STAR-CROSSED | NALU

07 | once bitten, twice shy

Natsu stirred from his slumber, aggressively slamming off the aggravating chirping of the alarm clock beside him. He groaned tiredly as he forced his body to sit up, blinking away the last of his sleep. He then let out a yawn as he did his morning stretches.

He began the daily routine, pulling open the silk curtains to let the morning sun into the room, squinting at the sudden burst of light in his eyes. After making his bed, he made his way to the bathroom, never forgetting to bow to the framed photograph of his parents hung up in the hallway

After brushing his teeth, he walked to the kitchen, attending to his feline companion, Happy.

"G'morning, buddy," he greeted, smiling when the blue tomcat purred in response and rubbed his fur against him, leaning into his loving pets.

Natsu poured Happy's breakfast– a bowl of cat food along with a smaller bowl of milk on the side– then put two pieces of bread in the toaster for his breakfast. He pulled out his phone and checked the time.

It was 8 am, still pretty early. He'd have a bit of free time before meeting up with Gildarts at 10 am. The man had mentioned something about 'discovering the meaning of life', and how 'he had to come'– he didn't even give him the chance to refuse.

After he finished eating, he grabbed his pool bag before saying goodbye to Happy and took off to the swimming pool, as he did every morning.

The Carnation's resident swimming pool was a sight to behold. It was on the ground floor, down the same hall as the gym. The pool itself was large: 50 metres, to be exact. The room was illuminated by soft ambient lighting, casting a gentle glow on the clear, turquoise water.

There were white, chic lounge chairs lined against the walls, which were framed with coloured floor-to-ceiling windows patterned with glass flower arrangements. On the far end of the room were the locker rooms.

After changing into his swimsuit, he stepped onto the pool deck, feeling the cold tiles beneath his feet. He walked to the edge and dove in.

Natsu had grown to be fond of swimming over the last few years, it was one of the only things he found that could relax him. Swimming wasn't just exercise– it was therapy. A chance for him to clear his head to the faint sounds of waves as he swam, and the muddled radio on the side- which, for some reason, only ever played Taylor Swift.

He sliced through the water effortlessly, the cool embrace of the untouched waters wrapping around him and soothing his muscles.

His mind began to wonder. It'd been happening more frequently since the start of the movie production. It was like he was distracted, unable to focus– most likely because of stress.

He'd been on a constant schedule since he first became an actor. There wasn't any time to rest– the filming, the interviews, the promotions. And with Natsu's popularity especially, the high demand for him only heightened his workload.

Not that he was complaining about that, he adored having fans. Naturally, there were some bad experiences, but for the most part, he found the whole thing fun. Signing autographs, running away from fans. The typical movie star life.

His mind suddenly wandered to Lucy. His, he guessed coworker was the right word now.

The day he found out they'd be working together was something that would never leave his memory. He'd never felt a surge of conflicting emotions all at once like he had then in a while. It was always her to make him lose control of his feelings.

He remembered how shocked he was to see her at the company party after no contact for two years. He'd tried his best to act nonchalantly, but his excessive pride overtook him and... he winced at the memory.