Hello reader! I'm sorry for uploading this chapter a little later than usual, it's just that school has been so busy lately and I've barely had anytime to write. Also, I don't know how I feel about this chapter... I was revising it and I just didn't know how I could make it better. And I couldn't really change anything because there are some Important scenes that happen that make things happen in future chapters so I can't really change it whoops. It's also a lot shorter than usually, so this is just a mess of a chapter lol.
Anyways I hope that you are all somehow able to not hate this chapter:)

Also, Sorry I don't have time to reply to your reviews on the last chapter, but I wanted to get this chapter out quicker:)

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

Chapter 14

"How did you find out about this place?" I curiously asked him.

"Someone told me about it."

"Who?" I asked. "Who told you about it?"

"A friend."

I paused as soon as he said "friend." My body froze, my face froze, my mind froze. 'I need to think.' I told myself. He could be talking about anyone, I need to stop overreacting. But almost no one else knew about this place. She told me that only very very few people knew about this place. There's no way that he could have gotten the information from someone else. But if he didn't get it from her, then how does he know about this place? Does he actually know her? He can't! Can he? If they do know each other, wouldn't she have told me? If she knew someone else from my school she would tell me.

And if they do know each other, then what else could he know? I mean, I guess that he could know basically anything and everything.

No, I mean, I'm probably just overreacting anyway.I don't even know for sure yet. But what If-

"Eh, Bunny Girl?" his voice broke me out of my little trance. "you alright?"
"Oh yeah, I'm okay."

"You're probably just in shock that something like this is even around here"

I did not respond to that, and instead tried to ask him some questions.

"So, who's this friend that told you about this place?"
"Oh, they're no one. Don't worry about it."

I decided that the best option was to not push the subject. But I was going to get answers sooner or later. I am just hoping for sooner rather than later.

"Whatever." I said. "Let's go get something to eat." and he couldn't agree faster

I didn't really care where we went to eat, so I just let him pick where we went. He chose a local pizzeria which happened to not be that far from the school so it was a pretty quick walk. Once we got there, we both ordered a simple, but hugely delicious piece of pizza.

"So," Gajeel started conversation. "How are you and Salamander doing?" he asked, right after taking a huge bite of pizza.

"Firstly, don't talk with your mouth open." I replied."and secondly, what do you mean by 'how are you and salamander doing?'"

"You know what I mean." he said, "you two are always together and he's always so clingy and protective of you."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

He laughed. "You know, for someone so smart, you're pretty dumb when it comes to these things."

"What things!"
"Just things that you don't understand because you're dumb."
"Don't insult me!" I yelled, and then began to take a sip of my glass of water.

He sighed. "Just ask him out already."
I spit out my water from his shocking command.

"Wh-what?" I asked shyly. "Did I just hear what I think I heard?"
"Well, if you heard me saying you should just suck it up already and ask Salamander out, then yes, you heard correctly."
"Why would I ask him out!" I demanded, but I couldn't hold back the blush that was forming on my face.

"You two obviously like each other. I mean, even a blind man can see it."

"But I-"
"Don't even try to deny it. It's way too obvious for you to even think of denying it.

I wanted to though. I wanted to deny it. I needed to deny it. Because it can't be true. I don't like him like that. I can't like him like that. I don't deserve it. And he doesn't deserve the trouble.

"I don't like him." I said firmly.

"Yes you d-"
"No." I cut him off. "No I don't."
We stared at each other in silence for eternity, as the tension was reaching to the sky.

"You don't?" He said, cracking the tension. "Or don't want too? Because those are two very different things.

"I don't like him." I repeated.

"Fine. Keep telling yourself that." he sighed.

"Isn't that what you do?" I said, not even knowing what said until I already said it.

"Huh?"
"That's what you tell yourself. Isn't it?" I said, before explaining myself further. "Is it because she's too sweet, or too nice? Or is it because you think your not good enough? Because you think that with all the shit that you do, you'll hurt her?" I spat.

"What are you going on a-"

I don't let him finish his sentence. "You keep telling me that i'm blind, yet you can't even see what's in front of you. And maybe it's because you can't see it." I paused. "You know what? I don't think that's it. You know that you like her, love her even." He flinched at the word 'love' but that didn't stop me. " but even though you know, you refuse to accept it. You just don't want to believe it. Because how could someone like you, even think to love someone like her?"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "You don't know me, and you sure as hell don't know what your talking about." his voice was sharp.

"I don't know what I'm talking about?" I mocked. "Then why don't you explain it to me?"
"I don't gotta explain nothin to you."
"Say her name" I said.

"What?"

"You haven't said her name. Just say it. Why don't you just say it already?"

"I got nothin to say."

"If you keep pulling yourself away, you won't be able to have her. She'll move on. She'll get tired of waiting for you."

"I'm not asking anyone to wait for me." He snarled.

