Hi everyone!

I know you're expecting a chapter for one of my stories and I'm sorry to disappoint. But this came to me after hearing a song. It was something different and I desperately have been in need of something to inspire me. Then this happened.

It's a 3 shot because it wouldn't fit into a one LOL.

The song that inspired this and was written off of is "What Ifs" by Kane Brown. watch?v=H1RMVs3qfwc

With that said, I am posting this here and on AO3. I finally got my account all set up. You can find me there as LittlePrincessNana (Same as my name here as you can see). Figured it would be easier to find me that way.

But on to the reading!

Chapter 1 - What If

"I like you…"

"What?"

"I know, it's kinda fucked up but… I can't lie or keep it to my damn self anymore."

"Like as in…"

"As in more than a friend. As in I wanna kiss your ass and hold your hand and shit."

"But… What about-"

"Like I said, I know it's fucked but I can't help the way I feel."

"Gajeel, I… What if… I just..."

Silence. Painful, overweight, dread-filled silence polluted the air in his apartment. He could taste its acidity with every labored breath he took and it fueled the pounding of his heart in his ears. His stomach was in knots. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead and chilled his normally over-warm skin. The walls were closing in and he just knew that at any moment, she would speak again and it would be the end. All because of one simple question that had blossomed into something so much more. What if…

Had anyone told him three months ago that he'd believe in the institution of love, he'd have wiped the floor with them. That shit just didn't exist, he'd learned that the hard way and very early in life. He'd been six when the demon who'd given birth to him had walked out of his and his father's lives. She'd tucked him in, kissed his forehead and told him those cursed words only to abandon him while he slept. No letter, no phone call. She'd left in the dead of night, never to be seen or heard from again. No. Love had always been a lie people told themselves to assuage the guilt that came with lust.

Or so he thought.

It had been pure, unadulterated lust that had ultimately led to his introduction to the golden-haired goddess that had proven that theory wrong. A year ago he'd decided to join the new age and venture into online dating. Using the Tandem app on his phone, he'd swiped a few times and found Levy McGarden. She was a cute little thing that ultimately wanted the same thing he did. A casual relationship with no complications and no real strings. Dating with a twist, as she called it.

They worked and it was comfortable. On and off, they'd been seeing each other for a solid ten months. No fussing, no fights. If he was off doing his own thing, she was cool and vice versa. Date nights were easy and usually consisted of drinking that always led to amazing sex in various locations. She was a great fuck and it certainly never hurt that they'd grown accustomed enough to each other to know what the other liked. Simple. Uncomplicated. Friends with serious benefits.

But then three months ago, she told him that her best friend had hit a rough patch and was coming cross country to live with her. It was cool, no big deal really. So they'd have to be a little more careful when they decided to knock boots at her place. They were usually at the Phantom Lord Bar and Grill if they were out drinking and his place was just around the corner. The only time they were at her apartment was on nights they did vidflix and chill. The latter part would just have to wait until they were behind the closed door of her bedroom.

But then she'd arrived.

Levy showed up at the bar one night with the blonde in tow. He was on a mean winning streak, running the table for the third game in a row. The waters were full of minnows and he was the shark that had answered the dinner bell. There were two hundred greenbacks riding, just calling his name and it was down the eight ball. He'd lined up the shot, one that even a beginner could make. A small inhale as he pulled the stick back, the smooth wood gliding easily over the cradle of his thumb. And just a millisecond before taking the shot, he'd chanced a glance up when movement caught his attention.

She was beautiful, by far the most amazing creature he'd ever seen. Golden blonde hair the color of the sun, wide eyes the color of caramel and pouty full lips the same shade of red as his eyes. The little pink tank top and black mini skirt she wore did little to cover flawless peaches and cream skin. Toned legs for miles, curves that screamed danger, a smile that could brighten the darkest of nights and a sway to her walk that could arouse the dead. All the air in his lungs left in a rush as though he'd been sucker punched and his cue stick jerked mid shot. Scratched on the eight and two hundred dollars went straight down the drain.

The most fucked up part and tell-tale sign?

He wasn't the slightest bit pissed. He was simply left in awe, dumbstruck.

"Gaj… This is my bestie, Lucy. Lu... This big brute is my boyfriend, Gajeel."

"Very pleased to meet you, Gajeel."

