WAAAHHH! I'm sorry, this is so late! My interview then a project I only had a week to work on was Thursday and Friday respectively. So I combined three prompts into one chapter to make up for it. It's only three pages in word though...Anyway the three prompts are Lonely, Communication, and guilt. I rushed so the ending may not be very good. Also I don't own Fairy Tail nor Stay Close, Don't Go By: Secondhand Serenade... I always forget to put that... Enjoy! (P.S. My interview went great and I finished my project! :3)

Lucy whined slightly and laid her hand down on the bar. Mira smiled slightly before sliding a smoothie down to her. Lucy raised her head took a sip before laying it back down.

It had been three months since the Valentine's Day mission and afterwards her and Gajeel's first date. They had been going out at least every other week and sometimes – when he kidnapped her from her team to do a mission – they got to spend a full week together. Their relationship was more unexpected than Evergreen and Elfman's relationship – which still upsets Mira when she thinks about what their children might look like.

Gajeel and Lily were on a secret mission for the master right now though, and she hadn't seen him in a month. Lily unexpectedly had been exceedingly supported their relationship the most. Apparently, Lily had never thought that Levy and Gajeel would work since Levy was very introverted and not outgoing like Lucy is.

Lucy sighed again before dragging herself from the bar and heading home. Looking at her, you wouldn't be able to see the "Light of Fairy Tail" nor the "Lucky Lucy Heartfillia". All you could see was a depressed blonde with sad brown eyes dragging her feet towards her apartment. As she got home, inside she changed into one of Gajeel's shirts she had "borrowed" when she fell asleep at his house after one of their missions. She curled up on her bed with her headphones in and shuffled her music lacrima.

"If you leave me tonight I'll wake up alone, don't tell me I will make it on my own, don't leave me tonight, this heart of stone will sink 'til it dies, if you leave me tonight. Don't leave me tonight."

Lucy cried as she listened. She had never truly grasped the concept of the song till she had someone she cared for so deeply – possibly even love.

"I'm not the only one for you, but you're the only one for me."

Lucy cried harder. It was true. Gajeel could have any girl he wanted, but he chose her. She knew he was the only one she would ever need or want. She grasped her chest. She knew it was probably all in her head, but she was in pain physically just from being away from him. The pain was like a fist was wrapped around her heart and squeezing it. It was only worse since she was emotionally and mentally drained being away from him too. He'd probably think her silly for having such a hard time being away from her and tease her mercilessly about it.

The music had stopped and it took Lucy a moment to register the slight beeping noise wasn't the beginning of another song. It was her communication lacrima. The one Gajeel had insisted on getting her before he left on his mission with Lily. Reluctantly, she dragged herself over to her desk a grasped the lacrima and sent a pulse of magic through it.

More tears filled her eyes as she found herself face to face with a hologram image of a beat up Gajeel.

"Gajeel," she whimpered slightly fresh tears making new tracks down her face, "what happened? Are you ok? Do you –"

Gajeel cut her off, "I'm sorry, Lucy."

Lucy panicked. Gajeel never called her by her real name except on rare occasions when he was serious.

"Gajeel, what's the matter? Where are you? Why are you sorry? Where's Lily?"

"Lucy," he growled almost angry but to weary to truly work up the energy.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I should have talked to you about before we left. You're in pain aren't you," Gajeel questioned a pained grimace across his face.

Lucy waved her hands frantically despite being tired, "No, No. I just miss you is all."

She didn't want to burden him more when it was obvious he was in pain and having trouble.

"Don't lie to me, Lucy. And come open your door my arms are full."

Lucy dashed to the door and flung it open. In the doorway stood a beat up Gajeel whose arms were full with an equally beat up Lily and their ruffed up duffle bags.

Gajeel limped in and kicked the door shut; he dropped their duffle bags next to the door before heading over to Lucy's bed to lay down Lily.

As Gajeel came in, Lucy immediately went to the bathroom grabbing her first aid kit and a bowl of water before heading back to Gajeel. They stood facing each other before Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, silently ordering him to sit so she could take care of his wounds. He grunted and shuffled his way over to a chair before dropping into it. Lucy immediately descended on him and began to work cleaning and wrapping his wounds and stitching his cuts closed. As she finished she noticed it. The sharp pain around her heart was gone. She was calm for once since Gajeel had left for him mission. The emotional and metal roller coaster ride had ended. She was actually happy.

She turned confused with this new development and began patching up Lily who grunted and hissed every so often from the pain, but she took no notice. Her mind was racing. She knew it was all in her head. She knew it was only because she missed Gajeel, and now that he was here all the pain was gone.

Gajeel sighed in his head as he watched his girlfriend patch up his cat. He shouldn't have gone off without talking to her. Now she probably thought that she was crazy or that it was all in her head. He should have known she was his mate before he left instead of having the crushing pain tell him what he should have known. All through the mission he had to fight through his pain of being away from his unmarked mate. He also had to deal with the guilt of knowing that she was in just as much pain and probably not understanding why.

Lucy finished taking care of Lily before she crawled back over to Gajeel and laid her head in his lap. His hand found its way into her hair and slowly brushed it out with his fingers.

"Gajeel, what happened?"

"The mission was fine, Lucy," he replied gruffly.

"Then why were you apologizing and actually using my name," she questioned.

Gajeel sighed, "I should have realized what you are to me before I left. When I left, I was in so much pain. You're my mate, Lucy. My one, only, and forever mate. I was so angry with myself. I should have figured it out sooner, but I couldn't come back to explain till I finished the mission. I knew you were in as much pain as me, and I hated myself for it. I don't deserve you."

Lucy raised her head shocked. She had thought it was all in her head, but it wasn't.

Lucy pulled herself up and into Gajeel's lap as gently as she could so she didn't reopen his wounds.

"Gajeel, I forgive you. You didn't know –"

"But I should have! If I just stopped to think, I would have realized, but I didn't and you had to go through a month of pain for my ignorance."

Lucy covered his mouth with a hand, "Let me finish. I forgive you. I'm glad I know that I'm the only one for you because I already knew you were the only one for me. I also forgive you for beating me up when you were in Phantom Lord. I could hear it in your voice when you said 'I don't deserve you.' You do deserve me. You've changed and I'm proud to say I'm your girlfriend and mate."

Gajeel looked down overcome. What the hell had he done to get such a kind and forgiving mate? He knew he didn't deserve her, but he was going to work his ass off every day till the end of time to show her how much he loved her and that he deserved to be called her mate.

Lucy moved her hand from his mouth to his chin and nudged his head up so she could look into his eyes, "Gajeel, I love you."

"I love you, too, Bunny Girl," he smiled.

Being able to communicate and trust in each other was the turning point. They had overcome their current issues, and now that they had each they could overcome anything in their way.

Also only one chapter left! Prompt is Secrets. Hopefully I can finish it this weekend, but I WILL finish the last prompt! After the last chapter I'm gonna work on my other story Nakama? so hopefully I can got inspiration from GaLu week. I've been kinda blocked. Hey! If you're waiting on my update for Nakama? and wanna help drop me a review and a prompt or something.

Ja ne! Nyaaa~