AN: Enjoy the chapter folks! Be sure to leave a review when you finish!

EDITED 5/24/18

Berserk

Chapter Thirty Four

{i'll ask of the Berserks, you tasters of blood}

The Fiore border looms in front of them, more threatening than anything else she's ever known, not the quiet border to home that she's always considered it to be in the past. Lucy's taken to dragging her feet, all of her excitement from days earlier bleeding from her slowly, each step more painful than the last. Natsu either doesn't notice or assumes she's simply tired, slowing to match her pace, his side pressing to hers every few moments, silently asking if she's okay, is she's hurting or needs to rest. She doesn't. Lucy's fine, better than she has been in weeks, but the real reasons she's hesitating aren't something she wants to think about, preferring to bury them away. She's afraid of the answer, but knows there's only so much time left to ask.

It's a scary thought, that he could leave just as easily as he came, disappearing without a word, off to somewhere unknown, searching for something better than Ishgar, somewhere far away where Pergrande can't reach him. She wouldn't blame him for leaving, but she would miss him, perhaps more than she's ever missed anyone else.

With her family, she's always known where to find them, knowing they'll be there waiting for her, arms open with smiles on their faces. They wouldn't disappear on her, not without a goodbye, and they'd always come home, even if it took years for them to do so. She has faith in her family, knowing they'd always be there when she needed them. They'd fight for her, and she would do the same for them.

Natsu is a closed book to her. He was there so suddenly, engraving himself into her life and her heart, becoming someone that mattered to her so quickly. It felt right, meeting him, keeping him close. He's been by her side everyday for weeks, a constant presence that makes her feel more safe than anything else ever could. There's something special about him, something fierce but so gentle it almost hurts.

It's strange, how she can barely picture her life without him now, knowing she'd feel hollow inside, a small piece of her missing, lost. Lucy knows that something wouldn't feel right about him not being there. She also knows she doesn't have the right to ask him to stay.

A fist clenches around her throat, Lucy feeling dread curl high in her chest, her stomach twisting sickly. She bites her lip, curling her arms around herself gently, nails biting into her skin. She doesn't want him to go, she knows that much. The thought pains her in a way she never thought possible. They aren't strangers anymore, they haven't been for a long time, and Lucy knows she would never be able to just let him walk away, never to be seen by her again.

Fiore isn't safe for him, none of Ishgar is, but her chest aches when she thinks about him disappearing, losing him forever. A bitter taste floods her mouth, Lucy swallowing it back. The question sticks in her throat, and she worries her bottom lip. Her thoughts drift away from her, a small sigh slipping from her nose

When he nearly died in Mithriel she thought a part of her would break, and she knew she would never be the same if he was killed there. She would never forgive herself if he died for her, not after everything they've gone through. He deserves better than that, and she would do anything to give him a life he deserved, something better than what he's been dealt in the past.

Releasing a shaky breath, Lucy bites her lower lip so hard that it begins to bleed, a small drop of blood slipping down her lips and rolling to her chin. Natsu stiffens beside her, lurching to a stop, and when she turns, confused, his palm settles against her throat. She stills, holding back a gasp, sudden panic welling in her throat. Lucy chokes on air, eyes widening, but he merely wipes the blood from her chin, green eyes locking with hers, his gaze burning, molten and consuming, and she shivers against him.

He nearly rips away from her neck, knowing that she's grown fearful of people touching her there, but something in her eyes must make him stay, his touch only growing firmer against her. Lucy leans into his hand, pressing her cheek into his thumb, letting him know it's okay that he's touching her. She isn't afraid of him. She never has been, not since they first met.

He slowly relaxes against her, leaning into her, his palm firm but gentle against her throat, testing the waters. She doesn't pull away, only smiles up at him. His fingers trace the thin skin of her throat and she shivers again, stepping closer to his chest.

"Are you okay?" he asks her gently, brushing her hair away from her face with his free hand, tucking a strand behind her ear, letting his fingers ghost across her skin. It pulls another tremor from her, Lucy inhaling sharply for a moment, her eyes widening. He does it a second time, seeming to grow bolder with every small move she makes. His hands grow hot against her, sweltering despite the chilly air, and her throat grows dry.

