Chapter 3: Fire!

The battle between Natsu and Luci headed completely in Luci's favor. Virgo's ability to hide in the ground and to pop up wherever she liked made it impossible for Natsu to attack nor defend against the maid. Then it became even worse for him when Virgo jumped up as a thin girl and landed as a huge ogre woman on top of him. Natsu was completely flattened and gasped for air. Virgo picked him up like a thin piece of paper. She lifted him high above her head and began to spin him really fast. As soon as Natsu regained his consciousness, he became very sick. His face like he wanted to hurl. With a loud roar Virgo dashed him to the ground and he hit it hard with a big cloud of dust.

"Stop it Virgo!" Cried Luci shocked. We don't want to kill him!"

"Yes princess, my apologies." Virgo boomed with her low ogre voice. She picked Natsu back up and looked at him.

"D-don't worry Luci". Panted Natsu weakly and Luci felt very relieved, just to hear him talk. "T-that was a good one." Natsu gave her a weak grin.

"Can we continue now?" Asked Virgo, her ogre form made her brain go slower. Luci looked at Natsu and he looked back at her with full sprit in his eyes again.

"Yes!"Smiled Luci cheerfully.

Levi was watching Luci's battle very closely when she heard a voice on her right. "How's it going with our flame brain and the bunny?"

"Gajeel!" Gasped Levi surprised and she blushed when he sat down next to her. "It's going well for Luci, she really is doing her best." She said. Gajeel watched how Natsu took cover for another hit from Virgo and a amused grin appeared on his face.

"Ha, some Dragon Slayer!" He laughed.

"At first Natsu had the upper hand in the match." Levi pointed out. "But Luci has found a perfect strategy."

"Ha?" Gajeel turned his head and looked at her really closely. This made Levi blush heavily.

"W-what?" She asked.

"Whose side are you on?" He asked. "Of course you want your friend to win, so don't go giving Natsu credit like that."

"A-are you for Luci then?" Asked Levi with a small laugh. "Just because Natsu fights?"

"No, I'm not that easy, I just want to see Natsu get beaten."

Levi's sweat dropped and she laughed. "Isn't that the same?" She then looked back at the match. Natsu had changed his tactics. He stayed where he was and let Virgo come to him. He got lucky, Virgo appeared right under him and he raise up on top of her shoulders.

"Now I got you!" He smirked and he jumped off her shoulders. "ROAR OF THE FIRE DRAGON!" A sea of flames came as a spiral around her. When the fire faded, Virgo had no longer her big form and she lay on her back on the ground.

"I am sorry princess, you can punish me now." She said in her normal soft voice.

Luci shook her head, still a bit in shock. "No need for that, thank you Virgo." She said. The maid smiled and faded away.

Right. Luci thought. Natsu can't keep this up forever, his strength must be failing him by now. Time for my best card! "Gemini! " With a loud poof, Gemini appeared in the form of Natsu.

"Waoooh, I can fight myself!" Cried Natsu excited.

"Gemini, attack!" Commanded Luci.

"Ok." Smirked the Gemini Natsu and sprinted towards the original. His fist landed hard against Natsu's elbow, which he had used to block it. Natsu responded with a kick against Gemini's jaw. Most likely they both knew that their fires won't work, so they used their physical strength. It went on that way for several minutes until Gemini finally used his fire. Of course, Natsu absorbed it and fired it back. Gemini dodged it, maybe he didn't dare to eat it since it wasn't natural to him. He attacked again with his fist. He got Natsu in the face, but Natsu crawled back up and roared his fire. This time Gemini ate it. It gave him more strength and he jumped over Natsu's head to attack him from behind. Natsu could just duck in time and ran away. Gemini followed him and launched a fire spiral at him. When Natsu ate it and fired it back again, it was much bigger and stronger and caught Gemini right in his chest. He fell to his knees, but he was not defeated yet. He backed away Quickly to catch his breath. Gemini took on the defends and let Natsu come to him. He dodged a few of Natsu's blows and kept on moving. At some point Gemini had to attack and he did. He stored all his strength in a Fire dragon roar. It was a good hit and it surrounded Natsu completely, but to Luci's dismay he ate it all up. He took a deep breath and fired it all and more back at Gemini. Gemini took the blow badly and faded away immediately.

Luci's eyes widened. She saw the fire closing in on her. A gasp came from everyone in the arena, some screamed.

"Lu-chan, watch out!" Screamed Levi, but Luci had nowhere to go. She closed her eyes and protected her face while she felt the warmth of the fire closing in on her.

"LUCIIIIII!" She heard someone calling her name and then a warm body enclosing her to protect her from the flames. With a blast the fire hit Natsu's back and died out.

"Natsu?" Luci asked hardly in a whisper, while Natsu put his hand on her head so she could rest against his shoulder.

"I am so sorry Luci. I couldn't control it." He said and Luci felt his whole body shaking. He then made them both sit on the ground. There they sat quietly.

