I have returned! Enjoy!
5 years later:
Five years after Natsu was returned to me. Five years after the most traumatic experience of my life. Five years of freedom.
"Are you excited?" Levy asked, brushing the hair out of my face. My hair was much shorter now, with golden highlights, so now my hair looked more strawberry blond, than beach blonde. I stared at myself through the vanity, my hair brushed back in curls, while my eyes, still as big as ever, stared back at me.
"I think the butterflies in my stomach are doing coke or something." I said honestly, causing Levy to laugh.
Today marked the day I received my undergraduate college diploma and the beginning of my new life. Next year, I would be moving to the big city to start my long journey to becoming a surgeon. I felt refreshed and cleansed, as if nothing I'd ever stressed about mattered anymore.
Levy looked different too. Her hair had grown longer and was straightened, giving her a professional look. She was a full-fledged defense attorney and I rarely ever saw her now that I was in college and she was working her first jobs.
"You're going to be great. Honestly, it's just walking. You're totally good at that." Levy said, winking at me. I stood up from my vanity and grabbed the graduation robe from the back of my chair. I put it on, covering my pretty, red sundress underneath. As levy started fastening my graduation cap to my head with bobby pins, I laughed at her.
"Please, have you seen me try to walk around the house without falling over?" I said, fixing the neck of my robe. Levy stepped back and allowed me to bend over in front of mirror, adjusting the neckline so that it covered the ugly welt on my chest that still hadn't gone away after all these years.
I still had a few scars from my time help captive by the Dragon Slayer Gang. The ugly burn marks on my chest that had come from a failed branding attempt during the days I was tortured were a permanent reminder of what I'd been through during those few months. Usually, I wore them with pride, but I today I wanted to forget all of that. I wanted to forget everything that had led up to this moment, and simply be where I was right now.
"Lucy, are you ready?" I heard a voice come from my dorm doorway. My friend Hisui stood in the doorway. She was completely dressed in her graduation attire as well. Her golden honors sash was draped around her robes, the only difference between her outfit and mine.
Hisui was my roommate during my freshman year, and we'd become very close friends. We now shared a dorm apartment with two other girls, Éclair and Kagura. All four of us had very different goals in our lives. Hisui had majored in political science and was planning to follow her father's footsteps to become the next president of Fiore. Éclair had taken the education route and was planning to teach elementary school children. Finally, Kagura had majored in criminology and was aiming to become a police detective.
All four of us were very different, and yet that is what made us so close. I could have chosen to put myself in a medical school bubble my first year, but Hisui had convinced me to go with her to an all-college gathering one night, where we met Éclair, Kagura, and a whole bunch of other people I never would have met if I hadn't gone to the party.
"Yeah, give me one second." I reached over to my bedside table and grabbed Gray's ring. I slipped it on my right hand and rubbed my hand over my charm bracelet on the same hand.
Gray's ring was a reminder to me every day, and it served as an easy stress reliever whenever I needed it. The charm bracelet served as something else entirely.
I followed Hisui out the door and we walked to the common room of our apartment building where Éclair, Kagura, and a few other friends were waiting. Aquarius rolled her eyes when she saw me.
"Of course, we end up waiting for you. You know, just because you need the most work to look your best, doesn't me you should force it all on us." She said rudely. I rolled my eyes, used to Aquarius' jabs.
Bisca looped her arm through Hisui's.
"You look so cute, Hisui!" She exclaimed, as her boyfriend Alzack looked on. Lyon came up to me and smiled.
"You know, I know that you think I'm kidding all the time, but you really do look stunning. You and I would make the most gorgeous babies." I laughed loudly at that and punched his arm.
"Guys, we're going to be late." Kagura said, pulling everyone out of their thoughts.
Our group walked out into the afternoon light and toward the quad, where the ceremony would be held. Most of the parents and families had already arrived and were congregated in front of huge stage that had been set up, while the college students were all located behind the stage. We made our way to the back of the stage when Levy waved at me one more time to join the rest of the people who had come for me.
Gray and Juvia were sitting together next to my father, Wendy and Erza. Before I could see if anyone else had come, my friends whisked me away to behind the stage and we all started to line up alphabetically.
The ceremony was long and excruciating as we waited for our name to be called. Every time one of my friends was called, I nearly lost my voice, cheering. When my name was called, I was focusing too much on walking without falling to really looking into the audience to see who else was here. When we were finally able to change out of our robes, my nerves had gone up in smoke and I felt like I was walking on air.
My friends and I slowly dispersed to find our respective families. I wandered around the quad, looking around for a familiar face in the midst of hundreds of families.
"Lucy!" I whirled around to see Wendy jogging over to me with her boyfriend Romeo behind her. She embraced me and I grinned as we almost toppled over. She congratulated me as my other friends walked up behind her. Yukino's hair had grown out and Lisanna had dyed hers blonde. Kinana and Mirajane still looked the same, while Milliana had cut her hair super short.