Slowly, Lucy nods, swallowing thickly as his fingers stroke against her skin, almost teasing. "I'm fine," she tells him, heart stuttering in her chest. Something sharp flickers in his eyes, carnal, and he freezes. His breath grows labored, his other hand slipping down to her chin, wiping away the shimmer of blood on her skin, ghosting her lips.

"Lucy," he murmurs, drinking in her features slowly, searching her gaze for any hint of a lie. He swallows, so overwhelmingly close that she can see his throat bob with the motion, and his breath fans over her face, Natsu close, but not close enough. One hand slides lower, slipping down her side and beneath her jacket, pressing firm against her back, dragging her in tight against him.

She inhales sharply, her chest grazing his slightly. "I promise," she whispers back, peeking up at him through her lashes, worrying her lip gently. His eyes follow the motion, a sound so low spilling from his throat that Lucy almost thinks she's imagined it. "I won't lie to you again." She swears it, her fingertips lightly grazing his sides, Lucy unsure where to put her hands.

He shuffles in closer and she places her palms flat against his sides, just above his armor. Natsu exhales sharply, sighing, and she feels his ribs moving beneath her hands, corded muscle taut, small scars littering his skin. "I know," he breaths back, thumb sweeping across her cheek apologetically. "I'm just…" He glances away from her, leaving the sentence hanging between them.

"I know you are," Lucy responds, smiling up at him. She squeezes his sides, feeling his heart hammering below his ribs, strong and steady, a constant beat. "So am I," she admits to him, the pads of her fingers tracing circles against his skin. She almost watched him die, and she's beginning to realize how much the thought hurts her heart, how much it would destroy her to watch him bleed out in the snow.

Natsu only chuckles, a cocky grin on his face when he leans in to bump his nose against hers, almost teasing. "Don't worry about me," he tells her, huffing slightly, mock-offense creeping onto his face. His eyes glint with amusement—happiness, and she knows he's only messing with her, something he's grown fond of since they've known each other.

"Hypocrite," she teases back, giggling when Natsu playfully snarls at her, baring his teeth and pretending to look threatening. He knows he doesn't scare her, not even after her dream. She knows little of Fae dreams, but Lucy knows him. He wouldn't hurt her as much as she would never hurt him. For a while, she was afraid he would shy away from her after she told him, but he never went far, only hesitating for a few days before returning to her, the walls around them tumbling down faster than before.

Something's changing between them, and it sends a little thrill through Lucy, her bones humming with the thought.

He laughs with her, fingers edging down, playing with the hem of her shirt, ghosting her bare skin and making her shiver. Lucy presses into his touch, letting him know that he isn't pushing boundaries. She trusts him, at times more than she thinks she can trust herself. "There are worse things," he murmurs against her ear, pressing his hand flush against her spine. "I could be a monster," Natsu reminds her, a low rumble, voice quiet against her ear.

Lucy shakes her head, pressing her cold nose against his jaw. "You could never be a monster," she promises him, fingers biting into his ribs.

He stiffens, lips parting slightly as her words register. His eyes go wide, his breath catching in his throat, and she only smiles, wrapping her arms tightly around him. The embrace only lasts a moment, Lucy pulling away when her thoughts come back to swallow her whole, her breath catching when she remembers they may not have much time left together.

Meeting his eyes, Lucy hesitates only a moment before asking the question that's been on her mind for days now. "Will you stay?" she murmurs, taking a half-step back, fingers drumming against his sides gently, nails tinkling against his armor, gentle taps filling the air, keeping them from lapsing into total silence.

Natsu's eyes narrow in confusion. "What?" he replies, leaning into her slightly, as if he didn't hear her correctly. His hands slip down to her waist, squeezing her gently, and Lucy gains some confidence from his reaction, realizing he isn't pushing her away. No, Natsu pulls her closer, until their breaths are mingling, the two of them so close they may as well be one.

"In Fiore," she clarifies, smiling when Natsu brushes away a strand of hair sticking to her lips. "Will you stay?" she asks again, looking up at him, hope surging in her chest. He's looking down at her like he wants to say yes, like he wants to promise to stay with her, but she has to make sure, not wanting to over think things.

