A/N: Oh man. It's been a whole year since I last updated. Gee a lot has happened since then, huh? My birthday, some work stuff and then the virus happened. Really put a damper on everything. But I am finally continuing with the updates now that the virus has slowed down in my city. That being said, I do hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Also, I will be posting a new NaLu story if you want to check it out! It's called "One For The Money" and it's a fic based around music!

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this latest update!


Lucy's POV

Natsu had been living with me for two weeks now, and needless to say, it was as awkward as expected. After our kiss on his first day here, a heavy air was constantly drifting between us. However, we were still managing to have a good time. We would stay up late watching movies, talking about our past, play video games, go on walks and cook all kinds of spicy food. There wasn't any kind of dish that I could make that Natsu wouldn't immediately dump hot sauce all over. It was refreshing to see that underneath his rough façade that he still retained a bit of his childlike sense of wonder.

Despite all these good times, I still hadn't told him about Lisanna's threat last week. He has already been tortured by his past with Lisanna enough, and I didn't want to make it worse. I knew that I had to tell him however, so I had decided to tell him during dinner tonight.

"Hey, is there some extra soap somewhere?" I turned to see Natsu walk in the room. My cheeks immediately heated as I saw he was stripped naked, a simple towel wrapped around his waist. His pink hair dripped a few droplets of water, and I had the hardest time tearing my eyes away from the muscles that composed his figure.

"Y-yes! There are some extra bars in the cabinet underneath the sink," I replied, trying to control the blush in cheeks.

"Thanks," Natsu gave me a small smile before exiting the room. I breathed a sigh of relief as he left.

"Get a grip, Lucy. You're more nervous than a whore in church," I whispered to myself, shaking my head. I sighed as I felt the heat in my cheeks subside.

"What is going on with me?" I walked over to the mirror, staring at my reflection for a moment. The woman before me was almost unrecognizable. The powerful, independent woman that stood with her head high, the woman that told herself she was going to be the best cop on the force, seemed light years away. I felt good about my choice to leave the force and help Natsu, but did that mean it was the right one? I had only met this man a few months ago, and now he was the biggest part of my life. What had started as a simple infiltration mission had now spiraled into a complicated, messy, unorthodox pull between us. Were we friends? Were we meant to be more than that? Why was I finding it harder to concentrate with him around with each passing day? I rubbed my temples as millions of questions flooded my brain.

"Oh how my past self would be so disappointed in me," I muttered, turning away from the mirror. I flopped on the couch, staring at the ceiling as I let my thoughts flood my brain again. I knew that I couldn't continue with all these unknowns. I needed to talk with Natsu, and define exactly what our plan was, and what we were. Does Natsu have these same struggles in his mind? I suppose I would bring that up at dinner too.

"You alright?" I turned to see Natsu approaching me. He was now dawning a simple black t-shirt, ripped jeans and a pair of sneakers. Even dressed in simple street clothes, he was still handsome.

"Just thinking about some stuff," I sat up, moving my feet so Natsu could sit down.

"Well what should we do today?" Natsu asked, sitting down next to me. As soon as he was near, I felt that heavy air again.

"I think there is a special market going on down the street, if you want to walk over there and check it out?" I suggested.

"Special market?" Natsu looked at me.

"Yeah, every summer the various shops around town set up a special corner market where they sell goods for a cheaper price. There's usually live music and food vendors as well," I explained.

"Sure, that sounds like fun," Natsu smiled.

"Awesome, just let me go get changed," I stood up, heading over to my room. I walked to my cloest, sliding the door open as I scanned my hangers for something decent to wear. I eventually settled on a pair of short denim shorts and a plan white tee. I quickly threw on a pair of old high tops. Grabbing my purse, I headed back out the living room. My eyes wandered over to Natsu, who was busy putting on a leather jacket. My breath hitched in my throat a bit. Natsu was good-looking already, but as soon as that jacket came on, I had a hard time looking away. I barely managed to pull my eyes away as he began to turn to me.

"Ready?" Natsu looked up at me as I approached. He nodded, eyeing me for a second.

