Star-Crossed (A NatsuXLucy Fanfiction)

Chapter 19

Lucy's P.O.V.

The first day back at the guild had been hectic- I'd been swarmed with questions and hugs. Then, I'd been asked at least a thousand times who the ''sexy foursome of men" following me around were. I could see Natsu's unease with them- hopefully he would get used to them. I remembered the first time I'd truly spoken to them.

I had just been brought back from the torture chambers, and was laying on my stomach, afraid to lay on my back after the whipping I'd received. After refusing to join their guild a week prior, when I'd forced been kidnapped, I was brought to a dark room, tied to a wooden post, and beaten with everything from whips to chains to splintering wood. The most degrading part of it was that I wasn't allowed to wear a shirt- I was lucky I was permitted any clothes at all. Walking around in a bra and short-shorts made me feel how these people thought of me- cheap. A trashy prostitute. Whenever I shed tears, it was not out of physical pain- it was out of emotional. I felt the separation from Natsu hitting me hard. I could feel his own sorrow seeping through the mate bond. Even if it wasn't fully formed yet, it was still strong enough for an empathy link. It was like I was being held back while he cried on the floor. I couldn't comfort him. I couldn't help. I had no way of stopping his tears- which caused my own. I was finally calming down, my back's pain dialing down to a throb, when the door creaked open. I felt a sense of dread building inside me- they never came twice this close in time. When I forced myself to turn around, I found myself face to face with a small red-haired boy. He didn't look very old- sixteen maybe? I didn't withdraw from him. For some reason, I felt like I was safe for the first time since arriving at the dark guild.

"Miss, I won't hurt you. I just came to offer you some...here." He handed me a red liquid.

"What is it?" I asked, smelling it and scrunching up my nose. It smelled like someone's dirty laundry hung out to dry on the hottest summer day. Other words: NA-STY. The boy laughed quietly.

"Healing serum. I know it smells terrible- I'm afraid it doesn't taste much better." I reluctantly tilted my head back, letting the liquid run down my throat. I gagged, and felt the need to throw up. Doubling over and holding my stomach, I wretched, yet nothing came out. Once the urge faded, I noticed my back no longer hurt. I placed a tentative hand to it, and brought my fingers to my face. No blood. No pain. The wounds were healed.

"T-thank you," I managed, through my awe. I instantly wondered why this enemy would be so kind to me. "Why would you give me that?"

"I... my brother and I...there's a small group of us that don't agree with Slade's way of running things." Slade. That name sent off several signals in my mind. He was the man who most often beat me. The only one who would continue until I could no longer stand and collapsed. Yes, he was a cruel man.

"So, you're what- rogues of rogues?" He cracked a smile.

"You could say that, yes." I let my lips turn up into a small smile in return, which was pretty hard to do. Then, he turned towards me, telling me his name was Noah.

"You can call me a friend."

+++
I felt so numb. My brain, however, felt as if it had been deep-fried. I remembered my name, my age, my magic...that was a good thing, right? I had things I wanted to forget though...like how Natsu had called me useless. It felt wrong- like the memory didn't belong in my heart. But...I saw it when I closed my eyes. Me, confessing to him. Him telling me he only had feelings for Lisanna. Quitting team Natsu. Being called useless when I messed up on my first solo job and got the guild laughed at. The most painful had to be Master telling me I had to leave the guild. He was crying the whole time he said it- but he feared for my safety. He allowed me to keep my guild mark, as a final gift. Then he'd sent me away. That was when I met the guys. Ah, yes. My new best friends. I would never tell them why I took to them so easily. It would make me an awful person. Noah acted a lot like Wendy, while his big brother Chase was Gray made over. Zeke was a lot like Erza, in the way he used sword requipping magic. And Bane....Bane reminded me so much of Natsu it hurt. I could never develop romantic feelings for him- I knew I'd always be in love with Natsu. I think that was a safety net to me. I could still love the people I loved from Fairy Tail- when I closed my eyes, it was almost like I was back at the guild. I could hear Mira's humming while she dried the dishes. I could hear Cana and Macao arguing over alcohol. I could hear Asuka's sweet little giggles. I could see Levy's face all scrunched up in concentration while she worked on decoding magic script, and Gajeel hovering around her, calling out words of inspiration like, "hurry up" and "Shortie, you can do it" which only made her angry.