A/N: Hey, I'm sorry for not updating this sooner, my internet decided to not work :( But trust me, this will be worth the wait! ;)

Thank you so much to xHiddenSecrets and CupcakeGirl633 for your wonderful reviews! It really does mean a lot to me when you guys take the time to let me know what you think :) keep 'em coming! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail!

Enjoy!

Chapter 20

A few weeks later, the entire school was buzzing about the upcoming dance. Love was in the air as everyone tried to find dates.

Lucy had been asked plenty of times already, but it was mostly by Loke, assholes like Sting and Laxus, or guys she didn't know, so she'd turned them all down.

"Waiting for Natsu to ask you?" Levy asked slyly as yet another guy walked away disappointed.

"What? Of course not," Lucy huffed. "I just don't know that guy very well,"

"Well what about all the others?" Levy asked. "If you don't want Natsu to ask you, then who do you want to go with?"

"I don't know," Lucy admitted.

She didn't want to go alone, but there wasn't anyone in particular that she wanted to ask her. There just weren't that many guys who caught her eye at this school.

"What about you, Levy?" Lucy suddenly asked. "Have you asked Gajeel yet?"

"Lu-chan!" Levy turned bright red.

"You know you want to go with him – why not just ask?"

"I – I could never do that!" the bluenette cried.

"Well, you never know unless you try," Lucy sang as she walked away, Levy hurrying after her.

Levy wasn't the only one teasing Lucy more than usual, and Lucy found herself alone more often. This of course made more guys approach her.

She tried to be calm and patient, but some days she'd just had enough. She was pretty sure there were plenty of guys now petrified of her.

It was the night before the dance, and Lucy was studying alone in the library again. It was late and she was just packing up when someone approached her.

She looked up to see a guy with dark hair and glasses. She recognised him from Writer's Club. He was always there taking notes, but he never really spoke much. He seemed like a nice guy.

"H-hey Lucy," he waved nervously.

"Hi," Lucy smiled. "What's up?"

"U-um, I – I was just w-wondering," he stammered. "W-would you l-like to go to the d-dance with m-me?" his voice squeaked on 'me'.

Lucy sighed. "I'm flattered that you asked me, but I don't think so," she replied as kindly as she could.

"O-oh," he looked down. "I understand. I'll see you around," he turned and walked away.

Lucy sighed, feeling bad. He really was a good guy, but she just didn't know him that well.

I think you're just waiting for Natsu to ask you. Lucy suddenly heard Levy's voice in her head, and it made her angry. Just because she turned down a bunch of guys didn't mean she wanted to go with him.

Maybe if you had a date, they would finally back off, a voice in her head told her. Yeah. That's what she would do. She would go to the dance with this guy and then the girls would have to believe her!

"Wait!" she called out, rushing over to the dejected guy. "Pick me up at seven," she winked before walking back to her dorm.

"I can't believe you're going with Loke," Lucy said to Cana as they got ready for the dance.

"What? He's a good dancer," Cana shrugged.

Lucy sweat dropped. At least Cana knew how to handle the flirt.

"I can't believe you're going with someone who isn't Natsu," the brunette said. "Who even is this guy?"

"He's in Writer's Club and he's very sweet," Lucy told her primly, turning back to the mirror.

When the girls were ready, they headed down to the dorm lobby to meet their dates.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Loke asked Lucy immediately. "And Cana, you are radiant as always," he added, handing her a rose.

"This is my date!" Lucy told him angrily. "Don't be so rude,"

"I thought Natsu was your date?"

"Of course not!" Lucy retorted. "I told you, we're just friends. Now let's go!" she said, grabbing the scared writer's arm and heading off to the gym.

Loke and Cana exchanged knowing looks before linking arms and following the angry blonde.

"Luce!" Natsu called, running to the blonde when they entered. He stopped in his tracks. "Who are you?"

"This is my date," Lucy explained. "Don't point, Natsu; it's rude,"

"Oh," Natsu said, lowering his finger. "I didn't know you had a date,"

"Well he only asked me last night," Lucy said turning to the dark haired boy who looked very uncomfortable. "Do you wanna go get a drink?" she asked him.

He nodded and the two left, Lucy waving goodbye to a stunned Natsu.

Once they'd gotten a drink, the two sat down at one of the tables. Some of Lucy's friends came over – shocked – and tried to talk to the guy, but he was very shy, and mostly wrote things down.

"Do you want to dance?" Lucy asked him eventually. She was getting bored.

"No thanks," he replied, not looking up from his notebook. "I don't dance,"

Then why did you ask me to the dance? She thought irritably.

"Well, do you wanna talk then?" she asked.

"About what?"

"I don't know – anything!"

"You talk, I'll listen," he told her. He was still writing notes.

"Why did you ask me to this dance?" Lucy suddenly burst.

"Because, I think you're very pretty," he said slowly, finally looking up. "And you like reading and writing as much as I do. That's very rare to find,"

"But do you even want to be here?" she asked.

"Well, to be honest, this is the first dance I've been to," he shrugged. "I usually avoid them. And so far, I'm glad I do,"

"That's because you're not participating," she sighed. "You're not going to have a good time if you just sit there writing," she told him.

"But I like writing,"

"So do I, but I also like dancing," she told him.

He didn't respond.

"Maybe this was a mistake," she sighed. "If you want to leave, you can. I'm going to go dance with my friends," she told him as she got up and walked away.

When she looked back, he was already gone.

"Well that was a total bust," she said, approaching Levy.

