Next morning the whole guild had been hearing about Lucys horrible accident. They walked in and out of the infirmity, waiting impatiently for the young blonde to wake up. But Natsu got irritated by all the running back and forth. He actually slammed the door in the face of Gajeel and Levy who asked for the fourth time today if she was awake.
"Why all this fuss. She´s okey." he complains for himself as he sat down by the bed, it was already late afternoon. The blonde celestial mage hadn´t woke up yet, her fever was down and Wendy couldn´t find anything wrong with her.
The door opened once again and made Natsu snarl as he turned around. Just for look into the red haired knight's feisty eyes.
"Oh it´s you." He said and relaxed a little.
"How´s she doing? The guild is afraid of going here since you yelled at them."
"Well they were annoying… and she´s still sleeping even in this entire ruckus" Natsu defend his actions.
"It not that weird, her body is still in shock and it could take some time for her to adjusted." Erza sighed, she touched the blonde mages hand with light fingers before she straighten up with a serious look on her face. "I´ll have some business to take care of. You should get something to eat or maybe talk a walk, just get out and get some space yourself."
Natsu looked at her like she was an alien trying to dance with a strange hat on her head. "Why would I leave?"
Erza sighed. "Anyway, just eat soon." Then she turned around and Natsu could hear her armor rattle all the way down the stairs.
"Natsu…" a raspy voice were heard. He slowly met the blondes brown eyes and smiled weak.
"Hey, you´re finally awake." Natsu said happily and sat down next to her.
"What happened?" she wondered, feeling a horrible itchy warmth in her throat but fund a glass of water next to the bed. She gulped it down in two big sips; it cooled down the throat a little and felt nice.
"You nearly drowned Luce…" Natsu said low. "How stupid of you, why were you out that late in the first place? You know that something like that might happen and that's why you should always wear your keys at least then you could have summoned Loke or that perverted cow. How could you forgot to bring your belt?" he started yelling, without knowing what made him more mad, that Lucy went out that late or that he wasn´t home before she did and could have stopped her.
"My keys." Lucy said and searched her body after her belt. She realized that she only wore a big shirt and blushed, hoping that it had been Mirajane or someone else that changed her clothes before.
"Here" Natsu said and dropped her belt in her knee. "Grey was here before with them, knowing that you would wake up and started to worry without them." He felt annoyed that the ice monster had beating him to that idea.
She fingered the keys as she rest on the wall behind. Natsu watch her close her eyes and touched her hand gentle. She switched under the touch and mumbles a soft "sorry."
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah, I´m fine. Just want to go home." She answered low with her eyes still closed.
"The guild is really worried; I should tell them that you´re awake." Natsu got up, he turned around when he was at the door, Lucy still had her eyes closed and then he left.
She opened her eyes and groaned silent in her palms. She had done it again, showed everybody what a weak little girl she was and letting Natsu save her, again. She watched her beloved keys in her lap.
"What's wrong with me?" she asked the cold metal. Not expecting any answer she looked around after her clothes, they were sloppy thrown in the corner still wet. She frowned and then blush, only Natsu would throw away clothes and not picking them up. Did he change her? No way and even if he did, he didn´t see women like that right… He´s dragon instinct was something that only was attracted to its true mate.
"Lucy, Natsu told us you were awake. Here I brought you some clean clothes." Like an angel Mirajane stepped inside the room with a little pile of clothes in her arms.
"Mirajane! Thank you." Lucy said and stood up; felt her head protest against her sudden movement but didn´t care.
"You can change in the bathroom over there."
Lucy nodded, she had been in the infirmity before and knew the toilet. It was a simple bathroom with a small shower and toilet. Lucy put on the pants she got from Mirajane and changes the shirts. She wanted to get home and take a long bath.
When she got out it felt like the whole guild were pressed inside the little room.
"Lucy you´re alive." Happy whined and bumped right into her chest.
"Hi everybody, I´m fine." Lucy said and blush a little over all the fuss they made, but she felt happy that they cared over her.
"Okey now have you seen her, she´s fine! Let´s go Luce." Natsu suddenly said and dragged her away from the crowd.
"Natsu take it easy." Lucy complained as the fire mage dragged her outdoor. "Let´s just take one step at a time."
Natsu slowed down but only to picked her up in bridal- style and keep walking. "You wanted to get home right?" he just said like nothing special.
"Yeah." Lucy reddened as she felt his heart beating so close to her. "But you seem so angry at everybody Natsu, have I done something wrong?"
