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Twelfth Star to Midnight

Third Star: Negatum

The storm was still raging throughout the night, lighting flashed through the windows, and lighting up the night sky of Magnolia. Lucy tossed and turned on her bed, her blankets tucked until her chin, keeping her warm from the cold night air.

The windows next to her bed shook with the intensity of the harsh wind. Tree branches shook against them, making hollow noises echo throughout the house. She shivered but thanked Kami that her house was sturdy enough that no water dripped in.

At least I know my rent is being used for something good. And the electricity still works. She told herself calmly as she started at her electronic clock on her night stand that read 1:34 am.

Then she blinked as the night sky lit up with a particular big bolt of lightning and flinched as the resulting thunder followed after it.

Then the lights on her alarm clock died, the red lights fading to black.

Damn.

She huddled under her covers, before deciding that she wasn't going to sleep for a while it seemed, might as well get some milk from the fridge.

She grabbed her plush robe from the side of her closet before slipping on her fuzzy slippers. She took one last look outside of her window and thought to herself At least Midnight isn't out in that. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Then she opened the door and stepped outside. And promptly froze.

Midnight it seemed wasn't asleep either.

In fact, he was trembling like a child on the coach, his arms wrapping up his legs tightly to his chest. He was… shaking?

Lucy rubbed her arms, unsure on how to approach him. It was colder out here then it was in her room. She sighed and walked over to her linen closet.

Midnight was still shaking as she walked over to him. His whimpers broke her heart.

She draped her fluffy black parka over his shoulders and he looked up, his crimson eyes startling in the darkness.

Her eyes widened as she saw that his gaze was watery.

Is he crying?

She got onto her knees in front of him. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked him, her gaze worried.

It seemed his pride was greater than his fear of the storm.

He shrugged away from her. The parka slipped down his shoulders and onto the floor as he turned away from her.

"Go away."

She blinked. Then scowled. "Hey, that's no way to treat someone." She told him frowning.

He ignored her.

She stood up and crossed her arms. "Ugh. Fine. Don't talk to me. At least use the parka." She told him as she turned towards the kitchen. "You'll get a cold if you don't."

"I don't understand."

She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, confused. "What?"

"You say it was wrong… to leave a person out in the rain…" He spoke quietly. "Yet it is what I deserved. After everything I had done…"

"No one deserves to be alone out there." She told him as she turned back around.

"Father said so."

It all clicked into place. She remembers Erza's description of Midnight after the battle with Oracion Seis.

"He seemed… scared. Of being alone." Erza had told Lucy. "Even if it was with his heartless father, so long as he wasn't alone. Lucy, I don't understand how someone can be so cruel to their own child. Nor how someone can be so desperate to want to stay."

Lucy had been quiet, her own childhood memories springing in her mind.

She turned around and walked towards her kitchen.

Midnight listened as her footsteps faded away. As I thought, not even she wishes to be around me. He told himself, hating that he had even been hoping for anything different. My own father didn't want me, what of a girl who has no obligation to me whatsoever, one I have even hurt.

He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over it only to come face to face with… a mug?

He followed the white mug up to a pale arm and to the blond locks of his current house mate. She was looking at him with her eyes narrowed.

She nudged him with the mug. "Well?"

He slowly took the mug, and stared at the black music notes that decorated the otherwise plain mug. It was warm and the inside smelled vaguely of something sweet. It was dark so he couldn't tell what colour it was.

Lucy settled herself onto the other couch across from him and tucked her legs beneath her. "Its hot chocolate." She told him as she took a sip.

"It calms you down and lets you sleep better." She told him as she looked into the depths of her own pink mug.

It was quiet between the two of them, the only sounds coming from Mother Nature outside. After a few minutes, Lucy finished up her mug as Midnight merely stared at his. "I would drink that if I were you. I promise it will make you feel better." She told him as she stood up from her seat.

She moved back to the kitchen to put it away. She put it in the sink and turned on the faucet, letting water fill the mug and stopping it before it over flowed. She walked back to her room.

As she opened it, she stopped on the threshold.

She looked back at him and spoke. "You know, you should stop denying yourself. You're creating your own barriers when we both know that what your father told you is wrong. You're just scared of admitting it."

Lightning flashed the windows.

"Start accepting your thoughts. Because that's what makes you… you. Not your father. " She told him lightly before the thunder crashed around them.

"Goodnight." She told him as the door closed behind her.

And all was quiet again.

I'm back everyone! Happy holidays!

Negatum means Denial.

kisshufan4ever beyond birthday - Thank you for your reviews. I'm sorry for the very, very long wait. I'll try to finish this soon! And I didnt mind the long review ;)

SparklyGlitter, QueenyLeAcH , Fedski, michibear and Chloeandderek = Thank you for all your support and I'll do my best!

Jester310 - I hope I try to keep him in Character though. :)

Take care everyone!