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Wheels of Fire	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 22712 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter 14
Anguish and Solace
The front door to Lucy's apartment slammed open, letting in moonlight as Lucy and Edo-Natsu entered laughing loudly.
Between gasping chuckles, she asked, "How … how did you ever manage to get tickets to that show?"
Fireball shrugged nonchalantly. "While you were gone on that mission, I entered a contest at the grocery store and won the drawing. I figured on surprising you. Did you like it?"
"Oh my gosh, I have never seen a comedy duo like that." Lucy grabbing her side as her laughs began to hurt her stomach. "That was outrageous! I've heard of them, they're really famous in Crocus, the capitol city, but I didn't think they'd ever perform in a town like Magnolia."
He smiled as he watched her put away her purse and hang up a cute sweater she had worn that night. Treating a girl out was oddly satisfying. Edo-Natsu sat on the plush chair and yanked Lucy down to sit on his lap. She looked a little surprised, but she quickly snuggled up against him.
"I'm really glad you liked it," he said with heartfelt relief. "And dinner, was that okay?"
"I never turn down good curry." She adjusted her seat on his lap and leaned on his shoulder. "I'll be honest, this was the best date I've ever had. Not that I date around a lot," she assured him. "It was … perfect."
"Not perfect yet." He held her cheek and leaned in for a kiss.
Lucy's eyes widened at such boldness from the timid Fireball, but his lips were gentle on hers. Her eyelids sank as she felt her body grow heavy under the magic of his kiss. It did not last long, and when he pulled back, she saw bashfulness in his face.
"Now, it's a perfect date," he declared in a soft, deep voice.
She coyly tucked her head down with pink tinting her cheeks. "I … I hope I wasn't too boring tonight. I hardly talked."
"I could never get bored gazing at you," he replied.
Lucy blushed even brighter. "You … you didn't mind, even though it was just me?"
"Just you?" he laughed. "Did you see the jealous looks I was getting? Every man in that restaurant was envious that I had such a breathtaking lady with me. I even saw a couple of wives hit their husbands." He touched her cheek again, feeling the softness of her pale skin. "With beauty like yours, we could have sat in total silence for five hours, and I would still be overwhelmed with joy at the end of the night."
That made her titter softy, and her stomach coiled slightly. "How is it that you know all the perfect things to say?"
Edo-Natsu thanked the stars that Lucy Heartfilia had never read any of Gildarts Nash's romance novels. He had been directly quoting from those stories all night long.
After an awkward silence, during which her cheeks cooled off some, Lucy muttered, "So, what else would make this a perfect night?"
Edo-Natsu tried to think of what to say. How would Gildarts Nash have his dashing, hunky protagonist reply to that question? "Sometimes, a perfect night ends in splurging on all the ardor that life and love offers to us."
She raised her eyes with a soft gasp, wondering if he was suggesting that.
"And sometimes," he said, patting her hand reassuringly, "it's best to save perfection for another day."
Gildarts would nod in approval on that one! He would have to remember it and tell the writer later. Of course, that meant going back home to Edolas. That prospect, after such a fun date with the most beautiful and sweetest girl he knew, soured the night a little. To push past it, he smiled even bigger and gave Lucy a kiss on the cheek.
"You can have the bath first. I'll make my bed."
She touched her cheek, which turned red quickly. Then she rose off his lap and excused herself to the bathroom.
Once she was gone, Edo-Natsu let out a long, pent-up sigh, and his head fell backward against the cushioned chair. Throughout that whole night, he had been one step away from a full-blown anxiety attack. He somehow managed not to let his shaking fingers spill any wine during dinner. The comedy show had been a good distraction. Walking along the docks with Lucy was one long, agonizing torment of second-guesses, mentally screaming at himself every time it seemed like he missed an opportunity, or said the wrong thing, or did not speak when he should have, or as fast as he should have, or answering too promptly, or any number of mistakes. Now, the tension in his nerves could relax.
"I need a long drive," he moaned.
