Natsu sat on the edge of his bed, his thoughts far from him at the moment. His eyes held the sorrow of how harsh these recent years have been on him. His mind thought over the blond that haunted his dreams as a small smile graced his lips. He could never express just how much he loved and missed her, if only things had turned out differently. He's thankful to his friends for helping him but the look in Lucy's eyes when she ran out of that restaurant that day really worried him.

They held fear and pain, something he never wished to see in her eyes. And it only made the situation worse since he was the cause of that look. He had to admit that he was starting to have his doubts. He was confident at the reunion that he could win her back, show her just how much he has changed but she refuses to give him a chance. Her fear is holding her back and it's all his fault.

He stood up and walked over to the book shelf that sat not far from his bed. He ran his fingers of the spines of all the novels that rested there. Each one having the same author. Lucy Heartfilia. He remembered when he was younger, he used to hope that by the time she had been published her name wouldn't be the same.

He had so many hopes for the future then, and each one had always had Lucy there with him. His hand rested upon one particular book that had no hard cover. It had no pretty pictures on the cover no any fancy lettering. It was a copy of her very first novel. The one that was never published. When he was younger, he managed to convince Levy to let him make a copy, at the time he just wanted to have something of hers. Something to keep him connected with Lucy, even if it wasn't directly.

He later found out that it was never finished. As he read it for the first time, he saw the similarities between the characters in her novel to the ones she loved. Of course all the names were changed but the personalities, and even some of the events were based on what happened around her. What hurt the most was the main character.

The blond named Lacey, had unrequited feelings for her best friend Ryuu. In the story, she would watch him as their high school years passed, always telling herself that she would confess the next time. She would sit and watch as her friends were more successful in love than she and would dream at night of the day she would finally confess. But it also expressed her fear of rejection. It would state of how she was worried that if Ryuu didn't love her back, then she might just ruin their friendship. Being her best friend, she didn't want that. She'd rather live in the shadows with her feelings then to come clean and destroy what they had.

Natsu pulled the book out and stared at the front page. Lucy put so much time into each of her books, she was so dedicated and it really showed in just how amazing they were. But none of them would ever be as good as her first one. The one that she wrote with feeling. The one that came to be from her own experience.

If only he had taken the time to actually look into her book when they were younger, then maybe he would have understood just how she felt. But the first time he ever even glanced at the cover, she kicked him so hard he feared the next time would be worse. So he never bothered with it again.

A buzzing noise came from his pocket as he reached in to pull out the phone that rested there. The screen brightened the dimly lit room and he noticed the picture of a man that he hadn't really spoke with since high school. With a sigh, the pinkette answered the call wondering what he could want with him.

"Hello?"

"Natsu, it's me, Gray." The cool voice on the other line was a tad deeper than he remembered but he didn't pay much attention to that. What he did notice was the serious tone in which Gray was speaking.

"What is it?" Natsu replied. He found himself curious as to why his close friend from long ago was actually calling him. He smiled lightly as he thought over their constant fighting as teenagers and how they were rivals in everything they did. Turns out they were even rivals in love. Who would have known that they would grow to love the same person?

"I need to talk to you, are you busy?" Natsu's brow furrowed and a bad feeling was beginning to swell inside him. His mind instantly flashed an image of Lucy but he shoved it away. There was no way that Gray was calling him about her, right?

"No, why?"

"Meet me at the Magnolia park in twenty minutes." With that Gray ended the call as Natsu stood staring at his phone. What the hell was all that about? With a shrug, Natsu walked out of his condo and jumped into his car before starting the engine.

The drive wasn't long, and Natsu even took the scenic route hoping to waste some time. He arrived with five minutes to spare so he parked and decided to take a seat upon a bench to wait. He watched as the kids ran around playing, laughing without a care in the world. Parents laughed with their children and couples walked hand in hand down the stone pathway. He felt a bit envious of all the people surrounding him. They each had something that he wanted.

