Of Eggs and Empty Refrigerators

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep…!

Lucy groaned at the annoying monotone emanating from her alarm clock.

"Gahhhhhhnnnguhhhh…"

Ungracefully flipping over in bed with a creak, the white sheets sliding against each other, Lucy groggily opened her eyes to glare at the trademark red LEDs. At first, everything was a blur, a watercolor smear of light and shadow that didn't make sense to her tired mind. She blinked rapidly, feebly shaking her head to try and shake some loose strands of light-colored hair out of her field of vision.

6:30, the God-forsaken machine silently communicated.

"Sunuvuh... Sunuvuh a bitch," she mumbled, her dry throat rendering her words scratchy and rough. Throwing her hand haphazardly to shut the damn thing off, Lucy straightened her legs out, stretching with a pained grunt. Shooting yet another irritated glance at the now-silent clock, Lucy rolled over in a huff, hoping to fall back asleep.

Of course, she could never fall back asleep now.

Idly glancing over at the window on the opposite wall, Lucy watched the tree tops wave passively in the morning breeze. The morning birds flitted about, basking in the orange light of the rising sun. They looked happy, clearly oblivious to Lucy's self-inflicted suffering.

All fucking night.

That's approximately how long Lucy had been awake, unpacking an untold number of cardboard boxes in her brand-new living room. Her hands were sore from cutting the tape that bound them shut, and her back ached from lifting all the shit she just had to take along. Oh yes, all those precious books had seemed absolutely essential before she moved all the way here. Past Lucy was ignorant and naïve, a testament to her sheltered life and inexperience with the multitude of hardships that came with moving out on your own for the first time.

Yes, Past Lucy had decided that she was going to brave the harsh, terrifying world, all so that she could escape her stifling home life. So she could leave Father, and wear whatever she wanted, and not be bound by her father's demands. So she could live her own life, how she wanted to.

But noooo, couldn't just move half-way across town.

Or even to the next city.

No, she had to move across the entire country.

In other words, as far away from her father as possible. To finally be free, she supposed.

Thinking back on all this in her bed, Present Lucy nodded to herself, confirming her justifications and reasoning behind doing this. Yes, this is why she's suffering like this.

Soon, all the struggling with be worth it.

In fact, it already was. Lucy was in her very own apartment, and she would soon have friends, who could come visit her in that apartment. In fact, Lucy had already made a friend – this bubbly, energetic girl named Levy. She lived a floor above Lucy, and had introduced herself on the day Lucy moved in.

"Oh, hello!" The girl had said, peering around the corner of the carpeted staircase at Lucy, who was standing in front of her door, fishing her brass key out of her bag. Lucy had looked up at the voice, slightly startled.

"Hi," Lucy had said simply, taking in the combination of wild, brightly-dyed blue hair and yellow-orange headband. The girl, from a distance, appeared to be about Lucy's age despite her youthful features.

The girl bounded down the steps, stopping to just a few feet in front of Lucy. She grinned broadly, her ramblings punctuated by occasional gestures.

"I'm guessing you're moving in? I saw all your stuff out there, and it's funny, 'cause I actually just moved here about a month ago myself. It's really nice here, y'know? The neighbors are actually pretty quiet, although there's a guy here who sometimes throws… raucous parties." She added, mock-glaring at some undefined unit upstairs. The playfully angry look contrasted sharply with her adorable facial features and tiny frame. Lucy blinked at the rapid flow of information. Hyper much? Also, Lucy hadn't noticed how short this girl was, since she was standing further up on the carpeted steps just a few moments prior.

Ignoring these thoughts, Lucy nodded politely, replacing her bag on her shoulder and smiling genially at her petite new neighbor, who really seemed quite nice. Lucy got excited – maybe she would make friends sooner than she expected! Things were working out amazingly for her.

"Oh, really? That's great!" Lucy beamed. "I'm gonna be studying a lot, since I'm going to be attending the university here, so I'll definitely need quiet. Also, I read a bunch, for fun, too, so…" she trailed off, rather unsure of what to say, or how to continue. It had done her no good to be tutored alone at home for twelve years.

"Mhmm, I totally get it," Lucy's neighbor responded emphatically, completely unperturbed by Lucy's social awkwardness. "I'd find a cave in the remotest part of Nepal to be able to finish a great book in peace. But, you learn how to deal with it, I guess!" She finished chirpily, throwing her hands in front of her, palms toward the ceiling.

Lucy had smiled again, feeling the girl's optimism rub off on her.

"Oh, I'm Levy McGarden, by the way! And you said you're going to FT university? I go there, too! Well, I will be going. I'm a freshman," she said, extending her hand out for Lucy to shake.

"Lucy," she responded, grasping the hand gently. "And I'm a freshman too, actually. I'm going to be studying English, since I want to be a writer," Was she talking about herself too much?

The girl's eyes widened. "Really? That is so amazing! Do you write stuff now?"

"Well…" Lucy blushed ever so slightly, looking at the vaguely patterned wall. "Sort of? I'm working on a novel right now, and-"

"I have to be the first to read it!" Levy demanded excitedly, clasping their hands together. "I can already tell you're an awesome writer!"

"Oh – okay." Lucy said, quietly, rather stunned by Levy's hyper-upbeat personality. Lucy would be happy to have someone else read, and perhaps critique her work – especially such an avid reader. "I wouldn't have anyone else!" She added quickly.

"Awesome! Well," Levy said, letting go and turning slightly, a signal that meant that she was intending to leave, or so Lucy assumed. "If you ever need anything, just come on by! Mi casa es su casa, okay? I'm almost above you, 320, actually,"

"Wow, well, thanks!" Lucy grinned, joyous at the turn of events.

And with that, Lucy watched as Levy headed towards the stairs leading up the next level, her dainty white booties creating muffled taps on the nondescript, industrial carpet.

