This is for my wonderful friend, Perfect Memories (FFN)/PerfectMemories_91 (AO3). We challenged each other to write something with a pairing of the other's choosing and the idea for the fic. And let me tell you it was quite the challenge, a fun challenge. Merry Belated Christmas! ENJOY!
In the big city of Crocus full of tall buildings, loud noises from construction, and chattering people, three individuals walk down the sidewalk to their favorite restaurant, 8-Island for lunch not too far from their company. A salmon-haired man leads the way, hands behind his head grinning while the other two, a raven-haired man and a scarlet-haired woman trail behind conversing with each other.
"What do you think Natsu?" The scarlet-haired woman asks.
The salmon-haired man, Natsu replies, "Huh? What was that Erza?"
The man with the raven hair scoffs, "Seriously? This is your company; you should pay attention to what we discuss."
Natsu, the President of the Fire and Ice HVAC Company stops at the flower shop they're passing to smell the fresh, crisp scent of the star lilies on display. "Hasn't anyone ever told you to take the time to stop and smell the roses, Gray?" The scent reminds him of someone, and it serves as a reminder as to why he's spent years busting his ass to get to where he's at today.
Gray, who is the Vice President, slaps him on the back of his head, "Those aren't roses you idiot and that's just a figure of speech, it's not meant to be taken literally."
The force of the hit causes Natsu's nose to dive into the pollen of the flowers causing him to let out a loud sneeze. "Dammit Gray."
"Who says you can't take it literally?" Erza, Natsu's advisor and secretary, inquires.
Natsu walks behind Gray and Erza, "What are you talking about?"
"The saying, take time to smell the roses, who said you can't do that?"
"No one said you can't. But you shouldn't take every figure of speech seriously." Gray replies.
"She wasn't talking about every figure of speech, idiot, just the one about smelling roses. And quit stripping unless you want to get arrested for indecent exposure again."
"What-" Before he can get his insult in, Gray is cut off by Erza.
"Guys. Knock it off." Erza says with a hint of warning in her voice.
"Yes Ma'am!" The heads of the company salute her and carry on their way.
When Natsu set out to start his own company, he never gave it much thought as to what he wanted it to be. That was until their friends Levy and Gajeel discussed the price to keep their home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Not to mention the companies that provide cooling/heating units charge out the ass not only for installation but for any problems that need to be fixed. To save money, Gajeel learned how to fix the units because they needed the money to take care of their twins, a boy named Gale, and a girl named Metalia. Gajeel gained a lot of experience learning the mechanics of the units, so Gray and Natsu hired him to be in charge of overseeing manufacturing as well as him being the one to fix any units that may break for a small fee. That was a rare occurrence since Gajeel is damn good at what he does.
Due to their low prices, energy-saving units, and special services, they managed to become more successful than the other similar businesses and even ran a few of them into the ground.
They arrive at 8-Island and Natsu holds the door open for them. In the corner of his eye, he catches sight of golden hair and his heart jumps in his throat. He turns his head in that direction, and it's gone. It must have been his imagination, just like every other time. For a long time, he'd searched for his long-lost friend who had golden hair but could never find her. Whenever he sees someone with the same color hair, he gets excited only for his hope to be dashed.
"Are you coming Natsu?" Erza asks.
Natsu puts his signature grin back on his face, "Yeah, I'm coming."
Erza knew the look that was on his face before he smiled. He thought he saw her again. She understands; for a long time, she would get distracted when she saw a man with blue hair. It was more common than one would think, people with blue hair. Then one day, she ran into him on the street. Fast forward 5 years and they're happily engaged.
Gray caught it too. He wishes he could say he gets it, but he can't. He found the love of his life, Juvia, in college, and has been inseparable since. After the three of them take their seats at their regular table and order their usual, Gray speaks when the waitress takes her leave. "Natsu, don't you think it's time to move on?"
As soon as Lucy got a seat at 8-Island she received a text from Loke to go ahead and order without her, he'll be there shortly. Well, shortly turned into thirty minutes. Right at the end of her break. She sighs as she grabs her wallet from her purse and lays down the amount needed plus a tip. This has been happening more frequently and while she's happy for him, she misses him immensely. She heads to the bathroom to freshen up before going back to work.
She met Loke on her first day of college and they had grown really close, even closer than her and... He had girlfriends throughout the years, but they never lasted long. He had been single for a few months before her graduation and decided that she was going to risk their friendship and confess to him after her graduation. She was sure he felt the same until he introduced her to his new girlfriend, Jenny.
Jenny was nice… at first… but she had slowly put a wedge between Lucy and Loke, taking all of his attention. At first, it didn't bother her, they were in a relationship. She wouldn't want Loke to put another girl first instead of her. But whenever Lucy and Loke made plans to do something together, Jenny called Loke asking him to go to her place. Lucy would always tell him that it was okay and to go ahead and be with his girlfriend. They've been dating for three months and she's hoping Jenny will eventually see that Lucy isn't a threat. Given time, she'll get over the fact the man she loves, loves someone else.