As he continued to watch, in the corner of his eye he saw Gray take the seat next to him. The look on the dark haired mans face spoke volumes for what ever was on the mans mind. And what ever it was, it couldn't mean anything good for Natsu.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Natsu questioned after Gray sat there in silence. The tension was growing and Natsu was beginning to sweat as he feared the words the would escape his long lost rivals lips.

"I confessed to Lucy." Natsu sat there, frozen. His mouth hung open and his eyes wide as he stared at the man next to him. Gray shifted nervously in his seat as he waited for a response from Natsu.

"You did what?!" Natsu shouted, drawing the attention of the nearby family who gave the two strange looks. Gray's dark eyes shifted around before he shushed Natsu.

"I said that I confessed to L-"

"I heard what you said dipshit!" Natsu found himself standing, fists clenched at his sides and glaring at his rival. The sense of betrayal was growing rather quickly inside him making him even more upset.

"Be quiet you idiot, there are kids here!" Gray shouted in a whisper. Natsu simmered down slightly and took his seat once more before inhaling deeply. He needed to calm down and think things over. Could this really ruin what little progress he has made with Lucy? Would she give Gray a chance or treat him the same as she treated Natsu?

"What did she say?" Natsu found himself asking. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest and he feared that he may never have a chance with the love of his life again, especially after something like this. Natsu wouldn't really blame Lucy if she gave Gray a shot, he was definitely a better choice then the pinkette because Gray had never hurt the blond like he had. She could actually trust him.

"She didn't say much at all. Almost as if dismissing my confession but I know that's not what it was. If anything, she just didn't know what to say in response. I have to admit, I had never felt so exposed in my life as I did right then and there. After telling her exactly how I felt." Natsu couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at the dark haired mans words. Funny words coming from someone who had a stripping habit all throughout his childhood and for all Natsu knew, he might still have it just not as bad as before seeing that he hadn't thrown off his clothes yet but he was definitely itching to remove them with the way he tugged at his collar. Gray shot him a look as he felt that Natsu was laughing at him because of the confession.

"It's not what you think." Natsu assured. "It's just funny hearing you speaking of feeling exposed." Natsu laughed once more and after a moment, Gray joined him as well. "Looks like I am going to have to step up my game. Can't have an ice prick beating me now can I?" Gray turned to Natsu in surprise, he had honestly expected to be hit, yelled at more or something like that but Natsu was just smiling and even laughing with him.

"Y-yeah, just like I can't lose to a flame brain like you." The two boys sat there smiling at one another. It had been so long since they spoke like this and it felt great to have their old friend and rival back in their lives. But Gray could see the change in Natsu, he was definitely different and had matured greatly compared to high school. Because if he were the same man as back then than things would have ended differently.

Natsu stood up after a few moments of silence and glanced up and the sky that was colored in bright pinks and hues of gold. He couldn't help but think of Lucy when it was those colors. Pink and gold, such a nice combination. After another moment, Natsu turned to Gray with a smile and held out his hand. "Let the best man win, right?"

Gray stood there shocked once more before standing and taking Natsu's hand in his. "Yeah, let the best man win." He smiled. "Which of course will be me." Gray mumbled quickly before Natsu shot him a look before tackling him to the floor playfully with punches and hits that they used to throw when they were younger.

"You're out of your mind if you think you're the best man in this situation!" Natsu said teasingly. Gray easily threw his own punches in return as the two laughed and wrestled around as if they were still in high school and others watched from afar thinking they were truly fighting if it were not for their smiles and the laughter that escaped the two handsome boys lips. At some point Gray had lost his shirt causing the parents to shoo away with their children and others grew bored of watching as the two continued to mess around.

Not too much long later, the two lay sprawled out across the grass, laughing and panting heavily as they gazed up at was now a dark night sky. "Gray." Natsu spoke between his pants. "Seriously though, good luck. I won't give up easily." He grinned turning to look at his rival.

"Same to you, I won't give up easily either."

Oh god, I actually managed to get another update in! I feel so good right now! Still, either way I am sorry about the wait for all of my stories! Things have been so hectic but I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter! Thanks so much.