Natsu

Natsu left the garden maze shortly after Lucy sprinted out of there. He left Loke's unconscious body sprawled out across the loveseat. It was well past midnight at this point, and most partygoers had already taken their leave. Natsu's original plan had been to attend the ball, leave Jude his message, and return to Draconia the following morning.

He changed his mind however, he wanted to stay a little longer and see how much Starfell has fallen from grace.

Jude Heartfilia noticed the young man standing off in a corner deep in thought.

"Why don't you spend the night here my boy? Draconia's a long distance away and you should get some rest." Jude suggested.

Natsu agreed to this, he didn't particularly feel comfortable around Jude or trust anyone who lived in the castle, but his curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know what happened to the once lively castle he grew up in. And why Lucy was not at the ball? Why was she always hidden away from the public?

Lucy. His brain took him back to her beautiful tear-stained face. Was she truly excited to see him? Did she miss him all these years? He would never be able to find out unless he stayed at the castle for a bit.

Natsu's servants brought his belongings to his old room that he used to spend summers in. It was unchanged physically like most of the castle. He sat at the study in the room writing up a letter to send to his father.

Father,

I'll be spending some time here in Starfell to inquire about the southern continents and see where they stand with the north. I'll be meeting with Lords and Ladies on my expenditure and give you a proper diagnosis when I'm done. I fear I cannot say much more than this on paper.

~Natsu

He rolled up the letter and tied it delicately around his pigeon, before sending the pigeon off through the window to travel to Draconia. His father would be understanding.

Natsu appeared in the forest that rested behind the castle of Starfell. Underneath him was the beautiful blonde he grew up so close to.

She softly panted from beneath him, "Natsu, ah Natsu" She gripped onto his bare back as he rammed into her relentlessly. Her flushed little body was put on display for him beautifully. He wanted to release right at the sight. "Na-Natsu please" she moaned again delirious from the feeling of him tightly pressing against her inner walls. He rammed into her, claiming her body and soul as his.

Natsu woke up with his cock stiff as ever. Did he just have a wet dream as if he was some schoolboy who's never felt the touch of a woman? He wanted to see her, not to apologize, not to reconcile. He just wanted to see Lucy.

Lucy

Lucy bathed in the natural hot springs that lay deeper within the forest. She felt like maybe the steaming hot water would wash off the memories of Loke hurting her last night. She wished it would wash off the sight of Natsu staring at her as Loke assaulted her. Sadly that would become nothing more than a deep wound festering in her pained heart.

She wasn't sure why she was so optimistic that Natsu would save her from this life of despair. But she was almost certain he would have. Now she felt extremely naive. She was partially thankful that Natsu knocked out Loke before he had a chance to violate her any further.

*Crack*

Lucy's head cocked back at the sound of a twig snapping somewhere in the distance. Was someone watching her? Was it Loke back for more? She swiftly swam to the other side of the springs and hid behind a large boulder positioned around the edge of the hot springs. She peered her head from around the boulder curious to see who was nearby. She desperately hoped it was just an animal.

But of course, the gods wouldn't answer even her simplest of pleas. Natsu stood at the entrance of the hot springs. He seemingly didn't notice her. Lucy didn't move from the boulder scared that he would be alerted by any slight movement. She averted her eyes when he began to undress giving him at least that decency, but when she repositioned her eyes the man was nowhere in sight. How could he have disappeared so fast?

Natsu

Natsu went to search for the hot springs around noon, that was the hour when the sun beamed perfectly on it. It was one of the many spots in the forest that only he and Lucy knew about. So he wasn't really surprised when he saw a little blonde head hiding behind a rock in the springs. They both knew midday was the best time to enjoy the hot springs.

Did she think he hadn't noticed her? He silently laughed to himself. What an ignorant girl. He smoothly walked around to the other side of the hot springs. Lucy was now eyeing out his previous location but he was already long gone. He skillfully snuck behind the girl before dunking in the water below him creating a big splash.

"Eep" Lucy yelped from the shock. She quickly dunked her nude body into the hot water. Natsu didn't avert his eyes though, he wanted to make her uneasy.

"I should go" she softly whispered.

