Chapter Fifteen: Cookout
Natsu's body jerked up, his eyes going wide as he made out the sound of a scream around him. He fumbled with the lamp on his nightstand, trying to get the light on to make searching for the source of the noise easier. Just as he flipped on the lights, he heard another pained scream, then felt the bed jostle.
He snapped his head to the side, seeing Lucy's writhing body next to him. Her forehead was damp with sweat, her eyes screwed shut as she clenched her teeth. She let out another horrible scream, but it was cut short when Natsu grabbed her shoulders, shaking her awake.
It turned out to be a bad decision. Lucy struck before her eyes even opened. Nails scratched against his face, leaving behind broken skin and beads of blood. She tore through his skin so quickly he barely even felt it, but it stung afterwards, especially when she opened her eyes and screamed, "get the hell away from me!"
Natsu flinched, watching as Lucy pushed off with her hands to get as far away from him as possible. Unfortunately for her, that meant falling out of the bed. Her wide dull eyes flashed with recognition for her mistake a little too late as she fell off the bed backwards and landed on her butt.
The impact didn't cause her to make any noises, but promptly after that Natsu heard her sniffle, followed by the sound of her sobbing. That seemed to snap him out of his daze. He quickly shuffled to the other side of the bed, looking down to see the girl hugging herself, her body sideways against the ground. When he said her name, she only shook her head, crying harder.
"Lucy," he tried again, slowly slipping from the bed to sit beside her. He hated seeing her in pain, even if she caused him some discomfort as well. The lines on his cheek were now puffy and inflamed, blood dripping down his face and sliding down his neck.
"Lucy, are you okay?" Natsu asked, and her response broke his heart.
"N-no!" She shook her head again, this time allowing the side of her face to beat against the floor. "I-I thought... I thought you... you were... J-Ja..." Lucy closed her mouth, more tears streaming down her face.
Natsu knew better, but his heart didn't care. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her tense in his hold. He picked her up, bringing her closer until her body laid in his lap, her legs dangling over the side as her head was brought to his chest.
"It's okay, Luce," Natsu cooed, trying to keep his voice as soft as possible. He didn't want to scare her further, but he didn't want her to feel like she was alone. "It was just a bad dream. He can't hurt you. I won't let him."
His words seemed to help ease the tension in her body. She slowly relaxed, though her tears didn't stop falling. Lucy leaned into his touch, allowing him to comfort her. She whispered an apology, but he already forgave her the instant it happened, so there was no reason for her to feel bad.
"I love you," he mumbled against the crown of her head. "I'm here no matter what, you don't have to worry anymore."
Lucy nodded, her tears smearing against his bare chest. He kept his hold on her secure, feeling if he let her go too soon she'd feel like he was letting her down. It was a stupid way of thinking, but he didn't care. He just wanted her to feel as secure as his grip.
"Do you want something to drink? Or maybe something to eat?"
Lucy's answer was muffled, her voice low. "M-maybe some water?" She had trouble breathing, her throat feeling tight and dry.
"Okay," Natsu nodded, then tightened the hold he had on her for a moment to squeeze her. "Let's get you back in bed. I'll be right back."
He carefully shifted Lucy to his lap. As much as he would have liked to pick her up as he stood, that just wasn't practical, especially for a man with broken ribs who just woke up.
Speaking of which, he started feeling just how bad of an idea it was to move around like that. His side felt like someone stabbed him with a white-hot rod. Natsu grit his teeth through the pain as he helped Lucy to his feet. He was about to guide her to the bed, but then he noticed the wet spot on the sheets right beside and on her pillow.
He sighed, realizing her sweat soaked into the material. Natsu told her to sit on the edge of the bed while he was gone. He was hesitant to leave, not wanting Lucy to feel abandoned, even if he was only going to be gone a few minutes.
In a strained voice, Lucy told him she was fine on her own. He nodded, trusting her judgement. He placed a kiss to her temple, feeling the sweat that clung to her heated skin.
Natsu was quick, rushing to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water, then went to the laundry room where a spare pillowcase was kept. He grabbed new sheets as well, knowing sleeping on a towel might be uncomfortable, even if he used his best one.
When he returned to his room, Lucy was still in the same spot, however he noticed she changed shirts. She stared at the wall, stroking the blue feline that was now in her lap. He guessed Happy was trying to comfort her as well. It seemed to work, seeing as she wasn't crying anymore.
"May I?" Natsu asked, holding up the sheets and pillowcase in one hand.
"Yeah," Lucy nodded, but delayed standing up. She clutched Happy to her chest as she rose, not wanting the cat to run away from her. She thanked Natsu when he handed her the glass of water, then moved to the side as he changed the sheets and pillowcase.
Lucy stayed quiet during the process, feeling ashamed for letting herself be controlled by her fears. The dream she had felt so real. It felt like Jackal was right next to her, choking her after she refused to have sex with him. Lucy couldn't help but feel worse when Natsu walked up to her again, a soft smile on his lips as he asked her if she was ready for bed. That brought on more tears, followed by her shakily telling him he should clean up his face.
