More than friends, less than lovers. (A NaLu fanfic!)

Chapter 1 - Something to start it all

(Lucy's POV)

I can't believe it! Here we are, Fairy Tail, sitting in our inn just before the beginning of the Grand Magic games the flowering capital! It's been seven years, and our guild has come to return to it's place at the top! I flipped through the pages of my book, smiling to myself. Surely we could win this without too much drama.

Pfffft. Who am I kidding.

I looked up from my book to see Natsu walk in. He said "Hey Lucy, Erza."

Erza and I smiled back. We were all in good spirits. For now.

"Has Wendy come back?" Natsu asked.

Happy shook his head. "I haven't seen her. And I haven't seen Charle either."

"Wierd. It's not like them to be late." Natsu said slowly.

I quickly sat up and waved my hand like a maniac. "I can go look for her!"

Natsu shot me a look. "Are you sure? It's getting late, and she's only been gone a few minutes. She'll probably be here soon."

"No, I really think I should look for her. She's a little girl you know, and this is a huge city, and-"

My blabbering was cut short by the door suddenly slamming open again. My eyes widened, and Erza and Natsu narrowed their eyes in anger. Happy stared.

Sting, from the current most powerful guild Sabertooth, was standing in our doorway.

He held the frail form of Wendy in his arms. Charle rested with her. They were both out cold.

"Wendy!" Erza cried out.

"Tch. Such a weak little girl. How did she even get on your team?" Said Sting with a smirk.

"Put Wendy down, and get out of here. You're not welcome." Natsu growled.

I continued to watch in silence. Happy whispered "Wendy......Charle........What happened?"

Sting silently put Wendy and Charle onto the empty bed. Natsu gave him another death stare, so he backed away and out of the room. I could hear his steps echoing down the hall. Suddenly, I felt bad. He had come here to bring Wendy back to us. And we didn't even thank him, just because of the guild he was in.

I got up and said "I'll be right back."

Everyone watched me walk out of the room. I shut the door quietly behind me, and then walked down the hallway to follow Sting.

I walked downstairs to the lobby, and saw Sting leaving through the front door. I called out "Sting! Wait up!"

He turned around, surprise written clearly on his face. I ran up to him, and then I forgot everything I had wanted to say.

"What do you want?" He growled, clearly impatient and uncomfortable.

"I-I wanted to thank you....for bringing Wendy here. We were starting to worry." I looked at him confidently in the eyes. And weirdly enough, his gaze softened.

"Well, it was a little girl laying alone in the palace courtyard. Even someone like me knows to help them."

"What do you mean, someone like you?" I asked curiously.

He seemed taken aback by that question. Sting murmured "Nothing. Doesn't matter."

He left before I could say anything else. I watched him go, and noted with a bit of embarrassment that he looked back at me, just before he turned a corner.

I sighed and turned around, and went back upstairs. It was almost midnight, and something was supposed to happen then.

No one asked me what I had been doing. They were all too busy worrying over Wendy. I was glad no one asked though, I wouldn't have been able to come up with words for what I did. It was no big deal, surely....

Surely......

[A/N This first chapter is very short :P And I know it looks like Lucy x Sting right now, but I promise, that isn't going to be the main couple in this book :P Just hang in there!]