Ok. So, I'm currently in the car on my way back to my home town. Second day of driving, and still have 8 hours left to go. Sigh.

But, I got this idea and figured it would be the perfect time to write it. A fresh idea with inspiration all around me (you'll see what I mean). This story may either be short (10 chapters at most) or it may go on for longer. I have no idea where this idea will lead me. I guess we'll all find out together ;)

Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoy it! :)

Lucy squinted at the sign illuminated by her headlights, smothering a yawn and flicking her blinker on.

She didn't want to stop, but she was in need of gas, coffee, and a restroom. Two of those things really couldn't wait. It had been a long drive, and she still had so much ground to cover before she'd even consider herself safe.

Sighing heavily through her nose, she eased her powder blue four door up to one of the rest area's gas pumps and took her keys out of the ignition.

Once she was free from her seat belt, she took a moment to close her eyes, resting her forehead against the steering wheel.

For the last two days she'd spent driving, she'd been trying to ignore the whispers in her mind, telling her that she was making a huge mistake. The blonde had considered turning around several times, but the thought of willinglyreturning to that cold lifeless house stopped her before she even turned the wheel.

She refused to continue living her life that way. It wasn't even living. She'd been stuck for too long now, never getting anywhere from behind locked doors and barred windows.

Lucy wanted to go and live her life while she was young. She wanted to go on adventures, make friends, maybe even fall in love. At the age of twenty-one, she'd hardly experienced anything. Never once made a friend that wasn't paid to be there.

She had to do this, she reminded herself, straightening in her seat and steeling her resolve.

The target on her back be damned.

}{}{}{

Leg bouncing restlessly under the wooden desk, Natsu watched the clock on the wall, willing it to move just a little bit faster.

It moved a smidge.

Groaning, he slumped forward, letting his head hit the solid wood with a thud.

The last ten minutes of his shift always drove him insane, slowly dragging by. He was convinced the clock did it on purpose, knowing how much he hated working in this godsforsaken place.

Natsu Dragneel was not the kind of person who could sit still for very long.

Yeah, meeting strangers everyday proved to be interesting enough, but most of the people traveling through hardly paid him any mind. They were too focused on getting gas at the self paying pumps, using the restrooms or the vending machines, and then getting back on the road as quickly as they could.

He was only there in case anyone needed directions, to make sure the area was clean, and to keep everything stocked. It was lame, and pointless, but it was money. And he really needed any money he could get. Anything to get him out of this town.

Trying to find a place to hire him had been hard, but he'd expected that. The moment anyone realized he was a Dragneel, they'd shy away, sometimes even being so bold to tell him to leave.

The pinkette sighed tiredly, absentmindedly rubbing at the scar on the side of his neck when it gave a phantom throb.

Anger heated the blood in his veins and his hands clenched into tight fists. It didn't matter that it had been almost three years since the incident, it still pissed him off just as much as it did at the time.

So lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the petite blonde walk through the door and head straight for the women's restroom.

Nor did he notice the man that followed shortly after.

}{}{}{

Lucy leaned heavily against the porcelain sink for a moment, before flicking on the cold water and splashing some on her face.

The shock of frigid water against her skin sent a jolt through her system, clearing some of the fog in her mind. It wasn't a permanent fix, she could still feel the pull of exhaustion weighing heavy on her eyelids, but she was hoping a large steaming cup of coffee would fix that.

Pulling her cross-shoulder bag in front of her, she dug for her wallet, vaguely noticing the sound of the restroom door opening and shutting with a soft click. Using only public restrooms for two days made her grow used to other women constantly entering or leaving around her.

She had finally wrapped her fingers around the faux leather accessory when a large hand dropped onto her shoulder. Fingers gripped harshly, and then everything happened faster than her mind could comprehend.

One moment she was standing there holding her wallet, and the next she was airborne, before crashing into the stalls. Her body had barely touched the tiled floor when she was yanked upwards, the bruising grip around her throat holding her up so high that her toes were clear off the ground.

Wide brown eyes met narrowed onyx as her hand flew to the hand curled around her throat, nails desperately clawing at skin. Even as they sliced flesh, her attacker didn't so much as flinch.

"Found you."

}{}{}{

A loud crash had Natsu jerking out of his thoughts, head snapping towards the closed restroom door. He could've sworn no one had passed his desk, and a quick glance at the clock showed only seven minutes had passed since he last checked.

