Title: Friction

Pairing: NaLu

Summary: A simple job meant to take her mind off things, becomes more than Lucy bargained for as she tries to make sense of her feelings for her salmon haired partner.

Rating: M; Mature themes ahead - Ages 18+!

None of these characters are owned by me, they are all owned by the wonderful Hiro Mashima!

Author's Notes:

The turnout for comments for this chapter was awesome! As promised I'll be answering your question at the end of this chapter. So, this notes update is gonna have some information regarding how I update for the next couple of weeks. So, right now I'm in between assignments for my job, and I have some free time to get chapters done. What that means is that when I have the chapter done I'll go ahead and just post it, rather than waiting till Sunday. This means you could get an early chapter during the week if the creative juices flow the way I want. So, with that said, we have two more chapters left for this fanfiction, and then I will be starting my long term fiction which will be a mythical creatures with a possible college aspect AU. The college part is still up for debate cause I'm still working out some kinks in the plot. Happy reading!

Chapter 4:

Lucy's body was stiff, and she felt her limbs were too difficult to move properly, which should have been a new feeling for her, but all it did was remind her of when she first woke up after being rescued from Succubus Eye.

Limbs heavy, and nothing but darkness all around her, she gasped for air. She couldn't move, and it was as though her body was being held down by an invisible entity. "I'll never.." her throat burned in protest.

She opened her eyes, "I'll never tell you!" she sat up quickly, her skin covered in slick sweat, and a shiver running up her spine. She was immediately startled by her surroundings. First, her bright pink comforter was strewn across her bed, and the flash of white from her peripherals were her curtains blowing in the wind that swept through her apartment through the open window by her bed. Open window? The blonde would never have just left her window open like that. The mage took a look all around her to take in her surroundings, and make sure that she was in fact where she thought she was. There was a sitting table just a few feet from her bed, and the bookshelf on the far wall was right where she'd left it when she went on her mission. Slender fingers touched her forehead, and she realized that the darkness she'd experienced for weeks was finally gone, and she could actually see again.

That made sense of course. Porlyusica would never have lied to her, and the pink haired woman had her own image to uphold. She let out a small sigh of relief, things were slowly going back to normal. She might even be able to go on a mission with Natsu soon. They were a team after all. She shifted slightly, attempting to throw her legs over the side of her bed but she was met with resistance. A snoring mass laid beside her, and it was a wonder she hadn't noticed him before. She was equally surprised that her outburst hadn't woken the sleeping pinkette. Well, he'd have to wake up now.

"Natsu?" his snoring paused briefly, but then continued right back on. Of course that wouldn't be enough. This was Natsu after all.

"That's.. my fish… Natsu." A sleepy voice mumbled from her left near the window. The blue exceed was laying flat on his back, snoring just as loudly as their mutual partner. Honestly, it was a wonder she had slept at all between the noise these two were making. Fine, she thought. Pulling her legs from her blanket she attempted crawling over Natsu to make it off of her bed, she wanted another shower, and breakfast, so that she could feel like herself again before going back to the guild. She didn't want another repeat of yesterday. Below her, Natsu stirred. Boy, the world was sinister today.

"Lucy?" the fire mage blinked sleep from his eyes, but it wasn't until he found his movements constricted that he realized something was amiss. Finally, he focused on the blonde above him. Her long blonde locks flowed over his bare chest, and he had to fight to keep himself from tangling his fingers in those soft strands. So, instead he stared at her, unable to look away, and unable to move his body from underneath her.

"Luuuucy looooooves Natsu." The voice came from her side, and she turned her head to stare at the blue cat.

"What!? I. What are you talking about, Happy!?" she maneuvered swiftly, and jumped from her position on top of Natsu to the hard wood floor. "Stop with the jokes. Stupid cat!" she bolted from the living room to her bathroom as quickly as she could, hoping to hide the scarlet tint that her cheeks had taken.

"She didn't say no…" Happy snickered into his paws, but secretly he was glad to see her back to normal already. He had missed his friend.

"Lucy's being a pervert, and it's barely noon." The pinkette said loudly, hoping that she would hear him from the bathroom.

"I'm not a pervert! You're the one who always sneaks into MY room." The response was her typical, he noted internally. A smirk littered his sharp features.