"I don't think you have a choice. Because she is waiting. You both are just too scared. Too nervous that the other doesn't feel the same way. So scared that they won't feel the same way, or that you will hurt her. So it's easier to just stay still, rather then to move forward."

We both paused for a moment. Both thinking, and trying to understand what had just happened.

We were silent for I don't even know how long. But the tension was sharper than a sword at this point.

"You would know, wouldn't you." He said. Again, I said nothing.

I started to get up without a word, and wanted nothing more than to just get out.

"Ah come on, Lucy!" He called out. "Don't stand still anymore! Isn't that what you just told me? Don't ignore your own advice!"

And by this time, I was already out the door. All I wanted to do at this point was run away and go back to my house. Back to my room where I can be alone.

I just want to be alone.

When I got home, I don't even remember opening the door, or even going up the stairs before I finally landed on my bed. I just threw everything on my floor, and jumped on my bed and closed my eyes so I can just go to sleep.

buzz buzz

My phone. I really do just hate that thing sometimes. Who could be calling me anyway? I realized who it was one I looked down at the flashing name.

Natsu

I really didn't want to answer. Not anything to due to Natsu himself, I just wanted nothing more than to just sleep. So I put my phone on silent, so that I would no longer be disturbed by the noise.

I'll just call him later, so he knows that I'm alright. Because I already know that he's going to call me a bunch of times, probably until I answer. Even if it takes hours.

I always found that weird. Because he always liked to know where I was, and if he didn't know, he would call me a million times. But it wasn't in a controlling type way. He was never mean or anything about knowing where I am. But more in a caring, heartfelt type of way. I asked him about it once, about why he liked to know where I was, and he said it was because it made him feel better. It made him feel better to know that I was safe.

I started to blush at the thought. Knowing that he cares about me send a heart through my body. It makes me all warm and soft inside. And sure, he can be annoying at times, but I know he does it because he cares. We are best friends, after all.

Best friends. That's a term in which Natsu and I have been calling each other for a long time. As long as I can remember if I'm being honest. And those two words used to give me joy. Happiness. Used to make me feel so good, knowing what we meant to each other. It gave me a sense of peace.

But now it gives me almost the opposite. It's all we are. It's all we will ever be. And that gives me pain in my chest. It makes my heart clench. It makes me realize that being friends is all we are. But what if that's not enough? What If I want to be more than just friends.

I know he was right. What Gajeel said earlier, I do like him. I don't want to be just friends anymore. I want to be something more. I want him to like me. Not just as a friends but something so much more. I want him. Need him.

I like Natsu.

I like someone who I will never have. I like someone who I will hurt. I know that. People like me don't get relationships. We don't get love. Not from people from the outside.

And that hurts more than anything. But it's something that I have accepted. I can't have him. Hell, he's not even mine to have. Besides, there are so many prettier, smarter, better people out there for him. He doesn't deserve someone like me. I'm nowhere as good enough.

And with these thoughts swimming in my mind, sleep would not come.

So instead, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling for a long time. Thinking about all the things that I don't have. All the things that I will never have.

And I begged for sleep to come.

After a long time, I got too restless and annoyed that I got up and decided that sleep just was not going to come. I looked at my phone and saw that it was 7:22pm, and knew that I was laying there for a good amount of time. I also saw the many missed calls from Natsu.

I was asleep, sorry.

Is the quick message I sent him, and then opened my bag to take out my school stuff so I could at least get some work done. So I type out all my class stuff and could hold back a sigh as I looked at it all.

I knew I had to get it all done, because I had a reputation to keep. And besides, at least doing the work will help to get my mind off of other things.

So I worked until I was done, only stopping to go to the bathroom. And by the time I was done, It was already almost 9:00pm. I had spent about an hour and a half on homework, and I got to admit that I was tired. I was going to probably go to bed son, seeing as though it was already dark out and I wanted nothing more than to sleep.

But first I grabbed my backpack and started to put all my books away, but as I was putting my stuff away, I noticed a very strange little box at the bottom of my bag. I took it out and was surprised that I had forgot about it.

It was the pack of cigarettes.

I held it in my hand, unsure of what to do with it.

I mean, I've smoked before, but not nicotine. I don't know why I never smoked them before, I just never had. And Cana doesn't smoke cigarettes. She told me that she hated them, and told me to never smoke one, so I just always listened to her.

But yet here I was. With an almost full pack in my hand, begging me to become friends.

I looked through my room, and was able to find a lighter fairly quickly. And I held the cigarette in one hand, the lighter in the other.

Let us be friends.

The box practically spoke to me.

Let protect you.

Let us save you

I put it up to my mouth.

We will save you.

And so a savior they became.

Okay well this chapter was a big flop, sorry Guys. I don't even know why, I just don't like this chapter. But I hope you guys kinda liked it, and I'll try to make the next chapter better.

Thanks for reading, everyone!