Haloha, everyone! Hope you're having a good day! Sorry for the one day delay, been busy with stuff. Hopefully, I can return to uploading on Friday's as usual.

It was quite interesting reading the reviews in the last chapter (Thanks for the reviews as always!). In this particular chapter (and probably some in the future), you're going to see a bit more of Lucy's perspective. She actually hasn't got rejected... yet. (Well this is a NaWen story, so that's eventually going to happen, ahah as a few of you have pointed out.)

Anyhow, have fun reading!

Chapter 18: Figuring Feelings


"I confessed to Natsu."

"… Huh?" Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

Wendy spat out her tea, nearly choking on it. She coughed violently, trying to calm herself down.

"Woah, easy there, Wendy." Gray slapped her back a few times with moderate pressure.

"Arhk, hack!" Wendy coughed a few more times before finally calming herself down. She rubbed her mouth with her hand, shocked by what she just heard with her own ears. She confessed to Natsu?!

"S-Sorry, Wendy. I… didn't expect it to be that surprising." Lucy gently squeezed her shoulder, giving her an apologetic look.

"N-No, it's fine, ahah..." Wendy chuckled awkwardly. She wasn't sure how to feel about this.

"You… confessed to Natsu? Wow." Gray said with awe in his voice. It's about damn time.

Juvia experienced a mixture of happiness and shock within herself. She never expected this to be the problem here, and second, she doesn't have a love rival anymore for her Gray! Now Gray only belongs to me!

"This is… certainly unexpected, Lucy. How well did Natsu… take it?" Erza asked, still baffled by the reveal. I wasn't expecting this to happen so soon.

"… It's complicated." Lucy sighed deeply. "It's just… we haven't talked to each other since last night."

"Last night? Did you… confess to him after the Fairy Night?" It seems like the perfect opportunity. Erza thought.

"… Yeah." Lucy nodded.

Wendy gazed downwards in deep thought. Last night? That must mean… she guessed Natsu must have met up with Lucy after he accompanied her back to the dorm.

"I don't know… maybe I was too persistent." Lucy put both her arms on the table, twiddling her thumbs. "I'm so… frustrated at myself."

"It's going to be okay." Erza reassured her. "I'm sure Natsu will come to understand you if you have a heart-to-heart conversation with him."

"I don't know… after what happened last night, I'm not sure if I can just… talk to him." Lucy said.

"Well, considering this is Natsu…" Gray added, putting a hand on his chin. "I'm sure he'll sweep this under the rug. He doesn't really like to make a big deal out of things."

"Gray." Erza called in a strict tone. "That would be really insensitive of him, to just cast away Lucy's feelings. I know how carefree he can be, but this is a serious matter."

"I'm not saying he's insensitive." Gray looked to Erza. "I'm saying this is not as difficult as Lucy's making it out to be." Gray was speaking this out, as Natsu's friend, as Natsu's brother, as someone who's known him since childhood.

"I see. I suppose you have a fair point." Erza nodded.

"I think Gray is right, Lucy." Wendy cradled Lucy's shoulder. "I'm sure… Natsu would talk it out with you if you wanted. I'm sure he's worried about you, too."

"Wendy…" Erza's eyes widened. She wondered what Wendy was feeling inside her heart. I'm glad she's comforting Lucy… but she must be feeling conflicted inside.

"… Yeah. We've been through so much together…" Lucy said with a weak smile. A few tears travelled across her cheeks. "I… don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose what we have…"

"That won't happen, Lucy. Don' worry." Erza cradled her hand. "I'm sure that as he enters through that door, he's going to run to yo-"

The doors were slowly pushed open, creaking as it did. It alerted the members to the entrance. It was none other than…

"Natsu." Erza turned her head to him. "Talk about perfect timing… huh?"

Natsu walked forward, not even bothering to greet the guild as he usually did. His hands were relaxed at his sides… no, that wouldn't be the right way to describe it. His hands were lifeless, simply dangling from his shoulders. There wasn't any life in his eyes, either. He passed by the group, not even glancing at them.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered, hoping Natsu would catch it with his dragon slayer hearing. But it fell on deaf ears. He continued walking forward towards the bar.

