Too Late

Ch 3

"He was honestly shocked at first. He asked me, 'Why would you go and do a stupid thing like that for?'" "Sounds like something Gajeel would say." "Yeaa, well, I wasn't impressed with that answer. But through prodding he explained that he felt he didn't deserve having someone like me like him the way I do. Given everything in the past. I told him that I'd long forgiven him about that but he still feels undeserving... but he did say he liked me too. That took even more prodding to get that answer from him. Hehe." "Oh wow Levy! That's great! Are you guys officially together then??" "Yuup! We just haven't acted like it here because he doesn't want anyone teasing him about it." "I can understand that.. but see? It worked out great for you and Gajeel. You can't say it'll be the same for me and Natsu." "Oh Lu, you don't really know that! Try not to be so negative! You guys are best friends and have been through so much through out the years. Like I already said, I'd be surprised if he wasn't attracted to you in one way or another. Give it a chance and tell him how you feel." I contemplate every reason why I shouldn't confess anything, and I know I'm being really negative but all I can think about is how he'll tell me he doesn't return my feelings, I'll get turned down, then our friendship just won't be the same. I look at Levy and sigh, "Okay.. you're right. I'd rather know for sure then stress myself out with what ifs." She gets a super excited look on her face, "When? When??" 

"I guess I'll mention it once we leave the library? While I have the courage to do it?" "Good! Do it sooner rather than later so you don't lose your nerve!" "Okay, okay, I get it." We giggle. We make our way out of the library only for Gray to run right into us and knock us both clean on our butts. "GRAY!" We shouted in unison. "Sorry guys, trying to get away from Erza!" "Wait why are you running from Erza? I thought you and Natsu were going at it?" I asked him. "We were, until I missed Natsu's fat head with one of my snowballs and.. well got Erza instead." "Oh" Levy and I say together. "GGGRRRRAAAAAAYYYY!" "Oh no." Gray then books it to somewhere in the back of the guild with Erza close behind in her heavens wheel armor. "I don't even see Natsu anywhere, do you Lu?" "I don't either. Maybe he's hiding from Erza?" "Pssst" Levy and I look at each other then around us, "Psssst, guys down here." We hear a whisper from below us. Levy and I look under the table to see Natsu crouched down under it. "Natsu?" I ask. "Is she gone? Did Erza chase down Gray?" "Yeaaa you didn't hear her yelling at and stomping after him?" He sighs in relief as he gets out from under the table, "Phew that was close!" "If you guys weren't fighting each other every chance you got you wouldn't have to hide you know." I gently scoff at him. "Actually Erza didn't care we were fighting, I hid because I'm the reason she was hit with the snowball." "You didn't know she was behind you when the snowball was thrown did you?" "Well yea" he chuckles, "I saw Happy pretty down heading out of the guild, and I couldn't just leave the fight, Gray would have thought that I was backing down from the fight. So I moved till I was right next to her and bam." "You idiot, you know as soon as she figures out you planned that, you'll be next after she gets Gray." He audibly gulps, "Which is whyy, I'm gonna go find Happy now." Before anything more can be said he books it out the door of the guild. We both sigh and walk over to the bar to drop off our empty mugs. "Well Lu, I'm gonna go find Gajeel and see if he wants to do a job before it starts snowing any more. Good luck! I'm sure everything will be fine." She puts her hand on my shoulder. "Okay Levy, I'll see you later."

I sit down alone with my thoughts at the bar watching everyone interact in the guild. Looks like since Gray and Natsu stopped fighting everyone went back to business as usual. Which is unusual. Usually when someone gets into a fight everyone jumps in and gets rowdy. Just the Fairy Tail way I guess. I'm gonna tell Natsu how I feel. The more I tell myself that, the more I'm okay with doing it. I'm still plenty afraid of what he'll say but Levy was right. I need to know for sure. What if he says he doesn't feel that way about me though? That I'm just a friend to him? What if that ruins our friendship? What if he DOES feel that way about me? What would we do then? What would be next? I'm so lost in my thoughts, I didn't see Natsu come back inside the guild and now has a job request in hand and is trying to get my attention. "Helloooo, Lucy?" "Hey, Natsu, sorry what'd you say?" "Jeeze what were you thinking about? I was waving in your face for a good couple of minutes. I was saying I'm gonna take Happy on a quick job to get his mind off Charla. She turned him down, again, and he's pretty bummed about it. I told him we could go on a job, just us guys, to get his mind off things." "Is he okay?" "Eh, he'll be fine. He always gets down then bounces back and is back to trying to win her over." "Tell him what I told you. Tell him to try giving her something different. Something she likes." "I'll tell him. Thanks Lucy! See ya later!" "Wait, Natsu?" He stops and turns around. "How long do you think you guys will be gone for?" "Hmm shouldn't take too long. Might be back tomorrow around noon? Why?" "I uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.. I need to get something off my chest before I lose my nerve to say it.. but it can wait till you get back." He makes a confused face, but then smiles, "Okay. We'll talk tomorrow! See ya!" He runs off with job request in hand and heads out the guild doors.