Shattered Dreams ||Nalu||

Chapter Seventeen

Tearing a nice-sized piece off of the fish, she popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly and savoring the taste despite the lack of spices they'd run out of the day before. Her dark eyes darted over to the one sitting close enough beside her that his knee was brushing hers, and a look of disgust appeared on the young woman's face. "Natsu," she complained, "Slow down already. I know you're hungry, but you're going to make your stomach hurt by eating that fast."

Wendy nodded her agreement from where she was nibbling at her own fish, the black Marks that danced across her face showing clearly in the fire that they'd built in the fireplace. "Be careful," the sky dragon slayer agreed. "If you get sick, we could get into trouble, Natsu. I can't make you not sick."

He pouted. "Don't team up on me, that's not fair," he accused before swallowing an entire fish whole.

"It's really kind of disgusting," Lucy said bluntly.

He only shot her a smug look as he shoved a third fish into his mouth.

It had been three weeks since they'd surveyed what was left of Lucy's home. In that time, they'd made a base out of Natsu's - thankfully untouched - house, where food was still surprisingly abundant despite the fact that she was housed with two dragon slayers. She knew he'd been upset upon discovering some of the things Happy had used to use, but he hadn't shown any signs of it, instead gently tucking them away somewhere safe. Wendy had worked hard on her own Marks, but had had no success, and was incredibly disappointed.

In the three weeks they'd been there, Lucy had had only one attack, which she believed to mean Jellal had taken his own life in the same way Erza had. It couldn't have been Sting, not after how long it was taking for the Marks to spread across Wendy. When it had happened, she'd been shocked. It had been quite some time since she'd had an attack, and she had nearly forgotten that Jellal and Sting had still been running around. Natsu had been concerned and had stubbornly made her sleep in his raggedy hammock for the rest of the night after that rather than on the floor with him, where she usually slept since Wendy usually occupied the hammock.

"Who do you think would win?" her dragon slayer asked suddenly, looking exceptionally curious. "Erza or Gildarts?"

And on to their latest game. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Lucy fought the urge to politely tell him to shut up. "Gildarts."

"Nah," he said smugly. "Erza."

"You think every answer I give is wrong," Lucy pointed out.

"Eh," the dragon slayer said with a shrug. "You are."

"...jerk," she muttered, and Wendy only giggled, her dark eyes full of amusement. Deciding she wasn't hungry anymore, Lucy offered Wendy the remainder of her food and pulled back, popping her neck. The movement made her wince when pain flared up in her back, reminding her.

The mark on her back was so close to being completed, she was utterly terrified. The only three keeping it from going in such a way was Natsu, Sting, and Wendy, she was sure of it. She paused at the thought. How ironic that the three still alive other than herself were dragon slayers. Perhaps she should have gone when Natsu had been forced to use CPR to keep her alive...would have saved him a lot of trouble, that was for sure...

No. She couldn't think that way. He'd be furious if he knew she was thinking in such a way.

Sighing heavily, Lucy shook her head to clear it. She glanced out a nearby window, and then determined it was late enough that she could get some sleep. There days weren't busy, and it was a challenge finding something other to do besides sleeping.

But it didn't seem she'd be getting some rest yet, as Natsu playfully pinched her arm, letting flames lick at her flesh gently. "C'mon, Luce, don't be so boring."