Hey, Lovelies! This is just a short and sweet NaLu I wrote a while back. It is a SongFic for 'Say you won't let go'- James Arthur. Could be a two-shot, see below.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, or it's characters, just the plot to this story.

Enjoy (:

March 22nd had been the most beautiful day that year. Lucy had walked down the aisle, her eyes never leaving her fiance's. Both of them had been so happy to finally declare their love before their friends and family, it had seemed as if half of Fiore had been there.

The wedding had been held on Hargeon, in a massive meadow overlooking the town and village below, the place they had met. Loke and Gray had been the best men, and Erza and Levy were the maids of honor. Of course Lucy had almost made every single lady of Fairy tail one, but Natsu had convinced her to narrow it to two. Her party held ten more of her closest friends, Natsu struggling to agree to elect twelve men to stand beside him.

The beautiful blossoms had filled the air with such a pleasant scent. The aisle was lined with a thick rope of flowers. Gray had created a completely open Ice Prison for them to get married under. The ocean had been behind them, letting everyone see the sunset as they stated their vows. The sky had set with a rare brillance not seen very often. By the time they had finished the ceremony, the night sky had twinkled with billions of stars shining down on the pair.

During the reception, Lucy had danced, drank, and laughed more than any night before, or since. Her eyes glued to her handsome husband for a better part of the evening. He too couldn't get enough of her, stealing moments alone for a moment before someone interrupted for one reason or another.

At the end of the night, every spirit had been present to see them off. Lucy had cried as each one had said kind words to her and the groom. Wendy had cast Troia on Natsu as part of her wedding gift. Later, under the night sky she had loved so dearly, they took a carriage to the train station, leaving on an overnight-er for Crocus, enjoyed their evening in their sleeper car, celebrating the beginning of their new life together.

(Present Day)

Lucy sighed as she looked at the clock. 4:45AM. Well, I guess I'm not getting any more sleep. She rolled out of the bed, slipping on her slippers after touching the ice cold floor. She went through a mental checklist of her daily chores while shuffling to the bathroom to take a bath.

Like so many other mornings, she didn't bother to look in the mirror. She hated who she saw when she took the time to spare a glance, it only angered her to look at the dead brown eyes staring back at her. Her eyes never twinkled like they had that night. Other than the bags under her eyes, which she covered with makeup, there was no way to tell how she was really feeling. Her body was even more slim and toned than it had been while she lived in Magnolia. Thanks to years of rigorous training and battles. She had several additional scars, the most visible beneath her right breast, where a sword mage had almost succeeded in killing her, after severely wounding her partner.

Sighing, again, Lucy thought back to the wonderful dream she had last night. 'We were so happy, what happened? What did I do wrong?' She subconsciously went through the ritual every morning, reminding herself daily not to let her guard down, even for a moment. Sighing, Lucy removed her night clothes, dipping a foot in the scalding water. Sighing had become a regular occurance when she was home without friends and family to catch her. Sinking deep into the water, Lucy began to clean herself off, no longer sitting in the bath for longer than necessary to get clean.

After she got out, she applied enough makeup to add life to her face, and dressed in a conservative outfit. Once upon a time she had enjoyed showing more skin, trying desperately to gain the affection of men. She often scoffed when her old team brought old photos of them together, wanting to slap her younger self, warn her of the future. Warn her to make her choices more wisely, to relish the happy moments longer, holding onto every moment with the ones she loves. While reflecting on her journey so far, she sat down and wrote her bi-yearly letter, tears slipping down her face, spilling slowly onto the page below.

After she was finished she folded the paper with care. Lucy grabbed her keys and whip and left for Lamia Scale. As she walked down the familiar path, she allowed her mind to wander to her life here.

A few years after her marriage, Lucy had transferred to Margaret Town to get away from the looks her friends would give her, she hated how their pity would show in their eyes. Lucy didn't want or need anyone else's pity. They had treated her like she would break any moment, always walking on eggshells after the event. Lucy had spent months searching, every answer creating a more confusing question. After she put together that Natsu and Lisanna had disappeared together, not taking into account her brother and sister were also missing., she decided to move out of town. The pain of living in their house, seeing their town, speaking with their friends had proved too much for her to handle.

