A/N: Hi! Hope you all had a good thanksgiving holiday if you celebrated!
We got a whole lotta fluff last time and now... fair warning, this chapter gets a little angsty, but! there's a happy silver lining I promise! Enjoy! ;)
T/W for slight mention of blood.
Natsu sighed as he finished lacing up his boots and put a few last things in his large pack.
They were set to head out on another off-base mission today. After only having a couple days off from the last one.
He hadn't been able to sleep much last night. As he usually couldn't on nights before he knew they were set to leave again.
So he'd gotten up early, went to work out for a bit, came back and showered. He wanted to feel fresh while he could in case they wouldn't be able to have that option for a few days like other times.
He made sure to send an email to Lucy last night too since he wasn't sure when he would get a chance out there or how long this one would last.
He was happy that he was able to see her on their last video call, and even more so that he was able to pull off surprising her like that for their anniversary and see his favorite bright smile he missed so much.
Natsu finished up with the rest of his gear, tugging his heavy pack onto his shoulders, grabbed his helmet and headed out to the annex where the rest of the team was meeting.
He pushed open the doors, already seeing a couple soldiers from his team already waiting when he got there.
"Mornin'! Don't worry, guys, your fearless commander is here," Natsu greeted with a smirk, setting his pack down on an empty table.
"I dunno about fearless, you jumped up ten feet by that stray dog the other day," Gray said, leaning back in one of the chairs, teasing glint in his eyes.
The guy just had to remember every little embarrassing that happened to him. Jerk.
"Look," Natsu sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "it came outta nowhere and surprised me that's all. If anything, it just proves I have good reflexes."
Gray shook his head and laughed along with a couple others around them.
"It's okay, commander, I doubt they'll be any big scary dogs on this mission," Hanson said, giggling as she finished fastening her jacket. She was another strong skilled rifleman who was also usually on their team for these kinds of missions.
"It wasn't-!" Natsu started to exclaim before groaning, "y'all are the worst." His half-hearted glare didn't last too long before a smile twitched on his lips.
He was glad his team was as close as they were, despite the occasional teasing at his expense. It was needed out here. Being able to trust the people around him completely, knowing they had his back and he had theirs, because anything could happen. Anywhere, at any time… Though, Natsu preferred not to have those kinds of thoughts at the front of his mind today.
Captain Dreyar met with them when the rest of the team arrived soon after. He quickly briefed them with their instructions and a few words of good luck before Natsu and the team headed out, unaware of how quickly the mission was about to take a turn.
Natsu was in the middle of trying to navigate through the chaos of shouts and gunfire, eyes frantically trying to find the rest of his team, breaths coming quick as adrenaline and nerves made his chest tight.
They were just supposed to get some intel on the last few that remained of a group that had been giving them some trouble and continued bring destruction wherever they went, see if they could find out where their main base was or what their next move was going to be. Pretty straightforward.
Until it wasn't.
It was going well for the first few days until they decided to push in a little further than they usually would to try and get a clearer visual when Natsu caught word of where they were hiding and a member of their group spotted Harrison, a younger soldier on Natsu's team who was along the outskirts, and the damn sneak signaled the rest of them.
Things escalated quickly and team salamander was in too far to make a clean retreat.
Of course nothing in life was ever that easy and this radical group sure wasn't going to make things easy for them either. They hadn't in the beginning and wouldn't start now.
A strong booming explosion suddenly erupted nearby, tearing Natsu from the mess of thoughts in his mind. It was close enough to send chunks of rubble and debris flying his way and the force was strong enough to knock him against a far wall of the building behind him harshly, his breath quickly leaving him. His head followed and also met the wall, hard.
It took a few moments for him to come to, sucking in a gasping breath, coughing and wincing at the immediate pulsing throbs in his head. He shifted to take some cover behind some thick crates, then he felt a sharp stinging on his cheek. Natsu raised a shaky palm to his face. He flinched a bit at the flash of pain when he touched it slightly, pulling his hand back to see his fingers covered in red.