Natsu brought the tips of his fingers up to his left cheek, pulling them away only to find blood staining the pads of his fingers. "Oh, yeah. I'll be right back," Natsu's smile grew a little wider when he said, "you're a pretty good fighter, ya know that?"
Lucy's eyes widened, finding it bizarre that he was joking at a time like this. She knew she shouldn't have, but she allowed herself a smile too. "M-maybe..."
A knowing glint shinned in Natsu's eyes as he nodded. "Sounds good." With that, he left, going to his bathroom to bandage up his face. He came back a few minutes later, band-aids messily sticking to his skin. She thought it seemed appropriate, seeing as even when he was younger he was bad at putting on bandages.
The only thing keeping her from suggesting that she redo it was the tired look in his eyes. Now that all the commotion had died down, the exhaustion set in. This was his first real sleep in a week, and she interrupted it with her screaming.
Natsu didn't hold it against her, knowing it couldn't be helped. He wasn't surprised that she was experiencing bad dreams. He was honestly expecting them a lot sooner. He could only guess that the constant running around Crocus kept her too tired to dream, seeing as he hadn't dreamed all week either.
"Let's go to bed?" Natsu gently placed a hand on her back, guiding her to the bed. She went without protests, wanting the sweet embrace of sleep to consume her. Everything in her body and mind was sore, so she could only imagine how Natsu felt.
She got her answer when she saw him go to his pill bottle on his night stand. He popped one without a drink, swallowing hard to force the medication down. His doctor told him to use them when he felt pain, so she knew he wasn't in the best condition right now.
Natsu said nothing as he slipped into the bed, crawling under the covers with Lucy and Happy. The cat was snuggled between them, taking advantage of the warmth that came from two occupants.
Natsu was the first to fall asleep, muttering an, 'I love you', after turning off the lamp. Happy was second, cuddled closer to Lucy's chest than anything else. Lucy stayed awake for a while longer, her mind overthinking about her situation. Nothing had changed, but she felt so much worse. She thought being with Natsu would keep the nightmares away, but tonight proved she was just being naive. It'd take a lot more work than she previously thought.
Lucy sighed, silent tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to blink them away. She was willing to try to get better... She just hoped Natsu was willing to be patient with her. After tonight, she felt like maybe he would wait for her to get better, but she wouldn't blame him if he gave up on her.
Lucy was on the verge of giving up on herself too.
The next morning Natsu and Lucy got to work. After they ate the breakfast she made, Natsu popped a pill so they could take a taxi. He was a little hesitant with taking his pain medication, especially after he felt it kick in, but he wouldn't tell Lucy about that. She already had a lot on her mind.
Their first destination was the same building where Natsu's AA meeting was held. It was a wellness center that offered multiple treatments to get people clean of drugs and alcohol, or help get them better if they were sick or mentally ill. Lucy signed up for counseling immediately, knowing it was something she definitely needed. Last night was enough proof of that.
Lucy felt awful for scratching Natsu's face, but he brushed it off, saying he had much worse before. The hollow feeling in Lucy's chest seemed to come and go throughout the day, mainly when there was a lull in their conversations.
Natsu did his best to cheer her up, and for that she was grateful. He just wanted to see her smile again, and a few times she did. They were short-lived, but they still meant the world to Natsu, so he just kept on trying. He didn't want anything to feel forced, but he hoped that she would cheer up soon.
After signing Lucy up for counseling, the couple went out to lunch. They didn't go anywhere fancy, just stopping by a fast-food joint for a quick bite. Natsu tried to pay, but Lucy refused, saying she wanted to treat him. As much as he wanted to protest, he didn't want to rock the boat, so he kept quiet.
When they were finished with lunch they went to Magnolia's biggest department store. Lucy stocked up on some essentials since she didn't have much. She didn't bring back a lot of stuff with her from Crocus.
Lucy bought new underwear and bras, shirts and jeans, and even a few skirts. Of course she had to purchase some leggings too since she didn't want anyone seeing her scars if she chose to wear a skirt.
Natsu wasn't much help with picking out clothes for her. She would ask him if something looked nice, and all he could respond with was, "I think it looks great on you."
It wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't helpful. Especially when he said that to a hideous dress that Lucy felt shouldn't have seen the light of day. Lucy wouldn't deny it, she was testing him, and he failed. That resulted in her picking her own clothes while Natsu acted as a human shopping cart, holding all her items as she gathered more.
Once again, Natsu didn't mind. Especially when Lucy got embarrassed over the many looks people were sending their way. He only smiled while her face broke out into a blush. It was cute, and he let her know.
They got home a while later. Natsu cleared out some drawer space for her and shifted some of his clothes he rarely used from his bedroom closet to the closet in the hall. Lucy thanked him with a kiss, then started getting to work moving in with Natsu.
