Mistakes

Natsu X Lucy and minor Gray X Juvia

Alternate Universe (Modern Day)

Romance/Hurt/Comfort/Drama

Rated K+ (Slight Language)

Summary: Because sometimes little mistakes can have major consequences. -Nalu

Dedicated To: crazyasian002 just because you're always there for me, even when I don't reply to your PMs right away. You're like my internet bestie!

Author's Note: I've had this in my doc manager for a while now, so it's great I finally published it. The ending isn't the best, and I can't say I'm extremely proud about this piece. Anyways, sorry in advance about any grammatical and spelling errors and enjoy!

"Nothing hurts more than being disappointed by the person you thought would never hurt you." ~Unknown

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She sits there in the dark, the only sound throughout the house is the sound of her clock ticking, as the seconds passes by. Her ring on her left hand -gold with little diamonds- reflects in the moonlight spilling from her curtains. She pulls out her phone, the bright light stinging her already red and bloodshot eyes. It's currently one in the morning, but she doesn't care. Scrolling through her messages, her tired eyes rereading them over and over again to herself.

Hey Luce! Excited for our date?

Sorry Luce, something just came up. I can't make it to our date

I just got called in for something, I can't make it

Sorry, there's a lot of work today. I'm going to have to cancel again.

I'm not going to be home today, sorry

Hey, I'm free today for once! I look forwards to our date! See you in a bit, Luce! I love you

She grabs the hem of her dress, her knuckles turned white. Her light makeup was smeared, and she hasn't gotten any sleep. Suddenly, she hears a click and her apartment door opens. She doesn't look. She knows it's her fiancé.

Holding the door open, he sees her. There's a painful silence.

"Why are you still awake Luce? It's like one in the morning," She ignores him and his question for a moment, before turning to look at him with her blank, lifeless eyes.

"Where were you?" Her voice is quiet; quieter than she likes. He seems surprised by her question, as she notices her attire. Then suddenly something clicks inside his head. During his whole internal conflict she sits and watches. She thinks-knows he doesn't remember. He never does anymore.

"I'm sorry Luce. I promise I'll remember next time," He says, but she remains unresponsive. She tired of all the apologies, his empty words.

"It's fine Natsu," He relaxes slightly, but she's not finished yet. "You never remember anyways."

He tenses again, as she stands up and walks towards the guest room in her apartment. Before she enters the room though, she turns and looks him dead in the eye.

"By the way, this was the 'next time'," And she closes the door with a soft click.

When she wakes up the next morning, she's feeling better. She can hear noise in the kitchen, and she knows he's awake. Tiredly she gets out of bed, and goes into her bedroom to get her clothes. When she's finished changing, she walks into the dining room where her fiancé is already eating.

"Morning Luce," He greets energetically. It somewhat upsets her that he acts as though last night didn't happen. She mumbles a quiet 'Good morning,' and takes a seat across from him. She can feel his eyes following her every movement, however she says nothing. She stares at the eggs in front of her, almost debating on whether or not she should eat it. Minutes go by, before she stands up and pushes her chair in.

"I'm not really hungry," It's quiet, but she knows he can hear her. She begins to walk back to her room, before a warm hand reaches out and grabs her wrist. She could've broken free from his grasps, but his touch leaves her powerless.

"Are you feeling okay Luce?" She knows he's only concerned, but she can only nod. She's not okay though. She's still upset about yesterday -technically this morning- but she says nothing. "Is it about our date?"

She flinches and tenses up, and he notices. Pulling her wrist towards him, he pulls her onto his lap and into his embrace. His food is left, forgotten on the table. She doesn't struggle or break from his embrace. She simply sits on his lap, hands hanging limply to her sides.

"I said I was sorry Luce," His voice is slightly muffled. "I know you were really looking forward to this date, and I'm sorry I couldn't make it on time. I was told that there was a meeting at work last minute, I had no choice but to go,"

She says nothing, as she stares at the wall nearby. Before she realizes it, he's turned her around, and she's now staring into his onyx eyes. She can feel his hand reach up to cup her cheek, as he looked at her worryingly.

