AN: Enjoy the chapter folks! Be sure to leave a review when you finish!
EDITED 5/20/18
Berserk
Chapter Twenty Five
{i'll ask of the Berserks, you tasters of blood}
He can hear something screaming up ahead, the sound unnatural, sending a shiver down his spine. Natsu doesn't know what it is, but it doesn't sound human, or even animal, for that matter. It's something he's never heard, the sound constant and low, a bubbling growl more than anything else. He considers asking Lucy what it could be, the sound just barely masked by her humming next to him, but he doesn't bother. It doesn't sound dangerous, only unfamiliar.
Lucy will hear it soon enough, the sound growing louder with every step they take. He figures it must be close, judging by the rumbling sound. Close and large, he corrects himself, not knowing how anything could sound quite so deafening without being absolutely huge.
At his side, Lucy's humming cuts off suddenly, the sound growing so loud that even she can hear it. She doesn't look at him, doesn't ask if he hears it too, already knowing the answer. His senses are sharper than hers, more sensitive, and he can hear things coming long before she does. Lucy doesn't stiffen or show any outwards signs of fear, knowing that he would tell her if he thought they were in danger.
Somehow, he knows they're not. Whatever's up ahead isn't dangerous, not in a traditional sense. He can't smell anything that could be making the sound, the air tasting clean on his tongue, nothing unnatural around them.
The noise becomes deafening as they move closer, a strange cacophony of snarls and screams, sounding like broken glass shattering against the ground. Natsu climbs to the top of the hill before Lucy can, curious about the sound, and wanting her a step behind him if he's wrong about it being dangerous. He may of promised not to put himself between her and an enemy again the way he did, but that doesn't mean he'll simply stop trying to help her.
He gets to the top and freezes, finally recognizing the noise once he sees what's causing it. Natsu mumbles a prayer in the old tongue, his eyes widening when he sees what's below. Lucy catches up to him, murmuring something he can't make out as she reaches his side, suddenly stilling as well.
Natsu hears Lucy curse beside him as she catches sight of what's blocking their path. A low, frustrated sound pulls passed her lips and she swears in a language he doesn't understand, Fae he thinks, but doesn't bother asking. It's not important at the moment, considering what they've come across.
The river roars as it rushes passed them, water swirling violently, sucking at debris and pulling it under, consuming it. He follows it with his eyes, tracing its winding path across the ground. It's coming from the mountains at their left, water tumbling down the face and crashing against the ground, splattering into a large pool at the base. When he glances right, he can't see the end of the river, unsure how far it stretches. It could go on for miles and miles, possibly even the ocean, though he can't be sure.
Lucy reacts first, continuing to swear as she walks down the hill, stumbling slightly in the deep snow, but she doesn't pause, heading down to the slick bank of the river, the snow melting around it's edges, baring more of the hard, brittle ground, but also adding to the rush of water, chunks of thick ice bobbing in the water.
He follows a step behind, hovering near her shoulder when he too reaches the bank, Natsu peering curiously at the water, knowing the obvious option is to go through, but unable to judge how deep it is. The river is only a few yards across, not the largest he's seen, but still concerning, given the cold. They'll both be soaked by the time they get out, he can only hope that it isn't too deep, more for Lucy's sake than his own.
She's a good head shorter than he is, her eyes just barely level with his collar bones. If the river is too deep she'll be sucked under, disappearing with the current before she can come back up. Worse still, he doesn't think he would be able to pull her back up, not with her wet clothes and the water rushing as fast as it is. She would be ripped away with the water, left to either drown or wash up somewhere downriver, he wouldn't be able to find her, not for days.
He growls lowly at the thought, gaze distrustful as he glances at the steady torrent before turning to stare down at Lucy, wanting to know what she thinks they should do. He doesn't know Mithriel or this river, and though he doubts she's more familiar with it than him, she has a better understanding of the countries geography. He remembers her mentioning the rough map her grandfather drew, Lucy pulling the worn sketch from her bag to show him, the picture hard to make out they were so scribbled.
He doesn't remember there being a river on the map, but he didn't get much of a look at it, not understanding half the symbols he saw, only recognizing mountains and the rough sketch of a crown about the countries capitals, a low sound pulling from his throat when he recognized Đüskell.
They've come a long way, he realized when she showed him the map, pointing between Đüskell and her home in Fiore, Lucy giving a rough estimate of where they were, the pair of them still stuck in that cave waiting for the storm to pass, nestled against the tip of Stella. He never realized how large Pergrande was compared to the other countries, the great kingdom several times larger than Mithriel and positively dwarfing the size of Fiore, much to his amazement.
