Chapter Two: Everybody talks

Just know you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna make this place your home.

Lucy looked up from her book to stare at Erza. She was confused as to how they had gotten into this topic, but if there was something the blonde mage had learned, it was to never question the unsubtlety of Fairy Tail.

"No, I like my apartment," she said and pretended to focus once more on her story.

Erza flipped through a few loose pages of manuscript, the picture of nonchalance and, so, clearly involved in whatever she was trying to discuss with Lucy.

"You do know there is a vacancy now that Levy is moving in with Gajeel, don't you?"

Lucy didn't pause before nodding. She already knew, was glad for her friends, even if the whole situation made her a little uncomfortable. Levy was happy, of course, but she couldn't help feeling that it was all too soon, that they were too young.

Lucy could barely decide on what missions to take, she couldn't imagine committing herself to someone else so fully.

"Hm, yes, I just hadn't considered Fairy Hills." She put her book down, deciding it was better to just get through this conversation. "I'm fine where I am."

Erza gave up any pretense of disinterest, and the intensity in her eyes was enough to make the other recoil.

"When was the last time Natsu and Happy slept here?"

Ah, Lucy realized, there it was.

It was true that Erza was a bit of a traditionalist. She had the strangest sense of propriety, with a very tortuous line over what kind of proximity was allowed and at what point it all became too much. Lucy suspected it derived from her desire to be physically protected and comforted, or maybe from the master's misled ideas of how to raise a girl while also dealing with Natsu and Gray.

Sharing came easily to them, she knew. While Lucy had grown up in finishing schools, receiving the best education that money could buy, most of her guild mates had been raised in Fairy Tail, in the middle of fights and among the wildest of Magnolia.

Which was why she hadn't expected Erza to start disapproving of her situation with Natsu.

"Maybe last week?" she admitted after a moment of consideration. "They have behaved since I last kicked them out. I think Happy might be afraid I'll force-feed him cat food again."

She didn't want to mention that Natsu had spent the 7th in her house. He hadn't seemed particularly sad, but Lucy knew that he often disguised such feelings under his raucousness. The anniversary of Igneel's disappearance couldn't be easy on him – on any of the dragon slayers, really – and she had been more than willing to allow him into her room.

They had lazed around on her floor while Natsu burned patterns into the leather cover of one her new journals, and she had cooked him dinner in return.

It had been nice.

Erza smiled, but there was still reproach in the set of her mouth.

"Fairy Hills would be a much more effective impediment," she pointed out.

Lucy sighed, not knowing what to say. The truth was that she didn't mind their presence. Most days, it was a relief. Even before living by herself, she would often be alone. The servants from her father's house had liked her, but they also had orders to follow and weren't supposed to socialize while at work.

Natsu appeared when he wanted, always loud, always chaotic. He was incredibly different from the people she'd grown up around, but that was probably why she'd accepted him so quickly into her life.

"I don't think I have enough money for Fairy Hills." Lucy stood up to put some of the books back on the shelf. "And Natsu or no Natsu, I like the privacy here."

Erza watched her. Lucy didn't know what her friend was looking for or what she was seeing. It unnerved her to be the target of Erza's scrutiny, but she knew there was no easy way to approach this without also being unexpectedly blunt, and while she didn't want to start an argument, the prospect of it seemed more appealing than a morning of vague warnings.

"What is Natsu to you, Lucy?"

She supposed this was a fair question. Lucy herself had given it some thought at times, when Mira was being the hopeless romantic that she was or when Levy's growing relationship with Gajeel filled her head with possibilities. As it was, Natsu was just Natsu, the boy who had gotten her into Fairy Tail and proceeded to change her life.

"He's my best friend," she replied with a shrug, ignoring the concern in Erza's eyes.

"Yes," the redhead said slowly, "that's what he keeps telling me. And yet," she turned to gaze out to the clouded sky, "you have left your window open."

Lucy frowned. "It's warm."

"It's raining," Erza retorted. "I am not trying to confuse you, but he does see the window as an invitation. I find it doubtful that you wouldn't have realized it already."

If she was in the habit of being honest with herself, maybe Lucy would have agreed, but the fact was that she had years of polite denial under her belt and obliviousness had been quite a friend during her years with her father. Back then, as long as she didn't acknowledge the scared servants, the coldness in Jude's voice or the lingering looks of his visitors, she could go on living.

Now, it was a matter of recognizing something in herself that she wasn't actually ready to see. So she didn't.

"I love the rain, Erza" she said with a sigh. "Natsu is just a side-effect."

