Chapter Text
It was a bad day for Lucy. There wasn’t any particular reason, it was probably just the midwinter blues getting to her. She should have been happy being back in Magnolia for the first time in a while but, she stood in the street staring at the ruins of the only place she ever felt like she belonged. After four years it didn’t hurt like it use to but the hurt still sat gnawing just below the surface. She kept in touch with most of her friends; not including Natsu who resurfaced about a year after his initial disappearance. He melted the stadium at the Grand Magic Games. Lucy spent a few minutes in the Celestial Realm to avoid him. It wasn’t her proudest moment but she wasn’t ready. Lucy Heartfilia was not a runner but in that moment she had to protect her heart. Natsu had broke it and she wasn’t willing to risk it again so soon. She was angry with him for leaving her with nothing but a note but being angry was exhausting and her energy was spent. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since, which was both a relief and disappointment. A relief because it meant she could stay in one place and not face the feelings around it all and a disappointment because she wasn’t exactly hiding. She moved back to Magnolia and while she wasn’t guild hall adjacent like before, she was still close enough that the right people would know where she was.
Large fluffy snowflakes fell from the sky. She knew she shouldn’t be outside by herself this late at night or while it was snowing but she already asked Loke to walk her home when she was ready. There was a certain peace that came with the snow at night. Even if it meant the stars were out of view. It’s the kind of peace that allows quiet reflection. That’s exactly what she did. Reflect on everything that had happened there. In the years before there were silent tears streaked down her cheeks. By now she had accepted that Fairy Tail was no more.
Despite the streets being totally empty a slight movement in the shadows to her left caught her attention. She didn’t fully turn to look but she could feel someone was watching her. Being mindful of her breathing and body language, she ran her thumb over Loke’s key in her pocket ready to call on him. Her heart pounded at the thought of an unanticipated fight.
“Relax Blondie. I’m not trying to be a creep. Just waiting my turn.” Her head snapped to the shadow. A large figure stepped out under the glow of the streetlamp hands in his pockets and a slight slouch, maybe an attempt to look less intimidating, made in vain no less.
It took a second for her mind to place him. It had been years since she had last seen him after all. “Shit Laxus,” Lucy clutched her heart to keep it from pounding out of her chest. “You scared me. What are you doing out this time of night?”
Laxus made a sound that was almost a chuckle. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“Well, I’m crying in the snow like a loser,” she joked while wiping her tear-soaked cheeks with the sleeve of her coat. “I just got back and decided to take the long way to my apartment.” She smiled at him. Laxus nodded turning his attention to the rubble.
“Can I stand with you?”
“Yeah,” Lucy turned back to the ruins. She didn’t really keep in touch with anyone from the Thunder Legion since the guild disbanded. Except the occasional strictly informational letter she might exchange with Freed. They stood together while keeping a comfortable distance. “It’s nice seeing someone else from Fairy Tail in Magnolia. I’m the only one that stuck around. Feels more like home when it’s not just me.”
“Don’t get attached Blondie. I’m just here on a job.” His tone suggested annoyance but a quick glance at the half smirk said it was a joke.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” he joked. “Still nice to be missed. Do you keep in touch with anyone?”
She half smiled. “Some more than others. Erza, Gray and Juvia, Wendy, and Levy and Gajeel of course. They are the most consistent when they can be. They do a lot of work for the counsel. Mira, Cana, and actually Freed too surprisingly. He’s very knowledgeable and I really appreciate when he let’s me pick his brain about whatever.”
“Yeah,” Laxus exhales, “He’s saved my ass more times than I can count with that brain of his.” Laxus paused. “No Natsu? I figured you guys would’ve been married by now.”
Lucy felt her body tense up and she hoped Laxus couldn’t see the blush forming on her face. She cleared her throat, “Uh, no. I haven’t heard from him since the guild dissolved. He left a note saying he was going to train and that’s it. I did see him a few years ago for the Grand Magic Games but it seems he’s disappeared again. And for the record, him and I were never a thing.”
“You don’t need to be a thing to have feelings. Everyone could see it.”
Lucy really didn’t want to talk about Natsu. It made her too sad and even if she didn’t want to, and to be frank, maybe even a little bitter. “What about you? Do you still talk to anyone? I know Mira mentioned you still talk to her.”
“Just talk to my team and Mira and I were talking for a while, but it fizzled out. I’m a little worried about what Mira said about me.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing bad just that you two were Talking,” Lucy raise a eyebrow playfully. “She likes to spill everyone else’s love life but doesn’t talk about her own.” He chuckled. The sound took her off guard realizing this is the longest conversation she’s ever had with him. And now she’d already run out of things to ask without feeling intrusive. Should she ask him what he’s been up to or if he’s still a part of a guild?
After standing in a strange but comfortable silence little longer, she wondered how long they had been there. Lucy started again, “Well, it was nice seeing you. I’m going to start heading home now. I lost feeling in my toes thirty minutes ago.”
“I’ll walk you home,” he responded maybe a tiny bit too quickly.
“Oh, I don’t want to inconvenience you. I just planned on calling out Loke.”
“It’s no problem. I’m not ready to go back to my hotel yet.”
“Okay. It’s not far.” She turned toward home and he fell in step next to her. The walk wasn’t as comfortable as it was standing in front of the former guild hall. Not because of the person she had with her but because she knew her apartment would be exactly the same as it was when she left. She had gotten use to Natsu, Gray, or Erza checking on her apartment when she was gone and even though it had been years, she still missed it.
When they stopped outside of her building, a tiny piece of her started to panic. In theory, being alone was fine but it got hard sometimes. She smiled at Laxus pushing her panic down. “Thank you for walking me home,” she held out her card to him. “If you ever want company to stare at an empty lot in silence again.”
He took the paper, “A business card? Moving up in the world, Blondie?” He teased.
“The bills don’t pay themselves and I just happen to have a rare magic,” she answered moving toward the door. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Stealing one final look over her should, she just barely caught his half nod before the door shut behind her.
Opening the door to her apartment was just as she expected; dark and exactly as she left it. Which was as much of a relief as it was a disappointment. After turning on the light and setting her things down, she crossed the room to check to see if Laxus still stood at the building door, but he was already gone.