Hello readers! Wow it has been a while since I have updated. Sorry about that, but I have just been super busy, but lately I have so much motivation for this story so I have been writing a lot. So I thought, why not just publish a new chapter and see how people like it:)

Disclaimer- I do not own Fairy Tail or it's characters.

Also, I want to jut give you all a quick apology for any spelling mistakes that might be in here. I did try my best, and reread it a few times, but i'm never 100% sure if I fixed all my mistakes.

I hope you enjoy the chapter:)

Chapter 8

Once the school day was done, I finally was able to go home, and the first thing I did was fall into my bed. For some reason, I was both physically and mentally tired. But, as I was laying in my bed, my phone rang, and I grabbed it to pick it up.

"Hello?" I said, answering my phone.

"Hey, Luce!" It was Natsu, and I smiled at his nickname for me. I don't even know how he made that name for me. But I do remember that when we first met, that he would always forget my name. And then suddenly he just called me Lucy, and it just stuck.

"Hey, Natsu. What's up?"

"Well, I thought that if you weren't doing anything, if you would like to come over and maybe make some of those pies."

I laughed slightly, because it sounded like he really wanted those pies. "Sure, I'm not doing anything tonight, so I'll come over soon."

"Yay! Okay, see you soon."

"See you soon." And then we hung up. Even though I was very tired, I was also very excited to go see and hang out with Natsu. Him and I always have so much fun together. And I did promise him that we would make some pies together, and I guess today is as good a day as any other. Besides, I don't want all the apples to go bad before we even have the chance to use them.

So I gathered up all of the stuff that we would need to make the pies, because I knew that Natsu himself probably wouldn't have all the needed supplies, seeing that he isn't exactly a person who cooks enough. So I packed it all up and got ready to leave.

It doesn't take that long to get to his house, because I actually live fairly close to him. I would have walked, but since I had so many things to carry, I thought that it would be best to drive. I always loved going over to his house, I go over all the time, even since we were both kids, I would always come over and we would have a lot of fun. I definitely have many good memories in this house, and with Natsu as well.

His home was like my home. Or, a home away from home. As I pulled up to his house, he was already there waiting for me on his front steps.

"Luce!" I heard him say as I was pulling in his driveway.

"Come help me bring in all this stuff." I said as I got out of his car, and I saw him give me a toothy smile as he gladly came over to come help me.

It took us awhile, but we finally got all the stuff in after a few trips to the car. Natsu tried to carry in all the stuff in one go, and I yelled at him saying that he was going to drop it to his house, I felt a flood of warmth enter my body. One, his house was always warm, and smelt just slightly like a bonfire, and two, because it was of warmth of happiness. I have so many great memories being here, in his house along with him. His house feels more like a home than my actual house.

"Okay, so first we need to sort out all the ingredients" I said, already grabbing the stuff out of the bags."Natsu, I need you to start peeling the apples for me." I handed him a bag of apples and an apple peeler.

"Got it!" He said, and I went back through the bags to start and take the test of the stuff out. I take out the flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, all the spices, and everything else. As I look back around to Natsu, I notice that he's not the best at peeling apples.

"Natsu!" I said as I grabbed his hand, stopping him from skinning the apples.

"What?"

"You're doing it wrong! Your taking off so much of the Apple, we're not going to have enough for the pie." If I was being honest, he took off more of the actually apple part than the skin part. "Let me show you how to do it." So I took an apple and the peeler, and I quickly scrapped the apple, taking the apple skin off, while leaving the apple part on.

"Oh."

"Here, let me show you the movements." So I grabbed his hand in my hand, and I made him peel off the apple carefully. With the position that we were in, we were very close together. I could feel the heat of his body warming me up. He is always unusually warm, he's like a walking and breathing heater. But after a few moments of us being so close to each other, we both started to separate.

And, Suddenly, I was so very cold.

He cleared his throat. "Okay, I think I got it." and he started peeling the apples himself. I walked away slowly, slightly blushed at what just happened. Although, I don't even know what happened. And I don't know why I feel so warm, but so cold at the same time.

As I was finishing up putting out at the ingredients, I walked back over to Natsu and started to cut the apples. We Stood in silence, just the noise of cutting the apples sliced through the air. It wasn't exactly awkward silence, but there was definitely something strange in the air that I couldn't really figure out what it was.

After I was done cutting the apples, I went over and got a bowl so started to place the ingredients.

"Natsu! Stop eating the ingredients! We need them for the pie!" I yelled as he was picking out the cinnamon coated apples.

"I'm just testing to make sure that they are okay!" He yelled in defense.

