We Meet Again ●NaLu●

SIETE

Her heart literally skipped a beat before it began to pound in a quick manner that it actually gave her physical pain on her chest upon looking in his onyx eyes. The worry at the edge of his tongue upon asking her if she were alright didn't help her feel better... especially when he's a few inch closer to her.

How long has it been since the last time she saw him? She tried to count it on her hands but she couldn't seem to recall how to actually count... all she knew is that it has been years since the day he left... on her birthday... when everything in her life began to crumble into pieces.

Lucy felt like she's looking at an endless void... so endless that she actually felt lost to the point where there is no turning back for her. She remembered the young boy he despise but doesn't know why her hatred for him piled up to the point that she could no longer see what's ahead of her.

She felt Nigel— or rather, Natsu lean closer to her, his breathing touched the left side of her cheeks, making her tremble beneath him. Her right hand subconsciously held his arm. Natsu is a few inches closer to her when suddenly, her cellphone rang loudly. She averted her gaze towards the table in front of her, where her bag was and in a quick manner, she untangled herself from his hold. She's now sitting straight as she grabbed her purse to see who's calling her.

The name of the caller flashed on the screen... It was her mother. Lucy glanced to the person beside her, she caught Natsu looking at her cell phone before he languidly looked back at her.

She sighed before answering the call, the smiling face of her mother was the first she saw, behind her is her father, sitting on his wheelchair while watching some Netflix show.

"Lucy... Have you arrived safely at your employer's house?" Layla Hearfilia asked. It is obvious in the wrinkles at the side of her eyes and lips how older she gradually become due to what had happened ever since that fateful night.

Once again, Lucy glanced at Natsu before giving her mother a smile of assurance, "Yes, mommy. How's dad?" She asked, her eyes holding melancholy as she spoke of her father.

"He's... still the same. However, his doctor said he's improving." Her mother uttered, she looked behind her shoulders only to see her husband's eyes fixated on the television.

"I see..."

"I hope and pray that he'd fully recover, so that you won't suffer this much, dear." Lucy felt a pang of pain on her heart, tears quickly formed in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She mumbled, completely forgetting that the pinkette she despised as a child was just a few inches closer to her.

"It's not your fault, sweetheart..." Layla assured her... It's always like this, every time they spoke of this, Lucy would feel guilty. Her mother would always assure her that it's not her fault, but deep down she knew... she knew so well that it was, "...anyways, I just called to make sure you're okay, now that I see that you are, I am finally at peace. I hope your employer would treat you well. Goodbye, I love you, sweety."

"I love you, too, mommy." She mumbled, Layla smiled before ending the call.

Lucy felt exhausted, her cheeks and nose gaining foreign colour due to the tears she's been keeping at the bay. Natsu cleared his throat, making the blonde look at him. That's when she realized that she's not alone... and he's her employer.

"So... Your mom called..." Natsu mumbled, letting out a sigh before looking back at her, "What happened?" He asked. Although she didn't want him to know— as it is a matter of her family, she decided to tell him.

"When you... left that night... Daddy got so mad he has a cardiac arrest. He's mad at me... and... wouldn't talk to me because he blamed me when you left." She murmured, she doesn't know why she's telling this to him, he doesn't need to know, she's certainly not telling this to him to gain sympathy.

"That's when everything went downhill for us... the business went bankrupt, and with the both of us in the hospital, and the bills piling up... everything we had was... gone."

For years, she blamed Nigel— Natsu... If he hadn't leave, things wouldn't go downhill for them... But she knew, it wasn't his fault, but rather, hers.

"I am here... so that we could pay off our debts, and for my father's medical fees. Even though I don't want to work for you, I will swallow my pride for my father. So please, don't drive me out of this place." She begged, her eyes twinkling with unshed tears. Never in her wildest dreams she thought she would beg the person in front of her. In this lifetime, she thought she would never see him again.

Natsu gave her a smile, his hand reached for her head, patting it slowly as she gave her an assuring smile. For some unknown reason, looking at his pinkish lips made her fingers tremble.

"I will not drive you out. If it's okay for you, I'll contact your parents to help them. I will help with your father's medical fees. I will also pay all of your remaining debts, but I will only do so if you agree." He stated. Her tears began to trickle one by one and before she knew it, she felt his iron-clad arms around her and she couldn't help but let her tears out as she nodded her head in his chest.

"Thank you." She mumbled but Natsu just shushed her.

"Don't cry. I couldn't stand seeing you cry." He murmured. Lucy tried her best to stop herself from crying, she only does so when her stomach grumbled loudly, making her feel embarrassed, she didn't had her breakfast yet thinking that she'll be late if she ate first before going here. She heard Natsu chuckled as he stood up, offering his hand in front of her, "Let's go to the kitchen. I'm starving."

Slowly, she placed her hand on top of his and he pulled her up. He guided her to where the kitchen was without letting go of her hand. Lucy couldn't help but blush as she looked at their intertwined fingers.

His tan skin makes her look fairer than ever.

~*~

Sorry if I wasn't active. I've been really busy and somehow I feel that I'm not cut out to be a writer... prolly the reason why despite how many times I tried to finish this chapter, I couldn't. As you can see, if you compare the way I wrote the last chapter and this chapter you would see how rusty I've become. I couldn't put the right words to express on how the story progressed in my mind. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting for so long, but I swear I'll finish this story. Thank you for your understanding.