Lucy got a sudden shock to her heart when Natsu came into the bedroom after she finished hanging the last article of clothing. He grabbed her hips, causing her to jolt and turn to face him, but that wasn't what shocked her. It was the small item resting between his fingers that drew a gasp from her lips.
"R-really?" She looked up from the golden color, meeting his emerald eyes.
"Yeah. I want to make it official." He placed the item in her hands, gently forcing her fingers to curl over it. "Is that okay? I'm not rushing anything, am I?" Despite his worries he held a smile, knowing in his heart this was what he wanted to do. He had dreamed of this moment for far longer than he should have.
"N-no," she shook her head, grasping the item on her own accord. The jagged edges dug into her palm, but she barely felt it, the feeling of her pounding heart gaining all her focus. "I love it."
Natsu's smile grew brighter. "Yeah?"
"Yes," Lucy took a step closer to him, carefully wrapping him in a half-hug, avoiding his injury. "I love you."
"I love you too, Luce." He closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of her shampoo. Well, it was technically his shampoo, but for some reason it sent delicious shivers to his crotch. He quickly dispelled the lewd thoughts bubbling up, instead deciding to ask, "I was going to wait and get one made in pink, but I couldn't wait."
Lucy pulled back, her own grin gracing her lips. She looked down, releasing the grip she had on the item to reveal it. Resting in her palm was a golden key, little black words written in sharpie adorned the bow.
Welcome home
"Thank you," Lucy closed her hand again, really feeling the cool metal against her skin. "Thank you for everything."
She felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn't feel like she deserved this, but it would be rude to not accept his kindness. Lucy knew he wanted her around, even if the idea seemed weird to her. It had been so long since someone legitimately wanted her to be there, besides her mother.
Her mother was always happy to have her visit, but a parent's love and the love of a significant other was different. Jackal had never showed her true love, he just wanted her for his own selfish reasons. Sure he was nice to her in the very beginning of their 'relationship', but it was all a facade. As soon as they were pronounced man and wife he shed that mask and showed his true colors.
Verbal abuse was first, then physical abuse and rape were tossed in at the same time. She got away with roughly fifteen months before he started forcing himself on her. Before that she just accepted whatever he gave her just to get it over with. She would always remember the day he raped her for the first time. It was the day she gave up on trying to talk to Natsu, and the day that her last shred of sanity broke.
"You're welcome," Natsu whispered. He smiled brightly, eyes closing as he enjoyed the simple moment with her. He wanted her to feel like she wasn't just a guest at his place. He wanted her to feel welcomed, to feel like she belonged. Giving her a key meant a great deal to him considering he'd never given his ex-girlfriend's keys. It just never felt right, so he never entertained the thought.
But with Lucy, it just felt perfect.
The couple broke apart after a few more moments. Lucy's eyes were watery, and Natsu's cheeks were tinted red. "You wanna watch a movie before the party?"
"Yeah." Lucy found the idea of just relaxing on his couch fantastic. After everything recently, this was what she needed. She needed some quality time with her best friend, just like when they were younger.
Natsu popped in a random movie and snuggled up to Lucy on the couch. He felt a twinge of pain in his side, but he did his best to ignore it. He felt the effects of his pain medication wear off, but he didn't break away from Lucy to go refill his body's craving for another pill. Lucy just felt too good wrapped up in his arms, so he stayed with her until the credits started rolling.
As Natsu -reluctantly- pulled away from Lucy to take the movie out, Lucy went to the kitchen to fix them up a quick snack before the party. Neither knew what to expect since Lucy hadn't been to a Strauss party years and neither had Natsu, both for different reasons. So they thought eating before hand might help.
Just as Lucy was about to finish making some sandwiches for them her phone started buzzing on the coffee table. She didn't stop placing peppers on Natsu's sandwich as she asked, "can you see who that is?"
Natsu, who was still on the couch glanced at her phone, an eyebrow raising when he read the contact name. "Uhh... It says 'Mustache Face'?"
"Oh!" Lucy shot him a look. "That's my lawyer, can you answer it?"
"Sure." Natsu swiped the green bar over, taking the call. "Hello?"
"Good evening, is Miss Heartfilia there?"
"Yeah, give me a sec."
Natsu stood up, languidly making his way over to the kitchen. He moved slowly due to the throbbing in his side, not because he didn't want Lucy to talk to her lawyer. Admittedly today was turning around, and Lucy had finally kept that sweet smile on her face. Natsu was worried the call would upset her, because there was only two reasons he would call.
And that was either about her divorce, or about the case against Jackal.
Lucy mouthed a thank you as she took the phone from her boyfriend. She handed Natsu his finished sandwich at the same time she said, "this is Lucy."
Natsu held off on taking a bite from his food. He watched as Lucy's smile slowly faded, replaced by a blank expression. "Oh... I see..." Her eyebrows knitted together just as her eyes closed. "No, I understand. Maybe tomorrow?"
Natsu didn't like the way Lucy's hand on the counter balled into a fist. Then it shook when she said, "okay. I guess call me if anything changes... Have a good day."
