Natsu threw the overstuffed couch cusion across the room. "where is it." Natsu dropped to the floor searching the lower levels of the bedraggled room. "Happy i can't find my scarf." He yelled into the airvent located under the crubbling, attenuated couch that lay in the center of the room.

"Happy?" He stood up and looked around the room to find that Happy was no where to be found. "Happy." Natsu yelled a little louder each time. He quickly made his way out the door. Happy wasn't there. "HAPPY!" Natsu yelled into the trees that surround the old shack of a house. He tryed to remember the last time he saw Happy. which wasn't hard because he had just seen him no more then 20 minuets ago.

Happy had made breakfast finishing off what was inside the small dirty fridge which sparked yet another conversation about the lack of food money they had.

The two of them had decided to change out of there night clothes and go get Lucy. They need to work and she did to. The day before Lucy had been telling Grey that if she didn't pay her rent soon she would have to get a room mate or move out.

As he walked into town he looked over his shoulder every minuet or so but was always disapointed when he didnt see a blue cat coming his way.

"Your really worrying me little buddy." He whispered to himself as he walked down along the river to Lucy''s house. When he arrived, because of Happy's puzziling disapearens, Natsu didn' t feel like using the window.

He instead aproched the door nearly turning the handle when he heard another voice inside with Lucy. It wasn't one he recegnized, it was a mans, not an old one. He sounded about 20 or so and he had a lightness to his heavy tone. The conversation sounded heated which was the only reason Natsu hadn't bargged in unnanounced.

"how?"

"She said she was going for a walk one night. We were fighting alot and i guess she needed some air. I shouldn't have let her go!"

"You can not blame your self for this."

"I don't but i had one job and that was to keep her safe." The man sighed and it was silent for a while Natsu was about to knock when Lucy began to speak and he stopped him self.

"How did you even find me here? Its been 8 years since we spoke and you suprise me baring this kind of news?"

"I saw you fighting with that women from Raven and the way the lady in Sabertooth hurt you...i thought you were going to die. When i saw that you were okay it was a wake up call that i had to tell you...ecpecally if your in danger as much as you are. "

The two of them went silent and Natsu decided to bring the easdropping to an end. He knocked on the door and began to open it. Lucy stood in the center of the room and a tall dark hair man stood in front of her. His hands on her shoulders. They both had a sour look on their face. Lucy looked up at Natsu with tear welling in her eyes. A tear ran down Lucy's cheek and Natsu saw her trying to hold back a river of tears. after a moment of her staring at her with puppydog, heart melting eyes, she ran over and barried her face in Natsu's shoulder.

"Whats wrong?" He asked looking up from Lucy at the man standing akwardly in her house. He had very chisled features. He had a slight tan and a shadow on his chin as if he forgot to shave this morning but he pulled it off. He smelled like beer and somthing else. Natsu couldn't put his finger on it but it ran a chill down his spin.

"whos this?" Natsu asked. The man began walking over to Lucy and Natsu, placing a hand gently on her back. She straightend her self and wipped the tears from her eyes. "Makoto this is Natsu..."

"Yea Dragnell right?"

"Yup"

"That battle with Sting and Rogue was great, they didn't stand a chance." Natsu clenched his fists at that remark. He wasn't sure what it was about him but he didn't like this guy. "Makoto was one of my best friends growing up." Lucy stated.

Natsu stared at the man trying to imagin how Lucy could be childhood friends with some one as old as him. He shook his head after a moment and looked back at Lucy. "Happy...did he come here?" Lucy looked puzzled at him.

She had no idea why he would be at her house instead of by Natsu's side like he always is. She shooked her head no but contuniued to stair at him. She looked him up and down. "Somethings different with you."

"I can't find Happy... have you seen him?" Natsu said. admitting this for some reason filled him with agitation. "No i havn't seen him since someone let himself get frozen in the river."

"Lucy? Hello." Natsu waved his hand in front of her face. "She's really out ." Natsu said to Happy as he gently started to shake Lucy awake. The hall was nearly empty by this time. Natsu and Happy were there late after Grey told him he couldnt cover him self in flames while under water. It turned out natsu could but only for a moment before Grey extingished him in a block of ice.

"Natsu?" She mummbled not looking up from the wooden table. "Im going to sleep right here tonight."

"Why?" Natsu ask with a laugh in his voice.

"Cana tricked me into drinking with her and now i feel so heavy i..." Lucy mummbled trying to lift her head to look up at him. Natsu started lifting Lucy who had fallen back into a drunken slubber. They left the guild and headed back to Lucys.

"Natsu couldn't we have just put her to sleep in one of the guild dorms?"

" No way, Lucy's drunk and the last thing we want is to hear that she scard Wendy in the middle of the night."

"Yea and Charle." Natsu nodded in agreement at Happys thought about the proper, white cat. Lucy began to quiver in in the cold air. She tightend her grip around the flame mage and barried her face in the warmth of his scarf. Soon her acational quiver formed into a shivering that left her with goosebumps. "Where are we?" She slurd out trying to open her eye in the drunken haze.

