Hi guys, I am sorry for the late update. I had no time to go to because I had stuff that needs to be done. For a compensation to your wait. I will post two chapters for this day. Have you enjoy it!

FULL SUMMARY: There is really nothing wrong between BFFs Natsu and Lucy, except that many things have influenced how they show their affection for each other. A personal notebook, romantic comedy movies, fandoms, fan people standards, everlasting BFF codes, family and friends. The challenge, done like some sassy God, has made them insane. They must face their fears, denials, and insecurities, because it will very well affects their lives. The problem: this whole thing is too messed up to be "Cliché, huh?"

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail or it's characters. This guy does: Hiro Mashima

"past conversations"

'cited in Lucy's notebook'

Natsu

Freshly out of the shower and easily dressed in long sleeves and jeans, Natsu stared past anything visible.

"Oi, Natsu!" Gray called out to him.

"Huh?"

"You weren't talking." Gray pointed out.

"Mmm."

It was easy to imagine Gray raised an eyebrow as Natsu started eating his sloppy made breakfast. It was not always he had to do this. Normally, he had great food made by Wendy or at the Heartfilia's apartment. And Natsu could prepare himself a good sandwich if he was not so... "Shouldn't you be excited, flame-brain?"

"Uhh, yeah," he uttered as he munched. "I am."

Natsu and Gray were close friends since childhood. They went to kindergarten together, played power rangers with Lisanna, tried but failed pranking Erza, saved Romeo from the football jerks, went into a train ride around the big metropolis when drunk, befriended enemies along the way, asked random girls in the mall for a date (for fun Natsu always ended up having a sore eye) which Gray excelled, and supported their ups and downs. Natsu helped Gray talked Juvia's father to approve the icy bastard while Gray helped Natsu with important documents. Despite that they have basic opposite traits. For example, Natsu is a pyromaniac, while Gray has a thing for ice. They both know how their emotions work.

"You are freaking lying, fire-breath."

"Ain't so, ice princess," Natsu scowled, making sure to hide his true emotions. Natsu was good at hiding anything unnatural from anyone, but only two people specialize at seeing through him. Say hello to Gray Fullbuster and the absent Lucy Heartfilia.

Gray mockingly calmly at his tone. "You can't even hide it." At the comment, Natsu redden. It made Gray snicker, he could be thinking Natsu's pink-haired and red-face. Natsu, stoned-face, had to wait for many minutes for the guy to stop laughing.

It was such an iconic event for the famously known ignorant Natsu to be in a state of embarrassment.

"Okay, okay," Gray said and Natsu could tell he was, wiping a tear of joy. It was not every day the ice cube could laugh that hard and it was making Natsu do the most comical poker face he could muster. "You sounded like a love sick puppy."

"Do you even have a shirt on?" Natsu growled. His best friend had an unusual habit. "Did you—?"

"Even Juvia would laugh at this." Gray laughed. "And she is!"

"I am not—"

"What?" Natsu heard Gray addressed to Juvia. The reply was too quick to understand. There was a giggle, which was Juvia's, and a chuckle from Gray.

"Pervert king?"

"Holy Mavis! This is unbelievable!" the ice lover's tone made Natsu steamed in annoyance. "The flame-brain—"

This is going somewhere he didn't want to open up. "That is non—"

"—after all this time— Juvia! You won. The idiot—"

"Fullbuster—"

Gray smirked at him which made Natsu wanna throw his friend of a bridge and sell his dead body to a smuggler.

"—finally, the dofus, is capable of accepting romance!"

As quickly a small flame would disappear when poured with water, the heat or blood from Natsu's body suddenly died or drained.

"Did you bet on me?!" Natsu forced, hinging his jaw. "And why is Juvia at your place? You don't want daddy Lockser go rampaging your home with an Irish dance."

"They are not Irish, stupid," Gray quickly remarked.

"Don't change the subject!"

"You did! Hahahaha!" Natsu hit his head on the table at that point. He hated that people could easily make their way and always found him wrong. He was not gifted in reading between the lines or he was not even capable of reading at all. It was only Lucy he would give up placing annoyance or anger on her if they held any arguments.

To answer Natsu's question earlier, Gray responded with "Yeah," and his tone was sympathetic and disheartened. "I always thought she won't reject you though. It is both comedic and painful to hear you heartbroken, dude."

