~Lucy's POV~

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Natsu asked with a hint of worry in his voice. I placed my hands behind my back, trying to contain my fear.

"I'm positive." I replied cheerily, tilting my head to the right slightly. "I'm sure everything will be fine." I shooed away the question, not wanting to ponder on it. I watched as Natsu stood up from his motorcycle and headed my way. 

"You can't fool me Lucy," Natsu said as he extended his arms towards me. I fell into them easily, placing my forehead on his shoulder.

"How'd you know?" I mumbled, all of my dignity, lost. I was talking right into the black cotton that was covering Natsu's chest. 

"When you portray a real smile, both the corners of your mouth point upward. Only one of them is distinctively pointing towards the sky." He knew me so well. The way he notices the little things makes me melt. 

"Maybe I should just stay with you." He repeated, his voice vibrating through his chest, on to my forehead.

 I broke away from his arms immediately, taking a step back. He looked a little shocked by my action, knowing that I usually allow him to take dominance. 

"No, I can do this by myself." I said with a small smile. Natsu's  face softened at my sudden appearance of confidence and independence. 

"Alright, just call me if you need me." Natsu said as he kissed the top of my head. He put his sunglasses back on, sending me off with a wave. I politely waved back, releasing a huge sigh as he sped away. 

I nervously flattened down my skirt as I approached the restaurant. For the first time in about a month, I was going to see my dad again. We agreed to meet every month on the 13th at five in the evening. The date is quite ironic isn't it? Thirteen has a suspicion behind it that brings bad luck. Maybe it's a sign that I should cut off all my ties with him. 

I shook my head, forcing the negative thoughts away. I took a deep breathe and entered the little diner. It was called the Star Diner, one of the places where my family and I would regularly visit when we were close. At the time, I just wanted to go because I had a crush on the hot waiter. 

My eyes skirted to the ground, remembering the solemn memories. I balled up my fists, causing my frail hands to become irritated. I re-positioned the scarf hanging around my neck, grasping the wooden door handle firmly. 

Just as I had remembered, a little bell went off signalling that a new customer had arrived. The chime echoed through out the room, heads turning in my direction. It was a little early for dinner, so the place was almost completely vacant. 

Other than my father sitting in our regular booth, an old man sat near the door. He had a cup of coffee in one hand, a newspaper in the other. He cutely smiled at me; I kindly returned the favor. 

An old juke box was playing some some music, pouring old rock songs out of its speakers. The red leather lining each of the booths shined as I passed them. The waitresses showed me a smile as I walked towards my table. They were dressed in little black dresses, white stitching lining their pockets. All of them were required to wear bright red lipstick, trying to create the image of an "out of this era" looking waitress.

 The environment was authentic for typical diners. 

As my feet hit the tile, my dad's head swiftly turned in my direction. I could already feel all of the emotion swelling up inside of me. I couldn't return the gaze he was trying to send me, so I ultimately looked at the white tile. I grabbed my wrist, nerves starting to build up in my stomach.

"Good evening Lucy, you look lovely." My father said as I slipped into the bench opposite him. 

"Thank you," I said sheepishly. I tucked my hair behind my ears, sneaking a quick peak up towards my dad. He was looking at me with saddened eyes. Gray bags lined his eyes, the color very bright. I could physically see the wrinkles in his face, something that I had never noticed before. 

"It's nice to see that your bruise went away," he said a little louder than necessary. I brought my hand up to my left eye, touching it slightly.

"Thankfully it didn't leave a scar," I said hastily. The words surprised even me, let alone my dad. I shook my head and decided to change the topic. "How have you been?" I questioned awkwardly.

My dad's surprised expression changed, a small smile appearing on his cracked lips. 

"I'm getting better. I had my first counseling session with my therapist last Thursday. He has high hopes that we can re-form our relationship." Even though his heart was obviously broken, he was trying, and that's all that matters. 

"That's great to hear dad," I said timidly as a smile escaped my lips. 

"How have you been Lucy? Is Natsu treating you right?" The mood between us suddenly felt normal, like the good old days. I rolled my eyes at his silly question. His transition from serious to comical was just like him.