"Lucy's a weirdo!" he shouted. An aggravated grunt came from the bathroom, and he chuckled softly to himself. She was feeling better, and they were already back to bantering. That was a good sign, and they needed to be able to take a mission soon. He'd used a portion of his savings to pay her rent for one month while she was missing, but he didn't have another full month's rent left to cover for a second month. Also, food money had been a bit tight as well.

"When you're done, let's get a mission from the guild." He screamed to her, sitting at the side of her bed.

"Definitely! I'm sure Landlady is going to want rent soon!" she called from the bathroom. The blonde stared at her own reflection, hoping that her voice hadn't shook, and that she would be able to hold it together during a job. She stared at her porcelain skin, cataloguing every single injury left. Most were small little cuts that would be gone within a few more days, but her eyes were stuck on the scar that travelled diagonally from her left hip to her right shoulder. It was jagged, and pink, and someday the color of the scar may fade to match her skin tone, but she knew this one would stick. That man left a permanent reminder of the things that happened in that dungeon.

She couldn't look at that reflective surface any longer, and she whirled around to stare into the bowl of her sink. Fingers gripped the edge until her knuckles turned white, and it took her a few breaths to finally control her breathing to keep another attack buried. She was fine. Shower, she thought. Normal, mundane activities would keep her grounded. She just had to keep doing what she did before she left. The hot water from her shower came to life, and it wasn't long before it hit her skin, and the muscles in her shoulders relaxed.

With the shower out of the way, and her skin dry, she clothed herself in the bathroom. Rather then waltz out in a towel where the scar could be easily seen she opted to put her clothes on in the bathroom. It's not like she wouldn't tell him about the scar. It's not as though he'd never find out it existed, but she wanted to delay the inevitable. She tightened the blue ribbon that was securing her hair in a loose bun. Perfect. She'd chosen a collared, sleeveless blue top with a white trim. A thin yellow ribbon was tied at her neck that matched the belt her keys were attached to, and the thigh high boots she had chosen were plain black like most of her boots. Her blue top was backless and tucked into a white skirt. She would need to go shopping for clothing with a bit more coverage later, but for now she needed to worry about rent. Her hand touched the pouch on her hip, and she frowned. She also needed to find Loke's key. She hadn't seen the feline since they lost against Succubus Eye's army.

She exited her bathroom half expecting the duo to have left for the guild already. Instead, Natsu sat with his arms crossed at his chest, legs straight out in front of him, with a small snore sounding from his lips.

"Lucy!" the pinkette was startled awake by the exceed's outburst, and he immediately looked to her. Milk chocolate met wide open mint, and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks again. Happy floated over to her, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept great. And!" she puffed out her chest slightly, "I can see again!" she gave a large grin before embracing the blue cat, "Ahhhh. I missed you guys."

The exceed's tail swished in response, "Lucy's being weird again."

"Lucy's a pervert, and a weirdo!" her partners said in near unison while Lucy groaned in aggravation. Still, the joking tone they were using was the same as before. She felt instantly calmer just from that. Then, she even found herself laughing with them. Everyone was experiencing some growing pains with her being back. They had to figure out if their usual was still the same now, or if small changes were going to need to be made. They also needed to discuss last night. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, but she ignored that for now, she had other things to brace herself for. Like the guild.

"Let's go, Lucy." Natsu threw open the door, waited for her to exit before shutting it behind him. The dragon slayer was still hesitant on his partner being alone, or taking missions that would split them up in any way. He also wasn't sure if he cared for her walking to the guild by herself either. Obviously, he would need to reel in the obviously problematic feelings he was experiencing, but at the same time Succubus Eye could still have stragglers out there, and they could still be aiming for Lumen Histoire. They might even have some bitter feelings for Lucy about their guild being obliterated. Even if Jellal swore to the moon and back that it was over he couldn't believe it. Until he saw it with his own eyes Lucy wasn't safe, and he had to protect her with everything he had. Not just that but something in the back of his mind was bothering him. He couldn't remember, but he had something he was supposed to talk to Lucy about. Natsu swore internally before shaking his head to clear the thought. He'd worry about it later.

