Chapter Two

Natsu made a special effort to walk into the guild with all the nonchalance he could muster. His flames were flickering beneath his skin, and it was making him incredibly restless. Yet, the guild was used to him being a big, flaming, ball of energy, so hopefully he could play it off. Hopefully.

"NATSU!", The piercing shout was the only warning he had before Lucy flung herself full force at his chest, clinging tightly to his neck.

"Luce?" , Natsu cautiously wrapped an arm around her waist, and put another gently on her head. He inhaled deeply through his nose, taking in the scent of cherry blossoms and the air just before rain. His chin gently brushing her temple as he leaned down.

There was an almost indecipherable mumble against his neck,

"I missed you." Her arms tightened.

Natsu couldn't help the slightly wounded noise that tore out of his throat. He dropped his hand from the top of her head to the centre of her back, in order to pull her closer to him and bury his nose into her neck.

"I missed you too." His voice was rough, almost a growl, and conveyed a little more emotion than he was comfortable showing in the middle of the guild. Lucy let out a slightly wet giggle.

"It's okay, you're back now."

Natsu was reminded that he fully intended on leaving again as soon as possible. He was such a bastard.

Natsu loosened his arms and took a step back, but not before dropping a gentle kiss on top of Lucy's head, almost in apology.

Lucy's eye's had narrowed slightly, concern crinkling at the corners. Natsu didn't want to look her in the eye, if anyone could tell that something was wrong with him, it was Lucy.

She had opened her mouth as if to say something, just as Gray walked up and took a swing at his face.

Natsu dodged automatically, as Lucy turned to glare at Gray instead. The relief was crushing, Natsu felt like he could happily kiss Gray in that moment. Still, he had a part to play.

"Oi! What was that for!"

"What d'you think it was for?! I'm going to kick your ass!" While, this was a normal exchange for them both, Natsu could hear the slight accusation behind the words. Even Gray thought he had been gone too long. He really was a bastard.

The guilt that Natsu was feeling was successfully squashed as a slightly feral grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. He wouldn't mind pounding the ice princess into the pavement, it might even help get rid of some of his restless energy. Natsu tensed his muscles in preparation for flinging himself at Gray, as his inner dragon roared to the surface.

Only for it to settle down almost immediately due to the fact that Lucy had stepped backwards, putting her back to Natsu's chest and planting herself directly between him and Gray.

"No.", Lucy's tone was utterly calm, which instantly had him worried. He could feel his entire body readjusting from the fight stance to curl over her protectively. So, he couldn't quite keep the surprise off his face when she swiftly turned, linked her hand with his and stalked off, leaving him to stumble stupidly along behind her.

Lucy then, without permeable, yanked him forward, showed him into a booth, and smoothly slide in beside him, effectively trapping him against the wall and her body.

He was truly concerned now.

She didn't smell injured or sick. Nor did she have any obvious bruising. Had one of her boyfriends broken up with her again? He didn't know, he didn't even know if she had a boyfriend, he hadn't been around enough.

Ah, the guilt was back.

Natsu would have to kill him regardless, whoever he was, and Gray, for letting some prick upset her. His Dragon roared in feral agreement.

Just as Natsu was deciding if he should turn them to ash, or roast them slowly; Gray interrupted, again.

Natsu decided that Gray would be roasted slowly, like a kebab or a s'more.

"Lucy! If you think flame brain can't handle it because he's been gone so long," the accusation was slightly less subtle this time, "then he should learn his lesson right now!" Gray emphasized his point by slamming his fist on the table, leaving a smattering of frost on the wooden surface.

"He just got back! I haven't talked to him yet! You can have your turn later!" At this Lucy had shifted so as to push even closer to him than she already was, she was practically sitting in his lap now.

"Besides, he's already injured!"

"He is?"

He was?

"Yes! There's a giant bruise all over your neck! I bet it continues down your back too!"

Well that explained it, he couldn't see his own neck. For Natsu, this was the end of the problem. Except that, of course, Lucy was still looking at him.

"Well?" Natsu knew that his confusion was showing all over his face. On top of that, the higher his emotions ran, the more restless his flames made him. His leg was bouncing a steady rhythm under the table.

"Er, well wha-?"

"How did you get injured, you dunce!"

"I dunno." This was, apparently, the wrong answer. Lucy's cheeks started to flush with rage and she opened her mouth for a retort, but Natsu quickly backtracked.

"I mean, I.. Er.. I fell! Yeah, I fell." She looked even less impressed then before.

Mavis, he'd missed her. Some of his thoughts must have shown of his face, because she abruptly shut her mouth and ducked her head. Thus causing Natsu to also bend down in a attempt to see her expression.

"SEE Lucy, he doesn't even remember how he got it, so he's fine to fight. Right Flamebrain?"

"What's this about fighting?" Erza said as she stepped forwards in her full battle armour, "Welcome home, Natsu." She added, almost as an afterthought, before turning back to Gray.

But Natsu had already lost focus. Lucy still wasn't looking at him, and she was clutching his hand kinda hard. His flames were starting to prickle against his skin. He still needed to find and talk to Gajeel. And the Guild was so loud. He had spent so much time by himself in the forest recently, that he had forgotten how much it hurt sometimes to be in a city full of people, where it was never quiet and he couldn't smell the trees or the river. The air was full of car exhaust and it was making his nose burn. Natsu's eyesight was starting to sharpen, and His Dragon wanted out. Where the hell was Happy? His Dragon was clawing its way to the surface. Someone was honking their horn three streets down. A child was crying somewhere near the church. Jet was serenading Levy. There was a scratch on the pole across the room shaped like a Donkey. Cana smelt of whiskey, and beer. There was the slapping of a deck of cards in the corner, and the flash of reflection of a watch against the wall. The crunching of the gravel outside, and the pounding of feet inside. Mirajane was painting her nails, and it smelt revolting. Why was everything so loud? He wanted out, it was too much. He needed to go-

"Natsu?" Lucy's voice and gentle hand on his arm, broke him out of his mini meltdown.

"Hmm, what?" Focus, Natsu, Focus. Lucy, Gray and Erza were all staring at him now, and Lucy's face wasn't the only one showing concern. Shit.