Sorry this is so much later in the day than I usually update! I've just been SO busy today. And yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that. Etc. I never realized that graduating took so much time and effort. Seriously! So many stupid meetings and weird ceremonies I have to go to... And while we're on this page... Holy crap, guys. I'm graduating in two days. TWO DAYS. I. Am. So. Old. D: My last day to school was last Tuesday, and I officially graduate this Tuesday... Then, it's just the cruise and Senior Week that I have to deal with!
Speaking of Senior Week... Next Sunday I won't be able to update since I'll be at the beach. I won't be getting back till next Tuesday or Wednesday, so I might update when I get home. Maybe. If I have enough energy. Hope you guys don't hate me too much! Now, onto the part that you guys actually care about...
Special shout out to inuluvskag for being the 1,100 reviewer! And also, special shout out to Kohryu for being the 1,111 reviewer!
Oh, and I changed the summary. Again. Ehehe. I could never come up with one that was god enough! But I think I'll leave this one...it suits the title better, I think. Hopefully ya'll aren't too annoyed by my indecisiveness... On a side note...GEEZ! I never knew I had such rabid fans... Wow. So many caps locks... ehehehe. Guess that means you like this story, ne? Well, I love you, too!
Adherence
o0o
The Realization
It took a lot to subdue Natsu with words alone—the things being said had to be a massive blow to either his ego, or his iron-barricaded, absolutely undamageable, feelings. And, consequently, Galahad's statement had crippled both. The burning, stinging pain in Natsu's chest served to silence him completely, and when he tried to speak, his mouth would only run dry and his throat would close. Again, it took a lot to render him utterly speechless, and very few people had had the privilege of seeing it firsthand.
Much to Natsu's well-veiled and mute rage, Galahad had just been added to that very tiny list.
The dream caster was staring back intently, still sitting in one of the folding chairs outside of Lucy's room. And though the difference in height should have given Natsu the clear advantage, it was Natsu who felt like he was being backed into a corner. Galahad's eyes were piercing, mocking, glowing in a familiar way that the dragonslayer absolutely loathed. In their depths, Natsu willed there to be a shadow of deception…but, he found nothing. They were void.
"Bad jokes lead to bad things," Natsu warned when he found his voice; it was raw with disbelief and a hint of anger.
Even his anger—one of Natsu's most powerful weapons—was suddenly dampened. It was as if that one, small sentence of Galahad's had effectively shut down all of Natsu's primary functions, temperament included. Thankfully, though, it seemed as though that the burning flame of his stormy temper was only simmering; it would be kindled anew in a short while. And when that time came, Natsu wasn't too sure what would become of the situation. Everyone currently in the hospital's east wing would be in danger of incineration, though; that much was clear.
Even Lucy.
All too suddenly, Galahad was standing up, and Natsu planted his feet to prevent himself from inching backwards. Sarsaparilla-green eyes were dark with some unknown emotion as they clashed, for what seemed like forever, with Natsu's. Finally, though, Galahad said, "And if I'm not joking?"
The fury completely blindsided Natsu. Once a meager, flickering, flame that rested in his chest, his rage had, within the span of a few seconds, grown into a sweltering sea of fire that consumed his every thought and action. So, before he knew it, his fist was flying for Galahad's face.
No normal person would have been able to dodge such a fast and swift swipe, and Galahad was no exception. Natsu's curled fist made definite contact with the illusionist's nose, the cartilage giving way like grass blowing with the wind, and released a satisfying crack. Natsu reeled his arm back like a shock put, watching in morbid delight as Galahad stumbled back with a hiss, his hand cupping his nose. Blood seeped through Galahad's tanned fingers, dribbling thickly down his lips and chin.
Silence was exchanged afterwards, neither male needing to say anything. Their actions had said enough, clearly.
Galahad—much to the disappointment of the sadistic part of Natsu's personality—didn't so much as whimper; his face never broke its cool façade. His eyes were still a stoic mask, and his mouth was set firmly, refusing to dip into a frown of pain. He almost looked impassive. In fact, Natsu would have been worried that his punch hadn't even been effective if he hadn't seen the small trail of blood that was now reaching with greedy fingers down to the collar of Galahad's white undershirt.
"O-oh, my…" a startled gasp drew the attention of both men, who craned their necks to see Komaki—Lucy's nurse—standing halfway in the entrance to Lucy's room. Her dark, ruby eyes were filled with trepidation and they were fixated on Natsu, who looked downright feral.
