Chapter 13
Lucy wiped her brow and breathed in deep, filling her lungs with fresh air. Another bead of sweat rolled down her temple and a shudder pulsed down her spine.
"Good Lucy, concentrate." Capricorn's voice said. She gritted her teeth and tried to focus on her task.
Capricorn, her most recent spirit acquisition, had been very agreeable in joining her and helping her train and learning how to contain her Stardust. She had to pay a hefty sum for his key at the shop in Basta, but it was more than worth it. Capricorn had told her some old stories of her mother, and was more knowledgeable in Starchildren than anyone else, or any book she'd found.
"Your magic is a part of you, but it is also born from a fallen star. A part of that star wants to return to the heavens, but you are the one in control, remember that," Capricorn said. Wincing, Lucy nodded. Her first training lesson was all about keeping her magic under control, so there would be no more glowstick explosions. To do this, she was keeping her aura exposed and making herself glow at a steady rate for as long as she could.
Oh, just keep glowing, it'll be easy. Don't worry. Lucy bit her lip. Bullshit. She was drenched in sweat, and every single muscle in her body was quivering from exertion. She must have been keeping her aura 'on' for hours. She was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, with the curtains drawn in the hopes that no humans would see her shining through the window from the street.
"Concentrate, you're losing control," Capricorn said in his calm and monotonous voice. She bit her lower lip and tried to reign her thoughts back under control. Another droplet of sweat rolled down her back, bringing goosebumps rising along with it. Her skin felt like it was burning, and her magic was aching to run free and shine brighter. She reminded herself to think calm thoughts, and not about a nice warm bath to soothe her aching muscles. Or food. Or water for her aching throat.
"Lucy, focus," Capricorn repeated. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was focused. Sort of. He told her that she could last a few more minutes, and she tried her hardest to keep up with his demands. Her magic bubbled beneath her skin in protest, the Starlight trying to tempt her into bursting free to dance across the sky.
With a wild curse, she lost the hold on her magic and there was a blaze of golden light before the room went dark. Ears ringing, Lucy hesitantly opened her eyes, one at a time, to assess the damage. Luckily there were no more burns on the carpet, or the drapes, but the light in her ceiling was blown out. Sunlight drifted through the taupe curtains, casting a warm glow over the quiet room.
"Well done for your first try." Capricorn rose to his feet and straightened his sunglasses, despite the low lighting. Lucy rolled onto her back and splayed her limbs out like a starfish with a tired groan.
"My entire body hurts. My brain hurts. How long did I last?" She asked. Capricorn cleared his throat and answered, "Three minutes and forty-two seconds."
She leapt to her feet with a cry of surprise. "No way it was only three measly minutes!"
He just shrugged. Cursing, she pulled at her hair and groaned again. And here she thought she was doing well, all things considered. Exhaustion pulled at her eyes and the all too familiar chill of magic depletion near her heart grew.
"Considering you kept me summoned during that time, I'd say you did quite well. But yes, there is a rapid need for improvement," Her spirit commented. Sighing, Lucy thanked Capricorn for his help and promised to summon him again tomorrow for another session, then sent him back to the Celestial Spirit realm.
"I think I deserve a nice, warm, calming bath," she mumbled to empty air. Maybe she should get a house plant to keep her company. She hoped Capricorn's teachings would help her catch up to the skill levels of her team mates, having felt left out and weak during their last couple of jobs. Erza could always finish off any enemy in one or two strikes, Gray was always thinking ahead with his spells, and Natsu had enough raw destructive power and enthusiasm for the three of them. Even Happy had a bigger role than she did, able to scout ahead and swoop down to scoop up Natsu and carry him off into danger.
She drew her bath while she mused, eager to spend the next hour or so encased in warmth and relaxation. She poured in a special bath salt Wendy cooked up for her, letting the herbal scent fill the air. The salts were imbued with Wendy's healing magic, and meant to help replenish one's magic aura, and help soothe aches and pains. Despite only having a small jar of the miracle stuff, Lucy decided she deserved to use them after her brutal three minutes of agony.
-ooooo-
"Luckily this job is in Magnolia, so Natsu, you won't have to deal with any transportation," Erza said, casting the gleeful fire drakon a smile, "however, we will need to be careful of exposure to humans."
