The next day, Lucy was able to leave the guild. As she stepped out of the ward, she was surprised. The guild members were training. Most were outside, behind the guild. But some were inside, drawing up attack strategies. Mirajane stepped up behind Lucy.
"Natsu, may want to take you home. With what's happened, it may be better for the both of you." She suggested. Lucy nodded. She walked out behind the guild. Natsu was fighting Gray and Elfman. It was only a matter of time before one of them started using magic. She tried to get him out of the fight.
"Natsu!"
"Yeah?" He asked. Lucy gestured to the direction of her apartment.
"Did you want to take me home?" She asked. He stopped fighting and jogged up to her in response. Happy close behind.
The walk was slow and silent. Lucy needed to stop every few minutes, Natsu didn't mind waiting. Even when she was walking, she wasn't very fast. By the time they reached her apartment, the sun was setting. As Lucy unlocked her door, Natsu sat on her steps.
"Aren't you guys going home?" She asked.
"No, we'll keep a lookout for anything suspicious." Natsu replied, Happy nodded in agreement. Lucy closed the door behind her and climbed up a set of stairs. She opened her door and the first thing she noticed, was the kitchen. There was no mess, the stove was clean. On her kitchen table, there was a cake in a box. It was a strawberry cake with buttercream frosting. On top, was a candy version of the guild's mark and "Get Well Soon" was written in pink frosting. She smiled as she put the cake in her fridge.
• • •
She couldn't sleep that night. Her body was begging for it but her brain wouldn't listen. It was one of those nights. Lucy was sitting up in her bed, looking out her window. The moon was full and the stars were visible. She could hear Natsu and Happy talking below, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.
She heard a noise in her bathroom.
Someone's here. Her brain told her. It's Adrian. He's going to kill you but not before he-
There was rattling coming from outside her apartment.
Oh, you're screwed. Lucy opened the window and was about to ask the two to come inside. But they weren't there. You're so screwed.
She heard footsteps coming up to her apartment. She quietly got out of bed and grabbed an bottle of disinfecting spray. She heard voices as the person got closer. She walked to the door. The door knob turned and the door opened.
"Shut up Happy, Lucy's proba- WHAT THE HELL?!" Lucy sprayed Natsu in the eyes with Lysol.
"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry, Natsu!" She didn't sleep that night. She spent the next hour looking up ways to help as Natsu kept his eyes open under running water.
• • •
The next morning, Natsu was asleep on the couch. Lucy was in the kitchen with a cup of tea. She had a lacrima on in the corner, next to her toaster. She had the news on, the news anchor was discussing a conflict between two major companies. She was hardly listening. She hardly slept and the thought of him kept popping up.
You really want to drag the guild into this?
No. But is there anything I can do about it?
Leave.
I can't do that!
Yes, you can. Go back to the castle. No one will get hurt.
But-
Don't be selfish. Who cares what he does? The guild will be safe. No one's going to care what happens to you.
. . .
Just listen to me.
. . .
• • •
She silent as she walked to the guild. She left before Natsu woke up. As she was leaving, Happy woke up. He asked where she was going. She didn't answer his question.
When she reached the guild. She didn't enter at first. She watched the members talk and goof around. They were smiling. She could hear some members training out back. She didn't want to hurt them. She walked into the guild. Members asked how she was feeling and replied politely. She made her way to the master's office.
"Lucy, what a coincidence. We were just talking about you." The master was talking to Adrian, who was sitting across from him. "Would you like to join us?"
"Actually," Adrian intervened, "I'd like to have a private conversation with her. If that's alright, Mr. Dreyar?" He asked. It took a moment, but the master nodded. Lucy and Adrian were alone.
"Please, take a seat."
"Like I want to be near you?"
"I won't hurt you, I promise." Lucy stayed right where she was. Adrian sighed, "I thought you'd know me better. Lucy, I may not be the same person I was before. But one thing hasn't changed, I don't break promises. Please just sit next to me and listen." She, reluctantly, took the seat next to him.
The office wasn't big, it was average sized. The two chairs in front of the master's desk were the kind you'd find in a hospital waiting room. They were black and had an indent from all the people who've sat in them. The room was lit with lacrima and the walls were filled with different pictures. The wall behind the master's desk was filled with portraits of the different masters.