The two bolted down the riverside pathway that lead them from her apartment to the guild, with Happy following above them in the skies. It wouldn't be long until they'd reach the guild, and by then she'd need to be able to keep it together long enough to at least grab a job flier. Although, knowing her partner he'd just grab one, and tell her to hurry up and follow. Which would be just fine with her. The less questions she had to answer the better. There was an awkward silence hovering between the three while they made their way to Fairy Tail, and she could only hope that would fade after time.

Fairy Tail loomed before them, and for Natsu it was certain to fee like home but to the blonde it was a catastrophe waiting to happen. So, she approached delicately, entering through those wide double doors with a hope that she wouldn't be bombarded. The first thing she noticed was that Erza was missing, and so was Gray. Erza must have had a lot to discuss with Jellal. Even though the relationship was complicated, and she sometimes wasn't even sure there was one that didn't mean that the two didn't miss each other. Erza hadn't seen Jellal in six months so it was no surprise that the two might want to spend some quality time together before he set back out on the road. Gray being missing was another story altogether, but with the missing water mage being factored in she could only imagine what those two were up to. Otherwise, the guild was normal.

Mira was serving up a pair of beers to Macao, and Wakaba, while Natsu started up a fight with Gajeel. She felt her breathing relax, and wondered if she had ever really left. It was the same as it had always been.

"Lu!" she knew that small voice anywhere, and she immediately whirled around with her arms wide open.

"Levy!" she screamed, and the two embraced in a long tight hug. Come to think of it Levy was at the very end of her second trimester when she had left, and she wondered briefly if she was in her third now.

"Oh thank Mavis, Lu. I was sooo worried about you. Are you okay? What about your injuries? Maybe you should take more time to rest." Levy wasn't a mother yet, but she was halfway there with the tone she had taken, and the nagging, but that didn't bother the celestial mage one bit. She loved Levy to death. The blue haired pixie couldn't scare her if she tried.

"I'm fine Levy. No lasting injuries here. I'd love to rest, but I've got to catch up on rent. I'm already a month behind." She whined loudly. Had Natsu chosen a job yet? She should check, since he and Gajeel had gone zero to one hundred real quick.

"Natsu didn't tell you? He paid your rent for last month, but I suppose this month is due any day now."

"YOU look due any day now. Should you be moving around so much?" he hadn't told her, but with other things to worry about that would have to be on the bottom of the list. She'd just pay him back when she had the jewels to do so.

"Oh, I'm fine Lu. I'm not due for another month. Porlyusica even said I should be moving around to help with the birthing later." Well, if Porlyusica said, then who was Lucy to disagree. It still made her incredibly on edge to see the small mage with a belly the size of a prize winning watermelon. She stifled the urge to usher her to a chair and force her to sit.

"As long as Porlyusica approved it. Still, be careful Levy."

"Of course, Lu. Thanks for worrying." The blunette glanced over at the two squabbling dragon slayers. Who knows what those two were getting into, but if Levy had to guess from the look on Natsu's face than Gajeel was probably teasing him about his blonde partner again. Levy sighed loudly, before waddling on over to the two.

"I'm telling you to just –" the pierced mage stopped mid-sentence as the two girls approached. He immediately moved to Levy's side, and seemed to be in a slight panic. "Were you okay with the stairs? I can carry you back down. You should sit down, and rest."

Natsu huffed, before holding up a poster for a monster exterminating job. Giant Ogre. Nice, she thought. It would do. It was a good starting missing to jump back into. It was nearly the same level as the first mission she ever went on with Natsu. "I thought this would be a good one." He had chosen this mission very carefully. It was high enough on the reward that Lucy was sure enough to accept, but low enough to suggest that it would be a relatively easy mission. It was a giant ogre, but with their skill level it would be a cinch for them to handle especially with their teamwork. Also, there was no way he couldn't keep her safe. He smirked at his own genius.

Meanwhile, Lucy found herself concerned regarding his facial expression. It wasn't long before the pinkette was snickering to himself about something that Lucy wasn't fully sure she knew. She could guess, but it was unlikely to work out in her favor if she was right or not. So, she did what any other calculating deviant would do: she let it go. For now anyway.

