A/N: OH MY GOD. I can't believe how awesome a response I got from the last chapter! Thank you guys for all the awesome, positive reviews! (I am not worthy!) It's absolutely insane to me how much this story has grown and how popular it's become over the past couple months. The only fan fiction I'd ever written before this was a super embarrassing Twilight fic that I published when I was twelve that I gave up on. So I almost didn't start writing this story when the idea came to me because I figured I'd just lose inspiration and quit again. But I haven't! Good thing I wrote this anyways, huh?

I'm so sorry that I haven't been answering all reviews personally anymore! I wish I could, but between studying and writing I only have time to answer a few. I still read EVERY review, though. Reading reviews makes my day, and I just want to send a huge THANK YOU to anyone who has ever taken time out of their busy schedules to leave me a review or a PM. You guys are the reason I keep going, even if I get slammed with work or writer's block threatens to stall my writing. I seriously appreciate you guys.

I hope you enjoy this!

February

Surprisingly enough, Gildarts didn't tear them a new ass over what will forever be referred to as "The Bookshelf Incident". He'd caught them before they could escape the library and made them clean it up, lounging in an armchair and sipping mojitos as he watched them work. Natsu had complained the whole time, claiming that the bookshelves fell over all on their own. He shut up when Gildarts suggested they review the footage from the library's surveillance cameras to see if Natsu's claims were correct. Gildarts's knowing grin made heat flood to Lucy's cheeks. Stupid prophets thinking they know everything.

When they were about halfway through cleaning, Lucy looked up and caught Natsu staring at her. He quickly looked away, but it was too late. Lucy's heart clenched, and it felt a little difficult to breathe. She wanted to ask him about the kiss. She told herself that she kept quiet because Gildarts was there, but it was a lie. She was scared of what he'd say. She was afraid that she'd been the only one feeling… whatever that had been. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Natsu's hand brushed hers as they reached for the same book. Natsu rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and apologized, although she didn't know what for. When they were done cleaning, he walked her home. Neither of them brought up the kiss the entire time.

Natsu and Lucy's relationship delved into an extremely complicated and incredibly fragile state of being in the weeks after that day in the library. On one hand, everything was the same as normal. They joked around like idiots, laughing and carrying on. Lucy kept Natsu out of trouble, and Natsu brought more fun and laughter to her life than she'd ever known before meeting him. He and Happy frequently barged into her place, much to her chagrin. And Lucy pretended that she wasn't completely in love with him. So, yeah. Their relationship was still kind of the same.

The only real difference was the obscene amount of time they'd spent making out on Lucy's couch over the past couple of weeks. To feed Lucy, of course. (That was her excuse.) Her head had practically exploded when Natsu first propositioned her. Every cell in her body was screaming at her to take him up on his offer, and there was a moment when she almost said, "yes". Thankfully, her brain had started working again just in time to stop her from making such a huge mistake. She couldn't force Natsu into a situation like that. Talking to Igneel had confirmed how serious romantic endeavors were for dragons. She wouldn't want to take advantage of Natsu's kindness just so she could have her way with him. Besides, Lucy wanted Natsu to really want to be with her if their relationship took such a serious turn.

Lucy was weak, though. She should've just turned him down altogether, but his chameleon eyes and inviting lips were calling to her. She could use her hunger (which was borderline agonizing at that point) as an excuse to kiss him. Only that once, and only because she felt like she would suffocate if he didn't breathe life into her in that very moment. But she didn't expect that kiss in the library to be so electric. And she certainly didn't expect anything like it to ever happen again. But Lucy's life never turned out how she expected.

It was two days after The Bookshelf Incident that they'd wound up alone in her living room, watching scary movies on TV. They still hadn't mentioned the kiss in the library, and she was almost convinced that it'd all been a dream. Natsu was chomping on popcorn like it was going out of style, and Lucy was curled up at the other end of the couch. Her skin was buzzing with anxiety due to her just being in the same room as him. The fact that it was dark and she could still feel his lips on hers every time she closed her eyes only intensified the feeling. She'd nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Natsu's hand on her shoulder.

"Lucy," he said, getting her attention. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed, inching closer to him. He smelled like cinnamon and cedar wood burnt in a bonfire. The scent alone was enough to make Lucy's mouth water. She shuddered.

