Chapter 8
Attending a group of independent artist exhibit, Natsu came along with his artist scouts as he trains the new recruiters. Unexpectedly, as Natsu stands before an unnoticed art, another person stands next to him. In his peripheral view, it was a woman with a blonde hair, and with that thought, Natsu couldn't resist checking if the person next to him was someone he has been thinking about. To his surprise, it was indeed the woman he has been thinking about ever since he discovered that the woman he met at the bar was the same person he met at the Gallery of Levy McGarden.
With her in his sight, Natsu suddenly felt scared that the woman would begin to run away if he got noticed. Taking a step away from the frame, Natsu debated in his head whether to take the chance or not, but he realized to himself that this could be the last straw before he will be able to see her again. So acting up to his courage, he cleared his throat and tried to start a conversation, "What do you think of the painting?" nervously waiting for the response of the woman, Natsu kept his breath to himself as he stares back at the painting, pretending that he hasn't noticed who she was.
After hearing a question, Lucy felt happy knowing that there was someone who was interested in the painting the same way as she does. So glancing at the person next to her, she made sure that she had her most sincere and happiest smile. But as soon as she was able to decipher the face of the person, her heart suddenly froze for a second. Without knowing, her smile falters as she just stared surprised at the man next to her, "It's him…It's Natsu" Lucy thought to herself as her gaze unwaveringly stayed with Natsu's face. When Natsu turned his gaze to her, Lucy felt her heart to race even faster knowing that the same intense gaze was on her, "Y-you…" she stutteringly remarks as she watches the face of Natsu to break into a smile
"We meet again…" Natsu said to Lucy, making the blonde woman blush. As Lucy hears Natsu's response, Lucy realized that he remembers her and she suddenly felt nervous thinking from what time he remembers her, from Levy's gallery or the bar.
As Natsu intently observed the woman's face, he learned that her face has changed a few times ever since they made eye contact. Her face, at first, was smiling then turned into a pure surprise. When he said that they met again, her face began to change again, from surprise to blushing to nervousness. And with that look, Natsu got scared that the woman might run away, so he tried to think of a way to stop her nervousness, "Please don't run away!" Natsu frantically said as he waves his hand in front of him.
Unexpectedly, Lucy began to giggle as she looked at the panicking man. Hearing her sweet laughter, Natsu couldn't help but chuckle along with her. When the two was no longer laughing and just had smiles on their faces, Natsu stood up straight and started his small conversation, "So…I finally saw you again" Natsu said as he genuinely smiles at the woman.
Hesitant to respond back, Lucy just stared for a moment at Natsu. But soon she decided to be friendly to the man, "Yes," Lucy then smiled, "yes we finally met again"
"It was nice meeting you for the third time" Natsu replies without being aware of what he said.
Taken aback with Natsu's reply, Lucy suddenly turned stiff as she thought to herself, "Did he discover that I was the woman he met at the bar as well? Lucy…play it cool"
"Do you perhaps know how to count? I think this is just the second time…" Lucy teasingly said back as she tried to appear confident with her words
"I don't think so…If I remember correct, I saw you wearing a black apple cut wig, with your friend who wore a purple wig" Natsu then wickedly grins at the woman but soon he regretted it when he saw her become tense and it terrified him that she'd run away.
And as he expected he keenly watched the woman step further away from him as if she was afraid that she was caught red-handed. As Lucy felt nervous, thinking that her disguise from that night has been blown, she unconsciously stepped away from the man. And as she did, her heels was suddenly caught at her gown, making her slip, "Ahhh!" Lucy yelped in fear that she was going to hit the floor and as she waited for the impact to hit her, a warm and strong arm suddenly enveloped.
When Natsu saw how the woman slipped due to her gown, Natsu quickly stepped forward and tried to catch the woman. As the woman was close enough to the floor, Natsu finally reached her and quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted her close to him. As he caught her, he cradled the woman close to his chest, with one arm around her waist and the other crosses her back until his hand rested on the woman's head.
When Lucy felt like she was caught, she cracked open an eye and suddenly met a bow tie. Then it hits her, Natsu caught her just in time. When she looked up, she met the worried eyes of the Dragneel President. Swallowing her nervousness, she felt like melting in his gaze because it was just too much for her. Without noticing, the two has been in the position of dipping for almost a minute already and they were just too caught up with their staring contest.
