"I'm not going anywhere..." She whispered in Natsu's ear again and again until Natsu's hands and body stopped shivering. Natsu laid his head on Lucy's shoulder and soon, after a few seconds, Natsu suddenly dropped down, but Lucy caught him before he could fall to the ground.

"Natsu!" She exclaimed as she shook Natsu. Luckily his eyes opened a bit.

"Lucy...." He stated very weakly. He stood up by himself and tried to stand up straight, his left foot was weak but he put up a strong front.

"What's going on with you? Are you okay?" Lucy was nervous and scared about how Natsu was acting.

"I'm..." He coughed roughly. "I'm....Fine...Nothing t-to worry....about..." He replied, leaning on the wall as he walked. His legs were wobbly and he's sweating. He's not one bit near an image of fine. With that being said, Lucy's worry grew more.

"A-are you sure...?" She asked again.

"...." He was gasping for air and didn't reply. "I'm....." Before Natsu's sentence could ever continue, he dropped down on the floor. She blinked a few times, trying to process what happened. Natsu just dropped to the floor without warning.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, running to his aid. "Natsu!" She shook her to try and wake him up. His eyes were closed and he didn't move an inch. After a few seconds, Natsu opened his left eye opened, weakly and slowly turned to look at Lucy.

"Lucy...." He stated again, trembling voice.

"What?? Wait here and I'll call a doctor!" She quickly stood up and ran to the telephone. "Seriously! a normal person wouldn't say he's okay if he's not!" She scolded as she dialed the numbers on the old telephone. As she waited for someone to answer on the other line. Natsu grabbed the phone from her hand and quickly hung up the phone.

"W-What?? Natsu! What are you doing?? You obviously need medical help!"

"No, I don't...."

"Stop acting like this!" Natsu suddenly coughed, cupping his hands on his mouth. When he turned to look at his hand, it was tainted with blood. Natsu eye's widened and Lucy gasped.

"That's enough! You really need a doctor!" She turned to take the phone, but he grabbed her wrist and held it tightly.

"Don't....."

"N-Natsu....What are you....?" Natsu then had this serious expression as he leaned closer and closer to Lucy's face. Lucy tried to lean back, but his' was getting nearer.

Natsu suddenly snapped out and let her wrist go.

"Just....Don't call a doctor, I'm fine." He faced her with his chin up. "This is perfectly normal."

He grabbed her hand gently. "Please, go back to your business." He smiled and walked away, sliding his hand away from hers.

"Natsu....?"

"I'm fine." Was the last thing he said before disappearing in the darkness of the corridors.

Natsu had a hard time climbing up the stairs, every step stung him with pain from his body. Then he heard Lucy's heels tapping on the floor so he stood up straight and acted as if he had no problem.

Lucy turned to him, and he smiled in returned. To Lucy, it seemed odd that Natsu would do such a kind gesture at her. So she faked a smile in reply and walked passed the stairs. When Natsu knew Lucy wasn't around he quickly turned back to his struggling state. Natsu was embarrassed and at the same time angry at himself for acting so weak in front of a woman. He has a tad of superiority complex, a tad, just a tad and he's naturally self boastful.

So he endured every painful step. 'What kind of illness does Natsu have?' asked Lucy to herself as she watched Natsu slowly climbing the stairs at the little opening of the door. Yes, of course she was worried. And she was also worried on how to tell Natsu she was leaving when she already said she wouldn't. Lucy sighed and went off to the garden again.

The next day, Lucy decided to confront Natsu and tell him. The second she woke up, Lucy headed straight to Natsu's room, even though she's still wearing her purple night gown. She stopped in front of his door, hesitant, but knocked otherwise. There was no answer. She knocked again, but again, there was no answer. Lucy checked the door knob and it twisted. The door was surprisingly open.

"Natsu.?" She asked, peeking inside, seeing nothing, but as she went in and closed the door, she walked inside and saw that Natsu was still in bed, his whole body was covered in his blanket.

"Natsu, wake up!" Exclaimed Lucy irritatedly as she pulled the blankets away from Natsu. And to her surprise, she saw something she shouldn't've seen......

