Hello all! I just got back from vacation and ended up having an unexpected day off so I finished Chapter 3, yay! Things get a little intense in this chapter, especially with Lucy's past. Also some NaLu moments ;) Nothing lemony yet...just trying to create some more tension! Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
*I do not own Fairy Tail*
"Where's Natsu?" Lucy poked her head outside after she noticed he hadn't followed her into the hut. She soon caught sight of him, still standing by the large patch of wildflowers on the forest path. He was staring at the sky, the night wind whipping through his thick hair.
Lucy started to call to him but his stoic demeanor silenced her. She watched him from the doorway and wondered what was on his mind. Natsu had never been a thinker, much less was he ever quiet.
Natsu caught Lucy's scent on the breeze, honeysuckles and sunlight. He closed his eyes for a brief moment to savor the seraphic perfume. And when he opened his eyes he saw her head poking out from the little hut.
Lucy smiled warmly at him, "Just wondering where you were."
"Still here."
"Something on your mind?" Lucy asked as she stepped outside.
"Nah. Just watching the stars." Natsu shrugged.
"Care if I join you?" Lucy asked but she was already walking over to him.
"Alright." Natsu sat down in the plush carpet of wildflowers and a plume of little white butterflies danced around him.
Lucy plopped down beside Natsu and she fell back into the flowers, breathing in their sweet scent.
They sat in silence for quite awhile, star-gazing and enjoying the cool night air. Lucy peeked over at Natsu, who was sitting cross-legged with his elbows on the ground behind him for support. His face was turned up to the indigo sky. Lucy admired the defined silhouette, his wiry frame a deception of his immense strength.
He's never this quiet...something must be bothering him. Lucy frowned at the though.
As if he could hear her thoughts, Natsu looked down at her. "What?"
"N...nothing!" Lucy quickly turned her head away to hide her blushing cheeks. Things were different between them and she wasn't sure if it was good or bad. She was searching for something to say, desperately wanting to break the awkward silence. Where was Happy when you need him?
Not a moment too soon, Madam Mooney called from her hut to announce that supper was ready.
"Happy?" Natsu called to his friend, "Did you hear that? Food!"
Happy's head popped up from the hot spring.
"What!? You've been in the spring this whole time?" Lucy's was irritated, he'd been there the whole time probably listening in amusement.
Happy stuck his tongue out at her and shook off the water before walking over to Madam Mooney's hut.
They all enjoyed hearty helpings of flavorful stew while learning a bit more about Madam Mooney.
"I moved all over Earthland in my younger years as a traveling fortune-teller," She motioned toward her collection of crystal balls and tarot cards, "But my age caught up to me and I settled here."
"Neat! Can you tell me my fortune?" Lucy asked as she helped clear the table.
"Come sit over here," the Madam beckoned, "and hold out your hands."
The old woman's hands felt rough and brittle against Lucy's taut young skin. Madam Mooney closed her eyes and a bluish light began to glow from her forehead. She seemed to be in a trance and when her wrinkled eyes opened they looked far beyond Lucy.
"I see...pain. Terrible pain and loss. There is a man," her voice grew deeper, "an evil man...his name...Tyreus."
Lucy's heart was pounding and tears began to pour from the well of her dark eyes. "NO!" She knocked her chair over as she fled from the hut. Lucy felt her chest constricting and she gasped for air as she ran into the forest. Fear and shock had taken control and her stomach tightened as a wave of nausea washed over her. Lucy doubled over and the tremor of sickness brought her to her knees.
"Lucy!" Natsu called after as he raced out into the darkness. He paused to take a deep breath, her sweet smell filled his lungs and he followed the trail. It wasn't long before he found Lucy crumpled on the ground. She was dry-heaving over a puddle of vomit, tears dripping from her chin.
"Go away!" She whimpered between heaving sobs, "I don't want you to see me like this."
"Shit, Lucy..." Natsu put his hand on her shoulder, "I ain't leaving you here." His wide eyes revealed the impact of Lucy's convulsive state.
Still shaking, Lucy straightened herself and Natsu gently pulled her up off the ground, afraid that she could shatter at his touch. He pulled her arm over his shoulders to take the weight off of her weak knees.
They walked back to the little hut and Natsu lowered Lucy onto the bed in the corner.
"Lucy, are you okay?" Happy's wavering voice was full of concern.
"We should leave her alone for awhile," Natsu gestured to the exceed to follow him outside.
Lucy considered the fortune-tellers warning, the nightmare of her past had come back in a rush of terror.
She had left her previous life behind and never thought she would hear the name Tyreus again. He had been her first and only love interest, the landscapers apprentice at her families estate. A young man of 19 when Lucy was barely 15, they had spent time together wandering the gardens of the Heartfilia Mansion. She was captivated by his handsome looks and forward demeanor. A so-called "blue-eyed devil" with a shock of pitch black hair, he was tall and heavily muscled with a face to rival the statues the ancient gods.
