NaLu- "The Princess and Her Dragon Knight"

Part 11 - The Gardens

Natsu walked back to his apartments thinking really hard. Why was the princess so nice? Why is my heart both fluttering and aching at the same time? What could princess Lucy want from me? Why did I dream about her before? I can't get her scent out of my nose. Her eyes were so warm. Her voice is like music. Natsu didn't think about anything else as he entered his apartment. Even the trials were one of the last things on his mind.

Natsu decided to take a shower and couldn't help but to still have Lucy on his mind as he got ready for bed. He was definitely going to see Lucy tomorrow, no matter what. Natsu wasn't sure why, but his body was practically aching to be near her again.

Then something crossed Natsu's mind as he was drying off from the shower.

What if the rumors are true? What if the princess is cursed to make men fall in love with her with just one look? What if I'm just another lovesick man who can't control his feelings? "Oh no..." Natsu said out loud to nobody.

Natsu crawled into bed and decided that he would figure it out when he saw her tomorrow. As sleep took over, Natsu proceeded to dream of looking at the back of a blonde whose hair is being blown in the wind in front of him, then turning around to give a smile that leaves him breathless.

***With Lucy***

Lucy got to her room and started squealing. When did I become so brave?! Before getting dressed or anything, Lucy flopped onto her back on the bed, blushing and smiling and thinking of Natsu. She barely even noticed when there was a tapping at her door.

"Lu-Chan? You in there?"

Lucy shook herself out of her daydreams. "Come in."

Levy burst through the door. "I can't believe you made me do that! I feel so embarrassed right now, Lu-Chan. The king probably thinks that I'm crazy."

"Come on, Levy-Chan, it couldn't have been that bad."

"Not that bad? NOT THAT BAD?! I had to come up with an excuse to make the KING leave a meeting. I couldn't think of anything! I just said the first thing that popped into my head. Do you know what that was?"

"...what?"

"Gajeel. I asked the king for relationship advice."

Lucy snorted, "okay okay, that is pretty bad. Wait, what did he say?"

"No Lu, please don't make me say it..."

"Levy!"

"Fine!" Levy covered her face. "He said-uh- he said something about being p-patient, and waiting until the time was right before we- um- rush things and s-stuff," Levy's face was redder than a tomato.

"Oh my gosh, that is so embarrassing."

Levy sighed. "I know, right." Then she looked at Lucy. "Please tell me that I didn't do all of that distracting for nothing. You got to talk to Natsu alone, right?"

Lucy's face turned pink as she smiled and stared into the distance, still daydreaming about having her lips so close to Natsu's ear and making him turn red. "Yes, I even asked him to meet me in the South garden at sunset tomorrow."

Levy beamed, "I'm so proud of you, Lu! What did he say?"

Lucy stopped smiling and looked at her friend, "What?"

"He did agree that he would meet you, right?"

"Uhh..."

"Lu-Chan..." Levy's voice was low and demanding. "You ran away, didn't you?" Levy said, exasperated.