Hey readers, I'm back ! Guess who got sick after coming back from her vacation -_- what luck I have :,) anyways! i'm back with a long chapter because i'm taking forever to update (as always). don't think that i'd disappear because I won't ;)

also, I realized that I don't really respond to reviews so from now on, I'll be replying them at the start of every chapter as long as there are any HAHA so don't be afraid to ask any questions ! I'll reveal the info that I can but no spoilers !

Fairy Tail 4lyf : wait for it ;)

Enjoy the chapter !

Chapter 9

"I have nothing to wear!" Lucy dug through her piles and piles of clothes. She had 3 closets that were about to burst from the amount of clothes that she had and some were even thrown into boxes and kept under her bed, but she didn't know what to pick for her date tonight. She has been trying on different outfits since 6pm and it was already 7.30pm, she was gonna be late at this rate.

"So I'll see you at 8 Lucy!" Loke's voice echoed through Lucy's head and she sighed. "Why did I even agree to this?"

Lucy instantly regretted saying yes. She's been on dates before and they always made her nervous, but not as nervous as this one. She felt bad rejecting Loke, after all it's just a date, not a request for a relationship. How bad could it get? She didn't tell her friends about it yet either because Erza would start getting super protective and Levy would give Loke creepy looks. She wanted to keep this a secret for now, or at least until the date was over. In the end, Lucy picked out a lacey dress with a sweet-heart neckline that stopped mid-thigh, she paired it with nude strappy heels and she let her hair down with some curls at the ends. She put on some pink lip gloss as well. It's been forever since she dressed up for a date so she couldn't help but doll herself up a little more.

"This should do." Lucy adjusted her dress in front of the mirror to fit her curves better and she was satisfied with her outfit. She then grabbed her clutch and headed out to the restaurant which she and Loke decided to meet at. When she got there, Loke was already waiting at the entrance of the restaurant. He had on a black and white suit with a striped tie, simple yet classy. Lucy had to admit that he looked really good. She took a deep breath before walking towards him.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!"

"It's okay, I just got here. By the way, you look amazing."

Lucy looked down to her feet shyly. "T-Thank you. You look great too!"

"So shall we go grab dinner?" Loke gestured to the fancy restaurant behind him.

"Of course!"

The waiter led the duo to their seats and handed them the menu. Lucy looked through it and gasped at the prices. It wasn't as if she couldn't afford it, after all she's always been eating dishes of a way higher end back at her mansion. But ever since she started living alone, she's been saving up and eating more 'normal' foods. And she was afraid of making a big hole in Loke's wallet. After 5 minutes, the both of them ordered their food and just like any other fancy restaurant, the food was taking forever to arrive and Lucy was starving. Her stomach growled loudly and Loke giggled, making Lucy flustered.

"I see that you're hungry already." Loke leaned forward.

"I didn't have my lunch and the aroma of food everywhere isn't making it any better." she sighed.

Loke just laughed charmingly at how adorable Lucy was. "We haven't really caught up ever since we reunited. How have your parents been?"

"They're doing great! They've been running their trading business in Acalypha at Love and Lucky. I helped them out for a year and specially transferred back to Fairy Tail High for my last year of high school. Who knew I'd run into you again?"

"Looks like I didn't make the wrong choice of transferring out of Blue Pegasus High. I'm glad I got to see you again after so many years."

"Why did you anyway? Blue Pegasus High is an amazing school, isn't it?"

"I have some bad memories made there that I'd rather not talk about." Loke shifted his gaze from Lucy and she decided not to question further.

"I see, I'm sorry I asked." Lucy looked apologetic.

"It's fine, don't feel guilty or anything!" Loke said in the most comforting manner he could. Making Lucy sad was the last thing he wanted. "Come on, give me a smile! And all is well." He handed a single rose to her in a gentlemanly manner.

