Chapter 14 Thursday

Midnight… where did he go it has been hours. Several hours ago Natsu found out about what happened between me and Loke. He ripped Lokes key off the ring and ran out. I have been trying to find him ever since. Loke won't die… but with how long it has been I can not help but think something horrible has happened. "Natsu!, Natsu!" I keep calling for him, I have been doing it so long that my throat is starting to get sore. I found my self by the river, the moon reflected in the water. This is the fourth time I have looped back here hoping he was back. I sat down at the edge and splashed the image away. As the water rippled back into place, I heard a cracking of branches. "Natsu!" I yelled turning to find only a rabbit dashing off. Where did you go? What is happening? With a heavy sigh I headed back through the forest.

Several hours earlier.

Natsu bent down to kiss Lucy, but stopped himself. She was so hurt by being kissed by Loke, he would only be doing the same thing. He felt wrong because he did do it already. He felt low, lower than dirt. What woman would want to be kissed by someone she does not like. His feelings turned to pure rage, how could he do this to her? Partly talking to himself, but more to the man who pushed it way too far. Natsu then ripped Loke's key off her ring and ran out of the house. He did not stop running for a long time. He was at least sane enough to know that Lucy did not need to see what he was going to do. Stopping, he held out Loke's key, "How does she do it, gate thingy open!" Nothing happened and Natsu was too pissed to keep trying. "JUST GET THE FUCK OUT HERE, OR I'LL BREAK THIS THING!" Natsu screamed readying to snap the key in half.

"Happened faster than I thought it would…" Loke showed up in front of Natsu. Before Loke had the chance to do anything else Natsu charged at him.

"ASSWHOLE!" Natsu yelled as his fist landed on Loke's face. Loke went flying into a tree. Slamming into the trunk, the wind was knocked out of him by how much force was put into the attack. Loke tried to stand, but Natsu was on top of him. Pounding him into the ground. As Natsu emotions went out of control, his fire turned a dark crimson color. "How could you do that. How could you make her cry like that!"

Loke grabbed Natsu's arm and flung him off, "Because, I am the worlds biggest idiot!" Standing Loke's fists began to glow as he readied to fight back. He stepped back a bit as he watched Natsu rise from the ground.

"So that gives you the right to do what you want!?" Natsu cracked his neck and slowly marched towards Loke. "That gives you the right to hurt her!?" Loke backed away further, honestly terrified by the animal walking his way. "WELL!?" Loke froze unable to make his feet move anymore. Loke could feel his key getting hot enough to explode. Natsu was a pillar of flame, the ground seemed to melt with each step he took. All sense of right and wrong were gone nothing but fury was left.

"I don't." Loke said, accepting that there was no fighting this.

"DAMN RIGHT YOU DON'T!" Natsu shouted ramming his fist into Loke's stomach. Loke was hit so hard he was sent flying into the air. Natsu saw that Loke was starting to fade, "I don't think so!" Natsu jumped kicking Loke back to the ground. Loke's body could not take anymore, and vanished. Natsu's fist landed on the ground forming a small crater, barely missing the last of Loke. "Why are you so weak! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN HIT YOU AGAIN!" He screamed into the now empty forest. As his emotions hit a breaking point flames erupted out. Wiping out every tree in a 50 foot circle around him. He wabbled back and forth as his magical energy ran dry. "Shit," He managed to get out before slamming into the ground.

Sitting down in front of the door to the house. My feet were killing me, and there was still no sign of Natsu. My eyes were heavy, and my body wanted to sleep. I slapped my hands to my face, "Don't fall asleep!" I stood and got ready to start looking again. I wabbled a bit, causing me to to stand awkwardly just to stay up right. I pinched my legs waking them enough to get moving. "Okay you can do this," I told myself slowly walking into the field. "Natsu!, Natsu!," I called to him, "Nats.." my voice cracked. "Cough cough cough!" It was too sore to keep calling him like that. This did not stop me, I continued into the forest. After a while I spotted a wobbly shadow in the distance. "NATSU!" I burst into a run even through my legs did not want to support it. Nearing he came into full view, it was him I was not imagining it. He looked up and smiled warily.

"Sorry," Natsu lost his feeting and he started to fall over. I slid like an all star baseball player and caught him before he hit.

"What happened where have you been!" I yell at him, he scrunched his face.

"Could you not yell it hurts my head." He muttered, "I used up all my power so it took awhile to get back okay."

