Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail, Mashima Hiro does.

Title: Baby, I'm not a Monster

Author: graylubitches

Characters: Lucy | Zeref | Natsu & Others

Genre: Romantic-drama

Rating: T for language.

Note: The setting may or may not correspond to its real manga or anime so beware of that. I just recently got into this pairing and felt iffy that there weren't many fanfictions about them so I decided to write my own. Hopefully, more people will notice ZerLu and like them as much as I do even if they are a side-canon ship. 3. 2. 1. Let's begin.

Chapter One

Zeref has been eyeing on a certain mage for the very first time of his 400 years of living 'til now. He was only watching from afar but he could already tell that the blonde was very kind-hearted — based on how she treated her friends.

Fairytail came to Tenroujima island that day (which he lived in) as he caught a glimpse of her face. Her sharp, smooth nose, her crystal-clear, browned-eyes, glistening through the light from the sun, her red, plump, luscious lips moving up and down as she mouthed inaudible words and her blonde, silky hair, dancing with the swirly wind making her look perfect in his eyes.

"Ooof Lucy! You're heavy," Natsu groaned from the sudden bone crushing hug he received from the girl.

"Idiot, why do you have to be so stubborn?! Look at your arm!" Lucy scolded while wiping the blood gushing out from his left arm with a handkerchief, making her even more worried than she already was.

Natsu noticed her eyes getting moist which made him laugh. "It's only a small cut Lucy. I'll be fine," He exclaimed, earning a glare. The boy in front of Lucy was her bestfriend, but also her crush and lover. She loved how easy going Natsu was. How he could always laugh at such a moment that she wanted to punch yet kiss him at the same time. But of course she couldn't. And she wouldn't because she didn't want to risk breaking their friendship with each other. However, she couldn't help but fall for him more and more.

"If you hadn't blocked that attack, you wouldn't have gotten hurt..." she said with guilt.

"And what? Let you be the one to get hurt?" he snickered. "No way am I going to let that happen. You're too precious to even receive a scratch!" This statement made her blush. "I would do everything to save my friends." And this one made her want to choke the boy because of how dense he was being towards her.

"Uhm, yeah, thank you Natsu." Lucy faked a grin before turning away to help Gray cleansed his wound and for Natsu not to see her pained expression.

Friends. That word she treasured so much, but also cursed with her whole life. When will he realize the girl's feelings for him? She sighed once again; another rejection she got from the boy.

Zeref watched the scene in jealousy. He examined Lucy's expression and how the look of dejection rushed through her. He then used a special dark magic like Cobra's power at Lucy, which enables him to hear her thoughts.

*Natsu can be so dense. Way too dense. I didn't even think he can be this naive or is he doing this because he really doesn't want to accept my feelings. I love him God Damnit!*

A small gasp escaped from Zeref's mouth. He didn't know if it was because Lucy used a 'profound' word or was it because he just found out that she liked –no loved someone else who wasn't him. Sure, it wouldn't have been possible for Lucy to like him since they haven't even met yet, but after hearing she loved someone else already, crushed his hope of winning her heart.

What was he supposed to do now? He was new to all of this even if he did live hundreds of years too early. Lucy was his first love? It may be a surprise but it was true. Zeref never once looked at any girl because his mind was only focused on one thing — killing. But not anymore. He awakened from the darkness and left for the light. Or so, he thought.

"Ouch, Lucy!" Gray shrieked in pain. "You're pulling the bandage too tight!"

Lucy immediately let go and apologized, "I'm so sorry, Gray!" She bit her bottom lip then bowed her head down.

Gray looked at her in worry. "Are you alright?" he asked and the blonde smiled.

"I'm fine," she easily lied.

Meanwhile, Zeref continued to look at Lucy longingly but was suddenly interrupted by a scream. "AAah, who are you?!" a blue-haired little girl screamed while pointing at him. The white, fluffy haired cat with the kid jumped forward with her arms spread out in defence. "And what are you doing here?!" the talking cat questioned.

"I-II..uh, woah!" Zeref tripped over a rock which got the whole Fairytail members attention towards him from the ruckus. "Ouch," he moaned while rubbing his head from the impact.

"Wendy?" a voice called out which made Zeref stiffen. It's her! "Are you alright?!"

Zeref turned his head towards the people who were looking at him in curiosity.

*Great. The most powerful and devil-like dark mage of all time just embarrassed himself in front of his crush and her friends?* he sarcastically thought. *Way to ruin your reputation, Lord Zeref.*

"Who are you?" Natsu asked with a dirty look, getting suspicious of him.

Zeref opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Then suddenly, Master Makarov said something which alerted everyone of the danger they were facing. "Z-Zeref! How did you get here?" Everyone gasped at the name with their eyes wide opened.

"KIDS, STAND BACK! THIS MAN IS DANGEROUS."

"Zeref?" Lucy uttered which got Zeref's full attention. He saw fear in her eyes which pained his already aching heart.

"EVERYONE TO THE BOAT!" their master ordered before transforming into his humongous form. The dark mage watched as Lucy pulled Wendy in her grasp then ran away with the others (except the stubborn Natsu).

He wanted to call out to her so bad.

*Don't go. I'm not going to hurt you!* he screamed inside his head which caught him off guard from Natsus's surprising attack.

