~Lalu~ CHAPTER 3: Burned Wound

~LaLu~ FanFic

PLEASE BE GENTLE WITH THE COMMENTS.... T.T

Just joking... Anyways to those groups (such as NaLu, GraLu, and the likes) please forgive me if I ever offend you. I'm hoping to make many more like these and use every single pairings as I can.

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(A/N: If you wanna see Mina, my OC, visit this link ladyraven18.deviantart.com/art…)

The water was still warm against her tense muscles. She didn't know how long she was there. Thinking about it, she looked around again, Is this even a lake or a hot spring?, asking herself. She saw that she was surrounded by mountains and some luscious tress from the forest. She read about this place on a book she bought. A traveling guide book, she was using it for her novels for setups. But she didn't remember reading about how warm it was. Warm. Natsu had been warm to her all the time. Since he learned about Gray and Lucy breaking up, he had been so caring to her. Back then she thought that maybe Natsu can fill the hole that Gray had left in her heart. Every day he brought her flowers, chocolates, and books. Whenever he was going on a mission, he would never leave without her (except for the missions he thought was to dangerous for her). She was touched by this gestures she was seeing. Maybe it was because she didn't want to feel alone, or maybe she really had feelings for him. But, she always looked forward to seeing him. She even let him kiss her on the lips. She could have dismissed her feelings as a joke if it wasn't for that darn kiss he gave her. That made her feelings toward him stronger than ever.

One day she decided to know what she really felt for Natsu. She and Levy discussed it thoroughly. She knew that her friend would know about it since she and Gajeel had become engaged to wed within 2 years. Levy once told her that they both agreed on the wedding date since they had to earn some money first for their plans.

"Lu-chan, you do have feelings for Natsu!" Levy squealed.

"What makes you sure?" her voice was filled with more doubt than nervousness.

"That's because you always glow whenever he's around. It's like what happened to me. Every time I see Gajeel I always glow and get those tingly feelings all over. "

Okay…. She did have feelings for Natsu after all. Besides, why would she always find herself daydreaming about him whenever he's not with her? Why would she even let him break and enter her apartment? She could have made any of her celestial spirit kick him out. So, why? But she didn't have to look further for the answers she needed. It was all to see his face, because the sight of him calmed her. She felt safe and loved whenever he was around. It was deeper than ever. There was only one problem.

"But, does he love me?" she asked herself and Levy.

"Maybe. We don't know yet. Why not ask him."

"Because I can't take another deep wound, Levy." Her eyes were suddenly clouded with tears that were ready to pour out. She placed her hand on her face just to get a hold of herself. She had been crying herself to sleep since Gray left her. It was only been weeks after she stopped crying. The wound was healed, but the pain hadn't gone away.

Levy, rubbing her friends back, tried to apologies for hurting her friend. Luckily for her, Gajeel loved her too. He may have hurt her couple of times but, he always try to make up for it.

"Sorry Lu-chan. I didn't mean to hurt you. But, I know that unless you the truth isn't out. You'll never be contented all your life because that's who you are." She was going to hug her when her friend stood up.

Levy was right. Lucy will never settle herself if she didn't know the truth. She never felt this with Gray before. This was stronger. She couldn't explain it. She didn't even know what to call it anymore. And she didn't care.

"Don't worry, Levy. I'll ask him, tomorrow when he's back from his mission."

Unfortunately for her, she came at a wrong timing when she tried to know what he felt for her.

The sun was setting when she got to the guild. The old halls where as noisy and warm as the day she became its member. "Hi Lucy-nee!" a young woman came screaming and waving at her. She turned to her left to see who it was. It was Mina, her very first recruit. She met her on one of her mission and saw she had potential. So, she brought her to the guild to be a member. She used both script and ice magic. She had black long hair that was tied up with a large silver clip with a rose in the center and the thorns stretching on both ends with the ends of her hair standing, making it visible even if you are right in front of her. Her earrings were silver dangling simple cross. She a long sleeved shirt with the joint and shoulder blades exposed and clung to her shoulder blades with thin black straps. Her sleeves, tight at the forearms and was loose from her elbow reaching down to her wrists. She was wearing a purple and black striped tube shirt underneath and wore a black short skirt. She also wore purple striped handless gloves that covered her elbows to her wrists. She wore knee-high black and violet striped socks and wore a black 2-inched heeled boots with 3 pairs of silver snowflakes going down holding the string of the boots. Her hands was gloved with midnight black leather gloves, and in her opinion, was quite comfy even in the scorching days. Her signature chocker with a metal bat pendant hugged her neck that brought out the mysterious light purple eyes. Her attire was also bringing out her pale complexion.

