Shut up Natsu.
Natsu stared at the three words on his phone, getting angrier as he continuously read them. When he told Meredy he wanted detailed updates on Lucy's condition, he meant he wanted actual details. No matter what he asked her, Meredy's responses were undescriptive. Her three-word responses were grinding on his nerves:
Lucy is fine.
She's still sleeping.
Stop bugging me.
Leave me alone.
"Damn you," he muttered under his breath as he texted back a colorful response of his own before shoving the phone into his leather jacket.
When he had left the hospital, Natsu had stopped by Cana's apartment to change. No longer needing a disguise, he got rid of the ridiculous costume he had worn to smuggle himself into Lyon's ball from hell, changing, after a hot shower, into his standard black clothing. His hair was still black, but there wasn't time to change it back to its original pink color. There was an important meeting he needed to get to.
Locking the door behind him, Natsu exited the apartment building toting an usually large black duffle bag. The contents of the bag strained his muscles as he painfully made his way to a small speed boat docked out front. Tossing the duffle bag into the back of the boat, he hopped in and started the engine. The boat roared to life, before he maneuvered it into the busy waterway. Thankfully, Natsu didn't have to weave around the slow boats for long. He directed the boat toward the more secluded areas of the city, areas tourists tended to steer clear of. From there, he headed south-east for an hour until he reached his destination.
The island he arrived at hardly required a second glance. It merely hosted a small strip of beach before becoming a dense cluster of trees in the center. It was too far away from the majority of excitements tourists travelled to the sinking city to enjoy, so there was no point in trying to develop it. It was one of Venice's many scattered islands, abandoned and forlorn; except, this island was special. It wasn't even on the map.
Natsu's feet crunched against the hard packed sand for a few paces before the ground became the smooth stones he knew would lead him to a certain location. There was dense vegetation surrounding the path, concealing it from those unaware of its presence. Natsu had visited this location many times in the past, and walked the path with sure feet all the way to the end where a rundown building stood. The building was once a house, but after being abandoned by the owners a century ago, the island had slowly sought to reclaim it. The roof and second story were completely gone and the eastern wall had collapsed. Vines, weeds, and trees all tumbled over one another to latch onto the stones, cover the floors, and grow between the old tiles.
"If I remember correctly, it should be somewhere around here..." Natsu dragged the duffle bag through the entryway and headed where the kitchen used to be. There were still tiles that covered the floor, cracked and split, with small trees and thick patches of weeds sprouting through. Natsu grabbed his phone and keyed a code into it. The floor began to shift, pulling back to reveal a dark set of stairs, descending deeper into the ground. When his foot hit the first step, lights flickered on the walls, illuminating his way.
Adjusting his grip, he purposely dragged the duffle bag behind him, making sure it bumped against each step. At the end of the staircase was a steel door with an access code panel. Natsu held up his phone to the panel and the door slid back, revealing a large dark space. Like the staircase behind him, the moment Natsu entered the area, lights flickered on and brightened up the room. The room consisted of white walls and high ceilings. The door he had just entered was the only way in or out. Next to the door was a long table with a single remote on it. Natsu swiped it as he entered.
"Almost time." Natsu looked at his watch as he dragged the heavy duffle bag to the center. He dropped the bag and pressed one of the buttons on the remote. A clanking noise sounded from above as a long length of chain descended from the ceiling. At the end of the chain was a pair of manacles. He pulled out the pair of leather gloves he stashed in his jacket earlier and slid them on. Natsu unzipped the duffle bag and grimaced. A strong smell of body odor wafted from the bag, assaulting his nostrils.
"Fucking hell," Natsu swore as he stepped back, pinching his nostrils closed. Grabbing the manacles, he guided them into the bag and secured them around the reeking object while holding his breath. He pressed the button for the second time which activated the mechanism operating the length of chain, causing it to ascend back into the air with the smelly thing attached to it.
Gold Pistol hung upside-down from the chain, the manacles locked tight against his ankles. His pinstripe suit was wrinkled and stained with sweat. The right arm of the suit had a tear in it where the Mystogan bullet had pierced his skin—the fake blood ruining the fabric. The two curls of Gold Pistol's moustache had unfurled, gravity making them hang limp across his reddening face. Over twelve hours had past since the tranquilizer had entered his system. The man would have regained consciousness normally by now, but the effects of the tranquilizer varied depending on the person. Natsu splayed his gloved fingers as he held his hand up before slapping it across the man's face back and forth.
"Rise and shine." Time was running out, and he didn't have time to wait.
