*Chapter Thirty-Five: Nightmares
(December 25th, 2017, Monday Night)
He was sure he was coming down from his high, exhaustion starting to weigh on him. Of course, there was a good chance his body was getting ready for another wave, and if it came, he would probably ride it happily seeing as the weed made him feel good.
'I can't believe this stuff was legal, even medically,' he thought, heading over to the bookcases to grab his stuff to brush his teeth.
Lucy was right beside him, gathering her stuff before reminding him he should put his backpack down. Natsu laughed, not realizing he was still wearing it. 'Maybe that's why I felt heavy?' He shrugged the idea away and the backpack off, walking with Lucy to the bathrooms so they could take care of their nightly routine.
Once back in the room, Natsu debated whether he should write in his notebook or not. He decided to try, only to jot down a few lines before getting bored with it. He pushed the notebook to the foot of his bed, planning on filling in the blanks tomorrow after he had some rest.
Natsu chirped, trying to get Happy to come to him, but the stubborn cat was busy by his food bowl, meowing at his owner. He was about to get up and grab the food, but Lucy walked in, assuming the responsibility once the cat directed his meows at her.
Natsu smiled, resting his head on his pillow as he watched Lucy. She had grown so much in the past three months, and he hoped she would continue to get better. 'Well, just shy of three months, but who's counting?'
He was about to close his eyes, but his attention was caught when he heard Lucy say, "I don't think I need to take this..."
Natsu looked over at her, seeing her by her bookcase. Her bottle of sleeping medication was in her hand, a puzzled expression on her face. "I'm so tired, but I... I don't want to wake you up if I scream."
Natsu shrugged, fine either way. He didn't think he could wake up from her screaming tonight anyway. He was exhausted, mind and body ready for sleep.
Lucy nodded once before taking her medication, playing it safe. His eyes followed her, not realizing it might be weird for him to stare. He waited until she came closer to the beds before talking, wanting to make sure she could hear him.
"Do you still get nightmares?" he asked, seeing the way her eyes darted at him, her features tightening.
Lucy lowered her head for a moment before nodding, knowing they weren't as bad as they had been when she first arrived, but they still haunted her. She hadn't woken up screaming lately, but she did wake up a few times every week, only to end up crying herself back to sleep.
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. Her face softened, relieved she wasn't thrashing about in her sleep anymore. Or if she was, Natsu stopped telling her. "Not your fault."
Natsu wanted to ask whose fault it was, still wanting to know who the culprit was who caused her so much pain. She had kept her lips sealed on that part. He didn't know if she was trying to erase the memory by not speaking about it, but he had a feeling talking about it was better than bottling it up.
He sat up, giving her every shred of attention he could muster. "Are your nightmares about... what happened?"
Lucy tried focusing on the question rather than the nightmares themselves, her eyes dulling a bit. "Kind of... I... I get, fragments." If she was reliving what happened every night, she didn't think she could make it. Instead, it was bits and pieces, thrown together with what happened in her daily life. "They get mixed... with other stuff."
"Like what?" Natsu asked, furrowing his brows. He scooted to the edge of his bed, hoping she would answer him.
Lucy chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds, debating if she should say. Her dream last night wasn't nearly as bad as the others, even if it made her skin crawl thinking about it. Deciding she could let him in, just a bit, Lucy took a deep breath.
"Like... the one last... night." She felt her confidence waning, that earlier joy slowly fading out like a dying star. "I dreamed I was digging a hole." Lucy knew why she dreamed of that. Part of her job involved digging graves, so it was natural to be part of her subconscious. "But then I heard... h-his..."
Natsu saw Lucy's hands shake before she gripped the sheets on her bed, her eyes falling until they were on the floor between them. She wasn't far from him, letting him see the emotions sweep over her, Lucy pushing through despite them.
"I heard his voice," she whispered, needing to swallow hard to move on. "And when I... I turned, I saw h-h—" Lucy narrowed her eyes, trying to harness her anger instead of fear. She used it as a tool, a way to gain control of the situation despite feeling powerless. It was all she had, but she wielded it to the best of her abilities. "He was there," she said, her breathing picking up. "He pushed me, in the hole. It wasn't deep, but I.. I kept falling, and falling, until I woke up."
