A.N: If you've already read this chapter, go to the bottom for insight on the next chapter. I promise it won't disappoint :)

"So baby, what's your price?"

"Well, the price for your kope is four seventy-five." Lucy cringed, quickly throwing together the drink for the creep hovering over the counter, finding an excuse to get away from his not-so-good-smelling breath.

Every once in a while, some young man would decide to flirt with her, and she'd kindly reject but they seemed to respect the manner. Most of them.

She'd even had a woman flirt with her, the brunette commenting on how big her "jugs" were, and that made her face almost rival a ripe tomato from the gardens. She remembered the woman, who might've been a couple years older than herself, was rather blunt but confident, her big brown voluptuous hair in waves past her shoulders.

"Ah, s'you're that chick, gotta give it to him cause you're fuckin' hot."

And that was exactly what the strange woman said too!

Maybe she should just become lesbian. At least they had some boundaries.

Lucy slid the coffee towards the man and took the money, taking a sharp inhale when he said, "I think you'll be paying me when I get you alone."

"Now, that ain't no way to treat a lady."

She blinked once. Twice. A third time and scrubbed at her eyes to really make sure she was seeing clearly.

There standing, with a sly smile and a demeaning stance all mighty and tall, was Bickslow.

The man cranked his neck up, seeing he was a good half foot shorter at least, his nose at Bicks' chest. With no second response, he left.

"Mahalo, he was really creeping me out, thank goodness he left."

Bickslow waved a hand. "They're just a bunch of horny dogs tryna' find any female to fuck, quite harmless."

Lucy widened her eyes. Not the words she'd expected at first.

He laughed. "So, you can thank me later because I," he paused to wink. "Am your teammate and savior. Can I get an amen?"

"You might need to ask Jesus before you can quote that."

"That's where you're wrong, because ball is life."

He was one of the biggest dorks she'd met so far.

Bickslow tapped a finger on the counter, his eyes narrowing. "And besides, I told ya I'd visit you. Let's pray that the fish haired-colored boxer doesn't see me here with you, can't give him more reasons to literally hate my fuckin' soul."

What could he mean by that? Lucy pursed her lips.

"It's not a crime to meet new people, as far as I know," Lucy said, fiddling with the messy bun on the top of her head. She sent a wink back playfully. "He hasn't stopped by yet, so I got your back."

She smiled when he cracked a toothy grin, her chest filling with a feeling, something different than when she'd first met Gray, Levy, Gajeel--

Natsu.

She felt a sense of comfort, as if she'd met her brother from another mother. It was easy to trust him. No matter what Natsu warned her about how he was a snake, she didn't see any misjudgment from his contagious remarks and quirks.

"You know, I actually wanted to ask something," Bickslow shifted his weight, on the verge on uneasiness written in his eyes. "I wanted to just talk with you, I just have this feeling like I can trust you, even if you roasted me the first time we met about not having the talent to spin a ball on my finger."

Lucy felt her heart waver. He felt that same connection, it wasn't just her. "No, I'd love to. I think I can trust you too. Not to be weird or anything, but I don't know why Natsu and the others don't like you, you're a funny guy."

His face tightened. A sign that Lucy couldn't decipher, but was triggered when she brought up her friends.

"I'll buy the drinks, what do you want? I'll have a grande espresso."

She softly smiled. "I feel like a grande vanilla latte with just one pump," she gently spoke, with the boxer in the back of her mind.

__________ ∙∘✧❀✧∘∙__________

Lucy pondered around in her thoughts as Bickslow lead her through his tiny apartment, reminding it of herself.

"You don't need to be embarrassed, I understand." Lucy assured, giving off a comforting smile towards the worried young man that turned to face her. "Ua maika'i."

"What do you mean?.."

"It's okay." Lucy nodded her head, "It's kind of funny how similar we are, my apartment isn't grand like I wished it was."

"A girl like you seemed like she has it all," Bickslow joked, but his lips straightened to see that she was serious, her gaze the only indication that he needed to understand that her life wasn't very far off from his own.

"Glad I can easily deceive others," Lucy cracked back, both chuckling at the enlightened humor that lifted the mood. "Come on, I'll listen to what you're worried about, I can tell you seem uneasy."

Bickslow lead her to his couch, them taking a seat on each side and angled themselves to face each other. He sighed, his hands tapping on his knees, "I don't know how to start, but it feels nice to have someone that'll care, usually nobody wants to even look at me anymore."