It had been as if he'd been transported back in time to being a pimple faced teen with unsightly braces and unruly hair. His palms instantaneously turned to sweaty blocks of ice and his tongue lost the ability to properly function. He stumbled, clumsily over his very brief reply which more resembled the bleat of a fucking billy goat than anything human. He was torn between crawling under a rock and ripping his own dick off just to fuck himself with it. The latter was definitely the more attractive option as he knew she was going to be trouble.

The next three months that had followed only proved him right. The more they all hung out, the more he got to know her. It wasn't long before he found himself tripping every time she smiled or hanging on the every syllable of every word that tumbled from her lips. Witty, sarcastic, outgoing, seemingly fearless, abundantly generous. For every stone of perfection that she added to the pile, he sought harder to find a sliver of imperfection and he'd yet to find one that was a deal breaker.

There was no denying she was different and he was more than just intrigued. But it wasn't until a month ago that the truth of things had hit him like a brick wall. He wasn't just in like with his sort of girlfriend's best friend. While he was still very much a warm-blooded man with definite needs (he was pretty fucking glad about that), it wasn't fantasies about her that kept him up at night. It was replaying conversations they'd had, little things that she'd done. The question of "I wonder what she looks like sleeping" that he woke up to in the morning. And that only led to the ultimate shocker…

What if I could wake up next to her…

Yep. Ripping off his dick and fucking himself with it was a very appealing option. It was definitely the easier of options. First, there was that fucked up thing called love that he always swore never existed. Yet there it was, living in the spare room of his part-time girlfriend's apartment. Of course, then there was the fact that it happened to be the roommate and best friend of said girlfriend. It vomited a shit ton of what-ifs all over his life. What if she rejected him? What if it ruined the friendship? What if both she and Levy just walked the fuck away? What if this wasn't what he thought it was and he really just wanted to fuck her really bad? What if…

He had not one answer to any of them or the fifty thousand others after that. And he didn't exactly care. The harder he tried to ignore it, the more it got in the way. It wasn't even little by little. She invaded his life in leaps and bounds until he was unsure of what was reality and what might be fantasy. There wasn't a damn thing he could do and he was tired of fighting it. All because of one little question. Just one…

What if she's it and I let her get away?

That was why he was sitting on his couch, staring at the woman sitting at the other end. Her dumbfounded face was completely understood. It was exactly how he'd felt for the last three months. But the complete lack of a response had his palms sweating, his stomach churning and his heart dying just a little with each breath. A slap, a punch, puking her guts up. He'd tried to envision every possible reaction but silence certainly wasn't one of them. The uncertainty of it was killing him.

A heavy sigh fell from his lips and he forced his attention to the clock on the entertainment center. He'd made it for his dad in metal shop back in high school and had inherited it when the old man had passed away. It wasn't anything special but what he would give for the Geezer's advice right about then. His Pops always had an answer for everything and generally, it was always right when Gajeel needed it the most. Despite the fucked up way his mother had left, that sage advice even extended to women as well. Metalicanna Redfox would certainly be able to steer his son in the right direction if it weren't for the six foot of dirt sitting atop the stainless steel casket he'd been buried in.

"Gaj…"

Her voice was meek, so unlike the usual robust sound of rainbows, hearts, and glitter that was the merriment of her voice. "Y-ye…" his heart lodged his throat, making it hard to speak. He swallowed hard and coughed in a foolhardy attempt to clear it. "Yeah?"

"Why?"

Gajeel blinked and turned his attention to stare at the blonde in confusion. "Why what?"

"Why me?" Lucy questioned only to continue without a single breath. "Why this? Why now? Why?"

He lifted a heavy hand up to swipe across his face. Her questions were valid but where the hell did he start? How in the hell did he explain that just the thought of her robbed him of air? The sight of her stole every other beat of his heart and kicked his knees out from under him. How did he make her understand that she was the first thing in his head when he woke and the very last image he saw in his mind before he fell asleep? I'm so fucking whipped...

"Because…" He tried to come up with something witty, something spectacular, something… Anything really but his sarcastic quick-silvered tongue failed him. He only had the truth. "Because I think you broke me the first time I laid eyes on you and I get it. That sounds like a fucking line and part of me wants to crawl into a goddamn hole and hide for the sappy ass shit coming out of my mouth. But it's true. I wanted to ignore it, I really did try. Believe me but I just can't do that shit anymore. I can't lie to you or myself."

