Grease Monkeys and Porcelain Dolls

"Lucy, what did the fight mean?" Erza asked in one of her softest tones.

Lucy sat on the counter during her break, staring at the scarlet haired woman beside her. This wasn't the first time someone had tried to talk to her about her fight with Natsu. Honestly she didn't even remember what the fight was about, she just remembered the hurt expression on his face. No words, no motions, just his face.

"I don't know." Lucy mumbled. And she didn't. How was she supposed to react to the fight. She picked at the bagel beside her.

"It must have meant something. You don't just fight with someone that doesn't mean anything. One, you either hate the person or two, you love them." Erza said.

"But, that's ridiculous!" Lucy was appalled by the thought. She couldn't hate Natsu, he had been a great friend to her these past few weeks. But she couldn't say it was love either. Love seemed like too strong a word to describe what she thought of him. He was a friend, earning a spot along her friends like Erza, Juvia, Mira, and Levy. She loved them but oddly it felt weird to say she loved Natsu.

"Think good about this Lucy. Open your heart and see what it says." Erza advised softly, picking up her bag and walked out of the small cafe.

Lucy sat thinking for a little while. The memories with Natsu at the lake before their fight came rushing back to Lucy. He had surprised her that morning, standing outside her flat telling her to dress for a warm day outside. She put on shorts and a tank and followed him. He astounded her with a trip to the most beautiful lake scene she had ever seen. They spent hours splashing each other in the water, him occasionally pick her up and tossing her further in the water. She remembered the laughter and fun they had. She remembered the light way he rubbed a smudge of mud off her cheek. The sparkle in his eye, his smile, and the way that he always stopped what he was doing to make sure she was okay. How her mind would sometimes go fuzzy when he stood too close, nerves felt like they were on fire, breathing became a chore when he touched her even the slightest, and how when he left, she secretly wished he would stay.

How had she not noticed all this before?! It was her for crying out loud. She should have known. Maybe it was because she ignored it. Because she wanted too.

"I love him." she whispered at first. Then she smiled and shouted it.

"I love him!"

"Lucy, what are you-" Juvia asked looking at her.

Lucy jumped up from the table she was sitting at and threw her arms around the blue haired girl. "I love him Juvia! I love him! I have to go tell him!"

She let go of Juvia and rushed to the door. She stopped only to kick off her wedge boots and tossed them to Juvia. After that, she ran. Down the sidewalks, across streets, down sloping hills, in lawns, all to get to where she wanted.

Dreyar Automotive.

Once there, she paused to look for the patch of pink hair she was sure to be there. And she was right, she got a glimpse of him all the way in the back. She took off again, dodging around other workers, cars, toolboxes, and odd contraptions.

"Natsu!" She gasped/shouted.

She was five feet away when he turned around to see who called him. Lucy closed the distance, throwing herself into him, and smashed her lips against his. Natsu stumbled a bit under the force, quickly regaining composure. His hands rested around her waist, holding her closer to him.

Lucy gave everything in that kiss. Telling him exactly what she had been afraid to show before. How much she missed him this past week. How sorry she was. And how much she loved him.

After a while, they pulled apart gasping for air. Lucy realized she was on her tip toes, really being held up by Natsu.

"I'm so sorry Natsu." She whispered, trailing her fingers down his neck.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Natsu assured her.

Lucy smiled, grateful he wasn't angry with her. She glanced down at his hands and giggled.

"What?"

"Your hands were dirty."

Natsu looked down and saw it. Lucy was wearing a pearly white lacy dress that stopped mid-thigh and his hands were covered in grease. When he touched her, the black smeared on her dress.

"It's ruined, sorry." Natsu mumbled.

"Oddly it doesn't matter."

Suddenly, Natsu's face turned serious. "Luce, where are your shoes?"

Lucy wiggled her toes slightly. "I left them at this cafe."

"Why?"

"They were hard to run in."

"You ran here?"

"Yes?" Lucy answered, a little uncertain.

"Don't move." Natsu sighed, letting go of her and walking down a hallway.

Moments later he returned and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her out of the garage. He walked around the building to a back parking lot where he placed her on the hood of his car. Natsu stalked over to the driver side door and climbed in, rumbling around the floor until he found what he was looking for. He reappeared in front of her holding a pair of black converse shoes caked in dried mud. The shoes she wore to the lake. She forgot she took them off in there.

"I know they might not be ideal but they will work for now. You need shoes around here." he said before placing them on her feet. "I'm surprised you didn't step on anything before." he added lightly.

"I wasn't worried about it." Lucy mumbled, looking up at him.

Natsu chuckled and placed a hand on her cheek, softly brushing the silky skin. The other hand found its way to the back of her neck. He leaned down and captured her lips with his. This kiss was gentle and soft. It didn't hold Lucy's urgent message, allowing her to fully feel it. It was light brushes, like feathers from an angel. These light touches lit something in her stomach, made her heart thud, and clouded her mind. Her hands were rested on his hips between her knees. A small sigh escaped her lips and Natsu smiled. Their lips separated but they kept their hold on the other.

"Come on, I only have twenty minutes before I have to get back to work and I have to take you home." Natsu said after a while.

"Actually, could you take me to that cafe. I want my shoes back" Lucy sighed dreamily.

"Fine, show me where."

Lucy reluctantly jumped off the hood and sat back in the passenger seat. Natsu sat by her in the driver seat and turned the engine on. After that, he zoomed out of the parking lot and down the streets, listening to Lucy's directions to the specific cafe. When they got in the parking lot, Lucy took off the shoes Natsu had put on her.

"I'll just put my wedges back on when I get in there, there's no reason to keep these on. I'll just keep them in here just in case something like this happens again." Lucy stated when Natsu opened his mouth to protest.

She opened her door and climbed out. She started towards the little shop then turned around, going to Natsu's window. She leaned in and gave Natsu one last kiss. "See you later." she whispered then jogged into the cafe. Inside Juvia was still waiting at the table she had previously shared with Erza and Lucy, holding Lucy's shoes. She wore a face of confusion.

"Thanks for guarding my shoes." Lucy said taking the wedges in her hand. She sat back down in her original seat and slid them back on her foot.

"Are you going to tell Juvia what that was?" Juvia asked, leaning in a little.

"Can I just tell you when the others get here?" Lucy asked.

"Uh, sure."

Lucy dug in her bag on the table, looking for her phone. When she found it her fingers flew across the keypad, demanding her friends to get there a.s.a.p.