Natsu wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, stroking he head as he done so.

"We will find a way Lucy. We will figure this out." He whispered through the cracking of his voice.

In his arms Lucy continued sobbing and shaking as the lump in Natsu's throat grew large enough for him to nearly choke on.

Natsu stood next to Lucy with his fist clenched firmly at his sides. She sat across from her father, fiddling with her fingers and waiting as he filled out paperwork. As if to remind him that she was there she cleared and throat but remained otherwise silent.

"Happy birthday Lucy. Are you excited for your party?" His tone held no affection. It was blunt with a slight hint of annoyance.

"Father, I have come to ask you to reconsider the subject of my betrothal." Natsu was surprised that Lucy's voice didn't shake. Her face was a mask that shown no expression.

"Under what grounds?"

"I am not ready to get engaged or married... I want to be in love father."

Her father only looked amused.

"Love does not offer security or a good life. You are young and foolish and know nothing of the world."

"Yes but I still want the chance to try and find a husband for myself. If I failed to find an appropriate husband then I would allow you to find one for me so I could perform my duty as a Heartfilia."

Lucy's father said nothing for a long and torturous minute. Lucy's mask slipped and her eyes widened.

Natsu's entire body felt tense. He felt like an elastic that had been stretched and was abound to snap. He was ready to grab Lucy at any moment and run out of the room with her in his arms. Screw the rules or what her father thought.

"Okay. I will make a deal with you."

Natsu refused to relax until he heard what the deal was.

"You will go to the party tonight. Have fun, talk to some new people. If nobody at the party catches your eye then I will not force you. You have one year to find a match for yourself with someone I agree is suitable. If by your next birthday you remain unsuccessful then you will allow me to pick someone for you without complaint."

"A year is not a lot of time father." Lucy spoke softly.

"It is more than fair. This is the deal, take it or leave it."

Natsu's body felt like it was on fire. The heat ran through his veins and he suppressed the growl that tried to rise from his throat. This man had backed Lucy into a corner. What choice did she have?

He had one year. One year before some spoiled moron took Lucy away from him. Just thinking about it made him want to punch something.

His head was pounding and his ears were ringing. So much so that he didn't realize the conversation was over until Lucy stood up and walked out, not even gesturing him to follow her, though he supposed that was a good thing. Her father probably wouldn't hesitate to send her off to some kind of mental facility. Natsu had collected patients from one of those places before. Lucy wouldn't do well in one of those places.

The walk back to Lucy's room was silent but the moment she close the door her knees buckled and he held to stop her from falling.

"It's okay, we have a year now. We can work something out." He said, his voice only a hushed whisper.

"He only gave me a year to mock me. To give me hope so he can snatch it away. He won't approve of any man I suggest. It's all just a ploy to make me do what he wants." Lucy wasn't crying like Natsu expected. Instead her entire body felt limp, as though she had no energy left.

"Well it's not up to him to decide you life. We will figure something out. You might not think you are old enough to be out on your own but you won't be alone anyway. You have me... We will figure it out together Lucy."

"I suppose I can always rent. I can't technically buy until I am eighteen but I can rent... If I have to." She still didn't sound okay. Her voice was small and her shoulders were hunched. Natsu hated it.

All too soon he felt himself fading away from her. He hated that too. Hated the thought of leaving her when she seemed so small.

When he reappeared he was surrounded by a familiar scene in the form of a hospital room. What wasn't familiar however was the sight of Gajeel standing beside the bed of a small blue haired girl.

"Why did you call me here? She isn't dead." Natsu pointed at the girl in question, ready to start a fight with his boss but the look on Gajeel's face turned his anger into pity.

For such a big and emotionless brute, Gajeel looked almost broken. His stance was the same as the one Lucy had only minutes before.

"This is the last time I will warn you. Stop letting yourself get attached to Lucy." Gajeel's words sounded harsh but his voice was cracked and softer then Natsu had thought he would be capable of.

