LOVE & LUCKY 🌹 Layla's Daughter ✓「1st Place in FFFA」

19: My Only Friend

The salmon-haired man woke up, trying to feel the warm body resting beside his. But was dumbfounded to find none. Nothing but a wrinkly empty space she used last night.

He sat up, running a hand through his hair as he fumbled through the table for his glasses. Soon enough, he went into his bathroom and rinsed his face off, then went back to his bedroom to pick up the used clothes and shoot them into the laundry basket. While he was ironing the sheets with his hands, he noticed a familiar hand writing on a sticky note placed on top of the pillow;

Natsu

thanks again for last night .
i needed it.

xx

He threw the sticky note into the trash. Not that he held something bad against her, but rather what would he do with it if he kept it, anyway?

It's always been like this. Ever since Lisanna's first heartbreak in the eighth grade, they've both been using each other like this-mostly, Lisanna.

Natsu panted as he lurked around the school campus in a rush. He's looked everywhere, but he still couldn't find his silver-haired bestfriend.

Then he heard sniffling by the corner in the girls' locker room. He entered hesitantly, gulping as he saw a depressed girl sitting on the sink with her hands covering her wet-by-tears face.

"L-Lisanna?" he squeaked.

The calming voice of Natsu made Lisanna snap out of it, wiping her face with her hand, trying to get rid of the nasty evidence. As soon as Natsu finally saw her physically, he sighed in relief.

"I thought something bad had happened to you. I'm so glad you're fine." Natsu was worried all because of his bestfriend, his only friend. Seeing as her uniform was a bit wrinkled, he still couldn't put a finger on it quite yet.

"W-What happened? D-Did someone hurt you?" Although the poor little weak boy knew he wouldn't be able to do anything to protect her, he still cared to try, of course.

The silver-haired one shook her head, trying to get rid of the few last sniffles out of her system. "Ah, i-it's nothing, Natsu." Knowing Natsu since middle school was enough to let her know he wouldn't be caught dead beating up the ass of her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her. He was too innocent for that. His rep would be completely damaged if he dared lay a finger on someone just because of her heartbreak.

"I'm fine." She climbed down the sink to rinse her face off. Turning around to head back to class, she stopped when Natsu spoke:

"I don't think you are." He said, derermined to figure out what was really bothering her.

Lisanna snapped. Almost as if it triggered her. She didn't want Natsu to find out; nor did she want him involved. Perhaps she was afraid of her ex, who might bully him soon enough. But she didn't care. She knew she could protect him herself.

"Y'know what, you're right. You got me." She grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into the deepest kiss he had ever received from anyone. He's never been kissed before, though the experience was quite overwhelming for him. As soon as their lips parted, Lisanna stared into those beautiful eyes of his, already about to lose herself.

"Help me." That was pretty much all it took for Natsu to nod. He didn't know this was wrong. He thought it was just helping a friend out legally, since he was in no position to pass up Lisanna's request.

She reached out to him back in middle school when no one did. She was his only source of interaction. She was the light in his darkest hours. And so was he, deciding it would be good to let her have his body everytime she needs it. All this time, though, he has never ever brought up this request to her ever. He has never been heartbroken before. Nor was he even going to be. He hoped.

Three or five knocks came onto the door, making Natsu jolt up his attention to it. There, he saw the blonde teen standing in front of him, her eyes wavering at the sight. She covered her eyes quickly, her whole face red from embarrassment.

"P-Please cover yourself."

He smirked at the sight, pulling a random shirt from his closet. Once he came back with his bod covered, she sighed in relief.

"I-I wanted to.. to ask when the photoshoot will proceed. A-And if you already had thought of a concept yet."

The way she was just so innocent standing in front of him was getting him all hyped up about the project even more. A bulb suddenly appeared in his mind. "Ding! I have an idea."

He quickly pulled the blonde into his room, closing the door shut as he lurked in his living room for a pen and his notepad. He started jotting down some valuable notes regarding his idea; already drawing a familiar figure as his outline.

Lucy stared at the older patiently; a bit nervous of how he could suddenly have an idea with just one look at her-in this time of the morning, as a matter of fact. Usually, her ideas would pop out at midnight.

"Voila! Your concept, madamé." He rolled his tongue along with his french accent as he hander over his notepad, startling the teen.

Her eyes wandered on the drawing he just passed over to her. The way he drew an above-the-knee cocktail dress, the model had her hair curled down, resting on her shoulder, with a flower to top it all in her hands. "I-I'm going to wear-"

[a/n: i couldn't find a photo with curled ends but you get the idea]

Natsu snapped his fingers before she could even finish. "Yes, my dear! A sunflower dress just for you. I can already imagine how much time we have to allot for this concept." He raised his hands mid-air, trying to capture the image of a sunflower concept with the young one's taste.

"So what do you think?"

"I-I guess it's not that bad. But wouldn't you need an opinion from your crew or some-"

Natsu chuckled at the idea, patting her on the shoulder as he did so. "Lucy, Lucy, I'm a professional. My team gets the dress, hair and make up that I need for my chosen concept. My boss pretty much trusts me enough and I can say I'm quite confident with this one. But I do need your opinion, though. Since you're my model, I need you to be comfortable with the concept I choose."

Lucy stared at the conceptual photo once more, trying to imagine herself in that rather daring outfit for her taste. It was a bit 'daring' since she's never worn something-not even a dress-that doesn't cover her knees.

"Well?" The way he smiled anticipatingly at her, waiting for her approval pressured her. But when she looked closer at the photo, she figured she could give it a try. She's trying to change her life, after all, plus this was the payment she could give from living off them.

"I like it."

"Good. We'll start tomorrow."

💄

a/n : welp, i managed to update, finally! hope you enjoyed the chappie :)

xoxo