Author's Notes: Hey! Sooo I've been planning out this story for a while now, and I finally found time to give it a shot. It was written as a Christmas present for a friend of mine, (she really loves NaLu), and I thought I'd write this for her. I have a solid plotline in mind, but I really wouldn't blame myself if it ends up going in a completely different way than my original plan. My update schedule varies, but I will try to update this story often enough. Oh well, I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks for reading!
…
Lucy wasn't sure how it happened. She and Natsu had been best friends for a long time, and when he asked her out, it was a dream come true. High school may have changed him, but Lucy was sure the old Natsu was still somewhere inside there. She refused to believe the rumors circulating around school.
Her Natsu was not a playboy. Her Natsu was not cheating on her. Her Natsu would never betray her. Her Natsu would never lie to her.
Her Natsu would never pin up another girl in a dark ally at the back of the school and kiss her mercilessly as she watched with wide eyes and jaw dropped.
Natsu and Lisanna were childhood friends. She always knew about the short-haired girl's love for Lucy's boyfriend; it wasn't like she hid it very well. Whenever Natsu held hands with Lucy, she seethed from behind one of the school's pillars. Whenever Natsu and Lucy kissed, she banged her head down on the floor and ran away. Whenever Natsu told Lucy he loved her, she plotted murder behind their backs.
Well, maybe not like that, but you get the point.
Lisanna and Lucy had always been good friends. They had hung out after school together with the rest of their group, and she had even invited her to her family's Holiday party.
There had been rumors. Boy, had there been rumors. Apparently Yukino Aguria had seen Natsu with Lisanna one day and told a few of her friends. Cana Alberona, who happened to be nearby had heard, and told Erza Scarlet. Erza had told Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser in private about it, and sooner or later, the entire school was talking about it. Gray, wanting answers from his best friend, asked Natsu about it. Natsu, of course, declined.
Juvia, who had volunteered to be the one to tell Lucy, succeeded in her task, leaving the blonde girl confused and helpless. She refused to believe anything without confronting her boyfriend.
When she asked Natsu about it, he quickly denied it, claiming that the students of Fairy Tail High School were just 'out to get him', and that he would 'deal with them later'.
Lucy, being the naïve young girl she was, believed him.
That was six months ago, during their last semester of junior year. Now, as newly appointed seniors, Lucy could not believe her eyes as she saw her boyfriend and his childhood sweetheart in a heated lip-lock.
"Natsu…?" she whispered softly, attracting the attention of the couple. Natsu quickly backed away from Lisanna, who was wearing a very satisfied smirk on her face. Natsu's eyes widened as he looked upon the frail figure of his girlfriend.
"Oh! Luce… I…" he tried, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. He bit is lip as her figure approached him. Lucy looked furious.
Her face red and her cheeks stained with tears, she lifted her right hand and slapped him. Hard.
"How… how could you…" she said, before yanking a bunch of his pink hair and throwing his face away from her. She cleared her throat, turning away from the two of them and sprinting out of the dark ally.
Lucy didn't look back- she just kept going. To where? She had no clue.
She couldn't believe him. Her boyfriend, the man whom she loved with all her heart, the man who claimed to love her back, was having an affair with another girl.
Four years. They had been in a relationship for four years, since their last year of middle school. She thought it was meant to be… she really did. She didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She had just slept with him a few weeks ago, after all. Lucy still remembered the night vividly, as if it was just yesterday.
Lucy stopped in the middle of the road, panting heavily with her schoolbag still swung on her shoulders. Tears streamed down her face steadily as she dropped to her knees and wailed.
A soft hand rested on her shoulder suddenly. Lucy gasped as she quickly turned around to face whoever had approached her.
"Oh Lucy…"
It was Levy McGarden; Lucy's best friend. From the corner of her eye, Lucy noticed two other figures standing a little away. She recognized them as Levy's boyfriend, Gajeel Redfox, and Lucy's other friend, Juvia Lockser.
