like a hospital room. His body felt tender and sensitive, as if he could break if he made any sudden movements.
Being a trained firefighter, he had some experience with injuries and how to deal with them, so he tried to remember the last moments before he lost consciousness. He remembered the loud noise, the screams and books everywhere… books… yes! Lucy was with him! Was she hurt? He remembered shielding her body with his. Where was she?
He frantically looked around the room, and when he tried to sit up, he felt something on the left side of his stomach, it was a blond head resting on folded arms. When he moved, the head was raised to reveal to be none other than Lucy herself.
She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them. She tilted her head and stared at Natsu, who stared right back at her. Slowly, the blond raised a hand to touch his arms and furrowed her eyebrows. Natsu quietly observed the beautiful woman in front of him. He noticed she was disheveled, the bags under her eyes also indicated she hadn't slept so well for a while now. They were also a bit red and swollen, as if she had cried at some point in the recent past.
Suddenly, she let out a little squeak and jumped on him to touch his arms, shoulders and face; her eyes were wide open in surprise and he noticed relief and happiness there too.
"Y-you a-are awake! You are awake! It is not a dream! Hold on, I'm gonna call the nurse". Before she could turn and run out of the room, he grabbed her arm.
"Stay, please. Don't run away from me again" he asked her in a hoarse voice. He wondered how long he was out, and he didn't really think about what he was saying. "We can call the nurse in a moment, I want to talk to you".
"Oh…", she sat down, and he let go of her arm. "I'm not gonna leave the room, but let's call the nurse now. You have been coming in and out of consciousness for 3 days, and they told me to call them as soon as you woke up, however many times that would be". She delicately put a hand on the other side of his stomach, where he was bandaged, a bit of hair fell in front of her face with the movement.
"What happened?", he finally asked, holding back the urge to put her hair behind her ears.
"There was a small explosion in the book store's cafe's kitchen… something involving a gas leak." She impatiently put her hair behind her ear. "It was big enough to cause a commotion. Someone ran into the book shelves and they started falling. The one nearest to us fell and you used your body to shield me, but it hit you in the head hard enough for you to faint, and this weird ornament pierced your stomach when we were on the floor". She quietly explained, as she pressed the button to call the nurse. He raised his eyebrows at the explanation. That was surprising and it got even more once her eyes started brimming with tears.
Before he could ask her why she was crying, the nurse arrived.
"Good morning, mister!", said the nurse with a smile on his face. "You gave your girlfriend a big fright when you wouldn't stay up".
As he proceeded to look into Natu's pupils and check his vitals, Lucy quietly said:
"I'm not his girlfriend".
"Of course you aren't. Many non-girlfriends spend their days at their non-boyfriend's side, when they are sleeping. Happens all the time", he said with sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Lucy furiously blushed and Natsu suppressed a smile at how adorable she looked. The nurse saw it and added:
"You seem well enough, if you can smile after just waking up after three days, Mr. Dragneel".
"W-what?" Natsu now felt embarrassed at being caught staring at Lucy.
"Well, it seems like you recovered well. Of course, being unconscious can be scary, but sometimes, it is just your body's indication that it needed time to heal itself. You have a good constitution and are strong, so I'm sure you will have no trouble getting back on your feet. The doctor will want to run some tests before discharging you, but it should not be long now." He looked at Lucy. "You can go home now and rest a bit, Miss Heartfilia. He is fine. Well, see you later, I'm going to report this now to your doctor". The nurse said leaving the room.
Lucy shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with Natsu knowing that she had stayed by his side all this time. Also, with the fact that her hair and face were a mess, and she was wearing scrubs someone in the hospital lent her when she refused to leave his side.
"Were you hurt?", he asked, concerned with her.
She quietly shook her head. And looked up at him, "you saved me. I don't know how hurt I would get if that shelf had fallen on top of me instead. Thank you", she added with tears brimming her eyes again.
Natsu blushed. He was a firefighter and was used to people thanking him for helping them out. But there was something so vulnerable in her words and demeanor that pulled the strings of his heart.
"If it takes being smashed down by a bookshelf for you to be unharmed, it will have been worth it".
Her eyes lit up at his words.
"You remembered", she gave him a shadow of the smile he missed so much, with a sparkle on her beautiful brown eyes. The night they met, he overheard her quoting Hamilton, a musical he also secretly loved, in loud voices to her friends.
"I remember everything about you".
"I'm glad to see the impact didn't hurt this silver tongue of yours, Mr. Dragneel", she laughed, feeling lighter than she remembered for the past few days, now that he was awake.
"So you know my name, afterall"
"The first responders who brought us to the hospital looked through your wallet and found your firefighter badge". Then, she remembered.
"Speaking of which, the hospital contacted some people in your unit. This Erza lady came by and brought you a few things you might need when you wake up.", she pointed to a duffle bag, with his unit seal stamped on it, that was laying on a corner and Natsu hadn't seen yet. "She asked me to tell you to call her as soon as you woke up and that you just need to get better soon. Your phone, wallet and keys are on the bedside table, by the way".
"Thanks! Erza is great".
"She was amazing. I immediately understood why she became captain of your unit so young. She also stopped by for a few hours everyday."
"Ha! Did she say she was the youngest to become a captain?", he asked, amused by his friend's lack of modesty.
"No no! I figured that on my own. She had a captain's badge and she is young, so it was an easy assumption".
"Hehe… Erza is really confident, I wouldn't be surprised if she told you as soon as you met her"
"She was worried sick about you. She was really upset when she had to leave after visiting hours".
"Oh, so this isn't the visiting hours?"
"Well… not really… I begged the hospital staff to let me stay by your side, even if we are not family. The nurses even lent me these scrubs and let me use the shower. I didn't want you to be alone when you woke up", she looked him in the eyes with what he identified as a mix of remorse and determination. "This is a private room, so they figured I would not be a bother, but the nurses kept teasing me that I am your girlfriend, it didn't matter how much I explained that we are not like that."
"Yet", he mumbled to himself.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing… Do you want to go home for a bit and rest? It looks to me like you have been sleeping on this chair for the past 3 days".
"I-I didn't want you to wake alone and confused, so…"
"Hehe… did I put you under the spell of my silver tongue, or are you acting out of a misplaced guilty conscience?"
Lucy's pained expression let him clearly know the truth: it was guilt, or at least mostly guilt.
"I think I feel a bit hurt that a beautiful woman would only want to stay by my side out of guilt", he teased her.