Lucy sadly gazed over him, questions roaming in her mind. "Why is that?" She chuckled, shaking her head, "Besides the fact that you can be a bit cocky, I don't think you're a bad person at all. Natsu just doesn't take a liking to you that I can tell."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "That's the point, and even his friends fuckin' hate me."

"Maybe they aren't taking the time to understand you."

"You're right, and it's really rubbing me the wrong way." Bickslow puffed his cheeks out, something that Lucy thought was kind of adorable, considering her was an attractive man with a bit of a "bad boy" persona.

"I fucking hate it, Lucy, but I can't hate them."

Lucy straightened her back, clapping her hands on her thighs. "Well, tell me everything from the start."

"What?" Bickslow's eyes widened, but he coughed and rubbed the back of his neck, saying, "You mean it? Nobody's really cared after...my accident."

Lucy saw that his body sunk after bringing up his past, his eyes falling to the ground. Now she was very curious to know more, what had happened that'd screw up his life to end up living in a place just like hers? "You can trust me, I promise. I've had my times of unpleasantries. I've been through hell, and sometimes I feel like I'm drowning, but that's the only way I can breathe."

Bickslow sharply looked in her eyes. "You talk beautifully."

Her cheeks dusted pink with warmth, a grateful smile to follow. "Mahalo."

The man finally took a shaky breath, his hands clenched to his pants and adverted his eyes. "I grew up playing baseball, my dad always loved the sport, so I naturally fell in love with the game too. Who the hell wouldn't if your father loved something so much? I started when I was a toddler, my favorite toys were baseballs, I was the best hitter on any team I was on."

"I'll let you know I'm absolutely terrible at ka pīhili," Lucy nudged, earning a small smile from him. "Aka, baseball."

He continued. "Throughout school, I was always awarded as the most valuable player, and my dad was so fuckin' proud of me, everyone believed I'd make it to the big leagues, like professional. Ain't that crazy?"

"I'd say I didn't expect that at all," Lucy admitted.

"Well, what's even more crazy is that Natsu and I used to be close in high school, even if I was a year older than him. He always helped me late at night with extra baseball trainin', tossing the ball to me for hours until I'd hit the ball out of the park. As a payment, I'd help him with boxing, and trust me, pullin' that shit in high school was hard."

He took a pause to glance at her. "Baseball's easy to compete in, but boxing, man you had to have the fucking guts of Rocky Balboa to do that shit. There was no fight'n in school. So he grew up training on the streets, in the ghetto when it was illegal to do it for money, but the bastard did it anyways. Stayed out all night, had his share of gettin' his ass whooped, come back almost unrecognizable if it wasn't for his damned pink hair. Did it ever since he was a little kid."

Lucy's eyes had widened without her knowing until Bickslow chuckled from her expression, "Y'know, you can't fool me with that shook look on ya face, I know it's hella weird to hear."

She could barely believe her ears. Natsu grew up like that?

She blinked, an embarrassed look on her face with a small smile to follow. "E kala mai ia'u, I was completely caught, I wouldn't even have taken a guess that you and Natsu were close from the way your relationship with him now isn't so smooth."

Bickslow chuckled, leaning back against the couch. "Yeah, nobody really believes me. He's already havin' a successful life while I'm stuck in the dumps. It's funny 'cause our situations were completely reversed, I was living the best life while he was scraping for every dollar on the street, and he's always been a hothead so he pursued in fighting and started to have a passion for it."

"Wait, what?" Lucy questioned.

Bickslow nodded, a sad smile on his face. "Him and Gray got into shitloads of pointless fights when they were young, they had this friend from his now current-coach's' daughter named Erza who'd practically babysit their asses. Natsu didn't know how to control his anger, so he'd punch anything to release that stress, boxing was the perfect way to handle it. He still struggles with anger, and I can tell you whenever he sees me it's like I'm a trigger for that switch."

Lucy heart swelled painfully in her chest. Deep down, she knew Natsu was like a fireball, but she didn't realize the pain he'd pushed himself through to be where he is now.

"You're not the only one stuck, I-I, I know the feeling too.." Lucy mumbled, her eyes catching his intrigued but interested gaze. "My father wanted me to do ballet, I took lessons that sometimes lasted for half of the day, and because I didn't love it he now looks at me with embarrassment and disgust, that's why I'm here. He hated that I was the mvp on my basketball teams, so he purposefully made a false doctors file saying I'd fractured my back so colleges wouldn't give me a scholarship."

She glances back up to see his mouth agape, the tension in the air fading away as both started to  connect with one another. "I've always loved dancing, but not ballet. I don't feel connected to the music, and I spent most of my life being taught how to carry on my father's side of the family, which I don't agree to at all."

