He had a blistering headache. He felt the deep pounding in his head as he opened his eyes to the light of early morning. The light was bright, making the man squint into the room. He was in his bed, naked and covered by barely any sheets. His fucking headache? Natsu could feel it pounding in his skull like a jackhammer. It was hurting to think. He felt a light tug of his hair to see Happy, his cat, eating away at his hair to wake him up and tell him he was hungry for breakfast. Natsu did not want to get up. If he got up, he would have to face reality again, and he really didn't want to do that. Before he could fall back asleep he heard shuffling in the kitchen. It almost made him want to see if it was her, but he knew it wasn't, so he let his eyes slip shut. That was enough for Happy to meow rather loudly, alerting the other person in the house that the cat was there. The shuffling stopped, and for a few minutes it was quiet. Then he heard the front door shut.
Lazily Natsu opened his bloodshot eyes, looking around the room. His clothing was scattered on the floor messily, almost as if being thrown off. He knew what that meant.
A hook up.
He most likely had hooked up with some woman at a bar while he was drunk and high. It wasn't the first time this happened. More like the twentieth. Ever since she left him, it was like this. He was never the same man. Happy pawed his cheek to tell him to get up. Taking his time he pushed himself up and out of bed. His dick was hanging limply, as he didn't have morning wood. It swung heavily between his legs as he walked to the kitchen. He grabbed Happy's food bowl and put a raw fish from his fridge into the cat's bowl. Happy ran up behind him and chowed down on his breakfast. Natsu pet the small cat's head before he grabbed a bottle of jack and popped the lid off. He chugged the liquor down, letting it burn in his throat before throwing the bottle at the wall. He felt livid.
Natsu went to his bedroom and pulled on his boxers, a pair of jeans and a red hoodie. His pink hair sagged down to his shoulders as he hadn't cut it in a year. He went into the bathroom to take a piss. When he was done, he looked at himself in the mirror. His complexion looked terrible. Bags where under his eyes and he quickly ran some water over his face. He smiled at himself, hoping to ease the pain in his heart. It didn't work. He quickly strode to the door and outside into the street. He didn't wanna look at his crap apartment anymore. It was small, trashed, and in a dingy apartment complex inside the city. Taking out his phone he walked towards the boulevard and turned it on. Messages popped up from different people: Gray, Lisanna, Igneel and Unknown. He wanted to disregard it, but... when it came to family he always responded. Since Gray texted first, he went to that message.
Stripper: Hey Natsu, you forgot your stuff at the bar. I was told to keep it for you by Lisanna. You wanna come over to get it, or for me to give it to your dad?
Natsu read over the text twice. He forgot his... stuff? He had his phone, and his wa- fuck. He didn't have his wallet, or his ID for work. He must have left it when he went with that girl.
Natsu: Give it to my pops. I'm seeing him for dinner tonight.
He dragged over his other text from Lisanna, stating she gave his stuff to Gray. Natsu read over his fathers message. It was reminding him that a family dinner was that night with Igneel, Grandeeny, Wendy, Zeref and Mavis. Wendy was his little sister, and Zeref is his older brother. All of them where adopted when they were young by their parents. Mavis is Zeref's wife. Before Natsu could delete the unknown number from his phone he looked it over.
Unknown: Hello, I'm not sure if this is the right number but I was wondering if this was Natsu?
He furrowed his eyebrows. Who was this?
Natsu: This is Natsu. Who is this?
He waited for a minute before the phone buzzed.
Unknown: Oh thank god this is the right number. It's Lucy.
Natsu almost choked. This... this wasn't real. He remembered the last time he ever saw or heard from her.
It was late October and Natsu and Lucy were standing in a large shopping area. Natsu was glancing around, a happy smile on his face as he put groceries into their cart. Lucy was frowning, her arm wrapped around her stomach. She was looking around, something sickening her to the core. Natsu didn't want to ask her what was wrong. She was his best friend, and he trusted she would tell him in due time. They didn't live together, but they always went shopping for groceries together. It was their last year of high school. Natsu loved Lucy. He would never admit it, but he would always watch over her. He didn't think she had feelings for him, so whenever they were together he would do everything in his power to make her happy. He never thought he would love another girl.
"Natsu... I feel like someone's watching us..." Lucy murmured. She was looking at a man behind them, his hands in his coat pockets. He looked familiar to her, but she couldn't put a finger on whom. Natsu laughed.
"They're probably watchin' you. Ya look really good today" Natsu blurted as his cheeks erupted in a blush. She blushed as well and looked away. Natsu loved making her blush, whenever he got the chance. It was like a game to him. He loved seeing his girl blush a thousand shades of red.
'His'girl?
Not yet, but someday.
