Chapter 11

Eyes of Fear

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Everytime she closed her eyes she saw it again. His fist connecting with the boy's stomach over and over again. The boy's face was in a excruciating mask of pain, until after another brutal punch to his stomach his face went slack and he slumped against the tree behind him. Even then he did not stop his attack's. Lucy could feel the tears stream down her face, she wondered why she wasn't screaming but she only felt hollow. Putting one foot in front of another she trudged forward towards her team mate. Her best friend. Natsu. Who was mercilessly continuing his onslaught on the blue haired mage. As she got closer with each step she could feel the sweltering heat emanating from Natsu as his rage consumed him. His powerful muscles were visible through his black vest, highlighting the force that he was driving into his punches.

She was close enough to touch him now, and with one more step she circled her arms around him pleading him to stop. He tensed up in her embrace and gradually dropped the other boy to the ground as he took a step back with her, before he sank to his knees. She did not let go off him, and they sat together for what seemed like an eternity. Gradually Lucy's tears dried, and her head cleared enough to process what had happened. Had Natsu killed him? Was the other mage dead? Lucy lifted her eyes to look over Natsu's shoulder at the other boy. He was lying face down motionless. No, he can't dead, Lucy though blinking back her resurfacing tears but she more she stared at his body she saw the slight rise and fall in his shoulder. He was breathing. He was alive. Natsu had not killed him.

'N-Natsu...' she whispered quietly into his back, she felt him slightly sigh but before he answered her they were interrupted by their fellow teammates running towards them. She let her arm's drop from around Natsu and stood up. Instantly cool air wrapped around her entire body, she was still only in her swimsuit, she hadn't noticed against Natsu's warm back. Both Erza and Gray stopped before her, both looking over to the fallen blue haired mage by the tree.

'Lucy! What happened?' Erza demanded. Lucy looked towards Natsu who was still on his knees facing away from his comrades. The feeling to go over and embrace him again was overwhelming but she pushed it aside.

'I-I don't really know' Lucy mumbled, averting her eyes from Erza's piercing gaze.

'Natsu! You tell me then. What happened?' she said as she stalked over to the dragonslayer. He said nothing. Both Erza and Gray exchanged puzzled looks and glanced over at Lucy. She averted her eyes again. Erza sank to her knees before Natsu asking him again what had happened. Seconds turned into minutes, creating a tense silence between the group before Natsu got to his feet.

'I did' he whispered

'Did what?' Erza demanded

'Killed him' he mumbled. Natsu thought the boy was dead, and that he was a murderer.

'Natsu, he's not dead. He's breathing, look' Lucy said, feebly pointing over to the boy. Natsu's eyes connected with her eyes with a whirlwind of emotions swirling through them. . . But most of all shame. They stayed with their eyes interlocked for some time before he turned his head over towards Gray who was checking over the battered mage.

'Lucy's right, he his breathing, barely. We need Wendy, Lucy can you go and get her, she's down at the beach' Gray called over

'S-sure' she mumbled before quickly walking away. She allowed herself one glance behind her only to find Natsu staring over at her. She turned her head back, quickening her pace from a walk to a run. It was only a short trek down to the beach and she almost immediately located Wendy with Happy and Charla down by the shore.

'Wendy, Gray need's your help back up the path' Lucy panted.

'What's happened Lucy-san?' she asked back worriedly.

'I can't explain, just he need's your help Wendy' Lucy replied. Sensing the urgency Wendy ran off towards the path with Charla flying behind her.

'You should go too Happy, Natsu will need you'.

'Lucy...' was all he replied before flying off after Wendy. She did not want to go back with them, she needed to be alone. A cool breeze drifted around her, causing her hair to swirl into her face. A shiver coursed through her body. Pushing her hair out of her face she subconsciously trailed her hand down her neck, and it wasn't until she felt a sudden burst of heat on her fingertips she realized she had forgotten all about the mark. It felt like a completely different day to the one she started when she was storming of to find Natsu and demand about the mark. Now she didn't know what to do. Again she stroked the mark , sending a comforting warmth through her body. It was the type of feeling she always got around Natsu. Fitting to his fire magic he was like her own personal blazing sun. Whenever she was with him, he would light up her life, enveloping her in his warmth. But after seeing his unfathomable rage and desire to hurt someone so much, she has to admit to herself that she was scared. Her Natsu, who was goofy and silly had never seemed more like a stranger than he did today. Lucy knew of his unyielding power, after his countless battle's with their enemy's but never in those times did she see the intent to kill in his attack's. He was never cruel, but the way he countlessly punched the mage even when he had lost conscious was utterly terrifying to her and she didn't know how to feel now.

