•••

Natsu.

Natsu, Natsu, Natsu.

It was him. He was here.

For her.

But why?

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

She didn't deserve it. His presence. His worry. Him.

Not after what she'd done.

She had failed her friends.

She had hurt them.

She had hurt him.

However, no matter how much she questioned it, how much she claimed and tried to convince herself that she didn't want it, nothing changed the fact that he was here, right next to her.

Protecting her.

"Natsu.." Lucy's voice shook, while tears welled up in her eyes. Her voice came out in less than a whisper, barely audible, but she couldn't care less. All that mattered in that moment was him. And he was here.

But..what if it was all just an illusion? What if it was her mind playing tricks on her? Cruel tricks.

What if-

She never got to finish that thought. Never got to think over that 'what if', for, in an instant, she was embraced with warmth. His warmth.

How long had it been since she'd been hugged like that? Since he'd hugged her like that?

It felt so safe. So warm.

So intoxicating.

All of the dark thoughts disappeared, all doubts gone, leaving behind nothing but certainty.

Certainty of his presence. Of his embrace. Him.

"Lucy.." his low voice whispering in her ear broke her out of her reverie, pulling her back into the harsh, cold reality. The reality of bring trapped in a decrepit dungeon.

Natsu slowly let go, caressing her face. She knew she shouldn't, and that it was wrong, extremely wrong, but she couldn't help and lean into his touch. As his fingers gently grazed her cheeks and her bruises, Lucy unwillingly closed her eyes, taking all of that moment in. Taking all of him in.

Oh how much she missed him.

"Does it hurt?"

She opened her eyes with a start to find him staring intently at her, and in that moment, nothing surprised her more than the look in his eyes.

He was looking at her like he did before.

With love. With adoration.

With that certain twinkle.

"His eyes twinkle a certain way when he sees me?" Lucy repeated, sipping her vanilla milkshake. "Stop pulling my leg Mira."

"But it's true~" Mira sang, winking mischievously to a thoroughly unamused Lucy.

"No it's not." the celestial mage sighed, tucking a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "This is Natsu we're talking about. Anything like that concerning him is just a load of crap."

MiraJane leaned on the counter, gently twirling the end of Lucy's hair. "Exactly, this is Natsu we're talking about. You never know."

She winked and got back to wiping the glasses clean, while Lucy just absentmindedly stared at Mira, what she just said resonating in her ears

"What?!" she exclaimed with a start, returning back to her senses. "Even if it is, which I doubt it is, you know I don't like him like that." she sighed, shifting her gaze to the guild entrance. Natsu wasn't here yet. "It just won't be."

Mira glanced back at her, a soft smile on her face. "One day then. When you'll stop denying your heart." she mumbled, sighing herself.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"No." the white haired mage smiled, moving over to the kitchen. "Just that it's going to be the cherry blossoms soon right? They look amazing at night."

The very next night, Natsu confessed to her under the Magnolia blossoms.

And the day after, they left for that fateful job.

She felt her wrists heat up and looked down to see Natsu breaking those shackles off. The metal, uncharacteristically broke off under his grip, leaving her hands to be finally free.

"Thank yo-"

"You're going to choose him despite what he's done to you?"

The mages turned sharply to find Winston chuckling darkly, struggling to get up. The wall behind him, Lucy noticed, was cracked right where he hit his head, the chipped sides crumbling off. "You're still going to choose them?"

Natsu protectively stood in front of her, his entire body blazing up with anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Answer me Lucy Heartfilia!" he asked, completely ignoring Natsu. "ARE YOU?!"

The fire mage's patience ran thin and he punched Winston again, sending him stumbling back towards the wall. "I'll ask again and I expect an answer." Natsu breathed, his voice vicious and angry. "Why did you do this?"

Winston's green eyes gleamed eerily from the shadows, the glowing green full of rage. His breathing was shallow and heavy, however, he did not lose his composure this time.

"You're still such a pain, Fairy Tail." he spat, wiping his mouth. "And I got my answer Heartfilia."

"What do you-"

"But I didn't get mine." Natsu spat. "What did you have her here for?"

"Tell me, Natsu." he sneered, his voice calmer as opposed to Natsu's harsher tone. "Why are you still protecting her?"

"What kind of question is that? She's my fr-"

"How can you still call someone your friend, and go to such extreme lengths to protect them, even after they did something terrible to you and your guild? Something unforgivable?"

Natsu relaxed from his fighting stance, visibly confused. Winston smiled darkly, pleased that he finally had influenced the fire mage.

"What kind of nonsense are you sprouting?"

"Oh? She didn't tell you?" he asked, pretending to be shocked. "My, my, Lucy, I'm disappointed."

"Please don't.." Lucy pleaded, her voice quivering. Everything was crumbling and all she could do was watch it happen.

