AN: This was a request from princess-alice-xxx on tumblr. :)

On the Run

Her arm stung as it scraped against a branch blocking her way to freedom, blood trickling from the wound and mixing with the sweat and dirt that coated her body. The sting was enough to distract her from her hunger, at least. She hadn't eaten in days, and her stomach was starting to feel like it was eating itself. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion and her legs were burning, screaming for a break. But she couldn't stop running. Not yet. Not until she'd crossed the border into the neighboring kingdom.

It had been two days since her father had told her he had arranged her marriage with the son of the Spriggan Emperor.

"You did what?" she choked out. Her throat felt tight, tears pricking her eyes. She knew the day would come eventually, but so soon? She was only sixteen! She couldn't get married yet!

"Don't make me repeat myself, child," her father had replied. "The Spriggan Emperor and I have arranged the marriage between you and his younger brother. You leave in the morning."

"But… But I'm only sixteen! I-I can't get married yet!"

"Lucy! You are the Princess of Fiore! You do whatever is needed for your kingdom! You do not live the same life as everyone else. You are Lucky Lucy Heartfilia and you shall act as such! Now go to your room. I have work to do."

Later that night, she snuck out of the castle and began her escape.

Lucy thought she had run out of tears to cry, but it turns out she didn't. Just recalling that night was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

She knew that her father didn't care about her, not since her mother had died long ago. But she never would've imagined that he would trade her away so easily. Sure, the marriage would bring in funds that Fiore needed, but what about her? Was her own life not important?

Swallowing thickly, Lucy shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about such things. She needed to focus on escaping.

Reaching the border, Lucy noticed the knights on patrol. As Princess of Fiore, she could easily tell them to let her through. Word of her disappearance was probably spreading through the kingdom, though. There was no way they would listen to her, not if they worked for her father.

There were only a few people Lucy knew that were kind despite working for her father. She was particularly grateful for one of them right now, as they had taught her some fighting techniques even though her father told her not to bother with such things. Sneaking through the shadows and approaching the guards, she gave fast blows to their necks, knocking them out cold.

With that, she was on her way.

As Lucy first crossed the border, there was no real difference between the Fiore Kingdom and the Alvarez Kingdom. After all, she was rushing through the forest. The trees all started to blend into the same blob of green at some point during her journey.

Now that she was on Alvarez soil, her father's knights were unable to reach her. Sure, she had to worry about the Alvarez knights now, but she chose not to think about that.

Her steps slowed, her legs feeling sluggish. She'd been running for days, only taking a few breaks. She hadn't even allowed herself to sleep, scared that someone was going to whisk her away back to the castle.

Now that she was in somewhat safer territory, Lucy sat herself against a tree, allowing her back to lean against the bark. It had been a gruesome couple of days for her, and exhaustion was creeping its way quickly over her body. Her eyes drooped to a close as she finally allowed herself to rest.

Natsu sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked through the familiar forest. His steps were leisure, as he knew there was no point in trying to escape his brother's clutches. Well, clutches wasn't exactly the right word. It wasn't like his brother was some harsh dictator. Zeref was a nice guy and was just doing what he needed to for the sake of the kingdom, even if it meant arranging a marriage between him and some princess in Fiore.

Natsu sighed again. He didn't want to marry anyone, least of all a princess. Being the Prince of Alvarez, he had met plenty of snobby princesses in his life, all of them only caring about jewels, clothes, and who had the most money. What kind of life was that? He just wanted to have fun with his friends and continue living the way he had been.

But when Zeref asked him to marry the Princess of Fiore, saying that the kingdom needed connections with the Heartfilias, Natsu found that he couldn't say no. After all, he'd been slacking on his princely duties his whole life, and even though the kingdom was doing relatively fine, he'd still seen some of their citizens suffering. He wanted to end everyone's suffering. So, he'd agreed to marry a girl he'd never even met despite only being seventeen years old.

Natsu was pulled out his thoughts as he came across a girl sitting against a tree, her body covered in dirt and scratches. Looking at her arm, he could see dried blood stained over it. Concerned, he rushed towards her, nudging her gently.

"Oi, are you okay?" he asked, hoping that she wasn't dead.

Luckily, her eyes fluttered open and he was met with orbs of brown, rich enough to make him feel like he was drowning in chocolate. The dreamy effect they had, however, died the moment she glared at him and pushed him away.

"Get away from me!" she shouted, rushing to her feet. Her legs wobbled beneath her, giving out on her. In seconds, she was collapsing to the ground again.

"Are you okay?" Natsu tried again. This time he didn't touch her, not wanting to set her off again.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want with me?" Her voice was raspy, her throat dry. She hadn't had water in so long.

