A/N: Thank you to all who have read, followed, and favorited this story! It still has a ways to go (and a lot of craziness if things go my way) so I hope you stick around and continue to enjoy it!
The next morning Lucy awoke on her back in a tangle of limbs, Natsu's head buried in her chest. His warm breath tickled her skin with each slow exhale and his hair, which always surprised her with how soft it was despite its appearance, gently brushed against her chin. Despite the change in position during the night, he had not released his hold on her – his arm still held her tightly along her side as though even his subconscious feared that if he loosened his grip she might slip away. Not that she could – she was pinned beneath him as he practically laid half on top of her. If it were any other circumstances, she would have flushed a brilliant red, screamed, and Lucy Kicked him into the next town for being far too familiar and intimate in his actions (in sleep or not); but today, she simply sighed and allowed his comforting warmth to envelope her soul in a way she normally denied. A small half-smile graced her lips as she wiggled her legs between his until she was more comfortable beneath his solid muscle. It was this movement that finally stirred the fire dragon slayer above her as he turned his head to the other side, inadvertently rubbing his face between her breasts with a groggy groan. Despite her feelings, Lucy gasped, her face turning as red as Erza's hair. This was too much! She raised a hand, meaning to rudely wake him up, when his brow furrowed and he picked his head up in confusion.
Sleepy, bewildered, forest green met angry velvet brown and locked. For once, Natsu had the presence of mind not to look down, but a blush still crept up his face, beginning in his neck. He quickly recovered by cocking his head playfully to the side and cracking his famously winning grin. "Mornin' Luce!"
He was too innocent. His smile, with white pointed teeth showing, his eyes shut, and a soft color to his tanned cheeks, made the anger drain from her body and be replaced with her own smile. "Morning!" she chirped. Her smile wasn't as wide as his, but her cheeks were even darker, her eyes squeezed shut out of pure embarrassment. Now please, get off of me, Natsu!
Almost as though he had heard her silent plea, Natsu rolled off of her and sat up, running a hand through his hair. Holy shit, he breathed inwardly; relieved she couldn't see that his hand was shaking. How did I get out of that without a Lucy Kick?! He wanted to know, but also didn't want to question his own good fortune. True, the change in positions had happened in sleep – neither of them had been aware of it happening – but it didn't mean he didn't know exactly where his head was the moment he became even slightly conscious. The head roll had been part of waking up, true, but he had been more awake than Lucy realized…
Lucy sat up beside him without his notice – he was too distracted with his own thoughts. "What time is it?" she asked, glancing around the room for the clock. Her hair was messy, her tank top rumpled with sleep, and her eyes were still cloudy. Regardless, he never thought she'd looked more beautiful… Damn it, I can't think like that, he grumbled, forcing himself to look away before the heat could rise to his face once more. Instead, he sniffed, closing his eyes to intensify his senses. The delicious aroma of frying bacon, eggs, and fish quickly greeted him, accompanied by the rich smell of freshly brewed coffee and the crisp, tangy citrus of orange juice. Other soft citrus scents greeted him, telling him there was more fruit, including Lucy's favorite, strawberries. "Breakfast time!" He opened his eyes to find her looking at him, a soft smile gracing her lips. He quickly smiled back, his stomach immediately calling for attention as he launched from the bed in typical Natsu fashion, leaving the sheets scattered in his wake. It was then that he noticed Happy was nowhere to be found. "Wait, where's Happy?"
Lucy's eyes at first widened in surprise, then narrowed as she jumped from the bed. A small indent at the foot of the bed attested to where he had slept – he hadn't moved from where he had curled up the night before. "Happy?!" Lucy called, her voice higher than normal in her worry.
Sniffing again, Natsu darted into the hallway, heedless of the fact that he was only wearing his sleeping pants. Lucy followed him, also still in her pajama shorts and tank top, as Natsu followed his nose to the ever-increasing scents of breakfast. The closer they got to the dining room, the more the tension left him as Happy's scent only grew stronger (as did the food's). It wasn't until they rounded the corner and spied him sitting at the table, a perfectly grilled fish halfway eaten before him. "Happy!" Natsu cried, pointing at him.
Happy jumped nearly three feet in the air, as though he were just caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Ah!" he shrieked, causing Shina to come running from the kitchen, brandishing her spatula as though it were a weapon.
"Oh my," she breathed upon seeing their barely dressed condition. The two wizards appeared to ignore her.
"There you are! Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" Lucy shouted, although relief was clear in her face.
