Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

Even after death, Gray would not stop bothering him.

Natsu thought he was going crazy at first— a dead person following him! The insanity!— but it would seem that the Gray-illusion was, after all, more than just an illusion; it was indeed, Gray the Annoying Ghost. All it took was a precious vase to the face and a threatening, hovering knife to his throat that had Natsu believing that his dead friend was back on Earth to once more annoy the fuck out of him.

In every. Single. Moment. Of. The. Day.

"Man, I'm glad I'm dead. Loke's fucking scary, eh, Natsu?" Like right now. "Speaking of, did Loke ever say what they're doing next? I mean, with all that shit week, I bet Geer's scouting the newbies."

Natsu shook his head. "No, he's not suspicious. He didn't make the connection that we were friends."

Gray gave him a blank look before doubling over in laughter. "U-us?" he sputtered between laughs. "Friends? Natsu, please. Everyone thinks we hate each other's guts."

"I still do," Natsu grumbled. "It's two fucking fifty in the morning, Gray. I need some sleep."

Gray shrugged and began floating around, his hands crossed behind his head. "Sorry. Death kinda fucks up your perception of time, ya know?"

"Of course I do." Natsu watched as his friend twirled around in circles. "Stop that. You're giving me a headache."

"You're just jealous that I can float around instead of getting my ass squished like yours." Unable to help himself, Natsu grabbed the decorative pillow on his couch and heaved it at Gray's head. Much to his dismay, however, it passed right through. Gray paused in his aerobics show to glare at his friend. "Don't do that! It feels tickly."

This time, Natsu grabbed a nearby pencil and aimed it at Gray's chest. "Hm? Did you say something, Gray?"

"You piece of—" A loud, metallic clunk cut him off, and Natsu jumped in shock. Gray dropped from the air ungracefully, landing on his bottom and disappearing on the floor. A second later, his head popped up, looking dazed. "The hell was that?"

Natsu shook his head before realizing what could've been the source of distraction. "Oh shit! My car!" He leapt up, and in a flash, had grabbed his keys and ran for the door. He flung it open, stepping out into the cold, evening air, freezing droplets of invisible rain prickling his skin. The darkness was like a shroud covering his eyes, and no matter the times he squinted, attempting for his eyes to adjust, he couldn't see anything past the curtain of darkness. "Hello?" he called out. "Anyone there?"

"That's what someone always says before dying in horror movies, Nat," a voice said from behind him, and the pink-haired boy screamed. Uproarious laughter followed immediately, and Natsu snarled, absolutely frustrated with Gray.

"Gray! Fucking hell!" He stomped his foot angrily, like a child in the midst of a temper tantrum. "Get the porch light before I join you in the afterlife!" The porch light lit up, illuminating the darkened street of Natsu's house, and the boy could just see the silhouette of his car. "It looks fine," he muttered, eyebrows creased. "Weird, it sounded like someone crashed into it or something." A gust of wind blew against him in the moment, and Natsu wished with all his heart that he had grabbed his jacket along the way. "Gray, can you get inside? You're bothering me with your stupid ghostly presence."

"I am inside, dumbass!"

"Well then, leave!" Natsu said hotly, glaring at his friend. Gray just gave him a dark look before disappearing. Natsu huffed; arguing with Gray was honestly draining, and the amount of energy zaped from him after every encounter was unnecessary. It was three o'clock, for heaven's sake, and way too early to even take a piss, much less an argument with the ghost of his dead friend that he killed just under two weeks ago.

Oh, there was the headache.

Natsu sighed again, ready to go back inside his small house when he heard it. It was very small, very indistinguishable, but Natsu's acute hearing picked it up among the silence of the night. Footsteps.

Of what?

Natsu squeezed his eyes shut, chills running down his back and not because of the evening air. "I swear to god Gray, if this is your idea of revenge, it isn't funny." Great, now he sounded like a damned damsel-in-distress from a horror movie.

Her soft voice reached his ears before he ever saw her move into his vision. "Natsu?"

He saw first her flaxen hair, glowing under the porch light like a halo framing her beautiful, petite face. Then he saw the rest of her, and Natsu found himself taking several steps back, his hands immediately covering his eyes as his face flushed red in embarrassment. "Oh my god!" he squeaked, voice embarrassingly high. "Woman! Where are your clothes?!"

The woman, who seemed to be around his age or younger, looked down at herself. She grinned, lifting her arms and flapping it around. Her hands began to roam her upper arms, and she reached up and touched her hair. "Amazing," she whispered. "Like a human." She paused, her grin widening. "No. I am human."