"Are you," he gaped, eyes suddenly clouded in concern. "Are you hungry again?"

Lucy thought about the hidden implications that question entailed. Are you hungry again? She knew he wasn't asking about food. Not real food, anyways. He wanted to know if she was in the same shape as the other day. He wanted to know if her succubus lust was beyond her scope of control. Lucy knew how to tell when her "hunger" got out of hand. The muscles in her lower stomach would clench tightly enough to make her double over in pain, and her vision would start to blur. Her thoughts would become a jumbled mess of sexual nonsense, and the heat. At the worst of times, it felt like someone was lighting her body on fire. It was always excruciating to go through her states of hunger, which was the exact opposite of how she felt in that instant.

The warmth between her thighs and the fluttering thrum of her pulse and the electricity that crackled in the air only make little shudders of delight tingle up her spine. She felt the lust, but it was completely her own. The only hunger present was the constant hunger that she always felt for him. Lucy just wanted Natsu to touch her, to feel her. That desire alone clouded her mind. She didn't even want to take his energy or feed from him. It was most likely a side effect of being hopelessly in love with her ferocious little dragon, rather than that of being a "Creature of the Night".

But more than Natsu asking if she was alright, he was asking something else. She heard the silent question in the strain of his voice and the nervous bite of his lip. Do you want me to feed you again? If Lucy gave the word, he would kiss her senseless. He would wrap her up in his arms and work her into a frenzy with his warm, chapped lips. He'd make the world disappear with his hands and teeth, and she wanted that more than anything. She wanted him so much that it hurt. She wanted him enough to take advantage of him, which was something she'd spend many nights fretting over.

"Yes," Lucy said, her words holding some truth despite their being a lie. "I'm hungry."

It took no further prompting for Natsu to seal his mouth over hers, leaning forward and pressing her into the couch. Lucy had a vague thought in the back of her mind about how weird it was to be kissed like this while someone was getting violently murdered on her television. The terrified screams and squelching of blood should've been a turnoff, but the way Natsu suckled on the swell of her lower lip was too distracting for Lucy to successfully retrieve the remote and change the channel. Her mind went quiet when Natsu did something wonderful with his tongue, effectively shutting down her train of thought altogether. Natsu Dragneel was apparently able to literally kiss her stupid.

It was during one of these makeout sessions that their first fight (their first real fight, anyways) had sparked. They were in Natsu's room, mouths working furiously against each other. Happy was out getting groceries with Gray, which left the apartment alone to the two of them. No chances to be interrupted. Both of them had agreed to keep their arrangement a secret from everyone else (no one would understand that their relationship was still hopelessly platonic), and the thought of uninterrupted time alone together made Lucy's heart sputter. But it soon became clear that unsupervised time in his room was a surefire way to make things escalate too fast.

Everything was hot, and Lucy could barely think straight. She'd set boundaries in her head when they first started doing this. 1. No touching below the belt (and NO grinding). 2. No moaning Natsu's name. 3. No clothes come off. Not even socks. These rules were sacred, and must be adhered to at all times. They were the reasons why their romp in the library had ended so disastrously (well, that and the fact that the bookcases really should've been drilled into the floor or something). She'd never told Natsu about her rules out loud, but he rarely crossed any sort of line unless she did so first. So there hadn't been an issue. In all honesty, the rule that concerned her the most was #4. 4. Don't accidentally slip and tell Natsu that you're desperately in love with him.

It was Natsu's fault that her rules had been thrown out the window. He was bolder than usual, his hand sliding down and groping her ass through her jeans. Lucy gasped around his lips, readying herself to pull away. He only used her open mouth as an opportunity to suck on her tongue. It was like a sensation overload. Next thing Lucy knew, she had him pinned to the bed. And then she was tearing at his shirt, stretching out the collar in her attempt to just get the damned thing off. She threw it to the far side of the room like it'd burned her, running her hands over Natsu's broad shoulders. Natsu hissed when she raked her nails over his chest, kissing her harder. Lucy sighed. She'd expected his skin to be almost unbearably hot, but she hadn't expected it to be so soft. She had thought that the rest of him would be as rough as his hands, which was not the case.