Natsu sighed and pinched his eyes closed, reaching back up to check the other pulsing sting on his neck, below the wound on his cheek. He opened his eyes back open enough to see a thicker coat of blood staining his palm.
Fuck.
He willed his body to try and stand but his legs felt numb and heavy, and he tried pressing his comms, but it was all static.
"Shit. Natsu!" That sounded like Gray's voice through the rumbles and pops, and the loud ringing in his ears. The sharp pressure in his head made it hard to think clearly though.
Natsu heard quick footsteps approach him. "Natsu, you okay?" Gray said, sounding closer, "hey, come on, look at me." His voice sounded a little frantic. Natsu tried to focus again, eyes opening from being furrowed shut. He didn't even remember closing them. Natsu blinked past the aching throbs in his temples, seeing Gray on a knee in front of him, worry clearly etched on his face. "There you go… fuck, those looks deep," he said, eyeing Natsu's cheek and the hand he held to his neck, "are you hurt anywhere else?" Gray's sharp eyes traveled further along him.
"N-Nah, just uh, a cool headache but I'm just p-peachy," Natsu tried to joke weakly, half a smile twitching on his lips.
Gray shook his head, a small smile of his own spread as a bit of relief crossed his expression. "Just sit tight, idiot. Stay with me okay, we'll get you out of here," Gray reassured, voice shifting into a slight serious tone. Natsu recognized some worry that still lingered in Gray's eyes as he gripped Natsu's shoulder tightly before Natsu heard him talk into his comms.
"Sergeant Fullbuster here, we need a medic stat, just north of…"
Gray was saying more urgent words but Natsu's mind drifted and Gray's voice faded into the background. Natsu's eyes fluttered shut again as he tried to block out the pain of the pulsing stings on his face and neck under his palm and incessant throbbing in his head.
A vision of Lucy appeared in his mind, smiling bright and beautiful as she laughed, and for a a few good moments he forgot about the pain and everything around him.
Natsu groaned as he slowly woke and felt all the bits of hurt quickly come back to him.
The deep ache all along his back, his limbs heavy like the bags of sand he had to move around on base. The sharp pressure in his head didn't feel as intense as it did, but it was still enough for it to make it hard to focus clearly.
His eyes eventually adjusted, the lights were on low around the room but he noticed it was nighttime now from the bright moonlight streaming through the windows across the way. Late, most likely. It was quiet in the room aside from the beeps and noises from various machines beside him and others around him that he couldn't see due to the petitions separating him from the other makeshift rooms.
His memories were a bit foggy after Gray had found him earlier. Or was it yesterday? He wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed. He remembered the medics getting to them and patching him up quickly before rushing him back to the field hospital on base in the transport. Then it was a blur of a lot of medical terms thrown around that he couldn't quite remember as people moved back and forth above him, the sharp sting as they treated his wounds, the mounting pressure in his head that got to be too much and the room and voices drifted till he felt numb and everything faded…
Which put him here now.
Natsu took a deep shuddering breath, groaning softly again as he tried to sit up a bit. Just then, the thin curtain in front of him slid open.
"Evening, sergeant. Thought I heard you waking up and wanted to make sure everything was okay," a woman with a kind smile said, "I'm Dr. Langston, how are you feeling?"
Natsu sighed, giving her a light wave. "H-Hey, doc. Nice to meet ya," Natsu said, his voice wrapped in a heavy rasp. "Can't lie, I've been better. Feel like I got tossed in front of a truck a few times," he breathed a soft rough laugh, but even that action made him feel exhausted.
"That's completely understandable," she reassured, moving over to his other side to write some numbers down from the machines beside him on her clipboard. Somehow he'd missed the IV that was attached to his arm. "Do you remember what happened?"
