AN: Hello everyone, I hope you guys enjoy chapter 16! I was previously debating on skipping around some things; however, I have decided against it. Reason being I think all the parts will make this a much greater story... plus I did say I would slow burn this one. If I sped it up It wouldn't be much of a slow burn, right?
Also to the individual who was too chicken to give their name with that rude review. If you don't like it don't read it (you know who I'm talking to). I'm going to go ahead and guess that you must be an immature child to feel the need to try and hurt someone else based off of their writings. If your goal was to make me mad... sorry honey but you did far from that, in fact, I laughed because to act like bully only to hide behind a 'guest' name is something I find utterly laughable. My advice my friend "Good get a life! One that doesn't involve trying bringing others down to make yourself feel better because you don't like your own."
I apologize for the rambling since I'm sure you'd rather be reading, but because this individual gave me no means to contact him back through their own messages as a result... well my response to their message gets to be posted in the AN for the world to see! Enjoy that 15 minutes of fame 'Guest'.
Lucy frowned alone in her apartment, darkness cloaking every inch of her home, pulling her legs up so her knees met her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs while resting her cheek against her knees. Her eyes shifted ever so slightly over to the phone Natsu had gotten her, still waiting for him to text her back, but he'd been so upset when he left… Will he even come back?
Lucy smiled brightly walking out of the water, Aquarius's mana skin slowly dissipating from the head down along with the spiritual mark that was once on her chest. As she walked out of the oceans waters to meet them her feet meeting the sand, once again the supportive power was gone. Though she felt happy about the turn of events, she could feel a hint of anger radiating from her keys which hung from her waist, she had little doubt that she'd get yelled at later for her actions and she had little to no doubt that Aquarius herself didn't have something to say as well.
Lucy blushed madly as Natsu ran to her and he tackled her to the ground in the slightly wet sand causing her to feel her scales accumulating on her legs despite her clothes absorbing most of the moisture. She was about to ask him to get off her, but she felt his body shaking, "The hell! What in the hell were you doing here?!" Natsu cried suddenly pushing himself away from her his hands on her shoulders pinning her to the ground. "You could have fucking died! Is that what you want?!" he asked his shaky grip tightening on her shoulder. Lucy's eyes widened at the strange markings on Natsu's body and now that she thought about it Natsu's body temperature seemed warmer than normal too.
Lucy wanted nothing more than to hug him right now, but the restraint prevented that, "No," she answered despite being shocked by the discovery before her. Natsu, he wasn't human... Lucy stared up at him noting the red scales that'd developed across his face and parts of his body, a thick red horn sprouted from the side of his head, there was also a strange black tattoo covering his arm that hadn't been there before and it seemed like the more his rage spiked the more it glowed an angry orange. 'Natsu he's…' she thought only to mumble out the last bits of her thoughts out loud, "a dragon."
Natsu looked at her with mixed emotions at her words, "No? No?" he gave off the hint of a laugh, but it sounded anything but happy. Natsu release her shoulders sitting on top of her, his now free as his free right hand hung over his eyes, his thumb and index finger resting on his temples, "Lucy, you're fucking allergic to water! What in the hell did you think would happen if you took a dip into the ocean dammit?!" he shouted.
Lucy smiled slightly… This was such poetic irony, 'Look at that dad you got your way after all.' She mentally chuckled about how her father had been so hell-bent on her not falling in love with a human. Lucy sat up slowly wrapping her arms around him, her hand resting gently against his back, She could feel his heat transferring to her ridding her of the scales that had once accumulated on her skin, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She whispered.
"You dumbass, can't you tell by her scent. This bitch ain't allergic! She ain't even human, she's a mermaid!" A person said from behind Natsu causing her to jump out of her skin. She hadn't known he was there till now. Lucy peeked over Natsu shoulder watching as the black steel color on the man's skin began to steadily fade away. The young man was just about Natsu's height with metal pieces embedded in his face just above his eyes, as well as a few through the bridge of his nose and chin. His long unruly black mane of hair was swept back out of his face save for the two long strips of hair the fell from either side of his head to frame his face, "Heh, who'd of thought the bunny girl we were searchin for wasn't actually a bunny, but a fish."
