Trigger warnings! Self-harm, abuse, and implied rape. It doesn't get into extreme details, but it does mention them. Please be cautious while reading. I don't want to offend anyone.

Chapter Four: Sweet Release

There was still some uncomfortable tension between Natsu and Lucy, but it was eased when the two took another shot of vodka. Natsu told her all about Gajeel and Levy's wedding, while Lucy told him about the boring business parties she had to attend the last few years. Neither mentioned her husband or Natsu's broken heart, fearing it would ruin the mood.

However, after another fire whiskey, Natsu's curiosity finally won. "So what did you write about?"

"Huh?" She asked, sipping on her mixed drink. She opted to get the same strawberry lemonade drink, since it tasted so good the first time.

"The letters," he explained, hoping he didn't have to go into more details. It was embarrassing enough just mentioning them again. "What did you write to me?"

What seemed like a dangerous topic turned out easy enough. Lucy said she talked about her new life in Crocus. She described her house, her neighbors, more about business parties and social events. "I didn't put anything about my husband," she said, wanting to make that clear.

Natsu nodded, glad that if he had received them, he wouldn't have had to hear her talk about the man he despised. "I also didn't mention..." She let out a shaky breath, "I didn't say anything about how I felt about you. I made sure to sound as platonic as possible."

"Why?" He asked, already knowing the answer. He just wanted to hear her say it.

"Well, I'm sure you know how I feel about you." She started, not realizing she used a present tense verb instead of past tense. Natsu noticed though, and his attention spiked. "I didn't want my husband to read them, find out, then ruin the agreement."

"What do you mean?" He asked, hanging on her every word.

She took a big drink from her glass, hoping the liquid courage would kick in. "The contract for our marriage states that the deal between our father's companies would break if I filed for divorce or cheated on him, so I had to make sure I was on my best behavior. I couldn't risk anything."

So many times she had thought about skipping town and driving to see Natsu. So many times she started typing or writing a letter telling him how much she missed him, and how much she wished he was there for her, but she always threw them away. She couldn't risk it, because then her mother's treatments would stop. She hated that people were so cruel to take advantage of her mother's deteriorating health, but there was nothing she could do about it now. The past can't be changed, only the present and future can.

Natsu stayed quiet, letting her words sink in. Before he could really analyse and break down every hidden meaning behind what she said, she spoke again, changing the subject, "so what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a welder," Natsu answered easily. His train of thought couldn't process too much at once since the alcohol was doing its job already. He decided to let whatever he was thinking about float to the back of his mind until later when he was sober again.

"How'd you get into that?" Lucy asked with complete interest. She always wondered what Natsu ended up doing with his life. She was tempted to call up her old friends, but she lost touch with them shortly after she got married. It seemed rude to pick up the phone, call Levy or Erza and ask them about Natsu. Fear and embarrassment also kept her from dialing their numbers.

"Well, I needed money and it looked like something I could handle. The pay is really good too," he added, downing his drink.

He didn't want to admit that he loved watching the metal melt away. He was always somewhat of a pyro. When he first considered welding, he thought he'd be using fire. Turns out he does arc welding, which is used with an electric current. Even after finding out he wouldn't be working with fire, he still pursued it. "Magnolia's welding school is right by where my gym is. Since I saw it all the time anyway, I figured I'd see if it was interesting."

"Was it?"

"Yeah. I've been doing it for two and a half years now. Working with powerful, dangerous equipment and making new things from scratch, it feels good," he really enjoyed his job, even though it was considered work.

It kept him grounded when everything else didn't. He knew he had to be sober and in his right mind when he went to work, so it helped straighten him up. If not for that, well, he didn't know how far gone he'd be by now.

"I'm glad you like your job," she said, her smile faltering as her eyes hazed over.

"You have one fucking job! You can't even get that right! What the hell are you good for Lucy!?" Her husband yelled before throwing a vase at her.

