Three months have passed since Natsu first met his 'angel', Lucy Heartfilia.
A chance encounter during a moment of weakness, followed by a fated reunion had resulted in the pair becoming an infatuated young couple in a very short amount of time.
It had been a welcome surprise to discover they both lived in the same town, especially since their rather hectic personal life's made it difficult for finding time to be together. Much to the continued amusement of their respective friends, Lucy and Natsu used every second of free time to spend with each other, even if it were only for an hour at times.
On this particular Saturday, it was a rare day off for the couple. No work commitments, no pressing school assignments, and no annoying friends trying to steal away their precious time. The arrangements had been made weeks ago, they would meet at the local mall and spend the day together and simply enjoy each other's company.
What could possibly go wrong?
~.~
Natsu Dragneel zipped up his crimson hoodie before rolling the sleeves to his elbows and eyeing his reflection. Discarded items of clothes obscured a portion of his face as they lay draped over the mirror on the inside of his wardrobe door.
He may be closer to 20 now, but he had not been able to fully break the habit of living in a messy bedroom, much to the disgust of others. If truth be told, Natsu's bedroom had improved since he was younger, you could at least see the floor these days, it was clean and smelled fresh, but it was definitely not tidy. He threw the t-shirt obscuring his face into the overflowing laundry hamper, promising to carry it downstairs before he left. Closer to the washing machine was a step in the right direction, wasn't it?
His fingers combed through his unruly pink hair, hair that refused to obey any brush or comb and would lay exactly as it wanted to. Which meant spiking up all over the place and giving him the look of someone who had just rolled out of bed. It wasn't a bad look, Natsu suited it and it always made him think fondly of his father when he spied his reflection.
It was almost six years since his parents had been killed in a car crash, and there wasn't a single day where he didn't miss them. This house was not the same without the overwhelming swell of love that he had felt every time he had walked out his bedroom door. The constant hum of laughter and conversation that had filled the air, and he even missed walking into a room to find his parents kissing like teenagers. It had disgusted him at the time, but now, what he wouldn't give to walk into such a scene.
There was still a hefty dose of tangible love in the air, but it was different and he missed the wise words of his mother and the sage advice of his father. He could have used them these past months, Natsu had never had a girlfriend before and he had felt rather lost at times with his thoughts and emotions. It wasn't like he didn't have options, Natsu was simply being a stubborn idiot and pointedly dodged every question about his mysterious girlfriend, much in the same way that he dodged doing his chores.
Natsu rolled his shoulders, feeling the first flutters of butterflies that sprang to life every single time he knew he was going to see Lucy, his angel. It had become a little bit of an embarrassing pet name, it would bubble from his mouth in moments of weakness and it never ceased to bring a sly smile to her perfect lips, and a deep red stain to Natsu's cheeks.
A plain black t-shirt tucked into grey jeans and with his favourite red hoodie, he was finally ready to get moving. He glanced at the clock and cursed, he was running late! He should have left ten minutes ago, and now he would have to jog part of the way there, no way was he keeping Lucy waiting, he would rather eat nails.
The pink haired boy flew from his room, hands patting his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed and almost stumbling over as he rushed to slide into his shoes, the laundry hamper lay forgotten in his room. He could hear chatter from the living room, eyes swinging to the opening door, and panic set in.
Shit gotta avoid an interrogation!
"I'll be back late, don't wait up!" he yelled, the front door already slamming behind him as he raced away from his interrogator and down the street at a steady pace.
He had made it, or so he thought…
Natsu was too preoccupied with darting away that he did not hear the front door opening once more, nor did he see the tall figure dressed entirely in black. Their face was obscured with dark aviator sunglasses and they had pulled on a backwards baseball cap to cover their hair. A slow smile spread across their face, a smile that promised something, but was it something good or something wicked?
~.~
It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was high in the autumn sky and it cast the most glorious shafts of light over the red and orange leaves of the trees. Despite the time of year, it was reasonably warm and Lucy had to peel out of the thick cream sweater she had chosen this morning. She tied it around her waist and smoothed down her navy pleated skirt before her hands moved to fix the stray strands that had come loose from her twin ponytails.
Her eyes skimmed the sidewalks that led towards the mall, she knew he would arrive on foot, he always did. Apparently, that rather startling display all those months ago on the train had not been a one off, Natsu was horribly travel sick, and refused to use any kind of transportation. He had been quick to reveal that he could in fact drive, but only in the car belonging to his older brother. Natsu had explained that the car had been adapted to their specific condition, as his brother and his father had both been afflicted with the same ailment.