Lucy turned back to her door, having found the newly-copied key.

"Oh, hey Lucy?" Levy called from halfway up the steps.

Lucy looked up.

"If you need help moving anything heavy, let me know. My boyfriend would be glad to help… he's actually really ripped," she added cheekily, raising her eyebrows.

Lucy had gaped slightly as Levy quickly turned and dashed away.

Back in the present, Lucy smiled to herself in bed.

It's gonna be great, Lucy, she thought to herself, her mood already lifted. My life is turning for the better!

Stretching once again with a big yawn, Lucy threw off the crème-colored sheets, gingerly stepping onto the wood floor. Quietly padding into the hallway on socked feet, Lucy rounded the corner into the living room. Unfortunately, there would be no one living in this room just yet, unless they cared to sit on the floor around rickety cardboard boxes full of clothing that Lucy honestly wasn't even sure she wanted. She really just wanted to remove all traces of herself from her former residence, for good. Had she thrown stuff away there, it would have aroused suspicion, so, she just brought it with her. It cost quite a bit, but she decided that she didn't really care.

Examining the room in content, she picked around the scattered objects, everything from used notepads, her mother's musical boxes, weird gifts from suitors, and very expensive clothing. She was going to throw most of it away; and why keep any of it?

Flicking on lights as she went, Lucy headed to the bathroom to grab her toothbrush. Leaning over the oval, porcelain sink and turning on the water, she realized that she was most excited about the apartment itself.

The apartment was quite nice for what she paid - $800 a month. The one bedroom, one bathroom apartment was exceptionally small in comparison to the estate she grew up in, but Lucy knew things would be this way; she actually quite liked it. It felt cozy and warm, especially as opposed to the towering ceilings in the mansion that made you feel tiny and insignificant, like an ant staring up at the stars. No, this apartment was luxurious.

Finished brushing her teeth, Lucy idly headed to the kitchen, hopping up on the cheap countertop to plan out her day. Leaning her head on the faux-wood, molded cabinets, she stared up at the fluorescent light placed in the center of the ceiling and crossed her bare legs.

She supposed she could finish throwing away all the crap in her apartment, or perhaps she could sell it. She could make quite a bit of money doing it that way. And then she needed to go shopping for… what was it again? She was still quite tired, although her back didn't hurt as much.

Maybe first she should-

Groooowwwwll!

Scratch that.

She hadn't realized it, but hot damn was she hungry. Maybe that's why she couldn't fall back asleep! Maybe she could've slept through the alarm!

Wait… Did she even eat dinner the night before? She didn't even remember setting the alarm for 7:30! Wasn't she planning to sleep in, anyway? What the hell, man? Running her hands through her hair, Lucy groaned. She could go back to bed, but, still, she was really fucking hungry. That timeless internal debate – the one that rises when one is simultaneously and equally very hungry and very tired – rose up within the deep, primal parts of Lucy, each side angrily hissing and spitting and clawing at each other like furious cats.

In the end, however, the hungry side won out, and Lucy sighed as she ungracefully leapt off the countertop with a thud. The sudden movement forced her to fight off a wave of nausea. Rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them – honestly, how long was it going to take her to wake up? – she stumbled towards the basic white fridge, blindly grabbing at the cool handle. Yanking on it, she grunted slightly as her sore arm protested. What did she want… a dense, cinnamon-raisin bagel and cream cheese? Some pumpkin seed and dried fruit granola with soy yogurt? Maybe… an avocado and sunny-side-up egg sandwich with sriracha sauce… yes, that sounded nice. Eggs were delicious. Lucy licked her lips in anticipation.

Peering into the clean (for now) interior, Lucy struggled to make out the contents of the fridge by the light of the flickering bulb. Weren't they obligated to fix that before she rented this place? Disregarding that thought, Lucy blankly stared into the cold, plastic cavern. It felt like she was staring into a powerful telescope, like she was a genius astronomer scrutinizing the exotic, foreign surface of a distant planet. A harsh, dimly lit, petroleum-based and frigid planet, with no life… no bacterial growth… no… food…?

No. Fucking. Food.

Lucy blinked in realization. The fridge was, as they say, bare. Empty.

"NO FUCKING FOOD!"

Lucy yelled out in frustration, stamping her foot on the tiled floor. She knew, in the logical part of her brain, that there wasn't even any food in the pantry. No cereal, no bread, not-a-goddamn-thing. And it finally, finally clicked into place that the very reason why she was so hungry this morning… was because there was no food in the fridge last night, either! Lucy leaned her head against the smaller freezer door.

"I can't go twenty-fucking-four hours without eating. My stomach is going to digest itself before I can scrounge some pitiful thing up," she mumbled to herself, vaguely happy to be alone, away from people who could hear her sleep-deprived raves and their muted comments questioning her sanity.

Oh, she was so tired. And she was so hungry. She'd never had to go without food. And the burning, painfully stinging knowledge that burrowed itself deep into Lucy's brain made her fucking irate.

She had money.

And she knew it.

Her pockets were lined with her late mother's money.
She could waltz any-fucking-where and buy food in quantities equivalent to the weight of a bulk package of potatoes, but because Past Lucy was a fucking asshole, Present Lucy had to suffer for it.

Immensely.

Fuck Past Lucy.

She didn't know what to do. Go to the grocery store? Unthinkable. And any restaurant would take too long… Lucy stared down at the floor as she drummed her fingernails on the countertop, leaving the fridge door ajar. Who cared if all the cold air came out? Not like there's anything in there to preserve anyway.

What did people do when they needed sustenance fast? Find a salt lick and commune with the cattle? Steal some eggs from a bird's nest? Go to a friend's house and beg for a meal?

Lucy gasped, her head snapping up. "Levy!" She cried in elation, a broad smile developing on her tired face.

