The Princess's Protector

Chapter 12: Little Talks

"So, so you have an answer for me?"
Asked Makarov, the master of the Fairy Tail guild.

Lucy and Natsu sat in the twin chairs in front of his desk, hands clenched in stress below the sight of the master.

"We need some answers before we can accurately reply."

Natsu's voice was strong and diplomatic, and Lucy could detect the waver only because of how much time she spends with him.

"Yeah."

Her 'reassurance' sounded better in her head.

Makarov sighed. "On what, might I ask?"

Natsu explained how he had grown up with his Erza scarlet since he was a child, and that he knows for a fact that the woman he helped save the previous week was also Erza Scarlet.

The master leaned back  in his chair and contemplated what the young man had just said to him.

"Hmmm, that is peculiar..."

Natsu nodded, curtly.

"Do you know how this could be? Or, if it even is what I suspect, how it could be possible?"

Makorov's eyebrows wrinkled together in concentration and bewilderment.

"If there was anything to be found, then it would be in the guild archives." Makarov stared into both of their eyes, now. "You'd have to become part of the guild."

Lucy's hand was suddenly gripped under the edge of the desk, making her whole body jump. Natsu's neck rotated a little, a lazy grin adorning his face.
"Yeah?" He asked her.

She squeezed back.

"Yes."

............
Lucy looked over at Natsu over and over, trying to catch his gaze. She was worried, but the clenching in Natsu's strong jaw showed that he was just as nervous as she was.

"Where do you want it?" Mirajane asked. Natsu rolled up his sleeve, exposing his strong arms. Lucy unintentionally reddened.

"Right on my shoulder, please."

Mira nodded, bringing the stamper to his skin, where it glowed red and then stopped, leaving behind the fairy tail guild tattoo.

Natsu held Lucy's hand while she got her pink symbol on her right hand.

Claps were heard from around the stairs and loft of the guild hall, where a crowd had somehow gathered to whiteness the new members arrival.

Makarov walked forward. "Your part of the family now, but for some reason, I feel like you've always belonged here."

Lucy giggled and leaned into Natsu's side, awestruck by the whoops and hollers sung by the gulf members.

This would be...

New.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy climbed the stairs to the room Erza was staying in.

Step.
Step.
Step.
Step.

Lucy sighed at the top of the stairs, suddenly heavy with the weight of her rapidly changing circumstances. Life was so much more complicated after getting involved with the dragons, and Natsu...

Marriage.

Marriage.

Marriage.

The word constantly hung in the back of her mind, like one wet piece of clothing on top of all the dry...it was the thorn in her side.

But to her, the thought felt more like a rose.

Lucy knocked on the door.

"Erza? Are you all right in there?"

Lucy heard a cough from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, you can come in."

Lucy turned the handle and beheld the bed headed Erza Scarlet.

"Feeling better? You gave us a scare yesterday."

Erza nodded, lifting the covers and swinging her legs to the edge of the bed.

"Where did you go, after I came up here?"

Lucy froze in her already still position. "How did you know that we went somewhere."

Erza's lips turned up into a coy smile. "I didn't."

Lucy sighed, rubbing her head and sitting down next to the Captain of the Guard.

"We...we needed to have a talk with a man in town."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence in the air due to information intentionally unsaid.

Lucy didn't know that Erza had discoveries as well.

"We should probably go downstairs. God forbid whatever Natsu thinks he can make in the kitchen." Erza rose from her position on the edge of the bed and stretched, arms way a above her head, then normal again.

Lucy nodded, once, then bit her lip. "Actually, Erza, would you mind talking for a minute more? About Natsu?"

Erza looked at the blonde confused, and more than a little suspicious, before sitting back down on the edge of the bed. "Is there something on your mind?" She inquired.

"You've known Natsu for a long time, yes?"

Erza smiled and leaned back on her hands. "Since we were children, no older than ten."

Lucy smiled, too, imagining a ten-year-old Natsu running around, pink, flamingo hair untidy and dirty with leaves and twigs. Maybe this was a way to relate to Erza, finally.

"I just wanted to ask..."

Erza's smile faded. "Yes?"

Lucy but her lip, then suddenly stopped . "Well, has Natsu..."

Lucy turned away, red in her face again.

"Has Natsu ever been in love?"

...

...

...

Erza blinked, then smiled like a madman.

Her grin was not an answer.

All she said was, "Oh my god, I knew it. I fucking knew it." Before walking out and down the stairs.