Hostage
This is part of my submission for Nalu Week 2017. I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.
Rated: T for foul language, slight violence, and slightly suggestive themes.
Prompt: Mask
Pairing: Natsu/Lucy (Nalu)
Words: 9.8K
Summary: Lucy takes revenge to a whole new level when she comes face to face with the elusive 'Salamander', who is making a name for himself as Fiore's newest bank robber. Modern AU, Humor/Romance
Disclaimer: I don't know much about banks. Most of my information came from the internet, so I apologize if any of this is inaccurate.
Lucy slammed her eyes shut in aggravation as she listened to her father ramble over the phone. She tried to cut in three times to tell him her opinion, but he always raised his voice so he could talk over her. After the last attempt, she gave up, letting him talk until his heart's content.
"The experience you gain today will help you when you get to where I am. Knowing the ins and outs of the business will-"
Lucy stopped listening, holding her phone away from her ear far enough so she couldn't hear exactly what he was saying, but close enough that she could jump in when he stopped talking.
Her father was hellbent on her staying on as a teller at the bank. It all started when she said she was thinking of taking off a few days a week to focus on writing. Apparently, her father thought that meant she was quitting, so he started ranting about the benefits of working up the line, gaining this experience, and blah blah blah.
Lucy had heard his speech a million times. He told it to her so much she could recite it back to him, but of course he would only call her a smart aleck and tell her she needed to learn some manners.
His speech was wasted though. Lucy had no intentions of staying with the bank, at least not for the rest of her life. She wanted to be an author, to write mysteries and adventures. When she told her father that, he laughed at the idea.
"You need a real job," he would say. "Who's going to take over the business when I retire?"
Lucy didn't know, but she did know it wasn't going to be her. She had plans for her life, and they didn't involve counting money all day. She needed excitement!
Lucy stole a peek at her clock, frowning when she saw the time. Risking death by boredom, she put her phone against her ear to talk to her father.
"-and another thing. Did you know-"
"Hey! You'll have to tell me some other time. I'm going to be late for work."
"Well that's not very responsible of you. How will it look having you show up late?"
"I'm guessing not good," she said, proud of herself for keeping her voice calm despite her growing aggravation. Before he could monopolize the conversation again, she asked, "Can you just think about what I said. I would only need two more days off a week. That shouldn't cause any problems. Plus, I can afford to take that time off."
"I'm not concerned about money!" her father yelled, causing her eyes to narrow. "I'm concerned about your lack of responsibility. You are a Heartfilia. You have to-"
"Sorry! Gotta go!" Lucy cut him off before hanging up her phone, sighing when she saw her screen turn black. She pressed a hand to her forehead, cooling herself off. She always got worked up talking to her father. He was as hard-headed as they come.
With a long sigh, Lucy composed herself before heading out the door. She had work soon. Even if she hated her job and disliked her father for making her work there -he threatened to pull her college fund if she quit her job, she still didn't want to make a bad impression there. Like her father said, she was still a Heartfilia.
Lucy raised a brow when she walked through the front doors. She kept her mouth shut as she walked to the back, putting her purse in her locker before punching in for her shift. When she went to get her money for the day, she saw her favorite co-worker, Levy.
The shorter, blue haired woman noticed her frown immediately. "What's wrong?"
Lucy sighed, running a hand through her long blonde hair. She should have put it up today, but she ran out of time. It was supposed to be warm later on. "Nothing, just another fight with my father."
"So, the usual?"
Lucy nodded. "Exactly." The two girls shared a soft laugh while Levy grabbed her money for her till. Lucy looked at the lobby again, frowning when she saw the two security guards. It puzzled her because for the past year, there was only one guard at a time. "What's with the extra security?"
Levy's eyes widened as she lowered her head, whispering as if it were a secret. "You haven't heard? The Salamander's nearby."
"The... who?" Lucy asked, staring blankly at her friend.
"The Salamander," Levy urged, as if it might jog her memory. It didn't. "He's this guy who's been robbing banks all over Fiore. The last one he did was two towns away. That's why there's more security, in case he tries to strike here too."
Lucy laughed, waving her hand as she accepted her money. "Please. He'll never come here. Our town's too boring for that."
"Maybe, but we need to be prepared."
Lucy waved it off with a laugh. She said goodbye to Levy before heading to her till, preparing for a long, mundane day at work. She didn't worry about Salamander, doubting something that exciting would ever happen here.
Lucy's day went on just like any other. She deposited people's checks, withdrew their money, and occasionally made a cashier's check. It was just a normal day. She bowed her head slightly as a businessman walked off after handing her his shop's daily deposit. The amount was too great to put in her till, so after logging the money in the system, she went to put it in the vault with her manager.
She smiled when she was given the keys to unlock the vault. Normally she would have to let him do everything, but since her father wanted her to learn every aspect of the business, she was given special privileges. Being the daughter of the owner of 'Heartfilia Credit Union' had its advantages. People gave her more trust than she earned, not that she was a dishonest person.
At least, she had done anything yet to hurt the bank, or her father's business.
Lucy furrowed her brows as she walked towards the tills with her manager, hearing shouting as she rounded the corner. Her eyes immediately went to the door, seeing a thick chain wrapped around the handles. Her eyes flitted to the tills, seeing they were empty, no tellers in sight.
Looking at the lobby, she only saw one person standing there, their face turned away from her. A black strap ran horizontally across the back of his head, almost blending in with his dark brown hair.
Lucy opened her mouth to ask what was going on, only to stop when she looked down. Her co-workers, along with the two guards and some customers were all on the ground. Some were crying, mumbling incoherently at themselves while others were more stoic, no emotions on their faces.
She gasped when she saw the security guards had handcuffs on, their wrists pinned in front of them. The sound she made attracted the attention of the only guy standing, his face turning immediately.
