AN:

Hello guys, I have been feeling better aside from the lovely cough I'm still sporting. On the bright side though I managed to polish off the new chapter faster than expected! I hope you guys enjoy ta ta for now!

^..^

"Lucy, are you sure?" her bodyguard questioned his eyes looking at the spiky pink haired young man suspiciously as Natsu's eyes roamed.

Lucy smiled slightly and nodded, "Yeah, he's a really good friend of mine don't worry." She assured him.

The man's eyes looked towards her and softened in acknowledgment, "Alright, if he gives you any trouble make sure to call." He told her. Still slightly suspicious of the guy that Lucy had brought home with her.

She chuckled reaching her arms out and pulling the man into a quick spacious hug, "I will Conrad, thank you for walking me home!" She promised as she released him.

He flashed her a small smile before turning to face the young man who was standing in the middle of the hallway soaked and looking around the empty place curiously. "Hey you," he started rudely a piercing glare shooting his way, "you better not hurt our girl. If you do, I'll be back to kick your ass got it?"

Lucy sweatdropped, "Conrad,"

Conrad reached his hands into his pants pocket pulling out a carton of cigarettes in one hand and lighter within another, with a slight tilt of the box a few sticks slid out at different lengths, grabbing the one out the furthest with his lips, he put away the nearly empty pack, next he flicked open the lighters top lighting the opposing end of the cigarette, "And don't think for a minute," he paused but only to take a hit on the cigarette only speaking again after expelling a cloud of smoke from his lungs, "that I'll take it easy on you just cause you're her friend." He finished flicking the lighters top closed before pocketing the lighter into his pocket. Conrad gave Lucy a slight smile and a small wave before heading out after saying his peace.

Lucy closed the door and locked it, leading Natsu inside, his mind in flustered turmoil about the man that'd just left. "Sorry," Lucy started snapping him out of his deep uncharted thoughts. Natsu's eyes wandered wide with shock, "I just got the place so it's a bit empty." She admits heading for the sleeping bags Kylie had bought while she was out so they could have so she had a temporary place to sleep and for future sleepovers at her home.

Natsu looked abought curiously his hair dripping like crazy, jumping slightly when she held out a towel towards him from one of the many shopping bags that were laying around, Natsu thanked her grabbing it from her loosely drying off his hair and face. As Natsu nearly finishes Lucy yelps, "Stop that!" she shouted at Happy who was currently clawing at her walls. He listened to her but stared at her with a strange look as he steadily crept up on her, "Uh Natsu why is he looking at me like…" Lucy blinked when Happy jumped at her latching onto her with both of his front paws and smashed his face against her leg, the plastic cone around his neck keeping him from nipping at her.

Natsu growled, "Happy!" he roared getting the kits attention instantly. Happy stood in front of his master with a pleading stare that he usually held when a fish was nearby. Natsu knelt in front of him to him poking his nose with his finger, "No biting!" he scolded watching as the blue-furred kit pouted at his words, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over him usually he's really good with everybody." He apologized with a frown.

Lucy held up her arms and waved her hands from side to side shaking her head slightly, "Don't worry about it, just make sure he doesn't go scratching the walls." She told him.

The room grew awkward and silent for a long minute before, "So you and mister suit been together long?" he probed as he dropped the towel over Happy and proceeded to dry the small furball off.

Lucy knelt down laying out her sleeping bag across the floor, "I just met him tonight actually." She informed him as she stood up to look through the bags for the pillows they'd gotten.

The blonde missing the strange face Natsu made when she spoke, "Really?" he mumbled so low she wondered if he meant for her to even hear it. Natsu started going around and drying out the water puddles he'd caused to pool on her floor once he finished with Happy, "So you're not at all attracted to him?" it had slipped out before he could even stop himself…

Now it was Lucy's turn to shoot him a funny look, "What? Conrad?" she asked bewildered by the question in of itself. Her face slightly flustered, 'Wait, does he think…' she wondered with a deadpanned expression. After a long moment of silence, Natsu's face reddened and he turned away from her with a slight nod, 'He does!' Lucy brain screeched in a panic. Lucy's arms waved around nervously her face a bright shade of red, "What, No-No-No-No-No Conrad I would never!" she tried to reassure. Wait… what am I trying to reassure?