"KYAAAAH!!!!" She exclaimed, covering her eyes. With that, Natsu woke up with an angry expression, scratching his head.

"Would you please shut up?" He opened his eyes. "Wha--?? Lucy??? What are you doing in my room??" He asked, very much surprised.

Lucy turned around, blushing, scared to even face him. "Don't mind that!! Cover youself!! Please!!" Natsu turned to look at himself and he noticed that his blanket that covered his naked body was not covering him now. (Author: Fangirls, are your noses bleeding now? Haha! I want to know.)

"Wha---?!?" He quickly jolted up from where he laid and ran to grab a towel, wrapping it around his waist. "Y-You......You saw it didn't you?!?!"

"N-No I didn't!" She denied.

Natsu suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders tightly, a little bit to tight that her dress fell down, and, Natsu saw Lucy's nude body....too. Of course, there was underwear, but who would wear a bra while sleeping? It hurts a bit actually, to her.

"Whoah...." He stated under his breath.

"KYAAAAAAAAH!!!!" Lucy exclaimed louder than before, while Natsu took a few steps back, staring at Lucy. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT??!?!?"

Natsu was completely red and turned around with his arms crossed. "W-What did I even do??"

"M-My dress is suppose to be strapless, but it's too loose so I had to put clip-on straps! but you held it tightly and the clips fell off!!" She shouted, covering her naked body with the blanket on the bed.

"My Sincere Apologies Ms. Heartfilia, but how should I know about that?!?" He replied.

"You should know to not hold on my shoulders so tightly!!" She replied. Natsu opened his mouth as to shout something back at her, but quickly shut it as they both noticed the person standing outside the door.

"My! My! What is going on in here?? What's all the ruckus?" She said, leaning to peek inside. "Oh, My." She said, speechless, staring at Natsu in a towel and Lucy covering herself with Natsu's blanket.

"It seems I'm interrupting something. If you may excuse me...."

"It's not what you think!!" They both exclaimed in unison as they ran towards the door, but then they realized their situation and turned to look at each other, surprised.

Natsu sighed as Lucy looked at him with a blushing glare. "Why....did you enter my room?"
When Natsu asked that, Lucy remembered his state from yesterday and the news she was about to tell Natsu.

"I...just came to wake you up." She look at the left side of the room, avoiding eye contact with Natsu. He knew Lucy was nervous so, as a gentleman, he didn't push her by asking more questions. "How should I know you were naked......I mean, who sleeps in the nude?"

"Preferably, I do." He stated back, playfully. "And who wears clip-on straps??"

"I do, obviously." She replied back.

"That's stupid." He mocked as he crossed his arms together, turning to face Lucy with his intimidating superior glare.

"Sleeping naked is stupid." She replied with an angered poker face. They glared at each other for a while, but after a while, Lucy sighed. "Come on Dragneel, let's not be childish."

And without Natsu knowing, his old and childish side came loose, somehow Lucy has cracked the chest and made a little opening to possibly free the old beloved Natsu. Maybe.

"Can't help it, Being childish is my nature." He stated, chuckling.

"Your nature?" She chuckled hysterically. "Since when did childish being 'Natsu'?" She asked.

He grinned. "Long before I even met you~" He sang.

"Oh my, this is such a discovery." She teased.

"I'm surprised you didn't know about that."

"But you're so.....sophisticated and professional! It's so surprising to know you're such a person like you said." Lucy said in surprised, and when Natsu realized what he said, he realized the crack she'd made.

He coughed, snapping out of the moment. "Well, I must be going. And you must too. Please wear your dress and be off." Then Natsu walked inside the bathroom, leaving Lucy to dress herself and leave. While Lucy was changing, Natsu's feet were trembling out of embarrassment.

"I...I can't believe I told that to her!" He exclaimed in a whisper. "I'm such an idiot!" He said again. He stared down at the tiled floor, stuck deep in his train of thoughts. And he continued on and took his shower, still thinking about it. About his memory on Lisanna, about the thought of his carelessness affecting other people he loved. He doesn't want that again. No one wants that.

