Chapter Seventeen: Realisation
Lucy's POV
I opened my eyes and realised it was already morning. The sun shone right into my eyes and I nearly fell off the branch as I tried to lean back, as if the sun would disappear if I did. I noticed Natsu had also fallen asleep.
On me.
I was about to scream my head off but then I noticed his scarf was still wrapped around me. It was warmer now and I didn't have a need to wear it anymore. Natsu had lent it to me and I probably owed it to him to not start yelling at him. Instead, I quietly unwrapped it from around my neck and, lifting Natsu's head slightly, I wrapped the scarf back around him. As soon as I did, the scarf seemed to glint slightly in the sun, as if returned to its proper owner.
Then Natsu scrunched up his eyes tightly before opening them, obviously still a bit sleepy, "Eh, Lucy? Ohayo."
"Ohayo," I smiled. Happy also stirred from his sleeping position and sat up, rubbing his eyes, "Ohayo."
"Ohayo, Happy," Natsu and I both said. Suddenly, I heard the opening of a door and I looked to the side to see Porlyusica stepping out of a door built into the trunk of the tree onto our branch.
"WHAT THE HELL?" I screamed, as she closed the door behind her, "There was a door there?"
"As a matter of fact…" said Porlyusica, walking calmly towards us like she was walking on flat ground instead of balancing on a branch. She reached us in no time and observed me, "Your magic has replenished itself. I'm sure you feel better and are able to leave now."
"Yeah," I said, feeling plenty energized, "Thank you so much for taking care of me."
"You are a member of Fairy Tail," said Porlyusica, "I just did my job." With that, she turned and left.
"Well, we ought to get back," said Natsu, standing up. He seemed wide awake now, despite being tired not two minutes ago, "Come on, Happy."
"Aye sir!" said Happy.
Once Natsu carried me back down, we started walking towards the guild through the forest.
"Ne, Lucy…?" said Natsu as we walked along.
"Nani?" I asked.
"I've wanted to ask for a while but… how do you feel about me?"
"EH?" I cried. I nearly felt a strong sense of nostalgia. Why couldn't I just have a nice conversation with my friends anymore without it turning awkward? Everything in my life lately has all been set around my love life.
"I just want to know," said Natsu. He stopped walking. I also stopped beside him. Happy flew awkwardly in the air, "… Well, I'll just leave you two to it!" he said, flying away.
Happy… why…? I thought, my inner self crying anime-style.
"Well… I…" I said, not sure what to say. It was the most uncomfortable feeling I'd ever experienced. I didn't know what to say to him at all.
"Because," said Natsu, stepping a bit closer and held my head in his hands, touching his lips to mine. I widened my eyes in shock at his sudden actions. But his soft lips on mine, it caused a fire to burst to life in my mind. We started moving our lips slightly, completely in sync, like a dance. It was nothing like the play's kiss so long ago. It definitely sparked something in me this time.
Had I fallen for Natsu?
He lifted his head and, holding my shoulders, he whispered in my ear, "I love you, Lucy. I will definitely always protect you and make you happy. Will you be mine?"
I nearly had a heart attack, I was so shocked. My heart was beating like crazy, I was sure it was going to fail. The gentle breeze blew my hair and I tried to focus to make sure I made the right decision. Although I had never seen Natsu in that way before or anything close to it, I realised that if it wasn't Gray, it would have to be Natsu. No one else would do it for me except for those two. And Gray wasn't interested in me anymore.
I hugged him tightly, smiling, "Yes."
Gray's POV
I had always thought of myself as someone who could endure everything without snapping. IU, my parents, the guilt of having killed IU, I had endured those things pretty well without making myself a complete wreck.
But one little word was enough to make me break.
"Yes," she said, hugging the Dragon Slayer tightly. My fist automatically bunched up, my first reaction to everything that upset me before in the past. Violence, despite being claimed as never the solution to anything, had solved many things for me in the past. Usually, I just had to beat some sense into someone and everything turned out fine.
But this time, I couldn't. Violence wouldn't get me Lucy back, even though I had let Natsu ask her out.
Instead, I ran. Without bothering to sprout my wings, I ran away from it as if the pain would somehow fade when I got away from it. Soon, I was already on top of my mountain without even so much as a pant. Although, the pain never faded even for a second. It throbbed prominently in me, especially in my heart.
There had to be someone that could relieve the pain, just like Lucy had, someone who could make me just as happy as she did. Because that was the only way I was ever going to cope, to find someone just like Lucy.
I realised I wasn't alone on the mountaintop then. There was someone else. I looked up and into the eyes of Juvia.
Juvia's POV
I stood on the mountaintop, looking at Gray. I had known about his place for a long time. It was, after all, just above my place. Just a few minutes ago, I had been perfectly calm in the guild, thinking Natsu wouldn't ask her this quickly and therefore, I didn't do anything. But I should have thought Natsu to be more assertive.
Flashback
I sat at the table talking to Erza, Lisanna and some other guild members when suddenly Cana came along and dragged me outside, saying briefly it was 'something important'.
"Nani?" I asked. Lately, Cana and I had been sort of a team, both trying to get Gray and Lucy back together.
"I predicted something with my cards," said Cana and from her face, it definitely wasn't good.
"What was it?" I asked.
"Natsu's asked Lucy to be his," said Cana, "And Lucy's said yes."
My eyes widened. I'd thought they would've spent some time together as friends first before even considering going to the next stage. Apparently, I was wrong.