Lucy lost her breath when she saw him, red scales adorning his face, covering almost every inch of tanned skin. His black eyes locked with hers, causing her to freeze.
"I think I'll choose you," he said, lifting his gun to point it at Lucy. His voice was low, one she didn't recognize. He looked over towards her manager, eyes narrowing. "Come over here and get on the ground with the others. Make sure you throw your phone in the bucket with everyone else's."
Lucy's heart dropped, frozen in terror. She had never had a gun aimed at her before, the rush was exciting and horrifying, not knowing what the man was capable of. The manager did as he was told, dropping his phone into a white bucket towards the entrance before taking a seat with the other people on the ground.
"Wh-what?" she asked belatedly, stomach twisting when she saw his lips curve up.
He cocked his head, giving her a lazy smile. "If you would, fill this with everything in the tills." He threw her a gym bag, but she didn't catch it, her arms limp by her side. It hit her chest, falling to the ground a second later.
That seemed to irritate the man, his black eyes narrowing at her. She saw his sharp teeth when he curled his lips back, practically growling at her. "Put the money in the bag! NOW!"
Lucy jolted, shaky hands reaching for the bag. She paused, not knowing what she should do. She had training, but her mind couldn't bring up anything to help her. She swallowed hard, feeling sweat bead on the back of her neck. Her high heels clicked as she walked over to the tills, recognition flashing through her eyes when she saw the small button on the floor. She was supposed to press it in case of emergency.
"Don't bother," he snickered, eyes roaming over the people on the floor before looking at her again. "It's disabled. I mean, you could try if you want, but it'll just waste everyone's time."
Lucy almost didn't hear him, eyes focused on his mask. It looked almost like a dragon's head, the scales covering his face with short horns coming off the sides. She saw his brown hair sticking out from the top when he faced her.
She looked down, seeing if she could recognize anything to tell the police later. He wore a simple black hoodie, dark jeans, and black shoes. She doubted that would help them at all. The only thing she had on him was his hair, eye color, and skin tone.
As Lucy started filling the tills, she felt her breathing picking up with her heart rate. She was scared, but a part of her felt a spark of excitement. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She could already imagine herself writing every emotion she felt, along with everything she saw.
Lucy was halfway through the tills when one of the men on the ground stood up. She recognized him as the usual security guard for the bank, Gajeel, if she remembered correctly. The bank robber pulled a second handgun that had been tucked inside his pants. He pointed it at Gajeel while growling out a warning to sit back down.
Gajeel didn't budge, red eyes narrowing at the gun. "How do we know that thing's even real?"
The bank robber sighed, pointing the gun towards the ceiling. Lucy saw it had a long black piece attached to the end. If the shows she watched was anything to go on, that was a silencer.
"I really didn't want to cause any damage," he mumbled before pulling the trigger, a bullet flying out to hit the light a few feet away from him. Glass shards fell, but the light was far enough away that it didn't strike any of the people on the ground.
He pointed the gun at Gajeel again, smirking when he saw the man flinch. "Wanna try something now?"
Gajeel grumbled something before pressing his back to the wall, sliding down so he sat next to Levy. He shifted so he sat in front of her, just in case the bank robber decided he wanted to shoot someone anyway.
Lucy felt her heart pumping faster than before. He could have shot Gajeel, but instead the robber took out a light. Lucy didn't have to wonder who this guy was. With what Levy said before, this had to be the Salamander she just heard about that morning.
She thought back to that morning as she started emptying the last till. Her father had pissed her off. He even went as far as to say he wasn't concerned about money. A plan formulated in her head, the corner of her lip twitching up as the thrill coursed through her body.
Lucy turned, jolting when she saw the robber was behind the tills, standing a few inches away from her. His gun was lowered to his hip, his second handgun hidden from her view. She gulped, holding out the bag to him.
She saw him open his mouth, but before he could say anything, she whispered, "You want in the vault, right?"
His expression was mostly hidden behind the mask, but she could tell he was confused by the glint in his eyes. Those dark, black eyes, seemed to bore into her the longer he stared.
Salamander's eyes flashed down to her hip, seeing the keys hanging off her skirt's belt. His lips quirked up, forming a smile that made her shiver. "Yes. Take me to the vault."
Lucy nodded, slowly turned to lead him that way. She knew she had to act fast, otherwise her opportunity would slip through her grasp. Grabbing the gym bag he tossed on the floor, Lucy slung it over her shoulder as she unlocked the safe. The heavy door opened, revealing the metal bars. She felt Salamander's eyes on the back of her head as she unlocked that door, swinging it open. Swallowing hard, Lucy entered the vault, heading to the side where a table with money on top sat.
Opening the bag, Lucy sucked in a deep breath before grabbing some banded bundles of cash. She probably confused the robber when she ripped the bands off the money, flipping through the bills to make sure there were no dye packs inside. They would be triggered once the robber stepped outside of the bank due to radio signals.
Salamander said nothing, watching as she went through the stacks of money. She found three dye packs, tossing them to the side of the table. He didn't say anything about it, but she guessed that was because he kept looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was there. It was just the two of them, so she decided to make her move.
As she zipped up the bag full of money, Lucy opened her mouth, ready to ask him a question that was sure to shock him. She stopped once she heard the sounds of sirens in the distance. They were faint, but strong enough to know they were coming from a police car.
"Shit!" Salamander yelled, one hand slapping over his mouth. His voice was barely a muffle, but she heard him. "Oh shit oh shit oh shit! I knew I shouldn't have gone to the vault. Stupid stupid stupid!"
He started hitting himself in the head, but stopped once Lucy grabbed his arm. His black eyes locked with hers. "What?" he hissed, jerking away so she was no longer touching him. She saw his grip tighten on his gun, but he didn't point it at her. She imagined if he wasn't wearing gloves, she would have been able to see his knuckles turning white.