Erza looked as if she wanted to discuss this further, but seemed to think better of it.

Outside, the whole of Strawberry Street smelled of damp earth, mixed with the salty scent of the river. It had nearly overflowed the previous night, for the summer was proving to be a humid and fustigating one.

"I do love this weather," the redhead conceded. "In spite of the suffocating heat, there is something refreshing about gray skies."

Lucy hummed her agreement. "Time doesn't go as quickly, I guess." She laughed. "Suspended, but less troublesome than what happened back in Tenrou Island."

The two shifted around the room. Erza got up to put a book inside an open trunk and Lucy reorganized the papers on her desk in several short piles.

"Do you think we would have been happier, had we awakened earlier?" asked Erza.

The blonde paused, and the papers crumpled in her hands.

"I could have met my father one last time." She swallowed. "I don't know if it would have made me happier."

Erza nodded.

They all had complicated feelings towards their parents and guardians, but Lucy was the one who had to grow up under her father's influence and the pressures of high society. Even if he had regretted his behavior in later years, Jude Heartfilia was a difficult person to consider.

"Maybe it was best like this," said Erza. "Redemption is a lot easier when we die for our sins."

Lucy looked at her friend, compassion and pity stirring in her chest, but Erza didn't meet her eyes. There was still a lot about their childhood that they didn't talk about.

She wanted to tell Erza that they should forgive themselves, at some point, for the things they did not do or the things they couldn't stop from happening, but it was an effort that would do more harm than good. If the redhead was not ready to move past it, the advice served a better purpose while locked behind her lips.

"I think I would rather live, for now." She forced a laugh. "I've had enough almost-death experiences to last my entire life."

"And it is a beautiful day to stay home," Erza added, to which Lucy's smile softened.

"Are you heading to the guild?"

"Yes, though I do not plan to stay for long. Why?"

Lucy hesitated. "If you happen to see Natsu or Happy, tell them that some of the fish they brought is gonna go bad. They should either drop by for dinner or just come take it out of my hands."

Erza eyed her with what must have been reproach, but Lucy held her gaze as innocently as she could.

"I suppose I will tell Natsu to come home," she said with an odd smile. "It is raining, after all."

Before Lucy could properly form her rebuttal, the mage had already crossed the room towards the door and left.

Natsu and Happy arrived an hour later with the grace of a confounded elephant. They somersaulted through the window and hit one of Lucy's flowerpots on the way down, crashing to the floor with one loud bang, in a cloud of dry soil.

Lucy rushed into her bedroom, an umbrella at hand, and deflated as she recognized the invaders.

"Don't you two know how to use the door?" she shrieked. "I invited you here!"

Happy recovered instantly, flying away from a flung book. Natsu, however, looked up just in time to see a blur of motion as Lucy struck a kick to his chest, which sent him back onto the ground.

"Did you have to?" Happy piped up from his perch at the bedframe, not looking particularly worried.

Lucy glared at him, but reached down to pick up the fragments of her pot.

"You two just don't learn," she complained. "Look at this mess. You're cleaning it, I hope you know."

Natsu leaned against the foot of the bed, rubbing his ribs.

"Lucy's in a bad mood today," he mumbled under his breath.

Lucy bristled. She threw the shards in the garbage and willed herself not to send him flying out the window. She had called him in, had wanted them there.

"I'm not." She glared. "I just don't appreciate the destruction you two bring."

Happy pouted at her, but even this was a better admission of guilt than Lucy had expected. It was always like this, she knew. Her anger came in bursts of energy, but it didn't last.

Her friends knew exactly how to handle her.

"I'll get ya another plant." Natsu stretched out on her floor, avoiding the patch of dirt they'd left. "We have so many."

Happy nodded. "So many, Lu-cy." He swung his arms around. "Much prettier, too, 'cause we know how to care for 'em."

She sent him a look. "You want me to mix cat food with your dinner again, cat?"

Natsu laughed at them. He watched as Happy scampered away from Lucy and was silent still as they chased each other around the room.

He looked comfortable lying on her floor, with his hands behind his head and the contentedness of his expression. If her conversation with Erza hadn't been so fresh in her mind, Lucy wouldn't have thought to question it, but the redhead's words rang true. This wasn't normal, not even for best friends.

They were comfortable with each other, ok, but the intimacy of it was strange. Natsu was not one to care for blurred lines and it showed in how easily he'd fit her into his life. And that was the truth, she supposed. In a way, he was the common denominator amongst all the things that she cherished in life.

He hadn't saved her, by any means, but he had opened a door and she'd walked right through it.

