Author's Note: hey, guys! This story was originally supposed to be another chapter for Eyes Wide Open, but it was going so well and it was turning out to be longer than I anticipated, so I decided to just make it its own story! This is heavily based off of the video game Life Is Strange, just without all the time-travel and such. For those of you who haven't played it, I highly recommend it. It's got such a good story, the gameplay is so interesting, and Max and Chloe are just too cute! Those of you who have played it, rest easy. There will be angst (lots of it), but no character death. I promise. I might have to make it rated M, depending on how... certain things go.

I hope you guys had amazing holidays, no matter what you celebrate, and I hope you guys have a happy new year! Here's to 2018 not sucking as hard as 2017 did, right? Enjoy the first chapter! This story will only be 3-4 chapters, but they will be relatively long. Love you guys, leave a review, and see you in 2018!

Heavy On Your Shoulders

Disturbing silence darkens your sight
We'll cast some light and you'll be alright
People staring, they know you've been broken
Ignore them tonight and you'll be alright

The town of Magnolia was so peaceful, pedestrians chattering softly with each other, the leaves that still remained in the trees dancing with one another as the gentle, mid-autumn wind blew softly through the branches. Cobblestone sidewalks running alongside almost empty roads, a good portion of the citizens preferring to walk or ride their bikes than drive a car, leaves of red, orange, and yellow littering streets. The whole atmosphere of this town was a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Crocus, something that Lucy had missed for the last couple years.

She'd almost forgotten what it was like to enjoy a leisurely stroll around town.

Lucy was eleven the last time she was in Magnolia, her hometown. Her father moved them to Crocus to be closer to the heart of his business, slowly draining the life out of her. Nothing was really wrong with Crocus, per se; it was a beautiful city, chock-full of blooming flowers year round and people that were friendly enough. But she felt more at home in a small town, where everyone knew each other, where street vendors lined up on Main Street, where the buildings and overall landscape of the town was more outdated, no where close to modernized.

Now that she was seventeen, she was finally able to return to her true home, due to the scholarship to a fancy fine arts program she gets to enjoy with her final year of high school. To say that she was happy to be back in Magnolia would be the understatement of the year. She was thrilled. She couldn't wait to become reacquainted with this town and its people.

She pulled her jacket in tighter around her body as she suppressed a shiver. It was starting to get cold, something she had become unaccustomed to while in Crocus. It didn't get very cold that often over there, staying at a constant warm temperature all year, with a couple of chilly days that usually came with rain, which is why they are able to produce so many flowers year round. She was going to have to readjust her threshold for temperatures in both extremes, since it didn't get that hot over there either. Whereas in Magnolia, the summers could blister and the winters could bite.

But she didn't care. It was a beautiful town, regardless of the weather, and she was just happy to be back in town.

Admiring the warm autumn colors that gathered and blended together in the trees, Lucy retraced her memories from being a kid, her feet carrying her in the direction of the marketplace. She was staying in a dormitory on the Magnolia Academy campus, and since she'd moved in almost two months ago, she hadn't spent much time in town. Between studying, homework, and getting settled into her new dorm and her new school, she didn't have much time to explore. But she was running low on the shampoo she'd brought with her from Crocus, and needed to restock before she ran out completely. Not only that, but she'd quickly come to realize that after living in a place where the temperature stayed at a constant in between both extremes, she no longer had very many articles of clothing to protect herself from the cold. She should definitely pick up at least a pair of gloves while she's out.

With her goal in mind, she quickened her pace toward the store, rubbing her hands together to try and get some heat flowing. Curse her bad circulation. It didn't take much for her fingers to turn to ice, and the chilly breeze didn't do much to keep that from happening.

Taking longer strides to get through the small parking lot to the door, she felt relief when she opened that door and stepped into the building, happy that it was heated inside. She took a moment to look around, grabbing a shopping basket, feeling as if she had been transported back in time. The grocery store looked exactly the same as it did when she was younger, it sounded the same, even smelled the same. It was as if she hadn't been gone for six years. Her feet taking her toward the health and beauty department with little instruction to do so, her eyes skimmed over the employees, swearing she recognized a couple of them. It wouldn't be that surprising if she had. Magnolia was a relatively small town – compared to Crocus, anyway – she was bound to recognize some people, right?

She turned onto aisle thirteen, softly humming a nonsensical tune to herself while she searched for the right brand of shampoo. Smiling once she found it, she instinctively reached for the familiar white bottle, but she stopped. Although she absolutely loved the coconut smell, maybe it was time she tried a different flavor. She examined the other bottles under the brand name carefully, seeing what each one could do for her hair. The bamboo one seemed okay, and it was supposed to help nourish her hair. She might need that if the weather was going to keep this up. She popped the lid open and took a whiff, her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head. Who knew bamboo had such a heavenly scent?! She grinned and placed the bottle into her basket, her decision made with no questions asked. She was about to walk away before she caught a glimpse of the matching conditioner. She considered it for a brief moment before snagging a bottle of that too.