Unsure of how to respond, he rose from his chair and slowly made his way to the door, pressing his ear against the cool wood. Hearing nothing but an odd shuffling sound, he lifted his hand and gave a hesitant knock.

"Hello?" He called, wincing at the way his voice cracked after remaining unused for so long.

The shuffling continued, followed by what sounded like a soft whine, but he wasn't sure.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Hello? Is everything okay in there?"

Something wriggled at the back of his mind, urging him to push the door open and peer inside.

He was hesitant to, though. With everything this town thought of him already, he didn't need 'pervert' added to the list.

But something felt wrong. There was an odd tension in the air, so heavy he could almost taste it on his tongue. Bitter, and pungent. Something wicked.

Just as he was about to knock once more, a choked sob from behind the door had his body moving before his brain could even register the sound.

Natsu barreled through, skidding to a halt at what he saw.

A small blonde woman was being held in the air by a hand wrapped around her throat. Her face had turned such a deep shade of red from lack of oxygen that it was almost purple, and her legs kicked wildly, desperately seeking purchase.

The man strangling her was more giant than man, his unruly orange hair nearly brushing the ceiling, and his black leather jacket straining to contain his bulging muscles.

Natsu had never seen a man so large in all of his life, and it was the only reason he had stopped.

An idea struck him and he turned on his heel, sprinting to the fire emergency box mounted on the wall under the clock. Without thinking too much of it, he grabbed a stapler off his desk and smashed the glass.

Uncaring of the broken glass everywhere, he yanked the extinguisher out of the box and darted back to the women's restroom.

A quick glance at the blonde growing limp in the man's hold was all the time he spared before he cracked the extinguisher against his head, all twelve years of previous baseball experience fueling the swing.

The man dropped the blonde in shock, staggering to the side with a grunt of pain, dropping to the ground a moment later.

Natsu didn't wait to see if he was unconscious. Even if he knew how to fight, he also was smart enough to know a beast like that would wipe the floor with him.

The pinkette lunged forward and scooped the wheezing and hacking blonde off of the floor, snatching her purse and wallet off the ground without thought, before sprinting out of the room.

He didn't stop to answer the confused look the guy taking the next shift cast his way, merely shouting over his shoulder before leaving the rest area all together.

"Call the cops about the guy in the women's room. He attacked this chick."

Bursting out into the cool night air, he looked both ways, realizing he had no idea where he was going. He didn't have a vehicle of his own, choosing to walk the distance between work and back instead. Well not exactly choosing. He could barely afford groceries, much less a car or gas.

The woman started squirming in his grasp, trying to wiggle her way out of his arms.

Not wanting to make her feel threatened in any way, he gently lowered her so that her feet touched the ground. His hand stayed bracing her arm until he knew her shaking legs wouldn't buckle before releasing her.

Clearing his throat, he glanced around them, paranoid and nervous about anymore attacks.

"Um, we really should get out of here in case he wakes up. This town is too small to have its own police station, so they come from the next town over. It takes awhile. But…"He paused, wincing sympathetically as she rubbed at her throat with a grimace of pain. "I don't know where you need to go."

The blonde coughed into her arm, before looking up at him.

Under the streetlight, her dark eyes seemed almost black, but what struck him was how exhausted they were. Now that he was looking closer, he noticed the bags under her eyes and wondered when the last time she'd slept.

"My car is by the pumps." She whispered, voice hoarse and raspy.

Natsu nodded, placing his hand lightly on her back and leading her forward.

Her shoulders were tense, but he couldn't blame her. After what just happened, he wouldn't trust anyone much either. He couldn't help but feel surprised at how well she was taking all of this. Either she was in shock or, dare he say it, she was used to things like this. It wasn't normal to be as calm as she was after an assault like that. He knew that for a fact.

As soon as the pair reached the only car at the pumps, they stopped, Natsu dropping his hand from her back once she'd opened the driver's door.

"Well, I-"

"Um-"

Both chuckling lightly, Natsu gestured for her to speak first.

She remains silent for a long time, so long that he starts to think she won't speak at all. He opens his mouth, but her small hand grips his much larger one suddenly, and he shallows the words back down.

"Thank you, for what you did back there." She whispers, gratitude swimming in her eyes.

