Kon'nichiwa, minna! ♥  Here is another one-shot I just had to get out of my system. c':  This one is a lot longer, though!  So, of course, I hope you enjoy it!  I was able to get my grades back up this week, woohoo! ♥ Haha, yay!  I hope all of you are doing well in your studies as well. c:  So, now that I have that pressure off my shoulders, I can write! ^.^  Yay!  I do have a very busy weekend ahead, which I warn you all about!!

The song in the multimedia goes with this entire chapter, especially near the end. c;  I hope you all like it!

I dedicate this chapter to ClumsyMustache; I absolutely love her fanfic "Matchmaker"! ♥ It's an amazing NaLu Fan Fiction, and I want her to update so much!!  One more thing: I'd like to thank 100starryskies for inspiring me!  I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and feedback would be greatly appreciated. c:  Until next time, everyone~!

я y - c н α η ,

т н є  и α ℓ υ  ω я ι т є я -- ★☆

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Lucy had a dream one night.

It was a happy dream; even a little funny.  Lucy's mind recalled the moments of the times Natsu and the others had celebrated her birthdays, and how she had been so happy during those times.  Her favorite memory was when Natsu had given her a rare flower, and how her friends had thrown a party for her.  Lights and happy faces danced through Lucy's dream, and she found herself smiling in her sleep.

But, it wasn't until the next day that Lucy realized something.

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Lucy walked into the guild, still striving to rid of the morning sleepiness that weighed down her eyes.  Yawning, Lucy made her way over to a table and sat down, happy to be back in the guild after her small free day to just sit and write.  Mirajane came up to her, flashing a smile of greeting.

"Good morning, Lucy!"  Mira exclaimed, walking over to her table.

Lucy smiled--still quite sleepily--at Mirajane, looking up from the table.  "Good morning, Mira.  Did I miss anything yesterday?"

Mira giggled slightly.  "No, nothing really.  It's the same old things going on in this guild as ever."

Lucy nodded, more awake now.

"But do you know what day it is today, Lucy?"

Lucy looked up at Mirajane, her eyebrows going up in curiosity.  "Eh?"

Mira laughed.  "Lucy, you can't tell anyone this, alright?  Not until later on, okay?"

Lucy looked at Mira cautiously, fearing what Mira would tell her.  What if it was something she had to swear an oath to, and then her life would forever be meddled by Mira?

Lucy shuddered, purple lines appearing under her right eye.  However, she asked the question anyway; after all, curiosity got the best of her.  

"What is it?"  Lucy asked, lowering her voice.

Mira smiled.  "It's Natsu's birthday tomorrow!"

Lucy's eyes widened.  "What?! I-It is?!"

Mira put her pointer-finger to her lips, puckering them.  "Shhh!  You can't say anything yet!"

"B-But, I had no idea..."

Mira laughed.  "Well, now you know."

Lucy looked at Mira in surprise, but then she turned to look back downwards at the table, thinking.

It was going to be Natsu's birthday tomorrow?  How come he hadn't told her about it?  Come to think of it, Lucy felt bad for not knowing his birthday, after all the times he celebrated hers.

Lucy pumped a fist into the air next to her determinedly.  She was going to get the best present for him!  Especially since he had been so nice to her with her birthdays!

Yosh!  It's settled!  Lucy thought, smirking excitedly.  Now just to find out what to do...

"Are you thinking about Natsu, Lucy?"

Lucy was jerked from her thoughts, and saw that Mira was smiling a little too friendly at her.

"W-What?"  Lucy replied, surprised at Mirajane's reply.

Mira winked at her.

Puzzled, Lucy looked at Mira confusedly.  "I don't know what you mean, Mira..."

Mira laughed again, waving the subject off.  "Oh well; see you later, Lucy."

Lucy watched Mira go, her expression questionable.

What does that crafty woman think she's doing?  Lucy wondered, narrowing her eyes.  I'll have to keep an eye on her just incase...

