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jarienn972 · 6 years

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The Right Place - Chapter 15

I want to first extend a quick, sincere apology to anyone who has been following this story. Getting this chapter to come together proved to be a bigger challenge than I'd expected as I needed to keep this somewhat believable, but not get too bogged down in procedurals. This obviously is not expected to be a true-crime drama, but I had to toe the line on keeping it realistic enough to balance the fairy tale aspects as well. (And there are definitely more of those coming!) In this chapter, I've set up the investigation into the Toliver brothers as Emma, McCallen and Haviland work to tie them to Donleavy.

AO3 FF.net From the beginning on Tumblr: Prologue/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Thursday morning, Downtown Portland

Earlier that morning, McCallen messaged the address of Leviant Construction's nearly-completed office tower in central Portland and Emma had agreed to meet both the deputy and Sergeant Haviland at that site at 11am, hoping to interview the younger of the unsuspecting Toliver brothers before the crew broke for lunch. She parked the Bug across the street from the contractor's entrance on a corner perpendicular to the guarded opening in the fence. She'd spotted McCallen's unmarked sedan just around the corner, partially shielded from view by a food truck positioned in front of the construction site that was clearly preparing for a busy lunch crowd.

"Stay here," Emma reminded her newly-sprung husband. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to go check in with McCallen but I don't see Haviland around anywhere yet."

"I'll be waiting right here, Love," he assured her but his voice dripped with sarcasm as he shifted around in the tight confines of yellow bug trying to make himself comfortable.

"I'll leave my phone here," she continued, ignoring the undertone of his statement as she pointed to the clutter-filled opening in the vehicle's dashboard where she'd tucked her cell phone to charge. "If you need anything, just call McCallen's number." Killian nodded in agreement but it was obvious that his attention was elsewhere. His blue eyes were intently focused on the chain-link fencing opposite him as he sought out any glimpse of his attackers.

Emma walked briskly over to McCallen's parked vehicle, regretting her decision not to grab her heavier leather jacket from the back seat as she wrapped her sweater clad arms around her chilled torso. She rapped lightly on the passenger side window to get the deputy's attention and McCallen immediately gestured for her to climb inside. She yanked the door open and flopped into the seat while craning her neck to glance back at the Bug, unsure whether her husband would keep his promise to stay put.

"Sgt. Haviland is running a few minutes late," McCallen informed her as she pulled the door closed. "I saw one of the Tolivers, Jackson, walk past the gate earlier but no sign yet of the younger brother or of Mr. Donleavy."

"The younger brother is probably here too and since they'll likely be breaking for lunch soon, we're going to need to get over there soon to question him," Emma stated.

"Agreed, and then we can hope that he runs to his accomplices during his lunch hour."

"We should decide now how we want to play this," Emma began. "We need to come up with a reasonable excuse to question Benjamin Toliver…"

"When I spoke to Sgt. Haviland earlier this morning, he suggested that you and I be the ones to approach and question Mr. Toliver. Maybe we could use something like DNA being recovered at the crime scene? You know - like spit or something? Maybe this guy will be clueless about things like that?" McCallen's thoughts brought a crooked smile to Emma's lips but she wasn't keen on a fake DNA evidence ploy.

"Interesting idea, but maybe we should go with something simpler like an anonymous witness account?" she suggested. "We do have a witness who can place Toliver there so it's not entirely a stretch. They just don't know that he survived."

"Think it would be enough to send him running to his cohorts?"

"We just need to plant a little seed of doubt in Toliver's head and hopefully, he'll do exactly what we want."

"You think so?" McCallen wondered, his own investigative inexperience prompting some probably unfounded doubt in his mind.

"Yeah, I do," she replied with a broad grin as she took another glance back toward her own car.

"Sheriff, is there something wrong?" a confused McCallen finally asked after watching her turning to look at her yellow Volkswagen twice now. He found himself slightly unnerved at her bizarre behavior. What did she keep staring at behind them?

"Sorry, I'm just trying to keep an eye on my husband so that he keeps his promise…"

"Your husband?" The deputy's bewildered face made her chuckle as she immediately realized she hadn't informed anyone that Killian had checked himself out. "Isn't he still in the hospital?"

"No," she replied with a slight grin despite the irritated tone of her voice. "He's sitting in the car. He insisted on checking himself out of the hospital this morning against medical advice so he was told he would have to wait in the car."