Green eyes study her features for a moment, taking in once again how tired she looks. Her pink tank top was wrinkled, as were her black yoga pants. The dark grey hoodie tied around her waist looked several sizes too large for her petite frame, swallowing her body from waist to knee. Light hair, blonde he knew from what he saw inside, glitters from the haphazard pony tail it had been thrown in into.

"It's not a problem… where are you heading?"

She glances around them, then leans in closer, like she's afraid that someone will hear her. "Magnolia."

Eyes widening in surprise, Natsu whistles lowly. "That's going to take a long time just driving."

Her bare shoulders droop, and Natsu suddenly wished he could suck the words right back in. An apology is at the tip of his tongue, but she's already speaking.

"I know, and I should really get back on the road." She looked at him for a moment. "Can I drop you off somewhere?"

Shaking his head and about to decline the offer, Natsu was interrupted by the sound of the front doors wrenching open so hard that the glass paneling shattered along the sidewalk.

"Heartfilia!" A booming voice bellowed into the night, causing them both to flinch.

The blonde next to him tensed for only a moment before grabbing his arm, wrenching the back door open and shoving him inside with strength he did not expect such a small woman to have.

With a yelp, he landed on his stomach, sprawled across the leather seats and he quickly jerked his feet inside the vehicle before she could slam the door on them.

Within moments she was in the driver's side with the engine started, peeling out of the parking lot and on to open road.

Natsu rose to his knees, peering out the back window just in time to see the man he'd knocked unconscious run out into the road after them. The orange haired giant shouted something in their direction before whipping out a cellphone and walking back the way he came.

Even when the rest area was no longer in sight, the blonde never slowed down.

"Uh…care to explain why that guy was after you?" He asked, trying to sound casual as he sat down and fastened his seat belt.

The scream that flew from her mouth would have been glass shattering if it had not been for the raspy quality of it.

Natsu held on to whatever his hands could find as the car sharply veered left before it was wrenched back into its original lane.

"Oh my- fuck. I forgot you were here!" She croaked, glancing at him from the rear view mirror with wide surprised eyes.

The pinkette chuckled nervously as the sign for his street flew by in a blur.

"Yep. Still here…so we just passed my street… Oh my gods don't fucking do that!" He screeched, bracing himself on the seat in front of him as the car was brought to a squealing halt. His seat belt bit into his chest and shoulder, and he knew it would leave a nasty mark.

The car was whipped around in a haphazard u-turn, and Natsu was starting to fear for his life.

"This street?" She asked, already turning on her blinker before he could confirm or deny.

"Yeah." He winced at the squeak his voice made, clearing his throat and trying again. "Yes, the white one at the end of the cul-de-sac."

She only nodded, driving to the two story home with a rusted basketball hoop in front of the garage.

Parking the car, she turned in her seat with a small smile.

"Thanks again for saving me back there. I wish there was something I could do for you."

Natsu eyes her haggard appearance once more, something twisting in his gut. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and the thought that she could fall asleep behind the wheel on the long drive she had ahead of her made him feel sick.

An idea struck him.

"Actually, there is something you can do for me."

She blinked at him in confusion, eyes narrowing slightly. "And what would that be?"

Natsu gave her a wide toothy grin. "Stay the night with me."

Only after the words left his mouth did he realize he probably should have worded that better.

"Excuse me?" She asked in an icy tone, dark eyes glaring at him in a way that promised pain.

Green eyes widened marginally and heat crept up the back of his neck as the implications of what he said registered.

"Oh! No, that's not what I meant. Not at all. I just meant you can crash here because you look so tired and it's not safe to drive like that and it would make me feel better knowing that you-"

A giggle stopped him short and his eyes snapped back to the source to find her hand extended to him awkwardly around the driver's seat.

"I'm Lucy, by the way."

It took him a moment, but his hand finally rose to grasp hers in a brief shake.

"Natsu."

Lucy pulled her hand back behind the seat and gave him a small nervous smile. "I should really just keep driving, but I am exhausted. And you're right, I would be a hazard on the road. As long as I'm not in the way, I'll stay."

Natsu grinned and unfastened his seat belt.

"You won't be in the way at all!"

Thanks for everyone who read the first chapter! Reviews are welcome and encouraged.

Stay tuned for Chapter 2: Drunken Confessions.