"So only Gray got in on the secret? Isn't that unfair to your other friends?" he asked, pretending to be concerned now. She almost choked on a sob, unable to believe that he was getting sick pleasure out of this whole ordeal.

"Lucy what is he talking about? What does Gray have to do with all of this?"

"Oh he has everything to do with all of this!" Winston exclaimed cheerfully. "You see, your dear friend is in such a dire condition because Lucy here let him in on a little secret."

"Winston please don't.." she begged, tears running down her face. It would all be over. Everything.

Everything will be for nothing.

They'd suffer even after all that she did to save then from that. He'd still suffer.

"She stole something from you. All of you. Three years ago."

He can't know.

It can't be it.

Please, oh god.

"She stole your precious friend. Your memories. She stole her existence."

Natsu watched him wide eyed, stunned. Everything fell quiet, nothing was heard to fill in the empty silence. Natsu's breathing became heavier by the second, as he stood visibly confused. Words fell short of what he was feeling, and Winston stood in the shadows, smiling, enjoying every moment of panic he had created.

"Three years ago. Do you remember anything, fire mage?"

"I-"

"Natsu don't listen to him!" Lucy yelled with tears in her eyes, desperate to protect him. From Winston. From the truth. From her.

As if returning to his senses, Natsu sharply looked at her, nodded and once again

"Three years ago, did you feel utter hopelessness?"

He froze again, wondering how on earth the bastard knew. Could it be that he was speaking-

"The truth. Tell me the truth Natsu Dragneel."

Unwillingly, Natsu averted his gaze from Lucy and looked at Winston, who had a smile on his face. A sick, twisted, and victorious smile.

"Winston stop!" Lucy yelled angrily, tears in her eyes. "Stop sprouting such nonsense!"

"Nonsense?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. "Well then, I think your friend here wouldn't mind hearing my nonsense now would he?"

"Winston you can't-"

"Lucy." his raspy voice was all that it took to stop her from speaking and for her to know it was all over. All of it.

She never stood a chance.

"I need to know the truth."

Lucy took a deep breath, wiping the tears off. She would not let him win. Not so easily. Because even if there was the slimmest of a chance, a tiny ray of hope, she'll cling to it no matter what.

"We met years ago." she sniffed, looking at him, determined. Half truth. It always works, right? "But then I had to leave. And you forgot. That's it. There is nothing more to it."

Believe me. She prayed over and over, her heart beating like crazy. Please, please, please, believe me.

He turned away from her, half his face hidden in the shadows. It was impossible to know. Did he or did he not-

"I believe you." he declared, lighting his fist on fire and jumping with a great speed towards Winston. "But you have to tell me the whole truth later!"

Winston jumped out of the way in the nick of time, an angry expression on his face. Natsu ended up breaking the wall from his astray attack but quickly gained composure and was ready to attack again, this time fire engulfing him whole.

"You still choose to believe that liar?!" he yelled angrily, his green eyes full of rage. "Even after I offered you the truth?!"

"How can I believe that you're speaking the truth either?!" Natsu bellowed, sprinting forward to punch him again. "How can I trust someone who wanted to get his hands on her keys?!"

He finally landed a punch on him, sending him shooting back. Winston coughed out blood from the impact of colliding with the wall, while Lucy stood frozen in shock due to the sudden revelation.

Winston wanted her keys? He sent Fairy Tail after her?

What was this man planning?

Natsu 'tsked', looking away from the unconscious Winston. "Bastard." he muttered, wiping the dirt off of his face. "He couldn't even put up a fight. Guess he was all talk after all."

"Natsu..how did you know? That he was after my-"

"It took me a while to figure out." He sighed, looking at her. "He had disguised himself well that day. Even hid his scent. But, I could still detect it, even though it took me a while."

He gave her a weary smile, and started to move over to her. "I want you to tell me-"

In the very next moment, Natsu was knocked to the side by a brute force, and he collided with the wall, coughing violently. Before Lucy could even react, she felt something tightening around her wrists and ankles, immobilising her completely.

Thorns. They were thorns. Just like Mard Geer's-

"Thorn curse. Pretty effective, right?" Winston chuckled, unsteadily getting up. "Bring back memories?"

"How do you even-"

With one swift motion of his hand, Winston gagged Natsu using the thorns, the latter struggling in vain against them.

"So you figured it out." he smiled, his voice cold and intimidating. "Yes, it was me who requested you, Fairy Tail."

Another wave of his hand and Lucy was slammed against the wall, the thorns still painfully binding her.

"'Why', you ask?" he smiled, walking towards her. "Well, I just had to find a way to get dear Lucy out of hiding you see? And who could've done it better than her beloved former comrades?"

"Stop you mmhm-" the vines from the curse twisted around her neck, threatening to suffocate her.

