Chapter Text
Lucy hated moving.
Okay fine, she’d only done it once. But once was enough to know it was a nightmare she never wanted to repeat. The endless packing, the sorting, the lifting, the constant second-guessing over what to keep and what to throw away. She hated all of it.
For twenty-one years, she had lived in the same house. If things had been different, she probably would have stayed for another twenty-one. But things weren’t different. Her father was a complicated man. Too complicated, maybe; and with every passing year, their relationship had thinned and frayed. Bitter. Resentful. Suffocating.
Distance, she decided, was the only way to save whatever was left of their bond.
So she moved to a small city called Magnolia, settling on a street with an almost too-perfect name: Strawberry Street.
Her new place was part of a garden-style apartment complex she’d found online, just a ten-minute walk from Magnolia University, one of the most prestigious schools in the country, which had even earned a rare, albeit reluctant, nod of approval from her father. The apartment was tucked right next to South Gate Park and surrounded by little restaurants, corner shops, and tiny museums she couldn’t wait to explore.
When she was younger, she used to read about living out your college years in books. Stories about self-discovery, about late-night adventures, about meeting people who would change the course of your life. But she’d never thought she’d actually get the chance to have that kind of life for herself.
The building was unlike anything she’d grown up with. Back home, everything had been glass and steel, high-rises that scraped the clouds, elevators that carried her straight up to the penthouse where her father lived. But here, every building was only three stories high, four apartments to a floor, each door opening directly to the outside air. There was no doorman. No private lobby. No controlled entry.
That part made her nervous, at first.
But she’d researched the neighborhood thoroughly and learned Magnolia’s South Gate district was practically an extension of the university. It was lively and safe enough that she let herself breathe.
Lucy had lived a sheltered life. Even more so after her mother died. Almost everything she’d ever done had been chosen for her, from the summer programs she attended to the extracurriculars she never asked to join, to the private schools her father handpicked without asking what she wanted. Choice had never really been hers.
Moving here was her first real choice.
Part of getting away from her father was about gaining freedom. Figuring out who she was, who she wanted to be, without the constant weight of his harsh, judgmental opinions. And without the fear of disappointing him holding her back.
Surprisingly, when she finally told him about her plan of transferring out of the school he had picked for her, moving out to a whole new town, he agreed to support her. She didn’t know if he was proud of her, exactly. But he let her go. That was enough.
Now, she shared a two-bedroom apartment with her best friend in the world, Levy McGarden. The bluenette had her own share of family drama and had jumped at the chance to escape with her. They’d met back in third grade at private school, bonded instantly over a shared dislike of choir practice, specifically, when they both refused to sing like birds for a ridiculous spring recital. They’d been inseparable ever since.
Levy was determined to prove she wasn’t the spoiled brat her father insisted she was. But unlike Jude Heartfilia, Mr. McGarden wasn’t exactly supportive. If anything, his disappointment made her dig her heels in deeper, desperate to prove she could make it on her own.
And that brought them to today.
Lucy groaned, still half-asleep, as something wet dragged across her cheek again and again. She tried burrowing deeper into her pillow, only to realize it wasn’t a pillow at all but an old sweater she’d packed last-minute. The licking didn’t stop.
“Plue,” she mumbled hoarsely, shoving half-heartedly at the tiny dog resting on her chest. “Five more minutes.”
Plue ignored her completely, tail wagging furiously as his warm, sloppy tongue smeared across her jawline. She sighed, rolling onto her side in defeat, the morning sunlight spilling through the blinds and pooling across her tangled sheets.
Moving, it turned out, hadn’t been the hard part.
Waking up to a brand-new life? That was going to take some getting used to.
Sniffing filled her ears, followed by the cold nudge of a nose against her cheek. The dog barked twice, tail thumping like a drumroll, before launching another round of kisses on his blonde owner. Lucy cracked one eye open, glaring at the little white menace who only met her with giddy, excited eyes.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she sighed.
Plue yipped in triumph, clearly taking that as permission, nudging her with his nose as she began to sit up slowly. The first thing her eyes landed on were the large windows that allowed the light of the sun to brighten her new home. The Magnolia skyline stretched beyond the window. It was different, unfamiliar, but hers. For the first time in a long time, Lucy felt like she had space to breathe.
