Something More ~ A NaLu Oneshot Collection

Growing Pains [Written at Age 14]

Title: Growing Pains
Summary: He was a dragon, and she wouldn't be the one to keep him grounded
Pairings/Characters: Natsu, Lucy, Happy, some Natsu/Lucy if you squint, I suppose
Rating/Warnings: K+/tiny bit of language, spoilers for chapter 416

WHAT had he been thinking? Leaving her with only a note? He had not even had the decency to face her and say a proper good bye. She would kill him; kill him. She would skin him to within an inch of his life. She couldn't . . . she couldn't lose another friend.

Lucy's heart was in her throat as she tore through the ravaged streets of Magnolia, running as face as her legs allowed her to despite the fact her breathing came out in hoarse gasps. The few survivors left turned to look at her with unadulterated confusion and a hint of wariness, but their faces were surreal and blurred together. She stumbled over some cracked concrete, but somehow she managed not to twist her ankle.

She had to find them. She had to find them. She couldn't stand another unresolved goodbye if it came down to it. And how could they leave her now, when the guild had disbanded not even a day ago? Everyone was leaving Fairy Tail, even him. She didn't understand why . . . Fairy Tail was all they had left, all of them.

Her vision was blurry now, and her eyes felt hot. There was this great big gaping expanse in her chest already, and she just had to catch up with them . . . she couldn't lose another friend, especially Natsu, or Happy. Not now, not ever. Even if it was technically temporary, she didn't think she could survive a year without them.

What kind of excuse was training anyway?

"NATSU," she screamed. "HAPPY!"

The hastily erected shelters began to stand out suddenly; their dull, muted colors of brown and grey seemed to laugh at her, like they were mocking her efforts. Magnolia was obliterated. Fairy Tail had disbanded. Aquarius died. Natsu and Happy, and everyone else, was either gone or going, and she didn't understand why. Weren't they all supposed to be this one big happy family? Or had Tartaros and Zeref destroyed that?

No closure what so ever . . .

"NATSU!" she screamed as she came around a bend, probably sounding like a banshee or something. She didn't care. She didn't bloody care anymore. She was sick and tired of trying to fit in with everyone else, of trying to pretend to be someone she was not. If they had a problem with her, then they would just have to deal with it themselves. She wasn't going to pretend anymore. She wasn't going to be someone she wasn't.

"HAPPY!"

And somehow, she saw a blue flank with white wings extended, floating next to a shock of bright pink. They stood out like a beacon, and the surge of relief was so profound that she doubled over. It felt like needles were stabbing at her heart, and she wanted to scream and cry and laugh all at the same time. She wanted to punch him and kiss Natsu at the same time.

"Lu-shee!" Happy's small, yet so very large, voice penetrated through her, and her legs buckled out from underneath her weight suddenly. She didn't even have enough air to gasp in surprise, but something caught her and hauled her up until her feet just barely brushed the ground. She shuddered all over, swiping at her eyes to clear the blurriness from them. It never went away.

She barely registered being put down gently on something hard or Natsu's hands resting on her waist, guiding her to her temporary perch. She didn't feel Happy landing on her lap, or saw them exchange nervous glances with each other.

Her tongue felt like it had been glued to the roof of her mouth though, as she babbled a mantra of "Please don't go" over and over until Natsu squatted so that they were at eyelevel. Her vision blurred again as she raised her hands to gnaw on her fingernails, but he caught them and engulfed her small and so very cold hands in his large, warm hands.