Lucy meandered through the old building, skimming her hand along the cold stone as she walked the cobbled path by herself. White dome roofs sparkled in the afternoon sun, and the Aegean glistened as light bounced off the calm water. Lucy found a narrow staircase that led to the roof. She climbed the steep steps carefully, emerging at the top. Lucy inhaled sharply as she slowly spun, taking in the view. To one side was the gorgeous, cerulean sea. Off to its side, the small port and seafront restaurants that contributed heavily to this tiny Greek island's income. The rest of the island sprawled out behind her - a labyrinth of cobbled paths, white homes, blue doors, and the occasional grey stone ruin. Lucy felt like she had let go of a breath that she didn't know she was holding. She was the only person on this abandoned rooftop, and she couldn't bring herself to leave this view just yet. She sat on the ground, ignoring the dust that had no doubt collected there. Sitting cross legged, she leaned back on her palms and closed her eyes and a sea breeze blew across her face. Lucy had needed this more than she realised. She tried to suppress the thought which followed it, but it reared its ugly head nonetheless. Tears pricked at the corners of Lucy's eyes.

Lucy was walking towards Natsu's apartment. Graduation was right around the corner, and Lucy wanted to give Natsu the gift she bought him. It was a pair of cufflinks in the shape of tiny flames. She wanted him to wear it during the ceremony. She skipped up the stairs to his apartment, only to find it locked. Natsu rarely locked his apartment, unless he was showering or wasn't at home. In any case, Lucy retrieved the spare key he'd given her from her bag and unlocked the door pushing it open.

"Hey Nats-" Lucy froze when two pairs of eyes turned to meet hers.

Lisanna, a friend of Natsu's, was straddling his lap, bare chested, while Natsu, also half naked had his hands on her ass.

Lucy drew in a deep breath, left the gift on his side table along with the key he gave her, and she left, shutting the door behind her. She heard Natsu calling out to her, and she even heard him trip down the stairs behind her. She didn't look back once, and when she was out of the building, he stopped following. That was the second last time Lucy interacted with her boyfriend of 4 years.

She stoically avoided Natsu's gaze at graduation and dragged her father away from him when he attempted to shake his hand. The last time she interacted with him was at the end of graduation, when he cornered her as she waited for her father who was busy talking to other parents.

He was wearing the cuff links she bought him. Seeing them made her want to rip his jacket off and burn it. "Hey Luce… I didn't if you'd want these back…" he toyed with the cufflinks, ready to take them out and hand them over.

"Keep them. They were a gift." She looked past him, at a point behind his shoulder.

"Right… Well, thanks. And Lucy, I wanted to explain… I'm sorry Lucy, it didn't-"

"'It didn't mean anything?' Is that what you were going to say?" Lucy finally met his gaze, fury shining in her brown eyes. "Well Natsu, that's a load of crap. You know what it meant? It meant that I, that us, hadn't meant anything to you. Especially if you were so quick to throw our relationship away to get into the pants of the first hot, young thing that flashed her thong at you," Lucy spat at him viciously. Natsu physically shrank away from her wrath.

"I loved you, Natsu," Lucy's voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. "You were my first friend at university, you were my first serious relationship, you were the man I lost my virginity to. I wanted to marry you, Natsu!" The dam had broken and tears now flowed freely down Lucy's face. A small part of her was shocked and a small part of her was vindicated when she saw a tear fall onto Natsu's cheek, followed by another, and another. A part of her, she didn't know how large or small it was, wanted to reach over and wipe them away. But she looked into his eyes and could only see the expression he'd worn when she caught his infidelity.

She walked past him, being careful to prevent their shoulders from brushing.

"I never want to see you again. As far as I'm concerned, you don't exist, and if you do anything to disrupt that, there will be hell to pay." Her quiet voice sang of hurt, anger, betrayal, and rage.

Lucy opened her eyes and swiped her hand across her cheeks, drying them of tears. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it, and consciously began drawing in deep breaths and slowly letting them out. She did this until she felt composed and in control, which coincided nicely with a rumble from her stomach.

Time for lunch, Lucy thought to herself. She maneuvered herself down the steep staircase and walked towards the seafront. She was going to find a quiet restaurant to sit at where she could enjoy her meal, a glass of wine, and her book in peace.

After graduation, Lucy moved back in with her father for a month, but eventually decided she needed to get out and go somewhere on her own. Her father was sad, but understood why she needed to do this for herself.

Despite her insistent refusal, her father paid for a lot of her vacation, and would wire money to her bank every week.

"What's the point of having a darling daughter if I don't get to spoil her, huh?" he asked her, chuckling. "I have no need for this money, my sweetheart. If you can use it to see new things, enjoy new experiences, and live your life, then I would like to give it to you. Watching you live to the fullest will bring me more joy than humanly possible."

Lucy hugged her father around his midriff, briefly regretting her decision to go. But, somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach, she knew her destiny waited for her elsewhere.

Soon after that conversation, Lucy bought a one-way ticket to Greece. She found a quaint rental home on a tiny island where she was guaranteed no distractions. Just her, the beach, the sun, and an endless supply of wine.

At the far end of the pier she found a restaurant that looked mostly vacant.

Perfect! Lucy walked towards the restaurant with determination in her eyes and smile on her lips. That is until she saw a complication. A very tall, broad, blond complication who noticed her a moment after she noticed him.

Sitting at a table in the very restaurant she had planned on sequestering herself was a man she'd never forget.

"La-Laxus? Laxus Dreyer?" Lucy sputtered.

"Lucy Heartfilia. Fancy seeing you here, beautiful." He put his book down and leaned back, signature cocky grin adorning his face.

A/N: Hello! This pandemic has my creative juices flowing , and I couldn't be happier!
I'm having such a blast writing this story! (Especially writing my Laxus)
Just a heads up, there may be smut in later chapters and the rating may change. I don't know yet.
I hope you enjoy this story and I'm very excited to hear what you think!