Lucy nodded and straightened her ponytail. Their job today was simple, but dangerous. The Magic Council shared confidential information with Makarov of a deadly dark guild alliance, known as the Balam Alliance. The combined forces of numerous powerful dark guilds were causing chaos and raising the possibility of the exposure of magic to the human world.
Makarov instructed their team to go out and find a lower level dark guild involved in this alliance and capture them for questioning.
"Remember, it is vital that none of our targets escape and warn other guilds of our attack, understood?" Erza said sternly, fixing every member of their team with a deadly glare.
"Are we sure that Happy has to stay here?" Natsu asked. Erza responded with a stiff nod, then started to march towards the portal. Gray followed their fierce Valkyrie, and Lucy pulled Natsu along by his arm.
"Don't worry about Happy, he'll be fine with Wendy and Charle," she said with a smile. Natsu huffed but followed her through the portal and into Magnolia. She smiled as the warm sun lit her skin, complimented by a nice cool breeze. It was already October and the seasons were beginning to change, cool air replacing the sweltering heat of summer and the leaves beginning to change color. She was looking forward to the famous Fall Festival in a couple weeks, during the last days of October. Magnolia was well known for three things: Rainbow Sakura trees, the Cardia cathedral, and the Fall Festival. The entire city would celebrate the days of the last harvest with a parade and parties that lasted days and nights. Feasts would be shared as the last sun festival came to a close and the city began it's winter preparations.
Erza quickly reequipped out of her armor and into a simple white blouse and blue skirt to blend in with the human population. Lucy was dressed in a plain t-shirt and a pair of white shorts, with a baseball cap on her head to try and hide her pointed ears. Natsu and Gray had their usual clothes on, each sticking out like a sore thumb no matter what.
The group marched through the bustling streets of Magnolia and she had to try very hard not to get distracted as they passed through the market district, full of pretty shops and delicious food. Natsu, unsurprisingly, was distracted by the sweet scents filling the air and the tempting calls of food vendors lining the streets. Luckily, Erza kept them on track as they trudged through the crowds, at least until they passed a cake shop and they stopped inside so the fierce Valkyrie could purchase a slice of sweet strawberry cake.
Lucy had to admit, she was no longer used to being around so many humans. She was incredibly self-aware, always adjusting her cap and her hair and trying her best to keep her aura disguised. She even had to focus on not moving too fast, especially after she accidentally bumped into a tall, wide set man with no regards for those in his path and sent him sprawling on the ground on accident. From a near brush against her shoulder.
While in the guild, surrounded by her friends and colleagues, she could let a little bit of her light shine through, leaving her skin and hair with a faint glow. It was strange to keep her power so subdued and bottled up inside. How she survived nearly twenty years without it astounded her.
"Weird, isn't it?" Natsu commented, bumping her out of her thoughts with his shoulder. She tilted her head in confusion. "Being around normal humans again and havin to keep your magic all bottled up."
Nodding, she let loose a deep sigh. He slung his arm over her shoulder and said, "No worries, Luce, cheer up! We all suck at fitting in with the humans."
Smiling, Lucy had to agree. Erza stuck out with her fierce personality and tendency towards violence, Gray was always losing his clothes, and Natsu had his pink hair and draconic attributes to draw attention.
"You're right. I think I fit in the most out of all of you," she teased, looping her arm around his waist. Natsu just rolled his eyes and dragged her along beside him. They soon left the busy market behind and the further they walked, the less people they saw. The buildings became more rundown, each looking more abandoned than the next. After the last experience she had in a similar neighborhood, Lucy was glad to be surrounded by her friends and to have Natsu next to her, sharing another one of his ridiculous stories.
"Oi, lovebirds," Gray called, "we're getting close." Lucy nodded, choosing to ignore the flush creeping up her neck at his comment, and stepped out of Natsu's arm to reach down and grab Virgo's key. Out of most of her spirits, Virgo and Leo were the only ones that could pass for human, but Virgo's talents were less flashy. She separated from Natsu's side and jogged down into a deserted alley and away from any prying eyes to summon her spirit.
"Would you like to punish me, princess?" Virgo asked the moment she appeared. Lucy rolled her eyes.
"I need you to scout out towards that dark guild's hiding place and make sure nobody leaves. Use your pitfalls to contain them until we can get there," she explained. Virgo bowed, then tunneled into the ground and disappeared.
