Honestly not sure where this came from... I fel like I should let you guys know I don't proofread these. I fix my spelling as I go, but the repetitive words, or checking how my paragraphs are broken up or anything like that, so I apologize in advance for the errors you find.

Thanks for all the love and happy reading!

It started off small- little things she didn't notice right away.

He held her hand at weird times. He brought her drinks and food at the guild hall when he went to get some for himself. He got her little gifts when they went to new places. He'd even used her front door without her asking!

Not all the time, of course, but even once should have tipped her off that something was up.

"Natsu, what's this?"

"Was wa?" he asked, mouth full of food.

Lucy leaned over and smacked him, making him choke. "We're literally going to the guild hall right now to get food! Get out of my fridge!"

Natsu managed to catch his breath and swallow his food in time for her to ask him again, "What is this?"

He looked at the table and then away again with an impatient expression. "What do you mean?"

Lucy leaned down to smell the flowers, surprised by how potent they were. "The flowers. Why did you get them for me?"

"I just got them," he said without looking at her. "I thought they'd look nice in your apartment." He shot to his feet. "Can we go now? I'm hungry."

"Uh, sure. Just let me grab my purse."

However, she stared at the bouquet a moment longer before moving. It was half red and half orange, a strange combination, but it felt familiar to her.

She wasn't sure why.

The first time she really started questioning things was when they were on a job. They had finished and agreed to share a room before heading home in the morning, since they'd finished so late. Usually they wouldn't waste their money, but the job had been a profitable one, and after multiple days without a shower, Lucy was desperate for a shower. Natsu had agreed to order food while she was in the bathroom, and as she turned off the water, she could hear an unfamiliar voice in the other room.

She grabbed the towel off the counter, and as she wrapped it around her, she realized it was warm- hot almost. The bathroom was by no means cold, but the warm towel still felt amazing wrapped around her wet body. She sighed happily when she realized the second one was as well, so she quickly wrapped it around her head. Lucy was so content being wrapped up in the warm towels that she barely got mad when she realized Natsu would have had to enter the bathroom to warm them up.

Because who else would have done such a thing?

Again, she got that strange feeling that she could remember something like this happening before but she couldn't figure out why.

"I don't understand Lucy."

"He's being weird," she said again.

"Yeah, I get that," Levy said with a smile. She took a sip of her tea as the ruckus of the guildhall flowed around them. "What I don't understand is why you're letting it bother you all of a sudden. He's always been weird."

"Yes, but this is different weird," Lucy insisted.

"How so?" Levy asked, leaning forward.

"He's been… I don't know how to describe it." The blonde sighed. "He's bought me gifts recently. Nothing big, but there haven't been any holidays or anything, he's just been doing it to be nice. And just the other day, he came over and brought food with him. He's never done that! He once came over and literally cleaned out my cupboards before leaving! He's just been more… considerate for lack of a better word."

Levy giggled. "He's not a monster, Lu. He may be a little reckless-"

"Little?"

"-sometimes-"

"Sometimes?!"

"-but he's a good guy! It sounds to me like he's just be nice."

Lucy leaned forward so she could grab Levy by the shoulders. She leaned in and gave Levy her most serious look. "Levy, on our last job, we fought in a garden and there was not one single unnecessary plant burned up. Normally he'd have set the whole thing on fire! It's the first time in I don't remember how long that we didn't have to pay for damages out of our reward!"

Levy shrugged off her concern once more. "Sounds to me like he's just growing up."

"That's very Natsu at all!"

The blunette shrugged again. "It happens to everyone eventually."

"What was that, you pervy popsicle?!" Natsu's voice cut through the rest of the noise. The pair looked up in time to see Natsu and Gray knock heads.

"You heard me, you dumb pyro! Or are you going deaf, too?"

As they started yet another fight, Lucy gave Levy a look as she gestured at the pair. "Growing up? Really?"

Levy's only response was a shrug.

"Okay, that's it!"