"W-well, you got hurt protecting me, I wanted to do something in return for you, even if it was just this", she blushed and cursed herself for not being clearer.
She wanted to convey that she would want to be by his side even if he hadn't protected her. How could she explain that? Especially since she was sure he didn't want anything to do with her… although she still remembered his last words before being attacked by a bookshelf and the ugliest, stupidest ornament in the world. Maybe after going home, showering and sleeping a bit, she would be able to talk to him calmly, if he still wanted to see her.
Natsu saw the truth in her eyes and a bit of confusion. He remembered her mentioning a note on the room, so maybe she didn't run away from him as he feared… Even worse, maybe, the blond thought he found the note and chose to not contact her in the first place.
Throwing caution to the wind, he extended an arm to delicately touch her and make her face him. Just that simple touch sent a shiver down his arm. He really missed her and, even though he was in a hospital bed, fresh from a coma and bandaged, he could not be happier.
"If you feel guilty over this, I will feel really bad. It was an accident, and no one's fault. But I'm very grateful for having you by my side during this time".
"I'm sure anyone would do that", she answered with a blush at the intensity of his stare.
"I'm just happy it was you.", he said emphasizing the pronoun, and softly caressing her face, which she leaned into his hand and closed her eyes in relief for him being okay.
"Flirting with your girlfriend is certainly a sign of improved health", said a voice behind them and they quickly jumped apart. Lucy stood up and walked away from the bed to cool down her flushed face for a bit. Natsu blushed a bit and faced the doctor, who just walked in the room and on them, "I will schedule a few tests for tomorrow morning to make sure your head is ok, is that good for you?"
Natsu nodded and said:
"Thank you for taking care of me, and letting Lucy stay too".
"You are most welcome. I just want you to get better soon so I can treat my next patient." The doctor briskly said. "It would be better if you would sleep a little bit, Mr. Dragneel. You just woke up today. It is better to not overexert yourself. You will have time to hang out with Miss Heartfilia later".
Lucy approached his bed.
"Yeah, I think I will go home for a bit… I have a few things to do, and now I'm relieved that you woke up. But I will be back tomorrow morning".
"Can you give me your phone number?" Natsu muttered without looking at her, not wanting the doctors to hear him.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"He asked you for your number", answered the nurse. "Here, take note in this paper". He handed her pen and paper.
"No", Natsu said. Lucy looked at him in surprise, with her hands raised to take the items the nurse was handing her.
"W-what?"
"I don't want to risk losing your contact information again. Here". He picked up his phone, and searched the contacts app. "Tell me your number, I will call you right now so we will both have them on our phones".
"How come you don't have your girlfriend's phone number?"
"I'm not his girlfriend", Lucy said with slight irritation looking at the nurse. She really wished she wouldn't have to do this with the doctors around the two of them.
"Yet", Natsu repeated louder, Lucy looked at him surprised, but he continued in a matter of fact tone, "I'm ready now, your number?"
Lucy blushed, but told him her number and he called her. They made sure to save the information and she took her leave. Before she could, though, Natsu grabbed her hand again and made her look at him.
"You will be back in the morning, right?"
"As long as the hospital allows it, yes", she answered looking at the tall and pink haired Dr. Porlyusica.
The doctor gave a sigh and said in resignation, "sure, I'm afraid he will not get better without you by his side".
They shared a smile and he asked, "text me when you get home, ok?". He quickly kissed her hand, before letting her go.
"Sure", she said with a smile and a blush. With a quick wave to the doctors, the blond exited the room. Natsu kept looking at her with longing in his eyes.
"Wow", said the nurse with an amusing gleam in his eyes. "To bed now with you, sir. You are still under observation and you need to sleep".
Natsu laid down on the bed with a heavy sight.
"I didn't realize I was this tired from just being awake", he said with an arm across his brow.
"Your body is not ready yet, you need to rest, Mr. Dragneel. If you don't obey me, I will certainly tie you to this bed and not let Miss Heartfilia visit you anymore".
Natsu widened his eyes in fear of the doctor. "Ok, ok… I'm resting, I'm resting".
"I will turn off the lights, please do not go through your phone just now. If you have trouble sleeping we can help you with some medicine"
"Ok, thank you".
"Good night, Mr. Dragneel. I will see you in the morning". Dr. Porlyusica said as she exited the room, with the nurse behind her.
...
The next morning, Natsu woke up as he was being taken to the examination room. He was feeling pretty much the same as the day before, which was actually a good sign. He figured the lack of pain was a blessing at this point.
What he was really looking forward to was seeing Lucy again. He slept right after he saw her message saying she arrived home safely and he made sure to send her a good night message. He also saw a lot of messages from his friends worried about him, so he figured he would use his morning to answer them all. As he was assuring his friends he was ok, as most of them already knew what happened to him and were promising to visit him that day, Natsu started reminiscing of the night he met Lucy for the first time.
Flashback_
That was a tough night for him. For the first time in a very long time, he was faced with a casualty by fire and he decided to distract himself a bit at this bar - he figured he was not going to sleep at all that night anyway and his best friend decided to spend time with his girlfriend to get over the same trauma.
As he was trying to forget the images of that morning, he saw her with a brunette and a short blue haired girl. They were laughing and cheering over something the blond did. He saw many guys looking at the group, as the girls were all very beautiful, but for him, she shined like a star that night. She was wearing a skin tight sparkly gray dress that made her curves pop, sheer black tights and black pumps; her hair was loose and wavy. Her red lipstick made him have some seriously lascivious fantasies right then and there.
Natsu saw this tall man approaching the group and getting really close to the blond. Before he could do anything, though, she turned and clearly asked him to back off. The man seemed surprised, but quietly complied. She continued talking to her friends as if nothing happened.
Without realizing, he moved closer to the group. Natsu really wanted to find a way to talk to the blond, but he hoped he wouldn't look like a creep. Now, he could even overhear some of their conversation, while sipping his drink and looking ahead.
"... know what is going to be your first assignment?", the blue haired girl was asking. 'Someone please say her name!', Natsu begged in thought.
"I'm hoping they will give me the one about psychopaths. I've been hoping to put my thesis into practice…"
"Only someone as empathetic as you, Lucy, would want to work with that", the brunette said. 'So Lucy is her name', thought Natsu, still acting a bit like a creep.
"Yeah! Just you wait, just you wait", said Lucy in a singsong voice, which brought his favourite musical to mind.
