Quite honestly, Lucy didn't understand why there was so much hustle and bustle about ghouls around the city. She'd heard her fair share of the stories, seen far too many graphic videos shown on the news of murders, and she still felt unphased. Even more so, her very own father was important to the very organization in charge of killing of ghouls,-the CCG-and yet, she felt immune to the propaganda.
As a teenager, she could easily think of them as vampires, lurking on humans and feeding off their blood. The concept of ghouls was similar, right, relying on humans as a food source? The only difference was that the average teenaged girl was obsessed with getting their hands on a sexy vampire or werewolf, who could very well dig their fangs into their skin or rip off their face.
In fact, she wanted to look at ghouls in a more positive light. Her thoughts wandered to farther places that forced her to offer sympathy and a very strange form of empathy, and it made her frown. She very well knew that the ghouls had no other source of food, according to her father, so humans were their only (natural) prey. Humans, though attempting to glorify themselves, were no better, munching on innocent livestock and other animals. Hypocrites, she thought.
Besides, had anyone even taken the ghouls into thought? They had been forcing themselves to live in modern society, disguised as citizens (and humans), so they knew what it was like to be a human. In fact, they were forcing themselves to live another-a second-life, while Lucy's own kind were too arrogant to even put their lives into consideration. Ghouls were treated and hunted like animals. Honestly, it made her sick.
She probably attended school with a few, even.
Sparing a glance in the window of a shop, she fixed her bangs and propped a smile onto her lips. Twirling a strand and practicing several expressions and smiles, a man staring at her from the other side of the window caused her to flinch. She pulled away, laughing awkwardly, and continued to make her way to school.
Nearing the railroad, she remembered that a poor kid had committed suicide the other day. Her eyes travelled to the side of the road, where a single vase of flowers stood. The suicide note was plastered all over the news, causing a sort of uproar. It started off simple, an apology to the poor kid's friends and family, and the final sentence was written thickly:
"God, I'm sorry I was born as a ghoul."
Rummaging through her schoolbag, she recalled that she had brought along a flower from her garden. Placing it in the vase, alongside the other few daisies, she smiled a sad smile, whispering an apology to the child.
Distracted, the sound of the warning bell of the train caught her attention, and she stood back to her feet, glancing at her watch. I'm still on time. Thank the gods, she thought. The stopper lowered, and within seconds, a train sped by. It was always like that: the train came when she came near this area, so she always had to wait for it to pass. It was like a blockade-one she always expected. However, that morning, she had left a bit earlier, stopping at a cute little coffee shop for a cup of tea. It was normally her writing place, when she needed public inspiration. As the stopper rose, she made her way across the tracks.
"Hey, you! Stop!"
Lucy turned, hoping and praying whoever's voice that was was not calling for her, because they sounded horrifying. Turning and spinning, she searched for a body to match the voice to, but she couldn't. Pacing to the intersection where two paths met, she was startled to have someone a head taller run past.
Though she couldn't pinpoint an age, or a face, because of the thick hood they wore, she felt drawn to them by fate. Somehow, some sort of red thread pulled on her to help, because when she turned her head in the direction, she spotted a man wielding a weapon, and he did not look like a cop.
The man chasing the hooded person called out a name-one that sounded like an epithet. An epithet given to ghouls.
Oh gods, am I about to help a ghoul?
Before she could think, she acted. Grabbing the hooded person's wrist, she heard him gasp and grunt when she begun running and leading him elsewhere. Turning down a jigsaw of paths, she eventually decided to yank the stranger into an alleyway and hide him behind a Dumpster, masking his mouth.
He rounded the corner.
Shit, am I going to die?
He didn't dare to spare a glance back, because he could hear the heavy breaths of the running man somewhere behind him. Of course, he was only fortunate because the man chasing him was somewhat thick and wasn't wielding a gun.
There was only one obstacle-a blockade-left, and it was the train. He was running out of path, and the train was coming. Goddamnit, goddamnit, goddamnit. His mind was racing. Watching the speeding vehicle pass by with no hesitation, he didn't hesitate or wait for the stopper to raise. Immediately, he broke into a sprint and raced under the raising block.
His feet pounded the tracks, his breath growing heavy. Gods, am I going to even make it to school at this rate? Why the hell was he worrying about that!? He needed to worry about his life-which he was, but his reputation as a non-ghoul was on the line. A series of cuss words ensued in his mind. He let his pride be his motivation to keep running, and if he kept going, he could outrun the CCG man coming after him.
In the beginning, the man was hot on his tail. In fact, he was so close, the ghoul had to dodge a few swings of the mallet he was weilding. Getting whacked by that thing was going to hurt, especially since the weapon was intended to slay ghouls-a quinque. Eventually, though, the CCG man had lost most of his momentum and slowed down. The gap between ghoul and man was growing bigger, faster.
Sure, the night before, the ghoul had caused his fair share of troubles, but at the moment, he was just supposed to be a typical high schooler. After all, it was his friend's fault, being "cautious not to get caught" because he "stood out," but the smaller ghoul knew that he was just being lazy. Since when had he cared about standing out?
Because of the events the night prior, his masked face and surveillance videos were all over the news. On his way to school alone, he'd passed more than ten shops with TVs broadcasting his face, and the video bulletins all over Tokyo were announcing what a massive threat he was. C'mon, seriously, I haven't eaten in a week.
The night before, he was fortunate to escape down a subway entrance and discard his mask. Even more, he pulled off his jacket and tossed it into a trash. He made sure he was out of the line of sight of any people, CCG men, and cameras, and he slipped into the crowd that was leaving the station, and he made his way back onto the streets of Tokyo, completely incognito.
Despite the mayhem he had caused, he never returned to his friend and roommate with any food. He, himself, had managed to get a bite or two of a civilian, but nothing more. For all he knew, the person was still alive and wasn't even staying overnight in the hospital. A bangade and some medicine was all the poor guy really needed. The human got off easy, of course, because the ghoul was starving.
Passing an intersection, he dared to glance at the human girl he was passing. He hid his face rather well, but he saw enough of her. Big brown eyes, blonde hair done up into a side ponytail, bangs that framed her face in just the right way. He swallowed hard, starving and growing insane.
There was no way in hell he was eating human food.
He didn't have time to stop, time to ravage the random pedestrian. The man was still following him, hunting him down.
"Hey, you! Stop!" After a moment, another scream and shout came from the CCG man. "Salamander!"
He knew the girl wasn't thinking, because she grabbed his wrist and started leading him elsewhere. She didn't grab ahold of him very tightly, but the suddenness caused him to gasp, but he bit his lip. Gods, he was hungry. Instantly, he recognized the outfit she was dressed in, because it belonged to the school he attended.
It was the first day of the first semester. Spring.
The ghoul's eyes stayed on the girl. They begun to travel down her arm to her hand, and he couldn't tear them away. He was gripping her wrist, leaving her human scent all over him. He was going to go mad by the end of the day, and he was going to be forced to sit in a room with twenty more potential meals the entire day.
Several twists and turns later, he was shoved up against the wall of an alleyway, and the blonde stranger yanked him to his knees under the cover of two Dumpsters on each side of them. He shifted rather hesitantly, trying to hide his face, and she was eventually kneeling at his back. Suddenly, a hand clamped over his mouth, because he was grunting and groaning from her forcefulness-especially when she pushed him into the wall.