Natsu wets his lips, squeezing her hip gently before his hand slips around to her back, palm warm against her, chasing away the chilly air as he pulls her close to him. "Do you want me to stay?" he questions in return, nervous gaze flicking between her eyes and her lips. All it would take was a slight shift from one of them, the slightest dip of his chin or Lucy pressing up on her toes, that's all it would take to have them pressed together in a more intimate way.

"I…" she can't finish her sentence, the words catching in her throat, Lucy surrounded by the scent of him. Absently, she wonders what his lips might taste like. She inhales sharply, growing dizzy with the scent of him, something spicy that tickles her senses.

His breath fans across her lips, making her shiver against him, his arms solid around her back, holding her close as he pulls her in. "Lucy," he whispers against her, nose brushing hers gently, "do you want me to stay?" He pulls back just enough to meet her eyes, his gaze intense as he stares down at her, something like hope shinning in his deep, dark eyes. They threaten to consume her, Lucy entranced by those eyes.

"Yes," she tells him, nodding slowly. She can hear her heart pounding in her chest, Lucy sure that he can hear it too. Briefly, she wonders if she should be embarrassed with her directness, but she doesn't have the heart to regret asking. Besides, she promised she wouldn't lie again, not to him.

And Gods does she want him to stay.

Natsu huffs out a little laugh, shoulders shaking as he locks eyes with her, lips twisting into a large smile, Natsu happier than she's ever seen him. "Good," he tells her, chuckling. He bumps his nose against hers playfully, giving her a tight squeeze around the waist. "I'm tired of running," he admits softly, lips brushing her ear.

Lucy's own arms come to wrap around him, holding him back just as tight. She smiles against his shoulder, relieved. "I think you'll like Magnolia," she tells him, nosing at his warm skin. "It's decent sized, but the people are nice." They'll just have to learn to accept him, because she won't tolerate people shunning him for what he is. She won't allow it.

"I'm sure I'll love it," he tells her, chuckling.

She's about to respond in kind when she suddenly notices his bare chest pressed against her, Lucy's eyes widening when she remembers something. Her head has been so foggy since what happened in Narja, she's been forgetting things. She hopes it's merely a result of her fatigue, and not something worse.

Taking a step back, Lucy pulls out of his arms, not noticing the slightly hurt expression on his face, Natsu confused by her sudden shift in mood. Lucy yanks her bag off her shoulder, reaching inside and praying it won't be difficult today. She feels around, searching for something special, something she was supposed to give him days ago, but forgot about, her head cloudy, muddled.

She finally removes it from her bag, the large jar heavy in her hands, clear glass looking a deep blue, the color from inside displayed through the smooth surface. She smiles up at Natsu, holding it out for him to see, and watches his eyes go wide, his breath catching in his throat. "I found a store selling it back in Narja," she tells him hurriedly, cradling the jar in her arms carefully, knowing its worth to him. "Almost forgot about it," she admits, flushing slightly.

He reaches out, hesitating slightly, his fingers ghosting the glass. "This is…" He can't finish, shaking his head in disbelief, and Lucy's skin prickles with worry, afraid she's done something she shouldn't have. He glances rapidly between her and the jaw, lips parted in surprise. His hand curls around her wrist, grip tighter than usual, and she looks away, wincing slightly.

"I wasn't sure what color to buy," she explains hurriedly, a nervous lilt to her voice. "I remember you had blue before," she tells him, wetting her lips slightly. It was faint when she first saw him, but she still remembers a slash of blue against the red and gold, the subtle mark on his chest more outstanding than the flashy colors of Pergrande. "But I wasn't sure if that was a requirement or—" She's babbling, she knows, but she can't help it.

Natsu shakes his head slowly, green eyes blown wide, his throat bobbing with a hard swallow. "Lucy," he breathes, shaking hands coming up to curl around her elbows, pulling her closer to him as she continues to speak, nonsense spilling from her as she panics.

She swallows, finger tracing small circles against the jar before they begin to drum against the side, soft tinkle sounding all too loud between them. "I know you said you didn't need to wear it," Lucy admits, "but I just thought—"

"Lucy," he whispers again, slightly louder than before, almost frantic as he grips at her arms. His fingers bite into her skin, not hard enough to hurt, but enough for her to feel the pressure on her skin, Natsu staring at her with wide eyes.