Happy pouted. "You two looked so comfortable," he began, a blush quickly rising to his cheeks that made him avoid their eyes, "I didn't want to wake you."
Lucy swallowed, her own blush rising. Oh, Mavis! He saw that?! Beside her, Natsu wasn't fazed as he waved Happy off, already turning to head back to the room so he could get dressed. His stomach was still growling. "Next time, wake us. Okay, Happy?"
Both Lucy and Happy looked after him with confusion written across their faces. Lucy had the grace to bow in apology to Shina before departing. "Sorry for that. We didn't know where he went."
Shina smiled softly and waved her spatula in dismissal. "Just hurry back down before your breakfast gets cold."
Smiling back at the kind older woman before her, Lucy hurried to do as asked.
After breakfast, Natsu and Lucy disguised their emblems and Natsu's hair once more before heading out into town with Happy in tow. This time, they were dressed more casually; Natsu in tan shorts and a simple black shirt with his typical sandals, Lucy in an easy pink dress. It was another halter-top style, with a thick tie at the neck, but it didn't scoop as low as her circus dress did and it came halfway down her shins. White flats completed her look, but covering her guild emblem was more of a problem. Wearing gloves to the circus wasn't too unusual, but wearing them out in the late summer was quite another. In the end, she decided to just risk looking strange and claim a phobia of germs – reasonable enough – and slipped on short white gloves that stopped at her wrists. Her purse held her keys and her whip, so they were both handy should they be needed while not being conspicuous. Keeping with their disguise, Natsu's hair was restrained with the same black bandana as the previous night and Lucy left her hair completely down in hopes of avoiding anyone recognizing them. It was the second time Natsu had to leave his precious scarf behind, something that twisted his gut when they closed the door to their room – his gift from Igneel neatly folded on the nightstand next to the bed.
There hadn't been much time to check on the condition of Quraie before the circus the night before, so they decided to spend their time inspecting the small local shops and vendors. The Wandering Pine, being as secluded as it was, was not only back from the main road, but also on the outskirts of town, so they had a bit of a walk ahead of them. As they made the trek back to the main road, Lucy let herself be taken away by the beauty that surrounded them. She walked a little ahead of Natsu and Happy; her hands clasped behind her, her head tilted slightly back as she looked up at the trees that towered over them. The forest reached right up to the road, the birds chirping in the morning sunshine as a gentle breeze rustled the branches. She couldn't help but take a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of the trees and loam that surrounded them, a smile dusting across her lips. For once, Natsu and Happy were quiet, Natsu's eyes resting on his blonde partner, as they all simply enjoyed the beautiful morning. It made it all too easy to forget the task that awaited them later in the day…
Quraie was a quaint little town, the whole town not more than ten blocks in length. The circus tents had been set up near the southeastern entrance, the main way for travelers to get into town, and took up a considerable amount of space along the main street. Oddly enough, no one seemed to mind or notice, despite how difficult it made travel. However, there really was little choice for alternative – the woods that surrounded the town and rocky terrain left the circus with little options for where they could set up.
The circus tents, abnormally large pieces of fabric colored and striped red and white, were held up with poles so large, the trees they came from must have been hundreds of years old. The central and largest tent, "the big top", was where the performance was held. A total of four smaller tents near the front (two on each side) and a single smaller tent behind those flanked it on either side. The rear was connected with a tunnel of red and white to one such smaller tent, presumably a preparation or holding area for the performers and animals. All of the tents were connected by such a tunnel, although it was apparent it was easily removable should the need/desire arise. What couldn't be seen, but Lucy intuitively knew existed, were the carts, carriages, and wagons used to transport such heavy equipment and necessary baggage for all the performers, animals, and the "tent city" in general. She wasn't sure how such a large production crew could live and work in what appeared to be such a small space – she assumed it had to be bigger and more spacious than it looked.
Due to the unusual positioning of the tents, they stood as a foreboding obstacle between the town and Lucy. A tent by itself was just a tent – harmless, useful, and sometimes necessary – although she had spent many a night under the stars without one. Even an abnormally large tent was no threat. She'd had performances in or around tents just like that in the past. But throw red and white stripes on it and perhaps a small flag at the top, and all bets were off. However, if she didn't know what she knew and didn't have the deeply engrained fears that she did, she suspected the circus could have been enjoyable. Estobar, the Ring Master, wasn't so bad – he was downright charming. Linkin could woo the women right off their feet, while Lady Sinara took care of the men. The dancers and the Flying Four were beautiful… All in all they had what could and should be a very successful show on their hands. So why the need for magic? Why the need to terrorize and steal?