"Hugh! Don't start with 'Hamilton' again!", The taller of the three said exasperatedly.
As the girls laughed, Natsu's heart was pounding. She loved the same musical as him. Not surprising, since it was the biggest Broadway hit of the decade, but he was glad he learned something about the girl that charmed him so much.
At that point, Natsu decided that what he learned about her was enough, he wanted to dial down the "creepy-mometer" a bit to not scare her off. He tried to distract himself with the music and surroundings, but never quite managed to stop looking at the trio. A little later, he saw her two friends getting ready to leave.
"Oh jeez… Gajeel needs help finding his cat!", The bluenette said after hanging up the phone she picked up a bit earlier. Natsu found it curious that she knew someone by the same name as his friend and colleague.
"Haha… no one would believe Gajeel, that mountain of a man, is so attached to his cat", Cana said, as he learned her name a bit earlier in the conversation.
"He loves cute things. Look at how much he loves Levy", Lucy teased her blue haired friend.
"Well, can we go now? Sorry for cutting the night short". As Levy spoke, Cana was gathering her things to leave and had a car key in her hand.
"Hum…" Lucy cleaned her throat. "I was thinking about staying a little longer. I can take a cab home later". Her friends looked at her surprised.
"Are you sure? Why?"
"Just because…" she cleared her throat and averted her gaze. "I don't feel like going home yet. And you two live really close to each other. It wouldn't make sense to go to the other side of the city to leave me at home…"
Something sparkled in Cana's eyes and her expression became positively predatory.
"I see… little Lucy is feeling saucy tonight...". By the reflection, Natsu could see her eyes meeting his and her smile. She raised her eyebrows at him and he startled. "You are a grown woman and I support your decisions, let's go Levy".
"Wait, what just happened?", Levy asked, confused.
Cana put her arms around the shorter woman. "Lucy has decided to enjoy the night today", she said, hinting that Lucy's manner of enjoying the night would be anything but innocent. Very openly, Cana pointed to Natsu's back and made suggestive facial expressions to Levy to indicate what she thought Lucy would be trying to do for the rest of the night.
Levy understood it immediately, as probably most of the bar did. Lucy's face was a strong shade of red to the point of emanating heat.
"S-shut up, Cana! I just want to stay longer, it has nothing to do with anyone!"
"Sure it doesn't. Well, let me just put something in your purse and then I'm off". At this point, Natsu was struggling to not laugh at Lucy's face, as her friend, very openly, put a condom in her handbag.
"Ta-ta", Cana waived, dragging Levy with her out of the place.
"Argh", Lucy sat turned her back at her friends and facepalmed, with her elbows on the bar top. "Unbelievable", she said in a low voice.
Natsu decided it wouldn't do to pretend he didn't notice, as the whole bar did, so he thought he would save the blond from further embarrassment. Also, there were some men eyeing her as if she were food, and he did not like that at all.
"Hum…" he cleared his throat. "Can I buy you a drink?"
"No, thank you". She said, glaring at him and he felt a wall forming between him and the beautiful woman at his side. He felt sorry for the other guys she rejected that night, as that was a very heavy rejection. But he would not give in so easily.
"I thought you were going to say 'that would be nice'. I was ready to tell you 'while we are talking, let me offer you some free advice'".
He saw her slowly putting her arms down and turning to look at him, with the same glare she graced him with before.
"Are you going to tell me to 'talk less; smile more'?"
Natsu really just wanted to show her he also liked Hamilton, but he miscalculated the lyrics and realized this could really backfire.
"Oh god! No! Sorry! I just wanted to cheer you up! I'm sorry I did overhear you and your friends talking. I really like Hamilton so that caught my attention". He absolutely lost his cool and explained himself in a panicked voice.
Lucy stared at him a little longer and suddenly chuckled. He felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight. 'Steady, man', he thought to himself.
"Haha… that is ok, no need to freak out. Can I buy you a drink after being so rude to you?"
"You were not rude. I know it was creepy to overhear your conversation…", he said, still freaking out a little.
"Don't worry.. this is a public place, anyone can hear a bit of other people's conversation. Let me pay for you?" She repeated with that smile that connected to his heartstrings.
"Only if I can pay for the next round". She agreed and ordered their drinks.
"I'm Natsu, by the way", he said extending a hand in greeting.
"Lucy", she answered, accepting his hand.
"You know, my favorite character is Angelica anyways".
"She is amazing. For me, it is both ones Daveed Diggs plays".
From there the conversation flowed very smoothly. Natsu was overjoyed for being able to talk to her. He didn't know why she wanted to stay, but if he ever had the opportunity, he would thank her friend. She was the best wingman and he only knew her first name.
When they were done with their drinks, Natsu suggested they go dancing. Lucy seemed surprised, but accepted without much hesitation. He understood she wanted to enjoy the night, not necessarily as her friend hinted, but he would be happy to make her company.
The first floor of that bar had a dance floor, so he took her up there. The place was a bit crowded, and he tried to do his best to show that he was the male protector of the girl in front of him.
"Are you all right?" He spoke closely to her ear, finally touching her waist with a whisper of a touch, to call her attention. He felt a shiver go down her body, either because of the touch or because of his lips close to her ear.
She turned and pressed herself on him to speak in his ear, as it was the only way to be heard. His hand remained on the same spot at her waist.
"Very much so".
When she finished talking and put some distance between them again, he made a point of looking at her lips before starring her again. He wanted to make it clear that he would want something from her that night if she were willing to go down that road. All of the pain of that day was forgotten and he just wanted to enjoy the moment with the blond. He saw a similar determination in her eyes, and couldn't help but smile.
"Shall we head to the dance floor then?" He took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor, when she nodded with a smile.
Once there, Natsu simply let the music guide his movements, and made sure to let his front touch Lucy's back as she swayed in front of him. He could tell she was having fun and enjoying herself.
Slowly, lightly he touched her hips and waited to see if she would push him away. When she didn't, he grew bold and let his hands travel through her thighs up to her waist. When she seemed to accept his touches, he started to softly nuzzle her neck and felt her moving to grant him more access, and her back was rubbing on him more firmly too.
She smelled divine and felt amazing in his arms.
"I will be forever grateful to your friend, you know?". He felt her laugh and threw her head back to rest on his shoulder. She rested her hands on top of his and let him continue his ministrations, going a little higher every time.
"You are so beautiful" he murmured in her ear and lightly bit it. She shivered in his arms.