She doesn't hear him, her gaze dropping to the ground as she begins to think she's made a mistake. She doesn't know Berserk customs, doesn't know if the paint is sacred or if a specific kind is used. Lucy should have asked him first, should have made sure this was okay, but she didn't want to ruin the surprise by giving him a hint. "Was this insensitive of me?" she asks, glancing down at the knife at her side, the one he returned to her. He carried that around for weeks, knowing just what to give her, and she made a split-second decision, not thinking before she'd already grabbed the jar and paid for it. "I probably should have asked first, but I—"

Yelping, Lucy is yanked against his chest, Natsu crushing her against him, his arms wrapping around her tightly, one hand pressed to her spine as the other cradles the back of her head, gently resting her against him. The jar nearly slips through her fingers, but she catches it before it can drop, the jar of paint pinned between their bodies as Natsu curls around her almost protectively.

He laughs, fingers tangling through her wild hair, cradling her against his chest. "You're amazing, you know that?" he murmurs, smiling against her hair, giving her a tight squeeze. Slowly, she relaxes into his embrace, one arm wrapping around his waist, the other clutching the jar close to her stomach, careful to keep it from falling.

"It was nothing," she murmurs back, flustered with his praise. It's not the words that make her pause, but the casual way he says them, as if it's simply a fact. It makes her feel warm, lighter than before, and she relaxes against him. Lucy sighs through her nose, resting her head against his collarbone, listening to the sound of his heart.

He shakes his head, pulling away from her to laugh, smiling down at her. "Maybe to you," he tells her, something unfamiliar thick in his voice. "But I—" He cuts off just as suddenly as he starts, shaking his head. "Thank you," he says instead, pressing his forehead to hers gently, only for a moment before he pulls back.

Natsu steps away from her, but doesn't go far. Gently, he takes the jar from her hands, cradling it as he unscrews the top. The thick scent of paint fills the air around them, tickling her nose, and Natsu smiles as he dips a finger into the pain, the digit coming away a pale blue, the color stark against the red of him. Natsu sets the jar down, careful not to spill any of the paint, and Lucy is shocked when he reaches for her instead of himself, Natsu pulling her in close, grip loose on her wrist.

She watches with bated breath as Natsu trails finger down the smooth skin of her wrist, her pulse racing beneath his touch. He holds her steady, Lucy unable to speak as Natsu lowers his paint covered finger to her skin. His touch is cool and wet, Lucy shivering as he traces a pattern against her skin, marking her.

He draws the symbol against her skin with practiced ease, two strokes of his finger and then he's done. Her skin burns where he touches her, Natsu drawing a small "v" against her wrist, and then a line running parallel down her arm, creating a third prong to the symbol. It stretches nearly halfway down her forearm, bold against her pale skin, the same color as the veins on her wrists.

It's not the first time he's drawn Algiz against her skin, but it's the most permanent, more than just a soft touch. She can see it on her skin now, as can anyone else, and she knows that must mean something to him. Only Berserks wear the symbols, not anyone else. It makes her feel special, in a way, at least to him. She just wishes she knew what it meant.

Slowly, he raises her arm, breeze sending a chill down her spine as it tickles the rapidly drying paint of her wrist. He keeps his gaze locked on hers as he lifts her arm to his lips, pressing a chaste kiss to her skin just beside the symbol he's painted on her. He lingers, rough lips scrapping against her skin, watching her, gauging her reaction to his touch.

Lucy merely watches him, shocked by how bold he's being. Natsu's breath fans across her skin, warming her, and she sighs as he chases away the cold. He takes a half-step closer, cradling her arm close to his chest, and Lucy simply stares, fascinated, as he begins to move.

His lips trail across her skin slowly, Natsu working his way from her wrist down to her elbow, ghosting his mouth along her skin hardly touching her at times. His eyes search hers for discomfort—resistance, but Lucy has none. There's a nervous flicker in his eyes as he peppers butterfly kisses across her skin, careful not to smudge the paint on her arm.

His mouth comes back to her wrist, Natsu pressing a soft kiss against her palm before working his way back down once again. Shivering, Lucy holds his gaze, lips parted, a soft sigh slipping from her mouth when his lips tickle her skin. He stiffens at the sound, inhaling sharply, but doesn't stop, his mouth pressing against her firmer, lips lingering longer.