Instead, he stepped out the little side door, climbed down some fire escape stairs, and walked into the backyard. In the light of a full moon, he saw the car he had begun. It was still in pieces. He stepped over some metal framing to where the driver's seat would be. He crouched there within the metal framework to look through the slightly cracked windshield. He picked up the steering wheel from where it laid to the side and held it where he would one day attach it.
He closed his eyes, holding that wheel for many minutes as he tried to remember the feel of the road, the wildness such freedom gave him, the reckless feeling that always surged through him when he was on transportation, and how he felt so alive during those moments. He never second-guessed every single sentence he spoke. He never cared if he acted a little wild, a little rude, or even if he got perverted. He threw caution to the wind and let it flutter away as he sped on down the road.
Drive me down that sunset road,
Down that road that leads to home…
He paused in his singing. "A road that leads to home, huh?" He looked down at the detached steering wheel, and his brow tensed in anguish. "I wonder if that's the road I should take."
"Fireball?" he heard Lucy shout from inside the house. "I'm done. Where are you?"
He climbed out of the skeletal car and placed the wheel aside; however, his fingers lingered on that steering wheel that, with any luck, would one day give him freedom again.
"Where is home, anyway?" he wondered, before jogging back up the stairs to Lucy.
Two days later, it was time for another call to Edolas. When Lucy woke up that morning, breakfast was already cooked. The dirty dishes in the sink showed that Edo-Natsu had already eaten, but he was not in the house. She instantly knew where he must have gone. Throughout those few days, he spent every free minute he had in the backyard, obsessed with finishing the car. It was almost done.
She walked back there and saw him standing in the early morning light, just staring at the vehicle that now at least looked like it was something meant to go on the road. He hugged his arms in the early morning chill, and as Lucy walked around to look at him, she saw that his brow was furrowed with anguish.
"It's almost done," he whispered. "I hate leaving something unfinished, and the car isn't quite ready. Two more days. Just two."
Lucy patted his arm. "Even if King Jellal has Natsu Dragneel with him, it might take time to figure out a way to switch you two back."
His brow creased even more. "I … I don't want to go back."
She felt so sorry for him, but she was also torn by this. "Fireball…"
He pulled away from her, and she saw in his face that she should not try to coddle him. "Head on to the guild. I'll meet you there. I just … I need some time alone. I need to think."
Lucy frowned as she watched him leave. She remembered when he first arrived, his timidity was so bad, it annoyed her and everyone else. Now, he was so different. The old Fireball would have never been able to brush her aside like that. He would never have dared to order her around. Back then, simply looking at him made him squeak in terror. That nervous habit was slowly getting better.
He had changed, and she wondered if he even realized it.
Edo-Natsu was surprised he knew Magnolia so well after only two weeks living there. Then again, as a driver, he had a natural instinct for the layout of roads. He navigated the streets with ease, using both street names and landmarks to guide him. Soon, he was on the outskirts, and he walked into the woods. This path was a little less familiar, since he had only traveled on it once, but soon he saw Porlyusica's house. He walked up and rapped on the door.
"Go away!"
"Great-aunt?" he called in.
The door swung open, and the ancient healer loomed over him. "You! How many times do I have to tell you, I don't know if we're related."
"I need to talk," he said softly, dropping his head.
Porlyusica eyed him closely. Gone was the shivering coward. The boy who stood before her now looked deeply troubled. Silently, she held open her door and motioned for him to enter. Edo-Natsu muttered "Pardon the intrusion" as he walked inside.
"You don't want to leave Earthland, do you?" she deduced, getting right to the point as she poured out a greenish-yellow tea with a bitter, herbal aroma.
"Right," he admitted, keeping his head down. "Today, we're supposed to contact Edolas again and see if King Jellal has Salamander in custody yet. If he does, everyone will want to exchange us right away, but … but…" He shrank down. "I'm not ready to leave."
"Why not?"
Bashfully, he whispered, "I've fallen in love."