The chain rattled as Gold Pistol thrashed into consciousness, sputtering incoherently. A small amount of blood trickled from the man's nose—Natsu had restrained himself enough from breaking it. Gold Pistol gaped, his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, while his fat body wiggled around, making him swing on the chain.
"Wha-What's going on? Wh-Where am I?" Gold Pistol looked like a fat caterpillar spinning on a string. The sight made Natsu chuckle.
"SALAMANDER!" Gold Pistol shouted finally taking notice of Natsu, spit spraying from his mouth as he spoke. "You fucking shot me!" His eyes went wide, nearly bulging out of his head as the little man fumed in anger at Natsu.
"Guilty." Natsu smirked as Gold Pistol squirmed even more, making himself swing from side-to-side like a pendulum.
"You bastard! I've killed people for less! Don't think that you'll get away with that. I'm gonna kill—" Horror scrawled across the Boss's features as he took in the white, windowless walls surrounding him. "This room. This-This is…"
"One of your party rooms." Natsu helped finish for him.
"What the hell am I doing here?! And why the fuck am I hanging from this chain? Get me down!" The chain rattled fiercely as Gold Pistol grew more frantic, trying desperately to lift his hefty body and reach his manacles. When his efforts proved futile, he glared at Natsu standing calmly in front of him."You promised you wouldn't kill me Salamander!"
"Unfortunately," Natsu muttered, his irritation already eating at his patience with the little man. "I'm keeping my promise. You're alive aren't you?"
"Then release me damnit!" The Boss shrieked.
"Ah, sorry GP," Natsu patted his pockets, "I don't have the key and I don't know where it is. The invitation only gave me instructions on how to get in here." He looked at his watch again as he spoke. "Just hang in there. I'm sure the others might know where it is."
"Who's coming?" Gold Pistol's body was drenched in another layer of sweat, as his eyes rove around the room. "You have to let me go. I know what happens here!"
"I guess this isn't exactly a surprise party then." Natsu crossed his arms, drumming his fingers on his arm. "You know, the first time I came here, it was to drop off the treasure you hired me to get for you," he continued, still ignoring the man's question. "I think it was one of those rings you're wearing too. You had a guy hanging from this chain, squirming like you are now. You told me he was the guest of honor. But what kind of party can you throw here? I mean, look at this place," he waved his arm around the bare room. "This wouldn't be my first choice to throw a party. You should have gotten some pointers from Lyon. The Sub-Zero Emperor has a talent for picking venues you know?"
"You know very well what kind of parties are thrown here!" He tried to pull his body up again and reach the manacles around his ankles, but flopped back down, unsuccessful.
"Really?" Natsu scratched his head. "I can't say I've ever attended one. Invitation only."
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Gold Pistol screamed, panicking.
"I think he said those same words too!" Natsu snapped his fingers and smiled. "But why do all the guests want to leave?"
The door opened, and thirty men in black suits spilled into the room, forming a circle around Gold Pistol and Natsu. The Boss shook with fear, his eyes darting across the faces of the men, but all wore wolf masks that hid their identities.
"Great." Natsu rolled his eyes. "More masks."
"I see the great Salamander doesn't appreciate the irony." A lean man of average height with a black wolf mask stepped forward to stand next to Natsu.
"That voice. Rocco? Rocco, is that you?" Gold Pistol widened his eyes further, his fear visibly disappearing when the man took off his mask. "Rocco! My loyal subordinate!" The Boss smiled wickedly at Natsu, as he dangled from the chain. "You've done it now, Salamander!" Gold Pistol snarled. "It seems my men have come here to rescue me. Your little moment of victory is over. I don't care if the Underworld thinks you're a demon. YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE DEAD SALAMANDER!" The man laughed maniacally. "OH! Why should I stop there? I'm gonna hunt down that pretty little Juliet of yours and show her your head before I put a bullet between her eyes. Well, I'm gonna have some fun with her first. I've been wanting to put that smart mouth of hers to good use!"
Natsu's features darkened. He uncrossed his arms and took a step toward the snickering man. Rocco reached out and grabbed his shoulder, halting him.
"Thank you Salamander for bringing the guest of honor here," Rocco said, ignoring Gold Pistol's orders. "I can't even begin to tell you how long the men and I have wanted to throw this party. It would be a shame if it was over before it even started." His grip tightened on Natsu's shoulder, emphasizing the real meaning behind his words.
"What are you doing? Why aren't you listening you idiots?" Gold Pistol yelled, the fear in his voice making his words shrill. "What the fuck is going on?"
The members of the Italian Mafia didn't even move an inch. They stood there, their eyes all trained on their Boss. Rocco released Natsu's shoulder, stepping past him toward Gold Pistol, his face leveled with his own for once.
