Dragon Boy and Princess

Chapter 8

  Author's note: 

So this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but I like it since it's got the nalu fluff everyone loves! Also I'm sorry if you guys think that my chapters are too long, but it's probably gonna stay that way cause I like to write a lot XD Oh, I've been forgetting to do this but 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, Hiro Mashima does. I could never come up with anything like that. Anyway, on with the story!

         

Once Lucy reentered her room and made sure that Juvia was gone, she slipped on some flexible and comfy jeans along with a scarlet blouse that clung nicely to her figure. She pulled on some black boots and did her hair up by pulling some hair back into a side ponytail with a matching scarlet ribbon, leaving the rest of her hair and her bangs out. This was the hairstyle she would wear everyday if she could, but unfortunately she had to always wear her hair in a tight, styled bun with millions of ribbons wrapping around it. Granted it was stylish, but the millions of ribbons wrapping around her hair were annoying, especially the amount of time it took to do it and undo it.

She grabbed the big, brown bag out of her hiding place and silently replaced the tiles. She then proceeded to going to the kitchen. She was about to enter when she heard two familiar voices from behind the closed door coming closer. She quickly jumped around the corner and pressed herself against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. As the door swung open she was able to hear the conversation between the two familiar voices of Lissana and Mira Jane. Despite Mira Jane being a seamstress, she was also an excellent cook and would help out in the kitchen whenever she could.

"It's weird, Mira-nee, food keeps disappearing from the kitchen, and it's a random thing, it's every night!"

"That is weird."

"And it doesn't look like whoever did it is trying to hide the giant amounts of food they take."

Lucy cringed, it really was that obvious, wasn't it? She hadn't really thought about trying to hide it, and she had to take big quantities, to keep Natsu well nourished and because he ate enough food for ten grown men!

"I don't know Lissana, maybe I can ask Laxus to see if one of his men can survey the kitchen during the night."

"We'll see, Mira-nee. I think we should wait a bit to see if they ever stop. Also, whoever is doing it might actually need the food."

"Yes, but if it's someone who works at the castle, which it has to be because no one can get past the stationed guards and if they did, they would have a hard time finding the kitchen, why would they need the food? All of the staff here is fed and housed."

"I guess you're right. I don't know. I guess we'll see," Lissana said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, for now, let's just go get to sleep. We'll think about it in the morning."

Lucy waited until she could no longer hear their footsteps to step into the kitchen. While she went around grabbing food, she made sure to take a different variety so that it would be harder to notice, at least she hoped it would be. It wouldn't be good if Mira was able to get Laxus to post one of his men to guard the kitchen. Laxus was one of her father's generals. He was the leader of a group that revolved around him, the head of the royal guards. The members of this group were Bixlow, Freed, and Evergreen. They called themselves the Raijinshu, meaning the Thunder Legion. All of the members of this group were entirely devoted to protecting Laxus. Lucy considered them her friends, but she didn't talk to them much and didn't get along with them as much as with her guards, Juvia, and Levy. Mira could probably get Laxus to send one of his men even if none of them were available because she and Laxus had a little romance of their own going on, every one knew even if they tried to keep it a secret. For now, all she could do was continue what she was doing, and wait to see what happens.

She had neatly packed everything in the bag and was about to head back up the stairs to her room when she remembered that Natsu told her to bring fire. She had left the torches back at the clearing so all she needed was matches. She quickly grabbed a couple boxes from the supply closet, and headed back upstairs, fully prepared for tonight's venture.

When Lucy arrived at the clearing, Natsu exclaimed, "Luce! You're finally back!"

His happy mood deflated quickly and he thrust his bottom lip out in a pout and turned away from her.

"You're late," he grumbled. "Really late."

"I'm sorry, Natsu. Something came up," she said, feeling kind of bad.

"I was worried," she heard Natsu mutter.

"You were worried? About me?" Lucy asked, a warm feeling blooming in her chest.

"Of course I was, idiot," he said, turning to face her with a scowl on his face and pink tinted cheeks.

"Hey, I'm not an idiot!" Lucy protested.

"Yes, you are."

"Why were you worried about me?" Lucy asked, sitting beside him.

"When you didn't come when you usually do, I waited. After a while, I thought you weren't coming, but I know you, Luce. You wouldn't not come without a reason so, I started thinking that something happened to you. Five minutes more and I would have gone to look for you."

Lucy felt happy and guilty at the same time. She looked into Natsu's onyx eyes and saw the worry that was there. So, to make up for it, she did the one thing she knew would calm him down. She raised her arm and tangled her hand in his messy pink locks, rubbing his head. Natsu's face immediately relaxed and his eyelids fluttered shut. He made a humming sound in his throat that sounded a lot like purring as he leaned more into her touch until his head was in her lap. Lucy didn't really mind, she was just thinking about comforting him.

"I'm sorry, Natsu. There's nothing to be worried about. There was just a problem between my brother, I mean my friend, and a friend that needed to be solved. I'm sorry I took so long."

Natsu stopped his purring to look up at her.

"Its ok, as long as nothing bad happened to you. Nothing bad happened right?"

"No, nothing happened to me. Don't worry."

He nodded and went back to purring. Now that Lucy was sure he wasn't worried any more, she was aware of the position they were in. She felt her face heat up, but didn't retract her hand. His hair was so soft that she didn't want to take her hand out of the tangly mess, and Natsu seemed to be enjoying. Its not like this doesn't end up happening every day anyway, she thought to herself.

While she was basically petting him, she remembered that Natsu had yet to eat, and she had brought him fire. Oh, and the book he had to read.

"Hey, Natsu?"

"What?" he said with a deep voice that made chills go down her spine.

"Don't you want to eat?"

Natsu slowly opened his eyes to glance at the bag that held his meal.

"In five minutes," he said, then went back to nuzzling his head into her hand and purring.

To be honest, Lucy was very shocked. She knew Natsu and she knew that he would pretty much do anything to eat. The fact that he had declined eating right now just to feel her hand in his hair a bit longer was absolutely mind blowing. She felt the same warm feeling she felt in her chest when Natsu told her he had been worried about her. She smiled softly at him, loving the way his lips curled into a smile as she massaged his head.

"Ok," she whispered.

And that's when a part of her realized that she was falling for him.

Author's note: Well, that's that. I'll have the next chapter up, maybe tomorrow. Bye for now!

NaluLuvr