Pairing: Nalu

Characters: Lucy Heartfilia,Natsu Dragneel, Natsu Dragion

Genre: Romance, Fluff

Rating: K

Summary: Lucy makes a visit to an optometrist to correct her blurry vision, and somehow ends up seeing her best friend in new light the process.

Notes: For FireDragonPhia who wanted to see Lucy realising her feelings for Natsu. I've done that in the canon setting before with 'Another Reason,' so I hope this AU will do!

She knew it was time to get out the of comfort zone denial provided.

Lucy straightened her spine and set her shoulders, eyes determined and fists clenched to her sides.

She was going to do this today.

She had to.

For reading's sake.

She couldn't remember when it began, but overtime Lucy noticed the little lettering in the novels she read grow steadily blurrier.

At first, she assumed it was a printing error, teeny leaks in ink making it seem like the letters were blurred. But after several books showed the same problem, it was obvious that the issue was not so much with the pages, as what was looking at them.

Which was how Lucy found herself at the optometrist's. It had been a cinch coming here; she was a brave girl after all. But now that she had reached, there was a nice little vine of nervousness creeping up her spine.

"Ms. Heartfilia?" the nurse called out all too soon.

Stiffly, Lucy stood up and marched into the room.

Eye bulging almost out of their sockets, she froze at what she saw.

"Natsu?!"

"Y-yes?!" he responded, startled despite having seen her come in. But his expression soon melted to one that showed just how puzzled the outburst made him. "...And y-you are?"

"Natsu! What are you doing here?"

The doctor's brows furrowed, even as he slightly shrunk into himself. "I-I work here, just w-what are you - "

"Natsu, this isn't funny!" Lucy snapped, hands on her hips. "And shouldn't you be at work right now? If Dr. Dragion walks in right now I swear - "

"But I am Dr. Dragion!" the nervous doctor managed to yell despite himself.

"What are y - oh..." And that's when Lucy finally got a really good look at the doctor. He was curled into his seat, holding onto the backrest for support, clearly very shaken by her outburst and...was he shivering?

This was definitely not her usually cocky-cheeky best friend. There was no way he could act so well.

"Um...you're not Natsu?" she asked hesitantly.

"I am Natsu! Natsu Dragion!" he squeaked, arms flailing before going back to hold onto his chair, clearly still fearful.

'Huh,' thought Lucy.

This had to be some kind of joke. Was she in a hidden camera show? How could someone look exactly like her best friend, have the same name and not be that person?

Was the doppelganger theory not so much a myth after all?

She must have had a really weird expression on, because next thing you know, the optometrist was gingerly offering to postpone her appointment should she want to.

"Ah, no that won't be necessary," she answered very sheepishly, now thoroughly embarrassed by her behaviour. "I apologise, it's just that you look remarkably like a friend of mine."

"I do?" he asked incredulously.

Lucy nodded.

"W-with my pink hair?"

Lucy nodded again. "The resemblance is uncanny."

The weird feeling - one a weird mix of surprise and awe - caught up to him as well. Both doctor and patient stared at each other for a few long moments, before simultaneously shaking off the odd feeling, clearing their throats and getting down to business with no hitch.

Well, he did.

Lucy on the other hand...

'This is beyond weird. He looks just like him! But also not? Like, he seems shier. And kind of sweet. Not that Natsu isn't sweet. But a different sweet. Why does this Natsu wear his specs on his head? Some weird advertising ploy? And - '

"Miss Heartfilia," the doctor called as though he had been for a while. Turns out he really had been.

"Call me Luce...uh-see. Lucy. Call me Lucy."

If the doctor noticed how extremely eloquent her offer had been, he didn't show it.

"Okay Miss Lucy, please look at that board on the wall and read out the letters you see."

Curiously noting how he wasn't shy or stammering when in doctor-mode, Lucy did as she was told. It was easy enough to.

Unfortunately for Lucy, that ease didn't last for long.

Soon, she was leaning chin onto a cold contraption, looking at blurry images that grew steadily clearer. But that was the okay part.

What was not okay was her best friend's face and voice barely inches from her, and far too close for comfort.

Now Lucy wasn't a girl who was easily flustered. Especially not by her best friend. Except when he popped into her room unannounced. Or went through her delicates. Or was being disarmingly sweet.

Okay, so except all of those situations, Lucy wasn't an easily flustered girl. And yet there she was a blushing, stuttering mess - a far cry from her usual confident self - just because her doctor looked so much like him.

"Uh, Miss Lucy?"

"Y-yes?"

"Could you put these on?" he asked politely, handing over a bulky trial frame. "We can check for the lens to suit you best with this."

Lucy nodded, not fully understanding the reason her heart was rapidly pounding. 'He's nothing like my Natsu. My best friend Natsu, that is.'

She did as she was told, explaining which lens offered her most clarity, all the while doing her best to ignore how warm her face would feel each time he came close to change the lens, or the sparks mere brushes of his fingers on her cheeks would cause, or how attractive that look of concentration was.

'It is more attractive on him though,' her mind traitorously mused, much to her displeasure.

She was still busy trying to rid herself of those thoughts when a quiet chuckle brought her attention back to where she was.

"You must really like him."

"Huh?!"

Catching himself, the doctor's countenance was suddenly timid again. He twiddled his fingers as he spoke. "I said, I t-think that you must really like him. T-this other Natsu."

He wasn't making eye contact anymore so he didn't see the way her jaw dropped.

Did she?

No, of course not. That guy was her super annoying, childish, obnoxious, kind, caring and extremely attractive best friend. Of course she didn't like him.

Pssh.

And yet she said nothing to refute the optometrist's claim, not even as he smiled knowingly and went back to his desk.

"Here is your prescription. It has my number so do let me know if you have any doubts or concerns," the doctor offered kindly.

Lucy mutely nodded and accepted the prescription, whispering her thanks before leaving his office in a daze.

Natsu Dragion chuckled softly once she had left as he leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Looking out the window he wondered dreamily, 'I wonder if there's a Lucy out there for me.'

Natsu Dragneel on the other hand – a free bird thanks to lunch – had just spotted his Lucy as she walked on Strawberry Street towards her apartment, visibly very deep in thought.

He grinned and ran up to the blonde, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and greeting her with his usual warm "Hiya Luce!"

Which was some reason startled her - no eye rolling, no shrugging his arm off. Just a cute surprised yelp, as though this wasn't a daily occurrence.

What was even more curious was how she blushed a violent scarlet as she turned to look at him, their noses lightly brushed against each other.

Quickly, she disentangled herself from him and marched on, mumbling some nonsense about books and glasses, leaving Natsu behind blankly staring at her retreating figure.

She paused though, glancing over her shoulder hesitantly - her face nowhere near her usual complexion just yet - muttering a barely audible, "You can come too if you want," before turning around and storming away again.

Natsu blinked.

And then smiled a full blown celebratory grin began to chase after her with an extra spring in his step - a single thought making sense of her behaviour and making his day.

'Finally.'

You guys! You all made me so happy with all the reviews, favourites and follows after the previous one-shot I feel like giving each one of you who likes hugs a massive one each! And High-fives for everyone else! :D

Special thanks to KaUia, Okamis, RayreeAnne, Guest, brandypmt, FireDragonPhia, Stephicool, overdramatic comedian, Lyonsgirl, TaylorNReed, , Guest, Guest, MyFangirlingWays and Juliastes for all your lovely reviews and to everyone who followed and favourited as well! :D