Lucy finished wearing her night down, fixed Natsu's bed and left off to her room to change. As Lucy walked in the hallways, her mind kept reminding herself of Natsu....and...you know.....And herself, being shown off like that. It was quiet the grand embarrassment. This incident might actually alienate those two from each other, but it also encouraged her curiosity on Natsu's words. 'Being childish is my nature. Long before I met you'. Those words kept repeating in her mind like a broken record and it made Lucy focused on finding out his past. She smiled and entered her room, changing into something more suitable for the day. Soon after, she got a phone call from Michelle and after the little chat, she left off to her work on finding a buyer.

She had to tell Natsu, because Mira will be fetching her from the estate to her mansion the day after tomorrow. Somehow, Mira already knew about the thing Michelle told her just this morning, and she insisted to fetch Lucy. In the afternoon, Lucy walked to the garden, to watch the sunset again, but as she walked closer, she heard someone talking. Talking to himself maybe? She leaned to catch a peak and it was Natsu. He was sitting there, talking on the phone.

"Yes, what time would you be checking the estate?" He asked. 'Oh, he's talking to a possible buyer.' Lucy thought to herself. "Is tomorrow good?.............Then it's settled. We'll see you tomorrow." After he ended the call, he stared at the sunset with eyes deeply focus on something in mind. She wouldn't dare come close to him after their accidental intimate incident, She'd have to be gusty to even look at him. And Lucy IS a bit brave, but not at the very moment.

"What are you doing there?" Natsu asked, still facing the sun. Lucy gulped, surprised that he noticed her presence.

"Uh..." She stated. Natsu turned to look at her with a face that melted her heart. He looked worried at something and it didn't bother him to be with Lucy even after 'that'. "What....are you doing here?" She asked, stepping inside the tiled stepping stones surrounded by the greenery of the grass and the pink sakura petals that fell down the floor.

"The question is, what are YOU doing here?" He asked in reply, smiling an obvious fake smile.

"I came here to watch the sunset in the garden." She sat beside Natsu on the small wooden bench. "I overheard your conversation on the phone. A buyer?" She tilted her head to see a slight fraction of his expression.

"Yeah, he's coming tomorrow, the estate is pretty much the real deal. I assume that we have nothing to worry about." He stated proudly.

"Is that so?" Lucy smiled a mischievous smile. "Then, you're free for the rest of the afternoon?"

"I guess." He said. They both paused and awkward one minute passed through the both of them.

"Look, Natsu." Lucy started. "I have to be honest with you." Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"With....what?" He asked.

"Well..." She played with the ruffles on the skirts, waiting, preparing herself for her confession. "Uh....Well....about the phone call I received..."

"Oh..." He stated. "What about it...?" Lucy wasn't looking, but she was sure Natsu was serious.

"Well...that's it...I lied.." She clenched her fist on her skirt. "I'm going to leave the day after tomorrow.." Lucy stared down on the tiles, waiting for Natsu's reply, but he didn't say a word. He just stared back at the orange red sky above.

"May I ask why?" He, finally, said.

"I don't think I can answer that." She replied.

"Let me rephrase that," Natsu turned to face Lucy and Lucy stared back at him with a saddened face. "Tell me why."

"Why would I have to tell you?"

"Just answer it. Why?"

"I can't." She replied back.

"If you won't tell me, you're not leaving here." He stated. "I won't allow you to."

"Believe me, Natsu. I would like to stay here with you, but this isn't my decision." Natsu blushed a bit and Lucy did as well, realizing she just said 'with you'. "And, of course, the mission Mira entrusted to us isn't finished yet."

"So you want to stay here with me? Is that what your saying?"

"W-What?! N-No it's not that!---I mean, it's not just that it's just---!!"

"Just what kind of thing is it??" He asked, seeming a bit impatient.

"Why would you want to know?!" Lucy leaned forward, irritated at him.

"Why don't you want to tell me?!" And Natsu replied in a shout.

"Because!"