She returned to her companions and relayed what she told Virgo. Erza complimented her on her strategy, and quietly reequipped a pair of daggers into her hands. Gray tossed his shirt aside and cracked his knuckles, sending a wave of frost through the air.
"I'm all fired up!" Natsu said, smoke curling out from behind his sharp canines. Lucy glanced around, making sure the few people lingering on the street had gone, and quickly summoned her short sword made of Stardust. The blade hummed, and flecks of light fell around the sword, burning the air and the concrete. She prepared for the drain of having a golden gate open and her sword summoned, but it didn't come. Maybe those few minutes of training over the past week were working after all.
The dark guild had taken over a small cluster of crumbling warehouses in the abandoned corner of Magnolia. They could hear the ambiance of laughing and talking, and as the sun began to set, strung lacrima crystals lit the walls leading closer to the heart of the dark guild's camp, each bobbing softly in the air, casting a soft glow along the stone and concrete as the sunlight faded away. Her sword sung as the stars began to appear in the darkening blue sky, each light twinkling as though to answer her sword's calling. She saw Erza take a curious glance towards her weapon, the Valkyrie no doubt able to sense the power her sword summoned through her gifts.
Lucy bit her lip to hide the smile threatening to creep along her features. Excitement for the fight ahead bubbled within her, bringing her magic to the surface of her skin, the Starlight desperate to break free and remind the world of where it came from. She breathed in the smoky scent of Natsu's fire and reminded her Starlight that they had other more important matters at hand, and no one would be returning to the heavens anytime soon.
Natsu's grin was unhidden, his canines bared. Erza motioned for Gray to join her in going around the main warehouse to attack from the left flank and gestured for she and Natsu to attack from the right. The Valkyrie's fierce warning about letting any of the mages escape echoed in her bright stare. Grinning like a fox with its prey caught in its trap, Natsu lunged ahead, leaving Lucy to leap after him while Gray and Erza disappeared into the darkness.
She understood why Erza left Natsu to attack the main corridor and draw the attention of the force within. The drakon was anything but subtle. The moment his feet passed into the lighted path cast by the floating lacrima's, all hope for a secret attack was lost. He sent a bursting spiral of flame cascading through the hall, spiking down into the side rooms and alerting the dark guild to their presence.
Howling, he burst through the remnants of his fiery attack, smoke curling from his snarl and fire burning in his eyes. Lucy was happy to let her partner draw the majority of their enemy's attention. She crept into the side rooms along the main corridor leading into the main hangar of the warehouse- which likely held the main gathering hall for the guild- and dispatched any lingering foes hiding away.
She dodged a blast of dark energy from a fierce looking mage with swirling black tattoos covering their entire body, parried the next blow with her sword, somehow knowing the magic within the blade was enough to counter the attack. The bolt of dark magic rebounded off her blade and struck the ceiling above the caster, cracking the old concrete and sending it crashing down upon the unsuspecting mage below. She quickly used one of the rope charms gifted to her by Levy to tie the assailant up, then continued her path down towards the bursting arcs of flame and the laughter.
Lucy ran into chaos. One half of the hangar was covered in ice and the other swarming with flame. Erza soared above the crowd in her Heaven's Wheel armor, sending volleys of swords down upon the guild. A few brave souls dared to join the redhead in her domain above, but quickly learned why that was the worst possible idea they could have come up with.
Before she had another moment to observe, a man with glowing daggers came roaring towards her at unbelievable speed. She noted his pointed ears beneath the russet curls that identified him as demi-fae and swung her sword up to deflect his first blow. His first blade bounced off the Starlight with a piercing ring, but the second swung from below towards her gut. With a growl, she twisted her hand and blocked that attack, but before she could even think about taking the offensive, his second blade slid past her defenses and sliced her upper arm.
She bit back the scream in her throat as the magic within the blade burned her. It was not a hot burn, but rather the burn of something that was too cold. Her left arm went numb as the freezing magic swam down her blood and she reached for her Stardust to keep the poison from reaching the rest of her body.
