Second chapter is here! For the guest reviewer asking about an update schedule, it's pretty up in the air at this point. I'm a full time college student and setting a set update schedule never seems to work for me for some reason. So I'll say, tentatively, that I'm going to try to update a few times every week. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed! You're amazing! I hope you enjoy the new chapter and please continue leaving reviews! Much love

Chapter 2

Natsu was staring around her little workshop in wonder, a small grin playing on his lips. His hands cupped the pale blue mug of tea she'd given him, a special brew she gave to clients to relax them. It seemed to be working as he glanced back at her, eyes bright.

"This is a cool space," he admitted, sipping the still steaming tea. She raised an eyebrow, her own mug still too hot for her to even hold it like he was.

"Fire elemental?" she guessed aloud.

He blinked at her. "How'd you know?" he asked, startled.

"Lucky guess," she snorted. She'd only ever seen fire elementals drink hot tea like that without completely setting their esophagus on fire. She leaned back in her chair, glancing around her workshop like he was.

It wasn't very big but it was cozy and large enough for her work. She had a few of her more temperamental plants back here and a long wooden bench where she did most of her work. The small table they were sat at was tucked into the corner; she used it for her clients who needed this kind of work, diagnostics and cleansings. A couple of large windows allowed for the natural light to filter in and when it was dark outside, she lit floating charms that provided light without using electricity. It smelled like earthy, growing things in the room and she smiled a little to herself.

"It's pretty nice, isn't it," she mused.

He leaned forward and she became increasingly conscious of his unfairly perfect, smooth tanned skin and the light smatter of freckles across his nose and cheeks. He grinned, revealing those intriguing canines once again. She was having a hard time pinning down his profession. He was dressed simply in jeans and a simple t shirt, covered up by a leather jacket he had hung over the back of his chair. He didn't seem like a witch worker, that is, someone like her who worked specifically with magic. There were plenty of people who used their magic in more every day jobs than her. Such as Levy, a librarian whose magic suited her to the job perfectly. Not to mention her love of books.

"So, what's the plan, boss?"

She laughed and he straightened a little at the sound.

"Boss?" she queried, taking a sip of her drink.

He shrugged. He ran a hand through his messy hair, leaning back once more.

"You're in charge here," he explained. "I just wanna know what the hell is wrong with me."

She hummed thoughtfully, reaching back to tie her hair up in a messy ponytail.

"First, tell me about yourself. Knowing the person I'm examining can help with the process, and it puts you more at ease."

He frowned, stiffening, and her eyes narrowed a bit. He was still wary of her, despite her efforts and the tea. Slow to trust, then. Nothing she hadn't dealt with before but for some reason it was frustrating. She wanted him to like her, to trust her. More so than usual. Shaking her thoughts out of her head, she waited for his response.

"Well, whaddya wanna know?" he asked finally, still frowning. She wanted to lean forward and smooth that crease from between his eyes but she held herself back.

"Little things," she assured him. "What's your job? Do you have family? How much magic do you use on a daily basis?"

She paused for a moment, eyeing him critically.

"In your case, it would be useful to know if you have any enemies as well," she murmured.

His frown smoothened out to a still solemn, but slightly more relaxed expression.

"Well, I'm a firefighter," he began. She couldn't help but smile. A fire elemental being a firefighter; figures. It suited him, though, she thought. His aura was warm, protective. She had no doubt he was excellent at his job.

"Mind you, I'm the best in my unit," he boasted, a cocky smirk covering his face. She rolled her eyes at that. Men, she thought with some exasperation. But damn did he look good with that lazy, satisfied expression on his face. She berated herself for the thought. He was a client she had known all of fifteen minutes. Why was she noticing these kinds of details?

"I'm new to the area. I just moved here a couple weeks ago but I know a few people in town. My cousin lives here, actually."

"Parents?" she asked curiously. He was growing more comfortable as he talked, relaxing into his chair and drinking more of his tea.

"They live with my little sister a couple towns over," he answered. She nodded, taking mental note of the softness in his mouth as he said that, the almost longing look in his dark eyes. He missed them already.