"Who is she?" Natsu furrowed his brows and walked to stand beside Gajeel and stare at the sleeping girl.

"She is my Lucy. Her name is Levy."

"Can she see us?" Natsu looked from Levy to Gajeel and back.

Gajeel shook his head. "She can't see anything. She is blind and deaf. But she can feel things. I learned sign language to communicate with her after her accident... She touches my hands while I sign so she can understand me."

"Accident?"

"Levy was a forensic investigator. Often she would turn up to a from scene while I was collecting the soul. One day I got sloppy and accidentally went solid for a second. It was only a second but it was long enough for her to catch a glimpse of me... I didn't mean to do it. Going solid is hard and it's even harder when you feel strong emotions. Anger especially. I was still learning the ins and outs of going solid but it was still a stupid mistake."

"I thought going solid wasn't something that could happen by accident."

"Not the way Gray does it... but there are different ways to go solid. For a second I would probably have looked something like a ghost to Levy. She was such a curious little shrimp and she just kept on trying to find out about me and what I was. She ended up becoming a paranormal investigator on the side because of it."

"Did she ever find out?"

"Not until I told her. She would always try and talk to me. She couldn't see or hear me but she would talk out loud and wait to see if I'd answer. She was so persistent. I couldn't really help falling in love with her, it just happened. I started looking forward to seeing her whenever I collected a soul. Then she went to investigate an explosion."

Natsu stayed silent waiting for him to continue. He didn't really know what to say but it was clear that this was hard for Gajeel to talk about.

"While she was there a second explosion went off... I broke the rules to save her. I went solid and wrapped myself around her but the sudden brightness and the loud noise destroyed her sight and hearing. I wasn't quick enough... If I had of covered her sooner she would still be able to see at least. I hesitated and I wasn't fast enough... She was still hurt. She still got burned."

"How come I never heard about you breaking the rules?"

"Nobody ever found out. Everyone else that was there died and Levy wasn't stupid enough to talk about it. She knew she would just get sent to a mental hospital if she did... Now she is here and it's not much better. Nobody ever visits her anymore, guess they kind of forgot about her. She might never get released because she doesn't have the money for at home care and she doesn't have any family to care for her. All her friends from work died in the explosion and the ones who use to visit weren't close to her. She only has me now and I ain't much."

"Why are you telling me this? It's good you are opening up but you and I aren't exactly close."

"Because I want to show you what can wrong with getting attached to a human. Life isn't meant to mix with death. They are complete opposites. One day Levy will die and I will be the one who has to take her. I will have to say goodbye to her and I will never see her again. It's going to hurt real bad. It's not too late for you though. You can leave Lucy alone and forget."

"Levy would be dead without you. She is alive because death mixed with life. Lucy and Levy are alive because we broke rules."

"Some fates are worse then death Natsu. Levy will probably spend the rest of her life miserable and lonely. Lucy will probably spend her life being forced to do things she doesn't want to because her family expects more from her. Ever think maybe the afterlife would be kinder to them then life is?"

"No. You don't know what the future holds any more than I do so stop fucking around by guessing. Just be happy that you get as long as you do with her. Don't waste that time wishing you didn't know her. Don't be a coward."

"This isn't changing your mind at all is it?"

"If you regret knowing her why don't you take your own advice and just leave her alone?"

"I told you. It's too late for me." Gajeel growled.

"Yeah well it's too late for me too." Natsu growled back and Gajeel looked almost amused.

"You're in love with her?"

"I don't know what love feels like. All I know is that I couldn't leave her alone even if I wanted to. Even if it hurts me. I need to be near her and to protect her. I need to be there to take care of her always. It's more than just a feeling it's an instinct. I just need her to be happy and I'll figure out the rest as I go along."

"That's what love is kid. It's putting someone else's needs above your own. You're as screwed as I am."

