Lucy bursts through the doors of the apartment, obviously pissed, with Natsu hot on her heels.
"Just leave me alone already!" Lucy cries, whirling around to face Natsu, tears of anger welling up in her eyes.
"I am so done! I can't believe you! I needed the reward from that job to pay this month's rent, but it all went to the repair costs! All I had to do was help out shelving books at that library! It was a ridiculously simple job; one I planned on going on alone, but you insisted on tagging along without knowing what the job was! Then, when you realized the kind of job it was, you complained about it not being 'exciting enough' and ran off. And then, by the time I finished the job, not ten minutes later, you had already somehow managed to destroy half the town!"
At this, a look of pride lights up Natsu's face, then quickly fades after a glance at Lucy's angry expression.
"I didn't even know it was possible to destroy half a town in ten minutes!" Exasperated, Lucy sinks onto the couch, rubbing her temples in an attempt to relieve some of the pain building in her head. Natsu walks over and sits down next to her, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly.
"I'm sorry Luce. I wasn't trying to destroy the town- I really wasn't. There was this fly that kept... " He straightens up suddenly, an idea dawning. "And anyways, if you can't pay rent this month, you can just stay with me!"
At this, despite her anger, Lucy blushes furiously, turning away from Natsu and trying to hide it, but it's too late- he's seen her red face and is looking very pleased with himself. He's gotten a reaction other than indiscriminate fury out of her- this was progress.
"Thanks for the offer Natsu, but I think I'm just going to take another job." Lucy mumbles, still adorably flustered.
"Okay! I'll come too!" Natsu stands, grabs Lucy's hand, and pulls her to her feet, grinning widely. "Lets go back to the guildhall and pick out a job together!"
Lucy sighs reluctantly. "You can come with me on one condition. You have to behave yourself."
"Fine, fine! Lets just go already!" Lucy smiles to herself- he's just like a little kid sometimes- and notices that Natsu still has hold of her hand and doesn't seem to have any intention of letting go as he pulls her out the door and onto the street, eager to find a new job.
Natsu still hadn't let go of her hand when they walked through the huge double doors to the guild, something the ever-watchful Mirajane noticed immediately. While Natsu and Lucy inspect the requests currently posted, Lucy laces her fingers through Natsu's, causing him to look down at their hands in surprise. They eventually decide on a job in Akane helping out at a restaurant with a reward of 140,000 jewel. As Natsu and Lucy head out, their hands still clasped tightly together, Mira smiles at their retreating figures.
"Well it's about time," she murmurs before going back to work.