What's her apartment number? Lucy thought with a rapidity that didn't match her mental state. 330, right? Lucy nodded to herself. Yeah, Levy would be more than welcoming. Lucy was sure of it. Besides, Levy said that her house was also Lucy's house, or something like that. The sentiment still stands, even two days later, right? Or was she just being nice?

Lucy wasn't sure about the protocol for this. Sure, she was taught an untold number of etiquette rules and procedures, but was unfortunately never briefed on how, exactly, to go about begging for food at a neighbor's house.

Surprising absolutely no one at all, it just never came up.

Lucy shrugged, deciding to just wing it. She looked down at her clothing, which consisted of some small, dark heather grey cotton shorts and an off-white, loose athletic crop top that ended some inches above the bottom of her ribs. She did not remember changing. It was entirely possible that she had worn the outfit to bed last night. It was also possible that she was slowly losing her sanity.

Since moving, she had been wearing clothes that were decidedly more revealing than what she was "allowed" to wear in "her" old "life", in "her" old "home". Oh sure, she got to wear very expensive clothes, but it was always designer dresses and tea-length skirts and shit like that. She got sick of it.

In fact, the minute she left the estate and stepped onto public land, she went to the nearest store and purchased the first mini skirt she could find. It was a little fantasy come true. Later, it was really quite refreshing to wear things like pants and even – God forbid – shorts. It was just another little something that normal folks would take for granted, but Lucy got giddy about, and had thought about as she lay awake at night, years ago.

With a small hum, Lucy decided that her outfit was acceptable to wear out-of-doors. She threw on her white sneakers, the ones that were carelessly left lying on top of each other in the small tiled foyer in front of the door. Opening the door while hopping on one foot and pulling a sneaker on the other, she realized it was unlocked. Lucy made a mental note to remember to lock the door more often. If not, she was going to get robbed one of these days.

Shutting the door tightly behind her, Lucy walked towards the carpeted stairs that led to the level above her, where, hopefully, some delicious food was awaiting her. Rounding the corner while battling a sudden onslaught of dizziness, she slowed her pace up the quiet stairwell.

Finally making it to the top with a huff, she stared down the rows of uniform, identical doors, the quiet hush only disturbed by the occasional whoosh of the air conditioning system. Rather confused at the organization, Lucy held her hand on the wall, scrutinizing the entrances. Odd numbers on one side, even on the other? Yes, that's right. She quickly stepped past all the other units, noting the numbers, until she made it to Levy's apartment.

Lucy stood in front of the apartment for a few moments, considering what she was actually going to say to Levy, and then gently rapped on the simple white door.

"Levy? It's Lucy, your neighbor," she called, not too loud, since it was still awfully quiet in this hallway, although now she could hear the murmur of a TV coming from one place and maybe someone singing in another.

She waited for about ten seconds or so, and then knocked again, a bit harder this time. Maybe Levy was deeper in the house and couldn't hear? Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. It was pretty early, probably about eight by then. She might've still been asleep… but still, Lucy was practically starving.

What if… Lucy thought, trailing off as she tried the doorknob. Surprisingly, it opened, and Lucy hesitated, hand tightly grasping the brass, questioning the morality of such an act as she was planning..

I'm sure Levy wouldn't mind if I just… kinda snuck in and borrowed something out of her pantry…, Lucy thought, smoothing her hair out, a nervous gesture she inherited from her mother, along with her looks and personality. She's probably asleep… or gone for the day.

I doubt she would've left this early though… Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. It's a risk I'll have to take.

Lucy nodded, then pushed the door open fully, stepping in quietly and quickly shutting the door behind her. She looked around at the apartment, rapidly taking in the black faux-leather couch and small particle-board cocktail table in the living room, the plain wooden bar stools by the kitchen, and what looked like framed vinyl art on the wall to Lucy's right . There were some sneakers and punk-ish boots vaguely organized on a rack by the door, a shit-ton of CDs scattered by the small TV, and a lit, industrial metal floor lamp by the entrance to the hallway on the far side of the room.

Other than that, the place was pretty empty.

Lucy didn't know what Levy's apartment would've looked like, but this wasn't it. Lucy shook her head – she didn't know the girl all that well. Who's to say? Not Lucy. But, she would've at least expected… oh, she didn't know, maybe some fucking bookshelves?

With that thought, she made a beeline for the brightly lit kitchen, her sneakers squeaking on the linoleum. She looked around, noticing the small, potted plant on the bar. She needed to get some plants, too. They looked nice.

She walked to the pantry, opening the door and feeling the gust of slightly-colder air on her. Looking into the cavernous dark, she considered the half-eaten bag of tortilla chips, open macaroni boxes, some odd potatoes here and there with eyes growing out of them, and cans of what may or may not have been condensed milk.

"Okay," Lucy whispered, still calm as her patience had not completely gone. "How about, let's see what's in the fridge. I would like some eggs. Yes, eggs would be fantastic. Egg sandwich, yessir,"

Swirling around, she shut the pantry door and turned so her back was to the kitchen entrance, then leaned down and yanked open the fridge. This one had an actual, working light, and Lucy shivered from the cold air on her bare abdomen and legs. Looking around inside, Lucy's genial expression slowly diminished to one of barely-contained anger.

Disappointment didn't accurately convey what she felt in that moment, and she felt the tears prick at the back of her eyes. There was some strawberry yogurt, long expired upon examination, a bag of moldy bread, fully eaten save for the end pieces, and a glass jar with a lone, pale pickle floating in the yellowish brine.

"What? What the hell? Are we in fucking Latvia?" Lucy griped, her tiredness somehow partially replaced with sheer irritation.

"No, we're in my apartment,"

Lucy shot bolt upright, terror apparent on her face as she stared at the freezer door, her hand tightly gripping the fridge handle. This new voice was very much not from a short girl with blue hair.

