Work Text:
Saying those three words was extremely hard for Natsu Dragneel. But when he looked at his best friend Lucy, he knew he felt something deeper for her. With everyone else in the guild his feelings were more platonic type of love but Lucy Heartfilia was something else entirely. He enjoyed spending all of his time with her, teasing her and having fun with her. He enjoyed it when Lucy smiled to him, cared for him whenever he suffered from the motion sickness. She was always there for him and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
As time went on, Natsu realized that he wanted to tell Lucy about his feelings but he didn’t know how to express himself without sounding like a complete fool in front of her. Why was it so hard? Was he scared of rejection or something? He had no idea. He was completely out of his comfort zone and it was so frustrating!
“You’ll say those words when you’re ready, Natsu. Don’t force it”, Lucy said when he opened up about it. He didn’t say that she was the one he had feelings for but he had a hunch that Lucy might already know because she had a gentle look in her chocolate brown eyes that haunted Natsu’s dreams every night.
He nodded as an answer to Lucy but made a mental note to do all he could to express his feelings towards Lucy the only way he knew – through actions. He doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary or out of character for him. Just things that he would regularly do for her and noticed soon that Lucy really appreciated his effort. Sometimes Natsu asked Happy to help him and because the blue Exceed also loved Lucy despite teasing her all the time, he always excitedly agreed.
“Are you going to marry Luce, Natsu?” Happy asked one time when they’re in line to get tickets for the Hanabi festival that the town of Magnolia did every summer in July. Natsu had never gone there before but he knew it was popular. He also knew that Lucy really wanted to go but he was sure that she hadn’t been able to get tickets to it yet.
“What makes you think so, Happy?” Natsu casually asks.
“You’re doing so much to make her smile!”
“Isn’t that what people do for each other to show affection?”
“But you’re not even in a relationship with her!”
Natsu sighed. “I just don’t know how to say it without looking like an idiot. For once I don’t want her to think so”, he confessed to his feline friend.
“Oh, what’s there to worry about, Natsu? She liiiiiiiiikes you!” Happy said, rolling his tongue that often made Lucy tell him to stop. The memory made Natsu smile.
“She does?” he asked.
“I thought it’s so obvious! Even Mira sees it!”
Natsu furrowed his eyebrows. Why hadn’t he noticed that? If Lucy already felt the same as he did, why didn’t he see any signs? But then again he was a little bit dumb when it came to these things because romance was an unfamiliar thing to him.
When Natsu finally got to the ticket booth and had bought the tickets after an hour of waiting for his turn, he had decided that the Hanabi festival would be the perfect time to tell Lucy how he really felt about her.
“You bought us tickets to the Hanabi Show?” Lucy asked curiously when Natsu went back to her apartment and judging by the stressed look on her face, she was worried about her rent again. He made a mental note to make sure to help her with that later, too.
“Yep, I did. It’s on Saturday and I thought you’d like to go”, Natsu said, trying not to get lost into those beautiful eyes of hers.
“I would absolutely love to go, Natsu!” Lucy excitedly said as she took her ticket from Natsu. She smiled as their hands touched and Natsu could feel sparks fly because of it. He didn’t know if she felt them too but he didn’t want to ruin things at this point and pretended he hadn’t noticed anything. Instead he just smiled too. “That’s great, Luce”, he said.
“I can’t believe you went and bought us tickets to a show I had been dreaming about going to ever since it was announced”, Lucy said.
“Let’s say I know you better than you think”, Natsu grinned.
She giggled. “Yes, you seem to, Natsu. Would you like to spend the night here?”
“Sure, Luigi.”
“It’s Lucy!” blonde automatically corrected him as she stepped out of his way to let him in.
Natsu smiled as he walked into the apartment. Teasing Lucy was always fun because she knew he didn’t mean anything with it. It was one of his favorite things about her. They just clicked so well together, it was insane!
“You enjoy this too much!” she accused and crossed her arms on her chest.
“I do. It’s because your reaction is hilarious”, Natsu confessed and grinned right afterwards, making Lucy sigh but she looked amused while she did so.