With a mighty roar of pain, she lifted her leg and kicked the man's torso, forcing the breath from his lungs. He stumbled a single step back, then spun and struck out with his blades again in a fierce twirl meant to attack from every angle. Lucy stumbled back, her arm a dead weight at her side and ruining the little balance she had. She remembered Wendy's reassurances that she healed unusually fast for a demi-fae and foolishly hoped her healing abilities were up to the task of bringing her arm back for her to use.
A wave of heat warmed her back and she felt her energy renewed. She was not alone, and she had to fight. To win. She adjusted her grip on her sword and beckoned for the faeborn to attack again with a sly smile. She dodged his lunge, and twisted around, spinning her arm to slice across his back, but the faeborn was quicker than she anticipated and what was meant to be a near fatal wound became a mere scratch.
Cursing, she ducked to avoid his slashing blades, feeling the cold burn against her skin, and she leapt above his next sweeping attack, trusting the strength in her legs to bring her high above the fight. The man just stared as she soared above the hangar, smiling devilishly up at her. Her chances of landing without being struck by his daggers again was near impossible, but Lucy did not plan on using her sword against him again.
She closed her eyes for a brief second, calling her magic to her, and reached down toward her keys where Leo pressed against his gate. She would need his help and guidance for what she planned to do next. Her sword dissolved, the magic power redirecting, and silver light burst through her skin, wanting to explode from within her. She shouted a brief warning to her companions, drawing the attention from the few dark mages remaining in the fight.
She opened her eyes as she reached the highest point of her jump and summoned her magic from within. She called to the Starlight yearning to burst free and she let it.
Piercing light erupted. Blinding Starlight filled the hangar, joined by a high-pitched ring. She channeled her magic to blind and burn, focusing on ensuring the light bursting through the room was blinding her enemies. Heat and light exuded from her every pore, every fiber of her being. She pressed her magic and aura further outward, ensuring the blast was bright enough and hot enough to disable her enemies, then, as she began her quick descent, she called the light back into her and landed on shaking legs.
The light slowly faded to a dull, golden glow beneath her skin and the ringing faded away in the silence hanging in the air. She landed a few feet away from the unconscious body of her assailant. Lucy swiftly kicked away his cursed blades and used another rope binding charm.
She glanced around, and saw that Erza was sweeping across the hangar, doing the same to the rest of the unconscious or screaming mages. Most clutched at either their eyes or their ears, some had blood dripping from closed eyes. She had a brief twinge of regret and shame, but then she remembered what the main goal of the dark guild was: to torment humans and cause death and destruction. She felt little guilt after that.
Her magic slumbered inside her, the reserves nearly depleted. A headache formed between her eyes and her heartbeat roared in her ears and pulsed throughout her body. Panting, she stumbled over to Gray, who was rubbing his eyes and cursing.
"Are you okay?" She asked, avoiding stepping in the puddles she made of his ice. The ice mage groaned in response. "I tried to warn you."
"I know, but I didn't close my eyes until you started 'cause I'm a gods-damned idiot," he grunted, blinking repeatedly and shaking his head, as though that would fix his vision. She rubbed his shoulder and whispered more apologies.
"Damn right you're an idiot!" Natsu called from across the hangar, his enhanced hearing no doubt catching their conversation. Gray shot him a vulgar gesture and stumbled around to catch his bearings.
Laughing lightly, she joined Erza in the center of the hangar, where the Valkyrie was dragging the restrained mages. Before she had a chance to speak, the ground rumbled, and a sinkhole formed below the pile of dark guilders. Cursing, Erza reequipped more floating swords to join her side but Lucy waved a calming hand.
"It's just Virgo!" She called, walking to the edge of the vast hole and peering down to see her pink-headed spirit bowing before her, surrounded by more restrained mages and creatures. "Do you wish to punish me, Princess?"
Natsu booming laugh echoed in the empty cavern. She rolled her eyes and denied her spirit's request. Instead, she asked Virgo to take the prisoners back to the guild for questioning and transport to the Magic Council. Virgo bowed again and disappeared with the prisoners with a shimmer of golden light.
Lucy winced as the teleportation drained her magic. She quickly schooled her features back into her usual cheerful mask and turned to face her companions.
"Lucy, that was incredibly smart but very dangerous," Erza scolded, her arms crossed over her chest and her brow raised in concern. Lucy just waved away her friends concern and said, "Oh, don't you worry. I'm catching up to you guys pretty fast so watch out."