Lucy stopped running after Happy and flopped down next to Natsu.

"You feeling better?" he asked, not bothering to look at her.

She sighed. "Who said I wasn't feeling well in the first place?"

"I know you, Luce." He snickered. "I don't need anyone telling me anything."

He was a strange character, with how oblivious he always looked and how observant he could be. Natsu certainly paid attention when it came to his friends, but maybe, if Lucy allowed herself the narcissism, it was all because he paid attention to her, in particular.

What a scary thought.

"I'm fine," she said softly. "I just want a quiet day. I don't feel like going to the guild or having everyone breaking into my apartment."

Natsu tugged at her blouse until she laid down, and she rested her head on his arm, trying to clear her mind.

"You could read us a story!" Happy chimed in. He had been sweeping the dirt into a dustpan, but now moved closer to her desk. He was way too interested in Erza's books; to see how racy its content was, no doubt.

"No!" She pretended to try to kick him. "And keep away from those shelves! I have my mother's books there and I won't hesitate to turn you into cat food if you so much as breathe at them the wrong way."

Happy stuck his tongue at her, but complied. He shuffled away from the shelves, eying the other objects in the room with curiosity.

"Maybe you could read us a story," Natsu suggested. "Not one of those weird ones that Erza likes, but one from your mother's collection."

Lucy curled further into his hold.

"The fairy tales? I didn't think you would like those. They are very romantic." She pinched his side, and Natsu twisted away in response, only to then roll over to fake-smother her.

"I'm serious!" he exclaimed between laughs. "If you like it, I'm sure I'll like it."

It was such a non-Natsu thing to say – and also so completely him – that she couldn't help it, Lucy put her arms around his waist and just hugged him for a moment. Natsu tightened his grip around her shoulders, seemingly unaffected by her sudden affection.

"Okay," she breathed out, her voice so quiet that she could almost wonder if they'd heard her at all. "I can read you a story."

"Something about the stars?" Happy asked. For once, he didn't comment on their proximity and watched quietly as they detached from each other and sat up. He'd put away the dustpan.

"Something about an adventure!" Natsu exchanged a look with the exceed, more excited than affectionate now.

Lucy rolled her eyes at them. "No princes?"

Natsu grinned at her, full of pointed teeth and mischief. "Never really liked princes. I prefer dragons."

"I figured." She ran a hand through her hair, trying her hardest to suppress her sarcasm. "How about a heroine, then?" She looked down at her hands. "Mom used to love telling me stories about girls who made their own destinies."

Natsu nudged her with his foot.

"That's awesome! She sounds like an incredible woman, from everything you say. A worthy mage, too."

"I don't know much about that." Lucy brought her knees to her chest. "I know so little about her magic. I think father didn't want her encouraging me, but she did." She snapped her eyes to him. "Do not say you wish you could have fought her. I'll kick you out."

Happy snorted. "Natsu wouldn't fight your mother, Lucy. That would be like fighting Porlyusica."

Lucy lifted an eyebrow at him,

"Porlyusica would kick his ass."

"Exactly!" Happy ignored Natsu's outraged cry, which was only repeated when Lucy nodded her head.

"You ganging up on me?" The dragon-slayer scowled at them.

"Are you trying to tell me you weren't thinking about fighting my mother?" Natsu opened his mouth to defend himself, but hesitated. Lucy sighed. "I thought so."

He shrugged. "Well, at least you know I think she'd be good. That's how ya know I respect someone. When I wanna fight them."

The blonde rested her chin on her knees, glaring at him.

"You never fought me."

Natsu laughed. "Of course not, Luce. Why would I fight you when I'm trying to protect ya?"

She blinked, unsure of how to respond.

He was sincere, she could tell, but it was also an odd thing to say. As far as she knew, Natsu had never shied away from a fight, even among friends. He was constantly defying Gray and Erza, had even sent a few invitations her way, though he had never actually tried to coax her into action, like with the others.

Embarrassed, and even more confused over her embarrassment, Lucy felt her temper flare up. "Do you want to hear the story, yes or no?!"

Natsu held up his hands, but seemed otherwise unaffected by her outburst. He chortled out a laugh, before pulling himself up and moving towards the books Happy had earlier inspected.

"Are these all your mother's?" Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm serious, I wanna hear a fairy tale."

For all that she'd previously agreed, there was something uncomfortable about letting Natsu and Happy into a habit she'd previously shared only with her mother. As far as she knew, not even her father had known of these stories, tucked away into Layla's writing room as they were.