Lucy closed her eyes for a moment, her jaw tight as her body fought with the sickening feeling trying to seep in. "But even when I woke up, it felt like I was still falling for a few seconds."
"That's intense," Natsu murmured, comparing it to some of the nightmares he had since the outbreak. He hadn't woken up screaming like Lucy had, but he did wake up in a cold sweat sometimes, usually doing whatever he could to take his mind off his nightmare until his mind naturally forgot most of the details.
Natsu cocked his head, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Do you know who the guy is?"
"What guy?" Lucy asked, only realizing who he meant as soon as the words left her mouth.
As if she didn't know, Natsu whispered, "The guy who hurt you."
He saw the look of hurt cross her face, realizing he stepped into dangerous territory once again. Then again, nearly every topic about Lucy's personal life felt like dangerous territory, but he kept prying regardless, wanting her to get better. He saw she had potential, she just had to push through.
"You don't gotta say if you don't wanna, but I think talkin' about it would help. If not with me, maybe Grandeeney?"
Lucy was quiet for a long time, causing Natsu to lose hope she would reveal her secrets. The seconds turned into a minute or two, Lucy gnawing on her lower lip, not caring that she was close to reopening the small scab that tried to form since that morning.
"His name..." she started, closing her eyes. "It's..."
Lucy dropped her head, her body shaking as she felt another wave of tears come on. However, she didn't cry right away, feeling drained of every tear. Instead her body racked with emotional turmoil, Lucy crumbling before him. She had no energy left.
"Shit," Natsu mumbled, getting off his bed before crawling towards her. "I'm sorry Lucy."
He thought of grabbing her blanket to wrap around her, hoping that would calm her down, but he saw her swaying forward, not bothering to catch herself.
"C'mere," he said, using his arms to curl around her. Natsu knew there was a possibility of her hitting him to get away, and he was ready to back down if she tried, but instead, Natsu's body tensed when she was the one who clung to him, hands coming up to grip his shirt as she let him pull her off the bed and onto the ground.
"I don't... want to... cry," she whispered, trying to hold back the pain. She wished she could let it all out, expel it from her body and never deal with it again. Her eyes squeezed tight, taking Natsu's advice.
'Talk about it,' she told herself, wanting to get it out. She couldn't heal if she kept holding it in. Even if it seemed easier than dealing with her problems head on, she needed to be strong and move past it, otherwise the pain and darkness would only consume her.
"I s-see his face," she mumbled into Natsu's shirt, her body shaking. "E-every night, he's th-there, a-and I just w-want him to... to leave."
Natsu stared wide-eyed at the window, feeling Lucy holding him close. His arms were loose around her, terrified of hurting her. However, when she didn't jerk away or give the slightest indication that she wasn't okay with the hug, Natsu relaxed, his hands settling on her back before he pulled her to him.
She felt fragile in his arms, her body trembling with fear. He could hear it though, the strength she was exerting. Lucy wasn't giving in, wasn't letting her demons get the better of her. He turned his head, nose burying into her hair until he found her ear, wanting to fight alongside her.
"You don't know how much I wish I could punch his stupid face for you." One of his hands came up, cupping her head as the other arm tightened around her body. He adjusted his seating, putting either leg around her legs, trying to make their positioning more comfortable without getting too awkward.
If they had just met, Natsu wouldn't have been okay with that close contact, but he felt better around Lucy now. She was his true friend, someone he wanted around. He didn't mind being that close with her, showing his vulnerable side.
"You deserved so much better."
Lucy shook her head, but he refused to believe that wasn't true. Nothing he had seen warranted her being tortured and abused. The only people he thought actually deserved that punishment were the people responsible for doing it to Lucy. If he had it his way, they would pay, but he couldn't do a damn thing if he didn't know who they were or where to find them, and he doubted Lucy was going to cough up that information.
He decided to focus on comforting her, his eyes sliding shut as he breathed her in. Her body was colder than his, but still had a warmth that made him feel softer. He didn't know if he was still high and that was affecting his feelings, but he didn't care. The closeness he felt to Lucy felt real, and that was what mattered to Natsu.
