Awe, man! This is going to hurt my wallet! Lucy whined internally as they passed bed after bed, the price going up with the size of the mattress. Honestly, part of her felt she shouldn't be the only one having to pay for the bed, especially since she wasn't the only one who used it, but so far Natsu had said nothing and she wasn't sure what to say, so she kept her mouth shut.
"Can I help you two find anything?" a salesman with orange hair and brown eyes asked as he approached them with a gentle smile.
Crap! He's going to think we're a couple! Inside, Lucy was freaking out, screaming and wanting to pull her hair out at their predicament. Outside, she calmly smiled and nodded. "Yes, please. We're looking for a bigger bed."
The salesman nodded, not losing his smile despite her extremely vague response. Lucy noticed the subtle, but not subtle enough, check of her barren ring finger and had to resist the urge to bristle defensively. "All right. What size do you have now?"
"A twin."
Surprise flashed in the man's eyes before he suppressed it. "And did you have a bigger size in mind?"
Crap! I didn't think this through well enough! I didn't think this would be this hard with Levy! Why is it so hard with Natsu?!
"Not too big, not too small," Natsu answered, saving her from eternal embarrassment. He would never admit it, but he wanted to be close to her when they slept. He wanted to touch her when he was sleeping, whether it was holding her or just brushing against her with a hand or a foot, although he preferred being closer than that. He needed reassurance that she was there and that she was safe. It was why he didn't mind the twin, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.
"Let's have a look at some of the queen beds then," the salesman offered with a slightly bigger smile and an extended hand. "Come with me."
"You sound like Goldilocks," Lucy chastised the moment she was back at Natsu's side. Natsu simply smiled and shrugged, earning him a sideways smile from Lucy that warmed his chest.
When they got to the queen bed section, Natsu managed to get the salesman to leave them alone, insisting they would try the beds out and find him if they had any questions. Lucy was surprised by his calm demeanor, but was actually very grateful for it. He was making the whole experience a lot less stressful than it could have been. When she smiled at him in thanks, he smiled and dipped his head in return before they separated, moving to check out beds.
"Hey, Luce!" Natsu called just a moment later, bringing Lucy to her feet from the bed she had been laying on – it was as hard as the floor. "Come try this one!"
Lucy followed Natsu's voice and smiled when she found him spread out on a bed, his arms and legs spread wide with a happy grin on his face. "You look comfy," she commented, cocking her head to the side.
Cracking an eye open, Natsu pulled in his limbs to give her some room. "Try it."
Feeling her cheeks warm, Lucy climbed onto the bed beside him and lay down with a pleasant sigh. The moment she laid on the bed, her body felt comfortable and weightless. There were no pressure points on the bed, no springs hitting places it shouldn't. The bed contoured to fit the curve at her back and accommodate the curves of her hips. Before she knew it, her eyes drifted closed and she sighed again, her arms falling loosely to her sides. "I like it," she breathed.
Beside her, Natsu rolled and pushed himself up on his elbow. She hardly felt a thing, but she was aware of his gaze on her. Even so, she kept her eyes shut and bit her tongue to keep from blushing nervously. "Is me sleeping with you really that big of a problem?" he whispered after some time, his body trembling out of nervousness.
Lucy's eyes snapped open. "What?!"
Natsu looked down, drawing circles on the mattress with his finger. He wanted to run his finger along her skin, but decided against it. "You don't sleep well because of me. You're buying a new bed because of me. You kick me out or yell at me when I come into your bed." His words admitted that he remembered everything from the previous night, and he forced himself to look into her eyes – eyes that were wide and surprised, and yet the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. "Is it really that bad?"
"Natsu," Lucy breathed, seeing the hurt on his face once more. It was so unusual to see him hurting because of his own feelings – any time he hurt it was for his friends. "That's not why." She sucked in a breath for courage. "If it was that big of a problem, I wouldn't be buying a new bed and encouraging the behavior in doing so, now would I?"
His brow furrowed as he allowed his hand to move closer. Lucy shivered, feeling the heat radiating from him. "So you're not going to kick me out or yell at me?"
Her lower lip found its way between her teeth and Lucy shook her head rather than speak. Her heart was pounding so fiercely in her chest, she felt it radiate down into her belly, which was clenched so tightly she thought she might choke or puke, or both. Natsu had never looked at her the way he was then, his eyes soft and caring and open, and nervous. "No," she breathed, reaching up to cup his cheek in her palm. "I'm done kicking you out."
