Out in the hallway now, Lucy gently pulled her hand from Natsu's grip. He tried his best to hide his disappointment. He glanced at her, she was fixing the scarf around her neck, his scarf. It was bloodstained and dirty but it was his and she was wearing it. It made Natsu feel…weird. He decided to ask Levy about this feeling when he got back to the guild.
Natsu was brought back to reality by the sound of a sharp inhale. He looked over at Lucy, who was leaning against the door, hand clutching her stomach. Natsu felt panic bloom in his chest as he looked at her, pain staining her face.
The adrenaline had finally worn off.
Lucy's head was spinning. Her ankle seemed to be numb and burning at the same time. Pain engulfed her body like a fishing net. It hurt to breathe. Every little breath felt like a dagger being violently stabbed into her rib cage. Sprained ribs, maybe even broken.
Choking on her own breath, Lucy's body shook with a violent coughing fit. Quickly, she turned away from Natsu, burying her face in the crook of her elbow. So she wouldn't cough on him, and also in futile attempt to stop him from worrying. She hunched over from the stinging, twisting pain in her chest that flared with every cough. Only when the fit finally subsided did she become aware of the warm hand resting on her back, drawing gentle circles into the fabric of her ruined nightgown. It calmed her, but only for a second. For as she pulled her elbow away, she froze in horror at the sight.
The inside of her arm was wet and sticky with blood. Lucy had punctured a lung.
A terrified whimper escaped her lips. The damage she had taken was worse than what she had thought. Much worse.
Natsu had known something was wrong as soon as he heard Lucy's scared whimper. Lucy got scared a lot, sure, but she never sounded so, horrified. Natsu almost didn't want to know.
Gently, he placed his hand on her shoulder, slowly turning her around to face him.
"Luce…what's wrong?" Natsu froze. Lucy's eyes were wide and frantic. Her arm was still in front of her, and the crook of her elbow was completely red.
"Lucy…" Natsu whispered, terrified for her. He was no doctor, but he knew coughing up blood was very, very bad. She needed help, immediately. He knew that emotionally, she wasn't much better either, and he could tell from the look in her eyes she was on the verge of a breakdown.
As if on cue, silent tears ran from her eyes.
"Lucy, shh it's okay we're gonna get you help, okay? You're going to be okay."
"Natsu…" She croaked so quietly it was almost silent, "it hurts to breathe."
"I know, I know but you've just got to hang on…"
"Everything hurts. It hurts SO BAD!" She sobbed, starting to curl in on herself.
"Luce!" Natsu was growing rather frantic himself, not wanting to completely lose Lucy to her panic. He quickly knelt down and held her crouched, shaking form close. "Listen, I know it hurts but you will get through this."
"I'm scared." She admitted between choked sobs. Natsu's heart screamed, wanting to make all her pain disappear. He was angry and upset that he couldn't be more help. Seeing her suffering was tearing him apart.
This was his fault.
"I know Luce, it's okay, you're allowed to be scared." He whispered into her hair, cursing himself for being so bad with words.
Lucy buried her face into his chest, making Natsu flinch a little from the stab wound on his shoulder, but he dared not pull away.
"I don't want to die." She breathed.
Natsu's heart stopped. Was Lucy dying? No, she couldn't. They still had adventures to go on, things to experience. If she died now it would all be…over. Was he going to lose her to this cold, empty mansion?
No. He wasn't.
"You are not going to die. Not while I'm here." Natsu stated sternly.
"Promise?" Lucy whispered.
"Promise." Natsu breathed back.
Lucy's breathing stopped.
"No..no,no,no!" Natsu gasped, pressing his ear to her mouth. He shuddered in relief as she let out a small cough and her breathing resumed. It was feeble and strangled, but the breaths were there.
Cautiously, he picked up her limp form. Cringing as he realized that the bridal carry was probably not helping her already injured ribs, but knowing he had no choice.
Natsu looked to his left, then his right, cursing at the fact that every hallway looked the same, and he had absolutely no idea how to get out of the damn mansion. Why did rich people always need everything to be so big and confusing?
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Natsu went left, deciding any direction was better than standing still while Lucy's life was in peril. Anxiety clawed at his stomach as he realized what the consequences would be if he took a wrong turn. Every second he wasted could cost the broken blonde her life. Lucy's life was literally in his hands. All of a sudden every joke he had made about her being too heavy made his gut twist.
The burden of her life was by far the heaviest thing he would ever carry.
As he walked, Natsu felt blood trickle down the right side of his chest. He knew the brutal rip in his flesh left by Racers knife was bad. He had been trying to hide his pain from Lucy since it happened, knowing that not only had she been through much worse, but that right now she needed him, injured shoulder or not.
Natsu grit his teeth through the pain and picked up his pace. Jogging as fast as he dared, hyper-aware of Lucy's body slightly bouncing in his arms with each step.
His panic level continued to rise as the pain in his shoulder intensified, making blood spill from under the makeshift bandage, and blurring the corners of his vision. He was lost, alone, and in pain. Lucy's breaths seemed to grow shorter while the hallways just got longer.
Between worrying for her life, constantly listening for her breathing, listening for other potential attackers, fighting through the pain in his shoulder, and trying to keep himself from passing out, Natsu was having trouble managing his thoughts.
Had he turned left last time? Was he going in circles? Didn't he see this painting already?
Natsu felt he may lose his mind in this house.
He wondered if Lucy already had.
Natsu's hope was fading, but was quickly restored as he turned yet another corner.
"ICE MAKE LANCE!" A voice yelled from the end of the hallway.
"Gray!" Natsu yelled, not yet able to see the boy. He broke into a run. Never in his life had he been so happy to hear that cold shirtless freak.
