A/N: Woo! Another chapter! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

Enjoy!

Chapter 9

It was Wednesday afternoon, and Lucy was walking over to the football pitch with Cana. This was their last cheerleading practice before the big game. Lucy was confident that all the girls were ready, but the practice was still good.

"Hello ladies,"

Suddenly, Loke was between the two, an arm draped over each of their shoulders.

"What do you want, Loke?" Lucy asked irritably.

"I just wanted to let you know how beautiful you two looked," he said innocently.

Lucy looked down. She was wearing short shorts and a tank top; Cana was wearing three-quarter leggings and a cropped top. Lucy sighed. Loke was the biggest flirt in the school. Luckily, he was harmless in his flirting, unlike Laxus.

"Lucy, go on a date with me!" Loke begged.

"No!" Lucy cried. "How many times do I have to reject you before you get the idea?"

"Cana?" Loke turned to the brunette.

"I'm not gonna be your second choice!" she growled.

"But you're not!" Loke protested. "I love you both equally! Please don't fight over me!"

"We're not even fighting!"

At once, the two girls pushed him to the ground and walked away, linking arms.

"I wish he would stop asking every girl in school on dates," Lucy mumbled.

"Me, too," Cana agreed. "Although he is kinda cute,"

"Cana!"

"I don't like him or anything," she sighed. "I'm just saying he's attractive, and would have plenty of experience," she winked, making Lucy turn red.

"Cana!"

Cana laughed at her roommate. It was so much fun to tease her.

They reached the group of cheerleaders doing stretches then. They were the last two to arrive, so once they had greeted everyone and done some stretching of their own, practice began.

They went through each of their routines, including the one where they through Levy – along with Laki and Lisanna – in the air. When Lucy and Cana caught her, the blonde winked at her friend before finishing the routine, and moving onto the next.

Lucy had just reached the top of the pyramid when the football team came out for their training.

"Hey Lucy! Nice ass!" she heard Laxus call. "It's almost as good as your boobs!"

She gritted her teeth, determined to ignore him.

When all the girls had dismounted, they noticed the fight being broken up on the field. Lucy stared in horror when she saw Gray holding back a bruised Natsu and Elfman holding a bleeding Laxus.

Lucy sighed. He had lasted longer than she thought, at least.

She could hear the coach yelling at them, then sending them off to do laps. When they came near the girls, she glared back at Laxus' smirk, and looked disapprovingly at Natsu, who had been glaring at Laxus, but now looked sheepishly at Lucy.

The boys were still on the field when the girls were packing up, and some stayed behind to watch.

Bisca always had, because she liked to watch her boyfriend Alzack, and now Erza and Juvia could unashamedly watch their boyfriends, too. Evergreen stayed behind, too, although nobody really knew who for; she didn't really talk to them much – unless it was about her achievements. She was close with Freed and Bickslow, but they were more like her older brothers. Lisanna stayed sometimes, too, and Lucy assumed that was to watch her brother.

"Levy-chan," Lucy sidled up to her friend. "Do you wanna stay and watch?" she asked slyly.

"Why? Do you wanna watch Natsu?" Levy returned her sly tone.

"No!" Lucy cried. "I thought you might want to watch Gajeel,"

"W-what?" Levy turned bright red.

"Come on, if you don't want the girls to be suspicious, you better cool that face down!" Lucy told her before grabbing her hand. The two girls joined their friends on the bleachers, and a second later, Cana joined them.

The girls sat and talked while they watched the boys train. She wouldn't admit it to them, but Lucy found herself watching Natsu more than anything. His bruises had looked pretty bad, and she was worried about him.

She just hoped that he and Laxus could get along well enough on Saturday for them to win the game. She would hate for them to lose because those two can't get along.

Lucy found Natsu once training was over. When he saw her coming, he looked scared and disappointed.

"What were you thinking?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I know what I promised, but I couldn't let that pig get away with saying stuff like that!" he cried.

"You idiot," Lucy sighed. "I can handle myself – it's not like I haven't had to deal with jerks like him before,"

"I'm sorry," he apologised again.

"I forgive you," Lucy sighed, watching as his eyes lit up, "If you go to the nurse's office right now!"

"But I don't need to – I'm fine!" he insisted frantically.

"Don't you want my forgiveness?"

"Fine," he grumbled, as Lucy led him away.

She felt bad almost as soon as they got there. The nurse that worked the after school hours was clearly gay – and very forward.

"Um, I don't think he was hurt there, Nurse Bob," Lucy stammered.

"I think I should check anyway, love. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!" he assured her.

"Don't touch meeee!" Natsu cried.

"I'm really sorry," Lucy apologised again as they headed to dinner.

Natsu was still trembling.

"I didn't know about him," she pleaded. "If I had, I never would've made you go,"

"I-it's okay," Natsu eventually told her. "You didn't know,"

"I promise I won't ever make you go see him again!" Lucy cried.

The two had just reached their table and were sitting down when Levy spoke.

"Where were you two?" she asked pointedly.

"Nurse's office," Lucy replied quietly. Everyone gasped.

"Lucy! Do you hate him?" Gray asked.

"I didn't know!" she wailed.

"I hate that guy," Loke shivered.

"He's not a man," Elfman…agreed?

