There was this overwhelming feeling of needing to escape as if her father were hot on her heels. Lucy ran as fast as she could, as far as her non-athletic body could carry her. She really wanted to divert from the main road to civilization, as brick was hard to run over and it was even harder to keep one's footing in such dim lighting as what was presented to her. But she knew that if she tried to cut through the acreage of her father's land, what she no idea about, she would only end up getting lost and go around in circles and none of this would get her anywhere. She'd probably step on something and cut up her feet way more than she was going to by running on pavement.
The surge of adrenaline that hit her when she took off down the driveway helped her get away from the main vicinity of the mansion and hopefully a good distance. She remembered Capricorn saying something about the house having twenty acres and knew that even driving a slow speed on this road took a good number of minutes to cross.
The pit of despair had opened up way past the brink of coming back. She had truly fallen into it and as she ran, tears tried to keep her from seeing and sobs tried to keep her from breathing. All she could think of was needing to get away from everything that she didn't have and what was not making her happy. The farther she ran, the more she couldn't believe that she had actually spent so much time under his roof until this had happened. His final words really shouldn't shock her if his behavior was any indication, but it hit her like a sledgehammer and she was entrenched in this.
She made it to the edge of the turn onto their drive and paused to get her breath. She only waited a minute or two before taking off again out of fear that someone in the mansion noticed her absence by now and were looking for her. If that happened, the car would definitely be coming down the same stretch she had just taken and she would be found all too easily. She didn't want that to happen; she refused to go back!
She ran down the same path that she took every morning and afternoon. The occasional evening ride helped her memory right now through her emotional turmoil to make the right turns, although it seemed to take forever to reach them while on foot. She was having trouble calculating the distance and kept getting herself lost and had to backtrack her steps many times from many wrong turns. She honestly had no idea where she was going aside from the university.
Where else could she go?
She stopped along a walkway when the sidewalk ended. Her chest heaved painfully with so much exertion that she wasn't used to and it was getting hard to breathe with her lungs burning. She took a few, experimental steps onto the grass to make sure she wasn't going to step on anything and her toes squished in mud. She cringed, but kept going and tried to look down as much as she looked up.
Where was she going but the university? It was the second place she went to a lot beside the mansion and she was just mechanically heading there with the promise that somewhere safe would present itself to her by the time she got there. She was pretty much homeless now with nothing but the clothes on her back and those weren't even hers. She had taken no money and no food. There wasn't even any water she could cool her burning throat with.
She stopped in a quiet neighborhood just off the main road and finally collapsed on dewy grass in exhaustion. She was thirsty, tired, cold, and mentally raw. She laid there simply because there was no reason to get up. Why get up when all she was doing right now was occupying someone else's front yard?
Once her breathing slowed to some semblance of normal and her heart matched it, the cold hit her hard from the sweat on her skin and the lack of warm wear. It was maybe sixty outside, but the ground was freezing to her abused feet and flimsy t-shirt. She didn't even have another top to wear with it! The dew was collecting on her shirt and jeans and the dampness was making things worse.
She finally sat up and huddled together, wrapping her arms around her legs to try and warm herself up. She was scared; scared that the owner of this lawn would find her crouching in front of his or her home and call the police. She was scared of not having shelter for the night nor food for the morning. She had run away from the very pampered life given to her with no other way to make ends meet and survive. She didn't know how to survive, never had a need to, and she had thrown herself into that life now. She had no way of getting a job since she had never had one. She had no experience and technically no college degree to fall back on. The reality of her new situation filled her with such trepidation that she shook from it instead of the cold. Adrenaline hit her again and at least drove the cold away. That was its only saving grace.
She had to get out of here. She wracked her brain and only one idea came to her. It was so simple, but very far away. She drug her head out of the warm darkness of her knees and looked to the main road she had left. If she continued that, she could get to the university and then navigate to the complex from there. It was going to be a long walk, but she had all the time in the world now.