"I'm sorry, Lu-chan," her friend replied. Lucy noticed she looked flushed and excited, but nervous at the same time.

"Levy-chan, who did you come with?" she asked suddenly, because she was obviously here with someone. Just then, Gajeel walked over.

"Hey, shrimp," he said. "Bunny girl," he nodded to Lucy.

Lucy's jaw dropped. No way!

"What's with the nickname?" she suddenly asked.

Gajeel shrugged and led Levy away to the dance floor. Lucy watched them, ecstatic for Levy and wondering how that happened.

Lucy then noticed Natsu sitting across the room by himself, looking grumpy and shovelling food into his mouth. She walked over to him.

"Hey," she smiled, standing next to him.

"Hey," he replied, mouth full. "Where's what's-his-name?"

"Ugh, he's gone," Lucy said, flopping into the chair. "He was so boring, just sitting there writing,"

"I could've told you he was boring," Natsu mumbled.

"What's wrong with you?" Lucy asked him. "Why are you sitting here by yourself?"

"Everyone else is dancing," he told her. "Like, together," he pointed.

Lucy looked out and saw that all their friends were dancing with a partner.

"Well those girls over there are staring at you," Lucy said pointing to a couple of freshmen. "Why don't you ask one of them?"

"Don't wanna,"

Lucy sighed. "Come on, then," she stood up, holding out her hand.

He looked at her as if she had just told him they were going to rob the president.

"Come dance with me then," she said impatiently. "I've been dying to get out there all night,"

Natsu reluctantly held her hand and let her drag him onto the dance floor.

"Luce, I don't know how to dance," he told her worriedly.

"It's easy, I'll show you," she told him, grabbing his hands.

Lucy took the lead as she danced around the room, Natsu following clumsily. He eventually got the hang of it, and was actually pretty good.

"See?" Lucy said after the third song. "You're a natural,"

Just then a slow song came on, and all the couples around them stepped closer. Lucy and Natsu stood there awkwardly. Just as Lucy was about to suggest they sit down, Mirajane 'accidentally' bumped into the blonde, pushing her into Natsu, who caught her.

She looked up at him apologetically. He grinned at her, wrapping his arms more tightly around her waist. Her arms went around his neck in response.

"You're a really good dancer, Luce," Natsu said awkwardly. "And an even better teacher,"

"Thanks," she smiled, hoping it was dark enough that no one would see her blush. "It helps when I have a good student,"

Natsu grinned his signature grin that she couldn't refuse. They didn't speak for the rest of the song.

"So, is it official yet?" Levy teased the following Monday. Natsu and Lucy had been in town the day before with Wendy, so she'd avoided the teasing.

"Is what official?" Lucy asked, playing dumb.

"Don't lie, Lucy," Mirajane said. "We all saw you dancing and getting cosy with Natsu,"

"And who knows what happened yesterday," Levy added.

"I wanted to dance, my date was a bust and he didn't have a partner either," Lucy said calmly. "It was the logical course of action. It didn't mean anything,"

Lucy knew that wasn't quite true, though. Something had changed between them. She wasn't quite sure when, or what it was, but she realised that maybe she cared for him, more than just a friend. And that scared her. There was no way she would tell the girls, though.

"Sure, sure," Cana called.

"You know, Alzack and I were like that before we got together," Bisca told her.

"Like what?"

"In denial," she smirked. "We were both too shy to admit we liked each other for a whole year. Do you want that to happen to you?"

"She's right," Erza said. "If you wait that long, you'll both be in college and could be in different countries,"

Lucy banged her head on her desk.

"Lu-chan?" Levy asked. She poked her friend lightly. Lucy could hear the smile in her voice.

"I think we broke her," Erza said.

"Maybe she's just finally realised that we're right, and is too stubborn to admit it," Cana smirked.

"That's it!" Lucy cried, lifting her head. She'd had enough of her friends teasing. "I will prove to you once and for all that Natsu has no feelings for me!"

She stormed over to the group of guys talking.

"Natsu," she tapped him on the shoulder.

When he turned, she leaned in and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. She turned back to the girls, ignoring the tingling sensation she felt.

"See?"

"Lucy," she felt Natsu grabbing her wrist. She turned around sheepishly to explain. He had his head down, his bangs covering his eyes, so she couldn't see his expression.

She opened her mouth to apologise. She couldn't get a single word out, however, because suddenly Natsu's mouth was on hers again.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock for a moment before she found herself sinking into him, kissing him back.

Her arms went around his neck as she grabbed his hair, whilst he had one arm tightly around her waist, and the other hand holding her neck.

Mirajane fainted. The other girls squealed. They guys stared open-mouthed in shock. Loke had sunk to his knees in despair.

The two eventually broke apart for air. Natsu rested his forehead on hers, grinning. She smiled back, her cheeks tinted pink.

"Luce–" Natsu started, but he was cut off.

"Now that's being a man!" Elfman roared.

Natsu and Lucy suddenly remembered that they were surrounded by their friends and jumped apart, blushing furiously.

"I–I," Lucy stammered.

Natsu reached out and held her hand in his. She looked down at their entwined fingers, then up at his grinning face. She smiled back, squeezing his hand. He squeezed back.

"I guess I was wrong," she stated.

A/N: dksjfhsdfk I told you it was worth the wait! ;)

I wrote that last bit a while back, and I've been dying to use it haha

sooo did you like it? ;) let me know what you think! It's okay if you hated me for a little bit there when Lucy went to the dance with the other guy - I understand haha but it had to happen ;)

Much love x