Author's Note: Hello everyone! This update is a lot later than I wanted, but school has been a bit hectic this week. This chapter is a bit shorter, but I will be posting a longer chapter after my exam on Monday! I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think (:
March 30th
The tires squealed on the pavement as Lucy whipped around the corner. Her entire body cringed in response to the sound and she was chewing on her lip as the sky opened up above her. She was never really a good driver per se, but the rain always made her worse. Her driving instructor told her it was because she was too cautious, but that didn't make sense to Lucy. In all honesty, that's why she left her car behind at her dad's mansion. Public transportation usually suited her needs just find. Well, except for today. Levy graciously let her borrow her car so Lucy could clear her head. She had driven all day, ending up in the mountains surrounding the town. She had parked the car in a clearing and wandered through the woods, simply reassuring herself that she was safe. Palm pressing against the swaying leaves above her, lungs pulling in the fresh air and the earthly aroma. It soothed her broken soul, piecing her back together with every step she took. Earlier that morning, all it took for her solace to shatter was the sight of a businessman who had the same haircut as her father. One look and her body betrayed her, her thoughts running wild as panic set in. She had to escape, had to stay hidden. Once she had her fill of solitude and managed to collect herself, she returned to town and ended up in front of Fairy Tail. It was her day off, but she desperately needed to talk to someone. She hoped that someone was Natsu.
She locked the car behind her and made her way into Fairy Tail. The loud laughter and buzz of the bar that she typically enjoyed was overwhelming and she ducked down to not bring attention to herself. Her core twisted with the anxiety that had nestled in her thoughts. Only her spirits knew the truth, the reason why she ran from everything she knew. It was time though, time someone else knew. The only person she could even picture herself telling, was Natsu. She needed to find him and see his toothy grin that always put a smile on her own lips.
"Lucy! How was your day? We missed you!" Wendy bounced over to her, her innocent eyes wide. She wrapped her arms around Lucy's center and Lucy returned the hug, eyes trained on the bar.
"It was okay. I missed you guys too. Is Natsu here?" She felt the guilt deep in her stomach, but she couldn't help it. She needed to see the quirky bartender. She regretted her question when Wendy's eyes darkened.
"No, he hasn't shown up for work yet." A deep frown formed on her lips and Lucy's eyes widened.
"How late is he?" While he was notorious for showing up a few minutes late, it was usually because he was arguing with Gray or Gajeel. Juvia was currently wrapped around Gray by the window and Gajeel was out of town with Levy for a book signing.
"Three hours." She huffed and Lucy's heart nearly stopped. He had never been that late before.
"Wendy. Where does Natsu live? I can run by his place." She blurted, her hands clenched into fists to stop them from shaking.
"We already checked his place. He wasn't there." She responded, winding her fingers through Lucy's. The tension in her fists relaxed from the contact and she felt her body being soothed by Wendy's presence. It was an odd experience for the blonde, and it took her a moment to gather herself before she pulled her hand away.
"I'm going to find him. I'll keep you updated." She promised Wendy before hurrying out of the bar. Wendy shouted after her, but Lucy didn't process anything that was said. She had no idea where to even begin looking, but she could drive around town until an idea came to her. She sped off, being careful to look down every alley for her close friend. Her search started on the outside of town, running the perimeter before spiraling in towards the center. This took a few hours, Levy's car groaning from the sharp turns and hills surrounding the town. She made her way through the inner circle of town for an hour, nearly giving up until she caught sight of familiar pink spikes in an alley. Natsu.
She parked the car nearby, leaving the doors unlocked before sneaking down the side street. She knelt behind a dumpster, her hand inside the leather pouch she always kept on her hip as she watched the scene before her. Natsu was being held against the wall of a building, the assailant's hand wrapped tightly around his throat. He didn't even struggle, his eyes dark and narrowed at the man who was shouting. The glare was daunting, stunning Lucy. She had never seen such a dark look on the bartender's face.
"You just aren't getting it, are you? We PROTECT you and we expect you to keep up your end of the bargain. Did you execute Liam yet? Nope. Did you locate the other guild in this freakin' town? Nope. You've just been following that freakin' blonde girl around like a lost puppy and serving booze to drunks!" The man spat in his face, his free hand drawing magic circles beside him. "When we say jump, you ask how high. That's how this situation works, you filthy monster." He clenched his fist, the magic circle dissipating as Natsu writhed in pain. The men surrounding them all began drawing their own circles and a smirk played on Natsu's lips as his whole body tensed.
"You don't even know how much of a monster I actually am. No one does." He growled, his fangs bared before his fist shot up and hit the man square in the jaw. The moment Natsu's feet touched the ground, he launched himself forward, slamming the man into a collection of trash cans. He spun and punched another man across the face before jumping forward and kneeing someone else in the stomach. Natsu propelled himself onto a dumpster before throwing himself on another man, both of them crashing into the wall and rolling down the alley. As Lucy watched the brawl in awe, she noticed all the bruises and cuts decorating Natsu's skin. Everywhere he stepped, punched, or kicked had a bloody imprint from him. He was facing a dark guild all on his own and Lucy was frozen. She couldn't even grasp one of her keys in her hand. A mass of dark energy arched towards Natsu and he effortlessly dodged it, his body maneuvering to knock the caster unconscious. The man wasn't even breaking a sweat as he continued his defense and assault.
"Enough!" A taller, lanky man dropped down from the roof and shot both his arms out. His hands pressed against Natsu's chest and Natsu crashed through the wall opposite of them. The cement cracked around him, shattering as if he hit a mirror rather than a building. "Fools." The man grumbled, cracking his neck as he stepped forward.