His expression cleared and he flicked his eyes to her, that mischievous look back in his eye and the way his lips curled in the corner.

"What about you, princess?" he hummed, nearly purred. He leaned forward again, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "Aren't I supposed to ask you some questions too? Ain't that how a date works?"

She nearly choked on the sip of tea she'd been taking. Princess? After sputtering uselessly for a few moments she leveled a glare at him.

"This is a consultation, not a date," she all but growled. He was just trying to get a rise out of her and he was succeeding. She wanted to smack him.

He laughed, loud and sudden, and she relaxed.

"You're rather pushy, you know that?" he teased easily, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head. She rolled her eyes again, trying desperately to ignore the way his sweater had slipped up just enough to reveal a strip of tanned, toned skin.

"I'm here to help," she retorted, furiously fighting back a blush. "That requires a few things."

"Like bein' nosey?" he shot back.

"Like getting to know you," she sighed. She laced her fingers together and set her chin on them, smiling at him, sugar sweet.

"If you really want to get to know me, you better be prepared to take me to a damn good restaurant," she purred, batting her eyes at him. It was his turn to jolt in his chair, red spreading up his neck to his ears, and she burst into laughter. Sweet revenge.

"Seriously, thank you for sharing. We can move on to the next part now," she said, sobering up a bit.

He cocked his head to the side, looking ridiculously adorable while he did it, and pursed his lips.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm going to look into you and see if I can get to the bottom of this energy," she explained. She reached her hand out and opened it, palm facing up. "Give me your hand."

He did so slowly. His hand was impossibly warm in hers, skin a little rough and golden compared to the paleness of her own skin. Her fingers tingled where they brushed his hand and soft warmth crept up her arm at his touch. And was she imagining the faint blush on his cheeks?

"Now, stretch your consciousness out a bit, like those exercises they have you elementals do as kids. It'll give me space to squeeze in there and poke around a bit."

"Uh," he breathed, looking somewhat nervous. "You're not gonna like, read my mind are you?"

She giggled, shaking her head.

"No, I can only read your magic," she reassured him and he gave a jerky nod.

"Here goes," he muttered, expression narrowing to one of intense focus. She let her eyes flutter shut and reached her magic out, like tendrils or vines, reaching toward the sun. That's what he felt like, the sun. Bright, nearly blinding, but not too warm. Just enough to be inviting. Comforting, almost. She relaxed as she reached further in but stiffened moments later. The brightness was suddenly cold, dangerous, sharp. She could see black lines, like veins, stretching across him. They did not recoil from her magic, like darkness usually did, but leaned and reached for her, eager to be closer to her. Her eyes flew open and the room was colored strangely, all blues and whites and grays. The black veins were stretched across what skin she could see on him, curling around his eyes and stretching down his neck before disappearing beneath his t shirt. She had no doubt they covered his body.

Steeling herself, she closed her eyes once more and reached further in, refusing to recoil as the black curled around herself. She dug deep, deeper than she'd ever had to. She could sense the core was near and at last she found it, wrapped around his heart and lungs, clinging to them for dear life. She reached out hesitantly, brushing against them and immediately regretting it. They curled around her tendril, dragging her to them, hungry for her light and energy, and she panicked, snapping back to herself and opening her eyes with a gasp. He blinked at her, brow furrowed with concern.

"You okay, Lucy?" he asked tentatively.

Chest heaving, she nodded, no doubt pale as a ghost.

"One more," she whispered, eyes closing instantly. She found the core more quickly this time and she hovered, poking and prodding but never getting too close. She looked for the weakness, the soft spot that was always there. She looked for the vein that would lead her to the source but it was too much, too intricate and tangled for her to make sense of it. It was like nothing she'd ever seen and it was wrapped around such vital organs she was surprised he wasn't showing any physical signs of it. It didn't seem to be feeding off of him or sucking at his strength at all. It was almost like a virus, infecting him. And his magic.

She withdrew, calmer this time, but sat for a few moments with her eyes still closed, lost in thought.

If it was a hex or a curse, it was like nothing she'd ever seen. Erza had been right in describing it as some sort of energy, dark energy at that. The darkest she'd ever encountered.