"It was the perfect plan." he smiled, playing with a strand of her hair before flicking it away. "I got Fairy Tail to find you through the quest of the keys. I knew you'd break. And you did."

"You bastard-!" Natsu yelled, who had freed himself from the gag somehow and was struggling against the last of the vines binding him. A loud snap and he was finally free, charging towards Winston, who just stood still, making no effort to move.

"Do you not want to know what happened to Gray?"

Just a simple question was enough to stop him from punching Winston, the fire engulfing his fist going off.

Winston smiled, knowing he'd finally found an opening. He'd finally got to him.

"You never actually believed her, did you?" he asked, his green eyes glinting. "I can see it in your eyes. You tried but you can't." he laughed, ruffling his dark hair in amusement. "You know it's not the truth she tells!"

Lucy could only stare wide eyed in horror, not even a sound coming out. The vines lazily twisted around her throat, reminding her of the impending danger but she could care less in that moment.

He didn't believe her.

He didn't trust her.

It was all a waste. Everything.

It was all over.

"Shut up!" Natsu bellowed, moving forward to attack again. Winston just sighed dejectedly, dodging each one of his attacks with ease. "You're hesitating." In an instant, the fire on Natsu's fist went off, the vines once again twisting around his body. "Your movements are sloppy and slow, any rookie could've dodged them. You are questioning your trust. For her."

"I am not! I will nev-"

"Why do you keep lying? To yourself? How long are you going to hold on to such a pathetic excuse? You know what she says is not the truth."

This shut him up in an instant, conflict evident on his face. "Then what is the truth?"

"She is more than someone who you met years ago." he replied, his voice deep and cold, eyes pure evil. "She is one of you. And her sole existence is responsible for Gray's condition."

"I don't believe you."

"Three years ago she left the guild. Left all of you. And she took your memories of her too." the vines around his arm loosened, freeing Natsu. "She has been deceiving you the entire time."

"I don't..it can't.."

"That bandage on her arm hides no scar, Natsu. It hides the truth. From you."

With a snap of his fingers, the vines binding Lucy loosened and she fell down with a 'thump', her bangs covering her face.

She was exhausted. Tired.

She just wanted to go home.

But where was home?

He had finally broken her. He had succeeded. She had nothing. Nothing at all.

And he knew that.

"Lucy.."

He sounded so wary. Betrayed.

Broken.

She wanted to protect him. From the truth. From her.

But she was exhausted now. Every chance she took, Winston destroyed it.

Was it even worth it anymore?

"What is the truth?"

It was. And she knew that.

But why then?

"I'm so sorry... Natsu.." she looked up to him, tears falling down her eyes. "I can't do this anymore.."

It would always be worth it. To protect him.

Natsu rushed over to her, grabbing her shoulders. She could feel his hands shaking, yet their grip was firm and secure. Gentle, even.

He was still holding onto her. He still wanted to believe her.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed, shaking her as if to wake her up from her sleep. Her delusions. "Please tell me the truth. Tell me that he's wrong! I know you can never deceive m-"

Weakly, she pushed his hands off of her, her face down the entire time. Natsu's hand remained hovering over her shoulders, frozen, eyes only displaying one emotion. Shock.

"Got your answer?" Winston asked, standing arms crossed in the shadows.

"I need the truth."

"They say actions speak louder than words." Winston smiled, twiddling a silver orb with his fingers. "All your answers lie on her right hand."

Natsu slowly pulled back his hand, his fingers gently grazing her hands instead. Lucy's hand flinched, but she didn't pull back.

She couldn't.

His fingers caressed her hand, until they finally started to tug at the bandages. Lucy didn't dare look as she just sat with her eyes closed, feeling his shaking fingers slowly unwrap the truth. Waiting for the moment when it'd all be over.

Everything she'd worked for, hoped to protect, gone in an instant.

And then just like that, it did.

•••
Oohkayy

Soooooo..updating after sooooo long. Damn.
I'm so sorry guys!
I lost inspiration cuz I was so busy. It was exams, exams, exams, EXAMS.

and thennn it was some school stuff. Cuz I have officially graduated from school now! So I was tired and stressed and well..oof.

I had been working on this chapter for these two months and it's not how I wanted to end it but I am ending it this way. I was originally going to write more scenes and make it longer but I thought this was the perfect place to stop or I might end up rushing stuff. Idk. Plus I was a lil tired ;-;

I'm still giving my finals, that part isn't over. And it's sorta a huge deal. I had my first exam today.

I'm so sorry! I wanted to make this longer but after I got so many nice comments on my mb, I decided that any more wait is stupid. I should give you guys at least something. So here you go!

Sorry it isn't long and as worth as the almost three month wait but I'll try to write as much as I can and update quickly.

Tysm for being here❤️
Until then!
Belle🌸
🔥❤️🔑