Natsu jumped, falling off the couch as Lucy's outburst in the quiet apartment startled him. "What was that for?" he asked as he rubbed his butt.

"I can't stand this anymore! What are you doing?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow at her. "I was just sitting here. You're the one who's freaking out over nothing."

"That's my point," she said, exasperated. "You're being quiet. Why are you being quiet?! Normally you'd be pestering me, or eating my food, or sleeping in my bed. But you're not! You're just… sitting there! What is wrong with you?"

He continued to watch her as though she'd gone crazy. "So you want me to bother you then?"

"Yes! Well, no- I don't know!" She put her face in her hands and growled. "I want you to act normal."

When she finally removed her hands, she found Natsu staring across the room, looking guilt as he rubbed the back of his head. Why did he look guilty? She had yelled at him, sure, but even she knew, in a small, buried part of her brain, that she was the one being crazy. Unless…

"You've been doing it on purpose, haven't you?"

Natsu's eyes shot to her own for only a moment before he looked away again. "Maybe," he mumbled quietly.

"Why?" she asked. "I was starting to think I was going crazy! Even Levy said she didn't think it was a big deal, but for all the years I've known you, your behavior has never changed this drastically." She frowned a little. "Did I do something?"

Natsu met her eyes for a little while, but as his cheeks began to pinken, he looked away again. "Kind of."

"Well, what was it?"

Natsu shot to his feet and began to pace. He looked so uncomfortable, Lucy didn't say anything as he fought for the right words. It was so unlike him, to have to find the right words for anything. Usually, he either didn't have anything to say or he said whatever came to mind, consequences be damned.

"You know I'm no good at this," he eventually said as he paused in his pacing to look at her. "I'm no good with… words. I like my actions to speak for me, so this is just… hard. And weird. And awkward. Gaaaahh," he groaned. "This is just so awkward!"

"You're doing it again," she said.

"Doing what?"

Lucy gestured between them. "This. This feeling that this is familiar, even though I don't know why." Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait a minute…"

For some reason, Natsu suddenly looked relieved. "Thank the gods."

"You're acting out my old story!" She sputtered. "You don't even like to read!"

"I like your stuff," he said.

"I can't believe… why?" She frowned at him. "Why are you acting out my book?"

Natsu whined. "Come on, Luce, you were supposed to figure this out already!"

"Figure what out?!" Lucy was at the end of her patience. His inconsistent behavior and these almost deja vu moments had been bothering her for weeks, and now that she knew what was happening, all she wanted was his reason for why. Did he have to be so difficult about answering her? "Just answer me," she begged. "Why have you been acting so weird?"

"Because I thought if I did the things your main dude did in the story, you'd realize that I…" He stalled, his face, ears and neck all turning a bright red. "I was hoping you'd… realize…" He mumbled, his words too garbled for her to understand.

But she didn't have to hear them for her to finally understand.

She could feel her face grow just as hot as his looked. "You wanted me to figure out that you… like me?"

He nodded, his eyes firmly locked onto something on the far wall. "It's not a big deal or anything, it's just… I finally realized it and I thought you should know. After all the teasing everyone had done, I thought you should know they were right, at least about me." Natsu's eyes flicked towards her and away so quickly she almost missed it.

"Oh." She felt dumb. How had she not seen it? It embarrassed her to realize Natsu had found that story, the one with the main character who was suspiciously similar to him. Perhaps that was why he'd liked it.

She wasn't sure how to respond, honestly. They'd been dodging around the subject of feelings, of having any deeper than what friends had for each other, for so long, she wasn't sure what to say.

Because of course she liked him, too. She loved the fool, but she'd never expected there to be a chance for them, so she'd never let herself think about her feelings or the possibilities too much.

Natsu grunted. "Nevermind, I'm just going to go."

Lucy stumbled forward, barely catching him before he reached her window. "No, Natsu, wait."

"It's okay, Luce, you don't have to say anything."

"I like you, too," she blurted out.