"Hi, Mina.", she said as she petted her head as when she came at the arm distance. "Where's Natsu and Happy?"

“Oh. He already came back but went out to sleep in his house. He said he didn't felt to get yelled at today. But, Happy is over there." The girl pointed at the sky-blue cat floating and holding something. She narrowed her eyes to get a clearer view and saw it was Carla. She and Happy was living together in their home near Fairy Hills. She noticed that Carla's stomach was getting bigger. A smile appeared on her face. Carla was pregnant at last. Happy was raving about what name the child would have.

"If it's a boy we'll name him Salmon. But if it's a girl then it would be Tuna!" he shouted with glee.

"No way!" his wife protested, "Do you want for our baby to have different fish defects!"

Another typical love quarrel, but Lucy was happy for both of them. She turned to Mina and told her she was going to Natsu's place in case someone asked for her. While walking to Natsu's place, her mind raced to one thought to another. Do I tell him directly? Will I barge in? Do I wake him up gently or roughly? Then she saw Natsu's house in front of her. She was about to open the door when she realized it was open. In instinct, she drew out her cloak of shadows. It was a reward on one of her mission and since the day she was almost kidnapped she never left the house without it. This cloak allows her to hide her from anyone even to those with super keen senses. It cloaked her magic, presence and smell from anyone. It hid her even from anyone's sight. She lightly entered Natsu's house and saw something that made her regret even planning this move. She saw Lisanna on top of Natsu, both of them were naked and sweaty. She never knew this would happen if she tried to visit here without permission. And what's worse was that, basing from their voices, both of them were about to cum when she entered. He was now screaming her name and she his.

To whom did she owe this unlucky, no, this most horrible and unfortunate fate of hers. She was dumbstruck. She froze in surprise and pain. She felt her heart shattered to a fine powder. Her knees became like jelly. She couldn't stand anymore. She didn't have the strength to but, her pride gave little strength. If she was to be seen here by those two, what would they think of her? Yeah, the cloak hid her but not the sounds she make. Natsu was toying with her. She loved him but he threw it away. Her grip to her cloak tightened. As silent as she entered she went out of that infernal house. After securing that she was a mile away from that house. She ran as fast as she could. The tears she held were suddenly flowing like a river. She can't believe that she was about to confess her feelings to that idiot pyromaniac. Her vision got blurry but she needed to be alone and cry her eyes out. She still had the cloak on so she ran in the middle of the forest. It was a few kilometers away from Natsu's house. There she cried out loud as she could. She crossed her arms in front of her and hugged herself. She didn't know if anybody heard her, she didn't care. If anyone came, she would just pull her cloak and shush up until they go away. It hurt her seeing them together more than Gray had hurt her. She never knew Natsu was a playboy. God, she hated herself. Lisanna once told her that she was a virgin from the time they got drunk because they were celebrating their return to the old halls of Fairy Tail. Now she knew she could never love him again. Lisanna has given up herself to Natsu and who is she to waste such gift. It happened to Gray and her. He was her first, thinking they would never separate. That's what it all made it more painful when she broke up with Gray. She knew she could never get her purity back. She gazed at the stars ever beautiful and changing, never alone in the dark blue sky.

The next thing she knew was waking up in her apartment. She didn't know how she got there. She didn't remember walking back here. Maybe I was so depressed that I can't remember anything. She slowly got up and went to wash her face. She filled her hands with water from the bathroom sink and dabbed it all over her face. In the corner of her eye she saw her reflection. She raced her head to see herself more clearly. Her hair had straws of grass and her face was stained with dirt and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She looked like hell, and she felt like it too. Apparently she forgot to shower last night. She went back to the living room for a towel and went to the tub. She filled it with cold water first, then warm. She went for a shower first before plunging to the bath. Her whole body ached, even her heart. She forced herself to leave the tub after her skin was so wrinkled like an old lady. She dressed her casual dress and was about to go to the guild when out of nowhere Natsu appeared with his trade mark grin. Seeing him made her blood boil after what she had seen last night.

" Hey, what's with the scary stare Luce?"

Without thinking she charged forward and sent a huge punch in his face (since she thought a slap was too good for him). "What the hell was that FOR!" he growled at her while holding his right jaw.

"I went to your house last night." She said without any emotion. She and Natsu were shocked. She didn't know what came over to have said that.

"What did you see?"

"You and Lisanna on bed together." She said looking away. OOOOkkkaaayyy…. That was half the truth. But it was best for her if he didn't know the whole, juicy detail.

"I'm sorry Luce…. I…"

Then she turned to him and smiled the sweetest smile she could muster.