Lucy was stunned for awhile before taking the rose in her hand and giving him the loveliest smile he has ever seen from any woman. He would do anything to make her smile like that everyday. Despite all the girls he dated, Lucy was still the most beautiful girl he's ever met even though they're not actually dating. No one compared. He was sure that many guys out there felt the same way as well because honestly, who wouldn't be mesmerized by the eyes of this blonde? "Thank you." her soothing voice flowed into his ears. There was an awkward silence as Loke just stared at her, completely drawn in by her beauty.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Lucy was way too oblivious.

"Nothing." Loke smiled at her.

Their food arrived and the duo continued chatting while munching on their delicious dinner. They enjoyed the atmosphere of the fancy restaurant for awhile and finally left after an hour. They took a slow walk around Magnolia, enjoying the night breeze and peacefulness. The cold wind brushed against Lucy's skin and it sent her chills. Damn, she forgot to bring a jacket. She rubbed her shoulders to keep herself warm when she felt a soft fabric being placed over her shoulders. Instantly, her body felt warmer.

"I knew you'd feel cold in that." Loke shook his head.

Lucy adjusted Loke's blazer. "T-Thank you... again."

"Don't mention it. The man has to protect the lady after all." he winked at Lucy, making her cheeks burn up unwillingly.

They continued strolling until they reached a fountain located in the town's center. The fountain was always the most beautiful at night and it was the perfect spot for couples who were on dates. Lucy sat on the edge of the fountain and dipped her hand into the crystal clear water, admiring its tranquility. Loke sat down beside her and clenched his fists. Should I do it? He has been thinking long and hard. It's been 3 years since he last saw her, now's the chance to finally show her how much she meant to him... again. He was determined.

"Lucy." With so much seriousness in his tone, it surprised her a little bit. But she responded nonetheless.

"What is it?"

"I need to talk to you about something important."

These kind of confrontations always made Lucy scared. Her palms started getting sweaty as she lifted her hand up from the fountain water. Her orbs looked straight into Loke's, she knew what this was about. Lucy swallowed her saliva.

"What do you think of me as a person now, Lucy?" the seriousness is his tone still hasn't faded away.

Words scrambled in her head as she tried to think of answers. "Y-You're a great person, Loke. You always have been! You're always taking care of me, being there for me, I wouldn't wanna ever lose you! I-"

"Then are you ready to accept me now?"

"Loke... I-"

"I like you, Lucy. Or maybe even love. People used to make fun of me because I was chubby and because I ate too much, but you didn't. You comforted me and became my friend. You gave me a light in my life and I never wanna lose that. You could say it was love at first sight but I fell for you even more as time passed. We reunited after 3 years, I guess fate brought us together again so that I could tell you how I feel once more. You haven't changed one bit. You're the kindest, the most gracious, the strongest and the most beautiful. How could I not fall for a girl like that? You may think that the first 3 times I confessed my love for you were jokes, but that was because we were only kids. Now that we're both grown up, I want you to take me seriously. My feelings for you are real, Lucy Heartfilia."

Lucy didn't know how to take this all in. She's never had such a serious confession in her life and it's coming from one of her closest friends. But there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that her answer was still gonna be the same.

"I'm sorry, Loke. I know your feelings for me are real and I acknowledge them. But I only like you as a good friend, I always have and I can't force myself to like you any other way if I don't. That'll be wrong for the both of us. You're a great guy and I'm sure there are many other girls out there who want your attention. I'm sure you'll find the right one for you but as of now, it isn't me. I'm really sorry." Lucy inwardly heaved a sigh of relief as she managed to push out all the words she wanted to say, to make a clear and concise rejection. She was impressed that she managed to firmly take a stand.

Loke's expression softened, he looked almost defeated. "I see. I guess nothing's changed. I understand and I'm not going to force you either."

"Thank you Loke. And I'm sorry once again." her heart ached at the thought of hurting him.

"There's no need to be sorry. Rejections are normal, aren't they? So shall I walk you home?" Lucy nodded.

