I blame Chikach00's headcanon for this story. :P Her headcanon: "Although, thanks to mushi0131 fic plus playing some L4D with my friends online, I've got a headcanon of Lucy as a witch and Natsu as a hunter (if they turned into zombies)." This story is dedicated to her!

Summary: Lucy thought she was alone, living in a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. She thought there was no hope, but that changed when she found herself running into a certain zombie again and again. Each time she thought he might try to hurt her, but he surprised her in ways she could never imagine. Left 4 Dead AU.

My second submission for nalu angst week. Day Four: Nightmares

Rated: T, foul language and some violence.

Genre: Angst with some humor

Word count: 6.6K

Living Nightmare

Lucy's heart pounded in her chest as she ran down the alley. Tears lined her eyes, falling down her cheeks despite her attempts to hold back her sobs. They were dead. Every last one of them. Her comrades were torn apart in front of her by a tank, and there was nothing she could do but run. She was out of ammo. Her pistol was useless like this.

No, she was useless.

If she couldn't save her friends, what was the point of living? She didn't want to be alone in this fucked up world. What was worse, she couldn't take her own life now. Her only option was to run or let herself be eaten.

She ran.

Lucy heard the snarls behind her. No matter how far she ran, there would always be more zombies. It wasn't fair. She had her whole life ahead of her, but then everything came crashing down a few weeks ago. Within hours, Magnolia was overrun. Within days, Fiore belonged to the infected.

Lucy jumped, banging her knee on the dumpster as she climbed on top. The pain barely registered to her, her body working hard to keep itself alive. She grabbed onto the brick building beside her as she placed a boot on the chain link fence. She debated how she should go about jumping over, but all thoughts died when she looked behind her, seeing the hoard of zombies coming straight for her.

"Fuck," Lucy mumbled, putting all her weight on her foot as she jumped over the fence, landing hard on her ankles. She winced at the pain, but it wasn't enough to stop her. She would rather die of exhaustion than let herself become one of those horrid things.

The fence worked to stop the hoard, if only for a little while. She used that time to run down the main street, keeping low to avoid attracting attention from any other infected in the area.

She didn't know how long she ran until she made it to a familiar neighborhood. It was the one she lived in when she was a child. If she went a few blocks up, she would find her childhood house, the one she lived in when her mom was still alive.

Remembering her mother's death reminded her that everyone she knew and loved were also dead. She was the last one, cursed to live alone until she too fell like the others.

Lucy stole a look around her in all directions, making sure the coast was clear before falling to her knees. She let go, the tears she was trying to hold back falling faster than before. She buried her hands in her face, hating this life she now lived.

Why couldn't she wake up from the nightmare?

She screamed at the ground, cursing everything around her for this shitty situation. What was the point of living if she had no one by her side, no one to talk to?

Lucy cried, cursing herself and everyone else for leaving her alone. If they had just ran instead of tried to fight that monster, maybe she wouldn't be alone.

While Lucy cried into her hands, she didn't hear the distinct growls of a predator coming closer to her until it was too late. The hunter let out a shriek before it pounced, pushing Lucy backwards as it pinned her down.

She screamed as she saw it throw its clawed-hand backwards, ready to rip into her chest and devour her. In that moment, she realized she didn't want to fight anymore. It would be easier to give up and die. Closing her eyes, Lucy accepted her death.

Only... it never came.

She opened her eyes, flinching back when she saw green eyes staring back at her. Red veins disrupted the emerald color, the virus being to blame. His skin around his eyes was scratched, dried blood caked in the wounds. The hunter cocked its head, pink hair shifting with the movement. It leaned in closer, causing Lucy to gasp.

She thought it was going to go straight to eating her, but instead of feeling sharp teeth pierce her flesh, she heard the zombie sniffing. She tried pulling away from it, but she was pressed tightly against the ground, the hunter holding onto her arms and legs.

