The Distance We Create(Nalu)

11- Unavoidable

Lucy quickly waves a goodbye to Erza and swiftly walks my way.

She stops in front of me and smiles.

"Where have you been today?"

I shrug my shoulders and keeps my eyes trained to the sides.

"Happy and I went on a job."

Lucy starts talking about the job she went on today and my eyes get drawn over to her cheek where a big scratch is.

My eyes quickly scan around her body, stopping for a moment at her knees where the skin is raw. I scan the rest of her, my eyes making their way to her face and eventually they raise up and meet with her eyes. I quickly avert my gaze, a chill running through my body that feels like something crawling up my spine.

"Natsu?"

I snap my attention up to Lucy's face, trying to stare at it in whole and keep from actually looking.

Lucy looks at me questioningly, waiting for answer to a question I didn't hear.

"What?"

I look at her dumbly and she ignores it.

"I was asking if you wanted to go on a job tomorrow. I know you just went on one...but if you weren't too tired?"

My eyes stare at the scratch on her cheek, using as a focal point, the rest of her face out of focus and forcefully out of mind.

"I think Happy's really worn out from the job we just took and I don't want to leave him at home."

I can see the frown on her face in my vision, the way the skin moves around her cheek familiar to how it does anytime she frowns. I can read all of her expressions even if all I can see is her cheek. A couple of lines form and I know that she's now smiling.

"That's alright. I figured you guys would be tired. I just thought that I should ask."

A silence settles over us and my foot starts tapping the ground and I become slightly restless just standing there in front of her.

"I'm heading home. Happy already left."

The lines disappear and I know that the smile is gone. My fingers tap against my leg repeatedly and I can feel the familiar chill up my spine the longer I stand here. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from blurting anything out.

"Oh, well-"

My teeth clench harder and I can feel the tipping point where I'll lose all of my control.

"See ya."

I say it and basically burst towards the door and it slams open, my body hurling through. I stand on the other side as they shut behind me with my eyes closed and fists clenched.

I can hear my breathing piercing through the air.

Just being around her is too much. I can't even be close to her without that memory resurfacing in my mind and those eyes stuck right in my head staring right at me but not even looking at all.

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