Natsu's eyes widened at the information, 'Lucy's not human too?' he thought in shock. Natsu stared down at Lucy a cross between a happy and hurt smile coming to his face. He was so glad because that meant she might not leave him since like her he was different, but also hurt due to her not being honest with him. Did-Did she not trust him to keep her secret? Natsu didn't know how to react to anything that he'd learned today, "Lucy, I…"
"I'm sorry," Lucy started her hand petting his back softly, "I should have told you."
Natsu smiled sadly, "Luce, answer me honestly. If this hadn't come out like this would you have even told me?" he questioned still looking slightly upset that she hadn't trusted him to tell him all this time. Though in the back of his mind he could kind of understand why she hadn't.
Lucy chuckled unhumorlessly, "Actually, I was planning on telling you when we were alone later today and what about you their mister dragon? Were you planning on even telling me?!" she said. How dare he! Would I have told him; of course, I would have! Why is he so upset that she didn't tell him when he clearly didn't tell her about himself? 'Not that him being a dragon matters to me…' she thought irritated that Natsu was getting on her case about her and her secrets when Natsu clearly had his own.
"Of course, I would have told you if I had learned about it before today, I would have told you the moment you walked back into my life! Hell, if I had known when I was a kid I woulda told you then Luce!" Natsu yelled still irritated that she hadn't said anything to him about it this whole time. It didn't matter to him if she was a mermaid or human, "Don't you trust me?"
When he asked her that… her heart and eyes stung. She didn't know what to say. What could she say?
Gajeel grabbed his cousin by the back of his shirt pulling him away from the girl on the ground with a low growl, "Idiot, you don't get it do you!? Different species live by different codes!" he told Natsu throwing him to the side. Watching as his cousin landed harshly on his butt without a care in the world, before pointing his thumb back towards Lucy who was on the ground, "I don't even know this damn bunny girl and I can see that she wanted ya ta know!"
Natsu looked down at the sand and nodded, "It don't matter what either of ya are anyways! All that matters is that you two dumbasses love each other." Gajeel told them receiving a round of hey's from the two.
Natsu took in a deep breath, 'Gajeel's right… what am I doing?' he wondered. His gaze shifted to Lucy upset by his words. He was such an idiot… Natsu raised his head so his eyes weren't hidden behind his bangs anymore, "I'm sorry Luce, I shouldn't talk to you like that. It's just… today just feels like an endless roller coaster with too many surprising loops and turns." He told her knowing his crazy day was no excuse.
Lucy looked up at him revealing the tears that'd whelmed up on the rims of her eyelids. The sight stung his chest… He made her cry. Natsu stood up, holding his hand out to her, "Let's go Luce, we'll talk about things when I find out more about this later." he promised pulling her up to her feet, putting an arm around her.
Lucy sniffled, 'Natsu.' She thought only to be startled by her phone buzzing. Peeking over at it to find Natsu had sent her a message. She was hesitant to reach for it taking more than two minutes before combating all thoughts that told her to do otherwise. Picking up the phone flickering to her messages.
Hey, I'm here mind buzzing me in?
Lucy went to get up to do as he asked when the phone buzzed again taking her attention. She stared at the messages with a strange stare.
Open the window…
Lucy jumped at the light tap on the window behind her labeled fire escape. She turned to find Natsu standing beyond the window, giving her a wave. Lucy walked over giving the window a hard tug after opening the lock. The window slides open and Natsu slipped inside, "For a minute there I thought you were asleep." Natsu started taken back only when Lucy tackled him into a hug. The pinkette smiled slightly hugging her back, "I missed you t…" He paused when he realized something, "Luce? Hey, what's wrong?" he asked quickly and worriedly after coming to the realization that she was crying again.
"I'm so glad you came back," Lucy confessed her face buried into his chest.
Natsu looked confused at her words for a moment before recognition crossed his face of the possible thoughts that probably been swarming her mind all day after what happened before he left. Natsu frowned his arms rounding her as he pulled her closer, "Of course, I'd come back to you weirdo." He told her burying his nose into her hair.