In a matter of a few short hours, they traversed the whole town. They stopped at a few shops, talked to a few locals, ate a few snacks, and overall only learned what they already knew – that the town had been getting less out-of-town visitors for several weeks but no one understood why. Several shops that did business with traders spoke of other towns (those on their flyer) having similar issues. No one suspected anything, least of all the circus.
While at first glance, everything appeared to be just fine, Lucy could see that beneath the surface, the town should have been busier for this time of year. Although the streets were far from deserted, they were also far from crowded, and several shop owners and vendors looked bored, flipping through magazines as they waited for patrons. Mountain-towns were often tourist hot spots late in the summer, but from what she could see, the people that were out and about were all locals. Everyone seemed to know each other, waving and calling to each other by name, like they were the only newcomers in the town… It was as they gathered intel that an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Lucy's stomach, but she was unable to discern what it truly was.
They stopped for some ice cream, the small shop directly across from the circus tents. The ice cream shop was small with barely enough seating for twenty people inside, but it was barren – they were the only customers. Lucy leaned back against the counter with her elbow while Natsu ordered, practically bouncing on his toes in his excitement for the cold, sugary, sweetness while Happy perched precariously on his head. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, trying to sort out exactly what it was she was feeling and how to solve their conundrum that Natsu had to bump her with his knuckles to get her attention.
"Here," he offered, extending her a single scoop strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone. She jumped at his touch and he raised an eyebrow curiously as he looked at her.
Smiling nervously, Lucy took her treat, shoving her concerns aside for the moment. "Thank you!" Out of habit, she turned to see what monstrosity her partner had managed to create, and laughed as they made their way back out onto the street. Not only had he gotten the largest size waffle cone that was possible, but he also had the most random flavor choices! There was the Red Hot (no surprise there), chocolate, pistachio, lemon/watermelon, and mint. "How can you eat that?!" she shrieked, recoiling in horror as he nearly mixed all 5 flavors in one bite.
Grinning, Natsu shrugged. "Tastes fine to me!"
Her mouth hanging open, Lucy shook her head. That's it. Maybe he really is broken… "Maybe you do need to see a doctor!"
He gaped at her, a bit of ice cream on his lip. "Since when?"
Without thinking, Lucy swiped the ice cream off his lip with her thumb, the rest of her fingers brushing his cheek. The moment she realized what she'd done, she froze, blood immediately rushing to her face as her heart leapt into her throat. For his part, Natsu was just as shocked as she was, the sensation of her thumb against his lip sending a shock down his spine that released a wave of heat before he could recover. That gentle roll of heat brought Lucy back to her senses, even if she didn't realize what it was. "Eh," she stammered, jerking her hand back and ripping her eyes from his as her own cheeks warmed. Crap! Happy's snickering prompted her to shove ice cream in her face.
Natsu could hear her heart pounding in her chest and forced himself to smile through the confusion in an attempt to ease her sudden discomfort, even if she was no longer looking at him. What was that about? "You're weird, Luce," he teased as he took another giant bite.
A child's excited laughter pulled them from their awkward moment, the trio looking up in surprise. A young boy, no more than five, was laughing and squealing as he pulled on the pants of his father, pointing to where they stood on the opposite side of the road. "Papa, Papa! That's her!" the little boy shouted.
Surprised, Lucy took a step back and pointed a finger to her chest. "Me?" she asked, looking directly into the young boy's eyes. Natsu and Happy glanced at each other before watching cautiously, quickly devouring what remained of their ice cream.
"Kit, it's not nice to point," the young boy's father corrected while trying to move him along.
"But it's her! She's the one that the magic man made disappear! I promise!"
Now the father was laughing, but he did look across the street, eying Lucy too close for Natsu's comfort, and he bristled protectively. "Come on," he grumbled, taking her hand and leading her away, back toward the Wandering Pine.
Ignoring Natsu's concern, Lucy nodded and waved at the young boy, who grinned back. "Wait, Natsu," she started.
"That must be her boyfriend!" the boy cried.
Natsu flinched; Lucy felt it in his grip. Her eyes slid to him with a worried brow as she cringed and pulled her waving arm back. What she was about to say was lost when he tugged her forward with renewed fervor, all but dragging her away, as the father chuckled, his gentle laugh audible.
"Leave them alone now, Kit," the father chastised before Lucy could hear no more.