And she didn't disappoint when she quickly fired back without skipping a beat. "And what about Levy? You're kind of in a relationship with my best friend."

"I know,' he replied somberly. "Believe me, I fucking know but the shit between her and I… Bunny, it's complicated because we aren't exclusive and she is a friend and I do care about her.

"But?"

His stomach dropped and he forced himself to look at her, allowing her to see his anguish. He needed her to know this wasn't just a joke or something he took lightly. This could ruin relationships, could ruin him. It wasn't a decision made in haste. "But she isn't you."

Wide, caramel eyes widened even further before she averted her gaze. She wrung her thin, delicate fingers in her hand and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "And what if this is just some passing fancy?"

"What if it isn't?"

Her question was little more than a whisper but he was quick to reply. The fact that she didn't outright reject him gave him a shred of hope. She wasn't denying an attraction or even a slight bit of reciprocation either. That had to be something. Right?

"She's my best friend and I…" The sound of her voice cut through the fog of thoughts threatening to take over his mind and he caught the sight of what appeared to be a tear racing down a rose-tinted cheek. "What if three months from now, you find someone else that tickles your like bone?"

He started to reject the notion but nothing came forward. He'd asked himself the same damn thing but he had no answer. He wasn't a damn fortune teller, he couldn't see the future. There were no guarantees in life. He couldn't predict what would happen a month, two months, seven months down the road. All he could promise her was the here and now. All he could do was ask her the same thing his heart had asked him.

"Bun-" he stopped himself short. Using her nickname wouldn't get his point across, it wouldn't carry the weight of just how fucking serious he was. "Lucy, I hear ya. I've asked all of these questions and a bazillion more over the last few weeks. I don't want to hurt her or you or anyone else but this… What if I was made for you and you for me? What if this is it, that goddamn forever shit that all those pop pukes whine about on the radio?"

"Pop pukes whining," she sniffled and the softest hint of a chuckle followed. "That's so…"

Maybe this will be okay after all…

"I know but you know what I mean," he dared with a nervous chuckle of his own. "I mean, I hope you do. Bunny, what if…"

Do I dare say… Fuck it.

"What if this is it? What if I kiss you, every planet in every damn solar system lines up and it's the last first kiss we ever have?"

He just knew the way her head snapped up and her shocked gaze locked on him that he'd really hit loserville with his rhetorical question. It was still really fucking unclear when and where he'd been infected with the sappy ass disease. But last first kiss? He was pretty damn certain that come next week, he'd be writing her full-length romance novels. RomComs at the very least. Her fish out of water lip movement could only mean that he'd gone too far.

"Gaj," she finally replied. "I… That…"

Tears welled back in her eyes and he wanted nothing more than to punch himself in the face. He wished he could turn back time and take the words back. Hurting her was never his intention yet he clearly had in his selfishness. "Bunny-"

Lucy stood, cutting him off. "Gaj, I need a little time. Okay?"

He watched, dumbfounded as she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder before swiping a hand over her cheeks. He wanted desperately to be the one to wipe away those tears, wanted to grab her and stop her from running. But fear held him rooted in place, robbing him of the ability to even reply.

"I have to go," she continued as she made her way around the coffee table. "Right now because I really need to process all of this. Okay? Gaj?"

Her calling his name provided a kick to his gut and he stammered to reply. "I… Yeah," he started as he reluctantly pushed up from the couch to stand. "I get it and I'm sorry to just spring it on ya and shit."

She reached the door and he saw her hesitate when her fingers gripped the doorknob. She abruptly turned back to look at him, a forced smile tugging on her lips. "Gajeel, I really do appreciate you being honest. I know me running out isn't ideal or perhaps, not the answer-"

Hearing her stumbled over her words in search of something nice to say only made it worse. He didn't want her to continue. She needed time and space. He understood so he quickly cut her off. "I get it, Bunny. Go do your thing and… And I'll be here."

"Thank you," came the rushed reply before she disappeared through the door. The sound of it closing made him jump and he was pretty sure he felt his heart fall straight out of his ass. He didn't dare look down for fear of seeing it splattered on the hardwood floor beneath him. This was why he'd convinced himself all those years ago that love did not exist. Something that was to be all fucking glitter and rainbows caused way too much pain.

