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Summer in Magnolia was one of Lucy’s favorite times of year. The warmth of the city, the sweet drinks and even sweeter, cooling rains that would break through the summer heat. The radiant rays that would shimmer over the river’s water by her apartment, and the mossy sheen of greenery that encased Natsu’s hut. It meant everything to Lucy–the acceptance and welcoming hunger of summer was synonymous with the guild’s love, and even better, Natsu’s love.
It had been official for a few months now, Lucy had posted the date up on the board above her desk, complete with a heart and a kiss mark from her favorite lipgloss.
She remembers it like it was yesterday, the crunching of autumn leaves as Natsu wraps his scarf around her neck, his eyes tender and warm as the words she’s yearned to hear for ages finally get uttered into existence. “I like you a lot, Lucy. More than I think I can explain.” Those words changed Lucy’s entire world in just a few seconds. She was swept off her feet–both literally and figuratively–and the coming months with Natsu felt like a dream she’d been missing out on for her entire life.
Loving Natsu was more than any fire-related metaphor that Lucy could come up with. It wasn’t just a constant heat that simmered beneath her feet, nor was it a burning in her veins when his lips pressed against her own–no, it was so much more than that. The love that Natsu gave her was timelines coming undone to make room for them, lands and seas parting for the homecoming of a celestial and dragon bond that would never be undone. Lucy knew deep in her heart that she and Natsu were bonded for life, and nothing could ever hope to tear them apart.
This deep bond meant more to Lucy than she might’ve been willing to admit, especially because her and Natsu were still so fresh, but she knew in the quietest moments where her heart fluttered alone that she loved Natsu. Which only made it harder and harder to not say it to the dragonslayer.
Of course, unbeknownst to Lucy, Natsu had the same issue. The infamous ‘L-Word’ hung in the air around them, just begging to be said, and what better time to feel the weight of the word than at a festival?
~~
Lucy stood in front of her mirror, eyes trained on the gentle pull of makeup at her eyelid, movements trained and smooth despite how anxious she felt. It was her first time going to a summer festival with Natsu, which meant she wanted it to go perfectly. Which meant being meticulous with every swipe of gloss, every dab of glitter, and every strand of hair that she pulled up.
Soft corals lined her lashline, emphasizing her long lashes and sparkling eyes, while a muted purple barely coats her bottom lashes, making her brown eyes pop. Lucy left her skin as natural as possible, not wanting to melt under the summer heat, but made sure to pat her cheeks with a natural pink-tone, giving her a flushed and cute appearance. Even her lips had a small layer of colored gloss, a dewy pink with speckles of glitter. Her hair was carefully put together, a braided bun of blonde hair, set beautifully above the nape of her neck, all tied together by a pink and green flowered hair ornament.
“Maybe this is…too much?” Lucy whispers to herself as she stares at her reflection, brown eyes emphasized by the color around the edges of her eyes. “It’s not exactly like Natsu would notice anyways…” Lucy shrugged her shoulders, thoughts only causing the pit in her stomach to churn. “Ugh–I don’t know! I know he thinks I’m pretty no matter what, but is it wrong for me to want to look beautiful to him?”
Her question stays unanswered as she leaves the bathroom, feet guiding her to her wardrobe where she had a yukata hanging up. It laid perfectly on the hanger, a beautiful light pink fabric with stars and flowers embroidered over its cottony-surface, a find she had screamed about when she went shopping with Levy the other day.
“If this made me lose my breath,” Lucy traced her fingers over the fabric, a small smile on her lips. “What would it do for Natsu?”
A small chuckle erupts from her as she strips out of her casual clothes, hands on her hips as she stares down the traditional wear in front of her. “Maybe I should’ve chosen one with fire or dragons…” She imagined Natsu’s wide smile at a yukata design she didn’t have–his face would light up, sharpened teeth and squinted eyes, but his excitement would likely include a random fist-pump of fire, so maybe it was for the better Lucy didn’t get a fire-based yukata.
“Ahh–! I’m so nervous,” Lucy jutted out as she slipped the light weight fabric onto her shoulder, hands peaking out from the bellowing sleeves. “I know he’s seen me in dresses before, but never something like this.”
