What went wrong?

One minute, they were sweet, wrapped in the warmth of laughter and love; the next, they were shouting at the top of their lungs, voices echoing off the walls like thunder. It always seemed to start over something trivial, yet somehow spiraled into full-blown shouting matches that left them both exhausted and bewildered.

Just a week after graduating high school, Lucy and Natsu moved out of their parents' homes, eager to embark on a new chapter together. It felt like a dream realized—sharing an apartment, attending the same university, building a life side by side. They were filled with hope and excitement, imagining a future that could only grow brighter.

But that summer, Lucy's world came crashing down.

Natsu had left for Magnolia's Volleyball Camp, his absence filling their apartment with silence that Lucy tried to ignore. Her friends, sensing her loneliness, convinced her to go out for a girls' night—a distraction she thought she needed. They hit the town, laughing and drinking without a care in the world. For a few short hours, she let herself feel free. She downed drink after drink, trying to drown out her worries, trying to forget how much she missed Natsu and the weight of the unknown future.

But it got out of hand.

Lucy was too far gone, too drunk to stand, her vision blurred and her body heavy. She couldn't think straight. Her girlfriends suggested calling a cab, but in her drunken haze, Lucy pulled out her phone and called the one person who had always been her safe haven—her mom.

"Mom, can you come pick me up? Please... I'm sorry, I just—please."

Layla had never hesitated when it came to Lucy. She'd drop everything to make sure her daughter was okay. And that night, she did.

But Layla never made it.

Hours later, Lucy's phone buzzed again. At first, she thought it was her mom telling her she was outside. She fumbled with her phone, smiling weakly, waiting to be scooped up and carried away from the mess. But the voice on the other end wasn't her mother's.

It was the police.

A van driver had fallen asleep at the wheel, veering off the road, crashing head-on into Layla's car. The impact had been catastrophic. Layla was gone before anyone could reach her.

The phone slipped from Lucy's trembling hand, clattering onto the pavement as the world spun around her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Her mother—her safe place—was dead.

Lucy's knees buckled, and she collapsed on the sidewalk, her chest heaving as reality hit her with the force of a thousand knives. She had called her mother. She had done this.

Her mother was dead because of her.

The guilt was immediate, wrapping around her like chains, tightening with every second that passed. Lucy could barely hear the concerned voices of her friends around her. Everything was muffled, distant, like she was submerged underwater. All she could focus on was the echo of the officer's words replaying in her mind, over and over.

"Your mother didn't make it."

It was her fault. If she hadn't gone out, if she hadn't gotten so drunk, if she hadn't called her mom that night, Layla would still be alive. The "what-ifs" clawed at her, suffocating her. She wanted to scream, to cry, to rewind time and take it all back. But she couldn't. Her mother was gone, and it was because of her.

When Natsu came back from camp, he found Lucy curled up in her bed, silent and broken. He tried to reach out to her, to hold her, but she barely responded. The light in her eyes was gone, replaced by a hollow emptiness that terrified him. He didn't know what to say or do to bring her back from the darkness that swallowed her whole.

The weight of that night consumed her. She could hardly look at herself in the mirror, let alone face Natsu. She had taken away the person who loved her the most, the one person she could always count on. And the thought of that—of being the reason her mother was gone—was too much to bear.

She wanted to turn to Natsu for comfort, to let him hold her and tell her it wasn't her fault. But how could she? How could she let anyone close when the guilt was drowning her, when every beat of her heart screamed that she didn't deserve comfort, didn't deserve love?

Natsu did everything he could to comfort Lucy after the tragedy. He tried to be her rock, the steady presence she needed to get through the overwhelming pain. But it wasn't easy. Lucy had changed. She was still there, physically, but emotionally she felt miles away. She became snappier, her sensitivity heightened, and some days she simply wanted to be alone, lost in her own grief.

Natsu constantly reassured her, telling her over and over again that it wasn't her fault, trying to ease the crushing guilt she carried. He wanted her to see that there was nothing she could have done to change what happened. But no matter how many times he said it, Lucy couldn't seem to believe him.

He'd heard from his father that at the funeral, Lucy's own father, Jude, had blamed her for Layla's death. The words had cut deep, and Natsu knew that was why she was reacting the way she was now—pushing everyone away, including him. The guilt was festering inside her, poisoning everything, and no matter how much Natsu tried to comfort her, the distance between them only seemed to grow.