"How does this one look?" the fire mage was concerned by her lack of immediate response, and he considered briefly that maybe it was too soon for her to be back out in the field. Maybe, just maybe, they should stay in. Watch a movie on the lacrima at Lucy's house. He shied away from that idea almost immediately. They had responsibilities. He had to feed himself, and Happy, and Lucy had to take care of Rent. He really wished he'd saved up more so that she could just take it easy for a bit. Although, knowing Lucy she would have fought tooth and nail so that he couldn't pay for anything. That was who she was, but he still wasn't sure this was a good idea.

"It works. It reminds me of when we went to Mt. Hakobe to find old man Macao." She smirked, and the two briefly remembered their trip to the mountain.

"Yeah. You were whining the whole time about how cold it was. Man, you were annoying."

"Hey! Not all of us can be giant space heaters, Natsu. I'm not a yeti for Mavis' sake." The blonde argued. It was as though this man didn't understand what snow was. The dragon slayer threw his arm over her shoulders, and tugged her close before dragging her towards the door.

"Are ya sure?" he stared, his face strangely serious. The only thing that convinced her he was just joking around with her was his soft emerald eyes staring into her own caramel. A soft rose crept across her cheeks, and immediately she couldn't hold her own laughter in any longer. Her laughter rang out around the guild, and she was too busy to notice the entire guild calm down. Any tension in the air eased around them, and Fairy Tail began to feel like her true home again. Having everyone tiptoe around her was just too exhausting, and it felt much better this way.

"Oh no. You caught me. The truth is…" she paused strictly for dramatic effect, and placed the back of her hand on her forehead and the palm of her other over her heart. "I am…" another pause. "Your worst nightmare!" she screamed jumping at the pinkette in an attempt to knock him over.

"Luuuuuuuuce! Get off of me! You're…" he paused, raising an eyebrow at her. "Heavy." He sighed loudly, throwing himself to the ground with a cry that was most certainly unlike him.

"Cat pile!" screamed the blue exceed, dropping himself on top of the blonde and the dragon slayer. Laughter poured out from the original team Natsu which made it seem as though Lucy had never left. Lucy pushed her body up from Natsu's to hover above him briefly. To him, her grin was the sun and he couldn't be happier to see it again. He seemed out of character as a blush crawled across sharp cheek bones.

It was all he could do to try and calm his sparking nerves while staring into the eyes of his dearest friend, and most trusted comrade. He felt as though he was coming to the same revelation as last night, and his mind immediately screamed in terror. The dragon slayer was unaccustomed to the fear gripping his heart as he realized that the feelings he had about his partner had changed over the course of their friendship. He rested his rough, worn hands on her hips with the gentlest motion. He hovered there when a sudden heat flared in his gut. He pushed her from on top of him as he sat up, and with his signature large grin he stood.

"Let's go, Lucy! Our mission won't wait forever!" he held a hand out to her, and she took it without hesitation. She trusted this man with everything she had, and the fear that had tinged the back of her mind faded quickly. There was no reason for her to be afraid when she was with him. They had each other's back no matter what. The pair raced out the guild doors hand in hand to their next adventure.

Lucy's heart threatened to crash through her chest as they raced through the streets of Magnolia to the edge of the forest. The celestial mage had been in denial for nearly three years now. One of them she had spent yearning for Natsu's return, though she hadn't really believed that he'd actually come back. Why? Strictly because he'd left. She had no other reason for thinking he'd never come home, because she had never realized there was an option that he'd leave.

The second year was the one they'd spent in a war with Alvarez. The rescue of their master, the revival of Fairy Tail, the war with Alvarez, and then the nights they spent together reminiscing about their many missions, and every near-death experience they'd had together. How they egged each other on, and teased, but most of all the nights where he made sure she ate properly or took a break while she was writing her novel. She had missed those moments.

The third was when they'd come back from their 100 year quest to take a break after a year on the road, and visit the guild. They missed their family after all plus Natsu and Gray truly needed a moment away from each other. Nearly six months into the mission and the two could barely keep their fists off each other. So, here they were. Of course they'd be leaving to go back to their quest, but in the mean time she had needed to figure out what Natsu was to her. Sure, he was her best friend, her partner, her trusted confidant, but something had stirred over the years. She hadn't been sure what it was until last night while she laid beside him, and the only thought on her mind was how she'd always be safe if he was next to her.