"You wouldn't be s-saying that... if you knew the th-things I d-did."
Natsu wanted to growl at her in frustration, but he kept himself in check. He was tired of hearing that, knowing she didn't deserve to be punished. Unless she burned down a school full of children or something equivalent, Natsu didn't see why she was holding onto the belief she somehow deserved that pain.
"You're not a bad person," Natsu said firmly, hoping she listened. "I know it."
Lucy swallowed thickly, feeling the first of many tears falling down her face. She thought she was all cried out, but her body was stubborn, producing more. The tears burned, but that was nothing compared to the hurt in her heart.
"Thank you," she whispered, fingers curling against Natsu's shirt before tightening her grip. "I... I d-don't believe you, but... it's still... nice for you t-to say."
Natsu sighed when she started choking on a sob, his hand on her back rubbing circles, trying to calm her down. He had lost count of how many times Lucy had cried in front of him, but he wasn't giving up on her. She could cry a hundred more times and he would still be right there, trying to help her through it.
"I got you," he said, his lips dangerously close to her ear. He had to keep his voice low, afraid he might hurt her by talking too loud. "He can't hurt you. Not with me here protecting you."
Natsu held her for a while, losing track of time while she cried in his arms. He wouldn't judge her, wouldn't laugh at her for showing her fears and insecurities with him. She was his friend, and he would be there when she needed him.
After Lucy quieted down, he felt ready to ask again, feeling like she might give him an answer. "What's the name of the bastard who hurt you?" He had to keep the bite out of his voice, a flash of rage coursing through him when he remembered every cut, bruise, burn, and scar Lucy wore. He didn't care what she said, she didn't deserve any of it.
Lucy took a shaky breath, feeling a knot forming in her throat. "I..." Her forehead scrunched up as she clenched her teeth, the word feeling like acid as she finally spit it out.
"Ivan."
For a moment, Natsu's world came to a complete stop.
His mind went blank. Every muscle in his body tensed, his blood feeling like it froze, as if ice swarmed his veins. He was unbearably numb, his hearing cutting out for a few seconds.
Natsu gulped, trying to get rid of the ringing in his head when he started coming back to reality. He almost forgot to breathe, taking in a shuddering breath before moving his tongue around in his incredibly dry mouth.
"Are..." He didn't recognize his own voice, his mind struggling to comprehend what Lucy said. "Are you... sure?"
When Lucy nodded, Natsu's heart dropped, hoping she was wrong. "D-did you get... his last name?"
"No," she mumbled, moving her head to the side, wiping some of her tears on his shirt. He didn't mind, didn't even worry about such a trivial thing.
Natsu was too busy trying to piece together what happened, only using his memories and the horrifying stuff he heard people say to paint what might have happened to Lucy. 'Maybe it's a different Ivan... It has to be... But, what are the odds there'd be two sick fucks out there with that name?'
"H-he never said," Lucy whispered, surprised when it wasn't as hard to take a deep breath. "And I... I didn't ask."
Lucy loosened her grip on Natsu's shirt, placing her palms flat against his chest. She found herself breathing easier. "I..." She sniffled, her hands lightly trembling. "I think I-I feel... better."
Natsu's head turned an inch closer to her, his eyes narrowing as his brows pinched together. He had a hard time believing she felt better. After what she went through, he was surprised she was still able to speak at all.
Lucy focused on her breathing, not as mad at herself as the tears kept pouring. Sure, she was crying more, but her heart didn't feel as constricted. A small weight had been lifted. She didn't feel like she could take on the world, but, she was able to face one of her demons, look it in the face, and confront it.
If she could do that with everything haunting her, she would be golden, but Lucy was drained for one night. Despite feeling better, she needed rest and recovery, both of which she couldn't get by continuing their current topic.
"That's..." Natsu started, his heart feeling too heavy, like a weight was crushing his chest. "... good."
He moved his head downwards, pressing his lips against the material covering her shoulder. She might have felt better, but he felt worse.
So much worse.