She couldn't use bamboo shampoo and then coconut conditioner! That just didn't make sense!

The blonde roamed through the store after picking up a pair of gloves, looking for other things that she might need as well as just enjoying the nostalgia. She and her friends used to raid this store on the weekends, get a bunch of snacks for the sleepovers and campouts, probably more snacks than they needed. None of them cared though. She'd been reacquainted with a few of her friends from back in the day, a couple of them went to the same academy she did. It was surreal to be able to talk to them again, but it was fun, and made her feel that much more at home. But there was one friend that she hadn't seen yet, her best friend.

Lucy swallowed at the thought of seeing him again. Her moving away was hardest on him, and they didn't end things very well when she left. After the way their goodbyes went, she was afraid to get in touch with him again.

Lucy shook her head, knocking those thoughts away. In her mind, he was still her friend, and she hoped that she got to see him soon.

She looked up toward the sound of talking, snapping out of her thoughts. She scanned the area for the source, her eyes landing on a young man being yelled at by an employee by the front door. The man's back was to her, so she couldn't get a look at his face, but she could tell that he and the employee were in a heated argument. Unable to discern what they were talking about, with the exception of a few words, she took a moment to examine the man. He was lean, most likely muscular beneath his clothes, his jeans were ripped, and his jacket hugged his torso snugly, the hood up over his head. The jacket didn't seem like it would keep him very warm, leading her to believe it was more for style than actual function. In addition, he had a white scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, hanging down to just above his waist, the pattern reminiscent of…

reptilian scales?

Lucy blinked at the odd sight. It wasn't often to see someone dressed like that in this town, but she didn't have much time to admire it before the man stormed out, flipping the bird on both hands as he did so. She watched him walk away through the windows until she lost sight of him, curiosity burning within her chest.

What was that about?

Before she allowed herself to linger on it any longer, she made her way to a register and paid for her things. She paused at the door to return the basket and put on her new gloves. She didn't notice the person approaching her, too invested in trying to pull off the persistent tag that was embedded into one of the gloves.

"Hello." The voice surprised her, making her jump and whirl around, coming face to face with a man that was about her age, one that she recognized goes to her school. He gave her a friendly smile, to which she returned with her own.

"Hi," she responded, finally breaking off the tag and tucking it into her pocket, planning to dispose of it once she got back to her dorm.

"Your name is Lucy, right?" he inquired casually, watching as she put on her new gloves. "You're the new girl at Magnolia Academy?"

She smiled politely. "Yeah, I am."

"I thought so. So you're new around here, huh?"

She gave a light shrug of her shoulders, having a hunch on where this conversation was going. "Well, kind of. I used to live here when I was a kid, but I moved back for school a little over a month ago."

He grinned and nodded. "Ah. Well, welcome back."

"Thank you." She adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she started to turn toward the door. "I don't want to be rude, but I have to go." She gave him another smile before stepping out into the brisk autumn air, feeling a shiver wrack her spine almost immediately. Just as she was getting ready to start her trek back to the campus, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait!" he said, following her out the door. She blinked and turned to face him, reflexively pulling away from his touch. He lowered his hand, offering another friendly grin. Lucy didn't return it this time. "I was thinking, there's this new restaurant that opened a couple blocks away. Would you like to join me for dinner?"

And there it is.

She gave him an apologetic look, although it was mostly forced. She didn't like being grabbed like that. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I have to head back to my place so I can work on my studies."

"Oh, come on," he snorted, waving his hand dismissively. "You can't spare an hour of your time to get a bite to eat?"

"I really can't," she said firmly, not bothering with maintaining her facade. "I'm sorry." She started to turn away, but stopped when he grabbed her wrist. She tried to tug her hand away from him. "Let me go."

"Come on, babe, it's just dinner."

Lucy made a sound of disgust as she yanked on her hand again, but he only held onto it tighter to keep her in his grasp. "I am not your babe. Let go of me right now."

"Oi!"

She felt another hand clap onto her shoulder, causing her to turn her head to look at the owner. It was the man from before, the one that was being yelled at by an employee. He put his other hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a hard shove, breaking him away from Lucy.

"She isn't interested, dickhead. Take a fucking hint." Lucy stared at the man, her eyes widening as realization hit her. She recognized that face, and that voice, and…

And those eyes. She knew those fierce green orbs anywhere.

"Natsu?" she breathed incredulously, not believing her eyes. The man turned to her at the mention of his name, stunned that she knew what it was. His shocked expression only deepened when his own realization dawned as well.

"Lucy?"

The blonde continued to stare, her heart thrumming loudly in her ears. It is him, the boy she hadn't seen or talked to since the day she moved to Crocus. Although, he was no longer a "boy," in any way, shape, or form. He was taller than her by a couple inches, his body had a wider frame, and his hair was dyed bright pink, but his most jarring detail was the jagged scar that ran across his right cheek.

