Fairy Tail: You're Natsu of Fairy Tail (A NaLu Fan Fiction)

Chapter 6: The True Meaning of Love

Lucy sighed, resting her chin in her palm. How on Earthland am I going to restore Aquarius' key? I thought I could get started figuring that out, but...then this situation with the sea thieves popped up, along with...my illness...

Guilt filled her like one of the waves hitting the ship. She knew that if one of the others were sick and possibly dying, she'd want to know about it right away. So didn't that mean she should tell them?

Lucy's grip on the railing tightened. She needed to tell Natsu and the others. It wasn't fair to Happy and Loke to keep the secret for her.

"Whatcha doin', Luce?"

The blonde flinched, turning around quickly to see Natsu standing there with his arms crossed lazily and a grin on his face.

A smile easily slipped onto Lucy's lips. "Natsu. Nothing, just...enjoying the stars."

"Oh? You really like them, huh?" Natsu asked with a snicker, walking forward and joining her side.

"They're pretty!" Lucy protested, trying to defend her normal tastes.

"Ah. They are," Natsu agreed, his confident smile still on his face as content resided in his onyx eyes that stared up at the stars as well.

Lucy's own brown eyes widened, watching the dragon slayer.

His pink hair was blowing in the slight breeze, as was Lucy's, but the stars were reflected in his eyes which were bright. The unique spirit known to the dragon slayer shined through them, and his form altogether was just so...familiar to Lucy. It seemed to suck her into a trance. After all they had been through, they were still together and still best friends. He was still the same Natsu; the one who could never be swayed.

Her heart pounded particularly hard in her chest then.

"Natsu?"

The dragon slayer turned his head to her, open. "What is it Lucy?"

Her mouth opened to tell him her secret.

But the words didn't come.

Seeing him standing there...made Lucy's secret suddenly seem like such a burden. She realized then that she was afraid. That if she told Natsu, he wouldn't be focused on Ilene and this fight against her followers. And if he wasn't focused...then something bad could possibly happen. Perhaps another thing Lucy feared most was the look he would give her. What if it was a look she dreaded? One of pity or one of guilt like he had given her when she woke up in the infirmary? Lucy couldn't bear that, and she couldn't bear the idea of being a weight on her friends. If Lucy really was going to die—though she truly believed she'd be okay—then she wanted her final moments with her friends to be filled with ones of happiness, not dread of what was to come.

"Luce?"

She blinked, pulled from her thoughts by her best friend.

Natsu was watching her with a concerned expression. "You okay?"

Lucy smiled endearingly, but it was also sad. "Yes. Sorry. I...forgot what I was going to say."

A lie.

Natsu laughed, the noise ringing through Lucy's ears. "You're weird, Lucy."

The blonde couldn't help a laugh then, knowing that phrase all too well. "Yeah, perhaps I am."

Natsu and Lucy laughed together, and Lucy decided that she'd remember this moment forever.

"Oh, look Luce! A shooting star!"

The pair watched the sky with wide eyes, the blonde barely catching it as it streaked across the sky. Happiness and awe was on both of their faces.