An explosion rocked the foundation of the earth. Magic split the air, leaving a sizzle of power behind in its wake. The smell of ionized air rose from all around them, the scent of lightening after a strike.
"Shore up those defenses!" A dark haired man roared, a single human among the dragons and fae fighting for their lives. An intricate tattoo branded across his forearm, a symbol of the demon slaying magic he commanded, "We can't let them gain any more ground!"
Two women, one with curly brown hair, and the other with blue approached him. Both looked worried, but the former looked angrier than the other.
"That's easier said than done Gray, Juvia is almost tapped out from keeping them out of the rivers, but not even she can hold them off for long," She snapped. Silvery wings flowed from her back, gossamer like a fine web. It was hard to believe such delicate looking wings were powerful enough to lift her body. "We need a new plan!"
Gray swore, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. His eyes flashed towards the two exhausted women, tension uncoiling from his chest despite the jarring impacts of battle smashing into the earth around them. Cana, the brown haired fairy that spoke out with such boldness, was right. This wasn't how they were going to win the war. They were going to win it if they were all banded together.
Which was unfortunate since their guild was missing not only Natsu, but also Gajeel now. Pantherlily was doing his best to fill in the gape left by Gajeel, but Natsu was a different story. No matter what they did, they were left scrambling at every turn. Until Natsu's disappearance, the battle with the demons left them at an even keel. For months, they tried to hide Natsu's lack of presence on the battlefield, but they all knew it wouldn't last for long.
Natsu was a force of nature. He was right in the middle of every fight, screaming at the top of his lungs like an annoying little kid. It made it to hide the fact he wasn't there picking a fight with everyone that got in his way. They could really use his screaming pyro-ass right about now.
Dark eyes turned towards the two women, waiting for him to give orders. Cana was right again. Although he refused to give her the satisfaction of admitting that to her face. Juvia looked exhausted, but he also knew the water nymph wouldn't breathe a word about her exhaustion to him. He was growing worried for her. At this rate, Juvia's waters would become too polluted for her to live in properly.
She was a Naiad and the war was ravaging her home. Was it the lighting, or did she look paler than was typical?
"Cana, give me a moment with Juvia," He said, not taking his eyes off the blue haired woman.
"Bossy bossy," Cana drawled. Her hand dove to her hip where a flask rested. He watched as she wandered off with swaying hips and a backwards wave, "Take good care of her Captain Underpants."
Gray became aware of a slight breeze around his legs.
Oh, well crap.
He double checked himself and found he lost his shirt and pants somewhere along the line. At least his underwear had stayed on. Which was a good thing considering Juvia would have passed out by now. Already she had his pants and shirt folded in neat rows in her arms. He took them with an embarrassed grunt of thanks and stepped back into his pants. The shirt would just be discarded as soon as he put it on. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered.
"You wanted to speak with Juvia?" She asked, her fingers curling around her wrist. The smile she gave him could rival a rainbow after a stormy day and he almost staggered a step back out of her reach. He stopped himself and instead set his hands on her shoulders.
He hesitated, his chest tightening as he stared at her. The feelings he never had a chance to say for this woman bounced around in his head like a restless tiger. But the way she looked at him, with absolute confidence in his decisions made him feel a little ill.
Love was a tricky animal. Even trickier when it was an emotion found on the battlefield.
There was no falling in love for Gray.
Instead it was like a warm summer river, flowing against a glacier. It melted the ice in his heart he built ever since he lost his parents. Since he almost lost his siblings to demons and war and famine…
Even now Ultear was babysitting Natsu in the Great Divide, while Lyon was scouting for something anything to defeat Mard Geer and his legion.
And then there was Juvia. The water nymph that stayed by his side for every moment of it all.
Gray didn't know what she was expecting from him. What sort of hopeful answers did she believe he could conjure in their decaying situation? Gramps had taken a hard hit in the last strike, which crushed the morale of the Fae. Not to mention the dragons were without their king, and Natsu wasn't around to lead a harebrained scheme.
Erza was the fearless leader, their clinical tactician. But the news she told Gray just earlier did not leave him with many ways of keeping his battalion alive. Before their team had been like a steel curtain. Natsu took care of the center, his forces plowing through the middle in a frontal assault. It scattered the enemy and sent them to the sides where Gajeel, Gray and Erza's teams would hem in the enemy.