For the first time, Gray misunderstood him. Natsu wanted to be relieved, but he was too anxious to acknowledge it. "I didn't confess," Natsu clarified, surprisingly sad.

Suddenly, Gray's happy tone returned. "Too bad, Juvia, the bet is still on."

No one had to know. It started from getting to know Lucy and making her work at Fairy Tail. After school, they would go together at the bar and Natsu would patiently wait for her to finish the shift. She started helping out taking and serving orders. Lucy was a natural at handling customers and memorizing orders. Sometimes, Natsu enjoyed looking at her work. She could handle complains well and customers think she was approachable. After four months, Lucy became the assistant head waitress. Although she had become busy, Natsu still waited for her as she helped closing up Fairy Tail. He felt that it was very important to accompany her back to her apartment. It was proven correct when a late summer night there was a group of drunkards that harassed her. No one could blame Lucy, she looked like a goddess. Natsu's patience meter exploded and he engaged into violence. In mere seconds, two of the guys were knocked out and before any one of them could hit Natsu with a broken beer bottle, Lucy punched the guy at the cheek. It certainly surprised him. Lucy would never punch—kicked, yes, but punch? No. (It was a big deal for the salmon-haired guy.) Anyway, Lucy wouldn't hurt anyone with force, except Natsu. She was always powerful with words.

That was when Natsu had recognized that Lucy made him burn. His insides were always warm, but this sort of heat was different. His good eye sight became better and his hearing was enough to detect her measured breathing. As she recoiled from punching the guy, shaking her attacking hand, her face looks so solemn, so intense, Natsu felt pride. He wanted to look at her forever and reasoned with her father why he wanted to dishonor her.

Lucy turned to him and her seriousness changed to worry. Was he okay? She screamed at him. He nodded dumbly, answering more to his instincts; elbowed another guy approaching behind him, knocking him unconscious. The last two guys ran like blind mice.

Natsu ran to Lucy grabbing her forearm. "Nice punch."

"It hurt," she had said, examining her hand. It was slightly swollen and pinkish.

Natsu stopped for a while, smiled at her. "I love you," he murmured huskily, his words suddenly out of him. To which in his panic, Lucy heard. Luckily, she asked, "Love me?" He was relieved. He remembered how she gave that great punch and how she was genuinely concerned despite of how strong he was. "Yes, weirdo. You're my pal." After watching those movies and shows like Twilight or Vampire Diaries or those guys with flawless un-pink hair, he thought it was the best thing to say.

Gray knew that the pyromaniac was in love with Lucy when he agreed to help him talk to Juvia's father. What made Natsu slipped was the lines that goes, "This is dumb. Lucy's dad would be harder to put some sense in." Then it clicked, Natsu saw Gray's face change. From then on, Gray made every opportunity that Lucy would sit next to Natsu or gave them alone time and giving off hints of Natsu's affection (in a way that Lucy would be embarrassed of course).

All of Gray's hard work will be put to waste as he leaves this place he loved so much. Natsu didn't want to leave. So many things in exchange for his father. Damn hell, if his father was not that dragon-obsessed, he will stay. He will go to Fiore University and graduate to make his parents proud. Natsu would be a sponsor at Fairy Tail as he will receive tons of money as he get a job. He will travel the world and go anywhere Lucy wanted. He wanted to be with 'happiness' forever. A fantasy so large, Fairy Tale seemed to be an understatement.

"You won't tell the others?"

"Only Lucy and You," Natsu said tonelessly.

"Why?"

Why? Natsu repeated in his head. "Lucy, remember how I want to find my dad? Well, I have great news. I am going to search for him soon. Tomorrow! Can you imagine? I won't wait for college, get a job, and pay for bills and this and that. I talked with the archaeology company and they agreed as long as I work for them. Well, for now, I will just accompany another researcher also on a mission like my dad's, so it isn't sure if I will find him sooner. I will learn and discover stuff, ain't that awesome? They said it will take months, years? But who cares? It better than a classroom." She didn't reply to that outburst, because he think she would worry. Everyone in Fairy Tale knows how she is in anxiety state. "Lucy? You don't have to worry. I won't do stupid stuff." She stared at him. "Well, good luck with your future career. Your writing will be the first book I'll read. I guess… Um, sorry. For everything. This is..."