The old lady jolted at such a candid confession, but then her brow lowered. "Love, huh? I truly pity you." She placed two teacups down and groaned with age as she sat at the table with him. "When I wound up trapped in Earthland, it was Makarov who found me. I had no magic, but my skills in healing were unlike anything they had witnessed. With a few magical devices, I managed to join Fairy Tail and was the healer on Makarov's team. It was a way to make money so I could afford rent, nothing more. However, over time, I fell in love."
"With whom?" he asked, wide-eyed in amazement.
Her wrinkled cheeks blushed. "With the guild. The guild! Not that idiot, of course." Her red eyes lowered a bit with memories of a time very long ago. "Makarov was incredibly powerful even back then. He always worried about me, and he always came to my rescue, since I was so weak. He figured I was homesick, and he took it upon himself to research everything he could about Edolas. Eventually, he figured out how to send me back home. By then … I couldn't leave. My heart belonged to Earthland and its people."
"That's how I'm starting to feel," Fireball muttered.
"Then if you ever want to return home, you better run to that guild and find a way to get back soon. Otherwise," she warned seriously, "your heart will never want to leave Earthland."
In the guild hall, Lucy was bubbly, telling everyone about the car Edo-Natsu was building. All she could talk about was him.
"Lu-chan," Levy sighed. "He might have to leave today."
Lucy blithely brushed the thought aside. "That's only a possibility."
The bluenette looked worried. "Don't you want Natsu back?"
"Well, yeah," she admitted meekly, "but you know, he's probably having just as much fun in Edolas as Fireball is having here. It'd be fine if it's for another few days."
Levy looked ready to protest, but Gray walked up just then.
"Yo, Lucy! Master says he's ready to put in the call. Where's the wheel-brain?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted, looking around the guild hall. "He said he'd meet me here. Oh, I knew I shouldn't have let him go walking alone. He's probably lost." She pulled out a silver key. "Open the Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!" There was a puff of smoke, and Plue appeared. "Okay, Plue, we need to hunt down Natsu. Use that nose of yours and let's find him."
"Puu-puun," the white dog agreed, and Plue hurried out as fast as his wobbly legs would go.
An hour later, Makarov sighed. There was no sign of either Edo-Natsu or Lucy, and their appointed time was long past. "I guess we don't actually need Dragion here to make the call," he decided. "Levy, Freed, Laxus, start up the video lacrima."
The lacrima and runes flashed rapidly, and soon there was the familiar face of King Jellal.
"Master Makarov, I was beginning to wonder if you could call again," the king of Edolas said with a bit of relief.
"My apologies, Mystogan," the Master said, tipping his head in humbleness. "We seem to have misplaced a little Fireball."
The king laughed gently. "Yes, we had issues as well. The Salamander has squirmed out of my grasp once more. Captain Knightwalker reported two days ago that she managed to track down Fairy Tail again. I sent a squadron to retrieve him. It will take them another two days to get there and four to return." The king dropped his head humbly. "I must ask that you give us another week."
"I see," Makarov muttered.
"I apologize profusely. I know how you must all be worried for your friend. However, convincing Knightwalker that he must be taken in alive is … less than easy," he put delicately. "Then we need to set up a way to send Natsu back. My scientists are still working on it. It looks like using the wormhole to switch their bodies might be the only solution. Sadly, we may need Edolas' Levy to show us how to do that. Our own attempts at traveling via transporters have been … less than successful." The roll of his eyes showed that they had all ended in terrible—sometimes messy—disasters.
"We want to do this safely, not use Natsu as a guinea pig," Makarov insisted.
"Absolutely, which is why we need more time."
"To ensure he's safe, I will give you all the time you need, but realize that Natsu might get steadily weaker if he's stupid enough to use his magic."
King Jellal looked confused. "Weaker?" Then something dawned on him. "If the magic flows out of his body, no magic can flow back in, since Edolas doesn't have Eterano particles in the atmosphere like Earthland does. The Eterano in Natsu's body would have no way of replenishing itself."
"Wait, wait!" Gray called out. "We didn't have that problem when we were in Edolas."
"You were here only a few days," King Jellal reminded him. "Plus I gave you the X-Ball medicine, which allows you to tap into a reservoir of Eterano hidden within each wizard."
