Before we move on to the story, first things first!

I am deeply and truly sorry for not updating for so long. I was facing a writer's worst enemy; writer's block. I seriously didn't know how to start this chapter but I managed somehow. I personally thank all those who stayed with my story for this long 'cause I never thought it would get this much attention for just 9 chapters. Thanks so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail

When someone is crying, of course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.

-Lemony Snicket

oxoxoxox

Lucy groaned as she tapped her fingers on the front desk, her chin resting in her right hand and a frown adorned her beautiful face. Levy was talking to her but her mind was too far gone to even pay attention to was she was saying. Lately she's been thinking about Natsu. The last time she saw him he was alright, from her perspective. During their breakfast together he wasn't complaining too much about his torso, he even teased her about them looking like a newlywed couple because Lucy cooked for him. Of course the comment made her blush, but she knew he was only joking. Right?

He hasn't called or texted her, not since he left her house, and that was over a week ago. She was worried. She hoped nothing bad had happened to him. The worst possible scenarios comes to mind; what if he was cheating on her with one of his ex-girlfriends? What if he got bored of her? What if he got involved in another fight and was beaten to death? Lucy wouldn't be able to take it was all three; he decided to 'have some fun' with another girl because she wasn't giving him what he wanted and had to end up fighting the girl's lover. No! She trusted him. He said he wouldn't do that to her so she shouldn't be stressing about something so foolish.

Even though it's been a few days, she really missed him. Seeing his toothy grin and even his seductive smirk after he says something to embarrass her. She's not really the type to get easily attached to someone, especially if she hasn't known the person that long but there was something about Natsu that made her immediately drawn to him. Maybe it's his salmon – since he's too 'manly' for pink – hair?

"- and then, instead of him trying to negotiate with the guy, he punches him square in the face for accidently bumping into him and – are you even listening? Lu-chan!"

"Eh?" the blonde snaps out of her thoughts and sees the blunette leaning over to her, she pouts cutely with her arms crossed in annoyance. Lucy knew she didn't liked to be ignored. She'd get highly irritated when others refused to listen to her, she'd complain, and boy did Lucy not want to hear her endless lecture about why it was important to listen when others were speaking to you.

"Did you hear any word of what I just said?" she repeatedly taps her shoes on the marble floor, waiting patiently for the blonde to answer – that is if she can give one.

"Uhh… you said something about fighting?" she answered, but it seemed more like an uncertain guess. The petite girl sighs before uncrossing her arms and giving her friend a concerned look. "What's wrong Lu-chan? Something's going on with you, I can feel it"

"It's nothing really. I was just… thinking, that's all"

Levy scoffs at her poor excuse of reassurance. "I've noticed you've been doing that for the past week. Who have you been thinking of?"

Lucy stiffens and softly gasps, an action that did not go unnoticed by the blunette. She watches carefully as the blonde nurse slightly lifts her chin off her hand and looks at her with those wide brown eyes of hers.

Hurt. Anger. Sadness. Confusion.

Levy could see all the conflicting feelings battling each other in her eyes, fighting to see which emotion could overpower the other (does that make sense?). She knew these feelings could only be caused by one thing…

"What's his name?"

"I told you, it's noth-"

"What's – his – name?" she interrupted, a plain look on her face as she leaned on top on the counter to get closer to blonde who sat by her computer. Lucy blinked a few times, contemplating on whether to tell Levy about her concerns but she didn't want to bother her. Instead she'll just play it off like everything's fine so-

"And don't try to play it off like everything's fine so I wouldn't be worried. I can tell when you're lying to me"

Did she read my mind?!

"And no, I'm not reading your mind"

"But I didn't say anything!"

"Your face says it all. Now tell me, who has my Lu-chan all worked up?" the blunette rests her chin on the back of her hand as she eagerly awaits an answer. She was sure she'd be able to help her friend with whatever 'men problems' she was facing. After all, she helped her get over a lot of her past relationships so this one would be a walk-through-the-park for her.

Lucy on the other hand was trying to put her thoughts together so she could explain… what did she had to explain? Oh, I haven't heard from my new boyfriend – who I've only met twice for the past two weeks, but decided to date him anyway – and I'm scared he might be avoiding me for various reasons unknown! Can you help me? As if! She have to put it more delicately than that, this is Levy she's speaking to. The sweet, small nurse who nearly made a patient cry because he unintentionally insulted her by comparing her breasts size to the blonde's. Though that would've been quite the show to watch, Lucy had to stop her before the hospital got sued for threatening and mistreating the patients.

But seriously, how was she going to word her situation in a way that wouldn't cause Levy to make the wrong assumptions. Without her knowledge or consent, he lips moved on their own and she softly whispered, "Natsu" immediately she covered her mouth and turns her eyes to her friend, hoping she didn't hear her but the blunette looked just as surprised as she was. "N-Natsu? As in Dragneel Natsu?"

"You know him!?" Lucy stood up abruptly, almost causing the chair she was sitting on to fall backwards. She eyes her suspiciously before stuttering, "P-Please tell me, y-you're not one of his old lovers, are you?"

"No! Heavens no. I've known Natsu since we were kids"

"Oh, that's nice…Really?!" Lucy yelled in exasperation. She disturbed some of the families who had come to visit their loved ones and blushed from embarrassment when she noticed everyone in the room had gone silent to stare at her. Clearing her throat to regain her composure she sat back down and went back to talking to the blunette, like nothing awkward happened just now. "Really?"

