Celestial Breaker {A NaLu Story}

5: Friends Worth Getting Hurt For or Lovers?

Lucy

Erza was not happy.

The way her arms were crossed, the way she glared at us when we left the shop told us that much. I felt Natsu stiffen beside me when we left Wal-Mart and saw her leaning against a pillar.

"What were you two thinking?" She said slowly, making sure every single word was emphasized.

Natsu's grip around the handle of the two plastic bags tightened, "Please be more specific..."

"Oh I don't know," she slowly walked towards us. I literally backed up until half of my body was behind Natsu's.

"How about the fact that you cart skate across the whole supermarket?" She started numbering. "Nearly running over some people, arguing with one another in the middle of the check out line."

The captain stopped, glared at us before pulling something out of her jean butt pocket. She tapped, no jabbed it a few times before flashing the screen to us.

The screen read: Salamander claims Celestial Striker Loves him?! Truth or Joke?

Underneath the headline, a whole five paragraph essay on the events that happened in the store. Those damn fans sure are fast.

Natsu pointed at the screen, "It was a joke."

"I don't care," Erza locked her phone and stuffed it back in her butt pocket. "Natsu, everybody knows of your... romantic situation."

Her brown eyes flicked to mines before continuing, "We don't need rumors floating above our heads because of careless outbursts."

"I know that," he sighed. "It won't happen again."

I distanced myself from my hiding place behind Natsu. If he's going to control himself from letting random love confessions from me erupt, then I should probably be careful on what I say and do as well. Something as simple as touching him on the arm can be bad. I don't want that. Not for him.

Erza let our a breath before her eyes scanned the parking lot, "There's Jellal. Let's go home."

~~~~~~~~~

Natsu

Jellal dropped all of us off at Lucy's apartment. I said goodbye to the girls and started my way home. The soft November snow started falling just as I took the first two steps.

The walk from Lucy's to mines is about fifteen minutes but half an hour if she's on my mind, which is almost everyday.

There's no doubt she changed my life. I'm less of an asshole than I used to be. If the same situation with the old lady were to have happened six months ago, I never would've helped. I might've even got impatient with her and switched lines. But Lucy... she's killing my flame and I'm letting her. She knew how to control me which is good, I guess.

I know she's hurting like I am. And I know that unless I can wrap my arms around her body, kiss her and call her mine we will continue to hurt. I can't do that to her. I can't keep hurting her by being her friend. If I want it to stop, I gotta take that leap.

But there's no future for us whatsoever. I have to marry Lisanna, no thanks to my older brother. I was supposed to marry some heir of some infamous hotels but I chose not to because that'd be too awkward to marry a complete stranger. Plus, she didn't accept the marriage proposal and ran away. At least that's what her father said. She disappeared or ran away years ago so Lisanna was the winner.

I stopped. So then that's it? Lucy and I... that's it? Friends forever even though we love each other to the end of the world? Is that it? No, the bond we built over the past five months must mean something.

But is that something...worth tears and pain over?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy

Erza blew and ate her ramen, eyes glued on the TV but I knew she was dying to talk to me about what happened with Natsu.

We were sitting on the floor using the coffee table so we could watch the show on: Hawaii 5-0, my new all time favorite show of life. Erza's as well but there's more serious thing she has on her mind than to pay attention to the pointless argument between Steve and Danny.

I intercepted her first, "I don't understand how you and Jellal aren't together yet."

Titania choked on the ramen right away. My eyes returned to the TV as I patted her back. She grabbed her glass of water and chucked the whole content down.

"Where did that come from?" She asked, finally done with her little choking session.

I shrugged, "So? What's your answer?"

"Because," she started. "Well, because."

I held up a hand. Of course let the journalist explain it to the dense... well sometimes dense. Dense to her feelings! There we go.

"My theory..."

Erza narrowed her eyes, "This isn't biology. No theory needed, thank you."

"Anyway," I laughed. "The problem is, both of you are too afraid to make rhe first step. You both know your feelings for one another are strong, and the moment one does grow the balls to make the step, there's no separating you two, so! What's stopping you two? Do you need to get into some argument about life and death, roll down the side of a hill, land with him on top of you then come close to kissing or what?"

It was my Captain's turn to chuckle at my scenario, "It's one of those things you can't rush."

"Oh I know but I think fifteen years is long enough," I replied, my back resting against the foot of my coach. "It's almost unhealthy."

"We've dated other people," she admitted. "I've even dated Liam for some time."

My attention was on her now, "No way..."

She nodded, "It was a short two months and he was such a nice guy. We broke up because there were no feelings between us plus I just figured out I was in love with Jellal. We remain friends until this day."

That would probably explain why she is so chill with him whereas Natsu and Gray, childhood friends of hers, wants to punch the living hell out of him whenever they see him.

"It's true he's a player now though," She continued. "But he knows better than to play with hearts of the girls at school. I kept a close eye on him."

She really is something.

"Alright!" She suddenly slammed her cup of water on the table. "Before you change the subject again -"

"I love Natsu," I intercepted for the second time that night. "But I can't be with him because he's engaged to Lisanna and she's my friend. I can't get between that."

Erza sighed, "But you should at least date..."

"Knowing that he's going to be married to another girl in a few years?"

"Well," Erza tied her red scarlet hair back into a pony tail. "It's just too painful to watch you and him being friends when you would be so much happier being something more."

I watched the little shootout between the 5-0 characters and their latest shootout processing Erza's comment. It's true life would be a lot easier if Natsu could just ask me out and we start dating. It's just that easy.

Only the universe doesn't allow life to be that easy. No, then there's no fun in it, no challenges equals nothing to life. That simple.

"I just don't want to talk about this right now, okay?" I sighed. "I'm sorry."

She nodded, "See? We're both clueless when it comes to love."

"I'm not totally blind," I smirked at her. "I can see you and Jellal are totally in love with each other. We just need to come up with a plan to get you two together."