Natsu just stood there with his arms crossed until Gajeel spoke again.

"What are you still doing here? Fuck off already. Go make your own mistakes, I don't need a witness for mine."

Natsu didn't bother to respond. He didn't care if Gajeel thought that Lucy was a mistake. He knew with everything he had that he would never regret Lucy.

Natsu stood in the corner of the room and watched Lucy. She looked beautiful in her gown. Her hair was curled and had pins all through it and her smile was pretty. It was fake. All of it. It wasn't Lucy and her smile was clearly just as much for show as the fancy dress and makeup. He knew her better.

Still he couldn't help but clench his fist every time a man approached her and asked to dance. She wasn't even allowed to decline, her fathers gaze told him that much.

He didn't even really know why he was their. He couldn't speak to anyone or dance with Lucy. He just couldn't bring himself to walk out when every so often Lucy's eyes would find him and she looked so relieved to see that he was still there.

So he stood, feet rooted to the floor and allowed his thoughts to wander to his conversation with Gajeel. Was he right? Had he fallen in love with Lucy? How could he tell for sure? What was so bad about him loving Lucy anyway? Her mother approved of him when he met her. That counted for something right?

Who would take better care of Lucy then him? The man who had sacrificed everything just so she could live.

'You could never marry her, or meet her family or support her or give her children.'

'All you could do is sit around watching her grow old while you stay the same.'

'One day she will die, never having really lived her life the way she could have if you'd just stayed out of it.'

Natsu shook his head in an attempt to clear Gajeel's words from his mind. Still he couldn't help the questions that came from it.

He could never give Lucy kids... Did she even want kids?

Did she actually want to get married?

Could he ever even hope to give Lucy the life she actually wanted?

What kind of life did Lucy want?

All he wanted was to make her happy, but could he ever actually do that? He wanted to believe that he could but he couldn't help the doubt that found its way into his mind.

His eyes found Lucy again. She was dancing with someone new and her fake smile was starting to waver. Her eyes looked bored and every so often her brow would furrow as though she completely forgot how to keep her poker face.

Was he in love with her? How could he be certain about emotions when he had never felt them before? He had worked so hard to stop having them and now they confused the shit out of him.

Natsu was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a loud slap. He immediately started looking for Lucy only to see her being dragged away by her father. He ran after them, ignoring all the gasps and gossips as he ran. All he could focus on was the anger. The thought that Lucy's father may have slapped her.

"You embarrassed and disappointed me. I have been nothing but patient with you and this is how you repay me?" Natsu stopped beside Lucy who was looking at her father with a look of utter shock.

"He groped me! He sexually assaulted me. Do you expect me to do nothing?"

"I expect you to behave like a lady fit to bear the name of Heartfilia! Ladies do not slap people!"

Natsu only allowed a small moment of relief. Lucy hadn't been hit. She had been the one to do the hitting. Still, someone had hurt her and Natsu wanted nothing more than to hurt the one responsible. He was helpless.

"Ladies do not allow themselves to be disrespected and touched without their consent. It would make me look cheap if I just stood by while men touched me however they pleased! I am not an object!" Lucy's mask was completely gone now and the tears in her eyes and clenched fist were it's replacement.

"You are whatever I tell you to be!" Her father yelled and spit flew from his mouth in his state of anger.

"I am a person! You're my dad, why can't you treat me like a person?"

"You are a mistake."

Natsu wasn't sure if it was the look on Lucy's face that done it or if it was the ringing in his ears. He meant to hit Lucy's father. What he didn't mean, was for Lucy's father to feel it. It wasn't enough to knock him over like it should have. It wasn't even enough for the man to be certain that he had been hit. But Natsu felt the sting on his knuckles and see the looked of shock that crossed her fathers face. The man probably thought he was going insane. Lucy wasn't standing close enough to have even thrown a hit.

Good. Go insane and wallow in it you old piece of shit.

