Lucy didn't show up at the guild the next day. Natsu never knew it could be so dull without her there. It was weird. It wasn't like there weren't days where he was there and she wasn't, but the weight of knowing the hit that their friendship had taken a toll on his upbeat mood.

"What's wrong Natsu?"

Lisanna had asked, poking a finger into his side. He was sat on a stool by the bar, slumped over the counter in a depressed state. He mumbled a nothing in response to Lisanna, earning a small giggle from the girl.

"I know what'll cheer you up!"

"You do?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Duh, silly! Let's go on a date!"

"A date?" He looked puzzled.

"C'mon, don't tell me you don't know what a date is!"

He stared in response, and Lisanna gasped in shock over the fact that he really was clueless on dating. She shrugged it off, smiling sweetly as she grabbed his hand, tugging him away from the guild, "Well let me show you!"

She pulled him towards town, lightly holding his hand. Her eyes landed on a fountain, and she tugged him towards it, using it as an example as she explained.

"See, a date is when two people spend time together doing something."

"Like a job?"

"Not… exactly. A date is supposed to be romantic. Normally, people would describe a date as just going out to eat and getting to know each other better, but a date can actually be a million different things! Some of the best dates are the ones that don't cost any money, the ones that are sweet and that you'll remember forever."

"So what kinda date are we going on?" He asked curiously.

"Well, what do you say we make the goal of our first date to go down as one of our best memories?"

"Okay…"

She pulled out two coins. She handed one to Natsu, asking him if he knew about flipping a coin in a fountain and making a wish, to which he responded 'I'm not that stupid!'

They both took a moment to think of a wish, Natsu feeling a touch guilty that his mind still wandered to Lucy. He cringed at the memory of her sobbing, the sounds of her wailing echoing in his mind. He decided to wish that she would be okay, hoping it would come true. On the count of three, they both flicked their coin into the fountain.

"I'll tell you my wish if you tell me yours," Lisanna said, lifting her hands to cover her small giggle as a light blush filled her cheeks.

"Can't. It won't come true," Natsu said, placing his hands in his pockets.

"I guess you're right," Lisanna smiled.

They continued walking, arriving in the heart of Magnolia. It was lively today. The sky was blue and cloudless, giving a bright glow over the town. A cool breeze filled the air, rustling the leaves on the nearby trees, while kids both laughed and screamed in the background as they chased one another.

"So did we just go on a date?" Natsu asked.

"Not quite. Dates normally last longer than that."

"How long?"

"I don't know. There's not really a time minimum you have to reach in order for it to qualify as a date. You don't really keep track of the time you spend with your partner, and people say that time flies when they're having fun. So just as long as you're both having fun, the hours will go by before you even know it."

"I get it. Are you having fun then?"

"More than you know," she said with a cheerful smile.

"So what else are we gonna do?"

"Go shopping!" Lisanna squealed.

She led him to a clothing store, grabbing a dress here, a shirt there, and some shoes to go with them. He sat patiently as she tried everything on, doing a mini fashion show with each item she picked out.

"What do you think?"

"It's nice."

"How about this?"

"Looks good."

"I don't know if I like this color on me, what do you think?"

"It's a good color, I guess."

"You can't tell me you don't love this one."

Lisanna pulled the curtain, revealing herself in a red dress that was tight in the top and flared out at the bottom. It was strapless, hugging her in all the right places, and it made her eyes pop. She had saved it for last, knowing that if any of the things she had tried on would impress Natsu, this would be the one.

He glanced at her, looking her up and down. "Hey that kinda looks like one of Lucy's dresses!"

Lisanna didn't respond, a slightly offended look crossing her face. Wordlessly, she went back to her stall, closing the curtain as she took off the dress. Natsu eyed the clock across from him, noting that they had been in this store alone for 45 minutes. Was it a bad thing he had been doing the opposite if what Lisanna said and keeping track of time? Her return pulled him away from his thoughts. She had a small frown as she exited, empty handed.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"You mean we spent all that time here and you're not getting anything?" Natsu asked, bewildered.

"You didn't like anything I tried on."

His jaw dropped.

"I said I liked it every time!"

"You almost said the same thing every time!" She said, putting an emphasis on 'almost.'

"So?"

Lisanna placed a hand on her forehead, agitated as she muttered things even Natsu's ears couldn't pick up. She took a moment before looking at him with a smile again.

"Sorry. I keep forgetting that relationships are new to you. How about I explain?"

"I'm tired of all this explaining!"

He walked out of the store with Lisanna hot on his heels.

"Where are you going?" She asked him.

He stayed silent as he crossed a few streets, looking for a store in particular. A few more minutes of walking and they made it. Natsu stood by the entrance, looking up at the sign.

"Lucy's favorite bookstore," he said absentmindedly as he walked in.

Lisanna pretended to not notice how he had mentioned Lucy's name again. She made a mental note that she really needed to get to better know the girl who had quickly become fond in the eyes of the guild in her absence.

"What do you need here?"

His eyes scanned the rows, finding the aisle he needed.

"Lucy taught me about what genres are and how to find specific books," he said, scanning through the section.

"You two sound awfully close."

"Awfully isn't the word I'd use," he said, tongue sticking out in concentration to find the right book. "Aha!"

He reached for one with a yellow cover, pulling it out as his eyes read the cover. Lisanna peeked over his shoulder, also reading the title: Relationships for DUMMIES.

"You read now?" Lisanna seemed astounded at the thought.

"Not for fun. Only when I have to. And I use Lucy's gale-force reading glasses! Otherwise I'd really get bored. She says it takes away from the experience, but I—"

"Could you maybe… not mention her so much?" Lisanna asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Why not?"

"I just… don't like it. It makes it feel like you're mind is somewhere else. And when you're dating a girl, it doesn't make her feel good about herself when she hears you talking about other women."

"That's right!" Natsu smacked his forehead. "Lucy told me about that— Agh! Sorry, sorry! Now you know why I need this." He said, pointing towards the book.

She frowned, holding her left elbow with her right hand. Natsu payed for the book and the two left the store. He grinned at Lisanna.

"So what's next?" He asked.

"I think I want to just go back to the guild," Lisanna responded.

"All right, first date in the books!" He said, fist pumping the air.

Lisanna was quiet for the remainder of the walk back. Her eyes were glued to the ground. Today hadn't gone at all the way she thought it would.

Natsu, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Gripping the book tightly in his hand, he told himself that he was gonna read it, first thing when he got home. He had to admit, the day wasn't half bad, and he kinda enjoyed it.

He tried pushing it away, telling himself it wasn't right to think, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it would have been even better if he had spent it with Lucy.

X

Thoughts? Let me know, and thanks for reading!