The next day Lucy awoke peacefully. Her bed was so warm and cozy, and birds chirped outside the window. It would've been perfect.
Would've.
If it wasn't for the demon sat on the floor beside her bed, head resting on the side of the mattress, arms encircled around it comfortably, asleep.
Lucy almost wanted to coo at the sight, to sigh of happiness to wake up with Natsu by his side, finally. But she couldn't. Instead she was rushing to shake the boy awake, to send him back to Hell before he dies on Earth.
"Natsu, Natsu, you have to wake up. You need to go respawn!" Lucy panicked, hands shaking at the shoulders of her sleeping demon.
Natsu didn't wake up immediately, in fact it took too long for comfort to wake him. Panic rang through his ears as Natsu lay unconscious, before his fingers started to twitch, and his eyes started to open slowly. He groaned quietly, Lucy watching with concern in her eyes.
"Natsu, you need to go before you become too weak.." Lucy spoke again, laying a comforting hand on Natsu's shoulder as he sat up slowly.
He didn't look fully conscious, hardly holding himself up. Lucy couldn't sit beside him and wait for him to realize the situation at hand, feet moving into action before she realized.
her body lurched towards her closed closet, yanking it open to find the thick book she had used just the other day when the fake version of Natsu appeared in her room.
Her hands worked through the book, fingers rushing to find the page bookmarked by the pink sticky note. Her body worked faster than her panicked mind, her eyes flashing up to see her weakened Natsu.
She felt bile rise in her throat, sick to her stomach at the thought of Natsu dying here on Earth. She stood only in her long sweater, and tried to read the Latin, hoping to find a spell of someone she can summon and help the situation, to take Natsu back to Hell before he died.
Panicked, she began reading from a page, not knowing who she was summoning but hoping for the best. Her hands shook, and a cold sweat formed above her tense brow as she read.
Time seemed to move so slow as she carefully pronounced each word as best as she could. When she reach the end, she looked up to watch Natsu.
Silence followed, Lucy letting a whine out as tears clouded her vision, just need to save him, he can't die
Lucy felt as though she was back to square one; Her mother was no longer dying, he helped her and saved her life. And yet here she is, back to crying over one of the most important people in her life as they came closer to death.
Just as Lucy was about to fall to her knees and sob, a throat clearing broke her from her thoughts. She looked over, frightened at first and surprised. Lucy's body visibly relaxed as she saw who stood to the right, watching the scene before her.
"S-Sting! Please, help me. He fell asleep here last night and h-he's too weak.." Lucy stumbled over her words as she pointed at Natsu, who had his head back on the side of the bed, not moving again. Sting's eyes flashed over to his brother, jaw clenching.
Lucy stood confused for a moment until the demon spoke up, "Lucy, do you really think you love him?" His words left her baffled.Where did that come from, so suddenly?
"O-Of course, I do! Please w-we can talk later, t-take him back!" Lucy sobbed out, tears finally freely falling down her cheeks. Her hands shook as her eyes flashed between the brothers.
Sting signed, looking down at the floor as he listened to Lucy's cries and pleads, " if you really loved him and sacrifice yourself to save him pain, you'd cross over and become his partner bound by spell. Don't hurt my brother because you're selfish, it won't turn out pretty. It'll destroy him physically and mentally." Sting paused, Lucy's whimpers and cries coming to an end as she processed his words, "You need to make a decision."
And with that, Sting and Natsu disappeared from Lucy's fairly small bedroom, leaving her alone with her deafening thoughts and her own silent tears.
Lucy spent the next day out with her mother, doing her favorite activities: breakfast at the nearby cafe, a visit to the aquarium, a walk through the park, and now off to the neighborhood flower shop.
It was just a few blocks from their home, a cute little boutique that an elderly couple owned. It was always bright and beautiful inside,
Lucy's mother could hardly contain her excitement every time they visited.
Lucy walked beside her, their hands holding each other's as she smiled at their surroundings, and pointed to everything in sight. Lucy only watched, smiling along with her. It took everything in her to keep a happy expression as ahe held back tears.
"Wow, aren't these flowers beautiful?" She asked, her brown eyes shining as if stars filled the tiny galaxies. Her hands, baby pink polish lightly painted on her brittle, chemo-ruined nails, running over all of the bright red tulips. The color reminded Lucy of the beautiful red color Natsu's eyes had shined that fateful night when they made love.
"They are, I love the red tulips and stargazer lilles. They're beautiful this season." Lucy spoke slowly as she looked around the space. she wanted to remember this place forever, this moment. All the colors popped so beautifully.
"You've always loved those flowers, silly." She hummed, and Lucy only nodded and followed behind as she continued to walk.
"Red tulips represent true love, did you know that?" Lucy smiled, watching the way her nose scrunched, And stargazer oriental lilles represent eternal life. She only laughed at her facts, continuing to round the small tight spaces between the rows of flowers.
"Oh really? And when did you become a flower expert?" She giggled, to which Lucy laughed along with. She didn't add onto the conversation, instead listening to her mother tell the story of how her doctor has purchased her flowers weekly from this very store since she returned home.