Natsu's eyebrows rose, but he resisted the urge to look at the woman out of confusion. "I'm dealing with a crazy," he mumbled. "Why me?" He sighed deeply, turning more fully to the girl but focusing his eyes to a certain spot way above her head. "Listen, lady, are you lost or something? I just got a car—" Natsu cut himself off, whirling around, wishing desperately that his new car would still be in mint condition. Unfortunately... "— that you dented," he said sadly, running his hand across the now-ruined hood. "I can take you to your home, I guess. Maybe you can call your parents too or anyone else you know."

The woman gave him a strange look. "Parents," she repeated, testing the word on her lips as if it were the first time she said that word. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I think I had them at some point," she said, "but I do not remember them."

Something in Natsu's heart reached out to her, pitying her situation. Then, a horrible, horrible thought crossed his mind as it made up a scenario that could've explained the girl's situation. "Listen, lady," he said slowly, his stomach churning angrily. "D-did anyone touch you?"

The blonde gave him an odd look. "You are the first human I have seen today, Natsu," she said gently.

Natsu.

Realization dawned on him. She had used his christened name twice, and he had never met her before. "What did you just say?" he asked lowly. "How do you know my name?" His eyes narrowed as he surveyed his surroundings. Was this a ruse? A plot by Mard Geer and Tartaros?

The blonde only smiled, stepping closer to him. "Natsu," she said softly. "I've known you your entire life. I've looked over you, guided you when I could." What? "I know who you are because you are my ward—" She caressed his cheek, her chocolate-brown eyes soft, "—and I am your guardian angel."

He must be crazy.

Yes, that was it. That was the only other explanation. It was one thing accepting the presence of the ghost of your best friend that you killed just to maintain your cover, but it was a whole nother story to believe a naked young lady claiming to be your guardian angel for your entire life of twenty-years. Natsu ran his hands agitatedly against his face until the skin began to redden. "First a ghost, now an angel," Natsu muttered. "What's next? A bloody, fucking dragon?" He shook his head, his pink locks falling across his eyes.

Hearing soft footsteps behind him, Natsu said, "Did you find the clothes?"

"Yes," the girl said, and Natsu turned around, "but I do not understand how to put this on." She held up a pair of leggings, and it took all of Natsu's self-control to keep his jaw and gaze from dropping to inappropriate levels.

He sighed exasperatedly. "What clothes do you wear then, little lady? Skirts? Dresses? Or are you just another privileged brat?"

The blonde frowned. "I'm afraid I don't remember much about my life," she confessed.

"Great. I'm dealing with an amnesiac," Natsu mumbled. "Look, miss, I can take you to the police station if you want, but that's all I can do."

"The police...?" she echoed. "Law enforcers?"

"Yes," Natsu said irritably. "I'll bring you to them. They'll be able to help you, even if you are an amnesiac." He paused. "Do you remember your name, lady? They'll be able to pull up your information, if you even know it."

The blonde stopped examining the black material of the leggings, looking up at his question. "My name..." she said slowly before brightening considerably. "Lucy. My name is Lucy." She looked at Natsu eagerly. "Do you think the police can help me find information about my past life?"

"Your past life? Listen, lady, I thought you were an angel. Wait, no, don't answer that," Natsu said hastily, shaking his head furiously when she began to open her mouth. "Look, we gotta go. I need to go to work in a couple hours." He turned, walking towards the door when a firm hand wrapped around his wrist. 'Shit, she's got a tight grip,' Natsu thought, wincing inwardly.

"I came here for a reason, Natsu," she said softly but firmly. "You are that reason." Natsu opened his mouth, ready to shoot down her declaration, but she held up a hand, suddenly commanding. "No. Listen to what I have to say, Natsu Dragneel. I have always looked over you ever since your birth. I know you. Your likes, your dislikes, what you've been through. Most of all, I know that you're capable of anything and everything." Natsu scoffed again. "I know who you are, Natsu Dragneel," Lucy said, her voice dropping several octaves, "but you have lost yourself. You're spiraling down a dark path, my love, and I'm here to help you."

Natsu bared his teeth in anger, incensed. Who was she to claim that she could help him? Lucy traced her hand down his cheek, and Natsu reared back at her cool touch. "You don't have to believe me now, Natsu," she whispered. "But just trust in me. Open your heart like you always had, and trust me." Her wide, chocolate eyes caused uncomfortable flips in his stomach, and Natsu looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. There was something about her that pulled at Natsu's soul, pulled at all the guilt he felt and vanishing it all away as if it were nothing but a petty burden.

"Natsu. Look at me." Gentle fingers grabbed Natsu's jaw and forced him to look at her wide, innocent brown eyes. "You are loved, Natsu. You can be saved."

"How do you know?" Natsu asked bitterly.

Lucy smiled and touched her forehead to his chin. "Because you are my ward, my human. I know you." She smiled up at him, and Natsu's cheeks began to redden. "And because you are Natsu Dragneel."

Approx Word Count: 1900

It's really short, I know, but I didn't know what else to put. But, hey, at least Lucy's here!