She was patient with Natsu as he told her the pieces he remembered, the sluggish feeling made it hard to get the words out as fast as he wanted to.
Dr. Langston nodded, holding the clipboard to her after he finished and she was through examining him. He hadn't been expecting that damn bright light shone in his eyes but at least it was quick. "Well, we found that you suffered a moderate concussion with a slight hairline skull fracture from the force of the blast and impact," she explained. "Luckily, your helmet took the brunt of it and the skin didn't break, and you weren't showing any major alarming symptoms from the concussion, but it's going to be normal to experience some strong headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, and some trouble concentrating for a while. The area will also have some swelling and tenderness as it heals." She paused a bit, letting him take a moment to catch up with the information, which he was grateful for and gave her a nod to continue.
"You were deep asleep as soon as we got you stable last night, and for most of the day today, your body just needed rest. There was also no major internal damage or injury to your spine thankfully, but you can expect some back discomfort and soreness for a couple days," Dr. Langston continued, "We also had to do a lot of stitches for the wounds on your cheek and neck and for ones of this size, they will most likely scar. I know it's probably not ideal, but we're glad you got to us when you did and that it wasn't as deep as it could have been."
Natsu nodded in and breathed in another slow breath. He knew it wasn't going to be a simple injury as soon as it happened, but he was glad things weren't worse either for what it was worth.
"Thank you. For patchin' me up and uh, everything in between. Hope I wasn't too much trouble for ya," Natsu chuckled roughly, already feeling the pull of sleep again.
Dr. Langston smiled kindly. "No trouble at all. It's what we're here for. Your numbers are looking good already, just focus on healing. I'll give you something for the pain to help you sleep and we're going to keep an eye on that concussion in case any other symptoms show up." She moved to adjust something on the tube in his arm. "You seem like a tough one though, sergeant, but for now, rest well. I'll check back in the morning."
Natsu gave her a small grateful smile, waving again as she took her leave. He resettled into the pillows as he felt whatever Dr. Langston gave him starting to work through him and taking the edge off all the pains he woke up to.
Natsu sighed as his fingertips softly traced over the edges of the bandage on his cheek. He could deal with a few more scars if it meant not having a more serious injury, because he knew there were others in this large room that were not as fortunate and it made his chest ache for them.
He couldn't even start to picture how he, or someone else, would have to tell Lucy if something worse had happened. He didn't even want to worry her with this. Hopefully he would heal up enough by the time they went back home. The thought of having her in his arms again sounded like the perfect remedy right now though as he allowed himself to fall under sleep's heavy spell again with thoughts of his favorite person.
Andrew, one of the medics, helped Natsu slowly make his way back to his bed from the washroom, fresh from a nice hot shower he was finally able to take. The warm water had soothed some of his soreness and aches along his body as he was careful not to touch his still sensitive wounds under the bandages.
Natsu had started to feel a little better over the past three days. Some symptoms from his concussion still lingered but they didn't feel as hindering as they did at first. Dr. Langston still wanted to keep him here in the field hospital just to be safe, which he understood. Especially with a head injury and how unpredictable they could be.
He settled back to sit up on the bed, propping himself with a couple pillows behind his sore back and sighed. Grateful they had been able to bring him some things and fresh clothes from his room yesterday so he felt more comfortable.
"Feeling better now, sergeant?" Andrew, grinned.
Natsu rolled his eyes with a crooked smile. "I told you, it's just Natsu," he breathed a rough laugh, "but yeah, feelin' a little better, that shower helped a bunch," he sighed, "thanks for settin' that up."
"Sure. You're making some good progress. Let's change those bandages for you." Natsu nodded and prepared for the slight sting as Andrew gently peeled off the bandages and cleaned the wounds. He suppressed a flinch at the cold feeling of the ointment over them before fresh bandages covered them. "Your stitches look like they're healing nicely. We may be able to take them out in a couple days," Andrew said before reaching up to gently prod his fingers around the still tender area along the top and back sides of Natsu's head. Andrew did a couple more checks, writing a few things down on his clipboard and gave Natsu his meds. "We're still going to keep an eye out on that concussion so for now, keep taking it easy, Natsu," Andrew finished with a friendly smile.
