Lucy did not see Natsu the next day like he had said. Nor the next day, nor the day after that.

Not having any classes together made it a lot easier to avoid each other. Though, they weren't really avoiding. Lucy wasn't, at least. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see him or not. She clearly owed him an apology, but even if she saw him she doubted she'd be able to manage the words.

It had almost been a week since Lucy had first met Natsu. That made it only a few days since their first and last kiss. It was strange that it happened so quickly, but she felt like she was waiting for it her entire life.

The weather was still just as bitter and cold as it had been lately. Lucy was thankful for the constant in her life, even if it was unenjoyable to walk in. Just the stability made her feel a little more at ease.

It wasn't her first option, but walking up and waiting at the bus stop was the best idea to get out of the cold. There were the smokers as usual, and she coughed just looking at the grey tinge in the air.

"Want a puff?" The same gruff voice from last week asked her. If she wasn't so shy, she'd ask his name so she had something to call him other than The Bus-stop Asshole. She just calmly smiled and shook her head.

The man pouted, one arm wrapped around the metal pole of the stop sign as he leaned on it. That's gross. Lucy scrunched up her nose at him as he blew smoke into her face. "Awe, why not, sweetheart?"

Before she could answer, someone else had. "Bacchus, you got a light?"

Lucy and the other man both looked behind him to see the raven-haired and scowl-faced man named Gray. "Morning, Lucy. Is he bugging you?"

The blonde shook her head in a lie. Gray just sighed, holding out the cigarette between his fingers for Bacchus to light it. Without a word, the man did, and Gray drew it to his lips again.

"Nice clothes." Lucy said quietly. Bacchus groaned, clearly unamused by the conversation he wasn't involved in and left.

Gray smirked as he bit onto his cigarette. "Thank you. They're new."

A small smile tugged at Lucy's lips. "I figured." She shuffled her feet on the sidewalk as she saw the bus round the corner. "You're into some bad habits, you know."

Furrowing his brows at her, Gray pulled the stick from his mouth and frowned. "Whad'ya mean?"

Lucy shrugged. "Smoking and stripping. You're not exactly an exemplary student."

Gray laughed, and it sounded so genuine Lucy laughed as well. It had been a while since she made someone laugh like that. Someone other than Natsu, even, but that was another story. "I can't help it. The rebel-type just speaks to me."

There was a high pitched screech as the bus halted at the curb. The doors opened and people filed on. Gray stood behind Lucy, waiting for her to go on and he to follow. There was one seat left, and Lucy sat on the very edge after Gray gave her a courteous and understanding nod.

"The rebel type?" Lucy smiled up at him. He leaned against one of the poles, one hand lazy tangled into one of the rope handles. "Is that why you have innocent baristas swooning over you?"

Gray looked down at her, clicking his tongue as if to say 'wrong move.' "Stay in your lane, blondie." He chuckled, drawing the cigarette between his lips.

"No smoking on the bus." The driver announced.

Both Bacchus and Gray murmured "bite me" at the same time.

"So what's up with you and Natsu?" Gray asked after a moment. He dropped his cigarette on the floor of the bus and stomped it out.

Lucy was too phased by his question to be disgusted by his littering. That seemed like a Gray thing to do; he made you look away from his mistake by distracting you with something else. Like randomly taking his shirt off, but apparently now wasn't the time.

"Um, I don't know. I haven't seen him since the day we went to the café." Lucy admitted. She was glad that was her answer, as anything else would've made him pry. Lucy wasn't good under pressure like that.

Gray shrugged. "Really? I never would've guessed honestly. He talks about you like he just got done seeing you."

Lucy furrowed her brows. Her legs tensed up and scooted her back onto her seat as the bus turned a sharp corner. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that hothead always has something to say. S'like he can't shut up." Gray groaned, and Lucy had a feeling it may turn into a venting session of his own. "Erza always likes talking about it to him, though. They gossip like girls."

Lucy's brow furrowed deeper. "Erza is a girl."

"Beat me." Gray muttered. Lucy turned away, thinking she probably shouldn't have heard that. Erza was gorgeous and ultra femme, and other than her bossiness she saw nothing too bad about her. Perhaps that was a perk of getting close to someone; you got to see sides of them no one else did.

The bus rattled around another corner that made Lucy temporarily fear for her life on public transportation. Just as it came, it went, and the bus came to a stop in front of the courtyard. People began to eagerly file off, but Lucy waited until the crowd died down. She was glad to see Gray had the same idea.

"What class?" Gray asked, sticking his hands into his pockets.

Lucy stood up and nervously fiddled with her mittens. "Classic Literature." She said plainly.