"Shhhh." Rocco's voice was light and soft as he tried to calm down his Boss. "Just relax, Lupo."
"L-Lupo?" The Boss sputtered, clearly shocked by Rocco's blatant lack of respect.
"Right." Natsu bit the inside of his cheek hard enough that he tasted blood in order to suppress his anger, his eyes burning holes into Gold Pistol as he imagined what he would do to him if there wasn't a promise protecting the man. "A real shame." Instead of beating the man to death, Natsu bent down and unzipped the large side pocket of the duffle bag and pulled out a piñata stick, holding it out to Rocco. "You'll have to share."
Rocco took the piñata stick and started laughing. "Let it be known that the Salamander does has a sense of humor." He snapped the stick in half and dropped the pieces to the ground. "But we Italians take our parties seriously."
Rocco snapped his fingers and the Mafia members revealed the various objects they carried: golf clubs, crowbars, brass knuckles, baseball bats, pipes, etc. Natsu took in the sight and whistled.
"Since you brought the guest of honor, you can go first." Rocco handed Natsu a metal baseball bat. "Don't hog all the fun though."
Natsu gripped the end of the bat, testing the weight in his hands. The mafia members gave Natsu a wide berth, allowing him to practice his swings. Gold Pistol's eyes went wide as he realized what was going on here. He knew what it meant to be a guest at one of these parties. Looking at the former Boss, Natsu's rage stalked in his veins like an animal waiting to pounce.
"I WAS JUST KIDDING A MOMENT AGO! YOU PROMISED SALAMANDER! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T KILL ME!" The Boss became even more frantic, making the chain rattle furiously. "I DIDN'T HURT THAT BITCH! YOU PROMISED!"
'Gray? Juvia? Are they...they're not…' Natsu suddenly recalled Lucy's distressed state when she had first woken up in the hospital right before he had left to come here. Completely battered and covered in bruises, all she cared about were her friends. Once he told her that her friends were okay, that they were recuperating in nearby rooms, she still couldn't relax. 'Lyon! Gold Pistol! They'll come after us. We aren't safe! We can't stay here! We need to leave! What if? What if they're already here. I don't—I don't want to see anyone else get hurt! I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO DIE!' She was crying hysterically, shaking as she looked madly around the room. It was then that he realized just how much stress the past week had worn her down. Lucy had kept so silent, quietly walking in the Underworld and facing its wolves just for the sake of saving her friend. Now that all the dangers were nullified, Natsu saw the effects of the hell she had been through.
A doctor came in then and had injected a sedative into one of the IVs to calm Lucy down. Natsu had never felt so helpless. It was reminiscent to the time when she broke down after he had left so suddenly. He never wanted to see her like that again, but there Lucy was, traumatized by all the darkness she had seen. 'Natsu...I want to go home.' She had mumbled, as the sedative quickly flowed through her and she drifted back to sleep. Yet, even as she slept, tears still continued glittering down her cheeks.
Remembering that scene made his anger flare up. Natsu swung the bat toward the raging Boss, aiming it at the man's wilted mouth. Gold Pistol screamed, the sound filling up the room.
"Fortunately for you, I don't break my promises, Gold Pistol." Natsu stopped the bat, centimeters from Gold Pistol's face. "Even if everything inside of me aches to do just that." The Mafia Boss had been so frightened, he had wet himself, gravity forcing the urine to run down his body and drenching him. Natsu rolled his eyes and handed the bat back to Rocco who had replaced his wolf mask.
"I'll give you money, women, power. ANYTHING YOU WANT! JUST DON'T LET THEM NEAR ME!"
"Ah I can't do that GP. You see, I made a promise with your men after I told them about your extracurricular activities. I promised I would bring you here so they could throw you a party."
"Y-Y-YOU! You told them everything!"
"Did you forget?" Natsu laughed darkly, his rage wanting to snatch the bat back from Rocco and really treat the man like a piñata. "I told you I wouldn't forget our little phone conversation."
"THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME!" The Boss shrieked.
"Yes, some people get to have all the fun." Natsu sighed, his eyes narrowed in irritation.
"You're not going to stay and watch? This is going to be one hell of a party!" One of the other men in the room called out as Natsu turned to leave, a path forming as the Mafia members moved out of his way.
"I barely have any control right now." Natsu admitted, sliding off his gloves and tossing them down. "If I stayed, none of you would get to have any fun."
"Then we shall say, arrivederci, Salamander," Rocco nodded his head toward the door, twirling the bat in his hand. "We want to enjoy ourselves to the fullest."