Natsu laughed softly again. "Sure, sure. Thank you." He waved off.
He sighed as Andrew took his leave. The curtain was left open and Natsu watched as he tended to another wounded soldier in the large room who looked far worse off than Natsu did and it made his chest ache again.
"Well, look who's finally up."
A familiar voice broke Natsu from his thoughts, looking up to see Gray making his way over to him with a lazy smile.
Natsu breathed a laugh, relieved to see Gray made it back in decent shape. Gray clapped Natsu's hand in his before sitting in a chair beside the bed.
"You guys just get back in?"
"Nah, we finally got back in last night," Gray said, moving to stretch his arms above him for a moment. "I came by but you were knocked out, sleeping beauty."
"Well, ya know I do always need my beauty sleep," Natsu joked with a twitch of a smirk on his lips.
They shared more warm familiar laughter before settling into a comfortable silence between them that never had to be filled with words.
"So how're you feelin'? The doctors give you any news?" Gray asked after a while, some concern lining his brows.
Natsu filled him in on what Dr. Langston had told him and how everything had been healing so far.
"Then I guess all this aggravated my old shoulder injury again," Natsu grumbled, brows pinching as he put a palm across his right shoulder, trying to rub out that familiar sharp deep ache, "and everythin' else is just sore as hell but I'll live," he sighed.
"Well that's good news. Knew your thick skull would save you one day," Gray smirked at Natsu's weak glare, "but really, I- uh, I'm glad that… 'cause out there we…" Natsu watched Gray's expression shift, running a hand through his dark hair.
Natsu breathed out a deep sigh. "I know," he said, green eyes communicating his understanding.
Gray met his gaze, sighed and nodded.
Natsu had been scared out there too, but was grateful that Gray had found him when he did and that they could communicate everything that words couldn't fit.
"Rest of the mission go okay?" Natsu asked after a few moments.
Gray reached into one of his pockets. Probably itching to pull out his packet of cigarettes that Natsu still got on him to quit sometimes, but he knew a lot of people here needed a little extra help to calm their nerves sometimes.
"Yeah, it was their last attempt to try and keep us out," he rasped, "but didn't work 'n things are pretty much settled now when we finished up over the past few days."
Natsu hummed in acknowledgment. "Did… did anyone else get… I should have never insisted we-"
"Hey, don't do that to yourself," Gray argued, "we're always cautious, but none of us could have known. A couple guys got a bit roughed up but you were the one closest to the blast. We made that decision to push in as a team, don't fault yourself for that just 'cause you were leading… hothead," Gray finished with a small crooked smirk, understanding and that typical knowing look in his eyes.
Natsu breathed a bit in relief, glad no one else on the team was badly hurt. "You know I hate to admit it, but I guess you're right, jerk," Natsu grinned, running a hand over his hair gently.
"Obviously."
Natsu rolled his eyes, giving Gray a smirk and well-meant flip of his middle finger that made Gray laugh.
Sometimes Natsu hated how well Gray could get in his mind and see what he was really thinking without having to say much, although it worked both ways. As much as Gray never wanted to admit it either. Natsu was grateful for their level of silent understanding with each other more times than he could count.
"Oh, mail must have come in one day while we were out and I couldn't help notice you got something from a certain someone. Figured I'd bring it for you," Gray said with that knowing grin again, pulling out an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket.
Natsu immediately perked up at that, sitting up a bit more as Gray handed it to him.
He had just been thinking about what he wanted to write in his next email to Lucy after finally being able to focus better and getting a chance to read over her last one this morning, a reply from the one he'd sent before he left last week. He felt bad that it'd been a while since he got a chance to reply.