Then, she thought about what would happen if he started dating. She'd be happy if he was, but she also knew that while he'd never truly leave her behind that there would have to be priorities. They would no longer be able to be each other's number one if they dated other people. While part of her would miss her friend, the other part of her screamed. The animalistic part of her told her that he was hers, and nothing would change her mind. This was a turning point for her. With the green monster of jealousy tearing her mind down she realized she had needed time away from Natsu to gather her feelings, and to finally calm her own fears. That was when she went on her solo job, and that was also when she was thrown in a torture dungeon.

The scar on her chest seared in pain, and she winced briefly. She touched her free hand to her chest where the newfound scar stretched across her skin, and she wondered what she would do. She wondered what he would do when he saw it. He'd be enraged, but her mind screamed with the implications of what a relationship meant. Of the physical nature of a relationship with her best friend. She was no longer confident in her appearance, or boastful in her own skin. Suddenly, they halted in the middle of the busy Magnolia sidewalk.

"What's wrong?" it was Natsu's voice tearing through her inner most demons.

"What do you mean?" he gave her a skeptical look, and with a click of his teeth he stared at her.

"What do I mean? YOU clutched yer chest. I'm just worried somethin' hurt." He looked away from her. His features had hardened which meant he was pissed at her. The celestial mage knew exactly why.

Truly, he was mad at himself. He had been rushing her, because of monetary concerns and he was extremely irritated at this situation they had been placed in. He could have gone on his own. He could have secretly paid the rent with the landlady, and had the Master force her to rest, but she was fucking stubborn. She'd never stay still, and if he went on this mission alone then that meant that whatever stupid mission she took in the interim she'd be going alone. He couldn't have that. He couldn't have her going alone, and getting hurt. Or worse. So, he rushed leaving for the mission. Truth be told it could've waited a few days. He was selfish, and angry, and he NEEDED to fight something. So, in a brief moment of idiocy he rushed choosing a mission. He rushed them into another dangerous scenario while she was probably still healing.

"I'm fine. They just ache sometimes. The cuts that is." Not scars. Cuts. She convinced herself she was hiding it well, but she had no idea if that had worked. She just wanted everything to be normal. "We have a mission to do Natsu. It doesn't hurt so it's fine. I just want to get this job done." She was hiding from her emotions behind jobs or anything other than what had happened to her.

Natsu found himself unsatisfied with the answer she'd provided. It hurt, and he knew that, but she was going to stubbornly deny that until she laid upon her death bed. And then some. The celestial mage held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity before the pinkette finally averted his eyes effectively breaking their contact. "For Mavis' sake." He muttered under his breath. "Fine. If ya won't talk about it, I won't press. Just don't over do it." He pointed at her before crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll be careful." She confirmed with him. He was her partner, and his concerns were her concerns, and if he was worried about her she should try to ease that worry.

It was nearly two hours of walking before they finally reached their destination. There they stood on the edge of a small town with just enough buildings to cover the necessities. There was a grocery store, and an all purpose shopping center, though she suspected the choices would be limited. Of course there was also an inn, which was where they would stay the night after handling their monster extermination. Other than that, and then of course living spaces for the permanent residents, she didn't really see any other distinct buildings.

There were small shops scattered in between the apartment buildings just like in Magnolia. Her eyes widened, and she let out a small whistle as they passed by a flower shop with several different kinds of orchids, roses, and lilies out front. She realized that there were probably more types inside, but there wasn't time to be looking at the beautiful roses that they had now passed. They had clearly been grown with love, and proper care which was something you didn't often see in the bigger cities. She made a quick mental note to take a look at the other shops on their way home.

Lucy stopped in the middle of the town. Something had seemed off the entire trip, but her mind had been preoccupied with other matters such as battling her inner demons. Now, with a mostly clear mind she had finally noticed what had been missing: Happy. She must be losing her damn mind if she'd forgotten about the cat, and not noticed that he hadn't been following. "Where's Happy?" she questioned the dragon slayer who would definitely have some answer for her.

