Hey everyone! I'm sorry this chapter wasn't out sooner. I'm sick and I've got a few things going on at the minute that I'm not going to go into. Plus, I've got exams coming up so my stress levels are high preparing for those. Is it bad I regretted posting the last chapter almost immediately after I did? A lot of you seemed unhappy with it so, again, I am sorry for the confusion. That was a mistake on my part. I wasn't going to answer reviews in this chapter, I don't have the energy for it, but I figured it would be rude not to so i'll do it now. Probably won't be as detailed as usual but again, sorry, I don't have a lot of energy for anything lately. If I hadn't posted this chapter now it probably would have just sat on my computer until July. Anyway, enjoy.
Guest: He's not necessarily in love with her anymore. He was once but he's moved on since then. Sorry if I couldn't make it more clear but all I can really say to explain it is that he never really had a proper chance to grieve for her until now. Sorry for confusing you.
RainbowMagic657: Ha. You welcome. Glad you appreciate it.
KJacket: Yeah, sorry. I'm trying but writers blocks a bitch. Not really an excuse for it though. I'll try harder.
JustSomething: Ow wow. That's a lot. First of all, don't apologise at the end of that. The criticism is appreciated. Helps me see what I'm doing wrong. I'd rather people tell me rather than just stop reading because they don't like the way I do things. I'll try to be more consistent. Sorry.
TabbyCat: Thankyou! It's a difficult thing for me to try and get across and I know I sound like I'm repeating myself when I try, so thankyou for noticing!
A streak of colour flashed in front of his face. "Come on! You're so slow."
"Maybe you're just too fast?"
"Nope. You're too slow."
Their childish bickering was sweet, relaxing. An interaction that was long overdue. Oh how long had it been since they had done this? Since they had had fun? Too long. It seems they were running somewhere, through a forest. Flurries of green and brown rushed by, birds sounded in the sky and the wonderful sense of spring was ripe in the air. It was perfect, mesmerising in fact.
Then suddenly, they stop. The blur in front begins to turn around but just before their face comes into view, a horrid, blood curdling scream rips through the scene. He is thrown backwards. The figure in front of him begins to twist and turn along with the scene until they disappear completely. Everything is black, empty. Someone is crying, someone else is shouting, someone is screaming. Yet he is motionless. Then, everything stops.
No one makes a sound. No one dares to move. Suddenly, a cold brush of air pushes past him and he's spun around to face...red? Nothing but red save for a dark blur sprawled on the floor. It was getting closer at an alarming rate, almost as if he was falling. Wait, he was falling. The ground seemed to be just in front of him, he would hit it soon and the last thing he would see before he did, was her lifeless, emotionless face- the fear still etched into her features.
"Oi Natsu!" He awoke with a fright as something rather hard hit against the back of his head, "Wake up! It's nearly twelve already!"
Mumbling, "Ow..." He sits up and surveys the scene. At first he is confused. This isn't his living room, which means he's definitely not in his apartment, but then the events of the previous day hit him even worse than that book had. Wait, a book? What was she thinking?! He might not be able to die but he sure could feel pain. "Dammit woman! I can't even fall asleep now without you pestering me."
"Well no one asked you to chase me down yesterday!" Lucy yelled back from the kitchen. She had retreated there after throwing the book, knowing full well that he wouldn't be happy when he woke up, "I tried waking you up before but you wouldn't budge, not even when you started screaming!" He was screaming? That was him? God, he must have made her worry, not too mention what her neighbours must have thought. He had made it a point to stay over her home less and less but apparently that wasn't happening any time soon.
Last night, after she had abruptly left Fairy Tail, he had gone after her. She was upset about something but didn't tell him much. All he could recall her saying was something about her family. Apparently, everyone in the Heartfilia clan, her mother's side of the family to be specific, had some kind of illness that meant they didn't live long. In Lucy's words, no one had made it past 35 yet. It was almost as if they were cursed. Lucy seemed to believe they were anyway. She had told him that she hadn't thought much about it until that night, she'd just accepted the fact that she was going to die. But spending so much time with him and his friends has made her reconsider some things. She wants to live more and fears she has wasted her life. Boy was that a fun night. He probably spent about an hour or so cradling her as she just cried into his shoulder. It was a horrible sight to witness but he supposed he was the only one to blame. Maybe if he had bothered to ask more about her, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe now he had more reason than ever to just back off for good.
