Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

Happy Belated Birthday to my ex-waifu, Rory (makepretendprincess)! Even tho you couldn't handle my harem, you will always hold a special place inside my heart as first waifu :'D

But in all seriousness, I feel so blessed to have met you and that we have become such great friends. Thank you for always being there for me *hugs*

XOXOX

It was just a mundane Saturday evening at Lucy's to her chagrin. Or normally to her chagrin if this were a normal Saturday, but in actuality, it was her last Saturday. The last Saturday she would get to spend with her friends and they had no idea.

And it was as typical as ever and Lucy loved every minute of it.

Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel fought each other like cats and dogs, while Juvia watched Gray from afar. Erza munched happily on a slice of strawberry cake from her supply that she kept in Lucy's fridge. Levy was busy reading Lucy's latest chapter of her short story. Cana was busy chugging down big gulps of beer.

Just a normal night…Yeah right. Normally, Lucy would have been scolding the boys for being so rowdy. Normally, she would have yelled at everyone to go home and to stop breaking into her house every weekend.

But today, she let them all do as they pleased as she leaned against her cool living room wall, hugging her arms to her chest. She just didn't have it in her to yell at them one last time.

"Oii, Lucyy." Natsu poked her cheek, earning himself a weak scowl from her. "Why are you bein' so quiet? Did ya eat somethin' bad?" His cheeky grin made her physically hurt. It was like someone socked her in the stomach and all she wanted to do was hurl over a bit.

She chuckled sadly to herself. She was sure going to miss this.

"Yeah, what Flame Brain said," Gray commented, thrusting his thumb to point at Natsu. "Usually you would be screamin' at us for breakin' in to your house."

"Juvia agrees with Gray-sama!" Juvia gleefully chimed in.

"No I didn't eat anything bad." She lightly touched her stomach, looking down at it. "Actually, I don't think I ate at all today." Or all week, she silently added. How could she possibly eat with all the mental turmoil she was in?

It was almost like she was drowning. Feeling this burning pressure tumble over her like an ocean wave, making her desperate for air.

"Then maybe that's it!" Natsu exclaimed. His face lighting up so brightly and innocently, it was like another wave crashing into her. "You're probably just hungry. I know when I'm hungry I get all quiet and depressed as well."

"Really?" Gray scoffed, elbowing Natsu in the ribs. "Because I thought you just get extra annoying when you're hungry—oh wait, you're just extra annoying no matter what."

"Oii, what'd you say, Ice Trash?"

"I think you heard me, Ass Flame!"

She was really going to miss this.

Lucy dropped her head and clenched her fists, urging back the tears that threatened to spill. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry. "That's not it either."

"Then what is it, Lu-chan?" Levy coaxed, talking so gently that Lucy could really feel her heart chipping away. "You know you can tell us anything. We won't judge you or anything!"

"Well maybe a little." Cana snickered.

Lucy glanced back up and saw that all eyes were on her. She blushed, feeling a bit overwhelmed as she met all the curious eyes of her friends, darting from Cana's mischievous purple eyes to Levy's compassionate brown eyes, over to Natsu's warm black eyes. She had to tell them. It wasn't like she had a choice in the matter…But, God, did it feel like she ripping a part of her soul. She didn't want to say it.

She couldn't.

Saying it out loud would make it true.

"But if I don't say it out loud it will still be true..." she muttered wistfully.

"Errr, Lucy?" Natsu grimaced. "What are you talking about?"

She took a deep breath, it was either now or never. "My dad—he uhh got this new job that's supposed to pay really well."

"So the Heartfilia's are going to gain back their lost fortune?" Erza asked quizzically.

"Looks that way," Lucy said with a small grin.

"Well that's great, Lucy," Natsu said, tossing his slim, muscular arm over her shoulder, making her heart race a bit. "You scared me for a sec with that ugly face you were makin'."

"What ugly face?!" She fumed, suddenly forgetting the direness of this talk.

"I take that back," Natsu said. "Now this face is really ugly. OOWWW!"

"YOU JERK!"

"So why did you look so down before if you're gonna be rich again?" Gray inquired, interrupting Lucy's futile attempts to strangle Natsu.

She froze, reality hitting her like ton of bricks. Oh right. "The new job is located all the way up in Northern Continent."

"Isn't that like the complete other side of the continent? How is that going to work out?" Gajeel asked with his pierced eyebrows furrowing together.

"I'm moving," Lucy said, deliberately ducking her head, feeling as fragile as the glass vase that sat on display outside her father's office.

There was this strange awkward silence as Lucy nervously shifted on the balls of feet and tied her hands behind her back. Her ears burned from the deafening silence. Why aren't they saying anything? She risked a small peek at her friends.