Once she's done, she opens her phone to send Loke a text, and as she's trying to figure out what to say she bumps into someone.
"I'm so sorry. I wasn't… Natsu?" Shocked doesn't begin to cover how Lucy feels. She hasn't seen him since ninth grade and wow the rambunctious teenage boy has changed into a man. He's grown taller and his salmon locks still spike in random directions, but they're not as wild as they once were. The attire he's wearing is shocking. Last she saw him he was always in sporty clothing and wouldn't be caught dead in a suit. Damn did it break her heart to leave him and their friends behind, him most of all.
Natsu's heart jumps in his throat. This time the sight of golden hair wasn't his imagination. It really is Lucy and man, is she more beautiful than he remembered. She hasn't gotten much taller, but her hair has gotten longer. He always loved it when she wore it down. He also loved watching the wind whip it around and hearing her complain about having wind-swept hair. His eyes rake over her body and wow. The off-the-shoulder cream sweater and going by the straps, a red bra or tank top is underneath it; She also has on tight-fitting jeans and ankle boots. He quickly shuts incoming thoughts down before something rises. What in the hell does he say? He's gone through this moment in his head over and over and now that it's here, he can't get his mouth to move.
Lucy is the first to shake herself out of her stupor, "What are you doing here?"
"I-I'm here for lunch you weirdo." Natsu stutters. Clearing his throat he adds, "With Erza and Gray."
Lucy ignores the weirdo comment. "Erza and Gray are here?"
"Yeah, let's go, they'll be so happy to see you." Natsu lightly grabs her wrist and pulls her along like he did back in their younger days.
"Natsu I-"
"Look who I found!" Natsu says.
Erza and Gray turn their heads, and their mouths open wide before they break out into big smiles, "Lucy!"
"Hi, guys."
Erza gets out of her seat and gives Lucy a big hug, "It's so good to see you again."
"Erza," Lucy barely gets out. Her hugs have gotten stronger over the years.
"Oh, sorry. Come sit with us."
"Oh, I can't. I got to get back to work."
"Please, Luce?" Natsu is not above using the puppy dog eyes she could never say no to.
"I-" She looks around the table. Great, all of them are giving her the puppy dog looks. Her shoulders slump and she sighs, "Fine. Let me get a hold of Laxus to let him know I'll be late."
Natsu crosses his arms and leans back, "Who's Laxus?"
Lucy quirks her eyebrow at him, curious about his change in demeanor, "He's my cousin."
It's Gray who states, "We didn't know you have a cousin."
"Well," Lucy swallows the lump that forms in her throat, "You know my mother died." After they nod in acknowledgment, she continues, "Not too long after my dad lost the company, we had to move. It was abrupt-"
A lightbulb goes over Natsu's head. "That's why you never said goodbye." He was so hurt and pissed off. He thought it was her way of getting back at him for missing her mother's memorial service. Not that he missed it on purpose, he did show up, but her father made sure he couldn't be there for her. He wasn't good enough for Lucy in Jude's eyes even when Layla was alive and told him differently. He takes his mind off of that. Now is not the time to bring that up.
"He tried the best he could to provide for us but in the end, the state deemed him unfit to take care of me and I got placed with my grandfather, my mother's father, and my cousin Laxus who lived with him at the time." Lucy grabs a napkin and dabs at her eyes to stop the tears that are forming from falling.
Erza puts her arm around Lucy's shoulder and gives her a side hug. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Lucy nods and leans into the hug.
Wanting to get off the depressing topic Gray asks, "So, are your kicks still deadly?"
Lucy lets out a watery laugh, "More so since Laxus trained me in self-defense."
Natsu rubs his cheek thinking back on the memory of the first kick he ever received. Even as a child she kicked hard, he'd hate to experience one now.
Gray laughs, "Thinking about all the times she kicked you?"
"Yeah, the first time."
Lucy is sitting at a quaint little table in the middle of the grand gardens on the Heartfilia estate, with the doll she got from her parents that she named Gonzales. She pauses lifting her teacup to her lips when she hears a rustle in the bushes. She quietly sets the cup down, gets out of her seat, and gathers Gonzales in her arms. She tiptoes to the side and she is almost in the clear until someone jumps out. In her fright, her leg automatically moves, and she kicks the stranger in the face.
"Ow! What was that for?"
Lucy's eyes go wide at the sight of a boy around her age with salmon-colored hair, rubbing his now red cheek where she kicked him.
Lucy clutches Gonzales closer to her chest. "Wh-who are y-you?" She's surprised when the boy smiles at her.
"I'm Natsu! I'm a fire dragon slayer!"
"A-A what?" Did she kick him too hard?
"A fire dragon slayer! I use my magic to take down bad wizards. Who are you?"
"I'm Lucy." She holds out her doll, "And this is Gonzales."
"That's a weird name."
"It is not a weird name."
"Sure. Sure. So where am I?"
"You're at my home."