"Second Origin," Erza realized.
"It was the only way to allow an Earthland wizard to use the magic power within their own body while in an environment that had no Eterano particles."
Makarov nodded grimly. "Natsu might still be able to use magic thanks to the X-Ball's longterm effects. However, if he does to an excess over this many weeks, even the hidden Eterano within his Second Origin could be used up. If that happens…"
Mira gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh no! Natsu could die?"
"Hopefully, he'd be forced to stop before it got that bad, but he'd definitely be severely weakened from magic depletion."
King Jellal frowned. "Then the situation is more dire than we thought. Hopefully, Natsu realizes this could be a serious problem and does nothing foolish. Then again, this is Natsu Dragneel we're talking about. I sincerely hope, for his own sake, we'll have him by the end of the week."
"I hope so too," Makarov muttered. "Take care, Mystogan."
The screen winked out, and Makarov gave a long sigh. "Of all the bad luck!" he mumbled. He waved to Mira, bringing her over. "If we have to wait another week, we may need to take stern measures with Lucy."
"Do you mean about her and Edo-Natsu?" she asked. "I saw them last night in a restaurant. It looked like they were on a date."
"Yes, and I saw them at a comedy show together, holding hands. If I had thought this might be an issue, I never would have made her his caretaker."
"If you ask him to live with someone else now, I don't think he'll comply."
"True, which is a problem. I really don't want to break her heart," sighed Makarov, "but I know too well, Edolas' Fairy Tail is not going to let Natsu Dragion go so easily. Lucy needs to be ready to release him, and he either needs to be ready to let her go, or be prepared to go against an entire guild if he plans on staying here."
"I'll talk to her," Mira assured him. "Now, go take your medicine. Your blood pressure is rising."
Makarov left to the infirmary, and Mira began to think about how to deal with Lucy. She could possibly guilt Edo-Natsu into living with the Strauss family instead. Buying a new couch so he could sleep on it might seem extravagant, but she had been meaning to buy some furniture anyway. Then again, if Edo-Natsu and Lucy were in a relationship, changing where he slept might not be enough.
Did she dare try something as drastic as breaking them up, just when they got together?
Lucy and Edo-Natsu suddenly came through the door. "I found him," she called out, but she saw that the lacrima was already being put away. "Oh, did we miss it?"
"I'm sorry!" Edo-Natsu wailed. "I was chatting with Porlyusica and I lost track of time."
Gray came up and thumped an arm around Fireball's thin shoulders, weighing them down. "Well, Wheel-brain, looks like you're stuck with us for another week. Personally, I'm rather relieved."
Edo-Natsu's eyes grew wide and shined in happiness. "Are … are you really, Gray?"
"Sure! Beats having that annoying fire-bastard around. You're way cooler than him."
"Gray!" Lucy scolded.
"You think he's cooler too, right?" the Ice-Make wizard reasoned. "I mean, I heard you two are dating."
"What?" she screamed.
Edo-Natsu looked ready to faint. "Everyone knows already? Waaaaaah!" He pulled away from Gray with his arms over his head. "Don't hurt me, I only kissed her, I didn't do anything bad, I swear, don't hurt meeeeee!" He suddenly ran out of the guild in terror.
Gray blinked in surprise. "Well, he left in a hurry. I was gonna buy him a drink in celebration."
Lucy's eyes narrowed. "If a rumor like that is already all over the guild, that only means … Miraaaaa!" she growled.
The white-haired bartender grinned happily. "Can I fix you anything, Lucy?"
She stomped over to the bar, letting her heeled boots clomp loudly. "Don't pretend to be an innocent little angel, you demon in disguise! You gossiped all over about me and Fireball, didn't you?" Lucy pointed an accusing finger. "Confess!"
"I did no such thing. I just happened to talk about it with Master when he seemed worried about you and Edo-Natsu getting closer."
"What's wrong with that?" Lucy demanded.
Mira made a tsk-tsk sound, waving her finger in reprove. "Living together with your boyfriend? Isn't that too much temptation for poor Edo-Natsu? Or…" She leaned in close with eager curiosity in her huge, blue eyes. "…are you two that close already?"