"Please," Lucy pleaded, tears brimming her eyes again. "Just kill me." She didn't want to live alone. She also didn't want to get sniffed by some zombie! Especially one that smelled like he raided a garbage can!

The hunter's lips pulled into a frown, pink eyebrows pinching together as it leaned in closer. It opened its mouth, revealing razor sharp teeth.

'This is it,' she thought, accepting her fate.

However, it still didn't bite her.

She nearly gasped in shock when she saw a hint of color fill in his cheeks, contrasting with the sickly gray color of his skin.

Before she could say anything, the hunter climbed off her. Stunned, Lucy didn't move, unable to think. She watched as one of the hunter's claws scratched at its cheek before turning away, hands pressing against the ground as it leaped away, letting out a loud shriek.

Lucy blinked, unsure if she imagined that or not. 'Did it... let me go?' She shook her head. There was no way a zombie would let her go. They were mindless beings who only wanted to kill and eat. It wasn't possible for a zombie to resist a meal, especially one asking to be eaten, not that it would understand her anyway.

After a few minutes, Lucy found the strength to move. She hobbled to her feet, exhaustion weighing heavily on her shoulders. Now that her heart wasn't racing, she felt all the pain in her body, starting from her headache and ending at her worn feet.

She staggered to a house, not caring which one she went to as she busted a window, climbing through to safety. She had no idea what just happened, but part of her was thankful she was still breathing. Either that, or she was wrong. Maybe the hunter had killed her, and now she was just living a real nightmare.

Either way, she needed sleep. She could deal with reality when she woke up.

Lucy thought the encounter she had with that bizarre hunter was a one time thing, but she was proven wrong one week later. She was trying to sneak through a subway station when she heard the moans coming from a zombie. She couldn't hide in time, causing her to fight.

Fortunately for her, there was ammo lying everywhere in town. Not only that, pipe bombs and molotov cocktails littered the streets. Lucy found herself more surprised every day she lived in this wretched nightmare.

Lucy took out the zombie easily, but the sound from her shotgun caused a hoard to run towards her. She shot at them, taking out as many as she could with her gun before switching to her pistol. Bodies dropped to the ground as she unloaded her clip, until finally the last bullet left her gun.

However, there was still another zombie she hadn't taken care of yet. While Lucy fumbled to reload, the zombie attacked. It was two seconds away from grabbing onto her pink jacket and biting into her when it was ripped away, thrown onto the subway floor by another zombie.

Lucy's eyes widened when she saw a hunter jump onto the zombie, leaning in to rip its throat out with its teeth. The zombie's limbs flailed for a few more seconds before it went limp underneath the hunter. Blood dripped down the hunter's chin as it stood, green eyes fierce when it met her gaze.

Lucy froze, hands forgetting how to move. She recognized this hunter, it was the same one who spared her a week ago. She honestly never thought she would see it again, but here it was, in the flesh.

Well, rotting flesh, but same difference.

"Wh-wh-" Lucy struggled to find the words, body tensing when she saw it walk up to her. It stopped less than a foot away, clawed-hand reaching out towards her face as its eyes pinned her in place.

Lucy's eyes slammed shut, knowing this was her end. There was no way she was lucky enough to get past this hunter twice. She didn't know why he let her go the first time, but it was obvious to her he wasn't going to do it again.

She waited for those claws to tear her skin apart, but instead of that, she felt something brush against her cheek.

Lucy slowly opened her eyes, seeing the hunter was carefully pushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. She was speechless, more confused than before. What the hunter was doing almost seemed... human.

She swallowed thickly when she saw that same red hue painting the zombie's gray cheeks. Its green eyes fell to the ground as it turned away, preparing for another leap when she shouted, "Wait!"

The hunter's movements stuttered for a second, but it quickly regained its composure. It let out a low growl, one that sent chills through her body. Lucy took a few steps back, terrified that she upset the zombie.

It didn't attack her though, instead jumping away down the dark subway, leaving her alone again.

