That thought kept on bouncing back and fort in Natsu's head.
If that is not how you feel for Lucy then you should not even ask her, else it would simply be an empty gesture that can bring her pain.
Jellal's words came back to Natsu's mind and he can no longer deny that once again he had said words that brought Lucy pain. It wasn't that he didn't want to be Lucy's boyfriend, because he really did. But he had to admit that his reasons were probably not the kind that she had wanted to hear about.
He would have to go and apologize to her about that.
Don't you want to kiss her at least?
The question came suddenly to Natsu's mind. Wait, why was he thinking about such question?
What more is it that you want from Erza?
He had asked Jellal that.
Don't you want to kiss her at least?
And Natsu suddenly stood still. The figure of Ark by Lucy's door came to his mind. He had passed by him, simply giving him a glare. At that point, he had not cared about Ark's reasons for being there. In his mind, Lucy had obviously wanted Ark to remain her boyfriend and there was nothing he could do about that.
But I don't even understand what is so great about having a boyfriend.
Don't you want to kiss her at least?
His conversation with Jellal started pouring into his mind and he felt like his heart would stop. In his mind he pictured Ark going inside Lucy's apartment...
It is something you crave from the bottom of your heart that being unable to be so tears you apart every single time.
To hold her, to touch her, to kiss her?
He was going to burn him into ashes.
Natsu started running back to Lucy's apartment.
But when he got there, it was once again empty.
"Lucy!" He shouted, although he knew she wasn't there, otherwise he would have smelled her. "Lucy!" He shouted again anyway. Although he was unable to smell Lucy, he smelled something else.
Else it would simply be an empty gesture that can bring her pain
Tears.
Lucy had been crying. And judging by the scent, she had cried a lot.
Natsu felt like crying as well. How could he be so stupid? Jellal was right. He was an idiot. And he needed to grow up.
But first he had to find Lucy.
He turned to leave. But as he did so, the door opened and Lucy entered. She was obviously surprised to see him in her apartment again. "Natsu?" She asked hesitatingly.
"Lucy, I'm sorry." Natsu didn't waste time to apologize. If anything, Natsu was decisive and he didn't wait for second thoughts. "I was an idiot and I'm so sorry."
The pink haired boy had his head bowed low and his eyes closed. He definitely expected Lucy to be angry at him.
And it was so unfair, because although Lucy wanted to be mad at him, she instead felt really touched by his apology. She just couldn't be mad at Natsu for long.
"It's okay, you don't have to be sorry." Lucy decided to be brave once and for all. "I have also made up my mind."
"Wait Lucy." Natsu finally stopped bowing to look at her. "I really do want to be your boyfriend..."
"Please Natsu, stop it." Lucy interrupted. "I've broken up with Ark. And I am not going to date anyone anymore. I will just be your friend and we can be friends forever."
She expected Natsu to be happy at her words, but the guy was looking at her in aghast.
"But I don't want to be just friends." Natsu started. "I'm sorry at how I stated it before. But I still want to be Lucy's boyfriend."
Lucy didn't understand why Natsu was making things so hard for her. Didn't she just give up her dreams of romance for him? "Why are you doing this?"
"I want..."
"But you don't love me!" Lucy interrupted knowing exactly what Natsu was going to say.
Natsu looked confused. "But I've always loved Lucy. And I will always love Lucy."
Lucy scoffed. "Yes, yes, you love me. Just like you love Happy. You love me, just like you love Erza, and Wendy and Gray, and the entire guild."
"It's not like that..."
"Then what is it like?" Lucy was getting frustrated. "You love me, but you are not in love with me. Although you probably don't know the difference."
"You are right." Natsu said softly. "I probably don't know. I am an idiot after all. But I do know something."
Natsu had a desperate look in his eyes and it struck a chord into Lucy's heart. "I know that I don't want anyone else to hold Lucy when she cries, because I want to be the only one to do so. I don't want anyone else to catch Lucy when she falls, because I want to be that person at all times. I want the name that comes out from Lucy's lips to be always mine. And I want Lucy's lips to be kissed by only me and no one else."
The last line made Lucy too shocked to respond.
Then Natsu clutched at his chest. "And if that is not being in love, then maybe there is just something wrong with me. Because it hurts to much to think that I cannot be that person for you."
"Natsu..." She said his name softly, still in shock. Was she dreaming? Or did Natsu just really confess his love for her? She must be dreaming. She must be.
"Lucy?" He wanted to know what Lucy was thinking. But at the same time, he was scared to hear her response.
Then suddenly Lucy threw herself into his arms and started bawling her eyes out. "Natsu, you dummy." Was all she said as she continued to cry.
Of all the responses he envisioned, he never thought it would be tears. Did he say something wrong again. "Lucy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. I..."
"Sorry." Lucy interrupted with her own apology. "I'm just so happy that I can't stop crying."
Slowly, what Lucy said dawned to Natsu and the ache in his heart started to dissipate. "Does that mean that..."
"Yes!" Lucy interrupted once more. "I will be Natsu's girlfriend." Lucy exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
And Natsu began to cry too. Then he started laughing. Then Lucy started laughing with him. And they were in each other's arms, laughing and crying at the same time.
Then Natsu remembered what Jellal said. "Does this mean I can kiss Lucy now?"
Unfortunately, Lucy's reflexes took over, and she was unable to stop her fist from connecting with Natsu's cheek. "Ah..." Lucy felt apologetic as soon as the action was done.
Natsu who had fallen far backwards rubbed his abused cheek cursing Jellal in his mind. "That really hurt." Dumb Jellal. He was never going to heed his advice ever again.
Lucy had wanted to run over to Natsu and apologize. But then would it not look like she was asking to be kissed by doing so? Lucy blushed at the thought. "It's too early for you to think of kissing." She said instead. "I don't give my kisses out lightly. You will have to work hard for them."
Then she turned to walk away to hide her blush. She walked out of her apartment, not knowing where to go.
Natsu grinned from ear to ear. Didn't that mean that she wasn't oppose to kissing after all. Maybe Jellal wasn't as insane as he thought. Natsu stood up to go after her. "What do I need to do then, he asked Lucy from behind as she continued to walk. "Do you want flowers? I can grow a garden of them at my place. Happy can water them everyday and when they bloom I can give you a dozen every day."
Lucy was really touched by his statement but she still wasn't done being embarrassed so she continued walking to avoid facing Natsu. "You will need to work harder than that."
Natsu stopped for a bit to think. "Hmmm..." Then he continued to go after Lucy. "I know you missed your appointment at the Verserean, I can get a table for us there."
"Good luck. They are booked for months ahead."
"That's not a problem for me." Natsu said with pride. "I'll go pay them a visit. I can be very persuasive."
Lucy finally stopped walking to turn back and face Natsu. "You are not going to threaten them are you?"
"Well..." Natsu scratched his head guiltily. "I was just gonna show them some of my flames."
"Are you kidding me." Lucy started walking again. "I don't want our first date to be in jail, thank you very much."
"I can cook for Lucy."
"Are you trying to burn my kitchen down?" But Lucy had started smiling.
Things like flowers and dates. They can come later. They had a lot of time for that. Right now, what was important was that she had finally accepted that she was in love with Natsu, and Natsu was in love with her back.
Can life get any better?
Oh kisses. Yes kisses, those can come later too.