"Because what?!"

Lucy grunted, blood boiling due to the irritating attitude of Natsu. "Because I have an arranged marriage!!" She exclaimed, realizing what she said, she quickly turned her back against him, cupping her hands to her mouth and was blushing wildly than ever.

There was no reply for a moment. It was obvious he was shocked.

"....what...?" Natsu whispered. Lucy clenched her right hand on her left and hoped that she could get the strength to leave, but for some reason she just couldn't.

"Yeah, Now you know." Lucy said, sadly, facing him again. Natsu stood up and has this serious or perhaps focused emotion. He stared Lucy down and she froze there with a puzzled gaze on him. Then he quickly grabbed Lucy by the shoulders and drew her closer to him.

"Yeah," He said. "I do know, but I'm not giving my approval." He seemed firm on his statement.

And with those words, something snapped inside Lucy for this moment. "What?? Are you demented?? It's not as if I asking for your permission! I'm telling you this just so you know!" She angrily jerked away from his grip. "Don't act like I'm yours!"

As Lucy and Natsu was getting into a new quarrel someone suddenly appeared.

"Oh hi! So, How are you doing Lucy??" Mira asked, entering the garden. "Oh my! Isn't this something!" She exclaimed happily.

"Ms. Malane told me all about the two of you." She teased. "So is it true?? Are you two really together??" She asked in excitement, eyes glimmering and is in the verge of fangirling.

"Whaaaat??!" Natsu's voice went higher due to the preposterous idea, but Lucy quickly covered his mouth, giggling happily.

"Oh Mira! If those are the rumors. Then the rumors are true!" She giggled happily as if nothing of the fight happened at all. 'Maybe she's the one demented here...' Natsu thought.

"What?!?!" Natsu exclaimed, a bit incomprehensible since he's mouth was covered. Lucy tightened her grip on his face and smiled bigger, of course, who would forget the giggles?

"Oh darling! It's fine. We can tell Mira!" Lucy said, facing Natsu with a surprisingly enthusiastic tone.

"Darling???" Mira's jaw dropped. "Is this true Natsu?! She can handle your over superiority?? My god! This is just astonishing! It's impossible for a gentle girl like Lucy to have controlled you!" She happily screamed out, spinning in the garden.

"Mmm! Mm!" He pushed Lucy's hand away. "What do you mean over superiority?!? And IF I had that, Lucy can easily handle that!" He smiled, wrapping his hand around Lucy's waist. "Ain't that right sweetie?" He smiled at Lucy and Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, but quickly smiled at Mira.

"Of course." Lucy added.

"My! My! The two of you have such a unique connection!" Mira smiled as if she was thinking thinking something to herself. "Well, I'll leave the two of you here then." Then she scurried off back inside the house and Lucy and Natsu stayed in that statued position until Mira could leave their line of sight. After that....

"What was all that for?!?!?" Natsu quickly asked, stepping away from her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just thought that if Mira thought we were a couple, she'd tell Michelle and Michelle might reconsider!" She explained in a quick pace.

"You owe me something for this Ms. Heartfilia." He crossed his arms. "How long do you think we should do this?"

"As long as possible." She said sadly.

A mischievous smile grew on Natsu's face as he dove his hands in his pockets and leaned over to Lucy, wrapping one arm around her neck, he was facing the back of Lucy and Lucy did the same. As if it was a one arm hug. His breath touched Lucy's ear, making her blush and made her heart race for quiet a short time.

"I'm quite fine with it, but...." He paused. "Don't act like I'm yours.......Sweetie." Then he tapped on Lucy's cheek and walked away, obviously happy, but didn't show the expression.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

did you like that? Because I surely did! I actually regretted for not joining the volleyball game in the school's sports fest. I only joined relay race, but sadly, we lost by default. And I lost my voice for cheering my batch, but now I can't go tomorrow for some reason and I can't cheer them on now. :( Well, look on the bright side! I've updated! Haha. I hope you liked it. I'll insert a song for you guys in the next chapter. :)) for now just a photo.

Stay happy guys! 💟🔑