The walk back was completely silent. Neither one of them said anything to each other and Lucy was just feeling worse and worse. Getting rejected once by someone you like is bad enough, but 4 times? Lucy would never understand what was on Loke's mind. But she was amazed by how much Loke grew. When she rejected him in middle school, he would start weeping in a corner and she would probably have to comfort him for an hour. But now, he just accepted it. Loke sent Lucy to her front door and they waved goodbye from there. But before Loke left...

"Lucy, I know that I said I wouldn't force you." he began walking closer and closer to Lucy. "But just like what I said in the first, second and third time..." he proceeded to cup her cheeks with his hands.

"Loke, what are you-"

In a split second, Loke's lips were planted on her's. Lucy's eyes widened at the sudden contact and her body stiffened to rocks. Loke was kissing her. But he pulled away almost immediately and released his hands from her face. "I will wait for you."

He turned around and left. Lucy was left there frozen, she couldn't believe what just happened. She ran into her apartment, shutting the door behind her and sliding to the floor. She was scared yet a little flustered at the same time. Her mind couldn't process the current situation and what state she just left herself in. This made her feel even more regretful for accepting Loke's date in the first place. Did she unintentionally lead him on? She could have just destroyed their friendship in her own hands if she couldn't face him after this due to awkwardness. The lingering feeling of Loke's lips made her even more uncomfortable, thank god it wasn't her first kiss. She bit her lip and walked into her room, grabbing the snowman soft toy that Loke gave her last time. She jumped onto her bed and repeatedly punched the soft toy lightly. She didn't wanna ruin it but she needed to vent her frustration on something that reminded her of Loke. She stopped after a few minutes to take a breather. Her face was still flushed as the incident kept playing in the back of her mind. She hugged the soft toy and lay under the covers with it.

What the hell?! What the hell Loke?!

It's been weeks since that happened and Lucy was still avoiding Loke at all costs. To make matters worse, he was seated right beside her during class. Loke always made an effort to talk to her but their conversations were just beyond awkward. Lucy couldn't help it. She would dash out of class straight after the bell rings and run to the cafeteria or something, anything that allowed her to be out of Loke's sight. She wondered how long she could keep this up. Her friends probably already noticed how weird she was acting but she didn't have time to care about that. She needed to sort out her feelings and in the meantime, prevent anything from influencing them. Today was no different. Lucy bumped into Loke at the tennis court and before he could even mutter a word, she ran to the female changing room.

"Oh no, what am I doing?! Whenever I see him my legs just automatically start moving on their own! I need to stop, I'm only making things worse. You're so stupid Lucy!" she lectured herself repeatedly as she walked into the changing room and she noticed that there was no one around except for that one person she did not want to see the most. Lisanna.

"Oh Lucy? Fancy meeting you here." the white-haired beauty shut her locker and turned to the blonde. Her tone of voice was as if she was trying really hard to be friendly to Lucy.

"H-Hi Lisanna." Lucy shifted her gaze, remembering what Natsu told her before. Be careful of Lisanna. Well there was no way she could escape if this tigress wanted to pounce on her now, but it couldn't get that bad right?

Lisanna scanned Lucy from head to toe before continuing with another sentence. "So, have you been getting closer to Natsu? The both of you seem like... how should I say it? A couple?" she began folding her uniform, acting as if that question wasn't very significant to her.

"What are you talking about? We're not together, we're just really good friends!" Lucy flailed her hands.

"Come on, it's just the both of us here. Don't lie to me. Everybody's been talking about you and Natsu." she says while still smiling a little. But her tone suddenly turned dead. "It annoys me, you know?"

"I swear, Lisanna. Natsu and I are just friends!" Lucy tried convincing her and not fighting back in any way. Who knows what would happen if she picked a fight with this mean girl?

"If that's the case..." Lisanna turned left and right, double-checking if there was anyone else around. "Stay away from Natsu."

