A/N: Alright guys...here's part 2. So much longer than I originally thought it would be. Fuck.

weld
/weld/

verb

1. To join two piece of metal by heating
them and pressing them together.

2. Cause to combine and form a
harmonious or effective whole.

If someone had told him a few months ago, that running around his apartment complex would result in him meeting the enigma that was Lucy, he wouldn't have believed them.

She was witty, and funny, and smart, and gorgeous. Everything Natsu never thought could exist all within a single person. Well...it could technically...but rarely ever was that person a nice person.

But Lucy...she was.

She sometimes pretended she wasn't. She'd shut down on him or a few of them at the shop, sometimes ignoring them or other times making a snide remark or two. But Natsu knew it wasn't because she was mean.

He noticed things about her.

How if Erza were to speak when she wasn't expecting it, she would turn and smile, directing her focus to the conversation. But if it was Gray or Gajeel, or sometimes even him...she would flinch.

It was subtle. You'd have to look for it. But the slight jerking of the shoulders and flash of fear over her features was unmistakable. It was when that look was in her eyes—when someone would get in her personal space—that she would snap at one of them or make a remark. Again, it was so subtle nobody really noticed it.

But he did.

There was a crippling anxiety she had when it came to the unknown, whether it be a new person or a new situation. When he'd taken her out for dinner, her eyes had darted away from his to her lap more times than he could count, and her hood seemed to be permanently pulled down, hiding her forehead and casting her eyes in shadow.

Despite what he'd thought was a rocky first date, she'd swing by the shop a few times a week and they'd even gone out a few more times since. He did his best to respect her by keeping a safe distance and letting her come to him. Once in awhile her fingers would search for his, tugging lightly at the tips before she let her hand fall back to her side. Those few brief moments of contact, and the bright smile that would often follow the jokes he told her…

Natsu didn't care if he never got the chance to hug her again as long as he could see that light in her eyes.

She'd never said anything, but he knew something had happened to her. Maybe at the hands of a family member, or maybe an ex boyfriend or sibling...he had no idea. But there was something that caused her to shy away.

He never blamed her for it. There was nothing to blame her for. It was her business.

So when she weaved her fingers through his one day on their way to a movie, Natsu was so surprised he nearly ripped his hand out of hers.

Lucy giggled at the action, covering her mouth as Natsu settled down, "Oh what? Did I electrocute you or something?"

The welder shook his head, "No. Just...wasn't expectin' that."

The blonde cocked her head to one side, brow furrowed, "Why not?"

He shrugged, looking down at his feet as his heels scuffed the sidewalk. He was wearing through the soles of his sandals and would need to get new ones soon. Shuffling around was a lazy habit of his and was easier than walking properly, sure...but it was drilling a hole into his wallet.

"Cause we haven't really touched at all in these past few months."

Natsu heard and felt rather than saw Lucy stop. Confused as to why, he turned around, trying to meet her downcast gaze.

"I...I'm sorry, Natsu...I just—"

"No."

Lucy's head snapped up.

"Don't apologize, Lucy," he said softly, a small smile crossing his face, "never apologize to me for something like this."

"But...it's my fault—"

He shook his head, silencing her again, "This isn't your fault. Do you really think I only spend time with you 'cause you're beautiful?"

Lucy's eyes narrowed, "You calling me ugly, Natsu? Better watch yourself."

The pinket laughed, "Lucy Heartfilia, you are the exact opposite of ugly."

She blushed.

"No," he continued, "I'm saying I spend time with you 'cause I like you. The fact you're gorgeous is just a plus, and I want you to be comfortable with me above anything else. If that means keeping my distance until you are, then I'm okay with that."

Big, beautiful brown eyes stared at him, unblinking for a few moments before her fingers tightened their hold on his hand.

"I have somewhere to go tomorrow. Will you come with me?"

It seemed like a random question under the circumstances, but with how firmly her jaw was set, Natsu knew this wasn't a spur of the moment thing.

He squeezed her hand in response.

"Where am I going?"

…..

She'd given him an address with no explanation. Though he was curious, he knew better than to pry, she'd either tell him later or he'd have to find out when he got there.

Didn't change the fact that he was anxious as all hell.

Not because of Lucy, no. He was anxious because whatever it was she was inviting him to was a big deal to her and he had a bad habit of fucking things up when they were important.