"I see…," McCallen responded without offering further commentary. It certainly wasn't his place to judge the man's decisions and clearly, it didn't seem as though Emma agreed with it.

"Well, I'd better head back to the Bug and keep Killian company until Haviland shows up."

"Okay, I'll call you if anything changes but if not, we can all get together when he arrives and put something into action."

**************

Haviland eased his sedan up to the curb behind Emma's Volkswagen approximately twenty minutes later. He may not have known the vehicle, but he recognized its blonde-haired driver and was slightly taken aback by the unexpected figure occupying the passenger seat. Was that actually her husband seated next to Sheriff Jones? What was he doing out here this morning?

The police sergeant took a quick glance around the busy downtown neighborhood as he turned off the engine wanting to ensure they weren't drawing any undue attention. Once he was confident that no one from the nearly completed but still fenced off construction site was paying any mind to vehicles parked across the street, Haviland exited his vehicle and strolled around to the passenger side of Emma's Bug then raised his hand to rap on the window but the pirate was already a step ahead. Killian found the handle on the inside of the door and rolled down the window while Emma's grin widened at Haviland's somewhat confounded expression at seeing her passenger.

"Mr. Jones? This is certainly a surprise…" Haviland greeted the unplanned fourth member of their investigative team.

"My apologies if I confused you with my presence this morning," Killian replied, "but I'd simply reached my wit's end with the confines of that hospital room and also felt I could be of greater assistance here."

"He's under orders to remain in the car though," Emma clarified so Haviland would be aware of the terms of their agreement. "Anyway, McCallen and I chatted a bit earlier and we're ready to go track down Benjamin Toliver and question him. Do we have any radios or anything to communicate back to you?"

"We'll have to improvise there," Haviland told her. "Why don't you dial my phone and leave the line open? I can mute it on my end so there won't be any sound feeding back to your end. It might be a little muffled from your pocket, but I should be able to make out enough of the conversation to proceed once you're done with the interview."

"Sounds good to me," Emma agreed as an eager smile stretched across her face. "I'll go get McCallen and we'll get this party started."

"If it's alright with you, Sheriff, I'd like to have your husband here join me in my vehicle," Haviland requested. "I've got binoculars so we can keep a closer watch on the site and I would like him to hear this conversation too – especially to confirm the voice and any details Toliver might accidentally reveal. Maybe we'll even get lucky and pick up some voices in the background to help identify Toliver's accomplice since the older brother is only tentatively suspected at this point."

"Sounds good," Emma replied as she pushed open the driver's door and stepped out into the street amidst a break in traffic. "Let's go find Mr. Toliver and see what he has to say…"

*************

A few minutes before noon, Emma and McCallen strode up to the guard shack at the construction site entrance. McCallen, in plain clothes today instead of his uniform, had his Deputy badge already in hand as they approached, surprisingly confident despite his lack of investigative experience. Emma remained a step behind the local deputy, pulling her leather jacket tighter around her chest and shoving her hands into her pockets as she found herself once again shivering against the chill of this dreary, overcast day. Her badge was clipped to the waistband of her jeans but she was fully prepared to offer her own credentials for closer scrutiny if asked. She was perfectly content with allowing McCallen to take the lead for now.

"Good morning," McCallen greeted the guard seated inside the tiny booth, extending his right hand which clutched his badge toward the young man who was bundled up in a heavy parka as the booth he occupied offered little protection from the elements. "I'm Deputy McCallen with the Cumberland County Sheriff's department. My associate and I are looking for one of the employees of Leviant Construction, a Mr. Benjamin Toliver. We need to ask him some questions and would like to know if he would be working today so we could talk with him for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, the guard replied," he's working today. Let me radio his foreman and see if he can round him up."

"Thank you," McCallen responded with a polite smile. "We'd really like to just get all of this done here today and not have to make him come into the station."

"Sure… I get it. You can wait for him in that trailer just to the right," the guard stated, pointing his index finger in the direction of a small, somewhat rusty single-wide trailer positioned just on the other side of the chain link fence. "Contractor isn't here today so you can use his office. Can't let you anywhere else on the site though without proper safety protocols."

"The trailer will be more than sufficient," McCallen assured the young man. "Appreciate it."

"Let me get the gate opened," the guard said as he pressed a button on the electronic panel in front of him which opened the rolling gate and allowed the two law enforcement officers entry. "Trailer should be unlocked. I opened it up earlier today for a meeting but I know they're all done."

