The Princess's Protector

Chapter Seven: A Once-Faded Memory

Hi babes! I'm sorry my updates are short and few-coming, but i promise, I'll do a double update sometime over break! Back to back!
I made the varsity speech team at my school, so I've been super busy and I'll be gone for over 12 hours on Saturday so yeah.

Vote, comment, read; ❤️

Onward, story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They'd been walking in awkward silence for about an hour.

Natsu noticed that Lucy kept biting her lip, her eyes darting back and forth. He sighed, thinking that, just an hour ago, they were still at the inn.

After trying to pay Makorov, the Inn keeper, and being duly denied, Natsu and the princess made on their way down a frequently-used road, leading away from the kingdom.

Now, the sun was beating down upon them from almost mid-way into the sky. Natsu was used to heat, though. His fire made enough of it that it became a second skin.

Lucy was tiring.

"Need a break?" Natsu asked, from a foot in front of her.

Lucy's chocolate eyes looked up from underneath her blonde hair. She nodded, once, and Natsu led her over to a clean spot of grass.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked him; the first thing she's said since the inn.

"I-" he paused. "we are going to a summer home..house..of mine. I used to visit there with my family, back when my mom and Zeref were around."

She peered up at him with a tormentingly affixing gaze. It felt like she understood without words; felt invisible pains.

"Okay." She finally said. "I trust you."

This, Natsu didn't expect. Sure, he'd hoped she might trust him; it would make hiding them both much easier. But he didn't expect it to be so easy. So...unconditional.

"How are your wrists?" He asked, the heat in his face of a....foreign...heat.

Lucy nodded. "They're fine. Having Fae blood really does help." She paused, brushing her hair behind her ear. "And your back?"

Natsu unconsciously reached for the would on his back, but stopped when he realized what he was doing.

"It's doing better I think. I wouldn't really know..."

The silence overcame them again. Natsu leaned back in the grass, feeling the breeze ruffle the top layer of his salmon-colored hair. The small smile on his face was content, caught up in a moment of bliss among agony.

He heard a thump.

Lucy lay before him as if she was trying to make a snow angle out of grass, her blonde hair spread around her head like sun rays.

He found himself admiring her, in more was then one. The sound of her breathing; the curve of her back against the grass; the very scent of her...

He coughed a little. What was happening?

"If we move soon, we'll probably reach the house by nightfall, maybe a little bit after. Do you think you can walk that far?" He said, breaking the moment into dust.

Lucy opened her eyes.

"Can you walk that far, prince?" She shielded her eyes with her hand and squinted up at him.

Natsu scowled defensively. "Of course I can."

Lucy let out a small chuckle, rising from the grass where her body's imprint lay like a shadow.

Suddenly, a darkness overcame the Princess's face, a pale darkness, void of reason and sanity.

The darkness that Natsu sometimes felt.

Guilt.

"I'm sorry. About your father, and Zeref, and everything that's my fault-"

"No!" He insisted, cutting her off with an outburst of anger. He softened his voice. "It's not your fault, and thank you. For now, my main goal is to keep you safe, Princess. The time for my mourning will come later...and I hope you'll mourn with me."

He was still sitting, his legs crossed over each other, Lucy standing before him. His hair flopped into his eyes as he stared up at her.

Lucy just nodded, and waited for Natsu to stand before leading the way back to the road, where they would walk.

And they did.

They walked. And walked. And walked.

And saw a duck.

And Lucy chased the duck because she was angry.

And they walked. And walked. And walked.

Until they reached a little town of magnolia, which was positively booming with activity for such an average size. Walking through the streets, vendors packed up quickly, wanting to get home and eat dinner with their families.

A particular stand caught the eyes of Lucy, and she unconsciously gravitated toward it.

It was a clothing stand. Inside of it were an assortment of garments; tops, bottoms, dresses, underclothes, the works.

"Grab a few things. You'll need them."

Natsu stood directly behind her, breathing the words tenderly into her ear. Lucy repressed a shutter as she picked out pajamas and two outfits.

Natsu picked out clothing as well, and, after paying a bargained price, the pair strolled down the street of Magnolia. Lucy found herself sneaking glances at Natsu. Repeatedly.

Sure, he was handsome. He- he was good looking. And his arms. But it was mostly the way he acted. He respected her.

Being a princess, and always governed by her father or a subordinate of his, Lucy was always dictated. Always controlled. And even though she knew she was following everything Natsu did, she didn't feel controlled.

She's still...free. A freedom. And she did not notice, that until this moment, that she could crave this freedom with someone at all.

"This is it.." Natsu said, sheepishly, as if the two-story house was something to be ashamed of. Sure, the paint was chipped and there was dust and dirt all over it, but as far as Lucy was concerned, this was a house.

And maybe, even a home.

Okay i usually try and not to do notes, but I was wondering if you guys would be interested in a NaLu Christmas one-shot if I wrote it,
Or,
A real, story chapter. This would be your Christmas  present on December 25, and I wanted you guys to pick! Comment which one you'd like, and you'll find out which one wins on Christmas!!

Happy holidays!!

-Livvy