The Scarf Boy

{I bleed from the inside,

And I won't tell anyone.

I'm nowhere to find,

But I couldn't care it all.}

I'm more than just a scarf.

When Lucy first heard of the odd kid, it was from two others her age at recess.

"Yeah yeah Natsu Dragneel! He always wears that scarf..."

"Bisca told me if you pull his scarf away his head will fall off!"

"Ew! How?"

"It's true! I heard it too! They say his scarf is blood red and it holds his head in place. If you pull it off his head will fall off and when you run away he'll just put it back!"

"Groosss ~"

Lucy scrunched her nose up in agreement, listening to the heavy debate among third graders. A crowd was beginning to grow as more theories were thrown around, curiosity filling her.

"I heard he eats you!"

"No he just falls to the ground and searches for his head!"

"No, he—" The children began talking and arguing over one another, confusing everyone in the premises. Finding it useless to waste her time any further listening to such disturbing things, she skipped away to make a sandcastle with her friend Levy.

Fear filled the young girl as talk of Natsu Dragneel circulated around the school.

Apparently, he was going to be in their class.

She just didn't know which one of her classmates was the supposed monster.

Brown eyes trailing everyone around her, she found no one with a particularly suspicious scarf, leaving her relieved.

A sound of settling brought her out of her daze and she turned to her side, smile brightening at the notion of a friend.

"HI! I'm Lucy!" She eagerly introduced, waving enthusiastically at the boy. His eyes never left the surface of his desk as he sat there, a blank expression on his face.

Eyebrows furrowing, she refused to be ignored.

"Hell~o!" She called, scooting closer to him. When once again he did nothing in return, she scooted even closer and closer, until their seats bumped, restricting her from moving closer.

He flinched when she waved her hand in front of his face, a wild light entering his eyes. Lucy scooted back some, concern entering her gaze.

She was too young to understand, and he knew this. She wouldn't understand, so why bother talking to her?

"Are you okay?" Her voice was soft and filled with compassion, unlike her childish excitement before.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia and I just want to be your friend, but if you don't want to it's okay." She gave him a sweet smile, and a dark look fell on his face.

"You don't want to be my friend." He relented, backing away from her.

"Why?" She nearly whined, desperate.

"I'm—I'm Natsu Dragneel." His voice was a curt whisper, head ducked so he didn't have to meet her eyes.

"N-No way..." The words slipped her mouth before she could mute them, brown eyes doubling in size. Her gaze was now quizzical as she did a once over, confusion fuzzing her mind.

His scarf was not red, in fact it was the purest white she had ever seen. His pink locks were spiked yet soft looking, and his eyes were downcast with sadness.

She took his hand in hers, knowing it was the only way to draw his attention. She stared him dead in the eye, a certain glow to her lovely face.

"Hi Natsu, I'm Lucy. Want to be friends?" Her last attempt was filled with kindness and sincerity, he felt like crying.

In fact, he did a little.

"Please," was his hoarse reply, his mouth making the biggest smile he had ever dared conjore. Her eyes filled with glee as she cheered, happiness shining on her face.

Today was the day.

Lucy was going to do it.

They were in their second year of middle school, and Lucy had been building towards this since forever.

She was finally going to.

Do what? Just thinking it sent a quiver up her back, and she didn't dare utter it.

"Lucy?" Natsu called, black eyes searching her brown ones. She pulled herself from her thoughts, giving him a shy, apologetic smile.

"Sorry Natsu, I was just thinking..." She let out a soft giggle, trying to keep her heartbeat from going crazy.

Do it. Now. A tiny voice whispered in her mind, sending a shiver up her spine. She watched Natsu carefully, though his words fell upon muted ears. He sat, smiling and talking, occasionally pulling up a piece of grass, thinking she was listening.

But she wasn't. Her eyes were specifically glued on his scarf, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not peel them from the brilliantly colored fabric.

Her fingers itched as they subtly came closer and closer to said scarf, the pink haired boy oblivious the entire time. Dangerously close, she felt the article of clothing skim her finger.

Yank.

Silence ripped through them as she tore away the scarf that had been secure around his neck moments before.

Tension crackled between them as they both stared, utterly shocked at what had just happened.

Lucy watched closely, waiting for...something. For what? His head to fall off? For him to turn into a demon? Who knew.

But it wasn't happening.

