Chapter 4

A few months later, it happened again. This time though, it was closer to home. But it still wasn't Lucy's fault.

They came in the night. Lucy had fallen asleep only a few hours before, in the comforting warmth of Natsu's arms and the steady beating of his heart. The men came shortly after, breaking down the door of her apartment, barging in, and throwing Natsu aside like a ragdoll. She screamed and one of them hit her in the side of the head, nearly knocking her out. Another kicked her in her injured side and scarlet bloomed on her tank top, immobilizing her. One man lifted her limp body over his shoulder and that was it. Natsu stood up again, blood dripping from his mouth and fire in his greengage eyes.
"Put. Her. down. Now." He growled, stepping in front of the doorway. One of the men snarled and flew forward, faster than Natsu even registered. His attacker hit him hard in the ribcage, debilitating him, along with breaking at least two of his ribs and stabbing him in the back with a dagger. Both were thrown over shoulders and carried out, back to the crumbling castle. This time, they were left in the dungeon. Together, though. Natsu was flung in carelessly, and Lucy heard another couple of bones cracking and a moan. She was shoved into the cell, and she immediately went to Natsu's side. He was unconscious, probably from the pain he was in, and she curled her body protectively over his.
She glared at any of the men who came close enough to touch him or herself. She brushed his hair away from his face and rested his head in her lap, praying that he wake up soon. She bandaged the stab wound on his back as best she could and ran her hands over his back, calming both his uneven, labored breathing and her own pounding heartbeat. Gently, she lifted his limp body up and braced him against the wall as comfortably as she could.
Natsu responded only twice when she brushed her hands over him. Once he whispered her name as she started to babble, as if he were telling her to stop worrying. The second time, he woke up and his eyes flicked half-open and settled on her face, and his hands flexed.
She caught his hands in hers and settled them in his lap. His hands tightened loosely around one of hers and he whispered her name again. She looked at him and smiled, relief flooding her when he smirked back, albeit weakly. His eyes fluttered and her face sank into a worried line again. He forced his eyes open, forced himself to stay above the surface for just a bit longer. Natsu lifted one hand, hers cradled in it, to his lips. He kissed it lightly and gave her a soft, toothy smile. She grinned back and brushed her fingers over his cheek. She cupped his jaw and pulled him to her for a sweet but loving kiss, holding him there until she felt him shudder. She released him, only for his hand to catch her chin and pull her in for a deeper kiss, one only a dragon mage could give, fiery and passionate, and it left her breathless. She grinned cheekily. "Thought the all-mighty Dragon Slayer wouldn't deign to kiss the lowly Celestial girl?" He chuckled quietly and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. She squeezed his hand for a moment and laid her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on hers, then shifted for a split second and hissed in pain. He moved too quickly and pain shot through him, sending him into convulsions. He fell on his side and curled in on himself, gasping for breath and howling in pain. Lucy grabbed his shoulders, threw her leg over his abdomen, and effectively straddled him to hold him down. She brushed his cheeks with her fingers and gently ran her hands over his chest, checking for other injuries. She was rewarded with a flinch when her hand touched his sides. She slid his jacket away and saw the bruises already forming, bright violet already. Tears welled in her eyes and she pressed her hand to his chest, over his heart. His movements ceased abruptly and her eyes whipped to his face. His eyes were closed again and he was breathing harshly, raggedly. She stood and moved him gently, just enough to slip under him. She leaned up against the wall and laid him against her. She stroked his hair and kissed his forehead, curling one hand in hers and interlocking their fingers.

Hours passed, and soon she was worrying herself sick. Natsu was still unconscious, and he had developed a fever. She pressed a damp rag to his forehead, trying to cool him down, but it didn't work. His eyelids fluttered and flickered back and forth as he dreamed feverishly. He shuddered and shivered and mumbled, skin shining with sweat. Lucy drew her fingers through his hair, trying desperately to soothe him.
The hours they were there turned to days. Natsu steadily became worse and Lucy's worry turned into full-fledged panic. He still hadn't woken up again, and even though she knew he was strong, he had been stabbed, and several of his bones were broken. She was beginning to think that if they didn't get out soon, Natsu might not last much longer.

So she watched the men. She memorized their faces, their mannerisms. She was amazed that just a few months ago, these were the men that had ruined her, beaten her to within an inch of her life. After being there for a week, she noticed a couple of new people who brought food to them. One was small and lean, and kept a hood over his face at all times. The others called him 'Colorboy', as a mockery. The other was a girl, confident and strong and like the boy, wore a hood over her face. Lucy saw the eyes, and recognized Erza. She was relieved. Erza would get them out, and sooner rather than later. She could only guess that the new 'Colorboy' was Gray.