"Hey, mind your own business," said the guy from her school, reminding the both of them that he was there. They both turned to look back at him. "I was just asking her out."

"You were harassing her," Natsu spat back, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "She said no, and that was your cue to fuck off!"

The guy snarled, taking a step closer to them as Natsu instinctively held his arm out in front of Lucy, guiding her to stand behind him. "Who do you think you are, Dragneel? You think you have any right to talk to me like that?"

"Like you have any right to grab a woman without her permission?" Natsu held out his arm to plant a hand against his chest, giving him another push. "Back the fuck up before I knock your teeth out."

He snorted, a cocky smirk curling onto his lips as he ignored the warning and started to advance once more. "What're you gonna do, Dragn–" Natsu didn't let him finish, swiftly landing a punch to his jaw and knocking him to the floor with a pained grunt.

"Gave you a fair warning, asshole," Natsu sneered, grabbing Lucy's arm and pulling her away, leading her to a car. He let go of her by the passenger door, walking around to the driver's side.

"Get in," was all he said, leaving no room for Lucy to argue or refuse. She reached for the handle and pulled on it, opening the door. She looked over her shoulder when she heard the other guy yell from behind them.

"Dragneel!" he shouted, furiously stalking over to them. "Get your ass back here, you piece of shit!"

"Lucy, get in!" Natsu demanded, already in his seat and starting the ignition. Lucy didn't hesitate, getting into the car and locking the door behind her, gasping in shock when Natsu slammed on the gas, reversing out of the parking space just as the other guy slammed his foot into the headlight, shattering it. Natsu held his hand out the window to flip him off as he put the car into drive and sped out of the parking lot, tires screeching loudly in protest. Lucy turned in her seat to watch as the grocery store disappeared from sight, her heart hammering against her chest.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked softly once the tension died down a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered in response, turning to face the right way in her seat and putting on her seatbelt. She heard Natsu hum in acknowledgement, not saying another word. She looked at him through her peripherals, not quite sure what to say to him. This wasn't exactly how she pictured her reunion with him would go, and she certainly wasn't expecting him to look so… different. She couldn't see much of his face from this angle, his hood blocking most of it from view, frustrating her a little bit. She wanted to get another look at that scar on his cheek, her mind burning, wanting to know how it got there. Being too awkward to say anything about it, however, she settled for taking a gander around his car. But a thought struck her before she could even get a good look around.

"So you've gotten over your motion sickness?" she blurted out, instantly regretting it. She groaned internally at herself, rolling her eyes. That's what she decided to say? Those were the first real words she decided to say to him, after never having shared a conversation with him in six years? Smooth.

Natsu glanced at her curiously, lifting an eyebrow before turning his gaze back to the road. "Uh, no, not really," he said, his voice sounding foreign but still familiar to her. "I take medication for it. Driving is faster than walking, and better than taking a bus or something."

"Oh. I see." Lucy looked out the window, rolling her eyes once more. God, that was lame. She blinked when she heard Natsu snort, amused. She turned to him, lifting an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

He chuckled and shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "Nothing." She narrowed her eyes at him, not believing him for a second. He must've felt the glare, so he followed up with, "It's just nice to see you haven't changed."

Her features softened, her gaze falling to her hands as they fiddled in her lap. "Oh." She glanced at him when he didn't say anything, catching the faintest hint of a smile on his face. They fell into silence once more, Lucy's fingers fidgeting anxiously. What should she say to him? How does she break the ice without making idle small talk?

She cleared her throat. "Um, thank you," she offered after a long pause, trying to lift her gaze to look at him, but found that she was too afraid to do so. "For helping me out with that guy."

"No problem," he replied easily, his voice light as if their friendship hadn't been on a six-year hiatus. "That guy's a real douche. Can't stand him."

Finally finding the courage to lift her head, now that they were actually in a conversation, Lucy turned her coffee brown eyes onto him. "How do you know him?"

"Used to go to school with him." He contorted his face as if he smelled something bad. "Never really liked him. He's always been an entitled prick." She nodded, opening her mouth to ask him another question, but he beat her to the punch. "So how long have you been back in town?"

The blonde stared at him for a brief moment, taken aback by the suddenness of his question. "Um, a little over a month," she informed him, subconsciously tucking her hair behind her ear. If Natsu was still how she remembered him, she knew why he brought on that particular question with no segue. "I moved in the weekend before school started."

"So, you've been in town for about a month and a half, and you didn't say a word," he stated briskly, his voice holding more bitterness than it did a couple seconds ago. Lucy sighed, hating that she was right on the money. Even after all these years, she still knew him like the back of her hand. She started to answer, but he cut her off. "You leave for six years, never calling or sending a text or even a fucking email, not making any effort into getting in touch in any way, and then you move–"

"Hey," Lucy interjected, turning to face him more directly. Her eyes burned with irritation, frustrated and hurt that he was placing the blame solely on her. "You didn't make any more of an effort than I did. After the way things ended between us the day I left, can you really blame me for not wanting to talk to you?" She paused so that he could respond. When he didn't, she continued, her tone softer but still angry. "I didn't move away to hurt you, Natsu. You know that. I didn't have a choice in the matter." She turned away, staring out the window as she folded her arms across her chest. "And if you wanted to talk to me so badly, you should've called, or texted, or sent an email, instead of putting all of the responsibility to make amends on me."

