𝙃𝙚'𝙨 𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 • ɴᴀʟᴜ

Chapter 8 • Lies and Revelations

Lucy's P.O.V

My eyes widen as it feels as if my throat is closing. I feel shock and fear mixed together circulating my body, as if it was just shot through my veins. I slowly turn around to look at Natsu, dreading eye contact but forcing myself.

I look dead into his deep, black eyes. He makes no contact with me. He still continues his "staring contest" with Gray.

"You're... what?" I finally form words. "What did he say...?"I ask with a shakey voice.

I notice him clench his right fist tighter, as his grimace toward Gray increases.

"He doesn't know what's talking about." He finally says with a low growl.

The small growl makes me feel a chill up my spine as I turn to look at Gray when he responds.

"Hah, you don't know what I'm talking about? Sure Natsu, let's play this game. Let's say you're not a murderer, and that you also didn't murder my--" before Gray can finish, Natsu lands a punch to his face.

I gasp as Gray is pushed back, blood coming out of his nose. He wipes it, looking at the blood on his sleeve then returning his gaze back to Natsu.

"I didn't want to resort to this," Gray says, sliding his hands under his shirt and beginning to remove the garment of clothing.

"But you leave me no choice!" Gray finishes, with his shirt on the floor.

"What the hell?? Why are you stripping!?" Surprise takes over me but Natsu doesn't look shocked.

"Come at me, Gray." Natsu says, getting into a fighting position.

"Okay, just stop!" I finally get in between them.

"Princess, this isn't your fight. Out of the way." Gray says.

"Luc, you don't want to get in the middle of this." Natsu says, his gaze never leaving Gray.

"Can someone just tell me what the fuck is going on?? How do you two know each other, what are you even talking about Gray?!" I turn to him.

"He's spouting nonsense. He wants to take you back to the damn Kingdom and is making up stories to get your ass moving." Natsu says.

Could Natsu be right? I barely even know Gray, how can I even trust him? But then again... they know each other. There must be more than one side to this story.

"Gray, just tell me what you are talking about." I try to force myself to calm down as I look at Gray.

Gray relaxes his previous ready-for-battle position and appears to back off a bit. Natsu, on the other hand, stays in his position, ready for anything.

"Oh, here we go--" Natsu says but Gray cuts him off.

"Shut it, pink hair!" Gray yells.

He sighs as he turns to me.

"You know I didn't want to marry you as much as you didn't want to marry me, right?" Gray says looking at me.

I stay silent as I wait for him to continue.

"I was in love with another girl. She was the Princess of a Kingdom very far from ours. We were pen pals for years. Way before I even met you," he continues.

"She had long, blue wavy hair with deep blue eyes and pale skin. Her name was Juvia Lockser, princess of the Phantom Lord Kingdom. There was a meeting held a long time ago where kings of several kingdoms were required to attend. I tagged along with my father, and she did with hers. That's how we met and exchange contact information."

He seems to really be getting into the story. I can tell he loved her, by the way his eyes looked as she described her.

Natsu, still standing behind me, looks bored and unamused as he yawns and crosses his arms.

"Some time after you ran away, new wedding arrangements were being made and mine and her parents were going to let us marry. I thought this was fate. You were going to go live the life you wanted, and me and her were going to live ours." He continues.

"...but," Gray turns back to Natsu, grief and hatred in his eyes.

"She was murdered." He says.

I feel my heart drop to my stomach.

"Oh my Makarov, I am so sorry Gray.." I say, reaching out to him but he doesn't let me as he puts his arm in the way.

I slowly retract my arm as I let him continue.

"Your 'friend' here, Natsu, killed her. Murdered her in cold blood." He finishes.

"I didn't kill your little girlfriend Gray," Natsu raises his voice.

"The hell you didn't! YOUR gang's emblem, or whatever the hell it is, was marked on her ARM that we found in her own bedroom, lying in a pool of blood. You didn't even leave the rest of her damn body with us, you ruthless monster." Gray looks like he's getting ready to fight again.

This is too much information to process. Is this... really true? There's no way, Natsu wouldn't hurt a fly.. right?

Fear once again takes over me as I turn to look at Natsu.

"His name is Natsu Dragneel. If the last name doesn't ring any bells, do an internet search. He's the son of one of the most powerful and feared gangs in Japan. He killed the love of my life in cold blood because her Kingdom and their organization had a recent problem in their trade, and instead of being patient and waiting for a resolution, they did this to her." He finishes.

"Natsu.. is this.." before I finishes, Natsu speaks.

"No. It's bs. I didn't kill your girlfriend and I'm not the son of some gang leader. This is the most random shit you could ever say." Natsu says.

"Take my advice. Look him up." Gray says, finally returning his gaze to me.

He looks me up and down before slowly shaking his head in disappointment and what seems to be disgust.

"Fine. You two want to live your perfect little life in the Bahamas? Then I won't get in your way." Gray slowly makes his way toward the door.

"I didn't want to marry you anyway. And after seeing what you're like, how gullible and naïve you are, that's even more of a turn off. I'll just throw away all of my research and clues and tell them I couldn't find you," he says putting his shirt back on as he makes his way to the doorway.

"don't come running back when you find out the kind of person you're living with." Gray finally says, not looking at me, before finally exiting the room.

I look back at Natsu who is glaring at the door Gray just went out of.

What. Just. Happened.