A/N: THIS IS PROOF-READ UNLIKE THE CHAPTER I UPLOADED YESTERDAY!

Chapter 7

Lucy Heartifillia's POV

I could hear Natsu's echoing footsteps after me as I rounded a corner. Levy's tiny footsteps followed suit and pretty soon, they were chasing me. I ran faster.

Join the Athletic Committee? It was such a big thing to process and to think over. Did they expect me to give an answer straightaway?

Once again, I could feel a whole barrel of emotions toppling on top of me. My body felt heavy and tired. I just wanted to curl up in bed and never leave the comfort of my bed again.

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"Luce!" Natsu's booming voice called out, droning all my thoughts out. I ran faster, pushing my body beyond its limits until I was racing across the parking lot and outside the school premises.

Where do I go?

I still had two classes left until the day ended but I couldn't possibly head in and face the two after running out on them?

Or I should just apologize to them for being a wimp.

I groaned and let out a frustrated shriek. Why couldn't I just accept the offer? After all, Levy had said that it would make my college applications look good, right? Didn't I want to get into Fells?

Panic started to swell in me again but this time, it hit me with such impact that I staggered a bit. I hunched over, trying to steady my heart which was rapidly beating against my rib cage. Colours swirled in front my eyes and I tried to grab something in order to lean against.

That was when I realized I was having a panic attack.

My skull felt like it was going to explode and if it did, somebody would have to spend days cleaning up scraps of flesh afterwards. Stars, my darned.

My mind continued to spin in circles and my vision became unreliable as everything within my vision became one hazy memory, taking weird alienated forms. My stomach lurched and I effortlessly tried to calm myself down.

This was a nightmare.

"Lucy?"

No. No.

I was crouched in a narrow space between a truck and a van so there was an eighty percent chance that they would pass by without noticing me.

So I stayed low and tried to control my breathing but to no avail.

It was only getting worse.

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"LUCY!"

Just when I thought the person had gone away, the voice had considerably gotten louder and closer. I started to look around frantically but failing to move away as if my feet were rooted to the spot.

Please leave me alone. Please leave me alone.

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That was when a figure materialized in front of me but I refused to look up to its face. The stranger crouched down to my level and stayed silently for a minute, watching me as my shoulders shook with every breath I took.

"G-go a-a-away," I whispered, sniffling.

After a moment of silence without any movement or the descending sounds of footsteps, I finally realized that the stranger wasn't going away.

Instead, I felt a whoosh of air and a fabric thrown across my shoulders. That's when the shaking subsided and I finally mustered enough courage to look up.

I was met by a pair of onyx eyes, staring at me back with such intensity. But instead of the usual menace and malice behind it, Gray Fullbuster's eyes were brimmed with worry and tenderness in them.

And for the first time, I didn't feel so afraid.

"It's going to be alright, Lucy." Fullbuster whispered, his voice reduced to a mere whisper but I found it strangely soothing to my raging heart.

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"Just close your eyes and breathe in," he whispered and I found myself obeying him. I closed my eyes.

"Block it all out, okay? Don't let them get to you," he said, his hands rubbing my back in circular motions.

I huddled tightly against Fullbuster's jacket (which had been thrown across my body) and tried to regulate my breathing, inhaling in the musky scent of Fullbuster's cologne.

At times like this, I always envisaged my mum, Layla Heartifillia, as she put me to bed, singing soft lullabies and chasing all the nightmares away. I reminisced her gentle smile as she spellbound me to sleep with her sweet, delicate voice.

Luce, baby, don't cry. Mama's always going to be here for you.

.

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And it calmed me down.

I straightened myself up and tried to stand up hesitantly but then, my whole body wasn't shaking anymore. Fullbuster helped me up and I was leaning against him.

I wasn't hyperventilating anymore. I checked my pulse but it had already settled down to a normal rate.

I looked up and met Fullbuster's gaze.

All the trembling and crazy fast pulse. They were all gone.

The nightmares were all gone.

Gray Fullbuster had actually made it all go away. This is a first.

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Then, slowly, a grin crept onto my lips until a full-blown smile blossomed on my face. Never had I thought, Gray Fullbuster, out of all people, would actually manage to chase my nightmares away.

I tried to fight back the big grin now that was plastered on my face but decided against it, as I was gifted with the sight of Fullbuster's genuine smile too.

"I-I'm better now," I said cheekily and Fullbuster's grin widened.

"Yes. Yes, you are now, Cupcake."

We smiled at each other for a moment longer until another voice emerged from the background, breaking our eye contact. And again, we found ourselves in the same situation as before. Natsu's and Levy's voice grew louder and louder.

"Why does that idiot have to be such a party pooper?" Fullbuster grunted and pulled me towards the back of the truck.

"I-I t-think y-you should g-go," I whispered but Fullbuster ignored me and pulled me close to him.

