Natsu was sat waiting for the blonde to compose herself to tell him what happened, she finally piped up softly stroking Happy in her lap. "I was walking home from the guild, going down by the river with Plue, oh no Plue!!", suddenly Lucy was scrambling for her keys he hadn't noticed before but they were all glowing on her keychain, she pulled out Plue's key and held it between her hands and Natsu knew she was communicating with her spirit. He knew she was checking in on Plue because, well, that was just Lucy to make sure he was ok even though no matter what happened he'd be ok in the celestial realm now. "He's ok, and I've told him to let the others know I'm ok and with you and Happy", sure enough as she put Plue's key back with the others her keys stopped glowing presumably calming down with Lucy's message.
"I was walking home, and then I slipped...well actually it felt like I was pushed, but by the wind or the air or something, it doesn't make much sense sorry. Anyway, Laxus stopped me falling in the river but then he started saying I owed him for it and got really handsy and I was stuck as he'd grabbed me pretty tight to him with no room for a Lucy kick. Plue tried to get him to let go of me but Laxus just kicked him down the street and he went back to the celestial realm" right well that explained at least why he heard Lucy calling for Plue, why she didn't think to call for help just for her spirit was beyond him, but then Lucy never made sense to him, she was definitely weird.
She paused then, dropping her hand and went back to stroking Happy on the head, "well then he said someone was always interrupting but there wasn't anyone around so I don't really know what he meant there. Then he electrocuted me I think, I couldn't move, couldn't speak so I assume that's what he did. Then...w-well then..." she quickly rubbed her arm across her face drying off the tears that had escaped her, she kept her eyes covered and spoke out so softly Natsu could only just hear from his position thanks to his sensitive ears, thankfully Happy was close enough he could hear her too. "Then he bit me, and all I could feel was pain, then ugh" she was grimacing now at the memory her arms dropping back around Happy, "then he licked it. I got some feeling back and started pushing away from him, he let me go for some reason and so I ran. And then I found you guys". She smiled sweetly down at Happy and then up at Natsu who's face was thunderous and far from smiling "Uhhh Natsu? It's ok, well I mean it's not ok but he's gone now and you're both here and I'm ok, he'll get a Lucy kick for sure next time I see him but I'm really ok now you can just forget it rea-"
"NO LUCY" Natsu was trembling now, his eyes were jammed shut as he tried to compose himself, rage was filling his veins, that confirmed it then, she had no idea. None, just what was spark plug playing at - this was no game and he had to know that.
Lucy flinched slightly in surprise at his outburst she set Happy down gently on the floor before standing slowly and started making her way towards him quietly calling his name. Her actions suddenly registered with Natsu as he heard her movements and his name, he quickly stood and darted a few feet further away from her. "No Lucy, STOP!", stubborn as ever she kept coming towards him trying to work out what had him so riled, "LUCY!!", he did the only thing he could think and set himself on fire lighting a wall of fire around him a few feet, that ought to be enough. Sure enough she stopped but just looked more confused and worried. "I'm sorry Lucy but you just need to stay back a few feet please and I'll explain" she wavered with an arm outstretched towards him still, looking like she may try to break through his fire but finally pulled her arm back to cross together with her other giving him a strange stare. "Ok, explain then".
He breathed a sigh of relief and dropped his fire, he didn't want to fry Lucy but he sure as heck didn't want her electrocuting him either.
"Ok, so uhhhhh, there's no easy way to say this Luce, but well...ya see...Laxus just marked you"
"Huh? Marked me? Like for a game or something?"
"Yeah Natsu, what the heck do you mean? You ain't making much sense there, you sure Mira didn't spike your fire whisky tonight?" Happy had come forward to stand by Lucy.
"What!! No course she didn't little buddy! That's not the point, Lucy, Laxus marked you", he raised his eyebrows trying to portray something to Lucy but she looked no less confused. "Oh man, you're gonna make me say it aren't ya." He sighed and took in a large breath "hemarkedyoutobehismate!!", he looked over hopefully at them that they'd finally got it "What!! Still confused, come on Lucy I thought you were meant to be smart!"
"I AM smart Natsu, but you need to speak in real words!!" She had both fists clenched at her sides now giving him a menacing glare, why the heck was he in trouble, he hadn't gone and marked her without her permission!!
"Fine Lucy, I'll make this as clear as possible" his cheeks were already blushing in embarrassment, this was a conversation he never thought he'd be having with Lucy, he'd maybe hoped one day they'd have this conversation but it sure as heck would have been in a much different circumstance. "Laxus, is a dragonslayer, and even if he's a second generation slayer he is still part of the dragon ways as he has the lacrima. Dragon's mark people. Well, they mark one other dragon each, well not each, girl dragons don't do any marking they get marked, I don't know if they can make a mark or not actually, maybe I'd have to ask Wendy..."
As Natsu spiralled into some tangent thought some realisation made it's way to Lucy's brain piecing together what Natsu was trying to get across, her eyes went wide as she focussed on Natsu cutting him off from his wild ramblings "Natsu, are you trying to say that Laxus is the male dragon and he's marked me?", "YES Lucy, oh finally!". "And what exactly does it mean to be marked by a male dragon?" She was playing a foolish game in her head now hoping it meant something ridiculous like she had to run and get him ice cream whenever he wanted or do his washing or something but given how Natsu's face instantly dropped again she highly suspected it was far more serious than either of those.
"Well, you're marked as his mate. And dragon's mate for life. And that bite on your neck is the mating mark, it's to show other dragons that you have been marked and protects you from them, it's what shocked me when I got too close to you. It'll happen to any male but I think girls should still be able to get close to you"
"What about me!! I could hug Lucy and I'm not fried like you were!"
"Oh yeah! Hmmmm I guess that might be because you're an exceed. Although maybe it's just male dragons and other men would be ok, I'm not sure really. Oooooo Luce lets go back to the guild to find Grey and test it out, I wouldn't mind seeing the popsicle stick getting a little electrocuted. Ohhhhh yeah lets go!!", "Aye Sir!!". Natsu and Happy turned to walk back to the guild but turned back to find Lucy frozen to the spot jaw open just staring at Natsu then she snapped.
"What do you mean let's go find Grey?! Like it's some sort of game or something Natsu that I'm a human electric stick! If what you've said is true this is not funny Natsu!!!", she gave him a death glare "You think it's so funny lets so how you like being fried twice shall we" and then she started for him and Happy.
"No wait Luce, sorry I got distracted! Laxus was wrong, so wrong, with what he's done to you and it's not funny!! We should go back to the guild hall though. Gajeel and Wendy might still be there and Gramps too, Igneel told me lots of stuff but they might know something else or some way to stop what's happening to you", she'd stopped advancing for him and he gave her a smile to try to reassure her it was going to be ok.
"Fine. Let's go, but you are not using me as a personal firing range on Grey, or anyone else to test out any of your theories you got me!"
"Yeah ok fine, no fun though Luce! But if he comes too close to you I ain't stopping him either", the trio started back off towards the guild hopeful someone may have a 'get out of mating' plan to help Lucy.
Thought we would stick with the same timeline for this chapter mostly just as I'd drafted this on a roll from the last chapter! And a shorter wait for an update to make up for the last super long one!
Mimililla welcome to reviews, glad to hear you like the story so far!
And Copperreign12 glad to hear you're still following, hopefully some answers starting to come out for you in this chapter :)