His face, which was usually carefree and smiling and full of good-natured cheer, was twisted and morphed into a combination of rage and confusion. He was nearly unrecognizable with his ruggedly handsome features stuck in such a large grimace and his hands curled into fists, as if ready to leap into a brawl. Even from across the hall, it was easy to see that the muscles in his shoulders and back were tense, coiled, waiting. And his eyes…they drove the nail into the coffin. Almost always filled with light, his green eyes were filled with darkness and shadows that screamed the rage his gnashing mouth refused to release.
Natsu was holding onto a sliver of control.
"Dragneel-san!" Komaki, her voice trembling, gaped. "This…this is a hospital; a place of healing, not destruction. P-please don't start fights in the middle of the hallway." Despite the way she skittered between the two glaring men like a terrified mouse, her chin was set in determination and she had a look of authority in her eyes behind the fear. When Natsu didn't say anything, and continued to stare over her head at Galahad, she bravely added, "I think it's best that you leave now, Dragneel-san. Perhaps you should…return when your temper cools down…"
Surprisingly, Natsu psychically recoiled in a half-flinch, as if he almost couldn't believe that he was being scolded. But, still, he didn't move backwards or retreat.
The poor nurse thought for a moment that he was going to ignore her warning, and that she was going to have to call in security to haul him away—and she hated doing that, it disrupted the peace and serenity of the hospital that the patients needed.
He wouldn't look at her, just glared overtop of her head at the young man cradling a crooked, bleeding nose. The dragonslayer's body, like a mass of solid muscle, acted as a still wall; neither moving forward, nor moving back.
But then, as suddenly as he'd drilled his opponent in the face, he spun around and stalked away.
It was then that both Komaki and Galahad realized how blisteringly, stiflingly hot it had been in the hall, as the heat seemed to follow in Natsu's wake, leaving behind an eerily pleasant chill. The nurse shivered, her clipboard tucked under her arm protectively.
Natsu Dragneel was terrifying when angry, just as the rumors stated.
"So sorry about that, miss," came a nasally and guttural apology from behind her. "His anger tends to get the better of him."
Startled, Komaki whirled around, as if just remembering that the man behind her was nursing an obviously very broken nose. It had to be painful, and she gave him his props for still being able to smile without wincing. "Sir, your nose…" she mumbled, shyly making eye-contact. He was…handsome. Really handsome. Her heart fluttered when she looked at him even though he was covered in blood and stuck with an awkwardly twisted nose. "I mean, I can set it for you, if you'd like?"
"That would be," Galahad paused to wipe the blood from his lips with a rueful look, "most helpful."
The nurse smiled kindly and reopened the door to Lucy's room, motioning for Galahad to enter first. He did so after casting a charming smile—well, as charming a smile as a man with a broken nose could muster—and saying, "Thank you." But the smile slid from his face when he caught sight of Lucy, laying prone and looking far too pale with machines hooked up to both of her arms.
His angel looked so…worn.
"She'll be alright, sir," Komaki murmured as she led him to a stool in the corner of the room. "So will the child, if you're wondering."
She'd already prepared a wet rag to dab away the blood from his face and where it ran down the sides of his neck, and her hands were exceedingly gentle around the tender areas. Those hands of hers were small, and smooth, and clean; they seemed to leave a clean streak wherever they travelled. After most of the blood had been smeared away, her eyes zeroed in on his rapidly-swelling nose and assessed the damage done.
"Well," she whispered, "it looks like a clean break; which is good. It will heal much nicer."
Galahad tried to smile, but the pain in his facial region prevented his lip from doing anything more than a simple twitch. The dull throbbing seemed to be getting worse, now that the adrenaline was dwindling down to normal levels…and, by the heavens, it smarted something terrible. Natsu Dragneel, Galahad decided acidly, had quite the right hook.
"That's good," he managed to say. Even if he was in pain, he was still a gentleman—and gentlemen were supposed to be conversational creatures.
Komaki nodded. "I'm going to set it now, if you're ready. Would you like me to count down?"
"No, that's alright. I can handle a simple broken nose."
The nurse, at his obvious farce, let her mouth lift in a smile as her hands came to cradle his face. Palms resting comfortably at his cheekbones, her two thumbs braced either side of his crooked nose. She had to hand it to him, she thought—he didn't so much as twitch when she touched the now purple and swollen flesh. And the only sign of discomfort he gave was when her hands tweaked to the left in a fast, jerky motion; he flinched, his spine jumping at the sharpness of the pain.
"There," she said. "You sat so still that I think I got it aligned perfectly. I'll go get you some ice to help with the swelling." Komaki was walking away within the next second, casting a tranquil smile over her shoulder at her newest 'patient', who returned the gesture. Her heart flipped.