Lucy was too distracted to complain about being dragged along. Instead, she automatically followed, her eyes fixed but unseeing first on her right hand, the hand with her Fairy Tail mark, that Natsu held so tightly, and then on Natsu's straight back, as the boy's words rang through her head along with Estobar's words from the previous night. Why does everyone keep thinking he's my boyfriend?! That makes three people in two days! Of course one only thought so because the other one did, but still… Her mind continued to roll as they walked, her thoughts taking on a mind of their own as they so often did. Is that what we look like? Is that really how others see us?! Even Shina seemed to think we were a couple, or at least she did. Then after last night… Oh, Mavis! What must she think?! Ugh! I've got to keep it together! Focus, Lucy, focus! It took all of her willpower not to physically slap herself in order to stop her rambling thoughts and steer them toward what had been her original concern.
"Wait," Lucy finally remembered what she was about to say. Natsu ignored her, plowing forward. She tugged on her hand, fighting his vice-like grip. "Natsu, wait!" she nearly shouted, still weary of anyone hearing their true names, and all but ripped her hand from his grasp, slipping her hand from her glove in order to free it.
He was slow to turn around. His fist clenched around her now empty glove and he closed his eyes for a moment to carefully compose himself before he did. He didn't recognize or understand the emotions and feelings coursing through him, fighting for his attention every time he was in Lucy's presence. They began quite some time ago, starting as odd twinges or sensations of heat here and there, that although pleasant, also confused him. This strange sense of tenderness had only increased, growing and sprouting roots into the deepest recesses of his soul. Now he couldn't witness her smile or laugh without feeling warmth; he couldn't fear for her safety without an intense, desperate sensation of panicked heat (even for him) coursing through his entire being; he couldn't stand the thought of another man's eyes (or worse, their hands) on her; and he couldn't simply be in her presence without somehow being affected – his heart often racing and his stomach feeling flighty and weightless. He wasn't sure he could continue to function normally around her, without her noticing something was… off. But not being around her simply wasn't an option. Doing his best to keep his voice neutral, he shrugged as though nothing had happened. "What?"
"That boy!" Lucy pointed back the way they had come. Natsu's eyes followed her finger for a moment before returning to her, clearly not understanding her meaning, so she stepped closer. "They're probably going to be at the circus tonight," she started, careful to keep her voice low. "We have to do something."
Natsu frowned, his eyes searching hers, confusion clear in their depths. Their plan entailed allowing business to continue as usual throughout the town, which included the circus for the time being. "Do what, exactly?"
Lucy's eyes widened at first as her mind raced, and then narrowed as she came to a decision. "What would you say to not waiting until tonight to finish this thing?" Despite the seriousness of her tone, she smiled a crooked smile, a sly smile that immediately made Natsu smile mischievously.
Patience was not one of Natsu's virtues. It was well known throughout the guild and had been the cause of trouble for them on numerous occasions, whether he would admit to it or not. He was not about to turn down the chance to jump into action sooner rather than later. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, unaware of the huskiness in his voice that made Lucy shiver pleasantly. The all too familiar light shone in his eyes that belied his excitement as he held up his clenched fist that he so typically did when he was fired up.
Her emblem exposed, Lucy covered the back of her right hand with her left and let her irritation show once more as she pointedly looked at the article clenched in his heated grip. "First, give me back my glove," she chided.
Chuckling, Natsu tossed her the glove as though the whole previous incident had not even happened. Lucy snatched it before it could hit her in the face and slipped it back on with a satisfied huff before saucily spinning on her heel to resume their trek to the bed and breakfast. The movement caused her hair to spin out from her shoulders like a silken blonde fan, and made Natsu smile even though she clearly did it because she was irritated. Bickering was a part of their daily routine and even if Lucy was annoyed, things always returned to their status quo relatively quickly.
"So, you want to explain this plan of yours?" Natsu finally asked after several moments of silence other than the crunching of their shoes on the gravel road.
Still not sure of it herself, Lucy shook her head. "Still working on it."
Happy was the voice of reason as he flew ahead, turning around so he could look back at his partners. "You sure this is a good idea, then?"
"I think it should have been our plan from the start. We don't need all the extra people there. There's no need to put them in any danger," Lucy easily answered.
Natsu watched Lucy's back as she walked, a soft smile gracing his lips. When Happy looked to him as though he expected his support, he simply shrugged. He hadn't liked the idea of dragging the townspeople into their job in the first place, so this satisfied both of them. He wasn't about to argue. But it did present a different problem that he was hoping to address later…
As they neared the Wandering Pine, Natsu's fists clenched tighter and tighter. Unbeknownst to him, the temperature around him increased along with his sense of anxiety over the conversation he needed to have with Happy. Once they neared the bed and breakfast, he slowed, Happy immediately slowing beside him. Lucy was halfway up the porch steps before she realized the rest of her team was not with her and turned to face them. "Natsu?" she asked, her eyes searching.