She was thankful there were no security cameras inside the vault, otherwise her actions would look suspicious to an observer. "Take me as a hostage," she whispered, trying to stay as calm as she could despite her pounding heart.
"What?"
"A hostage," she repeated, holding out her arm. "Use me to get out."
Salamander glared at her for a few seconds before grabbing his bag, putting it on her shoulder so he could keep his hands free. The bag was heavy, making her hunch over slightly. Her eyes flickered with shock when she saw him switch his gun to safety, his hand gripping her arm tightly before he pressed the gun to her temple. He started walking, forcing her to walk alongside him.
Before they left the vault, she heard him whisper, "I'm not going to hurt you. Just don't fuck with me."
She felt herself smiling before she wiped it off her face, knowing she had a part to play. It wasn't too difficult. She was scared, but deep in her heart she knew she wasn't going to get killed. It wasn't that she trusted the bank robber. She just trusted gut feeling.
Once they reemerged to where the people in the lobby could see them, they heard glass breaking at the front of the bank. The police were trying to come through the front door, but Lucy wasn't going to let this end too soon.
"Back," was all she whispered before jerking backwards, but to everyone else it looked like she was trying to escape his grasp.
Salamander took a deep breath before pointing the gun in everyone's general direction, shouting, "Stay on the ground and she won't get hurt! Make one move, and I'll blow her brains out."
For a moment, Lucy really believed him. Her skin covered in goosebumps, her mind racing as she realized she might be in over her head. She didn't know this guy. Just because he didn't shoot Gajeel didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. Maybe she wasn't in control of herself. Maybe she just signed her death certificate.
Lucy jolted as he jerked her back, going through the door behind the tills that led to the back entrance. It was rarely used and could only be opened from the inside.
Once the two of them disappeared from everyone's sight, Salamander let go of her, grabbed the bag, and started running towards the back door. He flung it open, feet hitting the concrete as he raced down the back alley. Pulling out a flip phone, he pressed the speed dial to reach his partner.
"Are you in position?" Salamander paused, listening to the answer. "Good. I'll be there in a minute."
As he slid his phone into his pocket while running, he didn't notice the puddle on the ground. He stepped in it, realizing immediately that it was covering a hole. His foot caught on it, his ankle twisting as he started to fall.
He braced for impact, shocked when only his right knee hit the ground. Looking up, he saw the blonde banker, grabbing onto his left arm to keep him up. "Hurry!" she yelled, helping him to his feet.
Salamander opened his mouth to say something, but she was already pulling him forward. "The police are going to swarm this place any second. We need to get out of here!"
"We?" was all he mumbled before getting to his feet, limping beside her since his ankle caused him pain every time he put pressure on it. He already knew he sprained it.
Lucy wondered how far they would have to walk, a shiver running down her spine when she heard more sirens getting closer. She was about to ask him, but stopped when a car pulled up at the mouth of the alley, the passenger door opening up to reveal an empty seat.
Lucy watched as the driver leaned back into their seat, shouting something at Salamander. The bank robber flipped him off, the action confusing Lucy. She helped him to the front seat, but he slammed the door shut, instead opening up the back door to push her inside.
Lucy fell over the seats before lifting herself up, Salamander sliding beside her before resting the large, heavy bag of money on his lap. He shut the door, grunting to the driver. "Drive!"
Instead of listening to his command, the driver turned his head around, dark blue eyes locking with Lucy's. "Who the fuck is that?!"
Salamander shrugged, partially out of breath as he said, "My hostage."
The driver gaped at him. "Since when the fuck do we take hostages?!"
"Since now! Just hurry up and drive before we end up in prison!" Salamander pointed ahead, his black eyes narrowing. "I'll explain later!"
The driver shook his head before throwing the car in drive, pressing his foot to the gas to get away. Lucy thought they would speed through the town and somehow end up in a police chase. Instead, the driver obeyed all the laws, stopping at stop lights and even using his blinker when he needed to switch lanes.
Lucy felt her shoulders dropped, almost upset that things weren't going to get insane. She craved adventure, but the way he drove, she might as well be on her way to the grocery store. There was no urgency in his driving.
She guessed it made since. The police didn't see Salamander or herself get inside the car. Speeding would only draw unnecessary attention to themselves. If she wasn't in the vehicle, she wouldn't know the man beside her just robbed a bank.
Salamander kept his head down, fingers scratching at the back of his head. "Stupid fucking itchy-" he mumbled under his breath, giving up on scratching his head in favor of digging his nails into his knees.
"I think I need another pill," he said aloud, catching the driver's attention. The man behind the wheel kept his eyes on the road while he opened the center console, taking out a bottle of pills before carelessly tossing them behind them.
They landed next to Lucy. She stole a quick glance at them before Salamander grabbed them, taking a pill out before swallowing it dry.
'Gross,' Lucy thought, throat feeling tight from the sight. She cleared her throat, turning her gaze to the bank robber. "You have motion sickness?"
His eyes widened slightly before looking at his hand where the bottle was. He growled, putting the cap on the empty bottle before slipping it into the pocket behind the passenger seat. "What's it to you?" His tone was a bit rude for her taste, but it wasn't nearly as bitter as it had been when they were in the bank. She wondered if being around his partner helped.
At least, she guessed the driver was his partner. Why else would he pick the robber up?
Lucy never got to give him an answer, the driver speaking over her. "What took you so long back there?"
Salamander grinned, hands grabbing onto the bag full of money. "I robbed the vault!"
"You dumbass!" the driver yelled, causing the robber to frown. "They put dye packs in that money!"
"They do?" Salamander asked, looking down at the bag. His low voice disappeared, replaced by a slightly higher tone. If Lucy had to guess, she would say the voice he used while robbing banks wasn't his normal tone.
Before he could say anything, Lucy spoke up. "I didn't put any in there. If I had, they would have gone off by now. Check it."