"I feel terrible!" Lucy wailed.

"Maybe you could make it up to him?" Mirajane said sweetly. "Like maybe taking him somewhere?" she looked innocently at Lucy, who glared back.

"Mira!"

"What, like to get pizza?" Natsu suddenly said, eyes lighting up. He clearly didn't know what Mirajane was talking about, and was just making the situation worse.

"I guess you could get pizza," the silver-haired beauty shrugged.

"Yes!" he cried. "Lucy, will you take me to get pizza this weekend to make it up to me?"

"U-uh…" Lucy stuttered. It was an innocent question to him, but to everyone around them, it sounded like a date.

Lucy looked around at all the girls' faces lit up.

"What, with Wendy?" Lucy asked, hoping this would work.

"Sure," Natsu shrugged. "As long as I can get a super spicy pizza!"

"Fine," Lucy sighed, relieved. She glared at each of the girls in turn, especially Mirajane.

Natsu was in much better spirits for the rest of dinner, while Lucy became quite irritable.

While everyone else went to the common room after dinner, Lucy headed to the library to study, and be away from everyone. That's where Natsu found her.

"What are you doing, Luce?" he asked her, standing next to her table. There was no one else around, so he didn't bother whispering.

"Studying," she replied, not looking up.

"Why do you study so much?" he asked, sitting in the chair across from her. "Don't you get bored?"

"Sometimes,"

"Then, why?"

"Because I have to," she said exasperatedly, finally looking up at him.

"You don't have to do anything," Natsu told her. "Besides, you're smart enough already,"

"No, I'm not," she told him. "Not if I want to get into a good college."

"What's the difference between a 'good' college and a 'bad' one? Aren't they all the same?"

"It's not so much the college," Lucy explained. "But I need to get into medicine, so that I can become a doctor. For that, I need exceptionally high grades." She explained patiently.

"You want to be a doctor?" Natsu asked.

Lucy nodded.

"I didn't know that," he frowned. "I thought you wanted to be an author? Don't you write, like, every day?"

"Yes, I love writing, and I would love to be an author," she told him sadly. "But that's not a very practical or stable career, is it?"

"So?"

"So, I need a career that is stable and will be able to support me and my family financially," she explained. "I don't want to have to depend on someone," she added quietly.

"But what's the point if you don't love it?"

"I – I never said I didn't love it,"

"But writing is what you love most, right?" Natsu stared at her. She found herself nodding without her permission. "So, who cares then? Do what you love,"

"You don't understand," she suddenly said, willing the tears she could feel not to fall. "Do you know how many aspiring authors are out there? How many people love writing? Do you know how many of those actually make it as an author? Not many. It's a very hard profession to get into, and you have to be exceptionally good if you want to get anywhere, or be able to make a living off of it," she told him. "It doesn't matter how much you love it, if you don't have the talent,"

"Is that what this is about?" Natsu asked. "You're worried you aren't good enough, so you're just going to throw your dream away? That's not the Lucy I know. You're special, Luce. You have the talent to do whatever you want. You just need to believe it yourself," he told her softly.

"Natsu," she whispered.

"Now, if you're going to be an author, then you really only need to study for English, right?" he asked cheerfully. "So you can get rid of this Biology and come play," he grinned.

"No," Lucy said softly. "I'm still going to try and become a doctor," she said sadly.

"What?" Natsu asked. "But…"

"You're not going to change my mind, Natsu," she told him sadly, looking down, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Luce? What aren't you telling me?" he asked, trying to see her expression.

"N-nothing," she mumbled, fighting back the tears.

"Lucy,"

"You wouldn't understand,"

"Try me,"

"No,"

"Luce!" he growled. She didn't answer. "Lucy, I swear to God–"

"I have to!" Lucy exploded, tears flowing freely as she looked angrily up at him. "I don't get a choice in the matter! If I don't get into medicine and become a doctor, then I have to take over my father's business! It doesn't matter what I want, so long as I'm earning a lot of money and success for the Heartfilia name! My father doesn't care about books, or my dreams, or even me! He only cares about money and reputation!" she screamed. "I don't want to just be handed the business. I want to be able to make a living for myself, show him that I'm capable of more than he thought. I want to be able to cut any ties to the Heartfilia Corporation that I can," she added, sniffling as the tears continued to flow.

Natsu sat there in silence for a second, before getting up and walking around to her side of the desk.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm sorry your father doesn't realise how amazing you are, and doesn't see what you are capable of. I'm sorry he's stopping you from living your dream," he told her, grabbing her hand. "And I'm sorry you're letting him,"

Then he pulled her out of her chair so that he could hug her tightly as she sobbed into his chest.

Lucy didn't know how long they stood there like that as she dampened his shirt; nor did she care. All she cared about was the fact that she had such an amazing friend there to hold her, and comfort her. She didn't care about being seen as weak. She didn't care enough to be embarrassed at her vulnerability.

She felt like a great weight had lifted off her shoulders at her confession, and it felt good to cry it out. It felt good to have a best friend like Natsu.

A/N: I promised intense Nalu, did I not? ;)

Lucky Lucy, having someone like Natsu to care about her :3 he's such a big softie inside!

Please review and let me know what you think! :)