"So you were checking me out at the bar... I had my doubts", she turned to ask it in his ear, this way she hid a bit of her embarrassment.
"How could I not? You are the only thing I could see since I entered that place", he stared at her lips again, before continuing nibbling her neck.
She had no answer to that, seemingly too engrossed in his touches, and he heard her gasp.
"Why didn't you leave with your friends?" He asked her and looked in her eyes. She gave him a sly smile and approached her lips to his.
"That is going to be a secret".
End of flashback_
Natsu's musings were abruptly interrupted by his phone.
"Natsu speaking"
"Hey, fire brain, it's me. Are you alive?", a familiar male voice came through the speaker.
"Why, stripper, worried about me?", He answered with a smile, happy his best friend called him.
"Not at all, just didn't want the workload I would get if you were to kick the bucket".
"That is not happening soon. And you won't believe it", he continued, unable to contain his excitement. "I met the girl I told you about!"
"You kidding! You gotta give me the details when I stop by later today, ok?"
"Who said I wanna see your ugly mug, ice princess?"
"It is not my choice, fire dick, Erza told me to, we are going down there together, so make sure to look presentable to us. I don't want to see any part of you naked".
"See you later than, Gray", he made sure to avoid using their usual nicknames to convey how grateful he was for this call
"Yeah.. later, Natsu". He knew Gray understood him, when he also avoided nicknames. Apparently, their friendship had its own protocols, and survived for years, he thought with a smile.
As Natsu looked at the phone screen, he couldn't help but think about the blond woman who took residence in his mind.
He saw a message from her saying she would be arriving sometime around 11h. He hoped she had a good night's rest and was able to do whatever chore was certainly left behind for his sake.
Natsu was really thankful for her for staying at his side, especially considering he had his suspicions that she thought he rejected her. He really wanted to straighten things up with her, as he really really enjoyed his time with her. At this point, his mind wandered off again in recollection territory.
Continuation of flashback_
After feeling her mouth so close to his, Natsu's control snapped and he grabbed her head to firmly kiss her. Something almost magical happened then, he somehow felt himself falling into her. Her lips were soft and tasted like heaven. He didn't think he could stop and the kiss continued for longer than he anticipated. Without thinking, he let his hand cup her well sculpted ass and she jolted in surprise. Natsu released her butt, but still held her tight.
"Sorry, was that too much?". He asked her with his forehead touching hers.
"Not really… it just surprised me…" Lucy had her eyes closed and was taking in deep breaths.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.", he hugged her closely.
"You didn't. I… I-I liked when you touched me", she said looking him in the eyes, and he thought she blushed, but it was hard to say in the lighting of the dance club.
"I like when you touch me too", he said caressing her cheeks with the back of his hands. Lucy seemed embarrassed and avoided his gaze. She looked way too adorable, so he nibbled her ear and hugged her closely, while caressing her nape and back. He loved the feeling of her body against his.
They stayed like this for a few songs, dancing, laughing, kissing and touching each other. Natsu's touch would sometimes be a little too adventurous, but Lucy had her way to pay him back. He had been happy when she suddenly took the lead on a kiss and caressed his biceps; a moment later, Natsu had jumped in surprise, when she had pinched his butt and given him a mischievous smile. They laughed together and they kept looking for ways to surprise and one up each other with touches, kisses and moves - Natsu felt like the happiest loser in the world, as he knew Lucy would win by default.
He really wanted to go someplace else and yes, he would love to have sex with her and would consider himself lucky if she were to entrust her body to him, but tonight he really wanted to get to know her, and he couldn't hear her well there.
"Do you wanna get out of here?", he asked in her ear, before pulling back to look at her face.
She seemed a bit conflicted and hesitant, so, before she could answer, he added:
"It is just so we could be more comfortable and talk more, and, uh… maybe to touch you more… but, uh.. I am not expecting anything more than this, really." he deviated his gaze now embarrassed by the bold request.
With relief and from the corner of his eyes, he saw Lucy nodding in agreement, biting her lips and avoiding his eyes.
He then took her to a hotel nearby where they talked and kissed a bit more. He had been surprised and happy when Lucy pushed him down on the bed and started kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.
What followed then could only be described as making love, which was a first for him. He had felt so connected to her and full of joy. He hoped she had enjoyed it as much as he had, specially because he could tell it was her first time - it had been a shock when he realized it, specially considering she had initiated it. He had done his best and he was sure she had climaxed at least two times.
Unfortunately, before he had given in to his desire for a second round, he was called to work on an unexpected fire that was happening a few blocks from where he was. He had explained it to her and begged her to wait for him.
He still remembered her disheveled hair after their activities, holding the sheet to her chest with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. He didn't want to leave her and hoped she could understand all of his emotions in the kiss he gave her before leaving and getting her to promise she would wait for him.
But when he came back early in the morning, the room was empty. He didn't understand why, since she seemed to have liked their encounter too. He looked around and there was no trace of her. He was afraid of what might have happened and the worse case would be that she was somehow afraid of him and his intensity. He knew he could get passionate when he found something he was interested in, but he didn't want to scare her away.
Ever since that day, he tried to find her again.
End of flashback_
Natsu chuckled to himself. To think they would meet again under those circumstances. And now he had her phone and would not let her slip through his fingers again.
Around the promised time, Lucy arrived. She looked fresh in a flowery and flowy, off the shoulder dress, with sleeves that reached her elbows. Her hair was tied in two low ponytails and she smelled fantastic as usual. Her eyes were clearer, so he figured she slept well, but he wanted to confirm anyways.
"Did you have a good night's sleep?", he asked, reaching out to grab her hand and place a kiss on it.
Lucy blushed and nodded, "very good! I was so relieved you were ok, I simply blacked out in my bed", she looked at him with concern in her eyes, "what about you?"
"Like a log, as soon as I sent you that good night message. Woke up being carried to the examination room".
"Oh, how did that go?", she asked, interested in his health.
"Painless, so I consider myself lucky. I was looking forward to seeing you again", he said, touching her hand again.
"Well, I wanted to see you too", she said squeezing the hand he grasped. "Here", she added, handing him a croissant. "The nurse told me it was ok for you to have this. It is from this really great bakery close to my house".
"You really are the best. I was hungry. The hospital food was not enough for me"
"Hahaha… I should have brought you more"
"Well, you will have to take me to this bakery to make it up to me", he smiled at her, ecstatic that he was in the same room as her again.
Natsu decided to continue the conversation they started before. He wanted to clear out any misunderstandings that still lingered between them.
