AN: Enjoy the chapter folks! Be sure to leave a review when you finish!
EDITED: 5/19/18
Berserk
Chapter Twenty Three
{i'll ask of the Berserks, you tasters of blood}
Lucy swears under her breath as she presses tight to the ground, covering Natsu's body protectively with her own. An arrow whizzes passed her face, nicking her cheek and drawing a thin line of blood. Lucy ignores it, covering Natsu when a shaft buries itself in the snow beside his head, too close for Lucy's comfort. Another arrow skims her arm, ripping her jacket, but not much else. Natsu rolls them then, pressing her into the snow and hovering just above her, a low snarl building in his throat. His hot breath fans across her exposed neck, Lucy's hand worming down to grab one of her knives.
The volley stops suddenly, but Natsu doesn't move, just continues to growl, daring their attackers to come closer. He tenses, looking about ready to spring forward, but Lucy catches him by the arm, holding him back. He glances down at her, only for a moment, but she can see the confusion in his gaze, Natsu not understanding why she's keeping him from moving.
She just shakes her head, waiting, for what she isn't sure, she just knows they need to wait. If they stand up now, they'll only be shot. She saw two of them, at least. Only one had a bow, maybe ten arrows on him that she could see, and he's only used four. They can't do anything unless they take down the archer, and Lucy arrows are scattered, her bow laying several feet away, out in the open.
They've managed to duck behind one of the last remaining tents, hidden just out of sight, much to Lucy relief. Her fingers squeeze around Natsu's arm, palm trembling slightly, from the cold or her sudden nerves, she can't be sure. He looks down at her again, eyes widening slightly, and he goes very still above her. Moving slowly, Natsu's hand rises to cradle her cheek, much to Lucy's confusion. He doesn't linger, his thumb swiping across her cheek gently.
His fingers come away red.
Something in his eyes changes then, his concern flickering into something murderous. Natsu's lips curve back over his teeth, a low, dangerous growl spilling from his lips, a warning. Lucy shivers as it reaches her ears, despite knowing he would never hurt her. Suddenly, he looks more feral than she's ever seen him, a fact that surprises her. She can feel him tense above her, the muscles in his arms straining, and Lucy knows he's closer to snapping than she would have thought possible.
Again, she gives his arm a harsh squeeze, nails digging into his skin and leaving neat little crescent marks along his bicep. He snaps out of it quickly, brow furrowing as he looks at her panicked expression. Natsu seems to realize what happened, wincing slightly.
She waves him off, knowing they have more important things to worry about at the moment. Lucy looks to her left, back where they came from. Her bow is only about five feet away, and there's an arrow buried in the snow beside it. If she moves fast she can reach it, but it'll be a gamble. If she's too slow she'll be shot, and she doesn't know what Natsu might do if that happens. She'd rather not find out.
Wetting her lips, Lucy decides it's a risk she's willing to take, knowing they can't hide here forever. She sees the doll in the snow, bloody and ripped, and it only steels her resolve, Lucy's jaw clenching tightly. Her snaps around, eyes locking with Natsu's. She breathes his name, gaining his rapt attention. "Do you trust me?" she asks him in a hurry, tripping over her words. Her grip on his arm tightens, Lucy exhaling slowly as she calms her nerves.
He looks taken-aback, his green eyes going wide as he stares down at her. For a moment he doesn't say anything, too stunned by her question to form an answer. "Lucy…" he breathes back to her, her name thick on his tongue.
She squeezes his arm, gaze determined. "Do you trust me?" she repeats firmer this time. Right now, she really needs him to trust her, to know that she's going to make the right decision, even if he doesn't know what that decision is. She doesn't think she can do this if he doesn't trust her. Not for lack of skill or resolve, but because of how much it would sting, his lack of faith in her.
She trusts him; she needs to know he does as well.
Natsu opens his mouth to respond, but stops before the words come out. His teeth click together, jaw snapping shut. He stares down at her, gaze lingering on hers. Again, he wipes the blood from her cheek as best he can, only succeeding in smearing it along her jaw. He swallows, throat bobbing with the motion, and then he nods, eyes honest as he looks at her.
Sending him a small smile, Lucy murmurs a thank you, her thumb pressing into his skin gently.
Lucy doesn't give him a moment to relax as she hooks her leg around his, arm sliding from his arm up around his neck to fist at the collar of his jacket. His eyes widen briefly, Natsu gasping as Lucy suddenly wrenches him to the side, forcing him back into the snow as she uses their momentum to roll them. His arms curl around her back, holding her close as they make two passes, Lucy heedless of the snow clinging to her hair and slipping down the back of her jacket.
