Chapter Seven - Byatt

"I cannot let you burn me up, nor can I resist you. No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed." - Possession by A.S. Byatt

Lucy groaned as the sunlight from through the guildhall's windows shone on her face. She slumped down on the bar table, laying her hands on top of her head as she waited for Mira to bring her a glass of water. Happy, the blue cat which she so badly wanted to murder, was curled up cutely next to her. He'd introduced himself to her the night before.

That.. didn't go so well.

"Luce, meet Happy! Happy, meet Lucy! She's my Bound." Natsu spoke, seated next to Lucy on her favourite bar stool. He wrapped an arm around Lucy, leaning into her. This had become a normal gesture of greeting for the two.

Lucy turned behind her, unaware of the blue exceed next to her partner.

"Hey-" She laid her eyes on him. her eyes darkened, narrowing as her eyebrows slanted inwards. A growl escaped her lips as she slowly stepped off her stool threateningly.

"L-Luce-e?"

She lunged at the cat, a scream of terror escaping the Exceed.

She'd spent the next half hour chasing after the cat, wanting to give him a piece of her mind. They'd eventually made up, Lucy's rationality, which had been abandoned long, long ago, reminding her that the cat of this time probably had no clue about her. She'd finally calmed, and gave the blue cat - who was now cackling at her defeat - a chance.

The pain in her head increased as she made out a loud snicker from next to her.

"Hung over, Luce?" Natsu spoke, much to the irritation of the blonde. He stood over her as she sunk into her stool, defeated.

Last night was... intense, to say the least. The poor girl thought it would be a small party to celebrate her welcome into the Fairy Tail family, but no. She was unaware of the extremes this rowdy guild would go to for a party; it was as if they gained energy with every sip of booze! Even the Master, who she'd thought would knock some sense into the fools, or Gildarts, seemed to be drowning in barrels of the stuff, drunk beyond her wildest dreams. The Master had made it pretty clear that he was a bit of a pervert, by then. Lucy was also extremely shocked to learn that Gildarts Clive and Fairy Tail's resident drinker, Cana Alberona, were actually Father and Daughter.

So of course, it had been almost impossible to remain sober. 'Stupid peer pressure!' She thought, cursing at herself. She'd been so drunk that she challenged her Bound - who remained with her all night - to a drinking contest. Not one of her best ideas.

Turns out that Half Dragons were pretty… immune to the effects of alcohol.

The half dragon in question, who'd warned Lucy not to have so much to drink, was now revelling in the taste of her agony, watching her groan into her arms at the lasting effects of the alcohol. After a few more seconds, Natsu decided to help the writhing girl out.

"It's okay, Luce. Mira makes this magic serum thing, it clears your head with one sip- no kidding!" He slowly stepped towards her. Heating up his already warm hands, he carefully placed them over her heads in an effort to reduce her pain. It was like her uncomfort made him uncomfortable, too. Not in thought, but literally. To an extent, any emotion or discomfort she felt tugged at his lower abdomen, clenching it at different speeds. He'd only felt discomfort so far; it was like pins and needles within his stomach! 'Does Lucy feel it too? I guess it was the stupid incantation Loke made me say...'

A loud sigh of relief broke him from his thoughts. He looked down at the blonde who was now resting her face on her arms, a small smile of delight adorning her face. The strange sensation within his stomach vanished, replaced by a warmth. 'Comfort?'

"Oh- Natsu! That feels so good!" She sung, a soft moan escaping her lips.

"Am I… interrupting something?" A delighted Mirajane spoke.

Natsu froze.

Lucy's eyes shot wide open.

An extreme blush coated her face, and she jolted up, blubbering incomprehensibly. Natsu, on the other hand, was ducking his head in an attempt to hide his pink dusted cheeks. His stomach was churning now, a clear sign of Lucy's - and his own - embarrassment.

"I- We- Ugh! Mira! Her head hurt so I put my hands on her head, and I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer, so I have warm hands, obviously, and she just-" Natsu paused as the churning in his stomach intensified. 'She's getting more embarrassed!'

A smirk made its way onto Mira's face as he paused, a mischievous thought ringing in her head.

"I'm sorry- I wasn't thinking! That sounded- Ugh!" Lucy's face rivalled the redness of Erza Scarlet's hair, as she tried to come up with excuses for her embarrassing miscommunication.

"Well then… here you are Lucy. This should help with your headache." Mirajane placed a small shot glass filled to the brim with a blood red liquid in front of her. "I'll leave you love birds to it, then!" She chirped, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Miraa-!" Lucy whined, eventually giving up. She eyed the drink before her, then downed it one go. The strange liquid numbed her throat, the cold sensation tingling down her throat.

