Trigger warning: this fic by nature contains scenes of sometimes rather graphic deaths of all kinds. This will be my final trigger warning for this matter. I will however add trigger warnings on anything that I think may need one that isn't death related in the future.

I hope you all enjoy reading

"I didn't know what warmth really felt like until I met you. I don't feel cold or warm, Soul's don't feel cold or warm and humans normally can't touch me at all. But you... You feel like what I always imagined would be like." He tightened his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

'You make me feel almost alive'.

Natsu stared intensely at the small spot on the wall as he sat with his legs crossed in the corner of the room. He found it mildly entertaining that even in a room as pristine and tidy as Lucy's, it still had imperfections. If he were smarter he would probably be able to come up with some sort of analogy about nothing being perfect or something along those lines. Truthfully he didn't really care enough to do that. The spot was black, but not just a single shade of black. It was at least three different shades.

He was bored out of his mind. He knew that he experienced time differently to human beings but even he shouldn't be expected to be able to entertain himself with a black spot on the wall in the corner of a room.

"Lucy, are you finished getting dressed yet?" He folded his arms across his chest, feeling rather childish having to sit like this.

"Almost, just be patient would you?" She answered and he heard what he assumed was yet another article of clothing hitting the ground.

"I don't get what is taking you so long, just put your uniform on and be done with it." He looked down as he twiddled his thumbs together.

"I already told you, it's casual dress day at school. I'm done now anyway, you can turn around."

Natsu turned to see the outfit that Lucy picked. It was a blue dress with white flowers. On anyone else he would say it just looked boring, on Lucy however it looked rather pretty.

"Great, now we can go to school." He grinned and grabbed her hand to leave against her protest.

"Natsu I haven't even finished my hair." Lucy grumbled as they walked out of the house and onto the sidewalk.

"You look great, come on you are going to be late."

"If you hadn't of dragged me out of the house I could have asked my driver to drive us. Now we have to walk thanks to you." Lucy yanked her hand out of his grasp and folded her arms across her chest.

"I hate going with your driver! You never talk to me on the drive and the other kids are always meaner to you on the day's you get driven."

Lucy looked like she was about to say something before she stopped and nodded her head.

"You do have a point. Still, try not to be so rough next time you drag me okay? You near pulled my arm out of the socket."

Natsu smiled at her and rolled his eyes.

"You are so dramatic."

As they walked through the gates he noticed a few people giving Lucy harsh looks. He also noticed that Lucy seemed less and less fazed by it. Today was the first was the first day she had kept smiling without a single falter or moment where it looked like she might stop.

When the noise rang throughout the halls- which he now knew was called a bell- Lucy once again grabbed his hand and he felt the familiar warmth that he touch gave him as she dragged him to class. They sat at the back of the room, away from everyone else. He preferred it that way because it meant he could talk to Lucy and she could whisper her replies. If anyone looked at her it just looked like she was reading out loud, not talking to thin air.

"Natsu, when is your birthday?" The question was simple but still caught him of guard.

"I don't have one, why?"

"Well it's my birthday next week and it got me thinking that I don't know when your birthday is. How do you know how old you are if you don't have a birthday?" She looked up from her book to stare at him.

"I know when you're birthday is. Honestly, birthdays just aren't really important when you were never born in the first place. I'm not alive or anything so it's just irrelevant." He shrugged his shoulder and moved closer to her so he could read what she was reading. She always read books in class. She also always got good grades so the teachers never really bothered her about it. Natsu didn't think it was important enough to ask why.

"Well I think your birthday is important. I want to celebrate it with you." Lucy looked down sadly.

Natsu didn't bother mentioning that he kept track of how old he was based on her. He knew that he came into existence not too long before she was born, although the amount of time between those two events was fuzzy for him at best. He knew better than to tell her the truth of why she was alive.

"Natsu?"

"Mmm?" He hummed in response, half lost in his own thought.

"If I planned a day to celebrate your birthday, would you do it? Your my best friend. I think your life should be celebrated."

He didn't correct her on the fact that he was in fact, not alive. He just nodded his head. If it was important to Lucy, he would play along. It would at least shut her up about the whole "birthday" thing.

"Great, can you get a day of work this weekend?" She grinned at him and clapped her hands together.

"I already have the weekend off... and don't clap your hands like that in class, a few people are looking at you like a crazy person." Natsu nudged her and laughed.

"Noted." Lucy whispered before burying her head into her book once more.

Natsu couldn't help but feel a slight bit of pity for the soul standing in front of him. He thought he was starting to grow numb to the plight of humanity. Apparently not.

A small child. Why did so many have to have their lives ended early?