She scoops up her bow with one hand, groping blindly for an arrow as she keeps her eyes focused on the landscape, searching for her target. She can't find him at first, it getting too dark for her to see. Her teeth dig into her bottom lip, Lucy snarling a curse under her breath.
An arrow slams into the ground on her left this time, coming from the direction of the tent they were hiding behind, their assailant trying to circle around them. Lucy sees movement out of the corner of her eye and doesn't blink. She twists, drawing back and releasing in one fluid motion.
There's a sick thud, a gasp, and then nothing.
Lucy watches as a body hits the ground, but doesn't have time to congratulate herself, suddenly aware of several other people running towards them, at least six men running towards them from all sides. They're surrounded and still on the ground, nowhere to go.
Natsu wraps an arm around her back, jerking upwards into a sitting position. Lucy's bow is knocked from her hands, a surprised sound leaving her as Natsu shoves them upwards. She's suddenly airborne, Lucy clinging to his shoulders for a split second before he releases her, dropping her back into the snow.
She lands in a crouch, ripping a knife from her holster with pause, looking up just in time to see Natsu lunge for the nearest attack, roaring. The men collide, Natsu lifting him straight off the ground and tossing him. He hits the ground hard, rolling, and Natsu is already turning towards the next opponent. His jacket slides from his shoulders, Natsu uncaring as it crumples to the ground, revealing his tensed muscles, fists aching to be put to good use.
Lucy turns her back on him, knowing that he can handle himself. She throws her arms up just in time, blocking the blade of an axe with her knife. The handle slams into the flat of her knife, blade hovering just above her eyes, so close Lucy can see it glint in the light. Her arms tremble with the force, the man stronger than she is. Lucy can't reach down for another knife, not without receiving a nasty cut for her efforts.
Gritting her teeth, she lashes out. Her foot slams into his knee, a yelp coming from the man. His grip on the axe loosening as he bends at the waist. She doesn't hesitate when she drives her knee upwards, hearing a satisfying crack when her leg smashes into his nose. Blood gushes into the snow, staining it, and Lucy rips the axe from his hand, driving her knife into his chest as deep as it can go, the mans large, wooly jacket in the way.
He gurgles, spitting up blood, and Lucy thinks she's aimed well, despite her misgivings.
Dimly, she remembers her promise to Romeo, knowing she's broken it twice now, once back in Jorah and now again. She hopes he'll forgive her for it, but Lucy will do whatever it takes to get home, she won't be stopped by a band of rogues looking to slaughter them without reason. Lucy absolutely refuses to go out that way.
Twisting on her heel, Lucy raises her hand with the axe, catching sight of a man coming up behind Natsu, who's already fighting off two others. Her lips curve back in a snarl, her arm swinging forward as she releases the hilt, watching the blade lodge between the man's shoulders with ease.
He doesn't even have time to scream as he hits the ground, choking on blood.
Natsu glances at her over his shoulder, blood dripping down the side of his face and over his chin. His sharp gaze locks with hers, Natsu giving her a sharp nod before turning back to his own fight, fists lashing out without preamble.
Her body count is up to three now, and in such a short amount of time. She miscalculated earlier, they're surrounded by at least a dozen men and women, Lucy and Natsu slowly being shoved further and further apart as more bodies swarm them.
Lucy is pushes back, nearly stumbling as her foot catches on a body on the ground. She gasps, crying out as a fist catches her cheek, close to her eye. It stings, Lucy head snapping to the side with the force. She looks up to see a woman standing before her, taller than her by a head but thinner in the shoulders, a wraith more than anything.
The woman snarls, baring bloody teeth, and screams as she lunges for Lucy, catching her around the waist and knocking her to the ground. The breath is slammed from Lucy's lungs at the same time she inhales, a strange hiccupping sound slipping from her lips. Her head hits something hard, but Lucy can't tell what it is, preoccupied with the woman on top of her, fingers clawing at her face.
A small hammer swings down, nearly connecting with Lucy's skull, but she catches the woman's wrists, grappling for the weapon furiously, trying to find an opening with her knife. Lucy kicks, bucking her hips to shove the girl off unsuccessfully. A fingernail catches above her eye, Lucy yelping at the feeling.
She grits her teeth, snarling. If she could throw Natsu off of her, she can do the same to this spindly girl who's nothing but limbs. And Lucy does. She throws the woman off, wedging her foot against the strangers stomach and heaving.