"I guess I can say I didn't expect you to have a shitty father like mine, he just gave up on me too. Y'know, I had it really goin' for me, nothin' could stop me," Bickslow chuckled, but his lips curved downwards. "Until a playoff game my senior year."

The blonde audibly gulped, anticipating the reason for his accident. "What happened?"

"I remember I hit the ball just short of a home run, so my ass took off 'round the bases. The crowd was going wild, I don't think I've ever ran as fast in my life. I'm headin' towards home plate, and I see the ball thrown to the catcher on home base. I start slidin' with my left leg in front, a stupid grin swept on my face." Bickslow shook his head, exhaling a shaky breath. "Seconds pass, and as the ball comes flying, the catcher showed a smug-ass look at me, raises his foot and slams down on my left ankle right as I touched the plate."

Lucy's fingers pry at her clothes, her eyebrows scrunching with worry. "..And?"

"My heel gets caught on the side of the plate, my foot stayed like that as my body twisted, ad I could hear everybody shriek as my leg snaps around my knee, a bone sticking out of my skin, and I've never felt pain as horrible as that. I tore my ACL, broke my ankle, and snapped my leg in half. I remember my blood sprayed everywhere, through my pants onto the dirt. Hell, children were fuckin' scared of me."

Lucy inhaled sharply, closing her eyes trying not to imagine the gruesome accident, shivers coldly running up her spine.

"That night, everything changed. All my scholarships were taken away from D1 colleges, and I don't blame them, who'd wanna deal with someone like me? I haven't played in a game of baseball since."

Tears whelmed up in her eyes, her nails stabbing her palms that clenched at her sides. It wasn't fair. Nothing was anymore. It was heart wrenching to hear how his voice slowly broke down like the walls he'd built to hide.

Just like her.

"My dad hated me, said I shoulda ran faster. My accident made my parents divorce, and my dad threw me out of the house. He wasn't going to pay for my education, and I have no idea where my mom went. I couldn't even afford the full treatment or rehab for my leg, so over the two and a half years I've just let it heal by its own with a brace." He pulled up his pant leg to show a bulky black brace that surrounded from his upper thigh all the way down to his ankle. "My dad only loved me 'cause he thought I'd be a rich, famous baseball player for him to rely on getting money from so he could quit his job, run off in clubs and fuck more women in his bed. He cheated on my mom so many times."

Lucy's lips trembled, her heart sporadically thumping against her chest as similar memories of her own father came up. The disappointment on his face wouldn't even rival anyone else's for his would be far too dangerous to look at. "I-I'm so sorry that happened," Lucy choked out, letting tears cascade down her face. "I thought I was the only one with a selfish father. Ua kaumaha wau."

"What's that means? Bye the way, I love your accent."

"It means 'I'm sorry', and mahalo. I try my best to not use Hawaiian with English though, just a bad habit."

She felt him scoot closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in comfort for a friendly hug. "I can see when people've been screwed like me, and I'm fuckin' glad I asked you to hear me out. You shouldn't be crying over my shit, it's just that ever since that, nobody's treated me the same. Natsu stepped away and left to pursue his boxing dream, and I don't blame the guy. Left with the girl I was head-over-heels for and still is, damnit."

"M-My father didn't even want me around to carry on our family's company, I remind him too much of my mother," Lucy looked up at him, her eyes widening. "What do you mean still is? Do you..."

He nodded his head as if he could read her thoughts, "Lisanna. I knew her from him, and we grew up with each other ever since elementary school. Damn, that girl," he sighed, his eyes gazing at nothing in particular with a gentle perk of his lips turning upwards. "That girl holds onto him with a small chance of hope, and I-I can't stand it. I know she wouldn't leave a man with a bright future ahead of him to stay with a failure, broke ass like me."

Bickslow's head slopped to her shoulder, which she gently told hold of, caressing by softly rubbing the back of his head. The situation was more than she'd thought, and seeing both his and Natsu's side made her head churn. "Does she make you happy?" She whispered, remembering one of the first conversations she had with the grinning boxer.

"Does she make you happy?"

The boxer met the blonde's chocolatey-brown eyes, a little surprised. "Does she...make me happy?" He repeated.

Lucy slightly nodded, giving him a small smile. "If she doesn't make you happy everyday or if she doesn't help you become better, she shouldn't be worth wasting your time."

Bickslow smiled, "Yeah, that girl makes me smile, and the next moment she'll rip my heart out and leave to run back to him. I know she has feelings for me, but she's got 'em for the other man too, and I can't blame her for choosing the man with a better future."