She murmured all of this to Natsu as he slept, and watched him dream every night. Finally, one night she heard a soft grunt, a creak of the cell door, and a whispered, "Lucy." Looking to the door, she saw Gray crouched by the open gate. Erza stood behind him, silently guarding from any attackers. Lucy beckoned Gray over and together, they lifted Natsu's limp body onto Gray's back. The dark-haired ice wizard grunted, but otherwise didn't react to the weight on his shoulders. Lucy picked up Natsu's jacket and scarf and pulled them on. His jacket was warm and his scarf just gave her a sense of calm. She followed Gray closely, watching Natsu carefully. His eyes flickered under his eyelids and he mumbled her name in a worried tone. She ran her fingers through his hair and spoke back. "I'm here, Natsu. We're getting out of here." He sighed softly and Lucy smiled. Gray looked back at her and smirked.

"You really love him, huh?" He said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. She smiled again and brushed the back of her hand against Natsu's face. He leaned into her touch in his sleep.

"Yeah, Gray. I think I do." Gray sighed. "I was afraid of that. I was holding out on you for a while, but I'm not surprised." Lucy smiled and hugged Gray for a moment. "Thank you, Gray. For everything." He smiled at her then, a true smile, then started moving out. Erza ran ahead, taking down any guards they encountered without alerting the others. Lucy was grateful for their help, and was so happy to feel the night breeze when they walked out of the castle. She looked up at the night sky and grinned at the stars. Erza placed one hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Come on, girl. We aren't quite out of it yet." They moved on, resting only shortly in the night, until the flags of Fairy Tail appeared over the trees. She looked at Natsu, who wasn't so weak and had woken up in the middle of the night.

–Flashback-

Lucy sat by the fire, watching the embers burn softly as she stroked Natsu's hair and shoulders. He was sleeping silently, finally. His eyes weren't flickering constantly, he wasn't sweating, and he wasn't mumbling. Instead, he was making an odd, almost purring noise and his nose was twitching back and forth. She smiled warmly at how cute he was and returned her gaze to the dying ashes of the fire. After a while, she laid down next to him on her back, looking up at the stars. She mapped out the constellations, smiling when she recognized those that matched her friends, the Zodiac spirits. Suddenly she felt a hand caress her face and she whipped her gaze to it. Natsu continued to stroke her cheek with his hand, and when her gaze traveled to his face, she was shocked at the crystal-clear greengage eyes that stared back at her. "You're awake." She whispered, a grin making its way across her face. "Yep." He stated simply. She giggled and rolled into his waiting arms, pressing a fiery kiss to his lips. He nuzzled her neck and kissed the soft skin at the base of her ear. He nibbled and sucked at it, then kissed her again. She shivered and pressed a hand to his chest. "Natsu…" he paused and drew away, looking at her, "we can't…" he frowned and nuzzled her neck, making her shiver and giggle softly. "Why not?" he whispered, brushing his nose along her shoulder. "Because…ah!" She slapped a hand to her mouth as he bit gently on the junction of her neck and shoulderblade. She pushed him away weakly and he obeyed long enough to hear her out. "We aren't alone here, Natsu. If Gray and Erza hear-"
"Hear what, Lu?" Lucy squeaked in surprise and flew into Natsu's arms. Looking at the source, she saw Gray standing there, hands on hips, staring at them. He smirked at Natsu's arms around Lucy and started laughing outright at Lucy's ruby-red face. "I see," he said. "Nice clothes, Lu. Well, Natsu. Good to see you're awake." And with that, Gray returned to his bedroll and laid down. Soon they heard him snoring softly and Lucy relaxed back against Natsu's chest. He nuzzled her neck and ears, smirking against her skin when she shivered.
"N-Natsu, stop it. You need to rest, your back-" He hushed her. "I'm fine. My back is healing up faster than you expect." Lucy frowned and stood, walking around behind him. She touched the bandage and felt the cool skin beneath. Unraveling the bandage, she found that the wound had healed over and a huge scab stretched over it. She touched it with her hands and smiled. It was healing better than she could've hoped. She touched his sides where the bruises from his broken ribs were and he flinched away. "Sorry!" She said, ruffling his hair quickly. He grabbed her arms and tugged her down, over his shoulder. He tightened his grip and pulled.
Her vision blurred and she found herself flying through the air. She closed her eyes and she froze. Her chest hit solid muscle and she opened her eyes again. She was lying on Natsu's chest, staring into his eyes. He was lying down, his arms wrapped around her to keep her on him. She snuggled into him and closed her eyes, finally letting herself fall asleep with the reassurance that he was awake and okay.

-End Flashback-