Dear Lucy Heartfilia,

You probably recognize this sloppy handwriting (It hasn't changed since high school.) but if we were to meet today, you would see that everything else about me has changed. I know this letter is sudden and out of nowhere but recently I've been thinking about you so I decided to write you up. To answer the question I know you have in your head, I still have Levy in my contacts and through miraculous luck, she hasn't changed it once. I texted her and got your information. After some serious begging of course. Anyway, I just want you to know I'm sorry for who I was back then and what I did to you.

I was a stupid kid back then, just trying to figure it out and I couldn't. I was too immature and I always gave you the run around. I ran from forever because I was too dumb to see what I see now. I was scared and I didn't want to lose my freedom. So I always gave you those stupid excuses. I pretended I needed time to think and space to breathe to keep you just close enough. I wanted you to wait for me but I never thought about how I was making you feel. I never gave your emotions and needs a second thought. I was too caught up in mine.

But you weren't waiting and you left me. I wouldn't admit it then but I deserved it. At first I blamed you. I gave so many lies to myself and others in that denial. I couldn't see that you just did what you needed. I was blind and couldn't (or maybe didn't want to) see that I was the one at fault. I fell in love with you because you were strong and took no shit from anyone. I loved how you were so grown up at such a young age. You were already a woman in high school. But you. You fell in love with a child. I was trapped in the past. I didn't treat you right. I couldn't imagine what "forever" meant. I put my questions above your love. I ran away.

I can't go back and I can't change what happened. I can't redo what has been done and I hate that. I wish I could go back, punch myself in the face, and straighten up. But I can't. All I can do is be better now. So I did. I've stopped running from forever and I've grown up. My childish side is still very much intact (Nothing could ever take that from me) but I'm not the kid I was. I've learned a lot about life since then and I'm ready for forever. I've looked at all the things I could've and should've done. All the things I would've done if you had stayed longer. I've grown up and got my shit together.

I bet you never expected to see this and I'm not sure if I ever expected to write it but one of the few things that hasn't changed is my love for you. I never stopped loving you after you left. Sure, those first weeks before graduation were spent blaming you, but it still hurt. After graduation, when our lives were finally torn completely apart, I continued to blame you. But as the weeks, hell, even as the months and years progressed, I finally started seeing the truth. It took a long time but I'm an adult now, the one you wanted all those years ago. I'm ready to push my pride out of the way and make a girl like you want to stay.

When you see this, if you have the time of day and you bother with it, please don't judge me for the kid I was. I regret him. Just know that I've never seen another girl since you and if you ever want to consider a second chance, I'm man enough now.

~Natsu Dragneel

The letter dropped to the wooden desk below, a sigh escaping the blonde. She couldn't believe it. Natsu freaking Dragneel had contacted her and not only that, he did it to apologize for his behavior years ago. High school was over seven years ago and he'd been thinking about her the whole time? It was purely unbelievable.

You're exaggerating. I say I love you first sometimes." Anger flooded his eyes. She could see it and it scared her.

"It's not your fault. It's just some space." He was looking at her now, eyes filled with nothing. She wanted to see happiness in it again.

"I just need time to think, Lucy." He was looking away again. She guessed looking away from her was his new favorite thing to do.

"I can't do this right now. Give me a little room to breathe." She could see the back of his head now and it hurt.

"I'll see you later Lucy." She watched, heart burning, as he took his first steps away. Somehow, it felt like she saw too much of this and not enough of his face.

"Sorry, I have to go but I'll text you." The words were spoken to her but he was facing the other way, several feet away already. The only thing that helped her aching bones was the sincere tone of voice he used.

"Yeah, love you too." It was hastily said, like it didn't truly matter.

"Nah, I'm busy today. And tomorrow." And just like that, he was gone.

The flashbacks, the times he'd run away and the words he'd used, exploded in her mind. She rubbed her forehead, trying to calm the racing memories of the boy that broke her heart. She hadn't revisited those since, well, she couldn't even remember. Her eyes slowly raked over the paper to the bottom. He said he regrets all those times. All those days she thought he was hopeless. Were they all wrong? Her mind transported to a day toward the end, a celebration for the seniors before the last few weeks came.

"I'll call you as soon as I'm done, promise." He'd had something to do before and he'd refused to tell her what. She was upset and thought he was planning on ditching her.

"But it's not gonna be any fun without you there!" Her father had called and demanded her prescence. He sounded legitimately upset over the phone.

"Pft, like you could ever be ugly. You're the most beautiful person on Earth!" She'd managed to get away from her father on time. So she was freaking out over her appearance but just that sentence alone melted her heart and she nodded, moving to adjust the strap to make it fit better.

"C'mon! We can't be late and I'm not leaving you behind!" He was dragging her behind him, excitement rippling through his body, which was warmer than ever. She felt good.

"Oh this is gonna be great, Luce! Can't you tell?" The party was just about to start and the crowd was milling around energetically, voices and yells coming from every which way. Lucy had a really good feeling about the night.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Lucy." They were huddled together by the bonfire, the night winding down. With his warmth, Lucy thought she wouldn't mind never leaving that spot.

"This was the best day ever. Thank you." They were outside her door, preparing for goodbye. She was sad to leave his arms and he looked sad to leave her presence but she pushed on, refusing to give in to him. He'd given her one more good night and she wasn't sure there'd be another.

"Lucy Heartfilia, I need you to know I love you with all my heart." She'd barely heard it through the door she'd just closed and she chose to ignore it. She thought she must have misheard. The wind, she decided to call it.

A thought that had never occurred to her before popped into her mind. What if he really had loved her? What if he hadn't been as fake as she'd thought all this time? Her heartbeat quickened and she felt want, no, need pull at her body. She didn't think as she slid her chair back and stood up. She didn't question anything as she half ran to her cell phone on the kitchen counter. She thoughtlessly dialed Levy's number, hands shaking as it rang.

"Hello?"

"Levy! I need Natsu's number! I know you have it!"

"Lucy? You want Natsu's number? As in Natsu Dragneel?"

"Yes Levy! I need it right now!"

"Alright, alright, chill. I'll text it to you."

"Great! Thank you so much!" Lucy ended the call before her friend could reply and tapped impatiently on the counter as she waited for the text message. Finally, what felt like minutes later, a ping lit up her screen. Scrambling to open the message, she copied the message. Within half a minute, she had the dialer open and the number pasted onto it and within another split second, her finger tapped the call button.

She lifted the phone to her ear, heart pounding out of her chest as it rang once and then twice. She took a deep breath and it rang a third time. Then, just as the fourth ring was beginning, it got cut off and replaced by a very familiar yet completely stranger voice. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Natsu..." She hadn't meant to give such a weak reply but hearing his voice again, no matter how matured it had become from the last time she'd heard it, had shocked her to the core.

There was a small gasp from the other end of the line and then a deep breath. "Lucy?" His voice was quiet, nervous even.

"Yeah, that's me."

"W-what...What do you need?" Her heart melted just as it had that night at the party. Just a minute into speaking to him for the first time in many years and he already had her back where she had left.

"I still love you too."