2hello wonderfuls! I'm a High school Graduate! woo, but yall came here to read so I'll get on with it. AJ
The morning light was streaming into the window when she awoke.
The young girls blonde hair was turned into pure light itself by the pale winter sun. The room was empty save for a few cardboard boxes, The blonde stretched out in the bed turning to face the light that was streaming from her opened window, sighing she got out of bed to stumble across the cold wood floor.
The first thing she noticed was that her fridge was still stocked, they didnt visit last night either. The pale light seemed to turn everything grey, the walls felt colorless. The sight of the boxes sent a jolt of pain through her heart. She knew today was her last day living on Strawberry street, Her last day in Magnolia.
The air mattress was the first thing to be packed up in her old pickup truck, The small boxes left were the next things to be put in the old truck bed, before she knew it the apartment was empty. Walking around for the last time she felt her fingers brush past the newly painted walls where she knew Natsu or one of the other boys had smashed her wall. Lucy looked towards the kitchen, the empty fridge seemed to be mocking her, after all she had to send over the fresh food to her wonderful old landlady.
The bedroom was hard to repaint for moving, she had spent hours painting constellations on the ceiling with levy and the girls. The thick white paint looked wrong, out of place where the stary sky used to be.
Looking back inside one more time she slowly closed the door and locked it, leaving the key for her landlord under the doormat where they had discussed.
The ride was long, the traffic to Crocus was brutal this late into the afternoon, Lucy knew she should have left as soon as the sun had risen, but honestly she couldnt bring herself to leave without one last shot, one last chance, one last goodbye. She had sent Levy and Erza a quick text letting them know she was on her way to her new two girls had quickly texted back, excited to show the beautiful blonde the city she now called her home.
Erza had moved to Crocus with her long time boyfriend Jellal after retiring from the National Guard, the small town of Magnolia wasnt what they both wanted anymore. Erza started her own cake shop Called Scarlets Haven. Jellal would occasionally send Lucy a photo of the stern women covered in Flour with a look of horror on her face.
Levy had left to follow her passion for language as a Capital Translator. The tiny blue haired girl had been sending Lucy some interesting angry texts about a large long haired Police man who would often harass her when he needed her help on a case. Needless to say Lucy was quite sure Levy was in love with the giant goliath of a man.
Lucy was excited to see them again after loving apart for a year. They facetimed and visited as often as their combined schedules would allow but it wasnt the same as those days when they all shared the same town. Her eyes drifted past the old graffiti on the bridge, a Dragon. Lucy forced her eyes back to the mini van ahead of her.
Natsu Dragneel was her bestfriend, her first crush, first kiss, and first love. Natsu had taken off one night, leaving her nothing but a note and happy. The small blue cat meowed from his place in the backseat as if he knew she was thinking about their shared person. She hadn't heard from him in over a year and a half. Natsu was adopted by his foster father Igneel when he was younger and he always felt content, until Igneel died two years ago after an intense battle with cancer from his years of working as a Firefighter. Natsu had shut down, Lucy understood after all it was the same disease that took her own mother away from her. Natsu had been obsessed with learning anything he could about his birth family after Igneek had died, searching through city records aswell as through any agency Igneel might have adopted him from.
He wrote that he couldnt stay, that he had to figure out who he really was. He left in the dead of night, as if the apartment they had shared since they where 18 wasnt enough, as if she wasnt enough. Lucy was heartbroken when she saw the note the next morning, the warmth from his side of the bed was gone, some of his clothes were in the draws, his coats hung in the closet above pairs of his shoes. His duffel bag was missing, the photo of him and Igneel wasnt on the table next to his side of the bed. He was gone, like a ghost.
Taking a deep breath she pulled into her knew driveway, the house was big enough for her to stay, create a family if she wanted. She stared at the house for a few minutes, trying to take in the reality of moving on. The farmhouse was kept up well, The paint was peeling a bit, not that she minded after all it was red and well... she would just paint over it.
She could do this.
Lucy turned the Truck off
The lavender paint was evenly applied to both the house and her lawn, her friends sat in the shade of her gazebo, which was her new favorite place to continue the new chapters for her second book.
Levy sat with her feet in the pool while reading the chapters she already had for her book. Erza was in a lawn chair relaxed back with a peice of gorgeous looking strawberry cake.
The blonde ran her fingers through her blonde hair marvaling in how long it was getting, flinching when she remembered what that ment for time.
Alot had happened, in the 6 months she had been in Crocus she had gotten a publisher to pick up her book for Publish.
She had also agreed to visit her fathers new home on the other side of Crocus.
Jude Heartfilia had gotten old.
That was the first thought that crossed her mind when she came face to face with the man she hadn't seen since she was 16.
He looked smaller, like all the air had been let out of his body leaving behind a shell. His honey blonde hair was now grey and white. The suit was gone, replaced with a knitted green sweater and slacks. He looked so weak. Licy wasnt sure if she should feel glad or sad at the sight of him. He smiled softly before crossing over to her and enveloping her in a tight hug. A hug that reminded her of the man he had once been before he lost the love of his life, before he was afraid to hold something so close in your heart. Lucy knew instantly that she would forgive him, as if her dear mother had whispered it into her ear during the hug.