Who knew the living equivalence of a wrecking ball could be so missed?
"I know you're tired Juvia," Gray squeezed her shoulders, watching as the Naiad's dark eyes sharpened on him, "But you're the only one…"
He didn't know what he wanted to say. Gray's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, the words dying in his throat. What was really important to him? Orders, or her safety?
Hard shards of rock crackled against his shin, collecting in the cuffs of his pants. The battle roared closer to their location. Indecision crippled Gray for a few terrifying seconds, his heart hammering in his ribcage.
Gray wanted to try again, the grip he had on Juvia's shoulders firm and a little bruising with the urgency of what was happening around them. If it was painful for her, she endured it with silence and wide eyes.
"…If something happens when we fight today," Gray said, remembering not for the first time how very human he was in comparison to these mythical fae, dragons and demons. His heart ached in a way he wasn't used to, warmth unlike the ice he commanded melting its way through his chest and running watered down blood through his veins.
" –I want you to take this message to Meredy," Gray closed his eyes, pulling out a scroll from his pants pocket. He jotted down a quick message on the parchment and pressed it into Juvia's palm.
Coward.
He couldn't even look into those deep, fathomless eyes. What would he see reflecting there if he turned to her? Gray didn't want to know, instead shielding his heart again from the possibility of losing another person he cared about.
Another person he loved.
'Coward,' his thoughts screamed at him, 'This could be the last time you see her! This could be the last time either of you are alive!'
But he held his tongue, his dark eyes lifting to meet Juvia's. One last time before he returned to the battlefield, and she returned to the rivers.
She reached out, brushing her fingers across his cheek. Unspoken went her feelings for him so he allowed the contact. Perhaps he even drew just as much comfort and strength from her as she did him? The thought soothed the ache in his chest. It was in that moment when their eyes met, Gray hoped no words would be needed between them.
"Be safe dear Gray," Juvia withdrew her hand and stepped away.
Spell broken, and reality crashing down around them, Gray shook his head. He grunted in acknowledgement, his eyes dark on her.
"You too."
She smiled at him. A tiny thing, barely noticeable on her face but it bought him the courage to turn away from her and walk out to fight anew.
He had to meet with the Titania. Today they would be fighting side by side.
His lips thinned and he turned his gaze towards the darkening sky.
"…Come on Lava lips. Where are you?"
-::-
Lucy stared in amusement at the sight of Natsu sprawled out on his back, a trickle of drool escaping the corner of his mouth. The bottle of nail polish she held in her hand was a bright shade of pink she was unashamed to admit was inspired by a certain roommate of hers. Just like normal, he was laying on the couch, his shirt having ridden up thanks to the way he flailed in his sleep. Lucy was well acquainted with his unique style of kung-fu sleeping.
'He's as bold and aggressive in bed as he is everywhere else,' Lucy thought to herself. As if doing a mental replay in her head, her face flushed a dark cherry red and she hid her face in her hands. She was just grateful Natsu was dead asleep so he wouldn't pester her about why her face looked like a tomato.
She couldn't believe how fast her thoughts plummeted into the gutter. That had to be some kind of record.
Had to.
Lucy's eyes fell on the strip of dark, tanned skin exposed from Natsu's shirt. Hard muscles were lax from slumber, leaving a tantalizing peak that made her mouth run dry. Slow breaths coming from him caused his chest to expand and contract, her eyes following the cuts and lines in his body as they moved. His hand slid under his shirt, fingers scratching at stomach. The demon mumbled under his breath.
It was a confusing mix of adorable and way-too-damn-attractive for Lucy's poor brain to function right. Spotting the throw blanket on the loveseat, she snagged it and tossed it over Natsu, ignoring the fact most of it landed on his face. What was most important was how Natsu's distracting parts were all covered up.
The blanket snored for a moment before the blankets were kicked off by the cranky demon.
Lucy watched with fascination as he flopped over completely, forgetting he was on the couch of all places and rolling off it. The scream which next came from Natsu would be one she would forever cherish the moment he smacked face first into the floor.
He spluttered and sat up on his knees, whipping his head around until he caught sight of Lucy dropping down on the couch, her eyes gleaming in amusement.