Curious...
The subject of Natsu's family had been strained, Lucy knew he had an older brother and she knew that his parents had sadly passed away when he was younger, but that was all she knew. She felt it would be rude to try and pry anymore than what he was willing to offer up, it could hardly be an easy thing to talk about, but she did wonder about this brother, what was he like?
Her vivid imagination conjured an image of a slightly older Natsu; the same wild hairstyle but in a deeper shade of pink, taller and stockier than Natsu but with the same carefree demeanour and the matching radiant smile. Perhaps he worked with his hands, a carpenter or a builder? The possibilities were truly endless, but sadly Lucy was quite far from the truth.
The sight of a pink blur in her peripheral vision halted all conjurations of what the elder Dragneel might be like, her eyes swung around, and there he was. Natsu slowed to an easy jog, that blinding smile unfolding on his face as it was always did upon them first meeting. No matter how many times she saw it, it never failed to make her speechless. Her stomach upended, like she had just pitched over the edge of a rollercoaster, that second of feeling utterly weightless before everything comes hurtling back to reality.
He was frowning, fingers seeking out her own and it was only then that she realised he must have spoken or asked her a question. The words had gone crashing over her consciousness and swept away on an invisible wind, she blinked at him and felt the blush rising on her cheeks, "so-sorry, what did you say?" she stammered.
The smile was back, full force with every single straight white tooth on display until a cute little dimple appeared on his right cheek. She stomped down on the little sigh she longed to emit, forcing herself to focus on his voice as his mouth opened once more, "I said, I hope I didn't keep you waiting?" he teased. His head cocked to the side, watching her fumble over her words, it was usually the other way around and Natsu always delighted in the moments when he was the one to make her a stammering idiot.
"No!" she replied, a bit more forcefully than she had intended. Natsu's brow disappeared into his hairline, "I mean, I've only been here for a few minutes. Don't worry about it," she floundered and resolved herself to launch into his arms.
The hug came as a surprise, not that they had not shared plenty of them in the months up to this point, but it was so out of the blue that it took him a moment to move his frozen arms and wrap them around her body. He chuckled, resting his chin on her hair and that made her pinch his back, only a slight pinch but it made him jump and whine all the same.
Now she felt on a more even footing, she stepped back and felt his resistance, he didn't want to release her yet and it was cute. "Shall we head in, I bet you're hungry right?" she asked, her eyes falling to his stomach. She had felt as well as heard the low growl it emitted during their brief hug, and right on cue, Natsu turned a shade to match his hair.
"Come on," she declared, entwining their fingers and striding towards the doors before he had time to reply. He trailed behind Lucy, his eyes transfixed by the beauty he saw, and happily let her lead the way. Lucy turned to smile at him, he was so adorable when he let her take the lead, but her smile faltered.
A tall figure emerged from the crowded parking lot, and despite it being rather obvious that he wished to remain hidden, he stood out like the proverbial sore thumb. Black jeans and a black sweater sat on his lithe frame, his face was almost entirely obscured by the black reflective aviator sunglasses that rested on his straight nose, and his hair concealed by a backwards baseball cap that did not fit the image he was trying to give off. Lucy was not one to judge people, but this guy set off all manner of alarm bells in her head. His gait was leisurely but determined, he had somewhere he was going but he passed it off as a casual stride.
A wolf wearing sheep's clothing...
She blinked, and he was gone, swallowed up by the throng of people that crowded around the doors.
That was so strange!
~.~
Natsu observed the strange stiffness to Lucy's smile, her eyes looking past him and he swung around to see what she was looking at. He frowned, nothing seemed amiss. A swarm of people was passing in and out of the doors they had just gone through but nothing struck him as out of the ordinary. He turned back to ask her what was wrong, but before he could, Lucy was bouncing in front of him as if nothing had happened.
"Whatcha fancy?" she cooed, swinging their laced fingers back and forth. He couldn't halt the path of his eyes, the way he took in every tiny detail of the angel before him. The light squeak of her converse on the tiled floor, the sway of her pleated skirt as it danced around her knees, the loose golden strands of hair that fell forwards into her face as she smiled at him. How had he been so lucky to find her?
"Hmm, you?" he murmured, watching for her reaction through lowered lashes. It reminded him of their first meeting, she had asked this exact question and he had had to catch himself before he answered in this same manner. Now, he was a bit more confident, his daring growing with each passing date they went on. He spoke the absolute truth, Natsu fancied the pants off the lovely Lucy Heartfilia, and she damn well knew it too.