"That... that was weird," she said to herself, hands shaky and eyes fixed on where the zombie disappeared to. 'What was that all about?' she wondered, but she didn't receive an answer.

And she wouldn't for a few more weeks.

After a few more times, Lucy realized her run-ins with the hunter weren't by coincidence. Every time he would show up to save her when she needed it the most, and every time he would leap away before she could ask him what his deal was.

Lucy had lost hope in living, but knowing the hunter was somewhere out there, acting as her dark guardian angel, kept her going. It wasn't long until she started catching him following her.

She realized he wasn't all that sneaky.

All those times she thought she heard something, but brushed it aside as her imagination, it was him. He was following her, either overhead on the roofs or low to the ground behind cars. She would listen for those faint growls, the ones he couldn't seem to suppress.

At first she acted as if she didn't notice he was following her, but when the loneliness set in again, her resolve crumbled.

The first time it happened, Lucy was sitting in Magnolia's park. It was a nice day. The air was warm and the infected weren't around. She thought it would be great for a picnic, but since she was by herself, she didn't bother. Still, she missed companionship, which was why she decided to make the first move.

"Hunter," she called out, careful to keep her voice from carrying. She didn't want any other zombies to overhear and see what was making that noise. "I know you're there! Do you want to sit with me?"

She waited, half-expecting no reply, but after a moment, she saw the bushes near her rustling. A dark figure jumped out, landing a foot away from her. Angry red veins mixed with green eyes, his lips curled up to reveal his sharp teeth. He let out a low growl, claws flexing against the ground. If she didn't know better, she would think he was about to attack her.

Lucy took one look at him before sighing, patting the spot beside her. "We both know you're not going to hurt me," she said bluntly, eyes flitting to the sky above. She wished there were more clouds in the sky so she could guess what their shapes were. She loved doing that with her friends before the outbreak.

When she realized the zombie wasn't moving, she turned her attention back to him. His lips were now pressed in a thin line, his eyebrows pinched together as he stared at her.

She raised a brow, once again patting the spot beside her. "Sit, please?"

The hunter hesitated before crawling closer, keeping his eyes on her as he planted his butt on the ground. He stayed further away from her than she told him to, but she didn't mind. The company was welcomed either way.

"My name's Lucy," she said, her words causing the hunter to jolt. She looked at him, offering a smile. "What's your name?"

The hunter seemed to struggle. Every time he opened his mouth, a growl or weak shriek came out. He shut his mouth, no legible words escaping. Lucy watched as one of his claws dug into the ground, writing out a single word in the dirt.

Natsu

Lucy's smile grew when she saw he was capable of communication. She thought all infected were mindless, but she didn't mind being proven wrong. "Natsu, huh? That's interesting."

She bit her bottom lip, wondering what she should say to him. This was a rare opportunity. How many people could say they were talking with a zombie?

She wouldn't know. She hadn't seen another human in over a month.

"How long have you been a hunter?" she asked, wondering if that question was offensive. 'Can zombies even get offended?'

The hunter, Natsu, smoothed out the dirt with his palm before writing in it again.

Day One

"So, since the beginning?" she asked, watching as he nodded. "I'm sorry."

Natsu shrugged, letting out a low growl, but it lacked any threat.

"Do you like being a zombie?"

Natsu paused, eyes narrowing as if he was thinking. He scratched at the ground, forming a few words.

It has its ups and downs.

Lucy couldn't help but let out a giggle. Natsu cock his head, clearly wanting an explanation. She shook her head, trying to fight back her laughs. "Sorry, it's just that you're a hunter, so you're always jumping up and down."

It took a few seconds for him to understand, a crooked smile gracing his lips as he let out another growl. She could see his sharp teeth, but she knew he wasn't going to use them to bite her.

Lucy decided to lean back on her hands, smiling up at Natsu as she asked him a few more questions. A few turned into many, and soon she found she spent most of the day 'talking' with him. Despite him being a zombie, Natsu was actually pretty interesting.