This can't be real…

It was on repeat inside of her head like a mantra as her feet lithely flew down the steps and out the building's front door. She couldn't get out of the building fast enough and she just knew at any moment she'd die from lack of oxygen. The air had become too heavy, too thick to breathe. Her heart pounded in her ears and she could feel the throbbing pulse in every inch of her being. A cold sweat had taken up residence on her brow and her vision blurred. This had to be another one of those stupid dreams and any moment she'd wake up. Right?

Her fingers pinched at the exposed flesh on her arm and it felt real enough but it couldn't be. She was torn between desperately wanting to wake up to find this was just another machination her mind had concocted and the small part of her that dreaded the wake-up. Too many mornings her eyes would open only to find herself crushed between the walls of guilt and sorrow. Guilt for wanting someone who couldn't be hers and sorrow for not being able to have him. Gajeel Redfox was forbidden fruit, the part-time boyfriend of her best friend and yet she wanted him all the same. It was why she needed to run, why she'd fled his apartment without much of an explanation.

Somewhere in the last three months, she'd lost her heart to the hard-fought battle. Perhaps it had been the first time she'd laid eyes on him and felt her knees threaten to buckle. Metal was what Levy had said to describe him and good god was she right. She'd just forgotten to mention that he was almost six foot of muscle, tats, piercings and raw sex appeal. All it had truly taken was one look at that wild mane of raven hair pulled back, the studs across the brow, those fuck me now crimson eyes, wide mouth and devil may care smirk. Then he'd spoken with that deep, gravel-filled voice and sealed her fate.

Lust. Pure and simple was what it had been.

Every fucking village from her panties to those of the most strict of nuns were effectively washed away. He was a musician in a rock band by night and a mechanical engineer by day. Calloused hands and musical talent, two incredibly sexy ass trademarks that never failed to catch her attention. Then there was Levy's never-ending heaps of stories in her habit of kissing, or in this case, fucking and telling. There was no secret to just how well he was truly built or just how well he could work it. She'd woken a few times covered in a light sheen of sweat and her body on the very edge of orgasm because of those stories and those traits.

But then she got to know him.

Every visit to their quaint little apartment or every time he'd invite them out either for pool or to catch his band, she'd learn something new about him. He was a volunteer at the local shelter, working in the soup kitchen on the weekends. There was something about cats that made the metal head melt like a stick of butter sat out in the sun. So much so, that he was a regular donor and visitor to Oaktown's animal shelter as well as the adoptee of a gorgeous black cat named Pantherlily. He loved to read and could actually quote some of the greats like Keating and Waldon but shared her undying love for Edgar Allen Poe and his macabre tales. He also had the guilty pleasure of watching Bob Ross paint on Saturday mornings while eating a bowl of cereal - Captain Crunch was his favorite.

Even Levy had not known about half of the things he'd divulged about himself, remarking that Lucy apparently had a knack for drawing things out. And perhaps that should have been a tell-tale sign but she'd been so lost in her own misery. The daunting task of perfecting a poker face, hiding her growing attachment, had consumed her. He could never know, Levy could never find out. It didn't matter that she knew they were not exclusive. Gajeel was in a relationship of some kind with not only her best friend but someone she thought of as a sister. There were lines in life that you just could not cross. That was one.

Therein lay the problem. He felt the exact same way. Why? How? Was he really blind or mentally challenged? She wasn't really sure. It wasn't like she was an amazing catch. She was pretty at best, there was no Scarlett Johansson or Kate Beckinsale looking back at her in the mirror. Her chest was way too big, her hips a little too wide, her lips were too plump and her face too wide. Her hair wasn't right out of a Pantene commercial and it was only manageable by the grace of God in the form of Pureology, Paul Mitchell and her trusty flat iron. And that was on its last leg. Not too many knew that her hair was naturally curly/wavy and was prone to frizzing the fuck out to the point of rivaling the greatest afros from the seventies.

Socially awkward was usually her persona because of her nerdy tendencies, none of which could be given away by the lack of glasses. God bless the bloke that created contact lenses. Her dating life, when it existed, was an absolute train wreck. Calling it messy would actually be a compliment. She usually drew in the computer geeks, dorky playboys or Momma's Boys who were still connected by the umbilical to their mother's aprons. They were all too self-absorbed to give much thought to her or her feelings, more than a few of them just ghosting right the hell out of her life.