As he reached the end of the hallway, he found himself standing at the top of the grand staircase, and in the foyer below, was none other than Gray, Erza, and the water mage from Phantom Lord, who had just recently joined Fairy Tail. They were fighting off what appeared to be fellow members of the guild Racer and Cobra had been in, judging by their guild marks.
Erza was up against a younger boy with strange white and black hair, a small braid in the front. While the blue haired girl and Gray took on a man with long, untamed red hair and a rather square face.
Natsu watched as with a unison raid, Gray and his partner took out the man they were fighting. Immediately, Gray turned to ask the water mage if she was okay, and eyed her up and down for injuries. Natsu wondered when Gray became so caring, he never checked Natsu for injuries like that.
"Wow, I'm surprised you actually beat him without my help, droopy eyes." Natsu teased, though his voice was weak and raspy. He slowly made his way down the stairs.
Grays head whipped around, his eye's widening as he took in Natsu and the form in his arms.
"Natsu!" He sprinted across the foyer, meeting Natsu at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you okay? Where's-" Gray's voice dwindled as he realized what Natsu was holding was Lucy. His eyes widened in horror.
"Natsu, don't tell me she's…" Gray croaked, slowly reaching for Lucy, almost hesitant, as if he didn't want to know.
"She's not dead, she's holding on, but barely."
Gray's eyes traced Lucy's body, stopping on her ankle. Without hesitation, he hovered his hand over it. Gentle blue light shone from his palm, applying ice magic to the wound.
"I don't know if this will do any good now, but it's something. How long as she been walking on that?" He asked.
"Too long." Natsu replied sternly. "By the way, why are you here? How did you know to come here?" he asked.
Gray opened his mouth to explain, but the blue haired girl cut him off, gently placing a pale hind on the ice mages shoulder.
"Juvia apologizes for interrupting, but there is really no time to explain, for Juvia believes Lucy needs help immediately."
Gray sighed, "Juvia's right, you two take her out to the vehicle, I'll help Erza finish off this bastard." He said with a nod towards the red head, who was still in the heat of the battle.
"Juvia is upset she must part with Gray-sama, but will do it, even if it is to help her love rival." Juvia declared.
Gray cringed a little, but put on a mildly uncomfortable smile. "Thanks Juvia."
Juvia spun around and began marching towards the front door, Natsu following behind. But as Natsu stared at the back of her head, he couldn't help but feel he was forgetting something.
Something that reminded him of her hair…something blue? Then it struck him.
"Wait!" he spun around, catching Gray's attention once more.
"I forgot Happy!" Natsu yelled.
"The hell do you mean you forgot Happy?" Gray shouted back.
"I mean he was sleeping in Lucy's room and I left him and forgot he was there! I have to go back for him!"
"Nope, no way." Gray stated bluntly.
"What?" Natsu gaped, was Gray really telling him to abandon Happy?
"Don't think I can't tell you're hurt too." The dark haired boy said, eyeing Natsu's wrapped shoulder and the blood dripping from underneath the cloth.
"Go get yourself and Lucy to safety, and then stay still and wait for once. I'll beat this guy, then I'll go find your damn cat."
"No way! Happy's my friend!" Natsu protested.
"Shut up and listen to me for once you idiot!" Gray screamed. "I'm trying to protect you and Lucy. You really want to leave her again? In her current state?"
Natsu wanted to argue, but he couldn't. He inhaled deeply.
"You better get Happy back safe." Natsu threatened.
"When have I ever let you down?" Gray asked, quickly followed by, "Don't answer that, actually."
The boys exchanged a sly grin, before Natsu turned to follow Juvia out the front doors. As he ran, he heard Gray call after him,
"I swear if anything bad happens to you or anyone else because of your idiocy, I'm going to beat your ass, Dragneel."
"Yeah, yeah, same goes to you Stripper, try not to do anything stupid for once!"
And with those words exchanged, Juvia kicked open the front doors, and Natsu carried Lucy to the S.E. plug vehicle.
He gently set her inside, laying her across the seat.
He stood outside the door, and looked back at the house, clenching a fist in anger as he thought about all the bad things that had happened in there.
He looked back at Lucy.
"I told you I'd get you out of there Luce. I always keep my promises." He whispered. Slowly, he reached into the vehicle, gently grasping her right hand in his left. "Now I need you to promise me something Luce, and you can't break it." He stared at the pink guild mark on her hand, tainted by blood stains.
"Promise me Lucy, promise me you won't die now."
IT'S MY FAVOURITE BOY GRAY FULLBUSTER!
*ahem* also I love Gruvia if you couldn't tell. (and Gratsu cuse it's my fav brotp)
Anywaysss, Lucy's mansion is a gigantic maze apparently. Or maybe Natsu just has a really terrible sense of direction (It's a bit of both)
As far as writing about the injuries goes, I sprained a rib once and OH BOY lemme tell ya it is exactly how I described it, pretty much the worst pain I have ever felt.
On a happier note, I FINALLY OWN DRAGON CRY ON DVD! Guys you don't understand I actually cried when I got it.
To actually be on topic, I want to say sorry that all these chapters are taking so long, I have school and work and blah blah blah all the usual excuses, forgive me!
I really hope these chapters aren't getting too boring or repetitive, the tone of the story will be shifting soon to something a little more calm with slower pacing, so I can really write that good hurt/comfort and fluff we all crave. (and deserve at this point tbh)
As usual, thank you to anyone and everyone who has, followed, favourited or left a lovely review, on this story! :)
Check out my Tumblr for info and updates on this fic: a-fairy-tail44
(Any posts will be tagged as #I will go home nalu and #IWGH nalu)
((wow these end notes are starting to get long))
