Chapter 3: Lost

Lucy

Lucy flinched when the door slammed shut, rattling the windows. The air was so tense from his sudden change of mood he couldn't help but shiver. She wasn't completely certain as to how or why, but she was pretty sure his sudden change in attitude was her fault. Well of course it is, she thought. Some strange woman is taking up his bed, his room and even his home and he probably has better things to do than babysit some stranger he picked off the street.

Still, even if he was mad with her, she didn't regret anything. Because of what happened in the alley, she met Natsu, and for some reason he had made a very strong impression on her. Maybe it was because he saved her, someone he didn't even know. But maybe he regrets it now, even if she doesn't. She played his name in her head repeatedly, memorizing the low baritone in his voice that made her heart skip a beat. His charming pink hair done up in playful spikes. And the way his body seemed so muscular and well toned but in a very natural looking way. Like saving women was something he did on a regular basis. Or the way his shirt held to him like a second skin and his combat pants hung in that low, sexy way on his hips, showing a bit of a V indentation...

Oh my God, stop! She shook her head, appalled she could get so distrcted so easily at a time like this! Like honestly, she should turn herself in to a psychiatrist. A normal person would be trembling and unable to sleep with shock and fear but no, of course not. Lucy Heartfilia had to skip all the normal signs of shock from a near rape experience and start crushing on the next guy she sees. God, she was pathetic.

Suddenly something warm slip down her cheek, and as she reached up her fingers came back wet. Why was she crying? As if acknowledging it was a sign, suddenly she found herself unable to stop. When I'm done, she thought. When I'm done this weird crying moment, I will leave and let Natsu have his home back and be able to return to his normal life. As she cried, she couldn't stop herself from seeing Natsus intense yet gentle look in her mind. And for a moment, she allowed herself to believe she could some day have someone like Natsu.

Natsu

Idiot. Moron. Jackass. Supid. Loser. Dumbass. Dick. Jerk. Asshole. Natsu continued to call himself all sorts of names as he stormed down the street in the deep snow, still in only his pants and muscle shirt. He always got weird looks but it didn't take long to learn to ignore them. It'd take years to explain to everyt=one that his body temperature was different than theirs. And even if he could, he just didn't care enough and didn't find it worth the hassle.

Natsu stormed into Starlight, a club that was open at all hours of the day to accomodate all people of all hours. He beelined straight to the bar where Gray was currently bartending.

"Where's Gajeel?" Was all he asked as he pulled up a barstool and was handed a Stardust cocktail, Starlights signature drink.

"Nice to see you, too." Natsu glowered at Gray.

"Shut up, Gray. I'm not in the mood for your shit." Natsu downed his cocktail, only to have another placed in front. Gray was the Head Manager for a reason, and that was because he never let a guest suffer from an empty glass.

"And chances are you never will be."

Glaring into his sparkling drink, he asked roughly "how did it go?"Chug.New drink.

Without skipping a beat or asking what he meant, Gray replied smoothly, "He won't be a problem again. No history. Were never affiliated with each other. Some previous assult and sexual assault charges. Turns out this wasn't his first rodeo. Other than that, it seems she was chosen at random for a victim."

Chug.New drink.Chug.New drink.

Natsu slammed his glass on the counter, waiting for his next drink that usually arrived faster. After a moments wait, he glared at Gray who was studying him intently.

"What? Keep them coming." But when Gray made no move to make him more and only continued to stare at him, Natsu swore and moved behind the counter to make his own damn drink. Gray leaned against the counter and watched, curiously. It was close to lunch time which was still too early for most people to consider drinking, so naturally that gave him all the free time he needed to study Natsu.

"What did you do?" Was all Gray asked. And Natsu hated that his best friend new him so well. He could never hide anything from him, not even as a child. But it usually went both ways. However, he didn't much care for the look Gray was giving him now as he made himself a double.

"What? Can't a man drink in his own bar anymore?" He slammed his drink back and refilled it, a little slower than the first few.

"You can. But you usually don't. So I'll ask again. What did you do?"

Natsu growled and ran his hands through his hair. This wasn't like him at all. He was usually calm, cool and collected. He couldn't blame Gray for being suspicious. Anyone who knew him would know something was wrong. Finally, he let out a long, defeated sigh.

"Nothing. Not really, I don't think." Gray just gave him a look that asked him to speak in english and Natsu did his best not to punch him in the face like he usually would. Instead he leaned against the counter opposite of Gray where the liquor was stored.

"She gained consciousness today and we spoke briefly. I managed to replace her bandages, but..." Natsu couldn't stop the images of her bruised and battered body from flooding his mind. Her soft, creamy skin that was as smooth as silk was now covered in another mans sins. Doing his best to think of something else he briefly registered glass shattering in the distance. He vaguley made out Gray sighing and moving to grab something as Natsu slowly looked for the source. His mind seemed to be lagging a bit, but he could still see some bright red running down his hand, no his fist, where he had been holding his glass. Shit. He must have crushed it without realizing.

Erza Scarlet, one of the servers whom Natsu suspected had been watching the entire thing unravel as she tended to do, approached calmly with a First Aid kit. Natsu obediently followed her to a chair where she could clean his cut and make sure no glass was still inside. He let her do her thing as he rested his head on his other hand, seemingly bored with the whole thing.

"So, what's her name?" Erza asked, using some tweezers to take out some small shards of glass from his hand.

Natsu hesitated a moment, before mumbling "Lucy". Why was he blushing? Was the alcohol finally getting to him? Or maybe the blood loss?

"Lucy," Erza smiled as she continued cleaning. "And you like her." Natsu must have given some sort of douting look cause Erza sighed and went on. "Oh come on Natsu. You meet this girl under very unfortunate circumstances and bring her to your home. Not your usual home but your sanctuary home nearly no one knows about even though you don't know her. Then you play doctor for her and assist her in recovering and now you show strong emotions for or on her behalf. It's written all over you. I've never seen you like this before. There's been women, certainly but nothing quite like this." Erza tapes up the bandage and goes to put the kit away as she glares at Natsu. "I understand you may be feeling some things you don't quite understand yet, but try to remember what she just went through. She must be terrified and uncertain. Be gentle to her and try not to scare her." She paused briefly before inquiring, "Whatdidyou do anyway?"

Natsu huffed, tired of being bullied by his own employees. "I just got really... Angry, when I saw how bruised and in pain she was. I thought I was gonna hit something or scream so instead I left. But I left so abruptly and accidentally slammed the door I think I may have already scared her..."

Erza tosses him an exasperated look before returning the First Aid kit and going back to serve a customer. Natsu rest his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands, pulling at is hair. But all he could see was Lucys smile when she first saw him. Like he was the air she needed to breathe. Her voice so soft and sweet like sugar and honey mixed together. Her skin so warm and soft. Her eyes shone like fallen stars and her hair glowed like her own halo. Jesus, he must be getting drunk.

Natsu got up abruptly and waltzed over to Gray at the bar with new determination as he drank until the blonde beauty was nothing more than a blur in his mind.