Narlu love story

Chapter 1: One

Hey, guys. I've been watching Fairy Tail lately (oww, my emotions) and kept having these ideas nagging around in my brain, so I had to write them down.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

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"Hey, Natsu? You okay?"

Lucy slowly slid into a seat and sat next to the unusually quiet Dragon Slayer. He was perched at the bar in front of a largely untouched tray of food, uncharacteristically still.

He turned slightly until he met her face, before twitching his mouth up into a small smile, onyx eyes meeting brown. She let her own cheeks stretch in response, but he looked away, not having spoken a word.

Lucy's smile fell. Natsu tilted his face down as he gazed absentmindedly at the bench, his pink locks falling over his forehead, shadowing his eyes.

Concern immediately etched into Lucy's features, as she slid back off the chair to stand directly beside her normally energetic friend. She knew how much the pinkette loved his food, always eating with such wholehearted vigour. But now...now there was no sign of that joyful enthusiasm.

"Natsu?" she asked again, softer, a small catch to her voice. She laid a hand on his exposed shoulder.

"Lucy, I...I don't feel well."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, Lucy gasped, worry radiating through her. The simpleness and the direct nature of his words caught her off guard. Natsu never admitted to illness, at least not like that. It was so unlike him.

Lucy stood for a moment, looking down at her friend, observing, before her expression softened once more. She gazed around at the guild, taking in the usual rowdiness of its members—either having a late lunch, a lively conversation, sprouting a loud debate on some matter or another, or quietly perusing the mission board—before turning back to the still Fire Mage. Looking closer, she could see the pale tinge to his face, the twitch of his hand whenever there was a particularly loud noise, and the way his body was curled up, coiled tense.

Seeing this was no place for a boy who'd been raised by a dragon of all things when he felt ill, she made a decision.

"That's alright, Natsu. Would you like to go back to my place?" she offered, knowing the Dragon Slayer felt most comfortable and at ease in her apartment. Turning around, Lucy spotted Happy in the crowd, and discreetly waved him over.

Natsu briefly looked up at her, before grunting in affirmation, showing appreciation at her invitation.

Happy quickly flew up to their position, white feathered wings spread behind him.

"Hey, Lucy, what's going on?" His cheerful eyes settled on her, before drifting to his appointed foster father, where the look immediately dropped. He gasped. "Natsu?" he asked, before flying over and resting a blue paw on the pink tufts of hair.

Lucy watched the cat as Natsu smiled, acknowledging his friend.

"Hey, buddy," he said softly.

Lucy continued to observe the boy and feline for a moment, as Happy obviously picked up on his friend's suffering. "Natsu's not feeling well, Happy," she addressed the cat. "Do you think you could help me carry him to my apartment?"

The little cat nodded in quiet determination at her proposal, before placing his paws on the back of Natsu's vest, and gently lifting him up in the air. Lucy watched as Natsu slightly curled up at the movement, like a kitten being carried by its mother, before she slowly began to lead them away from the others, quietly making their way out of the guild so as not to draw attention to the sick dragon.