Burning Keys (Fairy Tail, NaLu)

✾ Just Another Night ✾

Hey guys! I'm back with another one-shot! I was going to make this into a lemon... but I don't know how you guys will feel about that, so if you want the lemone after reading this than just comment and I will try.

This is a GaLe/Gajeevy one-shot, by the way.

He didn't know when it had happened. It was just sort of a routine he had unconsciously gotten into only after a few weeks of joining Phantom Lord. And just after moving in with his wife after a few years of dating, he found that it was habit that was hard to break.

Throughout the day he'd act like usual, eating iron, joining fights at the guild, and coming home for some alone time with his wonderful girl. He'd stay in bed, enclosing her in a semi-tight grip until he was sure she was asleep. He'd stay a few moments to listen to her heartbeat for give her a final good night kiss before slipping out of bed in just his gray sweatpants and sometimes a tank top.

The next few hours will go by agonizing slow yet in a blur. The voices that he had subdued throughout the day will come back with an even louder whisper and more harsh truths to fill his lonely mind. He'd fall on his knees and hold his head in a tight grip, sometimes he would try and attempt to pull out his long black hair, as if the pain can help him, even if just a few seconds.

He'd scream and shout, and sometimes he'd even fail at keeping the harsh tears at bay. He'd try and attempt to hit himself with his iron club, not caring whether it would result in his death or not. All he wanted was for the voices to go away, no matter what it took.

Sometime in the middle of the night, he can feel Lily's paw on him, trying to comfort him as much as the exceed could. After half an hour, Lily would give up and try and go back to sleep, sparring him another glance and wishing that he'd get better.

The voices will come with even harsher words, blaming him for everything, and claiming that he's just a burden to anyone and everyone. No one even likes you, you're just a waste of space. Why are you still here? Don't you realize you're not wanted? Everybody talks to you behind your back, and nothing good either. I mean, how could they now? You're just a block of iron with no specific purpose.

Finally, he'd grab many beers and make his way into the bathroom and the sound of rushing water will fill his ears. He'd lay in the bathtub and wait for the tub to overflow while drowning every bottle of beer in less than ten seconds before passing out.

When he'd sleep, his nightmares would come with a tenfold. It was the same nightmare, but somehow it just seemed more terrifying each time he'd witness it.

He was always trapped in a dark void, with only one path of light in front on him and a distant voice calling out for him.

"Gajeel, Gajeel," she'd say in a sing song voice, resulting in a few giggles afterward. He'd follow the voice on the path calling for him, hoping everything it'd be different, something good for once, but he knew that it would never happen. Guys like him never get happy endings.

After running on the trail of light for a whole, he'd finally be submerged into a new room, one with a bright white instead of a darkening black. She'd stand in front of him, tucking a few strands of blue hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. She'd have an innocent smile on her face and her arms will be spread wide open.

He'd smile, happy that she was alright, and go in for a hug, only to feel a sharp pain in his back a few moments after holding her in an embrace. He'd feel the pain of being stabbed, only to then realize that he was stabbed. He'd look at her face to see a snarl on her face, and when he'd look around, he'd see the whole guild, yelling and attacking him. Finally, they'd leave, leaving him in a bloodied mess on the floor.