"My mummy and daddy are bad aren't they?" The little boy asked as he took Natsu's hand and walked with him.

"Yeah, they are very bad. You don't have to worry about them anymore though."

"I don't?" The child looked at him with wide eyes and a confused expression. Natsu realized that the child probably didn't even know he was dead.

"No, you are going somewhere far away from them." Natsu smiled at the little boy, hoping that his own kindness might make this a better experience.

"Where am I going?" The child halted walking and adopted a nervous pout upon his all too innocent face.

Natsu knelt down and held out his arms.

"I know change can be frightening, but sometimes change is good. You are going somewhere where you can be happy and feel all the love in the world. Somewhere far away from yelling and where pain is just a word. Would you like me to carry you?"

The little boy nodded and wrapped his tiny arms around Natsu's neck. Natsu wrapped one arm around the boys back and another under his leg to cradle him. He could still feel the child shaking like a leaf in an Autumn breeze.

"Don't be afraid, nobody can hurt you anymore." He whispered softly.

"Will you sing to me?"

"I'm not much of a singer sorry, but we can hum together if that would help?"

The little boy nodded his head and they both hummed the rest of the way, right up until the child walked through the veil. Still shaking violently. Natsu found himself wishing that he could have helped more. He also wished that he could somehow make the lump in his throat just go away.

"Natsu? Are you awake?" Lucy whispered.

"I'm always awake. What's up?" Natsu sat up from where he was laying at the foot of the bed. Lucy refused to let him lay next to her while she was sleeping but he didn't care too much. He was still allowed on the mattress at least.

Lucy moved her body so she was laying next to where he was sitting.

"I can't sleep either." She stretched her arms in front of her and toward the ceiling. " I was just thinking about my mum."

"Oh, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering what she was doing where ever she is. If she can see me."

Natsu layed back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling with his arms behind his back.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah?" Natsu turned onto his side to face Lucy, still keeping one arm under his head.

"What happens to humans when we die? Don't sugar coat it or anything. I wanna know the truth." Lucy turned her body to face him completely and stared at him with wide eyes.

"You really wanna know the truth?"

Lucy nodded in response.

"The truth is after someone dies I take them on a walk. Its down a long hallway and at the end of that hallway is a wall of bright blue and purple light. They walk through the wall and I don't know what happens after that. Death doesn't have a place in the after life I guess."

Lucy stayed silent for a moment, looking rather deep in thought.

"When I was little my mum use to say that when we died, we became stars. Stars that would shine bright and watch over the people on earth. She use to say that us much as we watch they stars, they watch us too. Do you think she was right? About humans becoming stars I mean."

"I guess she could be. Like I said, I don't know what happens. It's a nice idea though."

"Yeah, I think I would make a pretty star. What do you think?"

"I think you'd make a great star Lucy."

Natsu stayed silent for a moment. Just thinking about Lucy. One day she would die, and she would leave him behind. He always knew that. Now the very thought of a world without her in it left a bad taste in his mouth. He decided to push those thoughts deep down within himself, he didn't want to think about a day where Lucy wouldn't be around anymore. So he wouldn't. He couldn't.

"Natsu?" She interrupted his thoughts with a tired whisper.

"Mmm?"

"How come you always watched me when you thought I couldn't see you?"

"Because I was curious about the life you would live."

"Why?"

Natsu contemplated answering her question and what he would say. He found that he didn't really want to tell her the answer. He didn't want her to feel as though she owed him something. He was saved from answering by the sound of her soft snores and felt a sense of relief wash over him. He found himself tracing the freckles on her arm, connecting them together with his finger as she slept.

It still such a strange sensation, being able to touch her. To be touched by her.

"Natsu."

Natsu nearly fell off the bed in shock at hearing a gruff male voice hissing his name. He looked around to find the source only to see Gajeel staring at him, arms crossed and looking extremely unimpressed. His many facial piercings shone with the light of the moon that came through the open window.

"What the fuck are you doing here! If Lucy wakes up and sees you she is going to have a heart attack, get the fuck out!" Though his words were filled with anger he hissed them as quietly as he could.

"Oh that's right, we don't know if she can see the rest of us or if it is just you. Maybe I could give her a shake and see if that works."

"Don't you touch her." Natsu snarled.

"You seemed to be doing a great job of that on your own, right?" Gajeel put his hands on his hips and glared at Natsu. "We need to talk."

"We really don't. Scram." Natsu put his head back to the mattress and closed his eyes when he felt something grabbing his ankle and dragging him off the bed and onto the floor.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me dumb arse. What do you think you are doing here anyway?" Gajeel spoke from above him.