"By the way, I need to ask you something… When I went back to the room and I didn't find you, I thought I had scared you away - I knew that was your first time..." Lucy looked startled and interrupted him.
"Wait… you knew?"
"Ahan"
"Oh god", she tried to get away from him, but he held her by her hand. "This is so embarrassing."
"Why?"
"Well, because I must have made a fool of myself th…"
"No, my question is: why did you leave the hotel?", he interrupted her, gently touching her face to make her look at him and caressing her flushed cheeks.
"What do you mean? I explained it in the note".
"I never saw a note".
"What?! What about the money I left you for the room?".
"I don't care about the money…"
"Well, I do! It was about 200$!", she exclaimed, straightening up in her chair.
"What? Why so much?!"
"I had no idea how much the room was, and you paid for all of my drinks that night and…"
"I do feel like a prostitute now", he said serious, but with amusement in his eyes.
"Oh my God! No!" she covered her mouth while her eyes conveyed absolute terror at the misunderstanding. "I explained everything on the note! I just wanted to help you out, after you were so kind to me and I would probably not be back by the time you arrived. My neighbor got locked out of her apartment and I had the spare key. She left the apartment to see her son out early in the morning and was wearing thin pijamas out in the cold, so I had to hurry. She was lucky she had her phone with her."
He could tell she was speaking the truth and not just trying to come up with an excuse for her rushed departure.
"Also… I…" Lucy continued in a low voice and looked down at her hands. "I didn't mean to be pushy or anything, b-but I wrote down my name and my phone number on that paper, so… you could… you know… call me, if you wanted". She was looking anywhere but at him and her cheeks had this lovely rosy color.
"Well… there was a fool in that room that night", she looked at him in shock. He continued, with a kind smile and rough voice. "Me. I was so afraid I scarred you and hurt you. I couldn't stop thinking about you and when I tried looking for you, I didn't find you… it was so frustrating", she gazed at him with a different gleam in her eyes
"The reason I was in that book store is because I got into the habit of wandering around it, because you mentioned you liked it. When I bumped into you, I was so happy. Oh God… I sound so mushy". With his other hand he covered his face.
She touched the hand on her cheek and leaned in it.
"I have conflicting feelings about it". Now it was his turn to look at her surprised.
"I'm glad you found me and guilty that it led to your being hurt". His heart squeezed at how adorable she was. His memories of her were nothing compared to the real deal.
"I-I also thought about looking for you… I just wanted to confirm you got the money, I didn't want to be pushy…", she said, embarrassed again with this confession, and letting go of his hands. "But I couldn't even find the hotel. That night… well… I wasn't paying attention to anything around me, except… well…". She stopped talking and looked down again with a blush on her cheek.
"Yeah?" Natsu taunted her in a husky voice, while approaching her face.
Lucy looked at him in the eyes and bit her lower lip. She remembered the intensity he held her gaze throughout that night and couldn't help but feel the shiver that ran down her body.
"Why don't you tell me more about what you were paying attention to on that night?", he said with his lips almost touching hers, now holding her face still.
"Well. I'm glad to see you are feeling really well, Fire Brain. I guess we were worried for nothing."
Natsu and Lucy jumped and looked to the source of the voice. A tall man, with black hair just entered the room, followed by Erza.
"Hi Lucy, how are you?" Erza greeted her with a smile.
"F-fine", Lucy whispered, looking down at her lap, burning with embarrassment at how they were caught.
"So, this is how it is, huh?", asked the tall man. "She is your girlfriend… You finally got the girl you've been looking for and talking about non-stop recently?"
"Shut up, you stupid stripper!" Natsu exclaimed, growing red in the face, as comments like this make him seem less cool than he wanted Lucy to think of him.
"Well, I am relieved you are clearly feeling better, Natsu", said Erza taking a chair close to his bed too.
"Clearly. I wonder if CPR is a good treatment for being knocked out for 3 days straight."
Lucy let out a little squeak of embarrassment at this comment, because she knew what it looked like when they walked in on them. Natsu looked at her with concern in his eyes, because he really didn't want to have her scared off, and took her hand again to give her a bit of strength and let her know they were in this together.
"This is Lucy Heartfilia, by the way. Yes, she is the woman I have been looking for and no, she is not my girlfriend yet." He said, in the same matter of fact tone as before, looking at Gray, and then continued talking to Lucy. "This is Gray Fullbuster, my stupid friend and colleague. He has a horrible habit of stripping out of the blue, so avoid him at all costs".
"That is rude… going shirtless is common in other countries, you know?", said Gray from his own chair.
"Then, by all means, move to those countries".
"Haha… It is nice to see how close you two are", said Lucy with a little chuckle, feeling a little better now. Natsu got a little mesmerized again at her laughing face, which did not go unnoticed by Erza and Gray.
"Ugh… we are not that close", Gray said with a little blush in his face. Lucy felt vindicated.
"Actually, they have been together since they were kids", added Erza."Gray was super worried about you, Natsu".
"Erza, don't say that!"
"It is the truth, though"
"Well, if flame brain over there is going down, I want to be the one bringing him down!"
"Ha! If you could!", said Natsu with a cocky smile.
"See what I mean? Like brothers." Erza had a smug expression, but Lucy could tell she was really glad Natsu was ok.
"Why do you call him that, Gray?" asked Lucy, who was really curious about the history between these three who seemed to be really close.
"Oh, when we were kids, he used to be a little arsonist".
"That is an exaggeration!" exclaimed Natsu, in indignation.
"Say that to the curtains you lit on fire at Gramps's house, then", answered Gray.
"But still… now I'm the one who fights the fire".
"Only because it is the only profession that lets you to, legally, be near flames".
"I'm still the best at the job, stripper, so deal with it".
"As if, fire dick!".
"That is enough you two", firmly interrupted Erza. "I let the little bit go on long enough, because I know you were worried about him, Gray, but Natsu should really not get too agitated. He only woke up yesterday".
"Tsc", said Gray, folding his arms and looking away from Natsu. His cold demeanor didn't hide the happy gleam in his eyes, probably because he could see, in person, his friend was ok.
"So, how are you feeling, Natsu?", asked Erza.
As Natsu talked to his friends and explained his condition, Lucy wondered if it would be better to give them a bit of privacy just for a while. She was still not acquainted or close to any of them yet, at least, and she didn't want to intrude too much. When she saw an opportunity to slip out, Lucy took it.
