Blind

Can you be the one for me?

Modern AU

I can't believe I agreed to this again.

"Here's your coffee sir." The short brown-haired waitress set down a blue mug filled with the warm liquid before she turned quickly on her heel and began walking away, she paused to call out to him. "Let me know when you are ready to order your food Natsu."

"Thanks." He managed to say, as he adjusted the rolled up sleeves on his red button up shirt.

He was a regular in the small diner, all of the staff knew him since this was where he'd go each morning to relax with a coffee before heading to his job as a teacher's assistant. Of course, today was an exception, since it was Saturday, one of his regular days off. And because it was his day off, his friends had convinced him to go on, yet another, blind date. Apparently this girl was a friend of Lisanna and Levy, they met her at the college they went to in a city west from here. She had supposedly moved to Magnolia a few weeks ago, but he found it odd that he hadn't been introduced to her before this. A date with someone he hadn't talked to first wasn't exactly his favorite way of meeting people.

It's not that he didn't appreciate his friends trying to help him with his love life, but all of the girls they had set him up with had always gotten mad because he wouldn't dish out compliments, especially about the dresses they wore or how their hair looked. He didn't do it intentionally, it just seemed pointless to compliment someone on something he couldn't see. He was literally...blind.

If he was honest with himself, he was actually sort of glad they would storm off and leave him. He didn't want to date anyone who thought that looks were all that mattered. In the end, its not like he'd be able tell the girl how beautiful or how sexy she was. He wanted to date someone who valued personality and what type of heart that person had. A beautiful heart was always better than a beautiful body.

For the sake of his friends effort, he would deal with this one too. But instead of going through the entire date, he'd lay it all out when she arrived. She may be a friend of his friends, but that didn't mean she was going to be different than the rest of them.

"Uh, Natsu?" A soft voice called out to him in a hesitant sort of way, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned his head in the direction that he was sure the voice originated from before speaking.

"Lucy?" He inquired back.

"Oh thank goodness." She stated in relief. "Glad I picked you to talk to first instead of that other gentleman with pink hair."

Natsu chuckled at her words. "Yup, you picked the winner."

He heard her slide into the booth across from him and faced his attention forward.

"Honestly though, I thought my friend was messing with me when she said to look for the guy with pink hair."

"You got a problem with my hair color?" He raised a brow.

"Of course not, it actually suits you, but come on lets be real here." She smiled sweetly at him. "How many guys tend to have pink hair?"

"True." Natsu laughed lightly.

Lucy cast a glance into his eyes, the dark color had a slight silver tint to it, confirming what Levy had told her beforehand. She knew he was blind, but she wasn't going to point it out, she wanted to wait for him to tell her. He seemed genuinely nice, his laugh was her favorite so far.

She took in his attire, his red shirt and black jeans seemed like a casual choice for a first date. She decided on a casual look as well, simply wearing a pair of dark blue jean shorts and a pink and white stripped tank top. Her feet were covered in a pair of black sandals with straps that wrapped around her ankles.

Natsu cleared his throat and made the first move to speak. "So, there's something I need to say before we go any further into this...date."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I'm not exactly a first choice for a boyfriend, and what I mean is that I am blind, so if it bothers you that I can't compliment you on the outfits you wear or-"

"Natsu." She cut him off. "Please don't put yourself down like that."

"Huh?"

"I don't want you having negative thoughts about this date." Natsu tilted his head slightly. "You seem like a really nice guy, you have a unique hair color, which I adore and I love your laugh. What's not to like?"

Natsu was at a loss for words and Lucy could only stare at his confused expression. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I just, um, wow." He laughed louder this time. "Boy, I bet I look like an idiot." He crossed his arms on the table and buried his red face in his arms.

"No." Lucy reached out and patted his arm. "But, why would you say those things?"

"Well...no offense but I'm not used to my date sticking around this long." He sighed and sat up, slowly leaning his chin on the hand he propped up against his cheek.

