. Unpack Your Heart .


"Meet me where the sunlight ends.

Meet me where the truth never bends.

Bring all that you're scared to defend,

~x~

And lay it down when you walk through my door.

Throw all of it out on the floor-

Your sorrow, your beauty, your war.

I want it all, I want it all.

~x~

Bring your secrets, bring your scars.

Bring your glory - all you are.

Bring your daylight, bring your dark.

Share your silence

And unpack your heart."

~ "Unpack Your Heart" by Phillip Phillips


Natsu was avoiding her again.

It didn't take a genius to see it, and it truly bothered Lucy for more than one reason. For one, she couldn't get a good night of sleep again. The dreams, without Natsu staying at her place to ward them off, had come back in full force, each one worse than the last as more details were dragged into view. The last one had ended with something crushing her and pain so fierce she'd awoken to it radiating through her body. She'd been disoriented, even more confused when she'd found that Sting had physically broken through her front door to wake her up.

She'd gotten a note from the owner of the building, warning her that there had been complaints and even if she was a Heartfilia, she'd be kicked out if the screaming didn't stop.

Secondly, the realization that she may or may not have admitted to herself that she was a little in love with the idiot. She'd done her damn hardest to keep that under wraps, but his sudden absence had dragged it out further and further because she'd missed him in recent days. Even more than she'd missed Gray when Gray had gone off for half a year - something the man was preparing to do again.

Thirdly, there was no damn reason for it. He'd admitted his dreams weren't nearly as common when he'd stayed at her place, even stopping altogether. So it couldn't be that he felt guilty like last time.

All in all…

It was driving her up the wall.

And she was feeling a bit lonely. She'd grown so used to having him around at her place or at the bakery. He'd even taken Happy with him, though she couldn't be mad about that. The cat had two friends at their house, and even if he was a cat, he probably missed his fellow felines. If cats missed their friends. She wasn't sure. But still.

Gray was busy preparing for another trip out and hanging with Juvia in his free time. Her employees had free time. Levy oftentimes was working or doing something with Gajeel. Lucy had thought they'd become rather close in recent times; something had changed in their dynamic, and Gajeel was far more interested than he'd been initially.

Lucy could have turned to Sting, but he'd practically locked himself away in his hunt for Rogue Cheney. He'd had no luck the last time they'd spoken; apparently, Weisslogia and Skiadrum, Rogue's father, had been in a terrible argument that had resulted in Skiadrum probably moving countries and disappearing off the face of the earth.

So the moment that Levy finally sent her a message asking if she wanted to get together and do an evening at her place, Lucy jumped on it. If she was lucky, they'd crash and she could give her neighbors a break from her screaming.

The evening of found Lucy knocking sharply on the door to the house Levy had somehow managed to afford. It wasn't a big one by any means, but it was a house just on the outskirts of Magnolia, and it was perfect for her. No stairs to trip on, no railings to worry about. A simple, two-bedroom one-story house.

Levy let her in with a wide smile, and Lucy was pleased to see that for once, the cloth she usually wore around her eyes was gone, leaving her hazy, clouded hazel eyes on full display. Lucy saw the massive burn scarring that crossed her features, stretching from temple to temple, from a short distance down the bridge of her nose to just below her eyebrows. Lucy had been one of very few to see the scars - mostly because she'd been there when they'd happened. They didn't bother Lucy one bit.

"Lucy?" Levy questioned, fairly confident that it was Lucy in front of her, but not entirely.

"Hey, Levy," Lucy said with a grin, touching her friend's arm and sweeping past her. "Good to see you."

Levy grimaced as she kicked the door shut behind Lucy, nimbly feeling for the lock and snapping it into place. "It has been a while," she said guiltily. "I might have been spending a bit too much time with Gajeel and ignoring everyone else...although you've been with Natsu, so I guess it evens out?"

Lucy made a face, and said, "Mostly, but not in the last two or three weeks. I've not seen him in a while, actually." She scowled and gave an irritable huff, tugging thoughtfully on a lock of golden hair. "He's avoiding me again."

