Chapter 1
Was inspired after reading Sabertooth Girl by halfmoon101.
...and a bunch of other fics with similar plots. :)
"I'm sorry."
It was the most quiet whisper she could muster, considering the situation, and considering the fact that any second now, she'd burst out bawling if she didn't leave soon. Her voice was thick, her eyes filled to the brim with tears threatening to spill.
I don't want to leave him.
She allowed an almost silent, choked sob out, and her hands flew immediately to her mouth.
The boy stirred, but didn't wake.
You don't have a choice. Unless you want to stay and have your heart brutally ripped to pieces.
She hesitated, then agreed. It was for the best...
She leaned down, and pressed her lips to his cheek in a kiss. As she lifted her head, a single tear fell, wetting the very spot her lips had been seconds before.
His eyes started to blink, and his hand came up, feeling his wet cheek.
His half-asleep remark came as he attempted to sit himself upright.
"Unn...ugh...Lucy? 'Zat you?"
She almost wanted to giggle. His pronunciation of her name sounded like Rusheeh and he slurred the whole sentence together.
Then, panic hit her.
He couldn't find her now. It would defeat the whole purpose of leaving. If he found out about her plan, he'd never let her go. He'd look at her with those big, not-always-so-innocent, puppy dog eyes, and beg her not to leave, because she was his precious partner...
His partner.
That's all she'd ever be. His partner. His best friend. Never more.
That other spot was already taken.
The voice in her head was urgent.
Leave, you idiot...
She hesitated, trying to relish in her last moment with him...
Now!
She flinched. He was starting to come out of his daze.
It's now or never, Lucy.
...it's your choice.
Her movements were slow and robotic, her face expressionless, but even so, she moved quickly, and was out the window in an instant, for fear that using the door would make too much noise.
...Goodbye, Natsu.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
And when he came to, the room was empty, save for Happy, snuggled in close next to him.
Lucy's room was empty.
It was deafeningly silent.
Lucy?
Her scent was still there, but he couldn't feel her presence.
"...Lucy?"
His voice was hoarse, he could barely recognize it.
No answer came.
A wave of fear came over him, but he brushed it off.
It was just paranoia, right?
She...she probably just left to get something...
He glanced at the worn out pink clock on the shelf across the room.
3:00 AM.
...at 3 AM in the morning...
...
He turned back and shoved his face back into the pink bedsheets.
It's paranoia, it's paranoia, it's paranoia, it's paranoia, it's paranoia...
I'm just being paranoid.
...
The nagging feeling of worry just wouldn't leave him alone.
With a huff, he sat himself back up, swung his legs over the bed frame, stood up, and proceeded to look for Lucy.
He looked everywhere.
The guild, the convenience store (Open 24/7) a few blocks away, everyone else's houses, his house, the library (which was, surprisingly, open), the hospital, literally everywhere.
Master was going to get so many complaints tomorrow... Natsu almost felt guilty.
Now...now is not the time to worry about that. Lucy is the first priority.
But where else could he look?
He went back to Lucy's and looked in the shower. (To no avail.)
Under the bed.
In the closet.
In her underwear drawer.
Behind the bookshelves.
Everywhere.
As he lifted the drawer, and to his disappointment, found no Lucy hiding under it, he sighed.
5:39 AM.
He walked dejectedly, with big, heavy steps, and as he sank into the beanbag chair, he let out a depressed and worried and very un-Natsu-like sigh.
He couldn't believe it.
Lucy was nowhere to be found.
I try writing something serious for once, and it turns out funny (ish) anyway.
...
Oh well. This is the most angst I'm ever going to write. I tried. :)
R&R! :)