"Why is that?" She asked curiously as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.

"Because I'm blind?" He said that like it explained everything and she had to resist the urge to scold him for it.

Why on earth would being blind make any difference on who he was as a person? "I'm sorry, but I don't see it that way." Lucy smiled softly to herself before speaking again.

The pink-haired male listened intently to her words. Maybe she is different.

"Sorry, that's just been my experience." Natsu sighed. "All of the girls my friends have set me up with have left angry because I didn't compliment them on their clothes."

"Did you tell them you were blind?" Lucy inquired.

"I never have the chance before they decide they want to storm off and never speak to me again." Natsu leaned back against the cushioned booth, the red leather rubbing roughly against his clothes before he crossed his arms. "I don't mean to think about you that way, but after five other failed dates, you can see why I feel as such."

"Those women sound really shallow." The blond stated. "Dating isn't about looks, if your potential partner has a shitty attitude, excuse my language, then you wouldn't be happy with them."

She actually gets it.

Natsu let a genuine smile cross his lips before it turned into a full on grin, showing off his sparkling white teeth and sharp canines. "Man do I feel like an ass." He rubbed the back of his head and laughed heartily. "Can we start over?"

"I'd like that, and you're not an ass." Lucy giggled as she gently reached out and grabbed his hand. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Natsu Dragneel, the pleasures all mine." He managed to kiss her hand gently without missing, thanking whatever god was out there, that he didn't look like an idiot.

Lucy couldn't help the warmth that spread across her cheeks, she was sure her face looked like a bright red tomato at this point and she was sort of glad he couldn't see it. Of course, his next words would prove her wrong. "You're blushing, aren't you?"

"Wha? N-no, why w-would you say that?" She removed her hand from his and looked down at the table.

He grinned widely as a laugh sprang from his throat. "Well for one, you got super quiet after I kissed your hand, either you find what I did disgusting, or it embarrassed you enough that it made you blush."

"S-shut up." She whined and crossed her arms.

She actually might be someone I can have fun with, teasing her is just a bonus.

"Well, Lucy, I feel like having a bit of fun, care to join me." Natsu smiled and grabbed a white cane that had been hidden under the table before he stood up, quickly taking a few bills to pay for his coffee, deciding to skip eating at the diner. He tried to only carry the bare minimum when it came to cash, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference with several of them, so he kept a few small bills on him in cases like this.

"What did you have in mind?" She grabbed his hand when he held it out to her, before pulling her from her seat.

"The Fair is in town." He suggested and she nodded enthusiastically before remembering he couldn't see her do that.

"That sounds fun." She spoke up causing him to smile again.

"So let's go." He grinned.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Lucy inquired as they walked through the sea of people that were spread throughout the fairgrounds, trying to decide what to do first. They had bought wristbands at the gate, that would allow them to enter any of the rides that were available. She was ready for some fun, she just hoped Natsu enjoyed it as much as she knew she would. It was his idea to come here, of course he'll have fun.

"Sure."

"How...do you know where you're going?" Lucy winced, maybe that had been a little too blunt. "Sorry, never mind."

"No, it's okay, really." Natsu felt her link his arm through hers and couldn't help the smile that came to his face. "Well, first off I didn't always used to be sightless."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there was an accident at the mechanic shop I had been working part time for." Lucy subconsciously tugged Natsu passed a group of people to avoid bumping into them. "It wasn't the shops fault, it was the company who sent us the faulty car battery."

"A car battery?" The blond was slightly confused. "How does the battery fit in with this?"

"It exploded when I was changing it out in an old car." Natsu sighed. "The sulfuric acid from inside the battery shot straight into my eyes, I was quickly rushed to the hospital but by the time I got there, the damage to the cornea had already been done."

"So you'll never have your sight back again?"

"It's hard to say, my doctor told me that there was a thirty-percent chance I could regain my eyesight later on down the road, but its already been almost eight months since that accident." Natsu shrugged. "It was difficult in the beginning, but I already had very sharp hearing, so when I lost my sight, my hearing became even more so."