A kiss is pressed against the inside of her elbow, and Lucy gives a breathless laugh, squirming as he tickles her. Natsu only smiles, nosing at her skin briefly before replacing the touch with another kiss. Lucy holds her tongue, wanting to ask a thousand questions, but afraid to ruin what's happening between them, not wanting him to stop.

Slowly, he loops her arm around his neck, Lucy's arm curled around him lazily as his hands settle on her hips, pulling her tighter against him until their breath is mingling, Natsu closer than he's ever been before. The mark on her wrist presses against the back of his neck, her fingers weaving through his hair, and Natsu sighs. His arms curl around her tightly, but loose enough to allow her to pull away should she want to.

But she doesn't, want to, that is. She doesn't think she ever could want to leave this, not with him holding her the way he is. She feels safe here, comfortable, and she thinks she could stay here for hours.

Natsu stares down at her, gaze flicking to her lips briefly before coming back up. She nods, swallowing, and Natsu releases a relieved breath, practically sighing. Lucy waits, her fingers tangling in his hair as he squeezes her waist. He leans back in suddenly, chin dipping as his gaze flickers to her lips, causing Lucy's breath to catch.

Natsu surprises her by kissing her shoulder, nuzzling the scars on her arm where his teeth broke through her skin, tearing through flesh and muscle until he nearly reached the bone. She stiffens against him, his breath ghosting over her just as it had the first time they met, Natsu hesitating, considering his options. Ultimately, he decides to press his mouth to her skin, pressing several soft, lingering kisses against her damaged skin, peppering the old wounds, as if he could turn back time and take the pain away.

His teeth graze her skin suddenly and she gasps, not expecting it. Natsu freezes, concerned, but relaxes again when she leans into him, tugging gently at his hair and sighing happily. Natsu drags his teeth against her shoulder once more, just enough for her to feel it, and she shivers, murmuring his name before she can stop herself.

He pauses again, pressing his mouth against the stitches in her arm, ghosting his lips across the line on her arm, gentle as he noses her. He continues like that for a long moment, pressing his lips against her skin in random intervals, sometimes quick, several placed in rapid succession. Others linger, long and slow and sweet, Lucy's skin growing more sensitive with each touch. He never leaves her skin for long, always returning, only pulling back to look at her eyes, making sure she's okay, smiling back at him.

Natsu takes to nipping at her shoulder unexpectedly, more teeth than lips, and though it startles her at first, she quickly sinks into his touch, sighing happily as he trails back down her arm. He bites at the skin above the bend in her arm, Lucy yelping when his sharp teeth scrape across her skin, but she doesn't pull away. Lucy giggles suddenly, his apologetic kiss teasing her, and Natsu smiles in return, pulling away from her arm to press his forehead against hers.

Humming, Lucy's eyes slip shut, her fingers tugging at his hair gently and making Natsu growl low in his throat, the rumble echoing through his chest and into hers, sounding more like a purr than anything else. She bites back a laugh at the thought, arm slipping around his back as she pulls herself flush against him, reveling in his heat.

His own hands settle on her hips, thumbs tracing circles against her sides. His throat bobs with a hard swallow, Natsu wetting his lips as he hovers just over her mouth, unsure if he should dare lean in closer. He doesn't move for a long moment, and she squirms when his fingers patter against her sides, tickling her. His breath ghosts her skin, Lucy smiling up at him. Natsu sighs, his nose bumping against hers. She laughs, breathless, and he grins, leaning in to let his mouth trail across her cheek, working his way towards her mouth.

The trees around them are quiet, the Fiore forests calm, the Ellyra silent, watching with bated breath. Lucy's magic swirls around them, ruffling their hair, and Natsu chuckles, smiling against her skin. His breath is warm against her jaw as he trails soft, butterfly kisses from her ear to the corner of her mouth. Lucy leans into him, humming as he slowly peruses her skin, taking his time working his way to her mouth.

Her arm tightens around his neck, dragging him down as she presses up on her toes, pulling back to that she's eye level with him. Her heart hammers away beneath its bone cage, and a shaky sound leaves her. Lucy's fingers glide through the short hairs at the back of his neck, reveling in the feel, and Natsu lifts a hand to her arm. He unwinds her from his neck, holding her gaze as he presses a long, lingering kiss against the dried paint on her arm, his rough lips moving against her skin.