"SALAMANDER! WAIT! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE WITH THEM! SALAMANDER! SALAMANDER!"
"What's the matter Gold Pistol? You should be excited!" Natsu smiled, a dark humor glinting in his eyes as he took in the full sight of the man before him. Tears mixed with the sweat and urine coating the man's face, while giant globs of snot and saliva clotted the hairs of his moustache. The once proud Boss of the Italian Mafia was a weeping wreck. Natsu looked on with cold eyes at the blubbering man hanging in front of him, unaffected by the man's pleas. "You wanted to see a tragedy after all."
"No. Not like this. NOOO. NOOOOOOOOOO!" Gold Pistol screamed, the sound echoing off the walls as Natsu turned to leave. The wolves stepped out of his path, their fake eyes watching him as he left. The door slid shut behind Natsu, silencing the cries of the Boss Salvatore "Gold Pistol" Lupo.
The party had begun.
"He didn't take the money?!" Lucy gasped, surprise evidently showing.
"No, the Salamander refused it all." Juvia laid in her hospital bed, blinking up at Lucy's wide-eyed expression. "He said he already received his award, but I had my men check our statements. The money he was promised for rescuing Gray wasn't transferred to any accounts. When I sent my men to clarify the situation, the Salamander got angry and sent them back."
"Natsu…" Lucy looked to the door, where Natsu was waiting down in the lobby for her. It surprised her. She thought, after everything that had happened, he would definitely take the promised reward for all his efforts. If he didn't take the money, what treasure did he claim?
"And Lucy," Juvia's voice drew her attention back to her friend. "I'm sorry I won't be able to see you off," she said softly, frowning while her head was propped up by large, fluffy pillows.
Lucy shook her head, smiling as she reached out and took her friend's hand gently. It had been one week since the horrifying incident had occurred. Lucy was amazed, but so thankful that they all had made it out alive. She made sure to thank every star in the sky twice that Juvia had survived the gunshot wound that almost took her life. Gray was safe; Juvia was alive; and today, Lucy was finally going home.
"Don't even apologize. You'll make me upset," she chastised Juvia with a smile. "The only thing you need to worry about is getting better."
"I wanted to spend more time with you though." Juvia's frown deepened, her eyes glistening. "I wanted to show you the Italy that I love, so you could leave here with at least one happy memory."
"Who said I don't have any happy memories?" Lucy rolled her eyes. "Though there were some really scary moments, I got to meet you didn't I?" Juvia blushed happily at Lucy's statement. "I want to stay here longer too, but I need to get back to my company. It's only been two weeks and I trust my staff, but it makes me uneasy being away for so long."
"I understand. I just never had a real fr-friend before." Juvia blushed more as she said the word 'friend', her whole face lighting up with happiness.
"As soon as you're healed, you can come visit me in New York and stay as long as you like! We can tour the city and if you like books, we can go to my favorite bookstores, and I know the best cafes. My friend Levy is there and I know she'll just love you too. You can stay with me and it will be so much fun."
"I can come and stay with you?" Juvia's eyes widened. "Like a sleepover?"
"Yeah," Lucy giggled. "Like a sleepover."
"I'll do it. I'll come as soon as I'm better!" She squeezed Lucy's hand tightly, highlighting her eagerness. "I've never had a sleepover before. I've always wanted to have one!"
"Well let's make it official then." Lucy slid her hand out of Juvia's grasp and extended her pinky toward her. Juvia stared at Lucy's pinky for a moment, before hooking her pinky with Lucy's. "Promise me you'll get better and then you'll come see me in New York."
"It's a promise!" Juvia smiled brightly, tears of joy sliding down her cheeks.
A moment later, a knock came from the door and Gray slipped inside the room, carrying a black duffle bag. He looked from Lucy to Juvia, his alarmed eyes going wide.
"You're crying!" Gray dropped his duffle bag by the door in panic and rushed to Juvia's side. "Are you in pain? Do you need me to get the doctor?"
The girls looked at one another and burst into laughter. Gray stared at them confused as the girls continued to laugh, but relaxed as he realized Juvia was fine. Lucy smiled up at Gray, who was smiling at Juvia. The look in his eyes as he watched Juvia laughing, made Lucy's heart skip with joy. There was a warmth in his eyes, that she had never seen before.
"Don't forget our promise, Juvia." Lucy stood up from her chair and made her way to the door, wanting to give Gray and Juvia a moment alone before they left Venice and went back to Rome. From there, they would take the plane Juvia had generously allowed them to use to go back to New York. To go back home.
"I won't! Friends don't break their promises." Juvia smiled warmly.
