Hey readers! I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in awhile! But it's summer right? So I'll definitely get to posting more stories, I hope... Anyway, this one-shot is loosely based off of what could have happened to my cat this morning- But don't worry! She's fine, and so am I. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but just for better understanding, the Natsu and Lucy here are supposed to be in college, and they are also the realistic Natsu and Lucy. So, planet earth Natsu and Lucy, non-magical Natsu and Lucy...
He didn't understand why it smelled so bad. Did it have to be that bad? It was awful- it smelled like… burnt death. With rubber on top. And maybe some mold. Having his sense of smell surgically removed seemed like a plausible solution for this problem. Maybe it wasn't all that bad. Maybe it was just him.
Natsu gagged after inhaling the stench yet again. Maybe it was just him. If someone else could do it- yes! He knew the right person! Natsu felt a little sorry for subjecting his friend to this smelly torture. But he couldn't handle it. Usually, he could, but this was impossible.
Natsu groaned, pulling on the dish-washing gloves Lucy had made him buy. He didn't understand why- he never washed dishes.
He ran off to a non-infected area of the house to catch one last gasp of air- before running out and grabbing his slightly irritated cat from the bathroom tub, jumping out of his house through the front door. He gagged again. The heat was making it worse.
God, he hoped Lucy would have a solution for this- she was smart. Natsu glanced down at his hissing cat. He sighed.
Normally, Natsu would have laughed at the idea of his cat being sprayed on by a skunk- but now that it happened... Natsu groaned inwardly. He wished he had never laughed this event upon himself. And his cat of course. It was a terrible situation to be in.
Natsu, still holding his cat at least a foot out in front of him, walked up the steps of Lucy's apartment building. He stood in front of the door, unsure of how to alert her of his presence. Balancing a cat in one hand, he hastily shoved a hand forward to knock on her door, before bringing his arm back to catch his most likely traumatized feline.
The lock was pushed out the way with a click and the door popped open. Natsu gave an exasperated sigh and stared at the girl, who brought her hand up to cover her smiling mouth. She burst into laughter at his appearance consisting of dish-washing gloves, rain boots and his nose clamped shut by a clothespin. Her laughter was cut short by the realization of the impending stench.
Her hand clamped over her nose and partially over her mouth. Lucy raised an eyebrow towards Natsu before sighing.
"Okay, okay, come on in-"
Natsu felt an immense weight lift off of his shoulders- you know, after he put the smelly animal on Lucy's nice sofa.
"What are you doing? Get Happy off of my couch!"
Natsu leaned his back against the closed door of her bathroom, watching the blonde crouch next her bathtub before setting Happy inside.
"What are you gonna do?"
"Just cool it."
Natsu fidgeted in place as she placed a canvas bag on the tile and rummaged through it. She glanced behind her and laughed.
"You know you could have called. I'm sure you've heard of it, you use a phone-"
"Well, the problem was… big, ok? I didn't have time to call- what is that? You're going to put Happy in tomato juice?" Natsu exclaimed.
Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Of course- it's to mask the smell. We can take him outside and actually get the smell off later. I don't want to deal with him smelling so terrible on the way to the park and I don't want to… kill any pedestrians on the way."
Natsu wrinkled his nose in discontent.
"Fine."
Lucy smiled.
"So how did this come to pass anyway?" She asked, picking up a tomato juice can and simultaneously picking up a can opener.
Natsu scratched his head.
"Happy was playing outside, and then this skunk came along-" Natsu winced.
"I don't know what Happy was thinking."
Lucy gasped, spinning around, eyes and mouth wide.
"Happy attacked the skunk?"
Natsu frowned.
"What? No! Do you even know Happy? Of course he didn't attack it- Happy's never attacked anything-" He paused.
Natsu scoffed.
"I kinda think Happy wanted to play with the skunk, the idiot."
"Well that-" Lucy struggled to clasp the can opener with the can. "Sounds a lot more like Happy- Crap, I hate these things." She sighed.
"Here."
Natsu sank down onto the tile next to her, taking the can and the opener out of her hands, and with a click, and a few turns of the device, the can lid popped open.
