The Next Day
Hardia Royal Family Estate
"Adrian, get your ass outa bed." A girl stepped into Adrian's room. It was his younger sister, Aurora. She was a tall girl with brown hair and fair skin covered in freckles. She was going to continue talking but cut herself off at the sight in front of her. Her brother was tangled in white sheets along with a busty red head, both naked. "Damn it, Adrian! Why can't you be a nice person? Maybe you'd still be with Lucy!"
"Shut up," Adrian groaned, "why are you so loud so early in the morning?"
"Morning?! It's two o'clock in the afternoon!" She shouted. Adrian propped himself up on his elbows and looked out the window. The sky was bright blue and birds were perched on the balcony, chirping.
"Aurora, could you help me with. . ." He gestured to the prostitute next to him. Aurora laughed.
"No, she's your problem. Good luck explaining that to dad!" She waved him off and closed the door. Adrian groaned and sat on the edge of his bed, looking at a framed photo. It was of Lucy, her sixteenth birthday. She wore a pink dress that exposed her shoulders and a short, gold locket. He was standing next to her, dressed in his uniform. At that time, he was a private solider. He'd asked her about the locket but she would always find a way to dodge the question. Eventually he had stopped trying.
He grabbed his boxers and slid them on as he stepped to his closet. The red head groaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"What time is it?" She asked.
"About two in the afternoon." He replied. He grabbed a blue shirt from his closet. The red head noticed the picture and took it off the night stand.
"Is this Lucy?" She asked. He turned around to see what she was asking about, then turned back to the khakis he was putting on.
"Yeah."
"I saw her on my way here, last night. She was dancing with that dragon slayer guy."
"Pink hair?"
"Yeah, she looked like she was in love." She said as she stretched. Adrian was silent. He tied a pair of leather shoes on his feet and headed towards the door.
"You loved her once, didn't you?"
". . .yeah," He had his hand on the golden door knob. Before she could say anything else, he left. She shrugged, "poor kid," she said. A few minutes later a maid stepped in and flipped at the sight of the naked woman in Adrian's bed.
• • •
Fairy Tail Guild
It was quite a sight, but not an uncommon one. Mirajane was squealing behind the bar. Apparently, Happy had been watching the two last night and told her about it. Because she is the guild's "shipping queen", and everything about any future couple needs to be reported to her. She didn't care if it was twelve o'clock at night, which was when she was told the information.
"I'm so excited for you two!" She exclaimed. Lucy was blushing madly and Natsu was on the other side of the guild. Unknown to the others, he was listening as Happy was talking about the fish he found last night before the storm started.
"Mira, please calm down, people are staring."
"No, this is one of my new top ships! Right along with GaLe, Jerza, and Gruvia!"
"What?"
"Oh nothing," she said as she started cleaning the bar glasses. "Let me know when it's official."
"I'm not promising anything. There may never be anything."
"What are you talking about?" Mira asked. Lucy was hesitated, but explained that she started noticing that her feelings for Natsu had started to develop. She didn't know if it would ever lead to something or if it would die off within a few days. Mira nodded, understandingly.
"What is it about him that you like?" She asked. Lucy's face became a darker shade of pink.
"Well, he's protective. He's caring and sweet. And, well look at him." Lucy gestured to the dragon slayer nodding along to Happy's story.
"You think he's attractive?"
"Extremely, I honestly don't understand how I didn't think so before!"
Mira laughed, "I don't think that what you're feeling is going to die off."
"No?"
"No, I think it'll lead to something." She smiled, as did Lucy.
There. There's a reason to stay. She thought to herself.
You think I have a list? Her conscience replied. Okay one reason to stay, fifteen thousand to leave. Lucy mentally groaned. She spun around in her seat and found Natsu walking towards her, Happy on his shoulder. He smiled and so did she. A certain guild member noticed this and stepped in.
"Natsu! Wanna go train?" Lisanna asked. She gestured outside, at the back of the guild. Natsu hesitated but accepted the offer. The two stepped out. Lucy watched them, arm in arm. Lisanna turned around and noticed the stare. She winked and stuck out her tongue.
Such a child.
Natsu noticed this, though. He turned around and started walking towards Lucy. Waving Lisanna off as she started to protest.
Ha!
He was about to ask her a question before Gray stepped towards the two.
"Fire Breath, what did you do to my shirt?!"
"What do you mean?"
"It smells like lavender fabric softener!" He exclaimed. Lucy raised an eyebrow. Is it really that big of a deal?
"Uh, I washed it." Lucy stated. Natsu and Gray were head to head in a name calling argument. Gray turned to her, confused.
"What?"
"I washed it. This morning. I didn't think it would be a big deal." He was silent.
"Oh. I'm. . . Sorry. I over reacted."