She barely dodged it, her vision blurred with tears. "I'm sorry! I'm trying m-my best!" She sniffled, not caring that snot was dripping from her nose, or that her arm throbbed painfully from where he grabbed her at the beginning of their fight.

"I'm doing everything the doc-" she choked on her saliva before forcing out, "doctor told me to do!"

"That's clearly not good enough!" He yelled, his face turning red with anger. She hated when he got like this, because it made her body tremble. She never knew what to expect, and all she wanted to do was run.

"I said I'm trying!" She wished he would actually listen to her instead of assuming she wasn't working hard. She knew she only had one job, and she honestly tried, but her body wasn't working with her.

"Are you still cutting yourself?" He asked, eyes landing on her stomach. Her torso was usually covered, even when they had sex. He had seen the red slashes on her once, after that he chose not to look at her scarred belly anymore.

Lucy looked to the side, not daring to meet his eyes. There was no point in lying. All he had to do was lift her shirt and he'd see the fresh marks along the top of her stomach. It was the only place she could freely cut herself without worrying that someone might see them.

"Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable," he shook his head. "You better hope the doctor doesn't see them, because you're going in right now."

Her head shot back to him, her mouth gaping. "Again?" She had just gone last week, and the week after that. How could he expect her to improve if he never gave her time to try?

"Yes again!" He stormed over to her, grabbing her injured arm again to drag her from their room. "Your father said you'd give me a son, and I intend to collect."

"You okay?" Natsu's voice broke through her flashback. She looked up at him, seeing the softness in his green eyes.

Her hands went to her lap, rubbing over her thighs where her newest cuts were. She used to only cut her stomach, but now they adorned most of her body. She knew it was the only way to keep her sane, because it was the only thing she had control over. She lost control of her money, her family, her friends, her life, even her body. This was her last stand.

"I'm fine," she lied. She hated herself, her body, her life. It's why she cut, it was her sweet release, her escape from reality.

Her only salvation.

"All right," Natsu said, though he looked unconvinced. "So, how's your family?" He finally asked the question that'd been nagging him all night.

He knew he could just look online what the Heartfilia family was up to, but he banished himself from that google search after the first two years. It was too painful. Especially the first time he saw Lucy in that white gown. She looked beautiful, but the sight broke his heart. Her body was wrapped up in the arms of another man, her husband, a man Natsu couldn't compete with since he lacked a title and money.

He never should have fallen in love with the girl.

"My dad is still as busy as ever. He had to be hospitalized last winter, since he worked himself too hard. He's doing better now," she sighed, "but the doctors say if he gets as bad as he was before, he might not be so lucky the next time."

"What happened to him?" The pink haired man asked, genuinely interested.

"Heart attack," she mumbled, her bangs covering her eyes when she lowered her face. "All that stress is bad on his body."

"Sorry to hear that," Natsu said honestly. Despite not exactly liking Jude, he didn't wish him harm. The old guy could be annoying, but he was Lucy's dad, and he could only imagine how painful it would be to lose him.

"How's your mom?"

He didn't miss the way her body tensed, her fingers clutching her thighs as if they had done something wrong. He saw the subtle way she shook, barely moving, but enough to cause alarm. "Hey," he said in a soft voice, "if you don't want to tell me-"

The blonde shook her head, a sniffle coming from her as she raised her head. Once she looked up at him, he saw the tears that had collected in her eyes. The sight broke his heart, so he quickly blurted out "were you able to published your stories?"

That seemed to be the worst thing he could say, because a tear leaked out. She turned her head to the bar, her vision blurring. "No," she finally answered. "I gave that up. He convinced me I had better things I should be doing with my time..."

"Like what?" Natsu asked. As far as he could remember, Lucy always wanted to be an author. She spent so much of her time writing her stories, so to give up her dream was unthinkable. He couldn't imagine something being more important to her.

"Like... m-m-making... a-a b-" She looked back down to her lap, her fingers clutching at her jeans. Her blonde locks covered her eyes. Natsu saw more tears roll down her pale cheeks. "A b-baby..."