She had fit in almost immediately with Lyon and his team. Quickly gaining power with both him and Jura training her hard. It had been a surprise, albeit a very pleasant one, when she realized they weren't going to go easy on her, refusing to 'protect' her the way Team Natsu did. It was only after three months of rigorous training from Jura, Lyon had officially allowed her on his team and she had earned S-Class status.

The past ten years had been hard, but Lucy was finally happy. Lyon had become her best friend, they took a multitude of jobs with just the two of them. Working extremely well together, they were able to complete jobs and take the full reward. Occasionally, Lucy would take solo jobs, but never too far from the Hargeon area. Lyon had a tendency to just show up after she finished and tell her they would be gone for months up north in the kingdom of Iceberg, he really did like to take jobs there due to the cooler temperature. After the first couple of missions, Lucy learned to dress more appropriately for the weather. She and Lyon had made a bonfire to burn all her old clothes.

After a couple years of spending more than half their time up north, Lucy and Lyon had bought a house up there. This had raised more than one eyebrow, Erza and Gray had turned up at Lamia Scale the day after she got back to find Lyon in her bed. He had almost died that day, between Erza's screams of soiling her maidenhood and Gray's objections to Lyon screwing his sister, making her Lyon's sister… yuck… Lucy had knocked them both unconscious.

Lucy smiled as she neared the guild, remembering her time here with such fondness. But today was October 21st, and an important anniversary. She turned down another road, winding around the town towards the seaside. The celestial mage took her time, relishing the quiet sounds of the forest critters readying for what was promising to be a harsh winter. She gasped as she watched the world slowly light up, the sun peeking over the horizon, setting the world around her ablaze. The trees were in rare form this time of year, oranges, reds, and yellows mixing in a sea of vibrant, fiery colors. From the top of the hill, when the winds blew just so, the trees truly appeared to burn brighter than any fire seen in over a decade.

This spot was chosen very carefully, Lucy would soon rest here as well. She wanted the eternal flame to watch over them, protecting them through the ages. Stopping underneath a tall Cherry Blossom tree, she knelt down to brush leaves away from the small grave laying there. The small words worn but still visible.

Nashi Dragneel

October 21st, x789.

A little bit of Heaven,

Burning through the night sky.

Tears fell silently from Lucy's face as she looked down at her daughter's grave, it had been ten years ago that she had lost her child. She knew Gray and Erza would be waiting for her at the Lamia Scale guild hall, just like they did every year. They respected her need to be alone, so when she was ready she would go see them and spend the day catching up and reminiscing on simpler days. But for now, she would mourn her loss, mourn the life she could have had with Natsu, before he had left her and disappeared without even a goodbye.

"Hey, Nashi." Lucy finally spoke as she sat and watched the waves crash against the rocks far below. "It's so beautiful out, baby girl. Mommy wishes you could be here to see this" She looked at the grave and gave her daughter a genuine smile. "I think you would've been just like your daddy, he always loved the ocean. As long as he got to enjoy it on solid ground." Lucy smiled at the thought, her heart pulling painfully in her chest.

Lucy pulled the piece of paper out of her coat pocket with trembling hands along with the little ice tiara Lyon had spent weeks learning to make. Every year she wrote Nashi a letter, read it out loud, burned it, letting the ashes spread over the tiny grave. It was her way of mourning for her little daughter, giving her a bit of her father to keep as well. Lucy placed the delicate tiara on top of the grave marker, before taking a deep breath. Looking back at the trees dancing in the wind, their fiery appearance giving her the strength she needed to begin reading the letter.

"My little Shooting Star,

"I love you, Baby. How are you up there? I'm sure you are getting so big. I wish you were here with me, I miss you so much. You remember why you are my shooting star, right? You're a little piece of heaven, burning across the sky, illuminating the night. Never forget that you are my little shooting star. I know it's not fair that we were ripped apart, but I promise, Mommy will do anything to get back to you, the time just hasn't come, yet. Wait for me, okay?

"Sleeping the last night, I had a dream about you and Daddy. You guys were playing on the beach. You were building sand castles, leaving footprints in the sand, and hopping over the waves. It was so beautiful, I didn't want to wake up. I truly wish things could have been that simple, but we humans make mistakes. But this is what makes us so beautifully perfect, each mistakes shapes us. We start out like a rough cut diamond, its worth and brilliance hidden from view. Each mistake we make files us down, refining us, until our true self is revealed and we shine brightly for those around us.