"Yes daddy, Natsu's treating me appropriately." I crossed my arms in front of my chest, trying to hide my embarrassment. A light chuckle fell out of my dad's mouth. 

"He better not get you pregnant before high school is over." My cheeks turned a bright, vibrant red. 

"Dad!" I yelled as I slammed my hands down onto the table. The loud smack prevailed over the quiet music, causing multiple heads to turn. Noticing my actions, I quickly sat back down. All I could hear was my dad's laughter filling the empty space. 

"I'm just kidding ya Lucy." He said as I tried to calm myself down. He was already having the baby talk with me? What if Natsu and I had a child in the future? What would they look like? Empty questions were spinning around in my head, creating a little sensation of pain. 

 "I hope you don't mind, I already ordered for us." My dad softly proclaimed, pulling me away from my thoughts

"The mac and cheese," my dad and I said simultaneously. I couldn't help but laugh at our memorable moment. Every time we would come here, dad would order this gigantic turkey sub, mom would get a small tomato soup, and I, the famous mac and cheese. 

"I am so thankful that you're here Lucy. For a second, I thought you weren't going to come." My dad scratched the blonde stubble that lined his jaw. It looked like he hadn't shaven in a few days. 

"I'm just glad that you're working on your issues. I really think this can work out with time." I was surprised with the amount of maturity that I was giving off. When I'm serious, I can be very proper. 

"One mac and cheese and one turkey sub." A red headed waitress suddenly appeared with our food. The delicious aroma filled my nose making my mouth water. She set down our food, smiling at my father the entire time. "Let me know if you need anything else." 

"Thank you," I replied politely, showing her a gentle smile. As soon as she walked away, I asked, "do you know her?" I turned my head towards her as she walked away, watching her figure shrink as the distance between us increased. She looked like she could be in high 30's, but I was unsure. 

"Just someone that I ran into at the therapists office, no biggie." He said as he took a huge bite out of his sandwich. My curiosity began to roam, causing me to question her existence.  The cracking of the bread brought me to my senses, causing me to dig into my dish as well. 

We continued to chat and laugh, our meeting proving to be a success. After about an hour, we departed from each other. We agreed to meet back in one week instead of one month. My attitude had completely changed from the beginning of our dinner, to the end. 

I showed a true, genuine smile as I walked back to Natsu's. The chill November air slashed my cheeks as I traveled under the cloudy sky. I didn't want to bother Natsu and ask for a ride when I could easily walk. I know he'll scold me for it later, saying, you could've caught a cold.' Then he would ruffle my hair as he did every day. 

While thinking about the past few months, I only had a few complaints. The obvious one is the injury that I had to endure, but look where it lead me. I have the sweetest, most supportive boyfriend in the world. The relationship with my dad is also strengthening, which was badly needed after my mom died. 

The wind rustled through my hair as I entered the hotel. 

"Hi Guildarts!" I said cheerfully as I headed towards the elevator. I pressed the button, waiting patiently to go upstairs. 

"Lucy? I thought you were already upstairs with your friend?" Guildarts said as he placed his magazine down on his desk. 

"What do you mean? Did someone go up to Natsu's apartment?" Maybe Gray or Levy had stopped by without my knowledge. 

"It was a thin girl with really short white hair. She looked about the same age as you." My heart skipped a beat after he described the "stranger." 

"Uh, no," I paused, "I don't have any relations with her. Natsu does though." I pressed the button harder, eagerly waiting for the elevator to arrive.

"Oh," Guildarts said with pity in his voice. 

The metals doors finally opened. I slipped myself inside, pressed floor 18, and demanded that the doors shut quicker. The ride up to Natsu's apartment felt like an eternity. My heart was beating rapidly out of fear, and possible anger. 

My breathing had begun to shorten, making little black dots appear across my vision. I was really freaking out. Why was Natsu's ex-girlfriend at his place. There's no way he's been playing me this whole time right? We just started dating. Why would he do all those sweet things for me if he didn't like me? 

The loud ding caused me to flinch. As soon as the doors opened I slipped through, sprinting to Natsu's door. I shoved my hand into my back pocket, grabbing the spare key that Natsu had given to me. I slammed it into the lock, not caring if it made an excessive amount of noise. 

"Lisanna!" I said as I opened the door.