"Yeah, they were hers." Lucy sighed. "After she died, I inherited most of her belongings. The keys, the books. The servants helped hide it from my father. He was so lost then, I don't think he even noticed anything. He sure didn't bother with me."

She didn't need to look at them to know that they were at loss of what to say. She hadn't meant to sound bitter, but there were memories that still carried too much resentment, even after everything her father had done since. To love him and to forgive him were two very different things.

"Don't be sad, Lucy," Happy appeared at her knees. He nudged his head against her leg. "You're here now."

She gave him a watery smile.

"Read us this one." Natsu sat down again, dropping a book on her lap. "It says it's about a homeless girl who goes on a journey and gives away her last possessions to others in need. Then the stars help her in thanks." He looked at her, his grin full of meaning, full of something she couldn't quite understand. "Sounds kinda familiar, right?"

Lucy peered down at The Star Talers, with the little blonde girl on its cover, and chuckled.

Happy was right. She was with them now.

"This is not what I had in mind when I asked you to move the books, Lu." Lucy looked up to see Levy giggle behind her hand, watching her with amusement.

Shaking away her thoughts, she realized she'd been putting some of the volumes back on the shelves they'd just spent the afternoon emptying. She bowed her head.

"Sorry, Levy, I guess I'm just not all here today."

The girl hummed, eyes narrowed in what Lucy imagined was her attempt to look scrutinous. She couldn't blame Levy for not believing her, but she wasn't looking forward to having this conversation again.

All week, Erza's words had been on the back of her mind, a stain on her rose-colored glasses, blurring away certain lines. Natsu had seemed less intrusive and more caring, his gestures appeared almost calculated, and she'd begun to count on his presence in her apartment.

It didn't help that Happy had decided to spend the week with her. He believed to be on the brink of progress with Carla, which apparently meant he needed to be around Lucy to absorb the "mushiness" of her stories. As a result, they hadn't spent more than two days without Natsu barging in.

Lucy wanted them out, but she also didn't want to hurt their feelings as collateral damage of her own confusion.

"Is this about, you know," Levy worried her lip, "Gajeel and I? Because you know nothing is going to change. I would never abandon you for him."

She felt bad for making Levy worry. It was not her fault, even if the progression of her relationship with Gajeel had sent Lucy into a bit of a tailspin.

She didn't think she would lose her friend, but it was certainly a new chapter of life for Levy, and it was strange for Lucy to find herself, well, left behind. It hadn't helped that she could trace so many similarities between Gajeel's treatment of Levy and Natsu's behavior towards her; the protectiveness, the teasing, even their shared disregard for personal space.

"No, Levy!" Lucy put the books aside. "I'm sorry. I'm just distracted, I swear."

Levy nodded, but didn't go on packing. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, before moving towards her desk, which was still covered in scrolls and photographs.

"It is a lot, though, isn't it?" She chuckled, but there was more nervousness than humor to it. "We have known each other for a long time, but it still feels so new, sometimes. I don't want others to think we are rushing into it."

She picked up one of the picture frames, from which Gajeel scowled at them, accompanied by a laughing Lily and a blushing Levy. Lucy didn't remember that day all too well, but she knew the photo had been taken almost two years previously, when Wakaba had interrupted Gajeel's first attempt at a confession.

It was a memory Levy treasured, and this, more than her words, ignited the guilt inside Lucy's chest.

"You deserve to take this risk. Don't let anyone make you ashamed of it." She took the frame from Levy, putting it aside in order to hold her hands. "Don't let me make you ashamed of it. I promise I support your decision, no matter how absent-minded I am right now."

Levy let out a watery giggle.

"I am–" She choked on her tears. "I am so happy. Droy and Jet are finally in a good place in their lives, Magnolia hasn't seen an attack in I don't even know how long, and Gajeel…" She laughed. "Gajeel is so happy. Sometimes I don't even know what to do with myself."

Lucy laughed as well, swallowing back her own tears.

She had been selfish; there would be a time to tell Levy she was sorry, to explain, but this was not it. Her friend was finally settling into calm normality and Lucy could not resent her for it. Her fears towards commitment of this kind shouldn't come in the way of Levy's happiness.

The two embraced, giggling in each other's arms.

"Hysteric again, shrimp?" Gajeel piped up from the door. He held several cardboard boxes, his hair tied away from his face, and Lucy marveled at how different he looked from the first time she'd seen him. It could be because she'd gotten to know him, but she reckoned there was something softer about him now, a serenity that was probably closely related to Levy's presence.

"Oh, shush." The girl let go of Lucy, drying her eyes. "I'm just emotional. This place has been my home since forever."

