NOTE: This story has characters which do not exist in Hiro Mashima-sensei's work. They are my ORIGINAL CHARACTERS and they are mine. Everything else is not mine, but sensei's. Also, even if I do not write very well, please respect my work! Thank you!
P.S. To all who appreciated my story, thank you so much! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! MARAMING SALAMAT PO!
-CHAPTER FOUR: THE DATE (Natsu's Perspective)-
"Would you mind telling me what you're doing here, Natsu?"
Lucy said something that Natsu didn't quite get. Then, she turned to him and said something about "enjoying her date" which puzzled him even more. Natsu scratched his head, neglecting the food in front of him despite his hungry state and insane appetite.
What is wrong with me? Natsu didn't feel quite himself today and the past days. Something kept bothering him. Somehow, whenever the words Lucy and date were used in the same sentence, he would immediately lean over to hear what was going on.
Today is Tuesday, he thought as he reluctantly swallowed a bite of his food. Lucy's date with—Natsu paused and thought hard to recall a name. Jack? Jake?
"Jacques…" Erza said as if reading Natsu's thoughts. "Do you think he can be trusted with Lucy's safety?" Erza, Gray, Happy and Natsu were sitting on a table in the guild. They have been talking all day about Lucy's date a few hours from then.
Gray crossed his arms. "I dunno. He seems trustworthy. I mean, you've seen him fight, right?" ("Gray, your clothes!" said Kana)
"Hm…" Erza hummed as she handed Gray a pair of boxers and a shirt. "I have to admit, he's pretty good. And Lucy's also capable of taking care of herself…"
Natsu pretended not to listen as the conversation went on. He just ate his food quietly (Odd, I usually like flamed chicken. Natsu thought).
"What do you think, Natsu?" Erza asked a distracted Natsu. When he didn't reply she said, "You're not yourself today." Talk about stating the obvious!
"Aye!" Happy said while pinching Natsu's cheek, this pulled Natsu back to their conversation.
"If you're so worried, why don't you bodyguard her?" he proposed, half-seriously to the two mages.
"Yeah. As if." Gray scoffed. "Who do you think you are to order the great Gray-sama around?"
Erza coughed. Just one sound from her and both became calm out of fear. All became perfectly sound around the table. Gray and Erza kept thinking. Happy continued eating. Natsu, on the other hand, had other things in his mind.
Gray flushed. He had never seen this kind of scene before. His heart began to race and his mind was going blank. His palms were sweating like hell and his feet were going numb.
Natsu stared at Gray, not even bothering to blink. Although he, too, has some hints of pink on his cheeks and ears, he didn't show it in his face that he was actually embarrassed. Instead, he held a serious expression on his face that could stare even Erza the Titania down (this impressed Gray).
"Wh-what do you think you're playing at?" Gray stuttered.
"Don't think I'm doing this with any special meaning, but…" Natsu started with his earn now turning deep red. "... can you make sure Lucy gets through her date tonight?"
Gray couldn't speak. Natsu, the Natsu, actually did something that he didn't expect –ask a favor.
After recovering from the shock, Gray smiled and thought, Why not take advantage of this moment to rat him out of his confusion?
"Hm… I don't know, moron. I don't really feel like doing it…" he teased.
Natsu retorted. "Well, I didn't expect you to do it anyway!" he said as he turned. Geez, and I asked him kindly, too!
"Well, I'd consider it if you tell me why in the world you want me to do it." Gray was suddenly serious.
Natsu stopped. Why was he doing it? He couldn't find an answer. Usually, he doesn't find an answer but he could see an excuse or some sort of solution, but he couldn't!
"Well? Are you going to answer me or not?"
"Natsu's turned to stone!" Happy commented, smiling.
"Hey, dimwit! Are you gonna talk or not?" Gray nagged.
"No, he's not." Happy added.
"Hey, you!"
"Natsu!"
"Natsu!"
"Natsu!"
"Natsu!"
"I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE COULD BE SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN HER DATE! SOMETHING WORTH TEASING HER ABOUT! I'M NOT FORCING YOU TO DO IT, IDIOT! FORGET I EVEN ASKED!" Natsu's voice echoed inside the room. He could feel his body growing even hotter and he found it hard to look at Gray because—because… He didn't know either! The next thing he knew, though, was that he was running as fast as he could out of the room and out of Gray's sight. His chest felt heavy and his head was throbbing. When he finally stopped, he was in front of Lucy's house with the sun about to set under the horizon.
Natsu stopped for a moment to stare at the apartment. An idea came into his mind.
"Natsu!" Happy ran, err—flew after him. "What happened?"
"Hey Happy…" he said as a smile drew on his face.
"Aye?"
"You wanna play ninja tonight?"
