A/N: Since I had no stories set up for today's update and I had completed this chapter like, two days ago, I decided to upload this. There's not much I can say in this Author's Note but the updates are going to spread apart for the next couple of chapters. I hope that you all will stick with me for the duration of this story and I want to thank you for the support so far!

I hope you enjoy and I'll see you in the next one! -808Lionfire

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail (c) Hiro Mashima


Chapter 4-

Lucy slumped from where she was sitting on her coffee table, lightly chewing on her nail out of habit. Natsu, her salmon-haired savior, sat in front of her. He had twisted in his seat to where she could still see the wound but still talk to the blonde properly. Not having much experience with manners, he felt that talking without at least some form of eye contact wasn't very polite. He could still tell that she was contemplating about what to do about the slice on his back, wondering whether to stitch it or not.

He could have told her that he heals unusually quickly and that stitches wouldn't matter, but for some reason, his heart wasn't in the thought. Of course, he wasn't a masochist (he didn't take pleasure in any form of pain), so he'd tell her soon. Probably...

Eventually.

"Let's just do it this way then," Lucy muttered absentmindedly as she rummaged through the first-aid kit for another roll of gauze. Gripping the bandage in her hand, she turned back to Natsu with a grin on her face, "I have a ton of these, so waisting it isn't really possible. We'll get you wrapped up, fed and we'll see where to go from there. If you need stitches, then I'd be glad to give them to you."

"Ugh," Natsu shuddered, "Why do you sound so happy about that?"

"I'm not," The blonde replied, struggling to drop her grin, "But I've never done it-"

"Then you're not doing it to me!" The salmon-haired man exclaimed, shifting away. She quickly grabbed his shoulder, being mindful of the wound on his back.

"Let me finish," Lucy scolded, turning him back to her, "I've never done it to anyone other than myself." She stressed the last part, shooting a pointed look at the man. Lucy snobbishly stuck her nose in the air, "However, I am first-aid certified and being able to stitch a wound shut was in the training."

Natsu calmed almost instantly but turned to look at her, a weird gaze in his eyes, "Where do you even learn this kind of stuff? Better yet, why do you even want to know this kind of stuff?"

"Well," Lucy muttered, turning away when a flush settled on her cheeks, "I wanted to be a Doctor or Nurse at one point in my life. So when I was traveling, I interned at a hospital in Crocus." She dipped her hand back into the first-aid kit and pulled out the tube of disinfectant, "Having basic first-aid skills was one of the requirements so I guess that's where I learned that. But that's another story for a different day, let's get you cleaned up. I left dinner on the stove."

As she smeared more of the disinfectant on her finger, she heard Natsu take a deep breath, "Mm. Yeah, I can smell it."

"You can?" The blonde asked, taking a deep breath through her nose.

Unfortunately, she couldn't smell anything. With the kitchen door closed and the vent filtering the aroma to the outside air, he shouldn't have been to smell anything from the kitchen. Much less what she was cooking, so it was safe to say that she didn't believe him. A thought that this man could have heightened senses flittered through her mind but it seemed so far off that she just brushed it to the side. If it was true, she'd believe it but she wouldn't know what kind of profession a person like that would go to. That stumped the blonde completely.

However, now that she thought about it, the whole system for the kitchen really isn't safe. What if something was burning in the kitchen? She wouldn't have been able to smell it. Unless she remembers to never shut the kitchen door or close the vent before she leaves...

"Yeah," Natsu muttered, breathing in again, "It smells good."

"Thanks, I think," Lucy replied, a small, skeptical smile on her face, "But you're not supposed to be able to smell it."

"You don't believe me?" The salmon-haired man asked, giving her a disappointed look and a pout.

"I don't believe I ever said I did," She shrugged, lightly pushing his shoulder so she could get a better angle, "Now shush, I'm trying to concentrate."

Natsu wisely stayed quiet, tensing when Lucy placed her hand on his shoulder. She hadn't even done anything yet, only examine the wound to see where her best plan of attack (completely metaphorical) would be. Lucy pursed her lips before snorting in amusement.

"Why are you so tense?" She asked, amused. Lucy then heard him muttering something akin to 'you're evil' but she just waved it off. "Let's talk about something then," Lucy supplied, "To get your mind off of it."

"Fine."

"You're such a baby," She giggled, "I'm not even going to stitch you yet."

"Ask me a question," Natsu demanded, ignoring her earlier comment. At Lucy's laugh, he scowled half-heartedly, "Seriously. Ask me a question."

