A/N: Hey guys, so as I push through writer's block (what a bitch that is), my mind decided to have some fun while listening to some music :o)
Summary: When Lucy stumbles upon a fugitive hiding out in her family's stables, her world is turned upside down. Sheltered her whole life by her wealthy father, she is about to experience the most thrilling and dangerous act she could ever have imagined. Love.
Rating: High T for dark and suggestive themes
Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing . . .
Inspired by 'The Devil's Backbone' by the Civil Wars
All mitsakes are my own (see what I did there XD)
. . . . . .
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what have I done,
I've fallen in love with a man on the run.
The Devil's Backbone
Love was one of the greatest things she had ever experienced. She had fallen head first into it the second she'd laid eyes on him, hurtling deeper and deeper into it with each breath she took. But love was a blood sport, and everything that fell, eventually broke . . .
It was the roar of thunder that woke her the night she met love, the violent flash of lightning casting a soirée of dancing shadows across her room. The storm had hit Magnolia out of nowhere, the day's peaceful calm nothing but a memory. Rain cascaded down the windows of her bedroom; each crystal droplet racing towards it's watery end.
She couldn't help but marvel at their freedom.
The clock chimed two when Lucy Heartfilia sat up in bed, the cold night air hitting her legs as she swung them out from under the covers. She loved storms. Loved listening to the world's cry. They called to her like a siren, drawing her from her cocoon to the window with ease. With her mother's old shawl wrapped around her shoulders, Lucy stared out into the garden in wonder.
And there, she found nothing but destruction.
Debris and foliage flew everywhere, the wind tearing through the trees with an anguished howl. Lightning cracked the sky in two and the horses desperately ran for shelter, but for Lucy, the outside world was the most tranquil existence she had. Her fingertips kissed the glass, gently ghosting the trail of the raindrops, memories of her and her mother's late-night storm watching's, flooding back.
There was a hole in her heart since the day she left for Heaven.
As the room shook with another crash of thunder, Lucy was snapped out from her nostalgia. Fingers curling in, she dragged her nails down the glass, a soft sigh escaping from her lips. Sadness. It wasn't until the clock struck half past the hour did that sadness slowly dissipate, however.
At first, she thought he had been a trick of the eye. Nothing but a piece of waste from the land flying in the wind. But when he had staggered out from the shadows of the brush, a hand clenched tightly to his waist, she realised just how wrong she had been. With a gasp, Lucy pressed herself up against the window, her eyes never leaving the mystery man as he stumbled through the green towards the stables. Her cry of warning climbed to the back of her throat. But it never came.
Instead, she raced from the window and grabbed her riding boots at the foot of her bed.
She had outgrown her nightdress, the white cotton falling just below her knees. Tugging the boots on, Lucy quietly raced down the stairs, careful not to awaken her father or the staff as she crept towards the kitchens. Who are you? Had been her whispered thoughts.
She fought against the wind as she pushed the back-entrance open, the faint candle light from the stables guiding her path. Battling the elements, Lucy ran as fast as her feet would allow, the old nightdress billowing between her thighs. She hadn't really thought about what she would do once she confronted the man. If she confronted him. For all she knew, he could kill her the second he laid eyes on her. But still, she ran.
The smell of the horses hit her as she came to a stop, the holler of wind and clash of thunder masking her heaving breaths. Pushing her long golden hair from her eyes, Lucy quietly approached the stable doors, the wind catching them slightly as she peered in.
The gasp that spilled forth was unavoidable, the silence of her quickening heart a blessing. She couldn't look away from him. The wounded man shrugging out of his shirt in the candle light. She had never been so close to a half-naked man before. He couldn't have been more than four years her senior. The gentle flicker from the lantern he had lit licked at his sun kissed skin, every scar, scuff and bruise on display for her to see. His rose-coloured hair fell into his pain filled eyes, a hiss and a curse cutting through the air as he pulled his hand away from his side.
Opening the door a little further, Lucy could see the blood dripping down his fingers, the skin on his side ragged and torn. She couldn't stop herself from bursting in at that moment.
"You're hurt," was her greeting, the man turning around to face her in a flash.