"Idiot! Don't eat all the ingredients." I yelled at him. "Natsu stop!" All of a sudden he started running around the house with the bowl of apples, and I started yelling at him and chasing him.

"NO! They are mine now!" he yelled, laughing.

"NATSU!"

"AHH!" He yelled as I finally tripped him, and he fell to the floor, the apples all over him. "Lucy" he sighed, as he looked down as his cinnamon and apple covered shirt.
"It's your fault." I said, kneeling down in front of him. "That's what you get for taking the apples." His face was down, so I couldn't see his face, but once he looked up I knew something bad was going to happen. He looked up and he had an evil smirk on his face, and before I could even do anything, I too was covered in apples and cinnamon.

"Natsu!" I yelled in distress as he poured the remainder of the apples on me. He didn't say anything but laugh loudly, and have the stupid, toothy grin on his face. I also laughed at our situation.

The both of us on the kitchen floor, covered in what was suppose to be the filling of some apple pies. It was a mess, but it was a quite beautiful moments. It reminded me of our connection together. How we are always having fun together. How even though he makes a mess of things, we always have the most fun when we're together. I think in that moment I felt something. I felt the bond between us, what It meant, well, I didn't know. But it meant something. But I did know that that bond, that feeling was something I wanted to hang onto. Because when you find something like that, you have to hang onto it for as long as it can. I probably didn't realize it then, but this might have been the few moments when I first realized that I wanted these feelings to stay. That it meant something to me. But how can you hang onto something when you don't even know if it's worth hand on?

"Great, now where a mess." I sighed, getting up and trying my best to wipe off the access pie that's all over me.

"Don't be so mad, Luce." Natsu sighed, also trying to clean himself off. Soon enough, I figured that I was as clean as I was going to get.

"Your lucky that I brought extra apples."
And he smiled widely, almost like he knew that all along."wait, Luce.' He walked up to me, standing so that we were face to face, and places his hand in my hair. His eyes are on my hair, but mine were on him. Our noses were almost touching. And once again I could feel his breathe and the heat of his body.

"You missed a spot." his voice was breathy, and just barely a he pulled out an apple piece that was in my ear. And then he backed away all too soon. "Well, let's get going on making the pies." And he smiled.

"Yeah." I smiled. "But you better not eat it all this time." I scolded him, and he seemed to listen, and then we went to baking the delicious pies.

In an hour or so, the house smelt like a bakery. As the pies were cooking, Natsu spent the whole time asking when they were going to be ready, and it got annoying very quickly. But finally, they were done, although they were smaller than usual because of the incident that happened earlier, but they still looked and smelt amazing.

"You can have one, only one, of the pies." I said, and he did look sad at the thought of only having one. "And please try not to eat the whole thing tonight." I swear, the boy had a black hole for a stomach. I don't even know how he could eat as much as he does. He agreed, but I don't think that lie will last till tomorrow, knowing him.

Thankfully, he helped me put my stuff in the car, and I helped to clean his kitchen, well, more like he helped me seeing as though I did most of the cleaning.

He tried to convince me to stay for longer, but I said that I had to get home. He sighed, but I told him that we were going to see each other soon, anyway. I also told him that I would text him once I got home, as I always did. He wanted to drive me home, but I said that there was no need. So like he always made me do, I was to call or text him once I was safely home. I think he's paranoid that something's going to happen to me during the short drive to my house. It not like anything is going to happen anyway, but I know he does it because he cares, so I always do it.

So after we said our goodbyes, that took a lot longer than I have expected, I left. I was pretty said that I was leaving, but it's not like I'm not going to talk to him soon. I mean, we talk to each other all the time that it's like we're together all the time.

But what I didn't tell him, was that I would be making a quick stop at someones house on the way home. So I drove past my house, barely batting an eye, and went off to my destination.

I walked up to their front door with a pie in and knocked on the door.

"Who's it?" I heard an oh so familiar voice, and smiled.

I smirked. "It's your favorite person."
The door clicked open, "Blondie!" Cana said as she gave me a hug. "And pie!"
"Yes, and pie." I said, and I walked into her house. "Hey Bacchus." I greeted him once I saw him, and he simply nodded at me.

"Lucy, what kind of pie is it?" Cana asked.

"My specialty."

"That's my favorite!" She yelled. "Did you put anything special in it?" she winked.

"Nope." I said simply.

"boring ."

"Then maybe I should just take it back-"
"NO! My pie!" She yelled, holding the pie.

"Your welcome for the pie." I said, Cana and Bacchus have already dug into the pie, and they handed me piece and we all sat down and ate.

"So, Lucy." Cana said. "How's life going for you"
"I guess it's not too bad." I said. She noticed the slight uneasiness in my voice, but didn't press on.