He could feel Lucy's palms grab fists full of his shirt and his chest growing moist from her tears, "Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. Today was just very…overwhelming." He explained.
"I-I'm sorry for what I-I said too" Lucy sobbed softly into his shirt. She still felt upset and guilty with herself for her words on the beach. She had not known anything about Natsu's situation but went and opened her mouth anyway.
"We were both wrong in some way Luce. So, don't cry! It's not like I'm crazy enough to leave just cause you're a mermaid. It's okay!" he spoke quickly, rubbing at her back gently as he tried to calm her. He regretted his words earlier today so much… He wishes he could take them back, but he knew he couldn't.
It took several minutes before Lucy calmed down and for a moment, he'd thought she'd fallen asleep in his arms, "I trust you more than anything." Lucy mumbled from his chest. Natsu's ears twitched ever so slightly at her words, "Ask me whatever questions you like." She continued with a soft sniffle.
Natsu stared down at her head for the longest moment, "How is it? Living under the ocean I mean…" he questioned.
Lucy pulled away enough to look up at him in confusion, "What you said anything?" he chuckled lightheartedly. Trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work as Lucy slightly shook her head with a small smile.
"Dummy, of all the questions you could possibly ask me first, you chose that one?" Lucy laughed as her hand sliding up and around his neck.
Natsu flashed her an untamed grin, "Would you rather I start in the rated R section? Cause I'm honestly curious about how mermaids have kids," He started only for his grin to widen ever so slightly a slight blush on his face as he continued, "but then again for that section, I think I'd rather you show rather than tell!" he told her with a wink.
Lucy's face turned beet red before embarrassingly turning her head away from him, "Idiot," she commented. She took on a semi-long pause, her eyes darting around nervously before continuing, "m-maybe someday…" she managed to say as Natsu started walking towards her. Lucy blushed at the lack of personal space slowly backing up till her back met the wall and even then Natsu still kept creeping forward in the moonlight, his arm pressed against the wall as he leaned forward towards her ear.
She could feel the heat on his skin, it was warm and inviting not to mention intoxicating! If she had her way, she'd bask in it all day without a care in the world. His stable steady breathing hit her ear sending pleasant chills over her, "Good," He whispered as he leaned down. Lucy slowly closed her eyes realizing he was planning to kiss her; she felt her bangs shift out of her face and something hot pressed softly against her forehead.
Lucy's slowly opened her eyes as he pulled away from her with a look that somehow made her blush deeper shades of red, "I plan to hold you to that." He told her. Natsu reached over taking her hands in his, "I know I said we'd talk today, but we've both had a long day. What do you say we have a rain check today and reconvene about it tomorrow?" he asked with a yawn. He didn't want to admit it but he was tired.
Lucy looked at him highly confused, 'a rain what?'
Natsu mentally smacked himself, "rain check is a saying people use when they want to do something at a later date." He explained remembering she probably didn't know many sayings in the human world. When Lucy stood there looking so clueless, he found she looked cute, but somehow when the lightbulb went off in her head, she looked even cuter.
"Okay, tomorrow it is!" Lucy replied with a beaming smile that could blind a man if they weren't careful. Natsu's hand slithered around her waist while the other remained close by with a smile, "Hey, what are you…eep!" Lucy said as she was hoisted up onto Natsu's arms.
Natsu snickered as he held her bridal style and raced towards her room before calculative tossing her gently onto the bed's soft comforters. Natsu hopped up there next to her falling to lay on his side, his hand reached out rubbing small circles on the bedspread spot between them, "Cuddle time!" he announced with bouncing brows.
His childish actions made her laugh as he reached over pulling her closer to him despite her laying on her back. Lucy turned her head towards him giving his nose a sweet brush of her lips, "Night." She told him as she settled into the comforting warmth that he offered.
Natsu arm and leg crossed over her body while his face buried itself within the side of her exposed neck, "Night." He repeated softly with a sleepy smile. It wasn't long before he felt himself drifting off to sleep and it wasn't long after that when Lucy's head felt heavy dropping more to the side causing her cheek to fall against Natsu's forehead.