"Ugh..." She mumbled, sticking out her tongue.

"So, Luce, wanna go for a job today?"

Lucy looked over at Natsu, eyebrows furrowing. "A.. Job?" She questioned, tilting her head in confusion.

"Yeah, a Job! That's how wizards in guilds make money! And, you are from the future. You do wanna look around don't you? This way, you can gather more Ethernano and learn magic faster. Loke did say you should do that, didn't he?" He spoke, a small smile spreading on his face. He crossed his arms, looking behind him towards the Request Board.

"Sure! But.. Can we just explore first? I want to see places that don't exist in my time! Please, Natsu?" Lucy begged, her large eyes widening as a plea.

"Sure, Luce! Let's go! But, we gotta do a Job pretty soon." He replied with a chuckle.

Lucy cheered, hopping off the stool. She tackled Natsu with a laugh, wrapping her arms around him in a large hug. 'As long as I don't mess things up, I should be able to go home to a normal future!'

"Yes!"

Natsu scooped up the still sleeping - thankfully - Happy into his arms, and put an arm around Lucy, who was still latched onto him. 'You're my Bound, huh, Lucy Heartfilia? This should be interesting.'

Lucy and Natsu were wandering the streets of Magnolia, having dropped Happy off at Lisanna's place before going off.

"He's pretty tired from last night. I don't wanna wake my Little Buddy!"

Natsu made it a point to expose Lucy to as much magic as he could, especially since Loke recommended doing so- and that meant constantly lighting things on fire, at least to him. Lucy wasn't oblivious to this at all.

"Natsu, uhm.. thanks, but could you please refrain from lighting everyone's hats on fire? I mean… I know it's harmless and won't burn them, but come on." Lucy requested, even though Natsu could tell she was enjoying the little show.

"Oh come on, Luce! It's hilarious!" He snickered, hands on his hips, proudly. Sensing his victory at Lucy's heavy sigh, he dropped his hands, and decided to ask Lucy something that'd been bothering him since the start of the day.

"Hey Lucy, can you feel what I feel?" He stated, expecting her to understand. At her confusion (which came in the form of small pinches to his stomach- or more obviously, the narrowed eyes), he explained further.

"I mean, like now. You were confused, right? I could feel that in my stomach- it was like little pinches." He put his fingers together, recreating them to something similar to crab claws in an effort to put his thoughts on display.

Lucy's eyes widened. "Actually, yes, I can! Before it was just like tugs, you know, like I told you about when I first got here, but lately, it's been stronger." She said. Lucy was unsure how to feel in this situation. Elated that she had a special connection with someone, or mortified at having to feel everything Natsu (who felt emotion deeply, almost what a child would have) feels?

Sensing Lucy's discomfort that tugged at his stomach deeply, he put an arm around the blonde. Unsure what was going through her mind, he chose the safest topic.

"Luce. It'll be alright! We'll get you home." Natsu spoke, though his thoughts were a completely different matter. 'Lucy is my mate. If she leaves… no matter our relationship status, my soul won't survive. Neither will her's. She can't leave. If she does, I have to go with her, and that sure as hell can't happen... Fuck you, Almighty Being.' Natsu's inner voice was screaming at him by now, throwing at him all the scenarios that would happen if Lucy left- all of them ending horribly. His face was calm, nothing but a bright smile covering his ulterior emotions, but of course, Lucy, who was connected to him in a way that goes deeper than a mere friendship, could feel this.

"Oh my- Natsu! What was that! Geez, my head is about to explode, and my stomach is killing me! Stop overthinking- for my sake, you jerk!" She said, escaping from his (warm and inviting) arms in order to throw a weak punch at him. As usual, Natsu caught that fist with a small chuckle.

A very mischievous smirk crept up his face, as he pulled the squealing blonde in, causing her to crash into his chest with a thud.

"Natsu, what are you- Ahh!"

Natsu jumped with a cackle, his feet being boosted up by the immense power of his flames, which gleamed a bright orange even in the harsh sunlight.

"Hold on tight, Luce!" He exclaimed, the blonde now trapped securely in his arms. Her embarrassed squeals morphed into terrified screams, as she wrapped her legs tighter around Natsu's waist and completely closed the small gap between them. She clenched her eyes shut as his arms tightened around her own waist, his mischievous chuckle somehow still reaching her ears through the whipping of the wind.