"You live in the bushes?"
"No, you idiot." Lucy points north, "My house is right over there."
Natsu looks in the direction she's pointing, "Your home is huge!"
Lucy smiles at the memory. "You know, I'd love to catch up with all of you sometime." Lucy rummages through her purse for a pen. She grabs a napkin and writes down her number when she finds one. "Here, call or text me and we can set something up."
Natsu is the first to grab it. He pulls out his phone, adds her to his contacts, and texts her. Hey! It's Natsu!
Erza grabs it after Natsu as Lucy gets up and gathers her belongings. With a bright smile she says, "It was so nice to see you again. I'll talk to you later."
Natsu watches her walk away. His perverted thoughts come back in full force. He wasn't able to get a look at her backside earlier.
"Might want to wipe up that drool you got there." Gray teases.
"Shut up."
Erza gives him a knowing smile, "You still love her, don't you?"
"Of course I do. She was always special to me."
"Oh, we know. Everyone in school thought you two were dating even though you never outright asked her to be your girlfriend."
"We didn't need the label to define who we were to each other."
"Did she feel the same?" Gray asks and receives no answer.
Lucy stares at her Kindle rereading the sentence for the fifth time. Ever since she ran into Natsu at 8-Island she's been distracted. What were the chances she'd run into Natsu? She won't lie to herself; her heart skipped a beat when she saw him.
While the same on the inside, on the outside he looked so put together, like her father and his business associates back when he had the company. He probably has a good-paying job and lives in a fancy apartment, the complete opposite of where she's at in life. She's in a cheap apartment that has her essentials. She tries not to spend money on unnecessary things, though it's hard to hold back when it comes to books. They're her one weakness. She needs to save the money for college courses if she wants her M.D. degree. So not only is she working a full-time job but has also been filling in as the receptionist for Laxus's security business on top of taking her classes. The original receptionist, Evergreen, is on maternity leave.
Her mind drifts off to the fact that since Natsu met her in the Heartfilia gardens he would always be there during tea-time. It became the highlight of her day. Her father was furious when he found out but backed off when her mother told him to. She found it very cute. Her mother was well aware of how lonely Lucy was and she was not about to break her heart by forbidding her first friend from visiting.
Lucy learned that Natsu was a year older than her. His parents were Igneel and Grandeeny who tried their best to provide for him and his little sister Wendy who was the cutest thing ever. They weren't rich like Lucy's family, but that stuff didn't matter to little Lucy, and it still doesn't.
She wonders if he still loves dragons, action movies, and going to the arcade. Okay, maybe not the latter. That would be an interesting sight, Natsu in a suit playing arcade games. She remembers the time he won a bunch of tickets and instead of getting the prize he had been playing for; he spent them on the stuffed snowman she was eyeing. She was so happy; she shrugged off him calling her a weirdo for naming it Plue.
When it came time to enter the seventh grade Lucy begged her parents to allow her to attend public school instead of being home-schooled. It took some convincing, mainly convincing her father, but they allowed it.
She got to meet all of Natsu's friends who quickly became hers too. They all thought Natsu was making her up, so it was a relief to see she was real. Because they hung out so much, being best friends and all, everyone thought they were a couple. Natsu never corrected them, but Lucy always freaked out over the insinuation. Why was it so weird for a boy and a girl to be close friends?
When they weren't together having fun, Lucy helped Natsu with his homework and tutored him in math and science. Gray had made an offhand comment about him not complaining about it. Boy was her face red when Natsu told him that it didn't matter what they did, everything was always more fun with her.
That had her asking herself who helped Natsu when he needed help. Also, who did he go to school dances with? It didn't matter what it was, whether Homecoming, The Winter Ball, or Valentine's Ball to name a few, they always went together. The first few times she was annoyed because he told everyone that he and Lucy were going together without asking her first. She didn't fight it though. Eventually, it became an unspoken thing they would always attend dances together.
Their freshmen year at homecoming they almost shared their first kiss. They were so close too, but her phone rang, breaking them out of the moment. It was her father, and her heart dropped when he told her that her mother had been admitted to the hospital. Everything went downhill from there.
Before she can go down that rabbit hole a big meaty hand is waving in front of her face, "Yo Cuz, you home?"
Lucy is snapped out of her thoughts, "Yeah, just thinking."
"Well, don't think too hard you'll send out smoke signals." Laxus leans against the desk, "You know I won't leave you alone until you tell me so out with it."
"I ran into Natsu."
"Well, shit."
"Yeah, shit."
"How'd Loke react?" Laxus knows her history with Natsu. She denies ever loving the guy, but he knows better. He happens to like Loke though. Loke isn't as much of a playboy as one thinks. He sees the look he gives his sister. If only he could grow a pair and confess to her instead of leading another woman on.
"Why would his reaction matter?"
"Weren't you out to lunch with him?"
"He stood me up. Again."
This is getting ridiculous. "Jenny?" Laxus asks and when Lucy nods, he says, "How in the hell does that woman always know when you two make plans?"