Breathing in her scent, he choked. Swallowing hard, he tried to force down the lump in his throat.
He couldn't do it.
Feeling the very appearance of his eyes change, the sclera turning black, the corneas of his eye turning blood red, his eyes moved down to her hand masking his mouth, and he took in one final breath, breathing in the girl's tempting scent.
Gods, he was hungry.
Lucy took in a breath, waiting until she knew she heard the CCG man run by. Why the hell was she helping a ghoul!? Her father worked for the anti-ghoul organization, after all! She looked at the man sitting in front of her, and she pulled her hand away from his face.
"Why'd you help me?" he growled, refusing to face her.
She swallowed, unsure how to answer. "Sorry," was all she could make out. "I was doing what I thought was right." She thought about how she felt like fate was drawing her towards the person in front of her, but of course, she wouldn't say that out loud. "I didn't hurt you or anything, right?"
Her? Hurting him? No way. He shook his head.
Sparing a glance down at her watch, Lucy gasped. "Oh, crap, no, no, no," she said, abruptly standing to her feet. She fixed her skirt, and didn't bother to look down at the person below her. "Don't worry, I won't look at you. I need to go! I have to get to school! Good luck," she chimed, waving goodbye to him.
She quickly raced out of the alley, bursting out into the busy sidewalk. The ghoul watched her leave, then swallowed. He buried his face in his hands, waiting until he knew any sign of his eyes being black was gone. He stood to his feet, rummaging through his backpack for his change of the school clothes.
He shrugged his jacket off, shoving it into his backpack. Pulling the spring vest for school over his shirt, he pulled the bag back onto his shoulders, leaving the alley the other way. He didn't care about being late on the first day, or any day, really. Just as long as he showed up, so that he would be normal in a human's eye.
The bell only rung only a minute before he arrived in the classroom that he was assigned. His senses tingled, for some reason. He made sure any scratch marks or signs of struggle were hidden by hair and buried his hands into his pockets. As he entered, the teacher, one that was familiar with him and his troublemaking antics (as a human), shook his head at him.
"Ah," he breathed out, "Mr. Natsu Dragneel, late even on the first day."
Plastering the fakest grin onto his face, he stood his ground in the doorway.
"Take a seat," the teacher ordered, pointing to the only open spot-one in the back.
He was fortunate it wasn't in the front, which was occupied mostly by the overachievers or those the teacher deemed needed extra help. The year before, Natsu had received more than just one or two lectures for being a delinquent from his current teacher. The old man probably requested Natsu be placed in his class, despite having given up on the boy before he had even taught him.
Making his way to the back, his eye caught glimpse of the blonde head he'd familiarized himself with. No wonder his senses with on high alert, sending chills down his spine. He recognized her scent almost immediately, but he brushed her off, because she didn't recognize him, which was good.
She was socializing with a small blue-haired girl, who Natsu recognized from the year before. Levy, he recalled. Now that he knew more about the blonde, he could remember a few times he had seen Levy and her together, spending time with one another out of class.
Natsu continued to plaster his fake smile on until lunch, when he left the classroom and grabbed ahold of a cheap bento he had bought to make it look like he was human. He immediately sought comfort in a bench in the yard, using his chopsticks to merely push the food around and look at it in disgust.
He frowned. He didn't have much of a reason to uphold an act when no one was looking, nor did he feel any need to be glad. Every breath he took was a sin. His existence was a sin, according to the humans. Somehow, he could tell he was going to die soon.
"Is it okay if I sit here?"
He shuddered. His blood ran cold. He swallowed his nervousness. Looking up, he met eyes with the blonde. As their eyes connected, she smiled. It was reassuring, spreading a sense of lightheartedness to him. He nodded, hesitant. "Yeah, go ahead."
Almost immediately, he forced himself to take a bite of the bento rice. Slowly, he swallowed, disgusted with the taste.
"You don't seem to happy with your lunch," she commented, raising a brow. He nodded, chuckling a bit. He was unsure if it was a nervous one. "Yeah, convenience store lunches aren't the best. Here," she offered, opening a container of her own lunch, "have some of mine."
His eyes trailed up to hers, away from her lunch. He smiled a bit, shaking his head. He scratched the nape of his neck. "Yeah, no, it's okay. As gross as my lunch is, I really can't take yours. Plus, not that hungry, you know?"
She nodded, smiling once more to reassure him she understood. "Alright," she said, taking her chopsticks in hand. Pushing a rice ball around a bit, she took a piece of meat between the two sticks and bit down.
"Oh, by the way, my name is Lucy," she greeted, extending her hand.
When he took it, he expected her smile to waiver, but it didn't. He returned the grin and shook, pondering how fake he was acting. Normally, he felt pretty foul, but this girl... She exuded a sense of happiness and carefreeness. He relaxed a bit, saying, "Natsu Dragneel," in return.
"So," she said, attempting to make conversation. "Tell me about yourself, stranger. What's some stuff you like?"
"Uhm..." he stalled, biting his lip. "Well, I like food," was all he managed to make out. Lucy laughed a bit, nodding.
"I like food, too," she said, grinning. "Oh, how about we check out this great little stall I saw the other day! I heard the food there is great, and they have these great looking smoothies! We can go after school?"
His jaw dropped a bit. She had just met him, and she was offering to hang out with him. He knew he wouldn't be able to eat anything, but she seemed excited. For some reason, he couldn't turn her down. He silently grunted in disbelief. Natsu Dragneel can't turn a human down.
"Yeah, okay, sure!"
Lucy beamed. "Great! Meet me by the school entrance?" He nodded.
He knew he would be forcing the human food back up later, but something inside him told him that it was completely and totally worth it.
But why the hell was she making him so happy?
Their hangout of sorts the day before had gone fine. Fine for her, that is. Natsu enjoyed it, he could admit, but upon his arrival back to his apartment, he spent an hour or so gagging by the toilet bowl, hoping to force the meal back up before he digested it. However, upon realizing he had been too late for some of the meal, he had gone and crawled into his bed, waiting for the ache in his stomach to go away.
He'd slipped into a napping coma for a few hours. When he awoke, he realized how exhausted and in pain his body was in, having not eaten a human in a week. He'd never gone so deprived, and he was reaching his limit. He was running too low on energy to even go and grab a person.
Beside him, on his nightstand, his phone was vibrating. A message from Lucy. Daring to unlock it, he read it with eager eyes.
"Hey! Are you free this weekend? Want to see a movie with me or something?"
He typed a brief response, agreeing to do so. However, his agreement only applied if he wasn't killed or he didn't starve. Inwardly, he swore that he would fight off the hunger to make Lucy happy.
"Yo!" his roommate burst into the room, holding a photo. "The hell is this?"
"Gajeel," Natsu groaned. "Ever heard of knocking first?"
"No. Shut up." Stomping across the bedroom, he slammed a photo onto the smaller ghoul's face. "The fuck is this?"
Picking up the photograph, he took in the image. It was a photo of him with Lucy, one taken from a distance. Natsu turned his gaze back to his friend and scoffed, "Stalker."
"Dumbass, that's Lucy Heartfilia! Her dad is a big shot at the CCG!"
Natsu choked.