"What I do in my free time is my choice. You wanna talk then find. Talk then leave. Natsu stood from his place on the floor and glared at Gajeel with annoyance.

"You do realize this-" Gajeel gestured with his hand from Natsu to Lucy. "-can only end in pain for both you and her right?"

"Yeah? How'd you figure that?"

"Well for starters she-" Gajeel pointed at Lucy as though he were accusing her of something "- is going to die one day. Like it or not, it's facts. Also what are you even planning to gain from... well whatever this is between the two of you."

"I know she is going to die one day dummy. That day won't be happening for a very long time... She is my friend. That's what's going on here. If that was all you had to say, leave."

"How can you possibly know she won't die for a long time. She could die tomorrow, then what? You gunna break the rules again?"

"Of course I won't." Natsu turned his head to look at the wall. He didn't fully understand what about the conversation was making him feel so negatively, but he knew that he was getting angry.

Gajeel paused before looking at him sadly, his expression sympathetic and almost filled with pity.

"You know kid, you could never give her the live she deserves."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You say you are her friend right? Well sometimes friendship turns into more, especially when it comes to humans. You don't have a whole lot of experience with emotions, but they tend to fall in love with people they are close with sometimes. You could never marry her, or meet her family or support her or give her children. All you could do is sit around watching her grow old while you stay the same. Then one day she will die, never having really lived her life the way she could have if you'd just stayed out of it."

"That's not going to be a problem idiot because me and Lucy are friends. Best friends, that's all. One day she is gunna meet some guy and marry him and forget about me and that is perfectly fine because she will be happy." Natsu's gut clenched at the words he was saying. He knew they were true, he really did.

"It doesn't look like it's as perfectly fine as you want me to believe."

"How would you know?"

"It's written all over your face. Good luck hot head. Your gunna need it."

"Hot head?"

"You're temper. Idiot." Gajeel shook his head before disappearing completely.

"He calls me an idiot? Imagine thinking that a human could fall in love with literal death. He has read one too many trashy romance novels." Natsu chuckled to himself before laying back down next too Lucy. She looked so peaceful, he couldn't help but feel relieved that she didn't wake up through his conversation.

'Keep dreaming Lucy. At least one of us can.' He thought to himself as his lips curved into a small smile.

Natsu clenched his fist at his side's and took a few deep breaths, trying to keep his composure. He knew better then to get mad. However, that was a hell of a lot easier said than done.

"For the last time, you need to come with me." He tried to make his voice sound gentle and reasonable. A feat which would have been better achieved if his teeth were not clenched.

"And for the last time I said no! You can't make me." The soul in front of him stomped her foot and crossed her arms in defiance.

"You would rather stay where you don't belong and rot? Bad things happen when souls stay where they don't belong. You are not human anymore, you are a spirit. If you stay here then your humanity will slowly wither away until you become something else entirely. Do you really want that?" Natsu tried to explain. It was getting harder and harder considering he had tried to explain it five times already.

"Then put me back in my body and that problem will be solved!"

"I already told you I can't! Jeez, do you ever listen or do you only like listening to yourself talk!" Natsu threw his hands in the air. The nerve of this girl.

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a medallion. He really didn't want to ask for help. He also didn't want to spend the next week dealing with the entitlement of the soul he was currently dealing with.

He used his finger to trace the swirling pattern on the metal. He had no idea who would show up to help him but anyone would better then dealing with this any longer.

"Well, Mr I don't need anyone ever had called for help?"

Perhaps he spoke to soon.

"Hey Lisanna. Give me a hand?"

Lisanna folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at him with a half grin plastered to her face. "You owe me." She said before turning her attention to the soul.

"Why don't you want to pass on? Don't you want to go to heaven?"

"Heaven? He told me he didn't know if heaven existed and he didn't know where I'd go!"

"Oh! Don't listen to him, he is an idiot. He is new at this job so he hadn't learned all the ins and outs yet." Lisanna gestured with her hand as she spoke.

"Well, if that is the case. I guess heaven would be nice." The girl started smiling and smoothing her hair.

"Of course it will be, and you deserve it of course! Could you wait here for a moment so I can have a word with my colleague?"

"Yes. He needs a stern talking to about people skills while he is at it!"

"I'll make sure I do that." Lisanna grabbed Natsu by the arm and dragging them both out of ear shot from the spirit.

"You needed my help with her. She was easy to deal with." She hissed, not letting go of his arm.

"Well only because you lied to her. How did you even know what religion she is? That was a bit of a shot in the dark." Natsu hissed back.

"She died wearing a cross around her neck. Her soul is wearing a cross around her neck!"

"Well aren't you observant."

"You are so frustrating. I'm going to go and deal with her. You better start being nicer to me unless you want me to get Gray to come and help you next time."