His face lit up as his eyes sparked, a warm tightness forming in his chest. "Seriously?"
Now she nodded. "Seriously." Pulling her eyes from his, she patted the mattress and ran her hands over it. "Now, how do you feel about this one?"
Flopping back down, Natsu smiled, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The way Lucy had said she had to get a new bed had struck him as her disapproval and reproach – something she had been doing for years but just now affected him. She had seemed so sad earlier and he realized he didn't want to see her like that ever again, least of all over something so stupid. "I love it," he murmured, closing his eyes and imaging saying those words a little differently.
"I could take a nap right now," Lucy breathed, her eyes drifting closed until a voice broke her from her doze.
"Did you find one you like?" the salesman suddenly appeared, bringing both of them from their moment of bliss.
A wave of surprise washed over Lucy, starting in her toes and working up to the top of her head. She wanted to bury her face in the bed and hide herself beneath blankets, but none of those things were available to her. "We have," Natsu answered for her with a smile as he sat up. "How much?"
Lucy's ears perked up at those words, feeling her heart fall like a lump into her stomach.
"Do you have a price limit?"
"Tell us the price first."
That a boy, Natsu, she praised him in her mind. She never would have thought he would be so good with a salesperson. He clearly deserved more credit than she gave him.
"90,000 jewels."
"That's more than one month's rent!" Lucy exclaimed as her entire being was filled with resentment. She didn't have that kind of money!
"Just think of how long this bed will last you," the salesman tried to soothe over her outburst. "When you think of it in terms of how long you should have the mattress and divide it into months, you will find the per month rate is actually rather low."
"What?" Natsu asked, immediately turning to Lucy for an explanation.
Finally rising to a sitting position, Lucy put a restraining and comforting hand on Natsu's shoulder. "It means the mattress is cheap per month when you look at how long it should last." She let her hand slip from his shoulder, her fingers sliding down his arm without thought until she felt him shiver beneath her touch. "But I'm sorry, I don't have that kind of money right now."
The ever-typical salesman drooped his head. "Very well then, I am sorry. I could show you some of our less expensive beds?"
"Hold on," Natsu interrupted, digging into the pockets of his baggy pants. "I have enough that should cover it."
"Natsu?"
Looking over at his blonde partner, Natsu smiled. "It is for both of us, right?"
"If your boyfriend would let you pay for a bed like that all by yourself, you would deserve much better," the salesman commented dryly.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Lucy cried, just as Natsu yelled, "She's not my girlfriend!"
Hearing their adamant denial, the salesman shrugged and took the jewels Natsu all but shoved into his hands. He waited patiently while Lucy dug around in her purse for the remaining balance. "Could have fooled me! My apologies, but why else would you be buying a bed together?"
That's none of your damn business! Lucy wanted to shriek. Instead, she kept her comments to herself as the man counted their jewels. Natsu had paid for more than half. She watched the arrogant salesman with her hands clenched into fists that shook until Natsu squeezed her shoulder gently. Not at all fazed by the tension radiating from the woman before him, the salesman looked up from the jewels and smiled. "Would you like to arrange for delivery? It is free with a purchase this large."
It better be, Lucy snapped in her head. "Would it be for today?" Natsu asked before she could say anything.
The salesman consulted a sheet before meeting Natsu's stern gaze. "There is an extra fee for rush delivery."
"Do it," Natsu demanded, tossing him the extra jewels, leaving Lucy to stare at him with her mouth hanging open until the salesman handed her some paperwork to fill out. Natsu stood beside her, his arms folded across his chest defensively.
The salesman was either really good at his job, or oblivious, for as Lucy was filling out the delivery paperwork, he ignored Natsu's condescending glare and politely asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you today? Anything else you need?"
"No," Natsu immediately answered.
"Actually," Lucy answered at the same time, the two mages turning to look at each other in surprise. "We'll need some bedding. Do you carry anything here?"
Smiling, the salesman took the paperwork Lucy slid over to him and indicated the opposite end of the store. "You're in luck! We have an entire selection on this side of the store. It can be added to your delivery if you'd like, or you can take it now."
"Thank you," Lucy replied with a smile, falling in step behind the salesman as he led the way to the other side of the store. Natsu reluctantly followed, his brow furrowed in agitation with the salesman as he attempted to keep his eyes away from Lucy's legs.