"So," Levy said, just as she was leaving out the front door, extending their conversation one last time. She turned, reassuring her balance by leaning against the door frame, tugging on her shoes, and asked, "Do you have a thing for Natsu?"
Lucy, cleaning up after their long study session, coughed a bit, caught by surprise by her little friend. Closing her textbook, she looked up and shook her head. "Of course, not," she said, attempting to be as frank as possible. It was a minor habit of Levy's to attempt to set her up with people, or somehow make Lucy have a crush on random guys. She couldn't count how many times Levy had said, "Hey, isn't that guy cute? He seems like your type."
Levy let out a huff. "It really seems like you do," she openly stated, fixing her shoe. "You took him to hang out yesterday, right after meeting him. I thought it was a date or something."
"It wasn't. He just seemed alone and all," Lucy said, thinking back to how she noticed him leaving the classroom by himself during lunch. The bench he sat at was in the view of their class, and from where she sat by the window, she could see him pushing around the food with his chopsticks.
At the time, Levy had been busy working on making her notes neater. She'd probably been too preoccupied with working that she hadn't even noticed Lucy stand up and take her lunch with her. To Lucy's best luck, the day after lunch was quick and brief, most of the class time dedicated to describing what the school year would look like. She occasionally dared to peek over her shoulder at Natsu, who seemed only to be paying attention when it was deemed necessary. He was always tapping his foot, or biting his thumb.
He seemed so nervous.
However, by the end of the day, when the final bell rung, she did so as planned. She didn't wait in the classroom for him, and immediately went to her locker and replaced her shoes. At the entrance, he noticed her from across the courtyard, waving to her with a wide grin.
Even then, without having to know him all too much, she could tell that something about his smile was stressed and strained. Something to it was fake. However, the closer he got to her, and the more time they spent together, the more real it seemed. It relieved her, especially as she became more aware of his habits while walking to the food stall she had told him about.
Whenever he became weary, nervous, or unsure, he scratched the scruff of his neck, and he laughed in a hesitant way. When he smiled,-a real one-he grinned for far too long, and he laughed too much for his own good. Though he always seemed stressed and slightly worn down, there was this softness and hidden dorkiness waiting to be uncovered.
She worried about him, however. When they arrived at the food stall, he ordered something that matched his attitude. He ordered something big. Even more, he offered to pay for both of their meals, but of course, she couldn't take him up on that offer. As they took their seat, he did the same thing with his meals as he did to his bento; push it around and pick at it. It didn't take him long to notice she was staring at him with worry in her eyes, so that was when he begun to eat.
During Lucy's study session with Levy, she hadn't bothered to bring up her worry, because she could be over thinking the whole issue. He had told her that he wasn't feeling particularly hungry that day, after all. However, she did bring up that she offered to go to the movies with him, and Natsu had obliged. Of all things to notice, Lucy hadn't seen the smirk that her little blue-haired friend had made then, but now, hearing Levy accuse her of having a crush for Natsu, she suddenly recalled the devious grin.
"C'mon, Lu, I'm your best friend. You can tell me these sorts of things," she said, smiling at her. "I've never seen you just approach someone who was lonely."
"I'm going for a new image," Lucy said, laughing. "I want to make more friends."
"Alright, alright," Levy said, giving in. "I have to go, before it gets dark. I'll see you tomorrow!"
Watching the door close, Lucy's smile wavered. It vanished slowly, until she knew her friend was gone, and she stood there, until the sound of her front gate creaked and locked in place once more. Before she finished cleaning up, she dared to peek out the door, her eyes trailing up to the sky. Already, there was a single speck of light-Jupiter. All alone.
From the dining room, she could hear the rumbling of the car engine. Her dad was home. She was still staring her homework in the face, her thoughts too distracted. She had been working on a single problem for an hour, because she couldn't get her brain to focus on math. It was all on Natsu.
She hadn't let it bother her earlier, because at the time, Levy was her priority. Even more, her little friend had kept her preoccupied. Now, in her lonesome, she couldn't stop thinking about how her salmon-haired acquaintance hadn't appeared in school that day. He was sick, probably. Bad food, maybe? She didn't know.
The front door in the parlous opened, her father dropping the car keys in the bowl. Lucy looked up, her eyes flicking to the side, searching for the time. Half past ten. He was home early.
"Lucy," he called, immediately seeking her out in the dining hall. "You need to carry this at all times, from now on." He placed a small stun gun in front of her, something she had never seen before. It had an unusual hue to the body, a red color, and he pressed the button, an electrical current appearing between two prongs. Lucy jumped. "It's intended to only harm ghouls, so you don't need to worry. The CCG says it's a work-in-progress, but I want you to hold onto it, in case you ever need it."
Why the hell would I need this? "Uhm... Sure, dad."
Taking it in her hand, it felt light. Daring the press the button herself, she knew that she could probably touch the electricity, but she didn't dare herself to take the risk. Turning the electric weapon over in her hand, she looked up at her father with her eyebrows pulled together in concern.
"I want you to stay clear of any trouble," he demanded.
How am I supposed to stay clear of trouble? Doesn't it just happen?
"Especially avoid anyone that looks like Salamander at all cost, do you hear me?"
Slowly, she nodded. His masked face was all over the news at the moment. Reaching down to her bag, she rummaged through it a bit for a safe pocket, and placed the device into it. She would put it somewhere easier to access later. It fit into the pocket perfectly, as though it were made for the anti-ghoul weapon, but in actuality, it was meant for her phone. It was a pocket she never used, because she kept her phone on her at all times. After all, she thought that was her emergency device.
Her father left the room to withdraw into his bedroom or office. It was expected of him, especially to keep their conversations to a minimum. No hellos, no goodbyes. He only said what he had to say, and left. Lucy spoke her minimum, and would resume life as she had. That was the way it was meant to be.
Despite her brief encounter with her father, she still couldn't tear her thoughts away from Natsu. Giving up on her final problem, she retired for the night after a hot shower. She needed something to relieve her thoughts.
Why was she caring and worrying about him so much, anyway?
"Yo," Natsu cooed from the distance.
Before turning around, Lucy spared herself one last look in the window to check her reflection. Perking up her lips into a smile, she turned and waved, relieved because she felt as though she under dressed. She'd put up with Levy calling the movie a "date" for the entire week, so when it arrived, Lucy settled on her hair in a messy bun and a simple sweater and jeans. Looking at Natsu, she felt fine, because he wasn't dressed up any more than she was.
"Hi!"
As he approached her, his familiar features became more distinct under the light. His eyes were a dark onyx color, spare the flecks of green, and his hair fell in his face more than usual. He grinned, offering her his arm.
"You ready to go?" When Lucy nodded, he continued. "Sorry I was late. My roommate was keeping me from leaving the house."
Something in her heart sunk. Was he taken? Stop caring, she warned herself. "Roommate?"
As he begun to guide her in the direction of the movie theater, he nodded rather subtly. "Yeah, his name's Gajeel. Total douche, if you ask me," he said, laughing. "Somewhere under his rough exterior, I'm sure he's an okay guy."
Lucy chuckled a bit. "You're so mean," she teased. He immediately threw his hands up in defense, laughing a bit, as well.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. He's a great guy, I promise, but he's a bit on the rough side, you know?"
