Chapter Three
Burning up
Lucy scowled at the men surrounding them.
"You won't get away with this!" she yelled.
Despite being tied up, she tried to reach for her keys.
"Gate of the B-"
"I'll take that, sweetheart." said one of the men, snatching her keys away.
"So, you're a Celestial Spirit Mage, eh?" said the leader in a wispy voice, stepping forward.
He was adorned as though he thought he were king, his red hair practically glued the top of his head.
"What would your name be then?" he asked, leaning in.
Lucy tried to kick him, but he caught hold of her leg.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you.." he said, twisting it.
Lucy screamed in pain as her leg became twisted once more.
"Let go of her." a voice said sternly.
Lucy gazed over at Natsu, who had finally regained consciousness.
"I said let go." he repeated.
He merely looked at Natsu and laughed, squeezing tighter.
Lucy winced.
"And why should I?" he said.
"Because.." said Natsu, a dark look in his eye.
"If you don't, I'll burn you to a crisp.."
"I'd like to see you try." the leader laughed.
"Gladly," said Natsu, flames building up in his hands.
But as soon as it touched the chains he was strapped in, it was extinguished.
"Shit."
The man laughed as Natsu glared at him.
"I see you've figured out my little trick. See, no magic you use can penetrate the binding spell cast on those chains. Not even fire."
He grinned down at him.
"I'm not so stupid as to just tie you in ropes."
"Oh yeah?" said Natsu. "Well do you know what I think?"
"Mmm? What-"
Natsu's foot smashed hard in his face, making his nose bleed.
He staggered backwards, glaring at Natsu.
"You look pretty stupid to me."
"I'd be careful if I were you.. Another move like that and I might just hurt your little friend.." he said icily, letting Lucy's leg go.
"Over my dead body!" snarled Natsu, yanking against the chains.
"What do you want with us anyway?"
He laughed coldly, wiping the blood from his nose.
"We don't want you.. We just want her.."
Natsu glared at him.
"You lay even one finger on her, and I'll rip you apart." he said acidly.
Lucy stared at Natsu, tears in her eyes.
"Natsu.." she whispered.
"Don't worry Lucy, I won't let him hurt you."
"Ah, yes that reminds me..." said the man, pulling something square from under his cloak.
"My men found this on the ground." he said, tossing Lucy's book to the ground in front of them.
It flipped open to the pictures of Gray.
Lucy stared at it plainly as Natsu scowled.
"We thought you might want it back." he said.
With a smirk, he turned to leave.
Natsu practically burst with anger.
"GOD DAMN YOU! YOU WAIT TILL I GET OUT OF HERE! I'M GONNA BLOW THIS PLACE AWAY ALONG WITH ALL YOUR MEN!"
The man laughed half-heartedly as he entered one of the largest tents in the camp.
"Your friend has a bit of a fiery side." he said to Lucy just as he went in.
"YOU WAN'T FIERY?!?!?! I'LL SHOW YOU FIERY!!!!!!!!" yelled Natsu, trying to break free of the chains.
Lucy gawked at him.
"Natsu! Stop!"
She managed to bring her hands to his face, which startled him, but he calmed down.
The other men laughed as they all dissappeared in their tents.
Natsu glanced back down at the book and frowned.
Lucy followed his gaze and froze.
"Gray's pictures.." she muttered, letting her hands drop.
"I only drew three, but.." she gazed up at Natsu, who was still slightly fuming.
"You saw them.. didn't you?" she asked.
He stared at her, beginning to piece things together.
"Only three." he said.
'So who were the other pictures of?..' he wondered.
Immediately, she reddened.
"You didn't see anything else, did you?!?" she asked.
Natsu shook his head slowly, surprised at her reaction.
Lucy sighed in relief, leaning back against the pole they were chained to.
That was when Natsu saw something glitter in her hair.
A bobby pin.
He completely dropped his thought process about the book, now absorbed in this metallic thing.
"Hey Luce." he whispered.
"I think I know how were going to get out of here, but first I need something."
"What?" asked Lucy quietly, turning to him.
Suddenly his hands were right next to her face.
"W-what are you doing?!" she said, blushing.
Carefully, he plucked the bobby pin from her hair, and her bangs fell into her face.
"Sorry," he said with a small laugh.
He brushed her bangs back, behind her ear, and stopped, staring into her eyes.
"Lucy.." he started.
For some reason, he couldn't seem to bring himself to say anything else.
Just sat there, feeling lost inside her warm, brown eyes.
He pulled away, blushing.
"N-never mind.." he said, clutching the bobby pin.
Lucy stared at him as he shoved the bobby pin into the padlock.
Not even a second later it was unlocked, and they were free to move again.
Natsu turned to Lucy who rubbed around her wrists where the chains had been.
"When they're asleep, we'll get our stuff and get out of here."
He smiled at her.
"We're going home Lucy."
He closed his eyes, leaning back against the pole.
After a few moments silence, Lucy leaned over to him.
She kissed him gently on the cheek.
"Thank you, Natsu." she murmured softly.
She pulled away carefully, reaching for her book.
In doing so, she completely missed the huge smile plastered on Natsu's face.
* . *
. * .
At around midnight, when all of the men in the camp had finally gone to sleep, Natsu and Lucy quietly slipped out of the chains.
They gathered all of their belongings that had been hidden behind a nearby tree, and carefully snuck out.