Gray whistled as if that class was just as outrageous as the "Watching Grass Grow" class. She smiled at him softly as they walked off the bus. He even went first. Not waiting for her wasn't very gentleman-like, but it the lack of chivalry made her feel more at ease. He didn't seem like one to go out of his way for anything, so Lucy didn't want him too.

"I'll see you later in Statistics, then." Gray nodded. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and pulled one out again. For someone who smoked so much, he didn't smell of it. Probably because he never wore clothes for the scent to attach to.

Lucy nodded as well, giving him a curt wave before he sparked up and started walking away. "See you in Statistics."

There were no awkward goodbyes or glances over the shoulder. If this was what basic friendship was, Lucy could easily warm up to the idea.

Halfway into her Classical Literature class, when she and about a dozen others were roaming the school library looking for a book to write an essay on, it dawned on Lucy that today she would actually have mail.

It was a week ago, but she remembered the timestamp on her receipt clearly. After meeting Natsu for the first time, she was too wound up to sit still. It wasn't until the next day that she had actually gone through with the act of ordering something online in the hopes that their daily mail encounters would mean something.

Come to think of it, Lucy hadn't seen him there lately. She no longer stopped at her mailbox, but each day that she passed it, there was only a stranger or no one. Maybe Natsu was avoiding her. She couldn't blame him.

Lucy tucked her book under her arm after checking it out. The same blue haired girl with the ribbons in her hair was working in the library. If Lucy wasn't so afraid of working in a dirty public place, she may actually have wanted to get a job there. Maybe her and the blue haired bookworm could be friends.

After all, Natsu was screwing up her introverted world as it was; there was no harm in taking her own initiative. But that would have to wait. Lucy held onto her book, making way through the courtyard once her classes were over and walking home.

It was a bit warmer now, so she was thankful she didn't have to wait for the bus again. It was still chilly enough for her breath to come out in visible puffs, though. Lucy eagerly pushed open the doors to her complex and headed for her mailbox.

There he was. Natsu was standing there, his head down to look at the mail in his hands as he sorted through it. Lucy pulled out her phone, checking the timing on it.

She was early. Her class had gotten out early after they checked out their books, and now she was the one to screw things up. Natsu was ignoring her on purpose. She tried not to be upset-mostly at herself-as she put her phone away and drew out her mail keys.

Natsu's head of pink hair was still for a moment before realizing he was actually face to face with her again. He stopped moving; his hands stopped shuffling the mail around, his shoulders stopped gently rising and falling with his breaths.

He finally looked at her. Lucy could feel the intense burning of his stare as his eyes looked her over. She bit her lip, focusing on everything else except him as she drew out the package from her mailbox. Why didn't she just leave it? Why didn't she just come back for it later?

"Lucy."

Natsu's hand pressed against the door of his mailbox, slamming the metal slate shut into place. The loud thud made her jump suddenly. Lucy wet her lips with her tongue nervously before turning her head to him. "Hey."

Hey. After all she put him through, a "hey" was all she could manage. She wanted to kick herself.

Natsu jaw tensed up angrily, his chest tight as he took a few deep breaths. His eyes narrowed at her and his hand turned into a fist, still pushed up against the mailbox. "We need to talk."

Lucy knew the two of them being back in her apartment was not a good idea. And yet they stood there in the middle of her living room, staring at each other like idiots.

"What happened?" Natsu asked blatantly.

Lucy looked up at him, her brown eyes staring at him with a curious emptiness. "You kissed me without permission."

Natsu's jaw clenched again as if it pained him to hear that. "Without permission? Lucy, every time I see you, this happens."

This? Natsu could read the confusion on her face and continued.

"This." He gestured between the two of them, taking small and slow steps forward. Lucy took a step back each time he did so. "Every time I see you-and I don't know why for fuck's sake-I just have this feeling." His words were strangled, like he wanted to say something but couldn't quite get it out correctly.

"Whenever you say you don't want me, that you don't like being in a relationship, I don't care." Natsu shook his head. That was when Lucy knew that he didn't understand her, and he wouldn't anytime soon. He kept stepping forward anyway. "I like you, Lucy. I don't know why, and I know you don't like me, but I do."

Lucy's back hit the wall as she took another step back. Her hands slid over the wall, grabbing at it as if it could be her escape out. He did that thing again, his possessive way to trap her by placing his hand beside her head.

Natsu leaned down, his face close enough to hers that she could feel his breath sticking to her skin. It was different that before; today, he seemed more intimidating, like he needed something that we wasn't going to leave without.

"Lucy," Natsu breathed heavily, his eyes staring down into hers with a gaze so fierce her knees grew weak, "I need you."

Nalu Lemon Novel
Exy Koroleva © 2016
Thank you for reading.
Some triggering scenes
to be included, so please
do not report. Comments
& votes are appreciated.