She didn't know, actually. Her entire life, she was locked up and played everything safe. In fact, her run-in with the strange ghoul the other day was the most dangerous thing she had ever done. Instead of learning how to be street smart, she was good with what spoiled kids were good at, sadly. So, to venture beyond her horizons, she had begun writing. Her characters were dangerous and adventurous, but she didn't know the lifestyle personally. Hesitant, she confessed her safe lifestyle to her new comrade, and he listened carefully.
"That's not anything to be ashamed of. Hey, you made it this far in life, didn't you?"
"Aren't you on the 'rough side?'" she asked, looking at him as they purchased their tickets. "You've made it this far, too. Farther than me, probably."
"I'll give you a taste of the adventurous side one day," he said, looking down at her. He raised a brow, and there was a light smile on his lips.
Gods, she could have kissed him in that moment.
They guided one another into the movie. During the previews, Natsu slipped out of the theater to fetch Lucy some popcorn. He hoped small was okay, because he was planning on eating his serve during the early part of the movie and heading out to the bathroom to purge himself of the meal.
Never before had he needed to force up his meal so often. Still, eating occasional bits and pieces of human food was holding him over for not eating. He was still starving, and he was growing hungrier by the second. Soon, he would have not eaten in two weeks, which was not okay. Fortunately, ghouls had stronger bodies and stronger stomaches, so he could go without a meal for several more days, but it would be a difficult few days.
He was waiting for the news to stop broadcasting him everywhere.
By the time he could walk Lucy home, he felt his stomach groan, and his comrade seemed to hear it too. She asked him if he wanted to stop somewhere for a quick meal, if he hadn't eaten enough at the theater's, but she didn't know that he had eaten more than was okay. He turned her down, saying he had a pot of something awaiting him when he returned home, and she seemed alright with it.
They entered the upscale neighborhoods of Tokyo, and Natsu expected nothing less from the daughter of one of the higher ups at the CCG. However, he felt rather dumbfounded when his eyes traveled beyond the wrought iron fence to a stacked mansion, one that rivaled a king's castle.
"You got a big family?"
Lucy shook her head, a sort of sadness settling in. "No, actually. Just my dad and I. It gets pretty lonely," she said, adding a nervous chuckle at the end.
"Want me to walk you up to the door?"
"Yeah, okay, sure," she stammered, glancing around for any signs of her father. Her shoulders slumped in relief when she noticed the lack of lights in the house, as well as a clear and empty street.
Pushing past the gate, Natsu trailed close behind her. He wasn't sure what she was searching for himself, so he glanced around the neighborhood. As a teenager living with her parent,-especially one that was overprotective and worked for the CCG-she probably wanted to avoid all trouble with the man.
She rummaged through her purse, digging through the junk inside to find her house keys. He could hear some cuss words under her breath whe she failed to find it almost immediately, but when she pulled out the gold-colored key, she jammed it into the doorway, twisting the lock until it clicked. She opened the door and dropped the key into the bowl, turning around the face Natsu.
I can't do it...
He swallowed hard, then with an quick and abrupt movement, he took ahold of Lucy in his hands, pushing her into the doorway. Natsu opened his mouth to bite, moving forward to slam his jaw down onto her shoulder, but she pulled back. Lucy screamed, but before she could cause any ruckus, his hand swatted over her lips. Lucy cried out into his palm, her eyes watering in despair as he slammed the front door shut.
In fright, she watched the sclera of his eyes turn jet black, rimming a glowing red color. She swallowed hard, gasping in pain when he pushed her into the wall, toppling her end table and bowl over. Lucy flinched at the sound of shattering glass, staring Natsu directly into his darkened eyes.
Without a moment's hesitation, he moved forward, closing every inch of space between them. His hands ran up into her hair, sending an chill cascading down her spine. But then, he gripped. She cried out in pain, and he brought her wrist up to his lips, because he would start small and go big. He'd never done it that way before, but something about it being Lucy made him want to do it. Take it slow, he figured.
As he opened his mouth to clamp down, his teeth merely grazing her skin, Lucy reached into her back pocket and forcefully jammed the stun gun into his side. In fear, she pressed down on the button with her full strength. At first, he just groaned, but she watched Natsu's eyes widen in pain and he yelped out, toppling to the floor.
"Oh, my gods..." Lucy stepped away from him, her grip around the device tightening. She kept her fingers on the button, continuing to hold it, in case he jumped back up. When he didn't, her finger let go of the button, and she dropped it to the ground.
Natsu rolled over in pain, holding his side in his hand. He'd never felt something so painful. His side was throbbing, his mind was reeling, and he was struggling to gasp for air. As the pain resided, he struggled to roll over onto his stomach and push himself up to his knees. Slowly and cautiously, he tilted his head up at Lucy, biting his lip until it bled. He was anxious, after all.
"Natsu, you..."
He swallowed, forcing the lump in his throat to go down. Under his breath, he said, "Fuck, I'm sorry, Luce..."
She heard him. Of course, she heard him. The silence was killer, nearly deafening, and the only thing breaking it was their breathing and sounds of pain. His voice was like a shout into nothingness, the only thing there.
"No," she snapped. "So, that's why you weren't eating? Because you can't? You always left to the bathroom after eating because you needed to force it back up!? Natsu, you should have just told me! I wouldn't have forced you to do all of this..."
"How the hell would you expect me to tell you?" She seemed stunned by his question, so he didn't wait for her to reply. "Your dad works for the CCG, according to Gajeel, so you're a threat to my life, Luce!"
"I wouldn't have told, you idiot! I care about you as Natsu, not some ghoul! I care about you, okay!?" She finally confessed the feelings that were welling up inside of her, but they tasted bitter. Their surroundings were bitter and the air was thick. This was not how she expected to tell him that he meant a lot to her. "To me, you're Natsu Dragneel, not some ghoul, okay? I don't care about all of the ghoul propaganda, so you've got me all wrong in your head..."
Natsu forced himself up to his feet, pursing his lips together. He could taste the bit of blood from his hard bite on his lip the moment before, but even more, there was the lingering taste of what he knew was Lucy's blood. From where he stood, he could smell the wound he had left on her arm, but for some reason, he wasn't tempted by it any longer.
"Look, Luce... It's not that. I was told to play it safe around you, okay? I like you a lot, and I wanna be your friend."
She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, and she nodded. She wasn't sure why she was nodding, but she agreed. She wanted to be his friend, too, after all. She didn't want him to have to play safe around her. She wanted him to be himself.
"Natsu," she called to him, her head dropping. "You always seem a bit upset, and I've made it one of my goals to make you laugh and smile and all of that stuff. I like it when you're like that."
"I used to be like that a lot, but not so much anymore." He shrugged. "But for some reason, it slips out around you. Maybe it's not so impossible," he said, giving her a wink.
"One more question," she said. "When's the last time you ate?"
He shrugged. "Last week Sunday or something."
For the next few days, she watched him evolve, as if life had been forced through is veins. He hung around her that Saturday and Sunday, and eventually ended up sleeping under her bed on Sunday night, dragging himself to school with her the next day. However, during their night together on Friday, when he confessed to her the last time she ate, she begged him to go out and find something-someone-to eat, and he did so, finally coming back on a slightly full stomach.