"What promise are you two talking about Juvia?" Gray asked, looking between the two of them.
"Gray," Lucy teased. "Don't ask her that."
"Right," Juvia giggled. "It's a secret."
Gray chuckled as he shook his head. "I should have known," he muttered as he sat down. "Are you heading to the lobby, Lucy?"
"Yeah, Natsu said he would wait down there for us."
"Okay, I'll see you down there in a few minutes."
Lucy nodded, smiling at Juvia as she held her pinky up. Juvia mimicked Lucy's action. None of the two girls said farewell, their promise connected them. One day they would see each other again. Lucy opened the door and slipped outside the hospital room, making her way to the lobby.
There weren't many people in the lobby, but it wasn't hard to spot Natsu. His shock of pink hair was easily identifiable. When he had dyed his hair back to its original color, Lucy had felt more relaxed around him. The sharpness surrounding him had dulled, and he seemed more like the Natsu she had met all those weeks ago. It seemed silly to her to feel this way just because he changed his hair color, but Lucy couldn't deny that Natsu's black hair had made him appear...dangerous.
There was so much mystery surrounding Natsu. He had seemed too knowledgeable about the Mafia and the Underworld. Whenever he was addressed by "Salamander", there was such reverence placed on that title and fear. What struck Lucy the most, was how confident Natsu had been the entire time they were searching for Gray. Even though they were going up against cold-hearted men and blood-thirsty wolves, Natsu seemed so calm—so at ease. Lucy had been so afraid she felt she was choking, but it was like the Underworld posed no threat to him. Was he really just a treasure hunter? Or something more?
Lucy brushed away those thoughts. He saved me. He saved us all. She couldn't remember how they had made it out of the Doge's Palace alive, and she really didn't want to know the details. All she knew was that Natsu had somehow managed to do the impossible—Gray had told her that much. Natsu had kept his promise to her and that was all that mattered.
As if sensing her stare, Natsu looked up from his phone and caught her staring at him. Lucy blushed, and looked away embarrassed, but not before she saw the giant smirk plastered on his face. Calm down Lucy. She thought as she made her way over to him. It's just Natsu.
"Gray's saying goodbye to Juvia; he'll be down in a few minutes." Lucy said by way of greeting, relieved how steady her voice sounded.
"He has five minutes or we're leaving without the princess." Natsu leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head.
"Natsu! Really? You know it's hard saying goodbye to someone that you—" Lucy stopped when she noticed Natsu's playful expression. "You're kidding." She sighed, sitting in a chair opposite of him. Natsu just smirked as he chuckled to himself.
"Well that was fast." Natsu looked over Lucy's shoulder at something. She turned around and saw Gray already getting off the elevator and making his way toward them.
"Ready to go?" Gray asked, his head tilted toward the exit.
"Gray? Are you sure that was enough time? I mean, we can wait if you need—"
"It's fine Lucy." Gray smiled, interrupting her. "Besides, I know this one over here has zero patience. You know how hot heads are."
"Who are you calling hot head, princess?" Natsu stood, glaring at Gray.
"I think you're smart enough to figure it out. Or am I giving you too much credit? I forgot hot heads have a tendency to fry their own brain cells." Gray shot back.
"Oh," Natsu cracked his knuckles. "Let's see how many brain cells you have left after I hit that head of yours a couple times."
"Enough!" Lucy stood between Gray and Natsu, pushing the two apart. "Let's go before you send each other to the ER."
The two stared at one another, glaring heavily over her head. Gray broke the glare first, looking down at Lucy's hand on his chest.
"Lucy?" Gray frowned at her hand as he took it and held it up.
"Let her go." Natsu slapped Gray's hand away.
"Natsu!" Lucy turned toward him, annoyed at Natsu's reaction. "What was that for? He wasn't doing anything wrong?"
"YOU'RE MARRIED!" Gray pointed to the rings on Lucy's left hand.
"I-I…" Lucy trailed off unable to say anything, her eyes widening. She looked down at her left hand and realized that she still had the fake wedding rings on from her disguise. Oh! I never took them off?!
"We eloped." Natsu draped his arm across Lucy's shoulders. Gray slid his eyes to Natsu's wedding finger where a matching ring to Lucy's was on display. "Italy is so romantic after all. I didn't think I would be spending my honeymoon trying to save your sorry ass though. I'm already planning another trip to make up for this one. Somewhere tropical. So if you get into trouble, you're on your own."
"We're not!" Before Gray could start to believe Natsu's words, Lucy hastily slipped the rings off her finger and handed them to Natsu. Natsu frowned as he un-draped his arm from her shoulders and took back the rings. "It's a long story, but he's just messing with you. Natsu and I, we're not married."