Well great job, Luce, she mentally scolded herself. You can do better than that. She squeezed his arm where she'd caught him and once more marvelled at the difference. She was pale and soft, where he was tan and hard. It never escaped her just how much stronger he was than her, and yet, he'd never once hurt her, not on purpose anyway. The occasionally falling tree, a flame, just a little too close on occasion, but he'd always kept his strength in check when they touched.

"I like you, too," she repeated, "but I just always assumed you didn't like me like that. If you did, I thought you would have said something by now. You usually go after whatever you want, so I figured if you weren't trying to… get me, than you didn't want to be with me."

"Well that's just stupid," Natsu said, smiling when she glared at him. "Of course I want to be with you. It's always more fun when we're together, right? You're the one who said that."

"And yet, you just accepted it as a friend thing. Idiot."

"Oy! You didn't try to pursue anything either!" he pointed out.

Lucy nodded, which led to a long awkward pause between them. After some avoided eye contact and fidgeting, Natsu finally stepped closer. He started to reach for her hand, but paused halfway there. Lucy reached forward the rest of the way. He grinned at her and she at him as the tension drained from the room.

"So, does this mean we're a thing then?" he asked.

"I- I guess so. If you want to."

Natsu groaned. "I didn't bring this up because I wanted half answers, Luce. Do you wanna date me or not?"

Lucy grinned a little at his annoyed look before she nodded. "I think I would like that." His eyes flashed, and he geared up for a heated response, but Lucy leaned forward and cut him off with her mouth on his.

His lips were softer than she expected, and just as hot as the rest of his skin. She didn't push him, just pressed her lips against his for a few seconds before pulling back. He stared at her stupidly, completely shocked. "I wasn't expecting that," he said eventually.

"Well, I'm glad I can still surprise you."

He studied her for a long moment, making her feel a little uncomfortable. "Can we do that again?" he asked after a moment.

Lucy grinned. "Sure."

Much later, they would finally remember that they had planned to go to the guildhall and make their way across town. They'd hold hands, blushing a little when their eyes would meet. Lucy would enter the hall first, letting go of Natsu's hand just before she went through the door. They'd order food and eat with the rest of their team, silently agreeing to keep their new relationship a secret for a little while. They'd joke and laugh, and when Natsu eventually challenged Gray, Lucy would let him hide behind her to avoid Erza's wrath. And when they sat together, if they occasionally sneaked a touch or handhold, who would notice, considering everything else happening in the guild?

"Hand it over, shrimp. Twenty bucks."

Levy pouted as she pulled out the money and put it in Gajeel's hand. "You cheated."

"Gihi, whatever makes you feel better," he said with a grin as he tucked the money away.

Levy turned towards him with scrutinizing eyes, and Gajeel did his best not to cower. That probing look always made him feel uncomfortable and exposed. He crossed his arms and frowned at her. "What?"

"You really didn't talk to him about it? Or maybe ask him if he liked her?"

"Nope," he said, popping the p.

Levy frowned some more but eventually turned back to watch her friend, a smile sliding onto her face when Lucy gave Natsu a particularly soft smile. "Well, even if you did, I guess I don't mind. It's a small price to pay for Lucy's happiness. She deserves that, after everything that's happened." Relieved the questioning was over, Gajeel changed the subject, thankful when Lily joined them shortly after.

He wasn't in the habit of lying to Levy, and he wasn't about to start now, but if she started asking the right questions…

He hadn't asked the idiot anything, but he might have slipped him a copy of Lucy's short story, with a protag suspiciously similar to the Salamander, that he'd found in one of Levy's books. After looking through it himself, he'd found it pretty obvious what was going on, but since Levy had been so adamant about it not being the case because "Lucy would tell me if she liked Natsu!" he'd decided to take the opportunity to make a few bucks. And if it helped Salamander man up in the process…?

Gajeel glanced at the pair, who were holding hands under the table again with their team completely unaware.

Well, if it helped Salamander, that wasn't such a bad thing, he guessed.

Not that he liked the other dragon slayer or wanted to help him in any way.

Nope.

Not at all.