Natsu smiled softly and waved Lucy forward. "Go on. I've got to talk to Happy a minute."
Immediately understanding, Lucy nodded and didn't argue, disappearing inside a moment later. Happy turned questioning eyes on his best friend, a sinking feeling in his gut. "Natsu?" he asked softly.
Sighing, Natsu pulled the bandana from his hair and closed his eyes. "Happy, I need you to do something for me." When he opened his eyes again, they were dark and fierce – almost black in the shaded afternoon light.
Trembling from the seriousness of Natsu's tone, Happy nodded. "What is it?"
There was no gentle way to say it. "I need you to stay here."
Happy sprouted wings as he leapt to the sky, level with Natsu's face. "WHAT?!" he shrieked.
Immediately throwing his hands up defensively, Natsu took a step back. "Hold on, Happy!"
"Why would you do that?! Are you saying you don' t need me?! Why?!" Tears welled in his eyes as his words began to run together, his lip quivering in his despair.
Natsu moved to embrace his best friend but Happy dodged him, anger flashing through the hurt in his eyes. "That's not it, Happy! Damn it! Will you let me explain?!" When Happy remained quiet, Natsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath once more, summoning the courage to say what he knew he needed to say. "This… This is going to be really hard on Lucy," he began before opening his eyes once more. "I need to be there for her. We don't know exactly how the magic these guys use will affect us, but we do know it's affected you the most, Happy. I can't protect her if I'm worried about you, and I can't protect you if I'm worried about her. I couldn't stand it if anything happened to either of you." His voice was gentle as he spoke, relaying his concern and love for his friend.
Happy's eyes fell and his ears drooped. "So you're worried I'll get in the way?" he whimpered.
Snatching Happy from the air, Natsu shook him. "Of course not!"
Breaking free from Natsu's grip, Happy hopped onto the banister of the porch steps so he and Natsu were once more eye-to-eye. Narrowing his eyes, he asked the question Natsu hoped he wouldn't ask. "Then what are you saying?"
Natsu sighed. He tried dressing it up, but there was no other way to say it. "I'm saying I'll be too worried about Lucy to worry about anything else. I can't let anything happen to her," he admitted, holding Happy's gaze and preparing himself for the backlash.
The backlash he expected never came, even though a glint passed in Happy's eyes before it was replaced with worry. "And who's gonna look out for you?" Happy whined.
Frowning, Natsu shrugged. "I'll be fine, Happy."
With a soft sigh, Happy nodded and pressed a small blue paw onto Natsu's shoulder. "Okay. I'll stay here. But only if you promise me something." He waited until Natsu nodded in agreement. "If you two aren't back before the circus is supposed to start, I'm going in after you."
After thinking for only a moment, Natsu nodded. The circus was still hours away. "Fine." He put his hand out for Happy to shake, before pulling it back at the last second. "And this stays between us, right?!" He narrowed his eyes dangerously at the blue Exceed.
Feigning innocence, Happy pouted. "Who do you think I am?! Of course it will!"
That's exactly what I'm afraid of, Natsu grumbled inwardly as they shook hands.
Thirty minutes later, they were nearly ready to go. While Natsu talked with Happy outside, Lucy changed into more practical clothes – a short, black skirt, red tank top, and knee-high boots. She wore a belt so her keys and whip could once more be at her side. Although there was almost no point in hiding their identities anymore, she decided it might be worth it to try, and so Virgo also brought her black gloves to cover her hands with. Her hair was pulled up in her old style of a half ponytail placed on the side. It took a few moments to contain Natsu's hair once more, much to his chagrin, but this time his scarf took the place of the black cloth – he refused to go into battle without it and Lucy wasn't about to tell him no. They were only missing their final protective measures.