'I shouldn't have asked.' It turned out Natsu wasn't able to handle that truth. He didn't know what to do with it. Should he tell someone? Or keep it locked away like Lucy had?
'What if she tells someone else?' While he highly doubted she would, it was still in the realm of possibilities.
Natsu gave Lucy a tighter hug, careful not to smother her. He didn't want to imagine the kind of horrors she endured. Whatever it was, she didn't deserve it.
None of those girls did.
'I don't know how he got to you, but I swear, I'll never let him touch you again.'
"Let's get some sleep," Natsu whispered, wanting to put an end to that conversation before he threw up. He didn't want Lucy to cry more, and the faster he got to sleep, the faster he could wake up and talk to Makarov. He knew their leader wouldn't appreciate it if he woke him up in the middle of the night, especially being high as a kite.
It didn't matter that he had information on a madman, or maybe it would? Natsu didn't know how Makarov was going to react, but he knew one thing. He wanted to stop thinking about it, so he slowly released Lucy, giving her a forced, awkward smile before standing up.
He needed a cigarette, but he wasn't going to smoke after brushing his teeth. Instead, he grabbed Happy for comfort, needing his furry buddy more than normal.
When Natsu started walking back towards the beds with Happy, Lucy had a sense of relief, glad they were done talking about her tonight. While she felt a little lighter, she didn't have the energy to do more. She almost reached out to accept the cat, only to furrow her brows when Natsu kept Happy as he sank back onto his mattress.
A tightness started working its way through Lucy's body, her throat feeling thick as she moved towards Natsu's bed. She felt her muscles protest, wanting her to retreat to her own bed for rest. She ignored it in favor of getting closer to Natsu, waiting until he was situated under his blankets before clearing her throat.
Natsu glanced up, blinking a few times before whispering, "Yeah?"
"I... don't want to... to sleep alone tonight."
When Natsu's eyes widened in shock, she realized she worded that wrong. She waved her hands in front of her frantically, trying to dismiss that thought as soon as possible. "Happy! I-I meant I want to sleep with H-Happy."
"Oh," Natsu sighed, relieved yet worried. He held his cat closer to him, finding his body relaxed. Happy was just trying to sleep, not particularly caring who with. "Well, I really wanna sleep with Happy..." He saw the look of disappointment in her eyes, his chest tightening with confliction. "So I'm not sure how that'll work."
When Lucy frowned, he resisted the urge to groan, wishing they could clone Happy for one night so they both got what they wanted. He didn't want to give up his cat, needing comfort of his own, yet he felt bad for Lucy. She didn't ask for much, and he knew she had to be feeling upset after their talk too.
After a long pause, Natsu gave her an odd shrug, the action prevented while he was on his side. "I have an idea... We can both kinda get our way."
"How?" she asked, ready to hear him out.
Natsu nodded behind her before scooting back. "You can move your bed next to mine, then we can have Happy in the middle?" Something flashed through Lucy's eyes, but Natsu couldn't figure out if it was surprise or fear, or maybe a little of both.
"You don't have to. It's just an idea. I'm not trying to pressure you, okay? You can say no." He was open to other suggestions, but there wouldn't be any.
Lucy swallowed before nodding, standing so she could move her mattress. Natsu would have offered to help, but she had it, sliding the bed across the tile floor until it was pressed firmly against his.
While that was easy, convincing herself to get in the bed was another story. Lucy hesitated, breathing deeply to work herself up to it. She discarded her shoes and hoodie, setting them where her bed had been seconds ago. She entered from the furthest end away from Natsu, diving under the covers before wiggling her way towards the other side.
Natsu watched the display with mild amusement, waiting for her to get close enough before removing his blanket from Happy. He moved to the edge of his bed, letting Happy sleep there so Lucy could reach him.
"How's this?" he asked, moving his pillow so he could get comfortable.
His heart started beating faster as she scooted closer, coming to the edge of her bed. By the time she adjusted herself, Natsu felt a faint warmth on his face, starting to feel odd with their close proximity. Despite hugging her, what they were doing now felt, different. He couldn't put his finger on it, unsure why he felt flustered.