Lucy felt her face turn three shades of pink. "N-No! No, of course not. We went on one date, that's all."
"One is all it takes for Cana."
"Well, I'm not like Cana," Lucy huffed. "He kissed me when we got home, then we went to bed. We've been spending most of our time working on his project car. He doesn't even kiss me in public or hold hands if we're walking around town. He's very much a gentleman."
Mira looked slightly disappointed that there were no juicy details. "Well, as your friend, I think living together when you're dating might be a bit too much. When he was just that boy from Edolas, it was okay, but now … maybe he should come live with me, Elfman, and Lisanna."
Gray hiccuped into his beer mug. "He could live with me."
Mira sighed. "Gray, you're drunk."
"I'm celebratin', Mira." He cheered, "No flame-brain!"
"Okay, that's your last drink for the day. It's not even noon. And where are your clothes?" While Gray went around trying to find his pants, Mira leaned back in to Lucy. "I'm truly worried, Lucy. Edo-Natsu … he's not from this dimension. He has friends back in Edolas who want him back. If you're hanging out simply to have some fun, that's fine, but if you actually fall in love … what are you going to do when he has to go back home?"
"He doesn't have to go home," Lucy insisted.
"Do you plan on tying him up?"
"No!" Lucy's cheeks blushed again as she thought about Edo-Natsu's scared face if she actually did try to tie him to a chair. "He can stay if he wants, right? Fireball told me already, he wants to stay in Earthland."
Gray, now with pants on but no shirt, raised his beer mug and cheered. "Hurray! No more flame-brain!"
"Natsu can come back, too," Lucy insisted.
"Oh, hell no," Gray insisted. "This world is crazy enough with one pink-haired idiot running around. Two might cause some sort of pan-dimensional cataclysm."
"Lucy," Mirajane sighed sadly. "Mystogan said it's likely that, in order for Natsu to come home, Edo-Natsu has to go back. See, they have to switch places. That's how they changed to begin with."
"But … but it doesn't have to be that way," Lucy protested in horror. "I mean, there are … other ways, right?" she asked desperately.
Without waiting for the sympathetically pouting Mira to answer, Lucy ran off to the infirmary. She meant only to hide away before she began to cry, but she found Makarov in there swallowing some pills.
"Ah, Lucy-chan," he greeted with a smile. "I hope our Edolas guest isn't giving you too much trouble."
"He can stay, right?" she blurted out, feeling her eyes beginning to sting.
Makarov pouted at the abrupt question and guessed that Mira's talk with her went badly.
"If he honestly wanted to stay in Earthland," Lucy clarified, "Fireball would be allowed to remain here, right?"
"Lucy-chan," he sighed, taking a seat on a medical bed. "I'll be honest. I don't know. There are magic spells to send a person to Edolas from Earthland. I could send Natsu Dragion back this very instant if he was that determined."
"But he wants to stay," she shouted, and a tear dripped down her cheek. "He said he loves it here and doesn't want to return to a world without magic."
"That's the problem," Makarov frowned. "Edolas has no magic. They have only their technology, which managed to switch the bodies of the two Natsus. If we want Salamander back, it might be that the only way for Edolas to return him is to do the precise same technique they did in the first place. That means switching places again. It's only a theory, but it makes sense."
"But … but he wants to stay." Her voice squeaked as she hiccuped some tears.
"So should we abandon Natsu?" he asked sternly. "I'll warn you right now, that's not an option for this guild. We don't abandon friends."
"No," she agreed, looking away with guilt. "I want Natsu back, but…"
"But … you fell in love." He lowered his head and sighed. "Just like Porlyusica."
Lucy blinked in confusion. "Huh? What about her?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, blushing a little. "Look, if there is any way we can accommodate Dragion's wishes, of course we will try, but you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that he can't stay. Even if you love Dragion, and even if he doesn't want to leave, we might not be able to get Natsu back any other way."
"Maybes! Possibilities!" she argued vehemently as her sadness mutated into anger. "You admit, you don't really know."
