See? I love you all so much that I just had to post another chapter for you! I have to say that I am amazed at the support this story has gotten. Had no idea that so many people liked LyLu. :D Now, on to the story...

Oh but first, super stoked to say that someone translated one of my stories into French! YAY! You can find it here:

Rêve devenu réalité on this awesome reader's page: AudeTK


Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.


FROM THE HEART

Chapter 3

Lyon clawed out of the darkness in stages, following the sound of the voice who had called out to him, but by the time he managed to get his eyes open, there was no one there. He scanned the room, trying desperately to find the woman with the angel voice, but he found himself alone and tucked neatly into a bed that wasn't his own.

He lifted a sluggish hand to his head and brushed his hair from his eyes, and fought to remember what had happened. The last thing he could recall was going on a mission with Chelia, but everything after was a blur. No matter how hard he tried to bring it into focus, the memory remained stubbornly hazy.

That sweet voice he'd heard was the same way. It sounded vaguely familiar to him, but try as he might, he couldn't bring the identity of the woman to mind. It was beyond frustrating to him because he wanted to hear it again. He wanted to know what she'd said, but that too was lost.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he moved to sit up, then groaned as a pounding headache hit him and knocked him back onto the bed. Damn, what he wouldn't give to have Chelia here to heal him. Normally, he would just fight through it, but he was seriously feeling like shit. And he still didn't know why.

It was obvious something had happened to him, something bad enough to put him out of commission for who knew how long, but what that something could be, he just didn't know. The information was most certainly locked inside his mind, but it was trapped, tied up with all the other things he couldn't remember.

He groaned in frustration as he tried once again to climb from the bed and found that he couldn't. His head swam, colors dotting his vision until he relented and settled back. He had never felt so weak in his life, and it was beginning to piss him off. He hated lazing about like this, even because of an injury, but most of all, he hated that he couldn't recall everything that had happened.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Chelia shuffled inside, her arms laden with a neat stack of linens. Her face was drawn and sad, and she didn't even once look in his direction. Was that an indication of how long he was out?

"Chelia..."

His voice was a croak at best, sounding not at all like himself, but it did the trick and ended up startling her so badly that she dropped the load in her arms. She turned with a squeak, and when her gaze landed on him, her eyes instantly widened and she gasped.

"Lyon!" she cried, then ran towards him.

She flung herself at him, collapsing atop his body, and Lyon wrapped his arms around her trembling frame. He was stunned at her reaction, struck by the force of her sobs as she heaved against him. He didn't know what to do, couldn't have expected such a violent response, and it let him know how dire the situation must have been.

"Oh my God...we were so worried!" she sobbed, clinging to him tightly. "We thought the only way to wake you up was true love's kiss! So we got Juvia to kiss you but nothing happened, and we didn't know what to do!"

Though her explanation confounded him, he had more pressing matters to attend to, like the pain in his head. Giving a sigh, he eased the girl back. He could see that she was struggling to regain her composure, but she had jostled the hell out of his head and it was back to pounding. Wincing at the pain, he asked, "How long was I out?"

Chelia blinked at him in surprise, then frowned at his pained expression. "You're hurting?"

He said nothing, giving only a short nod of his head, and immediately regretted it. It sent a streak of agony from one temple to the other, but before he could even groan, Chelia was there, placing her hands just beside his head and activating her magic. It swept over his strained body, soothing his addled brain like a cool drink of water, washing away the pain and cloudiness of before.

After one last pass, Chelia stepped back. "How's that?"

Lyon lifted his head experimentally, turning it side to side, then looking down before he answered, "Much better, thank you."

And the pain wasn't all that was gone. Somehow her magic had restored him, wiped out the haze that had settled over his memories, and slowly thing began to come back to him. The mission, the strange sorcerer with the weird magic, the spell he'd been hit with.

A love spell of all things. He couldn't believe it. And what kind of man wielded that sort of power? He couldn't help feeling embarrassed by it. Jeez...he could just hear it now...the teasing, the taunts. And leading the charge would most certainly be Gray, calling him Sleeping Handsome or some other such bullshit.

He groaned, suddenly not so ready to climb out of the bed until he remembered the voice that had called him from the darkness. That sweet tone, the one that had sounded so familiar to him was no longer drawing a blank. He could feel it...the knowledge was returning and when it did, he would have her identity.

His heart quickened with anticipation, but he forced his mind to remain calm, not to struggle for the information. And within seconds, his patience paid off, rewarding him with a clear picture of the woman who had led him back. Lucy...Lucy Heartfilia.

She was Gray's team member of all people. What a shock that was, but more than that was what she'd said to him while he'd been under. She loved him. Where the hell had that come from? And how had he not seen it before?