Granted, this whole mess had been a lot lately and had kept him pretty out of it, but the thought still made some guilt swirl in his chest. She's probably been worried, more so when she found out why, but seeing her familiar neat handwriting made his heart feel light and leap into his throat as he eagerly pulled out the letter inside.
Natsu,
I wanted to write another letter for you since it's been a while since the last one. It also gives me a reason to use my new smooth pretty pens that I probably spent a little too much on, but anyways…
It'll probably be the middle of December or later by the time this makes it to you. I know it takes a bit longer sometimes, but I hope it brings you a bit of comfort when it does. That I'm thinking of you and counting all my lucky stars that you get to come home soon.
I managed to pass all my finals this semester! I was a bit surprised I managed to pull through since most of them were online. I still have a couple more semesters to go but it's one step closer to finally finishing!
On another note, work told us recently that they're giving us the week of Christmas off until after New Years! I'm sure you'll say it's okay, but I was thinking of spending that time at your house since I'm going to be off. I loved sharing the holidays with you last year and even though we may not get to do that this year, being able to enjoy it at the house will still feel special.
Levy mentioned at Thanksgiving that Mika and Silver were still inviting everyone over for Christmas. It's so sweet of them to always open their home like that, though it won't be the same without you and the guys there. Before you ask, yes, I'll be sure to save you lots of sweets, but I can't promise I won't have my share!
Stay safe out there, Natsu. I hope you come home soon.
Tu me manques.
Je t'aime tellement,
Lucy
Natsu's breath hitched when he got to those last few lines, sitting up further and reading them over a couple times.
Maybe it was the slight concussion… it looked familiar, but was that… what he thought it was?
Natsu turned to Gray.
Gray gave him a look, raising a brow. "What's up?"
Natsu cleared his throat. "I-I uh… you… you can speak French right?"
"Well… yeah? You know my family's from Quebec."
Natsu held up the letter a bit. "Does that last part say… what I think it does?"
Gray took the paper from Natsu's fingers, studying it for several moments before his lips twitched into another smile. "It says… I miss you, and…" Gray paused, "I love you… so much."
A few quiet moments passed before Natsu breathed a raspy laugh, unable to help brush away a few tears that managed to escape. His heart swelled with such warmth and affection he felt it could burst any moment.
"Hey… you alright?" Gray asked, setting the letter back onto Natsu's lap.
"Yeah… I just- Lucy is… she loves me…" Natsu breathed another airy laugh as gently he ran a hand through his hair, his grin widening even though it pulled at the stitches on his cheek a bit. "And I…"
"You really love her too," Gray helped, that knowing smile still wide on his face.
Natsu took a slow shuddering breath, thumbing over Lucy's words on the page. He could hear her warm voice so clearly it made his chest ache at how much he missed hearing it every day.
So much had changed since she came into his life. They'd been through so much together already and he wouldn't trade a single moment of it.
All the ways Lucy simply amazed him quickly came to mind. All the ways she brought out the best in him and made him want to be a better person. All the ways she'd been there for him since the beginning. All the ways she'd changed his life for the better.
He thought about how easily she could make him laugh when he was feeling down and how hers could light up any room. How comfortable he felt with her and how she knew him better than he even knew himself. How quickly she became such a large part of his life, best friend and favorite person. How he would do just about anything and everything for her as long as it made her happy. How he trusted her with every piece of himself. How no one could make him feel the way she did. How much she was always on his mind and thought about her even during the most simplest things. How much he longed to just be near her and hold her in his arms, kiss his favorite smile and the scattered freckles along her collarbone. How couldn't bare the thought of ever losing her or even picture his life without her in it anymore.
About the way she said she loved him and how he…
Oh.
"I-I really do... I love her..." he whispered, letting the words wash over him. "I-I can't believe it took me so long to see it," he laughed softly as he leaned his head back against the pillows propped up behind his back.