Her lips pursed to the side, Lucy dug through her purse to retrieve a small velvet cinch sack while Happy and Natsu watched with wide, curious eyes – Natsu from her side, Happy from the bed. Loosing the string, she pulled three different pieces of jewelry out from the sack and held them up. The charms were identical; a stunning black jewel with a molten white center made to ward off spells. The jewel looked like a dragon's egg, scaled and all; and was attached to a silver chain with what appeared to be four toes of a dragon, as though it were holding onto the egg. There were two necklaces on slightly thicker chains and a bracelet. They had been sized for each of them individually. The bracelet was daintier, and the circumference was just that it would only fit Lucy – it would fall off of Happy and not fit around Natsu's wrist (not that he wanted to wear a bracelet anyway). One of the necklaces was small enough it would have been too tight on anyone other than Happy, which left the longer necklace for Natsu. The charms had been a quick purchase in Magnolia before they left, along with the potions that should limit their susceptibility to deception and perception-altering magic. These she gently dumped out onto the bed before setting the charms down alongside them.
"I sure hope these work," Lucy mumbled just loud enough that Happy could hear. Natsu picked up her words easily and moved closer to her side, offering her silent support without touching her.
"What do they do?" he asked, looking at the colored bottles and charms.
Lucy pointed a finger into her chin as she looked at the contents of the sack now scattered on the bed. "The blue potion is supposed to help us see the truth, so it protects against the perception-altering magic. The charms are for defense and are supposed to protect us from dark magic." She sighed. "They didn't have anything to overcome the fear."
Natsu's eyes narrowed as they darted to his blonde partner. Although she stubbornly kept her eyes on the goods before them, he could see the worry creasing her brow. Her lower lip found itself between her teeth, which she only did when she was highly strung. Tearing his eyes from her, he bent to retrieve two of the small vials containing blue liquid. When he handed Lucy hers, he held onto it, refusing to give it to her as their fingers touched. She looked up at him with a furrowed brow and his furrowed right back at her. "We've got this, Luce," he murmured before letting the vial go.
A soft blush darkened her cheeks as Lucy pulled the vial to her, scarcely suppressing a gasp. Oblivious, to her reaction, Natsu pulled the top out of his vial and held it up before him, causing her to hurry to do the same. "Bottom's up!" he cheered, granting her a smile that he hoped would ease her worry before downing the surprisingly sweet liquid.
Finding herself smiling, Lucy downed her own vial, humming at the sweet taste of honey and blueberries before recapping it. Just as she was tossing the empty vial back onto the bed, Natsu picked up the two charms meant for them in his hand. When he turned to her with them, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, her head cocked to the side. Without waiting for a response, he held the bracelet out, the ends in his fingers, to show he meant to put it on for her.
Natsu's posture and his intent to put the bracelet on her, despite the reasoning behind it, made Lucy's heart and cheeks warm as she stepped forward and extended her left wrist. He wasn't used to jewelry and so he fumbled with the clasp a little, his fingers brushing against her skin, which only made her blush deepen as butterflies took flight in her stomach. When he was done, she stopped him. "Give it," she demanded, indicating the necklace he still held in his hand.
For a moment, Natsu looked completely confused. Then he shrugged and passed her the necklace. He expected her to tell him to turn around; it's what he'd seen the girls do often enough when helping each other with necklaces – they put it on from behind – but that's not what she did. She stepped closer, their toes nearly touching, her arms brushing against his shoulders as she reached up and behind him to clasp the necklace from in front of him. His breath caught in his throat at her sudden close proximity, her pleasant scent surrounding him and clouding his thoughts as her fingers gently brushed against the back of his neck. It took all his willpower not to shiver at the delicate sensation, especially when she smoothed the necklace with her fingertips as she pulled away. "There," she stated with a satisfied smile, stepping back from him and leaving him suddenly feeling… alone.
He hadn't expected to feel different with the necklace, but he did. His mind felt clear and focused. As he realized this, he plucked the stone up from his chest and held it between his fingers, looking at it in utter shock. He was vaguely aware of Lucy doing the same thing with the bracelet, resting the jewel in the palm of her right hand, her eyes wide. From his place on the bed, Happy was scarcely suppressing a chuckle, one small paw before his mouth, as his eyes darted between the two wizards before him. "Happy," Natsu ground out, quickly bending down to put his necklace on for him to hide their interaction. "Not a word," he threatened.
Happy's eyes were dancing as they met Natsu's, but he for once agreed, nodding his head once. Natsu closed his eyes and sighed in relief as he stood, noting Happy's surprised expression once he felt the effects of the charm as well. "Holy shit! These do work!" he exclaimed, looking at the egg charm as though it were a sacred item. Natsu feared Happy would change his mind, but he didn't. "Remember what I said." He pointed at the two standing before him once more as tears threatened to well up in his eyes. "If you aren't back before the circus is supposed to start, I'm coming after you."
"You got it, Happy." Natsu nodded in agreement.