Is this… really Natsu? This wasn't the kind, energetic, and carefree Natsu Wendy knew. It pained Wendy's heart to see Lucy like this, but it pained her even more to witness Natsu in such a state that wasn't like himself.

… All right, maybe I was wrong about him not making a big deal out of things. Gray wasn't comfortable seeing Natsu like this either. "Jellal, let's go talk to him." He tapped his shoulder.

"Oh… sure?" Jellal stood up from his seat with Gray.

Gray took a deep breath. "Hey, pal! Just who I wanted to see!" He exclaimed, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. "Let's rumble, I bet you can't beat me!"

"We're fighting…?" Jellal asked in a curious tone. This isn't what I had in mind.

Natsu continued walking forward, not paying any attention to Gray behind him.

"Oi, oi. Are you afraid of losing to me?" Gray intentionally provoked him. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you too ba-" Just as he put his hand on Natsu's shoulder…

Natsu slowly turned his head around and glared at him, sending shivers both to Gray and Jellal.

W-What the?! Gray felt his legs paralyzed to the ground. He couldn't move his legs, no matter how much he tried. The serious pressure emanating from Natsu's glare was frightening. He could have sworn he was seeing the shadow of a terrifying dragon right behind Natsu.

Wendy, Erza, Carla, and Juvia felt the same. They didn't see Natsu, but a creature of terrifying nature, a force to be reckoned with. Erza felt his eyes piercing right through her armor, as if his glare alone could crack it. W-What is this pressure?

Wendy trembled in fear, yet she was worried for him. Natsu... she wanted to talk to him, calm things down, but she was afraid, even standing in his presence. It was nothing like the gentle gaze of his she loved.

Gray shakily raised his hand away from Natsu's shoulder. Soon, the heavy pressure dispersed, and Natsu continued walking to the bar. Regaining control over his senses, Gray turned to Jellal, who was just as shocked as he was.

"You… all right, Gray?" Jellal asked with concern.

"I was fearing for my life…" Gray said timidly. He's never experienced fear this way.

"… This situation's worse than I thought." Erza admitted.

Did Lucy confessing to him cause him to be this way? Wendy thought. If I had confessed to him… Wendy shuddered at the thought. Losing what they had would have been devastating to her heart. Unfortunately, that's what Lucy was going through at the moment.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered through her tears. "I'm so sorry…" She blamed herself. If I didn't confess to him… things might not have turned out this way. But how could I have not fallen for him? The day he brought her to Fairy Tail, it was the day that changed her life. She's met people she could call her family, she's been on crazy adventures. But most of all, Natsu was always by her side when she needed him the most. Giving her hope, giving her life, giving her the courage to stand up for tomorrow.

The thought of losing everything between them… she started sobbing faintly.

"Lucy…" Erza gently rubbed her back. I wonder what can I do to make her feel better? She thought about approaching Natsu, but the pressure he was giving off from his glare a moment ago gave her second thoughts.

Lucy held back her tears as best she could. She didn't want to see Natsu like this, and she was afraid to even talk to him. Her heart throbbed painfully at the thought of losing him. Natsu… Her train of thought was interrupted when she felt a familiar warmth envelope her body. Her eyes widened at the new cloth that was wrapped around her neck.

"I'm sure things will be okay." Wendy said with a smile. She had taken off Natsu's scarf and wrapped it around Lucy to comfort her. "His scarf… helps to calm me down, so I'm sure it'll help you too." She adjusted the scarf around her neck.

"Now, I'm always with you."

"Now, Natsu is always with you."

"Wendy…" Lucy clenched his scarf, desiring his warmth. It smells like him… his scarf helped to ease her mind and heart a bit. "… Thank you."

Erza was astonished at this display of friendship. She could sense how genuine Wendy's smile was to Lucy. In all honesty, Wendy's mind and heart were having their own battles. Was she feeling conflicted? She was, indeed. But more than anything in the world, she wanted her friends to be happy. She wanted Lucy to be happy. It didn't matter if they both had feelings for the same person. Natsu is important to her just as he is to Lucy. Giving her his scarf, something that could comfort and remind him of her… she needs it more than ever.