"Hey don't give me that look," Lucy chided the demon that looked close to setting the entire apartment on fire again, "I just put a blanket on you. You rolled off the couch all by yourself."
She tapped a finger against her chin, "I give your landing a six out of ten."
"It was at least an 8," Natsu yawned, tired and grumpy. He lifted himself up and plopped back down on his back on the worn couch.
Lucy gave him an apologetic smile, ignoring how the demon was glaring at the ceiling fan with enough stopping power to fry all the electronics within it. The root of Natsu's bad mood was evidence enough. Levy.
Ever since they found out Levy was the one who knew where Lumen Histoire was, Natsu, Gajeel and Levy had been trying with every ounce of determination to decipher a clue into her memories. She on the other hand, hadn't done much to help in that endeavor. Lucy wasn't the most helpful friend she could have been, mostly because it was clear she did not want to lose her new friends.
It was selfish.
The two were eager to return home to their world. To help fight back in a war that was tearing everything they loved apart. Natsu already had spent too much time with her. Was it time to let him go already?
No, not yet.
She sighed and tucked her legs under her body, her thumb running against the worn fabric of the couch. An idle thought of replacing it crossed her mind before she dismissed it. The piece of furniture was almost threadbare now from pillow fights, her and Natsu wrestling on it late at night, scorched from fires, and slashed from the occasional demon invasion. But as scarred and ugly as it looked, it was her favorite.
Easing down in the comfort of the broken in cushions, Lucy swung her feet up onto Natsu's lap. His warm hand came down around her ankles at once, not sparing her a glance as he arranged them in a comfortable position. Lucy hid a smile at the way he had fallen into a routine with her when his head was turned towards the clock to check the time.
The first time she pulled her feet on his lap when they were watching TV he had made a face at them and told her they stunk. Which they didn't. That had sparked the first of many wrestling matches on the couch. Control over the remote sparked the second and subsequent many other battles they had.
"No luck with Levy?" Lucy asked him. She dragged herself towards him, bending her knees to scoot her butt along the cushions. His right arm came around to steady her back, a band of firm strength and heat pulling her into the right position.
"Nope," Natsu pouted, his sharp eyes watching her shake the pink bottle between neatly painted fingers. Really, he was such a cat sometimes she observed, the strange focus he watched her paint her nails was amusing at times, "She kicked me out because I kept throwing paper balls at her to try to get her to remember."
"Ah, so you were trying for the annoying tactic," Lucy smirked at him, inviting him to stick his tongue out at her, "Clever."
She watched his mouth open, his dark eyes burning against her face. It was like he wanted to say something to her, but he turned his gaze away to stare back at the clock. As usual, he kept his thoughts to himself.
Lucy rolled her eyes and dug her heels in his muscular thighs to drag herself closer to her feet. She uncapped her polish as she shuffled, noticing she had caught his attention again. His left hand tightened around her ankles and his hand smoothed across her spine to push her forward, leaving a path of fire in its wake. It was almost unfair how he could cause a sharp jump in the pit of her stomach with as simple a caress as that.
"Let me try."
She looked up at where his tanned hand curled above the ball of her foot, gripping loose just under her toes. Confusion must have been clear on her face, because a moment later Natsu grinned at her and swiped the brush and bottle from her hands. It was a little strange for her to see him holding them like they were delicate, but Lucy was too busy catching herself since she could no longer lean against his arm for support.
He scoffed at her flailing but dropped his forearm on her ankles to keep them still. Then, with careful strokes, the demon began the paint her nails Posey pink. Her jaw hung open in shock, but she held her feet still since she didn't want to mess Natsu up. His eyes were focused on the task but a silly little smile lit up his face as he painted them.
Where his sudden stroke of artistic interest came from, Lucy didn't know. But a smile drew over her face as she watched his uncoordinated fingers attempt the task she had long since perfected.
It was so messy by the end of his job; Lucy wanted to cringe at how he had painted the skin around the nail in sloppy strokes. Still, the proud smile on Natsu's face stopped her from complaining about the paint on her skin. Well for now. She would be giving him an earful when he looked less like a giddy schoolboy about it.
"What was this for?" She asked, wiggling her wet toes in his lap. Asking seemed to be the most logical step. Often when she wanted to know something about Natsu, he never revealed a single shred of information unless you asked first. Sometimes he even ignored the question. So she wasn't going to wait for him to explain himself. Demons never felt like explaining themselves.