The building itself that he pulled up to didn't give anything away. There were doctors, psychiatrists, chiropractors, all with their plaques and room numbers on the wall.

Natsu opted to ignore those and instead follow the instructions Lucy had sent him the morning before. Seventh floor. Seventh room.

Odd.

He smiled as he rounded the corner, spotting her leaning against the wall by what he assumed was the door to where they were going. He took in the way she was biting her lip, using her thumb to push the skin further in. The snicker that escaped him caught her attention and she lit up as he strode down the hall toward her.

"Hey," she breathed, a look of slight disbelief on her face, "you're here."

Natsu cocked his head to one side, "I said I would be, and this is important to you, right?"

She nodded, suddenly shy again, "It is."

He held his hand out to her, fingers outstretched in view of her downcast gaze. A faint smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she gently took his hand, leading him into an empty waiting room.

A young woman with short purple hair sat at the desk, typing away on the computer. At noticing Lucy's presence, she removed the headphones from her ears and smiled.

"Lucy!" the receptionist brightened. "Good to see you! How are you?"

The blonde straightened up as she returned the opposite woman's smile, "I'm good, Kinana. What about you? Keeping him out of trouble?"

Kinana rolled her eyes, "Trying my best."

Lucy reached over the desk to clasp the violet-haired woman's hand and give it an encouraging squeeze. She sighed in response before waving the blonde away.

"He's waiting for you, go on in."

Natsu swallowed as Lucy pulled him toward a closed door. She raised her knuckles to knock, but before she could a voice called, "Come in!"

The pinket blinked.

"He has really good hearing," Lucy explained, turning the knob and swinging the door open.

Sitting in a large lounge chair with a clipboard was another figure with dark purple—almost brown—hair and an unmistakable scar pulling at the skin of his right eye, lid permanently sewn shut.

"Cobra?"

Erik snapped his head up, meeting Natsu's gaze as a sly grin spread over his features. A hard laugh greeted the pinket's ears as the two met in the middle of the room, clasping palms and thumbs together in a familiar handshake.

"Salamander!" Erik pulled him in, bumping one side of his chest against Natsu's. "Haven't seen you in ages man, how've ya been?"

Natsu let his hand fall, "Been doin' great!"

"Still kicking the crap out of Black Steel?" he asked before going back to his seat.

"You know it!" Natsu snickered at the image of the last time he'd managed to pummel the annoying Metalhead freak.

"You two know each other…"

The two men redirected their focus to the young blonde who was currently half-hiding behind Natsu, fingers seeking to re-weave through his after having been dropped.

"Yeah," Natsu squeezed Lucy's hand as they took a seat. The blonde was obviously a little unsettled by this fact.

"Lucy…if you don't want to do…whatever it is you're wanting to anymore because we know each other, that's okay. You know that, right?" He rubbed his thumb along the ridges of her knuckles reassuringly.

"Do you know why she brought you here today, Natsu?" Erik asked, and the man looked up from the blonde at his side.

"No, she hasn't told me anything. I just know it's important to her is all."

Erik looked to Lucy, "Do I have your permission to speak about what we've agreed on?"

She nodded, her grip on Natsu's hand tightening.

He just squeezed back.

"I'm her psychiatrist," Erik adopted a professional tone, all familiarity and friendship now gone. "And she's come to me more than once to talk about bringing you here."

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"Because there are some things that have happened that she feels you have a right to know, and she feels the easiest way to approach the situation would be with my help, here." Erik crossed an ankle over his bent knee, resting his notepad on his lap and readying his pen.

"Okay…" Natsu trailed off, stomach churning.

"It may not be easy to hear."

Natsu looked down at the amazing woman next to him. She trusted him enough to bring him here, and wanted him to know this. She definitely hadn't made this decision lightly, and needed him to know this. He wanted to know, even if it was painful.

Steadying his gaze and setting his jaw, Natsu locked his eyes with Erik's.

"Tell me everything she wants me to know."

…..

Natsu had never wanted to be more wrong in his life.

With everything he'd noticed about Lucy, he'd hoped it was all a misunderstanding and maybe by some miracle she was acting this way because of some sort of OCD thing or whatever.

It was a stretch, but anything was better than this.

She'd been abused by her fucking sorry-ass excuse for a life, piece of shit ex-boyfriend. He'd made her afraid of contact. He'd made her avoid people. He'd made her feel like she needed to cover up in order to feel safe when going outside.