Then there was the more recent breakup. It had been what had ultimately driven her to make the move from Magnolia to Oaktown in the first place. A friend she'd known since grade school. Someone she considered close and ultimately trustworthy, yet she had not really even known him. Natsu was sweet and kind but had proved to be more confused about life than she. After more than a decade of friendship and year dating, it had been revealed that she'd been little more than a beard for him as he struggled to come out about his feelings and desire for Gray, another childhood friend.

"What if I was made for you and you for me?"

Gajeel's question made her steps falter and she glanced around to find she'd made it to the park near the river. The sun was shining bright, bringing warmth to the still crisp early March air. It was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday afternoon with children on scampering on the playground while their mothers sat off on the benches. A couple of runners moved past her and she quickly stepped out of their way. But then she caught sight of a couple walking along hand in hand and her heart skipped a beat.

Men like Gajeel didn't choose girls like her but what if he was right?

Her heart ached in her chest over the conundrum. What if this turned out to be nothing more than a passing fancy? She'd moved here with the intention to start over, to live life and not worry about the matters of the heart. Dating just wasn't for her because of shit luck and horrible judgment of character. It was entirely possible that this was one of those bad calls, even if he'd been vetted by everyone around her to be this great guy. But he was also sort of dating her friend, he could so easily decide to change his mind about her as well. What if he found somebody better a couple of months down the line and shattered her heart?

The phone in her bag went off, startling her from her continued downward spiral. She quickly fished it from its pocket inside of her purse and immediately groaned at the hand fate was dealing her. The smiling, blue-haired face of her best friend lit up the screen as Levy's name flashed on the slide bar. She wanted to let it go to voicemail. Her courage was zapped and emotions too tumultuous to handle the light, bubbly personality of her roommate. Yet, she was not and never had been a coward. If she didn't answer it, she'd only be making it harder on herself later at home. And her poker face quite frankly sucked.

"Hey Levs," she said hesitantly. "What's up?"

"Lu!" Came the exuberant reply. "Where are ya?"

Paranoia set in and she mentally gave her face a few dozen punches. If only she could do it for real without looking like an absolute lunatic. It would hide the fact that she had a shit poker face, meaning it didn't exist. She just knew Levy would figure it out over the phone and hate her forever. "Um, well…" She glanced around to find a few more had made their way out to enjoy the sunshine. "I'm down at the park by the river. Why?"

"Oh, I called the house and you didn't answer."

Because I was over at your boyfriend's apartment.

Lucy barely contained the groan that threatened to escape. She was a shit friend as well. She might as well just classify herself as shit. "Yeah," she sighed. "I needed to get out and get some air."

"Ah," Levy chuckled. "Finally got your article done?"

"Yeah," Lucy started but was quickly interrupted by another voice that came through the phone.

"Last boarding call for flight 1893 to Clovertown at gate B3…"

She pulled the phone from her ear to give it a quick glance as though it would explain the call for a flight. Being no stranger to airports because of her job, she knew very well the standard calls that came intermittently when sitting in the terminal waiting for a flight. That was definitely not something heard out in the general airport lobby near any ticketing counter. "Lev," she frowned. "Why are you at O-town Field?"

A strange chuckle came from the phone, the sound ladened with all of the nervousness she'd just been feeling. "That, uh… That's kinda why I'm calling."

Levy was by far one of the most confident people she knew, second only to her lifelong friend, Cana. To hear her nervous over anything sent up red flags straight away but she tried to keep her cool. She would not automatically assume it had anything to do with her or Gajeel. Perhaps the Blunette wasn't feeling well. It could always be something to do with her friend's boss. She loved the guy, knowing him through her brother but Freed could be an odd duck. And God was he meticulous over everything. "Last minute business trip?" She queried.

"Not exactly," came the weak reply. "Are you… Are you sitting down?"

Sitting down? Oh no...

She swallowed hard to dislodge the sudden knot in her throat. "Yeah…"

"Good, because I kinda have some news."

That certainly didn't sound good when it came off so ominously. Maybe it was her mind just going weird but it immediately went dark, straight to the worst of places. "Oh god," she gasped. "You're pregnant so you're fucking fleeing the country."

Seriously, Girl? You went there?

