Sorry this took so long. I revised the first chapter, though, and I would highly suggest you read it over again, 'cuz there's a key piece of info in there that is quite important. This chapter is brought to you by ShadowSnowDapple, my awesome editor. Enjoy this new chapter. Also, I need a new name for this, and plot ideas. Suggestions, anyone?
Author's note
"Talking"
'Thinking'
y/n = your name
Some long moments after you watched Cana vanish through the guild doors in pursuit of alcohol, a small voice in your head reminded you that you were now under Mira's orders. 'You should probably hurry to your house. Loke wasn't too soft in handling Natsu,' reminded your voice of reason. 'Alright, I'm on my way,' and you were just turning to leave when-
"Y/N! Y/N!," You turned around to see Lucy, slightly out of breath and toting Plue under one arm, jogging towards you. She set Plue down and leaned against the guildhall, "Hey, was that Natsu that Loke just took off with?" she panted.
"Yeah. Natsu... Is a bit of a mess—," 'That's an understatement' you thought to yourself. "—He's really drunk and needs somewhere to stay or something. Mira's making me take him to my house because you and Happy weren't here, so now that you are I was hoping you could take him. But I also thought you weren't supposed to be back from your mission for another two days!"
Lucy gave you a smile, "The job was easier than I thought it would be. My client only ended up needing a bodyguard for five days instead of seven, and all I did was lounge around because nobody tried anything. But as for Natsu..." Her smile wavered slightly, "He and I had a fight about the job right before I left for it, and we aren't really on speaking terms right now. So whatever is up with him, please don't send him to my apartment. Sorry, y/n. I'm just not up to dealing with him today." You felt a pang of regret, and then a stronger pang of... Hope? Because Lucy and Natsu weren't a thing right now? 'Thats low,' you thought to yourself, but you couldn't muster up much bite behind it. Aloud you told Lucy, "It's okay. I think I can care for Natsu until he's sober enough to get him back to his house."
Lucy gave you a grateful smile, "Thanks for understanding, y/n. See you later." And with that, she walked through the splintered remains of the guild door.
The way back was not quite as peaceful as on the way to the guild. Well, it was, but the racket inside your head didn't match. You were trying not to think about it, but... Natsu was in your care, for however long it took to him sober up. And that would probably (hopefully?) be tomorrow. He was staying overnight at your house. You felt your cheeks heat up, and was suddenly glad that you were the only one on the small street. 'Snap out of it, y/n! There's no reason to blush! There's more of a possibility of him not setting something on fire while he's at our house than saying something vaguely romantic! He will wake up tomorrow, get up, set something on fire, eat everything, and leave,' The rational part of you argued, but you just blushed harder. 'Our cheeks must be bright red,' the sole voice of reason thought disdainfully.
Your house came into view, a usually comforting and familiar sight. However, with a pink-haired heap on the doorstep, the rational part of you was filled with dread. The other part (the pro-Natsu side) bubbled with joy, energy, and mild anxiety. As you got closer and saw muscled, tangled limbs, soft, cute pink hair ('It's salmon! Manly! Not cute at all!'), and the sleeping face of Natsu, the infatuated side grew. You picked him up carefully and softly carried him inside. Or at least, you tried to. In all reality Natsu was just too heavy for you to shoulder, and you gave up lifting him for the sake of his safety. You pondered your predicament for a moment, realizing that if you failed to get him inside it would look like you just murdered him and failed horribly at dumping the body. You mused that you could possibly create an alibi and compile evidence to suggest that Gray did it. Natsu was annoying, and hard headed, and he destroyed your first client's home, AND he "accidentally" set your favorite shirt on fire that one time at the guild. It would totally be worth it- disgusted, you mentally slapped yourself. At least, your pro-Natsu side did. Your rational side was still musing.
Finding no other choice besides murdering Natsu or leaving him on your doorstep, you resigned to pulling him. You located his hands (one under his head and the other on top of his foot) grabbed them, and began the monotonous process of moving him inside. You steeled yourself, tightened your hold on Natsu's hands, readied your arm muscles, and heaved yourself backwards. He gave a grudging two inches. You used your combined weight and arm muscles, and all he did was move two flipping inches. And Happy was always complaining about how supposedly "fat" Lucy was. You sighed, then put your hands under his armpits.
'Heave!' Your relational side taunted. 'We could still just kill him, you know. It'd easier.'