It was only when she felt those curious hands of his trail up beneath her shirt that she was finally able to jerk herself away. Lucy wrenched herself back, scooting to the far end of Natsu's bed. The room was silent except for the sound of both of their heavy breathing. Lucy was practically panting as she tried to recollect her thoughts. She felt a shift in the mattress when Natsu started to move closer to her. She closed her eyes and held out a hand, not wanting to see his smoldering gaze. As gross as it sounded, succubus saliva was a potent aphrodisiac. She'd never thought that knowledge would be useful when she came across it in her studies, but it explained why Natsu didn't seem to mind her kissing him. Why he even seemed to like it. Lucy knew her resolution would falter if she saw him looking at her like he wanted to eat her up.

"Wait," she gasped, mind still a blunder. "Don't get closer."

"Luce," he murmured, voice husky. She shivered. "What's wrong?"

"I- I can't think. Just give me a second."

Natsu waited patiently, and eventually he got up to put his shirt back on. Lucy tried to slow her pulse. She could feel it thruming heavily in her neck (and between her thighs). Even as her mind caught up with the situation, her body still refused to calm down. Maybe it was because she was in Natsu's room, surrounded by the smell of him. Maybe it was because she could see the square line of his jaw in her peripheral vision, calling to her. Or maybe it was because she just wanted him that damn badly.

"I," Lucy paused, gulping. "I think I should go home."

"What," Natsu asked, bewildered. "What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. Look, I just- I need to be alone right now, or else I'll-"

Lucy cut herself off abruptly, embarrassed, but Natsu caught her drift. She saw him ruffle his hair, and her heart clenched. She always loved when he did that. Natsu turned back to her, and Lucy quickly averted her eyes before he could see the adoration there. It was already bad enough for him to know that she wanted to get him horizontal (even if he thought it was solely because of her succubus hunger). She doesn't know what she'd do if he found out that she was in love with him.

"Maybe," Natsu hesitated, shifting nervously. "Maybe we should- You know. You look like you've had more energy since I started feeding you. But maybe it's not enough. You're still hungry, and you almost had a lapse just now. Like at that party, when we were playing Truth or Dare. Maybe we should go all the way."

Lucy clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to know what he'd think if he knew her reckless abandon just then hadn't been the succubus. It'd been all her. Knowing that her actions couldn't be justified by succubus hunger made Lucy feel like some sort of sex fiend. Blush rose to her cheeks.

"You're just saying that because of-"

"I know, I know," he groaned, interrupting her. "I still don't believe that you have magic spit-"

"It's science, not magic-"

"But it's not the aphrodisiac talking, Luce! You're gonna have to feed eventually. I'm still kinda pissed that you went all of that time starving yourself without telling anyone-"

"I told you, I had it under control-"

"Under control? You were shaking in pain when I found you in the library," Natsu hissed. Lucy crossed her arms defiantly.

"The pain would've gone away eventually," she retorted. "And I wouldn't have brought down half of the library while waiting it out!"

"That wasn't my fault," Natsu cried indignantly. "It was mostly yours!"

"How in the hell was that my fault," Lucy asked, offended.

"Well, if you hadn't moaned my name like that-"

Natsu stopped mid-sentence, flushing at the memory. Every muscle in Lucy's body stiffened, and she suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. And incredibly vulnerable. She hadn't meant to moan his name, and the slip up was more telling of her feelings for him than she was comfortable with. Natsu had never moaned her name before, despite the amount of time they'd spent snogging the past couple of weeks. (It's because he doesn't feel the same way, a voice in her head whispered. He only kisses you out of guilt and obligation.)

"I'm going home," Lucy whispered, tears stinging at her eyes. She got up to grab her stuff, but Natsu stopped her.

"Lucy, don't," he urged, pulling on her arm. She pulled away.

"I can't do this right now, Natsu. I'm too stressed out already. Talking about sex is only making things worse," she said, flinching at the hurt in his eyes. She opened her mouth to tell him that her words hadn't come out right. That she hadn't meant it that way. But Natsu beat her to the punch.

"Stressed out? I'm sorry that being a succubus is so awful," he bit out, voice dripping in anger and pain and self-loathing. He began to pace the room, hands buried in his hair. Lucy's eyes widened at his obvious distress.

