Celestial Queen {A NaLu Story}

7: Someone in a Hoodie

"You finally made it!" Cana exclaimed. "We were so fucking hungry we just started eating."

"Psst! Cana, language!" Erza scolded but the girl ignored her.

Lisanna was smiling.

But she was looking at everybody but me.

I felt a hand grab mines. I smiled thankfully at Levy. She must've sense my entire uneasiness from the mere presence of my ex-fiancee's new wife.

"Sorry. There was an accident by the highway where we live so traffic was backed up pretty badly." Mira proceeded to apologize. "But we had to come and formerly welcome back our new striker."

I didn't miss the little hint of hurt in Lisanna's blue eyes.

The guilt was becoming way too much now. With everything that has been happening, taking her starting spot as striker was something I didn't even think of. How thoughtless could I be? She's been in the position all year and all of sudden I come home just to snatch it away from her.

I guess I really am just a terrible person.

Mirajane and Lisanna finally sat down...directly across from me.

"Welcome home, Lucy." Mirajane was all smiles. Of course she would be. From what I learned earlier, her wedding is a mere three months away. 

"Thanks. It's nice to be home." I forced. 

It really is, don't get me wrong. There's just a lot of things eating away at me.

"Aren't you guys gonna eat something?" Cana asked.

Mira shook her head. "We have a dinner to get to with the boys in a bit."

"Yeah. Natsu is excited." Lisanna suddenly said. 

The tension suddenly built. Before, the girls were really careful with what they were saying; not one slipping up and saying his name. So even the sudden appearance of his name was enough to throw everybody off balance. Mira even tried to give her sister a look to tell her to watch herself. 

But Lisanna's eyes, suddenly, became so interested in me.

I couldn't meet them. I just stared at my sandwich sitting in front of me half-eaten.

"What restaurant is it?" Levy said, attempting to alter the conversation a bit. "Gajeel and I would love to try new food any time."

"It's this hot-pot place with like ten different levels of spicy soups. Natsu was gushing about it so much this morning that we decided to make it a double date, isn't that right Mira?" 

Mira looked nervous. Her eyes darted at me real quick before returning back to her sister. "Um, yeah. I'm sure he'll enjoy it very much."

I thought the onslaught was done. Just so much as hearing his name was enough to tear my heart but what Lisanna continued doing was just beyond that. 

She kept talking about how much of a good husband he is; how he wakes up every morning to make her his signature breakfast. I know! How he makes his pancakes. 

I know!

I used to be the one that wakes up, throws on his shirt and find him in the kitchen with his dark red boxers flipping pancakes for us. I was that woman he would beam brightly at and give me exactly two and a half because he knew that was the exact amount I can eat to be full. 

He knew how I preferred orange juice over coffee for breakfast and how I only love chocolate chips in my pancakes. I don't eat it with butter and I only like the Log Cabin syrup drenching the fluffiness of the cakes.