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Chapter 3

Lucy didn't believe in lazy Sundays. Sweat slid down the side of her face, strands of her hair slick with it and stuck to her cheeks. She brushed at them impatiently, reaching back to tighten her ponytail, eyes narrowed as she watched her opponent move, side to side, feet never quite stilling. Briefly, she wished she'd drank more water before their session had started. Her feet almost slid across the soft, cushioned ground.

Her opponent moved forward, so quick Lucy nearly stumbled. Lucy lunged to the right, chest heaving, left arm coming out to slam her fist into their face. They ducked and threw an elbow at her exposed ribcage. Twisting, she took it to her left shoulder instead, digging her feet into the ground so she wouldn't stumble.

"Don't leave any openings," Erza snarled. Her own forehead was dotted with sweat and her fists were raised in a defensive pose. Her mouth was tight, jaw clenched as she waited for Lucy to move and retaliate.

Lucy threw herself forward, ducking Erza's outstretched hands and sweeping her leg underneath the other woman. Erza hit the ground with a thud and Lucy scrambled to place her in a hold. But Erza was too quick, right arm flashing out to hit Lucy square in the chest and send her on to her own back. In about ten seconds she was pinned and sighing with exasperation, Lucy tapped out.

"Your movements get clumsy the more frustrated you get," Erza scolded lightly, helping the blonde back to her feet. Lucy nodded, stretching her arms above her head and trying to steady her breathing. Working out and sparring with Erza had only gotten minimally easier over the years. The red-head was a challenging, demanding instructor. Which made her an excellent one. At least now, she thought, glancing over to where Erza had her hands resting on top of her head, she could at least give Erza an equal workout.

"Remember to remain calm and focused," Erza continued, handing Lucy a water bottle and opening her own. Lucy sipped at hers carefully. From past experience she knew chugging water right after a workout wasn't the best of ideas.

Out of habit, the two began to jog around the studio as a cool-down, chatting amicably about this and that as their muscles relaxed slowly. By the end of the jog and stretches, Lucy was breathing a little easier and she didn't feel quite so overheated as she had.

Erza had owned the studio for a few years and although she had insisted on giving Lucy lessons for free, Lucy paid monthly for her membership after Erza had offered to teach her. Granted, she hadn't objected to the "family discount" Erza had offered her – or bullied her into as Jellal called it. They had a long-standing tradition of one on one sessions every Sunday morning. Erza was the reason Lucy could climb up a flight of stairs without panting and also why she'd become a much better cook.

"What you eat is just as important as what you do," Erza had basically pummeled into her head until Lucy was eating veggies daily and taking care to grow her own produce.

Grabbing her bag and zipping up her sweater, she waved at Erza cheerfully.

"I'll see you around, I have some errands to run," she called. Erza waved back and nodded.

It was gray and cloudy outside. Lucy stepped out and popped a pair of headphones in, going to turn on some music for her walk back home when her phone buzzed with a text message. The cold air made her shiver a little and she made a note to start bringing her warmer jacket. Half-hoping it was Natsu, she opened up the text and realized it was Levy spamming her as six messages popped up one after another on her screen.

So I finally dug my heels in and researched Natsu's thing…

Bad, Lu. Very bad. See me ASAP.

Also, bring coffee pls.

And muffins. I love muffins.

Just want to reinforce that the info I have is CRUCIAL.

Oh wait, Sunday, duh. Call me when you're here.

Frowning, Lucy played her music and changed direction, heading instead toward Levy's apartment. The blue haired girl always used Sundays as her day away from the library so she knew she'd be holed up in her apartment with tons of books and no food. Sighing, Lucy made a mental note to force Levy into some grocery shopping that week. Sometimes she wondered how the small witch had survived life so long.

She stopped by their favorite bakery to order muffins and coffee, hurrying to get the food to Levy while they were still warm while also not spilling the dangerously hot coffee. Plue trotted at her side, carrying the bags of muffins carefully in his mouth. The streets were still quiet; it wasn't quite ten in the morning yet and some of the fog still clung to the sidewalks. Her pace kept her warm but she looked forward to Levy's toasty apartment and the coffee.

