Natsu

Lucy didn't come back that night so I just camped out on the coach half expecting her to walk through the door. I woke up earlier than usual, though, to shower and actually form my sentences to say when I did have to face her.

I just didn't expect to be facing her so early...

I thought I was alone when I finished my shower. I was only wearing a towel around my waist, another one still drying my hair when I opened the bathroom door and strolled into the bedroom. My eyes were closed because the damn towel was getting in my face. I opened my eyes and bam, mistake number one.

Lucy was in the process of pulling a hoodie over her body, her bra still showing. The only light on in the room was the lamp at the bedside but yeah, I could see her. She was frozen in place, her hands were just holding the end of the hoodie.

This is just perfect.

I've seen Lucy naked before, once or twice back in Magnolia whenever I broke into her house when she's changing. So this should be nothing, right? But with my head being a little hazy due to the lack of sleep and thinking plus the hot water from a few seconds ago, my heart couldn't help but pound harder at the position we were in.

I dropped the towel I had in my hand.

"Hey!" a sharp snap echoed. "Stop staring!"

I blinked twice but didn't say anything. My perverted mind still glued on her perfect body. Damn, those curves.

Something suddenly hit my face, crashing me back to reality, "Natsu! Turn around! You pervert! Stop staring!"

"R-right?" my whole body heated up in embarrassment as I whipped around without a second thought but this:

Lucy Heartfilia is the hottest female being in this universe. I must've been a very nice person in my past life to be able to be stuck with her in this lifetime. Thank you, thank you.

"I'm done," she said softly. "I'll be going first."

But she's still fragile right now. I can be a pervert later.

My hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, "Wait Luce."

I made sure my grip was tightened so she couldn't wiggle free but not tight enough that I'd hurt her in any way, physically. I'm doing such a good job emotionally and mentally so let's not physically.

Lucy only looked at my hand on hers before looking up at me, "What is it?"

She's building a wall. I can tell because I was doing that only a few days ago.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"What's there to talk about?"

I nearly flinched at that, "W-well, us."

I could faintly see her eyes widened, "I take it your brother and his wife came to see you last night?"

"Uh yeah."

Lucy looked away, "Then there isn't an 'us' to talk about."

"No that's not true," I shook my head. "There will always be an 'us' to talk about, Luce. Either 'us' as just friends or an 'us' as more than friends."

"Just stop it, Natsu," she said. "I'm begging you to just please, let me go."

"You know damn well that's not going to happen."

"Then what do you expect me to do then?" I thought my grip was tight enough so she couldn't escape. I had completely forgot that whenever Lucy is angry or upset, she's stronger than she usually is.

She ripped free of my grasp and turned to face me, "I ran away from you. I ran away from this 'us' you keep talking about, Natsu. I could've had you but I ran away because I couldn't take the responsibilities expected of me at home. I gave up, Natsu. I'm just afraid... that even if your brother accepted the rejection and we could be together, the moment things get hard I'd be too weak to accept it and run away like I did."

"No," I lowered my voice.

"Don't you see, Natsu?" she backed away a bit, holding her hands against her chest. "Commitment has been an issue for me in the past. Whether it's something as small or something as large as my commitment to my father's company, I can't stay committed. Once something doesn't go my way, I run away. I'm too afraid to take responsibility and look at where we are now."

"Luce..."

"I finally understood what the old lady was saying," she said softly. "We accept a love we think we deserve. I understand that completely now. I thought I was in love with you because I thought you deserved someone like me who would be by your side no matter what. But looking at the full picture now, I don't think I can do that."

My fists started curling at my side.

Lucy turned her back to me again, "You need to tell your brother to not accepted the rejection and go forward with the betrothal. I won't get in your way anymore or Lisanna, at least you know she is a loyal person that would always stay by your side."

I saw her take a step but I didn't let her take another. In a heartbeat, I sprung forward; my arms wrapped around her chest, crushing her back; her whole body against my chest another arm around her waist so she can't escape my grip this time.

I won't let her escape my grip this time.

"N-Natsu?" she gasped.

"You're not weak, Lucy," I growled into her ear. "You're not someone to give up so easily. And I know full well that whatever happened back at your home was too severe for you to handle that you had to leave otherwise you'd do something you'd regret. You did the right thing running away, in my eyes. It was the right thing to do."

She grabbed onto my arm, "Natsu! Let go, please!"

"No!" I tightened my grip.

"You're making it worst for yourself and me," she cried, her fingers trying to pry my muscular arm off her. "Just let it go, Natsu. You need to let me go."

"You running away," I said, in a voice more calming. "If you didn't run away, I never would've met you."

Lucy stopped all her moves of resistance when she heard me.

I took that as a sign to continue, "I never...would've been able to save you on that train. Never would've been able to met you, become friends with you, share the one thing I love the most with you."

"And I never," I felt Lucy's hand just barely holding onto my arm now, "would've been able to fall so deeply in love with you that it messed up who I was completely."

I closed my eyes, nuzzling my chin onto her shoulder, "Because you ran away from that hell you call 'responsibilities' I was able to meet you for the Lucy you really are and not the little rich girl who has to follow a script whenever she talked to someone in public. No, I met the real Lucy Heartfilia. And I am forever grateful she ran away but she straight into my arms. To be mines forever, whether she wants to or not, this Lucy Heartfilia is Natsu Dragneel's and nothing is ever going to change that."

I felt her tense muscles finally relax completely against my own. The soft trembling of her shoulders showed she broke the wall as well.

I hid my eyes in her shoulder, letting out the largest breath in the world. Lucy is mines, she finally mines and there's nobody or nothing that can get in between us.

Well, not entirely true.

"Natsu, we're la - holy mother of!"

I was still stuck on the thought of Lucy being mines that I didn't even hear the front door opening and closing.

I opened my eyes to see a very shocked Gray, a very, very confused Hibiki, and an Eve whose eyes won't stop darting all over the place.

Lucy's body stiffened again, "H-how did you guys get in here?"

"C-Coach gave us the key when we kept knocking and we heard nobody talking," Eve was rambling. "So we just inserted the card and entered!"

"Erza," Gray started softly but I ignored it at the moment.

"Natsu," Hibiki's confusion twisted into complete understanding. "You did it! You finally did it. So? How was it?"

I realized our attire then didn't help our case. I'm guessing because it was dark, Lucy didn't notice she was wearing one of my hoodies instead of one of her own. As for me, what do you expect I'm still fucking wearing only a towel. My hair was still wet.

"W-wait, it's not what you think!" Lucy raised her hands the best she could despite being trapped in my arms.

"Erza," Gray continued.

"Oh ~" Hibiki chuckled. "How do you know what I was thinking, Lucy? Come on, you can't hide it from me. I'm your gay best friend after all."

"Erza!" Gray finally lost it. He rushed out of the hotel room leaving the door wide open, "Erza! You're going to be an aunt! I'm going to be an uncle!"

"Say what?!" the echo of the she-devil came to the room.

Remind me to burn that guy's house down later on after I survive Lady Satan's wrath.