"Go to your room. Our deal is off. I will call on you tomorrow to sign betrothal papers. Until then I don't want to see you face.

Lucy didn't respond. She just ran to her room and Natsu followed. For the second time that day she closed the door and collapsed into Natsu's arms.

He didn't know what to say so instead he just said nothing. He just held her while she cried and hated the fact that She was even crying at all.

"Natsu, I am going to leave tomorrow. Can you be here in the morning to help me?"

"Yeah. I'll be here."

"And when I get a new place to live in, can you stay there with me when you aren't at work?"

"I'll be there Lucy. You won't be able to get rid of me." Natsu stroked her hair gently.

"I'm scared."

"I know. I'm here though. I will always be here for you and you never have anything to fear with me around."

"You hit my dad." Lucy gave the smallest giggle but it made Natsu's chest feel immensely lighter.

"I did."

"Was that against the rules?"

"Yup. Fuck the rules." Natsu chuckled and Lucy looked at him a small smile.

"You're the best. I couldn't imagine life without you."

Those few words were all Natsu needed to know that his questions didn't matter at all. All that mattered was that Lucy was okay. He would work out the rest somewhere along the way. As long as she was happy.

He never wanted to see her cry again. He wondered if Gajeel ever felt that way about Levy.

"Can I ask you a favour?" He whispered.

"Anything."

"If you ever decide that you don't want me in your life anymore, tell me. Don't hide it to spare my feelings. Tell me straight away."

"I'll never not want you in my life Natsu."

"I still want you to promise me."

"Okay, I promise I will always be honest about my feelings if you promise to always be honest about yours."

"Well then I have another favour... I have a friend who needs some help."

Natsu went on to explain his idea, half expecting Lucy to cut him off and tell him he was asking too much of her. He was pleasantly surprised when through his talking she started to smile.

"Consider it done. I'll take care of it the moment everything is settled and I find a place." Lucy beamed at him, clearly excited.

"You really are the best." He smiled affectionately at her.

"Let's just say we are both the best and call it even."

They settled down quickly after that. Natsu turned around so Lucy could get dressed then took his spot on her bed, listening to the sound of her breathing until her breaths turned into quiet snores.

Natsu spent the night contemplating his own emotions. What they meant and how the effected him. He thought about Lucy's emotions too. How would she feel if she knew the thoughts inside his head? He had promised to be honest about his emotions but how could he when it might cause her to hate him or to think differently of him. It didn't want them to change. Their friendship was one of the only things that made his existence enjoyable.

Maybe he was as screwed as Gajeel thought but he couldn't bring himself to dwell on it. He had his entire existence to be selfless. As long as Lucy wanted him around, he would stay by her side and take whatever she was willing to give him. He wanted so badly to be selfish, to take her and hold her in his arms and to never let her go. Yes, he wanted her and he wanted to be selfish.

Just this once.

A/N

Yes I know I promised an update of IFASL and it is coming! I just can't get happy with what I have written for it. There is something missing and I can't pinpoint what it is and I want it to be perfect because I love you guys and believe that you deserve it!

So please take this update of a completely different story as a peace offering. I wrong this after getting home from an 11 hour shift and it is currently nearly midnight so please don't think to terribly of me even if it isn't the update you wanted

I promise I am trying so hard but with working two jobs and doing Taekwondo plus a bunch of other things I can't really get into, I have been so exhausted and its making me doubt my writing because I don't want to disappoint any of you!

Thankyou to anyone who has been concerned about me! It means the world!

Anyway this A/N has gone on long enough

Please R/R or follow/favorite if you like this story! I work really hard on all my writing but this particular story has kinda became my favorite because (from what I know anyway) it hasn't really been done before.

You guys are amazing! Again I am so sorry if this wasn't the update you wanted to see but I promise I am working on it and I am also working On another disney themed one shot that should be ready soon!

Lots of love and well wishes!

BD4414 xx