Unspoken Feelings

Summary: The past year had been tough on the both of them. Separated. Apart. But that one year may have spurred up more unspoken feelings than they had thought, which may lead to those feelings spilling out on one fateful day.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, only Hiro Mashima does.

This is my submission for Nalu Week 2016! My first ever so please be nice.

Prompts: Longing, Reunion, Admiration, Secrets, Struggle, Climax, The End

Chapter 1 – Longing

The water in her bath was warm and yet she still felt cold. It wasn't hot enough. Nothing seemed to be hot enough these days, but she didn't know why. She hugged her knees to her chest, the water lapping up the sides of the tub as it was forced to move around her.

How many days has it been? She's probably lost count.

Though that was a lie. It was written right there next to the wall of articles she made. The only connection she had left to the people who meant something to her. Her family. And yet, at this moment, they were all apart from each other, each of them moving on with their lives as if nothing had ever happened.

She had tried that as well. And it had worked.

For a while.

Realizing that she was starting to prune she stood up from her bath, the water dripping down her skin as she stepped out of the tub. The cold was even more prominent now, sending a sharp shiver up her spine. Even with the towel she wrapped around her body as she walked into her adjacent room, it wasn't nearly enough.

Three hundred and twenty-seven.

Her eyes were drawn to that number as she passed by her self-named wall of hope. Has it been so long already? Somedays, days like today, she asked herself why she even bothered anymore. Nothing was going to change.

Besides, she was happy…right?

She had an ideal job working for the Weekly Sorceror now, although it had started off as a risqué modelling gig. While it wasn't the most glamourous of careers, it was a start, since she was finally allowed to actually write the articles. In fact, she was in charge of covering the Grand Magic Games, due to start soon.

Her fingers traced over a piece soft red string stretched across her map, allowing herself a slight smile when it ended at a small pin, tacking a small article featuring a certain redhead next to a slice of strawberry cake. The redhead had been easy to locate, given her popularity amongst the people of Fiore. Her eyes glided across the expanse of the country until it landed next upon the picture of a blue-haired mage. She too had been easy to track, as she had recently joined the magic council. Her eyes traced over the entire map, reminding herself of the names tacked throughout the entire country.

And yet, there were always two names that never showed up.

The names of the two that had left her behind.

Suddenly unable to stare at her findings any longer, she turned around painfully and headed towards her bed. She sat there for a long time, with one knee drawn towards her chest, simply staring out her windows at the stars. She often wished that they could tell her where the others were, but they couldn't. So instead, she only wished upon them, wishing that the constellations would look over them.

Because she couldn't.

She felt a slight wetness on the side of her cheek. A single tear had trailed down, evidence of the deep longing she had for all those she had lost. Some she hoped were temporary.

And one she knew was permanent.

She had never known true loneliness until she experienced happiness…then lost it.

The grass felt too cold underneath his back as he laid there, staring up at the sky. The gentle sounds of snoring could be heard next to him and he absentmindedly brought his hand over to pet the soft fur of his best friend. The stars shone brighter this night, and it was weird that he had noticed.

Though that was a lie. In fact, for the past year he had spent every night staring at the stars, watching their movements. Sometimes he thought they were trying to tell him something, but of course he wasn't an expert on stars so he never knew what they were saying.

Too bad he couldn't ask her.

He wondered what she was doing right now. Was she laughing with the others in the guild hall as another fight broke out? Or was she sitting by her desk working on her new novel?

Was she staring at the stars just like he was?

He let his thoughts dwell upon her for a couple moments more. He missed her. That was undisputable. And yet he knew that it was not time to return.

He needed to be stronger.

He needed to be strong enough protect her…and the others.

He had failed her more than once now, and he didn't wish to fail her again.

The first time had been almost a year ago, in that dreaded castle corridor. Some nights he still woke up covered in sweat when he dreamt of what had happened. Often times, his brain would conjure up new scenarios…where the future her was replaced with the present her.

Those were always the worst.

But no matter future or present, she was she. And he had failed her. Watched, frozen in place, as the darkness raced towards her, piercing her straight through the heart. He didn't have the words left to describe the pain he had felt.

The second time was much too soon after. He didn't know what she had done for them, but it was something that had hurt her more than anything ever had the right to. He saw it in her eyes. Eyes that had always been bright, but after that day, had been so dull.

Lifeless.

He didn't know who did that to her, but he swore if he ever found them, he'd get his revenge for making her cry.

Thoughts of that day stirred up more memories than he wanted. Memories of the father that he had been searching for all these years. Who turned out to be inside him all along.

But their reunion was not fated to last.

His heart had stopped when he saw the mighty dragon fall from the sky. The one who had raised him, the one who had taught him how to care and how to love.

He felt a slight wetness on the side of his cheek. A single tear had apparently trailed down, evidence of the deep longing he had for all those he had lost. Some he hoped were temporary.

And one he knew was permanent.

He had never known true loneliness until he experienced happiness…then lost it.

A/N: These chapters will be interlinked throughout all seven prompts.