She swallowed thickly, flashbacks of Loke running through her mind.

"She loves me for the way I love her, she loves the way his money buys what she loves, and that's not something I have."

Lucy held him tighter, tears never seeming to end soon. She didn't know what to feel, but every word he spoke stung her heart like a needle to thread. "I'll admit, I asked Natsu if she made him happy, and he wasn't so confident."

"Yeah, I can already see him tryna' make it work between them, and it just really fucking pisses me off that she can't see how I look at her, hell even I noticed the way he looks at you. It's like fireworks have gone off in his eyes, or he'd won the hardest boxing match of his life."

Lucy blushed and shook her head. "A-A'ole, I think you've got it all wrong-"

"You'll see," Bickslow cut off, but a sad smile still stood on his lips. "I just wish it wasn't like this, it's my fault for making her look bad, cheating behind his back with me n' shit. Levy's shut her out, and Lisanna's too scared to do anything 'bout it."

"Well why don't you come clean? I know cheating's a horrible thing to do, my ex-boyfriend did that, thus why I'm kind of scared of relationships."

"I think I will. Thank you, Lucy. Too bad I can't call you Luce since that prick already stole it." Bickslow grinned wide.

"Ae, that's true." Lucy puckered her lips out to hide a smile of her own, hugging him tighter. "We're a lot more similar than we thought, huh?"

He knocked a fist gently on her leg. "So does that mean we're friends?"

She nodded, hugging him a little tighter in response. Her heart calmed after she placed a gentle kiss on his hair, his face lighting up and snuggling up to her with a wild grin. He was just like a big kid, reluctant at first but now was smothering her.

"Of course, I'd love to team up with you again in basketball too," Lucy said, poking his nose with her finger. "How about letting me witness a few hits? I'll toss."

It was as if a little boy had awoken on Christmas day the way his eyes lit up, rapidly scrambling to his closet, the best he could with his leg, to grab a couple mitts and a bat.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, picking it up to check. She'd luckily snagged a charger a couple days ago, and bless the heavens that it still worked.

Natsu: Hey, you busy today? Me, bolts-for-brains, stripper, Levy, Juvia, and Lisanna are hanging out today, wanna come?

-E kala mai ia'u, I'm busy today, I wish I could but I already have plans. Maybe next time?

Natsu: You're never busy Luce

Lucy puffed her cheeks from his quick response, a jolt of annoyance from his words. Okay, maybe she wasn't busy all the time, but now she was. Being with Bickslow-

It's what she needed, and he needed her right now.

She didn't reply to him.

It wasn't her decision to come clean to Natsu about Lisanna and Bickslow's relationship, but she hoped that the boxer wouldn't be heartbroken in the end like her ex had left her without a single care in the world. Lucy was close to him, and now she understood both sides of the story, each having their good and bad intentions.

She had a feeling all would turn out well in the end for the best if the choices made between the three were honest.

__________ ∙∘✧❀✧∘∙__________

They'd gone to the same park as before when they'd teamed up to play basketball with Lisanna and Natsu, they just went up to the baseball field right next to it.

And boy, no matter how terrible she was at the sport he loved, she was having the time of her life.

She laughed as he swung the bat, perfectly meeting her toss, and watched it sail across the grassy sone of the field where countless baseballs were scattered. "Even though there's no ball game on tonight, I'll still be slamming something out of the park!"

"Get ready for a real curveball this time." Lucy rolled another baseball between her hands, eyeing the bat swung lightly in his hands.

"Give me a challenge this time, Angel Face."

Lucy quirked up. "Angel Face?"

"Yeah, your hair's like angel hair noodles, but you have a pretty face. That's my nickname for you."

Lucy squatted down and laughed, a few snorts escaping from his quirkiness. "I love it."

"Watcha gonna name me?" Bickslow sauntered, a grin swept on his face.

"Slick Bick?"

"Big B?"

"How about-"

"I like Blue," Lucy sputtered out, staring at his clothes and hair. His locks were an oceanic dark royal blue, a color that crashed like waves meeting his tanned skin that represented silky sand, his eyes gorgeous rubies that were treasured underneath. "Or Polū, Whatever language you prefer."

He cocked his head to the side, but raised the bat up. "Alright, I can go with that. I like them both."

She tossed it and immediately squeaked, the ball coming down high from the air and lightly bumping his shoulder. "I'm so sorry! Oh my goodness, I need to call the ambulance, we need first aid-"

"Your pitch must have hit me because I'm feeling a little faint!"

Oh my goodness, he was a child. And Lucy laughed harder.