She opened her eyes to find Natsu staring at her, looking more afraid than he had the entire time he'd been there. Their mugs of tea were forgotten, cold, and he was fiddling with the amulet around his neck, one she recognized was for protection.

"Is it bad?" he asked at last, breaking the silence.

She leaned her head back, rolling her neck. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she was exhausted, her body sore. She stumbled to her feet, waving off Natsu as he stood to help her. Only a little wobbly, she reached into one of the cupboards lining the wall, taking a small glass bottle and downing it. It filled her body with new energy and she sighed with relief. She didn't often take restoratives, only after her most exhausting clients and sessions, but this definitely called for it.

She sat back down, still deep in thought, frowning at Natsu who was growing more restless by the second.

"It's…complicated," she supplied hesitantly.

"Complicated how?"

"I've never seen anything like it," she admitted. In her mind she could see it clearly, the black veins etched across his skin, almost like tattoos. She worried her lip with her teeth, wondering just how much she should tell him, how much he could take before he panicked. He was looking at her now with a steady gaze, waiting to hear more. She sighed, pulling her hair out of its ponytail and letting it fall down around her shoulders.

"It's hard to explain," she finally settled on. "What I saw…I'm going to have to do some serious research for this. I have a friend who can do me a favor but it'll take some time and I'm worried…"

She trailed off, breaking eye contact, chest seizing at the thought. The virus was surrounding his heart and lungs and even if he didn't show signs now, he would eventually. Not even someone who had large stores of magic, like he apparently did, could fight it that long.

"Worried?" he asked, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked into his face, young and shadowed now with concern. He was just too young and gifted to die.

She shook her head, forcing a smile. "Worried about how much sleep I'm going to miss," she joked, stretching her arms up above her head.

He relaxed, grinning.

"Lemme treat you to lunch," he offered and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Not a date," she said firmly, index finger pointed at his face. "I don't date clients."

"Someone's self-absorbed," Natsu snorted, rolling his eyes as he shrugged his jacket on. She flicked her hair back from her shoulders and shrugged carelessly.

"It's happened before," she answered simply. "Let me text my friend and grab my coat. Any particular place in mind?"

He nodded. She shot the text off to Levy, typing rapidly and checking her email while she did. She had a couple requests for consults she'd have to answer later on that night. Pulling her coat on she turned back to Natsu with a smile.

"Lead the way."

Natsu, as it turned out, had good taste in both food and restaurants. The little café he chose was one of her favorites, cozy for the colder weather that was settling in. They settled down at a table by the window, Lucy already nibbling at her sandwich as she lost herself in thought once more. The image of those veins, dark against his skin, wouldn't leave her. She'd have to pay a visit to Levy's friend, whose magic could draw images from her mind and put them on paper. It would be easier for Levy to research it that way.

She was brought back to earth by Natsu waving a hand in her face, looking rather amused.

"Someone zoned out," he laughed. She flushed, taking another bite of her sandwich. He had ordered three of the same sandwiches and was already done with two. She eyed his food skeptically, and then his lean frame. Where did the food go?

Then again, she mused, he was a firefighter. Being in shape was part of the job. Her eyes trailed back up to his own, where she found a devilish smirk playing on his face. She swallowed, hard. Caught.

"Like what you see?" he murmured, voice suddenly deep. She ignored the warmth in her stomach at the roughness of it, rolling her eyes instead.

"I was just wondering how you can eat like that and not be fat," she muttered, avoiding eye contact. He laughed, which told her he didn't really believe that, but he dropped it.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked, third sandwich gone. She hummed, taking a sip of her soda.

"Research," she concluded after a moment. "Give me your number so we can set up other appointments as well. I'll need to keep track of its progression and how it affects you and maybe if I look at it more, it'll trigger something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," she admitted honestly, frustrated. She was never at such a loss. "But there's gotta be something in there I do know."

He nodded thoughtfully, pulling out his phone so they could exchange numbers.

"Your contact name will be 'Weirdo'," he declared as he typed.

She sputtered, trying, and failing, to swipe his phone out of his hand. "Why that?" she wailed.

