Adumbration: to produce a faint image or resemblance

A/N: Hey 💕

If you didn't already noticed, I changed something, and it's not any major. Just that Gajeel didn't die. He's just missing... Who knows what happened to him 👀

Please enjoy? 😢

That lovely memory of her father and her mother was something Lucy would never forget. The happy childhood of redemption had unintentionally taken a turn for the worst. Or so Lucy had figured.

Lucy was now depressed and sad. Flashes of a frown that had embedded on her memory. She hated it. The disapproval looks that her father gives to her is something that she couldn't live with. She loved her father... And her mother. And she misses them dearly.

She stood at the bookshelf silently. Silently observing the different pictures, trapped by the frames that majestically surrounded them. Holding them in their best moments, with the best memories that would serve as a reminder for why it exist.

Then there was a registry of a door knocking, and Lucy turned her head towards the door where the knock originated from. She didn't move for a few minutes until she heard a voice.

"Lucy? It's me, Mira. Erza called me to keep you company." Mira called out, knocking once more.

Lucy sighed a little, and stumble towards the door, before struggling to open the door, revealing a smiling Mira. ".... Hi."

"How are you feeling?" Mira asked as she casually let herself in, being mindful of Lucy's injuries.

"Fine..." The blonde mumbled as she closed the door and turned to the older girl, noticing couple of little bruises on her neck. "What are those on your neck?"

Mira looked at the closest mirror and saw all of the love kisses Cana left, not even caring about whether or not people can see them. Cana sure went all out. Mira blushed and covered it with her hand. "It's nothing..."

"Hmm... Did something bite you or something. Allergies?" Lucy asked, as if she was never involved in a sexual relationship.

Mira immediately pictured the scene of Cana biting her neck, while her fingers played somewhere else... She needed to change the subject... fast. She swiftly turned to the blonde, sporting a nervous smile and nervously spoke, "Would you like to hear some stories? To pass the time?"

Lucy stared at her, and the neck that Mira was covering with her hands, where the bruises were. She was concerned, but why did she seem so nervous about it? Maybe it's not something too dangerous? OMG what if Mira gets a heart attack?! "But the bruises..."

"It'll go away tomorrow. I promise. I already went to the doctor about it." Mira quickly spoke, and lied. "Now... Story time?"

"Alright...Sure." Lucy gave up and figured that the older girl could take care of herself, and limped toward the couch.

Mira sighed and moved to sit next to her, and leaned against the couch.

Lucy turned to the silvered haired girl. "So what is the story about?"

"It is about two girls."

"Alright."

"They met through the advancement of technology." Mira paused for a second before continuing. "One of them was constantly spamming the other, having a great interest in the other."

"Sounds annoying."

Mira giggled a little. "The girl would spam her compliments, and strike out really random conversations. The other girl decided to go along and did the same. Didn't take them long to them sending compliments to start flirting with each other."

"Oh? A romance story?"

"One of the girls were determined to meet the other, wanting to have her for herself. While the other was nervous to be in a relationship. But this didn't stop the feelings from growing. After a year passed, with the girls sending flirty messages, they finally were able to arrange a meet up."

"What happened next?"

"Well... One of them decided to move into town with the other girl, and found a job to help support the house that they are living in."

"... Is there some sort of plot twist or something?"

"Couple months later, with them living together, and enjoying each other company, a tragedy happened."

"What happened?" Lucy asked.

"A dreadful accident that unintentionally stopped what was happening between the two. They're at a standstill." Mira said with a sad face.

"What you mean? What's going to happen next?" Lucy was growing concerned with the story now, a little sad for the couple.

"We don't know. It's up to the two girls to understand the situation and adapt to what is happening to them."

"Alright... And then?" Lucy wanted to know what will happen next after the girls understand, or whatever.

"The story is a work in progress... It's not completed..." Mira spoke up.

Lucy puffed, wondering why Mira would spoke of a unfinished story.

"There's always hope for the two girls though." Mira smiled, looking at the young blonde. "As long as they get the support that is around them. And as long as they communicate with other. The love that they had, and the love that is still in there, it will never disappear."

Lucy smiled at that. "You sound like a poet with those words."

"I'm just rooting for the two girls." Mira smiled.

"I have a feeling that the story is real..." Lucy frowned.

Mira giggled a little. "The story is whatever you believe."

"Alright..."

Not another second, couple of really rough pounding on the door was heard. Causing the two girls to jump a little in their seats.

"What was that?" Lucy asked, moving her eyes towards the door, where the pounding was heard.

Mira didn't respond vocally as she stood up and cautiously walked toward the door.

Another set of heavy pounding was heard before the girl reached the door, and looked through the peephole. Lucy stayed seated on the couch as she watched Mira, wondering who is behind the door.

