Apartment No.50 [11]

Natsu waited until Lucy was sound asleep and left her room to take a shower and change clothes. When he was standing in the shower, leaning against the wall with both hands, he saw the bruises on his knuckles. A feeling of despair suddenly overwhelmed him as he remembered Lucy's expression, her cries and tears. "What could have happened if I was too late..."

He clenched his fist and hit the wall. Blood dripped down mixed with water. Natsu had torn open the bruises. He waited until there was no blood dripping and got out of the shower. He got dressed and returned to Lucy's room. As he closed the door, Lucy opened her eyes and saw how dirty she was. Natsu stood at the door and looked at Lucy, hiding every bit of emotions he had. Lucy was looking back at him, trying to find words.

- Don't tell Juvia. – She let out. Natsu couldn't hide his surprise, he walked closer to the bed.

- Why not? She's your best friend, you should tell her.

- Because nothing happened. – she stood up.

- Yes, because I heard you scream. Thank god I managed in time. – Natsu said expressing relief.

- No, you don't understand. Nothing happened. I just stumbled while running and that's it. – Lucy said quietly. They stood in a silence for a moment. Natsu started to get angry.

- No, it's you that doesn't understand! He could have raped you, Luce. Are you stupid enough to just ignore that? – Natsu started to get irritated.

- Shit. Natsu. Don't tell anything Juvia. I will handle this myself. Nothing happened.

- Then what about this? – He showed her his bruised knuckles. Now Lucy couldn't hide a surprised expression. – I just can't go without telling where I got these. That bastard deserved more. And then there are your bruises.

- Then lie! – She shouted.

- It's my sister and your best friend we're talking about. She should know about this!

- No! It's my problem not hers.

- But if something happens and I'm not here? Juvia wouldn't think something bad could have happened to you if we don't tell about this morning!

- Nothing will happen, can't you just understand that? I made a mistake to let the surprised me feel frightened. It won't happen again.

- Yes, it won't. From now on, you won't go anywhere alone. I mean it. – He said with a firm voice.

- I said I can handle myself. – Lucy responded angry, - I'm not some cry-baby, I can handle myself!

- Well, that didn't help you, didn't? Did you forget crying in my arms just now? – Lucy didn't know what to answer for a moment.

They were speaking angrily with each other. Their voices were raised and the stood so close and looked in each other's eyes. They felt anger, and at the same time something different was lingering between them, a tension they have yet to understand.

- I can handle myself!
- Didn't look like it! You're not going anywhere by yourself or I'm telling Juvia everything.

- You wouldn't dare. – she squinted her eyes. "What the hell? I'm not his property or anything..."

- Take it or I'm spilling the beans. – Natsu crossed his arms on his chest.

- Get the fuck out of my room. If you are telling Juvia, I'm not talking to you ever again.

- If you are safe, and Juvia knows you're safe I don't care about you talking to me or not.

- You just can't go around making decisions about my life! GET OUT! – Lucy pushed him out of her room.

"I'm doing this because you are important to Juvia. And to me." Natsu sighed on the other side of the door.

"I'm not letting that asshole Dan have a place in my life, not now. Juvia doesn't need to worry about me anymore. Now it's my time to take care about her," Lucy thought in her room.

- Are you gone? – Lucy shouted.

- I'm leaving,  - Natsu shouted back.

Lucy found clean clothes, the usual baggy t-shirt and long baggy sweatpants, and went to the shower. She needed to hide everything from Juvia, long pants will help for the knees. "I didn't even feel the pain when I fell." And a shower will help against the dirt. She looked in the mirror and saw her left bruised cheek. "I'll just tell the truth, I bruised it while running."

Lucy showered, pushing the memories about Dan deep down her mind labyrinth. She didn't have to try hard for the image of Natsu kept popping in her mind, starting from the dream she was having and ending with the memories from the day they moved in. "It's just because he's a prick..." She got out of the shower and once again saw Natsu's towel on the floor. Lucy growled angrily.