She listened to her child-like explaination of how she believed he likes her, and how she may like him in return. Lucy smiled, happy to know her mother was going on and moving on from her illness. Lucy always did like that doctor.
That evening after dinner, Lucy gave her mother an extra long hug, and two extra kisses on her wrinkled, puffy cheeks. She only giggled in response and questioned why she was suddenly so clingy, but let her hurry off to bed anyways.
When Lucy made it to her bedroom, and sighed, back to her door. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but nonetheless, she hurried over to her bed where her phone lay.
She sent a quick text to Gray, telling him to call Levy in just 5 minutes. Her hands shook, and her lungs could hardly move as she went to press onto the call' button near Levy's contact name. She deserves this much
The phone rung once, twice, three times before the sound of her best friend answering the phone sounded. Lucy took a deep breath as if to calm herself, failing.
"Lucy! Hey, How are you?" Levy's sweet voice sounded, Lucy could hear the perfect smile on her lips. It almost made her smile as well.
"Hi, Lev. I just wanted to call and say sorry. It doesn't make sense right now, but it will. Don't hate me, Gray will explain everything. I'll see you so, so soon. Take care of yourself, don't make me go there and force you to drink water. Care for my mom, please" Lucy rushed, her voice shaking as Levy sat silent on the other side of the line, "And please, for the love of god, know that it won't hurt. It'll be a spell, and I'm safe and happy."
Levy chuckled, empty-heartedly, "W-What are you talkin about, Lu-chan? What spell? Where are you?" The other side of the line shuffled as if she was moving or leaving, making Lucy panic.
"I'm fine, Levy. Call Gray for me, I'll see you soon. Lucy sighed, her eyes burning.
"O-Okay, see you soon?" Lucy didn't wait for Levy to ask anymore questions, she didn't want to scare her anymore. She ended the call immediately, before sitting back onto her bed.
It was springy as ever, warm and addicting. Her eyes wandered her bedroom, lingering on some spots more than others as memories of her childhood flashed before her eyes.
She loved her home, she knew her mother worked hard her whole childhood to make this house a home. She was forever grateful to her. She hoped maybe one day she'd forgive her.
Her fingers lightly played with the comforter, smelling of fresh lavender as they were fresh sheets due to just the other day she and Natsu soiled the last ones. Lucy's room was slowly becoming darker as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. It's time.
Lucy knew she only had so much time for Gray to explain the situation to Levy before they'd be on their way to her home, so she spoke the name that was constantly on her lips, "Natsu"
When she blinked, the next second a familiar demon sat at the end of her bed. He looked gorgeous as ever, eyes nowhere near as bright as they had been all those days ago when they made love. Her cheeks bumed at the thought of the memory that took place where they sat.
"I-I-It's time" Lucy whispered, wet eyes shifted downwards. Natsu stood immediately, embracing the smaller girl. Her head hit Natsu's bare abdomen, where she finally let her tears fall.
"Time for what, Luce?" Natsu's deep voice didn't bring her joy today, it didn't turn her on or excite her. Today it brought her the warmest comfort, made her feel safe.
After letting her tears fall, she pulled back and took a deep breath before speaking, "Yesterday was too close of a call. I'm sorry for taking so long to realize what the best choice is. I-I don't want you to ever s-suffer because of m-me, I won-"
Natsu cut him off, soft shushes filling the space. His hands wiped at Lucy's wet cheeks, pained at the physical liquid proof of the pain she was in.
"There is no best choice. You can take your time-" Natsu started before Lucy cut him off.
"N-No.. I can't. I know what I want, and I've made my decision. Today I said my goodbyes to the people who matter most, I made sure they're in good hands. I can visit occasionally, Gray will come eventually, too. This is best, please Natsu."
The demon stared down at his lover, his heart swollen as his hands ran down the length of her smaller shoulders. He wanted to comfort her, but maybe he also seeked comfort. Perhaps, he was afraid she'd slip between his fingers, too,
Natsu didn't respond to Lucy's words, just pulling her in closer until they embraced each other. It was a tight embrace, both letting tears run down their cheeks behind the other's back.
"Let's lay down, Lucy." Natsu whispered, pulling away from the embrace to coax the mortal into the bed they shared not too long ago. Lucy sighed, eventually falling into the springy mattress and the arms of her Love.
They laid comfortably for a few minutes, Lucy embraces as the little spoon as Natsu pushed innocent kisses of the warm skin of her shoulder.
"I love you, Natsu."
Natsu only nodded against her skin, tears still falling from his colored eyes, but he hid them from the girl in his arms. Soon enough, Lucy could feel her skin heat up in a familiar way.
A sob choked past her lips as it only grew worse and worse, more painful than it ever was before. Her vision of her childhood blurred, she wasn't sure if it was from her body leaving Earth or if it was hsd own tears burning her eyes.
"It'll be over soon, baby, Close your eyes"
So she did as Natsu said, eyes flutter shut and soon enough it was over