Lucy did, however, puff out her cheeks sassily and blush slightly, her face defiant.  And what does she mean, me thinking about Natsu?  In what way did that devil Mira mean?  She better not have been referring to--  Lucy's cheeks turned bright red, and she shook her head vigorously to clear her mind.

D-Devil Mira!

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Lucy decided to head on home to find some ideas on what to do for Natsu's birthday.  She was already counting ideas off on her fingers, walking dangerously close along the ravine filled with water.

"Don't fall in, Lucy-chan~!"  the men in the boat singed.

Lucy smiled at them.  "I'm alright!"

Continuing on her way, Lucy reached her apartment, grabbing her keys to open the door quickly.  As the door creaked open, Lucy's eyes suddenly became small white circles of shock, and she stood there.  Food and other belongings of Lucy's were being thrown across the hallway, right in front of her.

It was then that an angry tick mark appeared above Lucy's head, and she clenched her fist tightly.  Stomping into her living room, she saw Natsu and Happy going through her belongings, being the nosy bastards they always were.

"Natsu!"  Lucy screeched at the top of her lungs.  "Happy!"

The two froze instantly, flinching as their names were called loudly.  Slowly, they turned around, squeaking noises like rusted metal ringing through the air as they did so.

"Busted..."  Happy mewed, his voice a murmur.

Lucy looked around the room angrily, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the scene before her.  

Her sheets were rumpled and halfway on the floor, with her pillows rumpled and all over the bed.  Books were off her shelf, some across the room while most were under the bookshelf right next to her desk.  Which, of course, Lucy's desk was also touched.  Her story was moved, and the ink spilled on the table and seat.  Her clothes were spread across the furniture, and when she saw visible underclothes scattered around, her face leveled to a red apple, steam coming out of her ears.

"What did you do?!"  Lucy exclaimed, her voice rising.  "How many times do I have to tell you to not go through my things?!"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.  "We were just curious--"

Lucy scoffed.  "Curious?  Really?  Of what, exactly?!"

Natsu and Happy looked at each other, and Lucy waited for an answer.  She was absolutely outraged, and wanted to teach them a thing or two!  When Natsu and Happy broke gazes, Natsu didn't answer her, burying his face in his scarf annoyingly.

Lucy scowled.  "I knew it!  You just went through it to annoy me, didn't you!"

"Come on Lucy, we'll clean it up..."  Happy murmured, trying to be enthusiastic.

Lucy lifted her pointer finger sharply.  "No, correction: I'm going to end up being the one to clean it up!  You never do!  Now, get out of my apartment before I decide to slice you up and feed you to the sharks!"

Lucy shoved them out the door, kicking them as far as she could and into the street.  They made a noise of pain as they hit the ground face-first, skidding across the ground a few feet.  

"Quit going through my things!"  Lucy screamed at the two.  Fuming, Lucy slammed the door on them, stomping back up to her room and looking at the wreckage the two idiots had caused.

"Just exactly what was those two morons looking for...?!"  Lucy muttered to herself, her arms crossed.

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It took her the rest of the afternoon to clean up their mess, and put everything back the way it was.  After Lucy did finish, she decided to take a bath, relaxing her tired muscles after cleaning twice that day.  It wasn't until ten minutes into her bath that she had been so mad and preoccupied about cleaning that Lucy hadn't looked at something for Natsu's birthday tomorrow.

After what he did, he shouldn't get a present from me!  Lucy huffed, her cheeks blushed.

However, it wasn't long until Lucy sighed, giving in.  Even though she was mad at Natsu, she still had to get him something; it was the nice thing to do.  Plus, he had done a lot for her on her birthdays; it was the least she could do.

Climbing out of the tub, Lucy changed and looked out the windows, which she had locked in her anger at Natsu and Happy.  The sun was setting, and seagulls flew in the sky past the sun.  Lucy decided to grab the Magnolia Paper, which was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps outside her apartment.  Bringing it back up to her room, Lucy opened it up out of boredom, scanning the headlines.