Levy shrugged and took the lead, heading for her living room, where she dropped comfortably on a couch. She got the feeling that it was a conversation that had to happen before they could enjoy their evening entirely. "Gajeel's not said anything about it," she admitted as Lucy settled beside her, "although he did mention that he'd seen a lot more of Natsu than he has in recent times."

"So he's not out and doing stuff then," muttered Lucy, a little offended. "I don't even know what I did to be avoided this time…I think Sting's seen more of him this week than I have."

"Maybe it's like last time? He's feeling bad about something he doesn't want to talk about?"

"Maybe." Lucy sighed heavily and rested her head back on the couch. She wiggled her toes in her sandals thoughtfully, thinking through a list of ideas she'd come up with. Admittedly, the list was pathetically small and rather useless. "I can't come up with any particular reason though. I shot him a text last night and he never responded." She paused, and then frowned. "I did tell him a bit more from the dreams I've had recently...maybe it was that…"

"Anything new in those?" asked Levy patiently, perfectly content to let Lucy rant until she felt better.

"No. Just...no good ones in a while. It's always the bad ones,where someone I care for is gone and then…" Lucy squinted. "Well, it's not very pleasant." Levy nudged her in silence, wanting to hear. "I die. I get crushed, or something like that. It's been worse lately. In the dreams I'm okay with it, but I wake up and feel really bad pains. Like something's crushing me."

Levy took on a concerned look, her lips tugged into a grimace. She couldn't remember anything in particular that would go along with thoughts like that...then again. Levy hadn't been anywhere near Lucy or Natsu in the end. "I'm sorry," was all she could offer without sounding strange. She elbowed her friend gently. "I wish I could tell you I knew a way to stop them, but…"

She had dreams on occasion. Not as often as the others seemed to. They seemed to stop when you remembered everything. Gajeel had admitted to having a dream every now and then, but had claimed they'd stopped since he'd regained his memories of what had happened centuries prior.

Lucy waved it off. "Anyways, the dreams aren't what I wanted to talk about. I wanted your advice for something else and have been wanting it, but you've been kind of busy." Levy winced; it was a small jab that Lucy very rarely made unless she was truly upset about it.

"Sorry," said Levy guiltily. "We should start meeting up at least weekly and invite Gray every now and then." Lucy nodded in agreement though Levy couldn't see it. "What is it you wanted to tell me then?"

"Like I said, I wanted advice." Lucy shifted nervously. She was incredibly worried about this - about admitting that she liked Natsu Dragneel as more than a friend aloud. Doing so would change things, and she didn't know if it would change things for the better. For all she knew, it would send things spiraling downwards into devastation.

Levy picked up on that nervousness and grew serious, reaching out and gently taking Lucy's hand after fumbling about for a few moments. She squeezed it tightly and said, "Whatever it is, you can tell me, you know. I won't judge you."

Lucy knew that well. Levy had been there when Lucy was at her lowest and vice versa. "I know," she said aloud, "I'm not worried about you thinking any less of me or anything. I just...it's a weird thing to mention aloud after kind of trapping it inside for a few weeks."

Lucy took just one more moment to calm herself, and then said rather bluntly, "I like Natsu. As in really like him, and I don't know what to do about it."

"Oh, my." Levy cleared her throat, clearly trying to not laugh at her friend's anxious tone. She smiled a little as she squeezed Lucy's hand again and replied, "That's what you want my advice on?"

"I don't know if telling him would be okay. The last time I dated anyone, they asked first, you know?" Lucy huffed. "Actually, every time I've dated someone, they've asked first. Mind you...they were all after my money and status and stuff. I don't mind asking him out or anything, I just...I really like having him around as a friend, and I don't want to scare him off." She hated being the first one to make a move, even if she didn't mind it at the same time. She wanted to be certain of how Natsu would react before she did anything.

Levy thought it over for a short moment, considering. "I don't know what kind of advice I can give you for now, Lucy," she admitted. "I mean, I'm all for it, and I know Gajeel and Wendy think he has a thing for you. Gajeel's mentioned it a few times."

