A Pirate Tail

A Dance of Realization

(I know I'm going have a bunch of fun writing this chapter!!! Dedicated to Dragonmaniac, most.... dedicated little brother I've ever had. (Though he's my only brother.)

                 (Lucy's P.o.V.)

   Taking Natsu's request, I took his outstretched hand, and soon he led me to dance floor.

   As I turned to dance with him, I heard Gray yell to Natsu, "Your turn, Fire-Brain!"
I looked over at him, and he blushed in embaressment and added, "No offense, Lucy."
I sighed and faced Natsu, who was wearing a red and black mask, and grinning mysteriously.

   "M'lady seems to be in a good mood tonight, at least compared to that cold-faced blonde statue we captured from the Police." He smiled at his joke, and I couldn't help but crack half a smile.
"And tonight, I seem to be dancing with a mature gentleman, at least compared to that goofy, wild pirate captain of Fairy Tail." At this, we both giggled, happy with these funny jokes. It felt wonderful, the mood light and cozy, talking to each other like we'd known each other for years.

   Then, the music started, and it was the slow dance, a mellow, heavy tune of joy.
"Oh no." I groaned.
"What is it?" asked Natsu worriedly.
I faced him, looking down at my feet, kind of red in the face.
"Uhmm, in case you haven't noticed, the reason all those boys over there are beat up is because of my...." I mumbled the last part. "Dancing."
Natsu looked at me in suprise, and I was afraid he would refuse to dance with me, (even though not dancing with me was the right choice) but instead, he laughed.
"If you're dancing is as good as your fighting, then," he pointed at me. "En Garde, I challenge you, m'lady," he bowed. "To a dance."
I looked at him in a mixture of suprise, humour, happiness, and... gratitude.
"It would be a honour." I curtisied.
"Oi, isn't the gentleman supposed to say the thing about honour?" jokingly asked Natsu. "No matter, time," he pulled me close. "To dance."

   Sweeping and swirling ne across the dance floor, I was mesmorized at the suprising gracefulness of him. I was even more suprised that I hadn't strangled, punched, or K.O'ed him yet.
"Shoot!" I cried as I was lowered, and I raised my foot too high. I was sure I was going to kick him over the moon, when he did something incredible. It was like he sensed the kick was coming, and in that moment, jumped over me in a tumbling form. He then swiftly turned around and pulled me into his arms.
"Wha-" I gasped. This was sincerly the only time someone dodged my moves and made it look like a dance move.
"Voíla!" he whispered. Then, he lifted me by the waist, and picked me up until my feet were at least 4 feet from the ground.
"Kyah!" I cried. This felt embaressing.
"What are you crying about?" chuckled Natsu. "A magestic bird like you needs to fly."
At first I felt unsure, but then I too, laughed along with Natsu as he carried me around the floor.

   Shining light from the moon danced and sparkled even more as the chandelier's light dimmed, and the glowling light made me feel I was flying even more. I felt like I really was a Celestial Phoenix. Though, like the myth of this bird, pretty soon, I wouldn't exsist too. Thats why I was enjoying this last night. Because it would be my last one.

                (Natsu's P.o.V.)

   I didn't know how, but on this night, somehow Lucy had... opened up, finally talked, laughed, even joked. But what was truly a miracle was she even agreed to dance with me.

   As I looked at her, shining and glittering in her own way, she somehow glowed even more when the chandilier's darkened, looking like a galaxy.
"M'lady, the room's darkened. It's the final slow dance." I whispered, my voice somehow sounding cool.
"Would you do the honour of doing this final dance?"
"Of course! Why even ask?" She giggled as I lowered her.

   I noticed though, her mask was crooked, and before I even realized it, I reached out and fixed it. But my fingers didn't stop there, though. No, they slowly traced around her perfect oval faced, barely touching her skin.
"Huh?!" cried Lucy, suprised on what I was doing. I snapped back into reality and quickly shot away my hand.
"I'm so sorry!" I bowed. "I just meant to fix your mask!"
And then, the worst/best thing happened to me. Because, just then, Lucy looked at me with these glassy, embaressed deer eyes, that you could see even through her mask, and I could feel my knees turning into jelly.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes turning back to their usual stone-cold glare.
"Uhm, ya, I deeply apologize." I stuttered, snaping out of her hypnosis. She gave me a curious look, and once again gave the air of being cool and care-free. But that moment, when she looked at me like that, I felt like I was seeing a true piece of her. But, I decided to glance over that earlier.
  
   Quickly, before she could reject, I grabbed her hand, and pulled her in close, driven by the sudden energy of what I wanted to confess. The music, place, time, and mood, well, it all seemed right to say what I wanted to say.
"Hey, Luce..."
  
                (Lucy's P.o.V.)

   "Luce?"  I wondered.
"Cute nickname." I smiled. "What is it you want to say?"
"Ah well, Lucy, what a mean question." Natsu's grip around me tightened.
"How?" I asked quizingly. Natsu lowered his head on top of my shoulders, right next to my hair.
"How am I supposed to say so casually my love confession?"

(Sorry for slow updates and read the "The Seawolf Gang." READ IT. Ciao)

         ~ÏÄ_RÔ¢K$