"Luce I'll be right back. I'm gonna get my meds from the pharmacy" he hollered as he run away. Natsu was on meds for his mental illness. He had bi polar disorder, which he was diagnosed with at fifteen. His rage was never really in check, as neither was his emotions. As long as he was on the meds he was good, along with going to therapy. His life was pretty good. It was genetic. He also had autism, but he would never tell a soul that. That was his little secret.
Before he could get to the counter he heard screams. He watched as his best friend was pulled from the aisle with a gun against her head. She was screaming loudly as the man in the coat dragged her. Natsu didn't even stop to think. He let his emotions get the best of him as he ran up to the man and screamed at him to let her go. His roars where neglected as she was pulled from the store. A car was speeding up towards them. Natsu grabbed onto Lucy and pulled her back, earning her freedom to kick him in the nuts. The man was resilient, pointing his gun. It fired and Natsu fell back onto the floor. He felt blood roaring in his ears as blood pumped through his body. Air was escaping him, and his vision was dark and blurry. People where on their knees next to him, shouting words he could not hear. Suddenly it was all black, and he remembered nothing after that.
He awoke in a hospital bed, the horrid smell of antiseptic in his nose. He recalls the nurses and doctors asking him questions, but the only thought in his mind was "Where's Lucy?"
Nobody would give him the answer until Igneel and his mother Grandeeny came in. They hugged him and kissed him, telling him he was so brave and that he was a hero. His question was finally answered as his mother held tears in her eyes.
"She's gone"
Thoughts raced in head as he remembered it all. The pain he felt, the anguish that never went away. The way the Heartfilia's hugged him and told him he would forever be in their prayers and thoughts as he slipped into unconsciousness. After his last year of high school he never went to college and got a job as a personal trainer at the gym. It didn't last long though as he became drunk, and addicted to pain medicine. He stopped therapy after he moved out of his parents' house and stopped taking his meds, which lead him to getting fired. The only reason he still had an apartment was because he was on government funding for his disabilities. It was not enough money to give him what he needed, so the money he got doing small jobs was wasted on alcohol. And he still was.
Natsu almost slammed into the wall as he became dizzy. The police had told him she was dead. DEAD!
Natsu: Who the fuck are you? Lucy is fucking dead!
He didn't wait to erase the number as he slammed his phone shut. Tears were pooling in the corner of his eyes. He couldn't take much more. He went straight back into his apartment and slammed the door shut, locking it. He took out a few pain pills and popped them in his mouth, before grabbing his last bottle of whiskey and gulping it down. Happy bumped his head against Natsu's leg in comfort. He didn't have the energy to pet the cat as his vision became hazy.
He passed out in seconds.
He heard slamming on his door as his eyes opened up. He felt nauseous, not wanting to get up.
"Natsu Dragneel I swear if you don't open the door now I'm calling the police" he heard his brother say through the door. Natsu groaned and went to go get it. He felt stickiness in his ear and from his nose, so he wiped it on his hoodie. He opened the door to see his livid brother on the other side.
"Zeref..." Natsu mumbled, blinking tiredly at the man. Zeref was dressed up for an occasion, but Natsu couldn't remember why. He didn't question why his brother was there, since Zeref sometimes came over to check on him. His brothers face dropped at the sight of Natsu. The heavy bags under his eyes, the boney structure, bloodshot eyes... and blood stains under his nose and from his ear.
"Did you get into another fight again?" Zeref queried. He was concerned. Natsu looked worse than he did two days ago. The man shook his head and pushed his brother out of the way to get into the hall. He slammed the door shut and started walking outside. He saw Mavis in the car, along with their eight year old son Laracade. Mavis looked over at him worriedly as Laracade slept in the back. Natsu hadn't realized the sun had gone down, and that it was utterly darker than shit outside. Natsu opened his phone.
11:58pm
He had missed dinner with the family. He looked at Zeref with an apologetic look.
"Sorry, I lost track of time. Somebody sent a text and it bugged me" Natsu uttered as his brother stayed silent.
"You could have at least called to tell mom and dad you weren't coming. Mom cried throughout dinner" Zeref replied with edge in his voice. Natsu looked away, ashamed of himself. He never wanted to hurt him parents. His head was burning again, and he was beginning to fall over. Zeref caught him and locked Natsu's door before helping him to the car.
"I'm taking you to mom and dads" he said shortly, getting into the driver's seat. Natsu was in the back next to his sleeping nephew. Zeref begun calling up their dad as Mavis looked in back of her to see Natsu staring at his hands. You could see the bullet scar on his forehead that entered his brain. He was so lucky to have survived. It was a miracle, and she and the rest of their family would always be thankful. She turned back to the front as she heard Zeref finishing his call.