She carefully manages the fabric as she dresses herself, mindful in how the folds are oriented, and how the obi sash is tied around her back. Its warm, yellow hues highlight the large starbursts that are scattered across the pink textile, and the decorative braid that ties around the obi serves to converse with the speckles of green flowers accompanying the starbursts.
“Okay,” Lucy slips her feet into her sandals, the two teeth at the bottom something she was nervous about at first, but thankfully her and the other girls did many walking lessons before the festival. “This is it.” She clipped her spirit keys onto her festival attire–somehow keeping them secure without interfering with the yukata–and grabbed the small bag by her door, hand just hovering over the handle. “It’s time to go! To face the beast of a festival head on!”
Pumping her first up in solidarity with the guild, a movement that always seemed to soothe Lucy’s racing heart, Lucy was finally pushing the door open, feet steady as she made her way to the festival.
She’s never been more excited to see Natsu than she is right now.
~~
Natsu loved the summer for many reasons, he loved the food stalls, the heat, and fishing in the forest was always more fun in the summer heat waves. He liked sitting on the guild’s roof while munching down on a meat skewer, and loved the sparkling drinks Lucy threw his way. He liked how the warmth aided his own fire, and he certainly loved how flushed Lucy’s cheeks got whenever she was out for too long.
Yes, Natsu definitely loved summer.
Yet right now, with the sun lowering across the horizon as the street filled with soft lights from lanterns and the collected chatter of passerbys, Natsu decided he might like summer even more now.
Why?
Because waiting for him at the festival's entrance stood Lucy, and she was utterly and undeniably breathtaking. She wasn’t facing him all the way, her eyes staring up at the glittering lights overheard, but he could see the nervous–maybe excited–twitch of her fingers as she shuffled her feet in place. The light painted over her cheeks, her hair illuminated by the glowing lanterns, highlighting her beauty, and her entire being radiated with light. Even from where he was, he could see the flush to her cheeks, the heightened rate of her heartbeat, and the intoxicating scent of fruity vanilla drifting towards him.
“Lu-lucy?” Natsu choked as the words came out, his voice suddenly dry.
Then, Lucy turned to face him, and Natsu swore his entire world stopped. In that moment, winds whipped past Natsu as seemingly all the lights shone down brightly onto Lucy. His eyes were drawn to Lucy’s irresistible presence, everything about her made his heart skip around his chest, his soul yearning to reach out to the blonde.
But then, without missing a beat, Lucy’s face lights up and the biggest smile pulls at her cheek, and Natsu knows he’s done for. Her eyes twinkled like stars in the sky above, but even they pale to the beauty swimming in her eyes.
“Natsu! You're here!” Lucy exclaimed, feet clamoring to move to the dragon with ample success. In a matter of seconds, the dazzling look of Lucy was right in front of him, and he was absolutely, without a doubt, gobsmacked.
“Ye-yeah–” He croaked out as he stared into her twinkling eyes, completely captivated. “I’m here.”
His heart beat loudly in his chest, louder than anything Natsu’s faced before. No monster or fight ever made the blood race through his veins like this, and never before has he felt the tickling sensation swirling around the pit of his stomach. He attempted to coat his dry throat with saliva to no avail.
God, was he hot.
Lucy blinked at him, her head tilted in mild confusion at the bizarre look that must have covered his face, before she was slipping a hand into his own and pulling him inside the festival, not even giving Natsu a chance to say anything important. He needed to tell her. “Well, no point in standing, let's get a move on.” Lucy breezed past the first two stalls before suddenly pulling Natsu towards one that sold masks, accessories, and other festival themed goods. “I want this one,” Lucy pointed to the wooden and paper fans lined up on a rack, specifically to one with fireworks on it, “an uchiwa will help with the heat.”
Without even thinking, mind completely preoccupied with the glowing blonde beside him, Natsu forks over a couple coins to the vendor before Lucy’s dragging him to the next stall.
“I want to try the goldfish game, Natsu.” Lucy pointed at the water pool in front of them filled with small fish. “Plus, you should be good at this with how much fishing you and Happy do.”
“Uhh…” Natsu peaks around, looking for a pole or even stick of some kind. “Where’s the fishin’ rod?”