She sat up slowly, grunting uncomfortably, realizing she had fallen asleep on top of a pink sherpa blanket in the center of her new living room. A dull ache pulsed between her shoulders, and she rolled them back, trying to shake it off. Plue, her little white dog, eagerly rolled onto his back, paws in the air, demanding her attention.
Lucy smiled faintly, reaching down to rub his belly. “You’re spoiled,” she mumbled, voice still scratchy with sleep. Her gaze swept across the chaos around her. Cardboard box after cardboard box scattered all over the hardwood. Stacks of books, and bags of clothes everywhere. Her phone lay on the floor halfway across the room, and she vaguely remembered throwing it last night after rereading her drafts and hating every single word. “I really don’t want to unpack…” she muttered, rubbing at the corner of her eye with the heel of her palm.
“You can say that again.” A sleepy voice came from across the room, and Lucy turned to find Levy stirring on the half-built leather couch, tangled beneath a pile of clothes. The bluenette sat up slowly, yawning as she adjusted the straps of her yellow tank top that had slipped off her shoulders. “Could we just live here forever?” Levy groaned, brushing messy strands of hair from her face. “I don’t think I can ever pack up and move again.”
Lucy smirked faintly but didn’t say out loud what she was thinking. Most of the boxes in this room weren’t even hers. Jet and Droy had practically competed all day carrying Levy’s endless piles of books and clothes, while Levy supervised from the sidelines.
Despite the stress from the move, the unpacking, the uncertainty of starting fresh, Lucy felt… happy. Levy was her anchor. Her other half. The thought of doing all this without her made her chest tighten.
The blonde stood and stretched her arms high over her head, shuffling barefoot across the floor to crack open a window. Fresh air drifted in, cool against her skin, and she closed her eyes for a moment longer than necessary.
“Levy, do you have a charger?” she asked, heading toward her phone.
“Maybe,” Levy called, already digging through one of the boxes. “I’ll let you know when I find it… if I find it.”
Lucy picked up her phone and frowned at the black screen. Her best friend was now kneeling on the floor, cutting open boxes and dumping their contents onto the hardwood without a second thought. Lucy leaned on the kitchen island, watching her work.
“What are you even looking for?” Lucy asked curiously.
“My headphones,” Levy murmured, pawing through another box. “I’m almost done with that audiobook I started. Figured I’d listen while unpacking.”
Lucy gave her a small, teasing smile. “I’m surprised you didn’t get Jet and Droy to do the unpacking for you, too.”
“Where are they, anyway?” Levy muttered, tilting her head. “I don’t remember them leaving last night.”
Lucy didn’t answer right away, twisting the cap off a water bottle and grabbing her vitamins from the island. She tipped them into her palm, hesitating briefly before swallowing them down. Levy noticed.
“Lu,” she said gently, “you did book your treatment appointments, right? That was part of the deal—”
“I’m gonna set one up soon,” Lucy cut in quickly, forcing a casual tone. “I’m just… adjusting first.”
Levy narrowed her eyes but let it slide… for now anyway. She wasn’t the best at letting things go.
“Do you promise?”
“I swear.”
Plue waddled over, tail wagging furiously, and Levy froze when the tiny dog sat right in front of her, tongue lolling out.
“Lucy… your dog is staring at me,” Levy said flatly.
Lucy grinned, walking over and scooping Plue into her arms. “He likes you.”
“And I like chocolate and grapes…” Levy muttered dryly, “but we’re a grapes and chocolate free household now thanks to him.”
“Levy!” Lucy warned with a laugh, hugging Plue tighter.
She set the dog back down and turned toward the island again, and that’s when it hit her. A sudden rush of dizziness, quick but sharp, made her grip the countertop instinctively. It passed in seconds, leaving her chest tight and her pulse racing faster than it should have.
“Lu?” Levy called absently from the floor, still rummaging. “You good?”
Lucy inhaled slowly, forcing her voice steady. “Yeah… just… I spun around too fast.”
Levy didn’t look up, and Lucy was grateful she didn’t. She waited until her heartbeat settled before sliding her phone charger into place, plastering on a smile neither of them questioned. With a sigh, Levy dug back through the boxes, triumphant when her headphones surfaced. She slipped them in, searching for her own phone now but the victory faded as a pang twisted in her stomach.
“Geez, I’m starving.” Levy groaned dramatically, clutching her stomach. “Think anything’s open right now?”