"Levy-chan… he… he…" Lucy tried, but her words failed her. She clung to her best friend's dress and covered her face in it.
"There there, Lu-chan… he isn't worth crying over," her best friend consoled, patting the blonde's head with her hand. "It's okay. Let it all out."
"Juvia thinks Natsu is a horrible person," Juvia added, coming over and embracing the heartbroken girl. Lucy sniffed, letting Juvia wrap her arms around her.
"I… I think I'll be heading home now," Lucy said, picking herself up from the ground. She wiped her teary eyes, shooting her friends a grateful look. "Thanks, for everything."
And with that, she walked away.
…
Lucy could tell that there was something off about her. The way she acted, and the way she felt about everything had suddenly changed.
Lucy would have never expected to cry so much over some idiotic boy. She was stronger then that and she knew it.
'It must be all these mixed up feelings inside of me', she thought to herself, before grabbing her purse, quickly reapplying her makeup, and heading out. Her eyeliner was already smudged because of all the crying, and she didn't need to add to that mess. She had decided to invite a few of her friends out to dinner to try to forget about everything that had happened.
Lucy was not one for tears. She wasn't going to sit around and mope all night. She was going to go out to a nice dinner with her friends and enjoy herself.
Lucy walked into the restaurant with her head held high. She started looking around before almost immediately spotting the six people she was looking for. She waved, before heading over.
"Lucy! Glad you could come," Mirajane Strauss said. Mira was a beautiful young woman who had graduated Fairy Tail High two years ago, but everyone still treated her like any of their other friends.
"Yeah, after we heard what that dickhead did to you, I'm surprised you showed up," Cana said, already chugging down a glass of beer. Lucy raised her eyebrows.
"Shouldn't you leave the drinks to when the food arrives?" she asked. Cana shrugged, not taking her eyes off of her booze.
"Nahhh," she droned, "wanna sip?"
"I think you're on the edge of drunk and just plain crazy," Lucy said, taking her seat in between Juvia and Levy. She smiled at both of them, before turning to the menu.
"Are you alright, Lucy?" Erza Scarlet asked, turning to the blonde. Lucy only nodded. Erza was the student council president, and even though they were in different social groups academics wise, Erza was still a great friend to the group.
Gray coughed. "So, Lucy… I heard about what happened, and I just wanted to say that I-"
"If you don't mind, Gray, I'd really like to not talk about it right now," Lucy cut in with a sharp tone. She immediately gasped, throwing her hands to her mouth and widening her eyes. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I don't know what just got into me! Please accept my apology!"
Gray gave her a curious look. "It's fine… are you sure you're feeling alright, Lucy?"
Juvia nodded. "Gray-sama is right. You don't seem like yourself today," she said. Lucy sighed, nodding.
"I don't feel like myself today, to be completely honest. It's like I'm in a whole different array of mood swings," she said. Levy lifted an eyebrow in her direction, before turning back to her boyfriend without saying anything.
"She's probably just feeling a little under the weather, isn't that right, Lucy?" Mira asked sweetly, pouring herself a drink. Lucy nodded, smiling.
"Yeah, that's it. Could you pass me the water, please?" she asked, before a waiter approached their table.
After placing their orders, Mira turned to Lucy once again.
"I know you didn't want to talk about this, but I wanted to say sorry on my sister's behalf," she explained.
"That's alright, Mira," Lucy said simply, playing with her straw.
"No, it isn't. What Lisanna did was wrong, and if she won't apologize, then I will," Mira said.
"Really, it's fine," Lucy said, giving her a small smile. "I admit, I definitely wasn't expecting to see what I saw, but if it makes Natsu and Lisanna happy, I guess I have no choice but to stand by it."
"Oh sweetie," Mira said, pulling the blonde in for a hug, "you're too good for your own good. I don't know what Natsu was thinking when he ditched you for Lisanna."
Mira had always been a Natsu and Lucy supporter. Of course, she knew about her younger sister's obvious crush on the pink-haired man, but no matter how many times Lisanna had told her about him, Mira's heart had always resided with Lucy. Call her a great sister.