Gajeel deposited the boxes over the table and stepped forward to mess up her hair.

"People hear ya say that, they'll think I'm making you move halfway to Bellum."

When Levy pouted, he leaned down to peck her on the lips, much to Lucy's amusement.

"I'm never getting used to that," the blonde joked. "You guys do have company, you know, Gajeel?"

He fixed her with an unimpressed glare. "Don't push it, bunny girl. If you're thinking I forgot about Salamander's stupid party, you're in for a surprise."

Lucy knew there was a time when his threats would have made her cower, but she couldn't bring herself to be afraid of him anymore. Gajeel had proven himself an ally and even a friend, at times. She scoffed at him, instead, which prompted another laugh from Levy.

"She's helping me move, Gajeel." Levy picked up some of the books Lucy had replaced on her shelves and shoved them into one of the boxes. "I'm sure you can let this one go."

He shrugged, nudging Lucy's head affectionately in what she could only imagine to be an apology.

"Yeah, yeah…" He hurled some boxes onto his shoulders. "I'm taking these to the car. Mavis knows Scarlet isn't gonna let me keep that thing for long."

Levy rolled her eyes, but didn't give him much attention as he brushed past her. Lucy could tell her friend was pleased, even though there were still tearstains marring her cheeks.

"On the subject of home... What about you, Lucy?" Levy looked at her over her shoulder. "Have you visited the manor again, since your father…?"

Lucy turned to hide away a grimace. If she didn't want to talk about her worries over Natsu, she most definitely didn't want to talk about her father.

"I don't know if I can. That place… It doesn't mean the same to me as this apartment does to you."

Levy nodded, slowly, pondering.

Lucy knew she was trying to be cautious, but there were certain subjects that no amount of delicacy could soften. In a day as calm as this, the last thing she wanted was to press on old wounds.

But Levy insisted, "It's still the last place you ever saw your parents, where you grew up."

"My father lost all his money." Lucy started covering the picture frames in bubble wrap, pulling it tight across the glass. "Who knows what might have happened to the house?"

A hand touched hers, easing her hold on the frame. Levy was looking up at her with dark, worried eyes.

"Shouldn't you find out?"

Lucy stared blankly at her, then shifted her gaze to the other side of the room. "Maybe, maybe not. Can we not talk about this today?" She forced a smile. "I mean, look at all of this." She gestured to a lacrima crystal, which had spells glued to its surface. "What even is all of this?"

Levy didn't look appeased, but she moved towards the crystal. "It's something I've been working on. Cana has helped a lot with it." She lifted it to show where a spell had been carved into the rock.

Lucy blinked.

"You were trying to see the future?"

"Sort of?" She fumbled with the weight of the lacrima. "We were investigating how magic transfers to objects, like what you and Cana do with the keys and the cards. People specialize in creating objects that can contain pre-existent magic. Your keys are from the celestial plane, but Cana's cards were an heirloom."

"But this is prediction magic. I remember some of it from the books Cana never bothers to read."

Levy grimaced. "A little, I guess. Mostly, it has to do with the tracing magic she used when we were in Tenrou. We thought the lacrima would be a good idea, but it hasn't shown us much so far. We're thinking of asking Gray to help us create something which is inherently magic."

Lucy considered this. "You want to keep the crystalized matrix but to have it constructed as something that comes from magic, so that it might support magic. Which is different from the lacrima, because that's just an enchanted rock."

"Exactly." She gave Lucy the lacrima, going back to finish packing the other objects. "Prediction magic is a bit less tangible than the words I usually use, so it's given me some trouble."

Lucy wrapped the lacrima, then made sure it was separated with the other fragiles.

"You were thinking of exploring it as a way to tell the future or...?"

"Danger," Levy answered in a hardened tone. "We were thinking that we would like to know if there was ever a danger like Acnologia again." She paused, and Lucy knew she was taking a moment to steady her voice. "We wanted to be aware, if certain death was coming for us."

"Hey!" Lucy called out. "We survived it, didn't we?"

Levy took a deep breath. "Yeah." She shook her head, a smile on her lips. "So, what do you think?"

"I think…" Lucy watched as Gajeel appeared at the doorway, leaning against it. "I think Gajeel is a lucky guy, to be moving in with the smartest person I've ever met."

He gave his usual cackle, and the energy in the room shifted.

"Yeah, well," he grinned, "with her brain and my brawn, our kids are gonna be fucking unstoppable."

Levy swathed at him, but smiled nonetheless. "You start talking about kids right now and I'm going to throw you out the window." She liked hearing him talk about their future together, Lucy knew, but it still embarrassed her terribly.

