Natsu glanced down at the finger disinterested, eyebrow quirked as if bored. He probably was. "You talkin' about me?" Natsu kicked up off his perch against the wall and stalked toward the desk. Lucy heard the ominous crack of his fingers, and she realized that it hadn't sounded since the door had shut. 'He must have been thinking,' Lucy thought, shocked at the idea. But it was the only time Natsu was ever quiet.
Don feigned surprise. "Why, of course, Salamander. Have you been hitting the fire whiskey again?" Natsu clenched his teeth, and Lucy tried to remember if she knew what that was. It had been a while.
Don winced in sympathy. "Oh, sorry. Did she not know about your little drinking problem?" Don shifted his stare to Lucy, who was trying to keep up at this point, the purpose of the conversation long gone from her brain. "I've tried to get him to quit, honest, but every time that damned bell rings he downs the stuff like—"
"Enough!" Natsu roared, and Lucy flinched as he slammed his hands down on the table. Don smirked briefly, and Lucy saw what was happening. Don was trying to make Natsu angry, so he'd do something stupid. But Natsu didn't move after his outburst, leaving both Don and Lucy surprised. A year ago he would have already leapt the table. 'What happened in that prison, Natsu?'
"Damn, kid. You really took it hard in there." Don's voice softened almost imperceptibly, taking Lucy by surprise. "Guess you finally got clocked good enough." Natsu stiffened, but didn't say anything. Lucy's heart broke.
"On that note, kid," Don continued, and Lucy looked toward him curiously. "You'd better remember who's the boss around here, or you'll be on your way back."
Natsu's head snapped up, but Lucy beat him to the punch. "No!" she screamed. She went to leap across the desk, but Natsu got a firm hold of her waist. Don took a step back from her flailing arms, nonchalant, but Lucy saw the flash of fear in his eyes.
"What do you mean, old man?" Natsu's voice was guarded, and didn't at all convey the trembling Lucy felt in his hands against her hips.
"Ever since you took an interest in that pretty thing in your arms, I've been paying more attention. I figured you would try to leave, get a life of your own. And sure enough, you've let yourself forget what you are." Don's voice could cut through steel. "She doesn't change your circumstances; you are the Salamander, a monster, a damned demon from hell, and you belong to me.
"You want to know why I didn't get you out of there, Salamander? I wanted you to forget about that bitch. I thought a year would get her out of your system, but here you are, ready to defy me once again. And I have more than enough to send you straight back."
"You wouldn't," Natsu whispered, voice hoarse. His whole body was trembling against Lucy. She felt hollow, her eyes burning but not wet. Her throat contracted, but no words came out. 'I should have just answered. Then we wouldn't… he wouldn't be in this mess.'
"I will, Salamander. So what's it going to be? You going to test me?"
No one moved for what felt like forever, and Lucy took the opportunity. She twisted out of Natsu's slack grip, taking a step back from both men. "Okay! I'll answer your question! Just… don't take him away again." Lucy hated how vulnerable she sounded, but it had caught Don's attention. His gaze sharpened, and his smile grew.
"Oh, I see." His stare flitted between Natsu and Lucy. "How poetic. The delinquent boy gives the stifled heiress the freedom she never had. The romance of it all!" His voice was mocking, and Lucy felt a hopeless despair rising up. She had only taken Capricorn's words at their face value. But what he had really meant was that she couldn't give the Keeper anything; a look, a smile, a simple touch in his presence would mean the end.
"Do go on, Ms. Heartfilia. And Salamander, go back to the wall. She doesn't need you right now." Natsu bristled, but retreated. The fire that Lucy had noticed in the first fight of his she'd seen burned hotter than she'd ever seen.
Lucy cautiously sat down, hands folded in her lap. She allowed herself a glance at the clock on Don's desk, and straightened. She was supposed to be home in an hour. Don must have noticed her panic and smiled, all traces of his former malice was gone. "Don't worry, Ms. Heartfilia. I'm quite lenient. You only must answer my one question then I will let you leave. I don't need suspicion on top of everything else."
Lucy nodded in skeptical thanks. "Okay, then. I appreciate that. I learned about your affairs through a file in the clientele log. My father keeps detailed accounts of all of his clients and contacts, for contracts or future reference. I saw your picture when I was working an account, and wanted to learn what had happened since that day two years ago. It was mere curiosity, that's all."
Don hummed. "So he didn't assign you to me in any way? No underhanded business scheme or the like?"
Lucy scoffed at the thought of her father assigning anything underhanded to anyone besides Jacob. At least he was buying her lie; there was no way she would give up Capricorn. "Of course not, I doubt he even knows I've seen it. And if he does, what harm could a nineteen-year-old girl do?"
Don nodded after a beat. He seemed distracted. "Very well. Thank you Ms. Heartfilia. I will contact you again soon, as I will be desiring your services." Lucy froze halfway to standing up.
"What?" Natsu spoke up from the back of the room. His arms were crossed in what Lucy knew was a prevention of cracking his knuckles. "Don, she hasn't done anything. She doesn't belong in your twisted world of—"
"I could have said the same thing to you months ago, Salamander, yet you insisted on believing she could stay." Natsu flinched back. "So here she is, about to get wrapped up in my world, too." Don turned back to Lucy. "I will let him know when to bring you back down here, but until then, have a good day, Ms. Heartfilia. Salamander, take her back up. You're off the books for tonight."
Lucy nodded and turned to walk back out the door. Natsu followed her wordlessly. The door clicked shut, and Lucy breathed out. 'Just what have I gotten myself into?'