A Promise Kept

Chapter 2: Forgotten

She'd spent the last decade or so indulging in fantasies of what their reunion would be like. In her dreams there would always be soft slow music in the background playing as the two long lost friends suddenly saw each other in a large crowd. The music would gradually quicken and become louder as their faces split into large grins as they madly pushed through the crows to get to each other. And finally, when they finally embraced each other loud and colourful fireworks would be let off in the distance. Of course, in reality, their reunion was nothing like that.

"N..Na..Natsu?" Lucy whimpered, outstretching her trembling fingers in order to get closer to him, "Natsu?"

Natsu frowned and took an uncertain step backwards, "uh, yeah? I'm Natsu, who're you?"

Lucy froze. It felt like her heart had smashed into a thousand little pieces with just those two words, "who're you?". She could feel her breathing becoming more laboured with each second that passed, "who're you?".

"She's weird," Natsu blurted out, walking forward past Lucy and taking a seat at the bar, "ow! What the hell was that for Erza?" he grumbled rubbing his head where a woman with long red hair, Erza, had whacked him.

"Don't be rude Natsu," Erza reprimanded, glaring at him before turning her attention to the still dumbfounded Lucy, "though, I too would like to know who you are, you look like you've seen a ghost".

"Nah, just Natsu's ugly face," the dark haired boy chuckled, earning himself a hard whack from Erza and a few whispered curses from Natsu. Lucy had remained silent during this minor altercation, she had never even considered the possibility that Natsu would not remember her straight away. Still, she nodded her head and smiled a little bit, she had to have physically changed in the years since she had last seen him, and she decided to admit that she could forgive him for not remembering her right away.

"Sorry about that," she apologised still smiling, "I'm Lucy. Lucy Heartphillia!" she grinned in satisfaction as she watch Natsu suddenly swivel round on his stool and stare at her with an incredulous look on his face, ahah! I knew he wouldn't forget me, Lucy giggled triumphantly to herself.

"Heartphillia?" Natsu mumbled, "hey I think I know you!"

"I know Natsu we-"

"You're related to that jerk who built that animal testing centre aren't you?" Natsu suddenly growled pointing an accusing finger at Lucy who in turn had yelped and jumped backwards at his harsh tone. That had definitely not been the reaction she had been expecting.

"Natsu, stop attacking poor Lucy with your wild accusations!" Mirajane scolded him, causing Natsu to pout rather childishly.

"But I coulda sworn that the guy was called something Heartphillia," he whined turning his back on Lucy and slumping over the bar. Lucy shifted uncomfortably as she realised that a large majority of the people in the hall were fixated in on them in their little corner and she began to fear that she had made a bad decision by deciding to enter this youth centre.

"Um no…he, he is sort of right," she admitted, "my father helped funded the construction of the building. But…but…" she bit her lower lip hesitantly, she couldn't fathom why but she felt an odd urge to please these people and earn their trust, "…I don't agree with him at all!" she ended up shouting loudly before bowing her head to hide her growing blush. She yelped a little bit as she felt as warm hand resting on her shoulder, and looking up she found that said hand belonged to one pink haired teen.

"Well Lucy…welcome to Fairy Tail!" Natsu said with a wide grin on his face that instead of making Lucy want to smile, it made her want to run and cry.

He doesn't remember me…why doesn't he remember me? She could feel the tears already welling up in her eyes and she began to blink rapidly to keep them at bay.

"Lucy…are you okay, you look like you're about to cry?" Mira whispered in hushed tones so nobody but Lucy could hear. Lucy shook her head and just smiled at the kind woman,

"I'm fine, really! I…I just want to go home," she finished lamely, shrinking back in her seat as several pairs of confused eyes landed on her.

"So why don't you go?" the dark haired boy, Gray, asked, "you obviously don't look like you belong here…so why are you still sitting here?"

"Gray!" Mira said sharply sending the boy a narrowed glance, "Lucy got lost, so I told her she could wait here until a taxi comes to pick her up. You and Natsu's comments probably aren't helping to make her feel any more comfortable now are they?"

"Sorry Lucy", they both mumbled, hanging their heads in shame of Mira having to yell at them. That was when Lucy lost it, before they could see the waterfall of tears that was getting ready to pour she pushed her seat away and stood up,

"T-thank you Mira f-for letting me stay, but I think…" she gulped back her tears as her voice threatened to break, "I think I'm going to wait outside!"