"Yeah dad, no I don't think so. Tell mom to set up the extra bedroom. I don't think he'll be able to go home tonight. Love you. Bye" Zeref said as he hung up. He looked at Mavis and then pulled out of the parking lot. They drove about a mile before Natsu's phone started buzzing, and his ringtone began.
Chirping was heard throughout the car as the phone went off. Natsu did nothing to stop it.
"Natsu, how about you answer it. It might be one of your friends" Mavis said casually, smiling warmly at him. His frown grew deeper as he hit the end call button. Boy, did he look awful.
Natsu was trying hard not to be anxious. He needed some whiskey, and he needed it BAD. He knew his brother didn't drink, so he wouldn't have any leftover beers in the back. He would have to wait till he got to his parents' house. They always had vodka.
He felt the need grow, and all he could think about was the burning liquid. He felt odd. Usually the urge wasn't that strong. He never saw himself as a drunk. He was a... social drinker, but not an alcoholic. The denial was eating him alive, but he didn't want to admit to himself the problem. He'd die drinking.
They pulled up to the Dragneel residence, Wendy already rushing out the door with Igneel. Igneel helped Natsu out of the car while Wendy took Laracade and put him in one of the guest bedrooms, which used to be Zeref's room. Mavis followed her as Zeref grabbed Natsu's side for him to lean on. The two men carried the 120 lb. man into the house and placed him on the couch. He was knocked out the minute his head hit the pillow. Natsu's phone started buzzing again, and Zeref grabbed it and picked it up. As much as he knew he shouldn't go through his brother's phone he had too. It was an unknown number, so Zeref answered.
"Natsu? Natsu I'm sorry if I did anything to upset you, but I need your help. Please, I'm begging of you! Do you still live with your parents? I'll come over and-"
"Um ms. whom might this be?"
"Oh.. oh god. Did I get the wrong number? This is Natsu Dragneel's phone right?"
"Yes, it is. This is his older brother Zeref. Can I ask again who this might be?"
"Zeref? Oh thank god! Yes, my name is- Ahhhh! Bumf! Who the fuck are you talking to?! Nobody... oh god why are you here? SHUT UP! Boomf! AHHH!" The line went dead after that, giving Zeref chills. Who was she, and why did she want to his brother? Why did she sound familiar? He could only imagine what was happening.
"Zeref, who was that?" Grandeeny asked. She had horror on her face. Zeref hadn't realized the call was on speaker. Natsu's eyes where opened, a distant look on his face.
"Natsu do you know who was calling?" Zeref inquired. Natsu shook his head slowly.
"Zeref, I'm going to call the police. They'll track the phone to the caller" Igneel said as he dialed up on the home phone. Natsu's eyes where shutting again, and unconsciousness took over.
It was days since that call was sent out, and the phone was tracked to a burner. The police could do nothing but question Natsu, but he was too out of it to b cooperative. He was back at home, drinking away the pain. They had left him alone to wallow. Despite his best efforts he was becoming sick. It wasn't fair.
Then again, when was life ever fair?
He decided to go out that morning. Take a walk. It would give him some fresh air. He walked down the boulevard, and past the gas station. There was a park... nearby. At least he thought. He was walking there when he heard a familiar voice coming from inside the gas station. A car was parked right outside and he could see inside a sleeping baby. It looked like a little girl, but he wasn't sure as the baby was wearing only a diaper. There was nothing else in the car. He kept looking at the baby until he heard the gas station employee lead her out. He looked up and his breath hitched in his throat. Blonde hair was dirty and choppy, but it was in a messy braid. Her brown eyes had bags under then, and her pale cheek was bruised. Her body was thin, oh so thin, and was covered with a thin dress. It was winter; to wear that in this part of the country could mean hypo thermia. He almost choked as her eyes landed on his. They were pricked with tears.
"Natsu!" she cried as she ran over to him and hugged him. He wanted to push her off, and pinch himself awake. This was his worst nightmare, and his best dream.
"L-lucy" he mumbled and wrapped his arms around her. For one minute, he'd believe this is real. All those years of grief would be nothing. He had her in his arms. That's all that mattered in that moment. They stood like that for minutes until a car honked loudly at them, and she tore away from him and pulled him out of the street. Her hand was on his cheek, rubbing the once tanned skin with the pad of her thumb.
"I'm so sorry Natsu. He got me, and this other girl. He set her on fire and pushed the car into the river after she pissed on his cars floor. I-I was kept and he forced me to marry him. I ran away. I'm here now, I was looking for you" she whispered gently, smiling through her tears. She waited for him to respond, only left with nothing. Her smile faltered. Finally he had the courage to speak up.
"You-you're alive"