"Sometimes it keeps me sane to think that you will never feel the pain this world can bring. Other times, I wish I could watch you bumble your way through this life. See the joy on your face as you discover something new. To be there to hold you as you learn one of the many lessons life teaches us. I wish you could be here for me to love, to have the family I dreamed last night. I know the desire is selfish, but I'm only human after all, Angel. Your daddy would be the first to tell you that our friends and family are what make us stronger.

"Speaking of Daddy, I'm sorry he wasn't there when you were born, but I promise you, he would have loved you with all his heart. When you were born, you looked just like him. How you could form inside my body, but still come out looking exactly like him, I'll never know. But I'm glad you did, it's a piece of him I get to keep forever. If you can see your daddy from there, please watch over him for me. He is so reckless sometimes, and I worry for him. I know with you taking care of him, he will be alright though. You are such a strong girl.

"Tell me. Do you long for the day we are reunited as much as I do? Do you know how much I want to take you in my arms, smell the top of your head, and never let you go? A piece of my heart will always be held by you, and I can't wait to be made whole again. I never got to talk to you, never got to watch you grow up. I never got to see you fall in love and walk down the aisle. I miss these milestones, somehow knowing that I'm missing them, even though you aren't here. Your first smile. Your first steps. Your first day of school. Your first love. Your last love. All these firsts and lasts. I mourn you everyday. I mourn us everyday. Please know I love you, Nashi.

"So another year goes by. Another year closer to finally meeting you. Can you feel it, Sweetheart? It will be here sooner than you think. Soon you will have both me and your father, and we can finally be a family. It will be every dream come true. So go play, go have fun. Mommy will be with you soon. And Nashi? I will never let you go.

Love,

Mommy"

Lucy paused when she was done reading, tears falling down on the paper in her hands, yet again. She stared at the words one more time. Her writing has never been the same after that fateful event, but she didn't let it stop her from writing two letters a year. One on the day of her daughter's death, and another in June, when her zodiac shined bright in the night sky.

Taking a shaking breath, Lucy pulled out a lighter from her pocket and held it up to the paper. "I love you, my little shooting star. I'll never let you go." She lit the paper and watched as it burned, dropping the paper right before it burned her, letting the embers die, leaving nothing but ash in its wake.

Lucy turned back towards the water to finish watching the sight took her breath away, it looked so similar to that night a lifetime ago. Not wanting to dwell on the now painful memory, Lucy stood up and took one last look at the small headstone. Bending down she kissed the name and turned back down the path towards the guild, knowing Gray and Erza would already be waiting for her.

She saw a hooded figure waiting for her at the bottom of the hill. "Lyon! I thought you said you would wait at the guild!" She smiled brightly and waved. "I'm glad you came though! I need my best friend before I face your brother and Erza." She laughed, knowing they would smother her the way they always had. When he didn't respond she tilted her head to the side and gave him a curious look. "You better not be picturing me naked right now... I've told you about doing that in public." She teased, hoping to get a rise out of him, but still nothing.

As she got closer, she could tell from the man's body language, it wasn't Lyon. It wasn't anyone she recognized. Stopping, she touches her keys and commanded sternly, "I don't know who you are, but you have three seconds to show me your face." She raised her other hand threateningly, her head running through a dozen general celestial spells as she bent in her fighting stance, quickly preparing for the worst. "One… Two…Thr-"

"Luce."

Natsu hurried down the path towards the guild hall for Lamia Scale. He had known for years that Lucy had joined them, and he could smell Gray and Erza's scent headed that way. He didn't know how he was going to tell them what happened, or if they'd even care, but he couldn't help but try.

Long ago, he had made a decision that would change the course of his life. It would tear him apart at the seams, completely undoing the very fabric of his soul. Ten years was a long time to be away from home, away from the warm arms of the woman he loved so completely. If he had it all to do over, though, he isn't sure he would change anything. Even if she hated him now, he knew she was safe. Once the mission was over, he hadn't returned immediately, afraid of the mess his disappearance left behind.