In a moment of anger Lucy slammed the phone down on the counter. It was a miracle the thing didn't break from the force she put behind it. She could be vicious when she wanted to be. Lucy clicked the red button, ending the call. A frustrated groan tore from her throat. "Well, I have bad news..."
Natsu felt his heart sink. More bad news? Hadn't she had enough? He didn't want to ask, that much was obvious by the way his throat tightened up, but he forced the question out regardless. "What?"
Lucy opened her eyes, revealing not tears, but anger. There was a fire burning behind that rich brown color, one that couldn't be put out easily. "The divorce wasn't finalized, even though he said it would be done by today at the latest..."
Natsu frowned at that news. Lucy was still technically married to that bastard. He shook his head, effectively ridding himself of that idea. No. Lucy wasn't married, technically or not. It was more of a grey area, but he would take that any day over her still being connected to that abusive asshole.
"When will it be finalized?" He asked tersely.
Lucy dropped her head, going back to finishing up her sandwich. "He says he doesn't know, but hopefully by tomorrow." Before he could say anything, she started ranting. "You know, I just don't understand it. We're paying this lawyer all kinds of money to get this simple fucking thing done-"
Natsu's eyes widened considerably, but not from her cussing. His mouth parted when he saw her grab a butcher knife, hacking away at the sandwich as if she had a personal vendetta against the bread, meat and cheese combination.
"-And he can't even do that right! What the hell is wrong with people nowadays?" She sliced the sandwich in half, then in half again, then stabbed at it off-centered. "I just, I just don't understand! Do you?"
Her eyes turned up at him just as she was about to slice again, not realizing that her hand was in the way. "Hey!" Natsu quickly grabbed her wrist before she could cut at her fingers. "Let's uhh, let's take this away..."
It took Lucy a few extra seconds to process what was going on, her mind frazzled with thoughts of how incompetent her lawyer was and how the system wasn't fair. She looked at the knife Natsu was trying to pry out of her fingers. Her knuckles were white from the solid grip she had on the knife before she finally let go, realizing what she was doing. "Oh... Oops..."
Natsu didn't comment. Instead he gently placed the knife to the side, then moved so he was standing between Lucy and the counter. He placed his warm hands on her shoulders, a silly grin on his face. "You know... You're adorable when you're mad."
Lucy's red cheeks puffed out. "I am not!"
"Oh it gets even better," Natsu hugged her, softly smashing her face against his chest. He could hear her mutter something, but couldn't make out the words. All he knew was she sounded upset, and that he had to do something to calm her down.
"Look," Natsu loosened his grip, allowing Lucy to pull slightly away. "Everything will work out."
Lucy made a face. "You don't know that."
"But I do," he promised, one hand coming up to push a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "As long as we stick together it'll be fine. So what if the divorce takes a few extra days, or the trial goes horribly..." He cringed just a little, realizing maybe he shouldn't have said that last part.
"It'll be okay in the end," Natsu vowed, placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Just keep your chin up."
Lucy felt her eyes water, but she refused to shed anymore tears. She cried enough over Jackal and the pain he put her through. She didn't want to succumb to the sadness, not anymore. "Th-thanks," she mumbled, dropping her head to land on his chest again. "It's just hard."
"I know it is..." Natsu wished this could all just end, but that wasn't realistic, not with the paths they chose. He wished he had better advice than just trusting that things would work out. All the years apart he felt like things were never going to get better, that things would never work out, but Lucy found her way back to him. Sure he would have loved to be with her sooner, but he understood her reasons for marrying Jackal. She was trying to save her mother. How could he fault her for that?
After a few minutes, Lucy finally pulled herself together. Her eyes were still wet, but no tears streamed down her face. She was proud of that simple accomplishment.
Natsu opened his mouth to ask her if she wanted to skip out on the party and just stay home, but she spoke before him. "We should eat."
He glanced down at her chopped up sandwich and then to his full one. "Yeah," he allowed himself a small laugh. "Better eat that before you hack it to bits."
Lucy followed his gaze, eyes landing on her mutilated sandwich. "Oh..."
Natsu patted her on the head, "don't worry. I'm sure it still tastes good."
"True..." Lucy picked up a mangled piece, popping it in her mouth. "Yup," she said as she chewed, "guess you're right."
"Aren't I always?" He gave her a cocky grin.
"Oh no," Lucy shook her head, "I stroked your ego... Didn't I?"
Natsu only got cockier as he said, "there's something else you could stroke..." He allowed her to get flustered for three seconds before bursting into laughter. "You make it so easy to tease you."
"Shut up!" Lucy huffed, but the small smile on her face betrayed her happiness. Her eyes cleared up, showing that she was done being miserable. "Let's just eat so we can go."
"Sounds good," Natsu chuckled, picking up his whole sandwich before taking a bite.
Natsu and Lucy arrived at the party about a half hour after it started. It was held in Mira's backyard. She had a lovely house with a large yard. She even had an inground pool, but it was a little cold for swimming. That didn't stop them from barbecuing though.
