THE BET | NALU

Chapter 24

Natsu didn't know what to feel at the moment. Relief? Joy? Sadness? Anger? No, he knew anger wasn't there at all. He could never feel angry looking at the blonde haired girl. He watched as the professor and Lucy talked about something that Natsu hadn't been paying attention to. Something about coming back or something. But Natsu didn't care much about that. He just watched for any..anger? Any sadness that Lucy might hold in case her father lied.

He kept watching as Lucy returned to her seat, not even looking at him. That was the part that confused him. Confused his own feelings. Natsu wanted to distance himself from Lucy, but it still hurt him. A lot more than he would like to admit. No, that wasn't fair. He was thinking about his reputation again. About being embarrassed..

He's a bastard.

Just a bastard.

Speaking of bastards, he noticed that Cobra hadn't been around lately. Like..at all. He expected to see Cobra in the halls maybe or on his rock, but he didn't. Not that Natsu was looking, it was just an expectation. Natsu didn't want to see Cobra, but he couldn't help but wonder where he was. Maybe he was sick or something.

As the teacher started to...well do what teachers do, Natsu did what most students would do (by 'most' that would just be the few guys in the back and Natsu.). Zone out and pretend to pay attention. Though Natsu was slightly different this time. He didn't pretend to pay attention, it wasn't worth the energy. Instead he just laid his head on the desk and started to daydream. Normally he day dreamed of normal guy things like video games and boobs but not this time.

This time..he just thought of nothing.

He supposed that's because without Lucy he was nothing, and even though he didn't realize it before, he's always been just nothing without her. Lucy made Natsu..Natsu. And he lost her now.

Because he was stupid.

But he wouldn't let himself beg for forgiveness, to be..something. He wouldn't be selfish this time. For once in his life, he would not be selfish. He wouldn't make Lucy sad again. He wouldn't do things for himself.

Lucy deserved better.

She always did.

"Natsu...Natsu.." A voice started to say but Natsu wasn't listening. Instead he just stared blankly at the board while the rest of the class made their way out of the class.

"Natsu.."

Maybe he could quit coming here, so Lucy could be without him. It's not like he ever actually did anything anyways. Sometimes he wondered why he even came to school if he didn't do anything.

Well, Lucy helped him a lot and he actually started to enjoy school.

But that stopped.

Maybe Natsu could just work at Mcdonalds the rest of his life.

"NATSU!" The voice yelled, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him fall off of his chair.

"Ow..what the hell?" He complained and looked up to see the teacher staring directly at him, not angry...but just annoyed.

"Class is over Natsu.." He sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. Natsu looked around the class sheepishly before huffing as if it wasn't his fault. There wasn't an obvious change in his personality, especially if you weren't friends, so no one really thought otherwise when Natsu didn't leave the class when they did.

Except one person.

Natsu sighed as he walked down the hallways, deciding to just skip the next class. He wasn't in the mood. He didn't think he would ever be in the mood for class again. Not that he was much before.

He felt his phone buzzed but ignored it like normal. It had been buzzing a lot lately. Probably just Gray again though. Or maybe Mira..maybe Lisanna...probably not Elfman. Unless he was yelling at him to be a man.

But he just didn't understand.

And Natsu didn't feel like explaining it to him when he just wouldn't understand.

However, he did hear some rumors about Cobra getting kicked out of school for sexual harassment though. THAT was some good news to Natsu. Though he did feel a little guilty since he was the one that took the pictures.

"Are you avoiding me?" A voice suddenly spoke up behind him, making him jump up slightly and turn around to see a certain blonde haired girl. Instead of making the usual dumb comment about everyone trying to scare him today, he just stayed quiet and turned back around as if she wasn't there.

"Okay now I know you're avoiding me." She stated, walking beside him now while he continued to look away from her.

"I want to be alone.." Natsu said quietly, not trying to be mean.

"Remember all the times I told you to go away?" Lucy said, looking directly at his face, which made it harder for him to look away "Not going to happen buster."

Natsu snorted, not realizing that he did before looking even further away to pretend that it didn't happen.

"Ha! Caught you!" Lucy announced loudly and pointed to his face "You're still Natsu."

"Never said I wasn't." He said, trying to make it sound like he was uninterested in her.

"Natsu..I want to talk.." Lucy finally said quietly and stepped in front of him to cut him off. The look she gave him was sincere, and made her extremely cute, but Natsu just looked away. He didn't make any move to walk around her though. Which he cursed himself for.

"I want to thank you..my father..he's much better with me now. It's like he's a whole new person." She said, her big onyx eyes looking into his. He couldn't stop himself from looking back this time.

"You shouldn't thank me..." He muttered, trying to tear his eyes from hers, but he couldn't. It was like her eyes were magnets.

"I should." She said stubbornly and took a step forward "I trust you."

"What?" He asked, confused by the last statement.

"I trust you. I know..I know you didn't actually do anything to me at the time the picture was taken..and you probably had a good reason to take it." She grabbed his hand as she looked up at him, he didn't even try to take his hand back as a few tears fell down his face.

"No. I was selfish. I had no reason. None whatsoever." He shouted, angry, but not as her. Never at her. At himself. "I was selfish! You deserve a better friend!"

"Natsu.."

"No, you deserve so much better than me. I only bring you pain Lucy. I was scared for my reputation so I took that picture. I was stupid and a fool. I'll always be stupid and a fool." He over towered her now, not realizing that he had grabbed her hand back.

"I know..you're an idiot." Lucy said deadpan as she looked up at him, their faces barely inches apart "But you've never hurt me Natsu.. You've always been brave for my sake. I'm the one that hurt you."

"You're not." Natsu stated, repeating her words "You've never hurt me."

"Natsu..I don't care what people saw anymore." She whispered, intertwining their fingers with no resistance from Natsu "I just..I care about you Natsu."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do." She leaned in closer to him "I always have..and you leaving me would hurt me more than anything else you've done."

Natsu stayed silent, not sure how to reply. WAS he hurting Lucy by leaving her? No..this would save her more pain wouldn't it?

He didn't have any time to think about it really as Lucy pressed her lips against his. It was as if all of his willpower left him as he kissed her back, his free hand cupping her cheek. He didn't want the kiss to ever stop, and it seemed like she didn't either as it went on, only stopping every ten seconds to breathe.

"I love you Natsu.." She breathed when they broke apart.

"I love you too.."

That's when he decided, that he couldn't leave her.

Ever.

Again.

Mmm this might be the last