A certain blue Exceed flew through the gates, worriedly looking for his dragon slayer.

"Happy?" Carla called him out.

"Carla…" Happy approached the group and landed on the table. "Have you seen Natsu?"

"He's over there…" Erza pointed to the bar. Natsu was sitting, lying his head down on the table in his arms.

"I see…" Happy sat down, a few tears travelling down his face. "He's still in a bad mood, huh…"

"Happy, could you tell us about what happened?" Erza asked him. "Was he like this since yesterday?"

"I don't know…" Happy hung his head downwards. "I came home pretty late, and Natsu wasn't there yet. After a while, he came back… but he was acting different."

"Acting different? How so?" Erza asked.

"He just… didn't seem like his usual self. He didn't want to talk to me about it." Happy rubbed away his tears. "He told me to leave him alone. But I can't do that! I'm his best friend! I know he's hurting, and I should be there for him!"

"Happy…" Carla put a paw on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Happy…" Lucy said weakly. She felt guilty knowing even Happy was affected by this. "This is all my fau-"

"This is no one's fault." Erza interjected. "He just… needs some time to sort things through."

Wendy glanced at Natsu at the corner of her eye, noticing how lonely he seemed. He was just sitting there, hanging his head downwards. She desperately wanted to talk to him, to be there for him… but she also wanted to help Lucy with her worries. She felt she would be neglecting Lucy if she went to Natsu.

Erza turned to Wendy. Out of everyone here, Natsu would probably listen to Wendy. She wasn't sure how, but she felt Natsu would listen to Wendy the most. She can't imagine Natsu lashing out at Wendy, who was like his own little sister.

"Wendy, could you go talk to him?" Erza asked, standing up from her seat.

"Eh… m-me?" Wendy pointed at herself.

"Yes, I think he would listen to you."

"I'm not so sure, Erza…" Wendy glanced at Natsu. She wasn't sure if she could just waltz up to him in his current state.

"… Could you please try? For both his, Happy's and Lucy's sake."

"Hmmm…" Wendy turned her attention to Natsu. Her heart ached weakly seeing Natsu like this. But what about Lucy… she wanted to be there for her as well.

"It's okay." Erza smiled and brought her face closer to Wendy's ear to whisper. "I'll do what I can to help Lucy."

Wendy took a deep breath and strengthened her resolve. "… Okay." She nodded to Erza.

"Thank you." Erza nodded back, then turned to Lucy. "Lucy. Why don't we head outside for a bit? Let's get some fresh air."

"I'll come with you." Juvia walked to Lucy's side and wrapped her arm around Lucy's shoulder, helping her to stand up. Erza gently cradled Lucy's hand. Remaining silent, Lucy stood up, being guided by Erza and Juvia.

"Is there anything we can do to help, Erza?" Jellal asked with concern.

"Sorry, could you give us some space? I know you came to the guild and all…"

"No worries. Take your time." Jellal smiled.

"It'll give us peace of mind knowing you two will be with her." Gray added.

"Thanks, you too." Together with Juvia, Erza brought Lucy outside the guild, taking her to a secluded spot where they could talk alone.

Wendy was still standing in place, reluctant to approach Natsu.

"Will you be alright, Wendy?" Carla asked while comforting Happy.

"… I'll be okay." Wendy answered, a mixture of fear and determination in her voice.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Jellal glanced at Natsu.

"I'll be fine. Maybe… you could watch from here, in case something happens." What was going to happen? She wasn't sure. If the situation were to escalate for whatever reason, at least Gray and Jellal were watching her back.

"Will do." Jellal patted her shoulder. Good luck, Wendy.

Wendy took a deep breath, clapping her cheeks a few times. Okay. I can do this. She slowly walked to Natsu, taking a seat beside him. She nervously rubbed her hands, trying to maintain her composure, then turned her head to Natsu.

"H-Hi, Natsu!" She forced a cheerful greeting.

Natsu sharply turned his head, glaring at whoever was calling his name.

Eeeep! I-I'm sorry, Natsu! Wendy defensively raised her arms and pushed her chair farther from him. It was as if his eyes were peering into her soul.

Upon realizing it was Wendy who called him, his glare softened into the gentle gaze Wendy was all too familiar with.