"Huh?"

"Is it money? Well too bad. I don't have any on me right now."

Natsu couldn't help but laugh. "Money? Nah, I think I'm pretty set on that."

This only made the girl fearful. "Th-Then… You want…" Her hands immediately covered her chest, informing Natsu what she was implying.

"What!? No way, you weirdo! I was just wondering if you were okay, sheesh! I saw you were bleeding and you looked like you were dead, no offense."

"Oh," she replied, though it was clear her suspicions hadn't died down.

"Well? Are you okay?" Natsu asked for the third time.

"I'm fine. Thank you. You may go now."

"Huh? That's it? You're clearly not fine, you know."

"Leave me alone."

The girl forced herself to her feet, leaning against the tree to steady herself. A vein ticked in Natsu's forehead. Here he was trying to help this girl and she was being a pain in the ass about it, not even sparing him a glance. Walking up to her, he quickly pinched her cheeks and tugged on them, receiving a yelp and angry stare in reply.

"Let go of me!" she shouted, tugging on his hair.

"Ack! You let go!" he shot back.

"You started it!"

"No, you did!"

"What? You were the one that pulled on my cheeks!"

"Because you were bein' difficult!"

The two stared each other down, refusing to be the first one to let go.

"Alright, we'll both let go together," Lucy suggested. "On the count of three. One… Two… Three."

Reluctantly, they both unhanded each other. Natsu crossed his arms with a sigh.

"So why're you all messed up looking?" he asked bluntly.

Lucy glared at him again. 'Gee, thanks. Why don't you just kick me while I'm down while you're at it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just answer the question."

Lucy crossed her arms, studying the boy. He had onyx eyes, darker than the depths of the ocean. His skin was slightly darker than her own and his arms were toned. Surprisingly, his hair was a light shade of pink. She'd never seen a boy with pink hair before. For some reason, she found herself liking it, along with the rest of the boy's features.

"I'm not telling you," Lucy finally answered, sticking her tongue out at him.

Natsu gave an annoyed look. "Why not?"

"Because I don't even know you. You could be some murderer or something."

"If I was a murderer, wouldn't I have just killed you by now? After all, you've been doing nothing but annoy me." The girl smacked his arm, glaring at him, which only made him laugh. "What's your name, at least?"

Lucy bit her lower lip, wondering if she should tell the boy. He obviously didn't recognize her as the Princess of Fiore by the way he acted around her. People were usually timid around her and treating her with the upmost respect, not knowing that she just wanted to be treated like everybody else. It was a refreshing change having someone pinch her cheeks or call her annoying or even bicker with her.

"I'm Lucy," she answered after giving it some thought. She wasn't the only one in the world with that name, she doubted he would know she was the Princess just from that.

"I'm Natsu," the boy replied, giving her a fanged grin. Admittedly, it brought a flush to her face. He was pretty cute.

"What brings you all the way over here, Natsu? Are you heading into Fiore?" Lucy asked, feeling more comfortable around the boy.

"Nah," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. With a shrug, he continued, "I just needed to get away for a bit. What about you?"

"I'm still not telling you."

"Aww, c'mon! I told you!"

Lucy crossed her arms. "Fine. You could say I needed to get away, too."

"From what? Are you in danger? Is that why you're covered in dirt and scratches?" Natsu asked.

"I wouldn't say I'm in danger…"

"Then what?" Natsu sighed, quickly noticing that Lucy wasn't going to answer his question. "Alright, you don't have to tell me anything, Luigi."

"It's Lucy!"

"But you should at least come with me to get some food and water. When was the last time you ate something? Your stomach has been growling this entire time."

Lucy's cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. "Shut up!"

Natsu laughed, grabbing her hand. "Come on. I'll get you some stuff from my place. I'll have to sneak you inside, though."

"Don't bother. I'm not going to go in some stranger's house."

"Alright, fine. I'll bring it out to you then. Happy?"

Lucy nodded, allowing Natsu to lead her towards his place. Judging from the way he dressed- baggy pants, a weird coat with only one sleeve, and a scaly scarf wrapped around his neck- she assumed that he was in the lower to middle class.

Lucy glanced down at her hand, realizing that it was still locked with Natsu's. A blush stained her cheeks, feeling the warmth that radiated from the boy. He was abnormally warm, warmer than anyone she'd ever met.

"I-I can walk on my own," Lucy said, tugging her hand away. She was too embarrassed to be holding hands with a boy, especially one as attractive as Natsu. She'd never even had the chance to talk to boys back in the castle. Everyone there was an adult.

