Comfort & Relief
Ever since Zer had defeated Erza, Natsu and Gray, he had been tagging along with them all, whether they were going to jobs or just simple hang outs and vacation. He somehow had a bit difficulty fitting in the group, well with Natsu and Gray always giving him menacing glares whenever he'd approach Lucy, it was certainly hard to adjust a bit.
Lucy, however, was somehow very comfortable with Zer's presence. She did not understand why but she felt safer and more at home than she ever did to anyone at all. Like there was something about him that was telling her she was right where she belonged. Sadly, she couldn't point it out quite well though.
Her gaze drifted to the black haired man, who was watching her finish her share of opponents, and immediately averted her eyes and blushed. It was really, really perplexing but she could not not look at him.
Lucy tried to avert her eyes to Natsu but every time she did, she'd find herself lost in thought and somehow watch Zer again.
What is wrong with you Lucy?!
Lucy scolded herself mentally as she shook her head as if to shake the thought out. Someone was charging at her and without noticing it, she had thrown a strong punch that knocked her opponent out. She snapped out of it and froze at the fallen man on her feet.
"Lucy? Are you fine?" Erza asked as she dashed to Lucy's side after she heard the man's cry.
"I.. What did I just do?" Lucy murmured to herself and looked over to her clenched fist that was starting to hurt.
"Whoa! You are strong, Luce." Zer complimented with a clap and rubbed her head. Lucy normally felt repulsed when someone did that to her. She did not want someone to mess her hair after all, but when Zer did it? She did not feel the least bit rebuffed but instead found it not bad at all and it felt warm and nice. She surprisingly liked him doing it.
She blushed a bit as she meekly said her thanks. Natsu noticed her do this and the urge to keep her away from Zer intensified. He stalked towards them and pulled her away, using his "checking her for wounds" as his reason.
"I am fine, Natsu. It was the man that took damage not me." Lucy said to ease him a bit. Natsu knew it well though. Well why wouldn't he? Ever since Zer officially announced his candidacy for Lucy, whom obviously Lucy didn't know about, he had been keeping a looking eye at her. He couldn't risk lowering his guard around Zer. Now that Lucy seemed to be attracted to the man.
What is so good about him anyway?
Natsu grumpily thought to himself as he looked over to Zer. Sure he was tall, a BIT handsome, strong and gentle, but he was like that too right?
"Let's go collect our reward then and go home." He said and pulled Lucy.
"Eh? We're going home already?" Lucy complained and halted from walking. Natsu looked over to her with curiosity and found her pouting.
"Why?"
"I wanted to take a nice break too, you know?" she said and crossed her arms across her chest like a spoiled little girl.
"But I don't wanna! I just want to go home and sleep!" Natsu retorted back. in your bed with you in my arms!
"You can go ahead of us then. I'm sure Erza and Gray would want to take a break too, am I right?" Zer piped up and stood beside the currently grinning Lucy.
"You're tagging along Zer?" she asked excitedly.
"Yeah. Nothing beats a relaxation after a whole day fighting." Zer smiled at the excited Lucy and rubbed her head again. This time, Lucy was obviously happy and did not bother to hide it anymore.
"Me too. I want to relax before going home." Gray chimed in as he looked over to the smiling Lucy and winked at her.
Lucy grinned, gave him a high five and turned over to Erza with a hopeful expression.
"I personally think it would be better to go home.." She said. Lucy felt her spirits go down the drain before Erza smiled sweetly and thoughtfully. ".. but why not? I'd like to just relax once in a while too." she added.
"Yay~! So? What are you gonna do Natsu? Go ahead? or join us?" Lucy asked teasingly, knowing full well that he was gonna give up. She'd known Natsu maybe not long enough than others do but enough to know him well.
Natsu sighed heavily and turned to the smirking Lucy. Somehow, without knowing it, Lucy had successfully kept a tight leash on him. He placed his hand over her head as he sighed in defeat again.
"Fine." Natsu grumbled. After hearing so, Lucy then ducked to remove Natsu's hand on her head.
"Let's go then?" she asked everyone and they all nodded at her while Natsu was perplexed and shocked with what Lucy just did.
Did she just..
Natsu tried to ask himself but couldn't even dare to think about it. Lucy didn't react that way when Zer did it, so why when he did, she avoided it?
Maybe she's just too excited about relaxing at a hot spring. Yeah. That was all there is to it.
Natsu told himself before he followed them when Lucy called for him. He was not about to go worrying about that, all he was gonna do was relax like what they said.
Erza, Lucy and Wendy shared the hot springs for women while Natsu, Gray and Zer shared the men's. Lucy let herself get comfortable with the large open bath and watched the stars that twinkled oh so cutely with a smile on her face.
"Lucy-san? Are you sure you don't want me to take a look at your hands?" Wendy meekly asked. To her, it looked like it hurt. She'd never seen Lucy throw a punch as strong as that.
"No, It's fine, Wendy. Thanks." Lucy said with a bright smile. Somehow, she was really happy as of the moment.