After a few hours, Lucy found herself asking a personal question that had been bugging her for a while. "Is there anything you miss about being a human?" she asked, curious about what went on inside a zombie's head. Were they all like this? Or was Natsu special?

Natsu's claw dug into the ground again, writing a bit more than before.

I miss my friends and family... And my cat.

Lucy frowned, knowing that pain all too well. "I miss my friends too. They were killed by-" She didn't finish. It was obvious what killed them.

Natsu smoothed the dirt again, taking a moment to write his thoughts.

Mine too. They didn't come back though. Just me.

For some reason, that made Lucy's heart sink. Natsu was alone too, missing his loved ones. She knew it was dangerous, and might result in her death, but she pushed those thoughts aside to ask, "Do you want to hang out with me?"

Natsu cocked his head. Before he could write in the dirt, she added, "And not stalk me?"

A blush tinted his cheeks, his green eyes looking away in embarrassment. She giggled, finding the sight endearing. She never thought a zombie could blush before she met Natsu.

"I don't mind, honestly." Her words seemed to perk him up. "But I'd rather you not hide. It gets pretty lonely out here."

Natsu nodded, dragging his claw through the dirt.

I get lonely too.

"Is that why you're following me?" she asked, biting back a smile when his blush darkened.

Natsu let out a low growl, claw slowly writing as if he wasn't sure he wanted to say something. When he finally pulled his hand away for her to see, Lucy felt her own cheeks warming up.

That... and you're really pretty.

Lucy didn't know which one to be more surprised from. The fact that Natsu spent the time to write '...', or that he thought she was pretty. She had seen herself in the mirror lately. Her hair was a mess, her face was constantly dirty from the lack of showers, and her body had nicks and scars adorning her once-flawless flesh.

How could he think she was pretty?

Despite her insecurities, Lucy didn't argue with him. She hadn't been complimented in a long time, and hearing it from him, her dark guardian angel, she couldn't help but feel flattered.

"Thank you, Natsu," she said, gently holding out a hand to cup his cheek. Her eyes widened a bit when she felt his warm flesh. She thought for sure it would be cold. "That means a lot to me."

Natsu shrunk down at her words, as if he was ashamed she was touching him. She brushed her thumb against his cheek where a thick scar was, offering him a smile. "So, you'll join me?"

He opened his mouth, but only a shriek came out. He closed his mouth immediately, eyes darting away from hers as he wrote in the dirt.

I'd like that.

Lucy found she enjoyed having Natsu by her side. Not only did he help her take out offending infected more often now that he wasn't in hiding, but he also provided some much needed company.

As the days went on, they grew closer. She told him about her life before the outbreak, and he did his best to tell her about his. The communication barrier was difficult, but it wasn't impossible. Though it was sometimes annoying that they had to find places where he could write. He wasn't very good at holding a pencil with his claws, so that left their options limited.

Despite that, they talked as often as they could. The longer they stayed together, the less lonely they both became. She thought everything was finally getting better, until they ran into a foe neither could defeat.

Lucy wiped at the sweat in her eyes as she shot at the large monster in front of her. A tank had found her hiding in a small shack towards the outskirts of Magnolia. Natsu and her were going to head to Hargeon, but they got stopped when they heard the rampaging.

Unfortunately for them, the tank sniffed her out.

Natsu was jumping from infected to infected, tearing out their throats and ripping them to shreds to keep them away from Lucy. The commotion brought a hoard that they were unprepared for.

Lucy was running out of bullets, but the zombies kept coming.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed when the tank tried to grab her. It barely missed, Lucy falling to the ground and dropping her weapon. Picking it up, she aimed it towards the tank, only to stop when she saw the figure on its back.

Natsu was slashing at the tank's tough skin, distracting it enough so it looked away from Lucy. She lowered her weapon, too scared to shoot at the tank now that Natsu was in the way. She couldn't risk hitting him. If he died... she didn't know what she'd do.