Natsu shrugged, letting go of her hand. In seconds, she was wobbling unsteadily.

"Just lemme carry you," Natsu suggested. "It'll be quicker that way."

"Carry me? No way! I-!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Natsu had picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder. Her face became a blushing mess as his hands were holding onto her upper thigh, dangerously close to her bum. She hit his back over and over again.

"Put me down, Natsu!" she demanded.

"I told you, it's quicker this way, Luigi."

"Stop calling me that!"

Natsu chuckled. "Fine. But it's still easier to carry you so stop arguing with me, you weirdo."

"I'm not a weirdo! You're the weird one that insists on carrying me like this! And watch where you put your hands, you pervert!"

Natsu blanched. "Oi! I'm not a pervert! Gray is!"

"I don't even know who that is! Just put me down already!"

Natsu groaned. Lucy was a lot of trouble, but albeit amusing. He settled her back on the ground, only to carry her princess style instead.

"No complainin' this time!" Natsu said, knowing that the blonde would have if he gave her the chance. "Just accept the help, damn it!"

Lucy crossed her arms, muttering, "Fine, idiot."

Eventually, Natsu stopped in his tracks. They were still in the forest and had been walking for over half an hour. Lucy was surprised that he managed to carry her the entire way without needing a break.

Natsu gently put her down.

"You wait here," he said. "I'll go inside and get some food and water for you. Don't move from this spot, okay?"

"Alright," Lucy replied. "…Thank you, Natsu."

The boy flashed her a grin and ruffled her golden hair. "Don't mention it, Luce!"

As he walked away, Lucy stared at his retreating form. Her cheeks turned pink as she thought of the nickname he had given her. It was the first nickname anyone had given her. It made her feel normal.

"Luce, huh? I kinda like that."

Just as promised, Natsu returned shortly, carrying a bag over his shoulder. Crouching in front of her, he opened it to reveal that it was stuffed with junk food and bottles of water. Not caring how unladylike she looked, the blonde grabbed a water bottle at the speed of light and chugged down its contents, wiping away the tiny drizzle that crept down the corner of her mouth.

Natsu's eyes were trained on the water that trickled from her lips. Her pink, plump lips to be exact. Realizing he was staring, he shook his head and focused on the food instead.

"I couldn't get anything cooked, sorry. But I brought a bunch of my favorite snacks you could fill up on!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin. Pulling out a bag of chips, he handed it to her. "My friends say that these are spicy, but I don't think so."

Lucy nearly drooled seeing the bag of chips. Not only had she not eaten in days, but she also was never allowed to eat any unhealthy snacks at the castle. Her father said that a princess was responsible for taking care of her body and making sure that it looked pleasing for suitors. Snacks, cookies, and any type of greasy food was forbidden in the castle.

She scarfed down some chips, relishing in their flavor. Happy tears streamed down her face.

"So good!" she exclaimed, going in for some more.

"Aren't they?" Natsu replied, smiling as well. He was glad to see her give such a real smile. Something about her told him that she didn't smile all too often.

"Ooh, they are kind of spicy though," Lucy said, guzzling down some more water. Her body felt better immediately. Thanks to Natsu, she could continue her journey. She didn't have a destination in mind, but she knew that she couldn't stay by the border. It was too risky there.

"I can't stay here too long," Natsu said with a frown. "I gotta go back in before my brother notices that I'm gone. I was supposed to go meet with someone yesterday and I bailed."

"Is your brother strict?" Lucy questioned.

"Yeah, but he's kinda gotta be strict."

"Is that why you needed to get away for a bit?"

Natsu crossed his arms behind his head with a sigh. "Yeah. I love my brother, but he set up an arranged marriage for me. I ain't even interested in that sorta stuff but I don't really got much of a choice."

"Arranged marriage?" Lucy replied, her eyes growing wide. So Natsu came from a place of nobility? Only nobles and royals usually dealt with arranged marriages.

"Yeah. Somethin' bout helping the kingdom. I love the kingdom too, which is why I agreed in the first place, you know? But to be honest, I really don't wanna marry some snobby princess. I just wanna have fun with my friends."

Lucy's mouth dropped on its hinges as she stared at the boy in bewilderment. "W-Wait a second… A-Are you the younger brother of the Spriggan Emperor?"

Natsu raised a brow. "Yeah. How'd you figure that out?"

"B-Because I'm Lucy Heartfilia! I'm the one that you were supposed to meet up with and marry yesterday!"

Natsu's eyes turned to the size of golf balls. "A-Are you serious?"

"Yes! That's why I've been on the run for the past couple of days! I don't want to get married either!"