He returned to his own apartment that Friday night, and when Lucy went into the bathroom to wash of her blood, she exited her room in a towel, coming face-to-face with her panicked father. He questioned her and forced her to answer why there was blood on the tile floor and the table was knocked over. She was forced to lie, saying when she had walked in, she somehow tripped and knocked the bowl over and cut herself. She apologized and promised that she would clean it up as soon as she was done getting ready.
On Saturday morning, Natsu crept in through her window, an approach that seemed harmless to him, but ended up deserving him a punch in the nose. It wasn't intended,-according to Lucy-but she had startled him. He sat across from her while she ate breakfast, and he flipped through the newspaper, raising his brow at every other article and photo. Eventually, once he seemed fed up with what the news had to say, he settled on the comics, reading through every one, offering his occasional commentary.
She barely made conversation during their breakfast together, other than his comments, but she did bother to ask, "Was your meal enough?" He looked up at her with a furrowed brow, and nodded. He seemed oddly hesitant, probably because he could recognize her expression. The topic of eating humans made her a bit faint. She saw his nod and didn't say anymore, and he left them as it was.
Sunday wasn't much better. Natsu stared up at the bottom of her bed for a long while, probably before the sun had even risen. He remained absolutely still, which was almost impossible for him, and he kept his breathing shallow and quiet. Occasionally, Lucy's bed squeaked, and he was reminded that he was sleeping under the cover of her mattress in her house, and it caused him to relax. She was asleep and safe, and if he needed to, he would leap to her protection.
He didn't come out from under the bed until he heard the car pull out from the house. Lucy had commented to him that it was unusual that her father had come home on a Saturday night, and she described it as a phenomenon. Immediately, she forced him under the bed, and made small talk with him once the house had fallen silent. He didn't sleep much, and eventually, once he knew he could come out from hiding, he wasted no second.
When Lucy woke up, he was crouched on her window sill, his back leaning against the frame. Natsu immediately turned to look at her, and she gave him a smile, which faded away quickly when she saw her bedhead in the mirror. She rushed out into the hall, which probably meant she was going to take a shower or something. Natsu chuckled a bit to himself, and went on with staring.
Something in the lower parts of his stomach rumbled, and he was reminded Friday was the last time he'd eaten. He used to be a binge eater,-a glutton-but as soon as his masked identity was plastered all over the news, he decided to quite his "bad" habit. However, one human after starving for two weeks wasn't nearly enough.
He was starving himself for a human girl's happiness.
What had gotten into him?
That question bothered him the entire day, up until the point where he crawled under the bed once more and curled up almost immediately. When he was dragged out from under it in the morning, he was relieved to see it was just Lucy, who kicked her bag closer to him.
"Time for school," she said, grinning.
He was fortunate to keep a change of school clothes in his bag, something he needed to do in case he didn't make it home the night before. He was always on the run, so going home wasn't always an option. He tugged it on after a brief morning shower, and trudged behind Lucy. She was greeted by her friends, which caused him to fall farther back.
Sticking out of girl talk was his specialty.
He allowed Lucy to spend the day with her friends. After all, he had only recently just jumped into her life, and he returned to his apartment after school. Of course, he should have expected Gajeel to be eagerly awaiting his return, but in the movies, they usually waited with a smile. He wore a scowl, which normally might not have been too unusual, but it was more aggressive than normal. Natsu chuckled nervously, and scratched the nape of his neck.
"Are you serious, Salamander? You spent the weekend with a human girl?"
"You jealous I'm getting more action than you?" Natsu laughed rather loudly, tossing his bag into the corner. On another note, he wouldn't take Lucy for granted, nor would he take advantage of and exploit her. Besides, he'd never felt any attraction to anymone before growing close to them. He liked close friends more than anything else.
Gajeel frowned. "No, you little shit. Didn't you listen to me? She's Jude's daughter, so if you leave your gross ass scent on her or anything, you'll be found out."
"I trust her, so calm down."
What was agitating Gajeel was his friend's lightheartedness. He was calmly sailing through dangerous territory, waving a red flag that screamed ghoul right in front of a CCG member and his daughter. He took in his words. "I trust her" wasn't something someone just said about someone who knew nothing.
"Did you tell her!?"
"What!? No!" Natsu spat back. "...I tried to eat her."
Taking in a deep breath, Gajeel groaned. He couldn't believe Natsu. How stupid could be be!? Eventually, Natsu slipped into story-telling mode and explained that his was beyond his starving limit, and she promised to not tell, and allowed him to go out and eat. She even allowed him to sleep under her bed, and even while he was asleep, she didn't get up to fetch her father while she was right there. Once again, he reassured, "I trust her."
"Whatever," Gajeel said through a worried glare. "If your ass is in trouble, it's not my job to get you out."
A week passed and everything was okay. Natsu was still alive, unlike what his gut had told him before he became friends with Lucy, and she still hadn't told her father about him. Somehow, it felt as though Natsu was walking hand-in-hand with her, entrusting his very existence with her. She seemed to be walking alongside him rather happily, and not once did she hesitate or falter. Their situation felt like bliss.
Lucy, curled up on her couch, flipped through the stations. She could see her father's shadow on the wall, signaling he was coming down the hall. Immediately, she turned it to the news, and it was flooded with ghoul propaganda. Something in her heart sunk, and she checked a place that had been in pain since Natsu had hungrily attacked her. A single bruise was still there, wrapping around her where he had gripped. She'd underestimated his strength as a ghoul.
Pulling her sleeve back down as her father rounded the corner, she turned her attention back to the television. Multiple images flashed up, all of which were from a recent ghoul hunt. It ended in the favor of the CCG, and they were finished sometime around midnight the night before. She'd heard her father talking about it on the phone at breakfast that morning, and she was worried for Natsu. She was relieved to see him in school, alive and breathing.
The story changed to another "urgent" announcement about ghouls, flashing up sketches of what their masks looked like, and occasional photos of times the CCG had caught up. Names-aliases and epithets-were stated, and Lucy had to bite her lip when she heard the woman on the news say, "Salamander," somewhere amongst the names. He was marked as a SSS-Rank, and his removal, as they called it, was urgent.
Sometime during the week, Natsu had told Lucy about how he'd cut his diet down, and how his roommate sent him on hunts for the both of them. He told her that Gajeel's name given by the CCG was Black Steel, which wasn't on the urgent list. He'd gone off the map, because he stood out too much. Salamander, a smaller body and less significant identity, was better for killing and fetching. "Buying for two" was what Natsu called it.
"Lucy, you look pale. Are you sick?"
Turning to see her father in his chair, she shook her head. There wasn't any genuine concern in his eyes. She faced the news once more, awaiting the description on Salamander.
"Little is known about Salamander himself, other than the fact that he is always wearing his mask and a hood over his head when looking for humans. He is a young ghoul, says the CCG, who thinks that he's only in high school or college. He kills two at a time, but a year or two ago, he used to kill more than five at a time. He used to be a binge eater, so it won't be surprising if he reverts back to eating more than two.
"His recent activity has been minute, but the urgency on his case has been increased because of the recent uproar in ghoul activity, and how many humans are becoming victims."