It was then that her eyes lit up, and she saw a small section that would be perfect for Natsu's birthday.  Well, it was the greatest thing she could come up with, anyways.  What could be more better than this?  Scheduling a fireworks show was open, and Lucy knew exactly what she wanted in that moment.  The problem was that it was in the next town over, and she'd have to ask them to bring it here in Magnolia.  And, surely, they would raise the price for having to move the firworks here to Magnolia.

But, however, Lucy didn't care; she could get this for Natsu's birthday tomorrow, along with a little thing she had in mind.  Excited, Lucy wanted to have them bring it by evening, so that meant she'd have to leave now if she wanted the time to be right.

"Looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight,"  Lucy murmured jokingly to herself.  "Ah well...it's worth it."  Lucy replied cheerfully, grabbing a bag to pack her money and belongings in for the short trip.

She would use the money for her rent to pay the bill; surely she could go on a high-paying mission with Natsu later to get the money back.  Thinking, Lucy realized it'd be a high price.  Add the train ticket, the most likely hotel bill, and the paying for the fireworks and the moving, Lucy was going to have a tight bill.

However, as Lucy said before, it was worth it.

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Lucy caught a night train just in time, practically sprinting onto the train to make it in time.  She had barely enough time to change back into her regular clothes, along with throwing some deodorant on and grabbing her bag of clothes just in case.  She had left a note for her friends on her desk, saying she'd be back later on the next day.  Lucy had even reopened her windows for Natsu and Happy, feeling bad about yelling at them at that point.

As Lucy found her designated seat, she sighed in relief as she plopped down onto the upholstery, setting her bag on her lap.  Checking for all her money in precaution just in case she forgot it, she saw it was all there and she hadn't forgotten anything.

The train whistle blew, and Lucy rubbed her eyes.  Despite her sudden surge of excitement to get to the next city, she was still tired from the long day she had gone through.  And before she knew it, she found herself dozing off.

However, Lucy didn't know that her note had fallen off her desk and slid under her bed, leaving her disappearance unexplained.

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Natsu and Happy wanted to go visit Lucy the morning after they were thrown out, and see if Lucy was still mad at them.

"But shouldn't we be celebrating, Nat-zu?"  Happy asked, staring at the dragon slayer whose hands were behind his head casually.

Natsu shook his head, nonchalant.  "That can wait.  I think we should go see Lucy first."

Happy started to snicker.  "Why's that, Natsu?"

Natsu gave the exceed an annoyed look.  "Oh, shut up Happy."

When they reached Lucy's house, they climbed up onto the window sill quietly, like they always did.  Happy and excited, the pair found the windows unlocked to their delight.  Climbing in, Happy flew over Natsu's head and onto Lucy's bed, which Natsu jumped over.

"Looks like she cleaned everything up, Nat-zu."

Looking around, Natsu agreed, seeing that everything had been put back into place after their search last night.

"You think we should search again?"  Happy asked, looking up at him.

Natsu huffed, pouting with disappointment on his face.  "Naw, forget it.  Luce would just get mad at us again."

"Shouldn't we tell her what we were trying to search for?  I mean, she could have hidden it in an extra special place so you couldn't find it, Natsu."

Natsu blushed, shaking his head.  "No, Happy!  We'd look stupid!"

Natsu and Happy began searching for Lucy, but couldn't find her anywhere.  They looked in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and even the hall.

But Lucy was nowhere to be seen.

"Oi, where'd Lucy run off to?"  Natsu replied, sniffing the air for her scent.

"Maybe she went out!"  Happy exclaimed bluntly.

Natsu smirked down at the exceed, getting an idea.  "Let's go search for her!"

"Aye!"  Happy exclaimed.

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Lucy entered the city where she saw the ad for the firework shows, and kept the slip of newspaper with her as she navigated her way through the city of Elain.  Pushing her way through crowds of people, Lucy was surprised to see so many people in this medium-sized town.

