Sweetheart

84

Aina grabbed her keys after Lucy and Levy left and quickly hopped into her car. She arrived at her destination, rushing over to the front door before it could close. Her feet took her up the stairs, and she caught her breath before lightly knocking on the door. There was silence, and she waited outside for any sign of movement, but there was none.

Are you home?

She got no response, causing her anxiety to spike. She thought back to Lucy's comment.

"Believe me, it's a lot harder to repair a relationship if it's too late to start."

Aina laid her forehead against the door and tried to steady her breathing, her mind already thinking the worst. He had given up, and he was probably out at a party with a bunch of girls who--

She slapped the door, causing a man from across the hall to whip his door open.

"Knock it off with all the noise! You kids are so damn loud. Jesus."

Aina tested the handle and tears started to trickle down her face when it was locked. She slipped down the length of the door and held her head in her knees.

------

Natsu returned to his apartment building with a handful of groceries and started up the stairs.

"Man, they really need to fix this elevator. Carrying all this up is so annoying."

He rounded the corner to his hallway and stopped when he saw Aina's curled up figure.

"What the hell?"

He hoisted up the bags and quietly approached the door. After setting down his bags in the hallway, he took out his key and unlocked the door without opening it, realizing that she would fall inside if he did. She was asleep at that point, so Natsu bent down and scooped her up, carefully carrying her into his apartment. He looked around and decided to set her down on his bed, tucking her in with the blanket she always took from him. The groceries were brought in next, and he was able to quickly put away what little food he had picked up.

Natsu closed the front door and kicked off his shoes before quietly shuffling over to the bedroom door. He leaned on the doorframe and watched her sleeping form. She stirred slightly and rolled over so she was facing the door. The blanket was tightly gripped, and her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out a shadow standing in the doorway. She was, of course, terrified at first, thinking that a stranger was watching her sleep, but her nerves calmed when the light in the hallway revealed the familiar pink hair.

"Natsu?" She tested.

"Sleep well?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, it's my apartment? Do you not remember falling asleep outside my door?"

Aina twisted around to grab her phone out of her back pocket and checked the time.

"But it's ten."

"I don't have work on Friday nights anymore."

"You weren't at a party?"

"Unless you call a kid throwing a tantrum in the cheese aisle a party then no."

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to know? He was like six and he probably wanted some cheese."

Aina let out a small giggle and rolled off the bed and stood up.

"I mean why were you at the grocery store instead of a party?"

"Didn't feel like it I guess."

"Did you get my text earlier?"

Natsu checked his phone and shook his head. Aina knitted her eyebrows together and checked her phone. A little laugh echoed in the room before she shyly revealed that she had never hit send.