Celestial Breaker {A NaLu Story}

8: It Can't Happen

Natsu

The words were sour against my tongue. I know there's no way to take it back, no way to completely forget them.

I should get out of here.

"What the hell...?" Lucy suddenly growled, in a voice scarier than Erza's. I looked at her, able to see her frozen breath coming out in giant puffs of frustration.

Her small hands shot out, grabbing the collar of my hoodie, "What the hell did you just say?! You damn selfish "

This is the first time I've ever see seen Lucy so angry. She's been angry before, yes whenever I'm in her apartment without permission but deep down, I knew she was just annoyed with me.

No, this time she will literally kill me if I so much as breathe.

"Why would you ever say something like?!" The love of my life was yelling now. "What are you trying to prove by doing something as stupid as that?"

"Luc -"

Her grip tightened, "How much more are you going to hurt me just so you can run away again?!"

Surprise was quickly replaced with anger, "I'm not running away. I never run away! I just don't want to hurt you anymore Lucy!"

My hand reached up gripping her wrist, I brought my face down to hers, "I love you, Lucy. I love you so much that holding on to this - this 'friendship' is only going to continue hurting us beyond impossible measures! Don't you understand? I'm done hurting you. You need to move on, you need to be happy."

"I can't be happy, Natsu," she snapped but her voice cracked making her seem a little weak and vulnerable at the moment. To physically prove it, her grip loosened on my hoodie. "I can't be happy... without you in my life."

If all of you think what I'm doing is a piece of cake, than you're being delusional. This is the second time I had to deal with something like this. And it isn't easy at all. The second time is just as painful and just as difficult as the first.

"Face reality Lucy!" I snapped. "There's no way you can ever be happy with just being my friend! You know that! You have to let me go... so you can find your own -"

"Cut this bullshit, Natsu!" Lucy snapped back, just as angry. "I need you in my life! Even if it's just as friends, I need you in my life! I need you behind me, supporting me through hard times, the hand helping me back on my feet if I fall down."

I remember, there was only one time in my life when I wanted to cry until no end. That was when my foster father, Igneel, had passed away years ago. Ever since then, my brother made sure I grew up not feeling any pain or sadness because it's a weakness. It was not in a man's nature to cry, to show any signs of being down because it was weak. We had to remain strong to protect our loved ones from harm.

Here, right now, with Lucy on the edge of waterworks herself, I wanted to break down and do nothing more but to hold her tightly in my body, making sure she can hear my heartbeats telling her I'm here for her, that I loved her so much words can't describe.

But I'm a man. I can't do that.

I pushed Lucy away gently, peeling her hands off my hoodie, "I'm sorry, Lucy. My mind's made up."

~~~~~~~~

Normal

The striker gasped, her hands over her mouth. What she just witnessed was too much for her to take in all at once.

She did hear the soft gossip among the students in school that Natsu and Lucy were a thing. But whenever she saw them together, the striker only saw a deep friendship that just couldn't be broken. She never gave it much thought.

But now? She can't believe she's been so blind to the whole thing.

She glanced around the pillar again, just as Lucy dropped her hands to her sides.

"So that's it then?" The legacy asked, almost too softly for the striker to hear from her place. "You're ending it just like that?"

Natsu looked unconvinced for a second before nodding his head once with determination, "That's it, Lucy. Just go."

The blonde didn't wait a second longer. She dashed down the slippery parking lot, nearly slipping once or twice, before finding the sidewalk and ran out of view.

The striker watched, a heavy feeling in her heart at the retreating figure into the early morning light. A scuffle caught her attention, making her turn back to the man she loves...

Natsu kicked the floor in frustrstion, nearly shouting but it seems like he remembers he's still at school so he can't roar like a manic.

Go on, Natsu, the striker silently urge. Chase her, go after her! You have to!

But Natsu just watched the cement ground without even once glancing at the now disappeared form.

It didn't take long for the winger to bite his lip. The striker's eyes widened when she saw the single tear roll down the mighty Salamander's cheek.

She also caught the words he murmured, "I'm sorry...Lucy. I just don't want to hurt you."

Then he went inside.

This is my fault... the striker couldn't help but feel. Natsu and Lucy are meant to together. I got in the way because I didn't know. No, because I was selfish with him. He's not going to be happy married to me.

She glanced at the horizon, I love Natsu. But I don't want to make him and Lucy misery for the rest of their lives. Lucy is still an awesome friend and to think all this time... I selfishly asked Natsu out, kissed him, hugged him without a care in the world...

I really am blind.

At that moment, the striker picked up her phone and dialed the familiar number, placing the speaker to her ear.

"Hello?" Her older sister's voice came through.

"Mira," she said. "Can you book me a ticket for tomorrow to Denver?"

"What? Why?" Mira sounded a little scared. "What's wrong, Lisanna? What happened?"

"I can't marry Natsu," Lisanna replied sternly. "I'm going to let Uncle and Auntie know that. Natsu belongs to someone else and I'm not planning on breaking that with some damn arranged marriage set for us way before we were born. Before we had a choice to choose who we love."