Fairy Tail Soulmate AU

Prompt used: "Soulmate AU where, instead of your soulmate's first words to you written on your skin, it's their last words you ever hear them say, so you don't know who your soulmate is until you lose them."

Yeah. Totally going to be multiple character deaths. Sorry.

Pairings: (Brief) Lucy/Loke, Natsu/Lisanna, Natsu/Lucy

"You're all the fire I need."

Lucy stared at the one sentence, wrapped around her ankle like a scar. The words had appeared there less than a year ago, replacing the words, "You're the only star I saw here," after her friend, Loke, had turned out to be the Celestial Spirit Leo, with a girlfriend back home who he'd been separated from for five years. His original punishment, which had banished him to Earth, had been rescinded, and he'd returned home, no longer making him her soulmate, as Spirits and Humans weren't allowed to have any romantic interaction.

Loke had said those words just before he returned, and Lucy had sighed, and told him "Good luck." The words on his arm, as well. He had smiled at her as he disappeared. While she'd never felt much for him beyond friendship, she teared up a bit every time she thought about it. However, the universe had apparently seen fit to give her a new soulmate. Lucy sat with her drink at the bar, mulling over the words. Behind her, a crash echoed throughout the guild. Lucy didn't even have to turn around to know exactly who it was.

"Flame-brain!"

"Squinty-eyes!" Natsu and Gray were at it again.

"Stop fighting." Erza ordered, and both boys were immediately buddy-buddy again, at least until Erza walked over to where Lucy was sitting. The crashing sounds immediately started up again. Lucy glanced over at Erza. Erza's single word was written down her fore-arm. "Scarlet." Short and simple. Lucy had no doubt that it would be a heartbreaking end, though.

"Lucy. We're going out on a new job. Will you be joining us?"

Lucy nodded, smiling. "I have rent to pay, so yes, I need the money."

Natsu bounded over. "You're coming with us, Lucy?"

Lucy sighed as she turned to face him. "Yes. And it's only fitting you should help me, since you live at my place more than I do."

Natsu simply grinned as Happy chimed in. "But Luccyyy, your house is so much more comfortable!"

Lucy sighed as she stood up and walked towards the door. "Are we going?"

Natsu fell in step besides her, hands behind his head as Happy floated along behind. Happy had only his name written on one of his paws. Lucy had never seen Natsu's words. Apparently, his first words had disappeared after Lisanna had died, although apparently, they were never spoken. They hadn't known something would happen to one of them during that mission, and Lisanna had gone, thinking she'd come back. It was simply the fate of the universe that it wasn't to be.

Lucy had learned all of this one night from Happy while Natsu snored away on her bed. Lucy had been forced to sit up in her chair most of the night, and Happy, plagued by nightmares of something he couldn't quite remember, had sat with her. Apparently, Natsu had new words written on his wrist, but he always kept them covered by the bracelet he wore. Happy had never seen them clearly enough to tell her what they were, and from what Lucy could discern, Natsu himself had never read them, preferring to avoid the heartbreak that came with Lisanna's death a second time around.

"I'll be back soon, okay, Natsu?" Lisanna smiled.

"Take me with you, please, I want to go!" Natsu cried out.

Lisanna just smiled as her sister, Mirajane, spoke up. "Not today, Natsu. Stay here, and maybe next time."

Lisanna turned around, walking backwards as she followed her siblings. "I'm sorry. Bye, Natsu. We'll get married someday, you know. Then you can always come with me."

Natsu stood, watching them walk away. Natsu wanted to leap forwards and cling to Lisanna, in an attempt to keep her here. He was fairly certain she was his soulmate, even if he wasn't keen on the idea of marrying her. That was gross.

But then Lisanna never returned. Natsu cried. He'd thought Lisanna would be his soulmate. But the words on his wrist were gone, and Lisanna had never said them. Natsu was sorely confused. Was Lisanna his soulmate, and something had gone wrong? Was he simply to lose his soulmate this young? Who decided such a thing was right?

Nobody mentioned Lisanna after that. It was just the two Strauss siblings, the youngest never spoken of again, and Natsu's unspoken words forgotten.