They fell into a tense silence, neither one of them wanting to speak to the other. Lucy couldn't believe this. After six years, he was still mad at her for leaving? How could he still be so childish?! Part of her did feel bad, though. A part of her knew that at some point, she should've at least tried to contact him. He was her best friend, after all. If any of their friends was going to be really upset about her leaving, of course it was going to be him. But nonetheless, she wasn't the only one at fault. She knew that.

She snuck a glimpse in his direction, seeing him focusing on the road, his mouth set in a thin line and his eyebrows pinched together, a facial expression he had when he was mad about something but refused to talk about it. She scoffed lightly under her breath.

He hasn't changed a bit either.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He was almost unrecognizable with how different he looked. She never thought she would see the day that Natsu Dragneel dyed his hair, to pink of all colors. Not that it looked bad, it actually suited him quite well. So did that peculiar scarf that hung around his neck, and now that his hood had been pushed back a bit and she actually had a good angle of his face, she noticed he had a few piercings in his ear as well, all of which suited him too. He was like a different person, but not really at the same time.

"What brought on your change in style?" she found herself asking, still mad at him but her curiosity got the better of her. She saw Natsu glance in her direction through the corner of his eyes before refocusing on the street ahead of him. He stayed silent for a couple beats, as if debating with himself if he should humor her and give her an answer or ignore her. He released a slow sigh, deciding on the former.

"A lot of things have changed since you left, Luce," he murmured vaguely, keeping his eyes away from her. Her heart gave a particularly hard thump at the use of her nickname, the one that was only his to use, having missed the sound of it. She felt herself blushing at the reaction she had, but she ignored it, waiting for him to elaborate. It didn't take long for her to realize that he wasn't going to, so she spoke up instead.

"Like what?"

She saw his expression shift, his lips dipping into a frown that made concern bubble up in her chest. He took in a deep breath, his chest expanding before deflating as he released it, his fingers thrumming against the steering wheel.

"Well, one of the biggest things being that my parents died," he said quietly. Lucy felt her heart drop into her stomach like a heavy stone, the news just about making her want to cry just from the shock alone. She gulped down the mass that formed in her throat, reaching over to gently rub his shoulder without even thinking about it.

"Natsu," she breathed, unsure of what to say. "I'm so sorry."

He let her rub him, actually seeming to embrace her touch. His shoulders shrugged a bit. "It's okay." He was trying to sound indifferent, but she knew better. She knew the pain of losing a parent, having lost her mother when she was a young girl. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for him, losing both of his parents at once, and she wasn't there to comfort him like he was there to comfort her.

The thought left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Um," she began slowly, briefly chewing on her lower lip, "if you don't mind me asking, how did–"

"In a house fire," he cut in, answering her question before she even got the chance to finish it. He cleared his throat, his fingers thrumming against the steering wheel a couple more times before they wrapped around it, tightly holding onto it. "About a year after you left. Zeref and I were at a friend's house, and something apparently caught on fire while they were sleeping. The fire alarm crapped out or something, so by the time it actually went off to alert them, it was too late for them to get out."

"What happened to you and Zeref, then?" she asked, massaging comforting circles into his back.

Steering with one hand, Natsu pushed his hood all the way off and ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it more than it was to begin with. "With no immediate family that we were close to, or even knew of, for that matter, we were put into foster care. Zeref moved into his own place when he turned eighteen, but I'm still living with foster parents." Lucy nodded as she accepted the answer.

"So what are your foster parents like?"

She felt him tense beneath her touch at the mention of his parents, and she immediately caught the scowl on his face. She frowned, fearing the worst. Her fears were confirmed when he answered after a long, tense pause.

"They're fucking disgusting."

Lucy gulped, wanting to ask him to elaborate, but the words just wouldn't come out. Her curiosity was flaring up again, but she was also afraid to know the details. She'd never heard him regard someone with such a level of anger and hatred before. It made her mad to think about him having to live with people he outright despises to such an extent, on top of the other shit he'd been through. Her eyes widened as a thought struck her.

Were his foster parents responsible for that scar on his cheek?

The mere notion made her blood turn to lava, burning to such a degree that she was worried she was going to start boiling from the inside out. She really hoped that they weren't responsible, that he just got into a minor accident that left him scarred. She opened her mouth to ask him about it, but once again, he beat her to the punch.

"Do you mind if we stop by my house?" he asked, his voice shaking a bit. Lucy blinked, lifting her gaze to his face and jolting when she saw he was sweating. "My medication is starting to wear off."

