capricorn

The flat still felt empty.

Natsu rolled out of bed until he hit the ground with a dull thud, sitting up groggily.

"Alright!" he called to motivate himself, but showed no signs of movement.

Pulling a face, he groaned extensively. Getting up was not fun at all anymore.

Everything was not that much fun anymore. Loneliness clung to his flat like dust.

His heart still ached, though some days less than others.

Experience had taught him more than once that time didn't really heal wounds, it just covered them under layers of forgetting, in hopes they wouldn't be ripped open.

Natsu ripped them open constantly, and sometimes he wondered if he liked the pain. If he thought he deserved it.

A knock on the door disturbed his depressing thoughts.

"No," he grumbled, but not loud enough to hear.

He hadn't ordered anything.

He hadn't ordered anything in two years. One because there had been no need with Lucy by his side, and one because there had been no need with Lucy notby his side.

There was nothing he truly wanted if he couldn't share it with her.

If this was a person selling vacuum cleaners again, god help him, he'd buy one and then he'd use it to suck the vendor right up.

Finally getting up off the floor when the knock sounded again, he messily draped the thin sheets around his hips and dragged his feet over to the door. Happy was on his heels, but halfway through the room the cat turned towards the kitchen for his morning feast.

At least he still was able to talk. Lucy's wishes had lasted even if she had not.

He wasn't as lonely with him by his side. Happy was the only one who understood; the only one who'd known her too.

Sometimes he wondered if she was somewhere else in the world now, granting another person's wishes, or if she was back to the star she had so magically and unexpectedly appeared from. If she sometimes thought of him.

Those were his favoured options. He didn't like to think of other, darker ones, creeping up onto him in the dark of night. What if he had used up her entire existence with a silly little wish too many? What if she was forever gone from his world and her own?

Natsu reached the door, glaring down at the handle in front of him.

The knock sounded again.

"Yes, yes," he grumbled, reaching out his hand to press it down with more force than necessary. It swung open outwards quite rapidly, causing the person on the other side to jump back in surprise.

"Sor–" The words died in Natsu's throat.

"You really should be sorry," the woman said, crossing her arms over her chest as she fought back a large smile. "You wished me God knows where."

Natsu didn't respond.

"It took me a year to find back!" she went on, blinking away tears he thought – hoped – might be happy ones, "I didn't even remember anything for the longest time. Because you wished me bloody human, that's what you–"

Lucy didn't get to finish her sentence.

A happy sob escaped her as Natsu tackled her into a bone-crushing hug, breathing her name in disbelief and simple, unadulterated joy.

"Natsu," she whispered back, her smile stretching so wide it hurt, and felt him laugh against her throat in response.

When he finally pulled back, they beamed at each other through their tears.

Neither knew who moved in first, but it didn't really matter. They laughed as their lips collided almost violently, noses smashing as they held onto each other.

They couldn't stop smiling throughout the entirety of the tearful kiss. They didn't even pull apart when Happy came running, clawing his way up Natsu's leg to cuddle between them and join their reunion.

"You'll never leave again, right Lucy?" he cried, and a blinding smile spread across her face as she massaged his ears and shook her head.

"I'll stay however long you wish," she said, glancing at Natsu, and he grinned back.

"Good," he decided.

Some said freckles brought good luck. Some said they were the marks of the devil.

But Natsu thought he finally knew his answer.

Freckles were stars that dropped from the sky to settle on your skin. They were magic sprinkles of fire.

And sometimes, they were just the beginning of true wonders.

And here our little ride ends. You probably have many questions. That's okay. I have them too. They're not supposed to be answered. (I don't have any answers either.)

I hope you enjoyed this odd little ficlet as much as I did! ^-^ Thanks for coming along!