Secrets
Highschool AU
Word Count: 2k
Summary: Lucy escaped from her old life under a secret identity to hide from her past. Little does she know it will all catch up to her on her eighteenth birthday while she's spending the day with Natsu.
A/N: This was my entry for Day 2 of NaLu Angst Week, I'm just moving it here :)
Lucy sat on the bar stool in front of the dining table, scooching closer in towards to rest her elbows upon it. She then gently laid her head in between her hands and sighed, looking up to face the person sitting across from her.
"What's wrong, Lucy?" The man across from her called, running his fingers through his spiky locks as his face adorned a white sparkly grin. He could tell something was the matter with the blonde, and he couldn't help to smile since he was always wanting to cheer her up.
She shifted her chocolate brown eyes to meet his, and couldn't help but smile too since his was always so contagious.
"Nothing Natsu, don't worry about it. Just stressed out a bit." Lucy said softly, muttering a few words to herself under her breath. It was along the lines of her trying to convince herself everything was fine, but he overheard and knew better, no matter how dense he seemed.
The pinkette pursed his lips a little unsure what to do then since she wouldn't talk. He didn't want to pry, but he wasn't much for conversations in awkward tension either. He looked down towards the plastic tablecloth below him, pondering what to say.
The two had spent the entire summer day together doing frivolous little things around the town. They went shopping, checked out new stores, and tried on clothes at the fashion boutiques. Although it was mostly Lucy doing all of that, and him trailing behind her complaining as he carried her bags.
"Lucy, you don't have to be weird about it." He sighed curious about what was troubling her, but at the same time curious as to what he'd order since we starving.
He wasn't sure what to do about her though, since she was always usually acting happy no matter what was bothering her deep down. He just wanted to protect her from whatever was making her feel such a way, but he couldn't if he was clueless. Although he immediately expected it to be a person upon instinct as to what was troubling her.
The blonde girl thought over the idea in her head repeatedly of whether she should tell her best friend, she always trusted him with about everything in her life. He knew her more than she even knew herself half the time.
"Natsu, it's about my dad." She began, sitting up straight to face him as they conversed.
At that exact moment, a loud banging noise rang through the small restaurant at the corner of the street. The glass doors had been thrown open revealing a couple of men dressed in clean black suits. They each wore a pair of dark, not fashionable, sunglasses to hide their faces from everyone in the vicinity.
A chill ran down Lucy's spine as she prayed to whoever was out there that it wasn't who she thought it was, her father's personal mini militia of bodyguards. She hoped with every ounce of her being that they weren't there for her. She did everything she possibly could to be untraceable and hidden from everyone else.
She immediately picked up a tall card menu and hide her face behind it, grabbing her long golden hair to tuck it behind her and out of view from the entrance.
Natsu instantly noticed the girl's odd reaction upon the dressed men's arrival, and he knew something extremely odd was going on. He knew without a doubt he needed to protect her like he'd always promised to do, and had always done with a fight.
As the group of three mysterious figures surveyed the area, the pink haired boy slowly stood up to face towards them with confidence evident upon his facial features. The threatening aura was very obvious to everyone emitting from him, he looked serious without a doubt.
"You're going to tell me everything later, but for now I'm going to see what these jerks want." Natsu declared with a firm voice as he balled his fists. He could feel a fiery passion of protectiveness boiling inside of him.
"Natsu...don't!" The blonde whispered with a stern tone, as she barely peeked the top of her head from the top of the menu to look at him.
When she did that, the group caught a glimpse at her facial features and immediately started heading over to the two at the dining table. As the three started to hastily walk towards them is when Natsu caught site of the Heartfilia family crest ironed onto the fabric of the suits. It stood out with its golden colored thread forming the large symbol with the blonde's last name written under it.
Lucy began tearing up terrified about what was about to unravel before her, she just wanted nothing more than to spend the day with her friend. She didn't want to have to handle any of the drama that was soon to occur.
"Lucy Heartfilia." The man in the middle of the trio announced sternly, more of stating his question.
That's when Natsu immediately jumped in front of her as they finally neared, causing the attention of everyone at the restaurant to have their attention focused on what was happening.
"What do you want with her?" The pinkette spat towards the men, not even caring to figure out the answer to that question.
He just knew it was serious if the blonde was honestly so scared that it had been eating at her for awhile. He had noticed that she'd been acting more strange than usual, that day. He just didn't want to bring it up before, because he knew she'd get mad and hit him for calling her weird.
"We are here to retrieve Mrs. Lucy Heartfilia, heir to the Heartfilia railroad company. We are on strict orders to bring her back to the estate, seeing as today is the day she can take over the family business." Another one of the shady figures announced as they stood before Natsu, all being much more taller and built than he was, which still didn't intimidate him.