Fiore's capital of Crocus seemed so large to him as a child, the castle a looming figure and the entire city seeming to stretch for miles. He never imagined it would be so small in reality. Natsu has crossed to every corner of Pergrande, unaware that he would have made several passes around Fiore.
Natsu looks back at the river, jaw clenching tightly when he hears it snarl up at them, practically daring them to come closer. Natsu never has been one to back down from a challenge, but he's not stupid either. He knows how dangerous it would be to just dive in, especially when there are better ways from them to get across.
He turns to Lucy, raising a brow as he looks at her, her gaze directed at the rushing water, lips pressed into a thin, indecisive line. Natsu waits for her to speak first, but she only shifts her weight on her feet, not once looking away from the river, watching it calculatingly. "Should we go around it?" he finally asks, knowing one of them would have to say it.
Lucy shakes her head in response, sighing, something resolute in her gaze. "We don't know how far it goes, we could be walking for days." She rubs at her arms gently, almost absentminded in her movements, her fingers digging into her upper arm tightly. She's been doing that a lot lately, from what he's noticed.
He isn't sure if it's a nervous tick or not, but he wouldn't blame her if it is, especially if it's one she's only not developing. Natsu can't imagine how she's feeling now, her throat still bruised horribly from being choked twice in only a relatively short amount of time. She has every right to be nervous, he doesn't blame her for feeling that way.
Natsu would be scared, too.
It's been hard for her to talk, he knows, their argument from yesterday took more out of her than expected, her voice growing hoarse, Lucy unable to speak for several hours afterwards. He prattled on to her, telling her stories he remembers, about his family, old legends, telling her about the stars. She listened for hours until Natsu's own voice started to disappear, his throat raw from speaking for so long.
Lucy could only smile for his efforts, but Natsu was happy to see the light returning to her eyes as she buried herself beneath her blanket, eyes tired but with mirth dancing across them when she met his gaze. He scared her, he knows, both with that he did during the fight, but also when he yelled at her. He hadn't meant to, but he did, now he has to make up for that, no matter how long it takes.
She scared him too, when he saw her lying there on the ground, so still he thought she was already dead. Everything went red after that, Natsu was grabbing the man on top of her before he knew it, snapping his neck easily, satisfaction curling through his veins when he heard the man's bones break easily, a choke sound leaving him before he hit the ground.
The monster in his chest clawed to the surface, his blood burning beneath his skin, and for the first time in his life he didn't care, didn't want to stop it. It was only when he heard Lucy coughing that he snapped out of it, scooping her up with ease and wrapping her in his arms, not knowing what else to do as she sobbed against him, boneless and more frail than he's ever seen her before. For a moment, he almost didn't recognize the strong woman in his arms, not used to Lucy breaking down, but it was still her, a little scuffed at the edges, but still Lucy.
Clearing his throat, Natsu bumps his hand against hers, gaining her attention, Lucy finally peeling her gaze away from the violent current. "So you wanna go through?" he asks her slowly, making sure he understands. It seems the best out of their few options. The mountains would be too dangerous to climb, and Lucy's right, they don't know how long the river is. They could be walking for days, and the river may only get wider, more dangerous to cross.
Lucy gives a sharp nod, determined eyes locking with his. "Unless you have a better option?" she asks, curious. He doesn't, they both know it. Besides, Natsu trusts her. If she thinks crossing the river is the best option, he'll be right beside her.
Natsu looks her over slowly. "You'll get wet," he reminds her, lips twisting into a teasing smile, feeling a tightness leave his chest when she sends him a look that's not half as venomous as it's supposed to be, her expression sour, but her eyes bright. He doesn't know if it's the cold or his teasing making her ears flush red, but he doesn't much care, simply happy to be making her relax, if only for a moment.
Snorting, Lucy huffs, rolling her eyes at him playfully. "I'm already wet," she gripes, gesturing down at her soaked boots and socks, both darkened with water from the snow they've been trudging though. Lucy looks soaked to the bone, and the sight would be almost comical, if not for the shivers wracking her body every few seconds, Lucy unable to stop them.
It's only going to get worse if they wade through the water, but Natsu figures it's the only way. It'll be growing dark in only a few hours, they can set up camp on the opposite bank and light a fire for the night, drying themselves as best they can. He can see the same conclusion in her eyes, both resolute in their decision to cross.