"Yeah. My parents and I had just moved in to our new house when I was seven. I a hard time making new friends with the neighbors' kids since I was shy, but Natsu… he was the first friend I made. He even introduced me to some of his friends from school and I guess we became really close after that"

"Tell me more about him… I mean how he was back then" Lucy said as she sat up straight, her eyes sparkling with interest. Levy was more than happy to oblige since speaking about the past always evoked nostalgia. "Well, where should I start? He was a reckless kid, always getting into fights just to prove his strength among the boys in the class. Even though he was popular in high school, he never looked down on anyone. He's possibly one of the most loyal persons you'll meet." This comment made Lucy smile. It was kind of hard to believe that the Natsu back then was a completely different person than what he is now. Though he still has that reckless nature and habit of getting into fights in him.

"But, during high school he became… different," Levy looked down to the floor for a second before staring back at the blonde with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "He… he started hanging around the wrong crowd, started drinking and smoking, even skipping school for a few days without telling anyone what happened to him. He didn't show up for a whole month and I got worried, so one day I decided to go by his house to talk to him, ask him why he's been acting strange lately, but when he opened the door…" Lucy was surprised to see tears leaking down her face. "He wasn't Natsu, he wasn't himself anymore! His skin was pale, not the usual tanned complexion I was used to seeing; he looked like a walking zombie. But the scariest thing was, he had a hand-full of pills. At first I thought they were medication he was taking for an illness, but he started saying things like, 'I can't go on living anymore! I'd be better off dead.' I believe he was planning to overdose himself so I slapped the pills out of his hand, called him a selfish bastard and ran. I didn't want to and I didn't know why, my legs just moved on its own. He shortly moved from my neighborhood after that and I haven't seen him since. I'm just a horrible friend for leaving him there like that!" the blunette broke down in tears and Lucy was quick to comfort the girl, holding her own tears at bay.

She rubbed soothing circles on her friend's back to calm her down. "It's okay now, Levy-chan. He's still alive and if it wasn't for you visiting him that day, he probably wouldn't be living right now" the petite nurse cried harder and louder, burying all her sadness into her hands as she leaned her head on Lucy's shoulder.

The two stayed like that for a while until one of the nurses who was passing by took Levy out of Lucy hold and escorted the blunette someplace else. Once they were out of sight, Lucy coughed out a sob she was holding in for so long. To think that he could manage to still smile and laugh like he had a normal life after he went through so much. He's a strong man, Lucy had to admit.

Lucy was curious to know what could've happened to make him stoop so low as to take his own life. How could he be so selfish? Lucy wanted to slap him when she sees him again. She's gonna punch, no, deliver a few 'Lucy Kicks' on his ass, but more importantly, she going to hug him the same way she hugged Levy and tell him how much she was thankful to God for allowing him to keep his life. She wouldn't know where she would be right now. If Natsu hadn't saved her that night she probably would've committed suicide herself. With both her rights and dignity as a human being gone, she's have no reason for living.

Without her consent, hot oily tears fall down her face. She was really lucky to have met Natsu.

The front doors to the hospital open but she too deep in her thoughts to greet the unknown visitor. The person has a smile on his face as he approaches the blonde nurse standing by the front desk. "Natsu, where are you?" she whispers almost inaudibly. To her surprise, she actually gets an answer, "Right behind you babe"

Lucy gasped at the familiar voice and turned around to see her pink-haired boyfriend smiling at her with that toothy grin that warmed her heart. "Did you miss me? I thought I'd drop by to visit you since I haven't seen you for a week, but I can explain everything so don't –"he stops when he sees the mascara mixing with her tears as it ran her face, her eyes moist in sadness and her lips trembling as if it's trying to suppress a loud sob from escaping her mouth. "Luce? What happened? Why're you crying? Who do I have to punch in here to – oomph!"

Natsu made a muffled sound in surprise when Lucy threw herself in his arms and hugged him. He stiffened when he heard her sorrowful sobs, wondering who the hell made his Luce cry like this. He was gonna make him wish he was never born if he finds the guy.

Shamefully, Natsu didn't know what to do at the moment. He was never good at dealing with girls, especially when they cried. He knew Lucy needed comfort, but could he give it, and if so, how would he do it? Should I hug her back or tell her everything's gonna be alright, but he doesn't know what the problem was. What should I do?!

Going with his instinct he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. He allowed her to pour all her emotions into his chest as he stroked her hair gently. "Shh, Luce, it's okay. Just let it all out" he cooed, trying his best to console her.

"Don't ever leave me, Natsu Dragneel!" she cried as she looked up to him with teary eyes. Natsu couldn't bear the sight of this, it was tearing him up inside to see her like this; she looked broken. "E – Even if we g-get into fights and say things we really don't mean, p-please don't leave me, s-stay by my side"

Natsu held her tightly as he whispered back, "I'll never leave you, Lucy Heartfilia"

oxoxoxox

Very cliché, I know but I really didn't have a better way of ending it off. How'd you guys feel about that little flashback of Natsu's past? I almost cried when I was typing that up, ALMOST!

Review, fav and follow if you want more chapters from me. I better get like, over ten for this chapter. If not I'll put this story on hold again while I write up future chapters.

Just kidding ppl ^^. Relax… for now.