Cana got up and walked into a room to go get something, she came out with bottles in her hand. "Now, let's get this party started." she said, handing me a bottle.

"I don't think that it's a very good idea." I hesitated. "I mean, because I have school in the morning, and It just doesn't sound that good to do it right now."

"one drink wont hurt ya." She said. "But whatever you say, I'm not gonna force you or anything. Your old enough to make your own choices.

I thought it over for a quick second. I know that I shouldn't, and there are many supporting reasons why I shouldn't yet, I could feel a pull, like my body was asking for it, even though I didn't want it. but maybe I did.

I mean, One drink isn't gonna kill me.

I took the bottle and opened it up and took a nice sip. "But I can't drink too much, I have school in the morning."
"Yeah, yeah drink up, blondie." And so I did.

I luckily have more self control, so I stopped myself from drinking too much, but watched as the other two continued on. Cana was a big drinker. And It almost seems as if she never gets drunk. That, or she's always drunk and that's just how she always acts. Either way, she's a fun person to be with.

"Lucy." Cana said, "this pie is delicious. Like it's one of the best you've ever made."
"Thank you Cana, but don't eat all the pie today." the three of us have already had most of it, leaving only a very few pieces left. "Because you only get on pie."

"What?!" both her and Bacchus yelled. "That's not fair! We want more pie!"

I laughed. "I'll try and get you guys some more, but I make no promises." I looked at the time, and realized that I should probably start to leave since I have school in the morning.

"Okay, well I should probably go now. I don't want to be out too late."

"Before you go!" Cana yelled, and went to go grab something, and brought a bag out and gave it to me. "Call it payment for the pie." She said. "

"Thanks, Cana." I smiled.

"Do you need a ride home?"
"No, I got it."
"Okay, be safe. And don't forget to call me once in awhile. I want to know how you high school experience is going."
"Okay." I laughed.
"I'm being serious!" she laughed.

So we said our goodbyes and then I left her house and walked down to my car. As I was about to walk into my car I heard someone's footsteps and I looked over to see a surprisingly familiar face.

"Gajeel?" I said,and he looked back at me.
"Lucy?" He asked, sounding more surprised than I was. "What are you doing here?"
"Um, seeing a friend." Which I was, so It wasn't really a lie. "What are you doing here?"
"Tsk, none of your business." he hissed.

"Uh, okay." I said, and started walking away.

"Lucy?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning to face him.

We both hesitated for a moment, both of us looking at each other. I don't know why I hesitated, but I did. Maybe because I'm so shocked that he is here, because it's not like I planned on seeing him tonight, and I'm sure he wasn't planning on seeing me.

"H-hows your wrist doing? He asked quietly.

I was surprised at the sudden question, he doesn't usually ask those types of questions. "It's fine. You don't have to worry about it."
He just nodded in agreement.

and we were back to an awkward moment. Great.

Now I had to just come up with some lame excuse as to why I have to leave. But in all honestly, it doesn't seem like he wants to stay ad chat either. So he is more than likely trying to find a way out of this situation.

"I have to get home now. It's late, and I got school tomorrow and all, so, I'll see you later." And after our goodbyes, I left to go to my house.

When I got too my house, I lazily put all the stuff away. As I walked in the kitchen, I noticed the smell of alcohol covering the house. I even saw the empty beer cans, and bottles scattered along the floor. I knew what must have happened. I sighed, not having enough energy to clean it all up, so I just went up to me room. I still have my little present from Cana in my pocket, So I took it out.

I held it in my hand as I layed in my soft bed, surrounded by my thoughts that were crawling on my skin. Eating at my soul. My house was always so quiet because it was usually just me that was here. I'm used to the quietness, but not used to what it does.

When it's quiet, you are the most vulnerable. Anything can happen. You can let anything happen to you. It's the perfect place and time for your demons, your thoughts to eat you. To bite at your skin.

But no matter what you do, you just can't make them go away for good. You can pause them, or make them go to sleep, but they always come back. They come back even stronger than the last time.

But like anything else, you get used to it. You find things that help you get through.

But what happens when it's not enough?

Because one day, it's not going to be enough, and everything is going to come crashing down.

So as I lay in bed, my little saviors are helping me get through.

And suddenly, I'm in my own little, peacefully,lonely, world.

And that's the end of chapter 8! I actually wrote this chapter so long ago (probably like 3 months, maybe more.) and wow my witting sucked. But it does get better, I feel like it' just kinda choppy in some places, so i'll try to work on that.

I'm also going to try to update regularly, but I've been so busy lately so I'm going to try my best.

Also, please leave a review, because I really want to hear your feedback

Thanks for reading:)