The last year he had been taking random jobs and traveling, taking time to think about his life and the choices leading him up to this point. The years had aged him considerably, having lived always on the run, following one of the most sinister and evil men to ever walk the earth, the only exception being his own brother. He spent most of the time following the man through Pergrande. The distance from Lucy wearing heavily on his soul.

As he got to the doors, he took a deep breath and slowly opened the doors, searching for and finding the eyes of his ice mage rival. Before he could open his mouth to call out to him, a freezing pain shot up his torso and blinded him. Before he could react, several ice animals were attacking him from all sides. Instantly recognizing the moving ice, he jumped through the doors before he unconsciously burnt their guild down.

"Lyon!" Gray shouted as he jumped up from his seat to follow the two mages already outside. "He will destroy your guild if you fight him here!"

Lyon's furious eyes turned back to stare with an intensity that stopped Gray dead in his tracks. "He almost killed her! How can he just walk in here? Today of all days!?" Natsu meanwhile caught the all too familiar scent and disappeared in search for the person he really needed to see. Before he was out of earshot, he heard Gray telling Lyon that Natsu needed to know. Know what? Natsu pushed the thought out of his mind, he had one mission right now.

"Luce." The man spoke again, taking a step forward slowly, his arms raised like he was calming a wild animal. Lucy had not moved from her fighting stance, had not taken a breath. She was frozen in time, only her eyes warily watching his movements. Slowly, he raised his hands to the hood covering his face and suddenly she didn't want him to.

"Please don't-" She whispered, pleading with the stranger in front her. His movements stopped, but he didn't remove him hands from his hood. "Who are you?" Her words cut through him like a ton of tiny swords. He knew her mind would refuse to believe it was him after all this time. All she could think was surely someone was just playing a cruel joke on her. Slowly, he continued to remove his hood until it sat on his shoulders.

Lucy gasped as she took in the sight the man she still loved so dearly. His salmon hair as unruly as ever, and his eyes were the same, but everything else changed. His face was leaner, lost was that boyish charm she had known so well. Instead, his features were that of a man, a scar extending up through his hairline, causing a line about an inch deep with no hair. His body was harder, more angular, hardened by countless battles. His clothes hidden by the large black robe he wore, his scarf wrapped around the outside, swaying in the ocean breeze.

"Hey, Luce." Natsu said, unsure of what to say. Every muscle in his body screamed to run to her, kiss her and hold her, but he knew she wasn't his to hold anymore. Her words before she realized it was him clearly expressed that. It broke his heart to think of her in love with another man, but if that's what made her happy, than he wouldn't stand in her way. He had no right. She must of married Lyon and apparently lost a kid with him. He would never come between that, but he was too weak to not at least see her one last time.

As they stood there looking at each other, neither moved or spoke. The effect of years of separation evident to them both, countless emotions flashed in their eyes. Lucy was the first to move, straightening up and turning back towards the grave, swinging a wide arc so Natsu wouldn't see the name posted, she didn't want him to find out just yet. Wordlessly, Natsu followed, keeping a good ten feet back, not sure how close he could get before she yelled and told him to leave.

As Lucy reached the cliff she had just left, she sat down and motioned for the fire dragon slayer to do the same. Silently he sat down, still keeping a good distance between them. "Why are you here, Natsu?" Her quiet words held no hatred or anger and caused a fresh wave of guilt to wash over him.

"I had to see you." He said simply. He had never been one for complicated answers. She closed her eyes as she pushed the joy at seeing him deep inside her. She had to remind herself that he loved another woman. When she turned back to him, she caught him studying her. "Are you happy, Lucy?"

"I'm trying to be." She smiled at him, glad to see him after all this time. She asked the question she didn't really want the answer to. "How have you been?" She said, proud her voice stayed strong.

"Not good... I missed you." He looked down at his hands before gazing at the water stretching before him. His pain evident. Lucy's soul reached out for him, she wanted to soothe his broken heart. Even after he left without so much as a goodbye all she wanted to do was take him in her arms and shield him from the pain.

"Why?" She choked on the word, unable to finish the thought. Would the knowing be worse than the fantasy she create in her mind. Was there really a good reason for leaving the ones you love behind?

But Natsu didn't need her to finish her sentence, already knowing exactly what she was asking. Even after being kept apart for a decade, he still knew her better than anyone else, even herself at times. "I had to complete a mission." He frowned heavily, cursing himself for not being able to formulate the correct words easily. "You were in grave danger, I couldn't take you along. But I couldn't let a man exist that had such evil intentions towards you either. Remember that mission I took with the Strauss's right before I disappeared?"