Lucy powered on her phone. Notifications exploded across the screen, but she zeroed in on the time.
“Considering it’s two in the afternoon? Yeah, probably.”
Levy blinked. “Wow. I thought it was like… seven a.m.”
They’d been so focused on moving that neither of them had bothered to check the clock yesterday. She wasn’t even sure when they’d finally crashed. When she looked back, Lucy was staring at her phone, her expression tight.
“You okay?” Levy asked, frowning.
Lucy’s voice came out softer than expected. “Loke called me.”
Levy’s eyes widened. “Seriously?
“Yep.” Lucy popped the ‘p,’ locking her phone and setting it back on the charger. “Maybe I should call him back…”
“Not again, Lu.” Levy grimaced, rubbing her forehead as she stood. “Do you remember how it ended last time?”
“Yeah, I know, but…” Lucy dragged a hand through her blonde hair, sighing. “I feel bad.”
“You can’t get back together with him just because you feel bad.” Levy shook her head. “You told me to remind you—he’s the one who screwed it up, not you.”
Lucy exhaled sharply, nodding, though the words didn’t quiet the doubt. Talking about Loke always twisted her up. Four months since the breakup, two years together before that, and somehow he still found excuses to call. And every single time, she picked up.
She shoved the thought aside for the moment. She had bigger things to worry about than an ex she wasn’t even sure she wanted anymore.
“Have you talked to your dad?” Lucy asked, changing the subject as she sipped her water.
“Nope.” Levy scoffed, tossing her phone aside, frustrated. “Do you know he still tried to set me up on that stupid blind date?!” She straightened, pointing a finger in the air and deepening her voice in imitation: ‘You’re my heiress, you have a responsibility… blah blah blah.’ She let her hands drop with a groan. “He just doesn’t listen. How many times do I have to say I’m not getting married unless I’m in love—real love, not whatever disaster he and my mom had.”
“I’m sorry.” Lucy sighed. Her dad had his flaws, but at least arranged marriages and blind dates weren’t on the list.
Levy shut her eyes. “Your parents were in love, right? That’s what I want. My mom bailed years ago, and I don’t even blame her because they were miserable together.”
Lucy slid closer, squeezing her friend’s shoulder. “Then you don’t have to follow their path.”
“He just doesn’t get it.” Levy shook her head. “If I ever do get married, I want to be stupidly in love. The kind of love where you’d do anything for the other person.”
Lucy laughed. “I’m sure your dream guy’s out there. In the meantime, you’ve got me.”
“And you’ve got me,” Levy grinned, pinching Lucy’s cheeks. “Which means don’t call him back.” Then her gaze flicked to the pile of law textbooks by the door. “Also… why keep those if you dropped the program?”
Lucy froze, eyes darting to the books. “What if my dad visits?”
“Right.” Levy snorted. “Because pretending you’re still in law school is so much better than telling him the truth.”
Lucy bit her lip. Levy never let this one go.
“You know my dad,” she said quietly. “He wouldn’t have supported the transfer if he knew I dropped out of law.”
Levy exhaled. Lying about something that big never ended well, especially when the man paying for it thought she was still following his plan for her life.
“He’ll find out eventually,” she said. “Like when you’re traveling and writing instead of working on his legal team.”
“It’ll be fine.” Lucy tried to sound confident. “Once I finish the creative writing intensive and he sees what I can do—”
“I just don’t think hiding it is a good idea.” Levy groaned. “Your dad’s more supportive than you give him credit for.”
Lucy rubbed her forehead. “He’s told me no before. He won’t understand.”
Levy nodded, half frustrated, half sympathetic. “Sometimes I think parents just… never get it.”
Lucy laughed softly, glancing at Plue. Levy wasn’t wrong. But she also wasn’t right. With her father, lies felt dangerous, but so did honesty.
“I’m gonna take Plue out.” She clipped her dog's black leash onto his collar, smiling at him as his tail wagged in excitement.
Levy nodded and scrolled her phone, eyes skimming over takeout options, until they caught on the clutter spread across the island. Pens, coins, Lucy’s vitamins, a stray button—
She felt the entirety of the world go cold when the button moved.
Her heart seized in her chest, everything suddenly slowing down. “Oh my—Lucy…”
Lucy paused midway into slipping on her sneaker, frowning at Levy’s pale face as the girl backed away from the island, her hazel colored eyes locked on something.
“Levy?”