Erza's piercing gaze seemed to see right through her façade and notice the tiredness under her eyes and her labored breathing. But the Valkyrie chose to say nothing and just shook her head with a small smile.
Natsu whooped and ran over to join them, sending a burst of fire into the air in celebration. He slid to a stop at the edge of the sinkhole and whistled in appreciation, tossing the stray ends of his scarf over his shoulders.
"Ya know, at first I thought Virgo was my favorite because of our shared style sense," he cast his hand through his pink locks, "-but now I think it's because she can do that crazy thing."
Smiling, Lucy quickly looked Natsu up and down to see if he'd been injured but couldn't find a scratch. Gray and Erza were uninjured as well, thankfully. There had only been a little over twenty members of the dark guild present in the warehouse, and luckily all had been defeated.
Natsu's fiery gaze turned to the wound on her arm, and his body stilled. Gray muttered something vulgar under his breath that Lucy chose to ignore, making Erza smack him upside the head. Natsu's nose twitched and his eyes narrowed.
"You need to see Wendy." He took three large steps and was standing right in front of her, a breath away. His warm hands tentatively grabbed her numb arm and lifted the appendage closer to his face. His sniffed again and cringed.
"Fae-bane, mixed with a whole mix of dangerous toxins and poison magic," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"It's late enough for us to call a portal." Erza's voice echoed. Lucy looked away from Natsu's concerned face and noticed her two other companions were moving towards the nearest doorway. Before she could take a step to join them, Natsu's grabbed her good arm, his touch gentle, his fingers caressing her skin and sending warmth cascading through her body.
"I'm fine," she reassured, seeing the concern in his dark gaze. Natsu pouted and glanced at her wound, then up at the ceiling as a reminder to her foolish stunt. "Leo said that the more you used your Stardust like that, the more likely you would be to lose control."
"Capricorn's lessons are helping. I didn't even feel the strain of keeping Virgo summoned tonight," she said, lifting her hand- with his still wrapped around her wrist- and caressing his cheek. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, and not due to her exhaustion anymore. Natsu leaned into her touch and let his eyes drift closed as he breathed in her scent. Her smile widened as she pulled her hand back a few inches, then playfully smacked his face.
Natsu's eyes jerked open and his mouth dropped open in shock. Her shoulders shook with laughter and she twisted her wrist so that his hand joined hers and pulled him and his slightly bruised ego with her to the glowing doorway leading to their home.
-ooooo-
Groaning, Lucy let Erza and Mira and Makarov handle the interrogation of the dark guild, and instead she went straight for the infirmary. The portal's magic left her stomach twisted in knots and her vision swarming with black spots. Her arm was still dull and dead at her side when she pushed through the infirmary doors and found Wendy seated on her chair, reading a thick tome on magical herbalism.
"Lucy! Glad to see you're back!" The girl enthused, setting her book aside. "Unfortunately, I'm not here just for your company, I'm afraid." She lifted her numb arm and let it drop down to her side, a rivulet of blood dripping down her palm and onto the floor.
Wendy leapt into action, pulling a variety of tonics and salves from the cupboards and gesturing for Lucy to take a seat on one of the cots. Wincing, she felt as the drain from Virgo's gate dissolved away, signaling her spirit's return to the Celestial realm. Her head pounded, and she shivered as the chill of magic depletion spread through her body.
Wendy carefully lifted her arm and sniffed at the wound, her face contorting into the same disgusted expression Natsu had after doing the same thing.
"Whoever did this to their weapon was not a happy person," the girl muttered. Smiling, Lucy had to agree with her assessment.
"Oi, Luce, I brought food." Natsu's voice called through the wood of the door. She glanced up to see her partner kick open the door, a platter of fried chicken and french fries on a platter in his arms.
"Ooh, bring it to me," she said, saliva pooling in her mouth. Her stomach rumbled, already forgetting the nausea from traveling by portal. She reached out with her good arm and motioned for him to hurry and sit by her side.
Smiling, Natsu hopped onto her cot and placed the platter of food on both their laps. She ate gleefully, a content sigh falling from her lips. "Mira always makes the best food."
Snorting, Natsu said, "You're so deprived of magic and energy right now, you'd eat anything." Lucy gasped, and denied the accusation, despite knowing it was probably true based on the rumbling of her stomach.