Her smile was predatory, a gleam in her eye sparkled and flitted away in a nanosecond to be replaced with a playful scowl. "Natsu, you are so silly!" she giggled as she stepped into his warm body and snuggled for a second. She wasn't one for over the top public displays of affection, but something about her pink haired little demon made her give in to those displays more and more.
They eyed the board, this really was like reliving their very first meeting. A new location of the ramen shop they had eaten at during the festival had opened up in the mall and its lure had been too strong to resist.
His stomach gave another loud growl, he tried to whistle to cover the noise, but Lucy wasn't fooled. She shifted her gaze from the neon board to the embarrassed male by her side, "oh poor baby, are you hungry?" she cooed, speaking directly to his stomach as she gave it a gentle little pat. His stomach tensed under her delicate fingers, flesh dancing from her touch.
"You know, it's not going to answer ba-," Natsu was cut off by the seeming response from his stomach, it whined and whimpered and it was answer enough to Lucy's question. Damn, even his body betrayed him in favour of Lucy's soothing voice and touch.
Can't even trust my own body to side with me!
Her brow merely arched, a satisfied smile tugging into place and he practically hissed, "order your damn food." Yet there was no real bite to his words, he was far too smitten to be mean to the girl of his dreams and they both knew it.
Natsu ordered his new favourite, the large Tonkotsu ramen with extra nori and naruto and a side of the spiciest dumplings on the menu. The young girl behind the counter had raised her eyebrow in question, but Natsu waved it away with a large smile as he turned to Lucy to add her order. It was always a fight over who would pay, normally they would end up splitting the bill as neither would give in, but not this time. Lucy had conceded to Natsu paying for their lunch with alarmingly little fuss, it should have been a hint of what was to come, but the smitten boy was too proud of his achievement to see the warning signs.
They chattered about their respective weeks as they waited for their food. Lucy groused about how tired she had been now that she had started her first semester at University, she was struggling to balance studying and practicing with her band. "I feel like I might have to stop with the music sooner than I had expected to," she offered up, chewing a nail as she always did when she was feeling anxious.
"But, you love it so much, you guys are already so popular, you could make it if that's what you would rather do," Natsu countered, assessing her face as he spoke. This conversation had been had a few times, Lucy was only really attending University to appease her father. Apparently, Mr Heartfilia did not agree with his daughter's career choice and had insisted she has a suitable career to fall back on when the music crashed and burned, as he had so cruelly remarked. Natsu had not yet met her father, but he instantly disliked him for filling his beautiful daughter's mind with doubt.
Surely to deny the world the absolute pleasure of Lucy's voice was a crime of the highest order, or at least that was how Natsu deemed it. He could listen to her all day, her voice still affected him as much as it did the first time he had heard it on the train. Her honeyed tones were soft and melodic, and he would often play a few of her songs when he settled down to sleep, they always brought the sweetest dreams to him.
"You shouldn't do something you dislike just to please someone else," he finished, reaching for her hand that drummed on the plastic-covered table. They were sat very close but in Natsu's eyes it was not close enough, their hands had been parted mere minutes but that was too long. Her eyes peeked up at him, golden strands falling forward to hide the soft glaze of her eyes, and his smile was kind as she returned that warm look.
"Mm, you're right. I'll think on it, I promise."
~.~
Lucy watched on in fascination as Natsu practically inhaled his food. He had offered her some of the dumplings, one small bite had her choking for water. She spluttered and coughed whilst her companion merely looked on with a bemused grin, "too spicy?" he asked before eating an entire dumpling in one bite.
She waited, patiently sipping her water now that she could feel her tongue once more, waited for the steam to start pouring out his ears, but it didn't happen. Her brow knit together as he raised the second one to his mouth to devour it, how the hell could he eat something so insanely spicy and not have sweat pouring out of every pore on his body?
"Why isn't your head on fire?!" she asked in all seriousness, this simply should not be possible.
Natsu snorted, covering his face with his hands at the ridiculous noise that he had let slip. He finished his mouthful and gave her a small sheepish grin, "my brother reckons I'm some kind of dragon in human skin. He swears that I snore as loud as a dragon and that my stomach must be fireproof cause of all the spicy food I eat. He said if I tried hard enough I could probably breathe fire!"