"Thanks," Emma said with a little nod of her head before following McCallen through the now opened gate and up the three metal grated steps to enter the less than spacious trailer, finding that the interior was as spartan as the exterior. The space was furnished simply with a single industrial grey metal desk and faded black vinyl office chair that was scuffed and peeling. Two four drawer filing cabinets lined the wall to the left of the desk and three metal folding chairs leaned against the cabinet closest to them. An older space heater was positioned in the center of the floor but it wasn't turned on.

"Cozy," Emma stated sarcastically as she pulled the trailer's door closed behind them. "Quite certain this isn't any office Donleavy would use. No way someone like him would use a dump like this…"

"Who do you think it belongs to?" McCallen queried as he took up the task of setting up two of the folding chairs, unsure of how long they might be waiting while somebody tracked down Toliver. He had no intention of standing the whole time.

"Probably doesn't belong to anyone," Emma replied as she decided to do a bit of snooping. "I assume it's used by the contractor and the foreman for meetings and the like." She tried to tug open the file drawers but found them all locked so she turned her attention to the desk but to her disappointment, found it contained only basic office supplies. Nothing here was likely to give them any clues about Donleavy and his business.

She'd just closed the top drawer of the desk when the trailer door flung open and a young sandy haired man entered. The face matched the photographs they had of Benjamin Toliver but in person, he had a slighter build than Emma had pictured. It was no wonder that Killian had been easily able to intimidate the smaller of his captors and she really couldn't picture the man before her as a construction worker. It seemed an odd career choice for the scrawny figure she was eyeing right now. Perhaps Benjamin Toliver's place here had more to do with older brother, Jackson, than they'd initially suspected.

"Um… Hi…," the young man stammered. "I'm Ben Toliver. I was told that somebody had some questions for me?" Emma could already spot the stress signs indicating how nervous he was. Despite the obvious chill in the air, Toliver was sweating and it didn't appear to be from manual exertion. He was blinking far more than would be normal in these light conditions. He was tightly wound and evidently very anxious - and that trait was precisely what Emma hoped to exploit.

"Mr. Toliver, why don't you please have a seat?" McCallen suggested, although it was really more of a veiled order as he made a gesture toward one of the folding chairs he'd placed opposite the desk. "I'm Deputy McCallen from the Cumberland County Sheriff's department and this is my associate, Sheriff Jones from one of our sister counties. We'd like to ask you a few questions today to see if you can help us out with a joint case we've been investigating. You're not under any obligation to talk to us today and we'd really prefer to keep this casual, but if you prefer, we could have you come back to the station where you could have an attorney present if you want." McCallen knew they were treading on tenuous legal ground here and wanted to proceed cautiously but he was afraid that a full Miranda warning would keep Toliver from talking.

"Uh, okay?" Toliver was hesitant to reply. "What would I need an attorney for? Don't really know what I could help with…"

"Were just trying to get some help investigating a local robbery and a missing person's case that appear to be connected," Emma explained, taking a seat atop the desk in front of Toliver, intentionally using the height difference to intimidate. "We have a few leads that seem to place you near the scene of the robbery so we thought we would find out what you might know."

"Robbery?" Toliver repeated nervously, shifting on the metal chair enough to make it squeak in protest. "What about a robbery? I've been here all morning…"

"Oh, this wasn't from today," Emma stated. "The robbery in question took place Sunday afternoon – right around this same time of day. Could you please tell us where you were Sunday between say 12 and 3?"

"Um…, probably at home. Didn't really go anywhere Sunday," Toliver lied, his left eye twitching almost imperceptibly as he made his statement.

"You're sure you didn't go anywhere?" she asked again. "I ask because we have a witness who places you at the harbor near the ferry terminal that day. You didn't go to the harbor? Maybe out on a boat with friends?"

"Uh…, no ma'am," the suspect fibbed yet again. "Haven't been out to the harbor in a while… I was working a lot of overtime last week so I was probably sleeping. Must have been somebody else they saw…"

"Any idea why someone might want to implicate you and tell us you were down there at the harbor?" McCallen inquired.

"Not really… If I wasn't sleeping, I was probably just hanging with my brother," Toliver stated and Emma noticed there was no twitch this time, indicating he was telling them at least a partial truth. He had been with his brother but wasn't being truthful about where they'd been hanging. It was so obvious that she didn't even need to rely on her superpower to figure this one out.