"Oh, I could totally see you scrounging for food and eating something gross, like pig testicles or something," he teased. Lucy groaned and smacked his shoulder. Chuckling, Natsu looked over at Wendy and raised a brow.
"She'll be fine. I just have to pull the toxins out before I can heal the wound, and you'll have to rest. Your magic is nearly drained again." Wendy said, turning her attention to the blonde in her care. She rolled her eyes playfully and agreed to her healer's suggestions.
"I should've stayed with you," Natsu said, leaning close so their arms touched.
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Besides, my plan worked wonderfully," she said with a pointed glare. Natsu just grabbed another piece of chicken and shoved it into her face, demanding she eat to regain her strength. She could feel his aura spread from their touching thighs and arms, warming her from the outside in. She hummed in contentment as Natsu's warmth filled her. A little kernel of power deep in her chest came back to life at the feeling of his magic working through her body and burned with new energy.
Luckily, she couldn't feel Wendy's ministrations as she magically pulled the toxins from her arm and sealed her wound, leaving a mostly healed slice instead of the gash in her flesh from before. Wendy wrapped the wound after coating it in a sweet-scented salve, then leaned over to steal a handful of fries from the plate, and dashed away with a giggle, grabbing her book on her way out.
Her fingers were already tingling as feeling returned to her limb. She slowly and cautiously curled her fingers into a fist and relaxed them again, groaning in pain at the effort.
"Remind me again not to get sliced by a glowing, evil dagger," she muttered. Natsu snorted, grabbing the last of the food on the plate and stuffing it in his gaping maw. She feigned disgust and pushed away from him. "We should join the others, see what they learned from the interrogation."
It had only been half an hour since their return, but already Master Makarov was returning with Mira and Erza at his sides from the lower prison levels, their faces grim. The tingling in her hand continued to spread slowly up her arm as she and Natsu walked over to join the glum trio by the bar.
"What happened?" She asked. Mira shot her a sympathetic look, and Erza strolled away, probably to share information.
"We learned that the Balam Alliance is run by three powerful dark guilds: Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. However, their alliance is crumbling," Makarov trailed off. He looked up at Lucy, an apology in his gaze. "I'm sorry, but Tartaros has decided to fade into the shadows, Grimoire Heart is close behind, choosing to observe what happens next no doubt. And Oracion Seis…has laid their eyes on you, my dear."
Lucy furrowed her brow, taking an unconscious step closer to Natsu until his chest rested against her back. "I don't understand. What does this have to do with me?"
"The leader of Oracion Seis is looking for a Starchild. And he has heard of your arrival at Fairy Tail and is leading an attack against us." Makarov concluded.
Lucy stumbled, falling deeper into Natsu's warm embrace. She could hear her partner demanding answers from the Master, and distantly heard his response. Not again. Her new family could not be in danger because of her, again. Her pulse began to race, and breath escaped her. Images of Levy, wrapped from head to toe in bloody bandages, and Erza, crumpling under the might of the Jupiter canon filled her head. This dark guild was powerful enough to shake Makarov. How could they fight against the top three most powerful dark guilds in all existence?
Panting, she cradled her head in her hands and pulled at her hair. Warm hands pulled hers back down to her sides, then caressed the sides of her face. Hot breath fanned over her skin and she opened her eyes to meet Natsu's gaze. He said nothing, only stared at her and held her head in his hands and waited. When she regained some control of herself, he said, "This is not your fault."
"But it is. They're after me," she whispered. Natsu pulled her into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around her and holding her within his warmth. She paused, then lifted her arms to wrap around his waist and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. The panic that filled her slowly ebbed away as she took deep, calming breaths, breathing in Natsu's scent. His aura washed over her and wrapped her in a cocoon of heat and safety.
"I won't let them have you. You're mine." He growled the last word out through his teeth and she could feel the growl rumbling in his chest. She decided to scold him for referring to her as his property tomorrow, and instead focused on the heat blooming in her gut at his words. He nosed her hair and leaned over her until he was practically wrapped around her entire body. His breath fanned against her neck and she shivered. A purr worked its way out of Natsu's throat and she couldn't help but smile against his neck. She knew they were drawing too many stares, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
"Fine. You win, this time," she relented. The purr she could feel rumbling in his chest intensified. She tucked away the information to use for later teasing. She felt Makarov slowly walk away, laughing under his breath. She could feel her muscles relax in the warmth, and she moaned as her arm regained enough feeling for her to feel the pain pulsing through it.