Lucy swallowed. She felt sick. Standing up to her feet, she excused herself to her room, crawling under the cover of her blankets. She let out a loud, audible exhale that mixed itself into a groan, and she buried her face into the pillow. Her ears perked a bit when she heard her window sliding open, and immediately, her hands darted to the stun gun she'd buried beneath her pillow. Kicking the blanket off quickly, she faced the weapon in the direction of a face, dropping it in relief when it was only Natsu.
"Holy shit, Luce," he said, raising his hands in defense. He hopped down onto the ground from the window sill, sending one final glance outside the window. "You keep that thing nearby? You still think I'm a threat?"
"No, you idiot! If it's so easy for you to get into my house, then I imagine it's easy for other ghouls!" He figured the arguement was logical, and he shrugged. A serious expression settled back on his face, however, almost immediately. "Anyway, what do you want? Couldn't you just knock on the front door?"
"Nope, not for this. Your dad would suspect me of something."
Lucy puffed her cheeks, standing up. Her shoulder slumped a bit, setting the stun gun onto the end table. She turned her attention back to Natsu, who's seriousness hadn't faded a bit. Biting her lip, she asked, "Alright, what is it?"
"You and I..." Heat was creeping up her face. Was she blushing? Lucy tried to fight the heat and nervousness, shifting on her feet a bit. Lacing her hands together behind her back, she kept her brown eyes focused on Natsu. The onyx color of his eyes darkened in despair, and she begun to wonder what he was going to ask. "You and I... We... We can't see each other or be... friends anymore."
The words burned like acid. She swallowed the lump in her throat, only to have it return. Why is he bringing this up?
"W-what? Why?"
"That doesn't matter. Just... don't talk to me anymore." Glancing at her pocket, he ordered, "Take out your phone. Delete my number."
Lucy could feel the tears rimming her eyes. She and Natsu had only been friends for two weeks, but it felt as though a part of her heart was being torn off. "Natsu..." He immediately ordered her to do it, and as her shaky hands reached for the phone, she flipped it open, and went to contacts. Scrolling down to his contact, her fingers hovered over the button to delete.
I can't do it.
Natsu watched her press down buttons, then flip her phone shut. Lucy shoved it back into her pocket, frowned, and merely said, "Fine, it's done."
"Don't make contact with me ever again, Luce. It's for your own good."
He immediately went to the window, and pounced down. Lucy didn't bother to rush to the window to see him land, and just waited for him to go. Standing in the lonesome of her room, she awaited for the absolute silence to return. She awaited the moment she could no longer feel him running across the grass outside. Finally, when she knew he was gone, she closed the window and latched it locked.
Forcing a smile onto her face was harder than she had assumed. Her hands were shaking, still, and her eyes were puffy from the night before. When she looked in the mirror as she readied herself for school, she was a total wreck. She crawled in the shower and forced out her last tears, and eventually dressed herself in her spring attire.
Levy had met her at the front gate of her home, as requested by Lucy. Before stepping out the front door, she perked the corner of her lips up, and opened the door. Levy could easily see through the fakeness, as though the word "lie" was plastered all over Lucy's face, but she didn't ask. She could see Lucy wasn't ready to talk about anything that was hurting her just yet, and she just wrapped her arm around hers and consoled her with physical contact.
The day dragged on rather slowly. Occasionally, Lucy spared a glance to the back of the room, only to see Natsu's seat empty. He claimed that him breaking off their contact was for her own good, but what good would that do? She thought that she was his protection, the person who was going to make sure no CCG men captured her. After all, she had done it before she even knew who he was.
It seemed like she'd gone through a bunch of pointless efforts, but something inside her told her Natsu meant too much to her to just be a waste of time.
Maybe Natsu was pushing her away because of his change in priority for the CCG. She didn't understand because she promised to protect him and be his immortality, but sometimes, when he thought she could see, she noticed a look on his face that whispered, " I hope I don't die soon..." Only once had she tried to grab his hand to comfort him, but he pulled his hand away and diverted her attention elsewhere with a smile.
"That idiot..."
"What?"
Lucy was snapped out of her thoughts. She didn't realize she had muttered her thoughts aloud, and Levy was peering at her.
"Oh, no, no! It's nothing! So, Lev... Want to come over to study after school?"
"Yeah! Of course," Levy said, closing her notebook. "You sure you'll be able to focus?" She pointed at the empty notebook in front of Lucy.
"Huh?" Looking down, Lucy groaned. "I'm so distracted, I didn't take notes? Can I borrow your notebook later?"
Levy nodded, handing her the book. "Take it now, get a head start before we get to your house."
The study hall period was a decent time to catch up and distract her mind from everything involving Natsu. When the final bell rang, Lucy made chatter with Levy as they made their way to Lucy's home. They kept themselves focused on their work, but as everything died down, Levy finally bothered to ask, "What's been bothering you all day?"
"Huh? Nothing," Lucy said, smiling rather nervously.
Levy raised a brow. "C'mon, Lu, tell me."
The blonde hesitated, licking her lips. "Well, Natsu broke off all communication with me and thought that it was okay to just storm in her and tell me to stop talking to him and delete his contact, and then storm out. Who the hell does that? He's got me over thinking and worrying."
"That's something you do, Lu. You worry too much. Something's probably happening right now, and he'll come back around to you sometime. I promise. If not, I'll... I'll throw out the book with the autograph from Hemingway!"
"But that means so much to you!"
"Now you know how absolutely sure I am," Levy said, wagging her finger with a wink.
"One more thing," Lucy said, averting her eyes. "I didn't actually delete his contact."
Levy perked up, nearly dropping her books. "What!? Lucy, are you serious!?"
She nodded, giggling nervously. "I just couldn't do it, so I tricked him and deleted my dad's number instead..." Putting her books away to keep herself from looking at Levy in the eyes, she also added, "It's just going to be there in case of emergency."
Levy laughed, pulling her bag onto her shoulder. "Can you walk me home?"
Lucy nodded. She glanced out the window, which was allowing orange light into her house. Levy never liked walking home alone, and so Lucy always escorted her there. She didn't mind the return to her mansion, becomes sometimes solitude was nice. It was nicer at sunset, when the air was crisp and she could savor the walk without having to sweat in the unbearable heat.
Little Levy lived in a small apartment with her author father, She lived on the edge of the downtown part of the city. In that area, the hustle and bustle of the city life wasn't too bad and traffic never flowed through that area, so it was peaceful. Lucy escorted her blue-haired friend to the front steps of the apartment building, and waved her goodbye.
Glancing at the time on her phone, she realized she was returning late than normal. It was darker than normal, and she'd have to walk faster. By the time she made it halfway, it was dark, but the lights of the buildings were still too bright to see any stars.
"Excuse me," a voice called behind her.
"Yes?" Lucy turned around, seeing a girl who could be only five or so. "Are you lost, dear?"
She shook her head. "Just lonely. Can you walk me home?"
Lucy nodded. It was better for her to walk home in the dark alone than for a little child. Stepping forward, she approached the little girl, but before she could reach the child, arms too strong for her to fight off wrapped around her.
Kicking, she let out a scream, but was immediately gagged when the figure slapped a hand over her mouth. He put her down and as Lucy tried to pull away, the man rummaged through his pocket rather rapidly. Digging her hand into her pocket, she she flipped her phone open in secret and pressed the number down for Natsu. She didn't have time to dial the emergency number, and shoved her phone back into her pocket.