Instead, she turned to the hoard, firing at the oncoming infected as she tried to thin the crowd. The sound of snarls and gunfire rang in her ears, but she couldn't stop. Natsu was risking his life to save her. The least she could do was try to take out as many zombies as she could.

However, in the end it was useless.

Lucy ran out of ammo at the same time the tank threw Natsu off his back. The hunter went flying, crashing into the side of a building. He fell, green eyes unfocused for a moment as he tried regaining his bearings.

His eyes landed on Lucy, mouth falling open to growl a warning at her, but it was too late. He watched in horror as a swarm of infected surrounded her, each taking a bite into her flesh.

Natsu growled as he jumped towards her, knocking down a few zombies that were attached to her arms. Lucy was screaming, the tank was roaring, and the infected were groaning, but to Natsu, everything was silent.

He clawed at the zombies biting her, wrapping her in his arms before jumping. The tank almost hit him as he leaped by, but Natsu was faster. He held Lucy close to his body as he jumped, free hand grabbing at a building so he could climb it.

He felt Lucy shivering in his arms, the infection already taking effect. It wouldn't be long before it spread through her entire body. Natsu tried not to think about that as he landed on the roof, stumbling as he set Lucy down.

Blood gushed out of her wounds. If the infection wasn't going to kill her quickly, the blood loss would.

Tears filled the hunter's eyes as he let out a pained growl, wishing he could tell Lucy it would be okay. Maybe it was better that he couldn't speak. He would just be lying to her if he could.

She couldn't move, the pain too much to bear. She cried, looking up at him with fear in her eyes. "N-N-Nat...su..." She coughed, blood shooting out from her throat.

He looked down, seeing a zombie had taken a large chunk out of her side. She was bleeding everywhere, and there was nothing he could do to stop the pain. Well, he could do one thing, but he didn't want to end Lucy's life, even if it would end her suffering.

She lifted a shaky hand towards him, a sob racking her body as she tried but failed to reach him. Natsu bent down, scooping her up into his arms. She cried out from the pain of being moved, but he couldn't let her go. She had grown to become his best friend. She treated him like he was a person, not the disgusting creature he had turned into.

Lucy was too pure to die this way. She deserved a long, happy life. Even if he knew she couldn't have that with him, he still wanted her to grow old, have a family. He didn't want her to die on some rooftop in his clawed-hands.

He opened his mouth again, desperately wishing he could say something to her, but nothing but growls came out. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair! She was dying in his arms and he couldn't even say anything to comfort her. He couldn't even wipe away her tears without risking cutting her with his claws.

His tears fell down his gray cheeks, a lump forming in his throat as he pulled her closer. He pressed his forehead to hers, feeling her heat seep into his skin. He didn't know what Lucy was talking about when she said he felt warm to her. She was the warm one.

As he struggled to keep himself together, he felt soft hands on his face. He looked down, seeing Lucy cupping his cheek. "N-Natsu... Th-thank... y-you."

"No!" he shouted, but the word didn't come out right. It sounded like another growl. "Please! Please don't go!"

She didn't know what he said, but the way she looked at him, he could tell she knew what he meant. "I-I'm s-so happy I g-got to meet y-you, N-Natsu." Her voice grew softer, her eyelids slowly falling. "Y-you're m-my best fr-friend."

With the last of her strength, she leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Natsu's heart dropped at that moment. His grip on her tightened, claws threatening to pierce her skin.

When she pulled away, her eyes no longer held that warmth he had grown accustomed to. Instead they were blank, dull, lifeless. Her body fell limp in his arms, the blood covering his claws and lap.

She was gone, and Natsu could do nothing to save her.

He tried countless times to protect her, but in the end, he failed her. He held her close to him, curling around her as he cried. He mourned not only the loss, but what was sure to happen next. They had talked about it before. She made herself very clear.

Lucy didn't want to become a zombie.

At the time, Natsu agreed to stop the change if the worst happened, but now, he didn't think he could do it. He couldn't kill what was left of her brain, because then she would really be gone forever.

