Was bored so finished this chapter. I needed to have Lucy somehow apologize to Natsu since she had been feeling so guilty. Next chapter is about the whole book thing chapter 6 as well. I warn you all. It's rubbish. I'm so bad at making shit up… You'll understand when you read chapter 5 -.-'

I would like to thank you for the fave and following and of course your reviews. Could use some more though…

Anyways, Disclaimer. I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.

-Oby Abel-

Chapter 4: I love you

Lucy stayed at home for two days after the party. The first day had been because of her evident hangover. She had sleep half the day and groaned the other half in misery. She didn't go to the guild the second day because reality came crashing down. She had suddenly remembered her talk with Natsu about the mating ordeal.

To say the least, Lucy was confused and scared shitless. She didn't want to mate with Natsu solely because of them being best friends and having no romantic feelings for him. And being mates with him would just ruin everything she valued. Their friendship, her pride, his pride, their lives. Everything would be ruined.

And she was scared of this change. She was even more scared of the slight possibility that Natsu would succeed in making her fall in love with him. Oh boy that scared her because she knew he was a hopeless case. She could never make him fall in love with her solely because he was Natsu.

So she had used the second day away from the guild to think. She had so many things to think about and she most definitely needed that book that had started all this shit. She needed to read the thing before fully progressing all the information.

And she also had to apologize to Natsu by how she had handled everything the day he told her. She had been an insensitive little cruel and selfish bitch. She felt really bad about for she had handled it. She had downright refused him solely because of her selfish need to have a happy life while he would die. She might as well had killed him then and there.

Fuck she had been an awful best friend. Awful doesn't even cover it. She was the worst of them all. She almost felt like she could compete with Zeref of being evil. That bad.

So on the third day she had two missions to complete. First get the book or a copy and then apologize to Natsu and ask for his forgiveness.

She took a deep breath before pushing the doors open entering the guild. She smiled immediately as she noticed most of her friends already being there. It was already noon so she wasn't surprised. "Morning Everyone!" She greeted joyously.

"Morning Luce!" Natsu grinned as he saw her enter and quickly shot out from his seat. "Feeling better enough to do a mission?" He was so ready to go on a mission with his friend.

"Morning Natsu," she greeted with a warm smile despite her heart clenching from her guilt. "Of course, I'm good as new. I'm all in." She agreed.

"Awesome! I found the perfect one. They need two mages. A male and female to-" she tuned out as her mind began wandering to all those awful things she said to him. How could he not hate her was beyond her. She didn't deserve his warm smiles or grin. What she deserves was a big slap and a few mean words from him. But this was Natsu. He could almost never hold a grudge against anyone. Especially his nakama.

"Lucy? Luce you alright? Why are you crying?" His concern voice brought her back to the present. She looked at him and blinked a few times before letting her hands wander to her cheeks. She had indeed cried or was crying.

Her eyes widened before she let out a sob and jump into his arms. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for being so mean! I didn't mean to. I was so sorry. Please forgive me." She pleaded as she let sorrow and hurt fill her heart and clung to him tightly.

Natsu was dumbfounded. He had no idea why the blonde broke down in the middle of the guild. And he had no clue to why she was askin for forgiveness. She hadn't done anything wrong?

"Flame Ass what did you do now?" Gray asked irritated. Lucy was crying and that only meant she was sad and that Natsu obviously had something to do with it since she asked for her forgiveness. Gray's logic.

"I didn't do anything, Asshole! Luce, what's wrong why are you crying and asking me for forgiveness? You've done nothing wrong." Natsu pulled her away, his hands on her shoulders gripping tightly as he looked at her sorrowful face.

"D-do y-you for-forgive me?" She asked stuttering and looked at him with her big watery looking somewhat hopeful. Natsu gulped feeling a pang in his heart and slightly guilty though he doesn't understand why exactly.

"Of course I forgive ya! Why shouldn't I? You didn't do anything wrong." He said while gracing her with his a assuring smile.

Lucy felt relieved and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "T-thank you!" She cried. Natsu grinned sheepishly and hugged her back though he was not quite sure what all this was about.

"Aww!" Mira cooed dreamily as she clapped her had watching two friends hug each other. "You make the cutest couple! Can't wait for your babies!"

Both pulled away from each other red as tomatoes and quickly denied the barmaid of them not being a couple. "We are not! Stop your nonsense!" The guild just laughed and went back to what they had been doing moments ago.