"Hey Luce?"
"Yeah?"
"How long have I been here?" He barely remembered falling asleep never mind getting here in the first place! The only things still fresh in his memory from the day before were the events that had happened in between those two things. Well, that and actually leaving the bar. But when was that though? It certainly wasn't just after she had left. He hadn't wanted to look like a creep but he was worried about her. Mira had given him another drink or two afterwards, meaning he was there for at least an hour after she had left, especially if the mild hangover he had was anything to go by. And yes, he could still get drunk. Even as a vampire he could never hold his liquor. "Do I look like a clock to you?"
Lucy reentered the living room, two steaming cups of coffee in hand. One was placed in front of Natsu and the other she kept for herself before taking up a seat next to him on the couch. "Uggh, you need a shower." She stated simply wrinkling her nose in disgust, "And a change of clothes. These ones are drenched in sweat. Who knew a dream could take so much out of you huh?" It was more like a nightmare, one that he used to have all the time. They had stopped a few years ago and he thought he had gotten rid of them for good. Apparently that wasn't the case.
The last couple of weeks he'd dreaded going to sleep for fear of what he may see. Every night it was something different too. Sometimes he'd see his friends at Fairy Tail, all happy and lively, until the hunters broke through the doors and slaughtered them all. Other times he would imagine being in his own apartment and witnessing one of his enemies standing over the battered remains of his roommate. And more recently, well, his dream today had been more of a memory, the last memory he held of a dear childhood friend before her untimely...passing. In this dream, her face and Lucy's had constantly swapped and changed though and it was agony to witness such a scene. He had already seen it once, he didn't need it again. Especially considering he didn't want to have to go through the same thing with the blonde seated to his right.
A soft hand on his arm broke him from whatever daydream he was under and he turns to see a concerned sea of blue clouding his vision. Lucy was there again to check he was alright. She was always there lately- for reassurance, for comfort. It was both a delight and an annoyance. He needed her, She made him happy, human even, and he was able to forget about everything for a brief period because she really didn't care about it all. On the other hand, the fact that she stuck around him was infuriating. She was endangering herself. He could just walk away from her but he knew that if he did, if he left her, even if he explained his actions, she would follow him. Why? Honestly he really didn't know. If he was in her shoes, he'd have been long gone by now. She was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. But. he admired her persistence.
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Seriously?" The blonde raised an eyebrow, "I don't know what time you got here but I do know you fell asleep before midnight and now it's nearly twelve. That's got to be around ten or eleven hours of sleep Natsu. I'm sure even for your kind that's more than enough."
"I can sleep for days on end," He smirked, "Trying waking me when I'm like that and you'll understand why eleven hours is nothing to us." Lucy huffed, earning a chuckle from him, "Besides, when you've got all eternity left to walk the Earth you can afford a few extra hours of sleep." Lucy rolled her eyes at him but he was right. He had all the time in the world to spare as far as she knew. Who was she to tell him how to spend it?
"Alright Dracula-"
"I'm not-"
"-Go take a shower. If you think you're taking me to work smelling like that you can think again." Lucy playfully pats his shoulder as she pushes herself up from the couch. For a few weeks now he had become like her personal chauffeur and her colleagues had gotten used to seeing her being dropped off at the cafe in the sleek black vehicle. On a few occasions, mainly the very few night shifts she had done since returning to work, he had accompanied her inside, though he and Loke don't seem to get on too well. Oh well, can't please everyone right?
Thirty minutes later and he was finally finished in the shower. It was hypocritical of him to complain about her taking so long to get dressed everyday when he takes that long knowing perfectly well that they had somewhere to be! Well, she had somewhere to be, he was taking her. But that wasn't the point! She would be late at this rate. "Natsu, hurry the fuck up! I'll be late!"
"Yeah yeah. I'll be there in a minute." He called back, seemingly annoyed. She had only handed him his clothes about ten minutes ago. Thankfully he had a drawer filled with them from the amount of time he had stayed here. It was getting to the point where he very rarely had to go back to his own apartment at all. All that was left to do was officially declare that he had moved in and he would never need to again. But she was never, ever, going to do that. Sure having him around was nice, but she needed her space every now and then. Plus, he didn't actually live there. He was just always...around. There's a difference. But what was the point of having things over here for him if he took so long to do one, simple task! She would be better off just walking but he would probably chase after her again. He was the one who had offered to start driving her to work and the gesture was sweet, really, but she knew the real reason he had done it.