Gajeel smirked.

He knew it, too.

"As you wish, shrimp. You girls ready to go? Looks like everything's packed."

And sure enough, it was. They had worked quickly, in spite of their joint distraction.

Lucy looked around one last time, at this place where she'd spent so many hours with Levy poring over books and spells. It could be hers, if she wanted it, but something stopped her.

Levy might be ready to leave and move on with her life, but Lucy still wanted to hold on to what she had. The future – in all its frightening changes – would have to wait.

The following days were quiet. The city had emptied once the party had passed and the travellers arriving at the guild now were merely merchants and traders, curious over the most hectic mages of Fiore.

Lucy watched as Romeo and his father entertained a travelling family. Natsu, too, had found his way into their spectacle and the three laughed as the children clapped.

"He's really good with kids. I forget that."

Cana hummed in agreement. "That's cause Natsu is also a kid, twenty-one or not." She laid a card on the table between them. "Gildarts is like that too. It's probably where he got it from."

Lucy turned back to her. "How's Gildarts, anyway? I thought he would come for the party, but he disappeared at the last minute."

Cana shrugged.

"You know how the old fart is. He found a job or whatever, but he'll come back. He's always either glued to my hip or a thousand miles away."

The blonde chuckled. "He means well, though."

"Yeah, yeah," Cana waved her off, "might be nice to have him be less clingy, though."

"Count your blessings," said Lucy. "At least it's Gildarts, not Macao." She pointed to where said man was spurting juice through his nose.

"You trynna give me nightmares?" The two pretended to shiver with disgust, before breaking into laughter.

"Ok, no, seriously. How come I haven't seen you with Gildarts lately?" Lucy pressed.

The smile slipped away from her friend's face, replaced by something doubtful.

"We're never getting that, Lucy." Cana motioned back to the group. One of the men of the travelling family had a boy on his shoulders and Romeo was trying to discourage his father, who had decided he must try the same with his grown son. "Parents love their children the best they can, and if this is all Gildarts can give me, that's ok. It's more than I'd expected."

Lucy nodded absently. While she could understand it to a certain degree, her own memories couldn't be so quickly set aside. She knew, in an objective way, that her father had loved her, despite how he'd acted in her earlier years. Her hurt towards him was a living force still, merged to their past and tainting the image of his later actions.

Natsu's laughter pulled her out of her thoughts. He had a child on each arm and swung them softly while Macao pretended to shy away from his blows.

He, too, had abandoned her once.

It was a strange thing to remember, but it was true. Natsu had been the one who was supposed to stay, until he simply didn't, and that was another wound that she hadn't completely recovered from.

She didn't mean to sound bitter about it, but there were moments when she couldn't stop herself.

Fairy Tail was her family, but they were wild, most couldn't be kept in the same place for more than a year at a time. She could see why Cana had accepted the kind of affection Gildarts had given her: he was a wanderer, but, for her, he would always come back.

For all of their similarities, Lucy had never thought Natsu would take up the same antics. Disappearing without a trace, coming back a year later... It might look romantic for an outsider, but she was the only one who knew how much she had suffered.

The guild could go, but he and Happy should have stayed.

Lucy rubbed her eyes, tired of her thoughts. Cana had finished pulling cards from her deck and was studying them carefully, which seemed like a less difficult situation to contemplate.

"What are you doing?"

The other girl held up her hand, scanning the arrangement one last time.

"I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with you."

Lucy frowned. "You are not."

Cana smirked. "I'm not." She repositioned one of the cards. "That would be a waste of an evening. I could be drinking."

"You've been drinking since I got here. Quietly, which is why I'm asking what happened. You're never quiet when you're this drunk."

"I haven't even started my second barrel." She finally looked up at Lucy. "I wanted to be somewhat sober when I looked into this." She slipped a card across the table. "What does this look like to you?"

Lucy picked up the card, where a man hung upside down.

"Like a horror story." Cana narrowed her eyes at her. "Fine. A hanged man. It says right there."

"Yes, and this is the star." She turned one of the other cards towards Lucy. There was a woman in it, with flowing hair and her hands cupped around something bright. "But this is not tarot, this is my magic." Cana pulled back the card. "So this is you," she pointed to the one Lucy still held. "And that's whatever is wrong."

Lucy gave it back to her. "You said you weren't reading it for me."

"Did you shuffle the deck?" Cana asked in a deadpan. "I like doing spreads to see what's going on in Magnolia, but you kept popping up."

"How do you know it's me?"