“There’s no rod, silly.” Lucy laughs softly–Natsu swears his heart just got lunged into space–and hands him a small paper catcher of some sort. “According to the rules, you use this to scoop up a fish.” Her eyes sparkle as she gazes at Natsu, and he can’t help the shiver that runs down his spine. “Go on, try it out!”
“Okay, okay.” Natsu mutters, his eyes now focused on the task at hand. The fish swam around happily in the pool, seemingly unfazed by the hot gaze of a fire dragon. “I’m a master fisher,” his hand hovered above one spot. “Fish fear me,” Natsu eyes a big, orange and black fish with large eyes. “And they can’t escape me!” He splashes the paper catcher into the water, cool droplets spraying into the air that had Lucy shielding herself. His movements were so fast and abrupt that all the fish swam away, hysterically trying to get away from Natsu as he repeatedly slammed his fist back into the water.
“O–kay,” Lucy whistled, her hands clapping despite the embarrassing show Natsu just put on. He felt his cheeks burn. “That was new.” She was still laughing as she stood, her hand extended towards Natsu’s even though she knew it was soaking wet. “Come on, let’s go find something else to try!”
Once again, Natsu found himself being dragged behind an excited and happy Lucy, but even so, he couldn’t stop the wide smile from covering his face. This girl, this woman, was the perfect anomaly that Natsu wanted to hold onto forever, a glitch in the universe that somehow allowed him and her to even meet, even letting them go to a festival together. Everything about tonight only amplified his feelings, the love in his chest coiling so tightly around his lungs Natsu felt like he could burst any second now.
He needed to tell her.
“Lucy, wait–”
“Oh, my gosh! Natsu, look!” Lucy pulls him suddenly, bringing him almost flush to her side. “It looks just like Happy, we have to get it!”
Natsu peels his gaze up until he spots the cat-shaped plushie sitting on the shelf, its big eyes begging to be taken.
“Dontcha think Happy’d get jealous, Luce?” Lucy just shrugged at him, hand already around a water balloon.
“We won’t know unless we win,” she chucks the balloon at a moving target, something horrendously shaped like the mountain vulcan, and, in terrible luck, misses completely. “Damn. Maybe I spoke too soon.”
“Let me try,” Natsu gently nudges Lucy out of his way with his hip, hand curled around the buoyant balloon. He tosses it up in the air as he watches the speed of the vulcans, eyes trained on their taunting faces. “Maybe I’ll be really good at this one–” Natsu chucks the balloon, hard and fast, and it splashes against one of the targets, knocking it down instantly. “That’s one!”
“Ya-ay!” Lucy cheered beside him, her small hands clapping as she jumped lightly in place. “Only two more, Natsu!”
Excitement bubbled under Natsu’s skin as Lucy cheered, his cheeks hurt from how much he was smiling–he had to win for her.
“Easy as strawberry cake, Luce.” The next ball was thrown and smashed into the closest target, the vulcan beat down by the strength of Natsu’s throw. “Just one more.”
The last target was the fastest and furthest away, completed with a mocking white vulcan that reminded Natsu of Mt. Hakobe. “Lucy,” Natsu steadies his arm, elbow level with his shoulder as he draws his hand back. “This one’s for you.” In what feels like slow motion, Lucy and Natsu watch as the water balloon pelts the last target, smacking it right in the middle before toppling down, and the jingle of success plays in the air.
“Natsu!” Lucy exclaimed, eyes wide as the blue plush was placed in her hands. “You’re amazing–I mean you’re always amazing, but still!” The cat plushie became smothered by her chest, the feline face barely recognizable as Lucy gave the plush a tight hug. “You’re the best, Mr. Amazing-Aim.”
“Of course I am,” Natsu slipped an arm around Lucy’s shoulders to guide her somewhere else. “I’m not made for losing, Luce. ‘Specially when it comes to you.”
Lucy hides her face in the blush, no doubt blushing from his words, but Natsu just carries on walking. They listen to small conversations at booths and the resounding applause of more prizes being won, and while Natsu could hear it all if he wanted to, all he could focus on was the strong beating of Lucy’s heart as she walked beside him.
She was nervous, too.
Darkness hung around the sky as the sun set over the horizon, oranges and reds eaten away by the navy sky as sprinklings of stars entered the atmosphere. The lanterns shone brightly in their side view as they walked a little bit away from the festival, the sound but a distant chatter as Natsu finally found the place he was looking for. A stone bench with engravings of magnolia flowers on the pedestals, covered by the nostalgic shadow of the rainbow sakura tree.