"I don't know. It's almost as if she's tracking…"
"His activity on his phone. Shit. Dammit."
"That's possible?"
"Yeah, it's called cloning or something. Freed will know more about it. Fuck, he and Bickslow are on a job guarding a high-profile client. I'll ask him when he checks in."
"That's scary that sort of thing is possible."
"You'd be surprised the kind of shit people can do nowadays."
"Please don't tell me. Freed has me paranoid about enough crap already. Oh!
"What?"
"Why don't you talk to Rufus about the cloning of the phone thing?"
"Oh yeah," Laxus rubs the back of his neck, "I forget about him sometimes."
"Really Laxus? He's one of your best workers. His knowledge rivals Freed's."
"Hey! Freed has always been my go-to guy!"
"How can you be the boss of a company and not be more personable?"
Laxus shrugs, "I'll see ya later. I'm going to go talk to Rufus."
"While you're at it, offer him and Orga some vacation time together."
"Why would they want vacation time to… Oh. Oh!"
"Yeah, oh! You doofus. Also, tell Bickslow I did not appreciate getting pom poms delivered to my house for my birthday."
Laxus chuckles, "Will do, but you know the more you react the more he's going to continue finding ways to get you riled up."
Sighing, Lucy says, "I know."
Laxus walks away with a wave, and she goes back to reading. She just showed him what little time he spends getting to know his workers. He can't help it, if their background check is all good, he leaves them to their own devices so long as they do their job and not fuck around.
When he reaches Rufus's office the man is surprised to see him and even more so when he gives him a job coming straight from him. Before Rufus can get to work, Laxus asks him to do a background check on a man named Natsu Dragneel.
Rufus gets right on it since it won't take long. He doesn't find anything incriminating about the man. The man did very well in high school, played sports, and received college scholarships but he still went with business courses. He did even better in college. Started his own business from scratch and has become a success. Once he's done relaying all of the information Laxus thanks him and then tells him he's getting paid a paid vacation so get to planning a vacation for himself and Orga. Rufus blushes, he didn't know his boss knew that about him.
Laxus leaves the office surprised at what he learned about Natsu. Going by the stories Lucy told him about how the guy was when they were younger, he didn't expect that. He wonders if Lucy is the reason he worked his ass off to get to where he's at, that he did it all for her. Ugh, he's been with Mira too long if he's thinking about how romantic motivation got Natsu to where he is today.
However, if that is the case, he wants to give Loke the heads up. Natsu Dragneel will be hard for Loke to drive out of Lucy's life. He's not some stranger she's getting to know. There's history there. The bastard won't admit that he likes Lucy because he doesn't want to ruin their friendship. If only the idiot knew Lucy had planned on confessing. He'll be telling Bickslow about this as well. He's much closer to the guy and will definitely get on his ass about not missing his chance with Lucy. And if his suspicions about Jenny are true, then the relationship isn't going to last much longer.
Time Skip Three Weeks
As Lucy is getting ready, she receives a phone call. She doesn't have time for this, she's late enough as it is. She looks at the caller and in confusion answers, "Yes?"
"Ma'am, are you home?"
"Um, yes."
"We just got a notification that someone has broken into your home. We've already called the-"
"Call them back and tell them it's a false alarm." Lucy rubs the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger and walks into the living room.
"Ma'am-"
Lucy glares at the intruder who's looking around her place, "It's okay, a friend is visiting, and they thought it would be funny to climb through the window." If it were anyone else, aside from Loke and her family, she would be embarrassed by her small apartment. It's not grungy, but it's nothing fancy either.
"Aww c'mon Luce. It's just like old times!" Natsu greets her not threatened by her silent promise of violence. He looks her up and down. She's in casual wear, a black t-shirt that says The Fray and fits her snuggly, accentuating her curvy figure, short shorts showing off her long legs, and pink Converse shoes. Her hair is in a messy bun and although he originally wanted to take her somewhere fancy, a casual date is just as good. Even casually dressed she's a walking wet dream.
"If you're sure ma'am."
"I am. Thank you." Lucy sighs hanging up. "Natsu…"
He walks over to her and engulfs her in a hug. "Luce." He gives her a light kiss on the crown of her head and also takes a second to get a whiff of her natural scent. She's always smelled so good.
Luce pulls away first and takes that moment to check him out. A red t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and Adidas sneakers. She hadn't seen him since their run-in. Gone is the suave businessman. Here is the Natsu she remembers albeit much more buff than she remembers. She could feel how much so when they hugged. The shirt he's wearing is tight enough to see his rippling abs.
Natsu holds his bent arm out to her, and she links hers with it. "Sometime, I would like to take you to this restaurant-"
"Natsu, something simple is fine." She gives him a thank you when he holds the door open for her. Before they leave, she locks up. "It's a beautiful night for a walk."
"I take it that was a security company letting you know someone broke in?"
"Yes, it was. Laxus had it installed and made sure I got all the works."
