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Reality Vs Fiction

Chapter – 12

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August 20th, 2003

The first time he ever saw her cry was when they meet for the second time. It wasn't in the city of Hargeon, but in Veronica; his hometown.

It took him by a complete surprise.

The day didn't started off any differently. It was like any other day. Summer vacation had just ended and it was the first day of school. Like always, not everyone was exactly esthetic about it.

Somewhere around 7:00 am, Dragneel household.

The atmosphere was hectic from the crack of dawn. There was a screaming child making excuses for not wanting to go to school, the same routine as every year.

"But mom I don't wanna!"

"Zeref," Anna sighed, shaking her head, "I don't care. Just get ready."

The fifteen year old huffed before making his way out of the kitchen.

Aries ran passed Anna, almost knocking her off balance. Anna quickly grabbed one of the chairs to keep her balance on, as she watched the girl disappear into another room, Igneel hot on her trail.

She sighed as she looked over to her second child who was sitting at the dining table, reading a book. She smiled, working on the pancake batter like before.

Placing the last plate in the table, Anna sat in one of the chairs. It was only eight in the morning, but it felt like the middle of the day. She was sweating, her soft pink curls clung to her forehead as she tried to catch her breath. She blamed the summer heat for her struggle.

Natsu put his book down. He looked at his mother. "You okay, mom?" he asked in a quiet voice not wanting to disturbed her.

Anna looked over at him as if noticing him for the first time. Slowly the realization drawn to her features. She smiled, slumping in the chair a little more. "Hmm" she hummed softly.

Aries ran back into the room, squalling as Igneel ran behind her. After thirty minutes he had only managed to tie one side of her hair in pigtails. Anna laughed as she caught the giggling girl by the shoulder. She gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead, before scooping her up in her arms. "Oh! Someone is getting heavy!" She exclaimed laughing.

Natsu, for some reason, noticed the difference in his mother's behavior. It wasn't the first time he had seen her look so exhausted before the day had begun; and he knew it won't be the last. But for some reason it bothered him. It was happening more and more often as of the late too. There were nights when she didn't eat, sometimes in the morning she would feel so exhausted that she wouldn't even try to get up. And just yesterday, Anna quit running altogether.

If it was someone else, Natsu wouldn't be surprised. He probably wouldn't even had noticed, but his mother was never a quitter and she loves to run. She had been running since she was in high school. Natsu even remembered her running when she was pregnant with Aries. So it bothered him when she said that she was too tired to run. Because Anna was one of those person who would sing the words, 'Run happy. Run grumpy. Run slow. Run a little. Run a lot.' if she could.

Igneel stood next to Natsu, a yellow ribbon in his hand.

"Dad," Natsu said looking at him. Igneel looked down. "Mom's tired again."

The lines in his father's face tightened, the man sighed, leaning against the chair. "So I ain't the only one." he mumbled to himself, rubbing his face. He looked back at Natsu, "I told her to go the doctor, but she won't listen. Don't worry kid," he ruffled Natsu's hair. Natsu shrieked, backing away from him. Igneel laughed as he continues, "nothing's wrong."

Being the age that he was, those two words were all Natsu needed to know.

When the children had finally left for the first day of school, both of the adults were dog-tired. Anna smiled from her place in a chair looking at her husband who could barely stand straight, "You look like hell." she mused with a teasing smile.

Igneel snorted, straightening his back. It made an audible pop. "But you still love me." He shot back.

Anna laughed, "Yeah," slowly nodding her head, "I do."

Off course they were both unaware of the twelve-year-old who had yet to leave the house. Natsu shuddered in disgust, slung his bag on his shoulder he gave a loud cough to making his presence known. Both of his parents turned to look at him in surprise.

They were positive all their children had left.

Natsu smirked, turning toward the door. "You guys should wait until everybody leaves." with that he slammed the door closed behind him as he left.

Anna and Igneel looked at each other for a brief moment in silence before breaking out in laughter.

"I love that kid." Anna said.

"Then let's go to the doctor. Natsu noticed it today too." Igneel said, his voice lacking the amusement.

"I'm perfectly fine, Igneel." Anna stood up only to fall back into the chair, her heart beating like a drum in her ears. She pushed her hair away from her eyes to look up at Igneel, who looked scared to death with hands shot up to catch her. She placed a hand of her own on it. Anna gulped. "But I think I should go anyway."

School was always Natsu's favorite time of the year. Even though Zeref despised it Natsu felt more at home surrounded by other kids. Here he can blend in.

"Yo, pinkee!"

Or he hoped.

Natsu groaned, ducking into the sea of middle schoolers. It was no use, off course, for Gray had already spotted him. It was hard not to with those pink locks beckoning him.