He had a nice smile…
When she shut the door, Galahad couldn't help but chuckle. That nurse, Komaki, she was…cute, in her own way. A little mousy, a bit skittish for his tastes, but pretty enough. He supposed that if he didn't have a preference for busty blondes, he would have considered seeking after her; and by the way a small blush had been dusted across her cheeks the entire time she'd repaired his nose, Galahad knew she would have accepted him in a heartbeat. Like always.
All women were the same.
Well…actually…
Galahad's eyes slowly rolled over to Lucy's bed, where they stayed and refused to move until he registered the rise and fall of her chest. That alone was enough to soothe him. He blinked resignedly.
Almost all women were the same. Almost.
Lucy was different, the exception. She was sarcastic, witty, smart, beautiful, angelic, kind…and more importantly, she didn't see him as simply another man. She saw him as Galahad, the person. Galahad, the one who was more than just a rugged past. She'd accepted him even after knowing truly who he was and what he'd done as a profession. Had looked past his ugly scars, his dirty past, and sinful nature—something not even his own parents had done after finding out.
At first, it had just been a game and part of his job…to get under her skin. Because she was cute when her face was flushed with embarrassment, when she puffed out her cheeks in rage, and when she twirled her blonde hair around her finger when she was anxious. He'd wanted her to make those cute faces for him and only him. She'd been just a mild interest—being his savior, and technically his first love. But…now… She was more than just an interest.
Lucy was…special.
"Damn them," he muttered, closing his eyes and squeezing his hands together. "Damn them all to hell." All of the sudden, he was angry. Really angry.
He'd promised to break one certain dragonslayer, to give them what they'd been craving for years now… In exchange, they'd promised to keep away from her, to leave her alone, to not so much as touch a single hair on her beautiful head. And yet…here she was. It was so like them, Galahad thought, to get impatient and act according to their own wishes. They'd never been particularly patient, and it seemed that their levels of tolerance were even lower when it came to Natsu Dragneel.
"Impatient bastards," Galahad snarled to himself as his knuckles turned off-white from being squeezed too hard. "Just you wait… I'm working on it; all I need is a little more time and he'll snap like a twig beneath my boot. One small step at a time…" His eyes opened again, flashing to Lucy.
One small step at a time.
o0o
"Then, what would you do if that baby were mine?"
Such a simple question—just a question. And yet, it had unleashed a myriad of unpleasant feelings inside of Natsu. Most of it, he easily identified as rage. White-hot, oozing, lava-like in its intensity, rage. But, underneath under all of that rage and fury…was something more volatile. Something akin to confusion, and strangely enough, betrayal. Natsu hated the combination more than anything else in the world. He didn't feel like himself as he stalked through Magnolia, glowering at anything and anyone with his arms crossed as he brooded.
He had no particular reason to feel betrayed—no right, being more like it. While the thought of Lucy being with some strange man had made him feel…angry at first, the thought of her being with Galahad just made him feel as though he were being betrayed, being stabbed in the back.
"Why Galahad?" his heart screamed. "Why? Why not anyone else? Why not…me?"
It didn't make sense to him; why he suddenly wished that Lucy had chosen him instead of Galahad. He'd never wanted that before, never really considered it. But, then again…it had never really occurred to him that he and Lucy would part ways someday. He'd just assumed that they would be together, as they always had been, forever. A mistake on his part, he bitterly realized. He should have realized that, sooner or later, Lucy was going to…move on, leave him behind.
Thinking about it now just made his chest ache painfully, and he had to resist stopping in the middle of the street to catch his breath.
"You alright there, young man?" a tender voice asked, making Natsu nearly jump out of his skin. An older woman dressed in warmer, woolen clothes with her silver hair tied up and a basket of flowers in her hands was pegging him with a concerned stare, light eyes warm.
Natsu had to force himself to calm down, and he tried, futilely, to wipe the grimace from his hardened face. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered in a roughened voice.
The elderly woman considered him for a brief moment, eyes roaming over his figure, before smiling gently. The next thing Natsu knew, she was reaching into her basket, pulling out a daisy, and handing it to him. "A flower for your thoughts?" She was sweet, pleasant, and definitely the kind of lady who baked cookies for the neighborhood children. But Natsu still hesitated. "You look like you could use a friend right about now. Keeping all of your feelings bottled up isn't good for you, you know," she mused sagely.