- Why do you keep leaving your stuff lying on the floor? – Lucy snarled at Natsu when she found him in the kitchen.

- I don't leave my stuff on the floor, they must have slipped down from the dryer or counter or whatever. – He responded irritated.

He was irritated about everything, about Dan, about Lucy keeping it as a secret but mostly about his crush on her, he realised was more real than he thought it was.

- Why do you want to keep it a secret from Juvia? – He asked looking down.

- Because of the last time. – Lucy stepped closer, she was hissing at him, the anger still speaking in her, - He broke my heart and Juvia saw it all, she took it to her heart, it pained her to see me like that. I don't want her to experience that again. So please don't say anything to her. Please. – Lucy had started to speak calmly, but still in a loud whisper.

- But I'm still not letting you go anywhere alone... – Natsu said, hugging Lucy tightly. She was surprised and didn't hug him back.

He let her go and left the kitchen. Lucy stood there and looked at Natsu's disappearing figure, taken aback from his sudden hug. His warm hug.

Lucy didn't see Natsu that day again. She had told Juvia her truth about the scratch she had on her cheek, that she didn't see the branch. Juvia didn't see her knees because of the sweatpants. Her friend told her be more careful next time and that was all. "She must never know what happened..." Lucy promised herself.

Somehow, Juvia believed Natsu's story that he, just like Lucy, had a bad run and tripped, scratching his knuckles. Juvia thought that he probably had a fight with someone, but didn't ask. It wasn't the first time and he never answered on questions about his bruises. She knew he wouldn't hurt defenseless people, even in high school he often came home with bruised knuckles for fighting with bullies having their brain smaller than a pea. She accepted Natsu's lies and was certain he was protecting someone again. If only Juvia knew the truth nobody told her.

Two weeks have gone by. Natsu took Lucy everyday to the university or her workplace. Afterwards he picked her up.  They didn't speak much. It was like they were more strangers to each other than before.  A simple greeting was all that was said to each other.  Neither of them knew what to say and every time Natsu wanted to ask, Lucy stopped him.

Only the strange tension, that none of them understood, from their fight in Lucy's room on that unfortunate Sunday had stayed with them, between them. As a result, they have been glancing to each other secretly, without the other one noticing, while Natsu was taking her to her usual destination.

Lucy didn't argue with Natsu about him being her constant private driver. She tried once and it was useless, he didn't even respond to her yelling. Lucy went with the flow afterwards. The blonde was always on time and she knew Natsu was too, and Lucy was happy that she didn't need to take the tram.

Since Juvia was busy with her new job, her dream-job in the city's aquarium that was the biggest far and near, she didn't notice the change between them. The only thing she thought was that they had another quarrel and did not tried to smooth it over, it was their business after all. As long it didn't felt like a storm forming between them, Juvia let them be. And then there was Gray. She was spending a lot of time together with him. Not because they were dating or anything, although Juvia wished they were, but because they shared the same employer.

When the third week was coming closer to its end on a warm Thursday's evening, Juvia suggested them going on a trip.

- Well, we could go to that small Tenrou island that's famous for its amusement parks and nightlife. Since my work place has a discount price on the trip back and forth, we all could go next weekend or this, you decide. – Juvia spoke at the dinner table.

It was the first time in over two weeks they all shared a meal together. Lucy was always eating after Natsu had finished his big breakfast and Lucy had lectures at evening so she was eating with her course mates at the university's canteen.

- Maybe we could go next weekend, I have an exam on Monday so it wouldn't be such a great idea to party all weekend. – Lucy said.

- Whatever you decide is fine with me. I take Gray is coming with us? – Natsu smirked at Juvia.

- If you ask him, then yes. – Juvia smiled back, knowing her brother understood what she meant.

They decided on the next weekend. A week later, they were all packing. The Friday was a free day for everyone so they were going with the evening ferry. Two hours before leaving the apartment, Gray arrived because they decided to go with Natsu's car till the ferry pier and leave the car in a parking lot with surveillance. Lucy was surprised at the amount of water Natsu was taking with him but didn't say anything. Everyone was cheerful, even Lucy started to feel relaxed. Natsu on the other hand was more tense then before. The blonde found out the reason why while boarding the ferry.