"How far did you go, why didn't you rest you would have been fine by now most of the time," I lifted Natsu back up into a sitting position.

"Figured you would be out looking for me…I did not want you to look all night." Natsu gave me a warm smile and laughed about my stubborness.

"Idiot!" I shouted, bringing my hand down on his head.

"Ow, I am weak here," Natsu grabbed my hand and used it to hit my head.

"Than you should have rested." I told him taking my hand back.

"From the looks of it so should you," Natsu grinned, falling onto my lap.

"Natsu!?" I yelled surprised.

"Tired, let me for a bit," He closed his eyes and started snoring immediately.

"This is not the best place to do that," I sighed, petting his hair gently. "I am tired too you know." I yawned, I was tired enough to fall asleep sitting. As Natsu shifted, Loke's key fell out of his hand. I picked it up, what happened between the two of you? Besides Natsu being out of energy there was no damage to him. "Gate of the lion, I open thee, Leo," Nothing happened. "Did Natsu beat you that badly?" I stared at the man who was now spread out, snoring like a cow. I giggled and slid out from under him, then hoisted him onto my back. He might be able to sleep here, but I don't think it is a good idea to stay outside. "Why are you so heavy?" I mumbled struggling to move. Being exhausted was not helping in the least, this was going to be a long walk back.

After a while the hard object in his pocket was starting to drive me nuts. Every time I moved my left leg back it stabbed my side. It was bad enough that I was tired, that stupid thing in his pocket was killing me. I tried to reach for it several times, but I start to lose my grip on Natsu. Thankfully I could see the opening, I broke through the tree line into the field of daisies, "Finally." My body seemed more relieved than I was, my legs gave way and I started to fall forward. "Ouch," I muttered into the dirt and broken flowers my face was shoved into. Natsu continued to sleep, I rolled him off me. Laying flat on the ground, I stared up at the clouds moving away from the moon. I sat up as the full moon's light lit the field, it looked like the night I first came here.

"I never thought I would be here this long...or that you would show up." I smiled at Natsu, who flinched as the bright light from the moon hit his face.

He opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times he spotted me. "Lucy?"

"Now you wake up," I shook my head at him.

He rolled onto his back, "Wow."

"Pretty right, it is one of the reason's I stayed here," I stared up at the moon with him, "I would come out here and stare up at the moon, whenever I was sad or lonely." I hugged my knees to my chest, "It was lot harder than I thought it would be. I did not realize how much I relied on all of you, how much I loved being with everyone." I felt Natsu grab my shoulder pulling me onto the ground.

"Just lay like that, you don't need to explain it." Natsu grinned as we lay staring up at the sky.

"Your hard to carry," I laughed.

"So are you," He said laughing with me.

"Yeah, you and Happy always say that," I did not like that, but it was kind of how they were. "But there are worse things you could do."

He stopped and turned his head to look at me, "Are you going to be okay?"

I did not say anything for a while. The clouds came back covering the moon again. Turning to him, I smirked, "I am a big girl, I can take it." He looked worried. "Really, I was upset, but when I think about it it was both our faults. Well not the biting thing that was all him."

Natsu reached his hand up and touched the wound on my lip, "Does it still hurt?" I shook my head and his hand moved away. I sat up, standing I went to go inside, but Natsu grabbed my hand and stopped me. "I am sorry," He looked like he was thinking about something important.

"If it is about beating up Loke, I figured that was going to happen at some point." I told him.

He gripped my hand tighter, "It's not that…" he paused, "For something I did in the past, I can't help but think it would have made you cry like you did before."

I bent down and placed my other hand on his head, "I debut there is anything you could do that would make me cry like that."

He grinned, and let go of my hand jumping to his feet. "Thanks."

"Of course," I smiled and we walked back into the house together.

Lucy passed out the minute she got inside and sat on the couch. She looked happy, and giggled every now and than. He thought about moving her to the bed, but she looked so comfortable he did not see the benefit of it. Instead he went and washed, he did not care about bathing all that much, but he still felt dirty emotionally. Not that water was going to wash that away, he believed it anyway. After washing he still felt, shitty but it was a bit better. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked into the kitchen. He was sure some food would bring his energy back. He looked out at the living room from the doorway. The table and his chair where still on the ground with the food all over the floor. He sighed at the thought of the food she made him, he only got to eat half of it before he blew up. He grabbed the table and and chair setting them back up right. Being to lazy to go and get something to clean the floor up with he took his towel and scooped it up. Tossing the food in the trash, he stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips. "Much better," He said proudly. As the sun broke through the window he walked over bending down he stared at Lucy. Forgetting completely that he was stark naked.