"What do we need bedding for, anyway? Doesn't it come with it?"
Giggling, Lucy looked at him over her shoulder and shook her head. "Of course it doesn't."
Natsu lowered his gaze to the floor, recalling how soft Lucy's sheets were and how good they smelled. That's because they smell like her, he admitted to himself, but he couldn't deny the softness. He practically considered it a luxury to have comfortable bedding. He didn't want to give that up! "Hey Luce," he asked, picking up the pace so he could walk beside her. "C-can we get the same kind you have now?"
Although his question was perfectly innocent, blood rushed to Lucy's cheeks, making her heart feel light and joyful. They had never been so open in discussing their sleeping arrangements before (other than when she vehemently denied him access to the bed and kicked him out). "You like them, Natsu?" she asked, careful to keep her voice low and avoid embarrassing him in front of the salesman.
Scratching the back of his neck, Natsu grunted and tried to appear disinterested. "I mean, get whatever you want." When their eyes met, he saw the mirth scarcely in check within hers, making his chest squeeze once more. "But yeah, I do," he finally admitted, quickly looking away.
Giggling, Lucy slipped her arms around his without thinking about it, allowing him to lead them as she held his arm captive between hers. While she felt Natsu tense beneath her touch, he didn't pull away, and in fact, he relaxed a moment later, looking at her from the corner of his eye with a soft smile. "Then let's get the soft ones. If we can afford it," she cautioned.
Using his free hand, Natsu jiggled his pocket and a scarcely audible jingling sound could be heart. "Don't worry about that, Luce."
Her eyes widening, Lucy looked from the pocket of his loose-fitting pants, to his eyes, then back, then forth. "What do you mean by that?"
He smiled his wide toothy grin Lucy found so endearing. "I got it!"
Tears stung Lucy's eyes as she stopped and threw herself into Natsu's arms. He caught her, just like she knew he would, and pulled her closer. "Thank you, Natsu!" she breathed into his chest, closing her eyes at his closeness.
Taken by surprise by Lucy's sudden show of affection, Natsu nevertheless was quick to drop his cheek to the top of her head, the soft scent of her vanilla shampoo overpowering his senses. "It's the least I can do, Luce," he whispered, his eyes drifting closed, before he realized where they still were and quickly stepped back. "Now let's finish this up so we can get out of here."
Her cheeks pleasantly warmed and peppered with pink, Lucy continued to smile when they separated, immediately taking Natsu's hand once again. "Right!"
Once he showed them where the proper sized bedding was, the salesman thankfully left them alone once more, and Lucy wasted no time in opening the packages so Natsu could feel the material before they decided on two sets – one pink and one a pale yellow per Natsu's insistence. They also tracked down a few comforters to replace Lucy's favorite, which would no longer fit (but she would keep for the couch). When they approached the counter with their selections, the salesman eyed them over the color, making Lucy's hands clench into fists once more. Natsu was the calm one for a change, his firm hand gentle on her shoulder as he offered his silent support and encouragement. Arrangements were made to add the bedding to their existing delivery and they could not get out of the store fast enough.
It wasn't until they were out the store that Natsu let his irritation truly show. "Man, that guy was a jerk!"
"A jerk that thinks we're sleeping together," Lucy grumbled, and then slapped a hand over her mouth in shock, her feet shuffling to a stop. When she dared to look at Natsu, he was unfazed, looking at her with confusion evident in his furrowed brow once he realized she was no longer beside him.
"Well, we are, aren't we?" he asked with a simple shrug.
Lucy gasped at his answer, her entire face turning as red as Erza's hair until she took in the innocent expression in Natsu's eyes. She couldn't help but smile nervously. Of course he wouldn't think that way… "I don't mean that kind of sleeping together," she grudgingly admitted, feeling like her insides should be shriveling and melting at the same time. She wanted very much to disappear. How the hell did we end up in this conversation?!
"Well, what else would it," he started, and then realization dawned, his eyes going wide and his cheeks darkening against his tan skin. He suddenly had to avert his eyes as he scratched the back of his neck. "Ooooh," he breathed, his face growing even darker as images flashed in his mind. He coughed to hide his discomfort.