Around the time he had made the offer, news of attacks had begun to ripple through the city again. Apparently it was by the same guy as before according to the minimal amount of evidence that had been gathered, however this time they were more brutal. Victims had a very low chance of survival in comparison to before and whereas before there had only been about seven or eight in the space of a year, numbers had already reached beyond that and it had only been a few weeks. Natsu seemed to think that her attack at the hands of Bora was connected to those that were once again plaguing Magnolia and leaving its citizens in fear.
She'd realised that whilst there would always be that small part of her that was scared of what he was capable of, not to mention the obviously larger connection he had to the string of violence ravaging the city, she didn't care. Around her he was just a regular human and that was fine with her. The less she saw of his vampiristic nature the better. The part of her that was wary of him would always exist but other than that, she was perfectly fine with his presence.
"Alright alright, I'm here. Let's go." He exclaimed, hurrying to the door and slipping his jacket on.
"Took you long enough." Lucy giggled, ducking out of his reach as she scurried out of her apartment and away from him before he could catch her, laughing all the way down to the staircase at the end of the hall. See? It was moments like this, moments when she didn't have to think of his beastly nature, that she really didn't care what he was. As long as they could have fun, as long as they could have a somewhat normal friendship, she really didn't care. You only live once and how many people can say they have met an actually vampire in their life time? The new lease on life she had gotten recently made her realise that, no matter what Natsu was and no matter how long he was in her life for, she could never go back to being normal. So why not make the most of this while she could?
There was silence for the majority of the ride to Starry Heavens, of course that was until Natsu stupidly turned onto one of the busier roads cutting right through the city. Immediately they were caught in the morning work rush and every ounce of fun that they had been having before hand left them. Natsu groaned as he placed his head on the steering wheel, not wanting to stare at the stalled river of traffic ahead of him. "Tell me when it's gone. I don't want to look at it."
"You're the driver. You do it. I'm going to have to call Aquarius and tell her I'll be late."
"Good luck with that. I've only met your boss once and she's terrifying." Oh didn't she know it. But Aquarius was an old friend so she really couldn't complain. If it wasn't for her, she wouldn't have her job at all. Natsu seemed to drift in and out of reality as he lazily listened to Lucy's conversation with her boss. There was some shouting, some laughing and a long, drawn out silence on Lucy's end with the odd remark that seemed to be very off of the topic of work. He resisted the urge to groan. Of course this was how he was supposed to spend his time here. Normally he didn't mind Lucy talking with her friends, but that was when he was out of the room and didn't have to listen to it. Normally he would disappear into his own thoughts, but he didn't want to go there today. Not after the dreams he'd been having. Not if it meant...remembering. He didn't want to see her. Not anymore. He was finally moving on and those memories just had to have resurfaced. Why now? After so many years? It was unfair.
"Oh hurry up Natsu, you're so slow!" The girl giggled as she skipped on ahead of him. She knew perfectly well he wasn't actually slow and was in fact limiting his speed for her sake, but he still didn't want to admit that. Their trips to their secret hideout were the only thing that had kept him sane lately. Well, it was that and getting to see her smiling face everyday. "I'm not slow! You're just too fast."
"Yeah right Natsu." She giggled again before she took off running, forcing him to speed up and follow her. The forest was a dangerous place to be alone, especially when you only human. She knew of the dangers hidden in the trees yet she always insisted on straying away from his protection. Why? Why was she so stubborn? His power wasn't a very good one, he was literally cursed, but he had three friends he could use it to protect and that was all he was determined to do. If only she would cooperate every once in a while and understand his worry. Maybe then it would be easier to protect them. "Hey wait, I'll lose you!"
"Well speed up then! I know you can." She turned a corner on the path and he knew she was right. If he didn't speed up then he would actually lose her in the maze of trees that was this forest. But he only did it a little bit, refusing to tap into the full potential of his power. Why was she always trying to get him to use it? He didn't want to. Why couldn't she just understand that? He loved her, really, but it was so damn annoying when she tried to force him to use the abilities he so hated. She knew that yet she still continued to try.