"Well, we were hoping you might have seen something that would have helped us," Emma said. "A man from my town was apparently taken hostage during that robbery which took at a shop on the harbor and now he's gone missing."

"Sorry, Sheriff," Toliver said with a shake of his head. "Wish I could help you, but whoever said they saw me down there was wrong."

"Well, sorry to bother you, Mr. Toliver," McCallen stated. "Appreciate you taking the time to talk to us though." He waited as Toliver stood, then escorted their suspect to the trailer door knowing that Sgt. Haviland who was watching and listening from across the street would take over surveillance from here.

"Yeah, sure… Happy to help," Toliver replied. "If that was all you needed, I've gotta get back to work…"

"Yes, that's all we needed," Emma replied, thinking to herself for now. "Thank you for your time." We'll be talking to you again soon, you little bastard…

Emma and McCallen waited until Toliver was well out of earshot to withdraw her phone from the right-hand pocket of her jacket and unmute it to check in with Killian and Sgt. Haviland.

"Did you guys get all of that?" she asked, hoping they'd been able to hear the conversation well enough when the phone was tucked away in her jacket pocket.

"Most of it," Haviland replied. "Your husband did confirm both the identity of the man who entered the trailer as well as the voice. Toliver is definitely involved so now we just have to identify his accomplices."

"Oh, I'm quite sure he was with his brother," Emma stated. "It's the one thing he didn't lie to us about."

"You're quite confident of that," Haviland responded, not yet as convinced as Emma may have been.

"Trust me, Mate," Killian insisted. "I assure you – she knows when someone's lying to her."

"I'll have to take your word for it then," Haviland stated. "Now, how about you and McCallen get back out here so I can take over when they break for lunch?"

#cs ff #cs fan fic #cs fan fiction #captain swan ff #the right place

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coleymari-blog · 6 years

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A War Fought at Home : Chapter 10

CORPORAL NATSU DRAGNEEL HAS BEEN THROUGH HELL, AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM, THE RIDE ISN’T QUITE OVER. HOW WILL A NEW REHAB PROGRAM AT THE LOCAL VA HELP? AND WILL A CERTAIN BLONDE HELP MAKE MATTERS BETTER?

MODERN MILITARY AU. WARNINGS FOR MENTIONS OF DEPRESSION AND ADULT LANGUAGE/SITUATIONS. OTHER WARNINGS TO COME AS THE STORY PROGRESSES. CROSS POST ON AO3 AND FF.NET.

CHAPTERS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Natsu glanced over at the clock on his nightstand then to the uniform bag that hung before him on the closet door. It had been a very long time since he'd bothered to wear it, shoving it in the back of his closet never to be seen again. While just the sight of it reminded him of so many positive moments in his life, it also trudged up the darkest spots of his personal history. Shaking fingers reached out and unzipped the garment bag, casting it from the hanger and letting it fall to the ground. He gently ran over the gilded buttons, the dark midnight wool scratching against the pads of his fingers deliciously.

It wasn't too late, he could still put it away and Lucy would never be the wiser. She'd never know that he'd spent practically an entire day tormented by the choice before him. Natsu knew they were best friends, that she was serious when she'd said they could binge watch web shows. They would enjoy their night together regardless of where it was. But that voice in the back of his brain knew she wanted to go to the Ball. The mental image of her all dressed up and looking down at him didn't help his resolve either.

Grabbing the uniform, Natsu sped off to the bathroom before Lucy could notice. Using the wall, he was able to lock the wheels of his chair and balance against it so he could tilt his hips to slide his formal dress pants on. He was surprised he was able to pull them on himself, mainly due to the fact that he had desperately needed Gray's help the last time he'd attempted the same task. Maybe he was getting stronger after all. Deciding it would be easier to put his dress shoes on, he slid them over his socks and quickly laced them without thinking twice. The undershirt was the easiest part but he knew he needed help with the buttons on his jacket.

With Gray having left with Juvia, Natsu sighed when he realized he'd had to ask Lucy. It would ruin his plan! In order to get the buttons right, he'd have to be standing, which usually meant that Gray was holding him while Natsu did up his jacket. It could be done, but it would involve Natsu propping himself up by shouldering his entire body weight. Looking around the tiny bathroom, he figured out a plan. If he used the handicapped rail on the wall that the Gunny installed when they moved in AND the sink countertop, he could hold himself up while Lucy quickly buttoned him up. Not the way he wanted her to find out but it was better than not going through with it (no matter how much he thought about it).