She nodded without having to think about it. "Of course." He swallowed hard, turning onto a residential street, making her realize that he was probably heading there anyway, and most likely wouldn't have cared if she'd said no.

After a minute or two of silence, Natsu pulled up to into a driveway, barely making an effort to turn off the engine before practically falling out of the car. Lucy frowned and grabbed her purse and shopping bag, getting out of the car and walking around it to be at Natsu's aid. He only waved her off when she tried to approach him, letting her know he just needed a minute to get his stomach settled down. Understanding, she pivoted on her heel to observe the house. It didn't look anything like Natsu's old house, the one that she remembered, the ciding on the outside painted white instead of blue, and the windows didn't have any shutters. It didn't look all that different from any of the other houses on the block. It was your typical house in the suburbs.

Well, this neighborhood was as suburban as you could get in this town, anyway.

Lucy perched her lips, disinterested in the house. It didn't feel nearly as homey and welcoming as the Dragneels' house she grew up with.

She jolted when she felt a hand on her shoulder, whirling her head around to look at Natsu, who had just stood up and was closing the door to his car. "Come on," he said simply, sounding like he was still nauseous. He played it off, however, walking up the path to the front door and unlocking it, pushing it open to let her enter first. She nodded her thanks to him as she stepped inside, looking around. She didn't like the vibe she got from this house, thinking it was because of the way Natsu described his foster parents. She only had her imagination to tell her about the things that go on in this house, most likely on a regular basis.

It made her stomach churn.

Lucy let Natsu guide her through the living room and toward the stairs, the two of them heading up the steps and down a hallway. Lucy frowned at how barren the walls were, hardly anything adorning them. No pictures, or plants, or random decor, just the occasional painting. She swallowed, looking at the back of Natsu's head as he led her somewhere.

She really didn't like this place.

Natsu opened the door at the end of the hall, turning to her and stepping backwards over the threshold, grinning his iconic grin, one that hadn't changed at all since he was twelve. "Welcome to my domain," he declared, holding his arms out to his sides and gesturing to the space around him. He chuckled to himself, spinning around and walking to his bed, plopping down on it. "Close the door on your way in, okay?" Lucy did as told after she entered his bedroom, closing the door behind her while she took a look around.

It was just about how she pictured his room to look, and it was a nice contrast to the rest of the house. Posters of the bands he listened to and the anime he watched covering the majority of the wallspace, a portion of the wall by his desk smothered in concert tickets and movie stubs, his laundry strewn over the floor, pictures of him and his friends outlining the window, a beautiful tapestry of a dragon hanging over his headboard. She approached the window, interested in seeing the photos of the friends she wished she could've been with when those photos were taken. A hint of a smile ghosted over her lips, her heart warming at seeing Natsu so happy and having fun, especially when she saw a few pictures that he must've salvaged from his old house, pictures than included his parents.

She tried not to feel hurt when she didn't see a single picture of her on his wall.

She faintly heard Natsu shifting on his bed, but her attention didn't switch to him until she heard the sound of a lighter clicking, her body swiveling around to face him. Her eyes widened at seeing an ashtray resting on his chest as he laid on his back, his eyes focused on the ceiling and a joint between his fingers. He blindly flung his lighter across his bed as he brought the joint to his lips, taking a deep breath in, holding it, and then slowly releasing it, watching in satisfaction as the cloud of smoke escaped from his mouth and dispersed into the air. Lucy gagged when she caught of whiff of it.

"Is that pot?" she inquired, watching him flick the joint over the ashtray a couple times before bringing it to his mouth again. He glanced at her, nodding as he took another long drag. She lifted an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth quirking up into a small grin. "Is that what you meant when you said you took 'medication' for your motion sickness?"

"Yup," he chuckled, flicking the ashes away once more. "Does it bother you?"

She shook her head. "Other than the smell, no, it doesn't bother me. Do what you have to." Her comment caused him to stare at her, almost shocked by what she said. She blinked at his reaction. "What?"

He averted his eyes in an instant, grabbing the ashtray as he sat up, leaning his back against the headboard and setting the tray back down at his side. "Nothing." Holding the joint with his teeth, he unzipped his jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders, tossing it carelessly to the side. Lucy blinked when she noticed the tribal fire tattoo on his right arm, the flames licking up his skin from his wrist to just above his elbow. She admired the tat for a moment or two, fighting the urge to bite her lip. She loved how it looked on him. She never thought he would've gotten a tattoo in his life. How many other ways had he changed over the years?

Wanting to distract herself, she cleared her throat as she moved her gaze to his, feeling her heart skip a beat due to those emerald eyes of his, staring back into hers like daggers. "S-so, how long has this been going on?" she stammered, resisting the urge to smack her forehead.

Why'd I have to say that like I was his mother?

Natsu quirked an eyebrow and chuckled, amused. "A couple years ago."

She nodded, swallowing back her nervousness. "Oh."

He took another drag, flicking the ashes as he exhaled. "Don't tell anyone, okay? I don't have a prescription."