"So you mostly rely on sound?"

"Yup, plus it helps that I've lived in this city most of my life so navigating isn't really an issue. But I can't let that stop me from living my life right?" Natsu kept his steady pace, of course he noticed when Lucy pulled him lightly in different directions. He didn't mind, though he wondered if she was trying to lead him or if she was getting distracted by the small game booths that he knew were around.

Lucy smiled at his confident tone, he seemed to have come to terms with his disability and didn't let that stop him from experiencing the world as much as he could. She had found that very endearing, making her enjoy his companionship even more. She has had several dates in her past, some were awful and some were amazing, but this one was by far, her favorite. This pink-haired man was just so easy to talk to, and the more she learned about him, the more she felt like she had known him her whole life.

"So do you feel up for some rides?" Natsu grinned at her. "I know we didn't buy these wrist bands for nothing."

Laughing lightly, Lucy excitedly grabbed a hold of his arm and tugged him towards one of the larger roller coasters. "Let's do the big one."

Natsu would soon regret that decision.

"Are you sure she's here?" A dark haired man asked.

"Of course, my informant told me she entered this place just a little under an hour ago." Another man sighed. "But he also stated that it seemed that Lucy was on a date with another young gentleman."

Dan flinched at the mention of another man being out with his ex-girlfriend. Sure she had broken up with him a month ago, but he had been trying his damnedest to get her to take him back. He wasn't even really sure why she had left him to begin with.

"I'll be sure to show her what she has been missing." Dan grinned. "There's no way the loser she's with can compare to me."

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded the pink haired man as he lay down on a bench with his head in her lap. "How did you forget that you have motion sickness?"

"I don't know." He croaked out as his stomach did flips. "I wasn't really thinking."

Lucy giggled as she stroked his hair. They had gotten on the roller coaster earlier with ease, but as soon as the ride started Natsu had begun to look a little pale. She had noticed immediately when he had covered his mouth with his hands and groaned painfully throughout the ride.

"You know-" He groaned. "You kind of become forgetful on things when you lose one of your senses." Natsu sighed and ran his hands down his face, desperately praying for his stomach to stop its churning. "Besides that, I haven't gotten sick in cars since I lost my sight, so I think part of me thought roller coasters wouldn't effect me either."

"Yeah, but cars don't go upside down." Lucy continued massaging his scalp. "Hm, you really are something else Dragneel." She said as she giggled.

"I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself." He grinned, thanking the gods that his stomach had finally decided to calm down. "Although, I make a terrible first impression."

"Technically this would be your second." She laughed. "You made your first at the diner, remember? Or did your sightless condition make you forget that too."

"Ouch." Natsu feigned hurt and placed a hand against his heart as he sat up. "You cut me deep Lucy, how could you?" He faked a cry and Lucy smacked his arm playfully.

"Don't be such a baby." Natsu took her light jabs in stride. He was thankful that she didn't let his disability keep her from joking around with him, he hated it when someone tried to tiptoe around the situation. Doing that wasn't going to make it go away, he knew he was blind, and he could take pretty much anything without getting hurt over little comments.

"Hey." She called his attention. "I'll be right back, I need to use the ladies room."

"Oh sure." Natsu smiled as the sounds of her footsteps became fainter as she walked away, and he couldn't help the fluttering he felt in his chest. I'm actually having a great time with her, I wonder if she would agree to a second date with me.

"So you're the one that's dating my LuLu."

Natsu jumped slightly when a new voice appeared at his side, he didn't like that voice. It held a "too good for you" tone and it irked him. His LuLu? "What's it to you?"

"Well considering she's my girlfriend." The male stated haughtily. "And you are interfering in my relationship with her."

His girlfriend? Did Lucy forget to tell me something. He thought angrily. "What the-?"