"I see." Gray gave Natsu a smug look. "Looks like you're planning a trip for one then."
"Bastard," Natsu took a step toward Gray.
"Natsu. Please." He stopped himself, after seeing Lucy's face. Instead, he grabbed his and Lucy's duffle bags and headed toward the exit. Lucy touched the spot where the rings once were and frowned.
"Lucy? Are you alright?" Gray asked.
"I'm fine," she answered. She smiled up at him before following after Natsu. "Let's go, Gray."
Lucy sighed heavily as she walked through the train station, situated in the middle between Gray and Natsu as a living barrier. Would they all be able to make it home in one piece? The train ride had been excruciating. Her nerves were on end trying to keep Natsu and Gray from killing one another. She sent a silent wish to the stars that she would be able to survive this final trial.
Fingers wrapped around her wrist, tugging her gently back. Lucy stopped walking and turned around to see Gray was the one that had stopped her. "What's the matter Gray?"
"Hey flame brain," Gray looked over Lucy at Natsu who had just noticed he was now walking alone. He turned around when he heard Gray's voice, and scowled when he saw Gray holding Lucy's wrist. "We'll wait here, so go get us a cab."
"Like I'm gonna listen to you, princess," Natsu scoffed.
"Actually," Lucy turned to Natsu. "Gray has a point. Even though, he's not doing a good job at making it. You're the only one that speaks Italian, so it would be a little easier if you could please go find a cab driver that's free."
Lucy could see the internal battle raging in Natsu for the three seconds he stared at her. "Fine," he shrugged off the two duffel bags he was carrying and set them between Gray and Lucy.
Gray sighed, letting go and setting his duffle bag down as well. "He makes me so tense. I can't believe you survived a whole week being here alone with him Lucy."
"You're not coming with us," Lucy said.
Gray blinked. "Wait. How did—"
"You shouldn't be that surprised." Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "When I finally found you back in the prison, I knew you weren't coming back."
He laughed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I've been trying to figure out the best way to tell you, but it seems I was freaking out over nothing." Gray sighed and smiled down at her. "You know me so well."
"Like a good book." Lucy laughed. "I knew you weren't going to leave Juvia, which made saying goodbye to her a little easier. I didn't want my friend to be lonely, especially with all that she's been through."
"Juvia saved my life, so I owe it to her to help her now. But it's more than that. I can't help this feeling that I need to be there for her." Gray frowned. "This is hard to really explain and I think I'm doing it wrong."
"There are things that just can't be easily explained," Lucy assured her friend. "I saw how you two looked at each other. I'm just glad you're safe and you're happy. That's all that matters. I get that there are things you still need to do here. Even though it will be awhile before we see each other, you're always going to be my friend."
Gray threw his arms around Lucy, holding her tightly. "Thank you Lucy. I'm sorry you had to go through something so horrible, but thank you for coming to save me—for being my friend."
When Gray had first visited Lucy in the hospital, he had apologized profusely for putting her in danger. He tried to explain about his past, but Lucy had stopped him. To Lucy, his past didn't mattered. The man she had met and befriended, the person who she had shared five years of memories with, that was her best friend—the person she had walked into the Underworld with no hesitation to free. She didn't need to know who he had been before they met. It didn't change anything about who Gray was now.
"I'd do it all again, Gray." Lucy hugged him back.
"I wanted to make sure you left Venice safely. And…" Gray trailed off, looking away as they broke apart.
"Gray?"
"I wanted to warn you about Natsu," he finished.
"Natsu? What do you mean?" she asked a bit startled.
"I don't think he'll hurt you, otherwise I wouldn't trust him to be alone with you. I don't have proof...yet, but I know he's dangerous. I just want you to be careful." Gray gripped her shoulders, his expression totally serious. "I slipped a number into your bag. If you're ever in any type of trouble and I'm not there—call it. Help will come."
"What are you—"
"Oi!" Natsu appeared and shoved Gray away and cutting Lucy off. "I got us a cab. He's the cab driver wearing the blue bandanna."
Gray dusted the place where Natsu had touched him as he glared at him. "Great, thanks for getting me a cab." He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulders. "Juvia arranged for someone to take you to the airstrip from here. The person is waiting at the south entrance."
"BASTARD!" Natsu fumed.
"Remember what I told you, Lucy," Gray said as he walked away. "I'll see you soon."