However, it wasn't far until she made it to the shop she was looking for; the Fire Display.  Entering the shop, Lucy was amazed that, though it was small, there were magic-enhanced lights floating around everywhere.  Designs decorated the walls, though it was just a large office.  A man sat there at a desk, the same logo in the paper on his desk.

"Can I help you?"  the man asked, raising a brow at her.

Lucy nodded, her excitement growing.  "Yes.  I wanted to schedule some fireworks for a close friend of mine!  It's his birthday soon!"

The man looked at her for a few seconds, his expression neutral.  But after a few seconds, he smiled kindly, making Lucy feel welcomed.

"Of course.  Sit; we can figure all this out."

Lucy ended up picking the routine of hundreds of colored fireworks, which had turned out to be great fun.  She had even picked a special grand finale, and had snacks with the manager of the company.  Turns out, she had to wait a few hours before everything could be installed and shipped to Magnolia.  Lucy wasn't worried however, because she had stayed the night in a hotel when she had arrived late in the night.  It was six in the morning now; she had plenty of time.

As Lucy expected, she had to pay extra, but the manager took a few dollars off out of kindness, which Lucy appreciated greatly.  Shining bright, Lucy was excited for Natsu to see his present.

And that wasn't it either; she held a small box in her hand, which she held close to her heart.

Her main present to Natsu.

By five in the evening, everything was ready and set up in Magnolia.  Lucy just had to take the train back home, and take Natsu to the place she wanted him to see the fireworks the best.  Lucy was tired from planning so much, but her adrenaline and excitement pushed it away easily.  As she boarded the train, Lucy had Natsu's smaller present in her bag, which was held protectively to her chest.  It would take about an hour to get home, which seemed like forever to Lucy since she was so excited and determined.

Natsu's going to love it...  Lucy thought, smiling to herself.  She blushed slightly.  He deserves this, after all; it's his birthday!

But...was that the only reason?

Lucy shook her head, deciding not to worry about it.  Instead, she decided to go back to thinking about the routine, and making sure everything would work out just fine.

However, she couldn't help the blush that crept into her cheeks once in awhile.

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When Lucy got off the train back in Magnolia, her legs were wobbly.  However, she eventually gained control over her legs again and began to walk up through the street.  She had to hurry; it was 6:30.  The train had ended up having a gauge problem, and they had to delay for another hour before they could get moving again.

The fireworks would go off just as the sun went down, which was around 7:15.  At least, that's what the manager had said.  Feeling slightly rushed, Lucy walked quickly through the people around her, deciding to drop off her things at home and put her smaller present for Natsu in her pocket.

Opening the door to her apartment, Lucy climbed up the steps, reaching for the door knob that entered into her room.  Since it was evening, her lights were off, and it was dimly lit in her apartment except for the setting sun shining through the windows.  Lucy sighed, happy she made it in time.  As she entered and shut the door behind her, Lucy wasn't prepared for what happened next.

"Lucy!"

Lucy almost gave a cry of surprise as Natsu came out from nowhere and grabbed her in an embrace, resting his face in the crook of her neck.

"N-Natsu?!"  Lucy exclaimed, shocked.  "What're you--"

"You idiot, you scared me!"  Natsu exclaimed, pulling back to rest his hands on her shoulders.  

"What?"  Lucy replied, surprised.  

Natsu face was relieved, but distressed at the same time.  "I thought you left cause you were mad at Happy and I; that we had done something really bad or something!  I was worried!"

Lucy was confused at first, but then she realized.  "I left a note, though..."

Natsu's onyx eyes were adamant.  "I didn't see one!  I couldn't get a catch of your scent, either!  It was like you suddenly disappeared!"

Lucy's expression was apologetic, and she hugged him tightly, returning his embrace.  "I'm sorry.  I should have said something, but..."  Lucy wandered off, the fireworks in her mind.  "...sorry for making you worry."

"Just don't leave like that, alright?  It freaked me out."