She blinked. "So… you're smoking it… illegally?"

He grinned at her. "Like I said before, Luce, a lot has changed since you left."

I can see that, she thought to herself, suddenly feeling a little anxious, but she didn't let her nerves make her feel uncomfortable around him. He might be different, but he's still Natsu, and she felt safe with him.

"You can sit down, y'know," he informed her, gesturing vaguely around his room. Lucy blinked, realizing she'd been standing in the middle of his room like a weirdo. Feeling a blush crawl up her neck, she set her things on top of his desk and sat down on his bed, her eyes admiring the tapestry on the wall behind his bed, a watercolor dragon staring back at her with pupil-less eyes. She wanted to ask if he made it, but she doubted it, seeing as he was never all that good with art. Her eyes wandered, noticing that his ashtray had a silver dragon on it too, circling around the outside and snarling as if it were protecting its hoard of treasure. It was beautifully ornate. She briefly wondered how much it cost. Her gaze moved back to him, seeing that the shirt he was wearing also had a dragon, its front paw perched on top of what appeared to be a crystal ball, blue and white flames spewing from its mouth.

"Still got an obsession with dragons, I see?" Lucy speculated, a teasing smirk playing on her lips when she saw he pouted in response.

"It's not an obsession!" he insisted indignantly, huffing. "It's an admiration."

She giggled. "Call it what you want, Natsu." He scoffed lightly, taking one last drag of his blunt before putting it out on the ashtray, putting it inside his bedside drawer. To hide it from his foster parents, Lucy thought, meaning they probably didn't know about his smoking. Which, if he started doing it a couple years ago like he said, and they still didn't know about it, she had to hand it to him. It was impressive.

"So you're going to Magnolia Academy, huh?" he asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. She blinked a few times as she connected their gaze, wondering how he knew about where she was going to school. She didn't remember mentioning it to him. He must have noticed her confusion, because he smiled and nodded toward her stuff on his desk. "Your bag has the school's crest hanging from the zipper."

"Oh," she muttered, happy – and somewhat wary – that he was still so observant. That was one of the things she loved and hated most about him. It was impossible for her to keep secrets from him, due to him being able to see right through her. He used to exploit that fact all the time when they were kids, the cheeky bastard. "Yeah, I got a scholarship into their fine arts program."

Natsu smiled brightly. "That's so cool!. Did you get in because of your writing, or what?"

She shrugged. "Eh, kind of. I submitted a short story into a nationwide contest sponsored by the school, and since my story was illustrated as well, they gave me a scholarship because of my art, not necessarily because of the story itself. But, I did get second place in the contest, so I count that as a win."

"That's awesome, Luce," he praised, his smile paired with the nickname making her heart skip a few beats. "I'm happy for you."

Her cheeks warmed as she shyly averted her gaze, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Th-thank you." He grinned and opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of the front door opening and closing downstairs cut him short. His eyes widened, staring at his bedroom door.

"Shit," he cursed, leaping to his feet and sprinting to his closet, digging for something. Lucy watched him, stunned by the sudden change. She was about to ask him what was wrong before she heard another male voice from downstairs.

"Natsu! You here?!"

"Yeah!" Natsu shouted back, grabbing a can of air freshener and spraying it all around his room. Lucy's confusion worsened, not understanding what he was doing until realization struck her. She looked over her shoulder at his nightstand, eyeing the drawer he hid his ashtray in. He was masking the smell of his weed. Finally understanding, she turned back to him to ask if there was anything she could do to help, but decided not to, seeing that he had a system. He tossed the air freshener back into his closet, kicking up a pair of pants to hide it as he fanned his hands in the air, trying to get the smell to spread to the rest of the room.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he muttered under his breath, grabbing some of his cologne and giving himself a quick spray to get the smell of weed off his clothes. Once he was satisfied, he grabbed a pack of gum off his desk and popped a piece into his mouth. Lucy watched him, frowning as he saw the clear panic in his expression. She figured he usually had more time to cover his tracks, considering he seemed to be caught completely off guard. He patted his pockets like he was looking for something. When he didn't feel anything, he started looking around, his eyes widening when he found it, pointing to something near her.

"The lighter!" he whispered. Lucy blinked and followed where he was pointing, seeing his lighter on the bed a couple inches away from her. Without hesitation, she snatched it into her hand and shoved it into her pocket, mere seconds before his bedroom door opened. A man stepped inside, long, messy black hair adorning his head, blue highlights streaking through the tresses, his tanned skin a few shades darker than Natsu's. His eyes landed on her immediately, the intensity of his stare making her throat run dry and her heart kick into overdrive, but not in the same way Natsu's stare made her do the same things.

No. Nothing about this man was friendly. She didn't need Natsu's previous description of him to know that he was an awful person.

The man stared silently at her, scrutinizing her carefully before he turned his sharp gaze to Natsu, who was now leaning against his desk, looking a lot calmer than he had thirty seconds ago. His arms were folded across his chest, his eyes dark and tense. They had a small staring contest for what seemed like an eternity, Lucy's heart pumping so wildly she was afraid it was going to explode. She felt as if the tension was trying to suffocate her.