She tossed another ball, which was sent flying over her head... over the grass..

It smacked right into the wired fielding fences.

"Hey, that was almost a home run!" Lucy cheered, praising the former baseball player, who bowed as a form of thank you. "You don't even need both legs; just bulk up and you won't have to worry about running since you'll just hit home runs all day."

Bickslow laughed and swung the bat in his hands. He couldn't remember the last time the flowing energy coursed through his veins, the adrenaline making his body shake, his mind so focused on one rounded object.

He loved it, the feeling made him feel powerful, relentless, commanding the way the game flowed. He controlled the shape of the game in his mind, flashbacks of endless cheering and celebratory wins.

Nobody had batted an eye his way after his accident until now. She somehow brought back the man he used to be years ago, his heart racing in excitement.

She was a beautiful person. So trusting, open to heart like she cared. He was evermore grateful for trusting his instincts.

This girl wasn't just becoming a new friend, but family.

And maybe she'd help him get the girl he loved so dearly by being true to himself, to stop hiding behind invisible walls.

__________ ∙∘✧❀✧∘∙__________

"Sucks that Bunny Girl couldn't show up, you said she'd break my ankles for good, hothead," Gajeel muttered, ignoring the shrieks from his petite girlfriend as he hoisted her up in his arms.

The group got to the basketball courts, and soon enough Natsu and Gray were up in each others faces about teams, their voices carrying far.

"Look it's not my problem that Lucy isn't here!"

"How about you shut the fuck up."

"Maybe she's making an excuse so she doesn't have to see your fucking ugly face!"

That did it. He snapped. Fuck it.

"Hmm I think you're hungry, here's a damned knuckle sandwich!" Natsu sent a nasty punch into Gray's face, sending him crashing on the ground.

"Juvia will not let Natsu hurt Gray!" The taller bluenette rushed to the mans side, crouching to check for any injuries.

"He fucking asked for it," Natsu gritted between his teeth.

A hand touched his shoulder, followed by her voice, "That was uncalled for, you need to calm down."

Calm down? Calm down his ass.

"Y'know, just leave me the fuck alone, you guys can screw around and play wreck ball for all I care."

"Natsu, stop getting worked up over nothing. It's just a joke! There's no need to act like a dick just because you have one!" Lisanna raised her voice.

He walked away and didn't look back.

He didn't care. Nothing would calm him down after that. Lucy wouldn't lie to him, not after that night at the gym. Not after pouring her broken soul into his hands to carry, to hold her steady from disappearing into ashes for good.

After that moment, her eyes looked at him more clearly, trusting. He felt connected with her, a warmth stirring in the pit of his stomach that rose to his face every time his mind remembered the soft touch when he lightly pressed his forehead against hers.

He hadn't felt so calm just by a simple gesture.

Why did he feel like he needed her right now? Just like the way she needed him that moment.

Fuck it, he did.

He snapped from his staring when he heard a crack echo, catching his attention.

Natsu realized he'd walked right next to the baseball field, of course the noise was from a bat-

He froze and took a second glance, staring longingly.

It was no other than his ex-bestfriend and the girl numbing his thoughts and anger.

He could hear her sweet, joyful laughter that rang from the short distance with a smile to match as the man threw the bat in celebratory, slowly jogging around the bases with that slight limp Natsu knew all too well.

Annoyance swirled inside of him like red tides, watching her smile from the deep blues instead. His breaths became jagged, staggering in his throat.

Why was she smiling because of him?

Why'd he even care?

Didn't she remember everything he told her about the guy in front of her?

Bickslow was not going to steal her away from him, she was his first.

She was different, so pure and honest.

She saw him for who he is, all the money in the world didn't control her opinion on him. He wasn't letting her go, not ever.

Natsu started walking away, the frustration coursing through his body like fire until it'd reach the dynamite, and he'd explode.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when two arms strapped around his waist from behind, but melted when he recognized that pretty voice say, "I think I have some time to hang with you."

Natsu spun around, his mind falling behind on his actions when he wrapped her in an embrace, picking Lucy up and spinning around. Despite the tightness in his core, it fluttered at the feeling of her in his arms, light squeals and laughs that made every trace of anger disappear from existence. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

He didn't notice the other man on the baseball field smiling at them, having hope for the first time in a while.

__________ ∙∘✧❀✧∘∙__________

To be continued

"I'm really, really hungry, but more accurately," Natsu husked, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip. "I'm starving."

She sucked in a breath of air, holding back a moan. "What for?"

"You."

Fight for Glory
❀ by queen_random1 ❀
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