A/N: Been a little while since I update, still trying to change that. In any event, thank you all for your reviews. You are what make me push forward with this story.

Painful ringing filled room. His eardrums were aching at this eerie sound and every tone felt like another knife that pierced his head. Eyes opened and tried to search the source but he just moment ago left the land of the dream and looking around proved to be of little use. It kept ringing and finally he extended his hand, trying to reach little flat device that was on table beside the bed. Hand brought it to his ear and he mumbled single Hello but instead of answer phone kept ringing. He tilted the screen to see better and noticed he missed the answer button and with a swipe of finger he succeeded after several tries.

"Who's disturbing?" His voice was still low and still sleepy "Who? Oh… It's you… can it wait? Right… I'll come around noon… No it's not past noon!" He lifted his head, narrowing his eyes and adjusting focus in order to better see clock on the wall and it was indeed 12:25 showing on it. "Ugh… forget it… Yea I'll be over there in half hour… maybe hour…"

Natsu pressed finger on screen and ended conversation. He placed phone on bed beside his head and hand that was holding it now fell limp down over the edge of bed. Maybe five more minutes…

"Natsu-nii?" voice came from other side of his bedroom door, making him open his eyes again "Are you awake?"

"Yeah!" he shouted, groaning slightly after as she propped himself up and sat on edge of bed, rubbing his eyes with fingers of right hand. "I'll be down in few minutes."

He looked around again, taking a look at screen of his phone again and like a little mystery he saw three missed calls. There were few guesses that he could make in assuming who is behind them but to avoid leaving it to chances he still checked. Two belonged to Jenny and one to Gray and all three of them were from yesterday. For few moments he wondered how he could've missed those but remembered that he actually did silenced his phone, not wanting to be interrupted in his little epic quest around Lucy's house. Then again he did saw Gray in park and he didn't mention missed call. Well he is going to find out one way or another.

Once he was presentable again he made his way downstairs. Igneel was going over papers while Wendy was helping her mother set the table for lunch. Perfect image of a perfect family utopia.

"You know dad, television was invented to replace the mess that papers leave behind." He grinned slightly as he went over and sat on edge of couch.

"I have been reading papers every day for twenty years now and I will be reading them until the day my eyes betray me." Igneel responded, still fully focused on his task. "Since you missed breakfast, can I assume you will be joining us for lunch?"

"Would love to but I have to run. Have something in plan."

Igneel didn't even flinch, already very much used to Natsu's excuses to be away. It wasn't that it didn't bother him because it did but his comments proved to have little effect and there was constant reminder made by Gran that he needs to have his own life and plan his own time. Igneel had countless arguments to counter these statements but he found himself in great difficulty in saying no to her and decided to trust her judgment.

"And here I thought you would want to spend a little more time with family." Igneel added, voice still calm as his eyes wandered from one page to another.

Natsu rolled his eyes, knowing well where this will go "Here we go again… Alright, how about this? Next time we have big house cleaning I'll be there and help as much as possible. How's that?

Red-haired man closed papers and folded them neatly before looking at Natsu. There was slight confusion that emerged, a puzzle that was presented before him and with it came a sudden realization that Natsu was acting unusual.

"That would be first. Mind if I ask what changed your mind?"

In that instant Natsu remembered yesterday clearly… every detail flashed before his eyes. Cooking breakfast, vacuuming entire house twice, helping with laundry and even dusting carpets. That was by far most exhausting day he had in past several years and that included all practices and games. It was beyond a doubt that he found something else in Lucy other than her looks… it was her strength and determination and he realized just how difficult it is to do all that on her own. Natsu's house… well rather his father's house, was almost three times the size and it is probably not easy for three of them to do it. What is this feeling he is having? Guilt?

"Let's just say someone gave me better understanding of it and I want to help. I am living here after all."

