Fairy Tail Short Stories

Lonely

Greetings erupted as the trio walked in through the guild doors, then headed in different directions - Happy to impress Carla with his fish, Natsu to pick on Gray, and Lucy over to the bar to check in with Mira.

"Another job finished," she told Mira with a sigh as she sat down on one of the stools. Mira smiled at her, cocking her head to the side.

"What's up, Lucy? You look a little frustrated. Let me guess - Natsu destroyed something and you didn't get your rent money."

Lucy shook her head. "You'd think so, it happens so often, but no, not this time. I have enough to cover rent for three months," she replied with a sigh.

Mira placed a slice of cake in front of Lucy as she turned to make her the usual strawberry smoothie.

Erza, spying the cake, motioned to Mira, and received a slice as well. Biting into it, she sighed, then looked over at Lucy. "So if Natsu didn't destroy something and take your rent money, why do you look so sad?"

Lucy swallowed a bite of her cake and shook her head. Gesturing with her fork, she said, "I'm not sad. Not really."

"Then what is it, Lu? You normally carry a smile on your face. What's got you down?" Levy, her best friend, slid on the other side of her at the bar.

"I'm fine." Lucy appreciated her friends being concerned, but they couldn't solve this problem. Only one person could, and he was halfway across the room, picking a fight with Gray.

"I still think it has to do with Natsu," Mira said to the others as she placed Lucy's smoothie in front of her. All four heads turned towards where he and Gray sat on the floor, rubbing their heads, Cana walking away with a smile on her face.

"Why do you think it has to do with Natsu?" asked Levy as all four turned their attention back on one another.

Erza looked thoughtfully at her now empty plate. "Well, it wasn't an argument since all three came in quite peacefully."

"Yeah, and Lu doesn't have that twitchy eye she gets when Natsu's gotten on her last nerve," Levy observed as well.

Lucy was getting tired of them talking about her as if she wasn't there! "Enough!" she said, setting her glass down on the bar a little harder than she intended. "I'm fine."

The three girls looked at her skeptically.

"Okay, maybe not 100 percent fine," sighed Lucy, "but good enough I suppose. I appreciate the concern, but it's nothing you three can help with, unfortunately."

"So there is a problem!" Mira shouted out happily. "I knew it!"

She immediately covered her mouth and looked apologetically at Lucy as several heads turned their way. "Sorry," she murmured.

"It's just that," Lucy began, knowing it was hopeless to keep all three in the dark and they would just keep at her anyway, "there's times that I feel . . . " she sighed, tapping her fingers together nervously. "I guess I feel, um, lonely."

"Lonely? In this guild?" Erza replied, surprised. "With Natsu crashing into your apartment all the time?"

"I know what she's saying," Levy gave Lucy a sympathetic look. "Not lonely for friendship. Lonely for something more."

"Oh," the other two mages said together, nodding their heads. Yes, they knew that feeling quite well.

"So why not find a guy to scratch that itch?" Cana said, suddenly springing up between the four of them. "If you just want a one night stand, I can recommend a few guys!"