"Where are my manners? My name is Dan." The man held out his hand, but immediately frowned when Natsu didn't shake it. "Apparently your manners left you as well."

"Well, I can't see where your hand is, so..." Natsu scowled at the man.

"Wait a minute, you're blind!" Dan laughed out. "And Lucy actually chose to go out with you." He readjusted his red tie, the dark suit he wore leaving no room for a casual appearance.

"Is there a problem with me being blind?" Natsu growled angrily and that succeeded in shutting up the idiot next to him.

"Not for common girls, but for a lady of Lucy's stature, she deserves someone who can tell her what long sexy legs she has, or how her shorts hug a perfect backside." Dan smirked smugly. "She is an heiress after all, she has lived a life of luxury, now why would she want to down grade to the likes of you? You can't even see and appreciate her beauty."

Natsu felt his insides split apart. She's an heiress? Of what?!

"She's a busty blond, if you'd like to know-"

The more this halfwit spoke, the more angry Natsu became. He spoke about Lucy like she was an item, and whether or not she was his girlfriend, she deserved way better than this fool who apparently only cared about her looks. He clenched his teeth tightly at the thought of her being with him. With the little time he spent with Lucy, he knew she wasn't one to like someone talking about her like he did. This Dan character was certainly starting to piss him off.

"What gives you the right to talk about her like that?" Natsu fumed, his anger slightly getting the better of him.

"What?"

"You heard me." Natsu stood to his feet. "And why should I believe you are her boyfriend anyway?"

"Fine, I'm her ex, does that make you happy?" Dan stood as well and came toe to toe with the male before him. "Still...you are in my way."

"Lucy chose to go out with me." He clenched his fists. "I'm not going to give up on her because some simpleton thinks that he can claim someone that isn't his."

Dan glared at the male before him. "Excuse me?" He growled indignantly.

Natsu was about to retort when a loud voice caught both of the men's attention. "Dan!" Said male turned and smiled at the woman who had charged toward them in a rage.

"LuLu!" He held his arms out for her.

Natsu frowned, Lucy did apparently know him, he expected them to start a conversation and be left out of the entire ordeal but what took him by surprise was the loud slap Natsu was sure he had heard. His eyes widened, despite not being able to see the situation.

"Lucy?" Dan held his hand to his cheek in shock.

"How dare you?" She growled through gritted teeth. "You just insulted both my date and me." Lucy stepped up on the tips of her toes to get in his face and poked him harshly in the chest. "You have no right to talk to Natsu the way you did, I heard everything."

"But-"

"Shut up, I broke up with you because all you cared about was my looks and you just proved that accusation true from what you said to Natsu just now." She stepped away from him in a huff. "I don't care that Natsu can't tell me how I look, I don't need a guy to tell me those things, I need a guy who can appreciate me as a person not as a sex object."

"Lucy!" Dan cried out. "Please, I promise I'll change."

"Too late for that." Lucy trudged over to Natsu and grabbed his hand and began pulling him away. "Don't come near me again Dan."

Dan frowned and muttered under his breath. As Natsu passed him he made sure it was loud enough for the pink-haired male to hear. "What can you possibly offer her?"

Natsu had a small flicker of hopelessness overcome him, what if he really wasn't good enough for her. No I can't think like that.

"Hey." A soft voice called out to him.

"Huh."

"Please don't take what he said to heart." Lucy paused in her steps and turned to him as she firmly grabbed both of his hands in hers. "I really am enjoying this date with you."

Natsu could feel his face heat up slightly at her words. "Are you sure?" He felt he needed to ask.

"Yes." She immediately replied and that seemed to calm his nerves. "I wouldn't choose a jerk with money over someone who has been nothing but nice to me, regardless of your disability." She moved to hug him tightly, hoping she wasn't over stepping any boundaries. "And I promise I'll tell you about my life as an heiress if you want, but only after I get to know you better."

Lucy smiled at the man before her when she stepped back to gaze up at him. "It's okay." He finally spoke. "Only tell me when you're ready, and I'll be there to listen."