Lucy had naively looked up to him and after several months of casual interest, their relationship began to take a more serious turn. Lucy didn't know that she wasn't ready until it was too late. Tyreus became aggressive in his attempts for her affection and when she firmly turned him down he began to harass her whenever he could find her alone. Pinning her up against walls, groping her, and forcing his mouth onto hers. Her fear of him grew with each passing day and she was filled with dread just walking through her own home.
Lucy's was too ashamed to tell her father and the humiliating behavior went on for months. One day, when Lucy's father was off on business, Tyreus locked her in one of the bathrooms. He had forced himself on her violently. Lucy was left beaten and violated on the bathroom floor. Hours later, one of the maids found her balled up in the floor in her shredded clothing. Lucy was lost in a flux of ruin and rage.
When her father, Jude Heartfilia, returned and learned of Lucy's abuse he went into a furious rampage. He tore the town apart searching for the boy who had raped his only daughter. However, Tyreus was long gone. So, Jude sent word across Fiore in hopes of catching Tyreus but the years went by and no word ever came of his capture.
Lucy lived in fear for the better part of a year, the vicious memories haunted her day and night. She would wake from nightmares sobbing and soaked in sweat, the visions of her savage attacker forever etched in her mind. It took time but eventually Lucy had healed, or so she thought. Being confronted by his awful name again said otherwise.
Did Madam Mooney have a vision of her past or was Lucy destined to encounter Tyreus again?
After the initial shock wore off and Lucy's nerves settled, burning anger began to overwhelm her chilling fear. Fairy Tail had given her strength, confidence, and pride. She gritted her teeth beneath the tears. She wanted to pay Tyreus back for what he had done and she thought that maybe now she was strong enough. Lucy was still shaking, she was still afraid, but there was strength in her anger.
Natsu was leaned up against the outer wall of the hut, his fists clenched against the fire rising within him. Whoever this Tyreus is, he would pay for making Lucy cry. He would pay a hundred fold. Lucy was becoming something more than just a partner to Natsu. Somehow he could feel her pain and it was crushing him.
Lucy dragged herself off the bed and tried to put on a brave face. She was embarrassed that her partner had seen her in such a state and she was still terribly ashamed of her past.
Lucy pulled back the drape that served as the door and stepped out, inhaling the fresh air. She was still a little wobbly so she walked over and sat at the edge of the hot spring, dipping her feet into the steamy water. She heard Natsu step closer. He didn't speak, only sat beside her. Her stalwart protector.
As they sat in silence, Lucy reached over and took his hand. Natsu is the one person in all of Earthland, in all the universe, that she believed in without fail. She felt so safe with him at her side that her exhausted body began to sag as she fought against sleep.
Natsu caught Lucy before she fell forward into the spring. She had fallen asleep beside him. He lifted her as gently as he could and carried her in to the bed. Lucy stirred as he laid her down, covering her with a blanket. As he turned to get the bedroll that was tied to his pack, Lucy grabbed his arm. Startled, Natsu turned to face her.
"Stay," she whispered, her voice raw.
"I'm just going right over there," he pointed to the far side of the hut.
"No, it's too far," the concern in her eyes tore at his heart, "please stay here." Lucy inched backwards toward the wall, making room for Natsu to lay beside her.
He hesitated, but the pull of Lucy's pleading eyes was too much for him and he laid down on his back beside her. Uncomfortably, Natsu tried to keep a space between them on the small one-person bed. But Lucy was soon snuggled against him with her head on his chest, one arm draped across him. Natsu carefully slid his right arm free and wrapped it around Lucy, pulling her a little closer. He was uneasy about this sudden closeness and though weary of the complications arising in their relationship, Natsu couldn't deny his desire to be intimate with Lucy. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, trying to steady his faltering nerves. His outward appearance remained calm, concealing his inner turmoil.
Lucy listened to the slow rhythm of his heart, the gentle movement of his breath reminded her of the ocean. Like waves rolling back and forth from a sandy shore, steadfast and true. Lucy wasn't sure what Natsu was to her anymore. In this moment he felt like more than her friend but she was too raw to think about it now. She was simply grateful for his comfort tonight.
Cradled against her favorite Dragon Slayer, Lucy was able to drift off to sleep again. She felt like the safest person in Earthland. While Natsu, however, felt like he was coming undone. He had never felt so powerless. This was a strange kind of weakness, one that he couldn't understand. He just wanted things to go back to normal, he thought. Yet, as his heart overruled his mind, he unsteadily stroked Lucy's smooth hair, resting his head on hers. This was all new to the Salamander and he felt his hands tremble as he brushed a strand of blonde hair from Lucy's cheek.
It was a long night for Natsu as he lay still, holding Lucy, keeping her nightmares at bay. She occasionally moaned in her uneasy sleep, clutching him tightly as if he was her anchor to the world. Natsu eventually fell into a heavy sleep just before dawn and he had restless dreams about Lucy. She was falling away, his arms reaching out unable to catch her.