“SPIDER! OH NO! NOPE! I FREAKING HATE THEM!” Levy shrieked, bolting for the front door.
Lucy gasped as her smaller friend shoved past her, the leash slipping from her hand. Plue barked and chased after Levy who swung the door wide open, probably thinking this was just another game.
“Plue!” Lucy’s stomach dropped. His recall training was nonexistent.
Levy tore into the hallway, pulse slamming in her ears, the image of the eight-legged insect crawling through her things forever stained in her brain. She didn’t even think when her eyes landed on the first person in her path. She launched herself at him, arms around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist, clinging like her life depended on it.
The man seemingly caught her with ease. Crimson eyes flicked down, narrowing at the wild blur of blue hair in his arms.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to jump on you!” She squealed, shaking her head vigorously, eyes squeezed shut. “It’s just there’s a spider in my place and I really freaking hate them!”
Barking began to fill the hall, and the tall stranger’s eyes widened when he spotted the small white dog running towards him. He quickly acted and stomped his leather boot on the leash, preventing the canine from running out of the building on his own.
“Plue!”
The little dog skidded to a halt just as a blonde burst out of the apartment, waving a squeaky bunny toy like it was a magic wand that would make the dog stop. The toy squealed loudly in the grip of her hand, and the dog’s ears perked up, full attention on his owner again. Lucy pressed a hand to her chest when she spotted them, exhaling in relief before flashing the tall stranger a sheepish smile.
“Sorry about him.” Her gaze flicked to Levy still clinging onto him in a koala like manner. “…And her.”
“I’m really sorry,” Levy squeaked, finally daring to look at the man whose arms she jumped into without a second thought. The instant their eyes locked, her face went hot.
Whoa .
Long, wild black hair fell past his broad and muscular shoulders. Sharp crimson eyes. Piercings lining his brows, ears, even his nose that seemed to sparkle with the natural daylight. Black cargo pants, a plain black shirt, and a guitar case slung across one broad shoulder.
He looked like trouble. The good kind of trouble. Her type of trouble.
Levy sucked in a breath and scrambled down, only then realizing just how tall he was compared to her. Her hands immediately went to her bed head, trying to tame as much as she could but it was futile. She had already made her first impression.
Oh wow, this guy is totally my type.
The man didn’t say a word, just glanced past them. His gaze lingered on the open apartment door, the same one that had stayed shut for so long until now.
“Someone finally moved into that place, huh?”
He bent down to pick up the dog leash, handing it back to Lucy who continued to smile awkwardly.
“I’m Lucy.” She gestured to her shorter friend, who managed only a nervous grin. “And this is Levy.”
The man gave a slow nod, eyes lingering on them before he answered. “Gajeel.”
“Sorry for the trouble.” Lucy dipped her head politely.
“It’s fine.” He scratched at the back of his neck, gaze drifting back to their door. “That place had been empty for a long time.”
“Really?” Lucy tilted her head. “Do you live here too?”
“Nah.” His answer came quickly. “But I’ve got friends in the building. My sister and her boyfriend live upstairs.”
“Oh?” Lucy raised her brows. “That’s nice.”
“You’ll probably hear her by the way.” His red eyes flicked between the two of them.
“Hear her?” Lucy echoed, nervous as to what he meant.
Relief came quickly when he clarified, “She’s a singer.”
“Ohhh.” Lucy smirked and nudged Levy in the side, amused by how stiff her friend had gone. “Anyway, I really need to take out my dog. Thanks again for catching him. See you around.” She brushed past, tossing Levy a mischievous grin before heading down the stairs with her dog.
“So…” Gajeel drawled, finally turning his full attention to the blue-haired girl still standing there. “A spider, huh?”
Levy groaned, rubbing her arm. “I swear I’m not a coward. But bugs are… just not my thing.” She risked another glance up at him. Tall, burly, piercings glinting in the light, and felt her cheeks burn. Her nose wrinkled as she gave him a small, shy smile. “I… I know we just met but…” She swallowed, fidgeting with her bracelet on her wrist. “Can I ask you a favor?” Levy twisted her fingers together, glancing toward the open apartment door like the eight-legged menace was lurking, waiting for her to return. “I, um… I know this is ridiculous, but… would you mind maybe… going in there and… you know…”
Gajeel raised a brow. “Killin’ a bug?”