Lucy fidgeted anxiously as she bit her lip and murmured back, "Still...he has been avoiding me for the last few weeks…"

"So go to his house and stake out in front of it until he talks to you. Or we can get Gajeel to let you in. He can't avoid you and his house." Levy shrugged and leaned back comfortably, snickering to herself. "I hate to say it, but until things start moving, Lucy, I don't think there's anything I can give you advice-wise."

Lucy sighed heavily in response. She'd not really expected anything else, but had still found herself admittedly hoping. "Well, thank you for trying," she said, taking Levy's hand and squeezing it. Levy squeezed back comfortingly, gently smiling at her friend and feeling bad that she couldn't do more.

"Now, enough stressful talk," declared Levy, feeling around on the coffee table. "Let's watch something good." She pressed the remote into Lucy's hand. "Rent us something funny."

Lucy, sighing and shaking her head in amusement, did as she was told.


Lucy eyed the house she'd never really been into and folded her arms uneasily. After some hard thinking and three more days of Natsu's absence in her life, she'd taken Levy's amusing advice to invade his house. She wanted to know what was going on, regardless of whether Natsu liked it or not.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, shifted the backpack she'd slung over her shoulder, and strode for the front door. She rang the doorbell, waiting impatiently, and then straightened when she heard footsteps - heavy and intimidating - approaching. She wasn't surprised when Gajeel flung the door open and squinted at her from sleepy crimson eyes, as if he'd been taking a nap.

"You," he grunted, arching a pierced brow.

"Me?" said Lucy, confused by his response. He merely shrugged and waved her in, sighing heavily. Lucy shifted her bag and then ducked in, immediately peering around the house with interest. In all of the time Natsu had hung out at her place...she'd never come around his. It was surprisingly clean, she thought, considering how messy Natsu could be. Gajeel led her into the kitchen, which looked as if it had been recently upgraded. Most of the appliances were new, with a beautiful dining room table in the center. Lucy eyed the kitchen with appreciation. It was nice and large, too.

"Sit," ordered Gajeel, jabbing a finger at a chair at the table. Lucy jumped, but did as he said, dropping into a seat. Gajeel didn't bother to sit with her, instead eyeing her and stroking the fur of a feline that was settled on the table. A large scar marked him as Pantherlily; Natsu had described him to her. Pantherlily purred to Gajeel, as if amused.

"Um," Lucy said after a few awkward, silent moments. She fidgeted with the strap of the bag she'd placed in her lap. "Is Natsu-"

"Nope," said Gajeel, popping the 'p.' "Hasn't been around today. Left first thing this morning." He fell silent again, simply watching her and Lucy stiffened for a moment, ready to just get up and leave. She didn't like when he watched her like that - like he knew something she didn't. "He's been wandering again."

Lucy immediately understood. The last time Natsu had avoided her, he'd become prone to wander Magnolia, simply walking around. She remembered Gray mentioning how he'd come across the idiot in a park once. "I'd like to put a stop to it, but he hasn't been answering my phone calls," she huffed.

Gajeel snorted loudly, and ruffled Pantherlily's ears fondly. "He doesn't know how to deal with shit properly. Dunno if it's 'cause Igneel never taught him or if he's just an idiot who never figured it out. Might be because of his time in the homes, too, I guess." He shrugged, indicating he didn't know nor did he really care to find out. It wasn't his business how Natsu went around dealing with his issues. "I'll call Wendy. She knows where he is."

"Does she?" said Lucy in surprise.

"Yeah. Doesn't usually go anywhere without telling Wendy now." Gajeel waved her off. "Do what you want. Just don't steal anything." Lucy glared, insulted that he thought she'd even consider stealing, but he ignored her and strode from the kitchen, phone in hand. "I'll let you know in a minute."

"Or," muttered Lucy when he was gone, "I could just call her. I do have my phone in my bag...oh! Hello, Happy," she said, a smile flashing over her face when the blue-furred cat hauled himself onto the table with a delighted purr. He brushed against her when she reached out to stroke him, smiling fondly at the cat. She'd even begun to miss having the cat around.

Yawning, Lucy leaned back in her chair, waiting for Gajeel to come back. She'd nearly dozed off before Gajeel suddenly came back, scaring the daylights out of her when he said, "Natsu's gone to the bakery."

