~Magnolia's Number One Assassin~ (Fairy Tail)

Chapter 54: Smile

Smile

Several Days Later...

"Okay, now grab onto my hand. Are you sure you're ready to do this?" I rolled my eyes, "Yes, Natsu. I've been in this bed forever! I want to leave." Now it was Natsu's turn to roll his eyes. "Yay, yay, I know." I grabbed Natsu's hand and with his help, got out of the bed for the first time in days.

I sighed happily when I stretched out my legs. "This feels a lot better." I said with a happy smile. "Are you okay, Fey? Do you need to sit back down?" Natsu asked in a worried voice. I chuckled, "No, Natsu." I wrapped my arm around his neck and he wrapped his arm around my waist.

I looked at him, "Let's go." He hesitated a moment but he slowly took a step forward. With a breath I also took a step forward. My stomach burned a little with the movement but I didn't let the pain show. Instead I smiled and nodded at Natsu to keep going.

However, the next small step that I took, made my shaky, and weak legs collapse from underneath me. With a startled sound I began to fall forward. I would have landed on my face if Natsu hadn't been there. He tightened his hold on me and helped me straighten. I thanked him breathlessly as I gripped my throbbing stomach. It was only then that I realized that my shirt had ridden up to my stomach. My eyes widened as I stared down at my shirt in horror. I grabbed the ends of the my shirt and wrenched it down.

My scars...the scars on my stomach...back...and on my side...had been exposed.

Natsu had become very still and I could feel how tense his body was. With my eyes shaking in shock, I dared a peek at him. He was looking down at me with...was that confusion? It wasn't a emotion that I thought he was going to have. I thought it was going to be more like...Pity.

Then he tilted his head a little and murmured, "Why are you hiding you're scars from me, Fey?"

I stared up at the Fire Mage. "W-what?" I somehow managed to get out. Natsu blinked as he shifted us. His eyes darted away from me and he let out a breath before he said his next words to me. "I've seen you're scars before." My heart seemed to stop, then pick up faster, until it was pounding against my ribs. He...he saw my scars...He saw my scars. The words just kept repeating over and over again in my head. "How? When?" I choked out as he continued to avoid eye contact with me.

"When we switched bodies...I saw them then." Was his muttered reply. My heart stopped and dropped for the second time that day. I hadn't even thought about that. Of course he would have seen them or felt them! Baka! "How come you didn't tell me you had those scars?" Natsu asked me, finally looking at me. I swallowed thickly, "Because, Natsu," now it was my turn to look away, "There ugly." My voice was barely above a whisper. Nastu didn't make a sound, everything was silent in the room.

He must think I look like a freak. I thought to myself as I tried to take a step away from him. He was just too close to me, I couldn't concentrate. Instead of letting me go, Natsu tightened his grip on me. I looked up at him, surprised.

"Theres nothing ugly about you're scars, Fey."
His voice was soft as he looked down at me. "And there's nothing wrong with them either." To further his point he reached up and pulled his scarf aside, revealing his own scar. "See? I don't care about this scar." Natsu lifted his head and he set his gaze on me, "And you shouldn't care about yours either." He shrugged his shoulders as he grinned down at me. "Scars don't define a person, Fey. The person defines themselves."

Natsu's eyes pierced into mine and I found myself not being able to look away. He could say the most heart pounding things when he wanted to. Sometimes it threw me off guard the things that he was capable of saying and doing.

I was still staring up at him when he looped his arm back around me. "Come on, Fey. I'm bored of staying here." The Dragon Slayer whined as he took another slow step forward. I blinked out of my stupor and nodded slightly as I also took a small step forward. I took a quick glance at the boy next to me, and smiled softly, No wonder I fell in love with him.

We made it out the door and began walking toward the Guild Hall. "If you want to stop or rest, just tell me, okay?" Natsu told me. I looked at him. This was so unlike him, being worried.

I didn't like it.

"Natsu, please don't worry so much. I miss you're smile." I could feel him suck in a sharp breath. He looked at me and I hadn't noticed how close we really were. I didn't move away though. I wanted to be closer.

"Okay." Natsu muttered, then he smiled. And it wasn't a fake smile. It was real and breathtaking. I smiled wider, too, and with that we entered the Guild Hall. "Oi! Look who's up!," Natsu yelled with a smile.

Everyone turned their heads in our direction and when they saw me they cheered and whistled. Lucy came over along with Wendy. "I'm so happy you're up, Freya-chan." Wendy said in her soft voice.

"You look great!" Lucy said with a bright smile. I chuckled at her comment, "Sure, Lucy, I look like death." I told her. "Nah, Lucy's right, you do look great." Natsu said while looking at me.

I blushed and quickly tried to hide it. I looked up and saw Lucy smiling at me knowingly. Caught again. "Freya wants to go home, Wendy." Natsu told the small girl. Wendy nodded, "That's fine. But, Freya-chan, don't put too much strain on yourself." Wendy told me.

Before I could respond Lucy said, "Maybe, Natsu should carry you. You don't want to reopen your wounds." To my horror Levy popped out of freaking nowhere, "That's a smart idea, Lu-chan."

I tried to shake my head. "N-no, that's-" I never got to finish because Natsu lifted me into his arms. "Bye, Lucy, Wendy, Levy." Natsu said while he walked off with me in his arms. I looked over his shoulder and shot daggers at both Lucy and Levy.

They both giggled and waved at me. Poor Wendy stood there with a confused look on her face. I turned back around, What the hell?, I thought with a small shrug. I relaxed in his arms as he exited the Guild. He carried me to my house and I had to lean over to reach the door knob.

I twisted it he carried me in. He shut the door with his foot and I was ready for him to set me down but he didn't. "Natsu, you can put me down now." Don't let me go.

"Hold on." He told me and brought me to the bedroom. He laid me on the bed and flopped down too. He laid on his back and put his arms behind his head.

I sat up and stared at him. It wasn't the first time he had been in my bed. It still caught me off guard though. I looked at his sleepy face and leaned toward the lamp beside my bed. I clicked it off.

"Lets go on a Job, tomorrow, okay?" I asked him softly. His eyes remained shut when he hummed in agreement. "Goodnight, Natsu." He shifted a little when he mumbled something back. I knew he hadn't gotten much sleep these past couple of days. He was just too worried about me.

I smiled and reached over to touch his hand. I knew that he was asleep so I wrapped my hand in his warm one. 'I will always come for you.'

"I will too." I whispered.

Its a promise...

Author's Note; I have to say this one of my favorite chapters. I love how their relationship is budding into something heartbreakingly beautiful.