Lucy looked between the two with a knitted brow. What exactly did Natsu tell him? What did they talk about out there? Before she could say anything, Happy launched from the bed and into her arms, pressing his face into her chest. "Promise me you'll be safe!" he squealed.
For once giggling at his antics, Lucy pat the back of Happy's head and gently squeezed him. "Promise."
Despite Happy being his best friend, Natsu ground his teeth at his choice of position. "I won't let her out of my sight, Happy."
At Natsu's words, Happy removed himself from Lucy's chest, wiping his teary eyes with his tiny blue paws. Lucy's molten chocolate eyes met Natsu's hardened emerald green and her heart swelled near to bursting as a gentle smile graced her lips.
"Good. I'll be here waiting!" Happy drew their attention once more
Natsu waved as they made their way to the door. "Thanks, Happy!"
A slight breeze had picked up during their short stay inside, the trees whispering as the two Fairy Tail wizards stepped out onto the porch once more. They had not seen Shina since their return, but it was only two in the afternoon. They still had four hours before the circus was supposed to start. "So what's the big plan?" Natsu finally asked as he lithely jumped from the porch to begin the trek back to town.
Lucy was less enthusiastic as she climbed down the stairs, Natsu pausing to wait for her. "We go in, scope the place out, and take out the bad guys," she answered lamely, inwardly groaning and screaming at herself for not coming up with something better.
Natsu laughed and bumped her with his elbow. "So the usual?"
His easy manner brought a smile to her face as she brushed her hair back from her face and nodded. "Yep!" She grew more serious as they continued walking. "There's bound to be more security under the big top, and we'll have to find a way to get into the other, smaller tents. It think that's where we'll find more."
"We'll figure it out. We always do."
She glanced sideways at him. "You like going in without a plan, don't you?"
He grinned, his fangs showing in the afternoon light. "Why not? It makes it interesting!" He clenched his fist, allowing flame to engulf it. "Besides, I haven't fought anyone in a few days, I'm dying for some action!"
Giggling, Lucy shook her head. "Seriously, Natsu."
They settled into a comfortable silence as they walked, Lucy trying to focus on a better plan. The whisper of the wind in the trees was soothing, but it was the otherwise silence in the air that disturbed her. The squirrels that had chattered and birds that had chirped at them previously were quiet. The eerie stillness wormed unease into her belly, the unknown causing her overactive imagination to kick into high gear, and her pace slowed as they neared the main road. Her eyes tilted to the left, toward where she knew the circus tents to be, although she could not see them. Natsu, sensing her change in pace also slowed, looking at her curiously over his shoulder.
Without realizing she was doing it, Lucy was fairly wringing her hands before her, the dragon egg charm taking the brunt of her worry as she fiddled with it in her anxiety. She was too focused, too lost in her own disjointed thoughts of murderous, sneering clowns, wizards who kidnapped children, and trapeze artists who tortured their adult victims before tossing them from the high-wires they traversed so easily to notice Natsu stop, watching her with concern. It wasn't until she nearly passed him that he reached out and grasped her arm. His warm and nearly painful grip on her arm made her jump, her eyes jolting to the hand that held her. A squeal was frozen in her throat as she half-suspected it to be some evil being and her hand went to her whip out of reflex. It wasn't until she recognized the arm and her eyes traveled up to meet his surprisingly fierce gaze that she dropped her hand back to her side. "Snap out of it," he all but growled.
His voice made her shiver, the tremble palpable in Natsu's hand, but he didn't loosen his grip, regardless of the fact that he knew he was probably squeezing a little too tightly. He could practically taste the fear in the air around her and it set the hair on the back of his neck on end. Their gazes locked for several moments, the terror tangibly leaving Lucy's body through his point of contact with her. As it fled, he loosened his grip, but didn't release her. Instead, he stepped closer, looking down at her with serious eyes. He couldn't do this without her. He wouldn't. "You with me?" he murmured, his eyes searching hers.
Lucy's heart was pounding, but it was no longer just from her fear. Her breaths came faster as Natsu's eyes seemed to darken while she looked into them, the depths nearly black. She wasn't sure how she had gotten pulled down into such a dark, tumultuous path of fear, but just like all the other times, Natsu had been there to pull her back. Only this time, he hadn't been so gentle about it… "Yes," she whispered back with a gentle nod.
Natsu released her but stayed by her side as they resumed walking. He could still hear her heart pounding and although she was trying not to, her breathing was increased – both of which he noticed when she was all but frozen in terror, so he thought nothing else of it. He kept his eyes front, leery of making her feel uncomfortable, but he had to know. "What happened?" he asked, keeping his voice low but not sure why.