"What?" she spluttered, caught off guard. "But he's been avoiding me."

"Yeah," he retorted, "and apparently he's done with it. Now get out of my house and deal with him. He's annoying when he's moping."

Grumbling, Lucy drew herself to her feet and swung her bag over her shoulder. "Bye, Happy," she muttered, giving him a final pat on his head before heading for the front door. She paused after swinging it open, glancing back. "Thanks, Gajeel." She smiled warmly, grateful for his help.

"Whatever," snapped the irritable man, looking a little flustered. "Just get out. I've got company comin'."

Levy. Giggling under her breath, Lucy slid from the house and closed the door firmly behind her.

Lucy made it to the bakery in record timing. It was open, of course, as it was most days of the week, and Lucy looked around as she ducked inside, sharp eyes looking for the one who'd been avoiding her. Annoyance slashed through her. Natsu was nowhere to be found.

"Lucy!" a voice called, and she glanced over. She was startled to find, of all people, Juvia there, a cup of coffee in her hands. She cast Lucy a warm look. "Are you looking for Natsu?"

"Yes," Lucy admitted. She walked over and stood beside Juvia's table, noting the empty seat across from her. The place at the table was clearly occupied despite the absence of a person. Gray must have been around, disappearing to the restroom. There was a half-empty coffee. "Is he still here? Wendy told Gajeel he'd come here."

Juvia shook her head. "He left about twenty minutes ago."

"Damn!" Lucy hissed, shoving a hand irritably through her hair. She winced when it tugged at it and made a mental note to reconsider getting it cut. She forced herself to take a deep breath and then said with patience, "Do you know where he went?" She could try calling him again, she supposed, but...she wasn't sure he'd pick up.

He must have figured out that Wendy ratted him out, she silently told herself with a heavy sigh.

Juvia shook her head again and said sympathetically, "Sorry, Lucy."

A hand ruffling her hair made Lucy jump and she looked up to find an amused Gray standing beside her. "Hey, Lucy," he said pleasantly, taking his seat. "Looking for the idiot?"

"Yes, and he keeps avoiding me like the plague," seethed Lucy. She sighed again in frustration. "I don't suppose you've heard from him recently, Gray?" Gray gave her an incredulous look and Lucy winced. Guess that's a no…

"I saw him earlier, but he left," said Gray simply, shrugging. He took his coffee and sipped thoughtfully at it, glancing over his shoulder when the bell at the door jingled. Lucy didn't miss the way that Juvia winced a little, as if the sound hurt her. It sometimes hurt Lucy's head, too, she remembered, and made a mental note to get rid of it soon.

"Is he avoiding you again?" Gray suddenly asked, a challenging gleam in his gaze as he put his coffee down. "Want me to go find him?"

"No," Lucy said hastily, eyes snapping wide. If Gray went and found Natsu, then there'd be a hell of a lot of fighting that would likely start. She'd heard their little bickering sessions when they'd both been hanging around the bakery. "I'll find him. I'll give him another call and see if I can track him down somewhere. If all else fails, I'll just go back to his house and sit there until he comes home whether Gajeel likes it or not."

Gray grinned. Finding her decision to be rather funny, he glanced at Juvia, who chuckled under her breath. Juvia reached out and took Lucy's hand soothingly, her blue eyes warm. "Don't worry, Lucy," she said gently, "you'll find him."

Lucy studied Juvia thoughtfully for a few moments. She didn't know Juvia very well, but there was something soothing about her. It reminded Lucy a little of Erza, who'd started coming by quite often, and Mirajane, as well as Levy. It was odd, but Lucy chose not to dwell on it.

Instead, she murmured, "Thanks."


The phone call was as helpful as Lucy had expected, and by the time she'd given up on it, it was evening. So, sighing heavily for the umpteenth time that day, Lucy went home.

She was unlocking her door, biting her lip unhappily at the second warning note that had been pasted to her front door, when she heard voices at the next apartment over. She briefly glanced over, curious, and found Sting's door open. A suspicion entered her mind, and admitting that she was being nosey, Lucy walked over, abandoning her own front door with a tight grip on her keys.