Then again, he didn't normally stick his face in front of someone else's, not unless he was planning on fighting them.
"It's, good," Lucy whispered, peeking one hand out from her blankets while keeping everything else but her face covered. She was about to tell him not to touch her, but she realized that would be difficult considering Natsu's arm was wrapped around Happy. It was her who touched him, her palm accidentally nudging him when she stroked down Happy's fur.
She thought he didn't notice until he spoke, making her pulse jump. "Why is your hand so cold?"
Lucy jerked her hand away, causing Natsu to chuckle. "I'm just kidding. It's fine."
She brought the blanket up over her nose, managing a small smile as she resumed her petting. They were quiet for a while, listening to Happy's soft purrs as they both spoiled him with attention. Lucy's hand touched Natsu occasionally, but she did her best to avoid him, worried her hand really was cold and he was just being nice. She wouldn't be surprised considering how chilly she felt.
'Summer can't get here soon enough.'
"I'm..." Lucy started, her voice low. Her free hand covered her mouth before moving to her cheek, tucking itself under her head. "I'm glad you two are back." Her smile grew, proud of herself for her small improvements.
While she constantly felt like she was getting nowhere, she knew that wasn't true. She had made a lot of progress since Natsu found her in that house, and she hoped time and talking continued to heal her inner scars.
Natsu chuckled, the sound easing Lucy's racing heart. He smiled at her, his eyes soft. "Yeah, me too."
Yawning, Natsu blinked a few times before closing his eyes. "I'm gonna sleep now." At least, that was the plan. His eyes widened a few seconds later, his head feeling like it rolled. "Holy fuck the world is going too fast," he murmured, realizing some of his high was still there, lingering in the corner of his head.
Lucy snorted, taking Natsu's mind off his dizziness to focus on her. "Are you laughing at me?" he asked, surprised when Lucy chuckled lightly.
"Maybe."
He grinned, curling his arm so he touched more of Happy, and coincidentally, made it nearly impossible for Lucy not to touch his hand or arm while she pet him. "Okay. I don't mind you laughing at me."
Natsu closed his eyes again, trying to stop his head from spinning. He relaxed, feeling an odd contentment. He chalked it up to the marijuana making him feel peaceful, not giving it a second thought.
Just as the world around him started to fade and Natsu let himself within sleep's reach, Lucy brought him back, her voice higher than it had been moments before.
"Oh! Your present."
Natsu hummed, not bothering to open his eyes. "I'm comfy," he mumbled, not wanting to get up. "Can you just tell me what it is? I promise I'll act surprised tomorrow."
Lucy raised a brow, finding his behavior... cute. She shook the thought away, deciding to smile instead. "Yeah. I... wrote you, something."
While Natsu valued his sleep, he couldn't help but perk up. "You did?" His eyes opened just in time to see her nod.
"It's not much, just a one-shot."
"A what now?" Natsu tried cocking his head, but it only made his face sink more into his pillow. His brain reminded him he should get to sleep, but he couldn't possibly pass out now.
Lucy's relief filtered through her as a blush surfaced on her face. Her blanket was still covering her up to her nose, preventing him from seeing. "I wrote... Game of Thrones f-fan...fiction."
Natsu didn't have to ask what fanfiction was, knowing Levy dabbled in that when they were in middle school. He listened, smiling when Lucy said, "It's a short story, basically."
"You wrote me something?"
To say Natsu was interested would be an understatement. Anticipation thrummed through his body, looking forward to reading what she wrote. He knew writing was an intimate thing, and the fact that she chose to share that with him made him happier than he expected. He didn't think she was going to give him a gift, hadn't even thought it, yet she had done something so personalized, just for him.
The skin around his eyes crinkled as his smile grew warm, thankful Lucy had decided to be his friend. "That's... That's really awesome."
If he wasn't so drained, he would get up and read it. He wondered which characters she chose to use, what setting or situation she wrote about. Or perhaps she put a spin to it and put the characters in another world. He wouldn't ask, wanting to keep the contents a surprise.
"Can I give ya a hug tomorrow?" Natsu asked, wanting to thank her properly for her gift.
She gulped, her action hidden beneath her blanket. "For... what?"