"You wouldn't dare." Natsu put his hand to his chest and pulled a mock shocked expression, if for nothing else than his own amusement at his dramatics.

Lisanna let out a small chuckle.

"You really are an idiot. Still, you owe me for this okay? Gray wanted to come just to rub in your face that you needed help but I beat him to it." She folded her arms and looked rather pleased with herself.

"Oh great Lisanna I am eternally in your debt." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I will collect. Now get out of hear and go to your next job while I wrap this up."

Natsu didn't need to be told twice before he disappeared.

Natsu looked up at Lucy's window and his ledge, debating on if he would or wouldn't climb up. He really wanted to see her but he could almost swear he heard speaking coming from the room. He always had good hearing and he could hear Lucy giggling. He knew her laugh a mile away.

He had a bad feeling gnawing at his gut but ignored it in favour of climbing up to her window anyway. Or rather, floating up while holding the bricks.

What he saw made him feel hot with anger as he climbed through the open window.

"What do you think you are doing here?" He seethed.

"Lucy can see me too! HA! And you thought you were so special!" Lisanna poked out her tongue and smiled. "Don't look so mad. Me and Lucy have been having so much fun!"

"It's Lucy and I, not me and Lucy." Natsu didn't understand why that was all he could think of to say. His mind felt blank as he stood there looking at the ground as though if he glared at it hard enough it would catch fire.

"Natsu. You have been paying attention at school, I am so proud!" Lucy beamed at him from across the room.

"Get out." Natsu snarled, still looking at the ground. What made Lisanna think that she could come and try to take the one thing he had in this world?

"What? Natsu what's the matter?" Lucy walked across the room and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to make eye contact with her but not succeeding.

"I want her to get out." Natsu raised a finger to point at Lisanna but still kept his eyes fixated on the ground.

"Natsu, I don't mean any harm I promise. I just wanted to meet Lucy and get to know her a little." Lisanna raised her hands in surrender as she stood up.

"Why do you want to take Lucy away from me. She is the only friend I have and everyone is trying to take that away from me!" Natsu finally looked up from the ground to shout at Lisanna.

"I'm not taking her away from you! I am your friend too. I am on your side."

"You think I am an idiot? Do you expect me to believe that the day after Gajeel has a big talk to me about staying away from Lucy you come here to see her!"

"I didn't even know Gajeel spoke to you, I am sorry if me being here has upset you. I'll leave... bye Lucy, I hope I see you again." Lisanna smiled and waved at Lucy before getting a shocked expressions and waving her hands around. "Not for that reason of course! I mean I hope I see you again. And that you are alive and well, well. Bye."

Lisanna disappeared leaving Natsu and Lucy alone. Lucy's brows were furrowed and her lips pressed into a firm frown.

"What was that about. You had no right to treat her like that."

"She was trying to take you away from me." Natsu whispered softly, all the anger gone from his body.

"Don't be paranoid. She came here to tell me how happy she was that you found someone you actually like! All she said about you was that she was happy you made a friend and that she wanted to be friends with me too!"

"Why do you need another friend? Aren't I enough?"

"You are my best friend Natsu, but you won't be my only friend for the rest of my life... and I shouldn't be yours either! It's unhealthy." Lucy folded her arms across her stomach and kicked her foot at the ground.

"I've never had a friend before you. I don't exactly know how to even be a good friend. I just don't want anyone to take you away because then you won't have time for me anymore." Natsu pressed his back against the wall next to the window and slid down it until he was sitting. Lucy walked and sat across from him, looking at him in the eyes.

"Natsu, no matter how many friends I get. You will always be my best friend and I will always make time for you. I'm sorry for not understanding. It must be hard for you to adjust to having a friend who is a human and learning things that would normally never even apply to you. I want you to apologise to Lisanna tomorrow though." Lucy put her hand on his shoulder and smiled softly at him.

"Fine. I'll apologise tomorrow... but I won't like it."

"I think you and Lisanna will end up being great friends ya know. Will you at least try?"

"Fine. But no promises." Natsu rolled his eyes then smiled. "She is pretty annoying sometimes, you might regret being her friend."

"Nah, I handle you and you are the most annoying person on the planet!" Lucy started laughing and poked him in the side.

Natsu couldn't bring himself to care that she called him annoying. Not after she called him a person again. He did really know why it felt so good when she called him a person, he just knew that it did.

A/N

A massive thankyou to everyone who has followed/favorited or reviewed this story! It means the entire world to me when people take the time to read what I write and honestly you all have my external gratitude!

Lots of love and well wishes to you all until next time!

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Until next time, babydoll4414 xx