"Hey! Luce! Can you come in here for a sec?" Natsu bellowed while he slid his arms into the sleeves, the familiar feeling sending shivers down his spine. The look he received from Lucy in that moment did nothing to help that at all. The blonde was practically drooling, her eyes raking over him as she took in the sight. Her attention made his skin flush, but it also gave him a renewed sense of confidence. Gods how he loved the bravery that came with his uniform.

"Hey, my eyes are up here, Loony," he teased, Lucy immediately turning a violent shade of crimson. "If I hold myself upright, can you button up my jacket pretty quickly? I don't know how long I'll be able to hold on and you look shakier than paper."

Lucy's eyes narrowed at the insinuation and she quickly stepped into the cramped quarters, her hands out in front of her, poised and ready like she was on a time trial. Natsu chuckled while he gripped on tightly, locking gazes with her before acting. "Ready?"

With a silent nod, Natsu rapidly lifted himself up and for the first time looked down at Lucy. The pinket had never noticed how much taller he was, mainly because he was only half a man the rest of the time anyway. Their line of sight didn't break until she set to work, securing each golden button quickly while still taking her time. By the time she had reached the top of his jacket, the two of them were staring seemingly into each other's souls, the only sounds audible being the shallow breaths they were both taking. Natsu swore she should have been able to hear his heart thumping against his chest. Her fingertips were shaking against his throat as she fingered the clasp inside his collar and she continued to hold on for just a moment, closing the space between them. The intimacy of the action caused Natsu to swallow hard and he prayed that Lucy couldn’t feel it, but judging by the soft brush against his throat? She’d definitely felt him.

Unfortunately, he couldn't enjoy his moment for very long, his exhausted arms almost buckling immediately once Lucy had finished. Surprisingly, she had left her hand gently resting against the Marine's sternum, her large chocolate eyes looking up at him as if begging him to act. Again, it wasn't part of his master plan, but sometimes things done spontaneously were better suited for the situation. His arms trembled as he tried to hold himself up to do what he'd been dying to do for months but his body simply wouldn't cooperate.

"Go ahead and sit down," Lucy whispered, her voice coming like the most soothing balm he'd ever worn. Without thinking twice, Natsu dropped himself back into his chair but never looked away from the girl who had stolen his heart. Time was passing so slowly he barely felt her seat herself in his lap, or wrap her arms around his neck. The only thing he felt was a warmth that overcame him and his lips seeking hers out like they were the last missing puzzle piece in his life.

Lucy eagerly kissed him back, her fingers carding through the hair running up the back of his neck. Why had he waited so long for something so amazing? Her kisses felt like fire, igniting pieces of him like fireworks did the night sky. And when she tugged gently on the hair she'd wrapped between her fingers? Natsu couldn't help but pull her further into his arms until she was practically enveloped against his chest.

As much as he wanted to continue, the two of them were suddenly on a very tight schedule. Forcing himself to pull away, Natsu cradled her cheek while dropping his forehead to hers. Breathing erratically, his intended teasing came across like nothing more than a shaky whisper. "If you want to go to the Ball, you're going to have to get dressed you know."

The blonde erupted from his lap, but not before kissing him once more. "Give me thirty minutes and we'll be on our way!" she exclaimed excitedly, immediately kicking him out of the bathroom so she could shower. While part of him felt like he was going to regret the rest of his evening, he thought back to what had just happened. He'd actually kissed Lucy, and she kissed him back! Maybe he actually stood a chance after all! The Marine sat in the living room and waited while the blonde beauty got dressed for their magical night out, his shit-eating grin practically tattooed to his lips.

After parking the van Gray had oh so thoughtfully left behind (he hadn’t been clued in on the plan but apparently he was onto his best friend regardless), Natsu and Lucy made their way up to the double doors leading into the Ball. There were Marines posted at the door to check tickets (which Natsu had acquired from Gray before he left with his date), and they were soon surrounded by a multitude of people. To Natsu, Lucy was still the most gorgeous girl in the room. She had chosen a bright red sleeveless gown with little gold flecks trailing down toward the hem. Her blonde hair had been curled and pinned back so it fell elegantly down her back. Honestly every time he looked over at her on their drive, she’d taken his breath away. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to stare at her long before they were met by their friends.