Besides, though the air is still chilly it isn't nearly as bad as it had been, the pair so close to the border that the snow has lessened, barely reaching Lucy's knees at times. The water will be freezing, but so long as they can light a fire they should be fine. It's no colder than it was back in the mountain pass near Jorah, enough for them to feel it, but not so cold that it stiffens their limbs and makes them tremble with every step.
Nodding, Natsu slips his jacket from his shoulders, knowing it will only make it harder for him to move, but also because he doesn't need it. He'll be wet and uncomfortable, but he won't freeze. If he keeps it dry, Lucy can use it later. She needs it more than him. He shoves the coat into her hands, a surprised sound leaving Lucy's throat as he steps towards the roaring water.
"Let me go first," he murmurs back to her, stepping up to the edge until water laps at his boots.
Her hand shoots out, catching him by the elbow. "Natsu," she murmurs, making him pause. He turns, expression softening when he sees the nervous, almost reprimanding look in her eyes. He knows what she's thinking, that they've talked about this, but he only smiles down at her.
"I want to see how fast the current is," he tells her, shaking her hand away from his arm only to catch her fingers in his palm, squeezing slightly. "I won't get swept away as easily as you." A half-truth, but not a lie. He really does just want to check the current, but he also wants to make sure it's safe for her to cross, knowing that the waters depth could be a problem. He's not disregarding his own safety this time, not after what she said to him, but he knows one of them needs to cross, and he'd feel much safer if it was him.
She softens, though she doesn't look entirely happy about it. He figures he wouldn't be either, not after what just happened to the both of them. "Okay," she says, squeezing his fingers tightly before releasing him entirely, trusting him enough to let him go.
Natsu smiles back at her, trying not to think about her head disappearing under the water, about her disappearing in the blink of an eye, there and then simply gone.
It draws a shudder from him, but he tries to pretend he's fine.
He doesn't look back at Lucy as he wades into the water, boots immediately slipping on smooth, slippery rocks. He doesn't fall, though his balance does shift, Natsu wobbling for a moment before regaining his balance. He takes a deep breath, barely feeling the icy water curling around his calves, drenching his pants and boots.
The current is strong, but not nearly as rough as he was expecting, no worse than the wind they faced during the storm. He doesn't think it should be a problem, not if they both stay above the water, which is quickly rising to Natsu's hips. Deep spots in the ground are what really worries him. Natsu drags his feet across the rocks, prodding for holes or sudden drops, but if happy to find none.
He turns back to Lucy when he's halfway across, beckoning her forward. "Come on, Lucy," he calls across the roaring water, fingers curling to tell her to join him. She nods slowly, dropping to her knees to shove her things into her bag, not wanting to lose them to the current. Both of their jackets are shoved inside, Lucy shivering at the sudden cold, but otherwise revealing nothing. Her knives also disappear, as well as the thinner, sleeveless coat she's been wearing since they met.
His eyes widen when he sees the bandages coiled around her arm from shoulder to wrist, but has no time to dwell on them as Lucy tosses the bag towards him. He catches it before it can fall into the water, reacting quickly, still standing in the middle of the river and waiting for her.
She slips into the water quickly, blanching at the chill, but starts wading through quickly, the water swallowing her up to her ribs. She shivers, the water easily soaking into her skin, clothes heavy and wet around her. For a moment she doesn't move getting used to the freezing water, but eventually she moves, wading towards him carefully, feeling for loose rocks and slick patches. Lucy trips as she nears him, and Natsu's hand lashes out, grabbing her by the arm and jerking her towards him before she can be swept off, her chest hitting the water with a splash.
She sputters, shaking water from her face and sends him a small, grateful smile, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes.
Moving quickly, Natsu wraps his arm around her waist, walking backwards and leading them both to the shore. He stumbles slightly, but Lucy keeps him from falling, grasping at his arms to hold him upright. He thinks he can hear her giggle when he flails, but the sound is lost to the river, Natsu unsure if it was real or not. They make their way to the other side quickly, anchored together against the rushing water, and they both manage to keep their heads above the current, even as it begins to rise higher on their chests.
Lucy shivers against him, and Natsu pulls her close, letting her leech whatever warmth she can from him, even though they're both soaked and chilly.
Eventually, the water lowers again, the pair slipping out of the water slowly. The sudden weight of his clothes drags at him, making him wobble, but he hauls both of them from the water, working fast as he tosses their things onto the ground.