Your brother might be on to something with that…
The rest of the meal passed without incident, Lucy ended up handing over her bowl for Natsu to finish off. She was determined not to make her stomach bloat, she had plans, and they relied on her not feeling sick to her stomach. She wondered if Natsu would protest at her request, how could she persuade him?
With food finished, the couple strolled along at a leisurely pace, Lucy hooked her arm through Natsu's and leaned into him. She couldn't help herself, at times she felt like a moth drawn to a flame, unable to function without him pressed to her side. It was unnerving, but in honesty, it felt right, like she had been destined to meet the Dragneel and fall for him.
Lucy could wax lyrical about his good looks, but this was not a simple physical attraction, despite Natsu having clearly been favoured by the Gods in his time of creation. It was something more, and her young brain could not quite decipher it yet. Lucy felt at ease in his presence, completely safe and endlessly happy. Even sharing her worries as she had over lunch had made her feel better. Natsu claimed he wasn't good with words, but Lucy could not believe that he was far better than he gave himself credit for.
The large department store loomed large, "do you mind if we go in? I'd like to have a look around for a few things," she requested, eyes tipping up to meet Natsu's steady gaze. His cheeks were a very faint pink, and she wondered why but he gave a quick nod of agreement and the mystery was forgotten.
Harsh fluorescent lights shone down on them as they wandered into the cosmetics hall, Lucy broke off her hold on Natsu who immediately shoved his hands deep in his pockets looking rather uncomfortable. She chuckled quietly before her attention was drawn by a display on the nearest makeup counter.
Lucy promised herself that she would not be drawn in by the pushy sales reps, but it was so dang hard when they engaged her in friendly chatter. The friendly conversation was a facade, a front to lure people in and before you know it you are walking out with a dazed expression and a much lighter purse.
Movement caught her eye, she looked past the woman in front of her that wore just a little bit too much makeup and found Natsu slowly retreating backwards with his hands up in surrender. Some of the younger sales staff were pestering him with question after question and it was clear he was not comfortable in this situation. Lucy scowled, irritation flaring to life at how these little pixies flatly ignored his discomfort, fluttering their eyelashes and preening in front of him.
It took her three long strides to reach his side, his eyes swung to her and the relief that glowed in his obsidian eyes tugged on her heart. She rounded on the girls, a fake smile plastered on her face as she grasped his hand and laced their fingers.
"Can I help you, girls, with something, or were you just simply pestering my boyfriend for no reason?" she bit at them, the smile didn't waver but the deadly glint in her chocolate eyes was hard to miss, even for these young hussies. They scurried away like frightened mice, Lucy felt Natsu's fingers tug away and a creep of doubt slipped into her mind. That doubt was swept away on a heavily perfumed wind as his hand slid around her back to rest on the flair of her hip, tugging her closer until he pressed a kiss into her hair.
The pleasant hum of electricity from where his hand rested was a little overwhelming, her heart rate was picking up and she wished more than anything that they weren't in the middle of a very crowded department store. Her fingers twitching, the urge to thrust them through his soft pink locks as she pulled his mouth to her was shocking.
What are you doing to me Natsu?
~.~
What an experience this was turning out to be.
He watched from a safe distance, tucked behind a tall display that blocked him from their sight whilst he was easily able to keep tabs on them. Surely he could be forgiven for his curiosity? Natsu had been so stubbornly tight-lipped that he had been forced to take matters into his own hands.
She was definitely a cute little thing, this 'Train Angel'. He still didn't know her name, and that irked him more than he thought rational. How many times had he fought down the temptation to pick up Natsu's phone and have a quick little nose at his messages? Of course, it would have been only to find out her name, he wasn't interested in whatever inane nonsense they chatted about. He shuddered at the very thought.
He suspected that she had spotted him when he first strolled from the parking lot; he had watched her smile falter, the arm leading Natsu onwards slumping as she gazed at his rather ominous presence. That was the first point in her favour; she was observant and cautious.
It was a little strange to watch the pink haired boy be so tactile with a girl, it was something he had never witnessed and it was pretty adorable. Their hands seemed to be magnetised, fingers seeking each other out despite the closeness of their bodies. Little displays of affection in such a busy public place, he didn't have either of them as the exhibitionist type so this was simply an inability to stifle their feelings. He knew how that felt, it had taken him quite a while to be able to master those emotions, and even now he sometimes struggled to keep himself in check with his beloved.
