"We destroyed half the town again," Lucy said with a sigh. She turned to look behind her, catching sight of Natsu and Gray going head-to-head in a heated argument. When she saw Erza come up behind them with her usual menacing glare, she turned around, sighing once more.
"On the bright side," Wendy piped up, "you still ended up with enough money to cover your rent!" She gave Lucy an innocent smile, who groaned inwardly with pity. Wendy shouldn't have to be part of such a destructive team. But she gave her a smile in return, anyway.
"I suppose you're right," she replied in agreement. She looked up and saw the guild hall standing tall and proud before them. She took a deep breath before pushing the doors open, immediately hearing a few small cheers for their return, and a few distressed groans--worried whispers about Erza and the boys being home again.
"Welcome back, guys!" Lucy looked over to the bar and found Mirajane waving to them with a smile on her face. She smiled back, quickly walking over and sitting herself in front of Mira. "How was the mission, Lucy?"
"Oh, you know, the usual--we destroyed everything." With that said, she plopped her head onto her arms that lay on the bar top, feeling quite exhausted. She heard a giggle and then what sounded like a glass being placed in front of her. She looked up and smiled gratefully, immediately taking the drink Lucy herself would usually request for. She appreciated the free beverage, and told Mirajane so.
Mira waved off her thanks. "It's fine, Lucy. You seemed like you needed it, so I put a bit of alcohol in it. Just to ease up the stress."
"What," she deadpanned. Then she jumped in her seat, startled when a hand slammed on the bar beside her. She sighed at the sight of the pink hair. "Natsu, please don't startle me like that. I have enough of a headache already."
Natsu cocked his head to the side, a small grin on his face. "You always have those headaches! Aren't they normal? You'll get over it eventually." He sat down beside Lucy and asked Mira for a plate of food ("And make sure you light it on fire, too!"). Lucy sighed, shaking her head at his reply.
"A headache, you say?" Lucy jumped again as she heard someone on the other side of her. She sighed, finding a smirking Gray to be the second one to startle her, today. He held up a hand, which was glowing and (she knew) was now ice-cold. "I can help make that go away."
"I don't think so, considering you two were the cause of it in the first place. Thanks, but I think I'll pass." Lucy took another sip of her drink, jumping again when a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. "Is everyone trying to give me a heart attack today?!" She looked up behind her and saw Erza, standing tall yet a little less intimidating than usual.
"Are you alright, Lucy? You seem a bit unwell." Erza had a concerned look on her face, which Lucy appreciated, but she really just wanted to get away from everyone. Maybe she should go home, take a bath, something that would take her mind off of today's mission. It seemed Erza thought the same thing. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest."
Lucy nodded. "That's probably what I'll do," she told her. She finished her drink and told Mira she was done with it, thanking Mira again. She turned to Erza and the boys, giving them a small, tired smile. "I'm gonna go home, guys, so I'll see you tomorrow." She walked past them, heading to the door as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. But before she could walk out of the guild hall, she was stopped by someone's hand on her wrist. She turned to see who it was, surprised to find that it was Gray. "Oh, hey. What is it?"
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like some company on your way home?" He was giving her a half-grin, and she supposed he was trying to be friendly and maybe make her a little less mad at him for destroying half of the town on their mission. Although, there was a strange gentleness in his expression, which she found to be a little odd and unusual for him, but she buried that thought in the back of her mind, not wanting to dwell on it.
She nodded. "Sure, I wouldn't mind that...but isn't your apartment in the opposite direction of mine?"
Gray shrugged his shoulders, letting go of her wrist. "I don't really mind, it's cool."
She nodded again, giving him a small smile. "If you're sure." She began walking again, ahead of Gray at first, then he quickly caught up, walking along with her. She eyed him for a moment, seeing how he seemed to be looking at everything else around them. If he wanted to accompany me, you'd think he would probably try to strike up a conversation, she thought. After several more minutes of silence, she opened her mouth to talk instead, but was interrupted before she could utter a single word.
"I'm sorry," he said. She closed her mouth, looking at him with a confused expression. "For, you know, destroying half the town. Again."
She stared at him for a moment before she giggled. "Is that why you wanted to walk me home? So you could apologize?" She giggled again, covering her mouth with her hand.
He frowned, a very light blush settling on his cheeks, which made her start to laugh. "It's not that funny," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. When she finally calmed down, she sighed with a grin and ruffled his hair affectionately. He gently whacked her hand away, pouting.
She chuckled at him before she shook her head. "This kind of thing happens all the time, so why do you choose to apologize for today?"
