It was raining and they were playing double dutch. Again.

"Seriously," she huffed and crossed her arms, "this is what it's come to."

He ignored her and tied the rope to the end of the pole. Gray covered the other side while Wendy practiced her hops. This... this was...

"Chaos." Erza murmured whilst pulling up with the lemonade cans. Again, why were they agreeing to this? Right, the idiot (pink hair, gluttonous, a pyro streak) had claimed she's chickening out because she's "too old". They were basically the same damn age! Well, he's technically way, way older then all of them, but then again Erza was conceived a long time ago too. And Wendy... ugh, shit. They made it so complicated.

At least the first time let's double dutch in the pouring rain like idiots occurred she was willing. They were bored and missions were basically impossible, the trains had shut down because of track flooding and lachrima sources were limited. There was a reason (sort of) to be outside and soaked and catching a flu. Today, Natsu was just being annoying and rude because she was not old, no. She could still whip an enemy like that and deliver a good kick. So sometimes her muscles ache, and her hands hurt, and her... oh.

Was she old?

"You're not." Erza tapped her on the head with a can and she became aware. Right. Double dutch in the rain. Again. Wait, how did she know?

"You said it out loud." Right.

Okay, so debrief: Wendy never experienced double dutch in the rain. She hesitated. Natsu called her old. And now they were here.

"Maybe you're running a fever," Erza's hand lay on her forehead and it was so nice, like a mom's, "or maybe you really have gone crazy from spending too much time with Natsu." Okay, scratch that.

The water soaked into the rope but they didn't care, Natsu and Gray lined up with Wendy trailing behind, all trembles and adorable fidgeting. Everyone was ready.

"Wait, so who's turning the rope?"

... oh fuck.


So maybe they weren't thinking clearly. Tying both ends of the rope to poles and expecting it to turn itself didn't even make their list of lows. They'd done much worse, like destroying the guild hall, and Kardia Cathedral, and the Council and... moving along.

The rain cleared up and the sun wasn't shining. Probably because of Natsu. She doesn't know why, but she's still pissed because he called her old, so, his fault.

Speaking of, "hey. I said why aren't you talking to me." he wouldn't piss off.

She just had to Lucy finish cleaning up Lucy Lucy Lucy these damn cans Lucy Lucy Lucy Lucy Lucy Lucy

"What." Gray was evil for suggesting clean up duty through rock paper scissors. No one could convince her he didn't know she was a scissors girl. "Aren't I too old for you to be talking to?"

He tilted his head, "hah?" the other way now, "you're not old."

"You said I was!"

"I said you're too old for double dutch in the rain."

"Which is basically saying the same thing! And Erza and Gray are older than me!"

"They exercise more."

"Your definition of exercise is running five laps across Fiore while carrying five people on my back."

"You can't do that?"

She sighed. He was impossible. She heard the CLUNK of the last can hit the recycling bin and thanked every being out there that it was over, she could go home and relax and-

"Oh yeah me and Happy are staying at your place tonight," wait what- "the water isn't working and I want a bath. I mean, it's been a week so... yeah."

No, he was not expecting her to throw out all her plans for the day to accommodate him. No way. She would not give in to him and his whims and his, his-

"You will, right," he threw an arm around her, "let us stay?"

his stupidly charming smile.

"Okay."


Lucy thought she always lost. Natsu begged to differ, he never did sleep. She was too cute to look at.