Lucy nodded. How could she ever forget? After the initial shock wore off and she had realized he wasn't coming home, she figured he had found happiness with the youngest Strauss sibling. Both he and Lisanna had held a strong bond for the other, growing up together having great benefits. Lucy struggled not to be jealous of the easy way they spoke, a wealth of memories between them. Lisanna mentioned once that they were supposed to get married, causing Natsu to blush and change the subject.

"Lisanna transformed into you, hoping to use our unison raid to help defeat a particularly strong dark mage. Unfortunately, he thought it was really you. He easily overpowered me and kidnapped her." Natsu paused, closing his eyes as the memories threatened to drown him. He had lived with the guilt for so long. "I tried to save her, but once he found out it wasn't really you, he murdered her. I was the one who found her body, if wasn't for the smell…" Natsu gagged as he remembered that awful smell of blood and decay. The once innocent girl strung up, left to the rats. Her beautiful body marred beyond recognition. "Mira and Elfman told me I didn't have to help them, but I couldn't leave them to defeat him alone. I never thought it would take so long though. The longer I waited, the harder it became to return. I once went home, but the scent of you no longer lingered there."

Lucy laughed, the bitter sound winding its way through her before she could stop it. She couldn't help it, after all these years spent alone, blaming herself, she finally learned the truth. Shaking her head she tried desperately to wrap her head around his words, not understanding. How could her do this to her? To them? They had been so happy and he had destroyed it all, without even asking her. Anger quickly rose to the forefront of her mind, red tainting her vision.

Quickly, however, guilt wrapped its searing grip around her. How could she be so selfish? A woman had died, brutally even, in her stead. She was angry at Natsu for leaving, and guilty for her anger. If she could go back to that moment, even knowing the truth, would she try to change what happened? Would she beg him to stay, to not go on that mission; perhaps dooming the entire Strauss family to a brutal death. Would the dark mage just kill them and continue his search for her, killing anyone in his way, Natsu included?

"I'm so sorry, Natsu." The honest sadness in her voice surprised him. She should be happy, celebrating that he felt like she had a decade ago. Lucy wasn't like that though, it was what drew him to her in the first place, but could she truly forgive him? Could they be friends like they had been so long ago? It hurt his heart to know it could never be the same. The weight of his guilt weighing heavy on his soul. "Where are you living now?" Lucy frantically tried to change the subject before the guilt swallowed her whole. He looked back at her face, marveling again at how beautiful she had become. Her hair was longer, no ribbon holding it, it floated freely in the breeze.

"Nowhere really. I went to the cabin a few weeks ago, it's totally overgrown and inhabitable." He took a deep breath as he gathered the courage to continue. "My heart has only ever had one home." Her gasp tore at his heart, shredding the last of it to pieces. She shouldn't be surprised, she should know that she was the only one for him, but of course, it was him that convinced her otherwise. How could I be so cruel? How could I not see what it had done to her.

"Oh, Natsu." It was all she could say, but those two words told him more than if she had yelled at him for an hour.

Brushing his hand through his hair, he changed the subject again before the guilt suffocated him. "So you and Lyon, huh?" Lucy's face hardened momentarily. What right does he have to ask that? Quickly, she dismissed the thought and took a deep breath.

"He's been there for me through the years. He accepted me onto his team and helped me through the S-Class trials. He's my best friend." She paused as she saw him flinch. It hurt hearing her speaking fondly of another man, giving Lyon the same title he had once had, but he stayed silent and nodded for her to go on. "We have been partners this whole time. I'm not sure I'd be alive if it weren't for him."

"Did.. did you guys lose your d-daughter?" Natsu asked the question, bile rising from his stomach. He didn't want to hear the answer, but he wanted to know everything about her. He wanted to take all her pain as his own. Her eyes widened as she stared out at the sparkling water. She closed her eyes as finally her tears streamed down her face. Natsu's hands itched to wipe them away, cursing himself for asking. "The wind carried bits of your voice reading the letter." He said softly.