Whatever sleepiness she had was efficiently wiped by the intense shot of adrenaline at having heard the voice. She felt like she had been caught breaking into the vault at a high-security bank, only to find that the security deposit boxes were empty, and she was left reeling from that mixture of guilt and abject dismay at the loss. Lucy swiveled on her heel, slamming the fridge door shut with her hip.

A few feet in front of her stood a guy, just about her age and height, with strikingly rosy-pink hair and the blackest eyes she'd ever seen. His face reflected a mixture of confusion and entertainment, as he had clearly decided that Lucy wasn't a serious threat.

All Lucy knew, as she stared at him with wide eyes as he leaned on the wall, was that she found this guy really fucking hot. Like, her-type-hot. She didn't even know she had a type until she saw this guy. Lucy knew she was gorgeous, and knew no one was "out of her league" as they say, but this guy was firmly within Lucy's own. Maybe toe-to-toe with her in looks. His black t-shirt, perfectly tight, showed his slight (probable) natural musculature, and his slim, ripped jeans and scuffed up boots really completed the look. Scattered around said boots were various brown paper bags full of what Lucy deduced to be groceries.

Groceries.

But there was no way in hell she could ask for food after raiding this perfect stranger's kitchen! He didn't know her! And Levy was gone, apparently!

"Um," Lucy said, realizing that she had been staring dumbly for some time now.

"Hello," she continued, about an hour too late, with a hesitant, awkward wave. Mr. Hot Punk Guy raised an eyebrow in response, crossing his arms, yet he didn't seem angry at all.

"I didn't realize, that, Levy… had company? Over here?" Lucy shifted her weight onto her other foot, her voice rising in pitch.

"I guess you're… her boyfriend. She mentioned you in passing! Ah- well," she broke from her train of thought, clasping her hands together and nervously chuckling in the silence. Levy said her boyfriend was ripped, but this guy wasn't… that big, he actually seemed relatively normal.

"But you don't know me, I'm actually, you know, Levy's neighbor, I actually just moved here, and, well, I ran out of food, you know how it is, I'm sure… and she said if I need anything…" She shifted her weight, turning slightly away from the man and gesturing vaguely. "So, I came over, and… sorry! I'm sure I startled you, but… I just want you to know that I'm-"

Levy's boyfriend stepped forward slightly, gently pushing some bags out of the way with the toe of his boot, interrupting Lucy's stream of nonsense. Whatever chance she had of getting food was shot to hell after her little 'discourse' here.

"Hold on a sec," the guy said, seeming a bit confused, holding his hand up and shaking his head.

"What are you going on about? Who are you talking about? Who's Levy?"

"You don't…?" Lucy trailed off.

Her eyes widened, and then quickly darted around the apartment.

The lack of answer at the door.

The basic decorations – no books!

The empty kitchen.

This wasn't Levy's apartment at all.

Lucy gasped, gripping the countertop for support as her cheeks burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. Things were already falling apart and she hadn't even been here for three days! She was going to have to live by this guy… until one of them moved! How could she damage neighbor relations in such a short period of time?

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Lucy kept chanting the curse over and over in her head as she realized her mistake.

How could Past Lucy be so stupid? How the fuck does someone mess up that badly? Now Present Lucy was so screwed!

"Shit," she simply said, her eyes tightly shut. She figured that perfectly summed up her sentiments at the moment.

"This… isn't… Levy's apartment…" she said to the wall.

The guy was just standing there, staring at her, she was sure. She leaned forward, dizziness hitting her again, full force this time. The room seemed to tilt back and forth, her head feeling way too light.

"Hey – are you okay?" He said, although his voice sounded oddly distant and muffled, like they were separated by a thin wall. Her legs weakened, buckling, and if she opened her eyes there were black spots flitting about her vision.

"Watch out!" Lucy heard as she collapsed forward, but she didn't hit the tile – someone's arms wrapped around her bare, flat stomach, really warm arms that quickly heated up her goosebumped flesh. She turned her head sideways to see him, his eyebrows knitted in concern, standing right next to her and holding her up by the waist

like she weighed nothing. She leaned on him as he pulled her closer, ignoring whatever slight fears she had of letting herself become this vulnerable in front of a stranger. Not much she could do about it, anyway.

"What happened?" He asked, quietly, grasping her back tightly. She shook her head slightly, rather dazed.

"Oh shit," he said, realization apparently dawning on him, all prior traces of humor gone. "You must be really hungry to try and steal someone else's food. How long has it been since you've eaten?"

"Um…" Lucy blinked, trying to remember. "I think… lunch, the day before yesterday? This week's been a blur…"

"For real? I can't go a four hours without feeling like I'm gonna starve. No wonder you're so light," he chuckled slightly.

"I'm stronger than I look," Lucy grumbled quietly, and although true, that wasn't really the point. She was merely thinking about the self-defense lessons she took all those years ago.

"Okay," he started, seeming to have made a quick decision about something. "Well, can't have ya falling all over my kitchen. Up we go,"

And the next thing Lucy knew, the guy lifted her into the air, arms under her back and beneath her knees. She suppressed a squeak, closing her eyes tightly to avoid getting dizzy again. What's with this? Why was she reacting so poorly to going a little over a

day with nothing to eat?

"So, do you always go two days without eating, then go raiding other people's kitchen, or is that just a once-in-a-while kind of thing?" He said, his tone mocking now that he knew Lucy was okay.

Lucy scowled at the material of his shirt, fighting off her sick stomach.

What! The! Fuck!

She'd never been like this before. Is she really that weak? She wanted… all she wanted was to be independent! To live life as others do, as normal people live… and she couldn't even do that! Lucy didn't realize she was so incompetent.

"Motherfucker, now I'm getting really irritated," Lucy mumbled to herself.

Natsu looked down at her as he rounded the corner of the bar. "What?" he asked, leaning his head down slightly to better hear, although Lucy was positive he had heard.