Natsu whistles, "I bet that was expensive."
"For anyone else, yes. Being a family member got me a hefty discount though. Speaking of family, how are your parents and Wendy doing?"
Natsu talks about Igneel and Grandeeny celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. He tells her about sending them out on a cruise. Wendy is attending college to get her degree in the medical field. She got scholarships but he's helped her pay for anything she needs.
Lucy smiles and her heart warms listening to him talk about his family. He would move heaven and earth for those three. As they chat, she leads him to a park and a certain part inside that will give them a clear view of the stars.
"I should have known." Natsu chuckles.
"Shut up." Lucy takes a seat on a bench furthest away from the streetlamps.
"I'm just picking. I'm happy to know you still enjoy looking up at the stars."
They spend their evening catching up. Natsu filling her in more about Igneel, Grandeeny, and Wendy. Lucy tells him what life was like with her grandfather.
"It was really nice, living a life that no one knew me as Lucky Lucy Heartfilia, heiress to my father's company. In Magnolia, I was just the granddaughter of Makarov and cousin to Laxus. Though Laxus let it be known to the guys in school that I was off-limits."
"And they listened?"
"Laxus, though nice, can be very intimidating on a normal day. Catch him pissed off, well I hope a burial plot is ready for you. Even now it can be difficult to date between him and Loke."
Natsu makes a mental note to thank the guys. He doesn't like the thought of Lucy dating other guys and… however he is no blushing virgin either. "Who's Loke?"
"Oh, he's my best friend." That statement hits them both like a ton of bricks.
"Tell me more about him." Natsu doesn't want to ask but he needs to know if this guy is competition. For all he knows the guy doesn't like women.
"Um, okay well Loke and I met on my first day of college. I was lost and didn't know which way to go, and he helped me out. He caught sight of the Cancer constellation tattoo on my forearm," Lucy holds out her arm to show him, "and asked if I was familiar with astrology. When I told him yes, well that's what we talked about while he took me to my first class. Since then, we've been close."
"Are you two dating?"
"Oh, um no." Lucy fidgets in her seat.
Natsu still knows her well enough to know there's more but she's not going to tell him. He has a sinking feeling that she has a crush on the guy. Should he use this time to confess that since he got over the pain and heartbreak of her leaving that he's busted his ass so when the day they crossed paths came everything he has accomplished has been for her? That she won't want for nothing, and he can provide anything she wishes for. He knows she doesn't care for that sort of thing but what Jude said to him when he was younger about being unable to provide for Lucy when he got older stuck with him.
Natsu checks the time, it's later than he thought it was. "C'mon, let's get you home."
They make small chit-chat on their way back. When they're at her door he apologizes.
"For what?"
"For not trying harder to be there for you when your mother died."
"Natsu…"
"I did show up y'know, to her memorial service but Jude wouldn't allow me to say goodbye."
"He never told me you showed up."
"It doesn't surprise me, he never liked me. I wasn't good enough. So, uh when you left without saying goodbye, I thought it was your way of getting back at me."
Lucy is appalled by that admittance. "Natsu! How could you think I would do that?"
"I know! I'm sorry, okay. I was angry and hurt… After homecoming, I never saw you again. I heard from others that your mom was diagnosed with an untreatable disease, and it was caught too late."
Lucy nods, "I barely had time to say goodbye. Then everything was a whirlwind, my dad setting up the memorial service and getting other stuff done, I can't remember what. I was still in shock. My dad allowed me to stay home however long I needed to. By the time I was ready to go back, my dad lost his company. Turns out it had been floundering for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if my mother didn't know. Before I knew it, I was being told to pack up my belongings because we were moving away. I begged to be able to say goodbye, but he wouldn't allow it." Lucy wipes away a tear. "I'm sorry Natsu, I wanted to tell you goodbye. You're not the only that should have tried harder, I should have run away and-"
Natsu wraps her in a big hug. He's always hated seeing her cry. She should always wear that beautiful smile of hers. He pets her hair because she always liked that more than someone rubbing her back. "Shhh… it's okay, I already forgiven you."
Lucy pulls away from the hug, removing herself from his embrace, however her face is sandwiched between Natsu's strong hands. Instinctively she closes her eyes and leans into his touch as he wipes the remainder of her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. When she opens her eyes back up, the look on Natsu's face clearly shows what he's going to do next, and Lucy isn't sure if she should stop it or not. Before she can decide his lips are already lightly connecting with hers.
Natsu's heart is beating quickly and loudly. He wonders if Lucy can hear it. When she doesn't push away, he presses his lips harder to hers. Not wanting to take things too far too fast he breaks the kiss. "Goodnight Lucy."
Lucy breathes out, "Goodnight Natsu." She watches him walk away with her fingertips pressed to her lips. She enters her apartment confused. Why did he kiss her? As she gets ready for bed, she texts Loke asking him to get a coffee with her in the morning.