*
When the festival day finally arrived, Natsu was excited. He was excited because he was going to finally take a leap of faith and confess his feelings to Lucy. Obviously he was worried that she might still reject him but he wanted to open up to her about it. When he and Lucy got to the festival area at the beach and they gave their tickets to the grumpy looking lady in the ticket booth, it was time to have fun before the fireworks show started. They had booths with different games in them and other booths for the delicious street food. Organizers had also brought in a ferris wheel but Natsu felt motion sickness’ first symptoms kick in even just having to look at it.
“We don’t have to get on”, Lucy said when she noticed Natsu wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was thankful for that because he wasn’t going to ruin this important evening with his stupid illness. “Let’s go throw some darts instead!” blonde girl added and pointed towards a thick wooden pole nearby where a round shaped wooden plate was hanging on.
“Darts? That’s boring!” Natsu tried to protest but he knew he’d agreed to go eventually.
“No, it isn’t. Come on, Pinkie”, Lucy just said.
Natsu went with her – mostly because she was holding onto his arm tightly – and ended up realizing that, in fact, darts were a fun way to pass time with the right company. Lucy ended up winning their little match and won a plushie that looked like a giant smiling Happy.
“I didn’t know we had merchandise”, Natsu said as they walked through the crowd after leaving the darts booth.
“We do”, Lucy said as she struggled to carry the big toy.
“Want me to carry it for you?” Natsu asked.
“Sure”, Lucy sighed and gave the plushie to him. He wrapped its paws around his neck.
“Let’s move, Luce”, salmon haired man said grinning.
“You grin too much in my presence today, Natsu.”
“They’re just grins of excitement”, Natsu made up hastily. Way too hastily because Lucy noticed it.
Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. “That sounds like an excuse.”
“It’s better than silence!” he defended himself.
Lucy shook her head and grabbed his arm. “Keep your secrets then, Natsu. We should go to the beach now so we’ll get the best spot to watch the fireworks show.”
“I like your plan, Luce. Let’s buy some snacks on the way…”
“You’re always hungry, aren’t you?” she asked when they walked towards the closest food booth.
“Not really but right now I am.”
They bought some meat sticks and soda as well as two chocolate chip cookies from the booth and then made their way down to the beach where they would be watching the fireworks. They weren’t the first people there but they were lucky enough to find a good spot where they’d be watching the show that would start soon.
“I’m happy that you were able to get the tickets, Natsu”, Lucy sighed. “I couldn’t afford them because of the rent.”
“I’m glad that I was lucky enough to get them. There was so many people buying tickets that day”, Natsu said.
“What would we be doing otherwise?”
“Getting rewarded with some rent money of course, Luce.”
“You care about that?” Lucy asked and looked surprised.
“I do”, Natsu smiled. “I don’t want you to become homeless.”
“That’s so sweet…”
Natsu blushed. “Although you’d always be welcome to mine and Happy’s place.”
“Your house is messy.”
“We try to keep it clean!” Natsu protested and made Lucy laugh.
“It doesn’t go that well though”, she said.
“True”, Natsu agreed. His house was, indeed, an untidy mess and it was truly a challenge to remember to clean it often. He and Happy tended to forget to do that. Natsu was sure that if Lucy lived there with them, the house would stay clean. She would order the boys to do it with her and neither of them would disagree.
“I’m serious though, Luce, you’re always welcome to my house”, he added.
Lucy smiled. “Thanks, Natsu. I’ll keep that in my mind.”
When they watched the fireworks later that night, Natsu took Lucy’s hand into his. She turned her attention to him and smiled while squeezing his hand. Natsu smiled back at her. This was the perfect moment to tell her so he pulled her closer. Lucy looked at him curiosity in her eyes that shone in the flashing colors of the fireworks in the dark sky.
“You’re the one I’m in love with, Luce”, he told her before she could ask him anything.
Lucy smiled and she blushed a little – which was barely noticeable because of the ongoing light show in the night sky. “I love you too, Natsu”, blonde girl told him. “I’ve felt that way for you quite some time now actually.”
Natsu felt happier than he ever had in his life when Lucy confessed to him. She raised her free hand to caress his face as she took a step closer. He smiled and caressed her beautiful face for a moment before he leaned in and finally kissed Lucy Heartfilia who kissed him back while the fireworks went off once again on the background.