"So about that mission, let's go now!" Lucy told Natsu as she didn't want to stay any longer an hear her friends tease her. Natsu just nodded and went over to Mira to get her approval and Lucy dried her tears away.

Both friends left the guild and walked towards Lucy's apartment on Strawberry Street in silence. An awkward silence to be precise.

"So… where's Happy?" Lucy asked when they stood in front of her apartment building. Someone had to break the silence and what better way to do that then ask about the Exceed.

"Uhm, at the Guild? I don't know. I'll go back and tell him about our mission." Natsu was being awkward and it made them both cringe mentally.

"O-okay. I'll pack my bags and then meet you two by the staton in an hour?" She offered and cursed herself for stuttering. Why was this so awkward, she asked herself mentally, it's just Natsu for Mavis sake!

"Sure." He turned around and was about to go away when he suddenly remembered something. "Why did you cry? I don't understand and I am still confused." He asked turning around looking at her intently.

She gulped audibly and averted her gaze to her feet. "I… It was about the whole situation about the mating stuff. I felt really bad about how I reacted and it wasn't fair for you. You're my best friend and I was the worst. And then you appeared just so happy this morning that I felt more guilty and couldn't stop myself from crying. So.. I hope you truly will forgive me."

Natsu was baffled. She had been this guilty the whole time and it made him feel more guilty. It was his fault that they were in this predicament. His and his magics fault.

"Luce," he muttered gently and took a few steps forward standing right in front of her. "Look at me, please." She slowly lifted her gaze blinking away tears. He smiled warmly at her and cupped her face stroking her cheeks.

"Do I look like I would hate you for that? If there's someone who really need forgiveness it is me. It my fault for all this shit. I believe in you." Her heart began beating hard just by those words. He… he believes me? His words were genuine that she knew but thet were så heartfelt as well. She had the best friend in the whole universe.

"Oh Natsu!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you for being my friend and for being you. You are the best and of course I forgive you. Neither of us are to blame. I love you." She told him wholeheartedly. Natsu was her person. They were like Ying and Yang, keeping a balance.

Natsu grinned and squeezed her tightly. He just couldn't help but feel happy. Lucy was the only person he was this close to and who understood him completely. He had regretted plenty of times not to bring her with them for his training, afraid that if they parted it would strain their friendship but none of that happened and e was so grateful for that.

"Thank you, and I love you too, you weirdo. Now let go so we can go on that mission." She grinned as she pulled away and nodded enthusiastically.

"Then see you and Happy in an hour! Bye!" She waved goodbye and walked inside her apartment building. Natsu's grin faltered as she left. He held a hand to his heart because it was beating erratically.

"What's going on?" He couldn't understand why his heart was beating like that. It felt like it was running its own little marathon which was definitely weird. It happened when she grinned at her so happily and not to mention she told him that she loves him?! They never told each other that because… because there really wasn't a reason to. They already knew that. They were best friends but now hearing it just seemed weird and made Natsu feel weird.

"Guess her weirdness is rubbing off. Whatever." He shrugged the feeling off and went about.

They met up by the train station and Lucy purchased their tickets while Happy helped the already miserable Dragon Slayer aboard the train. And off they went.

Meanwhile at the guild Gajeel was at his usual corner sitting with Lily while silently watching Levy read. He wasn't as conflicted as Natsu was about telling the Shrimp about the whole mating ordeal but it was damn sure awkward. He didn't know where to start exactly, though they had been partners when they worked for the Magic Council.

"Why not tell her and get over with it? You look too serious and its looks stupid." His loyal cat said after getting a bit annoyed with the gruff Dragon Slayer's constant grumbling and sighing.

Gajeel gave him a mean glare before looking at the bookworm once more and then sighed again. "If it was that easy I would've done it. What if she rejects me like how the bunny did Salamander? It's not like it is my fault or anything." Lily folded his eyes looking at him intently and then just rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure Levy won't reject you. You have chemistry and I know you like her and I have a feeling she likes you as well. You can't go wrong. Just man up and do it. You are acting like a coward." Gajeel growled dangerously before pushing himself of his seat glaring at his Exceed.

"I ain't no coward! I'll tell her, watch me." He declared and stomped towards the blunette who was too far into her book to notice the gruff Dragon Slayer approach.