Lucy nodded, blushing slightly as she pulled away from him.  "Okay.  But, Natsu, there's something I have to show you!"  She grabbed his hand with both of hers.  "Come on!"

Natsu's expression was surprised, and he followed after Lucy, who pulled him along and out of her apartment.  She decided to take him to the hill where the guild used to be, where they could see all of Magnolia and the sky perfectly.  So far, the weather was cooperating greatly; the sky was clear with stars starting to appear in the sky.

"Where are we going, Luce?"  Natsu asked her, but Lucy laughed and just stated he'd have to wait and see.

Lucy's heart was pounding, but she continued on, stopping at the hill and panting heavily.  Natsu followed suit, his hands on his knees, but he regained his breath quicker than Lucy did.

Lucy looked at her watch, and saw that it was 7:10.

"It should happen around now..."  Lucy murmured, looking around in the sky.

Natsu gave her a look of confusion.  "What's going on, Lucy?"

Lucy turned around to face him, smiling brightly.  "There's something I want to say, Natsu."  Flashbacks of all of Lucy's birthdays Natsu had celebrated with her flashed through her mind, and she felt warmth spread through her chest.

Lucy continued to smile.  "I wanted to repay you.  Since you've always been there for me, and treated me special on my birthdays, I feel you should have the same things!"

Natsu gave her a blunt look, still not knowing what she meant.

However, Lucy just laughed, and gestured to the sky.  "Happy Birthday, Natsu!"

At just the right time, the first firework went off, and it sailed into the sky and exploded in bright yellow hues.  Natsu's expression became slightly awed, and his eyes widened in surprise.  As more continued to go off, they shined against Natsu and Lucy's faces, and Lucy watched in delight as they looked just as she planned and hoped.

"Awesome!"  Natsu exclaimed, grinning widely.

Lucy watched Natsu's expression in happiness, relieved he liked it.  Satisfied, she pulled out the small box from her pocket, and hid it behind her back.

"Did you do this, Luce?!"  Natsu exclaimed, his face happy.

Lucy nodded, blushing as she smiled brightly.  "Uhn!  Mira told me yesterday your birthday was today!  Since you've always been celebrating mine, I decided to return the favor!"

Natsu's expression intensified, if that was even possible.  "No one's ever done this for me before; thanks, Lucy!"

Lucy's expression turned slightly surprised, seeing how radiant Natsu was at the moment.  Her fingers clamped on the small gift slightly, almost reminding herself that she had it there in her hand.  But Lucy was lost in looking at Natsu, her expression realizing.  Without noticing it at first, Lucy dropped the small gift on the ground.  Panicking, Lucy waved her arms before reaching down lightning-quick to grab it in time.

However, Natsu saw she had grabbed something, and turned to face her.  "Oi, what's in your hand, Luce?"  Lucy flinched, the fireworks still going off as she turned to see Natsu approaching her.  

Jumping up, Lucy took a few steps back.  "I-It's nothing!  I just dropped a key, is all..."

Natsu didn't look convinced, and curiosity got the best of him.  "C'mon, Luce!  Let me see!"

"No way!"  Lucy exclaimed, blushing slightly in embarrassment as she continued to take steps back.

Natsu made a pouting face, but continued to advance on her.  "No fair, let me see!"

Lucy practically played cat and mouse with him, reaching behind her to keep the item in her hand far away from Natsu's reach.  Luckily, it was dark, and it was hard to see out here even with Natsu's sharp eyesight. The fireworks illuminated the area every few seconds, but it wasn't enough for Natsu to see what it was.

"I wanna see what you have!"

"No!"

"Let me see!"

"No way!"

"You have to!  It's my birthday, right?"

"I said no, Nat--!"

Lucy felt her footing slip, and she grabbed onto Natsu by instinct, pulling him down with her as they both rolled, yelling pathetically all the way down.  When they came to a stop, Lucy's eyes twitched as she clenched them shut in slight pain.

"Ouch..."  Lucy muttered one or twice.

