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Dedicated to Lucy_heartifilia002 who's an awesome friend and an amazing person.

PS: In the media is an ost from the movie 'A Silent Voice'. I thought it fit really well with the chapter so you can listen to it while you read :)
•••

Everything was just a blur of colours. Nothing made sense anymore. Everything around was just a blob, lifeless, meaningless. The only thing that did matter was the person standing in front of her, holding her hand while she stared wide eyed.

Everything else was still.

Almost as if time itself had stopped.

The warmth of his hand, enveloping her own was nice, and frankly all that mattered. The only thing that she wanted to feel.

She stole a glance at him, and realised he was just as transfixed as she was. Nervous. Unmoving. Entranced.

The charm on the pink hair clip was the only thing moving, swaying with the summer breeze. The tinkling sound of the wind chime in a distance was the only thing audible, everything else muted. Blended.

The hair clip put up delicately in her blonde hair by him glistened under the bright light but in that moment, she had eyes only for him, and only him.

Was it true? Did she hear him right? She didn't know. Or maybe, she didn't want to know. It was like, she heard him speak, but she didn't comprehend the meaning of his words until much later.

Much, much later.

But when she did, oh boy did it mess her up.

This feeling that she felt right now, it was so familiar. So very familiar. Just like three years ago, when he made her feel like this under the rainbow blossom. When he made her heart skip a beat.

When he made everything in this world meaningless for her. Everything except him.

She was entranced then. Nervous. Enraptured.

She's entranced now. Nervous. Enraptured.

His hand squeezed hers and her breath hitched, a small gasp escaping. A few unshed tears were brimming in the corner of her eyes, her heart beating at about a thousand miles per second.

She saw him move his lips again, say the one thing she'd dreamed of him saying to her. Say the one thing she was so desperate to hear.

"I remember who you are...Luce.."

The wind chime tinkled in a distance, the hair clip loosened and then everything went dark.

•••

Lucy opened her eyes with a start, gasping for breath from the suffocating dream. Her heart was painfully thumping against her chest, and she sat back up, clutching her head.

"Where am I-oh!"

Looking around, she realised she was still by the lake side, for apparently, she had fallen asleep. Besides him.

Despite the not so great dream, Lucy couldn't help but smile a little when she saw him sleeping on the grass beside her. She instinctively leaned down, about to peck him lightly on the cheek when she abruptly realised her actions.

"Wha-What the heck was I thinking!" she exclaimed, leaning away like a shot of lightning,her face all warm. She was positively certain that she had successfully put Erza's hair to shame.

Sighing, she glanced at him sideways, this time bring her hand up close to his face.

"Natsu.." she called gently, poking him playfully on the cheek. "Wake up."

He squirmed in his sleep, her actions definitely affecting him. Lucy smiled to herself, remembering the time when she used to wake him up like that.

"Natsu, come on! Wake up! You can't sleep out here." Lucy sang, still poking him awake. "You'll catch a cold."

He groaned, facing away from her, mumbling sleepily. Lucy sighed, withdrawing her hand.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to resort to my last option." she concluded, smiling apologetically. "Sorry Natsu, but this might hurt a bit."

•••

A huffing Natsu walked through the crowd, an apologetic Lucy trying to keep up with him.

"You're going too fast! Wait up!"

However, he chose to ignore her, instead taking, if even possible, quicker strides than before.

"I said I'm sorry! Natsu!"

"You punched me awake Lucy!" he complained, though unbeknownst to her, he wasn't all that angry. Annoyed a bit at the punch, yes, but for some reason it was majorly disappointment. Was he expecting something else to happen? He didn't know. Or maybe he did, but didn't want to accept it.

"You wouldn't wake up!"

"Well." he said, stopping abruptly, causing Lucy to run into him. "There are plenty other ways to wake someone up."

"I tried to! You just wouldn't!" Lucy huffed, crossing her arms.

"If you wanted to give an ultimatum, you could've given one to kiss me-"

Natsu stopped in a heartbeat when he realised what he just said, a deathly silence surrounding them. Both stood there awkwardly, shuffling and blushing.

Lucy looked anywhere but him, conveniently remembering how she did almost kiss him awake.

Natsu, meanwhile, was cursing himself inwardly for what he so foolishly said.

'Why did I say that?' he groaned, having a strong urge to suddenly smack himself. 'What was I even thinking?'

He cleared his throat, and Lucy snapped her head back to him, regretting it almost instantly. She could feel her face still wasn't back to normal.

'How embarrassing!' she thought, having a strong urge to hide her face and run away.

"I..I didn't mean that." His voice was hoarse, and now was his turn to look away. "What I meant was..you didn't have to punch me..yeah.."

