Red Asters & Purple Gladioli

Chapter 4

Two hours into the journey, the train encounters some rough ground. The tracks are old and rusted, making it a very bumpy ride. A sudden jostle causes Natsu to fall off Lucy's lap and onto the floor. Despite the 3-foot fall, Natsu still continues to sleep soundly, snoring like a tortured walrus.

Barely a moment later, his face becomes pasty, and he starts sweating uncontrollably, his cheeks puffed out. His eyes snap open and he turns on his side, retching and cursing. Clawing his way back up the seat, he lays his head on Lucy's thighs and tries to sleep again.

Unable to do so, he looks up at Lucy's peacefully resting face, her lips slightly parted and soft snores being breathed out.
'So cute,' he thinks, sighing a little.
'She's been acting weird all day, though, I wonder why?' he blurts out loud.

She seemed rather annoyed at having to kick Happy and I out of the bed again, and then when she went to make breakfast, she just sorta stood there staring off into space with her face really red.

'Why was she blushing? And who was she thinking about while blushing?' Natsu thought rather upset. Contrary to belief, he was much sharper than given credit for, and easily recognized that Lucy had been flushed. However, he didn't want to put her on the spot by calling her out for it.

He was very protective of his blonde partner and it did not sit well with him to see his Luce blushing so prettily while thinking about some other person. His inner dragon thrashed at the thought of his precious one thinking of some unworthy weakling.

His mind immediately trailed to the guild and the fight he so totally won against the Ice Princess. The Dragon Slayer remembered feeling slightly anxious when that table nearly hit Lucy, but he knew she could take care of herself. She was extraordinarily strong, contrary to what their enemies often thought. Then he remembered the feeling of unadulterated pride when he sensed Lucy's eyes on his back. It just spurred him to fight harder, so that he could impress the beauteous blonde.

His heart had squeezed painfully, and he suddenly felt extremely mad when he saw Luce laughing so happily around others. He knew he was being irrational. They already had found their soulmates, and had no interest in Lucy, but he still rushed over to the Celestial Mage and quickly diverted her attention by gloating about his obvious victory, completely ignoring the others.

The sight of that beautiful pink blush on Lucy's round cheeks had him feeling warmer than usual and crazily ecstatic, he was so pumped he felt he could take on Achnologia by himself. Lucy had a way of doing that to him recently, especially after he saw her future self die during the Grand Magic Games. He vowed to protect her; to make sure she wasn't hurt. He never wanted to experience the agony of losing Lucy ever again. He didn't think he'd be able to make it out sane if he lost his best friend.

His thoughts started to spiral downwards again and even the nausea he felt because of his motion sickness was pushed to the recesses of his mind. His heart rate sped up and his breaths came out unevenly, his body wracked with sharp shudders at the dark, depressing thoughts plaguing his conscience. 

'You failed her... She's dead because of you... She's gone and she's never coming back... It's all your fault! You drove Igneel away and now you killed Lucy too. You're a monster!' his voice yelled at him mercilessly, while he struggled to protest that it wasn't his fault.

Unable to convince himself, he swiftly turned to the side and buried his pink head into Lucy's stomach. His heart gradually calming, and the shudders disappearing as he felt her stomach gently move up and down. Felt the blood pumping in her veins, her heart beating loudly in his over sensitized ears. His Luce was brimming with vitality and life. She was alive. She was alive. She was so, very alive.

Wanting a reprieve from his bloody thoughts he let his mind drift off to the mission, it was quite simple really, "Get rid of a gang of notorious bandits that are terrorizing the people of a small village in Crocus and burning their crops," and the pay was rather good too giving 500,000 Jewels for an amazing fight. He was already salivating at the thought of all the yummy foods he would eat soon using that money.

Lucy stirring in her seat to get into a more comfortable position pulled him from his thoughts about a food filled heaven and brought his eyes lazily to the blonde beauty's face. His breath caught immediately at the sight before him. There sat Lucy her face lax, pink bow lips shaped into a fetching smile and her golden hair resting lightly against the window by her side; bright sun rays illuminating her visage and creating a halo around her, truly making her resemble an angel.

His heart constricts in his chest and skips a beat as he smiles unconsciously at Lucy's sleeping form, wishing beyond hope that this perfect being could possibly be his soulmate. He already knew he was deeply in love with his Luce and never had quite believed in the foolish notion of someone being his 'perfect match', so he didn't bother actively searching for his mystery soulmate. Maybe that's why he had always felt so strongly for Lucy and had no problem with accepting that he loved her, even if she wasn't his destiny-made soulmate.

Yet here he was, desperately yearning for Lucy to be his soulmate, not because he needed the assurance that he loved her – for he was certain he did, thankyouverymuch – but really because he never wanted to leave her, and because he wanted Lucy to love him too. 'How hypocritical,' He thought glumly shaking his head.

It was no secret that the mage was waiting to find her soulmate and would unconditionally love whoever it was, so Natsu couldn't help but wish that her soulmate could possibly be him, if it meant that she might eventually grow to love him. 

After all, weren't soulmates made for each other; understood each other completely, so even if they didn't know each other in the beginning they couldn't help but feel a connection. Natsu felt that he and Luce already had that connection, even if they didn't share a soulmark. 'Doesn't that mean we're meant to be?' He thought dismally.

However, Natsu wasn't one to let these gloomy thoughts bring him down, and as he felt his eyelids droop in drowsiness, he had one final conviction, 'Whether I'm Lucy's soulmate or not, will not influence me. I know I'll love her either way, and so I'm gonna try my hardest to make her fall in love with me too,' He mentally roared as the smooth rocking motion of the train surprisingly drove him into deep, restful darkness; bringing him dreams of going on more adventures with his Luce, 'Yeah! I'm all fired up!'