Erza walked up to me and hugged me as everyone around began to applaud me over and over again. Erza mostly looked the same as well, except for one eye being hazel and the other brown. From her injuries, Erza had lost the sight in one of her eyes, and so she had to have surgery to correct it. However, the correction surgery also accidently changed the color in her eye, so now she had two different colors. It made her look more exotic.
Juvia and Gray walked over to me after Erza and Juvia held me in a long embrace. We had all attended their wedding a year ago, and I was pretty sure they were expecting a baby soon, but they hadn't made the announcement yet. My suspicions had arisen when I noticed that Juvia had stopped drinking.
Gray hugged me next and I breathed in his cool scent, so grateful to still have him in my life. He had matured a lot since the day he had proposed to me. He was looking more like his father, with his hair slicked back and smile wrinkles by his eyes.
"You deserve this." He whispered in my hair. "I'm so proud of you." He released me and his hand involuntarily slipped into Juvia's.
"Thanks for coming." I said to both of them.
"Of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world!" Juvia exclaimed.
My father approached me next, his hand clutching a bouquet of flowers. He handed them to me and smiled wide, earning a smile back from me. He reached forward and pulled me into a long embrace.
"Finally, my little girl is all grown up." He said, sniffling slightly.
"Daddy, don't cry!" I exclaimed, wiping away his tears. "I'll always be your little girl." I kissed his cheek and he smiled back at me.
"You're going to be operating on me in a few years, just wait." He joked, ruffling my hair. I cringed and tried to straighten my hair back to the way it was.
"Don't joke, dad." I said playfully. He laughed and walked away to talk to Levy's father. Levy tackled me into a bear hug and grinned at me.
"You didn't fall." She teased. I laughed and shook my head.
Suddenly, my diploma was snatched from my hand from behind. I whirled around to shout, when I rammed right into a hard chest. I stumbled back in a daze, but someone caught my arm, keeping me from falling over. When I'd finally found my balance, I looked up into the fiery green eyes of the boy dangling my diploma over my head.
"Careful, buttercup. You don't want to lose this precious piece of paper. You never know if you'll need it to start a fire or something." Natsu said playfully, smirking at me.
I sighed and rolled my eyes, wrapping my arms around him.
"I thought you were an actual thief." I said, as his arms draped around my shoulders to return my hug.
"Lighten up, buttercup." Natsu said, giving me a swift pick on the side of my head as he released me. I blushed hard at that tiny gesture as his hand found mine and squeezed. He looked up and waved, his hand never releasing mine.
Natsu and I made our way through the huge crowd, saying hello to friends and family alike. My college friends all looked at me with knowing smiles on their faces. I'd only ever introduced Natsu to Hisui, so the others were all quite surprised to find out I had a boyfriend. Even Aquarius was giving me a congratulatory smirk. Lyon walked up to us and gave me a quick hug before eyeing Natsu.
"You never told me you had a boyfriend." He said, crossing his arms at me. I rolled my eyes at him, knowing damn well that he'd known.
Lyon was one of Gray's oldest friends. They had gone to the same preparatory school and when he found out that I was going to the same university, he contacted me. He knew about everything that had happened five years ago to me and Gray, but he never talked to me about it, mostly for my sake. Even now, I still had nightmares.
"Lyon, this is Natsu." I said, putting my hand on Natsu's chest.
"Natsu… Dragneel?" Lyon asked, an apparent frown on his face. I felt Natsu tense and I grabbed his arm, not wanting to get into anything on this day.
"Lyon! I think my dad is calling us. I'll catch you later." I said sharply, pulling Natsu's arm to try to get away. Right as we were about steer past Lyon, Natsu was jerked back by Lyon grasping his forearm.
"You hurt her, you answer to me, dragon." Lyon hissed At him, causing me to turn red. Natsu said nothing in return and I pulled him away as quickly as I could.
Once we were far enough away, I released his arm and breathed a sigh of relief. Natsu's mood had significantly lowered and I felt horrible. He really didn't need to be here and yet he was to support me and it all backfired in his face.
"You never told them about me?" He said suddenly. I looked up at him, taken by surprise. "You never told your friends about us?" He asked again.
"I did tell them about you. I told them I had a boyfriend." I protested.
"But you didn't tell them my name." Natsu clarified. I stayed silent.
He turned away, gritting his teeth. I could tell he was trying to keep his anger together. I looked away, knowing how hurt he must have been feeling. But honestly, could he blame me? I wanted people to be proud of Natsu when they looked at him. Right now, that was never going to happen unless they didn't know who he was. Could he really blame me for not wanting all that attention? Once they realized who he was, they would put two and two together and find out who I was as well. The girl who was taken and enslaved.