Lucy cleared her throat too, nodding. "Yeah!" she kept her voice airy and light in an attempt to diffuse the tension. "I'm sorry." she apologized, twirling with a loose flick of her blonde hair. "I guess I did go a bit overboard with that."

"A bit?" Natsu raised his eyebrows, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Ugh. Fine. A lot. Happy? So now you'll forgive me?"

"Hm. I'm still not sure.." he said bringing up his hand to his face, pretending to think.

"I'll treat you to food~" Lucy sang, hoping that bribing him would work.

He looked at her, stars in his eyes. "Forgiven! Now let's go!" He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him.

Lucy smiled, while she tried to keep up with an enthusiastic Natsu. But her smile soon turned into one of panic.

Natsu always agreed to a food bribe.

But sure as hell her pocket didn't.

•••

"Why'd you wake me up anyway?" Natsu asked, his mouth full of dumplings.

Lucy walked besides him, arms behind her back. She looked up at the night sky and sighed, stretching her arms in the process.

"It wasn't a wise decision to fall asleep outside anyway."

"So why here?"

"Well.." she began, however stopped abruptly. "Woah those wind chimes are really pretty!" she said, admiring them from afar.

"I guess."

"Anywayy..." she sighed. "My plan was to go back to the café but I had to treat you and here we are now! Also.." she ran up ahead, and grabbed onto the railing. The final fireworks show was about to start soon. "I feel better here, surprisingly. Much closer to home."

Natsu stood next to her, looking at her intendedly. Then, suddenly, he went behind her and she could feel his hands on her hair.

"Wait what-?!"

She stopped, feeling him put something in her hair.

"Natsu?"

He stepped sideways, admiring his handiwork. Then grinning at her like the idiot he was, he brushed a loose bang away from her face.

"It really does look good on you!"

Lucy stared at him wide eyed, feeling her face warming up. Her hands were on her hair, just where Natsu's hands were moments ago.

"When..When did you-?"

"Don't worry 'bout it!" he said airyly. "The thing that matters is that it really suits you."

Lucy felt the outline of the clip holding up her hair, and her hand brushed past the charm on it. Slowly, she put her hands down, looking away from him.

"Th-Thank you.." she said, her heart beating like crazy.

'Damn you Natsu for making me feel this way again!'

Her eyes landed on a familiar face and she instantly brightened up.

"Natsu! Look! There are the others. We should go-"

She stopped, when she felt him grasp her hands. The fireworks had already started but that didn't matter anymore.

Everything was just a blur of colours. Nothing made sense anymore. Everything around was just a blob, lifeless, meaningless. The only thing that did matter was the person standing in front of her, holding her hand while she stared wide eyed.

Everything else was still.

Almost as if time itself had stopped.

The warmth of his hand, enveloping her own was nice, and frankly all that mattered. The only thing that she wanted to feel. Always.

She realised that he was just as transfixed as she was. Nervous. Unmoving. Entranced.

The charm on the pink hair clip was the only thing moving, swaying with the summer breeze. For some reason, only the tinkling of the wind chimes in the distance was what was heard, everything else muted. Blended.

The hair clip put up delicately in her blonde hair by him glistened under the flashing bright light but in that moment, she had eyes only for him, and only him.

This feeling that she felt right now, it was so familiar. So very familiar. Just like three years ago, when he made her feel like this under the rainbow blossom. When he made her heart skip a beat.

When he made everything in this world meaningless for her. Everything except him.

She was entranced then. Nervous. Enraptured.

She's entranced now. Nervous. Enraptured.

And she'll always be. Entranced. Enraptured.

He had that effect on her.

His hand squeezed hers and her breath hitched, a small gasp escaping. Her heart was beating a thousand miles per second.

It was just like the dream.

"About home.." Natsu mumbled, but somehow, his voice was clearly audible over the noise of the crackers.

"Since you're thinking of leaving.." Natsu said, a bit of red tinting his face too. "Will you leave with me? Leave with us?"

The wind chime tinkled in a distance, filling the silence that was Lucy's answer. The hair clip loosened and in that moment, Lucy's reality became someone else's suffocating dream.

•••

Can you guess what kind of chapter 16 is gonna be like?

(Hint hint: 3 years ago..)

Unfortunately, I'm leaving for a while. So that means no updates for a while too.

I'm sorry. Things have been quite stressful lately. As an author, I didn't really have much time to think of the plot ahead, meaning I'm as blank as you are about the past, give or take a few ideas.

As a student, I'm in the final year meaning exams, exams and exams,and college applications to put cherry on the top.

Since I have exams starting next week, I'm going to hold the chapter updates for a while, until I'm done with them.

Dw, I'll not leave you hanging. I'm still going to work on this any moment I find.

I feel evil now, leaving like this. But oof. This has to be done.

See you in a few weeks!

Until then!
Belle🌸
🔥♥🔑