There's a wet gagging sound in her ear, Lucy shoving with all her might. The pair of them flip, Lucy on top, and she drives her fist into the girl's mouth, uncaring of the teeth slicing into her knuckles, canines filed into wicked points. Lucy hits her again, and then again until she loses count, the girl falling still beneath her, blood decorating the area around her mouth.
Lucy leans back, trembling, and spits blood into the snow, watching in fascination as the color spreads, slow and winding as it makes a ruby trail.
She can hear shouting behind her, but Lucy can't focus on anything but the pulsing in her hand, skin of her knuckles raw and bloody when she finally looks. For a moment, she thinks she can see pale bone peeking through the red, but before Lucy can be sure a hand fists in her hair, yanking her backwards.
Lucy screams as she's dragged backwards, legs kicking violently and hands clawing at her attacker, knife slipping from her fingers as she grasps at a wrist, trying to relieve the pressure on her head. It doesn't let up, Lucy sobbing at the feeling.
A foot lashes out suddenly, catching her in the ribs, and Lucy chokes on the breath she was taking, wheezing in discomfort. Vaguely, she thinks she can hear the sound of someone shouting her name, but her hearing grows fuzzy. She kicked again, ribs bending in protest, but she doesn't feel her bones snap, much to her relief.
She kicks and fights as she's dragged across the snow, heart pounding in her chest. An ache builds along her skull, Lucy biting her lip to keep from crying out a second time, not wanting to give them the satisfaction.
The pressure on her skull is released suddenly, Lucy falling still on her back. Before she can scramble to her feet, a foot stomps down on her stomach, Lucy barely having the time to twist sideways and vomit into the snow before someone settles on top of her, hands wrapping around her throat.
Heart stuttering, Lucy panics, utterly terrified of being strangled again. She claws at the person above her, but they appear not to notice even as Lucy draws blood, thin cuts beginning to cross his cheeks, Lucy aiming for his eyes. She tries to kick him, but he's well out of her reach.
Tears streak down from the corners of her eyes, Lucy wanting to squeeze her eyes shut, but finding herself unable to do anything but stare in horror at the blank face of the man above her, Lucy quietly sobbing as her lungs start to scream, begging for air.
Her windpipe is being crushed slowly, she can feel it. Black dots swim in Lucy's vision, falling around her like ashes, burning everything to dust. Her sight blurs, everything hay and out of focus. Her clawing grows weaker, her legs ceasing their flailing. She grasps at the hands on her throat, trying to pry them away from her, but they stick fast, iron shackles more than flesh and bone.
For a horrifying moment Lucy could swear the face above her flickers, dark eyes flashing green and familiar, wispy strands of brown hair turning a soft pink. It's only a split second, but she remembers Natsu hovering over her like this, Lucy unable to do anything against his iron hold on her.
This time she has nothing. No secret dust, no knives within reach. Her head is too cloudy to do anything, movements growing sloppy and weak. She tries though, fighting as hard as she can until her eyes just about roll back in her head.
She blinks and suddenly a horrible crack splits the air. The weight is suddenly ripped off Lucy, hands tearing from her throat in an instant. Before she can figure out what happened, she's being yanked off the ground and pulled against something warm and firm.
Lucy stiffens, still wheezing for breath, her throat feeling tight. Bruise begin to bloom beneath her skin, her skin itching where long fingers were wrapped around her neck. A hand presses against her spine, holding her tight to a bare chest. She knows it's Natsu without having to look and leans into him, temple resting against his collarbone. Lips move against her hair, Natsu whispering something she doesn't hear, and Lucy only squeezes her eyes shut tighter, hiccupping softly.
His hand cradles the back of her neck, Natsu continuing to murmur to her while she quivers against his chest. Her arms come around him, nails biting into his back unintentionally. Natsu doesn't appear to mind, only pulling her closer, stroking her hair and rubbing her back as best he can, nosing at her when she whimpers.
Lips press to her hair, only for a moment before he tucks her under his chin, wrapping himself around her entirely, letting her cling to him tightly.
Slowly, Lucy remembers they were fighting. She stiffens, muscles tensing as she listens for anyone around them.
All she hears is the wind.
Lucy sighs, burying her face against his chest. He must have taken care of things before helping her, finishing off the rest of them. They're safe now. The rogues are dead. Eventually, her gasping sobs turn to nothing more but shaky breaths, Lucy calming quicker than she would have thought possible.