When she peeked in, she nearly dropped those keys.

Sting was bent over his expensive laptop, excitedly typing, and none other than Natsu Dragneel was leaning over her shoulder. Lucy's jaw dropped at the sight of him. He'd been avoiding her for so long - only to turn up next door after ignoring her latest call. She was sincerely angry for a few moments, although the anger dissipated when Natsu said excitedly, "So he's coming then?"

Sting nodded, the widest of grins on his face as he replied, "Yeah. He'll be here next week. I talked with him last night on the phone and he's interested in learning more about what went down with our parents, so...you can help if you want. I'll have to take a couple hours each day, too, to do regular work, so you can take him around Magnolia if you want."

'Sounds good," agreed Natsu, pleased. "I'll bring Wendy, too. I've been talking about it with her and she's excited. I don't think Gajeel cares too much though." Natsu huffed softly, frowning as he pulled back to fold his arms. "I'll get him to-" He broke off as he shifted and noticed Lucy standing there.

She'd copied his movement, her arms folded tightly. One brow had been lifted, and she had her lips pressed into a hard line, still annoyed that she had been hunting around for him only to find him next door.

"Uh," stammered Natsu, looking guilty and nervous, "hey, Luce."

Sting immediately looked over, looking completely relaxed and not at all aware of what had been going on. "Hi, Lucy," he said cheerfully, giving a small wave. He suddenly frowned with concern. "How're you doing? You said you were hurting after-"

"Fine," Lucy said tightly, clenching her jaw as she promptly turned her eyes away from Natsu. If he wanted to ignore her and then show up around everyone else...fine. She smiled faintly at Sting, who glanced between the nervous man behind him and Lucy. "I could be better, but...I'm managing. I got another warning though. I think I'm just going to move before I get evicted."

Natsu's eyes widened in surprise, and Sting frowned. "Damn. I know it's been bad, but I didn't think the neighbors thought that badly of it...sorry, Lucy."

"Not your fault," Lucy said simply with a shrug. "Might need your help finding my own house or something though if you're up for it. Since you're good at finding things and everything."

"People," Sting corrected, glancing at Natsu curiously again. He fought a grin when his newly found cousin began to shift anxiously back and forth, as if he knew something Sting didn't. "But sure. I'll help, Lucy. I'll stop by this evening if you want."

"Thanks. I'll warn the landlord," said Lucy gratefully. She leveled Natsu with a final narrow-eyed look. "See you later, Sting," she finally said, and then whipped around and left, storming down the hall. She heard loud swearing from Natsu and a curious Sting demanding to know what was going on, but she ignored them both as she ripped the note from her door and unlocked it.

"Luce!" Natsu demanded as he swept out of Sting's room and hurried towards her. She ignored him and ducked inside, moving to slam the door behind her without much care for the neighbors. She was leaving anyways.

A grunt filled the air as Natsu managed to squeeze himself in, the door smacking his chest while his back pressed into the door frame. "Ow," he muttered, and Lucy felt a brief flash of satisfaction. He looked much better than he had the last time he'd avoided her; it was as if he'd been sleeping perfectly fine. Which meant he'd been avoiding her for some other reason that didn't involve the dreams they had.

Which only made the avoiding worse.

"Luce!" he said again, this time a bit sharply.

She pretended not to hear him as she tossed her bag aside, heading for the kitchen to fish out some of the alcohol she kept hidden there. She didn't drink often, but she hoped that drinking enough might help her sleep without having a dream in which she was murdered. Again.

"Hey," protested Natsu as he tried to snag her wrist. She ripped free and simply ducked into her kitchen, immediately starting to shuffle through cabinets. "Luce-"

"Do not," she seethed when she'd found her bottle of unopened red wine. She withdrew, her fingers tight around the neck of the full bottle. "'Luce'me, Natsu Dragneel. I've been trying to get you around or on the phone for weeks. I even went to your house today trying to find you." She whirled around to face him, her eyes narrowed angrily. "We went over this the last time you avoided me like the plague-"

"You avoided me first!" declared Natsu, looking befuddled.