"Now, don't talk unless I tell you to," he hissed and bound me close to his chest. I held my breath as Natsu's voice became closer.

Please don't let him find me.

Levy McGarden's POV

We finally reached the parking lot but Lucy was nowhere to be found. I hunched over my knees, trying to catch my breath as I stood next to Natsu who was nowhere near out of breath.

Damn, that pinkette.

Of course, he was an athlete. It would take more than a ten-mile jog to get him out of breath.

His brows were knitted together in a worried manner and I was afraid if he didn't stop squinting so much, he would pop a vein or something.

"She's not here, Natsu. Let's go back," I said but the pinkette was so stubborn and shook his head vigorously.

"I'm sure she headed this way. I can tell by the sound of her footsteps! I'm sure, Levy. I'm sure," he insisted, failing completely to hide the desperation and worry underneath his words. But then again, it was just me. He didn't have to pretend.

It would take only a ten-year old to figure out that Natsu harbored such a massive crush on Lucy. Hell, almost everyone can tell and that was solely the reason why Lucy was the major target of the school bullies and the knucklehead was so dense, refusing to have any form of attraction to Lucy except in a brotherly way.

"Maybe she was right. We need to give her some time to think over," I added and watched Natsu as he threw his hands into the air and shook his head in ridicule.

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"She could have said 'yes' right away, Levy! She doesn't have to be afraid anymore. She has you and she mas me! Me! I can protect her, Levy. You know that! I'm capable of protecting Lucy," Natsu rambled on and that was when I realized the boy was so whipped.

"Natsu, calm down. She hadn't said "No" yet. That's a good right, right?" I said softly and Natsu's shoulders sagged.

.

"She has just had a really tiring week. I'm sure she'll think about it over the weekends and hopefully, she'll agree to join the Committee," I smiled.

It was true. Lucy never seemed like the person to pass up any golden opportunity. However, she needed time. All we needed to give her was some time and space.

"Look, Levy. I promised Layla-sama that I'm going to look after Lucy at all costs so I'm not going to let anything happen to her," Natsu said sternly. I nodded.

"But I'm not going to let that bastard Fullbuster just swoop in and sweep Lucy off her feet."

Wow. How long are you going to deny your feelings for Lu-chan, Natsu?

I had thought the day when Natsu would get extremely jealous of a guy over Lucy would never come but Natsu stood in front of me, nostrils flaring and fists clenched as he clearly projected his jealousy clearly and loudly through his facial expression. It was indeed more than a brotherly love.

.

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"Are you sure you don't like her, Natsu?" I questioned and this took him by surprise.

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"No, I don't like her." He said after a moment's hesitation.

But his emotions betrayed. I smiled at him and he narrowed his eyes at me.

Then, I started to head back towards the building.

"Come on, let's go find Lucy."

Lucy Heartifillia

"Are they g-gone?" I asked and from the corner of my eyes, I saw Fullbuster squinting, his eyes fixated on something that was taking place several yards away. But I could only hear hushed voices.

Fullbuster brought a finger to his lips and silenced me. I zipped my mouth.

After what felt like centuries, the hushed voices were gone. However, Fullbuster stayed where he was with his ears perked up as if Natsu and Levy could pop right back up again. I stayed there cocooned to his chest, my nose deep in the crook of his neck with my poor heart springing like a boomerang in my chest.

Then, I finally regained all of my senses and again, reality struck again like a blade of saber lightning - the position I was in and whose rock-hard chest I was pressed against, I sprung off and pushed him away with a yelp. I was pressed up against Gray Fullbuster, the person who I claimed to assume a cannibal, a satanist and of course, the baddest boy who could outlive all my darkest fantasies of him; black leather jacket, sleek black motorcycle, a mellifluous husky voice, a smirk that could pummel your confidence and worst of all, tattooed and pierced!

"What the hell was that for?!" He groaned, annoyance seeping into his voice.

I gasped.

What was wrong with you, Lucy?! You just kicked Gray Fullbuster in the foot!

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"Sorry, I a-am!" I started to apologize profusely and Fullbuster just rolled his eyes.

"Now the yoda talk is back."

"S-scared, I-I was. D-don't know w-what came o-over me-"

Fullbuster held up a finger and I stopped talking. It was a gesture I had become accustomed to lately.

.

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"No more yoda talking."

"Sorry, I-I.."

"No more apologizing too," he added.

"Sorry…"

"I SAID NO MORE!"

"SORRY!" I trembled involuntarily and fidgeted.

Fullbuster noticed the change in my posture and his gaze softened. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

.

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"I honestly don't know what to do with you, Lucy."

"I-I'm sorry," I whimpered, letting my head down. He was getting tired of me, wasn't he?