"The present," he said as if it were obvious. "I wanna thank ya."
"Oh... Um—" She took a few short breaths before nodding. "You... You can do it now, if you... want." Lucy didn't know how she would feel tomorrow, unsure if she could keep a promise from today. She felt she could handle a simple hug in that moment. A hug tomorrow was too much of a gamble.
While she knew Natsu wouldn't force her to hug him tomorrow if she changed her mind, she would be lying if she said she didn't want one. She didn't know if she was starving for human contact, her body wanting it but her mind telling her to avoid others. It was a constant battle, something that drove her mad at times.
"Can you come here?" Natsu asked, not wanting to budge. He realized that was rude seconds later, deciding to sit up. "Or meet me halfway?"
He kept a hand on Happy, preventing him from escaping. Lucy pushed her blankets down to her waist, scooting closer to his bed. She found every time they touched, the fear was lessened, knowing he wouldn't hurt her. She allowed herself to close her eyes and breathe, relishing in the immediate heat Natsu's body brought when he wrapped one arm around her.
That warmth faded as soon as Natsu pulled away, her clothes and blanket not providing as much comfort. She didn't let that get her down, knowing she couldn't rely on Natsu for everything.
Once Natsu was back under his blanket and his arm wrapped around his cat, he gave Lucy a sleepy grin. "I'll be sure to read it tomorrow."
Lucy hid under her covers, trying to find her own warmth. Her hand hesitantly poked out, finding Happy purring away in Natsu's arm. She rested her hand on Happy's side, her wrist laying over Natsu's arm, but he didn't seem to mind. "Let me know... what you think." Feedback was important to writers. It let them know their weak spots and how they could improve. It also provided motivation to write more.
"I will, thank you." Natsu's eyes felt heavy as he blinked, his mind telling him to shut down for the night. Too many things were going on in his head, and he didn't know which to focus on. While he still had a bad feeling about his talk with Makarov tomorrow, he knew it had to be done. He respected Lucy, but he couldn't keep what she said a secret from him, even if she asked him to.
Makarov had a right to know, even if it was sure to only hurt him too.
Natsu thought about the story Lucy wrote for him, that contentment from earlier coming back, filling his system with warmth. "I already know I'm gonna love it though."
"Why's that?"
"Because you wrote it," Natsu said, seeing her pull down her covers just enough to make eye contact. "And that's really thoughtful."
Lucy smothered her smile, saying what had been lingering in her mind since she walked into the room. "You're... you're kind of... sweet."
Natsu huffed, rolling his eyes. Why did people keep insisting he was sweet? "Yeah yeah, that's what I hear." He wondered if he should change something about him to make him less 'sweet', but he decided it wasn't the worst thing in the world to be, especially if it was his friends who said so.
Lucy didn't question him, watching and feeling as he cuddled more with Happy, pressing his nose into that blue fur.
"G'night," he mumbled, already feeling himself giving in. It had been a long day, and it was finally coming to an end.
"Good night," Lucy whispered, needing a little longer before she could fall asleep. For a moment she worried about getting nightmares, but there was little she could do about that. Her dreams seemed to have a mind of their own, showing her whatever they wanted her to see, whether it be good or bad. Sometimes the good wasn't better, Lucy seeing her family, all alive and well. That only made waking up more difficult, facing the cold reality that was her new life.
She had no family left, but...
Somehow, she didn't feel so alone in the world anymore. She still missed them terribly, and she would give anything to have them alive and well, but she found more reasons to live every day aside from the basic need to survive.
She had people she could call her friends, and if she kept putting herself out there, she was sure those friendships would only grow stronger.
"I can do this," Lucy whispered, assured Natsu was asleep. His even breaths had turned into light snores, but she didn't mind the noise. It was comforting, something she had grown used to over the past few months.
The last two nights were hard on her, not having him in the room with her at night. She had managed to get through them without much troubles, but having him back made her chest feel a little fuller, like the hole in her heart wasn't as painful.
He was a good friend, someone she wanted to stay with.
Lucy looked up at the ceiling, mesmerized by all the stars. She hoped he took her words as a compliment. She thought it was a good thing he was sweet. While he was a little silly and loud, he was also kind and patient.
