Natsu was lounging on a park
bench, soaking in the sun. Lucy and Grey lay on the grass, and Happy was
perched in the branches of a nearby tree. It was a rare moment of peace for
them. No one was attacking, there wasn’t a mission, there was just the soft breeze
and the warm sun. Lucy knew it couldn’t last, but then again, how long could
Natsu actually sit down without blowing something up?
A stomach grumbled, “I’m so
hungry.” Natsu whined.
“Me too.” Happy agreed,
fluttering down from the branches. “We should go fishing!”
“Or find a nice hot fire…” Natsu
said, a dreamy edge to his voice.
The mages sat up, knowing that
their relaxation time was over. “There’s a restaurant around the corner.” Lucy
offered, but Natsu continued on as if she hadn’t said anything.
“Lucy, can you summon something
to make me a fire?”
Lucy was about to retort, when a
small fire burst from the grass. It was unlike any flame Lucy had seen before,
definitely not Natsu’s. She couldn’t really say what the difference was, maybe
the pulsing blue centre that beat like a tiny heart, or maybe how it was so
controlled. She just knew that there was something different about this fire.
Natsu didn’t really seem to care
where the fire came from. He leapt from the bench, pouncing on the fire. Or
rather, where the fire had been. As quickly as it had arrived, it disappeared,
spluttering out like a match past it’s due.
“Hey! Give it back!” Natsu
complained to no one in particular.
“You haven’t changed, Natsu.” A
voice said from the road. Lucy had never seen her before, but it was clear that
Gray, Happy, and Natsu all knew her.
“Clara?” Natsu whispered, his
eyes wide in disbelief. “You’re alive?”
“Of course I’m alive.” She said,
taking steps towards them.
“It’s been so long.” He
whispered again, a smile breaking onto his face.
Clara’s cold eyes flickered to
Lucy, and then back to Natsu. “Yes it has, and apparently things have changed
more than I thought. Anyway, I’m going to the guild, I’ll see you around.” She
raised a hand as she left, and Lucy saw the Fairy Tail stamp on the inside of
her wrist.
“Who was that?” Lucy asked.
Natsu was busy chattering
excitedly to Happy, so it was Gray who answered.
“Her name’s Clara, she
disappeared about a year and a half ago. She was Natsu’s partner, they always
went on missions together.”
“And she made the fire?”
“Yeah, she’s a fire mage. She’s
usually in a better mood than that though…”
“Come on! Come on! Let’s go to
the guild!” Natsu yelled, running down the path Clara had taken. Gray and Lucy
quickly followed, Happy flying at his masters shoulder. They burst through the
doors and saw Clara stood at the bar talking with Cana.
Grey grasped Lucy’s arm and led
her to another table. “Let them sort this out.” He said. It then dawned on Lucy
that maybe Natsu and this mysterious Clara were more than just job partners.
“Are you back for good Clara?”
Natsu asked.
Clara shrugged, “what does it
matter, you’ve got a new team now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s obvious you don’t
need me anymore.” She turned in her chair to continue her conversation with
Cana, effectively ignoring Natsu.
Natsu stood there, his mind reeling. His fists flickered in orange
flames and then he burst out, “of course I need you!” The flames had swathed
his feet, and people of the guild were slowly backing away.
Clara stood with shadowed, angry
eyes. “Then why didn’t you look for me?” Natsu’s flames sputtered as Clara
looked at him, “where were you when I needed
you!” Her yell silenced the guild.
“You were everything to me! I thought I could count on you!” She blinked back a
sheen of tears and a sneer replaced the broken expression on her face, “I
suppose the great salamander of fairy tail has better things to do, a new team
to look after him. A new girl to make him fire. Why on earth would he bother
looking for me?”
“Clara…”
“Forget it, it’s cool Natsu. You’ve
moved on.” Again, she turned back to talk to Cana when Natsu’s flaming fast
slammed on the bar. Splinters or wood flew from the hole, but that was the
least of anyone’s concerns.
Natsu was completely covered in
flames. “Don’t say that. Don’t EVER SAY THAT! I’ve never forgotten you! Not for
a second!” The flickering fire died down, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I never
should have stopped looking.” His gaze was fixed on the floor, as if staring at
it would take him back in time to fix this.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Gajeel
said, walking into the guild with Lily at his side. “Hey Natsu, what did you do
wrong this time?” He laughed, obviously it was a joke, but not to Natsu. With a
roar, the fire dragon slayer rounded on his friend and launched at him. Gajeel
responded in kind, not about to back down from the fight. Normally, Natsu would
have been able to hold his own, but today he was starving and his opponent had
just happened to finish eating. Natsu was thrown about like a rag doll. Lucy
looked away from the brawl to see that same frozen expression on Clara’s face,
with the exception of her eyes that were far away in remembrance of happier
days. She looked down at her hands, and then looked back to the pink haired
mage being beaten on.
“Natsu!” She yelled, casting an
arm out and a blazing arc of fire magic soared his way. Natsu’s face lit up as
he ate the fire, and then left Gajeel in a heap on the floor before turning and
walking back to Clara with determined steps. He didn’t stop as he reached her,
his arms tightening around her waist and his body pressed against hers. Clara
stood still, not moving to return the gesture but even so, Lucy could tell
without a doubt that this was a lover’s embrace. She turned her attention back to
Clara, whose stern expression was slowly shattering as Natsu worked his way
back in. She blinked, and then her arms were wrapped around Natsu’s shoulders,
her face buried in his neck. Natsu clutched at her, turning his face into her
hair. He’d missed her so much.
“I missed you.” She whispered
into the cloth at his shoulder.
Natsu pulled back just enough
that he could look into her bright eyes, and then somehow his lips were on hers.
Lucy averted her eyes, feeling that she was invading the moment. But she couldn’t
help the glances she cast in their direction. She had never seen Natsu this
devoted to anything that wasn’t a fight against some ‘un-beatable’ opponent.
His attention was solely on the girl he held, his obvious adoration for her
shining like a wash of the flames he was so fond of.
“I love you.” He breathed out in
a whisper, watching her for any signs of the rejection he feared.
She smiled, that smile he remembered
and loved. That smile that accompanied him on missions and cared for him and
made fun of him. That smile he dreamt of, that smile that stole his breath
away.
“I love you too.”
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