"Oh, Wendy…" Natsu hung his head downwards. "… Hey."

Wendy sighed in relief, though it pained her heart to see him sad. But it's progress. She rubbed the back of her neck, wondering how to push this conversation with him. Asking him how he's feeling didn't seem like the right thing to say. What should I say…

"I see you don't have my scarf with you." Natsu glanced at her neck area.

"O-Oh… I… gave it to Lucy." Wendy said. "… Should I… not have done that?"

"No, it's fine." Natsu sighed. "Maybe that'll make things better. I don't know."

Wendy scooted her chair closer to him. "Did… something happen between you and Lucy?" She wanted to hear from Natsu's point of view.

"I guess… you already heard from her?"

"Sort of…"

Natsu found it frustrating dealing with this alone. Whenever he was faced with a problem, he'd just punch it right in the face. That's how he solves his problems, with his fists, except this problem wasn't something he could settle with just his fists. If only this problem was as easy as punching a bad guy in the face. What was he going to do? Punch himself? That's ridiculous, even for me.

It was strangely… calming, having Wendy beside him. Something about her just makes it easy to talk to her. Maybe ranting to her was just what he needed… this wasn't a problem he knew how to deal with.

"Will you… hear me out, Wendy?" Natsu asked softly.

Wendy's lips curved into a smile. "O-Of course, Natsu." It was a nice feeling, being relied on by Natsu.

"Glad to hear that." Natsu nodded, shifting in his seat. "So…"


"Hey, Natsu?"

"Yeah, Luce?"

"There's… something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Sensing it was important, Natsu straightened his back. "What's up?"

Lucy unwrapped his arm away from her shoulders, placing it on his thigh. She squeezed his hand. "I've been thinking… things."

"You've been thinking… things?" Natsu tilted his head in amusement.

"… Cut me some slack here. I'm nervous." Lucy huffed.

Natsu chuckled. "Sorry, sorry." He gently rubbed her hand in circular motions, which helped to ease some tension from her body. "Go on."

"Okay." Lucy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She turned her head and looked at Natsu straight on. "I… was planning to tell you this a long time ago… but I just haven't found the right opportunity to do so." No… I always chickened out at the last moment.

"I see." Natsu nodded, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"We've… known each other for a long time, haven't we?"

"Well, duh-"

"Don't interrupt me." Lucy poked his cheek.

"Okay, okay." He smiled.

Lucy cleared her throat. "As I was saying… we've known each other for a long time." She gazed into the stars in the sky. "I fondly remember the day we first met, the day you brought me into Fairy Tail. My life had been turned upside down in so many ways I could have never imagined."

Before Natsu could comment, Lucy put a finger to his lips. Let me finish first, please?

"… Maybe you've realized this… but… Natsu, if we've never met on that day, I don't think I would have found my happiness. I wouldn't have found people I could call my family, I wouldn't have found a place I could call my home." Lucy turned her gaze to Natsu, blushing a bit. "And I wouldn't have found my partner… my best friend."

Natsu grinned, beaming at her in response. He was tempted to reply, but he held himself.

"You know… when you left me for one year…" Natsu frowned upon hearing that. Lucy could tell he felt guilty about it. She giggled, gently intertwining her fingers with his to reassure him. "Don't worry about it. That one year gave me a lot to think about, you know? About you, about my feelings." She smiled warmly.

"… Natsu, you're my best friend, and I really appreciate you." She squeezed his hand, this time to reassure herself. "But over the past years, I've come to realize you meant so much more than that to me. I want something… special to grow between us. More than what we are now."

Her heartbeat raised. This is it.

"Even after I say this, Natsu… please promise you won't leave me, okay? I know I'm acting selfish… but please… don't leave me." She knew he would always be by her side. She just needed his reassurance.

"I love you."

Natsu grinned brightly. "I love y-"

Having expected this, Lucy shook her head.

"I love you. More than a friend. More than a best friend. I love you so much my heart hurts. I love you so much I get lonely when you're not here by my side."

Natsu's eyes widened. He certainly wasn't expecting this. Is this… a stronger form of love? Wait, is love supposed to hurt?