A relieved laugh came from the phone's speaker. "Lu, God! That…" Levy let out another laugh. "That's definitely something only a writer could come up with."

Lucy knew she couldn't exactly take offense to being laughed at. If she wasn't so riddled with guilt that her mind was melting into a steaming pile of shit, she'd laugh at herself too. "I know, right?"

"I love your weirdness," Levy chuckled on the other end. "It encourages me to fly my own freak flag. But seriously, are you okay?"

Oh god. She knows. "I'm glorious," she fibbed and quickly made to change the subject back. "But get back to this news and why you're not at work on a Tuesday afternoon?"

An awkward silence followed, broken only by the busy sound of comings and going on the other end of the line. It made her even more nervous, her stomach flipping to the point of nausea. She just knew Levy had figured things out, that she was leaving her behind for being a shit friend by harboring feelings for Gajeel. If she was religious, she'd even say she was going to hell for coveting thy neighbor's wife. Okay, so not exactly wife. But boyfriend certainly qualified, right?

"Well," finally came a squeaked reply. "The thing is… Lu, promise me you won't freak out or hate me or anything…"

Lucy blinked, confusion instantly cramping her brain to the point of being unable to fully comprehend. Freak out? Hate her? "Levs," she said slowly. "What, um… You're kinda scaring me so could you just say what's wrong."

"Promise me, please."

"Fine," she gritted in frustration. "I promise, now what the hell am I not supposed to freak out about?"

"I'm flying to Akane. With Mest…"

She was now losing her hearing because there was no way she'd heard what her brain was telling her she had. "Wait," she replied. "Mest… As in Mest Gryder? As in the bass player in Gajeel's band? As in-"

"Yes, Lucy!" Levy yelled to cut her off. "That Mest Gryder."

That was definitely unexpected. And confusing. Mest? She reached up to scratch at her head, her mind failing at every turn to locate a solution to every question in her head. "Um," she finally managed. "Why?"

Again, there was an awkward pause before the uneasy, stuttered reply came. And it was even more expected.

"Well… We, uh… We're getting married."

"WHAT?!" She screamed before the phone slipped from her grasp and she scrambled to recover it before it hit the ground. That could not have been what she'd just heard. Her best friend, the person she thought she knew as well as she knew herself, did not just say she was getting married. It wasn't possible because life did not just fucking happen that way. This truly had to be a dream. Yet pinching herself again only proved she was wide awake.

"Lucy? Lucy? God! Please don't hate me. Mest, I've gotta-"

She heard the distress in her friend's voice as she placed the phone back to her ear. "Levy, what the fuck?"

A strange sigh sounded in her ear, maybe it was relief or perhaps it was sorrow. She wasn't entirely sure. "I know, super crazy. Right?"

"Crazy?" Lucy scoffed. "Wha-whe- Levs, I'm so confused. You and Gajeel…"

"I know," Levy replied. "It's really sudden and the story even longer. Gaj and I weren't exclusive and just… I'm in love with Mest.

She felt like she was seriously in a fog or at the very least, that horrible kaleidoscope tunnel thing from the beginning of the Twilight Zone. Here she'd been sitting in the damn park, agonizing over the fact that she was falling for Levy's boyfriend. Only to get a call that said friend was running off with a friend of said boyfriend. "Hun," she started. It was hard to keep the exasperation from her voice. "How do you know this and just what the hell brought this on? You're more organized than I am with your life plans plastered on the damn fridge."

A watery chuckle came from the other side. "I know, right? But… Please say you aren't mad at me?"

"Mad?" Lucy hummed. "Not mad or even upset. Just concerned is all."

The sound of something brushing over a mic filled her ear before she heard what sounded like muffled voices. She knew it usually meant someone was speaking to Levy and it was hard to be patient as she waited. There were a million questions rolling around in her head. How the hell had she missed her friend's feelings for someone else? How the hell had she missed the girl having any sort of relationship with the bassist? There was no way her friend could have fallen for a guy she barely knew. Right?

But isn't that what happened for you with Gaj?

"Sorry," Levy said to cut off her ability to answer the question. "Stepped away to a quieter spot. I know you're worried but I promise you don't have to be. This wasn't exactly spur of the moment because Mest and I have been talking and Lu, it was actually you who kinda spurred this sudden change of plans."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Levy chuckled. "Silly. Remember our talk last night? It was you who told me that life was too short and you were afraid of regrets. I don't wanna regret, Lu. I've known for a while I wanted to be with him and you got me thinking. What if the world ends and I didn't go for it?"