With a blush on her face she raised herself up on her toes and kissed his cheek softly, letting her lips linger against his flesh for a few seconds before pulling away. Natsu couldn't have been more shocked even if he had suddenly won the lottery. She kissed me...

He placed a hand against his cheek and smiled. "You missed." He half joked as a giggle escaped her at his words. "Thank you Luc-"

The feeling of lips against his own cut off his words and he could smell the scent of vanilla radiating from her as he kissed her back. She smiled against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands coming to rest on her waist pulling her tightly to him. She was the first to break the kiss and from the dazed look on his face, she knew he had enjoyed that as much as she did.

"Someone looks happy." Lucy teased as a lazy grin formed across his lips.

"Of course, a lovely young woman just kissed me senseless." He laughed through his words and she leaned in to hug him tightly.

"I'd love to do this again." The blond muttered against his chest. "Are you free next weekend?"

"Absolutely." He smiled and even though he couldn't see it, he knew she was smiling too.

-6 Months Later-

"Are you kidding me?" A brown-haired woman uttered, slightly slurred as she grabbed her drink from the table. "You're telling me that you two have been together for half a freaking year and he hasn't put the moves on you yet? What the hell is Natsu thinking?!"

A red headed woman agreed with a nod of her head, while a short blue haired female was next to her staring at her blond friend. It was a girls night for the four of them, Lisanna was supposed to join them, but today was her anniversary with her boyfriend, the blue haired man already planned an entire evening with her. That left Lucy with three of her best friends who decided that they wanted to completely embarrass her about her sex life...or lack thereof.

"Cana, please just drop it." Lucy rested her chin in her hand and resisted the urge to scold Levy, the blue haired woman, who was snickering at Lucy's expense.

"Come now Lucy, we're friends here, you should be able to talk to us about anything." The red head, Erza, stated smoothly.

"Not about this I don't!" Lucy yelled and sat back in her place in the booth, her black dress releasing the wrinkles from when she was hunched over. "You guys are just nosy."

Cana laughed as she gripped her beer mug and chugged the contents before whirling towards Lucy. The white long sleeved shirt she wore was unbuttoned enough to show a little too much cleavage and she had to commend Cana on her lack of embarrassment as all the guys that passed stared unashamedly. Though she was probably too drunk to notice or even care.

"Lu it is strange though, most guys would jump at the chance to end up in bed with a hottie like you." Levy stated but there was one thing the girls around her were forgetting, despite knowing him for long, Levy even more so.

"He's blind remember? He doesn't even know what I look like, so that can't be it. Besides I'm glad he's not with me because of my looks." Lucy smiled softly as she glanced at the martini glass in her hand. "He's really sweet, and can always make me laugh."

"Girl you've got it bad." Cana smiled knowingly. "You're so in love with the guy already!"

"Whaa?" Lucy's face turned bright red and she patted her cheeks, hoping to fight off the embarrassment.

"She is!" Levy joined in.

"N-no!" Lucy denied profusely. "I-its not l-li-like that!" The stuttering didn't help her case.

"Okay, fine, but you can't deny that you want to jump his bones." Cana wriggled her eyebrows.

Lucy sighed, finally relenting in their interrogation, they weren't going to let up on this, so she may just spill how she feels about it all. "Look, its not that...uh...I mean..."

Cana and Levy turned serious eyes towards her when they noticed her sullen expression. "What is it?" Erza asked.

"Natsu and I have come close to being intimate...but every time things get heated, he stops abruptly and either says he has to leave or we end up watching a movie, well him listening to it as far as that goes." She released another sigh. "It's frustrating. Is there something wrong with me? Should I ask him about it?"

The three females that sat with her, stared intently at the blond. Levy smiled sadly. "Wow, I didn't think Natsu was like that. I know he's not a virgin so its not like its first time jitters but maybe there's something else he's not telling you, you'll only find out if you talk to him."

