A/N: I haven't upload a chapter in so long, but I just want to say that from now on, I'll add Lucy's point of view.

Chapter 7

Lucy's POV

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Natsu, I didn't mean to do it! I don't know what happened! When I woke up, I saw Gajeel with a really socked look on his face, and-"

"It's alright, Lucy. I'm here now. I'll protect you, and I'm definitely going to kill the fucking bastard that did this to you."

I was crying really hard and my whole body was trembling. We were sitting on the floor, Natsu with his legs open and I in the middle of them, grabbing is vest. He was holding me like I was a little kid who got lost from his mother, with a warmth hug. I knew what happened and I was more scared because I didn't know how I…I…how I did…that…

"Please, Lucy, calm down. It's alright. Look, your friends are worried about you. Loke is really depressed because he couldn't help you, and Virgo is still in shock…all of your spirits are worried about you, so, please, don't cry, for them…and for me…" – Natsu gave a faint smile, clearing the tears with his fingers.

I was still grabbing Natsu's vest and trembling, but those simple words managed to wake me up. He was right. My friends must be really worried about me, and I'm here crying instead of comforting them. It's their duty to protect their stellar mage, but it wasn't their fault they couldn't help me. Something or someone blocked my magic, so they couldn't come out and help me. All they could do was watch as their friend and stellar mage was being killed…

I managed to look up to face Natsu, but it was still really shameful. I couldn't even protect myself! I didn't improve in this past few years since I joined Fairy Tail!

"I'm really sorry, Natsu. I know I'm always depending on my friends for help, and I can't do a single job on my own, but, right now, I'm really grateful for having such friends. Thank you, Natsu. I really, really like you, all of you."

"Y-yeah, no problem." – Natsu looked away and blushed.

I grabbed my keys and hugged them really tight against my chest. Tears started to form in my eyes as I apologize to my friends.

"Virgo, Loke, Aries, Gemini, Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius, Capricorn, Cancer, Sagittarius, everyone…I'm so sorry for making you worry."

I don't know how, but somehow all of my spirits managed to come out, even Crux, Horologium, Lyra, Plue and Pyxis managed to come out! Plue just kept hugging me and trembling, like always.

"Hime! I'm terribly sorry for not protecting you. Please, punish me!"

"Virgo, calm down. I won't punish you and you know that…" – As I said that, I tried to get up, but it seems that Natsu didn't want to let me go…I knew he was strong, therefore I couldn't free myself from him so easily.

"N-Natsu, what's wrong? I just want to get up and talk with them. Can't you let me go?"

"You can talk with them from here, right? I don't see the point of letting you go."

"Can't I just have a decent conversation with them? I need to comfort them."

"You can do that from here. I won't let you go."

"How can I comfort them from here? How can I hug them if you're not letting me go?"

"I don't know. You figure it out."

"Why are you behaving like a kid?! Let me go! I won't go anywhere, I just want to comfort them...can't you understand?"

For a few moments, Natsu didn't say a word. He just kept hugging me, while Virgo apologize and begged me for punishment.

"I'm sorry, but i-it's okay if you just talk to us. I'm sorry!" – Aries said with her shy look in her face.

I sighed and a faint smile appeared on Natsu's face. I turned around to face my friends, and my back touched Natsu's chest. Once all apologies and whimpers had stopped, all of the spirits returned back to their world. I faced Natsu prepared to yell at him, but her smile made me change my mind. Instead, I just sighed, losing the strength to fight him.

"What was that all about? Can you explain why you couldn't let me go to just comfort my friends?"

"Because I didn't want to let you go." – His answer was simple and as direct as possible.

"But I just wanted to comfort them-"

"And then, would you have returned for me?" – Natsu interrupted me. He wasn't joking, at least his expression wasn't…

"W-what are you saying? I'm here. Of course I would return to you. Did you think I was going to wander this place alone?" – I turned around to face Natsu properly, with my hands on my knees and Natsu still "protecting me".