She remembered the conversation quite vividly. A story on the ten o'clock news about a young woman being hit by drunk driver in Crocus had spurred her thinking. The woman's girlfriend had been there and sobbed on camera, expressing regret. There had been a ring and plans to propose later that day that would never happen. It hit her right in the gut that her life had been a series of those unfortunate events and yet she was sat there with nothing but her own name and a shared apartment. It had saddened her, to the point of voicing those concerns to Levy.

She just had not expected it to bring this about. And once again, she was left behind but she would not begrudge her friend happiness. She forced a smile to her voice when she finally replied. "That's great, Levs. I'm happy for you."

It wasn't a lie. She was happy that her friend had found happiness, even if it was a complete and utter shock. And not with Gajeel. Gajeel...

"Thank you," Levy said cheerfully. "And I promise I'll explain it all when I get back. But… Could you maybe do me a huge favor?"

Lucy reluctantly pulled her thoughts from the raven-haired, tattooed, pierced rock god. He was still very off limits. The girlfriend code was pretty clear that one did not mess with one's best friend's exes. No matter what. And if she was anything, she was a stickler for rules. "Anything for you," she said. "What ya need?"

"Well," Levy replied with an uneasy clearing of her throat. "You know, Gaj is a really great friend and all…"

Oh god, no… She just knew what was coming and cringed as she waited for the ball to drop. Levy wanted her to be the one to tell Gajeel. She loved her friend but there was no way she could possibly. Not for all the damn gold in the world because that was fifty shades of fucked up.

"He's an even better guy," Levy continued. "Who deserves the world. Ya know?"

Please just get it over with. Just put the gun to my head and kill me. "Um, yeah…"

"Watch out for him for me?"

What? Lucy blinked. What did that even mean? Watch out for him. She was pretty sure the guy could take care of himself and had no use for little old her wiping his ass and bottle feeding him every three hours. "As in?"

"As in I kinda think he needs someone like you."

Someone like her? Lucy's brain definitely shorted out on that. This really was the twilight zone or some incredibly fucked up joke of a nightmare. At any moment she was going to wake up because shit like this did not happen, not for her. Life was about letdowns and everything not going her way. Having the guy of her dreams confessing to like her and having her best friend just serve him up on a platter didn't happen. She looked around, waiting to see a creepy guy filming her from a bush or from behind a tree.

"Now boarding group A for flight 537 to Akane here at gate B10."

"Lu," her friend's voice cut into her thoughts to bring her back from the edge of insanity. "I'm sorry but I gotta go. We are boarding now."

No! There were so many questions. She was suddenly afraid, unsure of what to do and desperately needed Levy to explain it. But a voice from the other end of the line stopped her from pleading for her friend to stay.

"Babe, that's us."

That was definitely Mest's voice and this was definitely happening for real. Her bestie and roommate were eloping and leaving her there. "A-alright," she stammered. "Safe travels and at least text me to let me know you got there okay."

"Don't I always?" Levy smirked. "I love you, Lu. You're my family."

She could feel her friend's happiness through the phone and could not help but smile a little in return. "I love you too," she said. "Go have fun and take pictures!"

"Will do. Bye!"

The call disconnected and she withdrew the phone to her lap in silence. She stared off across the river, not really seeing the way the descending sun painted over the river's natural hues of blue and brown with those of reds, oranges, and yellows. Her straight-laced, everything must be planned, hella organized best friend since the sixth grade was running off to get married. Not only that, but she was dumping Gajeel in her lap as a consolation prize.

Was she supposed to be mad? Part of her was. Outside of her unexpected feelings for Gajeel, Lucy had always told Levy everything. That's what they did. Even when half a continent had separated them, her in Magnolia and Levy here in Oaktown, they spent hours on the phone a week. They exchanged pictures of shoes and of themselves in department store dressing rooms because they couldn't make a purchase without input from the other. They took the same brand birth control, used the same kind of tampons. Hell, they even waxed each other's vajayjays and yes. They'd even experimented sexually with each other in college.