Steeling herself, she leans back, Natsu's arms loosening around her until she can peer up at him. His gaze is gentle when he looks at her, eyes flicking across her face, looking to make sure she's all right. His eyes lock on her throat, widening when he sees the fresh bruises. Natsu expression twists into something akin to grief, some kind of raw, unadulterated hatred flashing in his eyes.
She takes a step back, Natsu releasing her entirely. Lucy doesn't go far, hovering just a step away, and Natsu's hands come up to cradle her face, thumbs wiping away the blood and tear streaks until she manages a small smile.
Natsu smiles back at her, words low and indistinguishable as he speaks to her, telling her she'll be okay and promising that it's over, that she's fine, she's safe. Lucy nods along with him, breaths growing steadier with every word he says, Natsu doing his best to calm her down, eyes panicked.
"I'm okay," she promises, giving him a watery, unconvincing smile. Her own eyes take him in, checking to make sure he isn't hurt. There's blood around his mouth, dripping down his chin and throat and she doesn't want to ask what happened, afraid to know the answer. His nose is bruised, swelling around the edges, and one of his eyes has begun to turn a light shade of purple. His lip is split, a fresh cut leaking from his temple, hair matted with blood. His wounds are superficial at best. He won't look quite as pretty for some days, but he'll be fine.
Sighing in relief, Lucy draws him in for another tight hug, yanking him down against her roughly. Natsu falls into her willingly, wrapping her up in his arms and squeezing her waist, face buried against her hair. Her arms curl around his neck, Lucy pressing up on her toes to reach him. Dimly, she realizes her legs are shaking beneath her, Lucy hardly able to hold herself up any longer.
She's more shaken than she thinks she should be. It wasn't that bad, she's fine. It wasn't that big of a deal. Lucy shivers against him, throat aching something fierce when she swallows.
Natsu's hand slides high on her back, fingers skimming her neck. He brushes her hair away from her, slipping it over left shoulder and leaving her right side bared. Lucy's eyes squeeze shut tightly, Lucy worrying her lip gently, the girl trying to focus on the sound of Natsu's heartbeat to distract herself. His fingers come around to ghost her throat and Lucy flinches, more in surprise than pain.
He pulls back, apologizing quickly, but Lucy only shakes her head, suddenly too tired to mind. Natsu hesitates before moving his hand back to her neck, tilting her chin gently to get a better look at her throat. She hears him curse lightly, a growl bubbling in his chest.
Lucy wonders if he can smell her fear, if he can taste it.
There's a sudden snap from behind her, like a branch splitting beneath a boot, and Lucy's breath catches in her throat. She rips away from Natsu, spinning on her heel, back pressed to his chest. Her eyes widen when she catches sight of a man only a few yards away, bow in his hands, string drawn back and an arrow nocked and aimed at her.
For a moment, she can't breathe, too stunned, but Natsu reacts faster than she ever could. The man's fingers slip from the string, a thwack splitting the air. There's a rush of air, Lucy stomach twisting as she's suddenly whipped around. She's pulled tight to Natsu's chest, his arm looped around her waist, and her blood runs cold when she hears a sick squishing sound followed by a grunt of pain.
She knows what's happened even before she looks, her lower lip trembling in horror. A soft whine comes from behind her. She twists around in his grasp, holding him up when his legs wobble briefly. Lucy doesn't stay at his side long, her jaw ticking in anger. Her arm comes around him, Lucy helping to lower Natsu to the ground as gently as she can.
He hisses under his breath, but Lucy doesn't dare turn to see the damage, not yet. It must be his shoulder, she guesses, something warm and wet dripping onto her face from above. She keeps her hand on his shoulder as she stands, giving him a squeeze. Still, she doesn't look, gaze focused on the retreating figure of the archer, his back to her as he runs.
She sneers as she watches him run. Coward, she thinks, movements slow and jerky, Lucy only half paying attention to what she's doing. Her head throbs as she takes another step, heading to where she dropped her bow earlier, gaze trained on the figure growing distant.
Lucy's lip curve back over her teeth, half snarl and half smile. They're on flat ground, nowhere to hide anymore. He won't be getting away, not from her.
Stooping, Lucy lifts her bow gingerly, fingers curling around the dark wood, hand fishing for an arrow in the snow. She snags one, unsure if it's one of hers or one of there's, but finding she doesn't care much either way. Lucy hums a lullaby under her breath, the same one she sang to Natsu, slow, soft melody curling through the crisp air. She barely remembers the words anymore, something about a fox and a humming bird.