"Hey. Open your eyes." He whispered into Lucy's ears. The wind was barely a whistling now, telling her that they'd slowed down- or even stopped. Trusting the man she clung to, Lucy slowly opened her eyes, her breathing still heavy from that rush of adrenaline. She squinted, holding on tighter to the man with a small whimper. At the sight below her, Lucy let out a small gasp of amazement. She could see all of Magnolia beneath her, the intricate maze of streets, and the canal slithering throughout the town like a sparkling blue snake.

This was a sight to behold, especially as the blood was still pumping in her veins from the sheer excitement she felt- which she understood was both hers and Natsu's. She clung on tighter to Natsu, not out of fear, but of gratitude for showing her the world- quite literally.

'Woah...' She thought, daring to separate from Natsu to get a better view. She was terrified, but trusted Natsu. Loosening her death grip - if Natsu had been human, no doubt he'd have suffocated - Lucy slowly twisted her head around, determined to take in as much of the view as she could.

"It looks even better at night!" He said, slightly separating Lucy from him to look at her face. At this, Lucy let out a loud squeak, thrashing to get closer to Natsu. She wrapped her legs tighter, her arms whipping back to Natsu's neck, whose only reaction was a quiet - 'Oof!'

"You idiot! Don't try to kill me!" She screamed, shivering at the thought of falling from this height- again. She'd had enough of falling for the rest of her life. Even if she was confident Natsu would save her, and that Loke was one scream away, she decided that the whole falling experience was off her list for a long while.

All she received in response to her outburst was a loud snicker, and she felt the winds whipping against her again.

"Luce, I've got so many places to show you! Hold on tight, I'll drop you off at the guild by dinner time, I swear!"

"Wait- Dinner time?! Natsu!"

True to his word, Natsu dropped Lucy off at exactly 8.00pm. Turns out people of this time eat dinner pretty late, but she didn't complain. She loved spending that time with Natsu, he was a good companion. He'd taken her on a tour around all of Magnolia, half of it flying with him and the other half, they spent walking the streets. Natsu also brought her to the Sola Tree, the one she was about to be impaled by upon her first arrival.

"And this is the pride of Magnolia. The Sola Tree. You were also about to be killed here if Loke hadn't shown up, by the way" Natsu spoke, his arm still resting over Lucy's shoulders. "Come on!"

The sky was quickly darkening despite the warm breeze, though Lucy suspected that was Natsu. The stars quietly shone at their places in the night sky, the sun still outshining them- even as it sunk low. It was a sight that was so normal to see, yet the deeper meanings of the barest things of Nature held great secrets - secrets that had no business meddling with such a beauty like nature. Lucy knew she was thinking much too deep into a mere sunset, but she couldn't help it.

Natsu dragged Lucy to the tree, breaking her out of her poetic trance, and Lucy followed, excited to see more of the wonders of this Era - an Era where her happiness was blooming, an Era still holding countless adventures, for both her and her Bound.

Lucy was now curled up in her bed, her mind blank. It was weird, she didn't feel the least bit homesick. Aside from occasionally missing her phone and computer, Lucy didn't mind staying here. 'What am I thinking! I gotta go home!'

Home…

She turned into her bed, laying on her side. It was almost 10 at night, but Lucy couldn't sleep, the adrenaline from the large dinner and the growing list of adventures still rushing through her. She sat up, scanning the room, until her eyes laid on the book Loke had lent her. Just as she was about to pick it up, a rustling from outside her window stopped her.

She froze. She jumped off her bed carefully, whipping up her boot as a weapon.

She approached the window slowly. She dared to move the curtains back. Her steps were slow, the cold wooden floor making no noise against her bare feet. Clutching the leathery boot in one hand, she whipped the curtains open only to be surprised by-

"Luce! Unlock your window!"

She screamed, falling back onto her butt with a groan of pain.

"Natsu! What the hell are you doing here?" She ground out, barely holding back from pushing Natsu out the way he came from.

"Sorry Luce, but I couldn't sleep! Your emotions and thoughts were so loud I could barely get any quiet!" He said, slowly letting himself in through the now unlocked window. He jumped in elegantly, closing the window behind him. Slowly walking forward, he pulled Lucy up to her feet.

"So, what's been bothering ya? You can tell me, you know. Really."

Natsu's face was hidden in the darkness, yet Lucy could still make out his eyes in the pale moonlight. They twinkled kindly, but Lucy couldn't help but to suspect his past. She knew most of her guildmates' pasts, but Natsu's seemed to be a bit.. blotchy. There was also the matter of his memories. She remembered that day clearly.

"What do you mean, my memories! It's all your damned Stars fault! And that old 'Stash-face! You can't take something of mine and deem it confidential- "

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"Son of Fire Dragon King Igneel, do not raise your voice against the Leader of the-" Loke, though, was cut off as waves of Black Magic rolled off of Natsu's frame.