She hauled herself to her feet with difficulty. The initial burst of energy had drained her and so much activity made itself known. Her feet hurt to walk on and when she took a step on something, a small stab of pain went up part of her leg and she wondered what she had done earlier. It was too dark to see, but she bet she was bleeding. She would have to hope that she could clean up whenever she arrived. She vaguely remembered heading into her father's study a little before eight. The evening hadn't gotten too late and if she could try and push herself most of the way, she may make it there before the middle of the night and hopefully spare him some sleep. She mentally crossed her fingers and used that as motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
01010
The red numbers glared one thirty when his sleepy brain comprehended that someone was ringing his bell. He groaned loudly and rolled over to bury his head under a pillow to block out the noise. He just got to bed only a few hours ago!What was going on? Who the hell was outside his apartment at such a stupid hour of the evening?!
The fourth time finally caused him to get out of bed with a growl. He threw on a t-shirt with sweatpants and stomped his way to the front door, foregoing shoes. He threw the door open with a sleepy glare, vowing murder to whoever was ringing his door. 'If they get the wrong apartment, I'm going to give them what-for!' He was so effectively pissed right now, going back to sleep seemed impossible.
He tried not to trip down the stairs amidst the sleep-filled haze clouding his brain. As he got to the bottom set and turned to be able to see outside the glass entry door, all negativity fled from his brain to be replaced with confusion and sheer worry. He stood there for a second, only able to blink as his brain tried to piece together what he was seeing. He finally snapped to and practically skipped the rest of the steps in his hurry to get to the exit door.
Opening the door was hard because a crumpled up Lucy was huddled up against it. Natsu kneeled to see her face, but it was hidden with her hair and her knees. She was visibly trembling from either cold or emotion, which he didn't know. He took in her lack of proper outside attire and noticed the dirty, bare feet and his brain woke up immediately. "Lucy." He quietly called, hand pressing against the cold glass. She jumped and shifted away from the door like a wild animal about to be caught. She paused when their eyes met, although looking at her face only caused new worry. He put that aside for later, hoping answers could be found once he got her inside. "Can I have you move so I can open the door please?"
Lucy meekly nodded and shifted away, although she still remained sitting on the ground huddled up. He tried to remain calm and collected and not yank the door open as hard as he feared he did. He propped it open with his leg and kneeled again in front of her. He took in her face and met her eyes. He took in her body language and how haggard she looked. He surmised something horrible had happened to her for her to end up at his doorstep at such an hour with what she was wearing.
His heart went out to her as he could only assume her father was involved. He didn't know what topic sent her away from home, but he would ask later. A hand reached out and lightly rested on her shoulder. His brows furrowed to find her chilled through her shirt. "Lucy," He softly began, "come inside. Let's get you warmed up and changed."
She nodded and slowly stood with his help. His touch was gentle and kind. It warmed her heart and shed a small ray of light into the darkness she was steeped in. She took a second to steady herself and took a step toward Natsu when she faltered and fell against him with a hiss.
He steadied them both, worry flaring again. He looked to the top of her head and saw part of her face scrunched up in obvious pain. "Lucy? What's wrong?" He looked down when she grabbed a hold of his arm and lifted a leg to expose a foot instead of speaking.
His eyes widened as he found cut skin amidst mud splotches. He assumed again that she had traveled far without shoes and since she was never very physically adept, it was costing her right now. Anger flared and mixed in with concern, but he forced it all away in order to help the struggling friend in front of him. He looked to the inside and worried that she would get blood all over the place and that she wouldn't be able to walk up the stairs to be able to get to his floor. In a split second, his arms swooped down and picked her up. He kept a good hold under her knees and back, giving a reassuring smile when she shyly looked at him in shock. "Relax. I'll help you." He soothed. He carefully walked into the entryway and made sure the door safely closed without hitting them before moving to the stairs.
She was very light and it was nothing to carry her upstairs. She relaxed against him as they made their way up to the first floor and an arm gingerly went around his neck. He tried not to drop her in his shock at finding how cold her arms were. She was freezing all over! How long had she been outside?!
What worried him more was the fact that she hadn't said one word since he found her. Neither had she cried. He knew that she was suffering, but to be able to render her speechless and void of any emotion was tipping his anxiety to the breaking point. He didn't know what he could do to help her aside from get her inside and bandage her up and get her warm.
He managed to open the door to his apartment and got them inside. He looked down to her and the blank stare she was giving his shoulder. He gave her the barest of shakes to try and get her attention which didn't work. He sighed a little, brows furrowing sadly. "Lucy, I'm going to get you to the bathroom and get you cleaned up, alright? Can you nod your head for me that you understand?" He waited until she did so, only recognizing it as a tiny nod because he watching her. That would have to do. "Okay, let's go."