"I love you the way Gajeel loves Levy. The way Juvia loves Gray. The way Alzack loves Bisca."

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. It's… different?

To drive the point forward, Lucy cupped his cheek, and closed the distance between their lips.

Almost instantly, a faint image of a girl flashed by Natsu's mind, causing him to instinctively push Lucy away from him before their lips could meet.

"… Natsu?"

Why… did I do that? Natsu wasn't sure. Something didn't feel right to him.

"… Why did you push me away?" Lucy asked, visibly hurt.

"No, I…"

"Do you not want to kiss me?"

Natsu remained silent. For some reason, he could neither answer yes nor no. It was a straightforward question that should have a straightforward answer and yet…

"… Why is it now that you choose not to kiss me?" Lucy turned her attention to the ground, clenching her fists. "You were perfectly fine when Asuka asked you to kiss me. You didn't even hesitate when Mira punished you to kiss me."

Natsu had to admit… she was right. Why didn't he give it much thought before? Why was this moment different?

"Natsu, do you… love me?" Tears began welling up in her eyes as she gazed back into him. She had told herself that there was the chance Natsu wouldn't return her feelings. But she couldn't accept that. Not yet. She wanted him to understand her so badly.

"I-I do, Lucy! I love you!" Natsu frantically turned his body to face her. "You're so important to me! You're my partner! You're my family!"

"I want us… to have something special, Natsu."

"And you're so special to me, Lucy!"

Of course, Lucy knew that. It wasn't the words she wanted to hear. The feelings involved in his 'love'… it wasn't the same with the way she expressed hers.

"Then, please… let me kiss you." Why was she so insistent on kissing him? Was she still drunk? She didn't know. This was her last resort at making him realize her feelings. I know he's dense, but he seriously can't be that dense. She cupped both his cheeks and pulled his face closer to hers.

Again, Natsu held her by her shoulders and pushed her away. Why? He didn't know.

"… Why don't you want to kiss me?" Her shoulders trembled under his grip.

"I… don't know, Lucy." He gazed downwards.

"You don't know? Do you not love me enough to kiss me?"

He pondered the word 'love' again. He loves Lucy; he was sure of it. Every moment they spent together was precious to him. Even so… he couldn't bring himself to accept a kiss from her now. Something just felt off… like this didn't feel right to him. Maybe he should be the one to initiate the kiss? Yeah, that's probably it.

Natsu faced her and lessened her grip on his shoulder. "Allow me."

"… Okay." Lucy closed her eyes, waiting for him to make his move.

As he approached her, his eyes rested on her lips. For some reason, he wasn't seeing Lucy's lips in his mind. It was the lips of… someone else. He froze a few inches away before their lips could meet. Why… can't I do it?

Lucy slowly opened her eyes. "… Natsu?"

Natsu pulled his hands away from her, shifting himself backwards. Why… am I hesitating? It's Lucy!

"… So that's how it is." Lucy stood up from the bench. "I was such a fool… to think you'd feel the same way I do."

"N-No, Luce…" Natsu stood up, taking her by her hand. "That's not tru-"

Lucy snatched her hand away. Why am I getting mad at him?! He's not at fault… I'm the fool here.

"Lucy…" Moonlight shone on to Lucy's face, faintly illuminating her tears running down her flushed face. It caused his heart to ache painfully.

Lucy didn't want to think about it, but maybe she had to face the reality. Maybe he didn't want to kiss her because…

He doesn't feel the same way.

The thought shredded through both her heart and mind, causing her to place a palm over her aching heart.

"Lucy, please… I-"

"Just stop, Natsu." Lucy turned around, trying to ignore the way his voice tugged at her heartstrings. "You don't understand how I'm feeling right now."

"Please, Lucy. Talk to me. I want to understand you, really." Natsu reached out his hand. Facing her back was unbearable for him.

"Please… just stop." Lucy whispered through her tears.

"Lucy, don't do this to me." His heart was getting crushed by the second.

"I just… want to be alone now, okay?" Lucy walked away, leaving Natsu to his mind. "Good night."