Late nights

Long fights

It felt right

We were alive

Just weeks into their freshman year of college, Lucy and Natsu were already drifting apart in subtle, painful ways. Natsu had found a part-time job near their university, while Lucy threw herself into school and the new organization she'd joined, using the busyness to distract herself from the grief still weighing on her heart. She still refused to talk about what happened that night, and Natsu, despite his concern, didn't push her. He was afraid that if he did, she might spiral again, and he couldn't bear to see her break down.

But the cracks were beginning to show.

It started with the small things. Natsu, caught up in juggling classes and his job, would sometimes forget to clean Happy's litterbox, letting the stench of cat litter seep through their apartment. It wasn't a big deal to him, but for Lucy, it was unbearable. The smell became a trigger, a reminder of how disorganized and messy everything felt in her life since her mother's death. And with each time Natsu forgot, her fury grew.

She lashed out—over the litterbox, over the dishes piling up, over him coming home late from volleyball practice. It wasn't just about the mess; it was about everything she couldn't control. Natsu, who had always been her source of comfort, now felt like another reminder of the chaos. But even as they fought, Natsu stayed quiet about the real issue. He didn't pry, didn't push her to talk about the grief she was burying. He didn't know how to help without making it worse, and that silence between them only deepened the rift.

Natsu opened the door to their apartment, fatigue washing over him like a wave. He had been looking forward to crashing on the couch and sinking into sleep, but as soon as he stepped inside, he was met with the unmistakable tension in the air. The living room was dimly lit, but he could see Lucy standing near the kitchen, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression stormy.

"Where have you been?" Lucy snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through the silence.

"Practice ran late," Natsu replied, trying to keep his tone even despite the tightness in his chest. "My phone died, so I couldn't let you know."

"Right, your phone died. Always an excuse, isn't it?" Lucy shot back, her eyes blazing with frustration. "I was worried sick!"

"Worried sick? Lucy, it's just volleyball practice!" he said, throwing his backpack down with a bit more force than intended. "I didn't think it was a big deal!"

"Not a big deal?" she echoed, incredulity dripping from her words. "It's always a big deal to me when you disappear without a word! I don't know if you're lying in a ditch or if you just don't care enough to tell me!"

Natsu felt his temper flare, the hurt simmering beneath the surface threatening to boil over. "You think I don't care? I've been working my ass off to make sure we can pay rent! I'm doing this for us, for our future!"

"For our future?" she laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You mean your future! All you think about is volleyball and your stupid job. What about me? I'm over here, drowning in my own grief, and you can't even be bothered to check in!"

"Drowning in grief?" Natsu shot back, his voice rising. "You think I don't notice how you shut me out? You're not the only one struggling here, Lucy! I'm trying to keep everything together while you act like I'm the enemy!"

Lucy's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her voice trembling as she spat, "Maybe I wouldn't have to shut you out if you actually cared to see how I feel instead of making everything about you! You don't even know what it's like to lose someone!"

Natsu's heart sank at her words, the anger draining from him as he looked at her. "I don't know what it's like? Lucy, I'm here, trying to help you, but you won't let me in!"

"Maybe I don't want your help!" she yelled, the vulnerability breaking through her anger. "Maybe I don't want to be a burden to you! I'm tired of pretending everything is fine, but you wouldn't understand that, would you?"

He took a step toward her, his voice softening. "Lucy, please… I just want to be there for you."

"Then stop acting like you're the only one who matters," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, the fight leaving her. "I need space. I need time to figure things out… without you breathing down my neck."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him standing in silence, watching her turn away. As the weight of her rejection settled in, he felt a deep sense of loss, knowing that they were both struggling yet somehow still so far apart.

"Lucy…" he began, his heart racing, desperate to bridge the chasm that had formed between them.

"I just need some time alone," she interrupted, her voice cracking. "Please."

Natsu's chest tightened, feeling helpless as he watched her retreat further into herself. "Fine," he said, forcing the words out. "I'll let you calm down first. We can talk again tomorrow."

He turned to leave, his heart heavy with despair. "I'll crash at Gray's tonight."

"Whatever," she replied, her tone void of emotion, the distance between them feeling insurmountable.

As he stepped out, the door closing behind him felt like a finality, leaving him in the dimly lit hallway with a sense of loss that gnawed at his insides. Natsu leaned against the wall, wishing he could rewind time, wishing he could find a way to reach her before it was too late.

The morning Natsu returned, he found his girlfriend in their bedroom. Lucy sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes red and puffy from crying, guilt pooling in her chest like a heavy stone. She felt the weight of everything she had said the night before, and her heart ached for the words that had flown from her lips in anger and despair.

"I'm sorry," she finally managed, her voice barely a whisper, trembling with emotion. "I shouldn't have said those things. I just… I don't want to feel like this anymore."