It was selfish, and he knew she would hate him, but he couldn't go through with it. The hunter wanted his friend, at least for a while longer. He wasn't ready to say goodbye. He didn't think he'd ever be ready.

Natsu stayed by her until he fell asleep, holding her close as he felt her warmth leave her body. When he woke up, he was shocked to find she had already started to change. Instead of becoming an ordinary infected, she was becoming a special one like him.

He saw the massive black and red claws where her small hands used to be. Her skin had darkened, a few shades lighter than his gray skin. Her lips and eyes were turned red, taking over the softer parts of her face.

Natsu knew without a doubt what she had become. She was a witch, one of the more deadly of the special infected. She was one step lower than a tank, but a few steps higher than himself. One swipe from her massive claws would be enough to kill a human, but he didn't know if she would be able to do that.

Natsu survived without feasting on human flesh. He made do with whatever food he could find elsewhere Sure, he craved flesh , but he didn't need it to live. When Natsu had jumped on Lucy the first time, he was acting more on instincts than anything. It was harder to control himself back then, but he managed.

The first time he tried to eat a person, he had nearly gagged. His mouth watered for it, but once it hit his taste buds he had to stop. He remembered what it was like to be human, but...

Would Lucy?

There was a high chance she would come back like all the others, mindless, only wanting death. Witches rarely ate, desiring solitude above all else. They only attacked when frightened.

Would Natsu frighten her?

He hoped not. He hoped she would be herself, but that was unlikely. Still, he held on to that last bit of hope, refusing to let her go until he found out what she truly became.

Every person came back at a different time. Some took minutes, others took hours. Some... well, some didn't come back at all.

Lucy didn't come back until two days later. Her claws grew longer during that time, her skin now almost as dark as his own. He laid beside her, never moving away, even when it rained. He couldn't afford to miss a single second. He knew once she came back, he was going to have to face his punishment for disobeying her wishes.

He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before she turned her back on him. He knew he deserved it.

It was late in the afternoon when Natsu felt her body twitch against his. He jolted, scampering to his feet and claws as he watched her face contort, her body waking up.

When she opened her eyes, they were no longer that brown color he grew to admire. They were red, glowing despite the light outside. She blinked a few times, eyes darting around to see her surroundings.

Her red eyes landed on Natsu's, stilling when she saw the hunter. She opened her mouth, prepared to say his name, but the only thing that came out was a pained cry.

Tears flooded her eyes a moment later, her body racking with a sob that she couldn't stop. She sat up, only to hunch over a second later, as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.

"What happened?" she asked, but it came out as another sob. She shook her head, trying to force the words out.

She had no idea Natsu understood her perfectly, as if he spoke the weird language that came from her mouth.

He growled, but to her, she heard him say, "Lucy."

She looked at him, red eyes wide as recognition flashed through them. "Natsu," she cried, looking around them. "What happened?"

Natsu felt his gut twist, the dread of what was about to happen reminding him that Lucy waking up was not a joyful thing. She didn't want to be one of the infected, and he went against her wishes.

"Y-you got infected," he said, but to a human, it sounded like a shriek. "I'm sorry." Tears lined his eyes, the guilt still fresh in his mind. "I couldn't save you. I couldn't stop them from-"

Natsu dropped his head, knowing his excuses wouldn't help. It didn't matter that he couldn't get to her in time. The damage was done. "I'm s-so sorry, Lucy."

He fell forward, not caring that the gravel from the roof was digging into his face. Natsu felt lower than dirt for what he did and didn't do for Lucy. He didn't deserve her friendship.

"Natsu," she wailed, but to him her voice was soft, just like it had been when she was still a human. "Am... I?" Her question was answered when she went to reach for him, tensing when she saw her long, angry claws. She tried to push her hands away, as if that would cast the claws from her body. It didn't work, causing another cry to slip past her lips.

"Wh-what am I?" she asked, but judging from what she could see, it was obvious.

Still, Natsu answered her, his voice broken. "I'm sorry. Y-you're a... a witch."

