Ch. 45 - Evening confessions

      "Lulu! Guess what song was played for my time with Gajeel?!" Levy couldn't help squirming around me. I could tell that she was about to burst out from her so, instead of guessing, I lazily pointed my finger at her. "I give up. You tell me-"

"The xbox played..." I knew it. To my surprise, she gasped to stop herself from speaking then, looked directly upon me. Tilting her head, she asked, "Wait, what happened to you? Girl, you look pale."

     “That's because I'm fricking snow white.” I replied sarcastically, not feeling the mood to tell her about what had happened. Running a hand through my hair, Levy held my free hand and looked worriedly at me.

     "Lu-chan, seriously, what's wrong?" I took a deep breath before looking in her direction. "Nothing, really. Nothing."

She lifts an eyebrow, holsing out her phone. "Lu, you're gonna tell me that problem or are you gonna make me spill that you like--" I made her muffle her words in time. She threw my hand away and managed to breathe properly. "Lu, what the hell?!"

    I shrugged, "I can't have you spreading his name like wildfire." I folded my arms, looking away from her. "Fine, if you're so curious. I fought with Natsu."

    Her eyes widened, "Well, what did you two fight about?"

     I shook my head. "All this time, I've been in love with him yet he doesn't seem to notice. And there are times when he sounds like confessing or when he's about to do something romantic then flush them down the drain when he admits he's joking, it gets my heartbeat rising then it sinks down when he cancels..."

     Levi patted my head and nodded, "Yeah, I strongly suggest you confess to him." Lifting an eyebrow at her, she looks me in the eyes and nods. "I'm serious. It wasn't even a joke." she holds both of my hands and rose it up in the air. "Lu-chan, confess to him on this day."

I shook my head, folded my arms, looking away from her with a pout and blushed. "Levy! Don't ask me to do something impossible. I cannot do it."

"Lucy, how can he change his actions towards you if he doesn't even know how you feel?" she bit her bottom lip at making her argument before tapping me on the shoulder to tell me to come with her since we saw Principal Vermillion on some kind of stage with the other members of the faculty.

"So unfortunate to end this day too early but it is time for a break, as the faculty members have agreed on. Everybody's rooms will be arranged by class and gender. Please, do go to your homeroom advisers and have your luggages arranged to your assigned rooms. Thank you for everyone's participation! We bid you a good day!" as the principal bowed, she puts the microphone down and chatted with the faculty members.

     Levy kept on comforting me all the time as we went to our assigned bedrooms up til we dressed up for our casual clothings. "I say, let's stroll this evening? It would be fun to explore...here." I suggested with a very deep sigh.

     "Exploring the gym. Classic." Levy chuckled as she closed her suitcase then freshened up. "Lucy, I would love to go with you but..." she paused to brush her teeth. "I...I..." she tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear to gargle. "I was actually invited by Gajeel to listen to this new song he said he was working on and I, um," she bit her bottom lip while putting her hands together.

     I shook my head, "No! No, I don't--I don't mind, Lev. You should really go with him." Levy held both of my hands and I could tell that she was about to cry. "Lev, I say, you go out there and listen to Gajeel. It's a chance to be with the guy you like. Even if it's just gonna be about his new song."

She hugs me tightly, "Thank you for this, Lucy!" she grabs her bag then rushed outside the door. But before I got to plop myself on the futon, I ended up stopped and landed on my bottom painfully. "Oh, and Lucy?"

"Y-Yeah...?" I managed to utter out a painful exclamation before she could leave.

"Go to your fricking husband and say it already, alright? Bye now." Levy closed the door, leaving me alone with my own thoughts and waiting for the other girls to come in.

I just nodded at the thought and I couldn't help but, feel jealousy towards Levy and her process with Gajeel. How I wish it was that easy to confess my feelings towards him. Wrapping my arms around myself, I bowed my head and looked outside to refresh my mind.

But then, the door creaked open, it appears that the girls have finally showed up. Looking up, I saw them go select their places of the futon and dressed up as if they were about to go somewhere. But, what could be interesting in sightseeing a gymnasium, really?

      Again, the person knocking on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Ooh, I'll go get it!" one of my classmates giggled as she went to the door. She looked like she was expecting someone else and not the current visitor. "Oh, Natsu, what are you doing here? This room is for girls only."