He rubbed soothing circles on her knee, hoping to calm her down. She flinched at first, then warmed up to his touches. "What's wrong? You always said you wanted children."

Even if her children wouldn't be made with him, he still wanted her to have a happy life. She always talked about how she wanted a little girl, but she would wait until after she became an author before trying.

"Y-you don't understand," she finally looked at him, tears lining her eyes. "I c-can't have kids." A frown dominated her face. Her bottom lip was quivering as more tears sprang loose. Too many to be stopped by simply wishing them away.

Natsu's emerald eyes widened in panic. He hated seeing girls cry, and he'd never been good with handling it before. Lucy was beginning to turn away. A lump formed in his throat as he tried to find words to say. Instead, he did the only thing he could think of to make Lucy stop crying.

His arms stretched out and wrapped around her torso. He pulled her close, letting her head softly rest on his chest, where his heart was beating out of control. They were both leaning out of their chairs, with one arm around her back, and the other hand placed on her head. His fingers were laced in her soft, blonde hair. He thought for a moment that he had made a mistake, and that she would push him away in disgust. Instead, the opposite happened.

Her hands clenched his hoodie, and her tears left wet spots on his scarf. She cried silently, aware that if she made noise, then the other patrons would look their way. Natsu whispered in her ear, trying to soothe her. "Shhh, it's going to be alright. Don't worry, I'm here for you. You're strong Lucy, I know you'll pull through. Shhh, it's okay, just take deep breaths. In and out, in and out."

It took a few minutes, but finally the blonde was able to stop the tears. She didn't pull away from the pink haired man though, and he didn't mind. She felt at ease in his embrace. He was so warm, so caring, she never wanted to move.

However, she knew she was just making things worse for her. The longer she held onto him, the harder it would be to hide her feelings from him. So, she let go of his hoodie, and slowly pulled away.

Natsu let her go without a word. He smoothed out her hair that had been disheveled more from the hug. She dried her face with the napkin her drink came with, then gave him a weak smile. "Sorry," she whispered.

He shook his head, "no, don't apologize." He waited until she was a little more calm before asking, "what do you mean you can't have kids?"

She took a deep breath. Then another. It seemed like the longer she stalled, the harder it was to come clean. He placed a hand on her knee, giving her a soft nod. She put her hand on top of his, squeezing it a little to gain support. "I'm infertile."

Natsu cocked his head a bit, waiting for her to explain more. She sighed, her throat felt like it was closing up. She had to battle with herself to not cry, but already the urge was overwhelming her.

"I went to four specialists," she remembered every doctor's visit perfectly. All the bad news she received always seemed to pile up, no good news present to combat the pain. "There's nothing that can be done."

Natsu's thumb rubbed against her jeans. "How does something like that happen?"

"They all say I was born this way. They think it might be due to what my mother had, but they're not certain. All they know is I'm incapable of having children."

"Can you do that artificial thing? Or where they, I don't know what it's called, they do something to you to make you pregnant." Natsu knew next to nothing about women's health. He took sex ed, but it didn't cover what happened when you couldn't have a kid, only how to prevent it and diseases.

"Artificial insemination?" Lucy asked, trying to figure out what he meant. "Or in vitro fertilization? Either way, no... The doctors tried both of those several times. It never worked. They even tested my husband... He's perfectly healthy. He's not the issue, I am. My eggs and uterus are no good... I can't hold up my end of the deal."

"What do you mean?" Natsu was beyond confused by what she said. "I thought you just had to marry him?"

"It was a lot more complicated than that. There's a ton of loopholes that all work in his favor. My father was in such a rush to sign the contracts that he didn't bother checking them thoroughly. The main part of my deal was to marry him, but I'm also supposed to produce a son before our fifth year of marriage, or else..."

"Or else what?" He was almost afraid to ask.