"What?" Lucy exclaimed, smiling and frowning as Natsu handed the can back to her. "How are you more efficient at this than me?"
"Well don't put yourself on a pedestal!" Natsu replied with vigor.
"I only said it like that because you never do dishes!" Lucy retorted, pouring the tomato juice into the tub and receiving another open one. She poured the second can over Happy's head.
Happy meowed and proceeded to splash in the orangey-red liquid with joy. Lucy laughed.
"You should be glad you have a weird cat." Lucy said, pulling on gloves.
"I guess he has his perks." Natsu agreed, cleaning the smelly cat with gloved hands.
Happy meowed in reply.
She looked like a chemist. Without the crazy hair and lab coat. But a chemist nonetheless.
"You're gonna put what on Happy?"
"It's a hydrogen peroxide mixture!" The blonde insisted, mixing various chemicals in a bowl.
"A hydro-what?"
"It's a- ugh! Just listen to me! This will make Happy not smell like a skunk ok? That's all you have to know!"
Natsu caught a stray gaze from a pedestrian nearby. He didn't care. They got weird looks from a lot of people.
Natsu continued to blow up the kiddie pool, eyeing the tomato juice-smelling cat rolling in the grass next to him. God, his cat was weird. Natsu paused, pondering.
"Who has tomato juice in their pantry anyway?" He asked, staring at the chemist-blonde.
He narrowed his eyes toward Lucy.
"You don't drink it do you?"
Lucy's ears turned pink.
Natsu gaped at her.
"Ugh! You drink it? What-"
"I-It's good for you okay?" She responded, flustered.
Natsu laughed. Lucy huffed.
"And they're cheaper than a pack of V8's!" Lucy added.
"I've never met a person who enjoys drinking tomato juice."
Lucy rolled her eyes.
"I don't like it; I drink it because it's good for my health."
"Yeah, right." Natsu replied before blowing up the kiddie pool and placing it flat on the ground.
Lucy stirred the substance with a wooden spoon.
"Okay, it's ready."
Natsu placed an overly excited Happy in the pool. Lucy poured half of the liquid into the pool before handing Natsu a sponge and picking one up herself. Natsu dipped the sponge in the pot of chemicals.
"How do you know all of this stuff anyway? About un-skunking pets?" Natsu asked, scrubbing an all too happy Happy.
Lucy bit her lip before smiling.
"Well, believe it or not, I used to have a pet."
Natsu stopped grooming the cat and stared at Lucy.
"What? No! The all too ambitious, too smart, no distraction Lucy; having a pet?"
Lucy snorted.
"I had a dog when I was about seven or eight, years before I met you and everyone else. My dad thought I was being difficult when I was younger and thought some responsibility would do me some good." Lucy paused.
"He was a good dog. But I couldn't take him with me when I left. And he was old." Lucy's eyes darted to meet Natsu's before darting away.
She sniffed and picked up a bottle, dousing Happy in water. Natsu patted Happy down with a towel and the cat stepped out of the pool, smelling as fresh and un-skunk-like as ever.
"Lucy."
"Yeah?"
"Uh, thanks. For helping me out with… this."
"You've always been there for me." She replied quietly, glancing at him.
Natsu stared at her and she stared back before laughing again. Natsu smiled and fell backwards onto the grass.
Lucy plopped down onto the ground and laid her head down on his stomach, her head rising and falling slightly with each breathe Natsu took. Natsu snorted and glanced down at her.
"Weirdo."
Lucy yawned.
"Takes one to know one."
"Touché."
Lucy blinked slowly before her eyes fell lazily shut.
"Happy's really pleased with himself."
"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if he ran out into the woods later and tried to annoy the hell out of a skunk."
Lucy laughed again, and quite frankly, Natsu didn't think getting sprayed on by a skunk was so terrible. Except for the smell of course.
Okay, just for pointers, my cat fell asleep outside, and this skunk popped out from underneath my porch and fell asleep on the grass. So, my cat and this random skunk were both sleeping within proximity of one another. My cat came out unscathed, don't worry! Anyway, that was my inspiration for this one-shot- And I think it turned out well! Be sure to leave me some critique!