Fear of the Innocent Flame (a Nalu Fanfic)

To the Library!!!

Author's Note:

Hello! Swag~Chan is back once again with a new chapter!💕

I am also happy to announce that I am officially on break from school for a little while, so I can write more! My schedule will be a bit sporadic, and it may not always come out on Mondays. But I will try my best to stay proactive in getting these chapters out with the best quality.☺️

With that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter of Fear of the Innocent Flame🔥🔥!!

No One's POV

A lot is going on. Mindy having her ownership of the apartment building being revoked while Lucy and Natsu are finished eating. With all that is going on, they all have temporarily forgotten about the threat looming over their heads. The threat could really affect all their lives in different ways, depending on the outcome.

Mindy is currently drowning her sorrows at a nearby bar, and Lucy decided to go to the library to start teaching Natsu how to read.

Lucy's POV

I told Natsu about going to the library. He didn't exactly know what the place was. I had to explain that is was a magical place with thousands and thousands of books. Natsu was so excited that he picked up all our trash and stormed to the waste bin in the kitchen.

His childish behavior is so heartwarming to see. He makes me feel like a kid and... I'm not sure how else I feel. There is something else. Does it kinda feel like joy? Happiness? Warmth? Fondness? All of these? 

Since I am not fully sure, I am not going to dwell on it. When my feelings want me to know how I feel, then it will tell me.

I walk to go grab my coat and my celestial keys from my bedroom and make my way to the apartment exit. As I get there, Natsu is already there and patiently waiting for me. He walks up to the handle and opens it while saying, "After you, miss." I thank him with a giggle and grin. I like this side of him. I thought happily to myself.

Stepping out into the open air was bliss. It was so calm and peaceful out. Maybe only a hand full of pedestrians out shopping or just walking around. This is the best time to be out and about because most people are already at home, unwinding after their long day at work.

The library in Hargeon is a block or two from my apartment. That is one of the many reasons I had bought this one. Since I love to read, it was ideal to have the library close to where I lived.

We had a really nice walk, just the two of us. He insisted that I would put my arm on his. People only do that to guide the other, but Natsu isn't the one who knows where to go. I am. I let him lead me as I verbally told him to go in a certain direction. It kinda feels like we're a couple on a stroll in a park. I thought as we walked.

I didn't really mind the thought. Surprisingly, I felt safe with him as my guide.

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We walked into the musty, old library with excitement written on our faces. I was excited to start teaching Natsu how to read. I think Natsu is excited to learn, according to his current expression. It makes me happy to know he is happy.

Even though I have lived here for almost a month, this is only the second time I have entered this place. It is probably because of always staying in my apartment. I walk up to the front counter and I ask the librarian behind the computer, "What are the best books to use to teach someone how to read?"

The librarian looked up from the computer screen, causing her eyeglasses to fall down to the tip of her nose. Before replying, she used her index and middle finger to push it back up to the top of her nose. "I would suggest you start with easy-to-read children books. They have very small words and some teach other important things as well. Who are you teaching, if I may ask? I do not see a little kid with you," she showed a perplexed face while asking.

I snickered at her question and that received a slightly harsh nudge from the 'child'. I pretended that it really hurt me when it didn't. He began to apologize, "Ah! I'm sorry! I did not know I would hurt you... please forgive me." He whimpered like a sad puppy.

With him clearly acting quite childish, I stopped my act and faced the librarian. "He is the little kid I am teaching," I grinned at Natsu victoriously.

His mouth was agape at my sly action. I shrugged it off and quickly turned back to the nice lady and thanked her for the help. She, of course, said it was her job to help around here. You gotta really appreciate these librarians! They are always so amazing. I thought.

No One's POV

This is how life went for the next week and a half. Lucy and Natsu went to the library every day and was greeted by the pleasant librarian. She always maintained a bright smile and answered all of Lucy's book questions.

Natsu paid really close attention to the teachings from Lucy and began to learn to read pretty quickly. He took his schooling seriously. Plus if he didn't, Lucy would have scolded him like a mother would with her misbehaving children. By the end of this period of time, he had successfully read through a child's book called, "The Cat in the Hat" and started, "Goodnight Moon". For only just beginning, that is an excellent start.

With Mindy, on the other hand, she kept drinking and drinking. For that week and a half, she practically lived at the saloon. Mindy couldn't afford, of course, to buy the drinks up front, so she opened a tab.

The barkeep soon realized she wouldn't pay the tab and banned her from his establishment. She was drunk and fuming. Not a good combination! Mindy struggled as she tried to make her way home. Or should she say, 'soon to not be her home'?

2 hours later, she finally arrived home. It would have taken a sober woman only 10 minutes to get there, but she was a tipsy woman. A sober woman sees one road as a woozy old woman sees three. A sober woman walks straight while a drunken woman walks sideways/ diagonal. A sober woman... um. You get the point.

All this drinking has put her in a maudlin state of mind. She sat at her desk and wallowed in her own self-pity.

As Mindy is mopping, her weary eyes land on a newspaper clipping...

The same one with the number to call in Lucy's whereabouts...

She began to slur out loud, "Pwetty paper~". Mindy repeatedly said that until her sticky, dirty hands pulled the information closer to her face.

She then mumbled, "Wow... *hic* that's a lot of cash!~ *hic* it seems all I... *hic* need to do is call this *hic* number and I'll be rich!" Her sloshy mind did not process what she was doing. The real Mindy would not have made this decision. The only thing on maudlin Mindy's mind was how to afford more liquor.

She slowly dialed the number... each press on the phone signified a step toward Lucy returning "home". Each press meant one step closer until her freedom will be stripped away. And the worst of it all... losing Lucy's chance to be with Natsu.

Author's Note:

Will Mindy finish the call? Or will something stop her before it is too late? Find out in the next chapter!😱😋

I hope you enjoyed! I do want to apologize for being 2 days late, technically, but I did say in the top author note about having a sporadic upload schedule. I hope you guys don't mind not having an official schedule till I get back to school.

Anyway, I would love to get feedback on how much you are enjoying this book by commenting and/or voting. It would mean a lot!😊❤️

Hope you have a nice day!💕☺️