"Lucy-chan…"
"He wants to stay," she shouted. "Why should we ignore that wish? Natsu is my friend, but so is Fireball. You can't expect me to betray one to rescue the other. I … I can't do something like that!"
"Even if Salamander could die over there?" he asked harshly.
Lucy froze with the tears feeling hot as a chill shivered through her body. "What?" she asked in a quaver of dread.
"According to what Edo-Gajeel reported last time, Natsu can still use magic. Eventually, that magic power within him will run out. Edolas has no magic to refill his body. I've talked this over with Mavis, and she calculates that one of three things will happen. One, Natsu could simply tire out, and hopefully he'll revive just fine once he's back home. Two, as his body tries to suck Eterano out of the environment, with Edolas having nothing to give him, he could possibly wreck havoc on the environment. Being a Dragon Slayer, his ability to reabsorb magic particles is vastly greater than most wizards, so his spirit's suction is greater. Earthquakes, wind storms, who knows what environmental changes might happen if his spirit begins to try collecting magic from a world that has nothing to give him. Or three … if he's over there for too long, or if he's forced to use a massive amount of magic, he could die."
Lucy shook her head in horror. "No … Natsu … he can't…"
The Dragon Slayer's face came to her mind. Not Fireball's, but those laughing eyes, the white scarf, his huge smile as he begged her to put away her story and go on a mission with him and Happy. Pain struck through her heart. The idea that Natsu might be suffering over in Edolas never occurred to her.
Now, she felt guilty for dismissing the idea of wanting him to hurry home.
"If there is no other choice," Makarov warned, "I would rather break your heart than lose Natsu forever."
"I understand," she whispered. "If it came to that, I wouldn't … Natsu … he's more important than … than…"
She suddenly gasped as grief overwhelmed her and sobs began to well up in her chest. Lucy ran off with tears and hid her face in her hands as she rushed through the guild hall, shoving aside anyone in her way. Makarov came out and watched her flee. He glanced over to Mira, who looked apologetic for ruining everything. Makarov merely sighed and muttered about "teenage drama."
Lucy decided to take a long walk through the town, hugging onto Plue as she let her anger, grief, and guilt simmer. She did not want to return to her apartment and let Fireball see her with tears in her eyes. Besides, now she could not get Salamander's laugh out of her head.
Noon chimed from the cathedral, and she walked by some chic cafés along Magnolia's main avenue, Central Path. Amidst the whirlwind of cooking aromas and the distant music of a pub's piano player, she watched couples sitting at tables, enjoying sandwiches together, sharing drinks with happiness in their eyes. There were so many happy lovers, men looking proud that they had the most beautiful woman in the world, and ladies looking bashful at hearing whispered praises. It was hard to believe that yesterday, she had been one of those amorous couples, yet in a week she might be all alone again.
"Nothing but maybes and possibilities," she grumbled. "Maybe we can get Natsu back without switching him and Fireball. Maybe … Natsu will be perfectly fine until he returns. Maybe?"
"Puu-puun," Plue said in comfort.
She walked away from the crowds, continued up Central Path, and headed toward Kardia Cathedral. She sent Plue away before stepping through the massive doors. The ethereal music of a pipe organ instantly calmed her mind. Lucy walked into the nearly empty church, stepping as quietly as possible along a carpeted aisle where brides, pall bearers, and sinners had walked down for centuries. She took a seat in an empty pew and glanced around at the statues and stained glass windows. There were old ladies scattered about in the pews, praying for dead husbands, and a few others who seemed to take comfort in the resplendence of the cathedral.
Solemnly, Lucy bowed her head and whispered in hushed reverence. "It feels wrong to sit in here and wish for my own happiness when Natsu could be suffering," she confessed. "I suppose it's really horrible of me, having a part of me that's glad Natsu isn't back just because I want more time with Fireball. I want him back, really I do! I miss him so much at times. Even if he's annoying and destructive, it isn't the same without him. We're not going to give up on him, and I would rather sacrifice myself than have him die. Still, if what Master said is true, if Edolas can't send Natsu back without switching bodies with Fireball … if Natsu could get sick and die over there…" She looked up at the arched ceiling painted with serene frescoes. "I won't be greedy and wish that Fireball never leaves me. Instead, grant me the strength to let him go, if that's what I have to do. Until then, watch over Natsu. Don't let him do anything stupid. Well, not excessively stupid. I'm not asking for a miracle, after all."