"Don't" he pleaded. If she was gonna sit here and feign innocence he would play this game with her. Revenge is always best-served cold. "I missed you, Lucy"

Her eyes tripled in size. "Y-you did?" She stared at him for a second looking for any signs of him lying. "Then why were you just watching for so long...I thought you were going to let him do it"

"I'm sorry. Loke made it seem as if you were his woman. He told me you were... into that sort of thing." Natsu shamelessly lied. "I didn't realize you needed help until I saw you crying"

Lucy was skeptical of this. It wasn't that she didn't want to believe him. She wanted nothing more than to believe that her best friend never intended to hurt her. But the way he looked at her with that cold set of eyes yesterday. It was a look of pure hatred.

"Look at me, Luce." He cupped her face gently with two large hands. "I would never do anything to hurt you." He gazed deep into her chocolate brown eyes, before slowly leaning in to place an innocent kiss on her pillowy lips. She cautiously accepted the kiss and the second she did Natsu slid his tongue into her mouth.

Never a day in her life did she imagine she would be in this position. Stark naked French kissing her best friend. She didn't mind the feeling of it though. Every touch from him sent tingles to her stomach. She didn't feel disgusted like she did when Loke kissed her. She could get used to the feeling of this. She felt desired.

Natsu explored her mouth with his tongue and her body with his hands. He gripped one of her peachy globes of ass as he tongued her down. She let out a sultry moan into his mouth. This riled him up even more. He swiftly picked her up and sat her on the edge of the hot springs. He reattached his mouth to hers as he bucked his hips between her thick thighs.

Lucy's eyes rolled to the back of her head when she felt Natsu's thick shaft slide through her thighs. He slicked up her thighs with his precum and fucked them relentlessly.

"Natsu! Natsu! Natsu!" His cock was sliding back and forth again her sensitive clit roughly. Every time he pressed against her bundle of nerves her whole body began to shake violently. He latched his teeth onto her large breast as he continued to abuse her clit.

"Ah-ah N-Natsu!" Lucy cried out as she squirted all over the man's abdomen.

He softly panted in her ear as he chased his own orgasm in between her plush thighs. He came shortly after that gushing fluids all over her thighs.

Lucy hugged him tight wishing the moment would last forever. "I've missed you more than anything in the world Natsu" Lucy snifled tucking her face into the crook of his neck.

Natsu grinned to himself. It was perfect truly. Jude and Lucy probably thought they had Natsu wrapped in their fingers. Natsu was 10 steps ahead, if they wanted to use him and profit off his triumph, he would profit off Starfell. It was almost too easy. Starfell with miles of fertile land and several natural goods that were distinct to said country. Draconia would do well having strong territories in the North and South.

The easiest way to gain full control of Starfell would be to marry Lucy and then kill both her and Jude in secret. It was a shady way to go about politics but utmost necessary in his eyes. He stared at the fragile woman still tight in his embrace. Would he be able to kill her? Of course, he would, Natsu has already killed thousands for the sake of his country, and one measly girl would be no different.

"Let me bathe you," Natsu offered to the girl snuggled up in his grasp.

She giggled, "I'm not a child, I can wash up on my own."

"I insist," He said grabbing the soap solution that Lucy must've brought with her. "I'll wash your back first." Her smile vanished instantaneously.

"n-no... I can wash on my own seriously." She said creating a large amount of space between the two of them.

What was she hiding?

"Tell me what's wrong." He ordered sternly, "Don't try to hide things from me."

Lucy averted her eyes from his piercing gaze, "I'm not... I'm not trying to hide anything. I jus-just would like to wash myself." she whispered.

"Okay here, come get the soap." He said holding out the small tube of soap. She swam to him timidly, hoping he hadn't caught on to her bluff. Once in arm's distance, she went to grab the soap from Natsu, only to roughly get pulled by the arm and become trapped in his strong hold.

"N-Natsu pl-please! I'm not hiding anything!" She pleaded for him to let her go.

"No." He gripped her by her two arms and placed them above her head, then proceeded to move all of her long hair around the front of her shoulder.

Lucy heard Natsu suck in his breath at the sight of her disfigured back. She already knew what it looked like, she didn't need to be reminded of it.

"What the fuck is this?" He finally spoke. Her little back was completely covered in deep scars and bruises. He observed the numerous blemishes and welts, some of them even looked a little fresh. What did this mean? Who was doing this to her? It couldn't have been Jude, he was a selfish man, but Natsu never thought of the man as an abuser. "Who did this?"

Lucy didn't respond, her eyes could only produce flowing streams of tears. She heard the sound of Natsu exiting the hot springs behind her. She didn't turn around, and he didn't speak another word she knew he was revolted by the sight of her.