"They deserve each other," Lucy said softly, tears now pooling at the edges of her eyes.
The others watched the scene unfold in front of their eyes. The way Mira comforted someone was unlike how anyone else could. Mira had a certain magic to her that made her approachable in a different sense. She offered the kind motherly touch, while keeping up her friendship-like attitude. She really was something amazing.
"Thank you, Mira," Lucy said, wiping her eyes and smiling at the older girl.
"Of course, Lucy."
"Now now," Erza suddenly cut in, "we didn't come here to mope around our childish ex-boyfriends. We came here to have fun. So let's have fun!"
Lucy smiled as the atmosphere in the circle lightened. She grinned, knowing she'd always have friends like these to have her back in tough situations.
"Bring on the strawberry cake!" Erza declared, getting up to search for their waiter. Everyone groaned at her obsession over strawberry cake. Although, they had to admit, it was very tasty.
By the end of the night, everyone was wasted and ready to crash at their respective houses. Lucy groaned as the thought about her father's reaction to her being home so late at night. It wasn't like he was overprotective, but he was very curious to know of her daily activities.
Lucy sighed, trudging away with Levy by her side. Levy had opted to walk home with her since she wanted to talk to her about something. Lucy didn't know what though.
"Lu-chan…" Levy started, shooting the blonde a worried glance. Lucy looked up, her eyes droopy with sleep.
"Yes, Levy-chan?" she asked, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay awake.
"When was the last time you slept with Natsu?"
That woke Lucy up. Her ears perked and she quickly turned her head to where her best friend was. Levy was looking at her with such a serious expression, it was hard for Lucy to miss. She gaped at the bluenette.
"W-what?" she stammered, fiddling with the sleeves on her shirt. Levy didn't budge.
"Lucy. This is important. When was it?" she asked, forgetting about nicknames for a second. Lucy bit her lip before replying.
"About two and a half weeks ago. Why?" she asked. Levy nodded.
"Have you felt sick at all?" she asked. Lucy did a double take.
"Uh… no?" she said, unsure. Levy muttered something under her breath.
"Lucy… you're hormonal," she stated bluntly. "You're not acting like you normally do, and even you can admit that you'd never cry that much over a breakup."
"I…"
"Take a test," Levy said suddenly, stopping in the middle of the pathway. Lucy gasped.
"No. No! I refuse to believe it! I'm not pregnant!"
"Lucy, I'm never wrong about these things… and you know that. Trust me, this is for your own good!" Levy persisted.
"I'm going home," Lucy said quietly, speeding up and leaving her friend in the road. Levy sighed, hoping the blonde would come to her senses and do what's best for her.
…
Lucy stormed into her room, not bothering to answer any of the questions her father asked her. She wasn't in the mood to deal with him.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Lucy had sworn to herself that she wouldn't let herself fall into this. She refused to believe any of this nonsense. It was just too much.
Lucy couldn't do it. She was a coward. She knew she needed to know the truth. She needed to know if she was in fact…
No.
But Lucy couldn't stop herself from quietly tiptoeing down the stairs later that night. She knew her father hadn't thrown out any of her mother's old 'lady' things in one of the bathrooms, and if she was lucky, she might find a test in there.
She sneaked past her father's room, trying her hardest not to wake him up. She quickly shut herself in the bathroom, sighing to herself and sinking down to her knees.
'Take a deep breath, Lucy. You don't even know if Levy is right about any of this,' she thought to herself, gulping and opening the cabinet door. Lucky for her, there was a small unused box of the very thing she was looking for.
'It's just five minutes… in just five minutes my entire future will be decided,' she thought, taking a deep breath and looking at herself in the mirror after completing the instructions.
Her eyes were blotchy and her lips thrown into a pout. She groaned, cautiously looking at the timer on her phone. Two more minutes.