He helped her to sit on the sink to get her off the ground. The full lighting helped him look at her fully and he eyed her disheveled hair, dirty clothes, beat up feet, pale face, and shivering form. She looked like she had been through the wringer and had run to him. From where...her house maybe? If that was the case, she had been outside for hours!
He grabbed bandages and ointment and washcloths. He quietly cleaned her feet, being extra careful when she pulled back with a hiss, and found multiple blisters after getting most of the mud off. His lips pursed as he made sure to take care of them as well. He ended up having to wrap her feet from ankle to toe in bandages to be sure every wound was covered and the ointment didn't come off.
She still didn't say a word when he finished and she was looking to the floor the whole time. He kneeled to get her attention and managed to get her dead eyes to look his way. He attempted a small smile and squeezed a pant leg lightly to try and give her some strength. "Hey..." He murmured. "I know it's kind of weird, but we should get you a change of clothes. Those are looking unfit to sleep in. You can borrow some of mine, okay?"
Her eyes widened and her face went beet red. He was glad to see some emotion, even if it was because of some perverted thoughts probably roaming through her head. He was happy a little life came back to her at least...even if he wanted to chastise her for thinking like that right now. He patted her knee lightly and stood. He left to find a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt for her to wear and warm up with. He set the new clothes next to her on the sink and quietly closed the door behind him to let her change in privacy. "Just open the door when you're done." He called through the wood.
While he waited, he headed to the kitchen to get her something to drink. He bet she would be thirsty and grabbed a huge glass for water. He brought it back to the bathroom in time to hear fumbling with the doorknob. He peeked the door open slowly for her and found her fully dressed and sitting on the sink still. "Water?" He offered. He watched utter, primal need fill her eyes as they widened before her hands snaked out and snatched the glass, almost spilling it. She chugged the whole thing in one huge gulp and then paused to catch her breath. His brows furrowed in concern again and he wondered how long it'd been since she managed something so basic. "Do you want more?"
She was ashamed at having done such a thing in front of him, even if the water had been more than necessary and quickly shook her head. She looked to the floor and handed the glass back, which was taken a second later. She heard him walk away as she remained on the sink counter in wait. She had lost the ability to walk and the medicine was making her feet sting quite well. It was taking some serious composure not to break down crying from the pain of it all. She actually wanted it to take her out of the emotional emptiness she was in right now.
He returned and leaned against the wall of the tiny bathroom with a small sigh. His arms nonchalantly crossed as he took in her form in his clothes. She wasn't looking at him and it was unnerving him because he could clearly see every horrible emotion written on her face. "Hey." He murmured, trying to get her to at least look at him. It didn't work and he had to kneel in front of her again to get to a level she would look at him. She still refused to look his way and he reached a hand up under her chin and gently directed her face to him. "Hey." He repeated, giving another reassuring smile. "I'm here to help you. What happened? You can tell me y'know..."
That did it. The hours of anger, of fear, of despair, urgency, desolation, running, of being lost, being homeless, thirsty, hungry, and having no one to really care for her rushed through her and her chin trembled under his touch. Her eyes teared and she swallowed hard, but it was useless. The salty liquid burned hot tracks down her cold cheeks as she sniffled and stared at him in absolute misery. Her mouth slowly opened as if say something in explanation, but all she could do was heave a haggard breath in.
He didn't want to see her tears and although he wanted to know how to help her, this surge of pain was eating at him too. He stood and picked her up again and she clutched at him like he would drop her any second. He tightened his hold in response and held her for a second to try and comfort her. She shook, quiet sobs escaping her, tears wetting his shirt. She clung at his neck, hair tickling his chin, shaking from the severity of it all.
He was at such a loss as to what to do. All he could do was give open arms and hope it was enough right now until she could manage words. "Lucy," He murmured, "why don't we go lay down, okay? I'll let you take my bed for some sleep, alright?" She didn't give any acknowledgment and he moved after a second anyway. He managed to get the light off and brought her the short distance to his room and gently put her on his bed. She let go enough to let him move back, but her hand grabbed his t-shirt and wouldn't let go when he made to move away. He covered her hand and tried to remove it, but she wouldn't budge. "Lucy," He began, still trying, "I'll take the couch for tonight and we'll figure out the day later, okay? I need you to let go for me so we can get some sleep."
