Dragon in Shining Armour (COMPLETE)

Chapter 32

I had lost count of the days, the weeks, the months. The last few weeks of school went by in a numb blur and it was well into summer break. I watched teenagers enjoying the nice weather from the window of my messy apartment. My phone buzzed and my attention was snapped away from the outside. I sighed as I ignored Natsu's 13th message this morning. I feel bad in doing so, I just don't know how to not push everyone away. I groaned and rolled out of bed and made my way into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

My phone rang, and rang even after it went to voicemail. I pulled out my phone to see Natsu trying to get a hold of me again. My halfway written text was cut off when he messaged me first.

"Luce, it's been almost two months since school let out. I'm coming over today, and I don't care what you say. I miss you, damn it." I tried my hardest to blink away the tears that were forming.

"Please don't push me away anymore..." That was it. I couldn't stop the overwhelming mass of guilt from consuming me. I had been pushing Natsu away. I didn't want to burden him, and I didn't think I was worthy of his time; not worthy of his unconditional love. I had to get through this on my own. At least I thought that I could. I haven't touched my novel in months, I haven't eaten in three days, I haven't showered in a week, I haven't even left my apartment in God knows how long. The only thing I can force myself to do is write pointless letters that will never be read. I was a mess, and I was falling apart at the seams.

"Fine. When will you be here?" I messaged back, swallowing the guilt and anxiety I will have to deal with once I face him. I opened my curtains in my living room and had to blink a few times for my eyes to adjust.

"God, it's a mess in here." I said to myself as I started picking up empty ramen cups and wine bottles. "So many wine bottles. I've got to stop drinking." I sighed to myself and continued to pick up my living room. The kitchen is the only place in my apartment that's stayed the same. I never bothered with cups when I drank, since I'd always drink alone, and I had plastic utensils for the ramen cups I forced myself to eat once or twice a week.

I groaned when I opened the door to my bedroom. Clothes were flung everywhere and a small mountain of balled up tissues consumed my nightstand. The same dirty sheets stared at me, one corner of my fitted sheet popped off, and a red stain where I spilled wine all over myself. I grabbed the nearest laundry basket and got all the clothes off the floor, and ripped my sheets and blanket off my bed. I shoved the basket in my closet for another day and grabbed a set of sheets to put on my mattress.

I finished making my bed when there was a knock on the door and I made it halfway there before looking down to realize I was still in the same clothes I was in two days ago. I sighed and ran back to my room and threw on the first thing my hands could grab. I opened my door to see Natsu standing there leaning against the door frame. His eyes met mine and my heart skipped and stomach twisted. My heart didn't know whether to be happy or terrified.

"Hey." I whispered, voice cracking. He stood there silent, looking at me intensely. Surely noticing how the same shirt that hugged my curves now hung; surely noticing the dark circles and bruised knuckles on the trainwreck of a girl in front of him. He parted his lips as to say something, but quickly closed them, pushing us inside and pulling me into a hug. I felt everything I've tried to suppress over the past two months, start to crumble. He breathed me in and squeezed me tighter, as if I might slip through his fingers like sand. My wall is falling.

"I missed you, Lucy. I really really missed you." He breathed into my hair with a sniffle. And with that, the wall I had worked so hard to build up, crumbled, and unleashed the emotions I had been bottling up. The tears started falling as I felt myself start to shake.

"I missed you too, Natsu." I croaked out, stumbling over my words. He tried to pull away to look at me, but I pulled him closer. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Natsu." I sobbed into his shirt, clinging onto him for dear life. He smoothed my hair out and hugged me tighter, as he silently cried with me. I loosened my grip on him after a minute and apologized again, composing myself. He cupped my face with his hands and stared at me.

"Don't apologize, Luce. You've cried enough already." He swiped his thumb across my face, wiping away a stray tear. "I want to be by your side; to be your strength when you're weak, to be the light when you can't see." I nuzzled into his hand, savoring the contact. His left hand dropped down to my side and intertwined with mine. "Don't you see how much I love you?" He said looking away, with a shaky voice. My heart skipped and another tear fell from my eye. Why do I deserve to feel so happy after all of this? Natsu's attention snapped back to me when he heard me sniffling. "O-Oi I didn't mean to make you cry." I shook my head, not being able to formulate words, and hugged him tight.

"These are happy tears." I sniffled into the crook of his neck. I felt his arms tense around my waist and he pulled away to look at me with wide eyes.

"Happy tears?" He questioned with an eyebrow raised. "Does that mean..?" I nodded with a teary smile.

"I love you too, Natsu, very much. I'm sorry I pushed you away for so long." He stared at me with a smile on his lips.

"Don't push me away again." He said with soft eyes as he cupped my face and planted a sweet kiss on my lips. He parted just for me to kiss him again, entangling my arms around his neck. We stayed like this for a while, making up for 2 months' worth of missed kisses. I yearned for him for so long, but I denied myself this happiness.

But I realize now, I denied him of this happiness too;

and I never wanted to do that again. 

Ch 32 posted! im not finished with 33 yet oof lol but lots of cute fluff in this chapter! I'll get to writing soon, but its been hectic as crap lately. Comment and let me know how you're liking it so far. I was really tempted to end the story here, but I might do 3 or 4 more chapters with timeskips and such but not sure about how far into the future I should go LOL (like wedding or kids and stuff like that) so if you have any ideas of what youd like to see, let me know! Follow, vote and add to your library so you don't miss any updates! See you in the next chapter!~

As always, Fairy Tail and all it's characters belong to Hiro Mashima!~