Natsu sat down first, his palms sweatier than he was expecting, and patted the space next to him, hoping Lucy would take the hint.
“Wow,” Lucy gasped as she sat down, her eyes flying to the view of the festival as people shuffled to find places to view the fireworks. “I didn’t even think about coming to this spot,” she turned her head to look at him, a gentle smile on her face. “You really thought of everything, huh?”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Chuckling awkwardly while scratching the side of his neck, Natsu gave Lucy a quick look before turning to look at the sky. The stars seemed to shine all the brighter at them.
He could do it.
“Lucy,” Natsu shifted in his seat, his hand resting comfortably over Lucy’s. He interlaces their fingers before pulling it onto his leg, his eyes never once leave Lucy’s. “I’m happy we came tonight.”
“M-me too, Natsu.” She stuttered out, her cheeks flushed even more under his intense gaze. Her other hand rose to his cheek, her palm cool on his overheated face. “I’m really happy, too.”
“I, Lucy…I–”
A loud, echoing boom resonated above them, a painter’s dream of colors covering the sky before dissolving into ashen dust. Natsu’s words are eaten by the fireworks shooting up into the night sky, but his hold on Lucy never falters–he just pulls her into him until she rests her head on his shoulder, eyes darting between his side profile and the sky.
Firework after firework painted the sky, the colors and images leaving the people of Magnolia awestruck. They’ve had festivals before, even their own fireworks, but these were different somehow. Louder, brighter, a colorful array of magical spectacular; a sight impossible to ignore.
Yet, instead of watching the show, Natsu could feel Lucy’s eyes on him, large and unmoving. The heat of her gaze made the hair on his neck stand tall and one of his hands twitched at his side as he swallowed down the lump in his throat.
“Natsu…” Lucy spoke through the fireworks, knowing the fire dragon would hear her. He did. He heard every word that fluttered past her lips. “I love you, too.”
A massive firework exploded just as Lucy’s words settled into his veins, and the sparks that flew in the sky paled in comparison to the sparks that erupted inside his own heart. Pinks and yellows may have coated the sky, but as Natsu stared at Lucy, the sounds but an echo as those warm, brown eyes held onto him with every fiber of their being–Lucy was bleeding her soul into him through just her gaze alone.
She loved him.
He opened his mouth to speak, blinking in tune with the last beaming fireworks, his sights coated in a rainbow of colors. Then the dust settles and the colors fade, the surrounding applause and cheers igniting the fire under his veins as his heart beats louder in his chest, mimicking the final burst of flame in the sky.
Natsu blinked again.
Sitting there, in all her celestial beauty, was Lucy, and she was all he saw.
“You love me…” Natsu repeats, eyes wide and a smile pulling at his lips. “You love me.” His hands climbed up until one rested on the side of her cheek and the other curled around the back of her head. “Me…the me who’s in front of you right now?”
“Of course, it’s you.” Lucy smiled into his palm, her lips pressing into his warm skin. “Who else could I be saying it to?”
“Maybe the fireworks,” Natsu teased, but even as his words might have been filled with jokes, he was leaning his head forward until there was barely space between them. “Or maybe it was the mosquito behind my head.”
“Those don’t sound right,” Lucy laughed as she tilted her head up, their lips barely brushing as she spoke. “Maybe I was saying it to the sakura tree.”
“You do love that tree,” his fingers curled around blonde hair, the touch warm and gentle. “But I think my love might be stronger.”
“Ohh–” Lucy whispered against his lips, her eyes closed. “Will you show me then, just what it is you love?”
Natsu doesn’t speak after that, he doesn’t need to, not when he can say all he means through the push and pull of their lips moving together under the soft glow of the sakura tree.
The kiss is soft, and if Lucy and Natsu could be honest, it was everything they’d been waiting for. Years, and months, and days melting down into a kiss full of yearning and pining, the sweet truth finally released into reality; shaped by them, and them alone.
“I love you, Lucy.” Natsu finally said, confession bright and clear, unhindered by the empty glow of fireworks that became the pinpoint of their love. “I love you, too.”