Author's note: This was originally To Realize She Loved Him, but I wrote that waaayyy loong ago, so I'm thinking of rewriting it. This version is much better and doesn't make me cringe and cry when I read it.  This is the exact same story except in Natsu's point of view. Personally this one is my favorite of the two. I really hope you like it :)

"Natsu?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

I couldn't stand, and as my knees gave out, I collapsed on the ground. I felt Lucy's hand, which I was still holding, tremble. Everything was destroyed, including much of Lucy's flesh. I couldn't even look at her wounds without wanting to cry. How she was standing, I have no idea. How she was even awake, I don't have any idea either. Between the cuts and the bruises...I couldn't stand to look. I felt her hand tug a bit and I glanced up to see her looking at the sky. She had tears streaming down her face, but I doubt she noticed. The sky was as red as Erza's hair, no, actually it was the color of blood. I look back down, trying not to remember all of my friends now dead because of this stupid war. I'm so glad Lucy is alive, but she almost wasn't...all to protect me. It should have been me protecting her, but I couldn't.

I felt her gaze down at me, I waited for her to look away but she didn't. I knew she was looking at my body, littered with cuts and bruises...but my body will heal quickly, while hers... I begin to shake at the thought of what had just happened. Her hand trembled even more. She was worried and scared, still, about me.

"Hey, Luce, come down here." I pulled on her hand and she followed almost immediately. As she sank to the ground, I realize just how exhausted she is.

"Natsu, are you okay?" She asks me, with worry coating her voice.

Here she is, blood dripping down her face and her body covered in big, black, bruises and deep, bleeding gashes, and she is asking me if I'm okay? I couldn't speak. If I did, she would hear the tears lodged in my throat. I couldn't worry her anymore than I already had.

I pulled her onto my lap and dropped her hand. I wrapped my arms around her, one of my hands resting on the side of her waist where she was the least injured and my other arm wrapped around her shoulder. I rested my head on her shoulder and buried my face in her neck. I wish I could stop shaking but I can't.

"L-l-luce?" I asked in a shaky voice. Dammit, I guess I can't control my voice now either. I have to tell her before I lose it.

"Yeah?" She asked in a soft voice. She had stopped crying but there were still tracks of her mascara running down her cheeks. I inwardly laugh a little, only Lucy would wear mascara to a battle.
The laugh soon dies as I remember her tortured screams while that bastard hurt her, making her cry, making her pretty mascara run... She took all that pain, for me... while I could do nothing to help her.

"Don't ever do that again, K?" I asked her, knowing that she would do it all again, because that's who Lucy was. She would go through anything for her nakama. My heart sank a bit at that thought.
She didn't answer and I went on before she could argue.

"Luce, you could have died. In fact, you almost died. Don't do that to me again. You're me best friend, where would I be without my Lucy? Lucy, don't do that again, please. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect you. I'm sorry, I couldn't beat him. I'm sorry you have to come and..." I was rambling, and to my embarrassment, I lost it and began to cry. But I lied, she wasn't my best friend, she was so much more to me. God dammit, why couldn't I have been strong enough to protect her? I moved my hand from her shoulder to entangle my fingers in her soft, long, beautiful hair; I was careful not to touch the huge bump on her head. I wanted her as close as possible. I felt her lean the side of her head onto the side of mine with her hands resting on my shoulders. My pulse jumped as I felt her mouth on my ear. In shaky breaths that told me she was crying too, I heard her whisper;

"Okay, Natsu, Okay. But Natsu, I can't promise that I won't protect you again. I can't promise I won't risk my life for you, but I can promise not to be so reckless. What I did was stupid, and if I had thought about it instead of being impulsive, I could have come up with a better way to help you. I promise I won't rush into battle next time, Natsu. Okay?

I knew it. She would do it again. But she was trying her best to promise me something that would ease my mind. She was trying and she promised, that's all that mattered to me. Besides, I would make sure she would never be in the position again. So I nodded, I didn't speak, fearing that it would give me away again.

Suddenly I felt her wrap her arms around my neck and sob. I sat there shocked, and held her as she sobbed. Why was she crying now?

"You idiot. Do you know how close you were to dying? Why did you go alone? I know you're strong but you're still human." She had to keep pausing because she was crying so hard and then she would take in a big shaky breath and continue. It broke my heart to hear her sobbing like that. But she was right I am an idiot. And I was close to dying. I went alone to protect her and everyone else, I should have know she would have followed me anyway. Lucy was weird that way, you tried to protect her but no, she wanted to fight along side you...She was wrong about me being strong. I'm not strong at all, I couldn't protect her, I'm not strong at all. She was wrong about me being human, if only she knew...she would hate me. Yet still I...

"I'm sorry, Luce. I made you worry, right? I'm sorry." I murmured in her ear. We were quiet after that, both of us thinking, I held her close to me so she didn't slip away again. I couldn't believe I nearly lost her, my most important person...and she was nearly gone. As I held her, I felt my heart breaking.

Realizing that this was the only time I could hold her...it broke my heart. It broke my heart to realize that I was only a friend to her. True, a best friend but nothing more. After all this time, I never realized. I really am an idiot.

It broke my heart to realize I loved her.