- Hey, Natsu, did you take your medicine? – Juvia asked, Lucy felt a tint of apology in her voice. Natsu nodded.

- What medicine? – Lucy asked curiously. She had never seen him taking any pills in the two months they were living together.

- He can't handle any kind of air or water transport. He gets nauseous. I asked if he really wants to come knowing we'll be taking a ferry, but he just said he has his reasons and he will take his pills. – Juvia answered in Natsu's place.

Lucy just watched Natsu's back as he was slowly getting further up the stairs leading to the ferry. "I know his reasons..." Lucy thought and suddenly felt guilty. She followed everyone inside.

They had two rooms, connected to each other and sharing one bathroom, each room having two separate beds. The guys were staying in one room and the girls in the other one. Few hours after they were settled in their rooms, Gray knocked on the door and asked if anyone wants to go downstairs and have a drink or two.

- Sure. I will just check on Natsu. Lucy, will you come too?

- Nope, I'll stay and read a book, I don't remember the last time I had the chance to relax like this. And I will have a drink or two tomorrow, ok? – Lucy smiled at Juvia and Gray.

Fifteen minutes later, she was alone and she decided to see if Natsu's ok. She felt guilty and thought it was just because of her he was now lying in bed and fighting with nausea. It takes twelve hours for the ferry to reach the island.

Lucy knocked on the door, connecting the two rooms:
- Natsu?

- Yeah? – She heard a weak response.

She opened the door and saw Natsu lying in his bed, hiding his head under his arm and holding a water bottle with the other one. "That's why he had so much water with him!" Lucy thought after seeing one empty bottle on the floor.

- Did you come because of me and the reason of not letting me go anywhere alone? – Lucy asked standing at his bed.

- No, I just wanted to have a good time on Tenrou. It's not my first time going there. – He answered faintly.

- Then why do you still keep driving me around in Magnolia?

- Because I like it. And I hate driving in my car alone.

- Then why do I feel like you are telling me lies now?

Natsu removed hand from his face, sat up and took a big gulp from the water bottle.
- Because I'm protecting Juvia. "And you..."

- Oh, I see... Because I said we can't tell her anything. – Lucy said, looking on the floor, she felt a bit hurt that he didn't want to protect her.

- Is it really that bad? – Lucy asked looking at Natsu, - I mean, you can't even walk or anything?

- No, not this time. I can walk around. I just don't choose to. But I would like to see the stars.

- The stars?

- Yeah, here out in the sea, the sky is clearer and you can see more stars than in the city. – Natsu said, his smile was weak.

- If you need help...

- No. – Natsu interrupted her, - Just go and take jacket or a sweater and meet me outside in the hallway in ten minutes.

- Ok. – Lucy smiled and went back to her and Juvia's room.

Ten minutes later Natsu came out of his room, still holding a water bottle but a full one this time. They walked on the upper deck and sat on one of the benches.

- You were right! – Lucy exclaimed, tilting her head back to see the sky. – Do you know any constellations?

- Some of them. – Natsu smiled and felt a lot better. Just because Lucy was next to him on this starry sky night.

They sat just the two of them and Natsu tried to show her all the constellations he could remember. He had to lean closer to her to be able to show the right stars, from time to time their cheeks brushed and each time Lucy's stomach was attacked by butterflies, as was Natsu's. She didn't fight the feeling. A breeze came by and blew Lucy's hair in Natsu's face. Lucy saw clouds coming and slowly hiding the stars. Natsu could smell Lucy's scent in her hair.

Lucy turned to free Natsu's face from her hair, while doing that their eyes met and they froze, face to face. Lucy hoped that the dim light won't let him see her blushed cheeks. Natsu cupped Lucy's cheeks with both hands and said in a whisper.

- The scratch on your cheek has healed.

- It healed a long time ago. Maybe the...

Her words were cut by Natsu's kiss.