Beauty's Tale by Summer Cheng

Chapter 21

    Lucy woke up and saw that Natsu had not moved. She checked for a pulse. She realized to her relief he was alive.  She stood up and cut open an orange. She ate a few slices. Then, she held one slice under his nose.

    Natsu opened his eyes and looked at her. He frowned.  He was not sure why this girl was in his kitchen. He had not the slightest idea why she looked familiar.  

    "Miss, what brings you here?"

   "Natsu, it is me, Lucy."

     Lucy watched as he grabbed the slice out of her hand. She gasped when he refused to look at her.  What on earth happened to him? Why was he acting so strangely?

     Natsu ate the orange piece. He heard her gasp.

      "Lucy, I do not know any, Lucy's."

    Lucy frowned. She realized then it was more serious than she thought.  

     The stuff he took must have wiped all memories of her from his mind.

     "How could you forget me?  After all, we have been through, you forgot me." 

    "You promised to protect me."  

       Lucy walked away hurt. She felt betrayed. She never thought it would ever come to this.

       ...Beep, beep, beep...

      "What? What is  that noise?"  Lucy screamed.

        Natsu laughed. He stood up and turned off the alarm clock.

         "Sorry, Lucy, I did not mean to wake you. I will leave for work soon."

            "Natsu, but how?  You left me a note, and you passed out.  You came too but did not remember me."

            Natsu shrugged his shoulders. He figured Lucy must have had a nightmare about him.

           Lucy sat up in bed. She hugged Natsu and whispered, "Please, do not ever forget me. Not for real."           

        *Author's note: For anyone confused, the last chapter and the beginning half of this one were all parts of Lucy's bad dream.

           "Lucy, it is alright. I will not forget you."

          Natsu was surprised at the hug but hugged her in return.  He blushed some too.

            "See you later, L-Lucy. I left y-you some apple juice, toast, eggs, and tea downstairs.  If you need anything else just text me."

            At her puzzled look, he hands her a slip of paper with his cell phone number on it.

          "You can reach me at this number.  Just remember to only call if it's an emergency, otherwise, just text me."

          Lucy nodded her head. "N-Natsu?"

           "Yes, Lucy?"

        "N-Nevermind."

     Natsu smiled as he waved to her. He left for work with only one girl on his mind, Lucy.

       Lucy got up not long after he left, got dressed, and went to eat the food that he left out for her.  She finished with it and checked to see if there were any oranges.

      She found some cuties, rinsed them, sliced them, and ate them. She put her plate in the sink and washed it.

     "Ouch!" She yelped in pain when she realized her thumb was bleeding. She accidentally cut it while she prepared the small oranges.

        She washed her hands and searched for the first aid kit. She found it and pulled out a band-aid.  She wrapped it around the wound. She closed the kit and returned it where Natsu usually stored it.

        Natsu arrived at work safely and sound. He worked hard.

        His coworker Lissana Strauss tried to grab his attention with her low-cut dress and flashed her eyes in his direction. To her dismay, he never glanced at her let alone said a thing to her.

        "Natsu, why do not and I go get some coffee after work?" Lisanna said in a voice she hoped he would pay attention to.

          Without a glance up, he answered, "Sorry, but you are not my type.  Besides,  I have a girlfriend waiting on me at home."

           He knew  Lucy was not his girlfriend, but he hoped maybe one day she might be.

       "Gosh, Natsu, I never knew you had a girl.  I will trouble you again!"  Lissanna scoffed as she walked off twirling her hair.

      Natsu breathed a sigh of relief.  Once he finished his reports for the day, he checked his phone to see if Lucy had sent him any text messages.

       Sure enough, she had.  

      He smiled as he read it.

   The text read as follows...

   Natsu, we are out of milk.

  Also, is it okay if we order take-out tonight?

     Natsu felt his chest thump from the sheer thought of having take-out with Lucy.  He dared not tell her that it made him feel this way. Why should he?  It was not as if she felt the same.

     Natsu's text...

     I will get some milk on the way home.

     Sure, take-out sounds fine, Lucy.

    Find out more in Chapter 22

   bye, bye little owlets!

-Summer out!

Chapter published 6-2-2021

  Edits completed to the chapter on 6-15-2021