Natsu looked hopeful at her reaction and sighed in relief, 'Good…' he thought. Wait, why good? His mind flashing back to his uncle and his words. Natsu tilted his head down trying to hide the raging blush growing behind his bangs, 'There's no way! It's not possible!' he denied. Playing with the bangs in the middle of his face he pulled at a few strands between his fingers, "S-So, have you been out of town or something?" he interrogated absentmindedly, 'The hell am I saying?!' he scolded himself.

Lucy blinked allowing her hands to drop back down to her sides, "No." she answered quickly and to the point. Not that she had another answer after all this was the only town she'd ever been in and this was the only time she'd ever explored passed Natsu's home.

Natsu stepped forward going to the wall just behind Lucy, sitting down with his back to the wall, beside him he lightly tapped the floor with his hand, Happy darted over sitting beside him and Lucy took a seat beside Happy despite the weird stares the small animal gave her, "You never came to visit after that day." Natsu reminded. That's when Natsu remembered all those times where he felt paranoid, "Or-Or did you?" he questioned.

Lucy looked away, her face undeniably turning redder at the question, "You were asleep most of the time." She confessed without looking at him.

Natsu scratched at his cheek nervously remembering all the times he'd thought he'd seen her, his mind reverting back to the most recent being the kiss and nude scene of her running off into the woods. Natsu's mind exploded, 'Oh my god, that was her! I saw her naked!' he thought his hand slapping over his face he could practically feel the steam rolling off his cheeks. Natsu blinked the image from his mind, 'Focus!' he told himself.

Natsu frowned, "Why didn't you ever say anything? I-I…" his face reddened a bit more, "I was waiting for you!" his voice becoming louder as he steadily became upset. He'd been wanting to see her all these years. He'd waited for her and waited for her with no sign of return. It'd gotten so bad that he and another friend in similar situations decided to try to be together as a means of comforting each other in their loneliness only for it to later blow up in their faces! Natsu's free hand gripped at his wet cargo pants at the knee, "I-I've wanted to see you again for so long."

Lucy's expression softened, "Sorry," she began as she leaned herself over to him giving him a light hug. What could she say? She couldn't tell him… If she did would he want to see her again? She wasn't like him… She wasn't… human. Natsu felt his head getting wet again and it took him a moment before he realized she was crying, "I've wanted to see you too." She answered honestly.

~oooOOOooo~

Natsu woke up with a start, slowly cracking his eyes open, his dark orbs shifted around, 'So… that really wasn't a dream.' He concluded as he rolled over coming face to face with Lucy herself. She was still fast asleep, snuggled up into her sleeping bag that'd been placed a short way beside his, Happy had himself neatly tucked between them acting as a barrier. Turning on his side he stared at her, 'She looks so peaceful.' He thought. His hand by his side twitched as she rolled from her stomach to her back, her long blonde hair carelessly draped over her face obstructing his view, reluctantly he reached over gently tucking the hair back behind her ear.

Natsu blushed when he found himself eyeing her slightly parted lips a moment or two longer then he should have. He turned even redder as he realized he'd been leaning in to steal a taste of them. Natsu jolted back towards his sleeping bag, a hand resting over his mouth as his lips still tingled with an intense yearning, 'What in the hell am I doing?!'

Natsu stood up from his bag his exposed bare feet tapping softly against the hardwood floor, he stopped finding his clothes from last night sitting neatly folded on the kitchen's countertop, 'Did she stay up to do my clothes for me?' he thought. Picking them up he ran his thumbs over the fabric, deciding to change back into his clothes and out of the set that Conrad guy had brought him last night. It didn't take him long to find the restroom for some much-needed privacy as he changed. Once his clothes were on, he couldn't help but pull up the collar of his shirt taking in a whiff of them, he smelled Downy laundry detergent and gave off the faintest scent of her.

Natsu stepped out of the backroom relieved to be back in his own clothes, his eyes landed on the counter where the keys to the apartment laid beside a small bottle of Downy laundry soap, moments later he reached out pulling them off the counter with a soft scrape before turning to the front door. He locked it, walking out and down the long hallway with the small container of Downy under his arm.