"Natsu, for the last time, that is not a bingo!" The guild shouts with a collective sigh.
"What do you mean?! I already got four numbers!" Natsu proclaims obliviously, grinning at the exasperated expressions being sent his way.
"Zigzag doesn't count, Flame-brain." Gray rolls his eyes.
"Of course it does, Popsicle Breath," Natsu argues.
"No, it doesn't!"
"Yes, it does!"
"Natsu, I think you're overdoing it," Lucy whispers beside him with a soft laugh.
"Overdoing what?" He turns to her cluelessly, although the twinkle in his eyes say otherwise.
"Oh, now I know what you're doing." Gray begins after seeing the two laughing with one another. "This is your way of getting Lucy to laugh, isn't it?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Natsu smirks in response, amused by the wide eyes he gets sent in return.
Lucy sits wordlessly with tinted cheeks, thinking back to the night before when Natsu promised her that he is going to make her first Hanami Festival a festival she will never forget. And for the first time ever, she is one hundred percent healthy for the most beautiful day in Magnolia.
The cherry blossoms are as pastel as can be, the sky is clearer than ever, everyone is either munching on a candy apple or cotton candy, and Lucy is spending the day with the only person she wants to be with.
"I swear I'm going to win a bingo this time!" Natsu declares resolutely.
"If you yell out one more false bingo, you will be disqualified," Mirajane states sweetly, but the glare in her eyes is enough for Natsu to gulp.
"Are you sure you're going to win?" Lucy asks as the numbers continued to get called.
"Positive," Natsu replies confidently.
"Well, I guess you're not positive enough," she responds with a sly smile spreading across her face. "Bingo!"
If it were any other person standing up to get the very first prize, Natsu would be fuming and demanding for a rematch. But since Lucy is the winner this time, he proudly smiles as she receives her prize.
"What did you get?" he asks excitedly once she returns.
"A lilac," she answers with a faint smile.
"Really?" He raises a skeptical brow at the small flower in her palm. "That doesn't look like a lilac. Why is it brown?"
"It just needs a little water, that's all," she explains falsely, placing it in the grass without anyone seeing. Really, she isn't surprised by the lack of quality. This is Fairy Tail, after all—notorious for their ridiculous prizes.
Lucy is just about to ask for another bingo card, but she doesn't get the chance due to the gentle touch she feels on her elbow.
"Hey, come with me," Natsu tells her.
"Where are we going?" she asks curiously as they randomly stand up and begin to leave the grassy field.
"I have something to show you," he responds as they start to enter the busy streets.
"You didn't uproot the rainbow tree again, did you?" she inquires.
"That'd be cool if I did, wouldn't it?" He looks back over his shoulder at her with a wide grin.
"A little," she admits with a laugh. The two of them are walking so briskly, she doesn't even realize that his hand has slid down to hers.
The streets of Magnolia seem narrower due to the amount of people squeezing past each other. Luckily, Natsu knows just the way to handle it as he skillfully leads Lucy so she doesn't bump into a person once.
"Natsu, tell me where we're going already!" she pleads with curiosity gnawing at her. The only thing that she has gathered is that they're heading away from the festival.
"You'll see when we get there," he replies simply.
Lucy pouts in response, but decides to keep quiet while he takes her to their destination. The more steps they take, the farther away they become from everyone. Then suddenly, they're hiking up a hill.
"Okay, I need you to close your eyes now," Natsu instructs.
"Don't let me trip," she nearly commands, reluctantly following his directions. She can't help but feel ten times more vulnerable without being able to see where she is being led to.
Her calves soon begin to ache, and she swears that the hill is becoming steeper with each step she takes. She's seconds away from opening her eyes to see how much left there is to climb, but Natsu's voice keeps her from doing so.
"Just a few more steps," he announces.
Lucy and Natsu clearly have different interpretations on the word few, but eventually she feels the ground start to level and her calves breathe out in relief.
"Alright, you can open your eyes now," Natsu says.
She isn't quite sure what sight she is going to be met with, but a smile immediately forms on her lips as she takes everything in. This hill—it's high enough for them to see all the trees in town.
"The cherry blossoms in Magnolia are really beautiful!" she gasps in awe. "Why haven't I been here before?!"
"I've been trying to keep it from you for this day," he answers with a content smile.
"When did you get this smooth?" Lucy glances at him with a raised brow.
"I've always been this smooth, what are you talking about?" he remarks with a smirk. "Did you forget about the rainbow tree from last year?"
"I guess you're right," she agrees with a giggle. "Where is the rainbow tree, anyway?"
"Right in the middle," he says, pointing to a tree slightly taller than the rest. "Since it's sunset, it's probably going to light up pretty soon…"
"So, I guess we have no choice but to stay here," she finishes with a grin.
"If you want." He shrugs nonchalantly.
"I'd love to," she replies as they both sit down on the grass. As the sun sinks beneath the horizon behind them, the glimmer of the rainbow tree exposes itself.
"Beautiful," the two breathe in unison. They turn to each other in amusement, sharing a smile.
"Is this better than seeing it float across your house?" Natsu asks after a while.
"Only because you're here," she blurts out before she can stop herself. She's grateful for the dim light surrounding them so he can't see her blazing cheeks.
Although the sparkling tree is breathtaking, she can't help but want something else like, fireworks. But it isn't until she finds Natsu's hand cupping her cheek and bringing her closer until she realizes she doesn't need them.
Their kiss is their own personal firework. And lucky for Lucy, there's going to be many other pops of fireworks later, even after the festival is over.
And the fluff continues! Seriously, do we need anything else in our lives?
I was a little stuck on this prompt and it ended up being the last one I wrote. But I'm satisfied with how it came out, I think. Did you guys like it?
Anyway, your reviews keep making me smile and I really appreciate it! Thank you all so so much for reading.
See you tomorrow with the next prompt: Matching!