Fairy Tail: Falling Towards the Chaos

Chapter 30

The Grand Magic Games were not off to a great start.

From losing Wendy and Carla to the ridiculous upside-down labyrinth they managed to navigate, Lucy could barely imagine playing the games. The preliminary round was tough, the games will surely be harder.

It was the night before the games would officially start and Lucy could not, for the life of her, fall asleep. The room felt off, too dark and old, and despite having her own room with privacy; everything just felt wrong.

So, she settled for staring up at the ceiling, occasionally glancing at the clock above her door in the little quaint inn Erza had found relatively cheap for the guild to stay. Of course, it was over a pub, and she could hear the chatter and cheers of some members who opted to drink themselves to sleep rather than crawl into bed.

She stifled a smile at the thought, but the peace was short-lived as her room door creaked open to reveal Natsu, clad in only pants, scratching the back of his neck as he entered the room with a slightly sheepish look on his face that Lucy could pick apart from the shadows. Instantly, she sat up, outstretching her arms towards him with a pout — all shame be damned. He obliged quickly, crossing the room in two large strides, pulling her into his arms as he laid down in the bed next to her.

The bed was quite small, but it was to be expected with the cheap price, their bodies pressed tightly together and Lucy had the audacity to blush remembering that the only thing separating them was her thin, worn-out tank top and some skimpy underwear since she didn't expect she would have company. Natsu, on the other hand, didn't pay it any attention and focused on nuzzling the crown of her head.

"You can't sleep either?" She whispered in the dark, face slightly lit by the moonlight pouring in from the window.

"Can't sleep without you," Natsu murmured, pressing his face to her hair. Lucy smiled again awkwardly, since she didn't want to admit she felt the same. It filled her with a form of comfort as she nestled herself in his warm arms once more; their legs tangled together.

"I think I'm scared of what happens for us next, aren't you?" Lucy asked quietly after a beat. They laid in silence for a few minutes, Natsu's breath, so even she'd worried he'd fallen asleep. Instead, he sat up slightly, leaning back on his palms, allowing Lucy to spill into his lap. She frowned at the disruption but waited patiently for his response.

His face was neutral as always, but the flash of emotions beneath his eyes was something Lucy had trained herself to catch.

Natsu was slow as he moved, sluggishly, as he brought his hands to cup Lucy's face. He brought their foreheads close enough to touch, eyes closed. He pulled away, leaving her confused, before giving her one of his most honest, genuine grins of delight.

Soon, she remembered Natsu didn't like to lie, and she viewed his actions as something else entirely.

A promise.

-----

"Today, we will be doing a naval battle! So, there will be one participant per team, and essentially, the last person in the sphere will be the victor,"

As they recited the rules and regulations of the fourth day's event, Lucy tuned out, blood rushing to her ears as she stared at the water sphere intently. All she could think about was her devastating defeat to Flare and the danger she had almost exposed poor little Auska too; she almost found herself volunteering without really understanding what she was doing.

"Lucy? Are you sure?" Gray asked worriedly, but Lucy held a determined look on her face, nodding sharply.

"She can do this — I believe in you, Lucy, make us proud once again," Erza encouraged, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Lucy couldn't speak, only nodded again, as she summoned Virgo to bring her a change of clothes. The rest of the team had started to back off to let the girl prepare for the battle yet Lucy found herself seeking approval from the one person she knew she wouldn't get it from.