"Lucy, wait!" Natsu wanted to chase after her, but his legs wouldn't budge. He could only stand there in pain, realizing he hurt his own best friend. His knees dropped down, feeling the cold, solid ground beneath him. He gazed at the night sky, staring into the abyss.

What did I do wrong?


"… And now, here we are." Natsu rubbed his forehead. "… I wish I understood Lucy better, I really do."

"I-I see…" Wendy listened intently. This… is a lot to take in. In a way, Wendy could understand Lucy. Pouring out your feelings, only for them to be cast aside, even though Natsu didn't realize it.

Admittedly, Wendy felt relieved Natsu didn't let Lucy kiss her. Obviously, that wasn't the point of the conversation, but she couldn't help but be slightly glad about that. But why couldn't he?

"I really love her… but I get the feeling that her idea of love is different from my idea of love. The problem is, I don't know what that is. I love her, she loves me. Shouldn't that solve the problem?"

At the corner of her eye, Wendy could see Gray facepalming himself in response with Jellal trying to calm him down. They must be listening in on to the conversation.

I see… She was aware Natsu was used to familial love his whole life. Maybe I can explain it to him?

"I'm not an expert on this but Natsu, you see… there's different kinds of love." Wendy put on imaginary glasses.

"I see… so Lucy's love is different from mine?"

"Yeah." Wendy nodded. "To put it bluntly, she loves you in a romantic way."

"A… romantic way?" Come to think of it, Lucy did mention something like that before I hung out with Wendy.

"It's not the love you'd share between family. But it can develop between friends, even best friends like you and Lucy."

"I see…" Natsu was listening intently.

"I think… she understood your love as a familial love. I think that's why she was really upset… because you didn't return the same love she had for you."

"Hmmm… is romantic love stronger than familial love?"

"Err… I'm not sure. I guess it depends." Wendy scratched her cheek. "But what Lucy wanted with you… she wanted to grow closer with you. To become more than just best friends."

"Is that so…" Natsu rubbed his chin. This was too much for him to take in, but he had a slightly better understanding now. What does it mean to be more than best friends? To be more than family? In Natsu's mind, Lucy was practically close to his heart.

"And this kind of love… it's something you'd realize for a person."

"A person?"

"Yeah… the love Lucy has for you, she doesn't have it for anyone else."

"Hmmm." Natsu replayed the night back in his mind. "So, the love Juvia has for Gray, it isn't the same with the love she'd have for everyone else?" He chose Juvia as an example because one, Lucy mentioned it and two, her obvious display of affections for Gray.

"Exactly." Wendy gave a thumbs up.

Why the hell are they talking about Juvia and me? Gray's ears perked up in embarrassment.

"I see…" Natsu closed his eyes and pondered his mind. "Do you love anyone… romantically, Wendy?" That's a complicated word to say.

"… Eh?" Wendy blinked a few times at his question. "E-Eh?!"

Carla covered her mouth, holding back her laugh.

"What's so funny?" Gray asked.

"N-Nothing… pfft."

Hmmm… should I have not asked that? Natsu thought. "Oh, you don't have to answer it. I was just curio-"

"N-No, it's fine!" Wendy frantically waved her hands around. "There is… someone I love."

"Oh." He smiled. "Do they love you romantically too?"

"… No." She hung her head downwards. "He… doesn't know about my feelings."

He… for an unspeakable reason, he felt his heart tighten. "I see. Would it make you happy if he felt the same?"

"… Yeah." Wendy smiled, gazing at Natsu's onyx eyes. "I would be really happy if he did." If only he knew how much she wanted him to love her, as she loved him.

"… Alright." This is probably what Lucy wanted. For me to feel the same way as she did? This is really confusing… but I kind of understand it better? But then… am I not feeling the same way she does? He sighed deeply. He ended up getting a headache from thinking too much. Many questions swirled inside his head. I should apologize to Lucy…

Natsu stood up from his seat. "I'm going to head outside for a bit."

"Huh?"

"I just… need some time to think about this." He rubbed his forehead. "But… thank you for listening to me. I really appreciate it." He flashed his signature smile.

There's that darn smile. "Anytime, Natsu…" She wished she could have kept him more company, but he probably needed time to be by himself.