Natsu removes his lips from her arm after several heartbeats, but doesn't go far as he steps into her, easily looping her arms back around his neck, much to her amusement. He accidentally knocks his nose against hers, making her giggle, and Natsu growls at her playfully, baring his teeth. She bites her lip, shaking her head, and leans in to press their foreheads together, forcing herself higher on her toes as she leans into him, humming to herself.

One arm curls around her back, the other reaching for her face, Natsu gently caressing her cheek, his knuckles dragging slowly across her skin. He brushes her hair from her lips, tilting her chin slightly, and noses at her. She sighs, dragging him down to her, and Lucy can feel the heat of his breath fanning over her parted lips as she waits for him.

Their breaths mingle, chests rising and falling together, and Lucy shivers when his fingers slip beneath the hem of her shirt, his burning palm settling against her skin, his fingers tracing small shapes against her skin. Her fingers curl though his hair, Lucy urging him to lean down just a little, but he denies her, eyes searching her face, tracing her features as if trying to memorize her.

"Valkyr," he mumbles against her, the word whispered against her lips. She doesn't know what it means, but she doesn't need to ask. He says it with such admiration, voice soft and sweeter than anything she's ever heard, practically sighing it against her mouth. His thumb brushes across her bottom lip, teasing, and she turns to press a kiss against his skin, first his thumb and then his palm, Lucy curving into his touch.

She peeks up at him through her lashes and Natsu growls low in his throat, suddenly jerking her flush against him as he dips his chin. Her breath catches, and his is nervous against her face as his lips ghost against hers, so light she barely feels it.

There's a sudden thwack and Natsu throws her backwards, Lucy stumbling before hitting a tree. She hisses, confused, but her eyes widen when an arrow embeds itself in the tree trunk between them. Natsu whirls around, snarling at whoever's interrupted them, but Lucy stands frozen, gaze locked on the blue feathers on the end of the arrow, a deep, rich color. A familiar color.

Lucy whirls around to see Natsu charging at a Fioren Ranger, a cowl pulled low over their face as they step out of the shadows, a pair of knives twirling in their fingers. She knows those hands, those knives.

Jellal.

AN: As previously stated, I should be catching up with the rewrite by around Friday next week, so new chapters will be starting soon.

Glossary of Gods/Terms/Creatures:

Djehl: Fire God from the northlands that granted the Berserks their strength/inner fire. His battle axe is called Bran.
Djerda: Goddess of night and the mother of Djehl.
Estra: Sister of Djehl and Daughter of Djerda. Goddess of the Stars. pulled the stars from the sky and gave them life, proving her devotion to Ieyar, a chaos god, and creating the Fae, their magic gifted to them by Ieyar.
Ieyar: God of Chaos. Gifted the Fae their magic after Estra pulled the stars from the sky for him.
Ashtacar: Berserker word meaning "safe travels." Traditionally used between friends and family, it has since become a way to honor the dead, granting them "safe travels" on their way to the next life.
Ulfræder: Berserk word for "blood traitor." It's a relatively heavy insult. Being a "blood traitor" is an unforgivable act.
Descæter: Berserk word for "deserter." Follows the same vein of Ulfræder, but is less insulting. Blood traitors abandon their homes and families, white a deserter abandons their post/army position.
Velsigna av Branna: Berserk word for "blessed by fire." As Vesigna means "to bless." "Branna" comes from "Bran (Braun)" an old word for fire, and the name of the God Djehl's battle axe.
Velsigna av Strakaz: "Blessed by Stars" From "Estra," a Berserk Goddess of the night sky, daughter of Djerda, Goddess of night, and sister to Djehl. Term for Faeborne and a reference to their scent.
Mae Strakaz: Literally "my stars."
Valkyr: An untranslatable word of admiration and love.

Ellyra [El-eye-rah]: Formal name of the fairy trees. Rumored to house the souls of slain Fae within their trunks. The trees are semi-sentient, and can speak, though only to those who they want to hear. The trees are tall, with pale colored bark (white, to a light grey as the trees grow old) and red leaves. The trees bleed red sap, and in the Northlands they are commonly called Azgetta meaning "the bleeding" or alternatively "the weeping."