"You must've been cringing this whole time," Natsu grit out. "The fact that we kissed must disgust you. I can't imagine how horrible it must be that you want to touch me."

Lucy clasped a hand to her mouth. A knife to the chest couldn't have possibly hurt any more than his words. If only it was just the succubus in her that wanted to touch him. That wanted to kiss him. That wanted whatever Natsu had to offer. Life would've been so much easier if every part of her wasn't yearning for him. And she never would've thought that he'd lack sympathy for her internal torment over what she was.

"I can't believe you'd say that," she whimpered, voice cracking as tears finally flooded over. Natsu winced.

"Lucy, I-"

"You know what? It is horrible being a succubus," she yelled, gathering her things. "It's horrible that my mother died because she was a succubus and couldn't bear to feed too often from my father. It's horrible that I have to go through searing physical pain if I don't feed-"

"Lucy-"

"And," her voice broke, the words barely coming out. "It's horrible that being a succubus is tearing apart my relationship with my best friend."

Natsu looked stricken, whether by Lucy's words or her tears she didn't know. She left the room in a rush, not knowing whether she was relieved or hurt that Natsu didn't chase after her. When Lucy wrenched open the front door, she was surprised to see Gray and Happy standing on the other side with grocery bags in hand. They both gaped at her tearstained face, but she brushed past them before they could ask any questions. Lucy heard them shout after her, but she didn't look back.

She ran all the way home.

XOXOXOX

A week of not talking to Natsu was even more taxing than Lucy had thought it would be. She locked her windows and her front door. She refused to answer his calls and texts, turning off her phone completely and shoving it into her bag. And she ignored him the next day at school. All of their friends pestered them, sensing their rift in communication. Lucy just brushed them off, refusing to answer.

She'd looked like a wreck all week. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying every night, and she'd completely stopped putting any effort in her appearance whatsoever. Levy pretended not to notice Lucy's tangled hair and dark circles, bless her heart. But it was when she'd decided to spend lunch curled up in a bathroom stall to avoid Natsu that one of her friends had finally had enough.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Stop it," Juvia hissed, dragging Lucy to her feet. "No self-pity."

"But," Lucy gasped, struggling to speak through her tears. "But I just-"

"No excuses," Juvia demanded, wiping Lucy's tears away. "Lucy is going to wait for Juvia after school and eat dinner at her house. Does Lucy like casserole?"

"I can only eat chocolate," Lucy sobbed, crying into Juvia's shoulder. "I'm sorry-"

"We'll make brownies then," Juvia sighed, rubbing Lucy's back.

"Okay."

"Wait for Juvia after school. We'll ride the bus to Juvia's house together."

"Okay."

"And Lucy is going to tell Juvia what's wrong."

"Okay."

And that was how Lucy and Juvia wound up riding the bus together. Juvia had to run her fingers through Lucy's hair and listen to her teary-eyed mumblings the entire ride home. Half of the time they seemed a bit nonsensical, and the other half of the time Lucy was talking about Natsu. ("He hates the bus," Lucy had sobbed. "But I always loved it because he'd sleep on my shoulder.") Was Juvia like that about Gray? She hoped she wasn't. Lucy was over-emotional and completely irrational with her bouts of tears and depression. It was a total downer.

Still, Juvia couldn't help but feel a deep seeded empathy. Finding Lucy crying alone in the bathroom dredged up sour memories. And Lucy's anguish was apparently over Natsu, which Juvia could understand. Crying over boys took up a sizable chunk of Juvia's life, after all. It's not like Juvia hadn't spent the past two years crying over Gray Fullbuster. But experience had taught her that you'd only waste away if you didn't brush yourself off and pick yourself back up. This was a lesson Lucy had not yet learned, so Juvia felt an inherent responsibility to help her.

Juvia pulled Lucy inside, rolling her eyes at another one of Lucy's cries of despair. ("Natsu just barges into my house! God, I should be relieved that he hasn't tried to in the past couple days, but- But!") Juvia sat Lucy down at her kitchen counter and gave her a bottled water from the fridge. Lucy's sobs died down to sniffles as Juvia began to pull out all of the ingredients for brownies.

"What happened," Juvia asked softly, putting a mixing bowl on the counter.