"Because you're pretty weird," he answered gleefully, successfully dodging her outstretched hand easily. He showed her the contact, which indeed did read 'Weirdo' with a little leaf emoji next to it and she sighed, sitting back and accepting her fate.

"Well then yours should be 'Idiot'," she muttered, half to herself, even as she typed in his real name and saved it. He just laughed.

They parted ways outside the café, him promising her payment for the consultation on his next appointment. She hummed to herself as she walked, not flinching as Plue emerged from the shadows of a shop across the street and padded at her side. She'd known he was somewhere close by, just in case something happened. He always was.

Just as she reached her shop, her phone buzzed, and expecting it to be Levy, she pulled it out. Instead, it was Natsu, showing her a dog he had come across after leaving the café.

look how cute!

She laughed despite herself. It really was a cute dog. She sent her reply back and unlocked the shop, beginning the preparations for her next appointment. What a dork.

Levy looked sleepy from where she was curled up in the armchair in Lucy's living room. Her eyelids were having a hard time staying open and she only really livened up after Lucy placed a steaming cup of coffee before her. Lucy took a sip of her own coffee as she settled down on the couch, prepared to spend all night on research. They were both dressed in sweats and long sleeved shirts, prepared for a long night ahead of them.

"So, this new client, he's a friend of Erza's?" Levy asked, flipping through a practically ancient spellbook. Lucy hummed her affirmative.

"Is he cute?" Levy asked in a way she probably thought was nonchalant. Lucy almost rolled her eyes but stopped, putting her chin in her hand.

"Yeah," she admitted quietly, thinking of his dark green eyes and smooth skin. The freckles across his nose. Even his messy, ridiculously pink hair. "He's pretty cute."

She regretted the words instantly as a purely evil smile spread across Levy's face. She practically chortled to herself.

"Lu has a crush," she sang and Lucy huffed, throwing a pillow at her friend.

"Shut up, I've known him for not even a day," she argued, turning back to her book. "I can comment on him being attractive without being attracted to him!"

Levy snorted. "Sure thing, Lu," she snickered. "Sure thing."

Lucy growled but didn't reply, trying hard to focus on the book. She really wasn't attracted to him. The pleasant curl of warmth she felt in her stomach when he spoke didn't mean anything. The energy she'd felt when their hands had touched and she'd held his meant nothing.

Her phone buzzed and her head jerked up, snatching it off the coffee table with a fervor unlike her. It was him, teasing her for her preference of dogs over cats, an ongoing debate they'd been having all day. He sent another message as she typed out her reply, this time a picture of a blue-gray cat. His familiar, apparently. She snickered at his message. Who named their cat, nevermind their familiar, Happy?

She sent him one of the many pictures she had of Plue and locked her phone, startled by the sudden sound of Levy laughing.

"Was that him?" Levy asked mischievously.

"No," Lucy lied, quickly, before groaning. She'd never been a good liar, not when it came to Levy. The blue haired girl knew her too well.

Levy took a sip of her coffee, looking at her knowingly.

"He named his familiar Happy," she mumbled somewhat defensively. Levy blinked.

"Who names their familiar Happy?"

"That's what I said!"

"Then again," Levy mused, glancing at Plue. He was sleeping in front of the fire, sides rising and falling peacefully. "Plue is a pretty unusual name as well."

"Not half as ridiculous as Happy," Lucy retorted. Levy shrugged, turning back to her book. Levy was one of the rare witches who didn't have familiars, along with Erza. Jellal's familiar was a raven they had affectionately nicknamed Crow, which Jellal merely sighed at now. It had been years and the name stuck.

"Got any pictures of his mystery cute man you're clearly not attracted to?" Levy asked.

"That's so creepy, Lev," Lucy huffed but opened up her phone. Natsu had included himself in the picture of Happy, which she showed to Levy. Levy eyed him appraisingly before giving a short nod.

"He is cute, I approve."

"You sound like my father."

"You may begin courtship."

"God, please, no more."

They both giggled. Lucy glanced at her book, sobering up a bit.

"Any ideas, Lev?" she asked quietly. Levy sighed, pushing her glasses back up her nose and sitting up a bit straighter. She picked at her sweats as she frowned.