"I just do. I feel it. My magic is infused in the cards, so it's easy to know when the interpretation shifts. That's why I can make my own cards."

Lucy nodded. "Levy mentioned something about that. She said the two of you were working with prediction magic of some sort."

Cana took a sip of her drink and the two watched as Mira approached the family's table.

"Yeah, she wanted to create an alarm, I think, but the lacrima isn't helping much. It can connect to other lacrimas, sure, but the most we've gotten it to do was tap into archived images."

"What do you –?" Lucy was interrupted by Mira, who stood at her side, clearing their table. "Oh, hi. Sorry," she turned once more to Cana. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Cana rolled her eyes, "that we can sometimes see images from places another lacrima has been, even when it wasn't connected to ours, as long as we've gotten it under the same spells."

"That sounds incredible!" Lucy said in astonishment.

"That sounds dangerous," Mira interjected. The other two turned to her. "Don't you think it can be used against us, if someone learns how to manipulate it?" She smiled kindly. "I know people like saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, but that sounds so tricky. Interpretation is such a delicate thing, is it not?" She lowered her eyes to Cana's cards, which were still spread across the table, before sauntering off to meet a couple of customers who had just arrived.

Cana spared her a last glance, already pulling another barrel of beer from under the table. "Well, that wasn't ominous."

Lucy snickered. "She isn't wrong."

"Eh," Cana flipped one of the cards. "Mira worries and that's fine, but a mage's gotta do what a mage's gotta do." Her mouth twisted into a dangerous grin. "If not, where would the fun be?"

The blonde sighed, but she understood. They had all taken stupid risks once or twice, so it wasn't her place to admonish Cana over her and Levy's choices.

Lucy looked back to the family. Macao and Romeo had moved on, but Natsu was still talking to one of the men. He pointed at an open map, probably showing how they should continue their trip, and Lucy couldn't help but smile at the sight.

The evening felt strangely tranquil.

"Anyway, I have to go pack. I've a job tomorrow." Cana grimaced. "At dawn, 'cause the train schedule in this town is a shit show." She put down her barrel, hurriedly throwing the cards back into her bag. "You and Natsu turning in for the night, too?"

She said it without any mean intentions, without any new inflections, but the assumption made Lucy bristle. Her hands closed into fists on her lap, but she tried her best not to let her irritation shine through in her response to Cana.

"I don't know about Natsu," she answered, smiling the best she could, "but I think I'll go with you."

If Cana found this odd, she didn't say, for which Lucy was grateful, and the two parted at the gates with wishes of a good night.

Lucy had just finished changing into a T-shirt and shorts when she heard their voices. They were in her room, as usual, and Happy was trying to pull something through her window, almost knocking a shivering Plue with his carelessness.

"What exactly are you doing?" she asked, more curious than annoyed.

Natsu looked at her over his shoulder with a grin that was both a little ridiculous and a little endearing. "It's the plant!"

Lucy blinked. "The plant?"

"The plant, Lu-cy! Because of the one we broke!" Happy said through clenched teeth, still pulling.

She grabbed onto his end of the bag and, with Natsu's help, was able to get the large vase onto her windowsill.

"You realize I can't have this, right?" She eyed the plant wearily. It took up roughly her entire window, with blooming branches that reached up and into her curtains. "It's gigantic."

Natsu laughed.

"Don't be silly. It's supposed to go inside." He picked it up and shuffled with it towards one corner of the room. "There."

In spite of herself, Lucy did think the plant looked beautiful. The small yellow flowers gave off a sweet perfume without it being overwhelming and the colors brightened the room.

She exhaled tiredly. "Thank you, guys. It's perfect."

This pleased Happy, because he flopped down on her bed and grinned. Plue stumbled after him. "It reminded us of you!"

Lucy smiled, a bit touched. "Because of my hair?"

"No," he chimed in, "because it's so heavy!"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, but as she lifted her fists in his directions, she felt arms wrap around her middle, securing her to Natsu's chest.

"He's kidding, Luce." He laughed, and she felt it against her back, in the warm breath against her ear.

She disentangled herself from him, but managed to stop herself from overreacting. Natsu was an affectionate person, but never overly touchy with her, which didn't help her stuttering heart when he took her by surprise like this.

"You pamper him." Lucy moved towards the kitchen.

"As if you don't," he shot back.

She glared at his continuous grin.

"Why are you even here?" Lucy opened her fridge and took out one of the fish dishes she'd left frozen for Happy. She would have to restock soon if they decided to keep visiting.

"No reason." Natsu passed her one of the pans, stopping to peek into the container. "Pampering…" he sing-sang.