"It's fine." She was about to ask why he was so mad at Natsu, but a water mage intervened. Crushing him with a hug. "Natsu?"
"Hmm?"
"Walk me home?"
"Sure,"
• • •
Lucy was sprawled out on her couch with a bowl of strawberries and raspberries. Natsu and Happy were sitting next to her on the floor. They were watching the news. The king was becoming harder on his troops. Clips of different wizards and soldiers training were shown. The news anchor continued talking, but at the end, she said something that caught the groups attention.
"Tomorrow, we will be having an interview with one of the most promising soldiers of His Majesty's army, Adrian Carrio."
"That guy sucks." Happy stated. Natsu nodded. Lucy didn't acknowledge their input, just stabbed a raspberry with her fork. The news anchor began taking about the kingdom's schools. One kid was collecting hats to help raise money for endangered species.
Natsu stood from his spot and walked into the kitchen.
"Don't make a mess!" Lucy shouted.
"Won't plan on it!" He replied. He pulled a sports drink out of her fridge and opened it. He closed the fridge door and noticed the news paper in the recycling bin. It was crumpled. He pulled the paper out and flattened it out.
'The Princess Has Fallen In Love With Lower Class Mage!'
There was a picture of them, walking out of the record store, talking. He read the article. Nothing was accurate. Everything came from an unknown source. One quote stuck out the most.
She deserves someone who can by her anything she wants. Natsu Dragneel can't do that. He'd be too busy paying for his 'meals' and damaged buildings to even notice her.
He put the article in the trash, where all that information belonged. He could take care of her. He would take care of her. He'd put her first. But who was he kidding? She's probably part of some arranged marriage. Or would just prefer some one who could afford to buy her a ring.
Why was he so upset about this? Did he like her? He shouldn't. It'd be easy if he didn't like her. They were friends. They weren't supposed to like each other that way. She'd be with a rich guy from uptown Magnolia and he wouldn't have to worry about her getting enough to eat or sleep.
But the problem was, he did like her. He liked that she could be cold and caring at the same time. He liked that she didn't constantly ask hard to answer questions between a guy and a girl. He liked that she was easy to talk to. He liked the way she looked. He thought she was beautiful. He thought any guy would be lucky to have her.
He realized this the night before. She taught him how to dance. She knew what she was doing. Unlike him, he occasionally stepped on her feet. At first he thought it was just because of the moment. The music and the girl with him. But it hadn't stopped. He kept thinking about it. Late that night, he couldn't sleep.
He stepped into her room, she was asleep. One arm under her head, the other below her pillow. He sat on his knees and watched her. Her hair had fallen over her face and her mouth was parted slightly. He pushed the hair away and rested his hand on her, on her cheek and slightly below her jaw. He stares at her lips for moment. Wondering, what it would be like to kiss them. He shook it off, that wasn't what friends did.
He kissed her forehead. He moved his thumb back and forth on her cheek. She was soft. He wasn't, he noticed. Her hand was soft and light and clean. His were tanned and rough, covered in scars and dry skin, and he had dirt, stuck under his nails.
Another difference, he thought. She was clean and soft. He was rough. He noticed something shine, out of the corner of his eye. He turned and looked at her night stand. A gold locket was laid out nicely across the small, wooden table. He took the locket and opened it. Inside were two pictures. One of both her parents, Jude and Layla. The other. . .
Was him.
It wasn't a good quality picture. It was from a newspaper. He must've been about ten, around the same time they met. He remembered when that picture was taken. He had just completed his first job with his 'team'; Gray, Erza, Happy, and Lisanna at that time. They nearly destroyed a farm. People were afraid of the young Fairy Tail wizards.
He closed the locket and took one look at Lucy, before stepping back into the living room.
He was brought back to reality when Lucy stepped into the kitchen.
"You, okay?" She asked. She was concerned, it was obvious.
"Yeah. I'm okay." He smiled. She didn't return the gesture. She noticed the paper in the trash.
"Are you really okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked. Lucy set her bowl and fork in the sink. She turned to him and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"You can talk to me, about anything." She said. Her face was nuzzled in the crook of his neck. He nodded and gently wrapped his arms around her.
"I know." He said. Luckily, Happy was asleep.
• • •
Author's Note:
It's a two chapter week!! Yayy! Sadly this chapter isn't as long as chapter 17, but I think it's okay. So. Time for some information.
I started working on a new NaLu fic a few days ago. I think you (readers) will like it. It's a historical fanfic, taking place in Austria during the French Revolution. Lucy is an Austrian and Natsu is a Russian solider. I think it'll do well, but it'll be risky. I haven't read or seen a fanfic taking place during this time or any historical fanfic for that matter. But I really think readers will enjoy it, I plan to include some mature stuff in it but that all depends on how I feel the story should go. But this won't be up for a while now, so no one needs to worry about it yet.