NaLu One-Shots - Of Books and Devils

You're Staring

Storyline: Lucy would never admit her feelings to Natsu. Ever since the battle with Zeref, the boy she once known had grown into a man. A very handsome, kind man, though his kindness was only shown to her which made it sweeter. As he sleeps, what harm will it do if she admires him a little. It's not like he'd ever know... Right?

***

"Natsu? Happy?" Lucy called as she made her way into his small house, placing her key on the side table and shrugging off her coat.

"Natsu? You home?" she called again but was met with silence. She frowned before making her way further into the house. He had been off on a mission with Happy, and she'd only just gotten back from her own mission. She wouldn't admit it, but she missed him, so she used her key to check on him. She made her way into the kitchen to grab a glass of water before going into the living room to rest on the couch as she awaited Natsu's return.

Only, when she headed over to the seat she had intended to sit on, she was found Natsu himself. Said man was snoring lightly as he lounged on his back, taking up the entire couch, his feet dangling off the end. Lucy chuckled remembered the days he was so angry that Gray and Gajeel were taller than him – Now he stood a good four inches taller than Gray, and neared Gajeel's height.

His hair had faded in colour and turned to a natural calm, pale pink and had tamed somewhat over the years. He hadn't slowed down whatsoever with the training therefore his body was muscled and toned. Lucy tried to ignore the twist in her stomach and pressed a hand to her cheek as she felt her blood rush to her face. What on earth was she thinking? She was getting into dangerous territory.

She sat down next to his feet and changed the channel on the lacrima television before muting it. She didn't want to wake him since she knew he had been sleeping less. Her eyes cast back to the man on the couch, and she couldn't help but ponder about how much he had changed over the years, not only physically but in personality. He wouldn't be Natsu without a little arrogance but was calmer and more mature. Kinder, nicer, handsomer...

"You're staring."

Lucy squeaked and pressed a hand over her throat and her eyes went back to Natsu's face. He hadn't opened his eyes, but she could obviously see the smirk tugging at his lips. He was amused. Lucy laughed breathlessly in attempt to ease the sudden tension she was feeling.

"I – Ugh - No I wasn't!" she responded a second too late. Natsu peaked at her through one eye and chuckled lowly, making Lucy's stomach turn again.

"Yes, you were," he said matter-of-factly. "You were staring at me when you thought I weren't looking. You do that a lot."

"What – I - " Lucy stuttered, flustered. "How would you know? You were asleep!"

He grinned. "Was I?"

"I, uh... No?" she tried, trying to hide her bewilderment at this conversation.

"No." he agreed with a nod of his head, leaning his head back and closing his eyes again. Lucy dropped her gaze.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured quietly, but she knew he heard her.

Natsu's eyes snapped open to eye her incredulously. "For?"

"I don't know... the staring?"

"Why would you apologise for that?"

"I - I don't know, it's it an invasion of your privacy? And a little creepy?"

"I don't know, do you feel that way when I do it?"

That caused the breath to hitch in her throat. "What?"

Natsu grinned again before sitting up to lean on the arm rest behind him and pull Lucy closer to him. Her eyes widened but she didn't pull away. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"I look at you all the time," he told her, a small smile playing at his lips. "You haven't noticed?"

Lucy hesitated, not knowing how to deal with this situation. In the end, she decided to push all her fears of rejection and embarrassment away and tilt her chin up to look at his face, so close to her own.

"Why do you do that?" she asked in a firmer voice.

Natsu smirked. He so rarely got to see this side of Lucy and knew for a fact none of their friend's had the pleasure of seeing it. It wasn't put on or forced. It was real. Only he could bring out this side of her.

He hummed as if in contemplation and he traced a finger under her chin, tilting her head up so her eyes met his. "You're pretty nice to look at Luce, and so I look whenever I can."

"Oh, yeah?" she laughed lightly. She shook her head to herself. "I was thinking about how you've changed."

Natsu nodded in understanding, the corner of his mouth pulling up slightly and his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I don't care how much I've changed, I'm still the strongest mage in Fairy Tail." he murmured in a lowly. It was a something that she hadn't heard him say in so long it made her chest tighten, especially as it was spoken in a deeper voice.

"Of course," she agreed, shaking her head fondly.

Natsu laughed with her and rested his forehead against hers. She sighed with contentment and let her eyes fall close as she just simply enjoyed the closeness of her partner and best friend. She wasn't unused to the strange feelings that stirred. She'd struggled with her crush on Natsu for a while now, but she knew better than to bring it up. Natsu was oblivious to these things, so she knew better than to embarrass herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Natsu sighed and the breath was apparent on her lips. She peaked through her eyelashes to find Natsu looking at her, his gaze so intense that Lucy fought a blush.

""You're staring," she mimicked him, earning a chuckle from him.

"I'm observing," he corrected as he lifted his hand to trace her face. Her cheekbones, nose, lips...

Lucy felt that churning again in her stomach and this time she couldn't suppress it. He was so close, and he was looking at her like that. Like... Like she was everything to him. So why wasn't he doing something? She made a sound mixed between impatience and annoyance as she grabbed the back of his neck to pull him to her before swiftly pressing his lips to her own.

It was clear by the way his body stiffened, that Natsu was surprised. Lucy tried to ignore her fears and pressed her lips more firmly to his. She was thrilled when she felt him chuckle darkly against her lips and take the lead.

He grasped her waist and pulled her more firmly against himself, evoking a gasp from the blonde. He smirked against her mouth before tilting his head to deepen the kiss. He couldn't help but shiver with pleasure when her hands trailed up his arms and over his wide shoulders to the back of his neck were her fingers played with the hair above his neck.

The kiss became sweet as it came to a close, before ending with a small peck and a chuckle from Lucy. Natsu chuckled with her as he thought things would be much more interesting around here now.

"I'm all fired up now." He murmured, before pressing his lips deliciously to hers and pushing her gently onto the couch.