Lucy could swear the world stilled.

"And do not forget who you are speaking to, Leo, the Cowardly Lion." He growled deathly. His words sent shivers up Lucy's spine, and froze the members of Fairy Tail to their spots. Even Loke stilled at his assertive words, his magic dimming.

Natsu began to rise in the air, a dark crimson, almost black hue appearing in his flowing blood. His eyes darkened, as he bore his teeth at the Celestial Spirit.

If Loke was truly the Leader of the heavenly bodies, how could he have been so … domesticated at the presence of Natsu, of all people? Who exactly was he? There were so many questions she had about Natsu Dragneel, yet she didn't ask. Why couldn't she?

'Because I'm afraid of the answers.'

"I'm fine, Natsu. Just feeling a bit homesick, that's all." She lied. 'I'll keep quiet about it… For now. I'll need some answers soon, Fire Dragon.'

Natsu's stomach clenched tightly.

'A Lie.' He deduced. 'Why is she lying to me? Oh well.. I have my fair share of secrets.'

"Oh.. Well, hope you feel better, Luce. Well you better feel better or I won't get any sleep!" He grumbled, walking off.

Towards her bed.

After another few grumpy mumbles, he threw off his sandals, and climbed into Lucy's bed, unaware of the murderous blonde behind him.

"Natsu, get off my bed!" She shouted. Thankfully, there was no one else in the guildhall during this time, so she could shout all she wanted without disturbing others.

"But I came all the way here, Luce! You have to be hospitable to me!" He said, pulling off his best puppy eyes- The bastard!

"That's not- You can't just- Ugh! Dragneel! Get off my bed! Go sleep on the couch!" She screamed, a blush coating her face. What was he thinking, just climbing to her bed! Did he have no sense of personal boundaries at all?

"Also, Lucy. Look at me." He spoke, his voice clear.

Lucy looked over without hesitation, missing the mischievous smirk on his face from the darkness of the room. "What's wrong?" She said, her hands on her hips.

Natsu looked over Lucy's figure under the soft glow of the moon. It lit up her silk kimono, the short light fabric draped loosely over her body. Her once angry expression was calm now, a questioning tilt on her face. Natsu's smirk widened. She was surely going to kill him for this.

"Cute jammies."

Lucy froze. Her face was on fire, an intense blush coating her face as she let out a loud squeal of embarrassment, dropping to her to her knees and curling in on herself. "Natsu you- You idiot! Get out of my room!" she shouted, looking at him with fire in her eyes.

Natsu broke out in laughter, clutching his sides in agony. "Oh my god- Luce! That face- hahaha!" He continued to snicker at her embarrassment, loud laughter escaping him as Lucy's rage grew.

She began to stand, not even embarrassed at her current state of dress. She clawed her hands, slowly advancing towards the currently hysterical Dragon Slayer.

"Dragneel. If you don't-" She started, but her ferocious growls were cut off by Natsu.

"Wait! I'm sorry Luce! Don't- Oh, Wait is this the book Loke gave you? Oh right! I wanted to talk to you about it!" He spoke, a usual grin on his face once more.

"Don't go changing the subject-"

"No, really, Luce. We gotta read it."

Lucy calmed down, but the incident didn't leave her mind- at all. 'Watch your back, jerk. You're gonna get it!'

"We're not going to read this now!" She exclaimed.

"Oh come on! It's not like we'll be going to sleep anytime soon. Let's just read!" He pleaded, once again pulling out his innocent-face.

Unable to refuse it, Lucy grudgingly agreed to the late-night-reading party.

"Well then. Get off my bed and pull up a chair. We can read until I fall asleep. If you're too tired, go sleep on the couch." She spoke, standing at the edge of the bed, her face over Natsu's threateningly.

"Just get in bed with me, I'm way too lazy to pull it up. If you really insist, I'll sleep on the couch and not your bed. Happy?" He said, looking away at her, beginning to open the book.

"Are you crazy!? I'm not getting into the same bed as you! No way in hell!" She argued, clenching her fists. 'Is this for real?!'

"Lucy! You complain too much!" He grumbled. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into the bed. He placed her beside himself, and pulled the blankets up over her. She wasn't a fire dragon, after all, she would get cold.

"Natsu-" She began, the blush returning.

"Stop complaining and read to me Luce!" He insisted, shoving the book into her hands.

"You're lucky I can't survive without you, Dragneel, or you'd be dead meat!" She growled, snatching the book from his hands. She ran her hands over the cover, reading out the title.

"Celestial Records of Human Magic's Roots." She flipped the pages, smiling once she landed on the chapter that no doubt both of them were the most eager in learning.