The pink haired boy didn´t answered her, he carried her all the way home and didn´t put her down until they were inside her apartment, on her bed.
"You should rest some more." He said gently. But Lucy just shakes her head.
"I´ve rested long enough and now I really just want to take a bath." She didn´t meet Natsus eyes when she went and took her shelter in the bathroom.
While letting her body melt in the warmth of the water she couldn´t get rid of the feeling of wanting to cry. Why are Natsu so mad? Maybe he´s annoyed over having suck an weak partner and always have to rescue me, and if he starts dating Lisanna wouldn´t he want her as a partner instead. The blonde thought and moaned, how very thoughtless of her. Why was she trying to get Natsu together with other people if she didn´t want it. Did she want him romantically?
Lucy sighed and went out from her bath that started to get cold, placed a towel against her body and then slowly walked out in her apartment. It was empty, she felt very confused and a bit abandon. Natsu had left a note, not much saying, typical the dragon slayer.
Don't try to do anything stupid!
"Really! Jerk." She growled as she throws the note away and then went through her fridge. Finds some left over food and started to eat it cold when she felt the hunger completely take over.
The night was less comfortable; she turned around in her bed unable to sleep. Every time she tried to close her eyes and relax she could see the man again and then feel the cold water. She felt the tears stream against her face, not able to stop them she cried out silent in the dark.
Light changes in the bed made her turned around and meet a pair of dark onyx eyes.
"Natsu… what are you doing here?" Lucy sobbed.
"I have a few night lefts remember." He laughed but it only made Lucy cry more.
"I´m sorry for being weak, I´m a terrible partner. I´m so sorry Natsu." She whined and hides her face in the pillow.
"Lucy…" Natsu whispered. "What are you saying? You´ve done nothing wrong… well almost nothing wrong."
"Aren´t you mad at me?" Lucy said confused. Natsu sighed as he put his head in one of his palms, raising his body with his elbows and looking down at the blonde mess beneath him.
"Not for the reason you believe. That you aren´t strong enough for being my partner is just silly talk. You should know that by now, I hate it when you look down at yourself. Don´t you see how misplaced that is? How stupid can you be?" Natsu said angry as he tried to get a look on her face. But she didn´t want him to see her red eyes or the blushed cheeks.
"But you are mad at me…" she whispered, scared of hearing his answer.
"Yes, I´m mad about your little bet you made with Mirajane!" Natsu sighed trustfully.
"How did you…"
"How did I know? Really? I ´ve been living in this guild since a kid, even you should know by now that nothing can be kept a secret in there." He said frustrated. "You really want me to show some romantically feelings?"
"It was just a stupid bet." Lucy mumbles and finally looked at him, Natsu didn´t think when he saw her sweet lips and suddenly attacked them with his own. It wasn´t that sweet romantic kiss, it was more like a battlefield but at least she answered him before she pulled away.
"Natsu, wha… what are we doing… Lisanna…" she stuttered and made Natsu angry again, but at least she had said we.
"Lisanna isn´t interested in me stupid." He growled. "And neither am I in her, gosh and I thought that I was thick."
Lucy seemed that she didn´t followed his word. "But I´m sure if you talked to her…"
"I already did, when you tried to set us up yesterday. She actually likes that storm brain Laxus."
He took her silence as an opportunity to kiss her again, her lips tasted like Lucy smelled. Sweet of flower and sun, he was egoistic. He knew that but he wanted this girl so much, his whole existing screamed after just be near her warm body. He let her lips go as he traced down her neck with light kisses, just wanted to mark her and convey the whole world of backing of. She´s mine.
But Lucy didn´t seem to agree to that, she knocked Natsu down from her bed with a scream in protest.
"Natsu, stop… I can´t." she said to the confused dragon slayer.
"Don´t you like me Lucy?" Natsu asked as he started to get close to her again. But the blonde just looked sad.
"Don´t do this." She whispered. "I´m scared that something… I can´t lose you Natsu, please why are you making this so difficult?"
"I´m not!" the dragon slayer protested angry. "You are… or am I wrong? Maybe it´s just me that feel these chaotic, terrible and confusing feelings all the time I´m near you?"
"I can´t love you like that Natsu." Lucy said with a steady voice and looked away from the fire dragon slayer. "Could you go… please?"
She didn´t see him nod in silence, she could feel the room turning cold though and knew that her dragon slayer had left.
"What have I done?" Lucy whisper to herself and hides her face in her palms. It was going to be a long night for the young celestial mage.