Lucy pondered the story as she walked. She'd know Natsu for almost two years now, and he'd never even mentioned his final words written on his arm. Lucy would look, except that such a thing was often private, with individuals choosing to share it with those closest to them, as if it were a curse. Erza was an exception, displaying hers without shame. Cana, as well, though hers was mostly that she was too drunk to care. Lucy had a bit of a crush on Natsu, but she would never invade his privacy so.

However, Lucy would find out what Natsu's words were sooner than she'd like. The job they had chosen had been under-rated and falsely advertised.

Erza was lying on the ground, knocked out, as were Grey and Happy. The monster stood, breathing heavily, making a sound like that of a boulder's smashing echoing a hundred miles. Natsu was nearly out of energy, kneeling near where Lucy was sitting on the ground with a twisted ankle. Her Spirits were all out of their own energy, which left her useless. The monster let out a roar, and Natsu threw up his arms, shielding both of them. However, in the process, his bracelet finally gave way and ripped from his arm.

Natsu looked up and grimaced as he saw the words written there. "Maybe we'll be a constellation ourselves, when this is all over."

Lucy saw the words too, but was distracted by the fact that the monster was stomping near to them, and that Natsu was leaning over her, protecting her.

Natsu let a small snort out. "Really? After all that, that's what my soulmate is supposed to say?"

Lucy glared at him. "You're complaining about this now? We're likely about to die, and you're complaining about your soulmate's last words?"

Natsu glared right back. "Yeah, and what do yours say?" Natsu glanced at her ankle, and his eyes widened at the words written there, but he still found a comment to make. "Wow. That's worse than mine."

The monster kicked them both, causing them to land several feet away. Natsu crawled back over to near Lucy. "Don't worry. We'll get out of this, or at least you will."

Lucy shook her head as the monster stomped towards them again. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Natsu."

Natsu chuckled, but coughed as his ribs began to burn. Lucy looked at him. "You're almost out of energy, aren't you." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Natsu looked down at her. "That won't stop me from protecting you. I love you, Lucy."

Lucy looked at Natsu in shock. For a moment, it seemed as though they were the only two in the world, even though the monster continued to stomp towards them. "You love me?"

Natsu nodded. "Not at first. But after I'd known you for awhile, after I started basically living at your place, I realized I didn't know what I'd do without you. Last time I felt like that was with…" Natsu trailed off, looking Lucy in the eyes.

"With Lisanna." Lucy said, softly. Natsu nodded. "With Lisanna."

Lucy and Natsu stared at each other for a split second before the monster roared again. Natsu used his own body to shield Lucy from the onrush of magic energy. Their faces were only a few inches apart, and Natsu, seeming to realize that this may be his last moment to do so, closed the gap and kissed Lucy, quickly, softly, but full of passion.

Before Lucy could react, Natsu stood up, shakily, and laughed softly. "I suppose this is how it has to end, isn't it?"

Lucy, still reeling from Natsu's kiss, stammered out, not even entirely aware of what she was saying, "But don't you need fire to continue on?"

Natsu laughed again, turning to face the monster. He looked over his shoulder with a twinkle in his eyes. "You're all the fire I need."

Natsu attacked the monster as Lucy watched. But his magic energy was too low, and the monster threw him back where he'd come from, Natsu slamming against the wall and landing near where Lucy was. "No! Natsu!" She screamed, dragging herself to where he had landed.

Natsu's breath was coming raggedly, and he was drifting somewhere between life and death. Lucy began to cry. "Why would you do such a stupid thing, Natsu? Why do you always have to have so much courage?"

Lucy put her head on Natsu's chest as the monster drew near for its final blow. She began to babble incoherently, talking about how much she'd loved the stars, always wanted to die looking at them - at least when she thought about dying - about how Loke had turned out be a Spirit, and how he lived among them as a constellation (even though Natsu already knew that part.) Lucy looked up to see the monster's giant foot beginning to lift, preparing to crush them. Lucy bit her lip. She didn't really want to die, but she didn't want to live without Natsu, either.

She lowered her head back down to look at Natsu as the giant foot lifted higher and higher. She sobbed out the words she knew she was destined to say, even as Natsu smiled through his pain and opened his eyes long enough to look directly into hers, even as the giant foot came down to crush them beneath its weight.

"Maybe we'll be a constellation ourselves, when this is all over."