Natsu Dragneel struggles to come to terms with his broken marriage, as well as explaining what's happened to mommy to his daughter, Luna. One-Shot AU, inspired by The Good Side by Troye Sivan. Adult themes (drug use/domestic violence). Hope you enjoy.
-.-.-.-
The Good Side
Wind whistled through a barren corridor of a rundown home. The drab white walls were decorated with the scratch marks of an animal, an occasional food splattering and the crayon marks of a child.
Natsu frowned, leaning on the frame of front door. His house wasn't even a shadow of its former self. In fact, it looked like a junkie dugout rather than a three-person, one cat home. He never thought he would be moving out of this place, especially without her.
Natsu felt a little tug at his trousers. He looked down to see his little girl, Luna, looking up at him with sad eyes. The normally feisty Happy—a cat who had been turned blue as a result of a cruel previous owner—slept quietly in her arms, looking almost like a stuffed animal. Meanwhile, Luna's huge brown eyes reminded him of her mother, and if it wasn't for her brunette hair she'd be the spitting image.
"Do we really have to go, papa?" Luna asked, eyes sparkling with tears. "What about my room? It's the best room on the planet."
Natsu ruffled her hair, a tinge of sadness making its way through his heart. "Yes sweetie, we have to go."
"But-"
"Don't worry, we'll—I'll get you a new room." He replied quickly.
"It won't have princesses and flying cats painted on it." Luna countered.
He scooped her up and placed him on his shoulder. Happy stirred a little from the sudden movement. "It will. It will have anything you like in it."
Luna looked down, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Anything?"
"Anything." He smiled.
"Even a candy fountain?" She asked hastily. "And a magic mirror? And a giant pink bed?"
"Of course!" Natsu replied confidently. "We can see about that."
"Even a life size mama doll?" Luna asked.
Natsu's smile faltered, if only for a second. "S-sure, sweet pea."
Natsu reached his free hand back toward the the door handle, preparing to say goodbye to the little house forever.
"Papa, "Luna began, her cheery voice giving way to something more sad. Natsu already knew what was coming. He braced himself for impact. "Why did mama have to go away?"
Natsu's mind struggled to find the right words. In the awkward silence, sniffles began to interrupt the tension rigged air.
Please don't do this now, Luna. Please.
-…..-
Four weeks ago
Natsu parked his car in the driveway outside his suburban home. In his right hand was flowers and a case of chocolate, in his left a huge jug of cranapple juice. Lucy loved cranapple juice. He hoped she would appreciate his gifts. Then, maybe they'd finally have a sweet night together for the first time in over a year.
Things between them were much more than strained lately. In short form, she wasn't the cheerful woman he'd met in high anymore. She'd been tainted by the drug culture and overall stress of music industry. She was almost never at home, and anytime she was home she was on a drunken or drug induced binger. As such, his wife Lucy Heartfilia was always in the popular news for a scandal.
Due to her causing a near fatal car accident, she'd been ordered to stay off all substances. Unfortunately, that did not stop her from going to after parties or hanging out with the very people who got her into that predicament. It was all Natsu could do to keep up the house while she partied all night long, and he felt like he barely saw her anymore.
He still loved her deeply, regardless of her flaws. This was the woman who he'd shared his most intimate secrets with, who he spent countless hours growing with, who he'd created a beautiful baby girl with. Luckily, she had no photoshoots or gigs tonight, so she should be happy and, most importantly, sober.
Natsu looked up at the door of his home, suddenly feeling like an awkward teenage boy trying to court a girl. Should he knock? Should he ring the doorbell? Should he just key himself in?
A shadow made its way over to the window and opened the door, revealing itself to be none other than his stunning wife. She was dressed in nothing but a t-shirt, allowing her giant breasts to hang freely. Her face was flushed, too.
"L-Lucy?" Natsu stammered, shocked by her seductive appearance.
"I heard your car all the way from the bedroom…" She cooed.
"I-uh, I got you something." He held out the gifts in his arms. Lucy simply smirked.
She grabbed him by the collar and tugged him inside. The door shut loudly behind them.
Lust sparkled in Lucy's eyes. "I've been waiting for you, handsome."
"Where's Luna?" Natsu asked, liking where this was going.
"At Levy and Gajeel's." Lucy answered simply. "They owe us for Stella."
A lustful look found its way to Natsu's face as well. Lucy tugged him through the house, quite eager to spend some time with him. Her movements fanned her scent through his nose. Underneath her familiar perfume was a subtle, more sharp smell. Alcohol.
Natsu stopped in his tracks, her words and actions finally making sense. Lucy stopped too, looking him over curiously.
"Lucy…" He began. "Have you been drinking?"
Lucy just stared. "Of course not."
Natsu pinned her against the wall gently. "Lucy, don't lie to me. Have you been drinking?"
Lucy's eyes avoided him, her drunken flush growing redder by the minute. "And what if I have? You're not my mother, Dragneel!"
Natsu turned away from her. He caressed his chin with his hands, trying to figure out what to say next. Lucy spun him around.
"Don't you turn your back on me." She seethed.
"Luce." He cautioned.
"Don't fucking 'Luce' me Natsu!" Lucy yelled.
Natsu reached out to her gently, and she pushed him away. Tears began forming in her eyes. "Who are you to tell me not to drink? Huh? I'm not a child!"
"The court ordered-"
"Fuck the court!" Lucy yelled, knocking some things on the counter to the ground. She shoved Natsu away and stormed toward the stairs. "And fuck you for siding with them!"