The blonde shuttered, remembering how heartbroken she was when she heard the threat for the first time. "Or else they stop paying for my mother's hospital treatments..." She shook her head, trying to stop a memory from coming. "It doesn't matter anyway... It's too late."

Natsu was about to say she hadn't even been married for five years yet, so it wasn't too late. Then he realized what she implied. He didn't want to, but the words came tumbling out. "Lucy, what happened to your mom?"

He was met with silence.

"I love you Mama," the younger woman held her mother's brittle hand with her own. She couldn't feel any strength left in it, breaking her heart all over again.

"I love you too Lucy," the woman laying in the hospital bed said, her voice coming out hoarse and low. "Thank you for your sacrifice, but it's time for you to be free."

The tears raced down her cheeks. "I don't want to be free if it means losing you."

"I'll still be here, in your heart," Layla reminded her. "If you ever need me, just remember I'm always with you."

Lucy finally spoke, her voice weak with grief, "she... she passed away..." Her voice sounded distant, her strength weakening with every word. He knew her mother was everything to her. He knew she was hurting, and he hated to see her suffer.

"How long ago?"

There was a long pause before she said, "almost two weeks..."

He nodded slowly, grasping what she was saying, but not wanting to believe it. "What happened?"

Lucy gulped, her hands shook with anger and sadness. "Her body just quit. The treatments worked to extend her life, but in the end it didn't heal her. She passed away in her sleep."

Lucy was holding her mom's hand for her final hours before she passed. She had the chance to say goodbye to her mother, but still it didn't seem like enough. She would never get to see Layla's smiling face again.

Natsu started connecting the dots in his head. Her sudden appearance, the timing of her mother's death. "Why are you here Lucy?"

She met his gaze. For the first time that night, he saw the determination in the woman he fell in love with. She had her own fire in her eyes, one that showed she was serious. "I'm leaving my husband... There's no reason for me to stay anymore."

Her words sunk in slowly, his arms going numb from what she said. Hope. It was small, but it was there. He hoped she was telling the truth, because that would make Lucy free. He hated that it came because of her mother's death, but he was happy she could finally live a life she always wanted.

He could... he could be her friend again. He didn't entertain the idea of being more, knowing Lucy would need time to recover if she truly separated from her husband, but the hope still fueled him.

"I filed for divorce the day after the funeral... He-" Lucy stopped herself, her eyes hazing over as another memory came to mind. This one had been the worst of her life.

"You can't do this to me! We had an agreement!" Her husband's hands gripped her wrists, she'd be surprised if he didn't leave bruises.

She struggled against him, trying to break free. She wanted this to be a secret. She filed for divorce, and hoped he wouldn't find out until she already left town. Unfortunately for her, one of his employees had been following her that day, and reported back to him. "I'm done! I can't be near you anymore! Just let me go!"

"Never," he released her hands only to grab her shirt. He ripped it open, exposing her scarred skin to him. She ran, but he was faster, slamming the door so she couldn't escape.

"Please don't do this..." She took cautious steps backwards. They were on the second story. If she could reach the window, she could try to escape. It would be dangerous, but she was willing to take that risk.

"Do you think I want to!?" He lunged for her, catching her by surprise. He pushed her chest, forcing her onto the bed. She tried to stop him from ripping off her pants, but he managed to tear the material off her body.

She was clad in only her bra and panties, her damaged flesh on display for him to see. "God damn! What the fuck did you do to yourself?!" His eyes traced every jagged line on her body. Some were deeper than others, some thicker. Her once flawless skin was now a mess, all because she couldn't cope with her new life.

Lucy watched in horror as he took off his belt, then unzipped his pants. "You used to be so beautiful," he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, pinning her down with his malicious gaze. "Now you're disgusting, covered in scars."

His words cut deeper than any knife did. She knew she was hideous, the mirror proved that. She hated herself, but she couldn't stop. It was the only thing she had left now that her mother was gone. She knew what he was about to do to her, but this time she couldn't think that it was helping her mom. This was just torture... Punishment for trying to be free.