"What?" I asked, feeling a bit squeamish under his intense gaze.

"Nothing; you just look nice is all," He smiled, standing up. I blushed slightly at his comment.

"So what kind of stuff do they usually sell at this market?" Natsu asked as we walked down the street to the event.

"It changes every year. Sometimes they have exotic foods, toys, clothes, etc. But there is always something interesting to buy," I said, thinking about the mini collection of trinkets I had from past markets.

"Sounds fun," Natsu replied as we kept the pace. The rest of the walk was silent, aside from the occasional passing car or the steady rhythm of our footsteps. My mind began wandering, as I thought about what I was going to do about telling Natsu everything tonight. How would he react? Would a revelation about Natsu destroy everything we were building? Would the possibility of me being attracted to him drive him away? So many questions plagued my mind, and it only worsened the knot that was forming in my stomach. As I was lost in thought, I wasn't watching where I was going as I began to cross the street.

"Lucy! Watch out!" I heard Natsu's voice shout as I felt his hand whisk mine and pull me away. I then found myself in Natsu's embrace, staring shellshocked as a car whisked by the spot I had been standing.

"Are you okay?" I looked up at Natsu, who still had his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"Y-yeah, sorry. I was just lost in thought," I felt his hold loosen a bit as he listened to me, yet his hands still didn't move. He stood holding me for what seemed like hours, his eyes swimming with worry. His gaze dropped to my lips for second, making my cheeks heat slightly. His face began to move closer, his eyelids slowly closing. I gulped, my cheeks fully heated at this point. I began to lean my lips closer to his, preparing myself for the weak-kneed feeling that always accompanied his kisses. We were mere millimeters apart, his hot breath brushing across my face, his musky scent traveling to my nose. Suddenly, a group of kids ran past us, screaming as they chased after some toy they were playing with. We both stopped and we were snapped back to reality. Natsu finally let go of me, his cheeks slightly red as he grinned at me sheepishly.

"Heh, sorry," Natsu rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down slightly.

"Uh, it's a-alright," I coughed a bit, holding my arm as I looked down also. We stood there in silence for a few moments, a heavy air circulating between us. I cleared my throat, needing to break the silence.

"Thank you for saving me," I said. On an impulse, I leaned close to him and kissed his cheek softly. His cheeks turned pink again for a moment, as he smiled softly.

"I've got you," He said softly, taking my hand in his, intertwining our fingers together. I looked down at our joined hands for a moment, looking back at Natsu as I gave him a questioning glance.

"Just in case you get lost in thought again," Natsu chuckled. I nodded slightly, smiling softly at him as we walked together. As we walked, I kept glancing down at our hands, and I don't know if I was overthinking it or just caught up in the moment, but our hands fit together like they were two pieces of the same puzzle. His hand was warm and soft, and I honestly liked it. Natsu would also do these little mindless things as we walked, like his thumb would lightly brush the back of my hand.


We eventually arrived to the market, which was alive with all kinds of people from the city. There were so many shops that I didn't even know what to look at first. We walked around for a bit, sampling different foods and browsing through clothes, books, décor and other items.

"Lucy, look! It looks just like this stuffed dragon I had as a kid," Natsu bounded over to one of the shops where a stuffed red dragon hung on display.

"He's cute; you should buy him," I replied, walking over to him.

"Come on Lucy, a grown man buying a stuffed animal for himself?" Natsu scoffed, but I knew he was faking.

"Your gang buddies aren't here anymore Natsu, there is no need to keep up the tough guy act. I won't judge you if you buy it," I chuckled, smiling softly at him.

"Nah, I'm just going to go try more of that hot sauce," Natsu bounded off back into the sea of shops to find the hot sauce vendor. I rolled my eyes, turning back to look at the dragon again.

"How much for that dragon?" I asked the shopkeeper, pulling out my wallet.

"20," He replied.

"I'll take it," I handed him the money. He wrapped up the dragon in a small gift bag and handed it to me.

"Thank you for your purchase; have a great day," I smiled at the vendor before walking off to find Natsu. I hope he doesn't mind that I bought this for him.