A soft gasp escaped Mira's mouth before she opened the door with a worried look. "Where the hell have you been?!"

It was Gajeel.

Gajeel merely grunted as he walked pass Mira, and into the house. His clothes was all torn up, stained with blood, and his fists was all torn up, assumingly from repeatedly punches.

"What happened?" Mira said in a stern voice.

Gajeel paused and turned to Mira. "Revenge."

Mira didn't say anything else, because she knew what he meant.

"I came here because I wanted to know if Lucy is okay." Gajeel said, answering the unspoken question that he knew Mira would ask. 'Where is she?"

Lucy recognized the man from the photos, and remained unmoving as she watched the exchange between Gajeel and Mira. She couldn't make out most of the conservation. But when the man's eyes move to meet her own, she felt frozen and paralyzed.

"Gajeel wai-" Mira was interrupted by the man, as he walked to the kitchen.

"I need bandages. Where does the bunny girl and the ogre hide the bandages?" Gajeel grunted as he looked around, assumingly to find some bandages.

After couple of minutes of silence, Gajeel turned to Lucy, a little agitated. "Bunny girl! Where's the bandages?!"

It took Lucy a few moments to realize that 'bunny girl' was Gajeel's nickname for her. And it seemed that she lives here too. "I-I don't know..."

Gajeel stared at the blonde for a moment. "Wow... your girlfriend fucked you hard enough for you to not remember anything? I'll give the ogre that one." He snickered.

Mira snickered a little and decided to hang back and watch what would happen between the two. And Lucy was confused.

"Was that a joke?" The blonde asked.

Gajeel's grin slowly flatten out as he studied the blonde's face. He turned to Mira, who raised her hands as in 'don't look at me'. He turned back to the blonde and asked her a question.

"Where's your girlfriend?"

"Eh?.... I have a girlfriend?" Lucy muttered. "....."

"You're joking... right?" Gajeel sighed heavily and leaned back on the kitchen counter. "Figures... with the head injury you got...."

"Um..." Lucy spoke up. "What are you talking about?"

Gajeel turned to Mira, silently asking if she knew about the accident. Mira merely shrugged since she doesn't know what had fully taken place at the scene of the battle. "Where is she though?" The man asked Mira, wanting to know where Erza is.

"She's working. They demanded her to come back after taking so many weeks off." Mira answered.

Lucy remained silent, unsure of the opposition before her. Unsure of what is happening. Unsure of the unknown event unfolding before her. But then again... she wanted to know what Gajeel meant by 'girlfriend'. Maybe he was joking?

"U-Um..." Lucy spoke up, causing Mira and Gajeel to turn to her. "What did you mean by 'girlfriend'? Was that a joke or..."

"That was-" Mira was rudely interrupted by Gajeel as he spoke in his gruffly voice.

"Erza."

Lucy stared at the red eyes that belonged to the man, and remained quiet.

Gajeel repeated himself. "Erza is your girlfriend."

Mira sighed, knowing that Erza didn't want to reveal that just yet.

Lucy found herself to be speechless. Or surprised. Or confused. Whichever fits.

After a couple minutes of silence, Gajeel stood up again, and resume the search for bandages. "Now where the fuck are those bandages?"

Mira sighed before heading to a bathroom and coming out with a small box, assumingly to be a first aid kit. She harshly threw it at man, who had his back to the silvered-haired girl.

"Ow!" Gajeel yelled when the box slammed into one of his wounds on his back.

"Found it.", was Mira's only remark as she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.

Gajeel grunted at the older woman with a glare and grabbed he box.

"So... mind telling me what happened back there? The accident?" Mira asked, still leaning against the doorframe.

Gajeel looked at the woman before turning to the box in his hand. "The only reason I 'disappeared' so I could protect bunny girl. She was Levy's best friend. Protecting Lucy would be the best way to honor my girlfriend. That's all you need to know." Gajeel turned back to Mira, with a look of determination of not wanting to continue the story.

Lucy stared at the man and woman, feeling like a third wheel in the conservation, but remained silent.

"I assume y'all already buried Levy?" Gajeel spoke, already knowing the answer.

"The funeral was couple days ago." Mira said with a sad tone.

"Then patch me up so I can visit her." Gajeel said in a comanding tone.

Mira silently sighed before helping Gajeel with his wounds.

Lucy stood silently on the couch, her glaze focused on her hands as she tried to relive the last couple days. The moments of which she was born into the uncertainty, cared with 'parental care' from a stranger, who turned out to be her girlfriend. The revelation of her father's death, and the reminder of her uselessness to do anything when her parents passes away. And the disappointment.

She finally understand why she felt so empty the moment she woke up in that hospital.

A/N: Hope you like the change in direction of this story...

Please review and comment on your thoughts. I don't bite~

Toodles!~~