He'd forced her against her will...physically. Manipulated her into feeling and thinking a certain way. Into thinking she wanted something she didn't again and again and making her feel like she would never be enough for anyone else to keep her.

He made her feel like nobody else could ever love her.

Natsu was speechless as he stood from his seat in Erik's office. He had no idea what to say, or how to respond. His immediate thought of course was to go track down this guy and beat the fucking shit out of him…

But that wouldn't solve anything and wasn't what she needed right now.

Making his way toward the door, he looked down as Lucy's fingers slipped out of his grasp. She stared at him with anxious eyes, bringing a hand up to cradle his cheek.

"I'll be out in a sec, okay?"

He nodded, leaning into her hand before walking out into the waiting room.

It hadn't taken long—after she'd walked into the shop that day—for her to become his best friend. He saw how other people looked at her. Women would glare the few times she showed her face, wanting the beauty she had. Men would get a lustful glint in their eyes as she walked, even when she covered up.

But to him…she was just Lucy.

She was the person who would make him lunch and bring it to him at the shop. She was the person who would laugh at how he pouted when she tried to get him to stay still so she could wipe the dark marks from his face when he got dirty. She was the person who he went to after work when he burned himself with his soldering iron, because she was the gentlest and wouldn't make fun of him.

Didn't stop her from hitting him over the head though whenever he'd say something stupid.

She was the person he wanted to spend time with at the end of the day. She was the person he actually picked up his phone to call or text. She was his best friend and he could tell her anything if he wanted to.

She was amazing…

He was so lost in thought it took two hands gripping his shoulders to snap him out of it.

Warm, caramel brown filled his vision as he was pulled up to his feet. He barely heard Lucy say goodbye to the receptionist before they continued down the hall to the elevator. Neither of them said a word until they got back to Natsu's car.

"Natsu?"

He looked to her.

She was looking down at her hands, running one thumbnail under the other absently, avoiding his eyes.

"You know…with you…" she trailed off, biting her lip.

Natsu just waited.

"What scares me…is how comfortable I am with you," she crossed her arms in front of her chest, curling into herself. A few locks of blonde fell in her eyes. "It's terrifying."

He took a step toward her, reaching to brush away the hair, but thinking better of it and letting his hand fall. They weren't there yet, they still needed to talk more.

"Why?" he asked softly.

She met his gaze, "Because I hate being vulnerable, and Natsu…you make me feel vulnerable because…because I…" Her eyes glazed over, tears falling as she closed her eyes.

"Lucy?"

She looked back up to him.

"Can I hug you?"

Her lip quivered as she nodded, reaching for him and nearly falling into his warm chest. He brought his arms around her, one across her shoulders with a hand in her hair, and the other just above the curve of her hip. He rested his cheek atop her head as she cried into his neck, only holding her tighter the more her body moved.

"Y'know, Luce," he said softly, once she'd quieted some, "you make me feel vulnerable too."

She sniffed, looking up at him with tear-streaked face. He brought both of his hands up to cradle her cheeks and wipe away the stains with his thumbs gently. Her fingers came up to close around his wrists as she leaned into his palm, closing her eyes with a soft smile.

"Why would I make you feel vulnerable?" her voice cracked and she cleared her throat.

"Because it's been a long time since there was anyone who'd be able hurt me as much as you now could."

Lucy peered up at him through wet lashes, "I'm not going to hurt you, Natsu."

He drew her into his chest again.

"And I'm not going to hurt you."

…..

He drove her back to her place, which turned out to be only a few units down from his own. They'd always go over to his house, so when she invited him in for dinner he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unsure of what to do, and when he voiced his concern Lucy only smiled before dragging him inside.

It was a beautiful apartment. Since they were in a joined building with multiple units it had the same layout as his, but how she'd decorated hers was cozy. Safe.

Blankets, couches, pillows, books, pens, pencils. The smell of paper and ink was all over the apartment and though Natsu wasn't one to be found reading, that didn't mean he didn't love that kind of atmosphere.

He found himself wandering to her window where a few books lay, a clear view of the park and front of the complex through the glass.

Natsu smirked, turning to her, "So, you watched me from here, huh?"

Lucy spun around from her spot in the kitchen to face him. Her eyes widened when she saw where he was and he swore she turned the same colour as his hair.