They walked into the house with their arms wrapped around eachother
Everything had been going well during her visits for weeks, her father was a new man who she only could vaguely remember But it was nice, a comfortable silence would fill the room while Jude read and Lucy wrote or occasionally when she knitted.
Jude had met Happy and proclaimed grandfather rights imediatly, apparently her father was a cat person.
They talked about Natsu and her years at Fairy Tail bar and grill. How she had gotten her GED and freshly graduated from online college classes. He read her book and asked her to sign it.
Jude had told her about a wonderful man named Zeref who's wife Mavis had made him the wonderful sweaters he often wore these days. Lucy had been very surprised when the same women popped in to drop off a new sweater for her father and some home baked cookies, as Lucy learned were made by Mavis husband because she could not cook to save her life.
Mavis complimented Lucy's stitch work when she saw a beautiful blue and gold hat she was in the process of making. Mavis insisted they knit together sometime and Lucy was more than happy to give the bubbly girl her address and phone number.
Lucy had become a usual addition to the Vermillion household. The happy family let her hell with their young son August who had his fathers dark black hair and his mothers brilliant green eyes. August would babbled about toys and dragons usually while pulling Lucy along to see his favorite things.
Lucy was following the young boy when he took off, letting her hand go to launch himself at a tall figures entering through the front door.
Dark blue.
Dark blue familiar eyes locked with hers as the figure behind him picked August up.
" Lucy?" the taller man with the blue eyes asked, perplexed look on his face. The figure behind him stood rigid behind him, Augusts confused face peered back from hers to the tall mans to the man currently holding him.
" Hi Gray..." Lucy trailed, her voice stiff. The air wasnt in the room anymore and if it was it was boycotting her lungs because she couldnt breathe.
Pink hair was messed up more than usual- not that she knew what the usual was after two years. black jeans hugged his legs, he wore a black shirt that read Crocus Firefighter. The ever present scarf was wrapped around his neck neatly. She noticed he had more scars now.
Natsu Dragneel was staring at her like she was a ghostly figure sent to torment him.
Lucy stood taller, back straight eyes forward. " hello Natsu" she spoke clearly. As if her voice called his soul back to his body he started walking towards her, handing Gray August safely in the process before grabbing her wrist and leading them out the back door to the backyard.
He let her wrist go gently, looking at his feet as she sat herself down into on kf the chairs. She stared at him waiting, waiting for him to say anything about leaving her those years ago.
" ... I'm so sorry Luce... how did you get here?" the question was harmless, no malice, phrased like a timid breeze.
" I moved to Crocus a few months ago, My father is Mavis and Zerefs neighbor... what are you doing here?"
Natsu looked as if he wished the ground would swallow him whole and never spit him out again. slowly he raised his eyes to meet hers again. " Zeref is my brother, I found him a year ago, we have dinner ever weekend but my schedules been busy so I havent made it in awhile" His voice cracked when he told her when he found Zeref.
" Have you figured out who you are now?" her voice was strong, thick with betrayal and bitterness that had built up over the years. The tone caused the man to flinch.
" All I figured out was how badly I missed you, how the Dusk seems bleaker and how the Dawn fades into the background... I figured out how wrong I was to leave you the way I did." His voice was strong, his eyes full of mirth and great regret but so were hers. Her pain still mattered, just because he realized his mistake didnt mean she could forgive him.
" you never came back" she said quietly, eyes trained to the mini swings across the lawn. " I waited for you to come home."
The pink haired man sent her a pained look before looking towards the swings himself " I couldnt come back after what I did, it wasnt fair to you."
Lucy looked at her feet, angry tears gathering in her eyes " it wasnt fair to not come back, I deserved to know... I'm glad your ok natsu." Lucy got up quickly heading back towards to the door, a warm hand caught her wrist again. Turning around she was met with the Darkest Green eyes she had loved since she was 16.
" I dont want to let you go again."
Looking back she wasnt sure how it ended but from what Mavis says she had knocked Natsu out with one punch and in a panic she had then pulled him into her crap truck only to break down infront of a Fairy Tails bar and grill where she proceeded to have an emotional meltdown and call Mavis to take them to the hospital.
They sat in his room and the stupid boy had cracked a grin and of course Lucy would start giggling.
they were friends again because of a punch in the face, Broken nose and a broken wrist.
Lucy stared at the idiot in her kitchen and she wonders how he snuck into her house once again when she always kept the windows locked.
The 26 year old was about to scold her bestfriend when he turned around, shutting the lights off in the process.
Her ceiling was the night sky again, the gold glow illuminated the kitchen softly. Rose's were thrown around the world haphazardly, happy was purring while eating a big slice of Salmon on the kitchen table. The man infront of her was kneeling and she could only think of one answer.
"Yes"