Natsu's mouth immediately started watering when he smelled the meat cooking. He had to stop himself from running straight up to the grill, tempted to suck in the meat and flames all together.
Instead he walked with Lucy, a hand gently on her lower back to guide her to the party. They didn't announce themselves, wanting to keep a low profile for a while. There were tons of people there, some he recognized, but a lot he didn't. He guessed they were Elfman's college friends, but he couldn't be sure without asking.
Right now his focus was on making Lucy comfortable. She had said -on their way over in the cab- that she felt nervous about going. She said she didn't know if she would be welcomed, to which Natsu said, "nonsense! Everyone will be happy to see ya!"
Lucy didn't look convinced.
He wondered if maybe it was the clothing she was wearing? She went with a casual look for the evening. Her blonde hair was down, she wore a light green top with the hem going to her mid thighs. Under that she wore black leggings and some sandals. Her top's sleeves went to her elbow, and the front was somewhat low-cut, revealing a modest amount of cleavage.
Natsu was dressed casual as well, although his clothing didn't look cute like Lucy's laid back look did. He sported a plain black shirt with dark jeans. He didn't care much for fashion, favoring comfort instead. His white scaled scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck while his shoes were simple work boots. No one would bat an eye at him or ask him why he didn't dress up. It was a graduation party after all, not a wedding.
Natsu and Lucy made their way through the crowd of people. They passed by a person who reeked of booze, but he said nothing. His hand tensed when the smell hit his nose. The intense urge to drink bubbled up, causing Natsu to feel ashamed of himself. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He got the girl, so why did he still want to drink? He didn't have an answer, so he kept walking.
The further they got away from the smell of alcohol the easier it was to think. He thought maybe they could blend in for a while, ease into their surroundings before having to face someone they knew, but that was just wishful thinking. The loud squeal followed by, "LUCY!" was the thing that made him realize they wouldn't be so lucky.
A blur of blue passed by Natsu's vision before he saw a small woman tackle Lucy into a hug. "Oh my gosh it really is you!"
Lucy stumbled, her body going tense for a few seconds before recognizing the girl hanging off her. "Levy?"
"I can't believe you're here! I missed you so much!" Levy's hug tightened. "They said you were back, but I couldn't believe it until I saw you with my own eyes! I'm just so happy you're back!"
Lucy was speechless. She didn't realize Levy would miss her this much. She knew they were really close friends before she left, but some part of her thought Levy wouldn't want to be friends with her again after leaving so suddenly. Sure she went to her wedding, but after Levy left Crocus they didn't speak again.
Lucy finally wrapped her arms around her, hugging her friend back. "I-I missed you too." And it was the truth. She missed having Levy around to talk to. The girl was like a light in the dim world, always shining brightly and making people around her feel better.
Lucy felt her heart constrict, her eyes get wet, but she wouldn't allow herself to cry. She didn't want their reunion to be filled with tears or sobs. She wanted only happiness and cheer, even if her body slightly shook as she hugged Levy.
"Oi! Where'd you run off to?"
Natsu tore his eyes away from the heartwarming hug between Lucy and Levy to see Gajeel storming through the crowd, searching for his wife. His red eyes landed on Natsu, a grin tugging on his lips. "Didn't expect to see you here, Salamander!"
Natsu shook his head, "when are you ever going to let that nickname go?"
"Gihi," he laughed, eyeing the pink haired man. "When it stops annoying ya."
Natsu opened his mouth to retort, but was quickly cut off by a feminine voice. "Ah, I heard you would be coming by. It's good to see you, Natsu."
Said man and Gajeel turned to see Erza standing a few feet away next to Jellal. They walked up, then Jellal gave Natsu a firm handshake. "It's been a while."
"I guess it has," Natsu used his free hand to cup the back of his neck while the other shook Jellal's hand. He had seen Erza and Gray on occasion, but lately he'd been absent to most social gatherings and events. He mainly didn't want people seeing how pathetic he had grown over the years, but he hoped tonight was different.
"What happened to your cheek?" Jellal asked, noticing the bandages on his face. Lucy redid them, so they were now smooth and even.
"Oh, Happy scratched me," he lied, not wanting to admit that Lucy scratched him. It just didn't seem like normal party conversation to tell them she woke up from a nightmare and thought he was Jackal trying to rape her.
Nope... Really didn't seem appropriate.
"I told you I heard their voices!"
Natsu glanced over, seeing Gray and Juvia enter the mix. "Juvia is sorry for doubting you." The woman was holding onto his arm, smiling brightly as they made their way to the small group.
"Yo, Flame Brain," Gray smiled at his friend, glad he finally came out to a party. He raised a brow when he also noticed the bandages. "What happened to you-"
"Cat scratch." Natsu said quickly. "Turns out Happy was pissed at me for letting you feed him dry cat food."
"What? Did you expect me to go get him fresh fish everyday?" Gray stepped closer to him. "You're just lucky I agreed to feed him while you went on your extended vacation in Crocus. What took you so long anyways?" Before Natsu could answer, Gray lightly punched him on his chest, still smiling since that was their normal greeting.