Lucy dropped her clawed-hand, lower lip trembling as the urge to actually cry hit her. She couldn't stop herself, claws wrapping around her body as she wallowed in her pain. She could feel it, her true nature taking over. Already she wanted to be left alone, suffering by herself.

She knew what she told Natsu to do if she was ever infected. It was clear he wasn't able to end her. Could she really blame him? If the roles were reversed, she wouldn't want to live without him either.

That statement was still true. Despite hating what she had become, Lucy still cared for the hunter that went out of his way to save her life again and again. If it wasn't for him, she would have died a long time ago, but he kept her breathing. He gave her a reason to live. She was thankful for that. She had a few extra weeks of living as a human.

But, this wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Sure, she hated that she couldn't stop crying, but her brain felt the same. She held her memories, her feelings. She was still her, even if her appearance had changed.

An appearance she hated...

Lucy frowned as she looked at herself. Her skin was a sickly gray, her claws sharp and long. This wasn't how she wanted to look like. She didn't want to be vain, but she missed her pale skin and normal hands. She wanted to be normal.

Now... now she was a monster.

'A monster that's not alone,' she reminded herself, watery eyes flitting to Natsu, who was mumbling something intelligible to the ground. "Natsu," she whispered, causing him to flinch.

He looked up, but he couldn't meet her gaze. She saw him gulp, shoulders shaking as he tried to keep from crying again. "D-do you h-hate me?"

Lucy's eyes widened, her lips parting as she shook her head. "I could never hate you. You're my best friend."

"B-but I... and now you're-"

"I know."

If they were humans, silence would have fallen between them. They weren't, so the sounds surrounding them were hushed growls and low wails. Lucy realized this was going to take some time to get used to.

"I forgive you," she said, feeling the tension slipping.

He craned his neck to look at her, pain in his voice as he asked, "What?"

"I forgive you," she repeated, arm jerking for a moment before she remembered she had claws. She wanted to reach out to him, but she feared cutting him in the process. 'Was that how he felt?' Many times Natsu tried to grab her arm or pat her on the back, but he always stopped himself, saying he didn't want to hurt her.

Whatever she was feeling, she didn't like it. Even with Natsu in front of her, she felt lonely.

"Why?" he asked, nails digging into the rooftop. "I-I didn't stop... it."

Lucy nodded, red eyes softening until they no longer glowed. "I know, but I understand."

Natsu's bottom lip quivered as he looked at her, eyes pleading. "A-are you going to... to..." A real growl came out of his mouth, hating the idea of what he was about to ask. "Are you going to k-kill yourself?"

Lucy blinked through her tears, shaking her head. "No. I'm not."

What should have calmed Natsu down, only made him feel worse. "I'm sorry. I should have just done what you wanted. I just... I-I didn't want to lose you."

"That's why I'm not mad," she said, crawling towards him until she was within a foot from him. "Honestly... I'm glad you didn't end me."

Green eyes widened, the claw marks around his forehead and eyes stretching from the movement. "Wh-what do you mean?" He didn't understand. He went against her wishes. How could she be okay with that? No, not okay. She said she was glad! It didn't make sense to him.

"Because," she whispered, body racking as an involuntary sob came out, "I don't want to lose you either." She rested a clawed-hand on his back gently, terrified she might accidentally cut him. "Now we can be together, forever."

"Forever," he repeated, as if it were the first time he heard the word. "You really mean it?"

Lucy nodded. "We'll have to be careful around humans though, but as long as we avoid them, I don't see why we can't be." Normally zombies didn't mess with other zombies. As long as they kept to themselves, they could be together.

Just as Natsu felt himself smiling through his tears, Lucy said, "Although, I'm going to miss being human."

He frowned, that empty feeling in his chest returning again. "Bein' human's not all that great," he muttered, but truthfully he didn't believe that. He missed being a human, more so when he met Lucy. Maybe now that she was like him, he wouldn't crave that life anymore. They could start a new life.