Slowly, her eyes dropped back down. It was only a possibility, but Makarov was right. She had to be ready in case it came to that. She could pray that it would not turn out that way, that some alternative could be found to bring Natsu home safely without Fireball leaving, but she should be ready for the worst. Until then, she just had to pray that Natsu stayed safe.
A priest suddenly sat by her side. "Forgive my intrusion," he whispered, jolting Lucy out of her thoughts. "We don't get ones as young as you in here too often. Whatever troubles you, my child, it must be harrowing to guide you here for some solace."
Lucy felt ashamed talking about her love troubles to a priest, but it would be rude to run away now. "A … friend of mine. We … we recently began dating," she explained awkwardly. "I knew his time was short, but now … I just found out he only has a week. Then, most likely, he's leaving me forever."
The priest, of course, completely misunderstood the situation and assumed she meant her boyfriend had a terminal illness. "Loving him, despite knowing the risk to your own heart, is truly brave. There are not many who would take the chance."
"Maybe, but was it greedy of me?" she fretted.
He looked deeply sympathetic. "You are the one who will lose him. Giving him this chance at a fun and normal life in this world, before he goes on to the next world, is not greedy. It is immensely generous. While you can, enjoy your time with him. Give him such love that will not be forgotten, not even in the next world. Stay by his side, support him through this difficult time, and when it is time to let go, find solace in the knowledge that you eased his days in this world."
Lucy was amazed that this priest seemed to know so much more about the issue with Fireball without her even getting into the details. She felt calmness returning to her heart, and she wiped away a tear. Yes, she should stay by his side, get in as many memories as possible, live as if tomorrow would never come. Then, if he had to leave back to Edolas, at least she would have no regrets.
"Well then, I should get back to him. Thank you, father."
"May the blessings of the heavens be with you, my child," he said, and the priest moved aside.
Lucy left the sanctuary of the cathedral feeling at peace. She walked to her apartment and heard hammering in the back. Around the house, she came across a shirtless Fireball putting on the last touches to the car. He jolted at her approach, but then smiled happily to see her again.
"Princess! Look, look! It's practically finished." He leaned back into the car, continued to tighten a bolt, hammered down some metal plates, tightened again, then finally crawled out. "Sorry. I got inspired, fixed the problem with the brake line, and I just put the seats in. It's not painted, but that's not important. All we have to do is buy some lacrima fuel and we're ready to test drive her."
Lucy looked at the machine. Yes, the paint had been stripped off to grind down the rusted body, but it looked like a car. She had every bit of assurance that, with a mechanical genius like Edo-Natsu, it would also run like a car.
"You did it," she said in amazement. "You built a car in less than a week."
He smiled proudly. "Gray said I have one more week here. Well, hopefully I don't have to go back," he laughed lightly, "but still, if I do, then I don't want to spend all that time working on the car. I want to spend it having fun with Princess."
Lucy's heart lurched again. "Then do you also think you might have to go back?"
He looked confused. "Well, I mean … I dunno. I kinda don't want to, but…"
"Kinda?" she snapped.
He cowered down at the anger in her eyes. "No! I mean, sometimes I think I'd really miss everyone back home, and I still haven't found my father, and I really would like to see Igneel again, just once, but then that means I'd have to leave you, and I really don't want to do that either, so I get all confused and then I don't know what to do and … and … I'm sorry, don't hurt me!" he yelled, covering his head.
Lucy looked aside, letting the anger flow back out and calming her heart again. "I guess I'm not thinking about your feelings. I'm not thinking about anyone else but myself."
Edo-Natsu peeked out from his cowering position with huge, timid eyes. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"I was only thinking about how lonely I'd feel if you left. I wasn't considering about how lonely you might feel if you stayed."