"Shut up," you growled at it under your breath as you pulled, and Natsu mumbled something in his sleep. You stopped pulling and leaned closer to his face, "Y...y-our/n...aaa [as in y/n]..." The rational part shrunk drastically, and had no part in it when you said;
"Natsu? A-are you awake? Do.. Do you want something to eat? Someplace to sleep?" He murmured something and shifted in his sleep. You waited a heartbeat longer, then repeated, "Natsu?" But he gave no response. Your hopes fell, and you reassumed your stance for pulling. Then you realized that if Natsu woke up now, he would probably be wondering why you were dragging him into your house. Maybe your murder plot had something to it. You tried to imagine what you would say, "Oh, sorry Natsu, I was just in the middle of killing you," or "I was wondering if you liked me so I kidnapped you." Or "Mira made me!" You shuddered and decided to avoid that completely. You determinedly heaved Natsu towards the door, gaining a prestigious five inches. You wasted no time in trying again, and received another three inches for your effort. Your muscles were tiring, and Natsu wasn't a foot closer for your efforts. How had Loke even picked him up, let alone freaking sprinted with him all the way here? Maybe Loke had some sort of celestial power.
All of that went out of your mind, though, when Lisanna and Laxus went by. They were walking hand-in-hand in the direction of the guild. Lisanna was talking animatedly and using her hands to demonstrate. Laxus was smiling softly, and he looked with at Lisanna with eyes filled with adoration. 'Wait- are they a thing?' You didn't think they were, but the sight before your eyes contrasted with the thought.
But before they could walk too far, you came to your senses and yelled to them, "Hey, guys!" Lisanna turned quickly and scanned the buildings, looking for you.
When her eyes alighted on you, they lit up and she responded, "Hey y/n!" Laxus, however, was a different story. At the sound of your voice he froze, then turned stiffly to reveal a guilty face. Lisanna waved and jogged over, happy to see you. "What's up?" she asked, friendly.
"Well, not too much. I was just going to spend the day at the guild, but when I got there Natsu was knocked out and since he's super drunk or something he needs someone to take care of him until he wakes up. Apparently Lucy doesn't want to deal with him right now -she just got back, by the way- and Happy's not here to take him home, I was elected to take care of him. At my house." You said, conveniently skating over the whole drunk-Natsu-yelling-your-name-at-the-guild thing, and Lisanna took that moment to realize that he was laying beside you on your doorstep.
Laxus (who had lost the guilty look) laughed. "Why your house? Why not just leave him at the guild?"
You opened your mouth to respond, only to find that you didn't have a good answer. The ones you thought of earlier flashed into your mind, and since you couldn't tell them you were in the process of killing Natsu or that you wanted to see if he liked you, you settled on the last excuse. "Mira made me!"
As though he had been shocked, Laxus took a step back like 'Don't get me into this.' Lisanna, however, looked back and forth between you and Natsu with a new sort of awareness. "Oh," she said, "I see. Do you need any help?"
Relieved, you replied "Yes. I'm having a hard time getting this Flame Nugget–," you gestured towards said Flame Nugget, "–into my house. I'm not quite strong enough." Your rational side laughed, and you inwardly scowled at it.
Lisanna smiled, "Sure! Laxus could probably-"
"Actually, we are due at the guild in a few minutes and we can't miss it. It's been planned for a week and it is really important. We've got to go right now," Laxus grabbed Lisanna's arm and started quickly walking towards the guild.
She smacked his arm and he let her go. "Laxus, I know you don't want to but y/n needs your help! It will only take a second!" He paused and looked back and forth between you and Lisanna, gauging the costs of helping or not. He grumbled something beneath his breath and strode over. Laxus, stormy-faced, grabbed Natsu off the ground so easily it's not even fair, shoved your door open, and deposited Natsu on the couch a few steps from the door. Laxus then walked out without looking at you, turned Lisanna around, and steered her towards the guild.
You cupped your hand around your mouth and waved widely, "Thanks you two!"
Lisanna looked back over her shoulder and waved in return, "You're welcome y/n! See you later!" And as she lowered her hand and turned forward, the ever-dwindling rational portion of your head wondered how it was going to survive the next day.
Aaaaaaand it's done! If you have name suggestions or plot suggestions tell me 'cuz I'm fresh out. PM me if you want, review, favorite, whatever, cuz it helps me write faster. But the most important is plot 'cuz if I haven't said it seven times yet than I'm sure you guys don't know: there is no flipping plot. Like, period. I had no idea what I was going to write thirty seconds before I wrote it in this chapter. The fuzzy idea of what this chapter was supposed to be before I sat down and started writing it just ended up staying a fuzzy idea. So, to recap, I need:
•plot ideas
•a new story name (even if you think your idea is stupid, it's probably better than my name I came up with in about thirty seconds)
•reviews
•plot ideas
•favorites
a new story name •new story name •yeah •plot ideas •a new story name •um • • So! Stealing my work = fed to Archnologia, flames go directly to Natsu, and I need plot ideas and a new story name!
•PMs
•plot ideas
•plot ideas
•plot ideas
•plot ideas
~MTheAwesome has left the building