"Natsu and I had a fight. He- he hurt my feelings."

"Okay," Juvia nodded, proud that she finally got a coherent sentence out of Lucy. "What was the fight about?"

"I'm a succubus," Lucy said after some hesitation. She looked at Juvia with caution. Juvia barely kept from rolling her eyes.

"Juvia knows," she said casually, cracking some eggs. "She's known since Truth or Dare."

"Oh," Lucy said, frowning.

"Is Natsu-san upset that Lucy is a succubus," Juvia asked with a frown, crossing her arms. Lucy shook her head.

"He- Natsu fed me."

"What-"

Juvia gasped, dropping her whisk. Lucy ran her hands over her face before launching into the entire story. Like, starting the day she transferred. Juvia listened, enraptured, asking questions and gasping at the appropriate parts. ("Natsu-san said that to you?" "I know, right?") By the end of it, Lucy was more angry than upset.

"How could he even think that," Lucy raged, pacing across Juvia's kitchen. Juvia sighed as she put the brownies in the oven.

"Well, maybe if Lucy told Natsu-san she was in love with him-"

"Saying something would ruin our friendship," Lucy groaned, collapsing into her seat.

"Not saying anything is ruining your friendship," Juvia scolded. "And what if Natsu-san feels the same as Love Rival-"

"Natsu is impulsive," Lucy interrupted, slumping. "He would've told me right away if he was in love with me."

"Volunteering himself as Lucy's dinner isn't his way of showing his love for you?"

Lucy flushed, and she couldn't think of a suitable response. Juvia smiled to herself, secretly smug. She saw the way Natsu looked at Lucy. Maybe Lucy hadn't seen it because she hadn't known Natsu before, but Juvia had.

"Natsu's selfless," Lucy finally mumbled. "He'd do that for anyone-"

"Anyone?"

"Well, maybe not anyone-"

"Juvia? I'm home!"

Juvia hopped up to greet her aunt Aquarius at the door. She was surprised her aunt was home so early. Often working strenuous hours, Aquarius usually wasn't home until after dinner. And lately she'd been spending so much time planning a trip with her boyfriend that Juvia had seen even less of her. When she got to the entryway, she saw Aquarius taking off her shoes. She looked tired, but seemed to be in high spirits.

"Juvia didn't know you'd be home early," Juvia smiled, wrapping her aunt into a hug. Aquarius sighed and patted Juvia's head lovingly.

"I finished my work quickly so I could get back to you. We haven't spent very much time together lately, so I thought we could have a movie night. It's Friday, after all."

"That sounds great," Juvia beamed, tingling with excitement. Aquarius had never been the overly affectionate type, but moments like this made her feel so loved. They started walking together to the kitchen, Juvia wringing her hands nervously.

"Juvia hopes it isn't a bother, but she invited a friend over. Her name is-"

"Lucy. Heartfilia."

Juvia froze, seeing her aunt standing frozen in the kitchen doorway. Lucy looked like a deer in the headlights with Aquarius's glare fixed on her. Aquarius looked beyond pissed, a sight Juvia hadn't seen since they'd watched that documentary on the treatment of dolphins at Seaworld. She looked absolutely livid. Juvia was puzzled. How did her aunt know Lucy? And why was she so upset?

"Um," Lucy gulped. "Yeah. That's me."

"You look just like your mother," Aquarius frowned, crossing her arms. "But you are far more irresponsible. Would you mind telling me where in the hell you've been the past six months?"

"Just, you know. Around. And did you just say you knew my mother?"

"Of course I knew your mother, you-"

"What is going on," Juvia half-screamed, interrupting the confusing conversation. Aquarius sighed, rubbing at her face in exasperation.

"I was friends with Layla Heartfilia," Aquarius said serenely, but Juvia could hear her voice dripping with frustration. "She gave me the task of bringing her daughter to Magnolia after her seventeenth birthday shortly before she passed away. It was her fucking dying wish. Seven years go by, and I keep my promise to her in mind and wait for the day when I'll have to fulfill it. Imagine my surprise when I go to get said daughter, a Miss Lucy Heartfilia, only to find that the spoiled idiot went missing a week before."

Juvia gasped, whirling around to see an embarrassed Lucy. The blonde shrugged, lips pulling up in an awkward smile.