He rose back up, walked over to her, and wrapped her into a hug. His nose nuzzled into her hair, and he whispered into her ear, "Lucy…"
She got a chill at hearing him say her name. He sounded so much like Natsu Dragneel when he talked gently like that. Having his naked torso pressed against her was also enough to make her blush.
"Come sit in the car with me," he requested. "I … I don't feel brave enough to talk about this out here."
He took her hand and led her to the car. He opened the passenger door for her, which made her blush at such chivalry. Then he walked around to the driver's side, took a deep breath to calm himself, and he sat in the driver's seat of his own car.
Edo-Natsu instantly felt the change within him. He had four walls around him and a wheel in front of him. Like this, he could let free his true inner self, no matter how blunt, wild, and sometimes crude it could be. The shackles of timidity fell away, and he felt his whole body relax. When he looked over to Lucy, she was more breathtaking than ever. Having her in this car, as his passenger, made him feel in control, like he could say anything to her, do anything, tell her all his inner desires, and be completely, utterly, wholeheartedly free.
Yet, before that, there was something else he had been meaning to do. He reached into her hair, yanked her head forward, and kissed her with all the passion that had been building up inside his timid self for days.
Lucy's eyes went wide. This was not at all like the gentle kisses he had given her already. She felt as if her lips might bruise from the fierceness. Those strong hands with nimble fingers that could fine-tune an engine, grip a steering wheel for hours, and navigate a car with finesse, held onto her with ardent firmness. She had often smiled to herself at how cute and fun Edo-Natsu could be. This was the first time she realized how much fiery passion he could also have if given the freedom to express himself.
His tongue crashed into her mouth like a car through a blockade. She moaned at his taste and swirled her tongue around his, like the spinning of a wheel axle. Kissing him in a car had the same thrill as when she rode with him during that fateful race. It was fun, wild, and a little scary, all at once, making her heart pound faster.
"Fireball," she moaned.
He pulled back to gaze lustily at the softness of her face, the puffiness in her lips, and the hazily glazed passion in her lidded eyes.
"I don't want to leave you, Princess," he affirmed, letting his hand glide down her neck. "At the same time, if that really is how it'll turn out, then I'll accept it. I want to stay by your side, but I can't deny Earth-Natsu a chance to go home. Even if I have to leave, I won't forget you." He leaned in again and gave her another kiss, a gentle one this time, yet still filled with intense passion. "We'll have our memories, and until that day arrives, we'll have this car."
Lucy hummed happily, ready to melt into another kiss.
"We should go," he said, sitting back up and moving her shoulders so she would be in her own seat.
Lucy pouted at being pushed away. "Why? I like having you this way."
"Good." He looked truly relieved. "I'm glad it's not annoying you. However, if we keep sitting here, I'll want to get you into the backseat."
"So?" she smirked, trying to look seductive. "There's probably more room back there."
"The seats aren't bolted in, and they'll need to be good and tight, because what I want to do is get you back there, strip you naked, and rev your engine!" He chuckled when Lucy's face went bright red. "Besides, it's still daylight." His eyes glanced over her shoulder. "And your landlady is watching us through her window, giving me a look that would make me wet my pants if I wasn't safe in this car."
That made Lucy sit up stiffly, completely mortified now.
"How about this?" he suggested. "I'll finish putting in the seats and double-check all the hose connections. Tomorrow, we'll go out shopping, get some paint and car wax, really make this baby shine. Once the paint's dry, we buy some lacrima fuel, fill her up, and I'll take you on a cruise down the open road."
"Sounds like fun," she agreed.
"Before that…"
He grabbed into her hair again and crashed his lips against hers, then reached forward and groped her breast. Lucy struggled with embarrassment this time, now that she knew her landlady was watching them. Plus, the way his fingers seized her made her lower stomach coil and her thighs tense up.
Just as suddenly, he pulled away. "One for the road," Fireball said, grinning mischievously. Then he leaped out of the car and ran into the house before his anxiety kicked in.
End of Chapter 14
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Wheels of Fire