"Natsu?" Began Luci again when she had found her voice back. "I'm happy you're here." Tears came down over her cheeks and landed on Natsu's collarbone. She moved closer and rested her face so close to his neck that she could kiss him. Well, why didn't she? The possibility suddenly came clear in her head. Actually, she wanted nothing else but to kiss him for saving her. She let go off him and they came to their feet again.

"You're ok, Luci?" Natsu asked her softly. He looked very guilty .

"I'm fine now Natsu. Thanks to you." Luci answered and looked away with a blush on her face. She had to do it now, she had to kiss him, or else there wouldn't be another chance. "Natsu can you come closer for a bit?" She asked him. Natsu didn't understand why, but he nodded and came as close to her as he could. Luci putted both her hands on his shoulders and went to stand on her toes. Then she moved forward and kissed him on his lips. Natsu backed away a bit by surprise, but then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

All at once the other members from Fairy Tail began to shout and cheer.

"What the hell?" Reacted Gajeel utterly surprised.

"Gray-sama, do you want Juvia to kiss you too?" Asked Juvia, who sat a few seats away from Levi and Gajeel.

"No way, why do you say that!" Replied Gray surprised and embarrassed at the same time.

"Well Juvia and Gray-sama also battled each other." Said Juvia happily. This made Levi become deeply red.

"Nah, we don't need to do that, ha Levi?" Said Gajeel who also heard Juvia's statement.

"Right." Said Levi, but in her head she cried with disappointment. Even at the main seats, the judges couldn't help themselves but to smirk at the event. Mirajane looked with beaming eyes at Luci and Natsu, who had finally let go of each other and now were standing awkwardly in front of one another.

"Something is definitely going on here." Remarked Markarov with a broad grin.

"I agree. Said Erza, also grinning. There's love on the battlefield."

Luci stood there, in the middle of a arena full with screaming people. She wondered how long she had to stand there. Meanwhile her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She had kissed Natsu! Her best friend, her teammate! She couldn't believe it.

"Hey Luci let's do that again!" Said Natsu suddenly with his usual broad grin.

"Huh?" Luci blushed even more and looked at him confused. Of course he meant the battle. She said almost immediately to herself. How stupid.

"Well eh, you know." Said Natsu, he looked away and went with a goofy smile on his face with his hand through his hair.

So he meant the KISS? Luci thought unbelievable.

At last Markarov broke the awkward situation by announcing Natsu as the winner. Everybody left the arena. This had been the last battle for today. It was late in the afternoon and everyone went to eat something. Of course, suddenly every guy in Fairy Tail wanted to use dinner as a opportunity to question a certain pink haired Dragon Slayer. In the end did Natsu and Happy ended up with Gajeel, Gray, Elfman and Macao. In a way, it made perfectly sense, they all had thought recently with a girl as their opponent. All of them, except Macao, of course.

"So, Natsu, let's hear it." Began Macao grinning.

"Ha? About what?" Asked Natsu, who was busy eating.

"You got kissed, dude. What else?" Reacted Gajeel, he could not believe Natsu's stupidity.

"Oh that." Natsu smiled, but said nothing more. Elfman understood that.

"A real man doesn't talk about that." He said.

"You can talk." Said Macao, you won at least. He looked meaningful at Gajeel.

"She is smart ok!" Protested Gajeel. "You can't beat smart people. Hey Gray!" He suddenly yelled at the ice mage to change the subject. "What have you done with Juvia, weren't you together this whole time?"

Gray leaned with his elbow on the table. "Lisanna and Cana dragged her off, saying she needed some girl time."

"Oh, someone sounds not happy." Said Natsu, glad that he could tease Gray about something.

"Do you miss your stalker, Gray?" Laughed Macao.

"Shut up, just leave me, will ya?" Reacted Gray annoyed. This was the perfect opportunity for Happy to say something, but he just didn't dare to open his mouth.

Macao, Gajeel and Elfman sighed, they just couldn't get the fire mage or the ice mage to talk. Guys just don't talk about their feelings. So the others didn't know it, but both Gray and Natsu couldn't wait to see two certain girls again.

After the event, everything went back to normal. The original teams went back together and everyone was busy taking on jobs again. Although, in Natsu's team, something had changed. Erza always had jobs on her own, so that was nothing new. But Gray teamed up with Juvia more often, so the original trio Luci, Natsu and Happy stayed behind.

Luci hadn't said much to Natsu since their battle, she was too shy to do that. It was Natsu in the end, who broke the ice.

"Luci!" He called when he ran up to her. "Let's go on a job together, it will be enough for you to pay your rent."

Luci looked into his beaming eyes. She wanted nothing more than to be with him and it was obvious he wanted the same. It was so obvious what she had to do to make her wish come true.

"Of course!" She jumped up from her seat and putted her arm on his shoulder for a change. "But we go on foot, so you won't get sick." She at him with a broad smile.

"That's a great idea!" Replied Natsu and he put his arm around her waist. This was how it should be. Every small change at the time until they both were ready.