As Natsu pushed passed people to hide from his best friend, he barely had time to see who or what was ahead of him.

It was a game, they both had been playing since elementary. Whoever collects the most Popsicle sticks during the summer will be able to make the other his lackey for the next two weeks. Doing home works was also included.

Natsu hardly remembers how he agreed to that, considering the fact that he doesn't even likes popsicles to begin with. Gray had probably tricked him or blackmailed him. Both seemed likely because Natsu had yet to win the contest.

But this time he was prepared. He not only collected his, but every Popsicle stick in his house. This time he had almost 2,000 sticks with him. He only needs one more make it to the 2,000.

Round figures are important.

The pinkett dodged and hurriedly tried to reach the cafeteria for that precious last stick.

He didn't see the blonde standing a few feet in front of him until he had already shoved into her, making them both fall to the ground.

The juice container in her hand flew in the air before the liquid hit Natsu's white t-shirt. It was a spider man t-shirt with the autograph of the actor. Natsu wanted to show it to everyone. Also brag about it.

But this however, wasn't part of his plan.

Natsu stared in horror as the strawberry juice soaked the white tee, turning it red.

"Got'ya!" Gray said with a grin, before noticing the incident. "Oh…" he took a step back.

Natsu inhaled deeply before looking up. He was angry, not at himself, but with Gray and the person he crashed into. He was disheartened. It took five hours waiting in line before he could finally get the sign. Five hours of standing in the heat with Zeref whining about the things he would rather do then standing there with him. Five hours with Zeref! That was torture enough.

When they did reach the podium and got the tee autographed, Natsu thought he deserved it. He deserved the bragging rights! Not for standing for five hours, but for enduring Zeref.

Obviously he didn't thought that the t-shirt will get ruin before he could even bloat it to Gray.

Slowly Natsu exhaled and with the sharpest glare he could muster, he looked at the person in front of him. Of course he didn't know it was her.

Funny. Because it always seemed to be her.

She was looking down at the pole of red juice, her shoulders slumped in shame. It didn't match with the impulsive, brave – slightly scary – girl he meet in Hargeon, who knocked out a guy twice her size.

"Um –?"

"Why did you do it?" She asked, her voice wobbly and cracking. She stood up.

Natsu looked at her in shock, unable to form a word. Her blond hair was in a messy ponytail. Her chocolate brown eyes red trimmed. Her dress was wrinkled.

She was a mess.

This girl in front of him was nowhere near the girl he met in Hargeon. No, this wasn't Lucy.

"Lucy? I–" Natsu also stoop up taking a step toward her, but she pushed him away. Natsu tumbled back a few. The tears in her eyes were spilling down her cheeks.

He didn't understand. Why she was crying over spilt juice? Why was she angry when it should be him who should had been angry? His autographed t-shirt got ruined. How will he get another tee like that? It was irreplaceable, but her drink was.

Again, he took a step toward her, this time slowly. Like the first time, she pushed him away. "All of you are the same. You don't care about me. You only care about yourself. You think that it's always my fault too, don't you?" Natsu wanted to tell her that it was her, but stopped himself. It didn't feel like the right thing to do. "Well screw you all! I hate you too!" She turned around, her blonde locks striking him in the face, and walked off.

Natsu, for the life of him, couldn't understand what just happened.

"What the hell just happened?" Gray muttered, voicing his thoughts.

Natsu shrugged, "I wish I knew."

An hour later, Gray stood next to Natsu as he got his books from his locker. Gray had Natsu's bag hanging around his shoulder. The raven haired boy was leaning against the wall, slightly sulking for losing. Natsu wasn't that happy either. He didn't understand why. For a long time Natsu wanted to win, and now that he finally did it felt somewhat…empty?

He was certain that some blonde girl had something to do with it.

He sighed. Natsu looked around the locker door to look at his friend. "I don't get it," Gray looked up at him, eyebrow raised. "Why was she mad at me? I didn't do anything!"

"Well, you are the one who bumped into her in the first place." Gray said, shrugging his shoulders. "You didn't even said sorry."

Natsu huffed out in anger. He slammed the locker door shut and walked away.

Gray smirked as he ran to catch up with Natsu, "Does it even matter? It's not like you care or anything. She isn't a book." With that being said, Gray walked into the classroom.

Natsu pondered about what Gray said. Then nodded to himself. She wasn't a book.

He didn't had to care about her, but later when he saw her in class, sitting in the desk at the back of the room, hunched over an open book, he knew that he did care. Even if it was little.

Natsu sighed before walking out of the class again. He went straight to the cafeteria and grabbed one of the strawberry juice bottles. He didn't know why he was doing it, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Natsu walked back into the room, passing his desk he went to hers. Gray gave him a funny look as he passed. He turned around in his desk and watched the pinkett walk away.