I wasn't understanding the point of this conversation. Was Natsu nuts? I'm sure I wouldn't run away in a place like this! Where did he wanted to go by saying those things? Maybe he was still in shock so that's why he wasn't making any sense...and didn't want to let me go…

"I don't want to lose you." – Natsu said, holding me tightly.

"N-N-Natsu! What are you saying?! I-I-I'm right here, you see? I'll be more careful, s-so, can you let me go now? T-this is kind of embarrassing…" – I could feel my cheeks burn from that little sentence.

Suddenly, his face became closer to mine and before I could react, my lips were filled with a hot yet soft sensation. Could I really be kissing Natsu? This Natsu? Natsu, the person that behaves like a child and the same person that can't do a single job without destroying an entire city? The same person who enters my house and do whatever he wants? The guy who's always sleeping in my…bed…Now that I think about it, it all makes sense.

Natsu pulled us apart, both of us panting from the long desired kiss. After a long time facing each other, Natsu offered me his usual smile, causing me to cover my face with both hands, due to the embarrassing moment.

"Lucy, is it alright if you tell me what happened now? I really want to know, so I can kill the bastard that did this to you." – Natsu stroked my face with the back of his hand and then placed his fingers carefully in my neck, where the deep red mark started to grow larger.

I could feel his hot hand due to his dragon slayer fire magic, but it wasn't too hot. It felt really warm and comforting. One more thing I could feel was my entire body trembling, burning everywhere he touched.

"R-right! From what I remember, I woke up in a strange hall, with lots of doors…and…" – Natsu interrupted me with a kiss. Just one kiss.

For a few moments, no one spoke. Natsu's hands were grabbing my waist and he was staring at me with both desire and concern. I gave him a concerned look with a small smile. He seemed to have woken up and his hands quickly moved to my back, to pull me for a long hug. At first, I was surprised, but then gave up and caressed his head. I really don't understand what's going on in Natsu's head. Maybe he's regretting the kiss and doesn't know how to make up. Our friendship could be ruined with one (ok, two) simple kiss.

"D-do you want me to tell you or not? If you're going to interrupt me, then it's best if you say so! I mean…this is embarrassing enough and I still don't understand why you're doing this. I suppose you're pitting me and…" - Again, Natsu cut me in the middle of a sentence, again.

This time, it wasn't a passionate yet sweet kiss. This kiss demonstrated anger and disappointment. I pulled us apart.

"What's wrong with you-"

"What's wrong with YOU! You're saying I'm doing this because I pity you? Is it that hard to believe that I have feelings for you, since the first day we met?!" – I could tell Natsu was hurt from what I said. – "Yeah, I might act like nothing happens when I see you almost naked every day, but inside I'm burning with embarrassment and jealousy because you're so damn sexy and reckless about showing your body and wearing short clothes! And…when I found you, in Gajeel's arms completely lifeless, it scared the shit out of me! I felt like crap, not being able to protect you. I couldn't tell if the ground was shacking or if it was me. Really, I…hey! W-what's wrong now? Why are you crying?! Does your neck hurt that much?"

I didn't know he felt this way about me before. I thought he cared about his friends the same way he cared about me. I love him so much, that I had to lock these feelings so it wouldn't get in the way of our friendship.

I was crying, again, not due to the pain in my neck, but due to the pain in my heart.

"A-all this time, I had to suppress these feelings and, when you kissed me, I didn't know what you were thinking. Hope grew in my chest but then you seemed to regret it. I loved you for so long!" – I told him, with tears forming in my eyes.

We were still on the floor, Natsu with his legs opened and I was still in the middle, kneeling and facing him. Natsu pulled me closer to his chest, causing my breasts to suddenly touch him. He blushed and tried to look at them. I didn't know Natsu had a pervert side but it made him cuter.

"I really love you, Lucy. So please, tell me what happened. I'll try to not interrupt you anymore, but when I saw your face in horror just remembering what happened to you, I couldn't take it."

I closed my eyes and tried to create words to describe what happened.

"As I told you before, I woke up in a hall with lots of doors..."