Vaguely, he heard Chelia say something about getting Jura, and he waved her off, his mind wrapped up in the paradox that was Lucy Heartfilia. She had saved him. He knew it as sure as he knew his name, and with a kiss no less. A sweet kiss that left him wanting so much more...and that shocked the hell out of him.

Not that the idea of wanting a woman like Lucy was shocking. She was obviously great looking, and from everything he'd seen of her, she was equally intelligent and funny. It would take a man much less observant than him to not realize that she was a catch. But the fact was he'd never really given much thought to her. With Juvia around, he hadn't had much space in his mind to think of anyone else. And now he couldn't seem to do much else. She was stuck in his mind like some tempting treat he'd never known he wanted.

He shook his head in disbelief. Why was he thinking of her this way? What about Juvia?

Before he could spend anymore time on his confusion, the door swung open and Chelia burst inside with a bright smile on her face. "See? I told you he was awake!"

Jura slipped in just after her, amazement coating his features. "I see, but...how?"

"That's what I'd like to know," another voice called, and Lyon's eyes widened as Gray stepped through the doorway. "How you doin' man?"

"Better now that I'm awake." Lyon tossed a grin Gray's way, but then his attention was called away by the silent addition of the blonde woman who'd so occupied his mind for the last several minutes. She entered the room quietly, and as their eyes met, she drew in an unsteady breath and looked away.

He found himself hoping she'd glance in his direction again, if for no other reason than to see those deep brown eyes again, but she didn't. She very decisively kept her vision turned in the opposite direction or at the floor...anywhere but him. And it bothered him to no end.

Then Gray spoke again, drawing his eyes away from the beautiful woman. "So, how are you awake?"

Lyon watched from his periphery as Lucy flinched, her posture becoming rigid, and the pieces began falling into place. It was like a light bulb had gone off in his mind as he realized Gray didn't know anything about it. Had she told anyone?

Suddenly, he felt like a jackass. Here, he'd been only focusing on himself, how he felt about Lucy's revelation. He hadn't even considered how she was doing with the whole thing. It was obvious now that she'd sneaked into his room without anyone knowing, and the only reason she'd do that is if she'd wanted to keep her interest a secret. And if that was the case, then telling them all that she'd woken him up would only reveal something she wasn't ready to admit just yet. So as much as he'd like to give her the credit for helping him, he would feign ignorance. He didn't want to be responsible for bringing her even a moment of embarrassment.

Giving his shoulders a little shrug, he laughed. "How the hell would I know? I just woke up."

Once more, he waited for her response, hoping for some sign that he was on the right track, and she didn't disappoint. Her shoulders shook as she took a shuddering breath, and then her eyes darted up and away just as quickly. Damn it. Why wouldn't she look at him? He understood her wanting to keep her behavior from seeing too conspicuous, but she just kissed him. She just proclaimed her love for him, so why the hell was she going so far as to avoid him?

He hadn't exposed her. He'd protected her secret. Surely, she had seen the understanding in his gaze. She had to know that he had heard her confession. Didn't that show her that it meant something to him? Why was she so determined to pretend, even with him?

Again, Gray tugged him from his musing. "You have a point," he said with his own laugh. "I guess all that matters is that you're awake."

"Yes it is. We're all really glad to see you up again," Jura agreed, moving forward to pat him on the shoulder. "I'm going to go let everyone know how you're doing. Do you need anything while I'm gone?"

Lyon waved him off. "Not right now. If I've been out for as long as I suspect I have, then I'm sure I'll be hungry later. But for now, I'm fine."

"Okay then," the Wizard Saint replied with a small smile. He paused, looking down with more emotion than Lyon had ever seen before, then nodded. "It's good to have you back, Lyon."

Lyon watched the strong man walk out of the room with Chelia skipping along behind him and felt his throat constrict. He'd certainly never expected Jura to react like that, and he found himself touched by such an uncharacteristic display. Lyon had always admired him, had always respected him as both man and mage, and to see a flash of the same emotions in Jura's eyes meant the world to him.

A small sniff brought him back, and he found Lucy had once again turned her face to the side. She'd moved further away sometime during his conversation with Jura, and Lyon was annoyed to discover that Gray was right there beside her, his hand making slow circles on her back. Why was he touching her like that? Did Gray have feelings for her?

Frustration welled up inside, followed quickly by surprise. Why was it bothering him so much? He'd only just found out Lucy was interested in him, and already he was feeling possessive of her. And that made him sound crazy as hell. He had no claim on her.

But his mind argued the point, reminding him that she loved him. And for some reason, that thought sent a wave of calm through his body. It settled something inside him to realize that Gray couldn't take her away, and holy shit...what was he thinking? Take her away? She wasn't even his.

