Natsu watched pathetically as the door closed on the two mages who were more than oblivious to his presence. Granted he was discreetly perched on a nearby tree but the vacant looks of adoration would have ensured that even a volcanic eruption would have gone by unnoticed. Juvia had cornered him at the guild but after a restless week of not being able to find a suitable job, Natsu had stormed out in an irritable and foul mood. When the cold had descended a short while later he knew that he had to seek shelter from the inevitable downpour and settled on the large yellowwood tree a few meters from Lisanna's house.
As children both he and Lisanna had climbed the tree so many times before that it had been the most natural thing for him to mount himself on a sturdy branch. Since most of the tumultuous weather had stopped Natsu was assured that Juvia had calmed down by now. He contemplated going back to the guild and just as he was making his way down from the tree, something engraved caught his eye. Stepping closer towards the trunk, Natsu held out his hand to steady himself. His rough fingers followed the outline of a skew heart, one that he had drawn many years ago. He peered more closely at the heart, searching for the names that Lisanna had scrawled inside the heart. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he squinted at the tree the only thing that he could find was an empty heart without either of their names. Perhaps after all this time they had managed to fade into a bleak nothingness.
He walked somberly away from Lisanna and her blue shuttered house. Although he had never made a striking declaration of his affection for her, he had always been under the impression that their enchanted past secured their future together. Their future together. For the first time, Natsu stopped to think about what that actually entailed. Having been childhood sweethearts, Natsu obviously thought very fondly of Lisanna but in all honesty, the more Natsu thought about it the more he realized that as an adolescent he had never really explored any possible romantic inclinations towards Lisanna. Igneel had explained to him the need to find a suitable mate but up until this point it had never been something that he had seriously contemplated. Natsu stumbled uncertainly back into the guild where, failing to take note of the location or even the reward available, he grabbed the first job offer from the notice board that came within his reach. A stunned Juvia watched despondently from the crowded bar and as Natsu rushed out of the guild for the second time that day, a large thunderous roar escaped from the heavens above.
A/N: I didn't really plan on continuing with this but something seems to be coming out of it. Besides I love Natsu way too much to just leave things as they were. Any thoughts on this? xXx