Natsu had set the tents to flames, and was listening to the men as they scrambled to put out the fires.
"Serves them for trying to hurt you like that," he said, scowling back in their direction.
He glanced up ahead through the trees silently.
"They brought us even closer to the guild though. We should be back by early tomorrow." he said.
Lucy stumbled a bit, dreary from not having rested.
"Hey," he said softly, turning to her.
"You okay? You look tired."
"I am." she said without thinking.
"Maybe we should stop so you can rest."
"No, I'll keep going." she said, yawning.
Natsu sighed, shaking his head, and picked her up, carrying her in his arms.
She didn't object, and merely snuggled into him, letting her eyes slide shut.
"Goodnight Lucy." said Natsu, smiling down at her.
He watched her as she slept.
As he watched her that strange voice from earlier came back again.
'I bet you wish you could kiss her..'
Natsu almost stopped in his tracks at the thought.
'Kiss Lucy?'
'Well, why not?'
Natsu glanced down at Lucy.
'But she's--'
'--Just a friend? Oh, yeah, haven't heard that one before. You're too chicken to kiss her.'
'Am not.'
'Prove it.'
Natsu hesitated, feeling his breath catch in his throat.
Slowly he leaned forward, his heart racing.
His face was about an inch from hers, when she turned into him, mumbling something.
"Nat-su.." she said.
Natsu blinked, staring at her.
She giggled quietly in her sleep.
Natsu's eyes widened.
It all made sense now...
* Flashback *
Lucy snatched the book from his hands.
"How much did you see??" she said, reddening.
. . .
"Drawing the fire?" he asked.
Lucy looked up from her drawing, blushing faintly.
"No.." she said.
"Ah.." he said, staring at the fire.
'She must be drawing Gray or something..'
"So. You like drawing?" he asked.
Lucy nodded, remaining silent.
"Sorry." he said.
Lucy looked up.
"For what?" she asked.
"For looking in your book without permission."
"It's fine. I'm just glad you didn't get too far.." she said, blushing at the thought.
Natsu glanced at her funny.
"What, were you drawing people naked?" he teased lightly.
Lucy smacked the book on top of his head.
"No!... It's just... someone.. I like.." she said slowly, averting her gaze.
. . .
"Here." said Natsu.
Suddenly something white, and soft draped around her neck.
She looked down.
It was Natsu's dragon scale scarf.
She blushed as he wrapped it around her carefully.
"Th-thanks." she stuttered.
"Sure." said Natsu, smiling down at her.
Lucy gazed up at him, feeling lost within his gold-flecked eyes.
SMACK.
Suddenly, she was on the ground, face down.
"Lucy, are you okay?" asked Natsu, staring at her.
"Yeah I think so. I must've tripped." she said trying to get up.
Natsu helped her to fer feet carefully.
She cried out in pain, as she collapsed into Natsu's arms.
"My ankle.. I think I sprained it.." she said.
"Maybe we should stop for a while.." Natsu offered.
"No, then it'll take longer to get back. I don't want to be a hold up. I'll just have to.."
She tried to stand up again, but Natsu held her there firmly.
"You think I'm going to let you walk when your leg is hurt?" he said.
"Maybe I could hop.." she wondered out loud, although the idea itself sounded ridiculous.
Natsu rolled his eyes and picked her up.
"Hey, what're you-"
"If you want to keep going, then I'm going to have to carry you," he said, slinging her across his back.
"Are you sure?" she asked, reddening as his strong arms hooked under her knees.
"Of course I'm sure Lucy, you're hurt. I'm not going to make you walk.."
Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him.
"Thanks Natsu, you're the best!" she said, resting her head on his shoulder.
. . .
'Poor Natsu.. So sweet to the girl who has feelings for someone else..' it cooed.
'Stupid book..' thought Natsu.
'Too bad you didn't see more of her drawings, you really would've enjoyed her latest one's' it teased.
'What, was she drawing Gray in his underwear?' he ground his teeth at the thought.
'No, she likes to draw things a little more.. fiery..' it said.
'Fiery-?'
. . .
The man laughed half-heartedly as he entered one of the largest tents in the camp.
"Your friend has a bit of a fiery side." he said to Lucy just as he went in.
. . .
"I only drew three, but.." she gazed up at Natsu, who was still slightly fuming.
"You saw them.. didn't you?" she asked.
He stared at her, beginning to piece things together.
"Only three." he said.
'So who were the other pictures of?..' he wondered.
Immediately, she reddened.
"You didn't see anything else, did you?!?" she asked.
Natsu shook his head slowly, surprised at her reaction.
Lucy sighed in relief, leaning back against the pole they were chained to.
. . .
Lucy's book had fallen to the ground.
'Man this book must be possessed or something,' he thought as he carefully bent down to grab it.
He stopped short five inches from the book, staring wide eyed at what he saw..
Pink hair.. Gold flecked eyes.. White dragon scale scarf..
A picture of Natsu..
(A/N): ACK! CLIFF HANGER! ACK! FILLERS! __
I hate it when they have those cliff hanger episodes on Fairy Tail.
Y'know, those one's that literally have you the edge of your seat, holding your breath until you turn several shades of purple..
I personally prefer ripping my hair up from it's roots, and screaming whilst simultaneously jumping up and down like a little four-year-old.
Yeah..
I don't like cliff hangers!
Sorry!
Next chappy! Coming soon!
Anni Mae15
P.S. I decided to keep the nick. :)