"Open gate of the lion, Loke." Lucy whispered, her hand finally settling on a key. She had a plan. It was bad, but it was a plan nonetheless. Loke formed beside her, his brow furrowed. "Just distract them please. Keep yourself safe." She begged him and he nodded. Loke never questioned her. None of her spirits did. He launched himself forward, blinding them all with his own magical power. Lucy slipped by undetected, finding Natsu unconscious in the building. She slipped her arms under his armpits and dragged him out and away from the group of men. They were all in shock, bewildered by Loke as he took them all on. Lucy managed to haul Natsu into the car, locking the doors before speeding off towards her apartment. Those men knew of her existence, so it wasn't the safest place for Natsu. She didn't really have other options though since Levy was out of town. She ignored all traffic laws and low groaning escaped the body beside her. She stole a glance at Natsu, noting how he curled in on himself, his cheeks puffed out. "Natsu?" She spoke softly, but groaning was her only response.
She swiftly pulled into the parking lot of her apartment. She urged Loke's gate to close, hoping he would be safe, before summoning Virgo. Ignoring her question regarding punishment, Lucy asked the spirit to take Natsu inside. The maid nodded diligently and vanished with Natsu in her arms. Lucy locked the car and hurried into her place, having Virgo assist with cleaning the blood trail. After Virgo returned to the spirit world, Lucy turned the water on in the bathtub. It was lukewarm and she gently took a washcloth to Natsu's body, carefully wiping the dried and new blood from his body. She had slid his waistcoat off before Virgo left. Now, she carefully unwound the scarf from around his neck. A gasp escaped her as her eyes settled on the jagged scar across his throat that arched up on the underside of his chin. Is that why he always wore the scarf; to keep the scar hidden from prying eyes? His entire body was littered with scars, but this was the most prominent, the most menacing. She swallowed her guilt and finished washing him off before struggling to get him out of the tub. A presence appeared beside her and Loke helped her carry Natsu to her bed after drying him off.
"The dark guild is frantically searching the streets for Natsu. Don't let him leave here until he is healed, okay?" Loke ruffled Lucy's hair as she smiled softly at one of her most trusted friends.
"Thank-you Loke. I'm glad you're okay." Her words came out in a whisper.
"You don't have to worry about me. Just stay on guard and keep yourself safe. Don't be a stranger either. We know its against the law and everything, but we all miss you." He whispered before returning to the spirit world. Lucy bit her lip, fighting back the tears welling in her eyes as she bandaged Natsu's wounds. Her celestial spirits. She missed them with all her heart, but was it worth the risk? If someone caught her, they would destroy her keys and she would never see them again. She wouldn't be able to live, knowing her spirits were locked away because of her own doing. She shook her head, urging herself to focus on the man bleeding in her bed. He needed her right now and she couldn't let herself get dragged under because of things that might happen beyond her control. Once she was satisfied with her bandages, she tucked the bartender in, kissing his forehead gently before shutting herself in the bathroom to scrub his blood from her skin. Once her skin was clean, she changed into a sweater and sweatpants before texting a quick message to Wendy, letting her know Natsu is okay. She tossed Natsu's and her own clothes in the washer before curling up on the couch, eyes trained on the snoring bartender before she fell into a deep slumber.
Lucy jolted awake, the sound of screaming shaking her bones. She threw her blankets to the ground and sprinted over to Natsu who was flailing in bed. His limbs were tangled in the blankets and heat was emanating from his body. Sweat pooled on his face and chest as he screamed in agony.
"Natsu! Wake up! It's a nightmare. You have to wake up!" Lucy shouted, her arms trying to hold down Natsu's limbs to keep him from hurting himself. At the sound of her voice, his body relaxed. His breathing was still ragged as his eyes slowly opened. She locked her stare on his onyx gaze and he blinked, confused by the situation.
"Luce? Where are we?" He mumbled groggily, cringing in pain as he tried to sit up.
"My apartment." She whispered and he jolted upright, groaning as he hunched forward and grabbed his stomach.
"What if they followed us? What the hell were you thinking? If they saw you, they would have killed you instantly." He growled, his eyes dark as he snapped at her. He was unconscious when Loke distracted the men, so Lucy didn't blame him for thinking she was careless. If anything had went wrong, she had her spirits with her. He had nothing to worry about.
"I wasn't going to let you die! Even if you are part of a dark guild. Even if you betrayed them or did something terrible. I couldn't watch you get hurt. I couldn't stand there and lose you Natsu." She admitted, her shoulders hunching as the tears flowed effortlessly from her eyes. She had already decided, the moment she saw Natsu in the alley, that no matter what he did, she would forgive him. She didn't know his past and she had no business judging him for something she didn't understand. Was she mad that he was dealing with it alone? Of course, but that wasn't the issue in that moment. Natsu's gaze softened as his finger brushed a few tears from her cheeks.
"What if something had happened to you? I couldn't live with myself." He responded, his voice cautious and soft. He seemed lost in his own thoughts when he spoke and Lucy smiled softly.
"I'm fine though. Nothing happened to me. You are here and we are both alive." She assured him and a grin tugged at his lips as his eyes struggled to stay open. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up." She pressed her lips to his forehead again and he nodded, his eyes fluttering shut. Lucy returned to the couch, though it took her hours to fall asleep. When she awoke the next day, the bartender was gone. All that was left was a note, having a few words scribbled on a napkin.
Luce,
I can't put you in danger and I have to leave for a while. I'm going to see a healer before I leave, so don't worry. I promise, when it's all over, I'll come back for you. Thank-you, for everything. You brought me happiness and clarity. I will come back, I promise.
Natsu