My eyes went to go and follow the sight, where I saw Natsu leaning an arm by the door, talking to her. "I just need to see someone. Not interested in coming in, though." I heard him speak.

"Who're you looking for, then?"

I looked and instinctively bit my bottom lip when I waited for him to speak my name. "Lucy, who else?"

I couldn't help but smile toward myself when I proved my assumption, making myself stand up, go toward the door and excused her--whoever she is. Then, looked at Natsu with my arms folded. "Hey." I greeted.

"Heya, Luce." he gestured me to come outside with him. I obeyed nonchalantly, closing the door with his hand holding mine and his back leaning against the wall. "Wanna go sightseeing?"

I shrug, "Natsu, you know this is just a gymnasium island of some sort."

He chuckles softly, "Ah, but I saw lots of couples going for a stroll tonight. And, I figured we should, too." he winked after saying his last sentence.

I shook my head, unable to process his sentence properly. Lots of couples going for a stroll tonight. "So, you think we're...a--a couple...?"

He swayed his head from left to right as he was looking up the ceilling. "More or less since we are, after all, married."

Playfully slapping him by the arm, I bit my lower lip. "Natsu, I swear if someone heard you again..."

He held my hand up, "Oh, sheesh. Sorry. I was just elaborating that out. Come on, just... y'know, join me, will ya?"

I lifted a brow at him, "But... you know you could've asked Gray."

He shook his head, "I'm not gay. And I don't want to be seen with one."

I giggled at his response. "There's... also... uh, uh--" before I managed to say another suggestion, he shushed me up when he cut me off. "Would you just get fricking dressed already before the curfew?"

"Alright, alright, no need to be impatient."

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     Natsu actually asked me to go on a stroll this evening while mingling with the other couples! He. Asked. Me. Not to be an arrogant ass but, I was honestly surprised yet ecstatic at the same time when I found this opportunity. This could be it. This could be the chance I was waiting for.

     The chance to convey my feelings for him.

     
      It was a bit different than what I had imagined his plan for me to be. He was walking ahead of me, not beside me, with his head hanging by his arms in midair while whistling an indescribable tone. I had my distance since I had to wore my favorite outift for this special occasion.

     “Oi, Natsu!” I called for him but he didn't response. I ended up pouting to myself, gripping onto my fists and was about to yell when he ran happily.

My eyes widened, leaving me looking dumbfoundedly at him. He was running toward something and I was about to find out where to. "Oi, Lucy! Come here, here! There's something cool I wanna show ya!"

I quietly sigh to myself, “Again, what could be possibly interesting with--” opening my eyes, I gasped when something splashed me. Looking down below, I realized we were actually on a bridge with a huge pond underneath us, lots of different species of fishes swimming.

     I was completely amazed at the view of the night, making myself lean over the handle of the bridge. “Oh, my! Nobody told me about the pond here!”

     Natsu smirked, “I have my sources.”

    
     “Wah!~” I made myself lean over too much over the railings, expecting my fall when I closed my eyes when I suddenly felt him grab me by my hips. I felt my cheeks swell up, covering my mouth when Natsu puts me down back on land. Dusting myself, I looked away from him, not knowing what to do or say.

     “Sheesh, Luce, haven't you seen a pond before?” Natsu scoffed playfully, shooking his head while at it.

     I rested my arms on the railings and leaned, this time, much carefully. “O-kay, so I can be a clutz at times. And it's not that--I just haven't seen any ponds like this one ever since I was a child.”

     “Well, ain't your life a killjoy?” Natsu chuckles, looking in my direction. It was a good thing he managed to notice me lifting a brow at him. He cleared his throat, “N--Not that it... wasn't, uh, I mean, um...”

     I shook my head and looked down below, watching the fishes blow bubbles through their lips as if talking with their species, enjoying the view.

Natsu's POV

     Biting my lower lip, I decided to look away from Luce, embarrassed of the statement I just said to her. Goddamn it, Natsu. You should've known she had some kind of shitty past with her having strict parents and all that.

     Snapping my fingers mentally, I scootched a lot closer to her and when I was about to tell her something, I noticed her shoulders shivering. It made me lift a brow to myself, thinking what it could possibly mean.