She pushed him lightly and smiled as he walked past her to set the table.

A paw on her leg alerted Lucy to Plue, who had come in at some point. She stirred the pan once more, then scooped a bit of sauce for him to taste.

"Ooh," Happy exclaimed, "I want some too!"

Natsu grabbed onto his tail. "Not so quick!" He laughed. "You're gonna topple it over again and you know how Lucy gets when that happens."

Lucy humphed. "You guys almost burned me last time!" She took the pan away from the fire, which prompted Natsu to bring their plates over for her to fill them. "This is what I get for feeding you."

"You get our company." Happy smiled at her, making Lucy snort.

"Because I asked for that?" she asked playfully, but Happy was already too busy eating to respond. She sat down with them and, for that moment, they fell into comfortable silence.

After dinner, however, Lucy was ready to go to bed. The day had exhausted her emotionally and the comfort of an early night seemed inviting.

"You can't sleep here," she warned as she watched Natsu start to doze off in his chair. He had cleaned the dishes for her, which she suspected was his way to get on her good side.

Happy stopped munching on the fish bones to frown at her. "Why not? We've done it before."

"I just don't want you to, cat." Lucy got up. The food had made her drowsy, but Cana and Erza's words still rung in her ears. She simply wasn't in the mood to wake up the next day with a half-naked dragon slayer splayed over her bed. His scent would linger, she knew, even with the flowers, like the forest fire that he was.

"Is something wrong?"

It wasn't usual for Happy to have serious conversations with her, and his concerned tone immediately softened her irritation. Lucy hadn't meant to make him feel bad, in spite of how harsh she might have sounded.

"No, I'm sorry." She scratched under his chin. "It's been a long month."

Happy nodded as if he understood. "July is difficult for Natsu, too." His gaze fell on the pink-haired mage, who snored lightly. "You made it easier."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but Natsu stirred, then opened his eyes with a grunt.

"Come to bed, Luce," he whispered, already hobbling across the room.

Lucy got up to intercept him, "Where do you think you're going?"

He stared at her for a second, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "To bed?"

"And didn't I tell you to stay away from my bed?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"C'mon, Lu-cy," he whined, trying to sidestep her. "You know I'll end up there, anyway."

She looked to where Happy still sat and wondered how they could have gone from such a heartfelt moment to this in a matter of seconds. Natsu truly knew how to test her patience.

"No! I know no such thing! If you like my bed so much, buy one for yourself, don't come here!"

Happy flew over to them. "But we're always here. What would we do with a bed in the forest?"

She didn't turn to him and, instead, directed her glare at Natsu.

"You can have the couch. You can have all my blankets and build yourself a fort. I don't care! Just let me sleep in peace."

Natsu sighed, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Sure," he stated, though not all that convincingly. "As you wish, Lucy."

It was the wrong thing to say, or the wrong way to say it. Lucy was reminded of Gajeel, three days earlier, taunting Levy with those exact words, and her temper flared.

"Out!" Natsu blinked at her, unmoving. "I said out!" She shoved him until he was out of the kitchen, and Natsu seemed to catch on to her ire, because he offered no further resistance as Lucy pushed him and Happy out the door.

Once out of her apartment, he turned to her. Irritation and worry mixed in his expression, but she didn't want to hear whatever else he had to say. Lucy knew they would end up calming her down, if she let them.

"Luce, what–?"

"No, ok?" she said, softly this time. "Just don't."

Happy pouted, squaring his shoulders like he was ready to start a fight, but Natsu's previous resolve melted away at her tone. He scowled, gave his back to her, and proceeded down the hall, calling for the exceed to come along.

With one last hurt look towards Lucy, Happy followed.

Once they were out of view, she closed the door and rested her back against it. Although a part of her could recognize her actions had been a bit over the top, a largest part was just relieved to have this time alone. Lately, her entire life had seemed to revolve around Natsu and this wasn't a great feeling to have.

Lucy stepped towards her bed.

There was an energy inside her chest that ached for this night to end, so she laid down, brought her arm up to cover her eyes. A breeze was blowing through her curtains and, in the warmth, it was welcome, but her frazzled state of mind sent a shiver down her spine. She lowered her arm and watched the light material of the curtains undulate over her head.

Then, she sat up and closed the window.

Hello, I'm sorry if this chapter took longer than I intended. In my defense, it's also longer than I wanted it to be, so I hope you guys will forgive me. Anyway, I hope you like this. A big thanks to everybody who has started following this story and an even bigger thanks to those who reviewed because you know feedback is life.

I hope you are all having a fantastic July.