The Boy Next Door

by NiyahJem

Lucy Heartfilia has had a crush on Natsu Dragneel since childhood, they have been the best of friends ten years to be exact. Natsu only sees Lucy as a friend just the girl next door, when Lucy moves away to Hargeon for two years Natsu's world gets turned upside down. Her return back to Magnolia puts Natsu's feelings in a twist and he realizes some feelings he never knew he had NALU

1. Prologue

Lucy

It all started when I was five years old, I had been living in Magnolia my whole life and my first day of kindergarten would be soon. I was especially shy as a child looking back I think it had to do with the death of my mother Layla Heartfillia, my father had always singled me out and never really paid too much attention to me but my mother would sit me on her lap and stroke my blonde hair while humming sweet tunes, with her there were no words needed to be said the silence was enough.

The day she died was a day I would grow hatred towards her murderer

it took her at the age of thirty-five still young and still dreaming, sometimes I still daydream about the talks and moments we shared. However, the particular moment that surprisingly brought joy to my life was on a Friday, it was the last weekday of summer I was sitting on the couch in my living room reading a book when all of a sudden a moving van appeared in the driveway of the neighboring house. And that's when I saw

, Natsu Dragneel had spiky pink hair (oddly enough five-year-old Lucy Heartfilia thought this was normal) emerald green eyes, and on that particular day, he was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt matched with yellow shorts. I'm not sure why but I had to befriend him just not today…

Natsu

Out of all the new and weird experiences of moving to Magnolia, I'll never forget the day I met Lucy. It was Saturday the day after we arrived and to keep me from messing with the boxes Igneel sent me outside to play. Just as I opened the door a girl was standing there about to knock on the door, she had short blonde hair and these orb-like brown eyes. "Hi.." she croaked looking shy and nervous "I'm Natsu!" I introduced myself to her just like Igneel and I practiced(making sure to add the smile). She looked up at me with her huge chocolate eyes and replied with: "I'm Lucy". I grabbed her hand and went running down the block. "H-hey what do you think you're doing!?"Lucy yells at me as I drag her along with me to destination nowhere. It's not like I know my way around this neighborhood. I turn back to her still running "Let's be friends!", her eyes sparkle to my statement and I take her silence as a yes as we continue to run to who knows where. That's the day Lucy Heartfilia and I became best friends.