Did she know how it pained him to say those? It was supposed to be an antiseptic to a wound. It was the reason he kept it all these years. That two years ago, he was contacted by the company his dad has been working with. That they wanted to send him too, because he had the same passion for archaeology and adventure. That right after college his life had already plans. That he had to forget the plans they have made. Natsu did not want Lucy or the others to think of a countdown to an explosion. He knew that they will throw a party, keep him happy, treat him like a king, will be clingy to him and worse: CRY. There was a reason the ice boy was the first. Gray was tougher; he knew full well that Natsu hated any display of sentimentality. He knew better this would hurt Lucy more. How this would break her heart. Because not only he pretended to have plans with her, he broke her trust. He wanted this to be quick and over with. Igneel and his family is his priority.

"Good bye, Lucy. It was great knowing you."

"Lucy, uhh, took it…" Natsu paused. Images of her shoving the notebook and her leaving popped in his head.

"You are such an idiot. Of course—she loves you, Natsu."

"As a friend," Natsu snapped. He breathed and spoke softer, sadder. "I broke her trust."

"Lucy's smart, she will understand" Gray reminded. "Besides it's not like you cheated. And no one could compete how compatible you both are. It is a certainty!"

Natsu growled, rubbing his temples. He had not mentioned about the notebook. "By letting everyone know? Thanks."

"I tried to be subtle. Only you, me, Juvia, Mirajane, Erza, Yukino, Sting, Levy, Gajeel, Cana, and some adult-baby-man with a sad rag doll knows."

Natsu sandwiched his phone between his shoulder and the side of his head, so they can continue talking as he washed the dishes. "That is a long list."

"Okay," Gray agreed, "but I never told them just Juvia. They were like paparazzi, so they know. Anyway, you have to tell her. Lucy…"

Lucy… Natsu froze which was physically ironic. The school nurse diagnosed him of ADHD.

"Tell her?" He mumbled.

"Yes, you, dimwit."

'Natsu as a boyfriend? That would really be nice.'

"Natsu?"

'However, Natsu only treated me as a friend. He avoided when I tried to hold his hand. There was never a time I saw him look at me like Jellal did to Erza or Gray did to Juvia or Gajeel did to Levy or Sting did to Yukino. He is ignorant of romance: never knew girls first rule, playing childish pranks on me, trying on my clothes, sipping on my drinks, eating my food, making me pay the bill, clueless on romantic lines, only calls me first when bored, and giving me advice when a decent guys likes me . He didn't even ask me out to prom.'

"Natsu?"

"I can't," he finally answered, feeling a bruise in his heart that was never there.

"Why?"

'No matter how I try to dress nicely when we hang out, he does not give a comment. Not a word, like it was nothing. When I give him presents, he gives it away to others. Most of the time, in conversations, I was the last one to reply.'

"I am—"

'And it was moral of him to do it...'

"—her best friend," he fought his disappointment and pain just to say it bluntly.

'…for me to avoid hoping for more.'

"Natsu," Gray sighed at the other side, "you are not one for a coward."

He didn't want to open more memories from that notebook could bring up. "I respect her wishes, Gray. I'm gonna go." Natsu turned off the tap and placed the plates nicely. "I'll call as soon as possible."

"Shut up with that, sentimental talk. I won't miss you," he said but his chocking voice betrayed him, which made Natsu smile.

Natsu ended the conversation with: "Of course you won't."

"Juvia knows Natsu will confess."

"No need for confession. Those idiots will make a baby."

"Will Juvia have a baby with Gray-sama?"

"What?! Juvia! NO. Your dad will kill me."

"So Gray-sama want to have a baby with Juvia?"

"Tch."

"I challenge you Gray Fullbuster! If Natsu will confess, then Juvia wins. Juvia's dad won't have to know."

"Fine. If I win?"

"Juvia will ask for Gray-sama's dad's blessing."

"What?!"

"What?"

"I already proposed to you!"

"Juvia had not said yes or Gray-sama's family knows."

"All right, propose to me."

I just had a grand time doing the short skit. Anyway, I always envisioned that something like this would happen to Gruvia. Anyway, I think Gruvia is one of the most beautiful pairing names, but I love the romance thing that happens in Nalu. Hope you like the chapter! Reviews for what you think about it. :)

soon: chapter 5: stars, please, guide her