outlines | nalu oneshots☽

011 | just a dream?

"Ne, Natsu?" Lucy pondered, looking over the canyon as her arms were pulled behind her back. Her long blonde hair lifted amongst the breeze, her expression impassive. "Hmmm?"

"What if.. What if I were to die?" Natsu choked on air. "The hell kind of question is that?"

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. Just a thought.. But, what would you do? What would happen?" Lucy trailed off on her sentence, stepping closer to the edge of the cliff. Natsu raised an eyebrow to her in suspicion, taking a small step forwards in caution.

"I don't know what I'd do." He paused. "I'd probably.. Die, but still be alive at the same time?" He mentally face palmed. How did that make sense? He thought to himself.

Lucy smiled, though Natsu couldn't see. "I bet nothing would change if I were to die..." Lucy whispered, fortunate enough as Natsu didn't hear her say what she had said, shocking Lucy slightly, as he had sharp hearing.

"Why would you ask such a thing, anyway, Lucy?"

"Because..." Lucy started, but felt a warm substance trickle down her cheek. She took in a shaky breath. "Do-Do you really love Lisanna, Natsu?"

He ran a hand through his pink hair and sighed. "Yeah. More than anything...Why?"

Lucy faked a smile. "I'm glad you found somebody you love."

Natsu grinned. "Thanks, Lucy!"

Lucy always wondered why Natsu had stopped calling her by that nickname.

Luce.

She missed it. Before Natsu and Lisanna had begun dating, they were always together. Practically stuck together like glue. Not a single day went by where they weren't out and about, sneaking into movie theaters during the day, or running through alcohol aisles in gas stations, and smoking cigarettes at night.

Maybe even having those nights they hadn't cared to remember.

What else would you expect from delinquents?

They had nothing but each other. They had lost everything. But they still had ｅａｃｈｏｔｈｅｒ.

Yet, he left her after another girl had waltzed into the picture. Screwing everything up and smearing the colors in the perfect picture they had painted.

He had ditched Lucy for her.

Lucy wanted to go hiking with him, maybe catch up. He agreed because Lisanna was out visiting her family out of town.

The only time he has for Lucy, is when she doesn't have time for him.

Ah. Lucy would always think. I must be a second choice, huh?

"So.. Why didn't you die when you left me, Natsu?" A look of confusion formed on Natsu's face. "Eh? What're ya babbling on about now? You're making no sense." He flung his arms behind his neck and closed his eyes.

Lucy wanted a cigarette. Surely it'd relieve the stress and anxiety that was creeping down her spine.

"Since you've met Lisanna, we haven't talked. We haven't hung out or smoked or snook into movie theaters, or even stolen boxes of booze from FT gas stations like we used to." Lucy's voice came out into a whisper. "It's like you got bored with me and moved on."

A lump formed in Natsu's throat, as he saw Lucy was walking dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. He shook the thought away, but the lump stayed. "Look. I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to approach you after--"

Lucy cackled. "You didn't know how to approach me? Is that the one reason why you left me? You were all I had, Natsu!" She spun around on her heels to face him, revealing her red face with tears pooling from her eyes. "You were all I had left! After dad kicked me out with no money.. No clothes.."

Her voice began to quiet down. "When you found me on the side of the curb in pouring rain smoking cigarette after cigarette while crying my eyes out.. You lent me your jacket and offered to bring me to your house to stay." Lucy smile slightly, reminiscing the delightful memory. "You told me about your life, and I learned that the same thing had happened to you. We were the same. You never let me leave, no matter how bad I felt about staying in your home and most likely wasting space."

"We were best friends, Natsu. You were all I had, and I was all you had. Then.. Then you left. You.. You left me!!" Tugging at her hair, she looked up to the sky, wanting her life to end right about now.

Natsu was speechless. He had left her.

"And to think, I began to love you? How stupid can I even get? When you met that girl Lisanna, I just.. I slipped in a deep depression and I wasn't sure if I was ever going to escape the darkness I was trapped in. I didn't want to exist at some points..." Natsu's bangs shadowed his eyes, and a giant wave of regret washed over him.

"Natsu.. You left me! You left me, even though you meant no harm in doing so you still left! After you went.. I felt like nothing." Lucy backed up, closer to the edge of the cliff.

"You were probably wondering why I called you out here today, huh? Especially in a canyon.. Heh.. Well I just wanted to let you know, that I've had enough."

Natsu's eyes widened, and he lifted his head up, only to see Lucy standing at the edge of the cliff, looking down. "Lucy?"

"I've had enough. Though, I would like to thank you. So, thank you; For everything.

I really did love you, Natsu." Tears spilled from Natsu's wide eyes, as he realized what she was planning on doing. "No, Lucy. Don't do it.."

Lucy faked a smile once again. "Like I said, Natsu. Nobody will care, nobody ever did. Just like you didn't care anymore either..." She began to fall backwards, being lifted by the air. Her tears had escaped her eyes and into the air above her from the sudden motion, and her right arm was reached upwards. Her eyes had closed, but were snapped open when a warm body was wrapped against her own.

She flinched and abruptly sat up, a scream following accustomed. Her body trembled and fast tears spilled from her eyes. Breathing heavily, she looked around to find she was in... A bed?

Hearing a groan she snapped her head to the direction it was heard. "Mmm... Luce? Whats wrong...?" A husky voice said. "Just... Just a dream?" Lucy pondered, her breathing steadying.

"Is what a dream, Luce?" Natsu had sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Lucy just shook her head, forgetting half of the dream before drowsiness had taken over her once again. "Nothing... Just had a nightmare... Go back to sleep, Natsu..." She whispered, bringing her left hand to her chest.

He plopped himself back down onto the bed, not without dragging Lucy down with him. He snuggled her close to his chest, almost protectively. A soothing warmth was wrapped comfortably around Lucy like a blanket.

She sighed a sigh of relieve. "Just a dream..." Murmuring, she fell into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

-12/11/16