However, that simple action made Natsu wince. "Fuck," he pulled away from them, hand going over his injured ribs. The vibrations from Gray's hit irritated the broken bones, thus causing Natsu way more pain than it usually would have inflicted with such a light punch.
"You okay?" Gray immediately stepped back, hands going up in a mock surrender. "Didn't mean to actually hurt you."
Natsu shook his head, gritting his teeth. "It's... It's fine..." He knew he should have taken a pain pill before they left, but he didn't want to. Now he was regretting his decision. Before they could ask what was wrong, he slowly lifted the hem of his shirt.
Erza was about to ask if he somehow picked up Gray's stripping habit, but she was cut off when the tanned skin of the pink haired man turned dark. "What happened?"
Everyone stared in shock at the nasty bruise on Natsu's torso. He tried to hide his panting as he said, "just broke some ribs. Nothin' serious."
"Nothing ser- Are you kidding me?" Gray looked down at his hand that had punched him. "I'm sorry man, if I'd of known-"
Natsu shook his head, letting his shirt drop to cover the darkened skin. "I didn't want to worry you guys." He still hadn't even told his parents what happened.
Gray opened his mouth to say he should have still told him, but instead he asked, "is that why you were in Crocus so long?"
"Yeah," Natsu nodded, the pain slowly subsiding. "Got in a fight."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Gajeel asked, snickering.
Jellal joined in the laughing, knowing Natsu was a pretty good fighter. "Who was the unlucky bastard?"
Natsu paused, unsure if he should tell them. He turned to look at Lucy, seeing she was still hugging Levy. He was going to ask if he should tell them, but he was interrupted when Erza gasped. "Lucy!?"
Lucy peeked up from the hug, seeing all her old friends gathered. She tried to will the tears away, she really did, but seeing all their faces again released the last bit of willpower she had. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "hi Erza... Everyone."
Erza and Juvia immediately went to hug the blonde, shouting out how much they missed her. What should have been a happy reunion was immediately disturbed by Gajeel yelling, "you fought with Lucy?" The girls pulled away from the girl, asking if that was true, if Natsu fought with her.
"What?" Natsu looked at Gajeel, then back at Lucy. It took him a few seconds to connect the dots. "Oh, no! I didn't fight with her, I fought her... her..." He trailed off, not knowing what to call Jackal. He had a few names in mind. Dick, asshole, abuser, prick, rapist, pathetic-excuse-for-a-man, maybe monster. He didn't know what the official title of Jackal would be, considering the divorce wasn't finalized yet.
Lucy however had no problems saying, "he fought my ex-husband."
Surprisingly to Natsu, his friends weren't shocked. "Oh, that makes sense," Erza nodded, accepting the news well.
Jellal nodded too. "Figures."
"You shoulda called me, I woulda loved to knock his head against the ground," Gajeel pouted.
"I guess I can forgive you for staying gone so long," Gray shrugged. "Happy wasn't that bad to take care of anyways..."
Levy crossed her arms over her chest. "Serves him right!"
"Juvia is glad someone finally beat him up. He was rude."
Natsu felt his face flush in embarrassment. He could only imagine how pathetic he would look when he admitted that he was the one who took the beating. "Umm, well I didn't-"
"He actually broke his nose," Lucy placed a hand on Natsu's back, hoping he took the hint that she was changing the subject. "It was pretty bad, but anyways. How's everyone been? I've missed you guys."
That seemed to be all it took to switch topics. Lucy was bombarded with questions and answers. They told her quick tidbits of information about themselves, but they really wanted to know what she'd been up to. She kept her answers simple, two or three words at most. The back and forth conversation kept going for a few minutes until someone asked her a tough question. She seemed to get them to ease up when she admitted, "actually, my mom passed away recently."
Everyone fell silent, knowing just how close Lucy was with her mother. Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping it would comfort her. She leaned into the touch, allowing him to do that much.
"I'm really sorry for your loss," Levy was the first to speak up. It was followed by the others, each giving their own condolences. "She was a good woman."
"Yeah," Lucy felt those tears threatening to spill again. "She was..."
There was another moment of silence between them. The party continued going on around them, people talking, music playing, but they ignored it, giving Layla the respect she deserved. After about a minute, Lucy glanced back up at everyone. "I really did miss you."
Eyes softened, even the men seemed affected. "We missed you too," Levy started, then her lips quirked up, "but you haven't seen everyone yet! There's still Mira, Lisanna, Kinana, Bisca, there's just so many!"
Lucy blinked for a second before her wrist was being grabbed. "Come on ladies, let's go find them!"
And just like that, Lucy was being dragged away with the females, leaving the men alone. "Typical," Gajeel grunted. "Always ditchin' us when they get the chance." He would never admit it, but he enjoyed spending his time with Levy, so when she left he felt a little disappointed. Not to say he didn't want to spent time with the guys, just Levy was more important to him. The other guys felt the same way about their significant others, but Gajeel was much more reserved.