"I think I will go grab something to eat, would you like me to bring something for you two? I think I can bring something for you too, Natsu, but I will check with the nurses first", she said standing up, when there was a lull in their conversation.
Natsu looked at her a bit surprised, as he did not want her to leave.
"If you are hungry, i think we can have some food delivered here", he said with intensity in his eyes.
"Oh, I don't mind going out for a bit. I want to give you three a bit of privacy… but, don't worry, I will be back, because I want to know more about all of you". She said with a smile.
Natsu opened his mouth to say something to convince her to stay, when Erza interrupted.
"Oh, don't worry about us. We don't mind talking in front of you… I actually get the feeling that you will be part of this little group soon enough…", Lucy startled and blushed a bit at that.
"And Natsu will probably feel worse, if you leave", continued Gray. Lucy's blush got worse, as she said:
"Oh… Thank you. I didn't mean to make you guys say all that… but thank you". She said sitting down back and picking up her phone. She cleared her throat "You guys keep going, I will check the food delivery app for something for all of us. It will be my treat." She smiled.
"First thing you will learn is that their stomachs have no bottom, so be ready for a spectacle of food intake".
"It is not like you eat little, Erza. You are obsessed with sweets", Natsu said without thinking. Gray blanched.
"Are you crazy, man?", he asked in a rushed voice. Erza closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I will let this one slide, because you are in bed, but this is still Strike One. Two strikes, and I will make you pay for saying something like this. It is unseeming to comment on a lady's intake of food", said Erza in a deceptively calm voice. Lucy could feel the anger bubbling down the surface.
"What lady?", Gray mumbled, but unfortunately, Erza heard him.
Without missing a beat, Erza punched his face and he fell down. Lucy was shocked at her strength. Gray seemed pretty muscly and was taller than her, but even Lucy could tell she was able and had good technique.
"Hey, why didn't I get a strike one?", he said from the floor.
"Because you are not in bed, having been hospitalized after protecting a lady from a falling shelf".
"Wow, those are specific requirements to earn a strike."
"You bet", she said, helping him up. Lucy was again amazed by how close they all were. She guessed this is how it was with childhood friends, after all.
Lucy couldn't help a small part of her to feel a little envious of their circumstances, since she grew up pretty lonely. But fortunately, that didn't last long. She was now very happy with her own friends and chosen family and had nothing to complain about. She then laughed out loud at the situation, and how unexpected all of it was.
"You guys are way too funny to hang around", Lucy said, wiping a tear from her eyes.
"Well, I'm glad you are enjoying yourself", said Gray massaging his face, "Flame brain here will make sure you hang out with us all the time now". At that, Lucy blushed again.
While Natsu answered Gray, or told him to shut up again - she wasn't really sure, because she wasn't really listening - the blond let her mind wander and remembered the conversation she had with Natsu before his friends arrived. Apparently, he didn't find the envelope with the note and money… She wondered what happened with those. But most importantly now, it seems like he actually wanted to be with her.
She had to push down the rush of excitement coursing through her body at the prospect of maybe… possibly… hypothetically… eventually… being in a relationship… and with someone like Natsu, at that. She wanted to slap herself for sounding so much like a schoolgirl, but well, it was not her fault she didn't start dating before and this would be a first for her. Better enjoy it then regret it later, she decided. She also decided to not think too much about other firsts she experienced with him while in the company of others.
As they waited for their food, receiving confirmation that Natsu could eat something light from outside, they heard a knock on the door, and Dr. Porlyusica entered the room with papers in her hands.
"Good afternoon, good afternoon… I have your results back, Mr. Dragneel" She said, waving the papers in her hands.
"Oh, how are they, Dr?" Natsu asked. The laid back atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. Lucy unconsciously took Natsu's hand in hers. He gave it a light squeeze.
"Your injuries are nothing serious, fortunately. Even so, a head injury is always concerning and the patient needs to be observed for a while longer. Not only that, you were pierced in the stomach and it injured your intestine, so you will need to be resting for at least one more month". She looked at them all, with their wide eyes and concerned expressions and gave them a kind smile.
"You can relax", she said to the group, "everything indicates that Mr. Dragneel will recover well, with zero to minimum complications, as long as he follows the diet I will recommend and stay in bed for at least 30 days, in absolute repose".
"Thank god", Lucy said lowering her head on relief and squeezing Natsu's hand".
"You gotta rest, Natsu. Don't worry about work, we can cover for you", said Gray gravely.
"Yes, only think about your health now, Natsu", Erza chimed in. "But, doctor, when you say 'absolute repose', what does this mean? He can't take a walk or cook for himself?"
"Indeed. Mr Dragneel will need to stay in bed, except for bathroom breaks. It would not do well to stand up for long periods of time, so cooking is not advised and showers need to be fast. You need to give your body time to heal." Dr. Porlyusica noticed how Erza and Gray looked at each other and Natsu looked down, so she continued on a more positive note. "I will keep you under observation for one more day, Mr. Dragneel, just to make sure your head injury is indeed okay, as your exams showed me. So, it is likely that by this time tomorrow, you will be headed home. Now, excuse me". She left the room and silence reigned for a little while.
Lucy shifted in her chair a bit uncomfortable because of the awkward silence she could not really understand. So she decided to break it:
"Hey, that was good news, right? You will likely leave here tomorrow and there was no permanent injury to your body. Just make sure to follow the doctors orders!", she said looking him in the eyes and shaking his hand in an attempt to cheer him up.
"Yeah….", Natsu gave a small smile and avoided her gaze. Lucy was confused by this reaction and thought about asking him, but maybe it would be better if she breached the subject when they were alone. Before she could decide on an approach, there was a loud noise.
"You gotta take care of him!", Gray yelled at Erza standing up so fast that his chair fell down, causing the noise.
"Gray, control yourself, we will find a solution. We can take turns…", Erza said unperturbed.
"I knew you were going to say this… But I don't want to live in this guy's pigsty ever again. College was enough…"
"I would never ask for the help of a stripper", Natsu suddenly bursted, shocking Lucy, who was just watching the interaction between Erza and Gray and trying to grasp what was going on. "I don't want to live with you again and be cold ALL the time, because you need the A/C at full blast constantly… I would go bankrupt"
"Calm down, Natsu, you have to rest, didn't you listen to the doctor?", Erza said, firmly. "I will see what we can do to help you during this month of bed rest… there should be a solution that would not be too tiring for anyone, including you. I'm sure Jellal will be happy to help too"
"But I don't want to be a burden to my family, Erza. You and Jellal just moved in, you are preparing for the wedding… and the Ice Princess here will already take most of my load at work… I don't want to impose more on you both, I will figure something out…"
"Don't be absurd! We are family, Natsu - you are not imposing. And you would do the same for all of us…"
"Humpf…" Gray mumbled, as a way to agree. He was not looking at them, but his face was more worried than angry.