Natsu was less than pleased with the posed question, and his eyebrows knitted together in slight concern for his partner. However, he also knew that she would just fight him again. She'd just repeat that she was fine over and over so what was the point of starting another fight. Irritation boiled in his blood, however she was expecting his answer.

"I asked him to stay behind. I figured we had some things to talk about, and it'd be easier this way so he's staying with Lisanna and Mira." He had mentioned it to her when they were leaving Magnolia, but as he had suspected she hadn't heard him.

"Oh." Was all she said. She wasn't sure what else to say. Her heart lodged itself in her throat, and she couldn't breath for what felt like an eternity. Whatever it was he wanted to talk about she wasn't sure if she was up for the conversation. She didn't know if she was ready to talk about what had happened in the dungeon. The celestial mage had been truly hoping to avoid showing her scars as long as possible.

Natsu's mind clicked, and he finally remembered what he had been meaning to do since this morning. "I forgot!" he announced to her in the middle of a bustling street while digging through his pockets. His fingers wrapped around metal, and he was nearly 100% certain that was the item he was looking for. "Here." He held the Key of the Lion to her, and he gave her his largest toothy grin. "You were worried about him right? We found him after the explosion I just forgot to give it back to ya."

Lucy's eyes widened, and she teared up ever so slightly while her slender fingers picked up her guildmates key. She ignored the spark that flowed where the skin of her fingers and his palm touched and focused solely on her returned spirit. Thank Mavis, she thought making sure to secure his key to her pouch. They were on a mission so there wasn't much time to check in now, but she would make sure to do so later. "Thank you. He didn't cause any trouble did he?" she began to laugh, and to Natsu the sound was like soft melody caressing his ears. When she laughed like that he felt like his troubles melted away.

The spirit mage stopped as the grin that crossed Natsu's face caught her off guard. It was soft, and tender while the look in his eyes conveyed only happiness. The skin on her cheeks felt like they were threatening to melt off from the fire that littered her face. She wanted nothing more then to disappear right then and there before the embarrassment could take her. This boy would be the goddamn death of her if she wasn't careful.

"Well! We've got an ogre to slay!" she attempted to avoid any mention of the blush on her cheeks, or the way her heart threatened to rip itself from her chest with the rate it was beating at. She hoped he couldn't hear the beating, and prayed he wouldn't mention the color of her skin.

"Ohhh! Yer raring to go, huh. Alright, let's do it!" he smirked, and punched his fist into his hand. It was go time. The pair rushed forward into the woods on the far south side of the town they needed to protect without any hesitation. The two were confident in their skills as a team so they knew there was no need to be afraid. Still, as ready as the two were to fight it took nearly an hour to find the damn thing.

Lucy crouched in the bushes as her loud mouth partner launched himself from the trees on the other side of the clearing. Flames fanned out from his arms as he threw out a wing attack, and then with a twist in mid air he swung his flaming heel into the ogre's forehead. Good. It was distracted. The ogre was stumbling in her direction just as the duo had planned, and it was time for her attack. She bolted from her current position into the clearing before positioning herself at the left side of the ogre. It was time, she thought with a smirk crossing her lips.

She held her golden key to her chest, "Tau-" she stopped mid-sentence with a hitch in her breath. Taurus' stardress. He was the best in this situation since it would be best to use brute force. That would have to wait. She replaced Taurus' key to her belt, and immediately flashed through every stardress in her mind to find the one that revealed her chest the least. She had one option. The ogre was closer than she realized, and it was pretty clear that she was going to be taking a beating. She threw her arms up in defense, and the ogre's large forearm came crashing towards her. The plan was ruined, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She'd take the hit, and then in her Cancer stardress she would provide back up to Natsu. It wasn't ideal by any means, but the options were limited.

"Luuuuuuucy!" it was Natsu's scream. The one he made every time he thought she was going to get hurt. It was the tone filled with rage, and thick with fear. He was scared he'd lose her again. Before he had even realized it his feet were propelling him forward into the direct line of attack that was aimed at the blonde. His body was thrown into the trees, and large dust explosions from the destruction of nature showed the path he had taken.