"You're brimming with happiness, Lucy. What's gotten into you?" Erza asked as the behaviour of the celestial maiden got her curious.
Lucy blinked for a second and thought about it but when she did, Zer's image slipped through her brain and she suddenly blushed beet red.
"The-There is no specific reason a-actually." Lucy stuttered in response as she submerged herself lower into the water trying to hide her blushing face within the steam.
"If you don't want to tell it I don't mind. I'm just happy that you're happy." Erza said with a kind smile. Lucy felt touched with her teammate's concern and mumbled her thanks against the water.
"Well then, that's enough soaking in here. Let's go back and eat dinner." Erza said after a moment's silence and Wendy immediately agreed.
"I'll just stay here for a while longer. I'll catch you guys later." Lucy said and moved further towards the edge of the spring that overlooked a clear and serene ocean. She heaved a sigh and propped up her arms as she laid her head on them.
"A hot spring after a mission is certainly the best." she whispered to herself and hummed a soft tune. Somehow, she loved that peacefulness.
"You still have that nice voice, huh?" Lucy heard a voice and she jolted. She gave a small cry as she spun around only to find no one there.
The voice chuckled before it cleared its throat. "It's fine. I'm over the other side. I can't see you at all." He said, mirth coating his words.
"Zer?" Lucy guessed.
"Yes." He answered.
"Why are you still there?"
"Nothing. Just thought I'd relax here alone for a while?" He answered her. Lucy smiled at their similar thinking before she returned to her original position.
"I see. We're the same then." was all Lucy said.
Silence once again enveloped the surroundings as Lucy tried to listen to the natural music of the night. She looked up and saw a tree which reminded her of their sakura tree.
"Hey Zer?" Lucy spoke and broke the comforting silence.
"Hmm?" Zer hummed in response.
"I'm glad I found you again." Lucy said before she got up and went out of bath. "You won't step out yet?" she asked but there was no response.
"Zer?"
"Ah! I-I'm co-coming!" Zer exclaimed and Lucy heard the splashing of the spring, probably from him frantically trying to get out of bath. She chuckled softly before she wrapped a towel around her naked body. She still does not understand why but she loves the way she feels so comfortable with Zer.
A smile formed on her face and she put on the inn's yukata. She let her wet hair fall down before she slung the towel on her shoulders that protected her yukata from being soaked.
Sliding the doors open, she heard a rattle from the other side and turned to it, finding Zer also looking towards her. She blushed really hard for uncertain reasons before she hang her head and let her fringes hide the redness coating her cheeks.
"Go-Good Evening." she stuttered.
"Good Evening too." Lucy heard his smooth, sexy and alluring baritone voice say.
There was an awkward silence hanging in the air before Lucy decided to break it with a trembling and nervous voice.
"A-Anyway.. Le-Let's go to where everyone is and eat? With them there, I doubt we'll have much left to eat." She said with a laugh before she slightly glanced towards his way.
"Yes. We should." Zer answered briefly with a kind smile before he walked side by side with Lucy.
It was weird. Lucy thought. She knew men tend to walk faster and takes longer strides than women but with the way how Zer seems to be walking nonchalantly beside her confused her. Natsu always walked ahead of her and so as Gray but Zer- He was different. He's walk somehow seemed too slow to be normal. It almost looked as if- as if he was keeping up with Lucy's slow pace.
They reached the dining room shortly after and what greeted them was a drunk Erza, pointing a sword at Natsu's throat, drunk Wendy riding Gray's shoulder as she sang merrily and a drunk Charle trying her best to beautify Happy all the while saying "You make a lovely doll. You are my doll, got it?"
"What.. What the heck just happened here?" Lucy's half-whispered voice that Natsu's ears immediately picked up.
"Lu-Luce!? Luce! Help me! Make her stop! I'll die! I'll really die!" Natsu cried before Erza pushed the tip of the sword closer to his throat making him gulp in fright.
"Where did you hide my cake, huh? Answer me right now Gajeel!" Erza exclaimed, a murderous aura somehow coating her being.
"I said I am not Gajeel!" Natsu retorted back, fearing for his life as the minute stretched further.
"Huuuh?! You dare to talk back now Elfman?!" she asked.
"Please somebody save me!" Natsu cried and gave up trying to make the drunken Erza realize.
Lucy heard Zer sigh beside her before he walked close to the fuming Erza, her weapon dangerously close to cutting Natsu's neck.
"Ah! Wa-Wait.. Zer!" Lucy tried to call when Zer held Erza's shoulders, whispered something incoherent and so soft even Natsu wasn't able to catch anything before Erza collapsed in his arms.
Lucy and Natsu stared in pure shock as the Mighty Erza was subdued so easily and collapsed just like that. Zer lifted her up and walked back towards Lucy.
"Where's your room?" was all he uttered. Lucy didn't find the right words to answer him so she just silently led the man towards their room.
Zer laid the sleeping Erza on her bed before Lucy draped the blanket over her figure. Zer walked back to the door, wordlessly, and paused when he heard Lucy's words of gratitude.