Resuming to try to fight the man off, the little girl stood in place and stared at her. Managing to pull her mouth away from the calloused hand for a moment, she tried to yell for help, but failed. Grunting and groaning as the man fought with her and wrestled her, his arm that was choking her and covering her mouth tightened around her, and his second hand slammed a rag over her mouth.
Screaming, the smell of ammonia filled her nose, and she attempted to kick and fight for a final second. She could feel herself slipping into nothingness, and her breathing steadied as he pulled the rag away. Lucy, falling limp in the man's arms, had lost.
She was fortunate enough to wake up. Groggily, she peered around, hoping to see where she was. Her weakened body was slung over the shoulder of some man, and she was being carried off somewhere. Why hadn't they killed her yet? Was her phone still on? She hoped and prayed Natsu was going to find a way to save her, because she didn't want to die.
"Sir," the man who was carrying her called out into the darkness. Confused, Lucy struggled to turn her head and shift to see past the man's back, but failed. Without mercy, he tossed her onto the ground and she groaned in pain. In agony, she tried to turn to see who was the man that was being addressed by "sir" and where the hell she was.
"Idiot, I told you not to hurt her!"
She immediately recognized the voice, and Lucy forced herself to sit up. The man who had grabbed her in the street wasn't someone she recognized, but his outfit was enough for her to know who he was. Why the hell was a member of the CCG snagging her, and why was her father there?
"Dad?"
"Lucy," the voice boomed back, "you're awake. We need you."
"Couldn't you have just asked me to come here, instead!?" There was a scoff in the darkness.
"Definitely not if you knew what I was calling you here for."
"Which is what?"
"You're going to be our bait to catch Salamander. Through some heavy digging and research, I found out you're associated with him, and I need to catch him. You know who and what he is too, which is a shame."
Something inside of her was dying, and it hurt. It felt like she couldn't breathe. Her eyes frantically searched the darkness, hoping to find her father's face. She was hoping that her father's scheme was some sort of prank, because it was impossible they knew it was Natsu. It being a nightmare was another option, but everything felt all too real.
"No! I'm not helping you with this! I don't care if you bribe me with money or freedom or my life! I promised him that I would keep him safe!"
"Lucy," her dad spat, his voice strong. It was the tone he used when he didn't want her to argue, which was the one that meant she wasn't getting her way. On any normal day, she would tremble in his wake, but it wasn't the time to be scared.
A hand reached from the shadows into her line of sight, wrapping around her wrist. She recognized her father's rough, assertive grip, and gasped as she was pulled to her feet. She shouted several remarks into the darkness, hoping to pry herself away from the men, but failed.
Her hands, trembling too much for her own good, were yanked behind her torso and clamped together with cold metal. She knew she was surrounded, because there was a threatening warmth wrapping around her body, coming from bodies that she couldn't see.
"Call for him," was a demand that came from an unfamiliar voice. "Shout. Scream. Make noise."
Is this really what the CCG does? Lucy's mind was reeling, her thoughts shaken from her mind with each yank and pull from the strangers. Dad, stop...
There was a twisting pain in her wrist, and she cried out. She couldn't remain in silence if they were forcing her to scream. The strangers behind her continued to pull and yank at her arms and the chains binding her wrist. It hurt far too much for her to handle. Continuing to shriek and yelp in agony, she still refused to call for help.
"Lucy, this is for the better of the people!" Lucy's father stepped closer, shaking her shoulders. In the dim lighting, she could pick out her father's face. He was peering down on her with a rather assertive scowl, and he raised his hand against her. Lucy flinched. "Call for Salamander!"
"Ghouls are people, too! They need to-"
He swung down and struck her, a stinging feeling burning her cheek. Cut off mid-sentence, she glared up at her father. She knew him well enough to know that he was acting on impulse, because he wasn't the type to hit her. He was the kind of man that acted rashly when he was frustrated.
"Salamander! You better not come here! I'll never forgive you!"
The people at her back yanked on the cuffs harder, pulling Lucy backward. She cried out, bearing the pain. Her jaw clenched as she winced, but she still refused to scream for help.
If they wanted her to scream for help, they would have to try harder.
The torture continued. It got worse. They yanked at the chains harder and knocked her over. They pushed and tossed her across the floor. Lucy cussed violently in her mind, unable to handle the unbearable, and she could feel bruises welling up on her skin. Still, she refused to beg for help. Something inside her told her that Natsu was waiting for her to ask, but he was hesitating because if he showed up, they would kill him.
He was. He was praying that Lucy would scream for him to help, making it okay for him to come. Natsu knew that the men and her father wouldn't kill Lucy or make her bleed, and if they tried, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Lucy's protection was his priority. However, he didn't want to die. He had pushed her away to keep her safe, in hopes that if he stayed away, no one would harm her for her associating herself with a ghoul. He was utterly wrong.
As soon as he recieved the phone call, he saw her name. Of course, he couldn't bring himself to delete Lucy's number, because it was his final tie to her. He was shocked, however, to see her name lighting up his screen. Hesitant, he answered with a mere, "Hello?" Nothing came from the other end for a while, but eventually, a rustling sound filled the speaker and some grunts and muffled shrieks. Holding the phone closer to his ear, he panicked, begging Lucy to answer.
He hadn't wasted a second, running out the door. He never took the phone away from his ear, occasionally calling out to her as he ran down streets and alleyways, hoping to catch her scent. He had been running for more than half an hour when he finally heard Lucy's voice once more. He listened, eager, but eventually, it was the last thing he wanted to hear: "Salamander! You better not come here! I'll never forgive you!"
He finally found her scent in the wind, mounting himself near a window. He allowed himself to be nearby, in case he needed to burst in. His mind was racing, and he didn't know what to do.
His senses tingled.
He was going to sell his life for Lucy's.
Kicking the skylight in, he allowed himself to fall to the bottom floor of the warehouse. His heart thudded harder in his chest as he fell, the adrenaline flowing through his veins. His eyes immediately adapted to the darkness, and he could feel the sclera turn black as his body entered survival mode.
The cluster of people turned their attention away from Lucy for a brief moment, and one of them shouted out, "Salamander," before gripping his weapon at his side.
Natsu, biting his lip, bursted forward, directing his attention to Lucy. She was sprawled out on the floor, her chest heaving in pain. He could feel her gasping for air, and she was muttering his name under her breath, barely aware of her surroundings.
He raced forward, his feet pounding against the ground. The closer he got to her body, the worse the feeling in his gut got. His throat grew dry. Reaching downwards, he didn't dare to stop, and immediately lifted Lucy into his arms, skidding to his knees. Holding Lucy close to his chest, he cradled her. His eyes searched her, making him grow frantic.
Tearing off the chains and tugging at the sleeves, he ran his hands over the bruises on her skin, which caused her to tremble and shake in pain. His eyes shifted upwards and took in the sight of a single stream of blood dripping from her mouth. He breathed in her scent as he leaned his head down to rest on her.
Beneath him, she shifted a bit and placed her hand on his arm.
"I won't... I won't really not forgive you..." she muttered, her voice quiet and hushed.
"Luce," Natsu made out, his voice weak. Resting her on the conctete ground, setting her down softly, Natsu struggled to his feet. His heart was slamming in his chest, and he flexed his hand, hearing his knuckles and joints cracking. He took a slow step backwards, turning around to face the group.
