Chapter 11

Natsu's POV

I felt as everyone who would normally ignore us watched us in awe. This golden glow bullshit is already getting on my nerves. I look at Lucy and see her downcast eyes I sling an arm around her shoulders as we walk to the guild. I kicked the door open to announce our arrival but we remained silent as we walked towards the bar. Our friends and family stunned by either our grim looks or silence or more likely our glowing golden skin. 

I groan and look at Mira, "The usual please?" My voice is drained my shoulders slumped and I reach for Lucy who had started crying again. The train ride had been spent reading and learning anything and everything that we could. Whenever we weren't preoccupied we would cry in each other's arms holding each other together by our sheer will power. I let her cry on my shoulder now as Mira hurried away seemingly knowing better than to ask. However, that can't be said to be true for everyone.

"What the hell happened to you two?!?" I hear Gray's irritating voice yell out. I just glare at him. The entire guild hall is silent as if waiting for an answer. I refuse to give it to them. I can't tell them, not yet while the pain is still so new and fresh. Lucy looked at me and nodded as if she agreed and buried her face into my neck again fresh tears streaming down her face. 

"What happened?" Erza asked this time. Her voice would have normally sent fear down my spine and I would have done anything she said. But not now, I felt numb from the pain. Even knowing it might only be temporary did not help. 

"Don't ask what we are not ready to tell you," I say in what would have been a quiet whisper if not for the silence of the guild. I know she will persist if I don't say anything at all. Hopefully though this will be enough knowing that we will eventually tell her just not right now. 

Just then Jason comes running in, "Did you guys see the totally cool article about Fairy Tail's Salamander and Lucy Heartfelia?" He was holding a copy of a magazine from Pietra with a picture of me and Luce on the front cover being bathed in the golden light of the magic circle. I light my fist anger welling inside of me.

"If you want to keep that magazine you won't let me or Luce see it!" My angry words laced with poison as my words hit their target. My voice had been low but everyone heard me. Lucy's sobs renewed having seen the image at the same time as I had. I pulled her closer to me. "Let's go Luce we don't have to stay," I beg her willing to go anywhere but stay here. I see her nod her head and stand up slowly only for her legs to give out again. I catch her before she could hit the ground and carried her princess style as she cried into my chest. 

"I don't understand, the article was totally cool. Why are they acting like someone died?" I heard Jason ask. My grip on Lucy tightened as my flames engulfed us. I turned and glared at him; a burst of my flames flashed towards him making him jump back. The flames didn't even get close to him but I made for damn sure he understood to shut the fuck up before turning away again leaving the guild hall, carrying Lucy to her apartment. 

Lucy's POV

My tears wouldn't stop. The pain was real and Jason's words only made it worse as I lost all control of my sobs. I started screaming painfully aware that our friends watched wide eyed as I clutched to Natsu even as his flames covered me. In truth they must have thought his flames had burned me but they were also confused why I would hold onto him tighter if that was the case. I could almost hear their thoughts as I cried for the child I could not have. 

The child Natsu and I should have had. Would we have had a girl or a boy? Would they take after one of us more than the other? Why won't these thoughts leave me? 

'I love you Luce,' startled I looked up at Natsu. I know he hasn't said a word out loud but I heard them all the same. I clung to him as he set me down on my bed. He chuckled a little, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." He sat down beside me and held me in his arms. I lay there breathing in his scent taking shuddering breath after shuddering breath trying to calm down. 

"She said that next year..." I stopped and pulled him closer. 

"SSSHHHH, It's okay I know." His voice was low as he ran his fingers through my hair soothing me. He started to purr before he pulled away to look at my face. "Let's take a bath?" He asked it like a question but when he looked into my eyes he nodded and got up going to my bathroom where I heard the water start. Before long Natsu came back and carried me to the bathroom. "Erza and Gray are coming should we wear our swimsuits?" 

I was a little shocked but nodded I didn't want to tell them we were a couple while we were so depressed. Natsu ran out and grabbed a bikini for me and he left his boxers on himself. We got into the nearly boiling water and I curled myself into his arms the golden glow of our skin unsettling even now. We lay there for what seemed like hours but in reality was maybe 20 minutes. We left the bathroom door unlocked as I tried to stop crying in his arms. I start to feel cold and begin to shiver, Natsu noticed and set himself on fire bringing the water to a hot boil again. 

I lay my head against Natsu's chest and close my eyes too tired to bother waiting for our friends to come inside even though I could hear their heartbeats just outside my front door. 

Natsu's POV

I hold her in my arms relaxing back as her head lay against my chest. I could still feel the water is near boiling but was no longer bubbling so our friends shouldn't notice, unless they touch it of course. Lucy was awake still but I could also feel that she is fighting to stay awake. Her sobs had taken much out of her and me if I'm honest. 

It was like she was crying for both of us but I couldn't do that to her. I felt as tears started to slip down my cheeks. I let them flow holding her close to me as I cried my heart out. Not caring that Erza and Gray were now just outside the bathroom door and that they could hear me and Lucy. She was crying again but this time it feels more natural as we cried together our arms wrapped around each other tightly. 