She jumped when the man finally spoke, lifting his hand to gesture to Lucy. "Who is this girl?" he snapped, his voice alone causing icy chills to wrack Lucy's spine. "You know I don't like strangers in the house, Natsu."

"She isn't a stranger," Natsu retorted, his tone just as hard, not a hint of kindness in his voice. His foster father turned back to her, looking her up and down. She felt like squirming under his stare, her stomach churning when his eyes lingered in certain areas. After what felt like a decade, he returned his focus to Natsu, his next words making Lucy jerk as if she'd been hit.

"Is this what you've been saving money for? A bimbo?"

Lucy felt her whole face flush into a deep crimson, feeling it spread to her ears and even down her neck. She was so mortified she felt like crying. Before she could defend herself, Natsu stepped up, that comment having a strong effect on him as well.

"Oh, my fucking god, Acno, it isn't like that!" he snarled, practically fuming. "She isn't a bimbo! She's my friend!"

His foster father narrowed his eyes dangerously. "That's Acnologia to you, boy. And you will treat me with respect."

"I'll call you whatever the fuck I want, dickhead. And maybe if you deserved any kind of respect from me, I would give it to you!"

He didn't move fast enough to defend himself from the attack that came next. Acnologia grabbed him roughly by the hair and dragged him to the nearest wall, slamming him up against it so hard Lucy was sure it left a dent in the wall. Lucy stood up, lifting her hands up to her mouth to stifle the gasp, watching with fear in her eyes as Acnologia got a little too close to Natsu's face for either of them to be comfortable. She was sure that hurt him, but he didn't give any indication that it did, his eyes focused on anything other than his foster father.

"You ungrateful little brat," Acnologia growled. "I took you in when you had nowhere else to go, put a roof over your head, a place to sleep, put food in your belly–"

"Yeah, barely," Natsu muttered, rolling his eyes. Acnologia snarled and pulled him away from the wall by the hair before slamming him back against it, clearly unsatisfied when the only response he got out of him was a soft grunt. He tightened his grip on his hair, twisting it in his fist.

"I am your father, you worthless urchin," he whispered lowly. "You will do what I say, when I say it, and you will treat me with respect. Do you understand me?" Natsu finally turned his fierce green eyes onto him, blazing so hot that Lucy swore the room got a little hotter just by the look in his eyes.

"You are not my father."

Acnologia narrowed his eyes but took that as a good enough answer, letting go of his hair and pulling away from him. He turned to Lucy, the movement making her jump. "And you." She stiffened when he approached her, cornering her against another wall. He stood a good foot above her, making it easy for him to make her feel as small as an ant. "You don't tell anyone about what you saw today. Got it? And the next time I see you in my house, you'll wish you had never been born. Am I clear?" Lucy didn't answer, the fear coursing through her veins causing her to freeze in her place, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. He didn't seem impressed, so he raised his voice to make her flinch. "I said, am I clear?"

"Y-y-yes," Lucy stammered, her voice barely coming out. He looked her up and down once more, making her breath hitch in her throat. She was afraid she was going to pass out with how loud her blood rushing in her ears had become, her heart beating a million miles a minute. Thankfully, before she reached that point, Natsu gently grabbed her arm and tugged her away from Acnologia, standing in front of her like a protective barrier.

"Get out of her face, Acno."

Acnologia glared at him for not calling him by his full name again, but decided to let it slide. He glanced over Natsu's shoulder at Lucy. She flinched and subconsciously moved closer to Natsu, her hands shaking against his back as she lightly fisted his shirt. She felt like she was going to pass out again when no one said anything, the tension in the room so heavy it made her feel like the house was going to sink a couple inches into the ground.

"Get out," Acnologia told her. "I want you out." Noticing that she was unable to move from her spot, Natsu reached for his jacket and picked it up off the floor.

"I'll take her home."

Acnologia sneered. "She can't walk home by herself?"

Natsu sighed heavily, losing patience and his self-control. "She lives across town and it's getting dark. I'm taking her home." He turned just enough to take her hand into his, walking to his desk to get her purse before taking her out of his room and down the stairs. She felt herself starting to relax as soon as they left the room, even more so when they got into his car and started to drive away.

"I'm sorry."

Lucy blinked and looked at him. Now that they weren't in Acnologia's presence, he was letting himself show emotion again. She hated how distressed he looked, like he was on the verge of having a panic attack. She frowned deeply and touched his arm, massaging it tenderly. He inhaled a shaky breath, preparing himself to say more.

"I didn't want you to have to meet him," he confessed. "I didn't think he was going to get off work so early. I'm sorry you had to see that, and I'm sorry that he scared you so bad. I saw how badly you were shaking. I'm also sorry that he called you a bimbo. I'm sor–"

"Natsu," she called, effectively cutting him off from his rambling. She moved her hand up to his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. "You have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong, and what happened wasn't your fault." They went silent for a couple breaths. "Does Zeref know?"