He rips his armor over his head, tossing it into the snow, the golden metal beginning to freeze against his skin painfully. It rolls in the snow, settling quickly, and Natsu shakes himself off as best he can before reaching for her bag, digging around inside until its magic grants him a blanket. He steps closer to Lucy, unconcerned with himself as he looks at her trembling form, her clothes sticking to her wet skin bow and quiver dropped carelessly near the bank, Lucy tugging at her wet clothes.
She needs them off, and quickly, but her hands are trembling, fingers turning a horrible shade of blue. He meets her gaze, pulling her close and silently asking for permission to help. She gives a sharp nod, fumbling with the hem of her shirt, and Natsu doesn't waste time hesitating. His fingers grasp at her sopping clothing, tugging her shirts gently over her head, Lucy helping him drag the wet clothing up her torso, his fingers burning hot against her waist and ribs, barely grazing her as they move and dragging a shiver from her. Lucy gives a little whine as the cold nips at her bare skin, her clothes falling into a wet heap on the ground, leaving her in only a thin scrap of cloth covering her breasts.
Natsu tugs her flush against him, shocked by the sudden expanse of bare skin pressed to his chest, Lucy soft and cold against him. His hand presses against the center of her back, Lucy sighing at the heat of his palm. Natsu keeps her tucked under his chin as he flounders with the blanket in his hand, wrapping it around her gently, and pressing her tight to his chest, her own arms wrapping around his back. "You okay?" he murmurs against her hair, lips pressed tight against her skin. She can only nod in reply, giving a breathless laugh in response.
Absentmindedly, Natsu's fingers trace a pattern against her spine, and Lucy shivers, curling tighter against him. Her wet lower half bumps against him, her wet socks pressed to his own wet clothes. Natsu mumbles nonsense against her hair before pulling away and dropping to his knees before her. His hands go to her leg, lifting it gently and pulling off her boot and drenched sock. He does the same with the other leg, wincing when he peels the wool down her leg, unclipping it from her belt. His hands rub against her calves, trying to warm her as best he can, but knowing a fire is what they both need.
It doesn't take long for her skin to lose some of its redness, heat seeping into her trembling form, and Natsu sends her a quick smile as he releases her, reaching for the bag again, this time pulling out his jacket and flint. He tosses the jacket at Lucy, not looking as he hears her shift. Her belt jingles, Lucy slipping her wet shorts down her legs. Natsu hears her sigh as she pulls the jacket on over her bare skin, residual heat creeping into her flesh.
Natsu smiles, hearing her shift on her feet, snow cold, but only up to her ankles. Lucy laughs suddenly, and he peers over at her, watching as she shakes her head, staring at her wet clothes in disbelief at what they've done.
He turns away, making a fire quickly, clearing a spot in the snow and fishing sticks and dried grass from her bag, both wrapped tightly in a third blanket she brought along with her, to keep them together and dry as she traveled.
Natsu lights it with ease, waiting until it's a decent size, before turning to Lucy, beckoning her close without a word. Her teeth chatter, and her movements are stiff as she slides up to him, dropping a pair of heavy blankets into his lap before settling down beside him, the ground hard but relatively dry beneath them, Natsu doing his best to clear a spot for them to sit.
Immediately, he drops the blankets beside him and pulls her into his lap, ignoring her startled squeak and dragging her against his chest, knowing that body heat is best for chasing away the cold. It's no different from how close they've been sleeping lately, more often than not waking with little space between them, curled around each other tightly.
Though startled, Lucy sinks into him, her own arms wrapping around his back, fingers clutching at his skin as she buries her nose against his neck, Natsu shivering at how cold she feels pressed against him, too cold. His nose wrinkles and Natsu rubs his hand down her bare arm, chasing away the cold. Lucy fiddles with the blankets she brought with her, struggling to wrap the wool around them, but managing with Natsu's help.
The change in heat is drastic, Natsu sighing at the feeling of Lucy growing warm, her skin heating his slowly. His arm slips beneath the open jacket around her, Lucy's arms not even pulled through the sleeves, she couldn't yank it on. With his nose buried in her hair, his hand firm against her spine, Natsu allows himself to relax, chuckling lightly as he realizes what they've just done.
It was stupid to wade through the river, but it was certainly faster than walking around it. They didn't die or get dragged away, and though Lucy is freezing against him, he thinks she'll be fine so long as he keeps her warm. The temperature is rising here, about freezing by a decent amount, though still chilly. The snow is melting fast, and he knows that Mithriel's storms are almost behind them.
Lucy laughs with him, arms squeezing around his chest, and Natsu returns her hug, tracing circles against her side absentmindedly.