Natsu looked down at his tanned, scarred and calloused hand where an innocent, freshly picked daisy sat in his palm. In a way, it reminded him of Lucy—pretty, untainted, fresh, yet strong…and not his. "I…" Natsu began, his brows knitting together and another frown marring his face. "I don't understand anymore… I thought since we were friends, we would be together forever; always laughing and smiling and happy. But…I was wrong… Now she's with someone else and I…" He stopped then, feeling conflicted.
"Oh, so a girl then?" the lady hummed, nodding as if she knew exactly what he was going through. "Someone you cherish a lot, I presume?"
"Yeah…" Natsu looked back at the flower, twiddling it between his index finger and his thumb.
The older lady hummed again. "You took her for granted, and now that another man has taken her away from you, you don't know how to feel… Am I correct?"
Stunned, the dragonslayer's head flew up so fast that his neck might have snapped if he were an ordinary man, and his jaw dropped slightly. Once tense and angry, now he only had room to feel suddenly…bare, exposed, and raw…like she had stripped him naked right then and there in the middle of the street. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one that Natsu was not accustomed to.
"You feel jealous, betrayed, at a loss, don't you?" Her light eyes seemed to pin him where he stood, stiffly, on the cobblestone road, gaping like a fish. He didn't need to say anything, the wise woman already seemed to know the answer. "Do you know why you feel that way? Why the thought of seeing her with another man makes you so angry and confused…?" she continued, eyes drifting up to the sky, now purple and pink and orange with the tell-tale signs of sunrise.
No, Natsu wanted to tell her. He didn't know why. He'd been searching for the answer for a while now, unable to think of a possible explanation.
"It's because you're in love."
The icy-cold feeling that ran down along Natsu's spine reminded him of a time when, as children, Gray had pranked him by pouring ice cubes down the back of his shirt while he'd been sleeping. The similar cold rush was quickly followed by a numb sensation that started in the tips of his fingers, and despite himself, Natsu couldn't help but take an involuntary step backwards.
"In…love?" His voice cracked painfully, much to his embarrassment, and he could feel heat creeping up the base of his neck.
Natsu was not stupid. He was ignorant—and there was a big difference between being stupid and being ignorant. Of course he knew what love was, he'd been around women in the guild long enough to learn about romance and love. It was all about rainbows, butterflies, unicorns and happily-ever-afters, filled with mushy, sappy, clichéd kisses in the rain.
Even before that, under the care of Igneel, he'd known about love. Mostly from what Igneel had told him, though…and that wasn't much. "Love is…hard to explain; it has many forms. But you'll know, every dragon knows when they've found the only one for them…" had been Igneel's explanation. And, thinking back on it now, it was rather vague and evasive for someone who was supposed to be wise and noble.
"But I thought that…love was a happy emotion…" Natsu struggled to say, fighting down the blood that rushed to his cheeks.
The old woman shook her head, as if amused by the thoughts of a child, and chuckled softly. "No, love is much, much more than just happiness, young man. Love is…love is selfish, and demanding. Because, when you love someone, you want them today, tomorrow, next week, and for the rest of your life. You get jealous, and possessive, because deep down…you think that your special person is yours and yours alone, and sometimes you think that your special someone just might be stolen away from you. It's an awfully complicated thing, love…"
Natsu was staring at his feet.
In…love? With Lucy? Was he really?
All of those times when he'd felt angry for no reason at all, when he'd wanted to punch a hole through someone's face, when he'd felt so jealous he could hardly stand it… All of those times when he had pictured Lucy, naked and helpless and beneath him… All of those times when he felt so happy that he could burst simply because she was happy and smiling… All of those times…
Was it because he was in love with her?
"I'm…in love…?" he murmured to himself.
"You're a man in love if I've ever seen one," the lady snorted with a playful quirk to her lips.
"Then…" Natsu lifted his gaze to meet hers, his green eyes wide. "What do I do? How do I know for sure…?"
"That's a hard question to answer. But I can only tell you this… If you love her, don't let her go." With that the woman peered at the sky in a squint and then waved at him. Tucking her basket of flowers into the crook of her arm, she said, "Well, I have to be going back now. I open shop in about a half hour. Good luck, young man."
He'd be needing that luck, Natsu decided. If he really was in love with Lucy, which made a painful amount of sense now that he was looking back on it, he was going to need luck and the blessings of the heavens on his side. He knew for a fact that he didn't have a romantic bone in his body—just a humorous, and he didn't even know where that one was. Considering that he had zero expertise in this area, and the fact that he was now competing with Galahad…he was going to need help.
A lot of it. Maybe. If he really was in love. He still wasn't too sure about it—was still waiting for that infamous "aha!" moment that all lead males in those cheesy romance novels had.
