NaLu One-Shots - Of Books and Devils

Hate 3

Storyline: Continuation of 'Hate' - Part Three

***

Natsu groaned into his pillow as his alarm rang relentlessly in his ear. He endured it for a good two minutes before grumbling and standing to shut it off. He rubbed the back of his bed-mussed head as he made his way to his bathroom, freezing when he heard feminine humming coming from it.

He looked back to his bed then back to the door, his expression scrunched up in confusion. He didn't drink last night, did he? He blinked a couple of times before making his way to the door warily. He contemplated knocking but shook the thought away - This was his fucking house, why would he knock? Natsu turned the handle to push the door open.

He groaned.

"Hey Natsu!" Lucy said cheerfully, turning from the mirror to face him. Natsu just glared at her before slamming the door back shut to make his way downstairs, ignoring the stupid chuckles from behind him.

"Come on, there's no need for that." Lucy cooed, following closely behind him. He growled in warning, his patience wearing thin. But did she heed that warning? Of course not.

"From what I hear anyway," she went on, her voice turning dark. "You're used to finding woman in your house of a morning."

That did it. He swung around and grabbed her by the waist. He pushed her onto the wall of his hallway and pinned her wrists at her side, a furious snarl building in his throat.

"Don't," he sneered. "Just don't."

Lucy just feigned innocence as she tilted her head up.

"What is it, Natsu?" She asked, though her voice betrayed her disgust. "You don't want to hear the stories I've been told? Not surprised."

Natsu snarled, tightening his hands painfully around her thin wrists but she didn't even flinch. A growl ripped at his throat. That pissed him off more than her words.

"What are you doing here, Lucy?" he asked in a strained voice, desperately trying to control his anger.

She lowered her gaze casually, making him grind his teeth.

"I felt rude for crashing at Levy's for so long when she wanted some alone time with Gajeel," she said, as if stating the obvious. "So here I am."

"You think you can just-!" he paused and closed his eyes before taking a deep breath. "No - Lucy. Why are you here?"

She narrowed her eyes. Her expression was so different than how he remembered from when they were kids, it almost made him wince. This wasn't the same girl he'd forced himself to hate.

"None of your business." She snapped, almost making his anger seem feeble. "Why would I tell you anything when you won't tell me why you threw a tantrum after I had to leave."

Natsu could have laughed. No, she wasn't the girl he'd forced himself to hate.

She was worse.

He shook his head in disbelief and pushed her away from him - hard. She stumbled before standing about four feet from him, her expression amused.

"Ah, so I touched a nerve." She breathed and smirked. "Don't give what you can't take, Natsu."

She snickered, prompting him stride forward till he stood right in front of her, his emerald eyes glaring down into her amber orbs in fury.

"You," he began, his voice trembling in anger. "Are not staying here."

Lucy grinned.

"No?" she held up a key. His eyes widened in disbelief. He cursed as he tried to grab it, but she snatched it away.

"How the fuck did you get that!?" he spluttered in anger.

"Gray gave it to me," she said, spinning the key around her finger as she rested a hand on her hip. Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"And why would Gray do that?" he asked, his voice tired but his eyes were intense. Her eyes turned serious, and her hand dropped from her hip.

"Because he agrees - along with everyone else - that you need me." Natsu scoffed and laughed shakily, though his heart hammered in his chest.

"The only thing I need is for you to fuck off!" he barked at her. Lucy shook her head and took a step forward.

"I don't know why you came to hate me so much, Natsu," she said in a small voice. Her normally bright eyes had cast down miserably at his floor. His chest clenched at the sight, but he hid it with his anger.

"But things went bad after I left, maybe not with your family," she said quickly before he interrupted. "But with you. You changed Natsu; everyone says so."

He stepped forward almost threateningly. He glared down at the small girl, his eyes full of hatred.

"And what exactly do you think you can do about it?" he asked quietly, but his eyes were still burning.

Lucy frowned at him, looking heartbroken for a moment. Natsu squeezed his eyes shut at the expression and shook his head. He fell a few steps back.

"Stop looking at me like that." He snapped.

"Do you want me to leave?"

His eyes widened.

"Yes." He said in a hard voice, but his hesitation worked against him. Lucy eyed him with a raised brow.

"You don't." she said slowly, her eyes turning up happily. Natsu scoffed and tried to look indifferent.

He'd always been a shitty actor.

"I do! Get out!" He barked, taking a step back and gesturing wildly at the door. No matter how angry his voice was, his expression betrayed his conflicting emotions.

"Oh my God," Lucy laughed and grinned mischievously. "You want me to stay! And I need a place to stay! Can I crash here?"

Natsu groaned. This was fucking hopeless. He had completely lost all control of this conversation. He stepped forward to grip her shoulders, looking into her eyes desperately.

"Lucy," he said slowly and squeezed her shoulders. "I don't want you here."

She just smirked. "All evidence to the contrary."

Natsu held her gaze for a long moment before sighing. He dropped his hands and took a step away from her as he hung his head.

"The only reason I'll let you stay- Ah, ah, ah!" he warned her as she began squealing. He eyed her distastefully before continuing. "I'm only letting you stay because my frie-"

"Our friends."

"Our friends will be pissed if I send you out with no place to go."

She squealed again and he shushed her and glared.

"This means nothing." He hissed furiously. "Yeah, you can crash here but stay to hell away from me. Here, at school, everywhere."

She didn't even flinch. She just skipped past him towards the kitchen, trailing a finger over his chest as she passed.

"I would if that was what you really wanted," she murmured in a low voice before skipping off. "You want the shower? I'll make breakfast!"

He sighed wearily and rubbed his neck, slamming the bathroom door furiously behind him.