"Strawberry street." Natsu answerd so metter of factly. "how you feeling?" he continued in an attempt to keep her awake. "cold...and h..hot. i fee...fe..el h...heavy." she settled her head back into his warm shoulder. He felt her warm breath on his neck as she fell back into the trance he had found her in.

He grip loosend and she was practiclly dangling on Natsus back with only his strong arms holding up her limp body.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" Natsu stopped and set her on the ground holding up her head. "Lucy wake up." He demanded. He remembered worrying about Cana when she had her first hang over. He had thought she was sick or ingurd and hated seeing her so weak. She was quick to shove him out of her buisness and tell him to bother someone else.

" What is it Natsu?" Happy asked. "Lucy's shaking bad and i think she might have a fever." Natsu took off his scarf and wrapped it around the sickly girl. "hold in there we're almost home." When they finally arrived at Lucy's house Natsu put his hand on the door knob. "Why don't you stay out here little buddy? Ill be real quick."

"Aye sir!"

He layed her in her bed and started to take the scarf back from Lucy.

He almost had it away when she grabbed the end and yanked quickly. Catching Natsu off guard and he fell into her following the motion of the scarf. "Don't leave me alone."

"Auh?! Lucy?"

Natsu lead closer to Lucy and searched her face for any sign of lucidity. He leaned in closer and the distance between them grew smaller and smaller every second til their lips were only centemeters away. Lucy let out a high piched hicup and both their faced flushed deep red.

Natsu stood up quickly and walked away from the bed rubbing the back of his neck. Lucy proped her self up on her elbows and looked at Natsu who was doing a small pace by the door. His mind ran a thousand miles a minute. He wanted to kiss Lucy, he had for a long time now but not like this. He knew that she had to like him at least a little or she wouldn't try to kiss her.

He didn't know how he felt about Lucy. He loved so many things about her and couldn't find a reason why he wouldn't. He did know much he loved when she was weak so he could use it as an excuse to carry her on his back. How he loved it when she craddled his head on her lap durring long rides. And how much he hated seeing her cry.

But letting her know all of this wasn't an option. Not when nomatter what he told her ,she wouldnt remember, and not when what ever he did would be taking advantage of her. He walked over to her, shaking hard through out his whole body. He leand down and kissed her on the forhead. "feel better Lucy." he said. He turned away from Lucy, conflicted on how apropriate kissing her on the forhead was. He instantly regretted it and pray she wouldn't remember his bold geuster. By a part of him wanted her to remember it all. To have been lucid at that moment and confirm his puzzle emotions.

Natsus eyes finally came back from somewhere else as he looked around the room. "Natsu?"what are you spacing off for?" Lucy asked

Natsu Layed on his stomach and looked under Lucys bed.

"Did you wake up with my scarf this morning?"

"Yea but i thought it was a dream...i don't remember even leaving the guild last night." Natsu looked up at her from the floor as he continued to check underneath it for his muffler. Of corse she didnt remember. He knew she wouldn't but he wished she had.

"Its right here." Lucy walked to her bed and pulled her blankets from her pillow to uncover Natsus scarf. "What the hell are you doing in my bed?" Lucy sqealled.

"Happy!" Natsu said happily. "Don't u run off anymore okay! you scared me half to death."

The small blue cat lay clinging to the scarf for life. His eyes slowly opened at the sudden burst of light and all the comotion. "Natsu? i thought you would want your muffler back but i got tird and fell asleep."

"Thanks buddy." He said grabbing the muffler from Happy.

"Is that one of those cats that cheer on the dragon slayers? He's so cute." Makoto was still standing in Lucys room watching the scene in front of him. "Happys an exceed and hes my best friend not my cheer leader." Lucy heard the irrotation in Natsu's voice and turned to Makoto.

"Well Makoto i will definatly stay in touch and im again so sorry for the loss. We have to go get a job befor all the good ones are taken because i need to pay rent and Natsu's probly hungery."

Hearing the rush in Lucy's tone he turned and started walking toward the door. "Alright well im in town for a few days so if you find some free time maybe i could take you to dinner?" He stood in the door way looking back at Lucy, who had gotten an excited expression and then shut it off imediatly. She offered her old friend a smile and walked to the door, closing it behind him.

"whats with that guy?"

"How do you mean?"

"i dont know really, he just strikes me as off."

Lucy giggled.

"What?" Natsu asked. Lucy started laughing harder till it was hard to breath. "Do i look funny?" He asked Happy. Lucy took a deep. "If i didn't know any better i would say your jelous of him."

Natsu's faced flushed a deep pink and he started toward the door quickly. once out side he hollerd back to her that he would see her at the guild and to hurry up becuase they need to find a job so they could eat.

'i can't keep doing this...and what was that guys issue. I'm definatly keeping an eye on him.'

"Happy...i don't trust that Makoto guy."

"Aye." Happy said, resting him self in Natsu's pink hair.