Sighing, Lucy shrugged – he caught the motion out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't like she blacked out – she knew exactly what just happened, remembered exactly how she felt and what she was thinking about. She just didn't understand why, how it had affected her so deeply, or why Natsu had been looking at her so strangely. "I-I was just th-thinking," she muttered.
"About what?"
They were nearing the main road, and although Lucy's anxiety had been lessening, the thought of the circus tents and what was inside them quickly brought it back anew. "Just my overactive imagination," she downplayed with a soft smile. A nervous giggle escaped her, the sound harsh and grating to Natsu's ears.
Natsu frowned and tugged at his scarf, wishing he could run his hand through his hair instead. His fingers turned into irritated claws as he resisted the urge to rip the beloved piece of fabric from his head and instead looked out toward the road. It was too early for the second day's events to already be affecting her, wasn't it?! Shouldn't the charm and potion be helping, regardless? The man in Abilene said nothing was supposed to start happening until that night… He wanted to ask Lucy if she was okay, but he'd basically already done that – or at least as much as he could without getting her mad… That meant if he wanted to avoid a Lucy Kick he needed to keep his mouth shut, which he wasn't comfortable with.
Just before they reached the main road, Lucy stopped. His senses already highly attuned to her, Natsu immediately stopped with her, turning slightly over his shoulder to look at her curiously. "What if I can't do this, Natsu?" she whispered, her voice so soft anyone else wouldn't have been able to hear her.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, turning around to face her fully.
She inclined her head in the direction they just came from. "Back there," she started, a tremble working through her that Natsu scarcely registered. "I nearly froze." Haunted eyes slowly rose to meet his, startling Natsu to his core. "And we aren't even in the tents. What if that happens inside? What if I freeze?" What if something happens to you because of me?!
He could see she was spiraling. It didn't happen often, but he'd seen it enough before to recognize it and fortunately to know how to handle it, but it didn't make witnessing it any easier. "Don't be ridiculous. When have you ever caved under pressure? When have you ever let the team down?" He stepped closer before adding, "Let me down?" When she said nothing, he grabbed her arms, gently this time, rubbing his thumbs up and down her surprisingly cool skin. "Tell me again, why are we doing this, Luce?"
Her brow furrowed curiously as she looked up at him. "It's for a job," she answered lamely.
He wasn't satisfied as he looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. "And?"
"And so I can get a Celestial Spirit Key."
His eyebrow went higher and he frowned. "And?"
Her eyes searched his as she hesitated, thinking. "And to keep this circus from stealing from any more towns."
Finally, he nodded, but he wasn't satisfied. "And?"
Lucy's mind immediately went back to the little boy that prompted their earlier expedition. He was but one of many in the town – a face in the crowds of children that had been at the show last night and would be there again tonight, terrorized out of their minds if they didn't put a stop to it. They were doing this for them, weren't they? She found her resolve; her hands clenching into determined fists as the trickles of fear and doubt that had been worming their way into her heart left, leaving a trail of cold down her left arm as they traveled to the charm at her wrist. The white center rippled and glowed faintly as her unfounded fears were absorbed. "And to keep these people from hurting anyone else."
Natsu smiled, relief flooding through him when the tightness around Lucy's eyes and shoulders visibly left. She'd found her resolve, her purpose that went beyond herself – just like he did. He was faintly aware of the decreasing temperature in her left arm as the fear left her, but his eyes were on hers, so he missed the change in her charm – as did she. "You got it!" he cried, shaking her gently. "You ready to go kick some ass?"
A smile spread across her lips that rivaled Natsu's and for once she beat him to putting her hand up for him to smack, successfully freeing herself from his grasp in the process. "I'm all fired up!" she cheered.
A/N: Holy crap, this is finally done! I must have made 4-5 different versions of this chapter before rearranging and combining them! I still don't know if I'm 100% happy with it (especially the end), but it needs to get out here so I can move on to the exciting scary stuff! I hope you enjoyed it, please review and let me know your thoughts!
Once again, shout out to 4everlot (on DeviantArt) who came up with this idea and for being such an avid reader! I hope this story continues to live up to your expectations, even though it's getting drawn out and this latest update took a little bit...
On a side note, the colors for the potions/charms do correspond to what "magic" those colors may correlate to - I did some digging to try and make it legit.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. I just love writing about them. If I did, there would be a lot more romance! Haha