"N-no! I just read there...and you would run by...and—"

Natsu laughed, heading over to her in the kitchen. He took a seat on a stool at the counter, watching as she darted around, trying to explain herself while avoiding his gaze.

"I'm kidding, Luce," he smiled. Her flustered was something he couldn't get enough of, especially when she was bold enough to flirt with him.

He watched as she pulled ingredients from her cupboard and fridge and set them on the counter. Various vegetables and meats and spices littered the counter as she started working. Natsu stood from his spot and rounded the counter into the kitchen, making enough noise for her to know he was coming up beside her.

"What're you makin'?" he asked, looking over her shoulder. She was cutting chunks of beef into cubes.

"Curry." She smiled up at him before focusing on the task in front of her again.

"What can I do to help?"

She raised an eyebrow at his question, looking over his face before jutting her chin out at the three large sweet onions on the counter.

"You can cut those."

Natsu cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders back before pulling a pack of matches out of his pocket. After detaching one from the book he stuck it in his mouth, then grabbed a large knife from the large wooden block on the counter. He could feel Lucy's eyes on him as he sliced off the ends, cut the onions in half, and chopped them all up in the span of five minutes.

He heard the blonde sniff, eyes watering. "Damn, even when I'm not the one doing it it still hurts."

Natsu snickered, walking over to the stove and scraping the onion from the board into the pressure cooker.

With the two of them working together, dinner was done within the hour and cleaned up soon after. With the sun low, and a single lamp lighting the room, Natsu sprawled out on the couch, one hand on his very full stomach as he groaned.

"So good."

Lucy laughed as she plopped down at the opposite end, stretching her legs down the length of the couch, to the side of Natsu's torso. He watched her toes spread as she stretched and relaxed down into the cushions.

"I love curry," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Well, with the way you make it I'd eat it every day if I could." Natsu absently sought out her feet, kneading at the soles with his thumbs and knuckles. Small groans sounded from Lucy's side of the couch as she relaxed, arms stretched above her head and hanging over the side.

It was after a few minutes they both started to doze off.

Natsu pried an eye open groggily at the couch shifting, faintly registering a body crawling over to him. He let out a grunt at an elbow in his gut and heard a soft 'sorry' before a weight pressed down on his chest.

"Luce?"

The blonde had wedged her arm down the side of the couch, the other thrown over his lower torso as she found a comfortable spot for her head in the crook of his neck.

"'s cold in here," she mumbled, "yer warm."

Natsu only smiled as he bent one arm behind his head for a makeshift pillow and wrapped the other securely around her so she wouldn't fall off the couch if she rolled over in her sleep. Her breaths evened out, long and deep and he could've sworn she was asleep when she spoke again.

"Natsu?"

"Hm?" he grunted, eyes still closed. The weight of her on him was comforting and he found it easier to relax.

"How did you know there was something I wasn't telling you?" she asked, turning her head to the side to make her voice more audible.

He cracked an eye open to look down at her, "Whadoya mean?"

"Without even asking, you knew I had an issue with touch. Most people would've just said it was 'cause I'm a weirdo."

Natsu grinned devilishly, "But you are a weird—ohoof!"

Yeah, he deserved that.

She wrapped her arm back around him, elbow safely away from his gut as he took a deep breath. The air had suddenly gotten serious again when he felt Lucy's chest rumble.

"How?" she pressed.

Natsu went quiet.

He could tell her. He could tell her why he started noticing things because he was similar in the past. He could tell her about the worst night of his life, and how he'd just barely managed to survive. He could tell her about how he knew Cobra and Gajeel, and he would.

Just not tonight.

"'cause've somethin' that happened to me when I was younger," he said, jaw now stiff.

"What was it?" she asked, looking up at him.

Natsu shook his head, brushing the hair from her face.

"Today is about you," he said lowly, yawning. "I'll tell you another time, okay?"

She grumbled a bit before snuggling into him like a pillow and letting out a long sigh with a nod.

"Okay," she muttered.

…..

"She told you, didn't she?"

Natsu lifted up his mask to look at Gajeel. The man was hunched over a large slab of metal, in the middle of forging a large, iron, serrated blade. He'd paused from wailing on it to turn to him and voice his question.

"Who told me what?" his brow furrowed.

"Blondie," Gajeel grunted, setting down his hammer and taking a seat. "She told you about it didn't she?"