Anger and fear burned in his eyes, his fist clenching at his side. He backed further away from her, but with her hands outstretched, her eyes wide with worry, Lucy shook her head.
"I mean you no harm," she said, looking at his wound then back to him. "I can help." With a gentle nod, she whispered again, "I can help, just wait here."
She was gone without an utterance from him, running back to the mansion in hopes that he would still be there once she returned.
Lucy took the steps two at a time as she raced for her mother's old nursing room. Her father hadn't had the heart to let anyone clear it out since her passing. He hadn't had the heart to even set foot in it himself. She could understand why, however. Hesitating slightly, she opened the door.
Everything looked greyer than she remembered. The walls. The furnishings. Even the dried flowers in the vase that had sat by her bedside. Feeling the tears burn the back of her eyes, Lucy drew in a deep breath. She wanted to forget. She wanted to move on from death. Heart hammering in her chest, her lip trembling with emotion, she quietly slipped in, her sights set only on the supply box that still sat on the trolley in the corner.
The heaviness of the box came as a shock as she grabbed for it, the sounds of clinking metal assuring her that she had what she was looking for. On unsteady feet, she slowly backed out the room, tears burning her eyes as she shut the door to her memories once again. With the storms chaos lighting the way, Lucy ran back for the stables, a silent prayer going up that the mystery man hadn't run.
Pushing her way through the wind and rain, she let out a sigh of relief at the still flickering candle light. Without caution, she slid back through the doors, the stables warmth eagerly welcomed. But once inside, the man was nowhere to be found.
"Hello?" She called out, inching her way further into the hay filled room. "Are you still here?"
But no answer came.
Disappointment washing over her, Lucy hugged the box tighter to her chest, but as she turned to leave, a fire blazed past her, grabbing her by the chin and pushing her back against the wall. Eyes wide, fear coursing through her, she dropped the box, her gaze meeting that of the wounded mans.
His eyes were as black as coal, his chest heaving as he breathed in deeply. Grip tight on her chin, he leaned in, his nose bumping hers as he glared down at her.
"Were you followed?" He demanded, harshly.
She shook with fear, his fingers tightening their hold. "Answer me! Were you followed!?"
"No!" She squeaked. "No. I just went to get the medical box. Everyone else is still asleep."
The pressure on her chin lessened, his shoulders sagging slightly as his gaze burned into her. "Are you sure?"
"I swear."
He hesitated, but he let her go, a gasp of air quickly filling her lungs the second he did so. As he turned away from her, Lucy bent to collect the box, the hinges of the lid hanging off haphazardly. The storm was beginning to pass, the seconds between each crash of thunder dragging out into minutes. She watched as he staggered over to a hay bale, the strength he harboured mere minutes ago slowly fading.
The muscles in his back tensed as he sat down, his groan of discomfort as he pressed a hand to the wound snapping her out of her daze. Summoning all the bravery she could, Lucy slowly made her way towards the man, taking a seat in front of him and opening the box.
He sat with his eyes trained on her, his brow furrowed in confusion as he watched her rummage through the box.
"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice rough with pain.
Looking up, she scowled at his insolence. "I'm helping you." With an unsteady hand, she moved his away, the wound angry and weeping. "You're going to need stitches."
"And I take it you're suggesting that you should do it?" He snarled at the pain.
Mad, Lucy glared, her eyes narrowing to slits. "I could always awaken my father to alert the doctor, if you'd prefer."
He huffed, a muttered curse spilling forth as she pulled gauze from the box.
"Just hold still and it should be over soon."
She went to work on his side, the remnants of the storms cries masking his own. With precision, she cleaned his wound, slowly and carefully stitching his tattered skin back together before wrapping his torso with leftover bandages.
As his cries faded to moans, she lightened her touch. "What happened?"
Sweat, mixed with the rain water, fell from his hair as he looked into her big brown eyes; the animosity he held clear in his face. He was quiet for the longest time as she packed away the supplies, the pain in his side lessening to a dull ache.
When she arched her brow, a silent demand that he tell her, he finally spoke.
"I was shot," he said. "It was just a graze, but it hurt like a bitch."
Her eyes widened in horror. "You were shot!?" He nodded. "By who?"