Dragons either.
His arms lifted over his head and he rolled his hips, bumping the heels of Lucy's feet in the air as he adjusted himself. His hand caught her feet before she could nail him in the groin on accident and settled them back down on his lap. Dark eyes were shielded from Lucy's view by a curtain of pink bangs. They had flopped over in his sleep, causing him to peer out from under the fringe covering his face.
A smile flickered over his face, but Lucy wasn't distracted by the force of it like usual. She could see a muscle tighten in his jaw. His throat flexed underneath his scarf. Both were subtle hints that Lucy would have missed earlier in their friendship. Not now though.
Now she wasn't distracted by the blinding, handsome smile.
She studied him when he wasn't looking, trying her hardest to gauge his emotions and reactions by using his body language alone.
Research that yielded one result that never changed.
Natsu always smiled brighter when he was sad.
She pinched his side, causing him to squeal in pain and give her an injured look, with all the exaggeration of having a mortal wound. It was like she kicked his puppy.
"When I was very little, my mom died," She announced.
Natsu went very still, eyes flicking onto her and his arm coming to wrap around her calves. His gaze focused on her, all signs of humor falling off his face. Typical intensity and heat burned from Natsu when he dragged all his attention onto her and the words she was saying. For that Lucy was grateful, she would have hated to repeat herself.
It was like he understood the importance of what she was doing. His body was rigid like stone, but the feeling of his hand around her legs was gentle. His fingers, rough and calloused brushed a warm path across her shins.
"I didn't understand why she died at the time. She was always filled with so much light, I never thought she would go," Lucy continued, folding up to his eyelevel. Attentively he leaned forward to catch her around the shoulder with his free arm, "When she was gone, it was like the joy she brought our family was extinguished. All that light disappeared in an instant."
Natsu's brow creased, his mouth opening but closing a second later as he thought better of interrupting her story.
"My dad was never the same after she was gone," Lucy twisted her legs down to free them from Natsu's hold. She tucked them instead under her body, being careful of her wet toes. Instead she slid her hand into his, surprising him with the sudden movement.
She looked down at the back of his hand. Tanned skin was marred with light scars crossing his knuckles in thin webs, signs of battles long since fought and won. His palm was abnormal in its warmth, resting against hers with awkward hesitance. A small tug had her threading her fingers with his.
Natsu looked like his brain was about to shut down.
Having mercy on him she flashed him a bright smile, "Eventually I left that house when my father's expectations drove our relationship into the ground. I moved out on my own and about a year later I met you."
An expression close to shock crossed Natsu's face, his attention focused back on her. She felt his hand tighten around hers by a fraction. Heat burned at her palm but the skin didn't sear. That was how she gauged his reaction because Natsu arranged his face into a neutral expression as he listened.
"I'm not telling you this to open up to me about anything Natsu," Lucy brushed her thumb against his knuckles, drawing his attention to that spot, "I already know what's bothering you. I know what you're trying to hide."
His eyes went wide and his grip tightened in her hand. Panic filtered through his eyes for a moment, his fangs coming down on his lips in his haste to close his mouth.
"What— "
"You're worried about the war back home, and I've been selfish this whole time by wanting you to stay," Lucy looked down at the cushions, "You and Gajeel are both the kings of your races. You can leave whenever you want, but you're still bound to me. That's keeping you here with me."
"Maybe I don't want to break the bond deep down," Lucy admitted to him, unable to look at him, "Because the moment I do, you can leave back home. I would really miss you."
She would do more than miss him.
Her feelings for the demon had settled somewhere between 'love' and 'oh my god NO. '
A great love to give way to greater tragedy.
She felt the hand she was holding tighten around hers and his freehand rest on top of her head. Warm breath fanned across her cheeks, a soft weight pressing against her forehead.
Looking up, she saw his face inches from hers, a smile on his face and his eyes closed.
"Don't be such a weirdo Lucy," Natsu said without opening his eyes. His voice was low and thick with promises her heart couldn't help but believe, "Like I'd just up and forget you forever, where's the faith?"
"You're just as much a member of Fairy Tail as I am," He cracked dark eyes open, "No matter where we go, I'll always be looking your way."
