Prologue
Natsu leaned in towards Lucy, slowly kissing her. He didn't noticed her shocked face, just that she kissed him back after a brief moment. He smiled, then pulled back. "Maybe…" He looked her in the eyes, both of their cheeks flushed. "Maybe I do like you."
Natsu rolled over, opening his eyes. His mind flowed with memories of her, haunting his dreams. Of course, lying in her bed didn't help. He looked around the room from where he lay. Her desk contained her novel, unfinished. Her fleuve d'etoile lay next to the book, where he had placed it when he had arrived at her apartment.
"Lucy!" Natsu raced towards the collapsing mountain. Loke stopped him before he could go any further. "Let me go Loke! I have to go save Lucy! Lucy!"
Loke restrained him, constantly looking down, away from him. "I can't let you. That was her last request."
Natsu stopped fighting. He watched the mountain crumble, feeling completely empty inside by Loke's words He stared with misbelief that Lucy would do such a thing.
"But she would do something like that…." Natus muttered to himself, rolling over. He faced the window, noticing Happy sleeping between him and the wall. The bed still contained her scent, a mixture of vanilla from her fabric softener with her natural scent. He sighed softly. He hadn't wanted to leave her bed since he returned.
"I'd like to pay off Lucy's apartment."
"It's not for purchase."
"Please, just let me pay enough to cover her rent until she comes back."
"If you have enough rent to cover one year, I'll let you keep it for two. I'm feeling generous today."
All that money, just to keep her apartment. He had gone to his place only once over the last three weeks. Instead of staying at home, he kept her place up thinking she'd come back.
Happy had managed to get him to come to the guild hall once a week. Each time, Lisanna would come over and sit by him, hoping to cheer him up. He didn't want to be cheered up by her. He wanted Lucy to appear, but he would sit with Lisanna putting on an act until he could take it no longer. Then, Gray would yell at him for hurting Lisanna's feelings and they would get into a fist fight. Erza would break up the fight, but she had lost her hunger for her strawberry cake.
Lucy beamed at Natsu, her smile providing light to the entire guildhall. "Natsu!"
Natsu rolled over. He looked at her bookshelf, a picture of them, with Happy, in front of the guild. Tears began to stream from his eyes. He attempted to blink them away, but more fell. "Lucy…" He rolled over onto his back and put his arm over his eyes. "...come back to me…"