"Did you find some hot sauce you liked?" I asked as I eventually found Natsu at the hot sauce vendor.

"Yeah I did. It's this spicy thai chili stuff. Could you maybe make it into a dish tonight?" Natsu asked, showing me the bottle.

"I don't see why not; I could grill up some chicken and marinate it in this," I handed the bottle back to him.

"Awesome! So what did you buy?" Natsu eyed the bag in my hand.

"Just this belt I really liked," I lied, not wanting Natsu to see his present until we got back to the apartment.

"That's cool," He replied, grinning that toothy grin of his that had grown on me a bit.

We spent the rest of the afternoon browsing at all the shops and talking about different things. I ended up buying some cute clothes and a few books, while Natsu spent money on nothing but food. He must've consumed at least 2000 calories in just the span of an hour. I honestly couldn't understand how he stayed in such good shape. When the sun began to set, we walked back to the apartment, where I began grilling up some chicken to make with Natsu's new hot sauce.

"It smells good," Natsu leaned against the doorway in kitchen.

"Thanks; the chicken is almost done. I marinated it in that hot sauce and added some salt, pepper and garlic to enhance the taste," I said, stirring the chicken around in the pan.

"Where did you learn to cook?" Natsu asked, walking into the kitchen to stand next to me.

"My mother taught me a few things before she passed away, and when I worked at the diner, the chef let me cook with him sometimes on slow nights," I explained. I grabbed the salt and pepper, adding a few more shakes on to the chicken.

"That's cool. The women at the orphanage taught me a few simple dishes, but nothing too complex," Natsu said, watching me cook intently.

"Well, it should be done now," I turned the stove off, moving the pan off the burner. I let it cool for a moment before serving it up on two plates and taking it to the table.

"So what do you think?" I asked after Natsu took a bite. His eyes lit up, which made me smile.

"This is delicious! God damn Lucy, is there anything you can't do?" Natsu asked before he began to shovel it down. His comment made me blush slightly as I continued eating. We ate in silence for a few minutes until we both finished.

"I will say my favorite part of staying here are the homecooked meals. A nice change after years of fast food and gas station pizza," Natsu said as he took our plates to the sink.

"Oh Natsu, you don't have to do the dishes," I said, following him to the kitchen.

"No worries, the least I can do after all you've done for me," Natsu said as he began to scrub the dishes in soapy water.


So what should we do now?" Natsu came out to the living room, sitting on the couch next to me.

"Want to watch a movie?" I asked, setting my phone in my lap.

"Sure, what were you thinking?" Natsu looked at me.

"I was thinking something like a cute rom-com," I replied, picking up the remote.

"How about horror movie?" Natsu asked.

"I don't do horror movies," I said, turning away slightly.

"Why? Are you too scared?" Natsu teased, poking me a bit.

"N-no! I just don't like them," I waved my hand, my voice fluttering a bit.

"Scared," Natsu got closer to me.

"Am not," I replied, turning to him.

"Are so," He grabbed me playfully, and we began wrestling and laughing on the couch. Suddenly, I lost my balance, falling off the couch as I pulled Natsu down with me.

I looked up, blushing slightly as my eyes connected with Natsu's, his face only inches away as he laid over me. I realized then that Natsu looked different. His eyes no longer swam with the same pain that they had carried when I first met him. For the first time, Natsu looked genuinely happy.

"Sorry," I chuckled, smiling softly at him.

"No worries," He replied, returning my smile with one of his own. We remained in this position, seemingly frozen in time as our gazes remained locked. Should I tell him now? Was telling him that I possibly liked him a good idea?"

"H-hey Natsu?" I asked.

"What is it?" His onyx eyes flickered with the faint light of the lamp beside us, and it made me even more nervous.

"I just uh… wanted to tell you, uh…," I fumbled on my words as a lump formed in my throat.

"Tell me what?" He spoke softly, his hot breath barely brushing my cheek.

"I uh…," I had begun to say it, but my voice stopped itself.

