Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

Hope you like it so far :3

–-

Chapter 7 – The Bruise

Lucy was actually pretty surprised to see Natsu's car in front of her house when she closed the door behind her. She thought he didn't want to talk to her for a bit after what happened yesterday. It was weekend. How did he know that she would leave the house today?

Lucy was a bit nervous when she opened the door to the car. ''What are you doing here?''

''Morning.'' He said in his usual voice ignoring her question. Lucy only nodded.

''Don't you want to get inside?'' Lucy was taken back by his innocence. How could someone like Natsu still be like this after everything he told her.

''Ehhm. I don't have school today.'' Natsu sighed. ''But you still left the house so you want to go somewhere, don't you?''

''Yes, Natsu. That's true. Actually I want to go somewhere, so if you'll excuse me...'' She closed the door and went up the street. She heard a car door open and then closing again. The sound of the locking and then she felt a presence next to her.

She stopped. ''What do you want, Natsu?'' When she looked into his eyes he avoided her gaze and looked away. She found it not normal. Normally he would at least look at her face but now he looked to ground. ''Lucy... Why are you wearing a jacket?'' Lucy's mind already going wild by the question. Thinking that he wanted to see her bare skin. He didn't even know her.

Okay he said he liked her hair, but her skin that was another thing. Maybe he asked because it was really warm today, but she wouldn't take it off. She only wore it to cover her arms... And then it hit her. She looked away, fumbling with her top again.

''I... I feel cold.'' He snarled. ''As if!'' Lucy cursed. What a stupid excuse that was. ''I mean I have really ugly skin and I don't want all the people to see and...'' He was already busy pulling her sleeves up and before she could pull away he saw what she was actually covering.

There was a dark purple bruise on her arm, shore because she didn't treat it. Natsu inspected the bruise more and after a few minutes Lucy found it incredible uncomfortable. She pulled away slightly. He let go of her and looked down again. ''It's not that bad, just a bruise... I will-''

''I'm sorry.'' His whisper took her back.

It sounded so guilty. And that was good, in a way. Only that he knew it was his fault that she had this bruise was good. It could have also been from someone else but he knew it was his fault.

''I shouldn't have treated you like that yesterday. I don't know why I did it...'' He trailed off, hiding his eyes from her.

''Natsu, it's really okay. It doesn't even hurt anymore.''

''But it did hurt!'' He looked up at her, his eyes piercing into hers. And she saw them shining with unshaded tears. She didn't know what to say, neither what to do. She was confused by the way he acted right now. Another side she had yet to see.

He calmed down, sighing deeply. ''You didn't treat it...''

''I don't think it is necessary to treat a bruise.''

''But I think it is.'' His voice was soft. It almost sounded a bit scared, almost. He took her hand and led her back to his car. And she let him do so.

–-o-O-o-

When they arrived at his house she was a bit unsure of really going with him. She just knew him for two days, counted up. He had saved her three times already, and he told her his story. Levy told her to be careful but there was just something which didn't let her say no.

He led her inside to the couch in the little living room. ''Are you living alone?'' Natsu only nodded when he sat her down, gently. He didn't want to force her on anything after what happened yesterday.

He left for the kitchen. ''Do you want something to drink?''

''No thanks.'' Lucy looked around the little room. There wasn't actually much in it. A little TV, a little table made of wood, a cupboard with a few books and pictures. She stood up, taking one of the pictures into her hand and looked at it. She was amazed by the big smile Natsu had on it. Next to him was a girl with long red hair, smiling also like an idiot.

She remembered her. It was the girl from Thursday, she was with the group she passed when she walked to the school. Next to Natsu and the girl another boy was standing. He had dark hair and was also smiling. The picture was taken in the park, Lucy recognized the basketball field in the background.

She slipped the picture behind the others and the next picture shocked her a bit when she saw Sting and a girl on the picture. The girl leaned on his side and was holding his hand. Sting was waving to the person who took the picture.

The next picture made her shake a bit. It was from Natsu and a girl. The girl had a beautiful dress on, Natsu a black suit. He actually looked good in a suit.

They were both smiling, having a light blush on their cheeks. Lucy wanted to see the next picture when she recognized that the girl on the picture with Natsu was the same as on the picture with Sting. She held the pictures next to each other and compared them.

The girl looked beautiful, Lucy had to admit. Her short hair just fell lightly above her shoulders. It had a strange color, a mixture of blue and silver. She had an incredible genuine smile. You could see that there was love in her eyes, on both pictures.

Lucy wanted to inspect the pictures more when she saw a hand taking them carefully out of her hands. Natsu placed them back into the cupboard. His expression didn't change. He had still this soft eyes. ''It's rude to look around in other peoples stuff.'' He said it a bit playful but she knew it bothered him that she saw the pictures. ''Sorry.'' Lucy mumbled a bit and walked back to the couch.

Natsu sat down next to her. ''Take off your jacket.'' She nodded and did as he said, laying it over the arm rest. He inspected her bruise and started washing it with flannel which felt cold against her skin. Natsu was actually shocked how bruised her arm was. He didn't quite remember how violent he got with her but he hated it that he even dared to touch her.

Lucy flinched slightly when he gripped her arm a bit harder. When he recognized what he was doing he let go of her in an instant. ''Sorry.'' But Lucy shook her head. ''No problem.'' Sighing about her not being honest he laid the flannel back on the table and took the ointment and carefully massaged it onto her bruise.

His hands completely felt different on her skin than they did yesterday. It was a tenderly act, he was so careful she knew he was mad at himself for hurting her. But she didn't blame him, she wanted to know it. Just like she wanted to know who that girl was. She pretty much had a clue that she was the reason why Sting and Natsu were fighting but she still wanted to hear it from him.