The arrow nocks quickly, Lucy drawing back the string with one well practiced motion. She doesn't hesitate as she releases. Her hands are shaky though, the string snapping against her arm hard enough to sting. It's a familiar pain, Lucy frequently fudging her hold when she was younger, always ending up with red welts on her arm. It hasn't happened in years, Lucy quickly learning to better her hold.
Any other time she would blanch at her poor form, but she doesn't have it in her to care, not about the sting in her arm—her bad arm, at that—or the way the arrow wobbles slightly in mid-air.
For a moment she thinks she's missed, but the arrow flies true, burying itself deep in the man's retreating back. He shouts, Lucy able to hear the sound from where she stands, and stumbles on his feet, groping at a wound somewhere in his belly.
Lucy doesn't stay to watch him fall. She whips around on her heel, bow slipping back to the snow, Lucy uncaring as it sinks into the ground. She bolts back to Natsu, stumbling through the snow on shaking legs before collapsing in front of him, knees buried deep in the snow.
She cups his face, thumbs stroking his cheeks as she finally takes the time to look at him. There's an arrow buried deep in his shoulder, but it's more superficial than she was expecting, completely missing anything vital. Lucy sighs, taking a shaky breathing, laughing shrilly, nothing funny about the situation.
He meets her eyes, lips twitching into a small, pained smile, and Lucy sobs in relief as she throws her arms around him, careful to avoid the arrow shoved through his shoulder. Natsu hugs her back as best he can, one arm curving around her and molding her against him. He makes a pained sound, but refuses to let go when she tries to pull back. She squeezes him tight in response, rocking them slowly.
They sit like that for some time before untangling themselves, Lucy needed to treat his shoulder before it gets worse.
Working fast, Lucy finds her bag in the snow not too far away, digging through it to retrieve what she'll need, water, bandages, her needle and thread. She'll have to stitch it, they can't afford him getting an infection now, not like her.
Lucy glances at her arm, lips pressed into a thin line, but eventually she tears her eyes away, looking up at Natsu instead. He's staring back at her, eyes tired but jaw set with determination. He knows what she has to do, even if it'll hurt. She tries to smile for him, but he only sighs, shifting towards her, baring his arm. The arrow protrudes from his skin on both sides, a clean shot, which is better than nothing.
Sighing, Lucy reaches for the shaft, putting light pressure on his skin. Natsu winces, but holds still for her. She captures her lip between her teeth, unsure what to do. Two exit wounds means twice the amount of blood. She can't put pressure on one side while stitching the other, not by herself.
She turns back to Natsu, cradling his jaw and tipping his head up to meet her eyes. With one hand she gropes for the cloth on the ground, shoving it into his hand. "When I pull it out," she tells him softly, "you have to put pressure on it. Can you do that?" Natsu sends her a sharp nod, and Lucy sends him another shaky smile, pressing her palm a bit firmer against his cheek, waiting until he leans into her to pull away.
Humming, she douses the cloth in his hand with alcohol, something strong she bought in Jorah and was hoping to bring back for Makarov. She does the same with a second cloth, this one for his back. Lucy snaps off the arrowhead carefully, making sure to hold it steady and praying it doesn't hurt too much. Squeezing his bicep, Lucy slinks around behind him, fingers wrapping around the arrows shaft gingerly.
Mumbling an apology against his ear, Lucy yanks the arrow out of his skin, the weapon making a sick squishing sound.
He doesn't make a sound, simply slaps the cloth over the bloody hole in his chest, putting pressure on it. She does the same, dabbing more carefully, trying to see how bad the damage is.
They stay like that for a long time, not saying anything as they wipe the blood from his skin. Lucy fingers the needle on her lap. The wound is smaller than expected, but she knows that sewing it shut will make things easier on him, so long as he doesn't pop a stitch. The one's in his arm are just about ready to come out, she'll have to watch them.
Lucy wishes she didn't have to keep stitching him shut, not when he keeps getting hurt because of her.
Her stomach twists at the thought, but she knows it's true. He keeps trying to protect her, and all it's gotten him are bruises and bloody wounds. She hates it. It's like he thinks he's disposable—thinks he doesn't matter. But he does. He matters to her, more than she would have ever thought after that first day.
Slipping the needle through his skin, Lucy leans up to press her lips against his temple, fighting back the wetness in her eyes.
AN: 5/19/18. I would have updated earlier, but I had finals to study for and then my Grandmother's funeral last weekend. I'll be posting another updated chapter tonight, and plan to post two chapters a day until this fic is finally caught up.