Not entirely sure what to make of his reaction, Lucy nevertheless had to fight the urge to laugh as she pushed her hair behind her ear. "Forget about him." She moved forward to come to Natsu's side, elbowing him with a smile. "Thank you, Natsu."
He looked at her with more than a little surprise. "You don't have to thank me."
"I couldn't have gotten the bed without you and you took care of that obnoxious salesman for me. I wasn't even planning on bringing you in the first place!"
He shrugged her words off with his signature grin, clapping her on the shoulder as they started walking once more. "Then it was a good thing I came along then, wasn't it?"
Makes more sense for him to come with me than Levy, since he sleeps in the bed and she doesn't, Lucy reluctantly admitted to herself. And I think we both had fun doing this. I got to see a whole other side of him that I've never seen before… "Yes it was," she answered with an even wider smile. I need to show him how much I appreciate this, she worried to herself as she tried to figure out what to do. There was the always-obvious choice, but she wanted to try something different, and as she debated, she watched him from the corner of her eye. It's now or never, Lucy! Nearly jumping in her nervousness, she moved to her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on his cheek, still walking. It was a rough kiss, given their momentum, and she ended up closer to his mouth than she intended since he got surprised and turned toward her at the last moment. The resulting blush darkening his cheeks when she pulled away and stunned look in his eye made her heart soar and tighten and thud anxiously in her chest. "I couldn't have done any of it without you, Natsu."
Did she just kiss me?! "Luce," he breathed, resisting the urge to touch his cheek, which was still warm, the sensation of her touch lingering.
Her blush darkened and Lucy felt as though she was in danger of combusting. "I-I," she stuttered, suddenly waving her hands in front of her and not understanding why.
Something flashed in Natsu's eyes, the forest green depths momentarily lightening as his eyes fell to her lips. His hand was suddenly around her wrist and she suddenly found herself pulled against him, his other hand at the back of her neck as his lips descended on hers.
The first thought Lucy had as his lips pressed chastely against hers was, oh, Mavis! Is he kissing me?! Then she was able to register that his lips were warmer and softer than she could have thought possible, even if they were slightly chapped, but he pulled back just as quickly as he pulled her to him, leaving his forehead gently touching hers.
Why the hell did I do that?! Shit! "I told you, you don't have to thank me," he murmured. "We're partners. It's what we do." At the way Lucy's eyes fell and her shoulders slumped, he quickly added, "Besides, I wanted to do it." Just like I wanted to kiss you, he admitted only to himself.
She stared at him, shocked into utter silence and stillness. Much as he had wanted to, her fingertips came up to brush against her lips, still tingling from their kiss. She'd longed to know what it felt like to be kissed by him, but now that she knew, she wasn't sure it was such a good idea. What sort of Pandora's Box had they just opened? "Natsu," she breathed.
His hands slipped down to her waist, a ruthless smile spreading across his lips. "Maybe next time we should just tell him we are sleeping together so it won't be so embarrassing."
"Natsu!" she shrieked, pulling out of his grasp and stomping off to resume their trek home. "That's even more embarrassing!"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"
She couldn't meet his eyes. Part of her was screaming for joy, reveling in the idea of his words ringing true, but the other part was screaming in resistance – that it was a bad idea to even entertain such thoughts. "We'll be lucky enough as it is if that man doesn't start talking about us."
"People talk about us plenty as it is, Luce."
She was brought to a complete stop in the middle of the street again, turning around to look at Natsu in astonishment. "W-w-what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice scarcely above a harsh whisper.
Not understanding her concern, Natsu looked at her with a furrowed brow before he shrugged. "I hear it all the time."
"And w-what do they say?" She was almost too afraid to ask.
Suddenly realizing the dangerous territory they had wandered into again, Natsu nervously cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. Why did I have to bring that up?! "Well," he began, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Lucy was looking up at him with wide, expectant eyes that made him feel like he was drowning. "Let's just go eat, Luce!" he decided, quickly changing the subject as he grabbed her hand and took off at a run down the street.
"Natsu!" she cried, scarcely able to keep up behind him. She smiled anyway. Maybe Levy had been on to something sending him bed shopping with her after all…
A/N: This is where I intended this story to end. I had meant for it to be a one-shot but it got too long to fit in one document on DeviantArt and I took longer to edit some parts than others so it was split up. I could leave it here and consider it complete, but there is room to continue if there is enough interest… As always, reviews and comments always welcome!