"You really need to bring that young man in here so I can congratulate him for achieving where I failed countless times." Igneel concluded with his lips curving up in slight smile. It felt good for him to see his son change his mind and it felt even better for Natsu to have his father have a little higher opinion of him. However this moment was short lived…

"It's not young man, it is a young lady." Wendy added as she was carrying plates "Natsu-nii is in love and he is trying to impress her."

He was beyond shocked as he watched his younger sister speak without a single flinch. Wendy is either guessing this, at which case she guessed everything or she hear something about this… Second option was not likely to be the case so all that is left is for little imp to actually add two and two together. It was indeed frightening for Nastu.

"Is that true?" Igneel asked.

"She is just joking…" Natsu chuckled nervously and shot cold death-glare in her direction and spoke with teeth clenched "Seriously Wendy, shut up."

"Well I am going to take whatever is offered although you should introduce us with this miracle-worker."

"There is no such girl!" Natsu almost shouted, feeling his temper slowly rising but after few seconds he managed to calm down. "Anyway I need to go."

All three of them watched as he left the house. It was safe to say that at this point they had a reasonable suspicion and Wendy's words merely confirmed what she already suspected. Natsu never behaved like this before, among all his bragging and boasting he never tried to conceal any girl he had in his life, be it short relationship or simple one night stand… but this was different and Igneel began considering all possibilities. Safe to say, few good and few bad came to his mind.

"It seems like Natsu is changing quite a bit." Silver-haired woman added as she continued to set up table with Wendy "He has been acting rather odd lately, in a good way."

"Well I am standing by my decision to meet this girl…" Igneel concluded and reopened papers, resuming with his daily inspection of Magnolia's news "Any girl who can make my son change his perspective on cleaning the house is nothing short of a genius."

Pinkette sighed as he stood by the door. He escaped one inquisition and is about to walk into another, knowing fully well that main inquisitor had more questions than he had hair on his head. Nevertheless, there was no one else he could speak about this. Hand rose and knocked three times leading to doors slightly open, only to reveal single eye revealing itself from the other side.

"Are you alone?" voice asked.

"What? Come on Gray stop acting like a five year old!"

"Are you alone?" he repeated question to which Natsu just nodded. Doors closed and sound of chain being removed from doors was heard before same doors opened again and hand grabbed Natsu by his shoulder, pulling him inside.

"How drunk were you last night?" Gray asked as he closed the door and slid chain on it again.

"I wasn't drunk at all." Natsu responded, taking off his jacket and threw it over a lean of couch as he sat on it.

"Bullshit…." Gray walked over and stood before him. His face revealed a mixture of emotions that could be described as annoyed, pissed off and good deal worried. "Let's start from top… what was it that you said last night over the phone?."

"I said I think I am falling for Lucy." Natsu answered, feeling a rock stuck in his throat. Gray on the other hand had no change in his expression and he quickly shook his head as if snapping out of trance.

"Sorry, say it again."

"I think I am falling for Lucy…" Natsu repeated, now feeling annoyed by Gray's request.

"One more time." Gray demanded, making Natsu finally snap.

"Alright, what the fuck are you doing?"

"I keep losing you after I am falling. You say it and it just goes… poof, blank, gone, end of sentence."

"What's this about, Gray?" Natsu asked "Is it really that difficult to believe?"

"Yes it is!" Gray quickly responded "It is because this is not like you!"

"People change."

"Not you!" Gray practically shouted this time but quickly composed himself. His right hand rose up and rubbed his face as he let out a long, audible sigh through his nose "Look, you are a lovable, egoistical, charming for some reason… asshole. Don't give me that look we both know who you are but it is true… You have fun, you score big time, we are going for pro league and you are the hit among the cheerleaders and other girls. You lure them, they fall for it, you get laid and both of you move on… That is your gig! That is what we always expect when it comes to you but this… This thing… this is not you."

"I said I think I am falling, not definitely falling, alright? Can we drop this now?"

"No no no I am not dropping this because we both know where this led last time you went down that road, Natsu."

"For fuck's sake Gray, she is not Lisanna."

"Exactly, but you are making same mistake again! You fell for her, took the first step, went out with her and how did that ended?"

