Behind the Scenes

of silent cries and forgotten promises

i've always felt like lucy took natsu returning too nicely, so here's my evilness. (not exactly caught up on manga so sorry for inaccuracies) (slight au)
~~~

It was one of those nights.

The nights between finding their friends, their family, their nakama, where the world was silent but Lucy was snoring softly and Happy was curled up on her bosom. Those nights where Natsu lay awake thinking, with Lucy lying on his chest and clutching his scarf in her sleep.

Wendy laid a few inches away, so as not to disturb their dynamic, but Natsu could hear her breathing. Uneven and shaky. The young dragon slayer was nervous - about what? Seeing her friends again? Being among her family once more?

Carla was sprawled out next to the girl, murmuring about "stupid tomcats" and how much she missed Fairy Tail.

"Natsu?" Wendy whispered.

"Yeah, Wen?" he replied back, shifting under Lucy's weight.

"What was it like for you? ...The year away, that is?" Wendy asked quietly.

Natsu paused, "Lonely, I guess? I mean, I trained with Gildarts for a little bit, but then I went on my way. Sure, Happy was there, but I kinda missed everyone."

"And Lucy?"

"Especially Lucy."

The two sat in silence, leaving only the sound of Lucy and the two exceeds' breathing permeating the air.

Natsu remembered that journey. It was fun with all of Happy's remarks, just like the old days. But Natsu couldn't help but long for the newer days once again, when he broke into Lucy's tiny apartment and had her loud voice stuck in his head all day long. When Gray would act stupid and strip down to his boxers, and Erza would kill anyone who touched her cake. When Wendy would smile, and Carla would shake her head disapprovingly.

But most of all, Lucy. Lucy with her blonde pigtails and inappropriate underwear and shining brown eyes filled with mirth and exasperation. Lucy with her constant worry of rent and compassion more vast than the night sky.

"N-Natsu..."

Lucy's murmur was the equivalent to a yell in Natsu's opinion. Her long, slender fingers gripped the scaly fabric of his scar even tighter until her knuckles turned white.

The faint scent of tears rolling down her cheeks sent Natsu's mind into overload, wondering why always so happy Lucy was crying in her sleep?

"Lucy-San..." Wendy breathed melancholically.

"Luce, why're you crying?"

"My mom... Now, my dad... And... They left me and..."

"Luce... I promise I won't leave you. Never!"

"I'll hold you to that..."

"Never again..." Natsu tugged lightly at her flaxen tresses. "You hear me, Lucy? I swear."

"Silly Natsu, you came back, right?" Lucy giggled drowsily. "Came...back..."

The look Wendy gave him at that moment was more painful than two hundred of Erza's swords stabbing him straight in the heart.

~~~
word count: 446