Salamander seemed reluctant, but he obeyed her order, opening the bag to shift through the money. "I don't see any dye in here. She's telling the truth."
The driver didn't seem relieved. "Who is she? Why'd you take a hostage?" His tone didn't match the way he drove, voice harsh but driving calm.
"I panicked," Salamander said, hand absentmindedly scratching at the strap behind his head. "Fuck, this thing itches."
"Don't you dare take it off!" the driver yelled, causing the robber to lower his hand.
"I wasn't gonna. Sheesh."
The driver huffed, flipping on his signal before merging onto the highway. He was taking the quickest route out of the city. Lucy wondered where they were headed to.
"She doesn't have a phone on her or anything?"
Salamander looked at Lucy, then at the driver. "I don't know..."
"You didn't check her?!" The driver looked as if he was ready to pull at his black hair in frustration. "Search her, now!"
The robber turned back at Lucy, frowning. "But I don't wanna."
"Too fucking bad! You kidnapped her! It's your problem! We have to make sure she's not recording us or some shit!"
Salamander grunted. "Fine, but if I get slapped I'm hitting you." He looked at Lucy, sighing as he said, "I'm gonna touch you, but I'm just looking for a phone. I promise I won't hurt you."
Lucy raised a brow, wondering why he even cared what she thought. It wasn't as if her comfort was high on his priorities. She pressed her hands to the seat, nodding. "Go ahead."
He set the bag of money behind him before looking back at her. Hesitantly, he put his hands on her shoulders, smoothing over the material before trailing down her sides. His hands roamed over her stomach, then quickly brushed over her breasts to make sure she didn't slip her phone in her bra.
Salamander's hands went down, tracing over her hips before sliding down her thighs. Her skirt came down to her knees, so he had to push it up a few inches before dipping his hand underneath, slowly reaching upwards.
Lucy wasn't surprised when her face burned ten degrees hotter, but she was surprised when she saw Salamander's neck turn red, crawling upwards into his mask. She still couldn't see his face, the dragon mask concealing it.
He went halfway up her inner thigh before retreating. "She's clean. No phone." Sitting back in his seat, he muttered an apology to her before putting the bag of money on his lap. He scooted further away, clearly embarrassed despite not being the one who was touched.
Lucy took deep breaths until she calmed down, knowing the man wasn't trying to cop a feel. He was just covering his bases. She could have told them she left her phone in her purse at the bank, but she doubted they would have believed her anyway. She thought it was silly to search her. Her clothes were too tight to hide anything.
"Good," the driver muttered, running a hand through his black hair before putting it back on the wheel. "We can drop her off at one of these exits. I think there's a gas station about ten miles down the-"
"No," Lucy said, voice calm but firm. "You're not. I'm coming with you."
Salamander cocked his head at her while the driver shook his head. "No. We're dropping you off."
"I'll tell the police what car you're driving."
The robber tensed while the driver chuckled. "You think this is actually our car? This is just a getaway vehicle. Our real car is parked not far from where I'll drop you off. By the time you call the police, we'll already be switched over."
"I'll describe your face," Lucy threatened, but the driver didn't seem fazed.
"Go ahead. I doubt that'll be enough to figure out who we are. You don't even know our names. How can you-" The driver stopped talking as soon as he heard a cry of pain from the backseat. He looked in the mirror, jaw dropping when he saw Lucy ripped the mask off Salamander.
"Now I can describe his face too. That'll-" Her voice died when she saw the brown hair attached to the mask. She tried pulling it off, but it didn't budge. "What the," she started, looking over at the robber.
Brown eyes widened when she saw his tanned face, pink bangs hanging over his forehead. Her eyes flitted up, seeing the pink locks slowly spiking upwards now that they were free from the wig.
"Shit! Na-Salamander! What the hell!"
"It wasn't my fault!" he yelled back, hands scratching at his head, his hair getting messier by the second. "She did it too fast!"
"How hard is it to keep a stupid mask on! You idiot!"
"Hey! It's not my fault! I wanted to dye my hair! You're the one who said a wig was better!"
Lucy sat back, listening to the two men bicker back and forth. The argument started about wigs, but slowly it changed until they were just hurtling insults at one another.
"Ice Princess!"
"Pyro!"
"Pervy Popsicle!"
"Squinty eyes!"
"Droopy eyes!"
"Enough!" Lucy yelled, causing the two men to jolt. If she didn't know better, she would have thought they forgot she was in the car. "I'm not leaving until you get me out of the state. I want to get out, and you're going to help me."
"Why can't you leave on your own? You don't need us?"
Lucy turned to look at the man with pink hair, wondering if that was his natural color. She guessed it was since he mentioned dying it earlier. "My father won't let me leave. I'm not looking to stay gone. I just want to get out for a bit before I have to go back."
"Why?" he asked, unaware that he was leaning in a bit.
She sighed before letting out a humorless chuckle. "Because my life is boring. This is the most excitement I've had in... Well, probably my whole life."
"Working as a bank teller does seem kinda boring."
"Our hostage works at the bank?" the driver asked, groaning to himself. "So it won't take them long to figure out who she is." If it was a regular person, there was a chance it would take them longer to figure out who Salamander took.
Lucy ignored the driver, keeping her focus on Salamander. "It's the worst! I hate it. If it wasn't for my dad threatening to pull my tuition, I would've quit a long time ago."
He huffed air through his nose. "So, a college girl? Whatcha studying to be?"
"I want to be an author," Lucy said, knowing it was safe to tell him. It wasn't as if she kept it a secret from people. "But my father is against it. Says it isn't a real job."
"People like to read," he pointed out. "Someone's gotta write the stuff. I think it's a real job." He laughed harder as he patted the bag of money on his lap. "It's more legit than what I do."
They both heard the driver grumbling in the front seat, but he went ignored. "Why are you robbing banks anyways?"