Lucy tossed and turned, was she having a nightmare? Natsu shook her a few times to wake her, she sprang up. "You alright?" Natsu asked straightening up.

Lucy turned to look, her head became as red as a cherry. "WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES!" She screamed covering her eyes.

"What?" Natsu looked down at himself, putting his hand on the back of his head laughing. "Totally forgot about those," He said looking back to her.

"That is not the point go put some clothes on!" Lucy shouted through her hands.

"Oh, yeah guess I should do that." Natsu scurried off back to the bathroom. Picking his pants up Lucy's notebook fell out of his pocket. He looked about quickly to make sure Lucy was not around. Then he picked it up and stuffed it back into his pants.

"And put some clean clothes on!" Lucy yelled from the other room. Natsu huffed and went to his pack. Grabbing out the only other outfit he brought. Lucy never understood how he only owned a few sets of clothes, and he never understood why she had to have so many. He pulled the shirt over his head. Once the shorts were on he grabbed the notebook from his other pair.

"Should I put it back?" he mumbled, staring at it. He did not want to yet, so he put it into his pocket and went back out into the living room. "Happy now?" Natsu said walking into the room. There was no answer, he dashed over. "Asleep again?" He said peeking over the arm of the couch. Lucy was out cold, she was not ready to be up before. "Hehehehe," Natsu covered his mouth with his hand, as she shifted. Sneaking away quickly, now that she was asleep he could read it. Natsu planted himself on the floor of the bedroom, making sure to face the door just in cause she came in. He couldn't remember what page he was on before so he just opened it to a random page hoping for the best.

"Today we fought, he honestly thought I slept with Loke! The nerve of that man!"

Natsu scoffed at the page, "What he was convincing." Natsu thought back to what Loke said to him. "I even slept with her the other night when she was scared." Natsu froze, he was not convincing at all. Natsu felt like an dolt, shaking it off cause it was already over he went back to reading.

"He is so thick headed, it is like talking to a wall sometimes."

Natsu felt like ripping the page out. "What is this just an entry about how much she can insult me."

"This is why telling him how I really feel is impossible." Natsu was glad he did not tear the page out cause he was finally getting somewhere. "I wonder how he will react when he finds out. Hahaha as if he is ever going to find out. Liking a person is such a pain, my heart goes through a rollercoaster of emotions. I feel like the only way I can talk to about this. Is on this paper."

"Oh just get to the point tell me who it is already!" Natsu yelled at the page.

"I wonder if it would be easier to just say it? Would he accept me? Would it work out? Would he still be my friend even if he does not?"

"Natsu!" Natsu dropped the book to the ground and looked up horrified. Lucy stood in the doorway, she looked mad enough to break out into her own flames. "So when did you find it, just now or maybe you hid it from me!?" Lucy stomped over, picking the notebook up off the ground.

"I was trying to find out who you like," Natsu said backing away a bit.

"Did you?" Lucy looked a little worried for a moment.

"No! I never got a chance to get that far, every one kept interrupting me!" Natsu stopped and his face grew pale, he should not have said that.

"OH, so you did hid it from me!" Lucy yelled at him, he put up his arms ready for her attack.

Lucy gripped the notebook tightly, than grabbed Natsu's hand. "Burn it!"

Natsu was shocked she did not want him to know that badly. "Is he so important that even I can't know!?" Natsu was pissed, this was stupid why could she not just say it. Natsu pulled his hand away, "I am not doin it." He got to his feet and walked away.

"Stop right there!" Lucy grabbed his shoulder and held him there. A heavy sweat broke out on his face, he could feel the menacing darkness growing behind him. "Don't think you can just walk away from this one." Natsu slowly turned his head back spotting the evil woman standing behind him he tried to run. She pulled him back kicking his feet out from under him. He fell to the floor, then she slammed her elbowed his stomach. Backing away she returned to normal, "much better."

"That really hurt," Natsu said rolling to his side holding onto his stomach from the pain.

"It should have, that is what you get for looking into a girls private things." Lucy noded, then she took the notebook and ripped out the pages. "If you will not burn it, I'll do it myself." Natsu gave up on the idea of stopping her even if she did not burn it, she would never let him look at it again.