Two weeks ago, she had travelled to Italy expecting to find hidden treasure, but instead, it was Gray who needed finding. There were so many terrors in that first week. She was almost killed by Gold Pistol's wolves, kidnapped by Lyon's wolves, threatened and beaten by both. Despite the confusion, the fear, and the darkness pulling her and the ones she cared about around, Lucy and the others had survived. But, she knew the scars from this experience would take some time to heal. Although she was a little sad Gray wasn't coming back to New York with her, beyond anything, Lucy was happy that Gray was finally safe. Lucy watched her friend blend into the surrounding crowd, watching him disappear with a smile.
"See you soon, Gray," Lucy whispered after him.
"Where the hell is he going?" Natsu asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"He's staying here." She turned around and said to Natsu.
"We just spent the last week running around Italy to save his sorry ass so he can go back to New York and he wants to stay? What a selfish prick." Natsu picked up their bags, resting them on his shoulder. "I promised I would get you and your princess back to New York. He can't decide otherwise."
"Don't worry, you kept your promise. Gray will come back later." Lucy laughed as she headed to the the south entrance, Natsu following her. Gray had warned her to be wary of Natsu, that he was dangerous. Lucy already knew there was more to Natsu than he seemed. The time they had spent in Italy together had made her realize that. However, Lucy knew that Natsu wouldn't hurt her. She knew that she could trust him.
The same style black car that had picked them up from the airport when they had first landed was waiting outside the south entrance. A man in a black suit waited for them, holding up a card with Lucy's name on it. Despite Natsu's and Juvia's assurance that the Italian Mafia was on their side, Lucy still couldn't calm down around the dangerous looking black suited men. The past week had given her plenty of reasons not to get the warm-fuzzies when it came to members of the Italian Mafia. Natsu placed their bags in the trunk and once everyone was seated, the driver pulled away from the train station and to the airfield.
"Thank you." The driver handed Lucy her bag once they reached the airfield. The man gave her a nod, before getting back in his car and driving off. The plane looked like it was the same one that brought them here and started this whirlwind of a nightmare. She was happy to see it, knowing she was hours from being home.
Natsu was a few feet away from her, rummaging through his bag. "FUCK!"
"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, coming up behind him.
"The fucking princess took my bag!" Lucy peered over Natsu's shoulder and saw the contents of the bag, some clothes, but mainly art supplies filled it.
"I have his number, even though my phone doesn't work, maybe you can call—"
"My phone is in my bag," Natsu cut in. "Everything was in there."
"Your passport too? We'll have to contact the embassy and get them to process a temporary one so you can return home. It will take some time though, but if we leave now we could probably start the process today."
"No, I have it. It's in my jacket with my wallet."
"Oh! Well that's great." Lucy smiled. "We'll just ship Gray's bag to him when we return home and he'll return your's. Gray's not going to mess with your stuff, I'm sure. It's inconvenient, but we'll get it worked out." She assured.
"Yeah. He won't be able to access anything, but…." Natsu zipped the bag up and slipped the bag over his shoulder, trailing off as he turned to look at the plane. Were his hands shaking a little? "Lucy why don't you go ahead and board. I'll be right behind you."
"O-Okay?" Lucy turned and headed toward the plane confused. Was it her imagination or did Natsu seem paler than usual?
Once she boarded the plane, Lucy noticed it was the exact one they had taken before. She picked the same seat, setting her duffle bag in the seat opposite of her. The blind was covering the window, so she lifted it up. Watching clouds go by was one of her favorite things about flying. Lucy waited a few minutes, thinking Natsu would board any minute now, but he never appeared. Getting up, she walked back toward the entrance. Looking down, she saw that he was paused on the first step.
"What are you doing?" She asked, furrowing her brow. Natsu didn't say anything. His hands tightly gripped the strap of Gray's duffle bag, as he stared at his foot on the first step. Looking at him closely, she could see he was shaking. "Natsu?"
"Give—Give me a minute," he managed to say after a moment. A sheen of sweat glistened across his forehead. He tightened his grip on the strap as he brought his other foot onto the first step as well.
He's afraid! Lucy realized as she watched him breathing heavily. The usual arrogant and confident Natsu was trembling in front of her. She thought back to the first time they had flown together. Natsu had been yawning all the way up until they reached the plane and immediately passed out the moment he boarded. It all made sense now….Natsu was afraid of flying! Lucy remembered that Cana's apartment had plenty of sleeping pills too. She had thought they were just for alleviating some of the effects of jet lag, but what if they also served another purpose? What if they were for Natsu in case he ran out between his frequent trips? Since Gray took Natsu's bag, he hadn't had a chance to take one before their flight.
"Excuse me, miss," the pilot came up behind her. Lucy moved to block Natsu from the pilot's view. "We need you two to take your seats, so that we can close the hatch and finish the final preparations."