His lips curved down, his gaze falling to the side. He bit his lower lip, a sharp canine peeking out. She frowned with him, shaking her head. "You don't have to tell me."
"He shouldn't anyways," the driver muttered, moving to the fast lane on the highway.
She realized it was easier and easier to ignore the man in the front. He was all bark and no bite. "My name's Lucy," she said, holding out a hand.
Salamander took his gloves off before shaking her hand, but he didn't introduce himself. Lucy didn't take offense, knowing his friend would yell at them again if he said it. "Nice to meet you," he mumbled, a hint of pink coating his cheeks. "Sorry about, umm, taking you hostage and stuff."
Lucy shook her head. "It was my idea. I'm sorry I told you to go to the vault. If it wasn't for me, you would've left way before the cops showed up."
The driver's eye twitched as he listened to their conversation. "It was her idea to be a hostage?"
Salamander laughed, giving his partner a lazy grin. "Well, yeah."
"Unbelievable!"
Lucy picked at her nails while listening to the radio. The three of them already switched cars a few hours ago at a rest stop. The driver wasn't kidding. He really had this all planned out. Unfortunately for them, they didn't count on Lucy crashing into their plan.
Salamander was busy counting the money, which seemed difficult since they were all missing the bands that kept them together. It was a small price to pay to ensure there were no dye packs inside. She hoped he would appreciate it.
Everyone remained silent, the driver heading to some unknown destination. They had already crossed state lines, lessening the chances of them being caught. Lucy slowly closed her eyes, sighing as she let the music lull her. She was just about to fall asleep, but the voice that came over the radio made her eyes snap open.
It wasn't the way he sounded, but it was what he said that alarmed her.
"Earlier today, the Heartfilia Credit Union in Crocus was robbed. The suspect is a white male of average height, brown hair and black eyes. He is armed and dangerous."
Salamander looked up from the cash, smiling. "Hear that? I'm dangerous."
The driver flipped him the bird before turning the volume up.
"He has taken a hostage. A young woman by the name of Lucy Heartfilia, the CEO's daughter."
Lucy heard both males taking in sharp breaths, clearly surprised by the news.
"If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Miss Heartfilia, call this number." The man on the radio recited a number which people could call, but she wasn't paying attention anymore.
Instead, she was busy shrinking in her seat, waiting for their reactions.
"You're..." Salamander started, voice strained as if his throat was dry.
"A Heartfilia?" the driver finished, sounding equally tense.
Lucy lightly scratched at her cheek, giving them a sheepish smile. "Oops... Did I forget to mention that?"
She was met with silence and Salamander's blank face. She gulped, hoping they wouldn't be too mad at her. "Sorry. I just didn't think you would take me if you knew."
"Of course we wouldn't take you!" the driver yelled, dark blue eyes narrowed as he glared at her through the mirror. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck! We're gonna end up in prison!"
Lucy waved her hands, trying to calm him down. "It's fine!"
"Like hell it's fine!"
"You two won't end up in prison," Lucy promised, giving him a forced smile. She glanced at Salamander, seeing his blank expression. He was looking down at his hands, but she didn't know what he was thinking. "I won't tell anyone who you are."
The driver shook his head. "That doesn't matter! There's going to be more cops looking for you since your dad's important. God damn it!"
Lucy tried to reason with him, but he kept telling her that they were doomed no matter what. She only stopped trying to convince the guy things would be okay when she heard a gagging noise coming from beside her. Looking to her side, she saw the bank robber with a hand over his mouth, his cheeks turning blue.
"Hey... Something's wrong with your friend..." Lucy started, pointing at the robber. "He looks sick."
"Damn. His pill probably wore off. Can you give him another one. Ya know, before you land us in prison!"
Lucy narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before grabbing the bottle from the pocket she saw Salamander put them in earlier. She shook it, frowning when she heard nothing. "He's out."
"Fuck! This is not the time to be getting sick N-Salamander. Damn it."
Lucy watched as he merged from the fast lane over to the furthest right lane, preparing to take the next exit.
She remained quiet, slowly rubbing circles on the bank robber's back while the driver took them to the nearest store he could find. Before taking a wad of cash from the open bag on Salamander's lap, he muttered something about getting a change of clothes for Lucy, and possibly a wig so people wouldn't recognize her. He left, leaving Lucy alone with Salamander.
It took a few minutes for him to feel better, the blue slowly fading from his face. When he was back to himself, he zipped up the bag of money, shoving it to the floorboard as best he could. He had to sit crisscross in the seat since he didn't have any leg room after that.
Lucy tried to stretch in the backseat, but it was no use. Her legs were killing her from sitting for the past few hours. Even at her job she got to walk around regularly. She placed a hand on the door's handle, but froze when she heard Salamander's warning.
"Don't open that, or else."
Lucy raised a brow, stealing a glance behind her to see him holding his gun. It wasn't high enough for other people to see, trained on her lower back. She shifted in her seat, barely holding back a giggle. "Or what? You'll hit me with it?"
Salamander grunted, black eyes narrowing. "No, I'll shoot you."
"No you won't," Lucy said without skipping a beat. "You can drop the tough guy act. I know your gun's on safety."
Salamander frowned, looking at the side of his weapon. "You can tell?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I know it's been on safe since you took me as a hostage." She used air quotes for the last few words. With how things went down, she couldn't really consider herself a hostage. Hell, at this point she was the one who was refusing to leave.
Salamander lowered his gun, groaning. "This wasn't supposed to happen..."
Cocking her head, Lucy asked, "What was supposed to happen."
He sighed, putting the gun in the pocket in front of him. "I'm supposed to stick to the tills, leave, then go to another town. I'm not supposed to go to the vault, and I'm definitely not supposed to take a hostage. That wasn't part of the plan."
Curious, Lucy leaned in. "Why are you doing all this? Are you in debt or something?"
He shook his head. "Promise you won't tell?"