Lucy's eyes widened. She expected someone like Lisanna to make a request like this, or more like a demand. But she was still disturbed, yet angered. She didn't want to back down. "Lisanna, I understand how you feel but Natsu and I are friends. And it's not like you're dating him now so you don't have the right to tell me to stay away from him." she stood there firmly, proud of her retaliation. But Lisanna wasn't one to give in either.

"I don't care. He's mine. And you ain't getting him." her glare was almost menacing.

"Try me." Lucy said, glaring right back.

The both of them stayed that way for awhile before Lisanna grabbed her bag and left. So you wanna play that game, Blondie? Fine then. I'll play with you.

Lucy's muscles softened when Lisanna stormed out. Lucy, you just landed yourself in big trouble.

"I guess there's only one person I can turn to for this." she took out her phone and started dialing a number. "Cana? I need girl talk, fast."

"You are stupid."

"I'm sorry! That was the only argument I could think of at that moment!" Lucy has been apologizing repeatedly to her brown-haired friend. Cana agreed to go over to Lucy's place for some girl talk, claiming she can survive one night without booze for the sake of her friend.

"It's not the first time anyone has picked a fight with Lisanna, but picking a fight with her over Natsu? I've never met anyone as crazy as you. That chick's possessive of everything she thinks she owns, which is twisted."

"Could tell. And the last part kind of slipped out of my mouth. I really don't mean to snatch him or anything, I just can't stay away."

"Of course you can't, I wouldn't let some ex-girlfriend interfere with my friendships either. You need to show Lisanna who's boss."

"She's gonna be doing that right back at me."

"I would pay to see the both of you have a catfight, it would be a total bloodbath." Cana laughed ferociously.

"And I would probably lose in mere seconds, she's vicious."

"True that."

They both sighed in unison.

"Say Lucy, do you have feelings for Natsu?" Cana leaned back on the sofa and asked.

"I don't know Cana." It was the first time Lucy wasn't getting all nervous and jittery when asked this question about the pink-haired boy. She was surprised herself. She started fiddling with her fingers. "He can be really sweet at times, and protective, and funny. Not to mention ridiculously good looking. But yet he can be so dense and oblivious, it can get pretty annoying. I don't know."

Cana listened intently and was nodding her head along the way. She's never heard anyone speak of Natsu that way, or maybe it was just Natsu not showing this side of him to anyone else. "You're just unsure of your feelings, my dear. But don't even bother denying that there aren't any."

Lucy giggled. "Nah, I won't. At least right now. I'll just have to slowly find out for myself."

"To add on, it's been so long since Natsu and Lisanna broke up. It's time for him to find new love as well." Cana winked.

"New love? I ain't ready for that."

"Come on, Lucy. You and Natsu have been friends for months now, close ones to be exact. If someone were to tell me Natsu had a crush on you, I would be convinced. Besides, he's always talking about you."

Lucy shook her head in disapproval. "I just don't think... Natsu would be interested in someone like me. Giving him things like 'a new light in his life'? I'm not so much of a miracle like Lisanna, or at least she was. If I did like him, I wouldn't expect him to like me back, even if I wanted him to." Her eyes showed disappointment.

"I can't force you either if you're not willing. But making sure of your own feelings are of priority now. And make sure you tell Erza and Levy everything too." Cana patted Lucy on the shoulder.

"You're right." Lucy smiled. Cana gave her a soft smile as well.

There's really no helping to young love.

-Meanwhile at Jellal's place-

"Guys, I made a huge mistake." Loke sat on the floor while munching on a huge packet of potato chips. Sour cream flavored was his favorite.

"What it?" Gajeel asked, laying on Jellal's couch with closed eyes.

"I made too fast of a move on Lucy."

"How fast?" Jellal was trying to get Netflix to work. Yes, dudes actually do the whole 'Netflix and chill'.

"I kissed her."

"Dude what the hell?!" Jellal exclaimed while Gajeel just muttered a soft "Crazy ass". Natsu and Gray just listened in silence.