"What do you want?"
"Lucy, I hate this as much as you do." He started, "I like fighting, yes. I like feeling in control. You of all people would know that." She nodded. "I want to make things right. This is wrong. I know I need to fix things but it's hard doing this on my own."
"I'm not going to help you."
"Lucy-"
"No, Adrian, I know you need help. I've tried to help you. But you never let me help. You think I'm going to help you now?!"
"Yes."
"Wha-why?"
"Because you always do." She was silent. He was too. He tapped his fingers on the arm rest of the chair. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. Lucy looked at him, shocked.
"What?"
"Nothing, look. Just come back home. Everything will be easier. I'll do whatever I can to make it easier."
"Adrian, you can't just come here and tell me to come home."
He sighed, "I knew this would happen." Before Lucy knew what was happening, she was pinned to the ground.
• • •
Natsu reached the guild a few minutes after Lucy did. Happy had woken him up, saying that they should go to the guild. He explained that Lucy left and he didn't have a good feeling about it. As they neared the guild, neither did Natsu.
When they entered, the master was sitting at the bar, talking to Mira. Natsu was about to ask where Lucy was, but was interrupted by a naked ice mage, "flying" across the guild hall. Cana was drunk her argument with Gray went a little out of hand. Other members joined in the fighting, including Natsu.
A few minutes later, Natsu heard shouting coming up from the master's office. No one else seemed to notice. The master was too drunk to notice and everyone else was distracted. He started to separate himself from the fight but Gray held him back.
"Afraid, are we?"
"You wish." Natsu sent him across the guild hall with a fire dragon roar before heading up to the master's office.
• • •
He opened the door and wasn't expecting what he saw. Adrian and Lucy were both on the ground. Lucy was laying on her stomach, arms pinned above her head. Adrian was kneeling on top of her, holding her keys.
"Ah, Natsu Dragneel, welco-" Before Adrian could finish his fake welcome, he was forced up against the back wall. "There's no reason to act so reckless."
"Just shut up." Adrian couldn't reply. Natsu grabbed the collar of his coat and dragged him out of the office, then tossing him over a railing, he fell down to the guild hall floor. Filled with drunk wizards. Before anyone could attack, Adrian held his arms up.
"Well, it appears I've over stayed my welcome." He said. He brushed the dirt off of himself before speaking again. "Lucy, remember. You and the guild have three more weeks before we attack." He stepped outside, waving to the guild members as he left.
"That sick, mother fu-"
"Cana, stop. It's not lady like to swear." One of the male members stated. As a reply she listed every word that should be censored that she knew, in alphabetical order.
"What was that guy doing?" Natsu asked the blond standing next to him.
"He was just trying to scare me. I know him well enough. He knows his limits, he knew not to fight you or anyone here for that matter." The guild was back to its loud, rowdy self at this point. Lucy fixed her shirt as Natsu handed her her keys. "If I'm right, he'll work on his magic abilities."
"What?"
"Like how quickly he can summon a god or how many her can summon." They were silent for a moment before Natsu spoke again.
"You like dancing don't you?" Lucy was taken aback by surprise. Such a random question at the time.
"Yeah, why?"
"Tomorrow, I'm taking you dancing."
". . . Why?"
"You've been going through some tough shit lately. It could be a distraction." He explained. He seemed so calm about it, while Lucy was blushing madly next to him.
"O-okay. I guess that could work."
"Great! Make sure you wear a dress. And money." He said before running down to the main floor. Gray had found his boxer shorts and Cana just finished off her fifth bottle of booze. Lucy was too distracted by the guild to hear Natsu tell her to sleep well that night.
• • •
Author's Note;
I've realized this nalu story has very little of the actual nalu thing. I need to add a lot of that before the big fight. So the dancing chapter (chapter 17) will have lots of nalu for your shipping needs. Woo! Anyone else happy about that? How about that fact that the chapters are getting longer? 10 points to Lucy!! Ah, the Harry Potter references. Next chapter will be posted May 2nd or sooner!!
• • •
Extras;
Song of the chapter: Gasoline - Halsey