"Well, you can be a little slow."
Natsu sent Gray a half-hearted glare in return for his dumb teasing smirk before he rolled his eyes with another huff of a laugh.
"Though, to be fair, we've had a lot going on out here," Gray sighed, "and even though we could all see it, things like this can take time to really see for yourself... but it's always worth it when you do." Gray gave a reassuring squeeze to Natsu's shoulder as he took in a slow breath.
He loved Lucy… He let this new feeling flow through him, finally recognizing that flutter he would feel in his heart for a while now. Every time he talked to her, saw her warm smile on his screen, thought about her.
To think it was love all this time. It felt… amazing, exhilarating, and a little overwhelming… in the best way.
He never thought he could feel this way about anyone, but with Lucy… Deep down, a part of him always knew that she was it for him.
That she was the one who became that piece of himself he never knew he was missing until he met her.
He embraced it fully, never wanting to let it go now that he found it.
Natsu breathed a frustrated huff, deleting a few words again on his laptop that was settled on his lap. He'd been trying to draft up an email to send Lucy lately, but nothing felt quite right.
After reading her letter for what was probably the thousandth time over the past few days, all he could think about was the fact that Lucy really said she loved him. It wasn't just a dream or figment of his imagination. It may have been in another language but it still meant everything to him.
But now the question was, how did he tell her he loved her too?
Everything he tried to write so far didn't feel right. Maybe he should call? Or try a video call? But those didn't feel like enough. Maybe he should just wait for a better moment? She deserved something special after all.
"Sergeant."
Natsu turned to see Captain Dreyar approaching him. Natsu moved to try and stand but the captain stopped him.
"Relax, Dragneel," Laxus waved off, "don't go straining somethin' else on my account," he smirked.
"Ha ha, don't give yourself too much credit, cap," Natsu smirked back, voice a little raspy as he set aside his laptop for now and sat up more.
Laxus breathed a rumble of a chuckle, shaking his head and settled into the chair of the desk beside Natsu's bed. "So how's your progress been?" His expression turned a bit more serious.
Natsu sighed. "Better. Was able to get my stitches out this morning and move back here to the room," he said, fingers trailing over the new smaller bandages on his cheek. "Still feel a bit off at times from the concussion, but it definitely doesn't feel as bad as it was."
Laxus nodded and hummed in acknowledgment. "Glad to hear that," he said. "Well, I also came because I have some good news I wanted to tell you in person…" Laxus paused. "We don't want you out there more than you have to be after a head injury like that and the doctors agree it would be better for you to get more rest so we're sending you home a bit early. Think of it as a late Christmas gift."
A few quiet moments passed before Natsu found his voice again. "R-Really? What about the-"
"We've done about all we can here right now anyway, and don't worry, the rest of the team won't be too far behind you." Laxus stood, smoothing out his jacket and gripped Natsu's shoulder. "You did good work out there all these months, Natsu. Now go finish healin' up and enjoy some rest at home. I'll put word in to send Gray and Eucliffe back with you so you don't travel alone… just to be safe."
Natsu let the words sink in. He was going home… to Lucy.
"Well then… thanks, captain. I appreciate it," Natsu said, feeling a grin widening on his lips.
Laxus gave him a nod, turning to leave. "We'll get everything set for you soon. Do you want us to let Lucy know or you got it covered?"
Part of him wanted to rush over, grab his phone and tell her right away, but a bigger part couldn't deny the thought of pulling off one more big surprise for her.
"It's okay, I have something better in mind," Natsu grinned brightly.
Later that night, Laxus gave him word that they were set to leave tomorrow morning and Natsu figured out something quick to write.
Luce!
I'm so sorry for not being able to write back sooner. Things were annoyingly crazy and some complications came up during our last mission and it ran longer than I expected, took a bit longer to get settled.
I was thinking of you every day though. You help me out there more than you know, Lucy.
