Her Dragon Slayer (NaLu)

1 - HOME AGAIN

She wouldn't leave his head.

Everything he did, every time he breathed, she was always there, pulling at the corners of his mind, driving him insane.

He couldn't stop thinking about her.

He sat there on her bed with his head in his hands. He tugged on the ends of his hair, trying desperately to use the pain as an escape.

An escape from her smile, her eyes, her everything. Just being around her gave him a rush no fight ever could.

But he guessed it was a fight, in the long run. A fight for her.

He had accepted long ago that someone like her could never love someone like him. He was a monster, there was no denying that much.

But was a monster even capable of love? He didn't know.

His hands formed fists as he pulled harder at his hair, his scalp screaming in pain.

But the pain was welcomed.

He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing heavy. He breathed in her smell, the smell that was fading with every passing minute. He hoped she would come and replenish it.

As if summoned by mere hope, he heard the door clicking, a signal which could only mean her arrival.

His pink head popped up in excitement. His senses were running on overdrive as the door swung open. Every nerve in his body, every cell, was completely focused on her.

She stood there for a moment, unable to comprehend the sight. He stood, and they stared at each other for what felt like eternities, neither able to take in a single breath. There was a hum in the air -- a hum that was always present when they were in the same room.

His gaze was fixed on her; that golden blonde hair, those huge brown eyes that seemed to be screaming for his attention.

As if lifted out of a trance, she sharply sucked in a breath. "Natsu..."

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Unable to hold herself back any longer, her feet carried across the room where she flung herself on to the boy.

His arms wrapped tightly around her, unwilling to ever let go. He let himself drown, burning his face into her neck and breathing in that familiar scent that was now intoxicatingly strong.

She squeezed him tightly back, reluctant to ease up in fear that he would disappear again.

"Lucy..." He whispered into her skin, causing bumps to raise across the surface. It was if every touch set them both on fire, flames dancing where their skin met.

Natsu knew how that really felt; this was better. So much better.

She ignited him in a way that no one else could.

"You're back," she whispered, still in shock. He could only nod in response.

"I missed you," she said so quietly she was afraid he couldn't hear.

He squeezed her tighter. "God, Lucy I missed you so much."

"I was starting to think you wouldn't come back."

I could never do that, he thought to himself.

Doesn't she know what she does to me?

"Please don't leave again," she pleaded, the desperation clear in her voice.

He couldn't promise her that. It was too painful to be near her and not touch her like he wanted, not be with her like he wanted. He couldn't risk losing their friendship to be with her entirely. He was sure that would kill him. To never see her smile again.

He still couldn't speak, so they just held each other. It was if they were trying to push themselves so close that somehow they would form one.

She eventually made the move to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her go just yet. He couldn't let her go just yet.

"Natsu..." She whispered again, the sound of her honey-like voice only making it harder to control himself.

He fought against his wishes and pulled back a bit, only to see her beautiful face. They were so close...if he just leaned forward...

"Come on, Natsu. I'm sure everyone at the guild is dying to see you."

He wanted to tell her that the other guild members could wait, but he needed a distraction. Being this close to her was messing with his mind.

And he thought being away from her was hard.

She tugged on the end of his scarf, leading him out of the apartment and out of the building entirely.

When they got out on to the street and into the daylight, some of her scent blew away in the breeze, but it was still radiating off of her, like light from the sun.

They walked down the street, the heels of her boots clicking against the stone. He was positive that the sound would be engraved in his brain forever.

"Where were you, Natsu? Why didn't you come back sooner?"

He'd been gone three months. Three painstakingly long months without her. Having her next to him like this was almost surreal, something straight out of his dreams.

"Happy and I took longer than expected to complete the job," he lied. The truth was he stalled as long as he could to try to cleanse himself of his feelings for her.

Safe to say it didn't work. At all.

If anything, it backfired. Those three months were the worst of his life, even Happy knew it.

"Where is Happy, anyway?"

Natsu had cast away Happy's eagerness to see Lucy and had instead sent him to see the other guild members first. He wanted just a moment alone with Lucy, but now realized that one moment would never be enough.

Infinite moments would never be enough.

"He's at the guild already," Natsu replied casually, trying to seem calm. He was anything but calm. In fact, this was the most alive he'd felt in a long time.

Lucy was slightly hurt that her blue friend didn't come to see her directly, but she didn't voice her thoughts. Instead they walked on, slowly approaching the guild where it all started. Somehow she knew it would all end at the guild too.

"I still don't know why you insisted that I stayed home for this job," She said. Though her words seemed harsh, her tone was not.

Natsu recalled the conversation they had before he'd left with his cat.

'We're a team, remember?'

Yeah, he remembered.

He shrugged, attempting to play it off smoothly. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want you to get hurt either. That's never stopped us before, has it?"

She didn't realize the double meaning behind her words.

"This job was different."

"How so?"

He didn't really have an answer for that.

"I don't know, it just was."

"Natsu."

He couldn't look at her.

She gave up with a sigh. Whatever.

By now they were directly in front of the guild doors.

"Well Natsu, welcome home."

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Hey guys, this is my new Nalu fanfic. Hope you all liked the first chapter ;)