AN: 5/6/18 - I considered revising this chapter and those that come after it to fit the manga canon better (obviously, Natsu and Lucy don't become a couple after the GMG), but figured that'd be a pain to do. I want to keep these fics authentic in a way, so canon divergent they shall stay.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, or just simply glanced at it. I swear this chapter was a lot better in my head and I had to edit a few things here and there, but I think it's sufficient enough. This chapter centers around the prompt "Matching," so I hope you like my take on it.

Disclaimer: *looks in mirror* Well, I'm not a Japanese man, so therefore, I do not own Fairy Tail.

Gray was the first, of all people, to notice.

"Do you two know you're wearing the same wristband?"

Lucy and Natsu exchanged a confused glance before looking down at their respective wrists. Sure enough, around Lucy's right wrist was a black wristband that looked eerily similar to the one around Natsu's left wrist.

"Oh, well that's a coincidence…" Lucy said, brushing it off. So they both happen to own the same article of clothing, big deal.

"Yeah. It almost looks…couple-y," Gray snorted as he teased the two. He succeeded with Lucy, whose cheeks heated up a bit. Natsu, on the other hand, just gave the Ice Make Mage an annoyed look.

"Eh? Couple-y? What are you going on about, you ice bastard?" he insulted. Lucy and Gray rolled their eyes. Of course he wouldn't understand…

As Gray took the Dragon Slayer's bait and argued with him, Lucy made this her chance to escape. Wouldn't want a chair to come flying at her or anything of the like.

Though Gray's words were still ringing in her head, making her slap her cheeks to try and get rid of the infuriating blush.

'It's just a wristband, Lucy! No need to get all crazy about it!'

The next time something like the Wristband Incident (as Lucy liked to call it) occurs, was when Team Natsu was issued to disband Oracion Seis and stop the raging Nirvana.

In one moment, Lucy was fighting the despicable Angel and then the next she was trying to save a motion sick Natsu from raging rapids. She doesn't remember anything after that due to blacking out after falling off a waterfall, but once she came to she found herself wearing a very pretty dress courtesy of Virgo.

A dress that was a matching set to the outfit the maid spirit decided to give Natsu…

To be quite honest, Lucy thought it was an odd sight. For one thing, her friend was wearing something that wasn't his usual open vest and baggy pants; but what made the situation more odd for the blonde was that Natsu actually looked good in the outfit. Like, really good. Combine this observation with his out-of-nowhere gratitude for her previous actions when she kept him safe from the rapids, her cheeks heated up quite considerably. Why does this keep happening to her?

"He liiiiiiikes you," Virgo trilled.

"Are you Happy now?!" Lucy shrieked, trying in vain to get rid of her blush and hide her embarrassment from Natsu.

Throughout the rest of the events of the mission and afterwards, someone would point out the obvious fact that the two partners were wearing matching clothes (even when they weren't recognizable toward the end with all the tatters and dirt). It didn't seem to bother Natsu, so it shouldn't bother Lucy, right?

Okay, so why couldn't she stop thinking about it?

"Are you serious?!" Lucy complained as she stepped out of her hotel room's bathroom and took a good look at Natsu's outfit.

After the hectic events of July 7th, everyone decided there was some much needed downtime, so Fairy Tail packed their suitcases and headed to the beach. Along with some rest and relaxation, the resort the guild was staying at was having a cocktail party in their name as congratulations for their victory of the Grand Magic Games and contributing to fend off the army of dragons.

Earlier that week, Lucy went shopping and picked out the cutest blush pink dress for the party along with a matching flower to go in her hair. She had told Natsu to come and get her when he was ready so they could go together (as friends of course), however, her mouth dropped once he came into her room and she got a good look at him.

True, Natsu did clean up good, but that wasn't what got to Lucy (okay maybe it was a little). What got to her was that his choice of dress shirt was also pink. Practically the same pink as her dress!

'Why do I have a feeling someone like Mira chose his outfit…'

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked as he saw Lucy's scowling face.

"Your shirt matches my dress!"

"Okay… So?" Natsu asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

Lucy gave an exasperated sigh, 'Of course he wouldn't understand the implications of this.'

"Just wait right here for a second. I'm going to go change." She said as she was about to make her way back into the bathroom.

Natsu whined, "Aw come on, Lucy, everyone's already at the party and waiting for us. You look fine anyway, what's the problem? Let's just go!"

Lucy heaved another sigh and calmly explained to him. "Natsu, if we go down there dressed like this," she motioned to their outfits, "then people will think we came together."

Natsu blinked.

"But we did come together."

