~ Lucy ~
Backing away my mind races in confusion with swirls of horrified fascination mixed in. This was my best friend, the man that I had stupidly fallen madly and irrevocably in love with, this was Natsu...but at the same time it isn't. My Natsu had never let himself lose control and those few times that he had come close he had later told me that the panic and fear of the unknown had always drawn him back into his right mind. I was the only one who knew just exactly how hard this gentle man fought against the beast that raged within him, having first hand experience at seeing him close to the edge. When he had first explained it to me right after another weak moment I had worried, coddled him until he had snapped at me to stop acting so 'un-Lucy'. Lovable moron. Then I had thought to ask how Gajeel and the others seemed so...normal all the time if they all had this fierce beast within them, but he had explained that it wasn't so much the beast as the element that made it so hard for him, along with the fact that he may fight alot at the guild but he never let his anger or frustration vent for fear of what could happen. Hence a backlog of emotion bubbling in his mind.
The wings and fangs he is sporting when he finally shoves off the ground to release an ear poppingly loud roar may be frightening, but I find my eyes glued to his face rather then his new dragon features. His face is so tortured. I know from what he told me that this was painful for him, but it looked like more then that to me...he looks broken. Heart clenching I take careful steps closer to the panting form kneeling on the ground, the fear I should feel never appearing but to my surprise and annoyance attraction does. What? Moronic and childish he may be, but Natsu had never been anything but handsome in the basest of ways that only could be enhanced by the animalistic features. Frustratingly sexy man. Not the time. Dropping to a my knees before him my hands glide up his neck to cup his face in the lightest embrace, thumbs ghosting over the scales running along his cheekbone and finding them surprisingly soft.
"Natsu?" A rumble is the only response he gives me so I move my face closer and attempt to catch his downcast gaze. "Natsu. Are you alright?"
"I haven't been alright since the day you left Luce." His voice is soft and low, but the way he says my name; the name only he has ever been allowed to call me, it sets my heart racing. Its terrifying and angry and yearning and so full of some unnamed emotion that has my heart clenching and my eyes tearing up.
"Natsu...you don't understand. I-"
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!?" His voice is a hoarse bellow, the sound grating and much gruffer then I had thought possible for him. Like a wounded dragon. My hackles rise again in frustration. Frustration at the situation, frustration that he had somehow found me before I was ready to face him, frustration that I couldn't help him through this and most of all...frustration that after everything, after all my work, all I wanted to do was crawl into his arms and feel at home again after being without him for so long.
"No! You don't! You've never been weak. Never been afraid every day of being left behind. Never heard those you see as your family talk about you like your just a burden! Do you think I didn't know how weak I was? How unworthy I was of the team? The guild? Dammit Natsu why cant you just understand! I had to be more then I was, had to become strong. I need my family but they didn't need me and it killed me." Tears blind me now, rivers of pain I had bottled and stored away in the hopes that they would evaporate away and I would never have to face them. Years of lying, pretending it didn't hurt when we would come back from a mission and I would either be the only one injured or it would be my fault the others were.
"Dammit Lucy, didn't you hear me! You have always been strong, always been the light of FairyTail! We needed you more then you could ever imagine." What?
"You were the one who called me weak! I heard you talking to Erza and Grey! That makes no sense!"
"I had to say something." His voice has gone soft again, the anger no longer the strongest running emotion in it. These mood swings were throwing me through a loop.
"What does that even mean?"
"They were getting too close to the truth. Asking too many questions."
"What the hell are you talking about Natsu?" At this point I am completely confused. My best friend badmouths me, breaks down the last wall of confidence I had not to mention my stupid heart, and now he cant even give me a good reason why? Not only that but he is literally burning with rage and looks more like a dragon then a man. What did I say? So NOT ready for this.
~ Natsu ~
Shes getting frustrated and I know she doesn't understand. I keep trying to tell myself that she had no way of knowing but my more primitive side is in the drivers seat and its hard to keep control over my thoughts and emotions. In the end I guess showing her if just so much easier.
"This." I hiss before slamming my lips onto her own, the gasp I feel more then hear ignored as I instead use it as a chance to plunder the warm sweetness of her mouth. Fuck she tastes good. I'm about 80% sure that once she regains her senses I'm gonna get Lucy kicked into next week but this is so totally worth it. If I thought her scent was good...good thing I hadn't tried this before or I would have her mated and bound to me before she had time to think or argue. Its better then I ever dreamed.