"No way…" I said.
"I'm not finished," said Cana, "According to my cards, someone is also really heartbroken and depressed."
"Gray," I immediately said, "It must be him, he must have heard them."
Cana nodded, "I suspected that as well. I'm going to try to predict further things so you'll have to go and comfort Gray. It must be really tough for him."
"Yeah," I nodded in agreement, "I'll go."
End Flashback.
Of course, I knew exactly where Gray was going so I made a bubble for myself and flew up here. Despite Cana's prediction, I hadn't thought Gray would be such a wreck. He looked depressed, lifeless and even pale. I never thought a person could look like this with heartbreak alone.
"Gray," I said.
"Juvia…" said Gray. His voice changed, sounding like that of a dying person's last words, "I'll have to find someone… someone just like her…"
I sighed and walked up to him. When I came close enough to him, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face, something I never thought I'd do but I knew I had to. Even so, he was mad.
"What was that for?" he demanded but even in anger, his voice sounded sad.
"There is no one who can replace Lucy in this world," I said, seriously as possible, "And you know it, too. So why are you thinking such things?"
His face finally became a bit more life-like and he didn't look quite as pale, "I can't force her to love me because she doesn't. It's just as Cana said, I have to let her go if she doesn't love me."
"Cana had a point in what she said," I replied, "You would have to let her go if she didn't love you."
Gray blinked and realisation dawned on his face. He quickly looked up, surprised, "What do you mean?"
"She thinks you hate her but she still loves you, Gray."
Lucy's POV
I walked with Natsu through the forest, holding his hand. We both talked happily as if we were still friends, which I was grateful for.
"Ne, ne, so, should we plan a first date or something?" asked Natsu.
"I guess that makes sense," I shrugged, "What do you want to do?"
"Well, we can just go back to that sushi place…"
"Good," I smiled, "That's OK. What time?"
"Well… 7pm?" suggested Natsu, "We can have something to eat then do something else, I guess."
"OK," I said. Suddenly, I spied someone running towards us. I squinted at the person and widened my eyes, "Cana?"
When she got close, she spied our holding hands and widened her eyes, "It is true…" she murmured. Then she talked to me, "Lucy, I have to talk to you."
"What? Cana you're acting a bit strange…" I noticed.
"It'll just take a minute," insisted Cana, taking my other hand and leading me into the bushes, "We'll be right back, Natsu!"
"O…K?" said Natsu, looking confused.
"What is it?" I asked, worried something had happened to my family or maybe I had forgotten to pay my rent and I was kicked out of my apartment or something.
"Are you and Natsu dating?" asked Cana.
"Eh?" I said, confused, "Yes, why?"
Cana swore under her breath and looked me in the eye, "Look, Lucy, there's something you don't know and Gray—"
Suddenly, a rumbling occurred in the clearing where Natsu was waiting. I looked over and immediately ran towards there, Cana following behind. I was surprised to see someone else standing there.
"Juvia?" I cried, looking between her, Cana and a huge cloud of smoke where Natsu was, "What is going on? Is Natsu OK?"
"Juvia would say he is," replied the water mage. As the smoke cleared, I could make out two figures fighting it out. I recognised Natsu and the other…
"GRAY?" I yelled, surprised. Sure I was used to them fighting often before Erza appeared out of nowhere to separate them but this time they seemed more serious, like they actually wanted to kill each other.
"What is going on?" I demanded again of Cana and Juvia since Natsu and Gray weren't paying any attention to me.
"We heard about your situation with Gray," explained Juvia finally, "Cana foresaw what would happen, as in, you would get asked out by Natsu, but we assumed you would say no."
"Of course I would have said yes," I said, "Gray and Natsu are the only two people I would ever consider to go out with."
"But we thought you would say no because you love Gray," said Cana.
"Gray hates me," I said, "I deserted him in the street and rejected him and now I really regret it."
"He doesn't hate you," said Juvia, "In fact… he still loves you. He thought you hated him."
"Nani?" I cried, absolutely surprised. I was certain Gray hated me now. That was the only reason I went out with Natsu because I thought Gray had lost interest.
But he hadn't.
"He still… loves me?" I said, "He thought I hated him?"
Cana nodded, "Yeah. Juvia told Gray you didn't hate him because he thought you did. She also told him you were now Natsu's, so Gray came here to fight with Natsu to determine who would have to give up on you."
"D-Demo…" I stammered, completely confused by it all, "I don't want them to get hurt over me!"
"Then say so!" said Cana, gesturing towards the crazy fight. They had now begun to use magic, "They won't listen to us, only you."
I ran towards them, but kept a safe enough distance away so I wouldn't get caught up in the fight, "Stop it, you two!" I saw they were already injured pretty badly and they would be seriously wounded if I didn't stop them now. Their shouts of pain filled the air around me.
They kept on fighting, completely ignoring me. So much for listening to me. I wonder how Erza dealt with them all the time?
Stop it… stop it… stop it… I repeated in my head. They were still screaming in pain and I felt so guilty and such a push to stop them.
"STOP IT!" I finally screamed, when the guilt finally made me snap.
A pitch black and blindingly, shiny white light exploded around me.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
FINISHED! I have been dying to write this chapter for a long time now since everything in this story led up to this when they finally realise the other one still loves them! This is actually the first thing I pictured when I was coming up with this story and then I just worked around that~
As always, please review!