Natsu arrived outside Lucy's apartment in the shadows after eating dinner back at the guild. He had decided to spy on Lucy's date himself seeing as Gray wouldn't do it. When he came, there was a motorcycle parked outside Lucy's apartment door—one he had never seen before. When he convinced himself that it could only be Jacques', he stayed hidden in the dark with Happy. He didn't know exactly why he was doing it, but he did know that he was doing it partly because of the fun that playing ninja brought to him. It was cool as far as Natsu knew. Though he knew that that wasn't the real reason, he decided that he'd worry about that one later.
Clunk!
Lucy's door swung open. Expecting to see Jacques in a stupid tie, Natsu stood up. But when someone did come out, Natsu had to hold in his laughter.
Pfft! Natsu thought. Lo and behold! Gray Fullbuster was wearing a tuxedo.
Gray started the motorcycle. It was loud. Natsu had to cover his ears, they were too sensitive to sound. Then, Lucy came out of the door in a cute dress that Natsu thought, at first, was a maid costume (Though he had to admit it looked good on Lucy).
"Natsu, you're blushing!" Happy said, also covering his ears.
"What? Did you say something?" Natsu screamed. Happy didn't hear him, still. The motorcycle was far too loud. Seeing that talking wouldn't take them anywhere, Natsu decided to watch what Lucy and ray would be doing.
The two of them seemed to be quarreling about something. Good thing Natsu could somehow lip-read and he could catch some of what Lucy and Gray were talking about. It looked as if Lucy and Gray were fighting over whether Lucy should ride the motorcycle or not. After much screaming, Lucy was defeated and had to ride it anyways.
When they finally arrived at the restaurant, Lucy's hair was tangled, her hair was mangled and her face could not be described. Natsu'd totally laugh at her, then and there, if he wasn't panting so hard. Who knew Gray would drive that insanely fast?
"Jacques!" Natsu heard Lucy yelp. Jacques came closer to her, in an elegant coat and tie.
Tsk, show-off. Natsu told himself. He did not like Jacques much that night and he knew it.
"Natsu, they're going in the restaurant!" Happy alarmed him.
Lucy wrapped her arm around Jacques' as they walked toward the door. Natsu's heart jumped. He could only imagine himself in those clothes, holding Lucy's hand in that incredibly expensive restaurant. But what really made him freeze was that he swore Jacques just looked his way. He and Happy couldn't move!
"D-Do you think he saw us, Happy?" Natsu said softly as Jacques turned his head away.
"A-Aye!" Happy said. He didn't know whether to mean yes or no with that remark.
The next thing Natsu and Happy saw was Lucy and Jacques leaving the restaurant.
"Huh?"
"Aye! Lucy' didn't forget my fish!" Happy exclaimed.
"No, not that. It hasn't even been an hour yet and they're going out already!" Natsu said.
Natsu and Happy followed the two walking around at night. They were talking—just talking. And Lucy was laughing. Somehow, Natsu figured out that Lucy was so angry at him the other day because he couldn't make her laugh as much as Jacques could. His chest hurt. How could he compete with such a guy?
Compete? Natsu thought to himself. Who said anything about competing? He walked straight until Happy pulled his scarf.
Lucy and Jacques, too, have stopped walking. Jacques seemed to be seriously saying something to Lucy, but Natsu couldn't read his lips because his back was turned. But he could see Lucy's eyes widen.
Did he say something to her? What could it be? Natsu was bombarding himself with questions.
But after that Jacques laughed, and so did Lucy. Natsu couldn't understand why. The two walked again until they reached Lucy's apartment.
Natsu and Happy kept a considerable distance from the two. Not too close that they would be seen, but not too far either, so they could hear their conversation.
"I had fun, I guess…" Jacques forcibly laughed. So did Lucy.
"Me, too. Let's do this again some other time?" Lucy said. Natsu's heart skipped a beat. Again? He's had enough ninja time, thank you very much. If there was a next time, he'd have to make sure not to come.
Jacques nodded. "I guess… See you around, Lucy."
"Yeah, see you around." Lucy said as she waved goodbye to Jacques, who walked away and disappeared.
"Wow, he's going to walk back! And Lamia Scale is a little farther from here, too!" Natsu whispered to Happy.
Lucy sighed. Natsu watched as she faced the door and was getting ready to open it. But she paused.
"Now…" Lucy said. "I guess, that was fun."
Natsu started to walk away. If she had fun, then there certainly would be a next time.
"But…" Lucy continued. Natsu stopped, just wanting to hear what Lucy could say. He'd have to remember to tease her for talking to herself. He could already imagine what it would be like. He smiled to himself.
Lucy let go of the doorknob. She breathed in deep and closed her eyes.
"Would you mind telling me what you're doing here, Natsu?"
yaay! just a few more chapters to go!