"You're crying," He says, brushing a tears away with his thumb. She carefully reaches up and touches her cheek. It's wet. She didn't even realize she was crying. She buries her head into his chest and breaths in his smokey smell. She misses him. She misses him so much. After a while, she pulls back, and looks him in the eyes again.

"I'll accept your apology if you go on a date with me next Friday," His serious face brightens, as he gives her a full blown grin.

"Of course Luce, anything for you," He leans in attacks her lips in less than a second. She doesn't stop him, and kisses him back with the same ferocity.

By the time Friday comes by again, she's excited. Outside is covered with a layer of white snow. She can't wait for her date. Equipped with mittens, a hat, and a scarf, she patiently waits for him at the Sola Tree. When she gets there, she realizes she's too early. A smile makes it way onto her face, as she sits down on a bench nearby.

'He'll be here soon,' she internally tells herself, as she watches various couples walk by her. 'He wouldn't just leave me here,'

~X~

She was wrong. The seconds ticked by, then minutes, and finally hours. Their date was set for three in the afternoon. She doesn't know what time it is, but she's too cold and numb to look at the clock nearby. It's dark outside now, and no sign of him. She wonders if she's cold from the outside or from the inside, knowing that her fiancé had just ditched another date with her. She pulls out her phone.

It's seven. He's four hours late.

Shaking, she checks her messages.

Maybe he sent her one to tell her couldn't make it. There was no way he would just leave her out here, right?

There are no new messages.

She can feel the tears building up again, but she refuses to cry. She quickly dials his number only to have it go straight to voice mail. Shakily, she decides to leave him a message.

"Hey Natsu," She rasps out. She can barely feel her fingers anymore. "If you couldn't make it for our date, you could've called or text me." She's crying now, as the tears roll down her cheeks. "Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. Bye," She hangs up, and she releases the sob she's been holding in.

"Happy Three Years," She whispers to herself.

After she dries her tears, she quickly calls her friend Gray to pick her up. When he gets there, he gives her a warm blanket and carries her into his car. He gives her a sympathetic look, before patting her on the head. She's asleep by now, but Gray can see how exhausted she looks. It pains him to see his close friend in such horrible shape. He mentally curses her fiancé's name.

What an asshole.

When she wakes up, she's tired and exhausted all over. She briefly remembers calling Gray to pick her up, and she thinks she fell asleep after that. Turning to her left, he sees Gray watching her carefully. It's still dark outside.

"What time is it?" She mumbles quietly, her throat is dry and her lips are cracked. He stares at her for a minute before pulling out his phone.

"It's two in the morning," He replies gruffly, his voice coated with sleep. She sits there quietly for a moment, before tears cascade down her pale cheeks. She looks outside the window at the falling snow, as if she doesn't want him to see her like this. Before long she feels his hand on her head, ruffling her hair.

"It's okay Lucy," She turns around to look at him. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

~X~

And she does. She explains everything to him in detail, while he sits on the bed with his fists clenched shut. He's quiet though, as he listens to her story. Soon enough, the sun rises over the horizon, blinding her eyes.

She hears a knock on the door and immediately flinches. Somewhere in her mind, she thinks it's him, but she doesn't want to see him. A second later, the door opens revealing Juvia. She lets out a sigh of relief.

"Gray-sama?" Her water blue eyes look from Lucy to her beloved, and unconsciously she rubs the ring on her left finger. Gray, who notices her discomfort, stands up and walks her out the door, telling her he'll explain things.

They come back moments later, hand in hand. As the door opens again, Juvia gives Lucy a sympathetic look, and rubs Gray's hand.

"If Lucy-san wants, Lucy-san can stay here with Juvia and Gray-sama. Lucy-san is always welcome here," Lucy gives Juvia a small smile, but her eyes focus outside the window again.

"Thanks for your offer, but I have to get home before Natsu worries," She can see Gray tense up at the mention of his name, but he chooses to say nothing. Instead he nods and offers to drive her back home.

She agrees.