Her face flushed deeper, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “It’s not just a bug—it’s a spider .”
He snorted. “So you’re askin’ a guy you just met to go into your place and fight a spider for you?”
Levy winced at how dumb that sounded out loud. “When you put it like that…” She gave him a sheepish smile, hugging her arms to her chest. “Yes?”
For a second, he just stared at her. Then the corner of his mouth twitched, the tiniest hint of amusement breaking through his stoic expression.
“Alright.” He jerked his chin toward her door. “Point me at it.”
Levy blinked, surprised he’d agreed so easily. “R-really?”
“Don’t make me change my mind, shrimp.” Her cheeks went even hotter as he walked past her. “You coming?”
“Y-yes.” She squeaked. Trailing behind him, her eyes scanning his back.
I’m in trouble.
…
The best advice he ever got, after the worst moment of his life, was that a busy mind, a busy body, can’t think about what it’s lost.
So he stayed busy. Too busy. Odd jobs, random hobbies, twelve-to-sixteen-hour shifts at the coffee shop. If there was a way to fill the silence, the emptiness, he took it.
It was the only way he knew how to keep moving after losing her.
Lisanna. She had been his everything for so long, in losing her he lost himself.
People around him had tried to comfort him with words that were supposed to help. Cherish the memories. She’d want you to move on. Time heals all wounds. It takes as long as it takes. But the one phrase, the one he couldn’t stand, the one that made his chest burn, that made his blood boil, that made every step of progress feel worthless, was when someone would stupidly say: she’s in a better place.
Because how could that be true?
How could anywhere away from him, away from the people who loved her, possibly be better?
And how do you move on from someone who stopped loving you, not because they wanted to—but because they couldn’t ?
Natsu Dragneel eventually learned that one day you just wake up, and while the void is still there, it feels a little less heavy. The suffocating ache loosens its grip. You find ways to keep going, even if some days drag you back into that dark place you fight to stay out of. There were just some days he was too exhausted to fight, and he would allow himself to be pulled under.
The only reason he’d managed to get this far was because of the people around him. His friends, his found family.
He’d kept himself moving. He and Gray had taken over a coffee shop, He’d stepped up to raise his teenage sister while his dad was stationed overseas. He picked up whatever work he could find just to keep his hands from going idle, and his mind from traveling to that dark place his friends constantly had to pull him back from.
But most days, when the weight of everything threatened to catch up to him, he poured it all into the shop. Into building something that kept him… well busy.
The Fairy Brew Coffee Shop sat at the heart of Magnolia’s busiest commercial strip. Right across from South Gate Park, just a short walk from the shopping center, seven minutes from the train station, and a quick drive from Kardia Cathedral. It had the kind of location most businesses dreamed about. But the real goldmine was the apartment complex on Strawberry Street just across the park. Packed with mostly Magnolia University students, it guaranteed a steady stream of sleep-deprived college students, or the over achievers in need of caffeine fixes.
The café itself was cozy but modern. Ten small tables, a row of barstools, three booths by the windows, and a cluster of sofa chairs around a fireplace. Local student art lined the dark gray walls, soft light from floor lamps balancing the glow of the overhead bulbs. Bright enough to study, warm enough to stay all day. It struck the exact vibe its owners had imagined when they reopened it.
Fairy Brew had started as a class project between Natsu Dragneel and his best friend, Gray Fullbuster. Create your own business, their professor had assigned. What began as a coffee cart on campus, funded by Gray’s restaurant-owning parents and Natsu’s father, Igneel, soon exploded in popularity and high demand. Thanks to the agricultural department of their university that connected them to local farmers, getting fresh ingredients for a very good price had come easy. By the time they graduated, they’d bought and reopened an old café that once belonged to Laxus Dreyar’s grandfather, keeping the name Fairy Brew alive. The carts still came out during finals weeks or festivals, but the shop was their pride.
Business was usually steady, sometimes overwhelming. They had worked hard to build a great team together, exceeding in quality of product and customer service, but tonight was slow.
Unusually slow.
Which left Natsu leaning against the bar, rag in hand, listening to his younger sister Wendy, who like always, was asking him for something.
“Come on, please…” Wendy’s whine hit a pitch that made Natsu roll his dark eyes. “Everyone’s already at the festival.”
“Yeah,” he snorted, raising a brow. “Everyone except you.”