"What makes you say that?" Natsu asked, smirking.

"'cuz she's more comfortable with you now. More touchy." Gajeel crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Which means you now know why she acts the way she does."

"What makes you think there's something she isn't telling me?" The pinket narrowed his eyes, tone slightly defensive.

Gajeel just looked at him with a straight face. Natsu knew that look.

You really gunna ask me that, dumbass? Same reason you knew.

Natsu set down his blowtorch and flopped down into the chair, rubbing his face with his hands, "Yeah. She told me."

"The reason isn't my business," Gajeel smoothed a few locks of his that had escaped his headband back under the fabric, "but, she okay?"

The pinket nodded, leaning against the nearby table, "She's doing alright, finds it easier now that I know. So she's more relaxed."

Gajeel nodded, about to return to work when Natsu spoke up again.

"I ran into Cobra."

Natsu wasn't going to tell Gajeel about him being her psychiatrist since that wasn't his story to tell, but it sure as hell wasn't a coincidence that the brother they'd both grown up with was connected to this new person in their lives. There was something here. Natsu didn't like the word fate because he preferred to make his own decisions...but he'd be an idiot not to take notice of certain signs.

And Lucy having asked him about how he knew about her problem right after seeing Cobra again…

"How is he?" Gajeel asked, picking up his hammer again. The iron had now cooled and he'd need to heat it up again, so he stuck the large rod back in the burning coals.

"He's good. Managed to make something of himself. Working as a shrink now."

Gajeel laughed, "The guy who can hear everything making use of his talent for once."

"Yeah," Natsu smirked, "I thought it was ironic too."

The welder rested his forehead in his hands, elbows on the table in front of him. He had to tell Lucy, but he didn't know if he was ready. He never wanted to go back there again...but then again neither had she and she deserved to know about him.

"She knows that something happened to me when I was young," his voice was monotone as he looked over to Gajeel.

The raven-haired forger stiffened, "You gunna tell her?"

"Yeah. I just need to know you're alright with it."

Despite how the two of them bickered and beat each other up, there were things they'd been through that kept them closer than others could possibly imagine. You can meet someone, care for them, and share everything with them and feel comfortable and close with them...but there are certain things that bind you with others for life when you live through it together.

"I like her," he grunted, "go ahead."

"Thanks, Gajeel."

He gave one last hard look to Natsu as the pinket stood, "Don't fuck it up with Blondie."

Natsu set his jaw, "I won't."

…..

He couldn't see a thing.

Arms and legs restricted his body, holding him tight so he couldn't move. The house was eerily silent, and all Natsu could hear was Gajeel's breathing right next to his ear. He knew why his foster brother was keeping him still, but a part of him wanted to bite the hand that was covering his mouth and dash down the hall to save Cobra.

A loud crash echoed through the halls of their house and Natsu screamed into Gajeel's palm, trying to pull free of his grip. The black-haired boy just tightened his hold around him, so much so he found it hard to breathe.

"TELL ME WHERE HE IS!"

Natsu heard Cobra cry out in a high pitched scream before the sound of another crash. This wasn't fair. This was his fault. He was back and he was here for him. If he'd never been sent to this house, then Gajeel and Erik wouldn't be in this situation right now and—

Another yell that shook Natsu to his very core.

He opened his mouth wide and sunk his sharp teeth into Gajeel's hand. He heard him swear to himself and he reflexively tore his arm away.

It wasn't much slack, but it was enough.

Natsu lunged for the doors to the closet, nearly ripping them off their hinges as he tried to pull himself up and away from the other boy. He got halfway to his feet before Gajeel gripped the back of his shirt, yanking him back down to the floor.

"Shut up you fucking idiot," he snarled, lowly. "Do you want him to kill you?"

"He won't kill me," Natsu's voice wavered, not believing the words he was saying but doing his best to sound like he did.

"He's fucked out of his mind, flamebrain," Gajeel spoke in a hushed whisper, "he doesn't know what he's doing. If you go out there he will kill you."

"So we just stay in here and let him kill Cobra?!'

A few streams of light from the moon made their way through the cracks of the closet doors, turning Gajeel's normally red eyes silver. He could see the pained expression in them as his gaze hardened.

"Cobra's got this. He can take care of himself. You on the other hand…"

Natsu nearly punched him in the face.

"We're the same age, don't treat me like a kid."

