Leo's Embrace

It was pitch dark as she walked down the cold, desolate hallway that was so familiar to her. As she stepped soundlessly forward, she could make out portraits of dignified-looking people, their heads held high and their mouths neither smiling nor frowning upon the walls. Their expressions were closed off, never telling whether they felt happy, sad or angry.

Her breath came out in puffs of air before her eyes as she finally stopped before a tall, mighty door. She reached up on her tip-toes to turn the doorknob, and the door swung open, creaking loudly on its hinges as it revealed a man she recognized as her father arguing with a young woman she had never seen before. Her father's desk divided the pair as they screamed furiously and pointed accusing fingers at each other.

"Papa..." She whispered, stretching out her hands.

It was then she noticed that her hands were blotched with red liquid that dripped from the very tips of her fingers. She looked down; upon seeing the same dark color splashed against the dress and shoes she wore, she brought her hands to her face, giving off a terribly high-pitched, frightened scream.

This wasn't her blood.

Everything began to melt away around her, and flashes of images replaced the office she had stumbled into. A mangled, unidentifiable body lying on the floor, a bed with straps that held her down no matter how she struggled, her father leaving her alone with the strange lady he had been shouting at, and finally, an incredible feeling that she was falling, forgetting, and finally, burning.

Lucy was being shaken violently by two warm, strong hands that gripped her shoulders. As she opened her eyes, she found it was Natsu, and she didn't need to look at the fire mage's expression to know that she had been screaming in her sleep. She lay tangled between her sheets, breathing in rapid gasps, taking in her surroundings. Both Izayoi and her maid Mayu stood over her, and were both speaking words Lucy couldn't hear. Another person sat at the foot of her bed, and Lucy was surprised to see that it was Loke.

She felt Natsu release her from his grasp, and she pulled herself up into a sitting position, at the same time trying to keep the room from spinning.

"Lucy-," Natsu began, but Loke stopped him with a slight shake of the head. Lucy turned to look out the window. It was still dark outside, and as she continued to stare at the blackness that was only broken by the full moon's radiant glow, she could feel tears damp on her face. The last time she had cried in her sleep had been the first night after she had left the Heartfilia mansion. What would cause her to feel this familiar pain shooting through her heart now?

"Are you alright, Ms. Heartfilia?" Izayoi asked, breaking the tense silence that had settled heavily upon them all. "Can I get you anything?"

"No…" Lucy mumbled. "I'm ok…"

"But you were screaming stuff in your sleep-!" Natsu burst forth, unable to keep quiet. "And you kept yelling for you dad-!"

"Quiet, Natsu-!" Loke snapped when he saw Lucy flinch at the mention of her father. "Another word and I'll-!"

"You'll what?" A spark ignited in Natsu's eyes at the suggestion of a fist-fight.

"Please-," Lucy spoke up. "It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry I woke you up…"

"You didn't wake me up," Natsu continued, despite the furious glare from the celestial spirit. "Loke did. He was really worried, yelling up and down the hallway outside my room for help until I finally opened my door to see what the racket was all about. Mayu heard him too, and went to get Ms. Izayoi."

Lucy smiled at the Leo spirit, who gave her a half-hearted grin as he replied, "You wouldn't wake up, no matter how hard I tried to rouse you. I was panicked."

"Sorry…" Lucy mouthed quietly, then to everyone else. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm really fine. You can go back to bed, I have Loke with me."

"If you're really ok then…" Izayoi stared hard at Lucy as if searching for assurance, before leaving with Mayu right behind her.

"Go on," Lucy nodded at Natsu, "I'll see you in the morning."

Natsu looked like he wanted to say something, but he swallowed whatever it was, affectionately ruffled Lucy's hair, and then cleared the room, shutting the door tight behind him and pushing out the little bit of candlelight that illuminated the corridor beyond.

"Can I rely on you for tonight, my friend?" Lucy whispered to Loke once they were alone in that dark, bare bedroom. Loke could just make out his friend's tiny outline as she crawled forward across the rumpled blankets and into his arms, hiding her face in his chest, barely able to control the fresh tears coursing down her cheeks. Wordlessly, he lay down on his side; and with Lucy still coddled against him, wrapped her blanket around her fragile, shaking frame, and gently stroked her soft, tangled hair.

"I don't understand anything…" Lucy spoke in a hoarse mumble, choking on her sobs. "I don't know what to think…don't know what to do…."

"It's alright…" Actually, Loke wasn't sure if any of this was "alright", but it was better than remaining quiet. "You'll be ok…"

Hours passed before Lucy finally cried herself to sleep. Neither she nor Loke said anything else to each other that night, and the next morning, Lucy woke up alone.

She wished she could believe that last night was all a dream…she hadn't wanted to depend on Loke. In fact, she hadn't wanted to depend on anyone. But the very last thing she wanted to do was show her most vulnerable side to Natsu, who had always been so tough, so strong, and so loyal, always ready to rescue her from immediate danger. She didn't want to trouble him further with her own issues. Besides, she was sure he had enough of his own. She wanted him to think she was stronger than she truly was in reality. She was already the weakest link of the team physically. The least she could do was make up for it in mental and emotional strength.

If anything, she would die before Natsu witnessed her in the way Loke had that night. He deserved more than that.

sry that this chapter is a little short, but the next is quite long (maybe too long...-.-). I'll upload that soon, almost done with it. Extremely lonely in Scotland when you don't know anyone, but hopefully I'll get a job soon and make some friends. I'm also going on a trip to Australia to visit my cousins for a month. SO PUMPED FOR THAT! Then I'm coming back and I'll hopefully get into college at Aberdeen Uni. thx for being so patient guys, hope you like!