Lucy didn't bother with calling, knowing Levy had probably forgotten where her phone was after texting her. She knocked on the apartment door instead, not surprised by the thump and loud swearing she heard. Levy threw open the door, glasses askew and hair wild.

"I dropped a book on my toe," Levy said flatly. Her expression brightened at the sight of the coffee and muffins. "But, as always, your face brings light to my darkest days." Her eyes did not waver from the goodies.

Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed, stepping into the doorway. Plue moved forward and dropped the muffins on the couch before promptly climbing onto the couch and curling up.

"You're only nice to me when I bring food, I swear," Lucy sighed.

Levy shook her head, fingers already unwrapping a blueberry muffin.

"It's when you bring coffee," she corrected and Lucy snorted as her friend stuffed the entire muffin into her mouth, cheeks hilariously huge as she began to dump sugar into her coffee.

Lucy poured creamer into hers and added only a little bit of sugar, stirring thoroughly before taking a cautious sip. She sat down at Levy's kitchen table, eyeing the damage.

Books were strewn everywhere, some open and some with post-its sticking out. Notebook paper covered the table and was taped to the walls, colored tape making lines between odd-looking diagrams and images that made up a large blank space on the wall in her living room. Lucy stood again and faced one just next to the small fireplace, tracing her finger along the dark lines.

"This looks familiar," she mused, placing her finger on her chin as she thought aloud. "I have a vague memory from college."

"We learned it in Dark Arts," Levy informed her somberly, sucking down coffee and wiping at her mouth.

Lucy sucked in a deep breath and sipped her coffee. That couldn't be good. That class had been grim at best and downright disturbing at worst.

"Tell me what you know," Lucy sighed, turning to face her. Levy was digging through the books on her armchair, muttering strange words to herself in at least two other languages. Her coffee twisted and turned precariously in her hand as she used the other one to shove books aside.

"Okay, I don't know a lot but what I do know is…not good. I got the image from Droy that you had him draw out of your mind and I recognized only a couple of things. So, going with that, I was able to find a few texts on body energy manipulation, which is a fascinating field really. Jellal could tell us a lot more but you should read up on it, it's really interesting how –"

"Lev," Lucy interrupted and Levy blinked, mouth open. She shut it, nodding vigorously.

"Sorry, right. So those texts eventually lead me to more texts on dark rituals which was, let me tell you, not fun, you owe me for some of the pictures I had to look at and can't unsee. Anyway, I couldn't find the exact ritual used on Natsu because they're pretty rare. The materials needed for them are hard to find and they often require a lot of human sacrifices.

"What they do all have in common, however, is they require a piece of the victim or target of the magic."

Lucy frowned. Levy had just shoved a lot of knowledge at her, most of it ugly and cruel, and she took a moment to absorb it, chest constricting at Levy's last words.

"Creepy," she muttered. "I'll ask Natsu if anyone has stolen something from him lately. Does it matter what's used?"

"It has to be something of deep emotional value," Levy answered, frowning at the heavy tome in her hand. The coffee cup was empty and forgotten on the low table in front of the couch. "I guess it imbues items with a sort of magic energy all on their own."

Lucy's hand went to her amulet at the thought, humming agreement. She'd seen the same in her own work.

"I hate to say it, but that sounds like someone close to him," Lucy sighed. Levy nodded agreement, glancing up from the book.

"One more thing, you were right about the magic taking a toll on him. He's going to start to weaken eventually and if they manage to take all of his magic, well…you know what happens."

The stories of witches dying painful deaths from the loss of their magic flashed through her mind and Lucy's hands clenched. She wouldn't let that happen to Natsu. She couldn't. At that moment, as if he could read her mind, he texted her, yet another picture of Happy.

good morning, here's an adorable picture to brighten your day!

Lucy smiled, the corners of her mouth twitching. She couldn't let him die.

After a couple of hours of hanging out with Levy and discussing possible books to look into, as well as some library gossip Levy was always happy to supply, Lucy headed home. The sun was a little more visible and the weak sunlight warmed her bones a little. Humming a light tune, she didn't see that Natsu had responded to her text from an hour before until she got home.

