The Bucket List (Fairy Tail - NaLu Short Story)

Chapter 7

"Send me away ..."

~~~

Lucy's eyebrow twitched in detestation. She hated her condition. With a passion. With a burning passion. With a burning passion so fierce that it would melt the entire of Magnolia to the ground, leaving nothing but rubble and ashes behind.

'Uh, N-Natsu,' Lucy mumbled. In her heart, she hoped he wouldn't hear, but in reality, she knew it was impossible for him to miss.

'Mm?' Natsu looked over his shoulder at the blonde as he rifled through her desk draw where he'd replaced her bucket list, halfway inside the draw as he stuck his head under the wood. 'What's up, Lucy?'

'Er ... I, uh,' Lucy shut her eyes in embarrassment. 'I have to go to the bathroom again.'

BANG.

Lucy winced, risking a peek through one heavily lidded eye. Natsu grasped his head in pain with one hand, the other holding her list, his face screwed up as he collapsed to the ground and began rolling around. Happy fell off the table, laughing, with tears in his eyes, hugging his fish for support.

'OW!' Natsu gasped. 'Ow! Ow! Ow!' He hissed harshly, 'Ow.'

Lucy tried to hold back a smile; it wasn't working, 'Sorry?'

Natsu grimaced, choking on the pain as he stood, 'Aha, don't worry about it. What's the problem?'

Lucy half glared at him, 'I can't get up.'

Natsu stopped, 'Oh, right, that.' He gave up looking and crossed the room, stepping over a hysterical Happy, 'So what? I'll just take you.'

'N-Natsu!' Lucy slapped the sides of her face, silently forbidding her cheeks to turn scarlet, even as they disobeyed her wishes. 'Y-you can't! That's private!'

'Oh, come on, Luce! It wouldn't be the first time!' Natsu laughed, 'And I'm sure it won't be th-'

He caught himself just in time. Lucy averted her eyes suddenly like he was something she couldn't bare to see any longer, staring into space sadly. Happy ceased his fit of hysteria and sat up, looking serious. Natsu's heart clenched under a cold, ruthless fist, squeezing his own life out like a juicer.

Yes. It really could be the last time.

Happy cleared his throat, 'Maybe just take her, Natsu.'

Natsu tried to catch Lucy's eye, but she wouldn't let him. The blonde was desperately attempting to prevent herself from crying, because no amount of tears could change the past. She knew that, and she wouldn't cry anymore.

'Yeah,' Natsu murmured. 'Right.'

Cupping his arms under the knees and back of the stellar mage, Natsu lifted her easily. She didn't lean against him like she usually did. The dragon slayer experienced a strange pang in his chest. It felt kind of like pain, but...

Natsu balanced Lucy on of his knees, flipping back the toilet lid for her before he set her down. He turned his back on her without Lucy even needing to instructing him to.

Her clothes rustled softly. Natsu tried his hardest to allow his mind to drift anywhere but Lucy.

'Natsu.'

Ugh, she was making this very hard.

'Yes? Lucy?'

He flinched at his own cold tone, but with his face turned from her, Lucy didn't see. He heard her sigh and cut in before a single word fell from her lips.