"None so far," she admitted ruefully. It was rare for the bookworm to be stumped like this. "But I'll keep looking," she promised.

"Thanks, Levy," she sighed.

Levy smiled. "You're family, Lu. Anything for you."

Lucy was startled out of her daydream by the sound of her shop phone ringing. It was jarring in the quiet of her shop and she groaned as she lifted her head off her arms. She shuffled to it, frowning at the noisy thing for a second before she answered.

"Hello, this is Fae Dust, how may I he-"

"Lucy, Jellal didn't refresh the pack," Erza practically yelled into the phone. Lucy winced, pulling the phone back from her ear a bit.

"Okay, well tell him to-"

"No, Lucy, I mean he hasn't refreshed it for a month," Erza interrupted again, sounding slightly panicked, which was rare for the redhead.

Lucy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "That dumbass," she muttered. She could only imagine the state he was in. Jellal absolutely needed that little pack in order to sleep, or else he'd stay up weeks at a time.

"Keep him calm, I'll be right over," she answered, slamming the phone back on the ringer. She hurriedly grabbed a spare one she kept for situations like this and a small glass bottle before she rushed out her door, taking only a second to flip the sign and lock the door. She ran, Plue loping alongside her, ears perked for any signs of danger. She got to Erza's door in a record seven minutes, completely out of breath and hair wild.

The door opened without her having to knock and a frazzled Erza ushered her in quickly. Lucy took a minute to catch her breath before she asked Erza the obvious question with a quirk of her brow. Erza jerked her head to the kitchen.

Breathing evenly now, Lucy walked forward quietly, signaling for Plue to stay back.

"Jellal," she called out, keeping her voice calm. "It's Lucy, I'm coming in."

She walked through the door carefully. Jellal had tried to attack her before, after a particularly bad stint. Now, he was crouched in a corner, head in his hands, muttering nonsense words to himself.

"Jellal," she murmured, drawing closer warily. Erza hovered in the doorway, watching closely in case he made a move against Lucy.

"I need you to drink this," Lucy said, crouching down in front of him. For the first time, he lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. His face was gaunt and his eyes were dark and haunted. Her heart broke.

She uncorked the small glass bottle. Jellal made no movement toward it, his eyes not moving from her face.

"They're all here," he whispered fearfully.

"Who?" she asked, just as quietly.

"Them," he whimpered. "Lucy, they never go away."

"They do when you sleep," Lucy answered soothingly. "Take this, Jellal, you'll feel better."

"What if you're lying?" he croaked. She huffed softly, reaching out a tentative hand to press against his. She pressed her magic against him and felt him relax instantly. She could feel the black withdrawing from her touch, her presence. Whatever ghosts haunted him, they always drew back when she was there.

"When have I ever lied to you?" she asked firmly.

He stared at her for another couple of seconds before blinking and taking the bottle and downing the content. His eyes closed just a few seconds later and he was gone, completely lost in a dream world. He'd probably sleep all day.

Erza released a breath and Lucy leaned back, sighing. Jellal and Erza had a peculiar past, one that not even Lucy knew all the details of. But she knew it'd been gruesome and something Erza only ever talked about after a few drinks and a bad day. Jellal, however, was haunted by it, by something Erza would never tell Lucy. But Lucy didn't need to know, she just needed to help. Her sleeping packs and potions were the best and she gave them free of charge at this point.

She turned to face Erza, who looked as she always did after these spells. Tired and hopeless.

"He'll be okay. Here's another pack," Lucy murmured. Erza just nodded.

"I don't know how I didn't notice. He seemed to be doing just fine," Erza whispered, eyes still on her husband. Lucy sighed.

"He's good at faking things, don't be too hard on yourself," she assured her friend, who smiled faintly at her.

"Thank you, Lucy," Erza murmured sincerely. She wasn't one for huge displays of affection but she wrapped the blonde in a hug. Lucy returned it, giving her a squeeze for good measure.

"Any time, Erza. You know that," she mumbled into her shoulder.

They stayed like that in silence for a moment, with so many things unsaid but even more understood.