Another crash sounded through the house and the pinket's head snapped in the direction, muscles tensed.

"Natsu…" Gajeel shook the other boy's shoulders, getting his attention back, "we are kids. What the hell can we do...huh?!"

The younger—by a month—boy wracked his brain for something...anything.

His eyes widened.

He opened his mouth to answer when a loud creak sounded from above them.

On pure instinct, Natsu grabbed Gajeel's hand and yanked him out of the closet just as the shelves and poles came crashing down.

"What was that?"

They both froze.

Gajeel grabbed Natsu's wrist and nearly dragged him under the bed as heavy footfalls made their way down the hall. The two could hear muffled voices shouting and a loud thud against the wall before the door to their room was kicked open.

They both covered their mouths to silence their breathing.

Footsteps crept around the bed back toward the closet. The floorboards creaked under the weight of the man as he rounded the bed.

Natsu's heart thudded in his chest and he tried his best not to move, praying he'd just go away and leave them all alone.

The legs of the bed scraped the floor as it was kicked over, metal frame leaving holes in the drywall.

"Found you," the man slurred.

Rugged, drunk, and covered in blood, Natsu's stomach churned at the sight of the man with hair the same colour as him.

"Little brat," he leaned down and pulled Natsu up by his hair, "c'mon. Let's go."

Natsu's blood ran cold. He couldn't move.

He didn't want to go back. He…he couldn't go back. No.

He suddenly found his head smashed into the floor, stars exploding in his vision.

What the…

He watched as Gajeel attacked his father, blocking the broken bottle he was holding with his arms before landing punch after punch. He must've still had a hold on his hair when Gajeel tackled him, so they all went down.

Natsu felt something warm spatter on his face and brought his fingers to his cheek.

Blood.

There wasn't much time for the thought to register before Gajeel was sent flying across the room. Knocked down, the black-haired boy braced himself with his hands, trying to get back up. Slashes this way and that decorated his forearms. Deep ones.

Natsu rolled onto his stomach and went to crawl toward Gajeel, but his father was back on his feet and heading for him again.

Head swimming, Natsu looked around for the bedside table. If he could just get to it then he could protect them all. He could end this.

But it was out of reach, and his father was looming over him again now.

Natsu's fist clenched, ready to fight back when once again his father was tackled.

Cobra.

Natsu didn't miss the warped skin of his older foster brother's eye as he clenched it shut, letting loose punch after punch. Blood trailed down his cheeks from his eye and the smaller cuts that surrounded it.

"Don't. You. Touch. Him!"

He watched as Cobra managed to keep the upper hand, and took the opportunity to scramble toward the small dresser. Yanking the drawer open, Natsu pulled out the heavy piece of metal.

A gun.

Natsu had no idea how to use a gun…but he sure as hell would have to figure it out.

Holding it in both of his hands, he pointed it at his father who had managed to throw Cobra to join Gajeel across the room.

"Don't ya point that at me," he snarled, staggering to his feet. "I'm yer father."

Natsu shook his head, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.

It was jammed.

"Crap," he whispered, looking at the gun. Why wasn't it firing? What was going on? Wha—

"Fuckin' idiot," his father laughed, "the safety's on."

Natsu's stomach sank as his father grabbed the gun from him and pointed it at his brothers.

"Now you come with me, or they won't be throwin' any more punches. Ever."

Natsu stood from his spot on the floor and walked over to the older man, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. The scars on his back started to itch as he focused on his father's belt.

Please, no. Not again. Not after Zeref.

Natsu bowed his head as he came to stand in front of the taller pinket. If he was going to go back, there was no way he was going to let him have the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

"NATSU!"

The boy's head snapped up at the sound of his foster father's sudden presence, and all he saw was a flash of red as once again the drunk was tackled.

"Get him out of here Cobra!"

Erik reached for his little brother, but froze when two gunshots rang out.

Both men lay on the ground, a dark liquid pooling beneath them. Natsu watched as Igneel fell to the floor on his back, blood seeping into his shirt from his chest and stomach, eyes wide.

"IGNEEL!"

Natsu broke away from Cobra, falling to his dad's side, pressing his hands to his chest. That's what you were supposed to do with gunshots, right? Apply pressure?

Igneel coughed. Blood coated his teeth and trickled from the corner of his mouth. The gurgling in his throat made Natsu nauseous but he couldn't leave.