"Maybe," she started, looking at her black claws, "but now I wish I was pretty."

"What are you talking about?" the hunter asked, shifting until he sat on the balls of his feet. He furrowed his brows, his own smaller clawed-hand coming up to cup her face. She felt colder than when she was human, but not nearly as cold as the mindless zombies staggering around. "You're beautiful."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked away, refusing to believe him. "I'm hideous."

Natsu moved his hand so he could turn her face, locking eyes with her. "You're not. You're Lucy, and Lucy is beautiful no matter what."

Lucy shook as she let his words soak in, feeling her body warm. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. She wanted to show him how much she appreciated him, but instead she ended up hurting him.

"Fuck!" He flinched in her arms, reacting to the few claws that pierced his jacket and dug into his back. Her claws were much sharper than his. "C-careful!"

"Sorry," she said, loosening her grip a bit. "I just... Thank you."

"For what?" Natsu asked, voice a low rumble. "I didn't do anything."

"That's not true." Lucy pulled away, her palms resting on his shoulders. "You did everything you could to try to save me. Thank you."

"But, I failed you." He couldn't accept her thanks. He didn't feel like he deserved it.

Lucy shook her head. "No, you didn't. You went out of your way time and time again to save me. It's not your fault I got bit. I would've been bitten a long time ago if it weren't for you."

Natsu's eyes widened when he saw her leaning in. Instead of a peck on the cheek like last time, her lips brushed against his own. It wasn't enough pressure to be a kiss, but it was enough to make his chest tighten.

When she pulled back, she smiled. "Now, what do you do for food? I'm kind of hungry."

Gulping, Natsu nodded, moving to stand up. "We could check out a campsite not too far from here, but-"

Tears still fell down Lucy's face, but inside, she felt happy. "But what?"

Natsu groaned, arms crossing over his chest as he growled. "There's this annoying smoker that usually hangs out there. I don't wanna see his droopy-eyed face again."

She cocked her head, finding his behavior amusing. "There are others?"

"Others?"

"Like you and me," she said, gesturing with her claws between the two. "Infected that aren't mindless?"

Natsu snorted. "That pervert's just as bad as a mindless zombie. D'ya know he likes to strip off his clothes? What smoker does that?!"

Lucy giggled, but outwardly it sounded like a sob. "He sounds fun."

Green eyes narrowed as he turned his face away from her. "Yeah right. He's a loser. And the witch he hangs out with is annoying too."

Lucy pouted. "Do you have something against witches?"

He stole a glance at her, tough exterior crumbling when he saw her face. "No, I don't. You're not annoying at all."

She smiled despite the tears she cried. It would take some getting used to. "So, can I meet them?"

"Why do you wanna?" the hunter asked. His tone suggested he didn't want to go, but he walked to the edge of the roof to check if the coast was clear anyway.

"I think it would be neat to talk to others, especially another witch."

Natsu sighed dramatically, lowering down until he was on all fours. "Fine, hop on. I'll take ya."

"Promise you'll be on your best behavior?" Lucy asked, walking over to settle on his back. She had to keep her claws pointed away from him while still holding on.

"Nope!" Natsu yelled as he jumped, flying through the air as he aimed to land on the street.

Lucy screamed, squeezing her legs around his waist so she wouldn't fall off. It was scary falling, but once Natsu jumped again, and the air flew through her pale blonde hair, Lucy found herself enjoying the ride.

She thought she was living a nightmare, but it turned out she was just getting prepared for her new life as a zombie. Hopefully, this life would work out better than her last.

With Natsu by her side, she knew it would be worth finding out.

Definitely not as angsty as my other submission, but I still like it. Let me know what you thought! Thank you chikach00 for the headcanon! And thank you everyone for reading! I really love Left 4 Dead, so it was awesome mixing nalu into this. If you haven't played before, I hope this one-shot wasn't too confusing. Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope you let me know what your thoughts were! :D Was it angsty enough?