Natsu remained silent, standing a few steps away, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His heart ached at the sight of her, so fragile and broken. "You just want everything to be alright, Luce," he replied softly, trying to keep his voice steady. "But you have to talk to me. I can't help if you don't tell me everything."

She looked up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks, and for a moment, he saw the girl he fell in love with. The one who lit up his life with her laughter and joy. But that girl felt lost, buried under the weight of grief and guilt. "My dad won't even look at me," Lucy choked out, her words heavy with sorrow. "I'm ruining everything. I just wanted to make things right, but I feel like I'm falling apart."

Natsu's heart twisted painfully at her admission. He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close. "It'll get better," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You're not ruining anything, Luce. You just need time. And I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you."

She nodded, and they stayed like that for a moment, but in the back of Natsu's mind, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread. He wanted to believe her pain would ease, but he knew that sometimes healing wasn't a straight path.

As the days turned into weeks, things seemed to get a little better at first. They cuddled on weekends, and Lucy finally began to share her thoughts, letting the dam of her sorrow burst open. But with every small breakthrough came another hurdle they had to face together.

We would go out

We were so loud

We were so proud

We had no doubts

What went wrong?

Natsu sank onto the couch, the cushions sinking beneath him like the weight of his frustration pressing down. He could feel the familiar storm brewing in the pit of his stomach. It was maddening how quickly things could escalate between them. One minute they were sharing laughter over dinner, and the next, they were shouting at each other over forgotten chores.

"What more do you want?" he blurted out, his voice edged with desperation. "I'm trying my best, Lucy!"

He ran a hand through his salmon-colored hair, feeling the tension coil tighter around his chest. How had they ended up here again? He felt like he was on a merry-go-round of arguments, spinning endlessly with no way to get off. It was always the same—small, mundane things that morphed into colossal problems.

"Just clean up after yourself for once!" Lucy shot back, her frustration palpable. "I shouldn't have to remind you every single time, Natsu!"

He clenched his fists, the heat of anger rising within him. "I forget sometimes! I'm not a damn robot! Can't you understand that I'm trying to balance everything here? I work part-time, go to class, and still try to be there for you! Is that not enough?"

"Maybe if you didn't spend so much time on volleyball, you'd actually notice what's going on at home!" she yelled, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.

Natsu felt as though she had slapped him. "Seriously? You're going to blame volleyball now? It's not like I'm out partying every night, Lucy! I'm doing this for us!"

"Yeah, but it doesn't feel like it!" she retorted, her eyes flashing with a mix of fury and desperation. "It feels like you care more about the game than you do about this relationship!"

He stared at her, wounded by her words. Each accusation felt like a dagger to his heart, twisting deeper with every syllable. Did she really think that? Did she think he wasn't trying? He could feel the frustration simmering just below the surface, threatening to boil over.

"You know how hard this is for me," Natsu said, his voice strained. "I'm trying to be there for you, but it's like I can't do anything right! Everything I do just seems to upset you more!"

Her silence hung heavily in the air, the weight of her unspoken thoughts pressing down on them like a thick fog. Natsu felt the suffocating grip of anxiety creeping in, battling with his desire to scream. How had they ended up like this? They were supposed to be a team, a partnership that could conquer anything. But now they were at each other's throats, tearing apart the very foundation they had built together.

"Maybe if you didn't get drunk that time your mother would have been alive and you'd still be fine," he snapped, the frustration leaking out before he could stop it.

The moment the words left his mouth, Natsu felt the world around him shatter. The air grew thick and heavy, and he could see the pain etch itself into Lucy's features. Her eyes widened, disbelief turning into anguish, and it felt like he had thrown a boulder into a fragile glass house, shattering everything in sight.

"Wow," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper, the anger draining from her features. "I can't believe you just said that."

His heart twisted in his chest, remorse flooding in. "I'm sorry, I just—"

"No!" she interrupted, tears spilling down her cheeks, a stark contrast to the anger swirling in her eyes. "You don't get to apologize now! You don't get to use my pain as a weapon against me!"

Natsu felt his own eyes sting, the guilt gnawing at him. "I just... I can't keep pretending like everything's okay when it's not. I'm scared, Lucy. I don't want to lose you, but it feels like we're already drifting apart."

"Drifting apart? You think that's all this is?" she spat, voice trembling. "You don't know what it's like to live with this weight, to feel like your entire life has crumbled around you because of one stupid decision!"

"Maybe if you'd let me in—" he tried, frustration bubbling back to the surface.