"Okay," Lucy smiled, trying to find a suitable question, "So convince me. If you can smell the food so well, what am I making?"

"Veggie Stew, obviously," Natsu replied, rolling his eyes.

"I don't suppose your superior nose can also sniff out the ingredients?" The blonde teased, handing him something and asking him to hold it over his shoulder. He did as she said and she quickly took whatever it was back. Though, Natsu was pretty sure it was the gauze.

"Nope."

"Thought so," She hummed, sliding her hand down his back, "But you're correct. Surprisingly." Ignoring his indignant protest, she hooked her arms around his torso for a brief second before pulling back. Grabbing the scissors, she cut the gauze before tucking it securely into one of the layers. "Done," She announced, putting the rest of the gauze in the red first-aid case, "But it's strange. I can't smell anything, why can you?"

Natsu gave her a smug smile, "Nose of a Firefighter."

"A what?" Lucy asked, her eyes widening. If possible, the salmon-haired man's smile grew. "I don't believe you."

"Why not?" He questioned, a chuckle passing his lips.

"I don't know," She replied, closing the first-aid kit and standing, "You look like the kind of person to start fires, not put it out."

"I am a Firefighter," Natsu pouted childishly, making the blonde roll her eyes, "But you're right."

Taking him completely by surprise, Lucy hit the back of his head and he slightly lurched forward out of pure instinct. Turning around quickly, he saw that she was as equally taken aback. The room had fallen so deathly quiet, even Happy lifted his head to see what was going on. However, Lucy broke the silence first when she slapped a hand over her mouth to stop a laugh from escaping.

"Oh crap," She muttered past her hand, trying to stop the giggles from escaping. The blonde adverted her eyes quickly, "I'm so sorry... I don't know what came over me." Natsu remained quiet but his eyes softened from it's shocked state and a silly grin spread across his lips. "But it serves you right," she muttered, quickly stepping from around the table and heading for the kitchen, "I'd bet you started half the fires you put out."

"You're not wrong," Natsu told her right as she opened the kitchen door.

He felt his mouth water almost instantly, getting a huge whiff of the food as the door opened. A groan left his lips as he slumped against the sofa, and he thought the food smelt delicious earlier. Lucy turned at the sound of his groan, concerned. She was about to ask him what was wrong but it seemed as if he was either stuck in euphoria or sleeping. Assuming it was the former, she just smiled, shook her head and disappeared into the kitchen.

She called out to Happy, dropping some of the sardines onto a plate and quietly walking towards the coffee table. The blue feline immediately scrambled to his paws and hopped off of her bed, his nose already in the air. Lucy placed the plate on the wooden top and placed her hands on her hips as Happy bounded towards her. She swore she saw the cat's eyes shining as he hopped onto the counter.

"I didn't cook them," she informed the cat who sniffed at the fish and looked up at her, "I figured you didn't really care anyway."

Happy let out a loud meow before he dipped his head and snatched up one of the sardines. Lucy rolled her eyes before turning on her heel and disappearing into the kitchen once again. She lightly hummed as she pulled a couple of bowls from the cabinets, placing them on the counter. After turning off the stove and stirring the stew, she grabbed a spoon and dipped it into the soup. Truthfully, it was a little thick, but that could be due to the potatoes that shrunk during the cooking process.

Lucy lightly blew on the spoonful that she scooped before tasting it. The flavors immediately coated her tongue, the heat finally kicking in after a second. Swallowing, she reached for the hot sauce. She didn't really like hot things but she liked her stew a bit spicy. She blamed that side of her on her father. Her mother loved to make the family dinners despite their chef's constant protests. Lucy supposed she liked it because that's all she knew back then.

After hitting the food with a couple of shots of the hot sauce, she tasted it again and nodded in satisfaction. She hoped Natsu doesn't mind the heat, it was an acquired taste after all.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy called, poking her head from around the door to look at the man lazily lounging on her couch.

A large, pleased grin spread across his face before he cracked open an eye to look at her, "Y'know, I think that's the first time you actually called me by my name."

"Is it?" Lucy inquired, her nose scrunching up in thought.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it," Natsu replied, shifting to a comfortable sitting position, "It was just something I noticed. What's up?"

"Oh yeah," She muttered, before she gave him a grin that held no regrets, "I hope you don't mind a little heat. It's the only way I can have my stew."

"Really?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, "I actually like my food hot, but not much people do."

"That's perfect then," The blonde smiled in satisfaction before another thought popped up in her head, "By the way, do you want to eat in the dining room or are you okay eating in here?"

