Prompt #5 - Scar Worship

The moment Natsu refused to touch his food, Lucy immediately knew that something was wrong.

Like a stealthy ninja, she followed him all the way to his home. She made sure to keep a good distance between them. The townspeople thought it quite odd to see the Celestial Maiden trailing behind the Dragon Slayer as it was always the opposite. Some foreigners who didn't know them wondered if the yellow-haired girl was a stalker. But Lucy didn't mind the whispers, she had a best friend to cheer up.

As she climbed up the hill, her breath started to quicken and muscles began to ache. But Lucy forced herself to endure it for the sake of her friend's happiness — man, was she whipped. The moment Happy and Natsu walked inside their humble abode, Lucy wasted no time in making her presence known, like the dramatic queen she was.

"Natsu Dragneel!" Lucy screeched as she banged the door open. She found the aforementioned man laying face down on the couch, eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Hey, Luce," Natsu mumbled weakly, words slightly muffled by the couch. "Thought I smelled ya."

So much for being a ninja, Lucy thought.

Without another word, Natsu sluggishly got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. Lucy frowned at his lifeless state, she didn't like the state he was in right now, her partner was supposed to be full of energy and spontaneity, he was supposed to be all fired up. She turned to Happy who sported a solemn expression.

"What's wrong with him?" Lucy asked.

Happy sighed. His wings disappeared as he came to rest on the couch. "We ran into some people, they weren't from Magnolia. They — they kept commenting on his scar, they said that it made him look like a monster."

Lucy didn't do anything to restrain her shocked gasp. Her hands curled into fists, itching to have a go at anyone who dared to degrade her best friend. It was bad enough that Natsu got reprimanded for the destructive nature of his powers. She didn't blame him at all for feeling down, people could only take so much cruelty until they inevitably broke down.

She quickly traced his footsteps to the kitchen. There she found Natsu staring blankly out of his window, a glass of water in his hand. For a moment, Lucy wondered if she'd be upsetting him even further but then realized that she would never abandon him in his time of need, that was how their partnership worked. Plus, Natsu had no issue whatsoever with personal space — as demonstrated by the multiple times he snuck in.

Lucy quietly slipped her arms around his waist, tracing the scar on his torso he got from fighting for Future Rogue. When Natsu didn't complain or try to remove her, Lucy nuzzled her head deeper into the crook of his neck where another visible scar laid. Lucy lifted her head, she pressed a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek, where he acquired a scar from fighting his own brother.

"You're beautiful," Lucy whispered tenderly, slipping her hands between his calloused ones. She held him tighter. "Your magic is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Your scars are magical. Anyone who says otherwise can go through me."

Natsu didn't need to say anything. The way his hands gripped onto hers like she was his lifeline was all Lucy needed as a reply.

"You're precious, Natsu. Don't ever forget that."

note1 — hiya! y'know this was supposed to be a 30-day challenge but i missed two days already, woops. i thought i'd be able to write during the weekend, seeing as it that i'd have tons of free time, but no! the writing urges just had to come during the weekdays while i was studying.

note2 — to everyone that left a review, favorited, and followed, thank you all a million times! have a good today, make someone smile, make yourself smile, be kind to yourself, and just have a week of pure wholesomeness! take care everyone!