"No, not like that! People will think we are together together. As in we liiiiiike each other, together." She said, deciding to use Happy's trademark phrase because she knew he at least understood that.

"Oh," he simply said. He then looked away from her as he scratched the back of his head. Wait a second, was he…?

"Natsu, are you blushing?" she asked, gasping when she saw it intensify, "Oh my goodness, you are!"

She couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment, which only embarrassed the poor boy even more. Why was he even embarrassed to begin with? That was when a thought struck Lucy. Could it possibly be that he…?

"Natsu," she began, "Why exactly are you blushing like that?"

"Well," he said as the redness in his cheeks died down to a dull pink, "maybe I want us to be together together."

The confession was muttered but she heard it nonetheless. Blinking at him, Lucy tried to wrap her mind around what exactly was transpiring. He used her words back at her. He wanted to be with her…as in with her! It was a bit had to believe. She eventually managed to process everything and gave him a shy smile as she took his arm into hers.

"Well, Mr. Dragneel, we wouldn't want to keep the party waiting now, would we?"

Natsu stared at her for a while as he searched her eyes for what her actions were implying. Finally, his signature grin appeared on his face as he understood, "Of course not, my lady!"

She laughed at his exaggerated high-class voice and followed his lead out of her hotel room.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Lucy! Come on, Luce, stay with me!" Natsu yelled at the bleeding girl lying in his lap.

"Natsu…I am okay. Don't worry so much…" Lucy tried to assure him before going into a coughing fit, blood coming up with each hack.

"Damn it, don't tell me you are okay with a wound like that!" he spat as he pointed to her side where blood was steadily pouring out of her. He immediately took off his one-armed vest to press over her wound. "Happy will be back with Wendy in a minute, so stay awake and don't you dare leave me, okay?"

Lucy sighed, staring at her overprotective boyfriend. In all honesty, she did feel fine, although she supposed that was because she was more focused on his arms wrapped securely around her than the pain in her side. Or maybe she was delusional from blood loss…

"You shouldn't worry about that." She softly told him, "I would never leave you."

"Good." He said as he pressed his discarded shirt over her side to apply more pressure and stop the blood from flowing out of her body. Soon, Happy arrived with Wendy and Charle in tow. The young Dragon Slayer immediately began her work with healing her blonde friend.

"Will she be alright?" Natsu frantically asked. Before they had arrived, he noticed Lucy becoming more fatigued and her breathing more shallow. He had been expecting the worse. Wendy gave him a reassuring nod, allowing a sigh of relief to escape his lips.

"Don't worry, she is going to be fine. She's just weak from the lack of blood." As Wendy continued her work, Lucy started gaining more strength. She looked at the wound that was being closed then to Natsu who was stroking her hair.

"We match now," she said. Upon seeing his confused face, she gestured to his side where there was a scar he received from battling Future Rogue all that time ago. Natsu gave a dry laugh as he understood.

"You idiot, don't make stupid jokes at a time like this!"

They were sitting by the stream Natsu and Happy loved to fish at when Natsu asked her a question.

"Hey, Lucy?"

"Hmm?" she asked as she turned away from the book she was reading to give him an inquiring look.

She was surprised to see that he had a nervous look on his face. Natsu, nervous? What on Earthland could he possibly want to ask her?

"You… You know how people always say we match and stuff?" he asked her as his cheeks were painted a faint red and his hands fiddled with a blade of grass.

"Yeah…?" she drawled out, eyeing her boyfriend. His nervousness was making her weary, and his stumbling over his words while asking her something that was (she admits) pretty obvious made the situation all the more weird. "Why do you ask?"

"W-Well," he started, not looking her in the eye, but then took a deep breath before facing her head on with a determined look on his face, "would you want to maybe match in something else?"

Lucy stared at him for a while and blushed under his gaze. He looked so serious, his hazel eyes so intense that she had a very faint idea of what exactly he wanted to ask her. However, rather than flat-out agreeing, she wanted to keep drawing out the conversation so she could hear it from his own mouth.

"Wh-What would you like to match in?" Oh great, now she was stuttering.

Natsu gave the biggest, brightest grin she didn't think was possible to fit on his face. He looked straight into her brown eyes as he answered her:

"Last names."

AN: How cheesy was that last part? Ugh, I really hope this is all right. Every time I would try to fix something it still just doesn't end up right. Please leave a review if you did like it or have any other opinions. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of NaLu Week's free prompts.

Also, the last line was originally supposed to be wedding rings, but I had looked up that some cultures didn't use wedding bands so I decided to use "last names" instead. *Shrugs* It works.

Until next time, see ya!

Revised 4/26/18