Chapter 3
A/n: So I wanted to continue this story but i wasn't happy how i finished this chapter previously so i redid it and i'm much more happy with it. Thank you Lord Jaric for constructive criticism and everyone else on the reviews it's nice to see people enjoy the story. I'll have the next chapter out asap since i'd feel like this was a tease so see ya. Disc: I do not own Fairy Tail.
As light shines through the window of Lucy's apartment the blonde begins to stir, she feels an overwhelming sense of comfort and warmth and feels the body next to her, knowing it's her favorite Dragonslayer and personal space heater she makes no effort to wake him. Lucy lightly lifts her head off of Natsu's chest she was using as a pillow while lacking any sense of embarrassment just pure joy and a dopey smile on her face knowing yesterday wasn't a dream, staring at his face a smile on his lips as his arms are draped around her waist. The Stellar mage makes a move to get out of bed and make them breakfast but she's pulled back to her original position using the Dragon Slayer as a pillow as he nuzzles into her neck causing the blonde to laugh lightly at his actions. Lucy eventually gets the will and physical endurance mustered up to pry his arms from around her and remove herself from the bed and Natsu's warmth. Making her way to the kitchen slightly acknowledging the blue exceed that must of came in after the two mages fell asleep, the blonde, not the least bit surprised knowing Happy wouldn't want to leave Natsu as much if not more than she did. She begins making breakfast for the three of them, unannounced to her a pinkette in the other room wakes up in an empty bed and becomes frantic looking all over the room then realizes there's the lingering smell of breakfast and sighs falling back into 'the comfiest bed ever' with a smile and a single thought in his head "it wasn't a dream". He exits the bed to find his two best friends chatting he joins them taking in the scent of a certain blonde mixed with bacon among various other food items as he lets out a pleased sigh. The three partners make small talk and eat their breakfast of pancakes and bacon or fish if you're Happy. Finishing breakfast and getting ready to go to the guild they make their way along the river and stop at the large wooden doors sensing her best friends distress she speaks up.
"Are you sure you want to do this today Natsu? We could always go do something else around town." Lucy states with a look of concern for her companion etched into her eyes. The pinkette looks her way and flashes his toothy grin and replies.
"I'm sure Luce thanks for worry'n though" he chuckles lightheartedly trying to dismiss his own apprehension, Natsu takes one last deep breath puts a small smile on his face and moves to the big wooden doors of the guilds and pushes them open in a steady manner, extremely out of character for him and walks in followed by Lucy and Happy none of them sparing any of the gawkers a glance as they make their way to an empty table. Lucy shouts to Mira to get them drinks and the three proceed in catching up and small talk, while similar to yesterday they have all attention on him but the aura of unease has diminished in some of the guild members but there remains those who are unsettled. Erza never being one to not state her mind approaches the group's table.
"Lucy, may I speak to you in private?" Titania stated rather than asked but her stern demeanor still present but her face more worried than stern. Lucy looks to Natsu with a worrisome glance asking with her eyes if he'll be okay. The Dragonslayers only response is a fanged grin signaling for her to go ahead. The blonde gets up and follows the scarlet-haired warrior outside of the guild and into the forest guaranteeing no one will be able to eavesdrop even with enhanced senses.
"Soo Erza, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Lucy states with a tilt of her head and curiosity in her voice.
"Lucy I will be upfront with you, I don't want you to be alone with Natsu, I won't ask you to stay away from him but I do ask you take extra precautions when dealing with him," Erza states rather calmly to her teammate with genuine concern for her safety. In response, the blonde let out an exasperated sigh and an exaggerated flail of her arms.
"Erza this is Natsu we are talking about, I get it's big news about him possibly being E.N.D. but Natsu is still Natsu, and I don't see any reason to why we should treat him differently." The blonde protested ending her statement with a hmph and crossing her arms.
"Lucy, believe me, I understand your feeling I grew up with him, I'm just trying to air on the side of caution." Erza reasoned her tone holding more emotion than logic which made the blondes demeanor soften.
"Erza, I can't abandon him when he needs me, no matter the risk it's one I'll gladly take for him. I won't ask you to just trust him again immediately, I'm just saying give him a chance." Lucy pleads to the redhead.
"I can't lower my guard Lucy, I'm sorry I can't do what you ask of me." Erza lowers her head her hair hiding her face from the blonde.
"Thank you for your concern for my safety Erza, I hope in time you can come to trust him again. I'll see you around then bye." With a wave to the s-class mage, Lucy begins her walk back to the guild. as she arrives and Enters the grand doors she immediately seeks out a set of salmon colored hair only to find him and his cat to be joyfully teasing each other with there signature smiles on their faces. Lucy makes her way to her companions table and takes a seat and joins in on the teasing and instantly becomes the target.
With their orders in hand, the she-devil saunters up to their table a feeling of nostalgia set in as the 2 try to recruit her to the opposing sides of their argument. "So Natsu how was your little sabbatical?" Mira asks innocently avoiding inputting on their argument entirely. Realization dawns on the She-Devil when she sees the dumbstruck look on Dragonslayers face one only Natsu of Fairy Tail could pull off and she bust out in hysterics at herself for ever doubting Natsu being Natsu.
A tick mark appears on the pinkette's forehead as he sees the she-demon laugh at his confusion. "It's not my fault I don't know stupid words like sab-cycle!" causing The blonde and exceed to chorus a sighing 'not even close' while shaking their heads in defeat.
"I meant vacation Natsu," Mira states straightening up as she tries to stifle her giggles at his expressions, the very same expression that Fairy Tail has missed for quite some time. Natsu hearing her rephrasing replies "Oh" with a shrug and goes off to tell Mira and his partners parts of his recent adventure, teasing match between the three completely forgotten as he reaches the part about a natural hot spring he is interrupted by a 'Hotsprings are manly!' and a 'shush it big brother Elf I wanna hear the story' as two more takeover mages join to listen to the story as the tense atmosphere seems to have been tabled for another day. The rest of the day went by Mira working and stopping by to listen in while Natsu told his stories to The Strauss siblings and his best friends. Their laughter filled the air of an otherwise awkward guildhall. While from the second floor the guilds only other blonde see's a group glaring at the aforementioned pinkette and his audience. 'Looks like they aren't giving up' seeing the rejected redhead and a seething Demon Slayer with his ever-present stalker at his side. "Hmph" grunts the second generation dragon slayer and retreats off the second-floor balcony.