She rapidly shook her head and moved to kneeling stance. She wrapped both arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, determined not to let him out of her sight. She didn't want to be alone right now after so many hours of already doing so and feeling more lost after so many years of a lie being shoved down her throat. Just the thought of it all made her shake all over again. "No..." She managed, highly muffled by the fabric he was wearing.
He sighed a little and patted her head. She wasn't going to let him go; that much was certain. In fact, his words only caused her hold to tighten around him. "Lucy...I don't think you're thinking clearly right now. I'll just be down the hall. It's just a few paces away."
Except that she couldn't walk to get to him if she needed him. Her feet were absolutely throbbing right now with the pressure and temperature change of being warm. She shook her head again and pulled away enough to meet his eyes in the horrible light streaming in from his window. "P...please...Natsu..." She whispered, tears falling anew. "Please...don't leave me by myself... I'm so lonely..."
She looked so lost and sounded so broken that he caved. He ran a hand through her hair for a few times before finally nodding. "Alright. But I need you to move over, okay?" She nodded and slowly shifted away from him. He gingerly sat down, feeling very unsure about all of this. He situated himself under the covers and held them out for her to get under as well. His bed was thankfully a queen and so they would both be comfortable, but he only had one pillow for himself. That didn't matter the second he got comfy and she practically latched onto his side. "Lucy?" He jerked back a little as she clutched an arm around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder.
Her feet carefully went around his as she tried to get comfortable and suck up the heat he was producing. "You're so warm Natsu..." She murmured, feeling exhaustion quickly catch up to her. His strong shoulder felt more solid than anything right now and she took solace in the beating of is heart next to her ear. "I've been...so cold...for so many hours...after leaving the mansion... I'm sorry...to bother you...so late... I bet...I...woke you up..."
The fact that she was apologizing for something like this when she clearly needed something from him by coming all the way here made him want to yell at her for thinking she was putting him out by showing up in the first place. "Idiot." He murmured, staring at the ceiling in exasperation. He gave her a quick squeeze as he heard her breathing slow. He didn't even know if she was still conscious right now. "You just get better and tell me about it later." She managed a lazy hum before going still. He heaved a sigh and hoped he could get a little sleep before having to get to work in a few hours.
01010
An alarm jolted her to conscious and she sat up with a cry. The fact that it was dark, different walls were staring at her much closer than she was used to, and everything smelled different wasn't helping. She looked around wildly with a cry, feeling fear creep back in and wondering where she was. She whimpered a few times before a hand rubbed her back sluggishly. She jerked to the owner of that hand and blinked at a sleepy Natsu looking up at her.
"Sorry Lucy...s'my alarm clock." He mumbled, leaning up slowly. A hand slapped the snooze before turning the thing off entirely. He heaved a yawn before sitting up and scratching his hair. His slitted eyes stared at her for a bit before he looked around his room. "I've got to get to work, okay? You go ahead and go back to sleep for me... I'll be back in a few hours."
She nodded, most of the night coming back to her. Slight mortification of having slept in Natsu's bed, remembering that she was not in her own clothes, washed over her, but she was still really tired to care too much. She laid back down and watched as he got up and grabbed something off the floor. He was gone for a bit before coming back in different clothes. He looked down and rested a hand on the top of her head. She reached up to touch his fingers when it didn't move. "Natsu...?"
He gave a small smile and stroked her hair a few times. "Get some sleep. I'm going to talk to my teacher and skip class after work so I'll be home with some breakfast for you. I'll see you in a few hours."
She could only nod and watch as he walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door after him. She listened as the front door quietly clicked closed and then she was alone in his apartment with his things surrounding her. She grabbed his pillow and breathed in his scent as she buried herself under the covers. She spied the clock and found it around five and that dawn coming soon.
By now someone at the mansion must have noticed her absence or Virgo would in another hour when she came to wake her up for her usual routine. Her mouth tightened as the thoughts of her old life came to her and she rolled over as if to ignore them. She situated herself on her stomach and plopped the pillow on her head as if to ward off the day and sleep it off.