"Take me home. 'M tired," she muttered against his skin. She knew she was being selfish, and she would regret her decisions in the morning, but the exhaustion of draining her magic and from the fight and the news of Oracion Seis's plans weighed down her body and mind.
"In a minute," he replied. That was fine with her. She didn't want to move either. He was just so warm, so comforting. She felt like they were two puzzle pieces, finally joining together and becoming whole. She felt like they belonged together, side by side.
Lucy didn't remember how long they stood wrapped together in the middle of the guild hall, or how she got back to her apartment. She only remembered crawling into her bed, somehow in her pajamas, and being joined by Natsu. He curled around her, his warm presence settling over her like a security blanket. She was too tired to complain about his presence in her bed and knew she would probably be furious in the morning, but she couldn't bring herself to care in that moment.
She was being hunted for her Stardust. Again. Putting her friends and family at risk. Again. In the morning, she would have to join her friends at the war table, bring together a plan of attack against Oracion Seis, but for now she just wanted to sleep, wrapped in Natsu's warm embrace. So, she did, despite his light snoring.
Lucy woke drenched in sweat. She groaned in annoyance and reached up to swipe the hair sticking to her forehead. Her head was still pounding, and her throat was scratchy and dry, and she was engulfed in an unbearable heat. Where was it coming from?
She tried to roll out of her bed, but a vise like grip kept her in place, wrapped her in hot arms. She blinked away her groggy confusion and looked down to see familiar arms wrapped around her waist. She yelped as those arms pulled her closer into a hot, and bare, chest. Her cheeks flushed, and she felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest. Wriggling, she tried to free herself from Natsu's grip, but to no avail. The fire drakon just hummed and nuzzled into the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine despite the unwavering heat. Since she couldn't get out of her bed, she rolled so that she was facing Natsu. She was about to open her mouth and scream at him for being in her bed, and for letting her apartment be filled with the near unbearable fire of his aura.
Huffing, she blew a puff of air in his face, wafting his bangs out of his eyes. Her heart stuttered as she took in his peaceful expression. His lips were slightly parted, and Lucy had to try her best not to stare at them.
She knew her face was as red as a tomato. Natsu leaned in closer and his nose brushed against hers. His nose twitched against hers, and his eyes slowly opened. Lucy felt her breathing stop and her entire body tensed as Natsu's gaze met hers. His eyes were close enough that she could see flecks of green in his irises.
Before he had a chance to so much as move, she smashed her hands against his chest and shoved with all her might and a high-pitched scream belted from her throat. Natsu gasped at her reaction and teetered on the edge of the bed before crashing to the floor, dragging the blankets along with him, and Lucy on top.
She yelped as she landed hard on Natsu's chest, drawing a groan of pain from the male beneath her. Eyes wide, she felt a deeper blush crawl up her neck and bloom in her cheeks. Natsu blinked groggily up at her, a lazy smile on his face.
"Hey Luce," he grumbled, his voice hoarse and deep. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. Natsu. Shirtless. Tangled in her sheets. While she straddled him. A whine fell from her lips and she felt her magic bubbling to the surface, lighting her skin and hair with a soft golden glow. Natsu's smile widened and he reached up to grab a strand of her glowing hair. His thumb brushed against her cheek and he rumbled, "G'morning, moje hvězda."
She screamed again, and leapt up, tripping over the sheets and falling on her floor. She crawled along, trying to get as far away from the male in her bed as fast as possible and stumbled into her bathroom and locked the door.
"Go away!" She yelled. Instead of the sound of her front door opening and closing, she only heard Natsu stumble into her kitchen and pots and pans banging around. She passed her hands through her hair and turned on her shower. Cursing, she decided to ignore the pounding in her chest and the fantasies dancing through her mind. Instead, she quickly stepped into her shower and decided to kick his ass later for intruding.
-ooooo-
long time no see...sorry for the short little hiatus, I restarted this chapter like four times. But, now I know what I'm doing (mostly) and now we enter more angsty plots! I hope y'all liked this nalu infested chapter (i say i can do slow burn but its a lie)
Don't forget to leave a review! They make my day :)