"Go away," I croak no longer feeling the strength I knew that I would need to talk to them. "Just go away."

I hear the door open instead, I feel as mine and Lucy's anger boil and before I could snap at them I feel as Lucy calls for Loki and he appears. 

"Yes princess?" he asked bowing to us. 

"Get rid of them," I hear her voice crack as I pull her closer trying to shush her to calm her as tears still flowed freely down both of our faces. 

"Of course princess," I watch as he turns around and faces Erza and Gray who were shocked that Lucy would use a spirit to get rid of them. "You heard her you are not wanted here," His voice changed to one as hard as steel. "Please leave before I make you." 

"We just want to know what is wrong!" Gray shouted completely flabbergasted. 

"We are worried for our friends!" Erza started and stepped forward as if she had every right to be there. I watched unfeeling as Loki threw her out with ease. 

"Aries, Virgo, Scorpio, Pisces" I hear Lucy chant and I watched as she summoned four more spirits. "Help Loki please." Her voice tired and strained I lit my body on fire at least the parts not in water and tried my best to relax her as I held her. Our tears the only thing not forgotten as we cried. 

"Leave now, princess cannot take this!" little Aries yelled at our friends. 

Gray was watching us with an almost knowing sad look in his eyes. "Promise to tell us when you can first, then we will leave and not bother you!"

"When the golden glow on our skin is gone give us two weeks to heal then we will try," I croak out. 

He nodded, "Okay, come on Erza let's go for now," I watched as a look passed between their eyes and she nodded back at him. 

"Fine but be prepared for the consequences then!" I nod unfeeling again as my flames licked around Luce and me. Our tears flowing as if it was the only natural thing in the room. When they left all five spirits bowed to us. 

"You know, don't you?" I asked and watched as Loki nodded. "Thank you." They disappeared back into their golden gates. Lucy and I lay there for what seemed like forever before we got out. We got dressed and walked back to the guild went straight to the mission board and picked one that required us to fight bandits. Mavis knew we needed to hit something. We took the flyer to Mira and she stamped it. The entire guild quite as an empty church the whole time we were there. We walked back out without saying a word. 

The mission was a blur far to easy and quick. I look at Lucy, "Another one?" She nodded her head quietly both of our tears drained out of us. We walked back to the guild and pick another. Again we finished far to quickly. The days and weeks started to blend together as we took job after job together sometimes even doing several a day. Not letting our teammates come anywhere near us. 

Once Wendy came into the guild hall with Gajeel and the three exceeds. Wendy came running towards us but one look from me had her backpedaling. Even Happy kept his distance from us and when Lucy started to cry again I couldn't stop myself from joining her. Our silent tears the focus of the entire guild. 

"It's okay," I whisper to Lucy pulling her close. "Let's go?" I ask her as she nodded her head weakly and she followed me out again this time to put out a forest fire. 

"What happened?" I hear Wendy's soft voice quiver. 

"We don't know yet," I hear Gray tell her quietly. "They said they needed time." Lucy and I were already a good distance away from the guild but we could still hear them. Our dragon senses were super intense now, but we were starting to get the hang of it. It didn't hurt nearly so bad anymore but the pain of losing what could have been still ached in us. 

It is almost the end of mating season now. I could feel the weight begin to left as the burden was starting to lift from us. 

'Lets go, put out a fire," I hear Lucy whisper to me. I nod and we go on our way. 

Lucy's POV

The pain is starting to lift I can feel as it hurts less and less. Each day better than the last. I know Natsu feels it too. In a way it was like we could talk without talking our voices could be heard in our heads. We rarely talked out loud anymore the pain had just been too much with our heightened senses. Even whispering had hurt in the beginning. 

The forest fire had been really quick and we were now on our way home. "Luce, move in with me please?" I heard Natsu whisper in a voice that only I could hear. 

I smile at him and nod, "Whenever your ready." He smiled and picked me up running the rest of the way back. For some reason Natsu and I didn't get motion sickness anymore we took the train often and even now as he ran carrying me from the station I started to feel at peace. 

Natsu's POV

I felt hope enter me again as I ran to the apartment. Lucy and I packed her things quickly and she talked to the landlady while I made multiple trips to my- I mean OUR house. I had a bunch of remodeling on the house over the past few weeks using contractors so I could stay by her side. It was now a five bedroom three bath house with a large kitchen/dining room and living room. On the last trip to the apartment I only carried Lucy who was finally smiling again. I even heard a slight giggle as we ran. 

When we finally arrived I carried her across the threshold as if we were newly weds, which technically was kind of true since we are mates. Now she started to laugh like her old self again. The weight was nearly gone as I carried her to our bedroom and laid her on the bed. For the first time since the festival we made slow sweet love together. Our bodies somehow not rushing like we were starved but moved slowly as we explored each other again. 

Thankfully Happy had been staying with Wendy and Carla this whole time so he didn't come interrupting us either. For the first time in weeks I started to feel whole again. I bent down for one last kiss goodnight before we cuddled into each other's arms again.