Loke waits in the café he agrees to meet Lucy. God, does he feel like an ass for always standing Lucy up for someone who he realized too late was intentionally ruining his relationship with Lucy. At first, he thought Jenny was just a bit clingy, then she wanted more of his attention and to be honest, it was getting to be quite ridiculous. He had planned to break up with her before finding out Jenny had his phone cloned so she could see all of his activity, but that doesn't change the fact he put his best friend second. He knew Lucy would take a step back, she always did when he was in a relationship, but he always made sure he made time for Lucy. That's why his prior relationships never lasted. Well, that and no one could compare to Lucy. Thinking back, he can't believe he missed the red flags with Jenny and that time with Lucy basically became non-existent.
Yeah, he really is an ass and Laxus and Bickslow had no problem reminding him of how much of one he is. Always ditching her for pussy that they all know Loke doesn't give a fuck about. For being a dumbass and not seeing that Lucy likes him too. Laxus went as far as to say she was in love with him, she planned on telling him so after she graduated from college before she moved onto the next one to get her M.D. By then, he was already with Jenny. They told him that he needed to put on his big boy britches and say something to Lucy before he lost his chance. Unlike the others, Natsu isn't someone who'll be easy to drive out of Lucy's life. He isn't some stranger that she first met, he's a childhood friend.
He knows all about Lucy's history with Natsu. She told him everything about the guy. She vehemently stuck up for the guy when she mentioned missing her mother's memorial service saying he had to have a good reason. She didn't know what that reason could have been though and didn't have time to figure it out. It was a crazy time for her.
Laxus went as far as to say it was a high possibility Natsu was Lucy's first love.
Loke can't let that happen, he can't lose to Natsu. He will fight for her. He will fight for the woman who was lost on her first day of college and he spent the whole morning talking to about astrology. He'll fight for the woman he would stay up late with, studying and quizzing each other before their exams. Boy, did they down a lot of coffee and Red Bulls on those nights.
They both learned a lot about what the other was studying. While Lucy was going to college to become a licensed psychiatrist, he was taking liberal arts, science studies, and humanities. He's still not sure what he's going to do with that yet. He's been working in the human resources department for a big conglomerate at the moment.
But he digresses. If he and Lucy weren't up late getting buzzed from caffeine and studying, they were up late watching movies, eating popcorn, or any other junk food they could get their hands on. And Ramen, can't forget Ramen.
They talked about anything and everything even if it was a little TMI. Loke never minded going to the store for her to get what she needed when Aunt Flow visited.
They attended college parties together. They went out and did fun activities together if their schedules allowed it. He knew he was falling in love, but he was too scared to do anything about it. He didn't want to lose her if she didn't feel the same and it got awkward. He only dated because he was scared that if he put himself out there and told Lucy how he felt then he would lose her. However, if he doesn't say or do something soon, he may lose her anyway.
Loke looks up when the bell above the door jingles. He smiles when he sees it's Lucy. He stands up and when she's near he grabs her hand and kisses her knuckles.
"You look as radiant as ever."
"You always say that Loke."
"Well, it's true." He says as they both sit down. "I waited to order because I didn't know how long you would be."
"Thank you." A waitress comes over to take their order and after she leaves Lucy asks, "So, were you able to get that restraining order on Jenny?"
"Oh, yeah. Especially after she vandalized my car and made some very colorful threats. Listen, I'm sorry for allowing her to get in between our friendship. I-"
"Don't worry about it, Loke."
"I'm going to worry about it, Lucy. I fucked up."
"Loke, she was your girlfriend-"
"Doesn't matter, I shouldn't have been with her anyway."
"Why so?"
"Because she isn't…"
"She isn't?"
'You.' Is on his lips but the waitress interrupts their conversation when she brings over their coffees and Lucy's strawberry strudel.
"I'm really glad you texted and asked me out to coffee, especially after the way I treated you," Loke admits.
Lucy reaches across the table to lightly hold his hand, "Stop beating yourself up over it. Please." She squeezes it and hesitates before letting go.
Loke snatches her hand back and interlaces their fingers. He makes eye contact with her, and his other hand tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, "I've missed you."
Lucy blushes as she gazes into his eyes, "I've missed you too." After a few beats, she softly clears her throat and takes her hand back so she can eat. "How has work been going?"
They fall into conversation and old habits with ease. Loke should have known she wouldn't be upset over everything for long. Once they're done, Loke pays, and they head out.
"Think you can get through a few more years of college to earn your M.D.?"
"Yeah, I can manage." She bumps her hip against his, "How about you? Are you going to do something with that degree of yours?"
"Hey!" Loke swings his arm around her shoulders and pulls her close, "I make good money working in HR thank you. It's nothing compared to what the bigwigs get, but I've been able to build a decent eggs nest."
"I'm getting there. Hopefully, by the time I'm done going through all the hoops and hurdles to get my license, I'll have enough to have my own practice."
Loke kisses the top of her head, "If there's anyone who can do it, it's you princess."
Lucy looks up at him curiously, "It's been a while since you've called me that."