"So I'm assuming that you confessed as well." Gray said after a few moments.

"Call me stupid but yeah."

"Didn't we tell you to save the confession for another date? Not only did you not do that, you kissed her too. Boy you really know how to rush things." Jellal reprimanded Loke. He's probably the love expert out of the 5 guys, considering he's dating Erza. Natsu just nodded along the way.

"Sorry guys, I should've listened. Needless to say, I got rejected for the fourth time. It's pretty depressing if you ask me. Lucy and I are just on really awkward terms right now, she keeps avoiding me." he sighed deeply.

"Give her some time, dude. There's always another chance. Maybe one day she'll change her mind and finally accept you." Jellal tried to soothe the heart of his heartbroken friend.

"Yeah, maybe." Gray said.

"You're right. Thanks for listening to my annoying rants once again, you guys really are my bros." Loke laughed.

The 5 of them snacked, joked, played and watched Netflix all night till' 3am. They haven't had a bro session since forever and they just really enjoyed the time they could have together now. Jellal and Loke got really sleepy so they went to the bedrooms to take a nap, they probably only needed an hour since they don't sleep much in the first place. But Natsu, Gray and Gajeel were still in the living room having their own talk.

"Do you think Lucy will accept Loke one day?" Gray asked out of the blue.

"Nah." was all Gajeel said. Blunt was all he was. Maybe violent too. Natsu still didn't say a word.

"Why are you so quiet Flame brain? Are you jealous?" he teased.

"Am not." he avoided Gray's eye contact. Deep down, he knew that wasn't the truth.

"You're lying."

"Do you actually think we can't tell? Maybe Jellal and Loke can't, but you can't fool us. You totally have the hots for that bunny girl. But then again you have the hots for almost every girl." Gajeel got up from the couch and crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Shut up Gajeel. I don't see Lucy as just any girl. She's different."

"You like her." Gray inched himself closer to Natsu and looked him dead in the eye, probably trying to intimidate him into admitting the truth.

"Gosh cut it out!" Natsu backed away.

"Can't do, bro. You were even mumbling her name in your sleep a few days ago. Don't try to tell me she doesn't get you all tingly in the stomach." Gray couldn't stop taunted his best friend and Gajeel was just laughing at Natsu's embarrassment.

Natsu sighed and sheepishly started admitting everything. "She just gets me really protective over her, you know? I can't help it. It would suck to see her hurt or in pain. I like to hear her laugh. And for some reason, I really want to be close to her all the time and know her better even though she's pretty weird." he began smiling to himself and blushing a little.

"I told you, you like her." Gray repeated once again.

"It's just... a small crush. Besides, Loke's loved her for years. I wouldn't be able to face him if I tried stealing her away. It's breaking the bro code."

"Who even sticks to the bro code? Gray and Juvia have a thing but I don't see Lyon giving a shit." Gajeel said.

"It's funny because Juvia and I don't actually have a thing." Gray muttered under his breath.

"Just forget it guys. I don't see me and Lucy happening anyway, she's too good for me. She deserves someone like Loke. We're just gonna be good friends!" Natsu held a thumbs up with his usual toothy grin.

Gajeel just let out a "Tch" and went to sleep while Gray sighed in disappointment. "If you say so."

Don't try to deny your feelings, Natsu.

The exam season was coming up and everyone in Fairy Tail High was of course making preparations. Studying their asses off, arranging consultation with teachers and even taking extra classes to hopefully squeeze more knowledge into their brains. Erza, the great student council president, has been going around checking on students. Constantly encouraging them to study more as if it wasn't enough already and catching people who were off goofing around at the basketball court. She had to ensure the reputation of Fairy Tail High was maintained, or the principal would be troubled. Her results have always been number 1, causing much envy to her friends. To people like Gray and Gajeel, she was like an angel sent from heaven during the exam season. They would get her to tutor them, which Erza doesn't mind at all. But for someone like Natsu, he refuses to get help from Erza. He claims that asking Erza for help was the equivalent of "digging his own grave". Stubborn guy. And his results weren't the best either. To be exact, he was the last in class. There was only one person he could turn to, Lucy Heartfilia. That's why, the 2 are gonna meet after school to go to Natsu's place for some serious tutoring.