"What do you mean?" Natsu replied with a snarl, balling his fists. He'd be damned if he let anyone take away Lucy from him. Not if she obviously didn't want to go.
"It is her eighteenth birthday, July 1st. It tis the day Mrs. Heartfilia will take her place, and not continue to run away and hide from her responsibility as she has been for the past four years." The last man declared, finally speaking up. Natsu giving a raised eyebrow towards her hidden figure having no clue it was her birthday, she'd always told him it was a day in February.
The blonde girl finally lowered the menu to reveal her shocked face, seeing as they already knew her hidden identity. She had done everything she possibly could to ensure her safety, only revealing her real last name to Natsu and telling him a short story about her verbally abusive, money hungry father. She just didn't include every single bit of information in what she did entrust him with.
"I'm not going to let any one of you goons touch her!" Natsu shouted, causing everyone else to realize the severity of the situation and either run out of the building or hide.
"We do not wish to get physical, we just require the presence of the woman and we will leave."
The pinkette brought his fists up and collided it into the jaw of whichever one was the closest to him, sending the man stumbling back.
The other two stepped forward and restrained Natsu by his arms as he flailed and struggled fiercely. He didn't care if he was obviously overpowered by bigger men, he wasn't going to give up.
"You're not going to take Lucy!" He screamed prepared to protect his highschool friend at any cost.
"You just assaulted an officer, young man." The guy with sandy blonde hair announced firmly, gripping the pinkette's muscular arms harshly.
"You aren't no damn officer, you're just some freaks who work for her father." Natsu raised his voice as he kicked one of their shins.
The man who had been punched fixed his glasses on his face, went to reach for something in his pocket. He pulled out a wallet, opening it to reveal a police badge.
Lucy could only watch the scene reveal itself silently, stunned with fear that she couldn't move or speak.
"Now stop resisting, or we have to detain you. We just need Lucy Heartfilia." The dark haired man holding his other arm said.
Natsu had never known his limits, especially with the law. He had many arson incidents on his record as it was. He definitely wasn't going to start caring then when it was up to him to protect Lucy though.
He put all his weight on his arms that were being restrained and kicked his legs up to collide with the officer's jaw once more.
"I'm not going to let anyone touch Lucy, ever." Natsu screamed furiously, anger pulsing through his blood.
The guy who had been attacked stumbled back only slightly before he immediately reached for a gun on his belt, and pulled it out with the barrel facing the young boy.
"What the fuck!" Natsu screamed staring at the gun pointed towards his face.
By that point everyone had left the vicinity, even the restaurant employs had vacated not wanting to get caught up with the law.
At that moment, Lucy finally jumped up to intervene and face her problems. She always depended on Natsu to save her, but this time it was her job to save him from dealing with her own issues.
She throw herself between the gun and the man with her arms spread out, and a stern look upon her face.
"Stop this, leave him alone this instant and I will go with you with no complaints." The blonde girl announced with as much confidence as she could muster, despite her slim legs shaking under her.
The man holding the weapon took a moment to consider her offer before lowering his arms and signaling for his buddies to let go of Natsu.
"Fine, but there better not be any more fuss. Your father isn't paying us to be late."
The reason as to why police were even under the control of Jude Heartfilia wasn't known to many except Lucy. She knew her father was sneaky and conniving with money. It wasn't a surprise someone handling a railroad company would be in charge of much more.
Natsu and Lucy both turned to each other once he was released. They started running and immediately wrapped their arms around each other. The world seemed to stop revolving as the two hugged.
They didn't want to let go, but they both knew they had to for the best. Despite the burning passion in the pinkette's chest he knew this was a fight she'd have to face herself. He believed she could handle anything though, she was Lucy Heartfilia, one of the strongest girls he knew without a doubt.
"Your life is here with your friends, not him," he whispered in her ear, "I'll find you and save you, no matter what. I promise."
"I know you will," Lucy replied giving him a light kiss on the cheek before reluctantly breaking away from him.
The three men got between them and slowly ushered her out the door. As the four figures left the building, she flashed him one last smile that he could remember her bye with.
Natsu just watched her retreating body disappearing past his view through the glass windows. He stood in his spot stunned from what had all happened. He should have just stayed home with her, if they had he believed this wouldn't have had. He blamed himself.
He couldn't do anything while he watched her being taken away. That fact burned in his chest, tearing his heart apart. What if he never saw her again?
No, he couldn't think that. He would do anything for her, and he wasn't going to let some policemen who pulled a gun too quickly to prevent him this time.
Even if her secret identity under the name of Lucy Ashley couldn't protect her anymore, he would. That was a fact.