"You don't know?" Lucy whispered, barely holding back the sobs. The rhetorical question sat between them as Natsu sat there in confusion. Why would he know her daughter had passed away, it wasn't like they kept in touch. "She wasn't Lyon's baby, Natsu." Lucy's body gave into the sobs that had been threatening to take over. Natsu sat there and listened to her pain, tears sliding down his own face, but he refused to look away. He had to see this, he had to know the pain she felt and spend the rest of his life paying for his crimes against her.

"Then whose?" He said once she had calmed down. She stiffened and seemed to wage war with herself. After nodding her head more to herself than him, she slowly stood up. Following suit, Natsu eyed her as she moved past him and back the way they came, heading for a large tree on the edge of the water. It was then that he noticed a grave sitting there. Once she reached the grave, her hand delicately touched it as she moved to stand on the other side of the tree, closer to the water. She wanted to give him a bit of privacy, knowing this could very well kill him, like it had been doing her over the years.

Once the letters on the stone became legible, Natsu felt his knees give out, but he couldn't pry his eyes away from the cold grey header. Nashi Dragneel. Natsu remembered them laying on the roof of their house one night, counting shooting stars and talking about baby names. Before he messed it up, before things had become so complicated. He felt the air leave his body as the tears fell, sobs racking his body at the discovery. He had done this, he had killed her. His daughter. Sitting on his feet, his hands grabbed his hair, trying to rip it out. He threw back his head and wailed loudly towards the sky.

How could he do this? How could he hurt the woman he was still in love with and leave her with this pain? He cursed the heavens and himself for being so cruel. He was so wrapped up in his own grief that he didn't notice Lucy kneeling beside him, until she grabbed his hands and wrapped them around her. He clung to her like she was his life line, and tucked his head in the crook of her neck as he continued to mourn the loss of someone he didn't even know existed. Lucy wrapped her hands around him and stroked his hair like she had so many years ago.

They stayed that way, their tears wetting each other. Lucy continued mumbling comforting words and holding him as he mourned in one moment what she had been able to over the course of ten years. As he quieted down they knelt there holding each other, quiet tears still falling. "It's okay, Natsu. She knows you love her, I made sure to tell her in every letter. I told her about you in every letter. She knows you even if we never knew her." Her words quiet, but her resolve strong. She had to let him know she had forgiven him long ago. "I forgave you for everything, I don't think I ever hated you. I just loved you too much. I do love you too much to ever stay mad at you for long."

Pulling back in shock, Natsu searched her eyes and saw what she said to be true. For a moment he dared let himself hope, but quickly held himself in check. He had to know. "What about-" He cursed himself for not being able to finish the question. The answer would just hurt him too much, he didn't think he could stand it.

Lucy looked deep into Natsu's eyes, seeing the glimmer of hope. She melted on the spot. One look from him could still undo her, not surprised by this discovery, she answered the question she knew he was really asking. "We were never together, not officially. He is just a good friend. I was always in love with you and him with someone else, but we found comfort in each other's arms briefly."

Lucy felt the familiar tug to kiss him, but hesitated. She couldn't help but think that their time had past. Suddenly, Nashi popped in her mind. She had made a foolish decision and lost out on knowing her daughter because of it. She had hesitated once, ignoring her instincts, and it had cost her everything.

In a move as old as time, she moved forward and pressed her lips to his. Instantly he responded, brushing his lips against hers, marveling at how soft they still were. As they held each other in the grass, arms wrapped tightly around each other, lips connected, they both felt the weight of the past decade slowly lifting. The kiss was slow and sweet, neither wanting to go fast, afraid the spell would be broken.

When they finally broke for air, Natsu looked down at the beautiful woman below him, her eyes red from crying, and said the words that had haunted him every day since she had walked out of his life. "Luce, I promise you with Nashi as our witness, I'll never let you go."

A/N: This is the first fanfiction I ever wrote. I went back and edited things, so hopefully there aren't any conflicts in storyline. This could be a two-shot, making the rating 'M', but only if you guys let me know. If I get a good response to the story, I'll write the second chapter for you all!

I also wanted to let you know I have a few other stories. Faded is updated every Sunday/ Monday and Once Upon a Star is a bit more erratic. I'm also working on an incredibly long NaLu. I might post the first chapter for that one, to give you guys a taste of things to come. That fic will begin updating the first of the year.

That's all for now! (: