Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. All rights belong to Hiro Mashima. *Sigh...* (I wish I did.)
Seeing as how my last NaLu fic was a pretty big hit I made another. I have been jiggling this idea around for a while and it finally hatched so I wrote it out. I've read quite a few stories where Natsu gets a lead on Igneel and leaves Lucy right after announcing his love or he leaves her with a kid or something but either way I wanted to do one where they haven't necessarily stated their feelings for each other but they do care very deeply for one another and Natsu is returning so it's happy and quite fluffy not sad and slightly fluffy like Natsu leaving. Anyways this seems kinda long so I will end it with this... NaLu is my OTP and I am writing others so I hope this satisfies your hunger for a little while at least. :)
Lucy sat on her favourite bar stool in front of Mira, jiggling her legs around wildly and almost jumping out of her chair every time someone moved. Her hair was done up in her signature side pony while she wore a light pink blouse and denim shorts with light pink flats. Mira smiled knowingly at her while running around filling orders for her favourite drunks. Drumming the counter top with her fingers Lucy leaned back for a moment, stretching herself out. Sitting in a bar stool all day without actually moving doesn't quite do miracles for your back.
Six months... exactly half a year. A lead on a dragon had showed up on their last team mission and Natsu had actually thought it over instead of blindly rushing into it like he normally would. Lucy was his main reason for thinking it over. She was his reason to go on missions with the others, his reason to try to destroy stuff less, his reason to think... hell he'd go as far as to say she was his reason for living. Same to her really. Lucy hadn't thought it appropriate to act how she did with Natsu but nobody aside from her had thought that way. She quickly learned that she couldn't live without him. He gave her life adventure, energy, want, excitement, terror, adrenaline, and, most importantly, himself. They were each others best friends. Their rocks, their partner, their other halves if you will. Now his time was up. Supposedly he was arriving today and she could barely contain herself. What she really wanted was to run around like a madwoman instead of just sitting here and waiting patiently for him.
Gray walked up then and gently swatted her arm.
"Ants in your pants?" He questioned her curiously, laughing at her anxiousness. Lucy just raised a brow at him but didn't spare so much as one glance in his direction.
"Humph, touchy." Gray grumbled, sitting down beside her. Erza clapped him on the back suddenly, literally scaring Gray out of his pants. His shirt had flown off some time ago and now, thanks to Erza, he was just in his boxers.
"Mavis! Gray, you wouldn't understand a girl if she told you straight out." She stated firmly, rolling her eyes at his incompetence as Cana slurred something about clothes to Gray. Ignoring Cana's somewhat helpful comment Gray gave Erza a slight glare.
"Sure I would. Besides, you don't know that for sure, she hasn't said anything to me yet!" He retorted in annoyance- he couldn't yell at Erza without having a death wish.
"Tch. All men are the same. They don't understand a single thing about girls. However, the rare men that do... now that's a different story." Erza muttered, walking over and patting Lucy's one hand as it frantically drummed the counter top. Lucy let a small smile break through her anxious frown for a millisecond, squeezing Erza's hand with her other. Gray just frowned in bemusement, giving up at trying to figure it out when Lisanna and Levy came over to give Lucy hugs.
Gray supposed Erza was right, he was one of the not-so-rare men that didn't get women... for the most part anyways. He understood Lucy was waiting but he didn't know who or what for just yet and he knew that Erza loves strawberry cake. Hell, at this point he even knew about almost all of the girls crushes and he knew that Juvia stalked him wherever he went. Although he had to admit that she was quite helpful at times like these. Deciding that asking Juvia was his best choice he meandered over to where she was currently 'hiding'. Right behind him and off to the left, crouched down as if hoping he wouldn't notice her.
The men in the guild all watched as the females -excluding Juvia- crowded around Lucy, all of them struggling to determine why the women were suddenly so interested in Lucy. They gave up a few minutes later as Erza turned and glared at all of them. If they didn't get it they supposed it was better to hide the fact so Erza wouldn't murder them all.
Suddenly Lucy shot out of her seat, the other women parting so she could get through. The tension in the air increased tenfold and everyone froze, listening carefully. Just then the doors burst open and Lucy tensed while everyone, Gray as well now, grew a happy and knowing smile on their faces. Shooting forwards suddenly, Lucy launched herself at the lovable boy with pink hair.
"I'm back!" Natsu shouted, his face breaking into a wider grin than the one he had when he arrived with as he saw Lucy running towards him. Opening his arms he quickly snatched her up, wrapping his arms around her waist while squeezing her to him and spinning around elatedly. Lucy hooked her arms around his neck, burying her nose in his shoulder and breathing in his spicy woodsmoke scent. Happy purred and flew around them excitedly. Pushing his nose into her hair Natsu inhaled deeply, thoroughly enjoying her scent of vanilla and lilacs while squeezing Lucy even tighter-if that's even possible-and grinning broadly at his happily smiling partner.
"I missed you." Lucy whispered into his shoulder, making Natsu's chest rumble with laughter.
"I can tell. I missed you too." He whispered back, holding onto his grin as he said so. Without warning a few hot, fat tears slowly fell from her eyes as she held Natsu to her as if hoping he'd never leave again -which he very well may not. He had missed Lucy, the guild and even Popsicle. As much as he would love to find Igneel he decided it was better to stay with his Nakama so they wouldn't disappear as well.
"Shh..." Natsu murmured into her ear, rubbing her back comfortingly. Minutes later the tears dried and Lucy pulled back to look at him. She smiled when she saw him already gazing into her eyes.
"Ne... Luce?"
"Hn?"
"Wanna go on a mission... together?" Lucy's face broke into a grin wider and happier than any other one she had given in the past six months as she nodded enthusiastically. The last image Reedus painted that day was of the smiling, laughing couple of Lucy and Natsu running out of the guild hand-in-hand with Happy fluttering contentedly above them. It was definitely a memory to remember.
A/N:
So ta-da. It might've been OOC and I don't know if it was up to standard or not but either way there you have it. Love it? Hate it? Please let me know. I love your guys' reviews and don't you dare forget that. Thanks for reading everyone! Love ya'll!