They're at the door to Lucy's apartment and Loke doesn't want to leave but they both of responsibilities. "I really did miss you," Loke says as he gives her a hug and it's a struggle to let her go. Before she enters her apartment, he gives her a kiss not knowing Natsu had done the same the night before but this one is more passionate. It leaves Lucy more confused than ever.
She walks into her apartment and calls her best friend, "Levy, I don't know what to do."
Elsewhere
Natsu and Erza are in the break room. Erza is eating the strawberry cake she brought in and Natsu is eating a bento box he found in the fridge. It's silent, only the sounds of them eating can be heard until Natsu breaks it.
"I don't know what to do Erza. Loke and Jenny broke up a few weeks ago and now that he's available I'm scared I'm going to lose my chance. Yeah, we kissed, and it was awesome but…"
"Natsu, it'll be okay."
"But Erza. You don't hear the way she sounds or looks when she talks about Loke."
Gray comes in during the conversation and he hears the name Loke. Gray's eyes widen. He met Loke at a college party and became fast friends after Loke learned that Juvia was his. He never got the chance to meet the infamous Lucy he talked about. He thought he was just making her up because the girl was always so busy between work and school. He didn't once think she was their Lucy from their first year of high school.
"Then pull off a grand gesture. Also, you know Juvia made that for me."
"Like what? And, relax, there's 4 more just like it in the fridge. How much does she think you eat anyway?"
Erza taps her finger to her chin, "This gesture has to get your feelings and intentions across clearly."
"You should propose to her," Gray says before he opens up the box and pulls out a sandwich.
Natsu's eyes go wide, "Gray for once you have a great idea!"
"Now wait, Natsu that's too forward-" Erza sighs when Natsu runs out of the room. "Really Gray?"
Gray shrugs and eats. He honestly didn't think Natsu would agree. He makes a mental note to get back at the fire fuck for that comment.
Somewhere Else
"So, I had Rufus keep track of Natsu's activity," Laxus informs Loke as he walks into his office. He called Loke and asked him to stop by so they could talk.
Loke would like to say he's shocked that Laxus would do such a thing. "Okay. Why?"
"To dig up anything on the guy, find any red flags, but he's come up with nothing. Other than…"
"Other than what?"
"He may have purchased an expensive ring; you know the kind you propose with."
"Fuck. When did he do that?"
"It was about two hours ago. I don't know if Lucy told you but she and Natsu are going to this fancy schmancy restaurant this Saturday."
"Dammit." Loke paces the office, a hand running through his hair, messing it up and making it look like a lion's mane.
"Yup," Laxus says popping the letter p.
"After everything, you're still okay with me being with Lucy?"
Laxus scoffs, "Like I'm one to talk when it comes to fucking up. Anyway, you better do something before you miss your chance."
Time Skip to Saturday
Natsu is teeming with excitement and nervousness. It's Saturday night and he's out front of a fancy restaurant where he convinced Lucy to allow him to treat her to a wonderful meal. It won't just be a wonderful meal he'll be treating her to. The restaurant has a dance floor that he plans to take her dancing on. The last time they danced together he only stepped on her toes four times. It was a new record. She's going to be pleasantly surprised that the number will be zero tonight. Heck, she's going to be pleasantly surprised that he knows more than the traditional slow dance at a high school dance.
A shiny black car pulls up and a tall, slim man with blue and black hair, sunglasses, and a suit, steps out, and walks around the side of the car to open the back door. He holds his hand out and the person he's holding it out for lightly grabs it and steps out of the car.
Natsu's heart skips a beat when he sees Lucy in a long magenta dress, a V-neck cut to it exposing her chest and it takes all of Natsu's willpower to not stare. Her hair is up in an elegant bun, two strands of hair framing her face. He's broken out of his musing of how beautiful she is when the driver places a hand on his shoulder.
In a low, deep growl the driver says, "You try anything funny, I got five buddies who will do anything I ask, and I mean anything."
Lucy beats Natsu to respond, "Bickslow, behave!"
Bickslow chuckles, "You know I have to give the obligatory warning. You kids have fun!"
Natsu holds out his arm for Lucy, "You're beautiful Luce!"
Lucy links her arm with his, "Thanks. You don't look too shabby yourself." Lucy checks everything out as Natsu lets them know Dragneel for two. It has been a long time since she's stepped into anything elegant and fancy. She smiles and thanks Natsu when he pulls out the chair for her and when she's pushed in, he takes his seat across from her.
After the waiter has taken their order, they discuss more about their chosen career paths. Natsu's mind is swarmed with all the steps she has to take to get to becoming a licensed psychiatrist with her own practice. He tells her more about his business and how the idea came to him when he found out about Gajeel and Levy's ordeal.
Once done eating, Natsu takes her to the dance floor. Lucy is surprised at how well of a dancer he is.
"Yeah, Erza felt it was something I needed to learn how to do and dragged me to dance classes. We got off to a rough start because Erza's idea of dancing was spinning me in circles to the point I vomited on the floor." Natsu laughs when she giggles.