"Nobody will ever love you, not with that horrid thing you call a body." Despite his words, she could see the hardness in his pants. She wanted to vomit, the acidic taste already rising in her throat.

"I barely want you, but you're still mine," he discarded his shirt, then picked up the leather belt that had landed on the floor. "Maybe I should add some of my own marks?"

Lucy watched as he pulled his arm back, then flinched when he snapped the belt forward and struck her body.

"Luce!" Natsu shook her, trying to get her to come back to him. She had zoned out far worse than before. She was sweating, flinching to phantoms in her mind while she scratched at her wrists again, only this time much more harshly.

The blonde's eyes focused on him, especially on his hair. 'Pink.' Natsu was the only man she ever knew who had pink hair, a sure sign that he wasn't the man who beat her. "I'm okay," she lied, but this time he wasn't buying it.

"The truth," he demanded, eyes soft, but with a flicker of impatience. He thought he had issues, but he was starting to think he was the normal one between the two of them.

Lucy said in a monotone voice, "...we had an argument... I waited until I had a chance to... to run..."

Lucy laid there on the bed. Her eyes were glossy, her vision elsewhere. She had stopped resisting a long time ago, deciding instead to try to zone out. It was difficult, and many times she came back to the present, but in the end she gave up. Her body wasn't hers anymore, and apparently neither was her mind.

"Go take a shower. You reek," came her husband's voice.

She only smelled bad because her body was now covered in sweat and shame. She made no attempts to get up, not caring what happened to her. She could try to call for help, but that was useless.

How many times had she screamed for someone to stop him when he was in the middle of forcing himself on her only to be ignored? How many times had she locked eyes on a passing maid while he was desecrating her body and they just walked away? No one in that house would help her. Her husband's money made sure of that. They were all paid a nice reward for their silence, and that was apparently more important to them than her right to say no.

She didn't register that he moved, until she felt the harsh slap on her thighs. The belt he used on her was once again leaving its mark on her body. She winced, curling up to try to hide herself from his punishments.

"I said go take a shower! We have a dinner to go to tonight, and I can't have you smelling like a dog!"

Lucy tried to drown out his insults, but they all made it to her ears... made it to her soul...

"I guess it suits you though, seeing as your such a bitch!" He grabbed her by her hair, ignoring the protesting screams coming from his wife. He dragged her to the bathroom, throwing her in the tub. He turned on the hot water, letting the scalding liquid burn her skin.

"Be done quick. I'll be downstairs when you're ready." He left her alone, slamming the door on his way out.

Lucy quickly adjusted the temperature. It was still burning, but not enough to cause damage. However, the thing she picked up would. She sliced, letting the skin on her thighs open up to the stinging water. Her razor was dull, but she didn't care. She dragged it against her skin, feeling her own kind of pain, the pain she could control. It was enough to make her temporarily forget about her problems, but once she shut the water off and the blood dried, they were all back.

Lucy dried off slowly. Her body ached, her mind numb. She didn't dare look in the mirror, already knowing how horrible she looked. She grabbed her brush, combing through some of the tangles in her hair. She was halfway done when she decided she had enough.

She slipped out of the bathroom and into their bedroom. She didn't dare open the closet, knowing the only clothing in there were gowns, and that wasn't practical for what she had in mind.

The blonde opened the bottom drawer of her dresser, taking out a red tank top, and a pair of jeans she hadn't worn since high school. They were the clothes she wore in high school. She kept them as a souvenir of her time before she was a prisoner to her husband, even though the shirt was faded and the jeans were ripped. She put a clean bra on, pairing it with the matching panties. It was her red and black pair, the one she hadn't worn yet.

She got dressed, not bothering to put on make up, jewelry, or finish brushing her hair. She still had her wedding ring on, but she kept it, knowing she would need it.

Lucy grabbed her purse off the dresser. She had a few miscellaneous things inside. The most important thing was her wallet. It contained her driver's license, and about twenty dollars. It wouldn't be nearly enough to get her where she needed to be, but she still had to try. Luck seemed to be against her, because her car keys were in the living room, where her husband was sure to be waiting for her.