"Thank you, Zer."
"It's nothing."
He walked out and closed the door after saying "Good night." Lucy plopped on her bed and raised her gaze towards the gleaming moon- reminding her of the night she first saw Zer.
"It's been a year, huh?" Lucy murmured as she closed her eyes before soft sounds of plopping water that turned harsher by the minute greatly disturbed her.
Why does it have to be now?
Opening her eyes, she could see the world in monochrome once again. Feeling beads of sweat trickle down her temples, she immediately got up and covered her other eye.
She hurried to the door and passed by their room mirror and saw how her eye had turned golden.
Crap! It's this again!
Lucy dashed outside, trying to find someplace where no one can see her and just stay there till the night goes away.
It had been like that ever since she was a child. Every time when the full moon is high up in the sky and coincidentally there, too, is rain, her eye glows golden and she could feel the eternano inside her heating up, boiling, and wreaking havoc inside her petite little body, wanting to be released so much.
It's hotter today. Ahh. It hurts.
Lucy gasped for air as she pulled her yukata a bit loose to have more room for proper breathing as she hid on the storage room. Surely, no person would happen to go there.
Lucy curled to a fetal position, collapsing to the ground, gripping any fabric so hard, desperately hoping the pain would soon go away.
"Help me.. Zer.." Lucy unconsciously said.
She heard a rattle and she flung her eyes open, whipping her head towards the door to find a jet black eyed Zer staring at her.
"Lucy."
"Thi-This is.. It's not what you think.. Uhh.." Lucy flustered as she averted her eyes. She was damn sure her orbs were still golden.
She felt Zer come close to her after he closed the door back again. The moment she felt his touch, the feeling intensified as she shivered with pure pleasure.
This is bad. This is getting really bad! You must not lose yourself here, Lucy! Fight it! You must not drag Zer into this!
Lucy thought so hard and unconsciously clenched her fists as she tensed up and squeezed her eyes close. Lucy feared that Zer might be disgusted of her right then as tears streamed down her face.
Zer noticed how terrified Lucy was. He hated having to watch her be like that every time that happened to her. It was partly his fault though. If he hadn't come closer to her then it wouldn't have hurt so much but he couldn't just stand by anymore and do nothing. He was itching to give her comfort and tell her everything would be fine. It was only him who could give her relief anyway.
The pain that Lucy was suffering from was because of his power he imparted to her. Being destructive and overwhelming, it's clawing it's way out of her body- seeking release.
Zer wrapped his arms around her trembling petite body and pressed her head against his chest. It was all he could do. He can't extract the power now that it's taken root on Lucy. If he tries to do so then it'll without a doubt take Lucy's life away too and he definitely doesn't want that. Whatever the girl had done to her definitely changed him.
"It's fine, Lucy." he whispered on her ear and she stopped shivering.
"Zer.." she whimpered.
"I am not scared. Lucy is still Lucy and it'll never change." He whispered again.
"Zer.. Thank you.. uuuu~ Thank you Zer~!" Lucy bawled and embraced Zer back too.
The pain was slowly fading away as she listened to Zer's heartbeats drowning out the sound of the raindrops and the stinging pain. She, without a doubt, feels more comfortable with Zer's presence after all.
Without noticing it, the sun had risen up and Zer lifted his arm, trying to shield his eyes from the blinding rays. It had been some time since Lucy calmed down and fallen asleep. He did not dare to wake her up, wanting to help her relax and be at peace. Actually, he loved having her in his arms anyway, so it was fine.
He squeezed her tight before he closed his eyes for a brief moment. After a few minutes, he felt her squirm and he loosened his hold, watched her rub the sleep off her eyes and smiled as he greeted her "Good Morning."
"Oh, Good morning too." she smiled sweetly back at him.
"Shall we go back and pack up? We'll leave early, don't we?" Zer asked with his kind smile, he only shows to Lucy.
"Oh yes! Let's go." Lucy beamed and stood up, offering her hand. Zer took it without hesitation and she dragged him back to the direction where they split paths to go to their respective rooms.
"Erm.. Thanks Zer for keeping me company last night. I really appreciate it." Lucy said with a tiny hint of blush coating her cheeks.
"It's noth-"
"Ooh~ What happened last night Lushee~?" Lucy's annoying male cat of a friend hovered above with a sly grin on his face while he blushed- probably from him having wild fantasies again.
"Get lost, Happy. Nothing happened." Lucy spat but the cat only laughed at her.
"Yeah. What happened last night, Luce?" A baritone voice asked her and she turned to her side to see a strangely very agitated Natsu and Gray.
"What did this punk do to you?" Gray asked, the venom in his voice unconcealed.
Why are they acting like that?
It's been a while since I last updated didn't I? I'm sorry for that. I don't have any excuse but being lazy and suffering writer's block. So to make it up to you, I updated again. I hope you had fun and enjoyed the chapter. Till next time again, dear readers. I look forward to read your reviews, subscription and favourites, okay?
Xoxo,
Halloween Godspell