"Holy shit! What are the chances!" Natsu exclaimed with a wide grin. "That's so weird! I-"

His sentence was cut short as Lucy rose to her feet, backing away from him. The distrust in her eyes that had gone away during their time together was returning.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" he asked.

The girl shook her head, staring at him defiantly. "I-I don't want to get married! I refuse to! I won't let you take me!"

Ignoring the bag of food and water, the blonde turned on her heel and rushed in the opposite direction away from Natsu. Her legs were screaming in pain, still exhausted from her previous days of running. Her heart was thrashing around in her chest.

A warm hand encircled her wrist, pulling her to a stop.

"Let go!" Lucy shouted, trying to pry her arm away.

"Cool it, Luce!" Natsu replied. "I'm not gonna force you to marry me, you weirdo!"

"Y-You aren't?"

"No way! What the hell kinda person do I look like to you?" Natsu let go of Lucy's wrist and put his hands up in surrender to try and calm her down. "Look, I didn't wanna get married either, remember? You're nice and all, but that's not my thing. And if you didn't agree to this, then I definitely don't want to."

"…So… What now?"

Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I don't know. Do you have any idea where you're going?"

Lucy shook her head. "I don't know anything about Alvarez and I don't have anyone to take me in."

"Do you wanna live in the castle? There are a shit ton of empty rooms nobody uses."

"That's a little risky, don't you think?"

"I guess that's true. What about I get the money so you can buy a place of your own?"

Lucy blinked once, then twice. Was he serious? "You would go that far for me?"

Natsu shrugged, a lopsided grin resting on his face. "Yeah, why not? We're friends now."

The word friends had Lucy's heart skipping a beat. She had made friends with some of the employees in the castle, but none of them were her age. Natsu was the first friend she had made herself. She never believed she would have the opportunity to do such a thing.

Lucy tackled Natsu in a tight hug. "Thank you, Natsu. For everything."

The boy was taken aback, his cheeks turning pink. "D-Don't mention it, weirdo."

Once Natsu returned from grabbing some money at the castle, the two were on their way to find a place for Lucy to live. They avoided anywhere in town since Lucy was a runaway. It took a while, but eventually they found a small cottage in the woods, which Natsu had purchased immediately.

Lucy awed at the sight of her new home. It was small, especially coming from her castle, but it had everything she needed. Working appliances and a bathtub were all she needed to make this place a home. Thanks to Natsu, she could do everything she dreamed of doing in the castle. She could make her own meals, be as unrefined as she wanted, and live a life of freedom. A life worth living.

Tears pricked her eyes as she turned towards Natsu.

"Thank you…" she breathed out.

Natsu smiled back at her. "I keep tellin' ya to quit thankin' me, you weirdo. I gotta head back now."

Lucy frowned. "Already?" Though, when she lived in the castle, she wasn't allowed to go outside at all, unless she was meeting some other rich noble or something. Natsu's freedoms already extended much further than hers did.

"Yeah. I gotta let Zeref know that I'm changing my mind about an arranged marriage," Natsu replied.

"You can do that?"

"Huh? Of course. It's not like he forced me or anything."

"What changed your mind then?"

"Seein' you running and trying your best to live the life you want," Natsu answered sincerely. "I don't to be forced into anything either, so it's time I tell Zeref that."

"Good luck," Lucy said with a frown. "Am… Am I ever going to see you again?"

"'Course you are, weirdo," Natsu answered, ruffling her hair. He laughed as she pouted and swatted his hand away. "I'll try to visit every day."

"Really, I can't believe you're doing all of this for me."

"Hey, thanks to you I don't have to get married either. Ain't my thing."

Lucy smirked. "Really? You can't see yourself getting married ever?"

Natsu's eyes trailed over her, a blush making its way over his face. "N-No way! Marriage and mushy, lovey-dovey shit is not for me."

"Whatever you say."

The two smiled at each other, their hearts light and excited about their budding friendship. Saying their goodbyes, they didn't feel too sad, because they knew that they were going to see each other again, as fate clearly wanted them to meet in the first place. After all, they were set up in an arranged marriage, still somehow found each other despite Lucy running away, and became friends through it all even though they weren't going through with the marriage. Fate wanted their lives to intertwine.

And while neither of them didn't want marriage at the time, little did they know that years later into the future, they would be walking down the aisle together anyways, but not as Lucky Lucy Heartfilia and Prince Dragneel. No, they would come to take their relationship to the next step as just Lucy and Natsu.

AN: I realized after I posted this on tumblr, that tumblr messed up spacing which is so annoying. Instead of going back and fixing every mistake it made, people can just come here and read it. :)