"You better return me the favor next time, I'm sacrificing my study time for you Natsu!" Lucy huffed in annoyance, somewhat. Deep inside, she was willing to help him.

"I'm one to keep promises, so don't worry about it! You know you're my savior." Natsu swung his arm onto Lucy's shoulders, making her heart rate speed up. "But can we not take the bus? Just thinking about it makes me sick."

"Your place is a 30 minute walk away, Natsu. I don't know how you manage to walk to and fro everyday from school just to avoid taking transport."

"The ride's only 10 minutes but it's still torture..." he held onto his stomach and his face started turning purple.

"I can rub your head to make you feel better." Lucy smiled brightly. She took him by the hand and dragged him to the bus stop. "Come on the bus is here!"

The both of them got on the bus and needless to say, Natsu wanted to puke the moment they sat down. He leaned on Lucy's shoulder and buried his face in her neck. It made Lucy jump a little and she almost yelped out loud. His small breaths that escaped his nose tickled her skin and gave her goosebumps, he also rested his hand on her thigh. Other than the time when Natsu hugged her to sleep for the sake of keeping her warm, she's never been so physically close to him. Even though Natsu was a guy who had completely no sense of personal space, his touching usually just consists of small hand strokes or light pushes and he did it to all of his friends. It was only recently that he started touching Lucy more. Doing things like putting his arms around her, smelling her hair or this, which Lucy didn't complain about. She liked that he was getting more and more comfortable with her, she didn't mind being close to him all the time. She turned her head to get a clearer view of him. He looked really cute when he was sleeping and it was funny that he kept making grumbling sounds, probably due to him being nauseous. Lucy looked at him with adoring eyes and unknowingly started caressing his face and running her fingers through his pink hair. It was soft despite how spiky it looked. Her face inched closer to his. She was tempted, so tempted. She snapped out of her thoughts when the bus suddenly jerked. Oh no Lucy, stop imagining things. You can't do this with your friend.

She retracted her hand back to her side and looked out of the window. She felt stupid for letting herself go so easily. For the rest of the ride, Natsu just lay on her shoulder and Lucy tried to get her attention focused on something else, but she couldn't. They finally reached Natsu's place, which felt like forever of a ride to him. But to Lucy, it was way too fast. She wanted that moment to last just a teeny bit longer, no matter how much she denied it to herself. Natsu opened the door to let Lucy in. This was the second time coming to Natsu's place and it was still as much of a mess as it was the first time. Empty sweet wrappers and drink cans were lying everywhere, dirty plates stacked in the kitchen sink and unfolded bed sheets. The only chore that Natsu did was washing his clothes, otherwise he wouldn't have any clothes to wear. Happy was probably one of the luckiest cats in the world. It gets all the food it wants and lazes around all day. Natsu pampered his blue cat way too much. They got down to studying real quick, with Natsu wanting to slack off most of the time despite him being the one to ask for help. But Lucy wasn't planning on letting him have his way.

"That's not it! In this paragraph, it says that Zeref murdered his entire family and was sentenced to jail for a lifetime. He became crazy and started writing books about demons which were then published by a superstitious prison guard who was obsessed with mythical creatures 400 years ago."

Natsu pulled his hair in frustration and began yelling. "History studies are driving me nuts! Why does Zeref have the same last name as me anyway?!"

"Because you're both nuts?"

"Hey that wasn't funny!" Lucy burst out laughing as she successfully got his goat. Natsu just crossed his arms in annoyance.