"Bound Souls and Red Strings of Fate" She began.

"CELESTIAL RECORDS OF HUMAN MAGIC'S ROOTS

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BOUND SOULS AND RED STRINGS OF FATE - I

"Being a Bound does not mean a Human is born with half a soul, with their significant other being the holder of the other half. It is impossible for one - not just humans- to survive with only half a soul. If you are missing even a chip of your soul, you cease to exist, living in a state of dream. To be missing the entire half of a soul will leave you in a state worse than death itself...

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"Not everybody is Bound, but most with magical power are. It's pretty rare for someone born without Magic to be Bound, and even rarer for them to be Bound to a Wizard. There are certain souls which the Fates decided to Bind, though. For example, the legendary and well known case of Mavis and Zeref. When one is bound, their souls are attracted to each other. This peaks at a certain age, different for everyone. Some Bound Pairs only meet each other at ages over 40, though that is quite uncommon. This peak in attraction leads to the buildup of magic, so if one is bound, they are able to undergo Binding, the process in which the Red String appears and binds the souls. The Red String acts as an invisible and indestructible anchor between the two souls, feeding the two souls into each other, creating an intertwined soul...

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"Blessed Bounds are those who have had their bindings blessed by another entity of power. This means that their meeting is set in stone and is unchangeable. Blessed Bounds would bind on first sight, at the moment they lock eyes. Blessed Bounds are extremely rare. Blessed Bounds are decided years before their arrival to earth. The process of Blessing Bounds is kept secret from anyone outside the Celestial Realm, but if a human is reading this, they are most likely a trusted Celestial Wizard. The process of Blessing Bound pairs is taken on by The Celestial Spirit King. The King is able to foretell the arrival of Bounds to Earthland, and receives a vision if they are to be blessed. The Kings of all Earthland's Mythical Races are brought together during this event, and they feed their magical essence into the connection of the Bound pairs. These entities, the Kings and Queens of the Fairy and Dragon Races, and other minor beasts' chiefs honing immense magical strength are called upon for these events, with the Celestial King, Dragon King/Queen and Fairy King/Queen being the only entities that held the information on these secret Blessed Bounds."

Lucy yawned quietly.

"Hey Natsu-" She started, pausing only as the said Dragon Slayer's drooping eyes came to her view. She smiled softly, turning her body towards the pink-haired man next to her. Sighing, she scooted away from the man, and used the last of her sapped strength to push Natsu into a more comfortable position. Momentarily forgetting he was a Fire Dragon, she pulled the blankets up over him. After watching the peaceful man's face for a moment longer, she too, smiled, settling into her space. She turned her body away from him, dragging the blanket over herself, cuddling into the soft material.

Lucy was completely asleep by this point, a small smile resting on her face. Natsu, on the other hand, was wide awake. Once he was completely sure she was asleep, he turned around, facing towards the blonde. He furrowed his brows, thinking about the passage as his eyes subconsciously traced her face. 'Igneel.. I wish you were here. You would have fixed this by now.. '

Thoughts about his father filled his head as he sunk lower and lower into the pit of memories. A certain scarf flashed through his memories, it's soft texture engraved into his heart. He frowned hugely, realising where his thoughts led him. Back to someone who had once again walked out of his life. 'What am I thinking?! The bastard left me out of his own will, just like- just like Zeref… '

Natsu's heart clenched. He was about to leave, when a small hand circled itself around his neck.

'Lucy… '

Lucy slid closer into Natsu's warmth, tangling herself with Natsu as he lay still.

'I've really only ever wished for one thing.'

She smiled at the warmth. She drew closer to it, like a moth seeking a light. Yet this moth was rather a majestic butterfly deceived by the warmth, drawing closer and closer to the scorching heat of a crackling Demon.

'Just one thing… '

Natsu moved his own arms, trapping the girl within his embrace. This Demon was possessive. It wouldn't let it's prey escape that easily.

'I wished for a world where people didn't walk out of my life as if it were a game.'

He placed his lips on the top of the girl's head as she moved closer into Natsu's chest.

'And I hope you help me build it, Lucy Heartfilia.'

Author's Notes

Welp that ended abruptly. BUT! [spolier] ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO READING ABOUT MIRAJANE FINDING THEM CUDDLING? HMM? STAY TUNED EVERYBODY!

Thanks sooo much for all the favorites and follows, love seeing that! Please let me know if I should make the chapters longer!

Leave a review if you liked it! What was your favourite part? Was the emotional part even emotional? Any changes or advice? I know I'm an amateur, but I'm ready to hear any suggestions!

Love you all!

~ Kyla ︎