Knowing Natsu was asleep, Lucy scooted closer, feeling where her mattress ended and his began. She couldn't see every detail of his face, the moonlight only providing so much. Her eyes fell to his arm, curled protectively around Happy. Lucy lifted her hand off the feline, leaving the smallest gap of air between her skin and his as she traced some of the smaller scars on his arm.
She took in the large scar running down his right arm, easily stretching at least six inches. 'How painful was this one?' she wondered, wishing she could touch it, but she resisted. Lucy trusted Natsu didn't mess with her when she was sleeping, so she would be respectful too.
She was about to pull away before her eyes flitted up, catching sight of the scar on Natsu's cheek. It had healed considerably since she gave it to him, now becoming another part of his face. He looked normal with it, but that didn't stop the guilt from bubbling up, reminding her how awful she had been to him when he found her.
The only thing that kept Lucy from hating herself for it was knowing she had been scared and didn't know his identity. His light had been on the whole time, preventing her from seeing his face. She was sure if she had seen him, she wouldn't have reacted as badly.
Still, she couldn't change what happened, couldn't erase the angry scar that adorned his face.
Lucy took a few deep breaths, reminding herself Natsu hadn't gotten mad at her about the new scar. Well, aside from when it first happened, but she understood that. She couldn't see herself raising a blade against him now, Natsu holding more trust than she thought she could give, at least after the start of the incidents that led her to that basement.
She didn't think she had the right to call him what she wanted out loud, but in her mind, where only she could hear it, she felt better admitting it.
'He's my best friend.'
Her eyes focused on his face as a whole, seeing how peaceful he looked when he slept. His lips were slightly parted, his bangs fallen over his eyes, almost touching his nose. She snorted, wanting to push his hair out of his face. He needed a haircut, but if he chose to keep his hair that long, there was a chance he could pull it off.
Lucy swallowed hard before placing her hand on Happy again, letting his soft purrs lull her. 'I'll stay for a few minutes, then go to the other side of my bed.'
However, as the minutes passed, Lucy's eyelids grew heavy, her eyes staying closed longer every time she blinked.
'Just going to rest my eyes... for a minute,' she thought, letting them close, her body relaxing as she felt Natsu and Happy on her arm. 'For... just... a minute...'
Lucy didn't realize when she stopped thinking, her mind surrendering to sleep.
.
.
.
Once again, this story is a slow burn. :P
Is it weird for me to say I love this story? It's honestly my favorite one I've written. My life feels like it's falling apart right now, but damn does this story take my mind off the real world.
Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Anyone surprised to hear it was Ivan who tortured her? Any theories? I'll give you a hint, it was also hinted back in chapter 8. Anyone happy with Lucy's progress! She's seeing that she feels the tiniest bit better after talking about it, which will lead her into talking about more with a trusted person. Any guesses on who that person will be?
Thank you sooooo much for all your support! Seriously, y'all are amazing! Thank you for every single favorite, follow, and review! Shout out to the awesome people who gave me feedback last time: Guest, Otaku004, shootingstarssel, Satyrykal, Shonix13, Wapii, Lodemai04, Terra of Life, sofiesticated, valerioux, Guest, they. call. me. Bridge, Weevilcat, mautrino, Animeforlife1412, CathJorda, FartsnickleNalu, Sam, WhatAnimeHasTaughtMe, deboome, stranger1999, Mandapandaa, cOokIe-MOnzTa, Lizxcliff11, TheUniqueFangirl, Duchixx, Guest, FartsnickleNalu, BrokenAngelWings83, YOUR-LUNA, sonikastalker, Guest, FlameDragonHime, Daisy73, ThaDesperado64, ElementalMiko12, CodenameMise, Guest, Guest, Xfangirl123X, Guest, SAMx41, Guest, Nightside14(x2), Guest, Guest, Emoelmo41212, and Guest!
Up next, Chapter Thirty-Six: Morning after
Thank you for your support! Please, let me know what you thought of the chapter! Natsu's going to have an interesting day tomorrow, some good, some bad. :)