“Ready to see the Gunny?” Gray teased, Natsu immediately attempting to run his fingers through his hair with a fit of nervous energy. Picking up on it, the raven-haired Marine continued regardless of Juvia’s insistence to stop. “I hear his daughter’s here too. We haven’t seen her since Boot Camp. Did you hear she’s a Warrant Officer now?” That fact made the pinket pale.

Before he could lock himself down, Gray grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed their group toward the back of the room. The Ball was being held in the hall of Gildarts and Cana’s Vineyard, the room bathed in red, blue, and white fabrics draped in decorative ways. Casks of different liquors lined the right wall. There were many tables set with elegant place settings, his eyes immediately spotting his table designated by the missing chair.

Natsu looked to Lucy for help to find her glancing back at him cautiously. She wouldn’t have anything to worry about. The other two Marines were hardcore but they would never scare civvies like Lucy and Juvia. It wasn’t long before long, blood red hair came into focus and both Natsu and Gray shuddered upon arrival. Beside her stood a tiny man atop the bar, a frosted mug already in hand. Both were dressed in their regulation uniforms but gave off an air of both power and “I don’t give a fuck”.

“Nice of you to join us this year Natsu,” Gunnery Sergeant Makarov greeted, his smile warm yet reserved. Gesturing to the woman beside him, he continued his welcome message. “I’m sure you both remember my daughter, Erza?” The two boys smiled awkwardly as they waved, their dates sharing incredibly confused looks.

“How you doin’ Erza? Nice to see you, Gunny.” Natsu spewed, unable to control his speech. Lucy and Juvia giggled, earning them a glare that was soon interrupted by the female Marine speaking authoritatively.

“Great to see you, Corporal. I hear you’re doing quite well in this new Rehabilitation program the Veteran’s Hospital is putting on. Congratulations.” Leave it to Erza to cut to the quick. The woman was beyond gifted on the battlefield, earning herself the nickname “Titania” on her first tour at 19. However, she wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. Her father had raised her in the Corps after her mother passed and when she’d turned legal there had been no other path she wanted to explore. Natsu had to give it to her though, she made a damn good Marine.

“Thanks,” he replied with a gulp. Looking briefly at Lucy without even thinking, he cleared his throat before continuing. “I’ve got a great trainer and ever better support.” He didn’t have to go into details, he knew she’d understand. After a few more minutes of casual conversation amidst the group, the four of them went back to their table before the ceremony began.

The Ball was to celebrate the birth of the Fiorian Marine Corps and its achievements. And being military, of course, there was a certain way to do things. Parties were no different. After they took their seats, Natsu bringing his own of course, the festivities soon began with the Commandant taking the podium in order to give his traditional address. He spoke of the growth of the Corps over the past year and the importance of family. The pinket was surprised to feel Lucy’s delicate hand slip into his as the speech continued, warming him to the core. Next, a giant cake was rolled out and together, the room sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in a robust, and only slightly inebriated fashion. Every time he looked over at his gorgeous date, she appeared to be having the time of her life, making all his suffering and pain worth it.

Once dinner and dessert had finished, Gray whisked Juvia away to the dance floor, the Marine-made band playing all sorts of popular dancing tunes. At one moment, it felt like Natsu and Lucy were the only two not on the dance floor and it killed him. In the old days, he would have grabbed her and dragged her out there, cradling her in his arms as they danced the night away. Subconsciously he stared down at the apparatus that kept him from doing so and was interrupted by his date. “Want to head home?” she asked quietly yet sincerely. He knew it was intended to make him feel better but it only made the broken Marine feel worse.

Spotting an empty patch of floor nearby, Natsu concocted an idea. “No, just surveying the area,” he replied playfully, making Lucy grin at him in apprehension. Pulling out from beneath the table, he patted his lap and smiled brightly. “Hop on.”

Slowly, Lucy did as she was instructed but her face alerted Natsu it was more so because she was curious than willing. Once they had secured her dress, he rolled the two of them over to the empty spot and began moving the chair in erratic patterns while the blonde wrapped her arms around his neck. Their laughter filled the air until a slower song took over, and they stopped to look at each other.

With a gentle kiss, Lucy smiled warmly. “Would it be okay if we went home now, Corporal?” she asked playfully, her eyes glinting with untold promise. “You weren’t the only one who planned a surprise tonight.”

#nalu fanfiction #nalu fanfic #nalu fic #nalu au #a war fought at home #;awfah #;here comes the queue

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