It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. After spending two years with this girl, and knowing her as well as he did, Natsu knew Lucy was mad. Especially since this happened frequently, but never more than a day, two days, tops.

"Ok, what's bugging you?" The Salamander finally spoke as the pair entered their hotel room

"Nothing." came Lucy's curt response "I need a bath." She huffed, aggravated. How dare he just ask that? It should be obvious! She had been abandoned by everyone and it was all his fault! He didn't discuss leaving with anyone! And he thinks just popping up out of the blue and throwing her life in havoc would heal that? Yeah, she missed it, sure, but she needed some time. Just some time.

He was just too damn selfish.

Her restful slumber was ruined as she heard her partners bed jolt, and hit the wall, snapping her awake. She was facing the opposite direction so she figured he was just restless tonight, but when she turned was she saw was even more unsettling.

Natsu was sat bolt-upright, panting hard, beads of sweat rolling down his shirtless figure. Lucy thought of speaking up, but kept quiet as he took a few deep breaths and threw the blankets off him, his poor cat companion falling to the floor in a bundle of sheets.

In three long strides he was at the window and pushed it open, sighing in relief as the crisp night air cooled his overheating skin. He slowly leaned onto the window sill. It had been happening non-stop ever since the fight with Tartarus one year ago... After Zeref kept talking to him... Igneel's death...

you will meet an even worse despair than this.

A worse despair than that? What could there possibly be? and why HIM?

"Had the nightmare again...?" Happy's voice came softly, hopping up beside the dragon slayer

"Yeah..." He said, looking up at the stars, always reminded of Lucy when her saw them. Even when he had left. She was precious to him after all... "Life must hate me" He laughed bitterly "seeing people I love die right in front of my eyes... being helpless to stop it..."

"It's not your fault... I know you try your best!" Happy encouraged

Natsu huffed, resting his cheek in his palm "Thanks buddy... Maaan, Gajeel and Wendy and them got off easy, having their parents disappear peacefully into the sky... and NOT being threatened with despair is nice too"

Happy put a small blue paw on Natsu's shoulder, to show him he was there

"I don't want Lucy to die again..." he muttered softly "I'm gonna punch out Gray and Erza when I see em too! I left Lucy to Fairy Tail and they left her all alone!"

"Aye! Good thing we found her again~"

"mm~"

but not softly enough so Lucy didn't hear. Lucy rolled over again, blinking back tears. She was such an idiot. She blamed her being alone on him, when he just wanted to leave her in the care of the guild until he returned. And everyone had suffered, not just her, and from the sounds of it, especially Natsu. A year later and he was still restless about Zeref, and she didn't even know about him promising Natsu despair! She knew she'd be mentally scarred for awhile, and from the looks of it, he was also dealing with another unmentionable problem too, which seemed to frighten him quite a bit...

He was never selfish, he was always kind, and put others first

It was her with the closed heart. And she swore she'd make it up to him.