But she could be. She could be his for the taking. All he had to do is say something. She said she loved him, so it was practically guaranteed to work in his favor. But what about Juvia? He felt a slight pang of guilt at the thoughts he was having toward the Celestial mage when he'd done nothing but profess his love for the water woman. Wasn't that unfair to her and Lucy?

He shook his head, trying to free himself from the ever swirling mass of confusion, and almost as if it was timed, Gray and Lucy turned back to him. For the first time since their arrival, the blonde woman looked directly at him, her eyes holding his, and she smiled. It was slight and nowhere near its normal brilliance, but it was there and it was directed at him.

It sent a warmth burgeoning in his chest, and he wondered if maybe there was something there. Maybe he shouldn't discard the prospect of a relationship with her. Juvia had thus far shown no interest in him, and here was Lucy - pretty and sweet and in love with him already. And didn't this flash of emotion inside him deserve some investigating?

But the words that accompanied that smile dashed his hopes of finding a moment alone with her. "I'm heading back home now, but I'm really glad you're okay, Lyon."

She was leaving. He couldn't believe it. But then again, he couldn't really expect her to stay, not with the situation like it was. Despite knowing that, he didn't want her to go. Somehow in the space of a handful of minutes, she had managed to ignite his interest, forcing him to question his feelings for Juvia.

"Lucy, I..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say. There was so much he wanted to tell her, to ask her, but without knowing where he stood with Juvia, how could he even try? With a deep sigh, he forced a smile back at the woman. "Thank you."

She nodded, her smile slightly reminiscent of a wince, and then she placed her hand on Gray's arm. "I'll wait outside for you."

Lyon's jaw tightened at their easy interaction, and with a growl of displeasure bubbling up his throat, he turned aside. His hand clawed at the blanket draped across his lap, trying to stifle the swell of jealousy that threatened to overwhelm him. This was too much...too soon. It had to be.

And it made no sense. They were team mates. It was perfectly reasonable for the two of them to be so close. He was close to his own team in the exact same way, but knowing that did nothing to soothe the fire inside him. He was crawling with envy, and he didn't even understand why.

"I won't be long," Gray promised, sending Lucy on her way and walking towards the bed.

Lyon turned away from Gray's approach and caught his final glimpse of the woman who'd so effectively tied him up in knots. She spared a last look in his direction as she stepped through the door, and then she was gone.

Her absence left them in silence for a time, neither one of them all that certain what to say, and then Gray sighed. "Look, I know we've had our differences over the years. And we've fought over damn near everything, but..." He paused, running a hand through his messy black hair. "Well, I just want you to know that I...I think of you like my brother. And nothing will ever change that. Okay?"

Lyon was stunned to say the least. Though they'd never really talked about it, he'd also considered Gray the brother he'd never had. It was just that most times they were too busy arguing over stupid shit to acknowledge any of it. Still, it was there just the same. He'd wanted to protect Gray as a big brother should, and that was why he'd been so angry at him after the incident with Deliora.

How could he not have been? Gray had gone off to face a demon he should have known could kill him with a single blow. He'd put himself in danger, one that Lyon couldn't save him from, but what had hurt the most was that Gray hadn't even asked for his help.

Looking back, he knew it would have been a mistake either way. They'd have both been in danger if he'd gone too, but it didn't change the fact that he'd wanted to be there for Gray. And Gray had simply shut him down. In the end, they'd lost Ur, and much to his regret, he'd also lost his brother.

Things since they'd found each other again had been better, but it was still a pale comparison to what he'd hoped for. And now, it was as if his prayers had been answered. It felt like he was finally getting back a piece of what he'd lost that night so long ago.

"Happy to hear it...Little Brother," Lyon said, his lips quirking up in a happy smile as he stuck out his hand.

But Gray didn't just shake his hand. Instead, he clasped Lyon's hand and drew him into a one-armed hug. "I'm glad you're okay."

Lyon's eyes widened at the softly spoken words and the other man's embrace. It had been so long since they'd done this, but as he threw his own arm across Gray's back, he realized it still felt familiar. It was like they were back in those pint-sized bodies and holding on to the only other person in the world who knew what it was like to be alone. A wave of nostalgia passed through Lyon, and he found himself swallowing hard. He'd missed his brother, and he hadn't even understood how much until now.

All too soon, the connection ended, and Gray stood back up with a slight cough. "Well, I guess I better head out. Don't wanna keep Lucy waiting."

"Yeah," Lyon muttered, shoving aside that little sting he was becoming far too accustomed with.

"Hey, come see me when you're back on your feet."

The silver-haired mage nodded and smiled. "You can count on it."

Offering a short wave, Gray headed out leaving Lyon on his own, his mind once again whirling with thoughts. So much had changed in the last hour, and he didn't have a clue where to start sorting it all out. One thing however was clear...sometime soon, he would be going back to Fairy Tail.