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

Zeref covered his head with his arm to protect himself from the fire magic. As expected, it did him no scratch. But by the time he took his arm back, his face came in contact with Natsu's hard fist. He stumbled back, but it wasn't enough to loosen his balance and soon more punches came throwing at him which he all dodged.

"NATSU!" Makarov yelled and quickly Natsu stepped back to give the man his chance to try and beat Zeref up.

Makarov swung his whole body and even tried body slamming him, but Zeref was too fast or either too strong (literally) because the next scene that happened was Zeref simply throwing the humongous man like a piece of trash on the ground. Zeref turned around to meet another fist but had again dodged the attack before kicking Natsu on the back, which sent him flying through the pavement. The two attackers groaned but that didn't stop them from charging at Zeref.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack! Fire Dragon's Sword Edge! Crimson Dragon Fire Fist! Dazzling Blaze of the Fire God!" Natsu attacked non-stop with Master Makarov certainly not being left behind.

Then finally, Makarov attacked with a great and enormous magic, "FAIRY LAW!"

Sadness was written all over Zeref's face. *I don't mean for anyone to get hurt...* Obliteration—one of Zeref's power where a dark, heavy ball would suddenly form itself in midair—had quickly nullified the master's magic. Makarov growled, realizing the limit of his power was already to its extent.

"He's too strong.." Makarov hissed.

"ROAR OF THE LIGHTING FLAME DRAGON!" Natsu screamed. Zeref jerked from Natsu's loud voice which caused him to clumsily trip over his own foot. The attack came at him and he was almost certain that the attack was going to hit him then suddenly, Zeref let out a...cry?

The pain in his head came clawling their nails in into his brain and mind which hurt like hell. "Aaahh!" he cried out loud then in an instant his eyes turned blood-shot red and his dominant hand flew out to Natsu unconsciously releasing a huge amount of dark magic.

"Natsu," a voice called out. The voice came from a girl and quickly he regretted what he had done. His eyes turned back to its normal, dull and black colour with his senses slowly coming back to him. "NATSU!" the voice turned into a hard-breathing sob. "HANG ON! I-I'll get Wendy. You'll be okay!" Lucy's voice sounded shaky and some of her words came as far as to even go off key. "WENDY!"

She stood up from the ground then ran to get their healer mage. Zeref couldn't help but notice her endless tears as she went away and it pained him so much. "NATSU!" Makarov called out, immediately running to the boy's side.

Soon enough, Lucy came running back with her friends along as they checked up on Natsu's condition. And truthfully, it was critical. "Natsu-san!" Wendy yelled as she started healing him. "Hang in there!"

Lucy straightened up then sent a hateful glare towards Zeref. His body stiffened as he felt an electrifying shiver from her eyes, although it made his heart skip a beat, he didn't like the pain her eyes had on him. "You monster!" she spat.

This statemenet broke his heart again and again. Her words replayed in his head over and over again like a broken, telephone machine. *I'm a monster to her..?* "How can you hurt Natsu. YOU HEARTLESS BEAST," Lucy raised her voice.

"Stop," he muttered. Her words came piercing through his heart like some sharp daggers, stabbing him one by one in a sequence. "I-I didn't mean it..." He choked on his words, not realizing the tears flowing down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he mouthed.

"Gate of the Lion. I open thee—Loke!" she summoned.

"Yes, my princess?" Loke appeared.

"Make him pay."

"No, Lucy! He's too strong!" Makarov yelled.

"Regulus," Loke attacked. Zeref made no move which scared everyone of what bad attack he was about to make. Loke's magic came rushing towards him until...it hit him. It actually struck him.

He was sent flying towards the cold, hard ground as the power had harshly ripped his shirt open showing a visible wound on his chest. "Aaah!" he groaned.

Everyone stared at him, wide eyed. *He didn't dodge it?* But Lucy was oblivious to this because of the anger she was feeling. "KEEP ATTACKING LOKE!" she demanded.

Loke didn't hesitate to follow her orders as he kept sending his attacks at him. Fairytail stared in shock while they watched the Lord Zeref get beaten up to a pulp by the top zodiac Celestial Spirit. Zeref coughed up blood which stunned everyone.

"W-What's happening? Why is he taking the hits?" Makarov wondered aloud.

"Wait. Lucy, stop. That's enough!" Erza called out as she tried to stop the Celestial mage who was on rampage.

"Enough?! He hurt so many people. Natsu included! He himself needs to experience the pain that he deserves," Lucy protested.

*Zeref, what are you doing?! Dodge the attacks and use your power.* Someone inside Zeref's head shouted.

But Zeref argued back. *NO! If this is what Lucy wants, then I shouldn't go against it.*

*So you mean you wanna die?!* The person yelled in anger. *Bullshit. Fight back now unless you want me to take over!*

Zeref finally dodged one of Loke's attack but not to fight back. Instead, he ran away. He ran far far away from Fairytail as he couldn't bear to look at Lucy's pained expression. "I'm so sorry Lucy..."

And another tear slipped out from his eyes.

-tbc-

graylubitches: Hai. Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter. This is actually my first multi-chaptered fanfiction work here on this site (though I've done many others before, its just that i post them in a different website) so do take care of me! Ignore my mistakes, I don't check over my work properly. More zercy moments in the next chapter and well :')