Lucy looked around to see where they were going, her nausea subsided. They were now in the living room, and Natsu was heading towards the couch, she supposed.

"Uh… nothing? I… no, I don't normally do this, I – whup!"

Lucy was unceremoniously yet gently deposited on the slick, black pleather couch. Her hair fluttered around her shoulders, and she blinked up at Natsu, who was studying her with a concerned look.

"You should probably just sit down for a bit," he said, stepping away and smiling slightly. Lucy thought he had a really endearing smile, the kind that could lift the spirits of an entire room. He didn't look so hot and mysterious now, as he had when Lucy first saw him.

"I'll be right back," Then he walked off, and Lucy was left sitting, fidgeting with her crop top, in this unfamiliar room. It was… pretty poorly organized, but clean, and there honestly wasn't even that much to organize in the first place, so it looked okay.

It was still a stark contrast to the mansions she was used to.

Mr. Hot Punk Guy came back quickly, just as he said, his old-looking boots tapping on the worn floor. He sat down next to her, a small glass bottle in hand. Lucy glanced at him, idly examining his one silver earring.

"Here you go," he said, snapping her to attention. He held the bottle out to her, and she hesitantly grabbed it. He must've just bought it from the grocery store; it was still cold, but condensation was evident on the surface, wetting the paper label.

Looking down, she turned the bottle around in her hand to read the label. It was some kind of chocolate milk from a brand she didn't recognize, as it was something she would never have gotten at home.

"Thank you," she said, tilting her head to smile at him. He smiled briefly in return, and then got back up to go to the kitchen, which was really only a few feet behind her. She supposed he was just giving her some space, or something like that. Lucy figured it was the polite thing to do.

Lucy quickly opened the bottle and downed the milk, relishing the sweet taste of it.

Damn, this shit was delicious. She would have to buy some for herself.

If she remembered to.

I mean, fuck, I can't even stock my fridge full of normal, everyday stuff, she thought to herself, scowling at the bottle, as if it could answer for the crimes that Lucy herself committed. The bottle said nothing to defend itself, so Lucy was assured of its guilt.

"So," the stranger called from the kitchen as he lifted the grocery bags up on the countertop. Lucy turned to look at him, screwing the lid back on the bottle temporarily. She crossed her leg over the other, giving him her full attention. As he pulled some items out of the bags, he turned to load the fridge, raising his voice louder so Lucy could hear.

"How long have you lived here?" he asked. "I don't think I've seen you around, although…" he said, pausing in front of the fridge, plastic bag full of bulk vegetables in hand. "I haven't seen whoever Levy is, either, and you said she lives here too… maybe I just don't know her by name," he mused, seemingly more to himself than to Lucy.

"Well," Lucy started, after clearing her throat and putting down the drink. "I've lived here about, uhmm… three days? By now? Yeah," Lucy nodded.

"Five days, huh? Well, I guess that explains why you don't have any food yourself. Movin's a bitch. After I finally unpacked everything, I swore up and down that I'd never move again," He chuckled as he put some boxes into the pantry. "That lasted for about a week, though, 'cuz I started thinking about all the places I wanted to go in my life, and well…" he turned around, shrugging, his shirt stretching slightly to accommodate.

"I decided it was worth it, y'know?" he finished easily, closing the pantry door behind him.

Lucy looked down, wondering why this guy was telling her all this. Why did he give her the drink? Why wasn't he kicking her out? Lucy looked down at the sunlight the shiny couch reflected. She supposed, were she in his position, she'd be doing the same damn thing. She'd help anyone who needed it.

"Where do you want to go to?" Lucy asked, glancing up at him. This guy had a way of drawing you in, making you feel interested and personally invested in what he was saying. And she had known him for all of five minutes.

"Well," he said, looking at Lucy in front of the sink. "There's lots of places I want to go to, but I think I'd have to make some friends first. I just moved here, so I need to build up a life and have some fun now. Then, later," he continued, gesturing. "After college, maybe I can head out,"

He grinned. "It'll be nice," he said, as if he could see it, right in front of his eyes.

Lucy breathed out. She had such small dreams compared to him. He wanted to head to college, meet new people, and travel the world. He had big plans – all Lucy wanted to do was leave her old home and maybe make a few friends, if she could do that.

"Do you have any plans?"

Lucy looked up to see him expectantly looking at her, then hunched over slightly. She felt embarrassed – what was she going to say? This was the worst fucking possible question he could've asked.

"Well… after I came here… I don't know. I guess… I want to find my way. Find myself, I don't even… I don't really even know the real me. I wanted to figure out how I'd like to live, and then live that life as fully as I can. I've… missed out on a lot," she finished, looking back up at him and pushing her bangs out of the way. Where did all that come from?

He looked slightly awed at her statement, and then smiled that endearing, boyish grin again.

"That's like, so deep," he said, and Lucy laughed, relieved that he didn't think it was stupid. But deep was a rather vague word; a catchall term. "You're amazing!" he added, his sharp eyes widened slightly.

Lucy shook her head somberly.

"I'm really not. You don't know me at all,"

And he didn't. Lucy was just some weird-assed girl who broke into his apartment, and who was weak, and couldn't even handle a move.

Who ran away without saying anything to anyone.

Who couldn't survive her mother's death, and instead chose to ignore it completely.

No, she wasn't amazing. But he seemed to think so. Lucy looked back up at him, as he finished putting up his groceries.

This guy also seemed really friendly, and she hoped this wasn't their last meeting.

However, she really didn't want to intrude – this guy was nice enough to go to all this trouble and she didn't want to overstay her welcome. If she didn't screw this up, too, maybe, maybe they could become friends! The somberness let up slightly, and the optimistic part of Lucy wanted to jump on that idea and figure out how to smoothly suggest meeting up again sometime. What did neighbors do with each other to socialize again?