"Sorry. My bad."

"Your," Aquarius choked. "Your bad? Do you have any idea how worried I was? You were clueless about your powers, and I was convinced that you'd wound up dead in a ditch somewhere! Not to mention that I never had a chance to give you the journal your mother left you-"

"My mother left me a journal? Do you still have it," Lucy asked, a tinge of desperation coloring her voice. Aquarius sighed.

"Of course I still have it, you little brat. Follow me."

Lucy eagerly followed Aquarius, looking like a lost puppy. Juvia trailed behind with mild curiosity. She stood in the doorway of her aunt's room while Aquarius pulled a worn, gold embroidered diary out of her nightstand. Juvia was faintly amused by the way Lucy took it into her hands, with the same care that one would take a priceless artifact. Although, to Lucy, they were probably one and the same.

"I have no clue what's inside," Aquarius said, stepping away. "Layla put a special charm on it. The journal will only open for you."

"Thank you," Lucy said, voice trembling. Aquarius clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Of course, you silly girl."

Juvia and Aquarius left quietly, letting Lucy read in private. They returned to the kitchen, and Juvia cooked pasta and filled Aquarius in on how Lucy was doing. Despite her aunt's seemingly instant dislike of the blonde, Juvia saw a worried line between her aunt's brows soften. Seeing Lucy had apparently lightened the weight that Juvia noticed Aquarius carrying on her shoulders. She'd probably been fretting over Lucy's whereabouts for Layla's sake. Seeing Aquarius look at peace was a relief.

They ate dinner and made quiet conversation. Lucy walked into the kitchen an hour later, cheeks red and eyes swollen from crying. Juvia and Aquarius said nothing, only offering comforting pats on the back and quiet solidarity. Lucy ate the brownies Juvia left out for her, going back for more after gobbling the first two cuts.

"These are amazing," Lucy gushed, chocolate staining her fingers and the corners of her mouth.

"Juvia is glad you-"

Juvia was interrupted by an ear splitting howl of wind. She walked to the window to see the weather, Lucy peering over her shoulder. There was practically a blizzard out. Snow and sleet and ice, which was only made worse by the insane wind. Lucy cursed.

"I should probably get home before this weather gets worse," she sighed.

"Lucy cannot go out in that horrible weather," Juvia frowned, crossing her arms.

"I'll be fine-"

"You're staying here tonight," Aquarius said firmly, her tone leaving no room for further argument.

"Okay," Lucy squeaked.

Juvia smiled. Her aunt always did have a way of getting what she wanted.

XOXOXOX

Lucy waited until Juvia's breathing slowed and deepened before checking to see if she was asleep. She waved a hand in front of Juvia's face, creeping out of bed when Juvia gave no response. She snuck into the kitchen and picked the journal up from where she left it on the counter. It was heavy in her hands, despite how sparse the pages really were. When Lucy brushed her fingers over the cover, the symbol on the back of her hand glowed. The book unlatched instantly, turning by itself to the page it knew she wanted to read.

Lucy hummed as she read. Her mother had written about her upbringing as a succubus and how she fell in love with Lucy's father (who sounded very different in this journal from the man Lucy ran away from). A lot of the explanations were useful, although many of them were things Lucy had already found for herself. Layla's journal did answer one question that'd been burning in Lucy's mind for months, however: She explained why she hid their succubus heritage; she didn't want Lucy to be raised the way she had been. Layla had always been terrified at the prospect of giving her heart away. She didn't want Lucy to grow up fearing love as she had.

"My dearest daughter. I know you'll be upset that I never told you about what we are. I, myself, wonder if this is truly what is best for you. But I cannot bear the thought of my hopeless romantic of a little girl becoming jaded and philophobic. You love so freely, my darling, and I don't want you to grow up in fear of what makes you so beautiful.

"It was my love for you, my precious daughter, that kept me going for so long. My heart doubled in size the day you were born. I'd always been told that a succubus could only fall in love once, and they were wrong. I fell for your father in a little diner on Main Street when I was twenty six. And then there was you. I loved you even before you were fully formed. And the day you were born, I fell in love with your chubby fingers and toes. I named you Lucy, which means 'light', because you were like a ray of sunshine in the darkness. And as you blossomed into my Sunshine Girl, I only came to love you more. You were my angel, Lucy. You kept me fighting."