"People." He ground out, a slight roll of the eyes going unnoticed by her.
"Must be important people if they're shooting at you," she said. "What did you do?"
Glower returning, the man huffed. "Hasn't anyone ever told you to mind your own business?"
Her blood began to boil.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you that it's a crime to trespass?" She argued back.
Lucy knew in that moment, that if looks could kill, then she'd be dead.
"Look, I got shot at, I was getting chased, I ran." He snapped. "End of fucking story."
Kicking the box, the man crossed his arms over his broad chest, the tattoo on his shoulder bulging as his muscles tensed. Even in his weakened state, Lucy struggled to think of someone stronger than he was, the memories of his fingers wrapped around her chin fresh in her mind. If she knew for a second that he would have the temper he did, then she doubted she would have been so eager to run to his aid in the first place.
"Very well," she stood, running a hand through her long hair, "but for what it's worth, if you have people out there trying to kill you, being a little nice to the one that tried to help you wouldn't hurt."
Crossing her own arms over her chest, Lucy could feel her heart hammering, the erratic pulsing threatening to burst out from its confinements at any moment. She could only pray that the panic she felt around him didn't show on her face. He just stared at her, his eyes burning with fury, his lips pursed in annoyance. If she didn't know any better, she would have expected him to blow at any minute.
But he didn't.
"What's your name?" He asked calmly, his lips barely moving.
She struggled to find her voice.
"Lucy."
He nodded slightly, and with clenched teeth he muttered, "Thank you for your help, Lucy."
Taken aback by his own warped sense of civility, she stumbled on her words. "Y-You're welcome."
He was silent after that, Lucy's arms falling away from her chest, her fidgeting hands finding comfort twisting the ends of her hair.
"May I ask your name before I leave?"
Her politeness both shamed and sickened him, but he answered anyway.
". . . Natsu."
Feeling the corner of her lips tug upwards slightly in triumph, Lucy gave a small nod. "Well, Natsu, I want you to feel safe here. I'm not going to alert anyone to your presence. I will tend to your wound every day until you are healed, and once your strength is up, you can leave without fear of being followed."
But if there was one thing that Natsu hated most, it was being told what to do.
"And if I'd rather leave now?" He smirked, leaning forward on the bale as he challenged her.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lucy fought to maintain her control. "Then you can leave, obviously. It's not my head they're hunting." Infuriated by his rudeness once again, she turned to leave, her heavy boots clumping as she stomped away. "But if you do, then I suggest you clean yourself up first," when she reached the door, she turned back to him, her lips tightening with exasperation, "you'll never blend in in town smelling like that."
Standing, he staggered slightly, leaning against a pillar to steady himself. He couldn't help but snicker lightly, her malice resembling that of a child's.
"Thank you for the advice, Luce," he said, his smirk never faltering as her nose scrunched up at the use of the nickname. "However, may I also pass on some words of wisdom?" He didn't wait for her response. "If you're going to wear a white nightdress in the rain, make sure you have something on under it."
Cheeks blushing, Lucy looked down at her almost see through attire, embarrassment coursing through her as the outline of her breasts shone through quite visibly. Arms coming up to cover herself, she growled out in annoyance, glaring at him one last time before rushing out and leaving him in the stables.
As far as she cared he could go and get his head blown clean off, after that.
Natsu couldn't stop himself from chuckling as he watched her storm off; a little whirlwind of golden fire that hadn't lived a hard day in her life. She was definitely sweet, he'd give her that. Not too bad on the eyes either; but he had learned a long time ago that succumbing to sweetness and kindness led to nothing but betrayal and deceit.
It was always going to be that way with him, and no girl was going to change that.
Not even a pretty little blonde with the biggest eyes he'd ever seen.
. . . . . .
A/N: So guys, this was originally going to be a oneshot, but after writing this much and noticing that I hadn't even really made a dent in the story, I decided that a multi-chapter it would have to become. Hope you all don't mind XD
Please leave a wee review to let me know what you all thought. And yes, I know that Natsu's a bit of an asshole, and Lucy is very naïve here, but it's all part of a bigger picture.
Take care my lovelies :o) xoxoxox