Fluorescent lights pour over the halls of Fairy Tail Advanced Medical Center as a delivery man stalks his way towards the doors, clipboard in hand. Back at the reception desk, a beautiful woman with long white hair is busy gossiping with a purple-haired cafeteria worker, paying no mind the the parcel that was just delivered. A few nurses and other staff had stopped at the desk, listening intently to the rumors spilling out of the excited pale-headed woman's mouth. Unfortunately for them, a tall, beautiful surgeon with long red hair tied back in a ponytail had just trudged up to the group, hands on her hips and a vein threatening to pop in her forehead.
"Ah hem!" The redhead cleared her throat loudly, gaining the attention of the whole crowd. Expressions laced with dread painted the faces of everyone but the receptionist, who simply smiled. "Need I remind you that you are at your place of work, not a high school ladies room?" The surgeon spoke up, causing the crowd to scatter and return to their jobs.
"Aw. Erza, come on. You can't tell me you aren't at least a little interested in gossip." The white-haired woman smiled innocently, "Elfman and Evergreen were found in the janitor's closet together!"
"The relationships of others is no business of mine, Mirajane." Erza stopped herself there before her expression pulled a 180 and she was nearly jumping off the ground with excitement, "Wait! Do you think they will get married!? Ah, what a beautiful wedding that would be. I hope I can be a bridesmaid. What color pallette do you think they will use? Knowing Ever it will be green..." Erza continued her excited rant, her voice reaching such high decibels with glee no one could understand a word she was saying. Mirajane simply laughed at how easily the no-nonsense surgeon could change expression. Erza was brought out of her trance when she noticed the item left by the delivery man sitting on the the top counter of Mirajane's reception station. Having seen enough of that particular kind of box at her workplace before, she asked, "Did a patient recieve a flower delivery?"
"Huh?" Mirajane asked, still obviously focused on her latest piece of gossip. "Oh, yeah. Those were just dropped off about ten minutes ago." She reached over to the box and looked at the label for a recipient. "It says they are to be delivered to Michelle Lobster." Mirajane's brow furrowed as the turned to her computer, looking over the patient list. "That's strange. I don't think we have a patient by that name."
"Sounds like a fake name if you ask me." Erza and Mirajane turned in the direction of the smooth male voice, eyes falling on a lean, muscular frame. His black hair was pulled back by his surgeon's cap and his dark blue eyes matched the scrubs of the blue-haired nurse who followed closely behind him, leaving little, if any, personal space.
"Juvia agrees with Gray-sama." The slender woman tailing the man now known to be Gray spoke up, "Juvia thinks this is some sort of prank." The group was startled as a red and pink blur zoomed through the hallway to meet them at reception. Juvia wrapped her body tightly around Gray in fright. The boy's face paled and went blank, body going rigid as he was torn between fear of impact and embarrassment that the beautiful woman was so close to him.
"WHAT'S A PRANK?" The blur spoke as it paused to reveal a fit man wearing red scrubs and a red surgeon's cap over pink locks of hair. His dark eyes glinted with giddiness at the mere thought of a prank. Gray's body relaxed a returned to giving off the usual air of nonchalance when he saw his workplace rival standing in front of him. Juvia, however, did not let go of him until he shook her off.
"Just some flowers, Natsu. The name of the recipient doesn't match any of our patients." Mira explained.
"Flowers?" Natsu thought aloud, "Pfft, that's a stupid prank!" His bottom lip jutted out into a pout, posture curving as he brought his arms together over his chest.
"Better than anything you've ever done, flame brain." Gray spoke up.
"What! My pranks are awesome!" Natsu's excitement surged, thinking about the kinds of pranks he would pull on his coworkers.
"Please, pyro. All of your pranks end in disaster." Gray's voice was slightly muffled as he pulled his grey scrub shirt over his head.
"You're just jealous stipper, wanna go!?" Natsu's forehead slammed into Gray's, pushing out his chest, fists clenched tightly and ready to be thrown.
"Fire dork!"
"Ice princess!"
"Squinty eyes!"
"Droopy eyes!"
"ENOUGH!" This time it was Erza who spoke up, glaring at the pair with her eyes hiding behind her bangs. "There will be no fights while on duty." She explained through clenched teeth.
"AYE SIR!" The pair of surgeons shouted in unison, arms wrapped around each other in a forced hug.
"Gray, you might want to find your shirt." Mirajane pipped up, pointing to Gray's chest, covered only by the cross pendant he wears under his scrubs. Gray looked around the immediate area with panic until Juvia's small hand extended towards him, offering him the article he had lost without noticing.
"What are you going to do with the bouquet, Mira?" Erza steered the conversation back on track.
"I don't know, I mean I guess someone can just take it home." Mira opened the box to reveal the simple arrangement of pink roses.
"I WANT THEM." The group turned to Natsu with shocked expressions, the same thought running through all of their heads: What would Natsu want with flowers? No one could ignore the look of determination in his eye, they all knew there was no denying him. Mira's look of shock soon shifted into a knowing smile.
"Alright, Natsu." The receptionist handed the box over to him while the others still stood in disbelief.
"YOSHH!" Natsu triumphantly thrust both hands up in the air as he made his victory walk down the hallway. He turned into the staff room where he secured the flowers in his locker until the end of his shift.