Lucy thought it was somewhat naive for him to trust a stranger, but she nodded anyway. She had no intentions on telling. "I promise."
Salamander paused, running a hand through his pink hair. "My dad... He's real sick. I'm tryin' to pay for his treatment."
"Does insurance not cover it?"
Salamander snorted. "No. He has a plan with L&L, but they don't cover what he has. Says it's not within our plan."
Lucy's shoulders dropped, already realizing his reasons for robbing banks. "L&L... Love and Lucky insurance."
He nodded. "The company your father owns. Figured if he wasn't gonna cover this, I'll get it covered some other way."
"So you're robbing Heartfilia banks." Lucy's gaze fell to the space between them, noticing it was smaller than before. "I'm really sorry. I know my father can be greedy when it comes to money."
"Not your fault," he said, patting the bag of money. "Actually, you really helped me out. This is enough to cover at least another six months of his treatment. The doctors said he's getting better, but he still needs more time. I think this'll be enough. At least, I hope..."
He chuckled, scratching at his head. "I didn't want to do this. I tried to get the money another way before I started robbing banks. I had to drop out of college so I could get three jobs, but it still wasn't cutting it..."
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, voice low. She was upset he had to go through that, but she was glad the frown on his face was slowly vanishing.
She didn't blame him for robbing her father's banks. With as much money as he had, he could've helped more people with his insurance company. Instead, he offered the bare minimum coverage so he wouldn't have to pay out if something serious came along.
"I tried porn once."
Lucy's eyes widened, a smile creeping on her face. "You did?"
"I didn't say I did it," he quickly added. "I made it to the set, but once they told me to get naked, I bolted." He shook his head. "Couldn't do it."
"Why not?" She knew she wouldn't be able to do porn, but she wanted to hear his reasons. If he was willing to rob banks, why wasn't he willing to have sex on camera for money.
"I... Fuck," he started, a blush surfacing on his cheeks. "You're gonna think I'm lame."
Lucy giggled, scooting closer to him. Her knees touched his leg, but he didn't bother moving away. "You just robbed a bank. There's no way I'd think you're lame."
He hesitated, teeth chewing on his bottom lip before admitting, "The whole thing freaked me out... I'm inexperienced. I've never even had my first kiss."
Lucy's brown eyes softened. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about. Lots of people haven't had their first kiss."
"Yeah, kids," he said with a scowl.
She shook her head. "I'm talking about adults."
He perked up, locking eyes with her. "Have you never kissed anyone?"
Her smile faltered a little. "Unfortunately, I have." She sighed. "I've kissed a few frogs, hoping they would turn into princes."
He snorted, leaning back in his seat. "Sounds like you shoulda been looking for a dragon instead."
"What?" she asked, seeing his blush darken.
"N-nothing!"
She smiled, deciding not to press the question. She heard him correctly, she just wanted to know what he meant. Though, judging by his mask and the red stain on his face, it wasn't hard for her to figure out.
"Anyways... thanks for getting me into the vault." He didn't meet her gaze, eyes trained on the bag of money. "I think we might be done now. I'll just have to see if my dad keeps getting better before the money runs out."
"Will you go back to school when he gets better?" She didn't bother saying if he gets better. She didn't want to put that thought in his head.
He nodded. "I wanna be a chemist, but I still have a long way to go."
Lucy rested the side of her head against the seat, offering a smile that he didn't see. "You'll get there."
"Thanks," he mumbled, biting on his lower lip again.
Lucy glanced at the money, knowing her father would be pissed when he found out he was robbed. Well, at this point she figured he already knew. It had been several hours since the robbery. She mentally laughed, remembering him telling her that morning he wasn't concerned with money. Her revenge was pretty sweet, but now she had to figure out a way out of this. She wanted adventure, but she didn't want to risk getting Salamander or his friend in trouble.
They might have broken the law, but her father wasn't exactly that great with morals either. Plus, he had insurance to cover the loss. It was ironic, since the insurance he used for the bank would help with his loss, but it couldn't help Salamander's dad when he needed it the most.
Lucy smiled at the man beside her, thinking it was admirable he was willing to risk his life for his father, even if what he was doing was illegal. She started leaning in, already knowing what she was doing was crazy, but hey, she wanted adventure, right?
Salamander glanced up when he saw movement, brows furrowing when she inched closer to him. "What are you doing?"
Lucy placed a hand on his arm, feeling his large bicep underneath his hoodie. "I want to try my luck with a dragon," she whispered, closing the gap between them.
His eyes went wide when her lips pressed against his. He was stiff for a moment, but soon melted into the kiss. Lucy could feel his inexperience immediately, deciding to take the lead.
She opened her mouth, slowly dragging her tongue against his lips to seek access. He opened up, allowing her tongue to snake inside. A soft groan tore from him when she rubbed her tongue against his, coaxing him to play with her. She gave his tongue a playful suck, loving the way he reacted.
It was a slippery slope from there.
He cupped the back of her head as he took control of the kiss, tongue wild and lips rough. Lucy loved it, her heart racing and her mind blanking. She didn't protest when his lips moved from her mouth, trailing hot kisses across her jaw then down her neck.
His tongue was warm and his mouth was hot, teeth scraping at her throat as his hands gripped her waist. Lucy pulled him closer, moving downward so he was hovering over her in the backseat.
She moaned when he started nipping at the crook of her neck, his fingers pushing the material of her shirt to the side before latching on. "Mmmmm!" Lucy gasped when he bit harder, her pulse skyrocketing and her adrenaline pumping. She swore a kiss never made her feel so alive.
She threaded her fingers through his pink locks, keeping him close. He stopped biting her, a soft mark left on her pale skin. He licked over the spot, drawing a moan from her.
"Salamander."
He murmured against her neck in a daze, his body hotter than it had ever been before. Robbing banks was the only thing that could possibly compare to the excitement he felt having Lucy under him, and it had only just begun!