"Again with that?" she scoffed, the bitterness palpable. "I don't even know how to let myself in anymore, let alone you! I'm not the same person I was, and I don't know if I ever will be!"

Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Natsu ran a hand through his hair, feeling the tension clawing at him. "I just want to help you, Lucy. I don't want you to feel like this alone."

"Maybe I don't want your help!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the small space between them. "Maybe I just want to be left alone to figure this out myself! You think it's easy for me? You think I wanted any of this?"

Natsu's heart sank. "I never said that," he murmured, barely able to look her in the eye.

Lucy's gaze fell to the floor, her anger dissipating into something more fragile, more vulnerable. "I can't do this," she whispered, a hint of defeat creeping into her voice.

"Do what?" he asked, desperation creeping in.

"Fight. I don't want to fight with you. I just want to be happy again."

"Then let's talk. Let's figure this out," he urged, feeling the distance between them ache.

But Lucy shook her head, tears streaming freely now. "I need space. I can't talk to you like this. I'll… I'll be at father's tonight," she said, her voice barely above a whisper before turning away.

Natsu felt as if the ground had fallen out from under him. "Lucy, wait!"

But she was already walking away, each step echoing in his chest like a haunting reminder of the chasm that had formed between them. He felt utterly lost, knowing that every moment spent apart would only deepen the wounds that had already been inflicted. With a heavy heart, he sank back onto the couch, staring at the empty space where she had stood just moments before, a painful realization settling in: sometimes, love wasn't enough to shield them from the chaos of life.

We were careless

We were fearless

We were reckless

Time was precious

We love to waste time

Whiskey and wine

Drinking all night

Asleep by your side

The car rolled along the winding road leading to Magnolia's Great Mountain, the sun shining brightly above them, but the atmosphere inside was anything but warm. Natsu stole glances at Lucy, her silhouette framed against the window, staring out at the passing scenery as if searching for something in the distance. She had been quiet since the moment they got into the car, her silence like a wall that Natsu felt helpless to breach.

When Lucy had come home that day, it was as if a switch had flipped. She had walked through the door, her expression blank, her body language closed off. Natsu had tried to reach out, to bridge the chasm that had formed between them, but every attempt to apologize had been met with the same dismissive response.

"Forget about it."

The words echoed in his mind, gnawing at him. He had wanted to scream, to shake her until she felt something, anything, but he had held back. Instead, he filled his days with his routine, trying to distract himself from the ache of her absence.

But nothing worked.

As they drove, he reached for the radio, hoping that familiar music could weave its way back into the fabric of their relationship. The upbeat melody flooded the car, and he turned it up, letting the notes wrap around them like a comforting embrace. Maybe, just maybe, if he sang loud enough, Lucy would join in, and they could reclaim those carefree moments they had once shared.

"Come on, Lucy! We used to sing during road trips," he said, his voice cracking slightly as he attempted to coax her back to him.

Instead, she reached over and abruptly turned off the music, plunging them into an unsettling silence that felt even heavier than before.

"This isn't high school anymore, Natsu," she said coldly, her eyes still fixed outside the window. The words hit him like a physical blow, each syllable dripping with the weight of finality.

Natsu felt his heart sink. "What does that even mean?" he asked, a mix of confusion and desperation coloring his tone. "Just because we're in college doesn't mean we can't still be us. I'm trying to bring us back together."

Lucy turned to face him, her expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of something—frustration, anger, maybe even sadness? "Grow up, Natsu. I've changed, and so do you."

Natsu clenched the steering wheel, his knuckles whitening as he tried to process Lucy's words. Grow up, Natsu. The sentence echoed in his mind, each word a reminder of the chasm that had opened between them. He wanted to scream, but he bit down on his frustration, swallowing it hard.

It's still early, he reminded himself, this day could still get better when we get there.

He hoped that the scenic drive up to their special place would somehow breathe life back into their relationship. He could almost envision it—the breathtaking view from the summit, the way the sunset would paint the sky in vibrant hues, and how they would stand side by side, their worries momentarily forgotten.

But with each passing second of silence, that vision seemed to fade further away.

"Lucy," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "we can work through this. I know things are hard right now, but I'm still here. I want to be here." His words felt heavy in the air, each one weighed down by his desperation.

Lucy looked out the window again, her jaw clenched tightly. "You don't understand what I'm going through, Natsu," she replied, her tone sharper than he expected. "You just see the surface. I'm not the same person I was before."

The words struck him like a blow. It felt like she was pushing him away, erecting a barrier he couldn't break through. "But I don't want you to be someone else, Lucy! I love who you are, even with everything that's happened."