They were afraid to approach him.
Without hesitation, Natsu allowed himself to release his kagune, stopping all limitations on his strength. The surge of blood sprouted out from his tailbone, forming a point in the direction of the men in front of him.
"A bikaku," one of the men muttered. "The trump." The shining tail was the trump of all kagune, having no notable weaknesses.
"Good, you know what you're working with," Natsu spat, his glare deepening.
One of the men, thick and tall, stepped forward. Immediately, Natsu recognized the mallet in his hand, and soon, his face. He was the brutish CCG man who had chased him down the street when he first encountered Lucy.
Who started this all ends it, huh? The man was the reason why he had met Lucy in the first place, and he would probably be the reason behind why he left Lucy's side.
Using the tail as a launch, he tossed himself forward, throwing a single kick at one of two CCG men. He tossed several punches and kicks, also using his kagune as a weapon to whack at the men. For humans, they were evasive and durable, considering he had missed most of them and others got back up from a blow that should have been fatal.
After all, they only picked the best to go after Salamander.
The man bearing the mallet took a swing at Natsu, colliding with his shoulder. The impact was quick and brief, but it sent a shudder of pain through Natsu's body. Hurling him into the ground, he rolled to a stop with his body, coughing. The men wasted no time to come up to him and attempt to jab their stun guns into him, but he dodged to avoid them. The sparking electricity lit up the room, catching his eyes. He followed the weapon and dodged with quick precision, shifting and squirming his body on the ground.
He'd felt the sting of the weapon before, so he was very aware of the damage it did. Once he was hit with it, he was unsure if he would be able to get back up to fight. Lucy had only shocked him for a short moment the first time, and the CCG would show him no mercy when it came to jabbing the electric box into him.
"Stay still, you fucking ghoul!"
Narrowly avoiding attacks, Natsu used his kagune to lift himself back to his feet. He couldn't have himself at his weakest. Tossing all men with his tail across the empty space of the warehouse, he checked on Lucy for a brief second. She was still on the ground, struggling to breathe. They'd kicked her too hard. Fucking bastards.
He couldn't waste anymore time. Turning back to the CCG men, Natsu choked, gagging on a lump in his throat. There was a stinging feeling shooting through his spine. Turning to see behind him, Jude Heartfilia was standing there. He wasn't smiling as though he was proud of defeating one of the biggest threats in the city, but he was frowning.
Falling over, Natsu crumpled to his knees, his body trembling from the electricity. He gasped as the weapon was shoved against the nape of his neck, and turned on once more. He took what he assumed was his final breath, and fell over. He didn't even have a chance to check on Lucy one last time, to make sure she was okay.
He was in pain. She knew it. How could she think otherwise?
Natsu wasn't given a chance to scream or say any final words, or even explain himself. He was marked for execution, no trial, and that's what he recieved. He lived his life doing what he was born to do, doing what he needed to do. And they sought out to kill him.
"Stop it! No, stop! Stop!"
Lucy forced herself up to her feet. She needed to fight the weakness in her knees, the pain that she was feeling in her ribs. What she needed to do was get to Natsu, and make sure that he was still breathing. Her legs gave in as she approached his limp body, and she collapsed by his side.
Jude stepped back, observing what he had done. Salamander was disabled and could no longer fight, and he was probably dead. He'd taken a specialized ghoul weapon to two vital points in his spine. His daughter was sobbing by a ghoul's side, running her hands through his hair and smoothing it, repeating the same words.
"Be okay... Be okay... Be okay..."
He'd done his job, one he was given from someone higher than him. He was passionate about his job, exterminating ghouls and ridding them from the world. He truly believed that was what he was born to do, but his daughter was doing the very opposite... She wanted them to live, to be treated fairly equal. Why was she like that?
It might have been a trait from Layla, kindness and acceptance handed down from mother to daughter. Layla had kept some friends that were ghouls, and wept when Jude had been assigned to kill them. Then, Lucy's mother told her stories about how the ghouls were acting upon what they needed to survive. They were disgusting stories, Jude figured. They attempted to reason with people to love ghouls and accept that everyone was bound to die. Why was it that Lucy had come to love those stories more than the one her father told her?
"You told me ghouls weren't kind!" Lucy shouted, her voice cracking. "You said that they were selfish and had no morals!"
"What're you saying?"
"He ate human food for me, and pushed himself to do things that drove him insane... He starved for two weeks, Dad! Imagine not eating for that amount of time! You'd be dead!"
"It's the CCG's goal to make sure all ghouls are d-" The look on Lucy's face begged him to stop, and oddly, he did so, stopping himself mid-sentence.
In a quiet tone, Jude ordered the men to pack up and leave. In his mind, he knew he would be marking Salamander as dead, and he spared no more words to Lucy. He wouldn't apologize for using her in such a way to lure the ghoul, nor would he say sorry for hurting her. Whether Salamander was dead or not, it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered to him anymore.
Lucy watched the men leave, remaining in silence until she was wrapped in darkness once more. She waited, feeling the seconds drag on.
He coughed.
Taking in a deep breath, Lucy lifted Natsu's head to her chest and hugged him tight. He let out a startled noise, sighing when he took in her scent. Never had he ever been so relieved to wake up. Without wasting a second, he took his scarf and wiped away the damp spots under Lucy's eyes.
Still, she couldn't understand why there was so much coverage about ghouls on the news, not because she was immune to the propaganda, like she used to be, but because of their hearts waiting to be uncovered.
I want to dedicate this fanfic to my friends Mel and Ann, who bothered to read this as I was writing along the way, and eagerly encouraged me to keep writing and keep going! I was eager to write this, so the encouragement until the end means the whole world to me!
By the way, this was an AU that was inspired by Tokyo Ghoul, so I used that concept, but it wasn't a crossover! Anyhow, I realize there's a bit of things I need to explain that I mentioned throughout the fanfic! So here you go:
"Memento mori" is a Latin term that means "remember that you will die." It's supposed to say that you should appreciate the days, minutes, and hours that you have alive. I implied this throughout the reading, because Natsu continuously thought about how he was going to die, and Layla taught Lucy to love everyone because they only had a short time on this earth.
Early in the fanfic, I mentioned the "red thread of fate," which is a Japanese belief that two people who are destined to be lovers/meet are tied together by a red thread.
Also sometime in the beginning, I mentioned Lucy was offering empathy to the ghouls. I never got to explain this, but it was supposed to be a little "joke" about Lucy have a pet cow (named Taurus) that Jude ended up killing for their dinner. It was supposed to be like how ghouls eat humans...
Natsu's kagune, bikaku, is the same type of kagune that Nishiki (from Tokyo Ghoul) has, which is a tail. The kagune is a type of "blood weapon" that extends from a ghoul's back, in case you didn't know, and quinques are made of these to use as weapons against ghouls.
Regarding everything after this fanfic, Natsu and Lucy are supposed to run away together, because Salamander is marked as dead and Lucy doesn't want to return home. Consider them canon, if you want! Also, if you want me to write a short little chapter after this one, just of what happen's to Lucy and Natsu after this, let me know! Maybe, just maybe, I'll do it!
Thanks for reading, I hope that you'll leave a review and tell me how this made you feel, and check out Breaking the Boundary if you're interested!