Tossing her gym bag onto her kitchen counter, she dug around in her fridge for some yogurt. She opened up the text, spoon in hand as she scanned the message.

bad news or good news? either way, dinner at my place to talk about it? my shift will be over by then

Lucy felt a thrill run down her spine at the thought. She shot a glance at the clock, which read 12:03 and mentally calculated how long she would need to shower and appear effortlessly not-goblin-like. If Natsu saw her putting effort into what was definitely not a date, he would tease her endlessly. Her bottom lip pouted out as she thought, spooning yogurt into her mouth before she used her thumbs to type out a response.

Sure. What time?

Lucy bit her lip, eyeing the message. She knew she was purposely avoiding the first part of his text. She watched her phone with a sort of anxiety she hadn't felt in a while. She wasn't really the "wait by the phone" girl. But she waited hungrily, grabbing a banana to munch on. He was a slower texter, she had come to find out, which was fine except it made her nervous. Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts, and she snatched it with almost embarrassing glee.

7:30?

Grinning, she sent back an affirmative. She grabbed her bag and jogged upstairs to take a nice hot shower, already anticipating the relief it would bring to her strained muscles. As her bathroom mirror fogged up with the warming water, she combed her hair out and contemplated her wardrobe. Were jeans a good choice? Should she wear a sweater or a nice blouse? What should she do with her hair? Were earrings too much?

Scrubbing at her hair thoroughly did not succeed in getting the not-date out of her mind and in a huff she decided she'd have to text Levy to see what she thought. It had been a date-like request, hadn't it?

Levy was usually calmer about these things; she didn't get excited and while she was an avid researcher and analyst, she had a surprising ability to not overthink things.

Wrapping a towel around her body and another around her head, she rubbed a face mask onto her skin, making faces at herself in the mirror. She giggled and made her way downstairs for lunch and a needed conversation with Levy. She filled up her water bottle, taking a long sip before she checked her phone, which was still on her counter. Her phone showed her she had a message from Natsu and she opened it quickly, surprised. What else was there to discuss? Did he need her to bring something?

it's a date ;)

She hated herself for the way she choked on her water as her face burned.

No!

Lucy pulled at her sweater, tugging it down a little more and adjusting her amulet nervously. She shifted the box in her hands and reached an absent hand down to stroke Plue's head, who pressed up against her touch, tongue lolling. Her hands twitched with the urge to check her makeup just one last time despite the fact she was outside his door already. She couldn't hear anything from inside and was contemplating knocking again when the door suddenly flew open and she was confronted by Natsu's bright face.

"Luce!" he cried, ushering her in quickly. The nickname he had given her did something funny to her insides. She stepped inside with a nervous smile, not sure where to look or what to say. Natsu wasn't the kind of person who appreciated banal pleasantries.

Lucy was nearly put off by just how happy he was to see her, in all honesty. But it was true they hadn't met in a few days and she did have news of his condition. That had to be it.

His apartment, she was pleasantly surprised to find, was clean and comfortable. There were a few dishes in his sink but otherwise, it was a nice place, a couch and coffee table set up in front of an expensive TV. The kitchen was spacious enough for an apartment and Lucy laughed inwardly at the sleek, polished wood kitchen table with no chairs. He was clearly still moving in.

Her attention, however, was claimed by a blue cat winding around her ankles, mrrowing loudly enough to be heard over Natsu fussing with the TV remote, wondering aloud what to watch. Plue merely watched as Happy vied for her attention, paying no attention to the huge wolf-dog in its house. Lucy smiled and bent to stroke him, giggling as he let out a loud, rumbling purr.

"Hello, Happy, we meet at last," she laughed. Natsu watched proudly for a few moments before taking the box from her, opening it with a low whistle. He had apparently decided on a movie, one she recognized as full of epic fight scenes and a lot of blood.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were a good baker," he murmured reverently. Lucy snickered at the way his eyes glazed over at the sight of the cake. The man's heart really could be reached through his stomach.

"Dinner first," she answered, closing the box and waving a finger in his face. "Lord knows it wouldn't spoil your appetite, but it will spoil mine."

"Aye, cap'n," Natsu joked, making a sweeping gesture toward his coffee table, where white boxes of takeout remained unopened. "Your feast awaits, as promised."