     Is she nervous about us?
     Am I being cold to her?
     Did I offend her in some way?

     What? What is it, woman, what?!

     "Natsu, I think we should head back. I-I'm feeling a little cold myself..." she spoke as she tried comforting herself by caressing both of her upper arms.

     “Ah. Cold. You were cold.” about to grab for something of mine to comfort her, like what guys do in those movies, I realized I wasn't wearing any jacket of some kind. I pouted in despair. “Sorry, Luce, I didn't bring any-” the wind blew through us, it managed to blew my favorite scarf.

     My scarf.

     Unwrapping the thing around my neck, I wrapped it around Luce's neck, instead. She blushed, had her eyes widened when she saw the thing, looking up to me like some kid I picked up at the adoption homes.

     “W-What is this for...?”

I squinted my eyes at her. “Try eating it, it may help you get warm.” I answered sarcastically.

     She had that face again. Veins popping all over her forehead. “Dummy, why did you give it to me? This clearly belongs to you.”

“Duh, idiot, so you could keep yourself warm.”

     Her eyes widened even more. "E-Eh?! B-But.... I-I thought you loved having this scarf around you. Y-You never take it off..." she stated.

     “I-di-ot.” I lightly knocked her on the forehead. “I never said you could have it. I'm saying you can wear it...f-for now...” I paused to stare at her so she could get what I was saying. “Just so you know, this scarf is so precious that I can't let just anybody borrow it. So, take good care of it.”

     She breathes in, rubbing her hands on my scarf that was now resting around her neck, she nods. “...thank you, Natsu.”

I gulped, “Anything for you, Luce. You know I love ya.” I grinned at her, making her look at me weirdly.

“I-I'm sorry...? D-Did I just...hear that right...?” she asks, lending me her ear.

I shrugged, “I love ya, I mean, you're the best wife in the whole world, know what I mean? The best friend.”

     She paused. Oh, wait. She stopped.

     “Your future husband would be so lucky to have you.”

“M-My... future husband?” she looks up, making me look back. “But, you're my husband.”

I blushed, “Well, I-I know we don't really... I mean, like each other romantically, right? And... there would come a day where our parentsnwould probably break us up and let us marry the one we truly wanna be with for the rest of our lives.”

Lucy's POV

       ouch. ouch. Triple ouch.
       How could he say that? Right after saying such lines that I would dream of someone saying it to me. How could he think we'd be divorced and remarry someone else someday?

“...oh, yeah, Levy came up to me earlier and told me you were gonna say something important? Really, really, really, majorly important?” he just had to suddenly pop that stupid question after bluntly confessing all those things to me.

     Looking the other way, I tried hiding my blushing face. This goofy face. “I wanted to tell you all... I wanted to tell you how I... How I...?”

     “What?” natsu leaned in closer to my mouth. “What werebyou saying there, Luce?”

     I turned to face him--face-to-face with my eyes tightly closed and my lips moving as I want them to say; “I love you.”

“Oi, Natsu! Lucy! There's this dance the hotel was hosting for the guests. I think we're also invited!” Gray announced with his arms raised highly up in the air with Juvia tailing him from behind.

“Huh...? Oh, yeah, sure. Luce, let's just continue this later. Let's go party, come on! Whoo!” Natsu kept pulling me by my hand but, I quickly let go.

“No.” I declined. “Thanks for the offer but, I think... I'm gonna stay here for a while.” I answered, not daring to add any more excuses.

     “Luce? Aren't you gonna come, too?” Natsu insisted. “Come on, I don't want to leave you alone out here.”

I let go of his hand and shook my head as I smiled. “Okay, fine, you guys go on ahead of me. I'll catch up.”

“You sure?” Natsu asked once more, sounding worried.

I look him straight in the eye. “Yes. I'll be fine. Trust me.”

When he seemed satisfied with my excuse, he finally leaves with Gray and Juvia, leaving me alone by the pond to stare freely at my own reflection.

One voice. One chance. All I ask is at least for one time to let Natsu hear that I love him romantically. Even if he won't feel the same way, at least I would know.

“I wish.”

“Wishes don't come true if you don't toss coins or...something in exchange.”

Following the trail of this familiar voice, I looked up to see him. “Sting.”

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A/N : happy new year, everyone ! ! !

Xoxo,
Clarechan:)