"Stop…" Natsu said in dangerous, low tone.

"Somehow it ended with a fight and she left because you screwed up big time." Gray continued, not minding that Natsu was on the verge of bursting and it was impossible to not notice vein popping out on Natsu's forehead. It was a signal to ease up the tension and let situation leave the red zone.

"Alright… alright… let's try another approach… Why do you think you like her?" He asked.

"I don't know man…" Natsu responded with less tense voice as he leaned back against the couch lean, his eyes now fixed on ceiling "It's just that…"

"It's what?"

"Lucy is not like girls I usually go out with. She is cute, smart, composed… I mean, I dated girls who were crying because some celebrity bitch was going through divorce but Lucy… She doesn't even care about that, she is strong…"

"And she never gave into your approaches. Have you considered that it's just a little bit of lust and not love?"

"Hey, hey, stop…" Natsu interrupted quickly and looked toward him, waving with hand "I never said love, I said I am falling for her… I like her, but love is a little too much."

Gray frowned, rubbing his face yet again as he sighed. "That is basically the same thing. Falling is precursor to love, it's what comes after you get to know that person a little more than just looking at her physical appearance, which again… leads me to ask if you are attracted to her just because she never slept with you."

"I… don't know Gray…" Natsu said feeling a little defeated. Confusion was running rampant in his head, one thought came after another but they all led to same thing, to same name, to same face… Suddenly Lucy became center of his thoughts. Gray was definitely going to make fun of him for this but he felt as if he needed to share.

For the next twenty minutes Natsu was talking and Gray was listening, having himself seated on chair he pulled from the main table. Story progressed and Natsu filled in holes that Gray was not present to see yesterday, everything from before park to what happened after they left. Even though Gray was happily dating he couldn't deny that everything about Lucy was very alluring with way Natus was describing. A bad thought for him but he couldn't deny it. Greatest of shock, however, came when Natsu described what happened when he was leaving the house. It wasn't shocking that Natsu got kissed… It was as common as breathing but it was the way he was describing it that made it unique. Everything from the feel of soft lips right down to how his guts turned inside out, it was very descriptive and vivid almost as if he was right there when it happened and it became all too clear to Gray. It was clear why Natsu was feeling the way he did.

"Okay, stop… you are feeling something for her and I am telling you now to stop that." Gray said, bringing small frown to appear on Natsu's face.

"Why?"

"Because she is not right girl for you, that's why. Look… as mentioned before you are… asshole… I can't lie because you behave like one and I have seen what kind of girls you go with… I just don't think it is going to work."

"Come on Gray you are supposed to watch my back, we are supposed to be a team!" Natsu protested, feeling slightly betrayed by words that Gray was saying.

"We are a team, Natsu, and because we are a team it is my job to keep you out of trouble. Hand to heart, how many times have I stepped in to pull you out of the shit that you created because you flirted with wrong girl?"

"Can't be a big number…"

"Ten times this year!" Gray responded in louder voice, feeling that he needed to further reinforce his argument with volume of voice which was effective tactic against Natsu "Last one was two months ago at Sabertooth and you were flirting with girl who came with boyfriend and two of his friends. He wanted to level your face until I stepped to even the odds. Did I want to have my face look like remnant of World War I? No I did not but I still did it because we are friends."

"So now I am to just give up like that? Don't start that shit now Gray, you didn't do it when you started with Juvia, how the hell am I supposed to just stop now? And more to it why is it that you are suddenly against me going after Lucy when you weren't against me going out with any other girl before?"

Natsu stood up from the couch, eyes fixed on Gray who said nothing. His very head wanted to burst from sudden anger… he felt rage that was filling every pore of his skin. If it was any other topic, any other girl, Natsu wouldn't feel even fraction of what he feels right this moment. Possessive, yes, that is the feeling that he had now, he was possessive of Lucy even though she was still rejecting him. But something was odd in this scene, he felt it. Between two of them, Gray is the one who is levelheaded, he is the one who brings reason and cool head into any situation but even Gray has his limits and when that limit is passed, when his patience is being broken, he is the one who is more fiery. That fact has been proven times and times in past during their fights and only Natsu knew how he is when he loses his cool. It was beyond doubt that Natsu has severely tested his patience in last half hour and yet… He is silent now… That is unlike him.