Charades? Lucy thought she saw that on a TV show one time.

Fuck, she was so unsocialized. She was like those dogs who bit other dogs because they hadn't been around them in their youth. Except, instead of biting the other dogs, she just ended up biting her own ass, like the idiot she was.

Okay, Lucy, smooth exit… she thought to herself. She could save this yet.

"SO, ah," she started, rising, and the guy's head snapped up from whatever he was doing, folding bags or whatever.

"Thank you very much for the help, I feel much better. The milk was very delicious, and uh, it was nice meeting you. Sorry for breaking and entering, haha," she said nervously, smoothing out her hair. Mr. Hot Punk Guy furrowed his eyebrows slightly, yet headed into the living room anyway.

"It's fine. But are you sure you're okay to go? I thought you were going to faint earlier," he said as he quickly made it to a distance where they could speak comfortably.

Lucy shook her head. "Sure, I'm okay now. I think I just got dizzy. Some sleep will do me well," she said, laughing lightly.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked up at Lucy, smiling slightly. "Okay, well, it was awesome meeting you, too, and uh, don't worry about a thing. It was a bit of surprise, but I've done a hell of a lot worse when hungry," he laughed slightly, as if not perturbed in the slightest at Lucy's intrusion. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as she thought it was?

"I'm Natsu, by the way," he said, pulling his hand out of his pocket and waving ever so slightly.

"Lucy," She replied, vaguely bowing. And then she turned slightly, as Levy had done, that indicator that she was going to leave.

"Well, I'll see you around?" she said. Even though she didn't really know the guy, he seemed to be the kind of guy who could quickly make you feel at ease just by being around him. Mr. Hot Punk Guy was, evidently, the quintessential people person – comfortable in any social situation, easy to get along with, extroverted. Or so she guessed; Lucy wasn't sure she was good at reading people just yet.

She didn't really want to go, despite their limited contact with each other, but contented herself with planning a way to get back in touch. She already opened the metaphorical door – see you around. Now all he had to do was say see you and the engagement would be complete. Lucy grinned inwardly. She was getting good at manipulating people.

"I'd love that," he said, just as Lucy thought he would –wait. He'd love that? Not just a see you, but basically an, "I definitely want to see you again".

Perfect.

Lucy turned towards the exit, Natsu following closely behind to open the door for her. She smiled at him one final time, and then started walking to the staircase. She wondered-

"Hey – Lucy, wait!" she turned around, not having walked five steps. Natsu caught up with her easily, his eyes widened slightly.

"Hey, you said you didn't have any food, right?"

Lucy shook her head hesitantly. No, but…

"Then, why don't you eat at my place? I got plenty of really delicious stuff," he tempted, smirking slightly.

Lucy shook her head again modestly.

"No, I-"

"I even bought eggs,"

Lucy quickly turned her head, eyes widened and mouth agape, moistened slightly from excess saliva. He has… eggs? She couldn't believe it – someone in this fucking apartment building had stocked their kitchen to a respectable level? Still, she decided to turn him down…

But then her stomach fucking growled.

O O O

"So you're studying art?"

Lucy asked Natsu, although the words were slightly garbled from an over-full mouth. This guy really knew how to scramble eggs, and he didn't over-season them to compensate for poor egg-cooking skills.

It was about nine AM by then, and the sun was shining full-force through the living room main window. Lucy could get used to this – unstuffy, informal breakfasts had with friends, where you talked and laughed like normal people.

"Yeah," Natsu was saying, his hair illuminated from behind by the sunlight, small dust motes twirling, dancing and bumping into each other within the golden beam. The dust movements reminded Lucy of those ridiculous dances people would perform at the ritzy balls she would have to attend.

"I'm actually really excited about starting," Natsu was saying. "I have all my materials in my bedroom. I stayed up ridiculously late the other night reading some textbooks on proper shading techniques," he laughed, and Lucy did too, even though she really didn't get what was so funny. Natsu seemed like he laughed quite often.

Natsu set his fork down, leaning back on the black wooden chair and crossing his legs.

"So, what's your major?" he prompted. "I don't think you ever mentioned it,"

Lucy, who was gnawing on the corner of some buttered toast, blinked, then responded when finished chewing.

"I'm actually going to be taking English, since I want to be a writer. I actually… kinda get giddy about it, sometimes," she said, smiling and looking down at her lap, where she grasped a paper napkin, the kind printed with light-colored swirls and flowers. "A few years ago, I would have never imagined I'd actually be doing something like this. It makes me so happy," she finished, glancing up at Natsu.

"What?" Natsu asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why would the idea be so… uh, far-fetched? If you're good at writing, then what's the problem?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Well, my father… wanted me to get a degree in business, and he wouldn't have it any other way. You- you haven't met him," she said quickly.

"So… I left," she shrugged.

Natsu's eyes widened slightly.

"You ran away?"

Lucy nodded in response. She felt pleased at being able to talk about this with someone – especially Natsu. He really made her feel like she could open up to him, as if she could tell him anything , as if… they had been friends for years. It was strange, but not in a bad way.

"I suppose. Technically, it wasn't running away, per se, since I'm eighteen and can legally leave. It sure felt like it though. I left a note for my dad and everything, so he wouldn't call the cops or something." she finished somberly.

"Damn," Natsu said quietly. "What about your mom?"

Lucy looked up quickly, eyes wide. Even after all these years…

At her old house, no one ever talked about Layla. Lucy's mother became a ghost, whispers of a memory that were corrupted and altered with time, especially to Lucy's young memory. When her name was spoken, once every few years, it was like the crushing weight of the loss came bearing down upon Lucy's heart once again. So, she tried to ignore it, shut it out. Tried to forget, and go on with her life. It was too painful otherwise.

