title: Choice
summary: So I guess this is goodbye, Luce. –Natsu/Lucy
prompt: "What are you so desperate for?"
pairing(s): Lucy/Natsu
dedication: To Dennis. Thank you for being a great friend. :)

a/n: These prompts are supposed to be for the SasuSaku Month of 2011. Buuut I want to write some Fairy Tail fanfic. (Hope they don't mind…) So.
This will be an anthology sort of thing, though the pairings will vary. Updates will probably be infrequent too.
Warning: Possible OOCness ahead.

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Natsu appeared in her room. Again.

"Lucy, I—"

"Get out." She stomped past him. "Get out of my room."

"Luce—"

"GET OUT!" she shouted. Tears streamed down her face, but she ignored them. "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE EVER AGAIN!"

Lucy threw something—some kind of jewelry box—in Natsu's direction. He didn't dodge.

"Listen to me, Lucy."

His eyes didn't meet hers.

Lucy's fingers clutched onto her bed's blankets, her breath coming out quick and heavy from her outburst.

When she spoke again, she was looking at anywhere except for him.

"Where's Happy?"

"He's not coming," Natsu said quickly. "He has Charle. He needs to stay here. He—"

"Doesn't know," Lucy spat out. The urge to throw something returned. "Neither does Gray or Erza. Neither does Master Makarov or Lisanna or Wendy or Gajeel or anyone else at the guild. Why," she covered her face to hide her tears from Natsu, "why did you only tell me? Why do you have to go? What can you possibly be so desperate for that you choose to leave Fairy Tail?"

A pair of arms wrapped around her. Lucy gasped at the sudden warmth and tried to squirm out of Natsu's grasp.

"Stop, Natsu! I told you to get the hell away—"

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm sorry."

He kissed her.

And a second later, he vanished.

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Number one: You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live.

Number two: You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain.

Number three: Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might, you must never consider your own life to be something insignificant , and you must never forget about your friends who loved you.

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On the top of the hill, the traveler glanced back at Magnolia, bag slung over his shoulder.

Seven years ago, he had arrived at this town and found a new family in Fairy Tail. Now, seven years later, he was leaving this town to search for the family he'd once had.

He couldn't tell Wendy or Gajeel because the Dragon Captor would kill Igneel on first sight.

He couldn't tell Erza or Gildarts or Makarov because they would insist on him staying.

He couldn't tell Gray because he would try to fight him before letting him go.

But he told Lucy, because he could never hide anything from her.

And at least, if he died on this quest of his, her voice would be the very last thing in his mind.

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fin