It came to him, a sudden realization that struck like a bolt of lightning. It was not that Gray didn't have argument to shove in his mouth, it is the fact he did but clearly wanted to avoid it.

"You know something… do you?" Natsu asked, calmly this time, no less irritated but far more composed.

Gray stood up from his chair and walked away, letting out a long sigh as he paced across the dorm room.

"Yeah…" Natsu said in calm tone but it rose quickly "Yeah! Juvia is her close friend right? So naturally she knows Lucy and she told you something, didn't she?"

All Natsu's assumptions were confirmed the moment Gray nodded. He was elated, a small miracle among the sea of uncertainties to actually have some decent information about her.

"I can't tell you what she told me." Gray said coldly, figuring what his question is going to be "All I can say is that Lucy is a good girl and she is in very rough spot because of mistakes of others. Right now she desperately needs someone to lean against."

"That's all the more reason to tell me. I can't help her if I don't know what is going on."

"She will tell you on her own when she wants to, I can't tell you because I promised Juvia I will keep my mouth shut regarding that topic."

"Really?" Natsu asked displeased "You are going to take her side?"

"You are my friend but I might end up marrying her one day and if I want to make that work I need to work on a thing called trust."

Natsu's head bowed forward, he felt more and more defeated by the minute, betrayed even. Gray has always been a good friend but he has a mind that once is being set on something is impossible to avert. He of course sensed that, seeing how pinkette was slowly slipping into desperate waters was not a thing that he could easily just let slip. There was silent cursing, changing one after another in his head followed by Juvia is going to castrate me…

"Alright, here is what you can do." Gray said and in that instant Natsu felt elated again as he looked at his friend who at this sight felt instant regret in opening his mouth, but he continued "Lucy really doesn't need boyfriend right now but she needs a friend, something that she started seeing in you and if you intend to be close to her… you have to establish that trust thing with her. She has to see you as a person who can take weight from her shoulders without having to compensate you for it. This is going to be most difficult thing for you considering that you are a manwhore."

"I prefer the term playboy" Natsu grinned wide as he winked at Gray, making him shiver the very instant.

"You slept with four girls in last two months."

"Was it four?" Natsu asked and black-haired student instantly facepalmed.

"Tiffany, Maria, Rachel and Jennifer…"

"Wait who is Jennifer?" Natsu looked at Gray who instantly shot a glare his direction. As silence prolonged his eyes only widened but Natsu received no answer.

"Jenny?"

"Oh…" Natsu added. His mind went blank for few moments as he repeated same word but with long elongation.

"You completely forgot about her, haven't you?" Instead of answer, Natsu nodded slightly "Well, you will have to take care of her if you don't want to screw everything up."

"Yeah I know…"

On the other side of the town, in the house that previously underwent great cleaning, a certain blonde was sitting on a couch with her bluenette friend and her boyfriend sitting on each side of the same couch, trapping her in-between in awkward position as they would randomly break an argue over trivial things. This is nothing uncommon, nothing that Lucy didn't got used to already… in fact she eagerly welcomed it considering what original topic was. Silently she prayed that Levy will forget why she came. Her luck is a strange thing though…

"Okay, stop!" Levy ordered, making Gajeel silent instantly "We will discuss that when we get at the dorm, right now I want to know what happened yesterday."

"Nothing happened yesterday." Lucy said quickly. "He came on his own and insisted on helping me with cleaning, that is all."

"And what happened in the park?"

"I haven't took Michelle out for a week and day was perfect for it… he just… happened to tag along." Lucy said, feeling slightly uncomfortable that she had to lie but any other way of putting it would make things very complicated to explain.