He dragged the sanitized towel across the counter while Wendy slumped in the barstool, spinning in slow, restless circles.
“But it’s sooo slow.”
Ignoring her, he crossed to the iPad POS, tapping until the daily sales report popped up. He pulled a pen from his black apron and scribbled the numbers onto a notepad. Decent sales. Not great, not terrible. They had projected this dip in sales when writing the schedule of the week, so he wasn’t too worried about it. Wendy’s impatient drumming on the counter got louder, followed by an exaggerated groan.
“Wendy,” he said without looking up, “you promised to help me close tonight. So you’re staying.”
“Ugh, Natsu!” She puffed her cheeks like a balloon, hopping off the stool.
“You look like those creepy puffer fish when you make that face.” He teased her.
She took a second to stick her tongue out at him. “Natsu, look around! The place is empty. And I already did everything! I swept, cleaned the tables, packed up the pastry case for donation, shut down the ovens—”
“Weren’t you the one begging for more hours?” he cut in, scratching his chin with mock seriousness. “Something about not wanting to ask me for money anymore? About how you’d rather make your own money so I can’t tell you what to do?”
“Awww…” she whined, stomping her boot against the tile floor. “I never ask to leave early!”
“Actually,” he said flatly, “you always want to leave early.”
“Want and ask are two very different things!” Wendy snapped, slapping her ring-covered hands on the counter. Natsu glanced down at the gleaming bands that covered every one of her fingers, shaking his head. He’d never understand why his little sister claimed that she needed a ring on every finger.
Yes. Needed.
“Wendy, it’s one event you’ll miss.” Natsu leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. “You said you’d help me close, so you’re gonna help me close. You hardly ever pick up shifts anyway.”
Her jaw dropped. She took a dramatic step back, clutching her chest as if mortally wounded.
“I’ve been here for hours today!” she snapped.
“Four hours.”
Hands on her hips, she began pacing in front of him, muttering under her breath before throwing her arms out wide. “I mean… that’s gotta be against child labor laws, right? It has to.”
Natsu chuckled, shaking his head. Twelve hours on his feet compared to her four, and she was ready to collapse. He couldn’t help but envy her a little. Back when he was her age, four hours of work felt like enough to cover the world, especially when bills and rent weren’t his problem. He locked the iPad, rolling his eyes at her theatrics.
“Fine, you can go.” He heaved a loud, almost as dramatic as her sigh, feigning defeat. Truthfully, he never needed her to stay. He just liked watching her grovel sometimes. Ever since he’d taken over as her guardian a year ago, he was always struggling with the balance of letting her have her freedom without letting her just do whatever she wanted. “I’ll just close up here.. all by myself.”
“Seriously?” Her eyes lit up instantly. She untied her apron at the slowest pace imaginable, pretending to hesitate. “I mean… if you really need me, I guess I could stay…”
Natsu smirked, watching her hang the apron by the kitchen door, purse already slung over her shoulder as she speed-walked to the exit.
“I mean really,” she continued, hand already on the door handle. “Like, I’m serious. I’ll stay. I will.”
“I think I’ll survive,” he said dryly. “Go have fun.”
“You’re the best!” She threw him a wave, grin wide. “I’ll see you whenever!?”
“I’ll see you at 10:30,” he called back sternly.
She gave him a thumbs up before darting out. Natsu shook his head, turning back to his notes, only to hear the bell jingle again within seconds.
Wendy sprinted back to the counter, grinning sheepishly. “Can I borrow twenty bucks?”
“Borrow?” He raised a brow, already reaching into his back pocket.
From the pocket, a pack of cigarettes, almost empty and his wallet came out.
Wendy’s smile faded into a frown as she snatched the pack off the counter. “I thought you quit smoking?”
He glanced up from his wallet to her hands, plucking the carton back and slipping it into the pocket of his apron.
“I did. Those are just the old ones.”
Wendy chewed on her bottom lip, rocking side to side on her heels. “On second thought… maybe I’ll stay.”
“I’ll be fine, Wendy.” He softened his tone, deliberately avoiding her gaze. “Your friends are waiting. Go.”
“You know Gray, Cana, and some of your friends are gonna be there too…” She tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, trying to gain his attention. “Why don’t you come with me?”
“No thanks.” He shrugged her off gently, shaking his head. “I don’t want to go to that.”