"Tell Lucy not to worry about me, alright?" With this final message to Wendy, he turned around and walked towards the entrance. He finally noticed the presence of the other people.

"Oh, hey you guys…" Natsu waved weakly.

"… Yo, Natsu." Gray waved back.

"Hello." Jellal smiled.

"Natsu…" Happy stared at him with tears in his eyes.

"Hey, Happy… want to go on a little walk with me?" Natsu stretched out his hand.

"… Okay!" Happy jumped on to Natsu's shoulder.

"Sorry for the way I've treated you this morning, buddy." Natsu patted his head.

"Do you have any idea how much I was worried about you?"

And so, the dragon slayer and his Exceed exited the guild and made up with each other.

Wendy sighed deeply, feeling lonely now that Natsu is gone. What was going to happen from this point forward? Hearing Lucy confess to him was a total shock. She didn't want to think about it, at least not yet. But at least he'll be fine. That's what matters to me.

"It's so cute seeing Natsu talking about love." Mirajane popped up behind the counter.

"M-Mira?" Wendy turned her head around. "You were listening?"

"Couldn't help myself." Mirajane giggled. "I never thought I'd see the day. I didn't expect Lucy to confess to him after the Fairy Night. I suppose the mood was right."

"Yeah… me neither." Wendy replied.

"I hope Natsu will be able to realize his feelings for Lucy soon enough." Mirajane rested her arms on the counter. "Don't you think so too?"

Wendy rubbed her neck. She wasn't sure what to reply. If anything, it slightly annoyed her to hear Mirajane say that. "Yeah… I guess so."

"Natsu's totally in love with her! He just doesn't know it yet." Mirajane gave a wide smile.

"… Maybe." Wendy held back her frown.

Mirajane playfully patted Wendy's head. "My my, you trying to hide your jealousy is quite adorable, Wendy." She said in a suggestive manner.

"… Huh?" Wendy's eyes widened." What do you-"

"Oh my! It seems I need to get back to my cleaning duties! Later, Wendy!" Mirajane waved and disappeared into the kitchen.

Wendy looked dumbfounded. What did Mirajane mean by that? Maybe she's just messing with me…


Meanwhile, with Lucy…

..

.

Erza and Juvia had brought Lucy outside the guild. Erza decided a fresh change of air and scenery would be nice, to help get Lucy's mind off the current situation. They sat down on a bench which gave a great view of Magnolia's forests and blue skies.

"How are you feeling, Lucy?" Erza asked, rubbing Lucy's back in gentle motions.

"… I don't know." She said weakly.

"You can talk to us about it if you'd like. We're here for you."

Lucy took a deep breath to sort her thoughts. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say.

"Take your time." Erza cradled her hand.

"I'm… really scared." Lucy's hands trembled.

"Mhmm… what are you scared of?"

"… of losing what I have with Natsu. Even if he doesn't return my feelings… I don't want anything to change between us."

Erza nodded in thought. "Lucy… could I ask you something?"

Lucy turned her head to her. What is it?

"How certain are you that Natsu didn't return your feelings?"

Lucy's eyes widened. She hung her head downward, pondering her mind. Did Natsu explicitly state he didn't return her feelings? Well, he didn't exactly accept her feelings either, but that didn't mean he rejected her, did he? She chalked it up to emotions clouding her judgement. But then, why didn't he…

"Last night…"

Erza hummed in response.

"When I confessed to him," Lucy brushed her fingers against her lips, "I tried to… kiss him."

Both Erza and Juvia blinked in surprise. A faint red covered Juvia's cheek.

"I might have been a little drunk. I'm not sure." Lucy raised her head, "But… he didn't want to kiss me back. He… pushed me away."

Juvia wrapped her arm around Lucy's shoulders. "… I imagine that must have hurt." She could relate to her pain, considering how much Gray had rejected Juvia's advances in the past.

"Yeah… still, I don't understand why he did that. Why didn't he want to kiss me? I know I've been hesitant whenever he tried to, but this one moment that I wanted to kiss him… he didn't."

"I see." Erza connected the pieces together. "Because he didn't accept your kiss, you thought that he didn't accept your feelings either?"

"… Pretty much." Lucy dropped her shoulders.