The morning light peeked in through the small window of the hut and a beam of light woke Lucy as it filtered through her eyelids. She was burning up and when she tried to push the blanket off something prevented her from completing the motion. Lucy lifted her head to find the source of her impediment and taking in the situation she guessed why she was overheated. Natsu lay beside her still holding her close to his igneous presence.
Lucy was more than a little embarrassed when she recalled the events of the night before. Still pressed against Natsu, his arm encircling her narrow shoulders, she tried to sit up without disturbing him. She gently slid his arm from around her and laid it over his stomach. Natsu called her name in distress and Lucy thought she had awoken him. She looked up at his pained face to see that he was only dreaming. Crawling over his sleeping body, Lucy crept to the door and pushed through the felt drape.
The morning air was crisp and the grass beneath her bare feet was cool and dewy. Lucy shivered at the contrast from hot bed to cold air. She darted toward the stone patio and looked longingly at the steam rising from the hot spring. She glanced around and saw no sign that the old fortune-teller was up and about. Lucy had hoped to get more information from her about the grim "fortune" from last night. She shrugged her shoulders, Since everyone else is sleeping, I might as well have a bath, Lucy reasoned to herself.
Thankful that she had remembered her swimsuit, Lucy quietly changed behind a screen in the hut. She tiptoed toward the exit trying not to wake Happy who was curled up on a floor cushion by the door. She made it silently to the patio and lowered herself into the spring, letting her cold feet adjust to the hot temperature. Once the tingling in her toes went away, Lucy sank to her chin in the water and sighed with relief. Her muscles were tired and sore and she closed her eyes in pleasure as the hot water soothed her careworn body.
Natsu awoke with a start. The weight and warmth of Lucy was gone and he panicked, thinking the worst. He sprang from the small bed and rushed outside calling her name in a frantic voice. The panic was over as soon as it began when he saw her turn in surprise from the hot spring in front of the hut.
"What is it?" She looked concerned.
"Oh, nothing. I just..." Natsu stumbled over the words as he realized his overreaction, "I thought you might be in trouble."
Lucy smiled at him, "I'm okay, but thanks for checking on me."
A vengeful shadow darkened Natsu's face, "Listen, about last night," Lucy felt her heart flutter as she thought about Natsu holding her in her vulnerable state, "I don't know who Tyreus is or what he did to you. But if we do run into that guy, I'm going to make him pay."
Lucy could tell he was barely containing his fiery anger. She climbed out of the spring and walked over to Natsu, steam swirling from her dripping body. Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him in a watery hug, "I know you will."
He didn't care that she was soaking his clothes and in reply he pulled her close. Natsu felt the anger die away and he stepped back to look in Lucy's eyes.
"Will you tell me about him?" Natsu beckoned her to come back inside.
Lucy took a deep breath, unsure if she could overcome the shame of recounting her soiled past. She found a towel and dried off before stepping behind the screen to change into her clothes. While she was pulling on her clean, dry dress she began to relay her sad story.
Natsu sat on the bed and listened, watching her silhouette through the rice paper. It was hard for him to focus at first, the outline of her figure was captivating him from behind the screen. But as she stepped out from the partition her face was all too serious and he listened with intensity and a growing rage as she told her story through a swell of fresh tears.
Natsu sat motionless, his breath becoming shallow and ragged in his tight chest. A single tear rolled down his pained face, "Lucy," his voice cracked as he tried to hold back a flood of emotions, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you." He brought his hands to his face, agonized by his frustration. Natsu couldn't stand to see his friends in pain.
Lucy stood in amazement. She had never seen Natsu so shaken before. His lighthearted manner had vanished and it scared her to see him like this.
"It isn't your fault," she tried to console him, "I didn't even know you back then."
Natsu summoned his strength and he stood up, "I'm going to get this guy. You go back to the guild."
"Wait a minute!" Lucy responded fiercely, "We have a job to do, you know! I walked all this way and I am NOT going to turn around and walk back just because you want to go beat someone up!"
All of a sudden things were starting to feel normal again.
Happy woke to Natsu and Lucy's rather loud argument and he stood up to stretch, "What's going on?"
Lucy was the first to respond, "We're leaving for Twilight Village," she turned to look sternly at Natsu, "and that's final!"
They all gathered their belongings and stepped outside to look for Madam Mooney. She was nowhere to be found and after they had all searched her hut, Lucy decided to leave her a note.
Thank you for the delicious meal and warm shelter.
I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to thank you in person,
but we're in a hurry! -Lucy H.
"Meeting her in the woods last night was weird enough, but now she has just vanished." Lucy thought aloud.
"Maybe she was a ghost!" Happy was thrilled by the idea and he flew ahead as if frightened that the fortune-teller might suddenly appear.
Natsu and Lucy stood by the wildflowers and looked back at the little huts.
"Thanks Natsu," Lucy reached out for his hand and Natsu looked at her questioningly, "for everything."
He took her hand and they looked in each others eyes for a long moment, each finding something in the other. Something that neither could yet accept. It was respect and hope. It was courage, awe, fear, and desire.
And as they turned to leave by the forest path, their fingers still interlaced, deep down they knew...
It was love.