"So you were in the park… three of you until rest of us came…" Levy looked to Lucy and she nodded "And then he went out to get food for you two, right?" Lucy nodded again, this time feeling where Levy is headed.

"Tha' sounds like a date if ya ask me." Gajeel chuckled, avoiding looking at either of them but he knew he was right. Blonde's cheeks slowly took a gentle color of pink.

"Which we kind of interrupted… Sorry Lulu…"

"It was not a date!" Lucy shouted but quickly covered mouth with her hands, remembering that it was time for Michelle's nap and she feared this much noise would wake her up… Waking up was not the problem, putting her back to sleep was a pain however. No cry was heard and she let out a sigh of relief.

"You can deny all you want but you are starting to like him don't you?" Levy asked. Pink began transforming in slight red.

"No! No no no, Levy I am not liking him."

"Really? Because I don't remember you allowing anyone to be in your house during cleaning, not to mention allowing anyone to help you with cleaning."

"And remember what ya did when I tried to pick Michelle from her stroller first time ya saw me?" Gajeel asked, bringing up memory for Lucy, one she didn't hold as fond "Ya almost screamed my ears off…"

"Sorry…" Lucy apologized for that scenario, knowing that it was Gajeel who from that point who helped her a lot, even when Levy didn't ask him to.

"But point is, you do seem to trust him, don't you?" Levy asked, offering a soft smile as she watched her best friend squirm on her seat.

"Alright, look. I can admit that he is not that big of an ass like I originally thought and yes!" She turned her head to look at Levy who wanted to say something but was interrupted "I will admit he looks… okay…"

"Okay?" Bluenette asked, making Lucy groan loud.

"Fine he is… handsome…" this sentence brought wide grin on Levy's face and at the same time lured dangerous growl out of Gajeel. "But that doesn't change the fact that I don't need boyfriend right now. He said that he wants to be a friend and that's enough for me right now… or ever."

"Lulu… that it a big nonsense… you can't throw away possibility of having someone by your side just because of a single mistake. Things are a lot easier when you have someone to sit beside at the end of day and just share your day, even bad ones… especially bad days. No guy is perfect and it takes some hard work to make things… work" Levy frowned at her own choice of words "Believe me that comes from someone who had to overlook Gajeel's perks."

"Hey my perks are fine, woman!" Gajeel instantly barked.

"Your perks are those of a gorilla! And stop calling me woman!" Levy retorted, shooting a glare at him.

"Well I would've called ya a lady but lady doesn't swing a pan at me!"

"You were swinging a pan at him?" Lucy asked.

"It was because he kept calling me a shrimp! He needed to be taught a lesson!"

"Well ya could've used smaller pan instead of that big ass one! Why do ya even have one when ya can barely cook?!"

Argue showed no signs of slowing down and Lucy was yet again in the middle of crossfire. As much as they both teased her, and they have teased her, there were some fair points that they brought up. First being that Natsu constantly tried to make everything into a date, and seeing as she didn't have one in… years now, a feeling that yesterday could be one was not as disgusting as she originaly thought it would be. She really did manage to pull a full stop on every date she could ever possibly get and that was due to her own choice. It was fear, it was expectation of disappointment that she wanted to avoid, disappointment in hope that not everyone are like… him. She threw away her chances, that was the second point Levy made and she was again right about it.

As arguing continued between unlikely pair, Lucy couldn't but wonder how would it look like… how would it be if she would to allow someone to stroll into her life. The thought terrified her, having to learn about her, about things she so desperately tried to hide, about reason why she cried every night in the shower…

Surely you could benefit from having someone to help you or at least make you feel better at the end of the day. You are cute…

Words rang in her head. An uncalled sentence that found its way to swim on the surface of her thoughts managed to explain nothing but for some reason it made her smile. How would it look like? Would that someone really accept her the way she is? Would he run away, would he stay? What if someone would to actually break all her fears and decide to stay by her side regardless of how broken she is. Someone odd, someone unlikely to be the case… Someone… like Natsu?