Lucy was already bending to sit on the ground in between the table and the couch, reaching for the chopsticks.

"I'm starving," she hummed. Natsu grinned, taking his place next to her and opting for a fork.

"I hope this place is as good as you say it is," he said. Two pieces of chicken were already on their way to his mouth and Lucy watched with hungry anticipation to see his reaction. The takeout place she had suggested after Natsu sheepishly admitted he didn't have any food to cook was one of the best in Magnolia. It was a favorite spot among her friends as it was so close to their favorite bar as well. They had quite a few stories about the place, most of them Lucy only vaguely remembered.

Natsu chewed, eyes fluttering shut as a sinful moan escaped him. Lucy smirked.

"This is," he breathed, spooning rice and noodles onto his plate and practically dumping a whole carton of chicken on there as well. "The best thing my tongue has ever tasted."

Lucy snickered.

"Told you," she said triumphantly. She bit into her egg roll, stifling her own pathetic whimper. She hadn't eaten there in too long; the food was more delicious than she remembered.

They munched happily in silence, Natsu's eyes trained on the movie while Lucy flickered nervous eyes to him and the whole apartment. There were a few pictures on the wall, which she guessed were his family, and his TV stand was stacked with DVD's and a few video games she didn't recognize.

"So," he started casually, eyes sliding to her, mouth still full of food. She wrinkled her nose and he swallowed before he spoke again, grinning at her wolfishly.

"What's this news you had for me?"

Lucy took her time chewing, avoiding his eyes, fighting the urge to lie and say everything was fine, it's okay. Anything to keep that smile on his face. The smile that looked like it could light up a city.

Sucking in a breath, she swallowed and flashed him a nervous smile.

"Not great news," she admitted quietly before launching in what Levy had told her, abridged version. She still wasn't quite ready to tell him he could be dying. Natsu listened carefully, food still making it to his mouth as he did so. At the end, Lucy waited for his reaction, picking at her cuticles. He didn't appear overly concerned as his brow furrowed in thought.

"I haven't had anything stolen from me, though," he finally muttered, staring hard at an empty takeout box.

"Are you sure?" Lucy blurted out. Her stomach clenched. If he hadn't had anything stolen from him, then what could it possibly be fueling the spell?

"Yeah," he answered. "It has to be important to me, right? I'd definitely know if something important to me was stolen but I can't think of anything."

Lucy frowned. She was missing something. She knew it, searching frantically for the answer in her own scattered thoughts. What was it?

"You're on good terms with your family, right?" she asked hesitantly. Implicating his family was risky but they were likely suspects. They knew him best and knew how to attack him best.

Natsu nodded frantically. "We're pretty close. My older brother doesn't talk to us anymore, but it wasn't because of bad blood or anything. A lot of stuff happened and he needed space." His eyes darkened ever so slightly and the corners of his mouth turned down.

Lucy briefly considered digging deeper but decided against it. She didn't know him well enough to do that kind of prying without offending or coming off as pushy. She glanced at Natsu, who was watching her with a curious expression on his face. She tilted her head, lips pursed.

"What?" she asked.

"His girlfriend died," Natsu blurted out, cheeks coloring ever so slightly. "She was murdered. Pretty brutally, and the police never found who did it. It hit him hard, he loved her a lot, you know?"

Lucy blinked.

"Why're you telling me this?" she frowned.

"I know you wouldn't ask, because you're pretty respectful but, I dunno, I wanted you to know," Natsu mumbled, scratching at the back of his head and averting his eyes.

"I guess I just trust you. Not sure why, I haven't known you long, but you're really nice and kinda scary and weird but you're also smart. And you're tryna help me and everything so, yeah," he babbled before clamping his mouth shut.

Lucy felt a blush crawl up her cheeks. She turned her eyes away as well, pretty positive that if she made eye contact with him in that moment she'd want to do something she may regret.

"Thank you," she muttered.

"For what?"

"Trusting me." She turned her eyes back, smiling softly at the confusion in his face. "It's not easy, but I'm glad you trust me."

The slow, sure smile that spread across his face lit up the world.