Night had begun to fall, casting a dark shadow over the tree covered path. The only source of light was the bright green cast from Wendy's magic as she healed the beaten mage. He was conscious now but barely, he still could not stand so was currently leaning against the tree whilst the younger mage concentrated on his wounds. There wasn't any blood, but his stomach was various shades of black,blue and crimson red. Natsu couldn't tell which was bruising and which was burns's from his fire. He sat as far as he could away from the damage he had caused, he would have run but with Erza's vice grip on his shoulder that option was not one he was likely to get away with. Happy sat next to him and Natsu glad to have him there. As soon as he saw the blue exceed flying towards him along with Wendy and Charla earlier a instant relief found it's way into Natsu's emotions. They all sat in silence until Charla protested that Wendy was using too much of her magic and needed to rest. Erza finally releasing Natsu's shoulder stalked over towards the mage surveying his wounds. In comparison to how the found him, he was in a completely different state. All that was left now on his stomach was a few red marks that would clear up in a few days. Natsu felt a surge of gratitude to the younger dragon slayer but somewhere inside him he also felt a pang of jealously. She was gifted with ability of healing whereas he was only able to destroy.

'What's you name?' Erza questioned the male as she knelt down to his level.

He hesitated, judging her intentions but under Erza's scrutinizing gaze he finally gave in.

'Akio' he grumbled back to her.

So that was his name. Akio. Akio, who thought he could have Lucy, that he could touch her. Natsu stopped his thoughts, he could already feel the anger building up in him again. He gritted his teeth together and clenched his fists to his sides, concentrating on simmering his rage.

'Are you going to tell me what happened?' she questioned, hardening her gaze.

Akio glanced at Natsu, their eyes met for a second but instantly Akio dropped his stare, fear clearly visible in them. Good, he should be afraid of him. He won't go near Lucy now. Again Natsu clamped down on his thought's, concentrating on the occasional twitch of Happy's tail next to him to calm him.

'Well?' Erza asked Akio again.

'I-I don't know. There was some blonde chick, then he showed up' Akio's eyes darted up to Natsu's before falling again, 'and he just went bezerk. He kept punching me and punching me and I blacked out...'.

Erza sighed, and turned her attention back to Natsu.

'Is he telling the truth?' she asked him. In a sense he was telling the truth, but conveniently left out the part about grabbing Lucy and saying she was his. But Natsu knew that even if he told them that, he still did go too far. He had nearly killed someone for just touching Lucy. His head felt heavy, he didn't understand himself anymore.

'Yeah, he is' was all he replied. All there eye's widened, even Happy looked at Natsu completely in shock.

'Well, we need to get him back to wherever he is staying and then Natsu we need to talk' Erza said as she lifted Akio's arm around his shoulder, supporting his weight effortlessly.

'Okay, but I just need some time to cool off' , Natsu said before walking in the other direction not waiting for Erza's reply. He heard no approaching footsteps behind him, so atleast they has respected his wishes. He allowed his feet to carry him aimlessly, whilst his mind re-lived the event's that has just happened. Flashes of his brutality against Akio bore through his thoughts but out of everything it was the memory of Lucy's arm's embracing him that was the main thing he clung to. It was liked waking up from a dream when she wrapped her arms around him. At first there was only fire and rage, but from her touch his senses cleared instantly. Even when he had slumped to the ground she still held, he found himself at peace with her so near. The feeling like coming home after a long and arduous trip. Before he realized it, his feet had carried him to beach. He had unconsciously followed Lucy's scent here. She sat with her back to him, atop of a large rock looking towards the vast sea. He stared at her. The way her blonde hair flowed around her head in the wind. She was still only in her swimsuit, her bare curves enticing him. He shouldn't be thinking of her like that, not after what had just happened. Tentatively he walked over to her before he called out her name. She jumped in surprise, almost falling of the boulder. Any other time he would have laughed at her, and she would have gotten angry at his amusement. Inwardly Natsu smiled, wishing it was one of those times.

'Aren't you cold?' he quietly enquired.

'Yeah I guess I am', she mumbled back, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground. The silence between them was smothering. There had never been such an unpleasant feeling between the two. A sudden gust of sea breeze twirled around them, blowing Lucy's hair to one side. It was then that Natsu noticed a small red mark on her neck. Reflexively he raised his hand towards her neck , but before he could reach her Lucy flinched back away from his touch, her eye's finally meeting his not masking the terror within them. She thought he was going to hurt her. Lucy was scared of him. No she was terrified of him.

'I'm so sorry..' was all he said before to took off back towards the tree's.