His musings were halted at the sight of the blonde becoming distracted by a display on a nearby makeup counter, her eyes shone like jewels as the saleswoman plied her with compliments and friendly conversation. He frowned, searching for Natsu who had wandered away, clearly unsure of what to do whilst he waited.
The tall male cloaked all in black knew what would transpire before it unfolded, he spied the huddle of girls, could almost hear the hushed whispers and the less than discreet pointing fingers in the pink boy's direction.
Hmm, a test? What will this angel do if her dear boyfriend is accosted by flirty females? Will she automatically blame him for doing or saying something wrong, or will she come to his rescue?
He moved closer, knowing that no one of importance was looking his way, too preoccupied with their own situations to care about a man moving a little closer. Stopping by a display of mannequins, he leaned in and waited to see what would happen. He didn't have to wait long, he noted the second the blonde became aware of Natsu's predicament.
Cocking his head, he watched the way her whole frame stiffened and her back went ramrod straight. The young blonde shrugged off the aggressively friendly advances of the saleswoman and stalked towards the cornered male. He could see the flames of irritation, they flickered in her deep brown eyes and for a moment he thought that she would blame him, and a gaping void opened in his stomach.
His brow drew down, and he had to bite on his lower lip to stop the snarl that wanted to sound from his throat. Ire was quick to wash over his usual calm composure and his hands fisted deep within the pockets of his jeans.
It was all for naught, the blonde swung to Natsu's side, grabbing his hand in such a clearly possessive gesture. The shocked awe in the male's eyes was funny to witness, his mouth popping open as the blonde rushed to save him from his unwanted admirers.
He blew out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, and a smile split his face. Another point in her favour, perhaps this was the girl for him after all. He spotted the gaze of an approaching salesperson and hastily strode into the crowd, slipping easily into the people all whilst he kept his focus on his targets.
I think you found your mate, dear brother.
~.~
How did he end up in this situation?
It was bad enough that he had endured the weird antics of those girls, why had their eyelashes been fluttering so damn much? Thank goodness for Lucy coming to his rescue, he had no idea how he would have gotten out of that weirdness without her. He had been so grateful for her presence that he had not been able to stop himself from wrapping his arm around her back, his hand resting on her hip which caused an immediate swell of desires to course through him.
They had dated for a few months now; they held hands, hugged and caressed each other, and kissed, but there was an ache for something more. The last few of their shared kisses had started innocent, gentle lips that stroked and explored then morphed into something else entirely. Mouths that devoured, passion running high as they pressed closer and closer together. Panting for air as they broke apart, eyes that spoke of where things could lead, but when?
Now he was lost.
Damn, this was far too similar to their first meeting for comfort. He had been sure that Lucy had been right beside him moments ago, and now he couldn't see her anywhere. His neck craned over the displays and racks of clothing, thankful for his height as he easily spotted people winding their way through the area, but none of them were his Lucy.
His wandering thoughts of lust and desires certainly weren't helping him out, he cringed as he tried to desperately squash those alluring daydreams. His feet carried him forwards, never truly noticing where he was within the department store, just looking for any sign of his angel.
It wasn't until he spied blonde hair that he stopped, his eyes trailed to what turned out to be a blonde haired mannequin and his eyes went wide. Why was this mannequin wearing practically nothing?
Oh no.
Natsu was lost deep within the lingerie department, and he was actually relieved that Lucy was not in sight. His face was sure to be matching his hair, he could feel the pound of his pulse beating behind his scarlet tipped ears. His eyes revolved in his head like a spinning top, he didn't know where to look. Bras of every colour, size, and style closed in on him from all sides. The same for panties, hosiery, nightwear, oh my!
He had to get out of here, but did he keep moving forward or did he retreat backwards?
His decision was made for him, a body bumped into him, hard. The collision forced his feet forward for several paces and he almost stumbled to the floor from the impact. Natsu swung around to rail at the ignorant person who had so unceremoniously barged into him, but the tall figure was already rounding a corner. He only caught the corner of him in his sight, there was something oddly familiar about the stranger but Natsu was far too flustered to give it any more than a cursory thought.
"Natsu! There you are," cried Lucy, swooping down on him with a worried expression. "I turned around and you were gone, thought you'd ditched me," she pouted. The relief was palpable, he rocked on his feet as Lucy's delicate fingers wrapped around his wrist. He was glad to see that he was no longer in an area that he absolutely had no desire to visit ever again, well, maybe under different circumstances...
His family smile was quick to form, blinding her with radiant joy and eradicating any lingering doubts of his intentions, "and why would I do that?" he quipped, guiding her by the elbow towards the nearest exit, he had to get out of here before something even more dangerous happened!