Lucy started to understand that this was all their reaction to their own worries about Natsu. And Natsu's concern to be an imposition to his friends. Yes, the doctor's news was not bad, but the need for bed rest was a little troubling. Well, Lucy decided she would step in with her own solution.
"Well… I may be of help", at that, all eyes turned to her and Lucy felt a bit intimidated.
"What do you mean, Lucy?", Natsu asked. She cleared her throat before continuing, but she was interrupted by the arrival of their food.
"Let me get that", she quickly stood up to grab the parcels and share between them all. Gray went outside to get napkins, as the restaurant sent them plastic cutlery and they were going to eat off of the containers.
"So... as I was saying...", she continued after they started to eat, "at the moment, I'm just working on my piece about psychopaths. I won't need to go to the office for the next month - maybe just for short periods of time, if at all. I had already planned to work from home anyways. I can stay with Natsu and help him with food, chores, make him company… it would not be an imposition, because it is not a big deviation from my original plan for the month.
"There you go. Lucy, a life saver!", said Gray with relief.
"Are you sure, Lucy?", Erza asked. "If you are certain, we will also help you out. We are Natsu's family, after all".
"Lucy", Natsu said, in a serious tone that she has not heard from him before. She looked at him with a little surprise. "Are you doing this because you are feeling guilty because of that stupid accident?"
Natsu could see in her brown eyes that he was close to the truth, but there were more emotions there that he could not quite identify, but he really needed to.
"N-no… not really." She lowered her eyes, to avoid his intense gaze. "I-it is just th…"
"Wait, Lucy. I think this is something you and Natsu should talk about in private. Gray and I will leave you alone for a moment", Erza interrupted her, as she stood up and pulled Gray behind her to exit the room.
"E-erza… I wanna hear th..", complained Gray, stumbling on his feet. His voice was cut short by the door slamming at his back
"O-oh… okay", said Lucy, with wide eyes at their hasty departure. She cleared her throat to continue. "Hem… Not really", she answered looking him in his eyes, as she figured she would need to show him her determination. "Yes, I still feel a bit responsible for your injury, but I accept what you told me before about it being an accident and no one being at fault here…" she paused, as he nodded furiously. "w-well… I'm still working on accepting that, at least… hehe". Natsu thought she looked adorable, so he again touched her cheek in that familiar way he had been doing since waking up in the hospital.
"Well, let me know if I can help you with that...", he caressed her flushed cheek again, and stared right into her eyes. Lucy felt like he was looking down her soul, just like at every moment since they met. "I would have done it again, if given the choice", he continued with passion in his voice. "Not only because my job is to help people, or even because I would normally act this way instinctively towards others, but because it was you… I knew you… and I wanted to keep you safe - I have no regrets". She was touched by these words and without even thinking about it, she turned her face to place a kiss on the palm that was at her cheek.
"Thank you. But this is not all", she continued, with a smile at him. He looked back at her eyes, as he was staring at her lips and remembering their softness. "I… I-it's also retribution for everything you have done for me, since we met. You have been kind, and caring and… well… meeting you made me really happy, so it is not surprising for me to want to do something for you, is it?", she had a gleam in her eyes that just confirmed his resolve to always protect her, he was gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb, and she held his wrist with both hands. "Also, it all lines up. I have to work from home anyways, I'm a good cook - haha… at least, I like my own food -, I'm tidy… why not?"
"Perfect!", Gray exclaimed, barging back in the room. Natsu and Lucy jumped in surprise. "We will support you, Lucy!"
"Weren't you going to give us some privacy?!", Natsu asked, a little mad that his little moment with Lucy was interrupted.
"As if you wouldn't tell me everything as soon as she left, Fire Brains".
"I would not", said an indignated Natsu.
"Oh, of course you wouldn't", Gray's voice dripped with irony.
"I'm sorry, Natsu and Lucy. I couldn't hold him back", said Erza who entered behind Gray.
"You were listening at the door, just like me!", Gray exclaimed, and Erza punched him in the head.
"Shut up, you!", she continued looking at Lucy, who was now sitting a bit farther from Natsu. "If you can do this, Lucy, we would be very grateful. We would help you, of course, with grocery shopping, rides, sharing the load with chores, cooking… but it would be really nice to have someone there with him at all times. And I have a feeling he will not disobey you if you tell him to stay in bed…"
"Not to mention, he will want to behave in front of you too", said Gray sitting down in a chair.
"Of course! I will be happy to do it, if Natsu accepts me. And what is more… I do have a car!"
"Oh, really? I didn't know you did. Did you drive here?", Natsu asked her.
"No, a work colleague of mine dropped me off".
"And will she pick you up in the evening?", asked Erza.
"Oh, it is a man. Hibiki is his name… and yeah… I think he will pick me up later. He already sent me a message about it", she said in a nonchalant tone, unaware of her companion's shocked expressions. Natsu, particularly, had a very dark look in his eyes.
"Lucy… are you sure it is ok?", asked Gray, looking at Natsu from the corner of his eyes.
"I think so. Hibiki is a good friend, you see… We started working at the office roughly at the same time, and we often have breakfast together. Today was the day, so he drove me here instead of the office. He knows it is my favorite meal, so at least once or twice a month, he picks me up to have breakfast together, then we go to the office together and he gives me a ride back home after work. He always pesters me about giving me a ride everyday…", Lucy explained, chuckling at how silly her friend could be.
"Does he live close to you?", asked Erza, also eyeing Natsu from the corner of her eyes.
"Hum… not really… it is not in a different direction, but he told me there is a slight detour. That is why I insisted that I don't need him to drive me everyday. So, since he also likes breakfast, we compromised on that".
"it seems to me that he likes more than just 'breakfast'…", said Gray. Natsu wholeheartedly agreed.
"haha… what do you mean? You think he likes driving?" asked Lucy oblivious at what Gray hinted at. Lucy suddenly realized that the three of them were looking at her with a weird expression in their faces. "What? Is there something in my face?", the blond touched her face, in worry. She stood up to clear up the food containers, as they were done eating, and throw things in the trash.