However, she opened her eyes quickly in surprise.

Natsu was draped over her, his right hand hanging onto her left wrist and pinning it into the grass.  He was hanging onto her right hand with his, the gift in the palms of their intertwined fingers.  Part of his scarf was laying on Lucy's right shoulder, but then layed off on the ground next to her.  Both of Lucy and Natsu's eyes were wide, and their faces were way too close for comfort.

"O-Oi..."  Natsu muttered, his cheeks tinting into a light shade of pink.

Lucy's eyes shook in surprise, her blush worsening.  But after a moment, her eyes softened, and she smiled amusedly.  "You're really stubborn, you know."

Natsu grinned slightly, laughing slightly.  "What?  You're stubborn too, Luce!"  There was a small silence, and neither of them moved.  "Lucy, the reason Happy and I was looking through your stuff was cause I was hopin' you got me something..."  Natsu said this quietly, practically mumbling it.

Lucy's eyes softened.  "That's why...  Well, I forgive you.  Happy Birthday, Idiot..."  Lucy wandered off slightly, the fireworks still going off loudly.

Natsu leaned in slightly, a look on his face Lucy had never seen before.  The fireworks made Lucy's ears ache, and all Lucy could hear was the blood roaring in her ears and the frantic beat of her heart.

"Lucy..."  Natsu murmured, his eyes softening slightly, which was different for him.

His hand grasped Lucy's tightly, and Lucy returned the gesture.  Natsu seemed to stop just millimeters from Lucy's lips, hesitant.  However, Lucy moved slightly, their lips locking in a soft kiss.  Fire raced through Lucy's veins, and she tightened her hold on Natsu's hand, which he returned.  More fireworks went off, but the grand finale suddenly shot into the sky, and sparked to life.

The Fairy Tail guild mark.

Natsu and Lucy pulled each other up, Lucy leaning close to Natsu as they stared up at it happily.

"There's one more thing..."  Lucy replied softly, pulling the gift from behind her back.

It was a small cardboard box wrapped in light-colored paper, with a bow on top.  It was just small enough to fit in the palm of Natsu's hand.

"What is it?"  Natsu asked, starting to open it.

Lucy laughed.  "Look and see."

As he opened it, Natsu's expression was curious.  When he got the top off, it showed a small chain.  As he pulled it out, at the bottom of it resided the Fairy Tail guild mark, with a small inscription on the back.

"It says: To Natsu, From Lucy.  Thank you...thank you?"  Natsu turned to Lucy in confusion.  "What are you thanking me for?"

Lucy smiled amusedly, yet emotion was in her eyes.  "For meeting me.  I wouldn't be this far without you.  Arigato, Natsu."

Natsu looked at it again, his smile widening considerably.  "This is awesome, Luce!  Thank you."

Lucy nodded, starting to stand as the guild mark faded from the sky.  "Well, that's the end of my presents for your birthday.  Sorry they came so late in the evening."

Natsu grinned at her as he stood up, a breeze suddenly going through the area and ruffling both of their hair and clothing, along with Natsu's scarf.  They looked up at the moon for a few moments, and then Lucy looked over to him.

She blushed slightly.  "We should probably head back.  The guild is probably still looking for us."

"I'm sure they stopped to watch the fireworks, too."  Natsu replied, grinning at her.

Lucy nodded, grateful.  Somewhat suddenly, she grabbed Natsu's scarf, forcing his face towards hers abruptly.  When they kissed again, Natsu was slightly surprised at first, but relaxed quickly.  He was taller than Lucy, but even so, the hand that held the box Lucy had given him slipped from his fingers and dropped to the ground softly.

When they pulled away from each other smiling, they rested their foreheads together.  The warmth Natsu radiated was comforting, and Lucy's presence made Natsu much more happier.  There was a small silence, both of their eyes closed as they resided there under the stars for a few moments.

"Luce?"

"Hm?"  Lucy asked softly.

"I love you."

.

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I hope you all liked it. *o*