Lucy danced out of his hold as they left the department store, she waited until they were in a more secluded spot before a cunning smile formed on her glossed lips.
When had she put on lip gloss?
"Natsuuu…" she drawled, stretching out his name in a way that he knew he was either in trouble or was about to be. "Do you trust me?" she asked so sweetly and he was hit with yet another wave of deja vu, despite the unsettling feeling he answered immediately.
"Yes."
Lucy's smile was genuine, her eyes crinkled at Natsu's instant and heartfelt assurance. She crooked her finger, and he followed her like a fish caught on a hook. He didn't struggle, why would he? Natsu had realised that would walk through fire for this girl, his angel, and now was no different.
They walked for a few minutes, Lucy giggled at all the wild guesses that he spouted about where she was leading them. With every angelic sounding laugh he fell deeper in love with Lucy, she was his guiding light, and he trusted she would never steer him wrong.
Natsu was confused.
They stood near the entrance to the arcade, Lucy jigged on the spot, clearly excited about something. "You wanna play video games?" he asked incredulously. He was more than happy to oblige but she had never shown any interest in this particular activity before.
"Not exactly," she replied, she pointed with her thumb to a row of booths that lined one side of the arcade. He recognised them instantly, purikura. The groan was out before he could restrain it, his eyes rolling hard into the back of his skull. How many times had he been forced into these things as a young teenager, Rogue especially had been found of them. Many of his best creations had been based on the photos that spewed out from these annoying machines.
"Seriously?" he asked, and as his eyes swivelled back down to Lucy he already knew he was going to do it. She had somehow made herself look much smaller as he peered down at her, big doe-like eyes blinked slowly at him, her bottom lip poked out with a slight wobble and her fingers twisted into the pleats of her skirt.
"Please?" she whispered.
He couldn't take much more of the cute puppy act, Natsu grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the booth tucked in the far corner. When he swung back to look at her, much to his exasperated amusement she smiled at him like the Cheshire Cat.
You will be the death of me, Lucy!
~.~
Lucy squeezed into the small booth, forcing Natsu further into the wall as her thigh pressed alongside his own, and the heat was intense. The space was cramped, brightly lit, and perhaps this was a bad idea after all. She could smell Natsu's unique scent, her face was so close to nuzzling into the warmth of his red hoodie and drinking him in.
He cleared his throat, eyes moving from her to the bright screen and she remembered this had been her idea and she had best pick the options and quickly before her mind wandered to places it absolutely should not venture. Her fingers tapped away at the screen, she wasn't fully paying attention and she took a second to close her eyes and slow her breathing.
"Everything alright Luce?" he asked, a hand lifted and Natsu tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He was so damn close, this was torture. They had never discussed where this relationship could lead, they had simply enjoyed the time they spent together. Yes, they hugged, held hands, and kissed, with the most recent kisses speaking of a longing that they shared but was left unsaid. Now she wished that they had discussed where things could lead, but this was not the time nor the place.
She shook away the emotions, burying them deep inside to be examined at a later date, she wished to enjoy the remainder of this date and not make it heavy and awkward with unnecessary conversations. "I'm fine, just couldn't think what to choose," she reassured him.
Lucy watched his mouth open, the small 'v' to form above his nose, she had to distract his concern and she jabbed at the screen to start the countdown.
"Get ready to smile," she enthused, her hand poised behind Natsu's back ready to make him look like a cute pink bunny. He noticed, the pair wrangled in the small space, laughter echoed around and spilled outside as Natsu hauled Lucy's hand away and dragged her half on his lap.
The camera flashed and captured their laughing faces, Natsu's fingers tickling along Lucy's ribs as she writhed and fought for her freedom. They were given a prompt to get ready for the next photo, but they were too engaged in their own tickle fight to notice. Fours photos had been taken of the giggling pair before they came to their sense enough to remember what was happening. Lucy sat on Natsu's knee, they both gasped for breath and as the last prompt rang out, they only had eyes for each other.
The timer ticked down and they made no move to shift their position, eyes that reflected mutual feelings appeared closer and closer. Were they going to kiss? At the last second, the curtain of the booth fluttered partly open and ripped them apart to look outwards, but no one was there.
"What was that?" Lucy asked, stumbling from the booth to look around. She saw nothing and no one suspicious, and Natsu quickly followed her out, straightening his clothes and looking rather flustered. The whir of the machine kicked in and they waited in embarrassed silence for the photos to print out.