"I got you a present," I mentally facepalmed, cursing myself for being such a coward. I just couldn't do it. I liked the way things were between us, and I was too worried that a potential confession would drive Natsu away. I couldn't even guarantee that he possibly felt the same way.

"Really?" Natsu looked at me, and I had to look away, the sight of his attractive face this close to me was making me even more nervous.

"If you get off me, I can go grab it," I said, still trying to look away.

"Oh right, sorry," Natsu chuckled before standing up, offering his hand to me. I grabbed it as he helped me off the floor. I walked over to the table, grabbing the bag that contained the dragon. Moving over to the couch, I handed it to Natsu.

"You didn't have to get me anything," Natsu began to unwrap it.

"I know, but I saw how much you really liked it so I figured why not," I shrugged. I watched as Natsu unwrapped it, his eyes widening as he saw what was inside. His reactions to things were kind of cute.

"Lucy, this is great!" Natsu pulled the dragon out of the bag, holding it tightly.

"See? I knew you would like it," I smiled, watching him admire the dragon for a moment.

"Are you going to name him?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to name him after the same one I had as a kid; Igneel," Natsu said, smiling proudly. Even though Natsu was a criminal, he still had a childlike persona at times, and I honestly found it charming.

"That's a great name," I said, watching hug the dragon more. We stayed up late talking, sharing more stories of our childhood. Eventually, time caught up to me and I retired to my room to get some sleep.


Natsu's POV

I laid on the couch, unable to sleep as I thought of today's events. Today was the first day in a long time that I had thoroughly enjoyed myself. After a life of crime, hanging with someone as pure as Lucy was like a breath of much needed fresh air. Over the past two weeks, I had truly began to appreciate Lucy's company. She was kind, funny and she was truly a beautiful woman. I sighed to myself. This wasn't the first time that thoughts like these had flown around my brain. The more time I spent with her, the more I realized just how perfect Lucy was. I had only known her for two months or so, but the feelings inside me were growing like a wildfire. It was happening even faster than it did with Lisanna. I couldn't explain it. I wasn't good with emotions, certainly not romantic ones. But Lucy just had this sort of… draw to her that kept pulling me in. It all felt so fast, but at the same time, it felt right. Perhaps when this was over, we could be more?

"Get real Natsu, she could do so much better than some scumbag criminal," I said, putting my hand on my forehead.

"NO!" I sat up as I heard a scream coming from Lucy's room. I threw off the covers, bursting into her room. I saw Lucy sitting up on her bed, trembling as a few tears ran down her cheeks. I ran to her side, pulling her into my embrace.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, holding her tightly.

"I-I h-had a d-dream where I-I saw everyone I love die again, including y-you," Lucy cried into my chest.

"It was just a dream, Lucy. I'm right here," I said softly, rubbing her back gently. I let her cry into my chest a few minutes, holding her tightly, as if she would shatter if I let go.

"Will you be okay?" I asked, letting go of her.

"Would you stay with me?" She looked up at me.

"Sure," I said, put my hand on her cheek, wiping a few of her tears away with my thumb. She smiled weakly as she laid back down. I climbed in next to her, tucking the blanket around us, mostly her so I could make sure she was warm. She inched close to me, laying her head on my chest.

"Thank you Natsu…" She whispered groggily, closing her eyes. Within minutes she was asleep again, her face buried into my chest. I put my arm around her, holding her closely to me. My heart was still pounding. When I had heard her scream, my mind had instantly gone to the worst. I was worried that I would walk into her room and see someone trying to kill her or even rape her. The waves of relief that had washed over me when I had seen her sitting safely on her bed were too strong to be truly described. Looking down at her sleeping figure, I sighed softly. The worry I had felt, the relief and the pounding in my chest only confirmed what I already knew. I was falling in love.


A/N: Again I am truly sorry for the wait! I am so terrible with management and I procrastinated this chapter hard. I will try my best to not keep you guys waiting this long for the next one! Again, I do hope that you guys are staying safe amongst the virus and staying warm with all the cold weather lately, especially to my readers in Texas.

Stay tuned for the next one.

-L.T