Maybe she was trying to get him to accept himself. This was how he was always going to be now and there was no way to change that, but that didn't mean he liked the fact that he had been a reanimated, blood sucking corpse for the past two hundred years or so. And he hated the fact that she and her siblings had used their own magic so that he didn't have to suffer through it alone. It was sweet and he was grateful to them for doing that, but he didn't deserve it. Did he? "Hey Lisanna, come on, you've had your fun now. Come back." He reached the end of the turn and called out for her. Apparently he really had lost her. Even searching the air for her scent did nothing and he began to worry when his overly sensitive senses couldn't pick up any trace of her. They were one of his abilities that he couldn't turn off and, as annoying as it might be, it came in useful for situations like this.
"Lisanna!" He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted for her again, still desperately hoping his senses could pick something up. Anything. All he needed was a twig snapping, the sound of her breathing, maybe even briefly catching her scent in the wind. He needed something, something to know that she was still there. "Lisanna!" He cries more desperately now. The panic setting into his voice is clear now, maybe it's because he can feel the sinister turn the atmosphere has taken. It makes him worry even more. "Lisanna!"
If his heart was still beating, it would have stopped then and there for the next sound he heard was enough to make anyone's blood run cold. A sickening scream rang through the air. It was Lisanna screaming for him. She was terrified and, for a brief second, his body just wouldn't move no matter how much he willed it to. Then suddenly, he took off at lighting speed to the direction he heard her in. But, it was too late.
"Hey Natsu?" Lucy finally speaks up again, breaking him from his trance. Was he asleep again? No, no he wasn't. Usually when he woke up his body felt paralysed for a few seconds afterwards. Normally he couldn't move it but this time he was able to. He hadn't been asleep then, he'd just been daydreaming...or was it remembering? Yes, remembering. That's what it was. He really hadn't wanted to remember that but apparently his brain had other ideas. Just great.
The traffic wasn't moving anywhere any time soon, they had to think of some way to pass the time. Might as well start by asking the one thing that had been on her mind since before they left the apartment. At the small nod of acknowledgement he gave, she continued, "Who's Lisanna?" He seemed to panic. She noticed the way his hands gripped tighter to the steering wheel, the way his knuckles were slowly whitening and how stiff his back had become. To add to that his eyes seemed to fill with surprise. He hadn't expected her to ask that, she was never even supposed to know that name. How had she found out? How?! He needed answers.
"How...how do you know that name?" Had he said something just then? Maybe he had and was too dazed to realise. Oh God. Oh God no! He was not ready to tell her this. Please, please don't make me tell her. Not yet! Not now.
Lucy hesitated before she spoke. She really didn't want to upset him, "You were calling for her once or twice in the middle of the night. I don't even think you realise it but you talk in your sleep." Oh no.
"Oh. Right. Yeah. I knew that." He didn't actually, though he had an idea he did anyway. Apparently he had yet another reason to avoid sleep around her, or anyone for that matter. Oh this was just wonderful.
"You also mentioned someone called Zer-"
"Ah finally we're moving!" He completely cut her off as the sea of cars began to slowly part. Whatever issue that had stopped them had finally been resolved, they were free to go now. "You were saying?"
"I...never mind. It doesn't matter.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." Truthfully, he was glad she wasn't asking questions anymore. He knows he had said he would answer whatever question she had but she was going to ask about someone he had refused to acknowledge up until recently. Lisanna was an issue that Mira would surely be mad at him for speaking about, but she would forgive him eventually. But that other name, he refused to speak of to anyone. Lucy was not an exception to that. He had told her a lot lately but Zeref would not be an issue that he would reveal. That was his problem. And Lisanna was a painful subject. It wasn't just his secret to share. He had witnessed her death,mthat was something he had kept to himself all off this time, but he had no right to reveal anything to Lucy until Mira and Elfman were ready to speak about it. Besides, he was finally grieving for her. Properly this time. And now the threat of Ze- I mean 'he who shall not be named' taking Lucy away from him was becoming increasingly more likely. He wasn't ready to go through that again. Not yet. He couldn't protect Lisanna back then but he would make damn sure he protected Lucy now. She was his second chance.