"Call me Natsu."
"Natsu," she moaned when he grabbed her hip, fingers rough and hot.
She felt him reaching up, fingers starting to unbutton her shirt. She didn't stop him, wanting this to continue. With her shirt loosened, his hand started trailing up her body, leaving a trail of fire behind. He was an inch away from her bra when the sound of the car door opened, jolting them out of their daze.
"Sorry it took so long. Some old lady was payin' with pennies," the driver said, slipping into the front seat. He started turning as he spoke. "I got the- WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Natsu jerked away from Lucy, who was busy buttoning her shirt back. Their faces were flushed, embarrassed they were caught.
"I can explain!" Salamander-Natsu said, waving his hands back and forth. "It wasn't what it looked like!"
"It looked like you were making out with our hostage!"
Natsu paled, looking down at Lucy, then at the driver again. "Damn... I guess it was what it looked like..."
"Are you kidding me?" the driver asked, voice rising. "You were supposed to look after her, not hump her!"
"I wasn't humping her!"
Lucy felt more heat fill her face. If the driver hadn't come back when he did, they might have actually started doing just that. She listened to them bicker back and forth, her eyes wandering to the shopping bags he had in the passenger seat.
A silent laugh made her shoulders move. She saw one of the packages sticking out from the bag. It was a brown wig. She guessed he wasn't kidding when he said he was going to get her one.
Lucy's eyes widened as another plan started forming in her mind, this time it was one to get everyone out of this mess. A smile ghosted over her lips as she worked out the details in her head.
"Guys," she started, her voice not loud enough to break their argument. "Guys!"
Still, they ignored her, throwing out insults and threatening to beat the other's ass. She took a deep breath in, then yelled, "Natsu!"
Both men stopped immediately, Natsu turning his head to look at her, the driver narrowing his eyes at Natsu.
"You told her your name!" It wasn't a question, his tone furious. "Are you trying to get caught?"
"What?" No, I-" Natsu was cut off when the driver shook his head.
"I can't believe you. Did you tell her my name too?"
"No. You're just Ice Princess."
Lucy wanted to say it didn't matter if she knew the driver's name or not. She didn't want them to get in trouble, so she had no intentions on giving up their names. However, it didn't look like he would believe her anyway.
Before they could start fighting again, Lucy yelled, "I have a plan!"
They looked at her, the driver with suspicion in his eyes and Natsu cocking his head. "A plan? For what?"
Lucy's smile returned as she whispered, "I have an idea that will help all of us out."
The driver looked at Natsu, then back at her. "What's your plan?"
Lucy waited by the payphone for the police to arrive. She had placed a call saying she was Lucy Heartfilia, the hostage that was taken from the bank a few days ago. She was directed to wait there.
Ten minutes later, two police cars showed up. They helped her get into the back of one of the cars before bringing her to the station. It was all a blur after that.
She had to answer questions, tell them what she saw, and help identify the men who took her as a hostage. She did her best to help, but it wasn't the police she was helping.
"Brown hair, black eyes. He didn't say much after he forced me into the car."
"Was he driving?"
She shook her head. "There was another man driving, and a woman with them."
"Can you describe them?"
Lucy nodded. "The man had blue hair. I couldn't see his eye color. The woman was very tall. She had short green hair. I didn't see her eye color either."
"How did you end up in Hargeon?"
Lucy shook her head, her lower lip quivering as she played her role. "I... I don't know. They put something over my head so I couldn't see. I didn't know where we were going."
"Can you describe the car they were driving?"
Lucy swallowed, closing her eyes tight as if trying to remember. "I think it was dark? Maybe an older model? I'm not good with vehicles. That wasn't their only car though."
"What do you mean?"
"After I got in the vehicle, it was only a few minutes later before they stopped and changed cars. I couldn't see what it looked like, or where the switch was at."
The police officer nodded. "Was that the only time they switched vehicles?"
She shook her head. "I think once... maybe twice more?"
"Did they give you anything? Drugs?"
She shook her head.
"Did they hurt you or touch you?"
She shook her head. "I don't think so. Not while I was awake anyways."
"Would you mind if a medical examiner checks you out to make sure you weren't sexually assaulted? We'd also like to get a test to see if there's any toxins in your body."
Lucy nodded, already knowing they wouldn't find anything. She told them it was a few days ago that she was taken as a hostage, but it was truly a week. She wanted them to think she didn't have a clear sense of time while with her 'captors'. The hickey Natsu had left her was already gone, and they never had sex while she was with them. She also didn't take any drugs, so she was going to be clean.
The police officer asked her more questions, the entire day wasted on answering with lies. She never slipped up though. As an inspiring writer, it was her job to create worlds and people. She had her characters down, making sure to throw them off Natsu and Gray's trail. Gray was the driver. It took him an extra day and a half before he revealed his name to her, after she gained more of their trust.
While Lucy told the police she overheard her captors saying they were going to Alvarez, they were really heading to a little town called Magnolia. She felt guilty for wasting the police's time and possibly wasting tax payers money by sending them on a wild goose chase, but she wasn't going to let Natsu and Gray get arrested.
"The investigators there said the dye packs were removed. Did you do that?"
Lucy nodded, tears coming to her eyes. All she had to do was think about her mother who passed away to appear terrified. "He threatened to shoot me if I didn't check every single one. He had the gun up to my head."
"Do you know why he decided to rob the vault? His m.o. is to only stick to the tills. Why the change?"
Lucy gulped. "H-he saw m-my keys on my hip. I-I think he knew I could g-get into the v-vault. I d-didn't know what else t-to do. I didn't want t-to get sh-sh-shot."
"I understand," the officer said with a nod, writing it all down on his notepad. "You're lucky. This was the first time he took a hostage. We didn't know what he was going to do to you. It's a miracle you made it out alive."