"Yes," Jellal agreed, "it does seem to happen at every party."
"It does?" Natsu asked, feeling a little embarrassed after the words slipped. He wouldn't really know, he never hung out with them anymore.
"Oh yeah," Gray nodded, hands going up to unbutton his shirt. "They do this all the-"
"Please don't strip," Natsu cut him off, snapping the dark haired male's attention to his clothing.
"Oh, thanks!"
"Trust me, I wasn't doing it for you." Natsu laughed, then Gray laughed, followed by the others. That seemed to be what was needed to ease the tension that had fallen between them.
The topics between the men changed occasionally. They started with asking Natsu about his trip in Crocus. They wanted to hear all about the fight he got in. He brushed it off, saying it wasn't anything exciting. He really didn't want to talk about his failure to even take Jackal out, so he asked how all the other guys were doing.
It seemed to work for the most part. For a while the guys started talking about marriage. Gajeel was the only married one, but Jellal would be following suit soon enough. He said Erza picked a day, a wedding in the spring. Of course they were all invited, but no one asked who the best man would be. It was too tough for him to decide, they knew that.
They asked about Gajeel and Levy's trip out of town. He played it off that it was boring, never admitting that he almost cried when he saw a doe give birth to a little fawn. Nope, he would die with that secret, as long as Levy kept her mouth shut.
Gajeel changed the subject, trying to take the focus off himself. He asked Gray when him a Juvia were going to tie the knot. He sighed, then muttered that she's been asking him the same question. She tried to do it subtly, but all her 'hints' are obvious. There's only so many times she can say, "Gray, look how beautiful this ring is," before he figured it out.
"I gotta save up a little more, but I plan on asking her soon."
That earned him some pats on the back and a roar of cheers. They were the first of their friends to get together after all, and they already had two kids. Natsu blinked a few times, then looked around them. Gray's children were no where in sight.
When Natsu asked where the kids were at Gray said they thankfully managed to find a sitter. Gray went on to talk about how hard it is raising two kids, but the other guys really didn't understand seeing as they didn't have any kids of their own.
Natsu felt his heart ache a little at the subject. Being with Lucy meant he would never be able to father a kid. That didn't mean he couldn't have a son or daughter, because adoption was always an option, but he still felt a little sting in his heart knowing his blood would never be passed down to an offspring.
He pushed that thought aside. It was a little disappointing, but he couldn't blame Lucy. It wasn't her fault her body wasn't capable of having a kid. That's just the way things go sometimes. Besides, it would be great to adopt a child. He knew firsthand how awful foster care or orphanages can be. Adopting a kid meant giving them a second chance at a good life, and all kids deserved that.
Natsu decided he would ask Lucy about it. Obviously they weren't ready to have a kid right now. They both had major issues: Him with his alcohol addiction and anger issues, and Lucy with her trauma from being abused and raped, along with her urges to cut herself. It just wasn't the right timing, but maybe...
Natsu felt a spark of hope fill his chest. Maybe in the future when they both got better they could sit down and seriously talk about adopting a kid. He felt a lot better with that, until of course Jellal asked the question he really didn't want to answer.
"So Natsu, when are you planning on settling down and making Lucy your wife?"
"Wh-what?" Natsu looked up, torn away from his fantasies of a better life with Lucy. He was already in a fragile state of mind. Did they really have to put cracks in it?
"I'm sure you've thought about it before," Gray said. "Then you and her can start popping out babies. It'd be awesome. Our kids could play together. Of course mine would be more awesome, but I'm sure you and Lucy could make some good kids."
The men laughed, but Natsu remained silent.
"They wouldn't get their good genes from you," Gajeel joked, thinking it was all in good fun. "They'd all have to come from Lucy. At least she's pretty unlike some people."
The laughter continued, but Natsu was now trapped in his own head. How was he supposed to answer that? He guessed they assumed that Lucy mentioning her 'ex-husband' meant she was single and ready to get with Natsu. That part was almost true, they were together already, but he couldn't ask her to marry him when she was still going through a divorce. Plus it seemed too soon.
It wouldn't be healthy for Lucy to end one marriage just to jump into another. He wanted them to both get better before they tied the knot. Natsu didn't want to rush things, although fucking on the first night probably wasn't the best way to go about 'taking things slow'. Then again, they were best friends, and they loved each other, so maybe having sex that fast wasn't so crazy?
Natsu's brain hurt as he tried to sort it all out. In the mean time, the guys were waiting on an answer, but Natsu's face was completely blank as he zoned out. He barely registered that another person entered the mix, his mind too preoccupied with confusing thoughts.
"Hey guys! Everyone enjoying the party?" Elfman's voice entered the area a second before the giant man stepped forward. His eyes were slightly glossy, a certain sway in his step to let everyone know he'd been drinking. A lazy grin was plastered on his face, showing he was indeed enjoying his party.