She met his gaze with a smile of her own and nodded.
It was in that moment she came up with a decision to help him go home. No matter what her feelings for Natsu were, she had to do everything in her power to help him get home.
"I think it's time we see Ultear again."
-::-
The journey back to Ultear's was as eventful as it was the first time they went. This time they were going to meet Levy and Gajeel though. They took separate cars because Lucy discovered the iron dragon shared Natsu's weakness of vehicles.
One dragon trying to crawl out of the car while it was moving was bad enough by itself, but two?
Yeah she would refund Levy the gas money if it meant getting to avoid that potential headache.
Out of the car again, she pressed a bottle of water into a grateful Natsu's hand. She smiled as she saw him reaching for it before she even got to his side. As usual, she helped hoist the demon back to his feet. He downed the bottle of water in one go, crunching it in his hand, a breath sighing from the back of his throat.
Together they climbed up Ultear's rickety steps. Natsu shoved his way inside, this time not even bothering to knock on the door much to her displeasure.
"Natsu wait! Last time we were here she said she'd turn you into a Salamander!" Lucy protested.
A soft voice, velvety and male laughed from the living room.
"That would hardly be the first time our witch friend has threatened such a fate on poor Natsu."
Curious, Lucy rounded a corner to where a man was seated with his back partially turned towards them. He was inspecting Ultear's collection of herbs, snapping off shoots of leaves and dropping them into a dark pouch.
The man was calm, serious eyes staring straight ahead from under a blue fringe of fly-away hair. What was curious though was not the color of his hair, nor the comfortable way he held himself in the store. It was the gossamer wings folded on his back, barely visible under the cloak that had been pushed across his arm when he was reaching for plants.
Her hand flew up to her mouth as she noticed the wings looked as if they had once been beautiful.
But now…
The wings lay useless at his sides. Soft membrane from the wings clung to delicate bones like translucent ribbons.
Lucy's eyes were drawn to the shredded wings on his back, and the moment he noticed she was staring, the man shifted his cloak to hide them from sight. The shame in his eyes was noticeable enough Lucy felt guilty for gawking. Was he a fairy?
But his wings… They looked so painful.
"Jellal," Natsu's voice came from next to her, pulling her attention back, "What're you doing here?"
The fairy, Jellal, looked at Natsu and nodded in greeting. A small smile flickered over his face. Whatever his connection was to Natsu, the morose looking man seemed pleased to see him.
"Natsu, it's good to see you again – and in excellent health. Erza will be pleased to hear of this," He answered. His head turned enough for Lucy to see the red tattoo on his face, intricate and woven under a single brown eye, "I'm here to make a report to Ultear. She's opening a sensory link with Meredy, it's much safer than the other method of communicating. No risk of possession."
His eyes were shadowed with memories. It was as if the word possession brought up painful reminders of something from long ago in his past. Lucy decided not to question it.
"Yeah, only the risk of injury and death," Natsu scowled back, but said nothing else on the subject. He kicked his legs up on the table. His glare was focused on something in the corner of the store and Lucy followed her friend's poisonous glare.
…a house plant?
What did Natsu have against a house plant?
… No it was probably better if Lucy didn't try to answer that question.
Jellal's amusement filled the air with a quiet palpability. His brown eyes were warm and kind, even as he gently brushed the demon's feet off the table, "I'll fetch you once Ultear is finished with the spell. Please wait here."
He sighed, looking around himself. Lucy knew the look in his eyes well enough. He was judging whether or not to leave Natsu alone with the many flammable objects no doubt found in Ultears shop.
Natsu's smile widened.
"Please try not to break anything," Jellal seemed to beg. His fingers tied off the bag and tucked it into his belt.
With those words he left them to themselves. He waited long enough to give Natsu a firm look over his shoulder before disappearing behind a beaded curtain.
Natsu wasted no time springing to his feet and pacing to the potted plant. He cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing on the inanimate object, "Alright Mr. Botany. You ready for round two?"
Lucy rolled her eyes and tugged him away from the plant by the back of his shirt.
She sat him down, dropping next to him with a grin to match his pout.
"Just be patient and refrain from picking fights with harmless plants," Lucy chided.