"Natsu," he croaked, "get out of here. It's not safe."

"No, dad...I won't leave you!"

Igneel once again looked to Cobra, "Get them out of here."

As Cobra was walking over, Igneel pulled something from the inside of his jacket. It was wrapped in tissue paper that was now torn and some of it was stained red.

"Don't worry," he whispered, "the blood will come out. I'm just sorry I didn't get to give it to you sooner."

"Dad…" Tears streamed down Natsu's cheeks as he cradled the gift to his chest.

"DAD!"

Natsu shrieked as Cobra picked him up, threw him over his shoulder, and ran out of the bedroom. Screaming the whole way Natsu flailed his arms and legs, pounding his brother's back and reaching for Igneel.

That pink-haired man was his father...he'd helped make him...sure.

But he wasn't his dad.

His dad was the one who was bleeding out on the floor of the bedroom.

It was only when the sound of sirens died down, and the three of them were in an ambulance together that his father's last words reached him.

"Happy Birthday...Na...tsu."

...

He shot up in bed, heart pounding, breath ragged. A scream ripped its way from his chest and he pulled away from what was restricting his movements.

Fucking blankets.

Rolling onto the floor, Natsu backed up from his bed, eyes wildly darting around before it registered just where he was.

He was in his house. Sleeping.

He wasn't in that foster home.

Chest heaving, Natsu's head fell between his bent knees and he pounded a fist over his racing heart. It had been years since he'd had that nightmare. Years since he remembered that night so vividly.

Only this time, a pair of chocolate eyes were there to comfort him.

"Natsu?"

He swallowed before standing up and heading for the door. He needed to cool down.

Flicking the light on in the bathroom, Natsu grabbed a towel and soaked it in cold water before wiping his face, neck, chest and shoulders. The air tickled the water, making him shiver, but it was better than nothing.

"Natsu...what's going on?"

He looked down to the blonde at his side, staring at him, worried. She brought a hand up to his cheek when he looked away, turning him to face her.

It had been months since he'd told her about what had happened to him when he was eleven; about that night when his dad died at the hands of his biological father. About the scars on his back from the belt and the significance of the scarf.

She'd learned why Gajeel's gloves were so important to him too. They'd been given to him by Metalicana, his foster father before Igneel.

Though it wasn't his story to tell what had happened to Gajeel, she could guess.

She'd learned just how Erik's eye had ended up the way it did...he was only sixteen.

"Nightmare," he rasped, shaking his head. "Haven't had one in years."

He felt her move around to his back, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her lips at the nape of his neck.

"It's okay. You're okay. I'm here."

He weaved his fingers through those of her left hand.

Oh...now he remembered.

Natsu smiled to himself of the memory of his red-headed dad giving him a lecture on how to propose to a girl. It was the last conversation they'd had before he drove off that day, looking for the scarf.

He wasn't going to propose anytime soon. They'd only officially been dating a few months, and they hadn't gone very far. He was respectful of her boundaries and she was the same for him. They were both figuring things out and the most important part of Lucy to him was her friendship. He didn't need the physical stuff.

But when he looked at her, he knew he was going to marry that girl.

Natsu spun around in her arms, resting his cheek atop her head and hugging her to his chest. They stayed like that for a few minutes with Lucy rubbing at Natsu's back and shoulders.

"Better?" she asked gently, turning her head to look up at him.

Natsu smiled and Lucy rose onto her toes in response.

She captured his lips softly, kissing the bottom one, and then the top one. This wasn't lust, it was comfort and adoration.

Natsu responded, wrapping one arm around her waist while bring the other up to cup her cheek. She gripped at his hair to pull him closer as he kissed her slowly, lazily, languidly, melding his mouth to hers. She giggled as he nibbled on her lower lip and he felt her roll her hips into his. A laugh rumbled in his chest as they stumbled back against the counter.

"Much better," he whispered against her mouth, before kissing along her jaw to her neck. Pulling away he took her hand in his as they headed back to bed and crawled under the covers.

As Lucy huddled into his side, wrapped around him, Natsu could only feel his heart swell. He'd gotten so lucky with having met her and if it weren't for the scarf Igneel had given him...he may never have in the first place.

Brushing the locks away from her face, Natsu pressed one last kiss to her forehead before falling asleep.

Thank you...Dad.

Hope you guys enjoyed! Feel free to drop me a review or message :)

-zb