"It's great man," Gray said, looking around at the lively crowd. He then glanced down at his body, relieved to see he hadn't stripped any clothes off... yet...
"Awesome!" Elfman cheered, then revealed a six-pack in his hands. "Come on guys! Drink up!"
Gray, Gajeel, and Jellal all reached over to pluck a beer from the plastic rings holding them. Elfman grabbed his own, then ungracefully opened it with his teeth. 'Ouch,' was all any of them could think as they watched the large man chug the beer in one go.
Natsu slowly came out of his daze, though the turmoil he felt didn't shake off as easily. He looked at all the other men, seeing them down their beers. Natsu was starting to feel a little antsy being around so much alcohol.
In the beginning he thought he would be fine with Lucy around, but she was off somewhere talking with the girls. He couldn't blame her, she deserved to spend time with her friends, but right now he needed her. Especially when Elfman grabbed another cold beer, opened it, then shoved it in Natsu's chest.
The pink haired man quickly gripped it, but some of the contents splashed on his shirt. He cringed, the smell of booze filling his sensitive nose. He couldn't deny the immediate thirst he felt, the urge to chug that drink just as he had seen Elfman chug his. He knew it would stop the raging thoughts in his mind. It would end the senseless suffering he subjected himself to by even starting to think about them.
He knew it would make him feel better...
"Come on Natsu!" Elfman pat him on the back rather roughly, "have a celebratory drink with me!"
"I-umm-" Natsu panicked. Where the hell was Lucy? He could already feel his willpower slipping, the desire to taste that alcoholic beverage and dull his mind grew with every passing second that cold can was in his hands.
"Go ahead," Gray coached, placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder. In a low voice, he added, "normally I hate seeing you drink, but it is a party after all. One beer won't hurt."
"I-I..." Natsu felt his throat get tight, the air around him thinning. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck, some beads forming on his forehead. He wanted to drink. He felt like he needed to drink it.
"What's wrong with you?" Gajeel spoke up, chewing on the end of his beer can as if he could actually eat the metal. "You're usually the heaviest drinker outta all of us."
Natsu felt his heart race, his blood roaring in his ears, and a loud voice in his head screaming, "DRINK IT!" He blinked, wondering if they could all hear the voice too. It didn't seem like it, because they were all still staring at him like he'd grown an extra arm.
He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Was this what peer pressure was? He thought that was just something teenagers went through when their friends were trying to get them to do something bad. He never thought he'd be affected by it, but he found himself lifting the can towards his mouth, as if it was the only way to drown out the screaming in his head and the ache in his heart.
The men around him seemed to ease a little once the rim of the can touched his lips. He could feel the spilled beer droplets on the bottom of his lip, but he couldn't taste it just yet. The smell was overwhelming, almost calming. It called out to him, letting him know if he just took a drink, he'd feel much better.
He'd feel so much better!
Natsu closed his eyes, about to tip the drink back all the way to allow that alcoholic liquid to fill his mouth, but he stopped all movements when he heard a soft voice from behind him.
"Natsu?"
He lowered the beer, using the back of his hand to wipe off the tiny amount that tainted his lips. He still could not taste it, but the smell... It was powerful. It was almost enough to draw him back in, but he resisted that urge as he turned around.
With an opened beer in one hand, he faced the woman he loved. Lucy stood in front of him, her arms hanging limply by her sides as she stared into his eyes. He felt the air leave his lungs when her eyes drifted, and he almost wanted to throw the beer can across the yard just so she wouldn't see him like this, but it was too late. Her eyes landed on the alcohol, then her mouth parted. "Wh-what are you doing?"
He opened his own mouth, ready to tell her that it was the guys' fault. They had pressured him into taking a drink. He wanted to tell her he hadn't even tasted it, so it didn't really count as a slip up, right? He wanted to drop to his knees and beg her not to think any less of him, but he couldn't force himself to move, his knees locked in position. He wanted to tell her that he was trying to end his suffering, knowing alcohol was the easiest way to do that.
Natsu wanted to do so much, but all he could do was drop his head in shame, mumbling to the ground, "I'm sorry, Luce."
Thank you for the favs/follows. And thank you to those who reviewed: sidjr100, FlameDragonHime, HolyChihuahua, The Crystal Rose, Ashnmarley, Argo0, turtle3334, Soul-of-glass, Crimsonlink310, Guest, BloodRedRubies, katiekat2001, chan103, UnlimitedMagic, Lodemai04, and kcoll8512(x2)!
Up next, Chapter Sixteen: Understanding
I'm hoping by the title of the next chapter you can guess how Lucy's reaction will be.
*Also, a guest asked if this story is connected to "Fairy Tail GO!" It isn't, but I can see how it would look that way since I use a lot of the same headcanons. The biggest proof that these stories are different is in FTGO! Layla died when Lucy was a child. In this story Layla died when Lucy was an adult.
*Anyone catch the Easter egg? If not I'll give it away. "he still felt a little sting in his heart" Chapter 510 anyone? haha