Lucy was first to grab at the fluttering strip that appeared in the small tray, her hand quickly covered her mouth as a loud snort of laughter almost burst through. She was doubled over as her eyes scanned the photos, each was funnier than the last. There she was, seated on Natsu being tickled mercilessly and giving back as good as she could manage. The joy leapt from the photos, their happiness was almost tangible from looking at the laughing faces.
The last photo, however, was different. Two flustered and wild-eyed faces cast to the side and the hint of a dark shadow formed in the corner. A reflection cast from where the curtain had fluttered open, reflection from black sunglasses.
It was him, that man from earlier. Lucy was sure of it, and worry gnawed its way into her stomach and set up home. Who was he, and why was he hell-bent on following them? She had been sure she had seen him a few times, but until now she had forced those thoughts away, blaming her wild imagination.
A stalker, but which one of them was he stalking?
"Did they turn out alright?" Natsu asked curiously, leaning over her shoulder to gaze at the photos. Lucy was quick to place her thumb over their mysterious stalker, she did not wish to upset him or make him paranoid, it was bad enough that she was feeling that way.
They laughed at the silly faces staring back at them until Natsu spoke once more, "come on, let's get out of here. It's only a five minute walk to the overlook and the sun should be almost setting by now."
She nodded, happy to get out of the mall and hopefully lose the creep that was intent on following their movements. Her eyes scanned back and forth incessantly until they left the mall and felt the first bite of the autumn chill. It was refreshing and Lucy took in a deep lungful of the cool fresh air.
Despite having put her cream sweater back on, Lucy was still feeling chilly. She huddled into Natsu, stealing his body heat until they reached the outlook.
Lucy ran for the railing, her feet sliding onto the metal barrier as she looked down upon her hometown, their hometown. Natsu had been right, the sun was slowly sinking into the horizon and it cast the most fantastical light show over the houses and streets below. The sky was painted a wonderful golden red from the setting sun, it looked simply beautiful and perhaps a little romantic.
As if Natsu had run her mind, "it's beautiful isn't he?" he said in awe as he approached Lucy and gazed out at the view. He quickly unzipped his hoodie and pressed it onto Lucy's slim shoulders, "don't want you catching a cold," he murmured, rubbing idly at the back of his neck.
"Thank you, Natsu," she whispered, slipping her arms into the sleeves and instantly being wrapped in his wonderfully unique and warming scent. The hoodie swamped her a bit, but she could tell that he liked how it looked on her, his onyx eyes blazed down into her own.
"I had a lovely day," she continued, her eyes casting down as if she were a shy little thing. It was funny how moments like these stole her confidence and made her act more timid than was her true nature.
"Yeah, me too." Natsu agreed, his fingers sought out her own, lacing them together for the hundredth time that day. Her eyes tipped up, they were gazing at each other, oblivious to the wondrous sight of the sunset next to them, far too focused on what stood before them.
Faces inched closer, eyes slowly fluttering shut, and warm breath fanned her face. She was about to lift her arms to hook around Natsu's neck, expectation thrumming into her like a raging wildfire when a throat was loudly cleared behind them.
Lucy felt like she had been doused in ice-cold water, they leaped apart as if they had been caught doing something wrong. The heat rose to her cheeks as she lamented on what could have happened had they not been interrupted, she could hear Natsu grumbling under his breath but could not make out the words. She looked to the source of the disturbance and gasped.
It was him.
The figure dressed all in black that had followed them throughout the mall, they hadn't escaped him as she had hoped. He was here and definitely out for causing trouble. A cold lump of unease settled in her stomach as she moved a little closer to Natsu who was still grumbling and had not looked at the interloper yet.
~.~
Natsu glanced at Lucy, the waves of unease and fear roiled from her small body and made his blood boil. He whipped to the intruder, eyeing him with nothing but malice, "hey asshole! What the hell is your problem?!" he snarled, one arm moving to press her further behind him. Natsu had no doubt that Lucy could handle herself, she was fearless and strong when she needed to be, but he knew they were stronger as a pair, plus he was truly pissed at being interrupted.
He watched in abject horror as the man opposite them removed his large sunglasses, eyes of darkest midnight seared into him and he wished the ground would open and swallow him whole. His anger evaporated, sucked right out of his body and soul as the cap lifted from his head to reveal jet black hair with the trademark tuft that stuck up at his crown.
Oh god, no.