"Who is so important, that you would burn it?" Natsu muttered.

"Maybe one day I can tell you, after all you are suppose to be help me right, so you'll find out at some point." Lucy smiled weakly, crumpling the papers in her hand.

"I changed my mind, I do mind who it is, and I don't like um." Natsu was sick of this whole liking a guy thing. Lucy started laughing hard enough that tears started to form. "Why is that funny!?"

"If only you knew just how ironic that was." Lucy wiped the tears away, she unscrunched the paper and place it back in the notebook. "Maybe I'll let you read it." She smiled at the now tattered notebook. It held a lot more than just her feelings for Natsu it would be a waste to burn it.

"Really!? hand it over!" Natsu outstretched his hand and tried to grab the notebook.

"I said maybe, and I can tell you it sure is hell ain't going to be right now," Lucy said pulling away, she went to shove it back in her bag.

"Then you shouldn't of said it," Natsu huffed.

"Heard that, if I find you with this again," She stopped and glared at him, "It will be a whole lot more than an elbow to the stomach."

Natsu flinched back, "AYE SIR!"

Lucy laughed again, moving into the bathroom she pointed to the kitchen. "You should go, unless you want to be stuck in there until I finish my bath." Natsu nodded and dashed past her. "Could you do me a favor and heat the water?" she smiled at him, "And you don't have to heat the tank, you're not a home appliance after all, the other way is fine."

"Sure," Natsu answered, she gave him a thumbs up and closed the door. Natsu went outside to the side of the house where the opening for the fire pit for the bath was. He tossed some logs in the hole and lit the thing. He then slumped up against the wall with an annoyed look. All that did was make him want to know more. Cause now he wanted to punch this guy in the face. This guy meant so much to her that she was different when ever the subject even came up. He felt like some invisible person was stealing her away. If he knew maybe he could at least... nothing there was nothing. No benefit at all for knowing, he sighed. Even though that was true he still wanted to find out, not to help anymore. Just to know if it was a guy good enough or one he could beat the crap out of.

"I barely got out of that one…" Natsu thoughts were broken by the muffled sounds on the other side of the wall. He pressed his ear up against the wall to try and hear her better. "He almost found out, I have to be more careful." Natsu was rather glad about Lucy's habit of talking to herself. He hoped she would say it, no he need her to say it. "I had to fall in love with a guy who does not think about others personal stuff at all." Natsu backed away from the wall and his mouth dropped. He rushed back into the house and slammed the bathroom door open. "WHAA, What are you doing!?" Lucy screamed, as Natsu walked over to the bath.

"It's me!?" Natsu said, leaning into her face.

She backed away shocked, "You did read it!?"

Natsu face became a pink color, "So it is."

Lucy slapped her hands over her mouth, "I...I,"

Natsu pulled her hands away from her face, "Now I don't feel so bad about wanting to do this before." He leaned into her, placing his lips on hers. He let go of her hands, they fell into the water. He placed his arms around her and pulled her into himself. He moved deepening the kiss with out thinking at all, he was moving on instinct. Lucy's eyes widened her face heated to a unfamable temperature. She exploded, fainting her head fell back. "Lucy?" Natsu said as he held her now out cold body. He shook her a few times trying to get her to wake up. "Come on it is not safe to pass out in a bath." Natsu brain snapped, she was in the bath. "It is not safe to pass out naked in front of me…" Natsu spoke trying to peel his eyes away. He shut them tight and lifted her out of the bath. He laid her down on the bed and quickly cover her with the blanket. He sat on the edge of the bed. Shaking his head to get the images out, if he did not then he might do something.

"Why did you cover it up?" Natsu said looking over at Lucy he placed his hand on her face. Though until he knew that it was him, he himself did not understand how he felt. He could no longer brush it off as something hormonal. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, "I think I like you too." He said pulling away. He got up and moved into the living room. He was too easily swaded to stay around her like that. He sat down on the couch waiting for her to wake up. He yawned as the time passed slowly. He only slept about an hour earlier and it was catching up with him. Before he realized he was asleep. Grinning about whatever, crazy dream he was having.

Finally! Now Lets get back to some less mushy stuff. Though the mushy is kind of fun to write too. Lol

Three more days look forward to what's going to happen next.

Always and forever thanks for reading! *.*