"Hey, stop apologizing." Fullbuster repeated again but this time, he said it gently. Nevertheless, I clamped my mouth shut knowing better not to work him up.

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"I mean, really, what the hell am I supposed to do with you?! Do I send you back to class? Or do I send you to the nurse's office again?"

That was when realization dawned on me again. What was happening with me today?! I had been subject to Fullbuster's behaviour for a week and this was what happened of me?

.

.

I was missing class!

Horror descended upon me. It was Biology period and we were supposed to sit for a test today! A TEST!

.

"I have to g-go back," I spoke up and Fullbuster looked at me as if I had grown two heads.

"Seriously? No offence, Cupcake but you look like shit."

My lips trembled.

"I'm s-sorry,"

Fullbuster smacked his forehead.

"That's not what I meant! You look like –"

Then he snapped his fingers. I tilted my head.

"An ugly duckling!"

I started to hiccup.

"I-I look l-like an u-ugly d-duckling?"

Fullbuster continuously ran his hands through his hair and I feared that if he kept doing that, he would have uprooted all of his hair and actually form a bald spot like Principal Makarov Dreyar. (Not a bad thing!)

"Shit, I'm sorry! What I meant was a – pretty cute ugly duckling! YES, a pretty cute ugly duckling. Now, now, don't cry, Lucy. You're not ugly."

I nodded.

.

.

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"I'm not helping, am I?"

I nodded again.

"God, I'm sorry, okay? Where the hell were you in the parking lot anyway?"

I immediately looked down. How do I answer him?

So I chose not to answer at all.

Fullbuster tapped his foot and when he realized I wasn't going to answer him, he sighed.

"You're not going to answer me, are you?"

I nodded.

.

.

"Great, now, you're nodding like those Maneki-nekos that my grandma used to have at home," Fullbuster grumbled and I found myself flushing.

Maneki-neko?! Was I that annoying?

I apologized again.

"Okay, forget about it. Are you coming with me or not?"

I looked back at him again, asking if he was actually kidding or not.

Fullbuster responded by rolling his eyes.

"Yes, I'm kidding about skipping school and leave this place on my badass motorbike riding off to sunshine for good."

I cringed. Fullbuster smirked amusingly at this.

"Now, are you coming or not?"

As much as I badly wanted to say 'No' and go back to answering my Biology test, a small part of me was compelled to say 'Yes' after spending a week with him.

My mind rewound back to the time when I was first announced that I was going to tutor Fullbuster. They say not to judge a book by its cover and now, I felt like I had been misjudging him for the strong and menacing façade he put on and the totally gangster-like vibes he radiated at times when in reality, he was gentle and kind. I looked at his hand and at him again, back and forth.

I smiled to myself. I wouldn't believe myself if someone had told me that I was going to spend time with Fullbuster instead of sitting a test for my favourite subject.

But a large part of me panicked at the thought of skipping school. What if my dad found out?

Go back to class, Lucy. My conscience reminded me.

Maybe, it was too soon for this but the small smile on Fullbuster's lips seemed so promising and sincere. He really wanted to get me out of here.

But the idea seemed so conflicting to me.

"No, a-actually, I'm g-going back to-"

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"FULLBUSTER! AND THAT BLONDE CHICK BESIDE YOU, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING OUT OF CLASS?!"

I froze. And Gray did too.

And that was the sound of Ms. Aqua, Principal Makarov Dreyar's dreadful and fearsome assistant. I could feel her presence nearing and in that fleeting moment, Gray grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the other end of the parking lot.

And to my absolute nightmare, a sleek black motorcycle was parked there. And I couldn't stop thinking of how cliched this seemed.

"Get on!" Fullbuster threw me a helmet and I looked at him outrageously.

"Do you want to be eaten alive by that she-devil or not?!"

I quickly fumbled with the helmet and climbed across the back of the motorbike.

"Grab on!"

And then, he lurched forward and me, trying to grasp something.

Whether I was trying to take a grasp of Fullbuster's shirt for dear life or just my normal life slipping away from my grasp.

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A/N: SORRY I HAD TO END THIS CHAPTER SO SUDDENLY. It's over midnight here and I really want to have a good night sleep! And I wanted to thank all those who cared enough to drop a review. And thank you to all those who favourited and followed this xD.

Just a short message that I wouldn't be updating sooner because I have my finals coming in a month and really, my parents are urging me to get off my laptop RIGHT NOW and study my butt off.

I'm pretty sure I don't even have my butt anymore now too.

Okay, that's enough. I'll try to update as much as I can and this was written within a period of two hours so I'm sorry if this chapter was crappy and sorry for the grammatical and vocabulary errors x(.

AND AGAIN, REVIEWS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I LOVE YOU ALL. And please also check out my story on Wattpad.

Foolhardy (L.R.H) by diab0lical

MUCH LOVE, EMERALD ^w^