The smell of baked goods and coffee beans filled her nose as Lucy entered the café that day, her best friend, Levy, walking beside her. They had just finished their shifts at the school's library and wanted to escape the frigid air that winter had to offer them. They found shelter in the café and decided to order something warm.
Lucy was no stranger to this café. She came here after work nearly every day as it was one of her favorite places in town. It was a quiet, cozy place to relax and do homework. Not to mention it was where a certain pink-haired boy worked.
Speak of the devil…
"Hey, Luce!" a familiar voice called out to her.
Levy turned to look at her friend, snickering when she found a blush spread across her cheeks. "Is that the boy you were telling me about?"
Lucy nodded. In a quiet voice, she answered, "Yeah, that's Natsu."
"No wonder why you're always coming here. He's cute!"
"Shh, Levy-chan! He'll hear you!"
The petite girl giggled at her friend's expense. "Alright, alright. How about you go order for us then? I'll give you some time to talk to your crush." With that, she walked away to situate herself at one of the tables by the window.
Lucy groaned in mild annoyance after having been teased. Alright, so she might have had a slight crush on Natsu. It wasn't like she was in love with him or anything. He just always took her order and made her laugh by writing dumb jokes on her drinks. They didn't talk much, but she knew he was kind.
With pink cheeks, Lucy approached the counter, where Natsu was waiting with a fanged grin. That toothy grin of his always managed to cause her heart to thump wildly within her chest, along with his cherry blossom pink hair and his dark, mesmerizing eyes. Though she would never say it aloud, there had been many days in which she came to the café simply to see him. Of course, she upheld her cover by buying a small drink.
"Hey, Luce!" Natsu repeated, his grin growing. "Want your usual?"
"Yes, please," Lucy replied with a shy smile. "Oh, one for my friend, too."
Natsu nodded, getting two paper cups. He poured some chocolate powder into them and added hot water, stirring it to create the perfect drink for the winter. He brought his eyes upwards to meet her gaze, giving her a crooked smirk.
"I'll give you extra whipped cream, like always," he said. Just as promised, he sprayed a lot of whipped cream into the cup, she felt like it was going to overflow.
Lucy giggled. "Thanks, Natsu."
As Natsu started to make Levy's cup, he glanced at Lucy, noticing the straps of her pink backpack.
"Just get out from school?" he asked.
Lucy's brows raised. This was the first time she was going to have an actual conversation with Natsu. "U-Umm, no. I work at the library on campus after class. I just came here from work with my friend."
Natsu nodded, stirring Levy's drink. This time, he only put the normal amount of whipped cream. Admittedly, it made Lucy feel special.
"Lucky. I'm here until close," Natsu complained with a cute pout.
"You do work a lot," Lucy mused. "You are here every time I come in, and I come here almost every day!"