The blonde carefully opened the window, making sure to not make any noise in the process. The height was a little more than she originally anticipated, but she could handle it. She stepped onto the ledge, then sat down. Her legs dangled over the opening, she braced herself before she jumped.

"I jumped out my window," Lucy admitted, realizing how silly she sounded. Natsu cracked the slightest smile, and she already knew what he was thinking about. "Yes, I guess it did help that you taught me how to do it."

Natsu used to sneak to her house all the time when they were in high school. After a while, he convinced her to sneak out with him. She was apprehensive at first, but eventually she trusted him enough to let him teach her. She got a lot of scratches and bruises in the process, but it made her less afraid of falling.

"I didn't have my car, so I ran away from the estate. The fence surrounding the place was made out of stone, and way too high for me to climb, so I had to leave through the front entrance. I knew there was security, so," a blush started forming on her cheeks as she held back a laugh. "So I started a fire."

Natsu's eyes widened, an amused grin stretching over his face. "You? You started a fire? After always telling me I shouldn't do it."

"Yes," she giggled, and it felt so freeing to finally laugh without someone yelling at her immediately afterward. "It was harder than I thought it'd be." She thought if she held a lighter to the tree it would just catch on fire. She found out it wasn't that simple.

She ended up going to the shed on the property used by the landscaping crew, and took their gasoline can. She knew she wasn't supposed to start a fire with gas, because it was dangerous, but she needed to escape, and she knew security wouldn't let her leave without her husband.

They never did.

She poured a small amount on the base of the tree, then put the gas can back in the shed. She grabbed a stick, wrapping a blank check around the end, keeping it secure with a hair tie. The check caught fire easily, then the threw the stick at the spot of gas. It lit up instantly, not taking long before the thing was engulfed in flames.

Lucy took off, keeping close to the perimeter. She hid behind a bush near the entrance, waiting. It took a few minutes before an alarm went off. The guards posted at the front of the gates turned their heads to see what all the commotion was about.

The blonde used that as her chance to escape. "I slipped past the guards, then ran."

Natsu was intrigued by her story, then something struck him as odd. "Wait... why did you need to run?"

She tensed, realizing how bizarre that sounded. Normal people didn't run from their spouses, but she was anything but normal.

"I-I umm," she stalled, biting her bottom lip as she began to panic. "I... had to..."

"Had to?" That answer only brought on more questions, but she wasn't in the mood to answer them.

"I ran to town," she cut off whatever he was about to say. "I knew I didn't have a lot of time," she wanted to add, 'before my husband realized I left,' but she knew that wasn't a good idea.

"I went to the nearest pawn shop," Lucy showed him her left hand, the one that was missing a certain piece of jewelry. "I sold my ring."

"Sold?" He asked, raising a pink brow. "You didn't try to pawn it so you could get it back?"

She shook her head. "It had no sentimental value to me. I don't want it, or the memories it comes with. Besides, it got me enough money to buy a prepaid phone, rent a car, and drive here. I drove all night and all day until I made it here. I tried calling Levy, but her number had changed. I went to her house, but she didn't live there anymore."

"She moved in with Gajeel," Natsu offered, hoping she wouldn't think the blue haired woman was ignoring her. "Plus they're out of town right now..."

"I tried calling Erza next, but she probably didn't recognize the number. I texted her, asking if she was free. After a few minutes she sent me a message back saying she was busy, and if I needed anything... I didn't want to mess up whatever she was doing, so I said it wasn't important. I didn't want to bother her with this either."

"Either?"

Lucy sighed, "I didn't want to bother you... The first place I went to when I got to Magnolia was your parent's house. Well, I drove past your parent's house... I almost parked the car, but I couldn't face you. Not after everything..." She gave him no time to process what she said.