"No," she said sharply, even as red rose to her cheeks, because she realized she had avoided him a little. "I was distant. There's a difference between distant and avoiding for weeks. And I had my reasons. So why didn't you just ask?"

Natsu huffed, clenching his teeth in frustration. "Because I couldn't get close enough to ask," he protested. "You were avoiding me."

She gave him a rather cold look. "I don't remember you even trying to get close," she muttered. She turned away again and went to work on finding her corkscrew. She felt a flash of triumph when she found the magnetic one she'd purchased a while back attached to the fridge. "Most people," she said irritably, "tend to try and ask when they're being avoided even just a little."

Natsu paused, suddenly confused. He studied her with a furrowed brow. "Hold on," he muttered, pushing a hand through his messy pink hair. "I'm confused. Are you mad at me for not coming around or are you mad at me for not asking what was wrong?"

"Yes," was Lucy's sarcastic answer, a triumphant grin crossing her face when the bottle opened. She carried the bottle over to another cabinet and withdrew a wine glass. As she poured it out, Lucy mumbled, "And who cares who was avoiding who. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm moving, so you don't have to worry about coming over anymore. So you can go on avoiding me if you want."

"You're being ridiculous," Natsu said irritably. He watched as Lucy looked him in the eye and simply drained the first glass of wine. He frowned a little, taking in her appearance a bit more closely. He realized a moment later why she was so upset - and not making all that much sense. Shadows rested beneath her eyes, and she was wavering. Stumbling, though she'd not yet had all that much to drink. She looked as if she was going to pass out at any second.

A sudden thought occurred to him. "Sting said you were hurt," he said suddenly.

"Yeah," she muttered, leaning back against her counter. She was too tired to fight anymore. She just wanted to curl up in a dreamless sleep. She slouched, grasping blindly for her bottle again. She fully intended to drink the whole thing in the next hour or so, whether it was good for her or not. "My dreams are worse than ever." He felt a flicker of guilt at the misery on her face. "I got crushed the other night. I woke up with the worst pain I've ever felt." She shuddered at the memory. "Sting had to break in and wake me up. It's part of the reason I'm apparently moving." Which wasn't very reassuring; no one would be there to wake her up from her nightmares now. Not if Natsu stopped hanging around entirely like he had been.

Natsu's jaw worked for a few moments as he debated how to answer. Finally, he hesitantly stepped closer and mumbled, "I'm sorry. For not being around and stuff. Something happened and I've been trying to think it over and whatnot. And then Sting said he found Rogue, and I got distracted…" He trailed off, realizing he was making excuses. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Lucy averted his gaze, her eyes locked on the floor as she debated how to answer. She considered for just a moment that she should send him out of her apartment. But...he wasn't necessarily wrong. She was being ridiculous, practically trying to pick a fight. Lucy sighed. "I'm sorry, too," she murmured to him. "I haven't been able to sleep. It probably made me think things were a bit worse than they were."

Natsu's lips quirked a little although he managed to bite back the odd bubble of laughter he wanted to give. He edged forward, fully intending to take Lucy's alcohol from her, but she saw right through his action and held it far out of his reach, knowing fully well he could wrestle it from her grasp.

"Oh, no," she said darkly, "I'm drinking all of it tonight, regardless." As she poured another glass, silence fell, and she thought over what he'd said. She asked a few moments later, "What happened?" Natsu looked at her with confusion. "You said something happened that you were thinking over. Is everything okay?"

Natsu opened his mouth, closed it, and then turned a startling shade of crimson. Lucy immediately sat up, interested. "Err," he muttered, hesitant. He looked wild, as if he was trying to figure out how to word whatever was on his mind without giving too much away. "It's fine."

Lucy debated telling him that she knew he was lying. Instead, she eyed the way he was awkwardly standing there and offered the bottle silently. He took it without hesitation, tipping his head back to drink from it without hesitation.

She stood there silently, watching. Her stomach twisted.

"Natsu," she said suddenly, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She might as well ask; she was tired of sitting there being miserable and not knowing about the matter. He grunted questioningly as he lowered the bottle and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Do...would you be interested in going out to dinner?"