He nodded, gulping. "Yeah. Sorta. He knows that Acno and Dimaria aren't nice people in any sense, but he doesn't know… how bad it can get."

"Natsu, you need to tell him."

He shook his head. "I can't. Believe me, I would. In a heartbeat. But since he's so tight on money, what with moving out so early and having to pay off his college tuition, having to look after me is the last thing he needs. I don't want to be a burden to him."

"Natsu, you won't be a bu–"

"I don't want to talk about this."

Lucy stared at him, knowing that he should talk about this whole situation, that holding it all inside isn't going to do him much good. But she could see how stressed out he was, so she decided to put the conversation to rest for now. They sat in silence for the rest of the drive, neither one of them saying a single word until he pulled up in front of Magnolia Academy. He put his car into Park, letting his hands fall from the steering wheel and into his lap, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead of him. Lucy unbuckled her seatbelt and looked at him, reaching over and gently touching his hand. It seemed to snap him out of his thoughts, tilting his head down to look at her hand sitting on top of his.

"Thank you, for taking me here," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "And thank you for standing up for me earlier, and for getting me away from that guy at the grocery store." She grinned and extended her hand, tenderly brushing his hair away from his face. "It makes me happy to see that you still care about me, despite how awful our relationship has been."

"Of course I still care," he interjected, ignoring the fact that there was a distinct blush fanning across his cheeks. He connected their gaze, his eyes holding onto hers like a vice, a beautiful, emerald vice. "You're my best friend. Aren't you?"

She smiled warmly. "Of course I am." He allowed a small grin as well, relieved to hear her say those words.

"I'm, uh… I'm sorry, for getting on your ass about not keeping in touch," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was unfair to put you in that position."

Lucy shook her head. "It's okay."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Natsu gulped, turning his hand over from beneath hers so that he could hold her hand in his. "Please don't let him scare you away. I… I just got you back and I don't want to lose you again. So… could you… stick around?" He barely had the opportunity to finish talking when she leaned over and hugged him tightly. He made a soft sound of surprise, feeling his cheeks get warm again. He swallowed thickly, hesitantly returning the hug.

"I'm not going anywhere, Natsu," she whispered, her breath tickling passed his ear, causing his blush to darken a shade or two. "Not this time." Feeling more at ease now that he'd heard the words from her own mouth, he tightened his embrace, holding her against him.

"I missed you," he mumbled, burying his face into her hair.

"I missed you too." She rubbed his back as she pulled away, giving him a smile that made his breath hitch in his throat. "Let me treat you to breakfast tomorrow. Meet me at Fairy Tail around eight o'clock?"

He grinned. "Definitely. It'll be just like old times."

She giggled. "Exactly." She reached into her purse and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper, writing down her phone number and handing it to him. "Text me when you get home, okay?"

Natsu nodded, staring at her number for a second before looking back up at her. "Sure."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See ya."

Lucy smiled at him one last time before getting out of the car, waving to him as she walked toward the dormitories. He grinned and waved back at her, watching her walk away until she faded from his sight.

Lucy couldn't get to her dorm fast enough, pressing her back against the door after she'd crossed the threshold and closed it. That was definitely not how she expected her reunion with Natsu to go. She never imagined he would've looked so different, and she couldn't believe how much he'd changed, but how he stayed the same at the same time. And…

And she couldn't believe how handsome he's become.

Her cheeks erupted into a blush as she buried her face into her hands, squealing as she slowly slid down to the floor. If she had a crush on him before, when they were kids, she definitely had a crush on him now. The piercings, the hair, his clothes, the tattoo on his arm, all of it was too much for her to handle!

Steam practically billowing from her ears, she forced herself to think about something else before her thoughts delved too far down. She pushed herself back onto her feet, taking off her jacket as she felt a little too warm. She jumped when she heard something hit the ground, looking around her feet for what could have fallen. She blinked when she saw Natsu's lighter, bending down to pick it up. She forgot she'd put this in her pocket before Acnologia made his entrance. She hoped he had another one, in case he needed to smoke again once he got home. She examined the lighter, chuckling to herself when she saw an oriental dragon wrapped around it, its mouth positioned in such a way that it looked like it was breathing fire when the lighter was lit.

'Not an obsession,' he says.

Lucy put it in her purse, knowing it would stay safe there and that she was less likely to forget to give it back to Natsu tomorrow morning. She changed into comfier clothes, deciding to get some studying done before it was time for her to go to bed. Just as she was getting into her studies, her phone buzzed with a text.

Made it home. Can't wait for tomorrow! :D

She giggled, saving his number onto her phone before responding.

Neither can I. It's been so long since the two of us have taken a trip to Fairy Tail. I've been craving those pancakes for years!

It didn't take long for her to realize that it was a lot harder to study when she kept getting texts from Natsu.