"Sorry. We'll take our seats now." She smiled at the pilot who nodded before striding back to the cockpit.
Looking behind her, she saw that Natsu was still trembling on the first step. At the rate he was going, it would take him a while before he made it to the door—if he even made it to the door. No wonder one of his rules for treasure hunts required the use of a private plane. Lucy took one more look at Natsu before racing back to her duffle bag. She unzipped it and rummaged through its contents. Her hands pushed aside the obscene amount of silky material Virgo had packed, until she found the things she was looking for. Her mischievous, yet reliable secretary always packed headphones and an iPod for Lucy. Not to mention an eye mask for the longer flights. She grabbed these items and ran back to Natsu. He was still standing on the first step, but he looked even paler than before. She placed the eye mask over his eyes.
"H-Hey Lucy," he protested weakly, but Lucy stopped him from removing the mask.
"There once was a fairy without wings," she told him calmly as she placed the headphones over his ears. Scrolling through the playlists, she turned on the one labeled "Olafur." The playlist consisted of songs by one of her favorite artists—Olafur Arnalds. His songs always inspired her writing, the melodies he created brought to life so many moments in her novels. He could transport her to another world and that's exactly what Lucy intended to do for Natsu.
"He lived his life stuck on the ground, within the shadows of the canopies. All alone, he stayed there, watching as the other fairies soared above him, their silvery wings glinting in the sunlight. Until one day, the trolls kidnapped the fairy king and cast a spell that paralyzed the other fairies." Lucy pried Natsu's hand from the strap of the bag, tucking it into her hand as she slowly guided him up the remaining steps. Once inside the plane, she sat him in the chair next to hers. She released his hand to remove the duffle bag from his shoulder, tossing it into the chair facing him.
"Lucy!" he called her name desperately, reaching out his hand. His skin blanched, bits of his hair matted down with sweat. Natsu was really terrified. Lucy slipped her hand back into his and he grasped it tightly. She could see some of the tension in his muscles relaxing a bit at her touch.
"The trolls did not think he was a fairy because he didn't have wings, so the spell did not affect him. In order to save the other fairies and rescue the fairy king, the wingless fairy needed to travel to the troll kingdom. However, it would take too long if he travelled by foot," Lucy spoke softly to Natsu, weaving the frame of her story together, tying it to the music she knew by heart.
The stewardess from before—Louisa—walked past them and closed the hatchet, giving Lucy a nod as she returned to her seat. The plane rumbled to life as the engines whirled. Natsu squeezed her hand tighter as he felt the plane's vibrations. The airplane sped along the airstrip, gaining speed. Lucy felt her body press against the seat. Looking out the window, she saw Italy grow smaller and smaller, until it was hidden behind the thick clouds.
"In order to save everyone, the wingless fairy needed to fly."
Lucy had just reached the part where the wingless fairy entered the troll kingdom when their plane landed back in New York. Her throat was sore from talking for so long, but she hoped her story had helped. Whenever Lucy was younger, her mother would tell her stories to distract her if things were too scary for her. Trips to the doctor were reimagined as pirate raids and nightmares were spun into heroic battles. It had been instinct to react the same way for Natsu. Although, Natsu was quiet all the way back to her apartment. She wondered if her story had even helped at all….
"Nat...su…" Lucy trailed off, once they were inside her apartment, watching as he set their bags near the couch. His back was to her, so she couldn't see what kind of expression he was making. Natsu had literally faced down the Underworld without even showing an ounce of fear. Seeing him break down to that degree was something she would never forget. Was he still scared? Was he still reliving whatever trauma had caused him to be so terrified of flying?
"The story," Natsu finally spoke, his back still to her. His voice was quiet and shaky, like Natsu didn't even really trust himself to speak. "Does it have a happy ending?"
"Yes, the wing—"
"That's good to know." He said, interrupting her before she could explain the rest of the story. Natsu sighed, his shoulders rose and fell. Lucy had never seen him look so...so fragile. Her heart ached to comfort him, but what could she say? "My parents," he whispered his words when he spoke next, almost like he was afraid of speaking them out loud. "They...they died...in a plane crash when I was younger. Ever since then…" his words trailed off, but Lucy understood.
The pain and raw emotion in Natsu's voice made it clear. Lucy realized there was nothing she could say. Some fears couldn't be soothed away with words. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him from behind. She didn't have the words to make his fear go away, or ease the pain buried in his heart; but Lucy could show him he wasn't alone in facing them.
"Lucy," Natsu said, his hand lightly covered hers. "Thank you."