She peeled her eyes from his to stare down at his neck, a tingling sensation flowing through her.

Because there, on his neck, was it.

The red mark.

It wrapped around his neck as far as she could see, a red hand mark encasing his collarbone.

Lucy was very smart for her age, and understood just a little too much.

A knot formed in her throat as she stared, the sensation turning into pain.

"Nat—" She began to whisper his name only for him to cut her off. His look alone killed her, the complete horror and utter betrayal replacing his once peaceful smile. Before she could speak any more, he whipped around, racing as far away as possible, a final sob the last thing that reached Lucy's ears.

The thirteen year old stood there with his white scarf in her hands, regret boiling inside of her.

Natsu didn't show up the following week at all.

It had been four years since that incident, but it was always present in Lucy's mind.

When Natsu had returned, he didn't dare acknowledge her. She had apologized and pled and offered to help, and all he did was give her a look of absolute distrust, walking past her as if she was invisible.

She was his only friend, so he sat alone again, like he had before they met. She noticed it didn't bother him as much as it did her.

She tended to cry a lot.

But after a year or two, he slowly disintegrated from her thoughts, and she was finally able to smile fully again.

No one asked about their falling out, because no one cared about Natsu Dragneel anymore. He sat at his lone table at lunch, and Lucy sat with all her friends.

It was as it should be.

Until Chemistry class.

"Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel,"

No one remembered their old bond, so no one reacted.

Except Lucy.

She froze completely in her seat, that name alone sending chills up and down her spine. She got up slowly, walking over to her assigned table, heart pounding in her chest.

The creak of the stool beside her rang throughout her ears, color filling her face. She clutched her pencil, stones dropping in her stomach.

He sat and adjusted himself, throwing his bookbag on the ground without much care. After what felt like eternity for Lucy, he finally turned to her, a certain darkness in his eyes.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel and I just want to be your friend, but if you don't want to it's okay." He gave her a sickly sweet smile, and she felt energy drain from her at the memory of their first introduction, eyes widening.

A low chuckle escaped his lips at her bizarre look, a smirk appearing on his lips. She gulped, her throat suddenly going dry.

She had left the scarf on his desk the week after the incident in middle school, and he was currently wearing it like he always had.

"Well aren't I just lucky to have Lucy Heartfilia as my lab partner." He tsked, a quirk to his smile as he stared at her like a piece of meat.

"L-Look," she tumbled over each syllable, thrown off guard by his strange attitude. "I need to get an A on his project, so—"

"Oh say no more sweetheart," Natsu relented, putting his hands in front of him in defense. "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." He promised, making an 'X' motion across his chest. She paled slightly, noticing how much darker this Natsu was than the other.

He certainly had grown up. He was well sculpted now, pink locks as spiky as always. His eyes were narrower and seemed darker, bags under them. His most prominent emotion was a smirk, and he stared upon Lucy with one currently.

"After you're done checking me out, I'd like to start."

"What is your problem?"

"What is my problem?" He queried, putting a hand to his chin in mock thought. She gritted her teeth, clutching her bag to her side.

"Natsu please, stop. What happened to you? Why are you so..." She faltered, unable to answer her own question.

His face hardened, anger growing in his dark orbs. "What do you mean why am I? What the hell happened to you!" He spat back, and finally the great mask of Natsu Dragneel broke. He was spit fire angry, and ready to dump it on her.

He backed her up with each word, intimidation working. "You think you can just pretend to be my friend for years and years? Damn Lucy if you wanted to see my neck so bad you could've just asked." He growled.

Her bottom lip began quivering as she started falling apart. "I was just...curious. Natsu you had hand marks on your neck! Who's hurting you—?"

"It doesn't matter who's hurting me!" He roared, his own eyes misting over. "I'm so sick of being messed with, and you. I should've seen it coming—"

"Shut up!" She yelled in response, slapping his chest angrily. "I did like you, Natsu. I really did! Why would you shut me out?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not much of a people's person." Was his cold response. She pressed her lips together, staring down at his chest.

12/9/13:

i confused myself idek anymore but i really wanted to finish this and write a really sad scene /sobs

maybe ill one-shot that part ha yesyes hmmmmm.

anyway, here. based off of KEITH a.k.a. best thing ever /sobs/sobs/sbobds oke it has nothing really to do with the movie but i was basing it off of it ok ok.

thanks for reading ! ^^