"That thing is far from harmless— "
"—Ultear is bound to have a way to spark Levy's memory," Lucy continued, cutting him off mid-rant, "So you don't need to occupy yourself with a distraction and almost burn her house to the ground in the process. You're going to get too excited at this rate."
Satisfied at the sight of his jaw snapping shut in shock and his arms crossing his chest in silent irritation, Lucy reclined back in her seat.
"And maybe she can help me control my power so I can break our bond," Lucy sighed. Her eyes lifted towards Natsu, who was still pouting over not being allowed to pick a fight with 'Mr. Botany' or whatever it was called.
"Just promise you will come visit me sometime after you win your war."
His eyes drew to her face and he hooked his hands under his chair, carrying it with him towards Lucy until he was in front of her. Was he blushing? His hands tightened around the arm rests. His adams apple bobbed with nerves, and for a second Lucy thought he was actually anxious about something.
"Lucy, I could – if you wanted it I mean – " His eyes dropped down to the floor and lifted back towards hers. It was like he was wrestling with something in the pit of his stomach until something hardened in his eyes. Not confidence, although there was some of that, but determination.
"I won't leave you for long if you want me to come back," Natsu stressed and lifted a hand to grasp her shoulder. His forehead came into contact with hers, a soft caress nuzzled across her skin. It was an affectionate contact he seemed comfortable with. Embracing and hand holding was never initiated by him, but at the same token he never rejected those either.
Their eyes met across the short distance. Lucy attempted to decipher the meaning behind his words but found it difficult when she was staring directly into his fire
What was he saying?
That he'd come back for her?
"Natsu," She lifted her hands to cradle either side of his cheeks, her thumbs brushing the curve under his eyelid. Her fingers slid through pink strands, bravery steeling her reserves and encouraging her to speak, "Of course I want you to come back, don't you know?"
She swallowed around her own tongue when she felt Natsu's hand trail into her hair to cup the back of her head.
"Natsu I lov—…"
Whatever brave speech she was planning on making was cut short by the sound of a mournful cry coming from the back room.
Natsu's eyes went wide, his head lifting to the air.
"I smell blood."
The two jerked away from one another and sprang to their feet. All thoughts of confessing to Natsu escaped from Lucy's mind in the face of someone in trouble. Something wrong happened in the backroom with Jellal and Ultear, whatever she had to get off her chest to Natsu could wait.
Sprinting to the back, Natsu made it just before Lucy. She threw back the beads and skidded down next to where Jell was helping Ultear to her feet. His expression was grim despite the sure grip he held on his companion. Tears flowed down from her fact in an endless stream, her chest heaving with grief stricken sobs.
"I-It's not me," Ultear cried in explanation, wiping with furious swipes at her eyes, "It's Meredy, she connected our senses and emotions to create a channel, but it's gone now."
Natsu looked at her, Lucy reading the confusion on his face and knelt in front of Ultear where she was cradling her arm to her chest. He peered at her closely while jellal steadied her.
"She must have told you all she could have if she knocked out the connection that fast," Natsu said with an optimistic smile.
One that slid off his face the moment he looked at Jellal's face.
Ultear held out her arm for his inspection, and Lucy swore she saw every ounce of blood drain from Natsu's face. The witch's arm was bloody, the source of what Natsu caught before. However, while that was enough to make Lucy queasy, what she saw next was worse than anything she could have imagined. A message in another language, cut deep into Ultear's skin.
"Cutting a message into her arm. It's the best way to send a message through her magic. She can only mimic emotions and physical wounds," Ultear explained to Lucy, the human drawing next to Natsu.
He was trembling.
Lucy couldn't make out what was written there, but Natsu seemed to understand with perfect clarity.
"What does it say?" She asked him, tugging at his wrist.
But Natsu didn't reply at first, but in a few slow movements, his head turned towards hers. Pain reflected in his eyes, and Lucy understood something bad must have happened over there.
"The words it says show the fate of the war," Natsu murmured. He took a deep breath, his eyes closing against the letters, dark red against Ultear's pale skin.
"So what does it say?" Lucy demanded again, her hand closing around his.
This time it was Jellal who answered, his eyes dark and grim. It was as if what little light was left in him drained out at the news Ultear brought.
"Titania has Fallen."
-::-
Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement. I appreciate the comments, they really helped motivate me.