She clamped her mouth shut nervously as soon as the question was out. She nervously wrung her fingers as he stopped dead to stare at her, his onyx eyes wide with astonishment. When he said nothing for what seemed like ages, Lucy said weakly, "I'll take that as a no."

Natsu sputtered. "I...hold on, I didn't…" His face had turned red again. He swallowed thickly, setting the wine bottle on the counter. "I just...look." He couldn't seem to get his thoughts together, and Lucy felt her heart sink as she watched him fight for some kind of reason to the sudden question she'd popped on him.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Natsu took a ragged breath and said hoarsely, "Luce, I'm me." He gestured wildly to himself, anxious. "You...I'm not good enough for you. And we're friends. And...and..." He fought for more reasons, but blanked despite all of the excuses he'd been telling himself for some time now.

Lucy found herself staring at him. "Not good - Natsu, I like you because you're you. What right do you have to tell me that you're not good enough for me?" She pressed her lips together, eyes flashing. "Is it because of my money? Because I can tell you that if that's the reason, you can-"

"Money?" Natsu blinked. "No. Has nothing to do with your money. I don't care about that. I don't want to lose a friend if something goes wrong."

"Well, with thinking like that, of course something would go wrong," she retorted, frustrated. Her stomach flipped as she realized he'd not necessarily said anything about not liking her the same way. "Natsu," she said, softening her tone. "You...you don't have to make excuses. If you don't want to, you don't have to." Her voice trembled a little. She wanted to cry, she realized, feeling a little guilty for a reason she couldn't describe. "I'll get over it."

But she wouldn't force the matter. She would never force such a thing.

"I didn't say that," he said hastily, and she arched a brow, guilt replaced with confusion. He took another breath, shoving his hand through his hair with a look of distress. "This is why I was avoiding you," he admitted with a grimace. Lucy wanted to cry out in triumph at the admittance. "'Cause Sting and Yukino and Lisanna wouldn't shut up about this stuff."

Lucy paused, caught off guard. "You...you four were talking about my love life?" she demanded.

"They were," Natsu blurted hastily, not wanting to be included. "They wouldn't shut up about it, saying that you liked me and stuff, and I didn't know whether or not it was true and stuff, and I mean, you're great and I do like you, so I didn't want to imagine things that I didn't know were true or not-" He shut his mouth, flustered.

Lucy buried her face in her hands. For a moment, Natsu was worried he'd be booted from her apartment, that she'd simply explode and end their friendship right there. But then he realized she was giggling, the sound slowly growing louder. "Oh, stars above," she breathed a moment later, tears in her eyes. "Sorry. I just...it seems like we were avoiding one another for stupid reasons."

It took Lucy a couple of minutes to get herself together, and when she did, she cleared her throat, wiping tears from her dark eyes. Brushing messy blonde hair out of her eyes, she offered a hesitant smile. "Look. Just answer yes or no and we'll go from there?"

Natsu got the feeling she wouldn't carry on with her life unless he did as she said. "...sure," he finally sighed. "Why not." He did like Lucy, and he was tired of constantly being careful of what he was doing - of wanting to creep closer but not being able to let himself. He'd liked her for a while now. It was because of that that Natsu warned, "But you're not-"

"No, I know," she said, although there was a hint of sadness to her tone. "And you're not the one who smells like smoke. I get it. It's the same for both of us. But we can't have them, and I have to admit that I'm rather fond of this guy who hangs around my place shockingly often for someone I'm not dating." She sighed softly at the thought of the one who'd been dead so often in her dreams, but then offered the man before her, the living and breathing Natsu, a smile as bright as the sun.

Relieved that whatever had gone wrong was at the very least temporarily fixed, Natsu grinned back.


So this chapter. I wasn't sure where it was going after the Levy part. Kind of unsure of where it did go. BUT NOW THERE'S GOING TO BE FLUFF. And then some more angst. 'Cause I love my angst. What do you think?

Thanks to reviewers (PinkFireandGoldenStars, stranger1999, FairyTailxFanGirl, 1-anime, LePengwen, Meow Orbit, Inky-Paws, and Selfless!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all!