When he put the juice bottle in her desk, Lucy looked up at him in surprise. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Natsu felt pretty great about himself. He felt like one of those guys in books who always does the right thing, no matter the cost.

Suddenly she started to cry again.

"Why are you crying again?" He asked in a hushed voice, but it was futile as everyone in the class was looking at them, whispering with each other.

The girl sniffled, taking the bottle of pink juice in her hand. "I miss Erza." she mumbled.

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck looking down at her. He didn't know what to do. He had no idea who this Erza was or what it was. He scratched his head, before gently patting her in head.

Lucy looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed together. "What are you doing?"

Natsu dropped his hands to his side. He shrugged. Usually in the dramas his mother watches, guys always pats the girl in the head.

Lucy wiped her eyes, then looked back at him. Her expression changed as she got a good look at him. She blinked, "Pinky?"

Natsu cringed, looking around, hoping – and praying – that Gray hadn't heard it, but when he saw the smile on the raven haired boy's face he knew, he was done for it.

'Great.' he thought, rubbing his face with his left hand.

"Pinky is you?"

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu mumbled.

Lucy smiled, "At least I am not going to die alone then, huh?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "Probably not. Why are you here?" He asked sitting next to her.

Lucy huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. Natsu smiled. "My parents dragged me here. We are going to be living here now!" she said sarcastically.

"And you don't want to?"

"I–" she sighed. "I don't know. All of my friends are in Hargeon. I don't know anyone here."

"You know me." Natsu said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The girl laughed, leaning back in her chair. "I didn't know that at first, did I? Now I am not so sad anymore. Why did you bring me this juice?" she asked jiggling the bottle in front of him.

Natsu shrugged. "You seemed pretty upset when you dropped yours this morning. So I thought it might cheer you up if I brought you a new one."

Lucy moved forward, pinching Natsu's cheeks. "Aren't you thoughtful?" She said laughing. Natsu rubbed his red cheeks. From the corner of his eye, he saw the way Gray was listening to this. He turned his attention back to the girl. Lucy continued, "I spilled my drink on someone. I should say sorry to them right?" She looked up at him.

Natsu shrugged. "Even though you ruined my autographed t-shirt. I forgive you." He said nonchalantly.

Lucy suddenly stood up, knocking over the chair behind her. "It was you?" she asked in a dire expression.

The pinkett looked around him. Every eye in the room was on them. "Sit down Lucy." he said, motioning her to sit, but she didn't.

"It was you." she said again, this time her voice gentle, expression deadpan. "It was you. It was always you."

"What are you–" Natsu didn't get to finish when she started to laugh again.

"How was it?"

"Um?" he wasn't sure if he should answer or not.

"I am going to be an actress. And when I do become one, I will get you another one." She winked at him, "So don't worry."

For some reason Natsu smiled. Rolling his eyes, he nods. "Deal?" he asked as he took out his hand.

"Deal." she answered. She took his hand and shook it, locking in the deal.

March 17th, 2016

"Lucy, I–" Natsu didn't get to finish cause the blonde cut him off.

"Don't even think about it." every word came out was slow, the venom behind them clear as day.

He stopped in his tracks, slowly taking a step back to give her some space. He didn't even try to walk toward her anymore, didn't look at her. Because he knew if he does, then he won't be able to control himself anymore.

She was on the verge of crying. He knew that. He remembers how her voice trembles when she was about to cry. How her body shakes, how slowly without even knowing she wraps her arms around herself in a hug.

Natsu had only seen Lucy cry twice in his life. Once when he meet her in the school for the second time. And the second…

"Why did you do it?" she asked. Natsu looked up at her, before looking back at the ground.

Funny how history repeats itself. It was the same question she asked him then. And it was the same question she was asking him now.

But wasn't he waiting for this question? For her to finally ask him about it. He had written out what he should say to her, how he should say it, everything. But now when it was really happening, he had this sudden urge to run away.

Why won't the words come out?

"I thought you were my friend." The words hurt. "Do you know how humiliated I am? Do you?"

She turned around to face him.

For a brief moment he caught her eye. Red trimmed, swollen. The anger was clear. So was the hurt. He looked away unable to hold her stare.

Lucy takes a step toward him. Her hands were in a fist.

If it was another time, Natsu would had cowered away, but this time he didn't. He would stand his grave proudly. He deserved this, even though it hurt. Not only him but both of them. He was his doing. He dug his own grave and he must lie in it.

So, when she slapped him in the cheek, he stood there.

When she cursed at him, he stood there.

When she pushed him away, he stood there.

And when she was done and left, he still stood there.

Alone like always.

Thinking about doing 'Q&A'. Any questions for me?