"Lucy! This is exactly why you're not allowed to drink anymore."
Lucy wobbled her way over to him. "Why? Because I get a little emotional? Because I can't 'handle my liquor?'"
Yes. Natsu wanted to say. Instead, he held his tongue.
"I stopped smoking. I stopped doing cocaine. I cleared up my skin. I've been clean of drugs for over a year now, but the moment I have a little wine it's out the window with all my other accomplishments? It's not fair!"
Natsu gripped her by the wrists. "Babe. Stop it."
"I won't stop, fuck you." Lucy hissed.
"Lucy," He reasoned, "Someone's gonna file a noise complaint."
"Well file one then!" Lucy shouted, tearing herself away from her husband. In the process she chucked him into a wall, causing him to stumble to the ground. She looked down on him, unremorseful. "Now, let's go cuddle, darling."
Natsu's face formed a straight line. He sat quietly, trying to find the right words to say. "I can't." He said finally, looking away from her.
"What was that?" Lucy asked, squatting down in front of him.
"I said, I can't." He repeated, a little more loudly.
Lucy stared him in the eye. "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means, I CAN'T FUCKING DO THIS ANYMORE LUCE!" He roared angrily.
Lucy's eyes grew wide with shock.
"I've had it. I'm leaving. I can't do this." Tears began to well in his eyes.
"Natsu, you're talking crazy." Lucy said.
Natsu kept silent as he rose to his feet.
"This isn't fair." She managed through choked tears, grabbing his wrist as he turned away. "How can you be mad at me when you've had it easy? I'm the one who works long hours in the hell hole of the entertainment industry. I'm the one who gets sexually harassed every day and just to come home and smile at my family. I didn't even want to take half the things I did, but it was a way to numb the pain. Can't you understand?"
"You could've just told me, instead of allowing yourself to spiral." Natsu said.
"And what could you have done? Jack shit! Unless you wanted us to lose the house."
"Excuses." Natsu tore his arm from her and stomped to the door.
Lucy stormed afterwards.
"Don't you touch that door, Natsu!" Lucy fussed.
Natsu was on a one-way track. He couldn't do this anymore. He put his hand on the handle and turned to face her. "Lucy, I love you, but this… I can't pretend anymore. Goodbye."
"How dare you leave me!" She hissed, stomping her foot. "How dare you!"
Natsu shook his head and turned away, opening the door to the night air. He stepped out into the cool breeze. He would come back in the morning when she sobered up to talk with her maturely.
Soft things began pelting him from behind. "How dare you leave me and your daughter!"
Natsu looked down to see Luna's favorite plush toys decorating the ground around him. "Stop this." He said, looking up in time for a fat lego to hit him in the eye. "Ah, fuck Lucy!"
Lucy tackled him to the ground and began hitting him with her fists.
"Get off!" Natsu yelled.
"Make me!" Lucy retorted.
The two tussled back and forth, with him suffering the brunt of the assault. Natsu could very well toss her off, but not without hurting her. Although she was attacking him, he didn't want to do that.
Lucy stood up and began kicking him repeatedly in his thighs. "I can't believe you!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. All Natsu could do was cry out.
In the distance, police sirens grew louder and louder. They were no doubt heading for the broken pair. Lucy cursed and ran into the house, leaving Natsu on the ground.
He stared up at the sky through squinted vision. He could not move a muscle. Of all the times she'd hit him, this had certainly been the worst of it all. Even still, he found himself staring at their favorite constellation and remembering all the good times they had. He still loved her, no matter what she'd become.
The light began to fade from his eyes as red and blue flashes lit up the sky.
-….-
The physical pain of the incident had long since faded, but the scars still rested heavy on his heart.
He truly loved that woman. He would do anything to go back and stop this from ever happening. Hell, he would keep her from joining the industry too, even if it meant being dirt poor. He just wished this never happened.
"Papa?" Luna repeated.
It was only then he realized he hadn't given her an answer.
He gently scooped her off his shoulder and set her down in front of him. He looked uncharacteristically serious as he tried to find the right words. The young girl looked to him with pleading stars in her eyes.
"Mama is just going away for awhile to think about some things, but I promise you'll get to see her."
It was a shitty answer, but an answer nonetheless. He hoped she'd understand.
"Okay." Luna replied finally.
She skipped over to the car, Happy now fussing in her arms. Natsu hit the unlock button and watched as his little girl struggled into the car. It was an amusing sight, and he only wished Lucy was there to giggle with him.
A tinge of sadness pulled at his heart again as he prepared to bid the house goodbye. Lucy violated her probation, assaulted him and evaded arrest once the police came knocking. He wouldn't see her outside of a prison facility for at least eight years. He had to get out of this house before the good memories broke him, and before any of her angry fans came knocking.
He got the little girl and the chance to start over; she got a cell, a guilty conscious and a marred reputation. Of course she was right when she bitched him out through the jail's glass walls for always getting the good side of things. He couldn't help but feel terrible, either.
He pulled out of the driveway, a stray tear forming as Luna cheerfully said bye-bye to their old house. He hoped that one day she'd be able to understand all this. For now, he would have to concentrate on starting them over. Hopefully, one day things would be like the good days again.
-.-.-
A/N
I woke up a couple weeks ago with this on my mind, so I pushed it out in almost one sitting. It was going to have some fluff but it just didn't work out that way. Cue this angsty fic. Uh yeah. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Please review 3