His refusal to speak didn't stop Lucy thinking about it though. Who were they? Why were they so important? What had happened between the three of them? It was wrong to be so intrusive into these issues, they were obviously extremely personal, which was why she had stopped asking at the second opportunity she had. But she had thought about it for the rest of the ride to Starry Heavens, despite the friendly conversation Natsu had tried to keep up to avoid the topic, and all the way through her current shift. She couldn't help but think that she'd heard those names before, but where? Maybe during another one of Natsu's nightly outbursts. No, he said a lot during the night but he never cried out for anyone until now. Those names were so familiar yet she didn't know why and it was really beginning to frustrate her. Think Lucy, think! Where, where, where...Come on! You have to remember them from somewhere!
"Lucy?" Loke called out to her across the counter yet received no reply. She was ignoring her duties. Any other day he would have been fine with it but the fact that Aquarius was in the back room, ready to come and watch them any second, was frightening enough for him. "Oi!" Still nothing. He tried a few more times but to no avail until, finally, he threw his hands onto the counter in frustration and let a loud bang resonate through the cafe, "Lucy!" She was startled out of her thoughts, a look of pure innocence and confusion overtaking her features. But then she noticed Loke glaring at her from across the counter and her features straightened out into a frown, "Leo, what are you doing standing around like this? Get back to work."
"But-"
"Now." That hypocrite! There were other words he could call her but there were children seated at a few of the booths with their parents today and he was not ready to accept the blame for anything they may say afterwards (it totally had nothing to do with the fact that Aries was working today and whilst he loved her, he would not admit that he was absolutely terrified of her at times). Imagine what she would do to him if she heard him swear around these children. A shudder ran up his spine just thinking of it. "Leo!" Lucy snapped.
"I'm sweeping, I'm sweeping. See?!" He swept the floor in an exaggerated manner just to prove his point. The blonde rolled her eyes at his antics but ignored him nonetheless. She was more concerned about the fact that, for the past five minutes, she's felt someone staring at her. Well, she'd felt it since starting her shift but now it was more obvious. Someone was watching her and it unnerved her greatly. But who was it? Her eyes scanned the cafe until they landed on a familiar figure.
Her heart dropped. That hood...it had been months since they had last been in here. She had always been suspicious of them before but now, even with their eyes hidden thanks to their hood, she could tell they were staring at her, watching her for some unknown reason. It seemed like an eternity as she was locked in a battle of gazes with them, neither faltering, until the figure unexpectedly moved from their usual table and strode eerily slowly towards her. Loke, Aquarius, ANYONE! Where you when I need you! She pleaded silently but her co workers had disappeared out of sight. No one seemed to notice what was going on. They were all just ignoring her.
"Lucy Heartfilia." The hooded figure spoke, finally, as they sat down on the stool across from her. Their voice was different though. Every other minimal interaction she had had with them, it had been a man she had spoke to. And no, she wasn't just assuming that. There had been very few instances when she was able to catch a brief glimpse of his face, but it had been so long that she couldn't remember what he looked like. This voice, on the other hand, was feminine. And how did they know her name? Her first name she could understand, but no one used her last name. No one knew it apart from Natsu. Everyone including her colleagues knew her as Lucy Ashley. She'd gone under an alias since arriving in Magnolia in an effort to distance herself from her father as much as possible. It had been over a year since he had passed but she was still not willing to change it back. So how did they know?
Their glare was hard and piercing as they lifted their head to face the waitress, "I need to ask you a few questions concerning your connection to one Mr Natsu Dragneel."
Somewhere else in Magnolia...
"P-please stop! No! I-I'm sorry boss, I didn't mean-"
"Silence." A hand gripped the throat of the quivering man, hoisting him up into the air effortlessly. "What did I tell you? I give you one simple task and you couldn't even manage that! Pathetic."
"B-b-boss, it wasn't my fault." He choked, "She wasn't-"
"Stop your blubbering," The hand squeezed tighter, "I've heard it before. You say she wasn't alone but," The figure sneered, a ruthless glint in their eyes, "I don't care." The strangled man was thrown across the cobbles in the alleyway, gasping for breath, "Find her! Bring her to me and don't even think of coming back here until you have her, understood?" The man was choking on the ground. He attempted a glare up at the man he called his boss but was immediately met with a kick to the side, "Do you understand, or am I going to have to employ someone more capable?" He sneered.
"Un...understood." He choked.
"Good," A smirk crossed the boss' features. It wasn't happy, it was malicious and filled with an intent of unspeakable, pure evil, "Lucy Heartfilia, you days on this earth are numbered."