Vulnerability.
It was a word that both of them had, but as a distant memory. They didn't need to know. No matter how many countries, how ever many treacherous kings and queens and monsters and even the voodoo witches, they could never ever break the gentle rule of King Natsu and Queen Lucy.
There was only one time, or at least one of the times where it seemed like they would lose, and she would lose Natsu, the only thing from this life that she held dearly, because the only reason she even sticks around this trivial royal life is him.
She sobs uncontrollably, severely affected by the last conversation with King Acnologia. Obviously, she had put up a brave facade, because she was Queen Lucy, and she was clearly the better person. Duh.
"Queen Lucy, was it?"
He had practically purred the greeting, in that creepy, almost wanton way. It took immense effort for her just to not shudder and keep an impassionate expression.
"Yes, I believe I've said this before, no?"
He chose to ignore this, apparently.
"You know, you could just tell your husband to forfeit, and you would have everything,"
She fought to keep her voice from rising.
"Everything but my dignity?"
"You don't need dignity for what we are going to do,"
"I highly assure you, no matter what you do, that will not happen!"
Screw emotionless.
"You'll see. Your husband's little 'flame of hope', as you seem to have put it in a prior conversation, will be snuffed out. Just like a pitiful candle,"
"I'd like to see the likes of you try," she hissed.
"Oh, I will, I most certainly will,"
At this, she angrily strides off the battlefield towards the nearest doctor so she can help in someway.
And now she is coughing, sobbing, her throat is so dry and she feels like throwing up.
She barely feels the warm, lanky arms that wrap around her waist.
"Luce? Luce, tell me what's wrong. Please?"
He didn't have to say please.
"Acnologia-you-snuffed-us-apart-it was so-"
She couldn't even form a coherent sentence.
He holds her even tighter, sending a message. I won't let you go.
She turns, wanting to see his reaction.
There is that fire in his eyes, seeming to
flicker brighter than ever. His gaze is intense, and he leans down and plants a kiss on her forehead.
"No matter where we go, we'll protect each other,Luce,"
And now this time, he is a slave, they both are slaves, and by a miracle, they haven't been separated.
They both swore off the idea of getting pregnant, because surely, nobody would want to introduce more things for these dogs to beat and use like old tools.
CRACK!
She is fighting to be strong, because she knows that Natsu hasn't done anything wrong. How could anybody even have the ability to hurt him?
Hurt all that hope, hard work, comfort, kindness, and honesty.
She clenches her fist, shaking with anger.
Gray, one of her good friends, shoots her a sympathetic look.
CRACK!
CRACK!
"You dirty fucking dog, how dare you even give that little girl food! She didn't deserve it!"
The said girl, Wendy Marvell, is now sobbing.
"Family never deserves to suffer, no matter what they do,"
Those are the only words out of her Natsu.
Damn you, Natsu!
The man raises his whip, seemingly in slow motion.
But suddenly she is in front of Natsu and there is a huge welt on her face.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"
Crack!
Crack!
No matter how many times the whip stings her body, she will not move. She will not move.
"Luce?",
It comes out in a strangled gasp.
"Luce, what are you doing? STOP!"
"No matter where we go, we'll protect each other. Isn't that right?"
She can feel it in his bones, his stance, he is genuinely surprised that she would go this far.
And then he pulls her back, and finally, he breaks free from his bonds, and his eyes are now livid.
"You'll pay now, bastard."
There is now that fire in his eyes, the kind that says You hurt my Luce.
The rebellion has started, a tiny candle flame transformed into a raging inferno.
There is real fear in that horrible, sinning face.
Serves him right.
And now they are completely normal, two friends, attending the same high school.
Except Natsu knows that today, there is something wrong with his Luce.
She is pulling back at the slightest touch, and she winced when he tried to hug her this morning.
And he makes his decision.
He grabs her, almost forcefully, and starts to pull the sleeves of her sweater up.
"Natsu-ow- what the hell are you doing?"
He doesn't reply, but instead chooses to stare at the wounds inflicted onto her arms.
"Luce, what happened?"
"Uh, I hit my arm on the bus stop. You know how clumsy I am, Natsu!"
Right.
"Fine."
And he can hear the sigh of relief, and now he is so going to follow her home.
And so later that day, he trails behind, and as she gets closer and closer to her house, he can see that her body is getting more tense.
Bus stop. It was totally a bus stop.
And she enters her house, and he is contemplating whether he should enter or not, and in the mean time, there are shouts.
"USELESS-WORTHLESS-MURDERER-You're just a waste of space!"
"PAPA, no! PLEASE!"
He runs in, and barrels toward his target.
Jude Heartfilia.
"Don't-you-dare-hurt-her!"
Each word was cut with punches, kicks, and slaps.
"DO YOU HEAR ME? DON'T HURT MY LUCE! OR I'LL KILL YOU! AND THEN I'LL BRING YOU BACK AND KILL YOU AGAIN!"
"Natsu?! What are you doing?"
"Protecting you, Luce, what does it seem like I'm doing?"
And now he can hear her sob, and then whisper the words that they had exchanged when Natsu's father had left him and Lucy's mother had died.
"No matter where we go, we'll protect each other,"
And he now smiles back at her, nodding in confirmation.
The tears are now pouring across her face, but they are tears of joy.
Because this boy is still protecting her, millennia later.
No matter where we go, how many lives we cross, we'll protect each other.
Hello, minna! I hope you enjoyed this story! Please leave a review.
Oh! And this is actually for Nalu week. I'm posting it on Fanfiction now because I won't be in the States.
Day 2: Vulnerability.
This story was inspired by both Lucky ones and Once upon a dream by Lana Del Rey.
Have a nice day!