"I don't think that's necessarily the case, Lucy." Erza smiled, caressing her hair.

"… Huh?"

"Natsu… he can be dumb at times but he probably didn't want to kiss you because he wasn't sure about his own feelings." Erza chuckled. "This must be a first experience for him, too."

"… I guess."

"I don't think he answered your feelings yet. He must be trying to understand his own. Knowing him, that's going to be quite a challenge for his mind. If he did kiss you, it might have not been the same feelings you were trying to convey to him."

"… I guess that's possible." Lucy sighed.

"And well… Natsu's only known love for family his whole life. He doesn't know what's it like to share a love between lovers."

Just his family in his eyes. "Maybe I shouldn't have confessed to him…"

"You can't say that, Lucy."

"… Juvia?"

Juvia squeezed Lucy's hand, raising her voice. "Confessing takes a lot of courage! I'm sure you must have been scared, but you poured out your feelings for him! That takes a lot of courage! It really hurts when the person you love doesn't feel the same way as you do." Juvia bowed her head downwards. "I've faced it… too often."

Erza smiled to herself. She must be referring to Gray…

"But I never gave up on my love. I kept pushing and pushing. I always stood by his side, even if he didn't need me there."

"Mhmm…" Lucy caressed her hand.

"I know I can be quite clingy, bothersome, selfish…" Juvia gritted her teeth. "Sometimes, I did feel… maybe I didn't deserve to be by his side. Last night, he told me he would return my feelings, whenever he felt ready. I was so happy to hear him say that." Juvia blushed faintly. "That's why, Lucy…" She locked her gaze into her eyes. "You can't give up so soon, not when you haven't heard Natsu's answer. You two deserve to be together."

"Juvia…" Lucy took her words to heart. Maybe she's right… there might be a chance.

"Since you already confessed to him, you might as well see it through the end, right?" Erza squeezed Lucy's shoulder to reassure her.

"Erza…" Lucy held Natsu's scarf and pushed it against her mouth. She thought about her feelings for a moment. Honestly, it was easier said than done, but…

"You can always come to Juvia for love advice." Erza said in a joking manner.

"I-I'm no love expert!" Juvia frantically waved her hands around.

Lucy couldn't help but crack a smile at her friends. Having her friends here, she wouldn't have to go through this alone.

"You guys…" Lucy wiped a tear with her finger.

"We're always here for you, Lucy." Erza said.

"Group hug!" Both Erza and Juvia hugged her, essentially squeezing her in between.

"Stop, I can't breathe!" Lucy tried to squirm out of their hugs.

"Haha, there's the Lucy we know." Erza playfully poked her cheek.

The negative feelings plaguing Lucy's mind had considerably lessened, thanks to them. She was grateful to have friends she could proudly call her sisters.

"I've decided. I can't give up on my feelings. I want Natsu to understand me… and I want to understand him too." Lucy said, determination in her voice. She stood up from her seat. "I should apologize to him first."

"I'm sure he wants to talk to you too." Erza smiled.

"You got this, Lucy! I'm sure Natsu will fall in love with you in no time!" Juvia pumped her fists to cheer Lucy.

"Thanks, you guys. Really."

Erza and Juvia looked at each other, then looked at Lucy, nodding together.

"What are you waiting for? Make up with him. We'll follow behind." Erza said.

"Yeah!" Lucy turned around in place and walked towards the guild, holding his scarf.

"I sure hope Natsu and Lucy end up together. They've been through so much." Juvia said, folding her arms. "It's about time they got together, don't you think?"

"… Yeah." Erza hung her head downward, appearing in deep thought.

"Erza?" Juvia noticed she didn't seem… enthusiastic about this.

"O-Oh, it's fine. I hope the best for them." Erza said with a smile.

I'm glad Lucy's feeling better. Erza's mind was drawn to the other girl who had feelings for Natsu… Wendy. What would become of her if Lucy saw this through the end? She wholeheartedly supported both Lucy's and Wendy's relationship with Natsu. She wanted the best for both of them. It's just… she was afraid to imagine seeing one of them brokenhearted.

Whatever conclusion their feelings may lead to… I hope it's one you've followed from your heart, Natsu.