"That's so gross."
Loke's heart is racing so fast it feels as if it'll beat out of his chest. His palms are sweaty and they keep slipping on the steering wheel of his car. He meant to tell her throughout the week how he felt, but he'd clam up every time he opened his mouth. This is his last chance to stop being a coward, a dumbass, an idiot and everything else Laxus and Bickslow called him.
He arrives in the parking lot at the restaurant with a plan to barge in there when Natsu and Lucy step out smiling and laughing as they walk down the sidewalk. He's able to get a glance of her left hand and he lets out a sigh of relief when there's not a big rock gracing her ring finger. Good, he hasn't proposed yet. Loke steps out, pulls a handkerchief out of pocket, and wipes his hands. After putting it back in his pocket, he straightens his jacket before following behind the two. He's going to seem like a stalker when he makes his presence known.
He stays out of sight when they walk into a nearby park. It's a beautiful evening, the stars are starting to come out as the sun sets. Natsu stops at a beautiful water fountain and the both of them sit on the ledge and talk. Loke can't hear what's being said, but any moment now…
Lucy skims her hand through the water, "I truly had a wonderful night Natsu."
"I'm glad to hear you say that Luce." Natsu takes a deep breath, "Because I don't want to only have tonight, I want to have every night with you. And, not only the nights but the days as well. I want to spend the rest of my days with you Luce." Natsu hops off of the fountain, pulls a box from the inside of his coat pocket, and gets down on one knee in front of Lucy. "Luce, will you marry me and be with me forever?"
Lucy's eyes widen and her hands cover her mouth in shock. She can't believe he's… But why? Well, she knows why but why now? They just reconnected and started getting to know each other. And, even if they spent more months getting to know each other again it wouldn't change the fact that she doesn't love Natsu in that way.
Natsu looks up at her shocked face, eyes watering with oncoming tears. He's getting antsy waiting for her answer and nervously asks, "Well?"
"I-I'm sorry Natsu, I can't," Lucy says as she gets up and runs away in guilt because she must know he's standing there heartbroken, and she can't bring herself to look at him.
Natsu reaches out for her and narrowly misses, "Luce wait. Damn it." This was not how Natsu was hoping the night would go. He was so sure that they were on the same page. Or maybe he was seeing only what he wanted to see.
"Damn, she's still as quick as ever in heels."
Natsu turns at the unknown voice and the man he's seen in pictures at Lucy's home walking towards him, "Oh, it's you. What the hell are you doing here?"
Loke pushes his glasses up, "How about we worry about where Lucy went instead?"
"Fine. I'm only listening to you because it's getting dark out and I'm worried about her." Natsu shoves his hands, along with the ring, into his pants pockets doing his best to hold his composure. The last thing he wants is for whom Juvia would refer to as Natsu's love rival, to see him upset. It's bad enough that Loke witnessed Lucy turning down his proposal. The way she talked about this man always filled him with jealousy and he has a sinking feeling it's because of said man that she told him she can't marry him. Because she's in love with Loke, not him.
The two of them don't talk to each other as they search for Lucy. The darker it gets, the more the worry grows.
Loke looks up into the starry night sky and a lightbulb go off over his head. "I got an idea where she could have gone." He says and picks up the pace heading in the direction where he hopes Lucy went.
"Where's that?" Natsu asks.
Loke points up, "Somewhere she'll have a clear view of the sky."
After about another five minutes they find her deeper in the park, sitting on the ground next to a pond, knees up to her chest, chin resting on them as she looks up into the twinkling sky. She doesn't care that she's ruining a perfectly good dress.
"Mama. Did I do the right thing? Telling Natsu no? I love him, but I'm not in love with him. Not like… not like Loke." Lucy's startled by the sound of a branch snapping. Her head whips in the direction where it came from but not only is Natsu there, but so isn't Loke. "Natsu. Loke."
"Listen, Luce," Natsu begins, "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I thought you felt the same." He lets out a breath and continues, "I'm going to go, you two have a lot to talk about, and well… yeah…" Natsu turns to walk away.
"Natsu, wait-"
"It's okay Lucy." Natsu directs his attention to Loke, "So, help me if you make her cry-"
"I won't." Loke faces Lucy, "I will do everything in my power to keep her happy because I'm in love with her."
Natsu nods and walks away disappointed. Over time he'll heal from this.
Lucy takes the hand that Loke holds out to her to help her get to her feet. "Loke, I-"
"Lucy, if you're about to apologize, don't. You have nothing to be sorry for. If there's anyone who should be sorry, it's me. Had I realized your feelings sooner, I wouldn't have waited so long to tell you that I've been in love with you for a while now. But I was a coward and-" He's cut off when Lucy hugs him and snuggles her teary face into his chest.
"I love you too Loke."
"Well then princess, will you please be mine?"
Lucy places a light kiss on his lips, "Yes, Loke. I'll be yours."