I hope things are going well back home! How were the holidays? I'm also so sorry I didn't have the chance to send you everything that I wanted to, but I'm going to make it up to you soon I promise.
I have a feeling we'll get to see each other sooner than we think though.
I miss you so much,
Natsu
He clicked send. A warm feeling of affection... and love welled up inside him, making him smile so brightly it made his good cheek sore as he shut his laptop off and settled into his bed.
I love you and can't wait to see you.
The car slowly came to a stop in front of Natsu's house.
Natsu sighed, grinning when he noticed some lights still on inside and Lucy's car in the driveway. He finally made it home.
"Thanks for the ride, Lis. Sorry it was late and such short notice," Natsu laughed sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.
The flight had been long. He felt some discomfort during, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be considering everything.
Natsu had called Lisanna this morning when they were at the airport, asking if she would give them a ride home when they got back, Gray and Sting also wanting in on their own coming home early surprises.
Of course, Lisanna eagerly agreed right away. He was the last stop, with his house being a bit further out than the rest.
Lisanna smiled brightly. "Of course! I'm so happy you guys made it back safe and got to come home early, and I'm even happier to get to be a part of this amazing surprise!" she giggled, "Lucy's gonna love it, oh my gosh. As much as I would love to see her reaction, I'll leave it to you."
Natsu laughed warmly. "I just hope it can make up for everything I missed a little bit," he sighed.
Lisanna put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. It's going to mean so much. She's just going to be so happy to see you safe, everything else is just a side note."
"Thanks again for everything," Natsu said with a grateful smile, leaning over to give her a hug that Lisanna returned warmly.
"Anytime. Get some rest and feel better, okay? No shortcuts," Lisanna reprimanded lightly, teasing glint in her eyes.
Natsu laughed. "Yeah, yeah, sure." He moved to step out and grab his things from the trunk, closing it and his door as quietly as he could in case Lucy heard anything.
"Alright, got everything. Thanks 'n have a safe drive back, Lis," he said through the open passenger window.
"I will, thank you. Now go on, your home is waiting for you," she said, her smile widening.
Natsu's own grin turned into a wide happy one, picking up his bags and making his way down the driveway. Anticipation and a mix of so many other emotions swelled in his chest with each step until he reached the door.
He set his bags down and turned to give a last wave to Lisanna before she drove off.
Natsu took a deep breath to steady himself, biting his bottom lip to tame the wide eager smile that hadn't faded. He raised his fist and gave a couple solid knocks on the door.
Here goes nothing.
Translations:
Je pense à toi: I'm thinking of you
Tu me manques: I miss you / you are missing from me
Je t'aime tellement: I love you so much
A/N: Ooh we got a little bit of everything this time! I told you it would end in a happy silver lining ;)
Hope you all enjoyed that ride as much as I did writing it. Yay! We have another love revelation! Once again, I went full sweet and sappy mode and I a'int even sorry. Kinda wanted something a little parallel to Lucy's in the other chapter, hope you liked it!
Also hope Natsu's coming home surprise for Lucy will make up for him getting hurt! It's not really me if I don't add a bit of angst is it haha
I borrowed more expert help from my awesome friend, splendidlyimperfect again for French translations, thank you!
Now, of course I'm not exactly sure something like that would actually happen in the military, if that would be enough for someone to go home early but this is fanfic world where anything is possible for romance.
I'm sure so many soldier's head injuries and more from blasts go undetected and undiagnosed until it turns into something worse down the line. My heart always goes out to wounded vets and soldiers everywhere 3
Thanks for reading! As always, special thank you for all the amazing support from last time! : Copperreign12, Lady Of The Sphinx, theweiszguy, AthomeinFairytail, rao hyuga 18, CelestialLucyHeartfilia, KYAAAA, stranger1999, valerioux, itsxoi, MaraDragneel3113, Hayitsmay363, MillennialStargazer, & FbFlame94 !