Soul Ties

Jealousy

Lucy rubbed her eyes, squinting and shielding her eyes from the bright light beating through the window. She felt a warmth around her, and looking down she saw Natsu's muscular arms resting around her waist. Her cheeks blushed lightly as she wriggled out of his hold.

The dragon slayer was still fast asleep, snoring obnoxiously. Lucy let out a breath of laughter as she watched him sleep, Happy snoring just as loudly beside him.

Before, she would've kicked them out in an aggressive manner, yelling at the duo but that was before. She had gotten so used to them sleeping at her apartment that it would feel wrong for them not to be there. It was comforting.

About a half hour later, Natsu woke abruptly sitting bolt upright. He had been having a nightmare.. he had got them all the time after Lucy's disappearance. "Damn it! Now my head hurts." He complained to the sleeping blue cat. "Happy wake up!" Natsu smacked him as lightly as he could over the head. "Natsu, can't you let a poor little cat get his well deserved sleep?"

"I'm hungry let's go find Luce." He stood up ignoring Happy's request. The pair slugged into the main room, and were amazed by the sight in front of them. "Morning sleepyheads!" Lucy grinned as she placed the freshly friend eggs onto three china plates.

"Alright what've you done with the real Lucy?" Natsu furrowed his brow. "Yeah, cus our Lucy doesn't even know how to work an oven." The cat chimed in. Her grin turned to an annoyed glare "Jerks! I get up to make you both breakfast and the first thing you do is insult me? Rude!"

They chuckled to one another sitting at the laid out dining table. Natsu had truly missed the teasing banter he shared with her, it was a special way that the two could bond with one another.

That afternoon the three were sat together in the guild hall alongside Wendy and Carla. "It must've been lonely though?" The young girl questioned, her face sorrowful. Lucy smiled gently in response "Thanks for worrying Wendy but hey I wasn't completely alone, the whole time.." Lucy stared at the table her cheeks slightly pink from embarrassment.

"Wait what?" Happy questioned, removing the fish that had been hanging from his fangs. "Hey Lucy! Been a while." The group turned their heads in unison toward the entrance.

In the doorway stood a familiar blonde dragon slayer. "Sting!" Lucy beamed back at him making her way over in a rushed walk.

Natsu watched as she walked over to him, annoyance painted over his face. "Why the hell are you even here? This ain't your guild." He interrogated. "I came to see if Lucy was ok, I haven't seen her since.." he glanced at her holding back a smile "you know." He gestured to her

Natsu thundered over, "You're telling me that you knew." His annoyed expression contorted to genuine anger. "You knew that Lucy was okay and you didn't think to tell us?!" His eyes darkened as he grabbed Sting by the collar lifting him slightly off the ground. The blonde looked away, ignoring eye contact.

He felt a light pull on his arm, his face relaxed as he let go of Sting turning to look at Lucy. He could tell she was holding back tears. "Natsu please. He didn't have a choice. The council threatened their guild."

Her own eyes darkened now as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Fine." Natsu said reluctantly, "but don't expect me to apologise." He stomped away from the pair as Lucy comforted an obviously upset Sting.

Why was she hugging him? Since when did they become so close? Natsu didn't recognise the gut wrenching pain he felt in his stomach as he watched the two interact so close to one another, all he knew is he hated it.