"I decided to drive around until I could make sense of things. I ended up here. I just thought I'd drink a little, drown away my pain, then go to a hotel and sleep it off. I even had the local cab number saved in my phone, that way I didn't drive drunk..."

"Did you get a hotel room?" Natsu asked, feeling more sober than he was.

She shook her head, a bleak frown on her face. "No, not yet. I was going to after this."

"You can stay with me," Natsu didn't hesitate to offer.

"I can't put you out like that..." He already did enough by listening to her. She couldn't remember the last time someone actually talked to her besides her mother. "I'll be fine in a hotel. I still have enough cash to get me by. I just have to contact my lawyer in the morning, probably file a restraining order against my husband."

"For what?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together as he started to worry. He saw her flinch, her eyes lining with tears as she took shaky breaths.

"Did... Did he hurt you Lucy?"

She shook her head. "Technically no..."

"What do you mean by technically?" Natsu didn't mean for his volume to raise, but he couldn't help it. He was barely containing the anger building inside him. 'If he hurt her...'

"I'm his wife... He has the right to... to..."

Memories of her being taken against her will surfaced. Her screaming for him to stop, begging him to leave her alone haunted her mind. She felt more tears spring loose.

"Did he force himself on you?" Natsu's hands went to his own lap, scared he'd hurt her as he coiled them into fists.

"We're married," she said as if it were the only answer that mattered. Still, she explained her messed up logic to him. "He can't force me, because that's what I'm supposed to do already."

Natsu shook his head fervently. "That's called marital rape, and it's against the law. You have a right to say no, even with your spouse."

The blonde tried to ignore what he was saying. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done. I already showered anyway. There's no proof..." 'Except for the belt marks on my body...' But she knew with her own cuts, it would be hard to blame her husband. He could say she did it to herself, and people would probably believe him. It was hopeless.

Natsu assured her, "you can still press charges against him."

"I'd rather just divorce him and be done with it all..."

"Lucy, you should-"

"Stop!" Brown eyes glared at Natsu. He could see her broken spirit, it was fighting tooth and nail to stay sane. "I don't want to hear it. Why do you care anyway?"

Judging by the silence that fell between them, Lucy assumed she shut Natsu up for good. The man had a pained expression, his hands clenching into fists before loosening again, only to repeat several more times. He opened his mouth a few times to speak, but she was met with silence.

It wasn't until the fifth or so time when he finally said, "because I..." He took a deep breath. Gulping past the lump in his throat, he muttered, "I still love you, Luce."

Lucy's heart warmed. She wanted to smile. She'd been dying to hear those words ever since he said them to her the last time they saw each other years ago, but it was different now. She knew she didn't deserve his love, and that made her smile die.

Her broken spirit finally gave up.

"I doubt that."

"What?" Natsu asked, surprised by her reply. He expected a million different other things, but that one was a shock.

"You don't really love me..." She shook her head, her words convincing only herself. "You wouldn't love me if you knew the truth..." The scars, the cuts, the pain, the tears...

The pink haired man tried to touch her hand, but she flinched away. "What are you saying?"

"No one will ever love me," her tone was flat, almost robotic, as if she was repeating someone else's words.

"Is that what he told you?" Anger laced his voice, but he didn't let that stop him. He was pissed. Nobody had the right to tell someone that, especially not to Lucy. She deserved to be loved, unconditionally.

"Does it really matter if I already knew it was true?" She asked as if it were normal. "I've already accepted it." It was the reason she still couldn't confess to Natsu, even after he told her he loved her. She didn't deserve him.

She reached for her drink, but a soft, gentle hand stopped her. "Put your drink down, we have something to do."

"We do?"

"Yes. Take your phone out," he instructed, then waited until she did. Then he said, "bring up your camera."

Once it was loaded, he carefully grabbed it from her hands. He flipped the phone so it was at a better angle.

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking at her phone in his hand.

Natsu smiled at her, his abnormally sharp teeth on display, "we're taking a payback picture!"

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Up next, Chapter Five: Payback Picture.