"Lucy wait! It's pouring out there!" Mira yelled after her, not that Lucy heard, as she was already out of the door, letting it slam loudly behind her.

She hadn't cried so much in a long time. As she grew up she had learnt that tears did nothing to earn her father's sympathy or love and in the end she had just stopped crying and she often wondered if she had lost the ability to cry. Well, now she knew how wrong she was as she sat in a muddy puddle on the side of the road, with rain pouring down on her just letting the tears stream down her face unhindered.

"Natsu-kun~" she sobbed, lightly punching the ground with her delicate fists, "wh-what happened to you?" this wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to forget her. She decided that she would've preferred it if he remembered her and no longer liked her, rather than the torture she was being put through now. There friendship must have meant nothing to him if he was able to forget her so easily

"Just like everyone in my life," she mumbled bitterly, wincing now as the rain began to slap her uncovered skin harder, "everyone I care about either leaves or forgets me…Father…Mum…Natsu…" A roar of thunder made her jump slightly as she huddled closer to herself, beginning to regret her decision to wait outside in the rain. But really, if she had to stay in that room with Natsu walking and talking around her so brazenly, she didn't think she would've been able to take it. Another roar of thunder shook her bones and the rain increased it's force, leaving sore red marks up and down her arms. She was deliberating going back inside the youth centre, when a shadow covered her body, and the rain miraculously stopped.

"Eh?" glancing up slightly, she realised that someone had been kind enough to hover over her with an umbrella.

"Erza told me to come get you", Natsu said, shifting the umbrella a bit as he squatted down on his haunches to look her in the eye, "you are weird!" he mumbled causing Lucy to narrow her eyes and push him away.

"I am not weird, stop calling me that!" she snapped as she stood up and turned her back on him, allowing the rain to begin drenching her again.

"Only a weirdo would stand outside in a storm if you ask me," he shrugged, stepping forward and lifting the umbrella up so she was covered once more.

"Well nobody asked you," she sniffed, inching away from him slightly so she couldn't feel his body heat radiating off him, "my taxi will be here soon, you can go back inside".

"No," he said in such a determined voice that made Lucy turn around in wonder, perhaps…maybe…maybe he remembers me?, "Erza would kill me if I left you out here!" he grinned cheekily, just about side stepping her heel as if attempted to stomp on his toe. Lucy heart began to ache a bit at his words, again, he didn't care about her wellbeing, he was only doing what Erza had made him do.

They stood in a sort of silence for a while, with Lucy staring resolutely forward and with Natsu rocking back and forth on his heels whilst whistling a tune. After a couple of minutes of this Natsu sighed and began scratching his head,

"Uh…so, why'd you run out like that? Did me and Gray really annoy you?"

Lucy's features softened slightly and her eyes glazed over a bit, this was the Natsu she remembered. The Natsu who would constantly worry about her, whether she needed him to worry or not.

"No…I just had a bad memory," she whispered.

"Oh…I get it," he winked at her knowingly only leaning in closer to her when she gave him a questioning look, "woman's troubles," he whispered as if he were telling her a deadly secret, "it's okay…Elfman told me about woman's troubles and how it makes you go crazy. It's normal!" he grinned at her again and gave her a thumbs up sign. Lucy however could only stand there wondering how someone could be so oblivious, she was sure he had more brains when they were younger. She peered at him closely, was this really the same Natsu she knew all those years ago?

"Oi? Have we met before?" Natsu frowned at her, staring at her closely.

Yes, we were best friends when we were younger, but for some reason you disappeared one day and never came back!

"No, I don't think so", she ended up saying, blinking furiously to keep away the tears. What was the point of burdening him with the memory of their friendship when he obviously didn't care enough to remember himself? Natsu opened his mouth to speak once again, but luckily for Lucy a yellow taxi rolled up next to them, she heaved a sigh of relief,

"Thank you for holding the umbrella Natsu. It…it was nice to meet you," she lied before jumping into the taxi and closing the door firmly behind her. She had the taxi revving down the road before Natsu even had the chance to say goodbye.

A/N: Wow, really guys...I never thought so many of you would like this, sorry this chapter is a bit short! Thank you so much ^_^