And a darker part of him wondered if he even stood a chance, even with a massive amount of help…
After all, Galahad was Lucy's perfect type. Tan, tall, buff, with perfect hair and a blinding smile. His skin was smooth, unblemished, and his hands weren't rough from years of punching and clobbering. Not to mention the fact that he was, what Lucy liked to call, suave—and Natsu didn't even know what that word meant. But, the fact that it was a term used to compliment Galahad meant that it wasn't a word he cared to know the meaning of.
There were a lot of words he didn't know the meaning of, what was one more?
Either way, the fact remained that Galahad was more…desirable to her. Natsu would give the bastard that much. Otherwise, Lucy wouldn't have…
Well, she wouldn't have slept with him otherwise. If they even had slept together. Natsu wasn't sure that he could trust anything coming out of that bastard's, Galahad's, mouth right now. But, either he was telling the truth, or he wasn't. Fifty-fifty. There was a chance that he really was the father of Lucy's baby...
That thought left sand grits in Natsu's mouth and made his stomach churn uncomfortably. Lucy, he knew, must really have seen something in Galahad if she'd slept with him. And that was a big, big if. Because he knew Lucy—she didn't just sleep around with any man. She really had to be in love. There had been so many times where she'd fallen in love with the wrong man, given her body to him, and then come crying to Natsu, heartbroken and feeling genuinely betrayed by all mankind when that same man wound up toying with her heart. There had been so many times where he'd gladly taken those assholes for a nice swim in the river afterwards.
But...Lucy hadn't come to him yet. She wasn't heartbroken, as far as he could tell. So...did that mean that she really was...? That they really had...?
What was Natsu supposed to do with that? Was he even sure, in fact, that he was in love with her?
…He didn't know.
Part of him considered it.
And as he also considered the prospect of deliberately trying to rip apart his best friend's probable romance, the present that had almost been forgotten about, grew heavier in his pocket. With each passing second, Natsu's pocket seemed to get heavier and heavier, until, finally, he sighed gruffly and snatched it out, feeling the soft material in his palm.
He grimaced at it.
It was nothing, really, compared to what Lucy had received. Just something that he'd passed by and thought was cool…something that he'd thought would remind her of him.
Now, as Natsu studied the small, plush dragon in his hand, he didn't know if it was such a good idea anymore. Maybe…Lucy wouldn't want it. She'd gotten plenty of stuffed animals—easily over a dozen. And his gift was so small, anyway. But, still, he couldn't just throw the thing away. Natsu found that he'd grown strangely attached to the little stuffed dragon—with its five different shades of red, fabric horns, soft wings, and pointed snout. It had reminded him a little of Igneel when he'd first seen it.
But, that was no appropriate toy for a child that wasn't of dragon heritage. It wouldn't be nearly as meaningful. So, when Natsu returned home, considerably calmer than when he'd stormed out of the hospital, rather that throwing the toy away, he carefully placed it on his dresser, along with the daisy.
Someday, maybe, he would give it to her. Maybe. If it all worked out alright.
"Happy, I'm back!"
Who's this 'they' Galahad is talking about?! And Natsu...is on the right path to discovering his true feelings! Next time! Chapter 30: The Belladonna
KUDOS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED: nessa, misssbehavin, NyankoSenpai, lizzysakura21, TLTI, 002Dark1, WolfDemonz, KHLostEmpress, WolfGirlHowlsAtMoon, DD42,blACkcaTzilpahX25, xNightDreamerx, NaLu, Wasabi-kun, MurrderedByAMarrionette, Tessandrea, SubtleJoy, ChaoticChild, TabsTeam, Kohryu, GuiltyCrown09, ashlieswifty, nstruble012, theformulaofpudding, vampire-fetish15, Soul Hunt, Anon, Venadrill, StarKiss666, pandasxpocky, inuluvskag, Lasy Shisou, xXxAddicted2ChocolatexXx, KawaiiOdango, Danny Phantom Fan1, Pikas, KillumeP, SunsetRika, Caelith, sai ninja, hundefrau, the sinner, Alice Harkey, LuvlyLadyLexi, Guest, PameliaCauas, LovingmyOTP's, Collaborative Lady, NonieBee, Cat Goliath, amkhe, maglin, Sinares, mrs. zala, wakamehime530, Doragoniru, LinkWarriorInGreen, Tiger90991, Guest, Briarthorne, DeathBerryHime, KanaeHitomi, xXShadowDragnslayerXx, kuteluver, leoslady4ever, Reika Natsuki