They were all glancing at one another with looks of unease before, all at once, they broke out laughing. Lucy's blonde brows knitted closely together in confusion over the happy faces.

"That was such a bad joke, Lucy." Natsu cackled, doubling over.

"Jeez, you almost had me going there for a sec," Gray said, racking his hand through his raven-black hair.

"Juvia was so scared," Juvia said, placing a hand over her heart.

"Lucy," Erza said, pursing her lips, "you shouldn't make such grave jokes."

"Yeah," Cana chimed in, nodding in agreement. Shaking her beer glass, she added, "I almost spilt the rest of my beer because of that!" Meanwhile, some of the beer slouched all over Lucy's wooden floors.

They thought I was kidding? Her heart felt like it was going to crumble to dust. Wasn't the pressure supposed to lighten now that she had come clean? Instead, it felt like she was getting sucked into this whirlpool in the ocean.

Admitting that she was moving the first time was painful enough. But she couldn't say it again. She just couldn't.

"I'm sorry," she buried her face into her palms with her tears slipping through the cracks between her fingers that matched the crack in her voice and the crack in her heart. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Oh my god…" Levy gasped.

"S-She's serious?" Cana stammered.

"B-But Northern Continent is so far! Love Rival needs to stay here and compete with Juvia for Gray-sama!"

"When will you be moving?" Gray asked.

"Friday."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Erza asked, looking furious.

"It wasn't definite that he would be getting the job and I didn't want to worry you guys for no reason…"

She gave a teary glance over to Natsu, realizing he was the only one who hasn't said anything yet, His arms were crossed and his face was hooded. Was he angry at her? Well she couldn't blame him. If he had pulled a stunt like this, she'd be pretty upset with him as well. She felt her lip start to quiver. I'm terrible.

"Yeah, well now we are all worried!" Surprisingly, it was Gajeel who said those harsh, yet endearing words.

And Lucy's knees began to buckle. She hated this sensation so much. That emotional pain and agony where you can't even stand and the tears take total control of the body.

It just wasn't fair. She had only lived here for 2 years. It was too soon for her to say goodbye. Hell, she never wanted to say goodbye. She wanted to be with her friends forever.

Saying goodbye would mean no one would be breaking into her house again. No more Natsu sneaking into her bedroom on week nights. No more Natsu raiding her kitchen for food.

Saying goodbye would mean she would be all alone again.

Why wasn't Natsu saying anything?

She was going to make him say something, that was for sure.

"N-Natsu," Lucy said gaining control of her tears as she turned to face him just in time to see him gulp. "Northern Continent isn't that far, is it?"

"Errr…"

"You'll still visit me and-and break into my bedroom and make a mess I'll still yell at you to get out, right?"

Natsu's face slowly faltered, looking at Lucy like she were some kind of person lying on her death bed, who was in denial about her terminal illness.

"Right?"she said with a desperate oomph, her eyes were wide and frantic. Though her version was blurry, she could make out Natsu's sad features.

So he wasn't angry after.

He was sad.

Just like her

"I—" her voice cracked and she almost fell to the floor as painful sobs wreaked havoc through her body like the winds of a hurricane—but Natsu caught her in time, pulling her against his chest.

She rested her forehead against soft fabric of his scarf drenching it with her salty tears and snotty nose.

Natsu pulled her back for a moment and smiled gently, "'Course I'll break in. Your bed is too comfy whether it's here or all the way on the other side of the world! And pshh, Northern Continent isn't far at all. You'll be seein' a lot of me, that's a promise."

"N-Natsu," she cried, feeling this sudden warmth spread through her body. His words touched her—touched her soul. He tenderly pulled her back against his chest, as he absently stroked the back of her head, allowing her to breathe in his heated scent of sweat and spice.

"You're such a liar." Her voice sounded muffled against his scarf, but she allowed his comfort, wrapping her arms back around him.

"Oii, even if I'm not physically with you, that weird warmth you left inside my heart will always linger," he whispered suddenly.

And Lucy's breath caught. So instead, she chose to melt into his hug and allow her heart to race like crazy without any complaints.

It suddenly struck Lucy as odd. They were hugging. She couldn't recall a single moment where they had hugged in the past two years that they have known each other—besides Lucy restraining him from a fight or Natsu holding her captive to throw her into the pool.

But never a real hug.

Lucy knew she would cherish this moment for as long as she lived.

And it didn't go unnoticed with Lucy that Natsu never denied her lair accusation, but she didn't exactly care either because the fire of Natsu will always linger inside her heart.

XOXOX

-dies- not sure exactly how this turned out ahh but thank you all so much for reading :000

Have a lovely day!