She turned to him then, her eyes blazing, and for a moment, he saw the raw pain beneath her anger. "You think love is enough to fix everything?"

"No, but it's a start!" he retorted, his voice rising despite his efforts to remain calm. "We can figure it out together, but I need you to let me in. I can't just stand by and watch you suffer in silence."

Tears glimmered in Lucy's eyes, and his heart broke a little more at the sight. "You're just repeating yourself over and over again," she whispered, her voice trembling.

The frustration surged again, but this time, it was directed inward. Natsu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. This isn't how it's supposed to be.

"You're right," he said quietly, his voice softer now. "Things aren't okay. But I want to help you find your way back. I don't want to lose you, Luce."

Lucy glanced away, biting her lip as if holding back her emotions. The silence between them felt like a chasm, one that threatened to pull them further apart with every passing moment.

"I don't want to lose you either," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

The words hung in the air, and for a fleeting moment, Natsu dared to hope that maybe they could bridge the gap between them. But before he could respond, Lucy turned away again, the walls going back up as quickly as they had fallen.

"Maybe you should just keep driving," she said coldly, leaving the warmth of their conversation behind.

Natsu felt the weight of her rejection settle heavily in his chest, the familiar ache of despair creeping back in. With a heavy heart, he resumed driving, every bump in the road a reminder of the distance growing between them.

I hope this day gets better, he thought as they continued down the road, but deep down, he feared it might only lead them further apart.

It was just one party, hosted by Loki, but for Natsu, it felt like a lifeline. The moment the invitation landed in his hands, he didn't hesitate. He needed this—a chance to escape, to breathe without the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. Lately, he had been drowning in a sea of obligations and expectations, forgetting to carve out a space for himself amidst the chaos of life.

As he headed to the party, he braced himself for the inevitable anger that awaited him when he returned home. Lucy had made it clear she forbade him from drinking. She worried, she fretted, and for good reason. The pain of her mother's death still hung over them like a dark cloud, and Natsu understood why she wanted to shield him from the risks of alcohol. But tonight, he just wanted to feel free, if only for a few hours.

But as the drinks flowed and laughter surrounded him, an ache began to gnaw at his heart. He missed Lucy. He missed the easy way they shared everything, the laughter, the kisses, the warmth of their intimacy. Those moments when it was just the two of them, lost in a world filled with love and understanding.

Love can't fix everything, he thought, the bitterness of that truth settling in his gut. But it's all I have left for her.

He hadn't noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks until he reached for another beer, the cool bottle a brief comfort against the rising tide of emotions. With each sip, he grappled with a storm of doubt. Am I enough for her? Can we really last? It had been a year since Layla died, and Lucy was still buried beneath the weight of her guilt, unable to let go of the "what-ifs" that haunted her every moment.

He was so tired. Tired of fighting, tired of watching the woman he loved drown in sorrow. He longed to hug her tight, to whisper in her ear that he loved her more than words could say—that without her, he wouldn't know how to breathe. But as he stumbled home, his heart was heavy with uncertainty. Does she still feel the same way?

The apartment was quiet and dark when he finally arrived, the stillness wrapping around him like a shroud. He took a deep breath, his heart racing, and pushed the bedroom door open gently. The sight before him made his breath hitch. Lucy was sleeping, her face softened in the moonlight streaming through the window. But even in sleep, the traces of her pain were evident—dried tears glistened on her cheeks, a testament to the emotional battles she fought in the dead of night.

Natsu placed the bottle on their bedside table, the sound barely breaking the silence, and he sat down slowly, his heart aching as he stared at her. She's so beautiful, he thought, every fiber of his being aching for her. He reached out, caressing her cheek gently, letting his thumb trace the curve of her face.

He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead, wishing he could erase the hurt she carried. With a heavy heart, he removed his shirt and laid down beside her, scooping her into his arms, holding her tightly against him.

The warmth of her body felt like home, and he let out a shuddering breath, fresh tears spilling down his face. Why is it so hard? The pain of their situation felt overwhelming, and he found solace in her presence, wishing he could convey everything he felt through the embrace—his love, his sorrow, his determination to help her heal.

As he held her close, he whispered softly into the stillness, "I love you, Lucy. I love you so much." The words were both a promise and a plea, a desperate wish for her to know that despite the darkness, he would always be there, ready to fight through the pain together.

And in that quiet moment, wrapped in each other's arms, Natsu hoped for a glimpse of the future—a future where laughter would fill their home again, where love could mend the cracks that had formed between them, and where they could find their way back to each other.