Now, in the present, it was no different. Lucy was sure her face reflected the pain she had been feeling for years, as hard as she tried to suppress it.

She looked up at Natsu, who at first looked exceptionally startled, but then, she supposed, realization dawned on his face. Shit, she must look particularly pathetic.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Lucy forcibly replaced the mask that she wore when thinking about her mother, replacing the sadness with a neutral expression that was so hard to wear. She wasn't sure how effective it was.

"Oh, dammit," Natsu said, looking away in irritation. He ran a hand through his slightly spiky hair, closing his eyes. "Fuck, I'm such an idiot," he said.

Lucy leaned forward, reaching her hand out, only to retract it awkwardly.

"No, it's fine, I just… it's no big deal!" she said, shaking her hands in protest of Natsu self-deprecation. Natsu turned his head back, looking at her sadly. The atmosphere at the table, previously sunny and laid-back, had quickly turned into a brooding affair. If only Lucy had kept her expression neutral – she had had so much practice dealing with her father, but this was so sudden and unexpected. All for a stupid, off-handed

comment that meant nothing.

"I – I understand how you feel," Natsu was saying, his tone remorseful and longing. "My old man… my dad, he died when I was really young. I was like… seven. Really awful time to lose a parent,"

Lucy looked up suddenly at his last few sentences.

"You…" she paused. "You lost your dad at seven? I did- I did too. My mom, I mean. And, and you're right. It's the worst possible age, I'd imagine,"

"It's too old to not remember them well… but too young to not have it scar you," she added, gripping her napkin tightly before placing it down.

Natsu breathed out in response, and there was silence for a few long moments, until Natsu finally piped up quietly. "Well, it's no use feelin' sorry for ourselves. They would've wanted us to live our lives to the fullest, y'know, Lucy?"

Lucy, who was playing with her shorts' drawstrings absent-mindedly, glanced up at Natsu's sudden change of tone. What a way to stay motivated, and not fall into despair. Lucy had always pushed the memory of her mother way, way down, as had her father, in order to cope with the loss. Natsu had done the opposite – he lived his life fully, in memory of his father. The memory of his father was his motivation, and his source of drive. In a way, it was admirable. In comparison, Lucy was the weak one.

But Lucy was inspired by his energetic statement, and her heart was lifted slightly. She smiled, mirroring Natsu's expression, and nodded her head.

"That's… an amazing way of looking at it, Natsu," She said earnestly. She had never thought of it that way. Why think about it at all? How can you spin that into something positive? Or was that even what Natsu was doing?

And then she finished her toast, her spirits slightly lifted – she was glad someone could live in memory of their lost loved ones. You had to be strong to do so.

"Yup!" Natsu said, a tad childishly proud. Lucy smiled, and stood up, her plate cleared of its previous contents.

"Uh, do I just…" she said, gesturing vaguely to the sink area in the kitchen with the small plate.

"Oh, yeah, I'll take it," Natsu offered, rounding the table and grabbing the plate out of Lucy's hand. He took it to the kitchen, dumping it in the sink next to the dirty cast-iron pan and old, mismatched juice glasses. Lucy took her napkin and started wiping the table down, but then she heard the sound of something dropped quickly. She swirled around to see Natsu leaning excitedly through the gap in the kitchen bar, his thin silver necklace hanging down from his neck. She didn't see it before; she supposed it was inside his shirt.

"Luce!" He said enthusiastically, his face animated as he beckoned her closer. She quickly traversed the width of the living room, ignoring the new nickname, then leaned over on the bar, right next to him, so their faces were pretty close, but not too close; the socially-acceptable distance.

"What?" she prompted.

"I just got a great idea. Let's throw a party at your place! It could be like one of those… y'know, uh-"

"Housewarming parties?" Lucy cut in, blinking.

Natsu nodded quickly, his necklace jangling. "Yeah, one of those, except way more fun!"

As Lucy was closer to him than she had been all day, she realized how… boyish Natsu looked. When she first saw him, he seemed, well, mysterious and hot, but particularly cool, like one of those indie band front men. But, getting to know him, he had such a youthful outlook on life, street-smart and hip, yet still optimistic and genuinely happy to be around people. And his features reflected that personality. He was clearly eighteen, but he didn't have the cynicism ingrained into his features that she imagined so many people their age did.

She thought that they would get along quite well.

"Well, whaddaya think?" Natsu was saying, snapping Lucy back to reality.

"I think..." Lucy tapped the shiny fake stone countertop with one finger. "I think that your apartment would be better suited to hosting a party. Mine is…" She glanced at Natsu quickly. "Not ready for guests,"

Natsu nodded, crossing his slightly tanned arms that were previously lying on the counter. "Well, I would throw one here, but I think I've had one too many parties that got out of control and, well, I don't want the neighbors to get angry at me. Or get kicked out. 'Cuz God knows I don't have the self-control to shut a party down,"

Lucy nodded, taking in the information.

"What makes you think I would be able to, even if I wanted to? I've seen some movies where parties get really crazy,"

"Well, first of all," Natsu said, counting off on one finger, "You seem like you'd be able to kick ass and take names, no problem, despite lacking the ability to stock your fridge," he raised his eyebrow at Lucy, then continued. "And second of all, those are just movies. I mean, you've been to real parties. They're nothing like those stupid shows,"

Lucy nodded noncommittally under Natsu's gaze. She must've not been very convincing, because he shifted, turning so he could face her fully.

"Don't tell me you haven't been to many parties," he asked incredulously.

Lucy looked away, trying to weasel her way out of the question.

"Holy shit," Natsu breathed, face completely serious. "You've never even been to one, have you?"

Lucy shook her head, shrugging.

"It's no big deal," she said, looking up at a small water stain on the ceiling. It's just, I've been tutored at home so I never knew anyone, and-"

"We're throwing a party," Natsu cut in resolutely, standing up straight, a determined twinkle in his eye. Lucy watched as Natsu rounded the short wall, beaming as he grabbed her hand.