"Shrimp." He called not to nicely and got ignored. That annoyed him so he called once more but Levy still wasn't acknowledging his presence as she was reading her book. "LEVY!" He spat and finally got her attention as she looked up only jump up because she was startled.

"Gajeel! You scared me!" He planted his behind on a seat across from her and looked at her intently, ignoring her earlier statement. "We need to talk, now."

"What for? Can it wait till later, I'm reading a really good book an-"

"No it can't." He cut her off. "It's a life and death situation. So we need to talk." As he finished he stood up and lifted her up placing her on his shoulder and stalked away with a flustered Levy.

"P-put me down, Gajeel!" She demanded but was ignored. She tried to hit his back with her tiny fists but it didn't do him any harm, actually it did her more harm than him. So she gave up and let him have his way.

"At least tell me where we are going." She mumbled as she tried to figure out where they were. She didn't recognize the buildings even though she was certain they were still in Magnolia. It hadn't been that long since they left the guild.

"My house. We have stuff to discuss." He grunted his reply. Levy's face suddenly felt hotter than Natsu's flames. His house? She asked herself, what do he want to do at his house?! No! Don't tell me-

Before her mind could progress any further though she was planted on the ground. "We're here." She looked at her surroundings and then turned around to the building in front of her. It was nowhere near what she had expected him to live in.

"Is this your apart-"

"House. Own the whole building." He corrected her. She gasped and spun around to look at him with her big brown orbs. "You what?! How can you afford this?!" She shrieked in disbelief. His building looked big and tall. Like an apartment complex. Just like Lucy's building but much taller. It was made out of wood, like the Guild had been and the door was made out of… metal? Figures. Big metallic windows. Six in total.

"What? Thought I would live in a rundown apartment at the other side of Magnolia? Sorry to disappoint but I bought this place when we got the Guild back. Now close your mouth and follow me." He spoke with amusement in his tone and smirked at the blunette as he walked up the steps to unlock the door. Levy who was curious followed him eagerly. She was still baffled by him owning a huge building.

"Sit down. I gotta get something." He ordered pointing at his leather couch in the almost empty living room. There were literally no furniture other than a three mans couch, a black metallic coffee table. Three leather arm chairs and a small table. The whole place made echo just from that footsteps.

Nonetheless Levy obliged and took a seat looking at her surrounding frowning. It was so dark and empty. The walls were painted either black or metallic gray which which wasn't exactly the brightest color in the world. And it made her feel cold and sad. Such a waste on a beautiful house, building or whatever to call it.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" She questioned as she heard his footstep draw near. She was kinda nervous since she had never been at his house before. They've never really hung out outside the guild. Or alone.

"I'm going to be frank and tell you straight away." He stood in front of her with a worn out book in his hand. "You are my mate and that means we have to fuck and that we'll bond or some shit like that." He was frank alright. And told her without even blinking once.

Levy was dumbfounded and blushed a million shades darker than any red to date. Mate and fuck kept being repeated in her mind. Especially the later. God she felt faint. Her heart was galloping hard and fast and you could almost see steam coming out of her ears.

"I know it's weird but it's the truth. We have to fuck so I don't die when I turn 22. Read the book and you'll understand." He offered her the book but Levy was not responsive.

"Oi Shrimp?" He waved a hand in front of her but still no response.

"Shit, I think I broke her." Gajeel grumbled. This was not the reaction he had been aiming for. Fuck no. He poked her shoulder only to have her to turn to mush. She fainted in front of him!

"Fuck!" He cursed aloud and quickly lay her on the couch. "What the fuck do I do now?" He had no freaking idea how to tend to her.. This was going to be a long long day for the gruff Dragon Slayer who kept cursing himself for being too straightforward.

"Damnit!"

First time I focus on another couple than Nalu even though it isn't that long. But here is some Gale which is my second OTP. Love them almost as much as Nalu, but since I love Natsu a bunch Nalu wins. Though I like Gajeel too. In general I love all the Dragon Slayers!

Anyways, sorry if this chapter sucks I feel like my writing only gets more bad than good… Quite depressing since I love writing so much. So my apologies and also for spelling or grammar mistakes. English is my fourth language so I still lack a looot. More depressing…

Read, review, fave and follow. I might upload chapter 5 sooner if I get at least 5 reviews. The plot will thicken after chapter 6.

Peace out! Love you all!

-Oby Abel-