He scratched the back of his head. "I dunno...I just kinda felt like I should. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"
She sighed, and noticed they were now by the river. She hopped up onto the small wall, something she usually does on her way home. Her arms were out a bit on either side of her, helping her balance. "No, of course there isn't. But I appreciate the gesture. You were already forgiven, so I guess that's why I found it strange to get an apology for it."
He nodded, watching her walk on the small raised wall. "You're gonna fall," he said with a chuckle.
She scoffed. "I do this all the time, I'll be fine." Usually, she would see those two guys in a boat floating down the river and they would shout for her to be careful, or that she'll fall if she's too careless. She guessed that they were home right now, considering that the sun was already setting in the distance. She decided to change the subject, grinning slyly. "So," she began, "have you fallen for Juvia yet?"
He shook his head and let out a laugh. He looked at her, amused. "Are you serious? Hell no. Sorry, but she's just too much of an emotional mess for me to handle."
"She's not that bad," she replied. "I mean, no offense, but I don't know why she's obsessed with you--"
"Must be because of my half-naked glory," he joked, and when she turned to give him that "really?" look, she saw that he had taken off his shirt.
She gave him said look anyway. "One of these days, you're gonna be arrested for public indecency." He laughed, making her sigh. "But really! I admire her, sometimes. She's so devoted to you because she loves you. She's powerful, too, so that's a bonus. But she can be a bit creepy and scary."
"That's an understatement."
They kept talking and laughing as they made their way to her apartment, and when they finally arrived, Lucy hopped off of the wall and turned to Gray. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"
He suddenly blushed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, which she found cute but also a little unusual for him. "W-Well, I wouldn't want to impose--"
"Don't be silly," she said with a smile, "you wouldn't be imposing on anything. Come on! It's to thank you for keeping me company."
He stood there for a moment, thinking it over, before sighing and nodding. "I guess it wouldn't hurt," he told her with a grin.
"Great! At least this time no one is actually sneaking into my apartment, right?" She opened the door to the building and made her way to her apartment door, Gray following closely behind her. When she unlocked it and opened it up, she froze.
"What is it?" Gray asked, and moved to see inside. "Oh. I guess you spoke too soon," he said with a chuckle.
Lucy grumbled and made her way inside, stopping behind the couch in her living room, where her pink-haired friend was snoozing on the cushions, Happy sleeping on the floor beside the occupied furniture. She bent over it quietly, before making her move.
"WAKE UP, NATSU!" She stood up right before he jumped up and fell off the couch, landing on Happy. He was spluttering and whipping his head around the room until his eyes finally settled on Lucy and Gray. He seemed a little dazed, and he didn't seem to notice Happy calling for him to get his butt off and away from his tiny self.
"Huh? Oh hey there, Lucy! It's about time you got home, we've been here forever." Natsu yawned, stretching as he did so. He looked down and moved, finally seeming to have heard his little exceed friend. "Sorry, Happy."
"How did you get in here," she asked, a slightly threatening tone in her voice. Gray walked away from them and into the small kitchen, avoiding whatever it was that was about to happen.
Natsu grinned nervously. "Th-The window?"
Lucy was suddenly on the other side of the couch beside Natsu and Happy, who slowly crawled away from her. "And what have I told you about that?"
"To use the door!" Happy exclaimed, trying to be a little optimistic about their situation.
"THEN USE IT!" She made to cross her arms over her chest, but with how big it was, it was a little suffocating, so she settled for placing her hands on her hips.
"But you weren't here! Which meant we couldn't use the door!" Natsu was pouting, thinking he had done nothing wrong. Suddenly he had a foot slammed into his face, which flung him through the hallway and into her room.
"THEN DON'T COME IN AT ALL, STUPID!" She sighed, holding her head in her hands. "Why does this happen to me?"
"Hello, Lucy, good to see you got home safely." Lucy whipped her head around and stared at the towel-clad Erza, before she plopped on to the couch in despair.
Erza looked over to the kitchen and nodded. "I see you decided to accompany her, Gray? Is that why it took longer for her to get home?"
He shrugged. "Probably. How did you get in here?"
"Same way Natsu did," she replied, then with a flash of light, she requipped her usual armor on. "Anyway, there's a reason why we are here." Lucy and Gray looked up at her with questioning gazes.
"What is it?" Lucy asked.
"Right after you left, Master Makarov informed me of a job that came in recently, and requested that our team take it."
Gray moved away from the kitchen and moved to stand by the couch, right behind where Lucy sat. "Is it that serious?" He asked. Natsu had made his way back into the living room, still pouting and rubbing his face.
"Yes," Erza stated. "It seems all the citizens of a nearby city have mysteriously disappeared."
"A city?" Lucy asked in shock.
She nodded. "Along with the wizard guild that resides there."
Lucy sighed. "Guess I'll make dinner for everyone, then."