They stay like that for a long time, basking in the heat coming off of one another, Lucy humming a song under her breath, something light and silly sounding, melody irregular and strange. His fingers fist in the jacket coiled around her, Natsu nosing at her hair as he glances at the river only a few feet away, sleep pulling at him regardless of the sun still being in the sky, sunset not yet approaching.
The pair of them lapse into silence, simply enjoying each others company, sleep pulling at their exhausted limbs. Natsu keeps one arm tucked around her, fingers splayed across the bare part of her back where the jacket has slipped down. She leans into him, coughing lightly, and Natsu feels her wince against his chest, Lucy releasing a small, pained sound, catching his immediate attention.
"Lucy, you okay?" he asks her, voice thick with a combination of worry exhaustion, his limbs suddenly feeling like jelly. He stretches out his legs, Lucy coming to rest between his bent legs, her own tossed over one of his, back propped against his bent knee.
She's quiet for a moment, breathing heavy, hand coming up to rub the bruises on her throat. "Yeah," she murmurs, sighing as she shifts away from him, moving so that she's sitting beside him, shoulder pressed against his, rather than pressed against his torso. "Yeah, I'm fine," she tells him, twisting around to reach for her wet clothes, still lying in a heap nearby.
She flicks them out, sending chilly water splattering around them, though neither appear to mind. Lucy lays them by the fire, close enough to warm and dry them, but not so close as to set them aflame.
His lip press into a thin line, Natsu not entirely believing her, confused as Lucy refuses to look at him. "You sure?" he murmurs, just loud enough for her to hear. Something's wrong, it has been for a while now, but he can't place what seems off with her. It's like she's been shying, not necessarily scared, but certainly closed off. At times it seems like she's about to say something, but can't out the words.
She thinks he doesn't notice, but he has, and he's worried about her.
"I'm okay, Natsu," she promises, flashing him a small smile before turning to the fire and drawing her knees close to her chest. His jacket shifts around her, and Natsu peels his gaze away from the bare skin revealed by her shifting, looking at the fire as it flickers.
Lucy is quiet for a long time, neither of them speaking as they dry off, Lucy pulling out some of the dried meat they bought in Jorah and slipping it over to him before curling tight around herself, making herself smaller to conserve heat. Exhaling through her nose, Lucy bumps her arm against his, dropping her head to rest against his shoulder, a tired sound slipping passed her lips.
He tosses his arm around her in return, giving her a slight squeeze before relaxing, simply letting his arm rest over her shoulders. She warms against his side, the fire leeching away the icy water and drawing it from her bones.
"Hey, Natsu?" she whispers after several minutes of silence, lips moving against his arm, breath ghosting over the fresh stitches on his chest. She leans further into his side, and Natsu can tell be the thickness of her voice that she's growing tired, sleeping pulling at her despite the sun still being up, sunset only just beginning to bleed across the sky.
Natsu glances down at her, swallowing before he replies, his tongue feeling too big for his mouth. "Yeah?" he breathes back, eyes slipping shut as he basks in the firelight.
She takes a deep, shaky breath, shuddering slightly. "What happens when a Berserk bites someone?" she asks, voice barely above a whisper, the words rough, as if it hurts her to say them. It very well might, her throat still raw and badly bruised.
Wincing at the thought, Natsu again wishes he could have done something to help her, wishes he could have gotten to her faster. It takes a moment for the question to register, but when it does he frowns, lips twisting in confusion, his eyes widening in shock. "What?" he sputters, head snapping around to stare down at her. Lucy flinches at the sharpness in his tone and he quiets himself, thumb rubbing against her arm gently. "What brought this on?" Natsu asks her, lowering his voice to a husky whisper.
Lucy shrugs, movement jostling his arm. He feels her lashes flutter against his arm, Lucy blinking slowly. "Just curious, I guess." She doesn't sound curious, more nervous than anything. "I don't know a lot about you," she hums in thought, "or people like you."
He considers her question again, confused. "Nothing should happen," he tells her, hand slipping down to curl around her elbow, a sick feeling suddenly curling through his stomach, this time not due to the cold water still clinging to his skin. "It's just a bite," he continues, half speaking to himself. Lucy jolts against him, sucking in an angry breath. "Somethin' wrong?" He wants to help, but he can't do that if she won't talk to him.
Lucy pulls back just enough to look him in the eyes, managing a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "No," Lucy says, "everything's fine."
Natsu doesn't believe her.
AN: EDITED 5/20/18