"Cheers to another job well done!" Natsu announces, pumping a mug of beer into the air, followed by the rest of the team. The group have returned from their second successful mission of the week and they were very joyous to say the least.

"I'm so glad I don't have to worry about this months rent now." Lucy says with a smile.

Natsu drapes an arm around Lucy's delicate shoulders. "All thanks to me, right?"

A blush forms on Lucy's cheeks. She doesn't have time to answer as the conversation topic is changed. Erza talks about how she's impressed with everyone's improvements. Natsu's arms remains around Lucy's shoulder for quite a while. It isn't until Lucy excuses herself to the washroom that he finally releases her from his hold.

He had touched her. For a while. Why though? Is he leading her on? His actions don't make sense, but even so, Lucy's heart is racing and she's happy for a moment. Until she realizes that it means nothing and that even if it did, Natsu could only mean his actions in a friendly way. Friend. That's all she'll ever be to him.

Lucy takes stiff steps to the washroom. She enters a stall and locks it behind her immediately. She pulls out a blade she keeps in her boot and runs the familiar motion over her arm. She places her arm over the toilet to allow the blood to fall into the toilet and not make a mess. The dark richness of the blood seeps from her arms.

Lucy takes deeps breaths. She couldn't wait until she had gotten home, she had to do it in that instant. The need had grown inside of her so much that she nearly took out the blade in the middle of the mission. Maybe she should stop going on missions all together. Maybe she should stop living all together.

After a while Lucy grabs a bunch of toilet paper and presses hard on her cuts to force it to stop bleeding. She throws the dirty toilet paper into the toilet and replaces them with clean ones. She rolls down her sleeve over the toilet paper and flushes the toilet before heading out of the washroom.

"Lucy? What took so long?" Natsu questions. He had been waiting just outside the bathroom doors the moment Lucy had left. Lucy gasps at the sight of Natsu.

"Natsu! Don't invade a women's privacy!" Lucy scolds.

Natsu's eyebrows furrow as he changes the subject. "You wanna grab something to eat?"

"No, I think I'd rather head home. I'm tired and I need some rest." Lucy lies. The word food scares her. Just the thought of it makes her feel fat. A sudden urge to look at thinspo rushes through her. She needs to leave. Now. "Well, see you tomorrow Natsu!"

Lucy waves and dashes out the guild before Natsu could get in another word. Natsu watches the blonde girl leave and can't help but be filled with disappointment. Suddenly someone taps his shoulder. Natsu turns around to find Lisanna with her hands behind her back and bright smile across her face. "Do you want to grab something to eat with me?"

Natsu shrugs but doesn't feel any less disappointed. "Sure thing Lisanna."

Lucy overhears the words exchange just as she leaves the building. Tears fill her eyes. Of course Natsu would want to eat with Lisanna. She's so much prettier and kinder and skinnier and perfect. Way better than Lucy. Lucy sobs as she walks home, ready to take the blade her her skin again when she reaches home.

The two childhood friends head off to the bar section. Natsu doesn't speak, just makes grunts to answer Lisanna's questions. He sits around and mopes. He doesn't even eat. Lisanna sighs and pats him on the shoulder.

"Natsu, what's the matter?" Lisanna asks kindly, in her friendly way.

Natsu's head picks up for a moment to only drop the next. "It's Lucy. Lately I haven't gotten to talk to her just the two of us. She always declines my offers. I don't know why, it's always a different excuse. I'm beginning to think she hates me."

"She could never hate you Natsu." Lisanna says and lets out a little giggle. "In fact, I believe she may have other feelings for you. Certain feelings you don't have for just anyone."

Natsu rolls his eyes. "Oh please, Lucy is not interested in me that way. It's nice of you to say and try to make me feel better but it's not true."

"Hey, Natsu, take this from a third person's perspective. The whole guild can see how much you like her. Well, everyone except Lucy of course. And honestly, she's in love with you just as much." Lisanna says.

Natsu laughs. "Okay, stop. She doesn't have those types of feelings for me."

"But you do to her, right?"

Natsu doesn't respond. Instead he pushes back his chair and decides to pay Lucy a visit. Sitting around being upset and taking to Lisanna about nonsense is not going to make him feel any better. The only he wants to do is visit Lucy. She always made him feel better. About anything.

Lucy stares at the wide gash she made about an hour ago. After looking at a few new pictures on instagram, she decided to slash her wrists more. As she does, she stares at all her hideous scars. Oh how much she hates herself. She uses this hatred to run the blade over her wrist, over and over again.

When she feels as if she's had enough, she lays back against the bathroom wall and stares at the ceiling. Tears stream down her face as she feels broken inside. If only someone actually cared. If only someone was actually there for her. If only-

"L-Lucy?" Natsu asks. Lucy whips her head towards the door. Natsu stands in the doorway, one hand on the bathroom door.

A/N: Sorry guys, I probably wrote this at a bad time because I'm in the middle of writing another story which I am more devoted to, as you can tell by the lengths of these chapters compared to those of my other story. I promise I'll try my best but this is not my first priority. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it and sending it love. I appreciate it and I hope I won't let you down. I truly am sorry at the short lengths of the chapters.