Without knowing, their breaths were already fanning each other's face and that didn't seem to snap the two out of their daze. As Lucy tries to look away from his gaze, she couldn't look away too long because she felt like she wanted to get lost in his gaze and so she always would look back to his eyes. Even without words, this seemed to be the same case for Natsu. He was just staring and was like studying her face and with that thought Lucy couldn't help but blush. Having this too much feeling, she feels like her heart is about to burst, and so she clears her throat making the man somehow snap out.
Soon enough, Natsu began to stand Lucy slowly but then his arm was still securely around her waist, keeping their distance close. And this fact goes unnoticed by the blonde. As Lucy just gazes at Natsu's onyx eyes, she suddenly felt conscious if the man was actually feeling her rapid heartbeat because she feels her heart is about to pop out of her chest, the longer they stayed eye-to-eye.
"Are you alright?" Natsu huskily and softly whispers making her shiver in thrill
"Huh?" Lucy hazily replies as she lost herself in his voice and eyes but when she saw the forming smile of the man she suddenly snaps out of her trance and clears her throat to answer once again, "I mean yes…Thank you"
Fully smiling at the blonde, Natsu unconsciously tightens his grasp around the blonde's waist, "Good…but next time, be careful…because I can't catch you all the time, I'm not always around you"
Hearing his reply, Lucy suddenly felt her fist tighten. When she looked down to her hands that is the only time she realized that she was clenching her fist to the man's suit. So instantly, she let goes of the suit and shortly smoothen out the wrinkles she made to the suit before she stepped one foot backward, "Right of course…I'm just clumsy at times. But thank you"
Before Natsu could reply back, a group of young adults suddenly called the man's name making the young president look back and acknowledge the presence of the people. As he turned around to talk to them, Lucy made another step backward and turn to look at the painting they were staring at moments ago. As she unfocused stared at the painting, her ears were enhanced as she secretly listened to the conversation.
"Mr. Dragneel, we've seen different artworks already and they are incredible" the young woman stated happily
"Yes Mr. Dragneel but I think we have a problem," the young man said
"What's the problem Hayto?" Natsu asked concernedly
"Magnolia Art Institution is here too and it looks like we're competing for a recruit" the man named Hayto replied back. Lucy, who was secretly listening suddenly tensed up when she heard the company she was working in
"Don't worry, we are having a collaboration with the MAI. Take it easy" Natsu replies with full confidence in his voice and somehow, Lucy smiled in gratefulness.
"But sir, isn't MAI our rival company?" the woman asked fiercely
"Naiiya, they are still our rival company but for now, let's put the fire down. Okay?"
Listening to his words, Lucy suddenly realized that there was no point in making friends with the man because he'll just see her as a competition. So as her smile fades away, she decided to slip away from the place. Stepping away from her spot she carried her gown and walked away. But before she could slip out, she was not able to walk away too far when a hand suddenly grasps her hand. It was a familiar hand, a hand she has once said out loud before, a warm hand that brought comfort to her. So abruptly looking back, she saw Natsu was holding her hand to stop her from walking away.
"Where are you going?" Natsu asked with worry in his voice, and Lucy couldn't figure out why he was acting like that. As Lucy raised a brow at the man, she just stared at the man and studied his face
"I know I'm handsome but do you mind answering my question?" Natsu cheerfully remarks when he noticed that the woman was just studying his face
Hearing his comment, Lucy couldn't help but chortle, "You? handsome?"
"What? I am handsome…" Natsu then steps closer as he kept his hold on the woman's hand
"Who said so?" Lucy asks back as her smile widens to the man
"Your eyes did…" Natsu and Lucy began to stare once again and this time, Natsu saw the blonde blush for the second time
Feeling her heart to leap once again, Lucy immediately clears her throat as she looks away from the man. But, even if she knew that Natsu was holding her hand, she didn't make an effort to pull away, because she enjoyed the warmth that was running in her body.