Lucy couldn't believe she was doing this. What if she really was…? What would she do? What could she do? She knew for a fact her father would probably throw a fit and kick her out… she couldn't bare that thought. And what about her friends? Would they accept this? Would she have to get rid of it?
Absolutely not. Even for Lucy, that would be taking it much too far.
Lucy closed her eyes as the timer went off. She knew that in a few seconds, she would either be extremely relieved, or extremely scared. She was already scared, mind you.
She threw a quick glance towards the sink where the test was sitting. Her eyes widened as she saw the result.
Positive.
In that moment, Lucy knew she was screwed.
…
"You took the test, didn't you?" Levy asked a few days later. The two were sitting on Levy's bed, painting each other's toenails. Lucy gulped, tears already pooling in her eyes.
"Levy… what am I going to do?" she moaned, rubbing her eyes and laying back on the cushions. Levy frowned.
"What do you mean? Aren't you going to tell Natsu?" she asked. Lucy quickly shook her head.
"What?! Absolutely not! Levy-chan, he's too much of an idiot for his own good! I'm not going to make him stay with me because of our foolish mistake!" Lucy cried. Levy bit her lip, looking at her best friend straight in the eye.
"What other choice do you have? You can't just pack up your bags and leave!" she exclaimed, watching the blonde carefully. She sighed. "You're thinking about going away, aren't you?"
Lucy nodded, pushing her lips together. "I think it's my best option at the moment. I'm nineteen years old, Levy… I can't stay here with this burden on my shoulders."
"You're running away from your problems, Lu-chan," Levy lectured.
"Then so be it. I can't live like this any longer," Lucy insisted. "Please… let me do this…"
Levy sighed, rolling her palms into fists. "I swear I'm going to kill that Dragneel boy… you're not even finished with high school yet!"
"That's okay. I'll take online courses. I can finish high school just fine like that and you know it," Lucy pointed out, rubbing her abdomen.
"Lu-chan…"
Levy suddenly pulled the blonde in for a tight embrace. Lucy sighed, tears falling freely out her eyes. She hugged her best friend back with just as much force and love. The two held onto each other for minutes after minutes.
"I'm going to miss you, Levy-chan… so, so much," Lucy mumbled, pulling away. Levy sniffed.
"I am too, Lu," she said softly. "I take it you don't want me to tell anyone about… the baby?"
Lucy shook her head, still cringing at the thought of being a mother at such a young age. "Yes, please… just tell them I decided to get a bit of fresh air, or something… you'll figure it out, right, Levy-chan?" she said, clinging to the girl's bright orange sleeve.
"Of course I will, Lu-chan. And don't worry about us… I'll keep you informed about everything, alright?"
Lucy nodded, wiping her eyes and getting up from the bed. "Thank you, Levy. Thank you so much."
Levy nodded, closing her eyes and taking in the situation. She knew Lucy had to do this, no matter how much it hurt her. She knew that what Lucy was doing wasn't fitting to her best judgment. Levy knew that Lucy did not want to do this… but what other choice did she have?
Lucy Heartfilia was a strong girl. Ever since her mother died, her life had taken a whole new turn. She had gone into a depressive spiral, and she refused to talk to anyone for three months after the incident. Levy hadn't really known Lucy very well back then, but after she found out what happened, she knew that Lucy was hurting, and she had to be there for her.
Her father was close to giving up too, but the light Lucy brought forth into his chambers that night was enough to convince him otherwise. Jude Heartfilia promised to be there for Lucy after that day, to make up for all the heartache he had caused her those past few months.
What would he say once he figured out that his daughter had left him, and that she was probably not going to come back for a long time? What kind of position would that put him in?
And what about her friends? What would they think once they figured out Lucy had disappeared? What would they say? Would they support her?
Levy had no idea. She was clueless as to how any of this would play out.
And Natsu? What about the idiot of a boyfriend who had promised to always have her back? Would he be happy about her going away? Would he ever find out about his child? Would he let go of his past for good to be with Lisanna?
What was going to happen to everyone?
Lucy was gone the next day, and none of her other friends had any clue why.