"Natsu," I started, taking his hand. He pulled away from me and I felt a pang of shame. Maybe I should have told people about him. Maybe they wouldn't have judged me or treated me differently. Maybe they wouldn't have judged him.
"It's fine." He said, turning back to me. "I understand." He tried to smile, but it came out a little forced.
"You do?" I asked skeptically as he grasped my hand.
"Yes. You didn't want people to think badly of you for being with a gang lord's son. I understand." He kissed my palm, but I pulled my hand out of his grip.
"No, you don't understand. I didn't tell people who you were because I didn't want people judging you. I didn't want people to think you were some kind of monster when you're not at all. I wanted to keep your name clear of any gossip or rumors." I said persistently. Natsu stared at me, as if he was trying to figure out if I was lying.
"I don't care what people think about me, Lucy. It's my life, not theirs. If they want to start rumors, then that's their business. It's not my problem and it certainly shouldn't be yours." He came closer to me and gripped my shoulders, touching his forehead to mine. "I want people to look at us and think 'they have definitely been through a lot together. They'll make it.' I want people to see you as a strong survivor, instead of some fragile victim. I want people to see me with you and see a changed man with the woman of his dreams."
"I want that too." I said softly, closing my eyes. His hands touched my cheeks and lifted my chin so I was looking him in the eye, heat erupting from every place he touched me.
"Then don't lie to yourself or other people. If you don't want to be with me, then I'll respect that. I'd just rather you not be with me and be honest than being with me and lying to your peers." With that, his fingers released me, and he stepped back, giving me the choice to either stay back or go to him.
I immediately felt empty and cold when he was no longer touching me and I wanted to clamber back over to him, but I really needed to think about this situation. Did I really want this? Did I want people to stare at us when they knew who we were? Did I want people to only know half our story and judge us for it?
As I gazed over at Natsu who was twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ground, I realized that he was right. I wasn't some fragile victim. I was a survivor and the people who truly knew me understood that. I really shouldn't care about who knew who I was and who didn't because I knew. I knew the truth and that was all that mattered. If people wanted to judge me, that's their problem, not mine.
I realized that I'd been taking a little too long and Natsu had taken it the wrong way. He turned around and made to walk away, but I quickly walked up to him and grabbed his forearm to keep him from walking away.
"You're right." I said as he turned around. "I'm sorry. I should have told them about you. I'm not ashamed of you. I'm just scared for myself. But I want you, Natsu. I really do, please believe that." I stared at the ground, my cheeks burning as he squared his body to face me.
"Say it again." Natsu said gruffly, grasping my hand tightly.
"What?" I asked in confusion, looking up at him. His eyes were a shade darker and the look over his face was one I was getting used to recognizing without peeing my pants. Just him looking at me made me realize what he wanted.
"Oh…" I felt a blush rise to my cheeks as he pressed his body closer to me. "I… I want you Natsu. I really want you." I repeated, pressing my hands to his chest. His arms wrapped around my waist and he ducked his head nest to my ear, making me shiver as his hot breath rolled over my back.
"I want you too." He whispered, causing my lower stomach to heat and twist with excitement.
Right when he was about to kiss me, a hand appeared on my shoulder and I let out a high-itched squeal, jumping back abruptly.
The culprit behind me started laughing his butt off, throwing his arm around my shoulders and guffawing loudly so people started to stare. The young man had orange hair and smart glasses. It was Loke, one of my other new friends from college. Loke was the only person to know about Natsu by name. The whole first year I'd been in college, he'd hit on me and tried to flirt with me. However, that summer he caught Natsu and I in an uncompromising position and his efforts to date me stopped.
Of course he went through the jealous ex phase and then the overprotective brother phase, but soon, he and Natsu become friends. He was Natsu's first friend outside of the gang. It was a huge milestone in Natsu's journey back to the real world.
"God freaking damnit, Loke." I exclaimed, clutching my chest. He was still laughing as Natsu walked over to him and whacked his back, causing him to double over in laughter and coughing.
"Come on, I'm just having a bit of fun." He choked, straightening up. I scowled at him, but his grin was contagious and I found myself chuckling along with him.
"Congrats, dude." Loke said, ruffling my hair. "You're all grown up. How is your dad taking it?"
"Could be better. What about you? Are your parents ready to send you off to your first job ever?" I said back to him, returning to Natsu's side. Loke brushed through his hair and sighed, staring off into space.
"I don't think I'm going to work just yet. I think I'll take a year off to travel, have fun, and savor being young. I don't want to become an office stiff just yet." He grinned at us and then waved to someone off behind us and disappeared back into the crowd.
Natsu's hand grasped mine and I looked up at him in confusion.
"Come on, buttercup." He said, pulling me from the crowd. "Let's find somewhere quieter so we can celebrate… privately." He winked and I blushed, shivering. I smiled and followed him like a little puppy, too excited for what he had in store for me.
Leave a review! Part 2 coming soon!