Later that evening a tired blonde dressed in light pink scrubs under a white medical coat is standing in the hallway of an apartment building, fiddling with her keys to unlock the door in front of her. Stepping into her small apartment, she sighs as she discovers lights on in nearly every room. A small blue feline races to greet her, rubbing up against her legs before stretching paws upward against her thigh, begging to be fed. She drops her purse and key ring on the small table by the door before bending down and welcoming the cat into her arms.
"Natsu, if you and Happy were going to barge into my apartment and make a mess, you could have at least fed him before I got off a double shift." She rolled her eyes at her friend's carelessness, but a small smile creeped its way onto her lips. She turned to walk out of the small living room and into the kitchen to the fridge. After removing a raw fish from its wrappings, she placed it on a plate and offered the meal to Happy. He purred in satisfaction as he devoured his dinner. Just then, the blonde woman felt her stomach rumble. She looked around the kitchen to find an easy meal when she saw a note on her oven door.
Dinner is in the oven.
She opened the oven door, surprised to find a plate of lo mein sitting on the rack, still warm. Although the presentation may lead one to believe the dish was homemade, she knew better. She removed the plate from the oven, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and made her way to the small dining table in the living room. She attacked her meal like an animal, too hungry and stressed from her long shift at the hospital to care about taking her time. At this point Happy had finished his meal and jumped up next to her on the table and laid down. "Damn cat..." She whispered as she attempted to shoo him off her furniture. Once Happy moved, she found a second note under his fish-filled body. She picked it up and read it as she went to deposit her plate in the sink.
Your bath has been drawn.
Confusion painted the blonde's face as she left the kitchen and made her way to the bathroom located in a small hallway. "Why would he make me a bath... I mean dinner is one thing..." Her voice trailed off as the opened the bathroom door and found the tub filled with warm soapy water. "How is it still warm?" Her jaw dropped when she noticed her bath pillow already in its place waiting for her, along with her book of the week sitting on the floor- grabbing distance from the tub- next to a towel. However, none of this compared to the shock of finding her favorite red silk pajamas hanging from the back of the bathroom door.
At this point the blonde could not believe what, she assumes, her best friend has done for her. She turned out of the bathroom and searched her entire apartment, but Natsu was nowhere to be found. She shrugged as she walked back to the full tub. "I guess I'll find out soon enough if I play along." She quickly stripped off the scrubs she was sick of wearing and settled against her bath pillow, ready to lose herself in her book.
After a few chapters the water grew cold and she decided it was time to leave the tub. She drained the water and washed her hair, letting the warmth officially rinse the stress of the day down the drain. Once out of the shower, she ran a comb through her wet hair and looked at herself in the mirror. "Wow, I somehow look less tired," she remarked. She reached for the red silk pajamas hanging on the bathroom, appreciating how smooth and refreshing they feel after a nice bath. Behind them on the door hung is a third note. She read it, dressed, and exited the bathroom.
I have a question for you.
"Natsu?" She calls out to her best friend as she looks down the small hallway to her living room and kitchen area. Turning her head in the opposite direction she notices light illuminating the small crack of her bedroom door. She takes a step forward, turning the handle slowly before she pushes the door to open wide in front of her. Her breath catches in her throat and her hands instinctively clutch at her heart as the takes in the view of pink rose petals covering her bed. She steps closer to inspect the shape they are laid out in and tears prick at the back of her eyes as she reads the words they spell out.
Lucy, be mine?
The blonde is frozen in her place staring at the question posed in front of her. Natsu peeks out from behind her bedroom door and takes a step closer to her. No longer in scrubs, he's sporting a dark red t-shirt and black jeans, a scaly scarf wrapped around his neck. His pink hair is no longer restrained by a surgeon cap, but is spiked wildly in every direction. On his face is a wide smile, and in his hands is a single pink rose.
"Lucy..." He begins, her whole body snaps to face his, still frozen and speechless. "I've known you for a while now, and for a while now I've known that I love you." The tears threatening to fall from her eyes began to slip out. "Fear is the only thing that kept me from telling you sooner, fear that you wouldn't feel the same, and that our friendship wouldn't survive my confession... Stupid, really." He let out a nervous laugh. "I think this is the only thing I've ever been scared of. But I can't hold it in anymore. I need to take the risk." Natsu reached out and grabbed Lucy's hand. "I love you, Lucy Heartfilia. I want you to be mine." He punctuated his confession with a wide smile that threatened to split his face in two.
Lucy reached her other hand up to his face. Her heart was beating against her chest like a drum. "Natsu..." She swallowed her tears and a light laugh left her chest. "You idiot." Natsu's smile faded and confusion flashed upon his face as Lucy pulled herself against him quickly, her head resting on his chest in a hug. He pouted and struggled to wait for her to continue. Lucy lifted her head, standing on tiptoes to whisper in his ears, "I've always been yours."
Natsu wasted no time in putting his lips on hers. Happy found his way into the room and rubbed against the legs of the couple, purring as if to say "they liiiiike each other".
The next day Lucy arrived for her shift at the hospital in her maroon scrubs, white doctor's coat slung around her arm. Her hair hung down around her shoulders with a few tendrils tucked behind her ear where they were held in place by the company of a pink rose. She was humming happily to herself as she passed the reception desk. "Good morning, Lucy." Mira chirped with a smile, noticing the blonde's current mood as well as the flower behind her ear. "Did Natsu give you flowers yesterday?" The blonde flushed at the receptionist's remark, hurrying away and uttering a silent prayer that she could escape the gossiping woman's demonic wrath.