“Natsu.” That tone in her voice. He froze. He knew what was coming. He shut his eyes, bracing himself. “Lisanna would want you to live your life,” she said quietly. “She’d want you to have fun.”
Silence hung between them. Natsu clenched his jaw, fighting down the instinct to snap. He knew she meant it sincerely. She was only worried, not trying to wound him. Still, the words dug deep. Festivals, laughter, music, those stupid festival games he would play again and again until he won her a prize. Those things that Lisanna used to love felt impossibly far away from the version of him that remained. Even now, every time he heard her name, it was like pressing on a bruise that wouldn’t heal.
“I’m fine,” he said at last, voice rougher than he intended.
“You sure?” She leaned forward, searching his face.
He sighed, pulling a twenty from his wallet and holding it out. “Do you want this or not?”
Her hesitation evaporated. She snatched the bill with a grin and threw her arms around him. “Thanks, love you!”
Before he could mutter your welcome, she bolted for the door, the bell jingling behind her.
And then, it was quiet.
The Fairy Brew always had background noises. Espresso machines hissing, the clink of porcelain mugs, chatter echoing under the soft music that spilled from the speakers. But now, with Wendy gone, the only sounds were the faint buzz of the cooler and the clock ticking above the door. The tables were empty, chairs neatly tucked, the lamplight spilling across polished wood like a stage waiting for an audience that never came.
Natsu leaned against the counter, staring out through the wide glass windows. Beyond them, the glow of the festival lights shimmered in the distance. He could almost hear the laughter carrying faintly across the park. Inside, the shop felt like a hollow shell, warm, cozy, inviting, but utterly empty without people to fill it.
He chuckled once, but it faded quickly. When he glanced back at the clock, it read 7:30. An hour left before closing.
…
The hour slipped by quickly. Only four customers had wandered in for late-night caffeine before their night shifts, leaving Natsu with little more than depositing the day’s cash and cleaning the last espresso machine. Wendy, true to her word, had already finished most of the closing tasks, which left him standing behind the counter at barely 9 p.m., staring at the empty café.
The thought of going home to silence pressed on him like a weight.
He hadn’t liked being home alone. Not in two years.
His gaze drifted toward the wall where his apron hung. He reached into the pocket and pulled out the crumpled carton of cigarettes, turning it over in his hands. After a beat, he slipped one between his fingers and stepped outside, propping the café door open with a chair from one of the patio tables. The streets, usually busy at this hour, were unnervingly quiet. Most shops had closed early, their owners likely drawn toward the festival. Laughter and music floated faintly from Main Street, distant enough to feel like it belonged to another world.
Natsu sat down, cigarette unlit, twirling it idly between his fingers. Wendy would kill him if she knew. He smirked faintly, remembering the way she had ranted about “black lungs” after health class. To her, smoking wasn’t just a bad habit, it was practically a death sentence.
The silence thickened around him, until…
Barking.
At first faint, then louder. Sharp, frantic barks, accompanied by a distant, flustered voice.
“Plue! Get back here now! I’m not playing a game!”
He blinked, sitting up straighter.
The first time he spotted her, all he caught was the flash of long, golden hair streaming behind her as she jogged, rather slowly, after a white, medium-sized dog. Mud clung to the dog’s paws and ears, its tongue lolling happily as it darted in circles just out of her reach.
Natsu couldn’t help but smirk. A pretty blonde girl chasing after her misbehaving dog in the middle of the night. It was like the setup for one of those cheesy rom-coms Wendy forced him to watch.
He muttered under his breath, Glad I’m a cat person.
He never really saw the appeal in dogs. Too clingy, too messy. Before he could process it further, the dog veered sharply toward him. It skidded to a stop at his feet, nose twitching as it sniffed his shoes. Natsu crouched instinctively, reaching for its leash…
Only for the little menace to spin on its heel and bolt straight into his café.
“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Natsu muttered, pushing himself up.
But before he could chase after it, something slammed into him. Hard.
The chair propping the door clattered to the ground as the blonde girl, breathless and flushed from the chase, tripped headlong into him. She hit the floor in a tangle of limbs, the chair pinning her arm awkwardly.
For a moment, Natsu froze. Then her eyes fluttered open wide, startled, framed by long lashes he had no business noticing. And when those eyes, those warm honeyed eyes, met his…
His heart stuttered in his chest.
For the first time in two years, Natsu Dragneel felt it skip a beat.