Lucy swallowed hard, her tears still dripping down her cheeks. "I'm glad t-to be alive. C-can I see my father? I really want t-to go home."
He nodded. "Your father's on his way to pick you up, but it'll be a while until he gets here. You're free to wait until he arrives."
Lucy nodded, glad her plan was working so far. "Thank you."
Six Months later
Lucy sighed as she walked to her car. She waved to her co-workers before opening her door, slipping into the driver's seat to start her vehicle. Six months had passed since the bank robbery. No one had any news on where the elusive Salamander went. The investigation was coming up dry, and they had no leads to go on since he hadn't robbed any banks after the last time.
It was as he vanished into thin air.
After driving home and taking a long bath, Lucy was ready for bed. She had a long day at work, and nothing sounded better than sleep. She curled up under her blankets, ready to fall asleep when something caught her attention. Her phone started vibrating, causing her to raise a brow.
She turned over, seeing a familiar face pop up on her screen. Those dark green eyes were piercing, much better than the dull colored contacts that he used to wear. Yawning, she answered the call, bringing the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"
There was silence on the line for a few seconds before a rough voice asked, "Lucy?"
A smile worked its way on her lips. He sounded a little different over the phone, but she recognized his voice. "Hey. What's up?"
"... Just callin' to check on you. How is everything?"
Lucy shifted onto her back, smiling at her ceiling. "Good. I have more packing to do, but I should have it done before the movers get here."
"When are they coming?"
"Saturday."
"... And when are you coming here?"
"Monday," she whispered, eyes sliding shut. "I sign my new lease that morning."
She heard a sigh over the line. "I'm glad. I can't wait to see you."
Lucy's heart warmed. "I can't wait to see you either. How's Magnolia?"
"It's good. It's missing a certain girl though."
She giggled. "I'll be there soon, just wait."
"I know, but I get impatient."
"It's okay. I understand."
It had been half a year since she last saw him. Her plan was still working perfectly. After talking with the police, Lucy spoke with her father. He was surprisingly okay with her quitting her job at the bank. Apparently after a scare like that, he didn't want her near a bank ever again.
Lucy waited after that, biding her time until it arrived. It was a pamphlet advertising Magnolia University. That was her cue to put part two of her plan into action. She showed it to her father, pretending to be uninterested in the school.
A few days later, her father came back to her to tell her he checked out the school. He said it was highly regarded and in one of the safest cities in Fiore. It didn't take much after that to convince him to send her there, thinking she would be safer.
It was a long plan, but they needed that time to set things up. It would be too suspicious if Lucy uprooted her life overnight after the bank robbery. So, she waited. So far, everything was working out in her favor. Her father even offered to help pay for her tuition as long as she held down a job and made good grades. He didn't once mention her working in a bank ever again.
"I really miss you," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She hummed, feeling sleepy yet happy. "I miss you too, Natsu."
He laughed, a sound that made her cheeks warm and her heart swell. He had a great laugh. "It's weird. I hear my name being said all the time, but it's so much different when you say it."
Lucy wanted to ask if it was because she thought of him as 'Salamander' before, but she didn't voice it. Part of the plan was to act as if someone was always listening, because she worried the police might think she was in cahoots with them.
She never saw any evidence of that, but she wanted to be careful. This was the long game they were playing. Every move had to be precise. That was why she didn't 'meet' Natsu until she signed up for an online dating site. She had to pretend to accidentally find him. They talked for three weeks before Lucy gave him her number, then they started talking on the phone.
It was as if they never met five months ago, which was exactly what she wanted it to look like.
Lucy yawned, her eyelids feeling heavy. "I think you're just weird. That's why it sounds different."
"Oi! You're the weird one here!"
She giggled, not taking his words seriously for a second. "How's Igneel?"
"Better. He's in remission. Doc says if he keeps this up, he'll be in complete remission before we know it."
Lucy bit her tongue, desperately wanting to ask if he had enough money to cover the rest of Igneel's treatment, but she didn't. She couldn't risk if anyone was listening.
"I can't wait for you to meet him," Natsu said, sounding surprisingly upbeat.
"I'm looking forward to it. Maybe Monday night we can all get together. Have dinner?"
"My treat," Natsu offered immediately.
She wanted to ask if that meant he did still have money left over from the robbery, but she said nothing about it. "If you insist, but I'm buying dessert."
"Deal."
The two talked for about thirty minutes more before Lucy said she had to go to bed. She had a long day at work. Being a waitress wasn't easy, but it beat working at the bank. At least, in her opinion it did. Still, she was ready to move on with her life, and that meant going to Magnolia.
There, she would have more freedom. She could study whatever she wanted without her father trying to dictate her education, she could do what she wanted without worrying about his judgement, and she could be with whoever she wanted, and right now, that was Natsu.
She couldn't lie, she fell pretty fast for the wild dragon with pink hair. There was just something about him that screamed adventure and excitement. Of course, it could always just be from the way they met. Holding up a bank was definitely something her ex-boyfriends had never done.
She knew it was crazy to uproot her life like this, but it was what she felt like she needed now. She wanted adventure, and she was confident she could find that at Magnolia and with Natsu.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Lucy nodded despite him not seeing her. "Talk to you soon. Good night, Natsu."
"Sweet dreams, Lucy."
She hung up, her heart fluttering and her cheeks warm. She didn't know what kind of life she would have in Magnolia, but she was ready to take that risk. Her gut had never steered her wrong before.
So, what do you think? I had a completely different idea for this story at first that featured a certain Edolas couple, but I decided to go with this route. I may still write the other version, but it'll be later on. I have too many projects to work on first. I hope you enjoyed this story!
Disclaimer: Don't rob banks! I'm pretty sure it's not as easy as this story made it seem. Plus, prison doesn't look so fun.
Let me know what you thought of this one-shot. :) Hope you liked it!