A few hours passed and whilst studying, Natsu fell asleep. He's probably never studied for this long in his entire life and Lucy gave up on trying to make him concentrate anyway. She sighed at Natsu's laziness. Well at least he tried. He was sleeping so peacefully without any worry of the world. Lucy rested her chin on her fist. "If only I knew what was on your mind. You're complicated, you know?" Happy meowed at Lucy and rubbed it's paw against her ankle. She didn't even notice it there.

"You must know Natsu well huh?" she picked Happy up from the floor and started stroking it. It purred in response. "But it's not like you could tell me about him. You can't speak."

She placed Happy on the floor again and headed to the bathroom. On her way there, she walked past what seemed to be Natsu's bedroom. She'd only been in there once, when she got drunk and Natsu brought her here. But she didn't take notice of anything in his room the next morning as she felt too groggy. She couldn't get a clear view of it from the outside as the door was only half open. It seemed to be inviting her to just walk in and invade Natsu's privacy. She held the door knob and pushed the door inwards, opening it slightly when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. If Natsu found out that she went into his bedroom without his permission, he'd be pissed. Anyone would be. And she didn't want Natsu to be mad at her. But she was so curious. The entrance to Natsu's private life was just right there, it was so close and she might just find out what she always wanted to know about him. A peak wouldn't hurt right? She opened the door and stepped in. It was a very simple room with things thrown around everywhere and messy bedsheets, as expected. This boy really didn't know how to do any cleaning on his own.

The first thing that caught Lucy's attention was his study table. There was a picture of a young Natsu together with a grown man. Lucy smiled at how cute Natsu was when he was little. He was sitting on this man's shoulders and smiling widely. This man had red hair and a muscular built. He had the same kind eyes as Natsu, but a scar across the right one. Who was this man? Was he Natsu's father, Igneel? Oh right, he passed away a long time ago. Lucy's heart ached for Natsu when she realized. Beside it, was a familiar box of chocolates. Where have I seen this before? She noticed the small note stuck on the top of the box. "Lucy's Valentine's Day chocolates!" Her eyes widened. He actually kept it all this time and never ate it. The chocolates were probably all melted by now, Lucy giggled at how stupid Natsu was. But yet, she never realized how much of a sentimental person he was. Yet another plus point. There were other gifts from his friends that Natsu kept and even though her's was just one of the many, it made her feel... important. To him.

Her eyes shifted to his book shelf and when she took a closer look. There was a lone photo frame on one of the shelves. I should be going out by now. But maybe just 5 more minutes? She took it in her hand and the moment she laid her eyes on the photo in it, her motion stopped. She could feel her heart getting squeezed by what seemed to be cold bare hands. It was a picture of Natsu and Lisanna. Lisanna. He had his arm around her shoulders and the brightest smile she had never seen on his face. She was hugging him by the waist, head resting on his chest comfortably and was smiling like that was the best moment of her life. They looked so happy together. What happened to them now? Natsu still kept this photo of them in his room which meant he was still looking at it every single day. It also meant Lisanna was still very important to him, contradicting the way he treats her. The thought of that made Lucy feel so sour. She felt inferior compared to Lisanna, despite how hard she tried to feel otherwise. Just awhile ago she was in seventh heaven because she felt important to him but it crumbled in mere seconds. How could she ever...

"What are you doing?"

The unexpected voice from behind caused Lucy to let go of the photo frame in shock. All she heard next was shattering glass.

How did I even manage to write 6000 words in 1 chapter?!

this has been a drama-filled chapter and I hope you guys are handling it well xD LoLu fans you can thank me now HAHAHA. Gosh Lucy's so dense and Natsu is just complicated! Do you think she's gonna get into trouble? Leave some of your thoughts in the reviews it would be greatly appreciated :-D

like always, thank you guys SO SO MUCH for your support. It motivates me to continue the story and any criticism will be accepted! your ideas will be very helpful as well.

stay tuned for the next chapter! chant NALU with me come on NALU