Lucy's eyes stung, but she kept reading. This was the point she'd closed the book at. The ache in her chest had become almost too painful to breathe. But Lucy needed to finish the journal, even though the final entry was only making her feel sad and emotional.

"I pray that your fate won't be as tragic as mine, honey. I hope that you'll fall in love with someone who not only can sustain you, but will appreciate and love you as much as you deserve. Regardless, I pray that you won't run away from love when it finds you. Love is tireless and impossible to escape once it has you in its hold. Believe me, my love, I've tried. When you do find love, don't hide from it. Embrace it. Live your days to their fullest, and never let your love go.

~ Your Mother, Layla"

Lucy closed the book, swiping at the tears that poured down her cheeks. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to cry. Lucy clutched the diary tightly and forced herself to smile until it felt real. Love, she thought, mind a whirlwind of emotions. It must be its own kind of magic.

Lucy assessed her life, categorizing it into things she didn't know and things she did. She didn't know if her mom would be proud of the way Lucy was living now, running from love as if it had scorned her. But she did know that her mother loved her regardless. She didn't know if it would've been better to have known about her succubus blood or not. But she did know that her mother had the best of intentions. She didn't know what she should do now. But she did know that she had to do something. Her life needed a serious change.

Lucy thought about her mother's advice. That she should embrace love instead running from it. Honestly, the idea of love was still so terrifying. Lucy had gone so many years without it that the feeling was now foreign and overwhelming. She was about ninety nine percent certain that Natsu would never love her back. At least, not the way she wanted him to. But her mother's words still rang clear in her head.

"Live your days to their fullest, and never let love go."

She went to her backpack and dug her phone out, turning it on for the first time in days. It almost vibrated out of her hands as a flood of text messages and missed calls poured in. A couple were from Levy (asking about homework assignments) and Gray (asking why Lucy had left his dorm crying; "Do I have to beat Natsu up?"). The vast majority, though, were from Natsu. Lucy scrolled through the messages, seeing the gradual shift in attitude.

Please come back, Luce. I didn't mean it. That was the first one. There were a few more just like it. After a few hours, the messages got more frustrated. Lucy. Just answer me, damn it! Then, I'm gonna come over if you don't answer. And twenty minutes later: I can't BELIEVE you locked all of your windows. I'll break in if I have to. Five minutes later: Okay, fine. I won't break in. You'd probably just make me pay for it.

The next day: So you just completely ignored me at school. That's pretty cold, Lucy. And, You know what? If you won't hear me out, I'll just stop bothering you. Have it your way. That was the last message for a few days. He texted her again on Thursday: I can't stand this, Lucy. Please call me. And finally, I miss you, Luce.

Lucy's heart melted, and her resolve hardened. She came to a silent decision. Maybe it was futile. Maybe Natsu would never love her back. Maybe she'd never be able to make him feel the staggering warmth and affection that clenched in her chest every time he smiled at her. But Lucy couldn't afford to think that way. Her fear had already created a rift in their relationship. She could barely feel him through the bond since they were so out of sync. Lucy clenched her fist. She wouldn't let her insecurities stop her.

Lucy finally sent Natsu a message. I miss you, too. Come over tomorrow night. We can talk then. G'night. She set her phone up to charge and crept back into Juvia's room, slipping back into bed quietly. The wheels in her head were turning, and she tried to formulate a plan. A mode of attack, if you will. She couldn't sit back and expect things to come easily to her anymore. She was going to take this all the way. If Lucy Heartfilia has any say in the matter, she will make Natsu Dragneel fall in love with her. Or she'd die trying.

Literally.

I hope you guys liked this chapter! It's a bit angsty, but I felt that the fight was necessary to put a fire under Lucy's ass. Did you like the Layla/Aquarius bit? I've been planning it since, like, chapter 5. I hope I did the mother/daughter relationship justice. And I have a head canon that Aquarius and Juvia would get along super well. So. Anyways, Chapter 17 is already typed up! I just have to edit it! I'll be posting it on the 15th as a late Valentines-inspired chapter. UwU. You'l dig it, I promise. Anyways, I hope you guys have a lovely week!

~Mya