The celestial mage was at a loss with herself. It was all her fault. If she'd just shown the damn scar then she could have used whatever stardress she wanted. She could have beat him down with the help of the added strength her Taurus form gave her just like the original plan. Now, she needed a plan on the fly. She bolted into the forest behind her causing the ogre to follow. First, she fished out Cancer's key, and held to it tightly. She needed to get distance between her, and Natsu so that he could recover without worry of attack. She cursed internally at her own idiocy. If she hadn't been hiding things from her partner then he wouldn't have gotten hit. No, that wasn't entirely true. Natsu would have jumped in even if she hadn't been in imminent danger. He would have thrown himself at the ogre even if she had the whole thing handled. The truth is the partners were completely out of sync, and it had become a threat to their lives.

She turned on the balls of her right foot, and threw her body to the left. Taking the sharp turn had thrown the ogre for a loop, and in it's attempt to try and catch her it crashed to the ground. Good, she thought. She had to be careful about this as the next steps of her plan hinged on her making it back to clearing. Preferably in one whole piece. She ducked under a tree branch as it came into view just narrowly avoiding clotheslining herself.

Still, a few stray twigs caught her flesh leaving small scratches on her cheeks, and one on her upper arm. That's when it came into sight: the open clearing she and Natsu had started the fight in was right in front of her. She jumped, and came crashing into the clearing. She slid in the slick grass a few feet before turning. The telltale sign of the ogre approaching was the way the ground shook beneath her from its massive steps. To her right a flash of pink caught in her peripherals, and a smirk crossed her features. Natsu. It burst into the clearing with debris flying all around, and it's angry roar bursting through the air.

With Cancer's key against her chest it was all about timing. So, she waited, and dear Mavis she hoped Natsu would trust her to know what she was doing. The pinkette stared from across the clearing, and when it became clear to him that she wasn't moving even as the ogre was barreling towards her he moved into action. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" flames flared to life, and shot forth from his mouth, right as he partner sprang forward. His eyes widened, and a guttural scream ripped from his throat. He shot forward, but he knew he'd never make it on time.

"Cancer!" At the exact moment his flames shot forth she moved into action. She hadn't realized he was making his attack until she was already midair. Her clothes had changed into what had a similar appearance to a kimono. She wore a long sleeved shirt with small ribbons tied on her upper arms, and the fabric that covered the long sleeves was collared with the cancer sign on the very front. She had a thin ribbon tied at the neck, and a larger ribbon tied around her waist. Her hair was now held in high pigtails, and held together with pinscher shaped clips. Her body came crashing down to the ogre, and with careful maneuvering she spiraled downward with the sharp edges of her blade carving into it's skin.

It was at that moment that she caught sight of the flames headed her way. She had a split second of time to make her change before she was engulfed by the raging fire set forth by her partner. She let out a high pitched yelp, and held up her arms in defense.

The pinkette stared in horror as his flames faded away to reveal a burnt to crisp ogre. The mission had been completed, but at what cost? His eyes dripped with liquid, and his lips quivered. He wanted nothing more than to sob, but no sound would come from his throat, and his body would not move. He felt frozen in place. He'd lost her. Again. And this time it was all his fa—the blonde moved from behind the ogre, and started her way across the clearing.

"What the hell were you doing, idiot!" her voice sounded through the entire clearing as she approached the dragon slayer. He stared at her, and then rage filled him. Undeniable, insuppressible rage.

"No. What the hell were YOU doing!? You didn't even move when he came running at you!" he gestured to the smoking mound of ogre that she had come out from, his voice cracking. He rubbed the tears from his eyes with his sleeved arm trying to fight the feeling of guilt with anything else.

"I had it handled. It was all about timing! I just needed him a step closer for my attack to work." That's when Lucy Heartfilia realized that her partner had thought he killed her. He thought he'd burned her to a bloody crisp. She paused. They weren't in sync anymore. He was too worried about her, and she was too busy hiding from what had happened. They wouldn't be able to work together if they both didn't talk this out soon. She touched his hand, and he flinched nearly pulling back from her but she was quicker. Her fingers tangled with his own to keep him with her.

"I think we do need to talk." He flinched at her words while his hand tightened on her own. She was warm, and alive, and dear Mavis he was almost in tears again. He was so scared of anything that threatened her. He had known she had it in the clearing when the ogre charged her. He'd seen the glint in her eyes, but his body reacted on impulse to save her. His fear put her in danger. Earlier though, when she'd deviated from the plan to use Taurus was when he realized that she was hiding a fear too. It was good that Happy hadn't been here, because they really did need to have a serious conversation. Boy, did he hate those.

