•••

The music was blaring and people were dancing. Somewhere in a corner, Lucy Heartfilia sat on a stool, holding a cocktail glass in one hand and clutching her head with another.

The loud noise was causing her to have a severe headache. And she could feel the dizziness from the alcohol kicking in.

Oh well, that's what she gets for being a light drinker.

She set her glass aside and finally got up, slinging her bag over her shoulders.

"Well, I'll be going now!" She announced.

"Whaa-! Already? C'mon stay a bit longer!" Cana whined.

"Nah, it's getting pretty late. And it's a Wednesday night. Besides I've got to go feed Plue."

"Hmph! Party pooper." Cana muttered darkly under her breath.

"Lu-chan, you sure you'd be okay with only this? It's really cold outside y'know? You could wait for a little while longer and then haul a cab with me!" Levy suggested, while she skeptically eyed Lucy's casual work clothes.

"Well, I would've been better dressed if you wouldn't have just dragged me over here directly from work." Lucy jokingly reminded. "And.. you become a giggling, out of control mess, when you're drunk Levy." She finished with a laugh.

"Hmph! I do not!" Levy huffed.

"Do too!"

"Anyway....you sure you'll be fine?"

"Yeah! Besides it's just a 10 minute walk from here. It'll be fine!"

"If you say so." Erza said.

"Be careful okay? Message us once you reach home."

"For sure, Juvia! Anyway, you all enjoy and have a blast, 'kay? And Cana, congratulations once again!"

"You can count on that!" Cana winked. "But just a 'congratulations' wouldn't suffice Heartfilia. I need you to be my drinking partner the next time we meet. And I won't take a 'no'!"

"What was this then?" Lucy asked, surprised. The girls had all been spontaneously dragged to the Rosemary bar by Cana earlier that evening, who announced that she finally got promoted to her dream post at work.

"Just a warm up." The brunette smirked.

Lucy chuckled and waved them all a goodbye.

"Don't drink too much okay? You all still have work tomorrow!"

The warmth and comfort of Rosemary's disappeared as soon as she stepped outside, only to be replaced by a chilly breeze. She shivered, pulling her thin white cardigan closer to her chest, in a futile attempt to warm herself up.

"Levy was right. It's hella cold out here. Better be quick."

Lucy began her walk home, taking long strides to be quick. With each passing moment outside, she realised how much she had actually underestimated the September weather.

She walked through the lit streets of Magnolia, her mind preoccupied with the never ending ideas for her latest story. She was so lost in her own world, that she didn't even realise that she was almost home.

Her mind wandering off to La-La-Land and her consciousness being barely there with her, she experienced the worst scare of her life when a loud voice was suddenly heard from inside the alley just a little while away from her apartment.

Lucy cautiously neared it, craning her neck and squinting her eyes to get a better look ahead. It wasn't a very dark alley, but it wasn't the best lit too.

The voice was heard again, and with a gasp of shock , she realised that it sounded like a groan. A groan of a person who was hurt.

In her entire 25 years of existence, Lucy has always been the kind of person to walk away from trouble and risks. She was happy living a normal life, working her dream job, and just be able to live without the presence of any unwanted problems.

That trouble, she believed, was only best suited for her imagination as a writer.

Even now, she debated whether to go investigate or just leave it be. She had an overwhelming urge to just walk away, just take 20 more steps away from this alley. Because, god knows what lies in there. Investigating could lead to some trouble that she clearly had no place in for her trouble-and-risk-free life.

'C'mon Lucy! Just take a freaking step! Walk away!'

However, careful as she was, she was still a person with a good heart. The muffled groans of pain becoming louder by the second became increasingly hard to ignore.

'C'mon Lucy! Just- Ughh forget it!'

With a sigh of defeat, she carefully and warily headed towards the source. Maybe she could just help the person and make sure they get proper medical attention, and then call it a day. Yeah, that'll work.

Only that it didn't.

She couldn't help but let out a small shriek at the sight in front of her. A young man, with unnatural salmon coloured hair, lay, whimpering in the alleyway. He was clutching his side, which was severely wounded and bleeding heavily. With a painful tug of heart, Lucy noticed, that he was also covered in various other scratches and bruises.

"Oh no!"

Her initial shock gone, she immediately crouched down after recovering from her paralysed state to aid the man and take a better look at his wounds.

"Oh my Mavis!"

His side was cut deep and he was bleeding at an uncontrollable rate. This could prove to be fatal if not treated immediately.

The young man just whimpered in response, and continued groaning painfully.

"Wa-it! Hang in there! Please! I'll call the medics. They'll be here in a minute!"

Lucy was not surprised to find her voice shaking with fear. She fought back tears and started fumbling through her bag, digging for her phone. She felt so lightheaded, and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to just crawl in a corner and cry.

The sight of blood always made her like that.

Her search stopped when an iron grasp clasped her wrists.

His breathing was heavy, and half his face was cast under the shadows of his spiky and long hair.

Despite being so severely wounded, his strong grip made Lucy's heart beat at the rate of 80 miles per hour. Second opinions clouded her mind, leaving her in a trance.

"Do...n't.." He wheezed.

"H-Huh?"

"Don't call...any..one.." he managed with difficulty.

"But you're injured! You-You need help right this inst-"

"Ple..ase..n..o.."

And before she could argue anymore, his grip loosened and his hand fell down with a thud.

•••

...Aaand hey guys!
I'm back with another fanfic!

NaLu this time
Tehee~

Luckily, I've already planned out this story there is a very minimal chance of a writer's block ^.^

Soo please, please, please, vote, comment and share this one ✌🏻
Ps: I'm so damn pumped up for this season of FT, cause no matter what others say, it'll always be my love👆🏻❤️
Bieeeeee
Belle🌸