She never asked me to come.

Lucy often came here - to see the headstones of her parents' graves. Sometimes I wondered if I was intruding by being there. It was kind of awkward really - like she wanted me there, but only within a certain distance. At arms length, all I could do was silently watch while she knelt in front of the graves, the last physical reminder of a life she had long left behind. I won't lie. Sometimes it was difficult to watch, and for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes I hated that she lived in the past like this. Sometimes I was selfish and jealous that she had at least known who her parents were.

But most of the time, I just hated seeing her there, more helpless than ever, and knowing that despite how strong I am, I couldn't do anything to stop her tears. Being a dragon slayer didn't mean a damn thing when it came to this.

I fidgeted nervously several feet behind her. I was always careful about that, she'd often yell at me for moving around so much and being distracting. Seemed natural to me, but Lucy was always a bit weird like that, yelling at the small things. I took it in stride as I always did. I found myself moving from fidgeting to full on pacing, but I was quiet about it. The last thing I needed was for her to think I was rushing her. I'd never hear the end of that.

I thought I smelled something. I sniffed the air and looked up. Clouds were beginning to hide the sun, and water fell - slowly at first, before falling at a normal pace. It wasn't going to change anything. She'd take the time she needed.

I always thought the rain was a funny thing. It seemed to happen often when we were here. I couldn't help but think there was a connection somehow - her being a celestial mage and the stars lending her their tears. Maybe I'm just being silly. Maybe Lucy's just rubbing off on me.

My hearing caught it. That first, ever so soft sniffle that was the herald for the tears about to flow. I usually stayed back here, in the spot I had broken in from standing in it so many times before. This process had always tore my heart a bit, making a wound that never quite healed. It just kept getting torn, and torn, and pretty soon there wasn't going to be much left.

I had to do something, for both our sakes.

I moved forward, something I usually never dared to try. Crossing that invisible threshold, I pressed on towards her. She was still kneeling there, in what was once dirt and now mud. My hand reached and planted on her shoulder. Lucy jumped a bit at the sudden touch, coming out of whatever dream she had been walking in. She turned to look up at me then, her nose now a light shade of pink as the tears mixed in from water above.

My free hand moved the pink locks that were matting onto my face away from my eyes so I could keep my vision solely on her. Dropping to my knees, a small splash of mud from the impact leapt to either side as I positioned myself to face her. She looked at me curiously, and I knew the questions she was trying to ask without saying a word: why? Why now?

My response came in the form of my arms wrapping tightly around her and bringing her in closer than I've let anyone else in my life. I could feel the tension in her skin at first, then the tentativeness as she slowly returned the embrace and let her fingers fan about my back. We still didn't say anything, but it was a start.

She never asked me to come.

She'd never have to.