Natsu's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish plucked from its bowl, his words had scattered to the wind as he looked upon the deadpan expression of the male before him. Those piercing midnight eyes shifted to Lucy who was partially tucked behind him but her curiosity had her peeking out to look at the male. Her shocked gasp was like a stab to his hammering heart, there was no stopping what was going to unfold.
~.~
Those eyes, it was as if they could look directly into her soul and seek out any truth they wished knowledge of. The unease in her stomach was now a leaden weight, that stare alone felt like she was being gutted open. She didn't know the male but it was clear that he at least was aware of who she was.
He was darkly handsome, had he not been looking at her like she was moments away from stealing his most precious treasure, she would have said that he seemed strangely familiar in a way. All she could picture right now was that of a sleeping black dragon, one that had been roused from slumber as a little sneak thief slipped into his lair to pinch his most prized possession.
"Nii-chan," Natsu mumbled, and in an instant everything made sense. Like the last piece of a jigsaw falling into place to reveal the whole image. She knew he had a big brother, and those similarities were more than just coincidence.
"So you are Train Angel, huh?" the male asked in a measured grumble. Lucy's eyes narrowed in confusion, what the hell was a train angel? From the corner of her eye, she could see the colour of Natsu's face had shifted to match his hair once more.
Natsu marched determinedly towards his brother, clearly intent on stopping whatever was to happen, but Lucy got the impression that his brother would not be denied his wishes. Whatever humiliation was about to rain down on them they would have to weather it, the force of nature male would be merciless.
"Zeref, please. Don't –," Natsu was cut off from his pleading by the sudden stomping on his foot.
"Yeow!" Natsu shrieked in agony.
He hopped on his other leg, clutching at the now throbbing foot. Lucy winced, Zeref had shown no emotion as he had stomped down with his heel onto his younger brother's foot. She wanted to run to him, to soothe him from the pain but she was engaged in her own battle with the raven haired male.
The silence between Lucy and Zeref stretched into what felt like an eternity, his head tilted to the side as she felt his analysing gaze sweep through her body, mind, and soul. Just when she thought that she would be forced to speak first, his mouth opened, "are you free for dinner this weekend, Train Angel?" he inquired.
Lucy heard the words, understood the request but she was still baffled by this 'train angel' business. Her confusion must have been more than apparent on her face as the aloof male pointed with his thumb towards Natsu still whimpering in agony at his poor trampled foot.
He sighed, "Train Angel is everything that I was able to get out of Natsu so far. I do apologise for my rather unethical method of finding out who you are my dear." Zeref's posture altered, shifting towards her as his head turned to give her his full attention once again.
His lips parted and Lucy was dumbstruck by the smile that lit up his entire face, a smile that she knew all too well. It was almost a mirror image of Natsu's smile, and it made her breath hitch seeing it on another face, it radiated joy and warmth in exactly the same way. Lucy noted that there was one tiny difference, not many would notice but she did, where Natsu had a dimple appear on his right cheek, Zeref had a dimple that appeared on his left, and that revelation was adorable.
"I just really wanted to meet the girl that my cute baby brother is drooling over all the time."
Those words were rather surprising to hear, and they certainly made Lucy's blush reappear at full force. Before she could speak, a pink blur of movement streaked towards Zeref. Natsu's rather loud and dramatic whining about his brother's embarrassing antics drowned everything else out as he made a leap for Zeref's back. Lucy wasn't sure what he planned to gain from such an attack but it definitely backfired as the raven haired male easily secured Natsu on his back, arms tucking under his thighs in one swift fluid motion. She got the feeling that this particular display was not a first for the brothers, and she really wanted to giggle at the utter craziness that she was witnessing.
"Oh? Still acting like a toddler, Natsu?" he teased, giving a small jump so that Natsu was thrown around on his back.
This was too funny, the laughter could not be restrained any longer. Lucy erupted into a fit of giggles as she watched the antics of the squabbling brothers through tear filled eyes. Her cheeks ached from the force of her laughter.
"Zereeeeeeeeeeff!" Natsu whined, and he did indeed sound exactly like a stroppy toddler. She could think of only one way to resolve this madness, to protect her poor boyfriend from further humiliation.
"Yes, I'll come for dinner. It would be my pleasure," she offered, wiping the tears from her eyes as Natsu slowly slid back to the ground. Lucy trembled as she witnessed two almost identical dazzling smiles.
One that made her heart skip a beat, and one that made her feel safe and secure...
What have I got myself into?