words i didn't say / nalu

prologue

all characters belong to hiro mashima! i wish i could create characters like this bunch...

enjoy!

-- eleven years ago --

"stop bothering me, pinkie pie!" gray shouted, pushing natsu out of the way. "go play with someone else!"

natsu fell to the floor from gray's push. he felt tears brim his eyes. "b-but nobody wants to play with me."

"no wonder you're such a loner!" the raven-haired boy laughed, walking off proudly to his friends.

the younger boy brung his knees to his chest and began to sob. he didn't want to cry, but he couldn't control the tears.

natsu was no stranger to feeling lonely. nobody at school played with him, and he rarely talked to people because of that. he didn't like to be alone. seeing everyone else smiling and laughing with their friends, playing with toys together and living the ideal perfect childhood only made him feel more cut off from the world.

he wished he could have that sort of fun, but no one was willing to share it with him. he was an outcast, the one kid everyone in class picks on for no real reason.

you'd think it wouldn't hurt a kid his age, but it did. he cried too many tears for a six year old.

life at home wasn't exactly easy either. his mother left when he was four, and his father neglected and hurt him basically all his life. the tears he shed when he came home after being tormented by his classmates were never wiped away by the comforting hand of his parents, and he couldn't remember the last time he felt one of those warm hugs you could just sink into.

natsu was truly alone, and he felt that more than ever, sitting on the concrete floor of the playground around two minutes away from his house. he never liked being inside - that was where his dad usually was. he enjoyed nature, seeing all the flowers bloom in the spring and the birds chirping loudly. it was his escape from life and all the problems it gave him - he only ever found peace in nature.

but seeing gray and his friends playing together made him want to join in. they all had huge grins and were laughing non-stop. natsu had never seen such joy on people's faces.

however, it ended with the salmon-haired boy on the hard floor in tears. he sobbed into the sleeve of his shirt, not noticing that someone had sat down next to him.

"hey," a soft voice spoke from beside him. he looked in the direction of the voice, seeing a small, white-haired girl with blue eyes. he immediately wiped his tears away, making the unfamiliar girl  raise an eyebrow. "it's okay to cry, you know."

natsu gave her a strange look. "huh? it is?"

"yeah. it shows you're human. that's what my mom taught me."

the salmon-haired boy brung his knees closer to his chest. he didn't want to tell her... but she had such an innocent look in her eyes. she looked like someone he could finally trust.

"b-but when i cry, all the kids at school laugh at me. and when i cry in front of my dad, he hits me."

"parents shouldn't hit their children. they're meant to love them, and treat them like the most important thing in the world."

natsu tilted his head in confusion. he never remembered much from his early years, but the recollection of his mother made him want to weep at the thought. and, as for his father, the only memories with him were the bad ones.

"so why does my dad hit me? is it because he hates me?"

"no. it's because he's stupid."

natsu chuckled, making the young girl smile. "i haven't laughed in a long time. thanks."

"it's alright. my mommy tells me that i should always cheer people up when they're sad, even if i don't know them."

"your mom is pretty cool."

"the best ever! what's your mom like?"

"she's nice, but she left two years ago."

"oh, i'm sorry. well maybe we could become best friends, and my mom can be like your mom too!"

"really?" natsu's eyes widened. "that would be awesome! do you really want to be my friend?"

"of course! i don't want to be friends with that boy who pushed you though. he seems really mean."

"he is. he's in my class at school. by the way, i've never seen you before. are you new?"

the white-haired girl nodded. "i just moved here yesterday with my mom and brother and sister. i'm going to magnolia elementary."

"i go there! maybe we'll be in the same class. i'm in first grade."

"me too!"

"cool! so we'll be in the same class!"

"awesome!" the young girl punched the air with her fist, and the two laughed happily. "so what's your name?"

"natsu dragneel. you?"

"lisanna strauss."

"that's a cool name!"

"my brother says it sounds like lasanga, but then i remind him that his name is elfman."

natsu giggled. "you said you have a sister too, right? what's her name?"

"mira. she's really cool."

"you're lucky you have siblings. i have a brother called... uh, zerf? something like that. he went with my mom though."

"you know, my mom told me that when a person gets married, their partner's siblings become like their siblings too!"

"really?" natsu jumped up slightly in surprise. "a-are you saying we should get married?"

"no! uh, i'm just... y'know, saying stuff. plus, you're way too short to be my husband."

"what's that supposed to mean?!"

lisanna chuckled at natsu's sudden burst of anger - he was like a little puppy trying to be vicious. "you're cute when you're mad."

"shush, you." natsu pouted.

"nope. anyway, i can tell we're gonna be great friends."

"you think so?"

she gave him a wide smile. "i know so. we're gonna grow old together and still be best friends, even in our rocking chairs when we're like a hundred years old!"

"i don't think anyone can live that long, lisanna."

"oh. well we'll stay best friends forever then! pinky promise!"

"of course!" natsu locked pinkies with the young girl.

--

(a/n) nali is pretty cute... as kids tho... ngl.

nalu is coming soon though dont you worry