"What are you talking about? I should be apologizing to you for entering without any notice or knocking."

Now she saw the confusion in his face that she needed to continue the charade she created.

"Then, why did you punch me?" as his eyes looked within Lucy's brown sapphire eyes.

"I punched you because you didn't wait until your marriage to claim her and for not locking the door, you idiot."

Then she took Natsu's hand and dragged him out of her apartment. In the middle of their walk she said, "Now you can never, ever come inside or near my house except for emergencies."

"Why not?"

"Because you now have a girlfriend silly. Lisanna has become a friend to me, I don't want her to think we have any affair. And I don't want another one calling me love rival. Juvia has already taken care of it."

"I guess so." He said with a long pouting mouth.

She suddenly stopped to her tracks and turned. "Do you love her?". Apparently she caught him off guard because he literally jumped out in shock. But he answered within half an hour.

"The truth Lucy I loved you more." Loved, that gotta hurt. She told herself. "But Lisanna was there for me in the past and now. It was painful for me when you and Gray got together. I was able to spend a lot of time with her and suddenly it didn't hurt so bad. She helped me get back on my feet. I knew you loved me only as a friend." He bowed his head down to hide his pain. Then looked up and continued, "But when you two broke up. I thought I could win you again. But then I realized, the things I did was not because I wanted something to happen between us. And what happened last night made me realize, I still love her."

She closed the distance between them and put her hands on the backs of Natsu's neck, pulling him until their forehead touched. "I'm just making sure. Don't ever hurt her okay."

"Of course Luce I would never!" Then she broke her hold and slapped him in the head. "Ow. And what the hell was that for!"

"For being an idiot" she laughed out loud to cover the gurgled sound of tears being pushed back. "I forgot something back at the apartment. I'll head to the guild a little later." From her experience with Gray, she had started to learn on how to hide her emotions, and she was doing it pretty well to evade the keen eyes of the Dragon Slayer. She ran back to her apartment only to stop and look back to the man she loved and loved her but was too late to let it be known to each other. It was that that made it so unbearably painful for her. At least in Gray's situation she managed to express her feelings. She hated secrets, but she knew if she let it be known she would lose her friend but also her pride. Her pride was the only thing left to her. Now she was talking like her father. But she knew he was right. The only thing that must be looked out for is pride, her pride as a celestial spirit, as an heir to the Heartfilia name, and soon she would bring her family's pride to stand once more. Yes! She could make herself busy once more. First she needs to buy their whole land back like she always wanted to. Then while being a mage for the guild she could make business. Her job as a mage gave her opportunity to travel all over Fiore or maybe beyond that. But first she needed to rank up. She needed to be an S-class…

She was lost in her memories, that she felt like she had re-lived it all over again. Weeks after the confrontation with Natsu and Lisanna's relationship spread through the guild. Luckily, she was away training on a secluded place when the planning and wedding took place. She had a feeling she'll be likely to be chosen as a bride's maid again. And seeing the man she loved secretly was being wed was very painful. Of course she was happy for both of them. But she couldn't help getting hurt from seeing them together.

She didn't know if it was just her or the water was getting warmer than before. Suddenly she felt like she was being boiled alive back at the time when Natsu and Romeo tried to melt her out Gray's Ice Sphere when they all had a snowball fight which ended up being another brawl out of the open. Then she felt the water's temperature go unbearably up, which made her retreat back at the bank. When she reached land she looked back. She saw a red sphere which looked like a lacrima. But this was different because it had something stuck in it. She quickly wore her undies, took her keys and went to check it out. Curious she got closer trying to make out what she saw until it was right in front of her. Someone had been digging a whole under a lake and now lava was pouring out of the hole. She read something about the surrounding mountains being not what it looks like in the travel guide, then she remembered. They weren't mountain but inactive volcanoes. Legend has it that when dragons roamed with the humans. A fire dragon went out of control and started punching holes at each mountain top and melted the rocks and ground inside which, became the surrounding volcanoes. When the dragon died, he instilled all his power in a very special lacrima stone and buried under the lake protected by Lava Elementals.

"These people will get what's coming to them" she said as she fiddled with her keys and took out Aquarius. She was going to dipped it in to the water something grabbed her at the back. It had put a muscled arm around her waist locking both her arms from her elbows and had put another to hold her mouth so she couldn't make a sound. Apparently, it had also blocked her nose so she couldn't breathe. She struggled but was to no avail. She was going to pass out when she felt something warm and lean on her back. She then heard a familiar voice. A voice she hadn't heard for a long time. A friend who had been her first "forced" kissed in her innocent life back then.…a kiss she longed to feel again…