"And it's going to be at your place," he said, gazing at her intently. "Instead of a house warming party, it's going to be a welcome-to-the… start-of-your-life… party!" he finished in glee, awaiting her response. Lucy thought the name was a bit of a mouthful, but she could see the logic in a throwing a party. She could meet cool people and truly, fully, get into her new life. Lucy considered the proposition for a moment, and then nodded once.

"It's… a party to celebrate the start of my life. A party for beginnings, to celebrate the future," Lucy mused.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah! We'll throw it together!"

Together.

Yes, Natsu was her first true friend. She knew that now.

"Okay!" Lucy said gleefully, holding up the index finger of her free hand. "But you're going to have to help me unpack, okay? And also lift the heavy stuff, because I'm not that damn strong. I brought too much stuff for my own good,"

Natsu grinned, even wider than before, and held Lucy's hand tighter. Did friends normally do this? Or, rather, did people always become so close and friendly this quickly? To Lucy, it felt like Natsu and she had a natural… connection. It went beyond the similar personality traits they had. It was entirely possible that it was all Natsu – like Lucy had deduced earlier, Natsu was truly comfortable around anyone, regardless of how long he had known them.

Or was it just her he was like that with?

Maybe Natsu was still a little mysterious, after all.

Lucy shook her head imperceptibly as Natsu turned on his heel to march out the door with quick footfalls. They headed down the hall, which was much busier than it had been before, with many young-looking people tending to their business. Lucy guessed there were quite a few university students here, as the apartment building was awfully close to the campus – it was why Lucy herself had picked this specific apartment.

"A man on a mission, huh?" Lucy said sarcastically as she watched the man in front of her. She also suspected something else – beyond being really friendly, this Natsu guy was a bit of a party animal, and Lucy was his new partner-in-crime, or so he hoped. She wasn't sure if she was gonna let herself be roped into this, but just one party wouldn't hurt anything. Unlike Natsu, she definitely had the self-control to shut down any party.

Lucy suddenly blinked, then tugged on Natsu's hand to get him to stop. He turned with a silent, yet questioning look, but stopped nonetheless.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy eyed him. "You said you throw parties all the time, right?"

Natsu shrugged, obviously wondering about the meaning behind Lucy's question. "I guess. Depends on who you ask,"

Lucy grinned widely and pointed at Natsu, who slightly recoiled at the quick gesture.

"It's you! You may not know her, but she sure as hell knows you!"

"What? Who?"

"Levy! She told me about your late night, loud-assed parties and how much they annoyed her!"

Natsu looked at Lucy in mild surprise. "Really?" he said.

Lucy nodded her head. "I'll invite her to our party, and then maybe she can chew you out, face-to-face, instead of complaining to me about it," Lucy said, pointing at her chest with her thumb. Natsu just laughed and shrugged again.

"Y'know, Luce…" he said, turning around fully, and Lucy looked up at him. "This is gonna sound weird… and I know we just met each other… but I think we're gonna have a lot of fun together, you and I," he looked at Lucy with a sincerity that made Lucy fully believe him.

"I think it's gonna be great," he finished, smiling.

Lucy smiled back broadly.

"I think so, too,"

And when they finally reached her apartment, and she was opening the door, many thoughts quickly raced through her mind.

All Lucy's life, she had been kept alone, and always dreaming of living her life fully, how she wanted to. Of gaining the freedom and happiness she had always dreamed of.

Well, she was going to be her own person, now.

She was going to create her own life – a life full of friends, and good times, and the freedom she had always dreamt of, such as the freedom to pursue whichever career she wanted. She wasn't going to be held back by her father, or be crushed by the memory of her mother. No, she was going to live for the memory of her mother.

It was going to take time, but she was going to build her life, from the ground up. It was going to take time, but she was going to start over.

It was going to take time, but as she looked at Natsu, she wondered if perhaps he was the key. The kind of optimistic, spontaneous person who would complement her life perfectly, who might even want her in his life. Maybe he felt the same way about her as she did about him – that they would be partners in life.

It was too soon to say anything definitely, but Lucy could feel it in her bones.

Her new life had dawned, and he was going to be a huge part of it. And she was going to be a huge part of his.

And who knew that this would all stem out of an intense desire for eggs? Sure as hell

not Lucy. But she was okay with that. Look at how things turned out!

Sometimes, that's just the way life goes, y'know?

Hello!

Ahah... I had so much fun writing this.

In this fic, Lucy is kinda OOC - she'd never curse this much, or be this cranky. I kinda envisioned her as a Bee (from Bee and Puppycat) expy - kinda muddling through life, kinda awkward and a mess but still really cute, yet really kind and tough and willing to stick it out to get what she wants. Plus, I know that Allegri said that she was originally gonna have Bee curse a lot, and I could totally see that.

Natsu, on the other hand, is kinda characterized as a sort of cool, Trent Lane punk guy, really chill, really easy-going, but with that trademark Natsu hyper-ness and excitability. He is sort of a foil to Lucy - he's streetwise and chill, she doesn't know "common" social customs and is probably really uptight. And Natsu is definitely gonna learn a lot from Lucy. He is too free and careless, and I think over time Lucy's gonna show him how to be more responsible and how to Take Care Of Life and Adult Things. Cause Natsu's still a child. Lucy is too, but she's so much more mature, and wants to create a normal life for herself, whereas Natsu just wants to have fun, hence his travel monologue.

They'd balance each other out really well, I think.

So, uh, this is the first one shot I have written that actually STAYED a one shot. Every time I've written a one shot, I have had so many ideas that it turned into a six chapter behemoth. Or maybe that happened just once.

Anyway, thanks for reading, for the love of God, please review, etc...

~Izzie