Her mouth opened but no words left it. She didn't know if she had the right to ask about something like that. She pressed her lips tightly together. ''Hey Lucy, what did you want to do today anyway? I never see you walking in that direction of the street?'' His voice was still concerned. But it was true. When she left the house she either left it for the park or to go to school. ''Well, since it is weekend and I don't have got something better to do I thought I can look around the town a bit. I only moved in a week ago...'' She trailed off hearing how stupid it must sound.

Natsu also recognizing it. He sighed again. ''And what is the real reason?'' God, why am I so easy to read?! Lucy cursed herself. Lying just wasn't her thing. ''I just wanted to get away from there.''

''From your dad?'' A nod was all he needed. ''You wanna talk about it?''

Lucy sighed. She actually wanted to but how was she supposed to tell him. She found Natsu incredible nice. She never got to talk so open with someone except from her mother. In her old school she had a lot of friends but they were all just 'good friends' and they were all girls. She never had the courage to talk or really interact with boys from her school.

But Natsu was different. She felt safe around him. She felt that she could trust him. ''If you want to listen...'' He chuckled a bit. ''I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you to talk about it.''

''True.'' Lucy mentally slapped herself for her stupidity again. Natsu titled his head a bit at her.

''So, what happened?''

Lucy turned to her side, facing him completely. ''Well, I told you that he kept the thing with his covered accounts right?'' Natsu nodded, remembering how incredible pissed she was that morning. ''So, I just overheard a phone call with his lawyerl. It seems that my dad has got really everything covered. He always said that he would pay but the lawyer meant that my father wouldn't have that much time anymore to pay...''

Lucy thought about it a bit. ''I still want to know where he spend the whole money for...''

''Why is it bothering you so much? It's his problem not yours...'' Natsu didn't understand her. When her father covered all his accounts he had to find a way out of it, not her. ''I know Natsu. It's not that that is bothering me it is just that he still denies it and doesn't want to tell me... He has always been a stubborn one.''

Natsu stood up and got back with a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled down a few numbers. ''Here. Now you can call me every time you want to talk.'' Lucy looked at the numbers. ''You're mobile number?'' Natsu nodded and grinned at her. ''Thanks.'' Her lips formed a little smile.

''Hey, do you want to sleep here this weekend?'' Lucy's face was already red before he finished the question. His stupid grin making it hard for her to concentrate to answer him. ''W-What? Natsu that's... ehm I don't know... weird?'' Now his smile faded a bit. ''Why?''

Lucy face palming at his cute and innocent face he was making. Although he was two years older than her it seemed that he had no idea what he just asked her. ''W-Well, it would be awkward... I mean we just know each other for two days and you just ask me to s-sleep here...''

''Erza and Gray are also staying.''

And now her blush faded and she looked at him in disbelief. ''So you mean, like a sleep-over?'' Natsu nodded and grinned again. ''Yeah. Gray and Erza are always staying one weekend in the month here. And since you are so pissed off your father why not stay here?''

''Oh. Do you think it will be okay for them?'' Lucy looked ashamed to the ground, not knowing if that will be alright to just slip into their little group. ''Of course it will!'' Lucy still unsure. She was easy to manipulate and only one look into Natsu's dark and hypnotizing eyes was enough for her to agree.

–-o.O.o-

Natsu drove her back home. ''You'll wait here, okay?'' The boy nodded and Lucy left the car.

''Hello?'' Lucy slowly entered the house not really wanting to talk to her father right now but she had to at least leave a note. But it seemed that that wasn't necessary because when she entered the kitchen her father was already sitting there, eating a soup.

''Lucy! Where have you been the whole day?'' Lucy sighed. ''Here and there.'' Her father scrutinized her. ''And how does here and there leave bruises?'' Lucy cursed when her father saw that. She forgot to take her jacket back on. ''I just tripped and fell...'' And just like she imagined her father wouldn't really care because he nodded and went on eating.

It was a miracle itself that he even asked. Because when he does ask he has to take care of the problem if there was one. Lucy left for her room. ''I am staying the weekend by a friend.'' And before her father could say something else she was already in her room.

She packed her things, pjs, underwear, two tops and shorts. Then she walked into her bathroom collecting her teeth brush, her hair brush and a towel. Who knows if she might take a shower at Natsu's. When she thought about it her head explode. God, what am I thinking?

She walked back into her room, shocked when she heard a voice. ''Those are cute pjs.'' Lucy turned around, her head red like a tomato. ''N-N-Natsu! What are you doing here?!'' Natsu snarled. ''You took so long, it was getting boring.'' Lucy stormed over to the bed where he was sitting on and grasped her pjs out of his hands, stuffing them back into her backpack.

''So you just thought 'why not peek on Lucy's room?' How did you get in here anyway?'' Lucy's eyes scared that he maybe knocked and her father opened the door. But that would be ridiculous he would have never let Natsu in... ''The balcony.'' Natsu pointed to the open balcony doors like it was normal to get in through them. ''Are you crazy? What if my father saw you?!''

''Aw, come on Lucy. Let me have a bit fun.''

Lucy couldn't believe it. The Natsu who stood in front of her was the complete opposite to the cold but also caring Natsu. This one was a childish, hotheaded Natsu. ''Okay, okay. I am finished. You go back the way you came and I will meet you at your car, okay?'' Natsu nodded.

He made his way to the door, climbed over the little wall from her balcony and actually jumped down from there. Lucy ran out, leaning over the wall, seeing that he was already running back to his car. Defiantly crazy...

She thought in her mind. She took her things and left her room, locking it behind her. She didn't want her father or Miranda to go inside and rifle through her stuff.

''Bye dad.'' She screamed, making sure he heard her and then she left.

Natsu already started the car when she came running down the drive. Then she sat inside and they were driving back to his house.