By the time she gets home again, she's relieved. She's once again in the comfort of her own home. However, her relief quickly shifts into mixed emotions of anger and sadness. Looking around the apartment, there are no signs of her fiancé. Quietly she walks towards the bookshelf in her living room, her gentle steps leaving little to no sound on her wooden floors. When she finds the book she wants, she takes it out of its spot carefully and she walks over to her couch. As she opens the book, the contents make her eyes water. It is an album of memories, her memories.

She stops at one picture in particular. It's a picture of her in high school. In the background you can see two males -one with pink hair, and the other one with raven hair- headbutting each other while a women with scarlet hair is yelling at the two. Her expression is somewhat annoyed but also a bit playful. She scans the picture once more, and her eyes stop on the blonde girl. She has such a carefree smile, and her eyes are lit with joy. Slowly, she begins to walk towards the mirror in the bathroom, and she tries to mimic that same smile as the one in the picture.

She tries, but her lips are forced into a smile, and her eyes don't light up. She wants to be like she was back then. Instead, she finds herself staring at her reflection in the mirror and she can't even recognize herself. Her eyes dull, and red from shedding too much tears and she's pale. Almost too pale.

'I'm such a mess,' she tells herself. 'I'm such a mess,'

~X~

He comes home later. It's dark outside, and she's still sitting there, waiting for him. At first he doesn't notice her, but after he turns on the lights, he's shocked.

"Lucy, what happened? You're so pale," She can't tell if he's been sincere but the Natsu she's known has always been. He grabs her hand, squeezing it lightly, almost as if she'll break if he squeezes too hard. She doesn't know how to answer him or whether or not she should answer at all. He cancelled on their last date, leaving her out in the cold, but she doesn't know if she should tell him that. She doesn't want to bother him with her stupid problem. He's already stressed at work.

When she doesn't answer him, he lets go of her hand and hooks his arms underneath her thighs and neck. Wordlessly, she watches him as he carries her into their bedroom before tucking her into the bed.

"You should get some rest Luce. You don't look to well." She does what he says and closes her eyes. She hears him inside their closet, then the sound of his cell phone ringtone, before everything is silent. She expects warm arms to wrap themselves around her small frame and warm her up; that's all the comfort and reassurance she needs right now. When she opens her eyes again, the spot beside her is empty and the room is completely quiet and empty.

When she awakens again, from another dreamless sleep, she can hear noises out in the living room. She gets up, and a wet rag falls onto her lap and she looks at the clock. It's nearing 2 in the morning and the spot beside her is still cold and undisturbed. Bitterly, she swipes her tongue over her dry lips and walks out of the room. Turning towards the living room, she sees a figure draped over the couch and the T.V. is still on. It's him.

After a few moments of silence, he realizes that someone else is there and he turns in her direction. When he sees her, he give her a wide grin.

"Hey Luce, you feeling better?" She doesn't know how to reply or what to say.

"Why are you still awake?" She manages to rasp out, now realizing how dry her throat is. He gives her a strange look, like she's said something out of the ordinary.

"I wanted to go to bed, but you looked really sick. I stayed up to look after you," She used to feel comfort in his words, and warmth would spread across her whole body and up to her cheeks. But now she feels nothing and she doesn't know why. Seeing how she is completely silent, he walks up to her and takes her petite figure into his arms.

"I'm sorry Luce, I've been really busy." He kisses her forehead, and automatically she wraps her arms around him. She needs his comfort right now. She needs him.

"I love you," His warm breath tickles her neck and sends shivers up her spine.

"I love you too,"

~X~

Hours later, she's at the mall with Gray and Juvia. She's feeling much better now, and the two of them can tell. She bears a wide smile on her face, and her skin seems to have returned to its warm color. Gray grins to himself, and trails behind the two women who are chatting about clothes. Nonetheless he's happy that Lucy seems happier and that she's in a better condition. They stop in front of a clothes shop, and the two rush themselves in while he stands outside and watches, with shopping bags in his hands.

He begins to space off, but a flash of pink catches his attention. He turns to his right and his heart nearly stops. His hated rival and friend is sitting in a nearby café, but he's not by himself. He's with another women, and the two are laughing, having the time of their lives. Suddenly, his thoughts trail back to Lucy and a feeling of dread fills him.