There were never any secrets and yet, there had been two. Her feelings for Gajeel and apparently Levy's feelings for Mest. Was it a sign that they weren't as close as they should be? She didn't think so because everything else was as it always was for them. Maybe it was the same for Levy as it was for her. Guilt for wanting someone they shouldn't want and, like in Gajeel's case, it had become too heavy a burden to keep. Levy had asked her to not get upset or freak. A feeling of guilt filled her stomach. Her best friend had feared she would judge her poorly, afraid of being seen as a bad person for feeling the way she did.

Wasn't that exactly how it was for her and did that mean she too could have exactly what she'd been longing for?

A heavy rush of air escaped her lips as her shoulders sagged in defeat. Or perhaps it wasn't so much defeat as it was perplexion. It was too big to contemplate, too much information in such a short span of time and her brain was unwilling or unable to unravel it in the time frame she wanted. She had no clue what it was that she was supposed to do and for the first time in years, she longed for the sage advice of her parents. Her mother would comfort her and help her untangle this confounding knot of a situation, her father would have answers she so desperately needed. But they were both long gone, buried side by side in the family plot next to her grandparents and their parents.

Her eyes averted towards the heaven as she tried to keep the tears that threatened at bay. A sign. Please, just give me a tiny darn clue as to just what the heck I'm supposed to do here…

The sound of someone strumming an acoustic guitar interrupted her pathetic prayers and she glanced around until she spotted a man sitting on a bench just across the square. He was oddly dressed in a fur-edged vest over what looked to be a white wife beater tank, black cargo pants and dingy combat boots that matched the grungy guitar case that laid open on the ground in front of him. The guy was older than her own age of twenty-five but perhaps by only a few years. He was attractive in an exotic, goth sort of way with his porcelain skin, gauged ear piercings, black lips, charcoal lined eyes and two-toned black and white hair.

She recognized the song that came from his fingerstyle playing to be that of Closer by the Chainsmokers and she was instantly intrigued. He was good. Not near as good as the things she'd seen Gajeel do with a guitar but good nonetheless. Without thought, she found herself collecting her purse and standing to slowly make her way closer. Other people made their way over, stopping to watch as the guy lost himself in the song he was playing. His eyes closed, she found herself smiling because so many times she'd seen Gaj do the exact same thing when he hit a solo or was playing for them at the apartment.

The song eventually ended and a petite, Auburn and pink haired woman came up to sit beside him and she figured that would be the end of his playing. But she was wrong as he struck another chord and gave the woman a grin. It did not take much imagination to guess that the two knew each other well, with their oddly paired fashion sense and were even lovers as the woman gave the guitarist an affectionate smile. It was cute and it made her heart ache with longing for the look Gajeel had given her when he'd confessed to liking her. If only it were so simple as running back to his place and flinging herself face first into that notion the way Levy was doing with Mest.

The guitarist's hand moved on the instrument's neck, gripping another set of chords before his fingers began picking at the strings. The quick, quick, slow tempo song wasn't one she'd heard before and it did zero to prepare her for the musician's deep singing voice. Or the words that came because no one would ever pen an emo goth for a country singer.

"You say what if I hurt you, what if I leave you? What if I find somebody else and I don't need you? What if this goes south, what if I mess you up? You say what if I break your heart in two then what?"

The man was clearly singing to the woman beside him but the affection in her gaze was lost on Lucy. The prickly fingers of deja vu crept up her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Her vision blurred and it wasn't the couple she saw sitting there but herself and the same man who plagued her dreams and filled her daily thoughts. Each and every single question that the song posed were the same ones that she'd just asked herself. It brought her right back to the conversation in his apartment only an hour before and then the nail was set.

"What if I was made for you and you were made for me? What if this is it, what if it's meant to be

What if I ain't one of them fools just playin' some game? What if I just pulled you close, what if I leaned in and the stars line up and it's our last first kiss?"

"What if I was made for you and you for me?"

Her heart skipped in her chest and it was as though all of the oxygen died in her lungs. She'd asked for a sign and there was no denying that had to be it. Without giving it a second thought, she spun on her heel and wove through the throng of people that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere to listen to the musician. She didn't see faces, save one as she pushed past. The moment she was free, her feet took off as she raced back down the boulevard in the direction she'd come. Her best friend's voice came back to ring in her head and she couldn't stop the wide smile that broke out across her face.

"I kinda think he needs someone like you…"