She touched his shoulder – her fingers grazing the mark of Fairy Tail on his upper arm. "I used Aquarius' power." She stated the fact, but somehow it calmed him immediately. He'd heard about the water barrier holding up against Jackal's power, and since her skin was burn free it kept him from panicking any further.

"You're not in her stardress." She was currently in her original outfit from when she'd left the apartment that morning.

"It's hard to hold that form for long without her key." She'd actually found Aquarius' key in a small shop right before her job with the undercover Succubus Eye guild. With her mind preoccupied on Natsu, and the job she hadn't made a contract and the water bearer was at home in her desk. She'd also prolonged making the contract, because she was nervous to see her old friend again. She still did harbor a bit of guilt at destroying her key. It also wasn't entirely true that she couldn't hold the form without Aquarius' key. She could, it was just that the form required her to use her own magic, and she wasn't aided by the spirits' magic like she was with the other contracted keys.

He opted to believe her even though a small part of him was absolutely without a doubt certain that she was hiding something from him. But, she said they would talk. So, that's what he would do. He would talk, and he would ask questions. "Alright let's just get back to the inn. We need to talk." His hand gripped hers tightly, and they walked back to the village in silence. They'd have to brief the Mayor in the morning, but for right now it was time to talk, and sleep.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the front lobby of the inn. Natsu was leaning heavily on his partner now. He'd taken quite the hit from the ogre, and his joints were finally feeling it. Once he loosened the muscles with a bath he should be fine but until then he'd be a walking, groaning mess.

"Hi! Welcome to Starlight Inn, my name is Lina. How can I help?" the girl's smile was fake, but Lucy decided not to dwell on that.

"Hi. We need one room with a two beds." She hadn't realized they'd be arriving so late, and the Inn had 10 rooms total. She sent a prayer to Mavis that they'd be able to get a room at all.

"We have a single room with one bed." Was the response the front desk agent replied with.

Boy, the world was sinister today.

After Notes:

So this chapter is late, and honestly it was not beta'd at all. I just finished this chapter an hour ago, and my editor is asleep like I should be to be perfectly honest with you. So, below is a shoutout to the ones who commented on the last chapter:

Lunar13, stranger1999, TheJSmooth, FavM-92, Naru285, SassCassNL, Rin Kagamine250, , Guest, Zophanie, Valythe, RedFantasies

Thank you all so much for commenting! As for the Q&A I have your answers below. If I didn't answer your question then I am so sorry because I am totally answering these at 6 AM my time and I may misread a comment as not having a question for me. So, if that happens you can shoot me a PM on here, or on my tumblr to let me know. My tumblr is: kurokamine. So, if any questions are missed you can just shoot me a PM, and I will edit the chapter to include the answer. Thanks so much for everyone who commented, and I love you all.

Answers:

TheJSmooth – Natsu won't be getting payback on Succubus Eye for the torture of Lucy. This is mostly because this isn't a long term fanfiction, and will be ending in two chapters, otherwise I would be going wild with some kickbutt fights between Natsu, and the torturer! For this, I really want to focus on how Natsu's overprotectiveness, and Lucy's newfound issues with PTSD, and other things regarding her physical appearance are causing friction in their relationship. Lucy got her sight back thanks to Porlyusica and her tender, love, and care. Just kidding, but she did her sight back haha. Thank you for sending through a question!

Guest – So, the confession was definitely not revealed in this chapter, but it will be revealed next chapter. It is a bit important of a spoiler so I don't want to let y'all know who the confessor is just yet ;) For Lucy's injuries and scars she is planning to tell Natsu (next chapter) but she's still trying to avoid talking about the dungeon so she's not likely to talk about it during the fic. BUUUUUUUT Lucy trusts her comrades, and so once she's comfortable with it herself she'd definitely talk to Team Natsu about it. Although I do headcanon that she'd tell Natsu about it before anyone else. Thanks for asking!

Thank you both for asking your questions, and I loved answering them.

See you all next week!