Natsu, Gray and Erza felt a little sweat drop on their foreheads… apparently Lucy was very unaware of when someone was hitting on her. Natsu found it surprising, as she was a sharp woman, but she clearly only saw this guy as a friend. He decided to step in, finally, as grateful as he was to his friends' interference.
"Lucy… I think this guy has a crush on you".
"What?", she widened her eyes in surprise, looking at him over her shoulder. Then, the blond burst out laughing. "Hahaha… that is so funny! He has every girl in the office pining for him, and I always treated him like an older brother… Why would he go for me? Hahahaha! Hilarious".
The other three looked at each other in surprise for how oblivious Lucy could be. Natsu started to understand why she was so inexperienced when they met.
"Uhh… okay." said Natsu. "But, just pay attention to what he does to you, all right?".
"Ha… ha….", Lucy was still trying to catch her breath, as she took her seat back. "all right… if the three of you seem so certain about it, I may have missed something…" She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and tried to calm down with deep breaths "Now… I think Cana mentioned something about this too…", Natsu raised his eyebrows at that. "Yeah… now I remember… She said she also thought he was into me, but I thought she was exaggerating... She thinks because I grew up so sheltered, I know nothing about men..."
"Ahhh… so… at the bar…", said Natsu remembering that night again and Lucy's mirth quickly vanished.
"Argh… don't say anything. That was really embarrassing…", Lucy stood up and shook her hands in front of him to shut him up, Natsu just laughed and held her hands.
"So, was that a good sign for me?", he held her hands and pulled her towards him. Lucy almost fell on the bed, but he helped her stand on her feet. She glanced at Gray and Erza who had smiles on their faces, and blushed.
"I will not answer that", she avoided the gazes of everyone and tried to pull her hands free.
"Tell me", Natsu held her hands in front of his face. Gray and Erza were laughing now.
"No", Lucy struggled more to release her hands.
"if you tell me, I'll let you go". Lucy looked at him finally and felt her heart skip a beat with the boyish smile he had on his face. Avoiding his gaze again, she nodded. Natsu kissed her hand and guided her back to her chair. Lucy covered her blazing face as soon as he let go of her hands.
"I will really have to thank her then, when we meet", he said with a chuckle. Lucy shook her head, remembering that he said the same words to her when they first kissed.
"Natsu, stop embarrassing your girlfriend", said Erza.
"No, she is not his girlfriend yet, Erza, didn't you hear him before?", Gray chimed in with laughter in his eyes. "By the way, remember, Fire Dick, when you are in bed arrest - no boom boom for you two". Even Erza laughed at that.
"Shut up, stripper." Then Natsu turned to Lucy, who was now divided between mortification and laughter. "I'm sorry, Lucy… I didn't want to take it this far", he said touching her arm.
She raised her head, still blushing, but with a smile. "It is okay. Let's just change the subject, please!"
"On it, Lucy.", agreed Erza, all business like again. "So, you are okay with staying with Natsu?"
"Yes. I will drive here tomorrow and pick him up. I will also bring some clothes and my work stuff". Lucy was happy about the change of subject. At least, until Gray interjected.
"Also, tell this Hibiki guy that you don't need him to pick you up. Erza and I will drive you home". Said Gray. He knew it would make Natsu happy, and he was still his bro.
"Oh… are you sure? I don't want to be a bother", said Lucy worried.
"Not at all, we insist, Lucy", added Erza, who knew why Gray was doing that.
"All right then, I will message him". She said picking up the phone.
Natsu felt a bit of relief. He knew jealousy was an ugly emotion and that, if she were to be in a relationship with this guy, she would be already. Not to mention she didn't seem like she saw him in a romantic light at all. But it was uncomfortable to know the girl you liked was spending time with a guy that liked her, even if she were completely oblivious to it. He would have to work on this possessive side to not smother Lucy.
"Done", said Lucy, with a final note in her voice.
"Excellent. I think we should go now and give Natsu some more time to rest", said Erza.
"Yes, and I will organize my things to pick Natsu up tomorrow and stay with him for a month".
"Good luck with that…" mumbled Gray.
"I heard that!", Natsu exclaimed.
"I didn't whisper, did I, Fire Brain?"
"Stop that, you two. I know you are happy your friend is leaving the hospital soon, but no need to agitate him now".
"You say that as if we were children, Erza", whined Gray, sounding very much like a child.
"Are you not?" Erza laughed as Natsu and Gray made a similar pout.
"Natsu, if the doctor stops by again, make sure to take note of the dietary restrictions, or ask her to tell me tomorrow, whatever you think is best", Lucy added, after putting her coat on and grabbing her purse.
"Sure", he said, extending his hand for her to hold, and she did. "Get home safely, Miss Heartfilia. Let me know when you do, ok?", he kissed her hand.
"I will." She smiled at him, "now, have a nice rest, Mr. Dragneel! Do you think the nurses will come to help you take a shower? Don't you think you might feel better this way?", she asked, looking around, as if the nurses were going to enter the room any moment now.
"I will ask", he said, now holding both of her hands, for her to stop moving so much and look at him. "Thank you for offering to take care of me", he said in a low voice, only for her to hear. Gray and Erza were outside, this time really trying to give them some privacy.
"Well", she started, blushing again, "it is only because it is you". She commended her own bravery for looking him in the eyes as she said it.
"You have no idea how that makes me happy", his genuine smile was proof enough of these words. He kissed her hands again.
"See you tomorrow".
"See you", he released her hands and she left the room, looking back one last time for a final wave, in time to see him waving at her. Lucy had a goofy smile on her face.
"Sheesh… smitten", said Gray who witnessed this last farewell.
"Totally smitten", Erza agreed with him. She saw Lucy covering her cheeks, which were, again, red. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, Lucy. Gray and I are also very much in love with our partners…"
"W-what? T-that is nice for you… b-but there is nothing going on between Natsu and I", stuttered Lucy.
"Sure there isn't", said Gray with his arms crossed behind his head. Lucy just blushed harder and Erza laughed.
After that, they left her at home without further embarrassing comments and Lucy packed her things for the next few weeks. Without even realizing it, she made sure to pack her best home outfits and underwear. Once she did realize what she was doing, she just slumped on the floor, among her clothes, to laugh at her own puerility and confirmed that she was, indeed, just like a school girl.
...
A/N: I know where I want to go from here, but I haven't written anything yet. Let me know if you like it, so I can incorporate your ideas to the continuation of the story. Tks!