To his left, he hears a small gasp and to his horror Lucy is there, looking at the same scene he is. Immediately, she turns pale white and unconsciously tears stream down her face. His fiancée quickly rushes out to see what had happened, and she rushes to Lucy's side.

"I'm alright," Lucy tells them through gritted teeth, and a forced smile makes its way on her lips. "Can I go home now? I don't feel very well."

His fist clenches so hard, he feels the blood seeping down the palm of his hand. He knows she's lying, but he has no choice but to do as she asks. Swiftly, he grabs the two women by their arm, careful not to hurt them, and walks away.

She tired, so tired. She's tired of listening to his lies, tired of being alone. She's broken, she realizes. When she looks around the house, she can think of no happy memories. Just heartbreak.

Closing her luggage, she looks around the bedroom one last time before she shuts the door. She looks around the living room, and walks over to that same bookshelf to grab that same album. She turns the pages to that same picture and stares at it for a moment. Gazing at the kitchen behind her, she gets a brief image of a pink haired male and a happy blonde women laughing together while each of them were covered in whipped cream. However, the image disappears, leaving her with only the cold, dark house. She stands up and is about to close the book when the door opens. His pink hair is still recognizable in the dark, and his eyes glow a green-like color.

The two gaze at each other in silence before his eyes shift over to her luggage a couple feet away from her.

"L-Luce," His voice is shaky and his whole body trembles. "what are you doing?"

"I'm going away," She says smoothly, her expression emotionless.

"W-what? N-No don't go!" He sounds panicked, and she doesn't understand why. She says nothing as he slowly walks towards her, stumbling like he's intoxicated.

"I'm tired," She says finally, making him stop about a few feet away from her. "I'm so sick and tired of the lies, the excuses, and being alone." He trembles in his spot, and reaches out for her.

"N-No! L-Luce I-"

"I'm tired of you not being there, and I'm tired of crying and having my heart broken over and over again. I'm so tired of you," She can feel tears cascading down her cheeks at this point, but she doesn't care. "I saw you yesterday with that women at the café. You looked like you were enjoying yourself," She lets out a strained laugh, and turns towards the male. "Funny, how you say you can't make it on any of our dates yet you have free time to go with another women."

She begins to walk towards the door, but the male hastily grabs her hand.

"N-No, Luce, you don't understand! That's just a misunderst-" Forcefully, she tugs her hand away from his, and his heart breaks.

"You're right Natsu, I don't understand. I don't understand you anymore." She grabs her luggage, and walks towards the door. Before leaving, she turns towards the sobbing man on the floor. He watches her with widened eyes as she slips off the gold ring on her left ring finger and tosses to him. His eyes grow wider in alarm.

"No! Wait please! I love you!"

"Goodbye Natsu," And the door closes with a soft click.

~X~

He lays sits there on the ground, tears still spilling down his face. He looks at the ring in the palm of his hand, and lets out a strained chuckle. He's a mess and he knows it. Reaching inside his jacket pocket, he pulls out a pamphlet, and two airplane tickets. His thumb trances over the words Hawaii and stargazing before he crumples the papers in his hand and tosses it somewhere. Heartbroken, he closes his eyes, and the words of his boss ring loud in his head.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Natsu? Working like this will give you less time with your fiancée,"

"I have no choice, I really need the money," He grinned, rubbing his head sheepishly. "I'm planning to have my wedding with Luce in Hawaii because it's one of the best places in the world to see stars. I know she loves them,"

"Are you sure it's fine that you're not going to tell her about this extra job?"

"I'm sure she'll be okay."

Thinking back to it, curses at himself for leaving his Lucy all by herself. He's been such an ass to her lately and he hasn't gone on any of their dates because of his other job. He's an idiot though and he regrets everything.

His thoughts go back to Lucy's words. Another woman? There was no other woman. Unless she saw him with the wedding planner at the café. He shouts out profanities and throws his head back. He made a mistake, and that mistake caused him to lose the only woman he's ever loved.

"Lucy," He whines, his voice filled with regret as he holds her ring in his hand tightly. "Lucy,"

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"Nothing is worse than missing an opportunity that could have changed your life." ~Unknown