Lucy nodded. Hopefully its something he'll want to talk about with me.

Natsu sat with Lucy on the couch in her apartment, she was tucked up against his side while the movie provided background noise in the living space. She had called him over to talk, but she had yet to work up the nerve to ask him about anything that's been bothering her.

"What's wrong Lucy?"

"Huh?" She shook her head, clearing her mind of all the thoughts she had going through her head.

"Come on, I can tell when something is wrong. I may be blind, but I'm not that blind." Natsu removed his arm from around her so he could turn his body to face her.

"Um, uh...nothing." She mumbled.

"Luce." He chastised. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Can I?"

"Well I hope so." He reached for her hand, which she grasped immediately. "Whatever it is, I'm here to listen."

"Well...its about us..."

The pink-haired male raised a brow at her statement. "You don't want this anymore?"

Lucy frowned. "What?" She took note of his troubled expression. "Natsu that's not it, I love being with you, but there's something that's been bothering me."

"Like what?"

"Like our lack of intimacy."

His eyebrows shot up and he sighed, this conversation coming whether he was ready or not. "I knew you'd ask eventually."

"Natsu, I'm not trying to push you to do anything you're not ready to do." She reassured. "But, you push me away every time things get a little hot and heavy between us."

He released her hand and sat forward on the couch, hunching forward to lean his forehead against his hands. "Its not that I'm not ready, or that I don't want to do those things with you...I just..." He cut himself off as a blush worked its way up his neck, this was a lot harder than he thought it was going to be.

"What is it?" She urged gently. "I want you to be able to talk to me too." She leaned more towards him, hoping he would talk to her openly.

Clearing his throat, he sat back on the couch and rested his head against the back of the black piece of furniture. "I'm blind..."

"Yes I know that-"

"No, just hear me out, please." Lucy agreed with a quick 'ok' before he continued speaking. "I am blind, and...the last time I've been...intimate with a woman, was when I could actually see what I was doing." He turned his head in embarrassment as Lucy finally caught on to what he was trying to say. "What if..." He paused and tugged at the collar of his black t-shirt. "What if I can't..." Perform well... That's what he wanted to say, but the words denied him as embarrassing as they were.

"Natsu, I understand what you're trying to say." She placed her hand on his arm and he turned his head back towards her. "I don't want you to think I won't be satisfied with how you perform in the bedroom." She smiled softly to herself at his shyness. "That's why we take the time to explore each other, most people have sex in the dark anyway, I don't think you'll have any trouble. Besides, just think of it as wearing a kinky blindfold."

He let out a throaty laugh. "Oh really?" He grinned, his embarrassment finally leaving him at her joke. "What kinky things did you have in mind?"

She crawled towards him and leaned her plump pink lips against his ear before whispering. "Why don't you follow me and find out."

A low growl sounded in his throat as he heard her stand up and grab his hand, pulling him with her to the bedroom. He went willingly, this time more confident than during the heated moments they previously had on her couch.

As soon as the door shut behind him, she had him pressed against the wall, her hands traveling over his chest as she stood on her toes to kiss him softly. "I need you Natsu." She whispered against his lips and that was all he needed to hear as they traveled towards the bed, her hands swiftly unbuttoning his blue jeans before he tugged her red t-shirt from her body, her skirt dropping not long after.

That night Natsu learned every inch and curve of her body, and which areas held her most sensitive nerves, his favorite being the crook of her neck, the area easily drawing pleasurable noises from her. He didn't need his sight to show him where he should touch her next, the moans forming from her lips were just what he needed to hear to know he was doing everything right. He may be blind for the rest of his life, but as long as this woman with a beautiful soul was next to him, he'd never ask for anything better.

Because he was sure she was going to be the one he'd want to spend the rest of his life with.

They say love is blind, but it knows when and where to hit you.

A/N: Not my best work, but I've had this idea rolling around for awhile, may do a second part to it later.