This bad boy is based on an idea I had for a multichapter fic. I may write it some day, but in the meantime, I came up with this. Happy Friday kids!

(Feel free to shoot me a message if you have a request! I have my own ideas, of course, but I welcome input from others.)

Larissa and stranger 1999- We'll see :)

As always, happy reading!

"But I don't want him to go!"

"Lucy-"

"Don't Lucy me!" The blonde fought to keep her tears in check but failed. They slid down her cheeks and dripped off her chin where they soaked into her dress. "You can't send him, Father. You can't."

Jude inhaled and let out a noisy breath. "Lucy, we have to send him. The king-"

"I don't care what the king said! He's not going!"

"Lucy…" Jude's voice was quiet. "We can't refuse the king."

A sob escaped her mouth before she was able to stifle it. She grabbed her skirts and then turned to run- out of the room, down the hallway and down the stairs. She didn't stop until she made it outside into the gardens. With her hands on her knees, she leaned forward, gasping for breath, both because of the run and because of her tears.

She hated the war.

The war had taken her mother. The war had taken her friends, Loke and Gray. The war had tried to take her father.

And now it was taking…

She fell onto her mother's swing, the tears clouding her vision so much she couldn't make out the stars above her. "Mom…" Lucy's voice broke as she gasped for breath. "Mom, I don't know what to do. I… I can't…" She squeezed her eyes shut, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't lose him, too…"

She didn't know how long she laid there before he arrived. Warm hands lifted her into a sitting position and pulled her against a hard body. She wrapped her arms around him as a fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes.

"Oh, Lucy…"

"You can't go," she whispered. "You can't."

"I have to, Luce." Natsu pulled away a little so he could lift her face. He wiped away her tears with his thumbs and gave her a little smile. "You're powerful, Luce, but not even the Heartfilias can refuse the king."

Lucy's lip trembled. "But I want to."

He chuckled and then pulled her close again. "I tell you what, Luce. I'll take you with me. One tongue lashing from you and they'll all run for the hills."

A hiccup cut off her laugh, but that didn't stop her from continuing. "I think you're mistaking me for Erza."

Natsu chuckled. "She's scary, no doubt, but at the moment, I think you're even scarier than she is."

"Good." She pulled away to clean off her face. "I'll go pack a bag then. The sooner this war is over the better."

Natsu didn't comment as he held out a handkerchief which Lucy took to wipe off her face. Once she was done, she looked up at the stars. Natsu followed her lead, allowing her to lead the conversation at her own pace.

"I don't want you to go," she eventually whispered.

"I know," he said.

"Do you know how long you'll be gone?"

Natsu shook his head a little. "I'm not sure."

Lucy shot to her feet and began to pace. "You can't, I won't let you."

"Luce-"

She cut him off as she rambled, on and on. He watched her for a while, letting her wear herself out a bit before he stood and caught her by the arm.

"You can't," she whispered. "If I lose you, too…"

The war had taken too much already. If it took her best friend, too, she didn't think she could go on anymore.

Natsu had been a part of her household ever since her mother had found him at a slave market while she was very young. Her mother had always opposed the use of slaves, and seeing a young child among those poor, dirty souls had made her so angry, she'd interrupted the auction and demanded they give her the child. They'd resisted, of course, but her mother had always had a way with words and in no time at all, she'd had him released and brought him home. He'd been taught how to clean and fight, been given a room and wage for working in the house, and when he'd gotten older, been given the position of Lucy's personal guard.

Not to mention, he'd been one of Lucy's closest friends. And when they'd gotten older…

Natsu sighed and kissed her forehead. "You worry too much, love."

"You're going to war, Natsu! People are fighting and dying, and you're acting like this is no big deal!"

He grasped her by the back of the neck and pulled her close for a kiss. Lucy stiffened, but then threw her arms around his neck as she pressed against him. She deepened the kiss, but all too soon he was pulling away. Before she could ask why, one of the patrolling guards passed by. He nodded at Natsu and gave her a brief bow before continuing on.

With a sigh, Natsu took Lucy's hands in his. "Luce, I don't want you to worry while I'm gone."

"That's not going to happen," she warned him.

"I want you to try anyway." He gave her his signature grin, his sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. "You know nothing is going to happen to me, right?"

"How could I know that?"

"Luce, it's fighting!" He squeezed her hands. "When have I ever lost a fight?"

"All the time against Gray."

"I did not lose to that ice clown, we tied!"

"You weren't fighting to the death," she said, her throat closing up as she was reminded of their friend.

"Doesn't matter. I beat everyone else, didn't I? Especially when it mattered, I came out on top."

"But what if-"

"No buts." He lifted her hands to his face so he could kiss her knuckles. "Lucy, I'm coming back."

"But-"

"No buts." He took her face between his hands and pulled her close so she could see how serious he was. "Lucy, you know I would never lie to you, so I want you to listen to me, okay?" When she nodded, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. "I am going to come back, okay? I promise you, no king or army or war is going to keep me away from you.

"I will always come back to you, okay? I promise. I'll be back before you know it."

Lucy's eyes had fluttered close, but she opened them again and pulled back so she could see his eyes. "You promise?"

Natsu smiled again, a softer smile this time that he only let her see.

"I promise."