"So, do you mind telling me where you are going? Or are you planning to run away from me again?" Natsu softly squeezes the hand of the woman, making her glance at him for the nth time
"I just want to roam around the place and I think you are at work…" Lucy then softly smiles at the man who suddenly turned sad after what she said, "I better get going…but it was nice seeing you again"
"Wait"
Lucy suddenly stops in her attempt to pull away before slowly turning to look at the man fully. But unexpectedly, Natsu suddenly steps forward and towers over her. With their short distance, Lucy began to blush once again. And the fact that Natsu held her hand even tighter as if to assure him he was not dreaming, Lucy flushed even more
"I know, you know my name…" Natsu then looks up at the tantalizing brown orbs, "But I'll just introduce my name again just to make sure that you'll remember me…"
"I know your name…You're Natsu, Natsu Dragneel" Lucy shyly smiles at the man when she saw the sudden twinkle in his eyes, "I never forgot your name"
"Good…" Natsu then looks down as he tries to hide his bashful face, which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. When Natsu felt the blonde squeeze back, he abruptly looks up and stared for a second, "Please, let me know your name…"
Taken aback with Natsu's request, Lucy couldn't help but think that Natsu may have been overly bothered by the idea that he didn't know her name. "Why should I tell you my name?" Lucy asked as she eyed the man
"So that I could name the woman who has been clouding my mind ever since the first meeting…"
Lucy was suddenly left speechless and she couldn't explain why she felt like happy knowing that the man has been thinking of her ever since. Feeling a little playful, she smirks triumphantly at the man, "Someday…someday, you'll know my name"
"Why not now?" Natsu gave another soft squeeze to her hand
"I don't think it's a perfect time yet…" Lucy kept her eyes to the man when suddenly her gaze drifted to his thin lips but she quickly looked up back to his eyes when she felt her cheeks to warm up again
"Do you plan to stay in my mind longer than you should?" Natsu questioned curiously before looking down at the plumped lips of the blonde and watched it open to talk
"Does it bother you? Am I bothering you?" Lucy unconsciously bites her lower lip in anticipation. And this Natsu noticed so he looked back to her eyes and answered
"Yes" Natsu sternly replies and he receives the anticipated reaction of the blonde, she loses her smile as if she was hurt
"Then forget me" Lucy was about to pull away when she suddenly stopped because of Natsu's reply
"But I can't…"
"What?" Lucy widens her eyes at the man
"I can't forget you no matter what I do…"
"A-and why not?" Lucy asked back curiously
"B-because…" Natsu trails off as he looks away from the blonde when he felt his cheeks to flare up
When Lucy noticed that his face was turning red, she suddenly realized that she indeed has been affecting the man without trying. So she decided to play even more, because she somehow loved how he is reacting to her, "How about this…" Natsu gradually looked back at the woman, "When you find the reason why you can't forget me, maybe I will tell you my name. But until then, just remember me as the mysterious woman"
"No," Natsu then shakes his head in disagreement making Lucy raise a brow, "you are the woman in the art gallery"
Shortly chuckling at the name Natsu gave her, she then nodded in agreement as she repeated the name, "Than I am the woman in the art gallery"
And soon Lucy walks away from Natsu, pulling her hand away from the grasp of the man who somehow captured her heart without trying. As she disappeared behind different artworks, she leaned against a wall and sighed tiredly. She wouldn't admit it but she still feels her heart to beat rapidly and somehow felt sad when she no longer felt the warmth of his hand. Lucy then stares at the hand that Natsu held for so long, until she places that hand close to her heart, "What are you doing to me, Dragneel?"
When the woman disappeared from Natsu's sight, he just stared away at the place and watched other people roam around the exhibit. Smiling to himself, he was happy to have more than a minute interaction with the woman. "I knew it was right to talk to her…who would have thought that I could talk to her for more than a minute and hold her hand…" Natsu thought to himself before he brought his hand up and stared at the hand he used to hold and squeeze the hand of the blonde.
When he felt a new determination in his chest, he grinned motivated as he mumbles to himself, "One day, I'll know your name. But until then, I'll let you roam around my head with the name Woman in the art gallery"
To be continued…
Hey readers!
-Sorry if it took me so long to update my stories...
-I'm quite busy making summarized chapters for all my stories and UPCOMING new stories
-I made this chapter pure NaLu scene...so how did you find the fluff? was it fluffy enough or was it a bleh?
-REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW...do whatever you want
ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU, MINA!
Love,
FairyTailxNaLu