He gave her a guilty smile and she immediately frowned, "I actually think I, uh, sprained my ankle."

"Seriously?" Lucy exclaimed, face-palming at the salmon haired man, "Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"I was focused on other things."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Well, trying to convince you to give me the basket when we were walking," Natsu listed, "Trying my best to stop myself from collapsing on you. Wondering why you would invite me into your home with only knowing my name. Trying not to faint amongst a lot of other things."

"Okay, okay," Lucy laughed, "I get it. You're extremely problematic."

"Gee, thanks."

"Don't mention it," She shrugged, a teasing grin on her face, "Well whatever, it looks like we're eating in here then. Just hold on, I'll be right out."

"'Kay," Natsu muttered, shifting for what felt like the hundredth time.

He glanced at Happy who was already looking at him with a mischievous glint in his eye, a half eaten Sardine hanging from his mouth. The salmon haired man frowned at the blue feline, shooting a glare in his direction. Happy just seemed to smirk before giving the man a shrug and returning to his food. Natsu rolled his eyes at his furry friend before glancing around. He was once again struck by just how empty (totally disregarding all the moving boxes) the apartment was compared to how messy his house seemed to be.

That was another thing. The apartment was clean, too clean. There was barely a speck of dust anywhere, making it seem almost lifeless. It didn't feel like a home yet. The thought that she could be moving away flittered through his head again, but he brushed that to the side. He hadn't seen her around town so that must mean she was currently moving into Magnolia, not out. Other than that, there were empty picture frames hanging on the walls and a few paintings here and there. Natsu figured that he messiest, or most used, place had to have been the study desk by the window.

"Here we are," Lucy's voice announced, breaking him from this thoughts.

Natsu turned to see the blonde carefully balancing three bowls on her arms while holding two mugs in her hands. He would have stood to help her but his ankle refused even a twitch. Sighing helplessly, he watched as she made her way over and placed two bowls of stew on the coffee table and the other bowl of what looked like milk in front of Happy. Despite her struggle, she served them naturally and fluidly.

"Don't tell me," Natsu murmured as she placed a mug of what looked like grape juice in front of him, "You were also a waitress in one point of your travels."

"Correct," Lucy smiled, sitting down and crossing her legs. She passed him a spoon before lifting her bowl off of the table, "A kind, elderly man asked if I could work for a day, said he'd pay me. The Spirit King knows I needed the cash." Before she went to eat, her eyes lit up and she quickly pulled a bottle of hot sauce out of her pocket before handing it to him, "The stew is kind of mild but you said you liked spicy stuff so I brought this with me."

"8-Island?" Natsu asked, gratefully unscrewing the top of the bottle before dumping almost the whole thing in.

"Yeah," Lucy nodded, scooping a spoonful of stew into her mouth. Swallowing, she shifted so she was facing the man, "How'd you know?"

"Old man Yajima is a friend of my boss," Natsu replied with nonchalance, scooping some food in his mouth. After letting out a satisfied hum, his eyes shut out of pure instinct, "This is delicious."

The blonde flushed, "Thanks."

Lucy was suddenly taken aback when Natsu started to shovel the food in his mouth. Food sprayed everywhere, some landing on the wooden floor, others landing on the plastic moving covers. Happy didn't seem to notice the flood of food that dropped hear his paw or inside of the empty sardine bowl. She honestly hadn't expected the man to be a clean eater but this took her completely by surprise. It was both intriguing and a little gross, she had to admit. Okay, she may have exaggerated a little but he was still messy nonetheless.

When he finished, he asked her for more and she wordlessly dumped her share into his bowl. After muttering a quick 'thanks' he went back to eating in the way that only he could. And man, could he eat! She stood up silently as she walked into the kitchen and poured another serving into her empty bowl, already knowing that he would ask for more. The blonde sighed as she shook her head in amusement.

"You have horrible table manners," Lucy scolded after she made her third round back into the kitchen.

"I get that a lot," The salmon-haired man muttered as he gratefully accepted his fifth helping of Lucy's homemade stew. She laughed and headed towards the other side of the room. Natsu paused in his eating, the spoon halfway towards his mouth as his eyes unconsciously followed her. He watched as she opened a drawer and rummaged through it. "What are you doing?"

"Not that you need to know but I'm going to take a bath," Lucy informed, glancing at him over her shoulder. She gathered her clothes and walked to her closet to grab her towel.

He lifted an eyebrow at that, "With me here?"

"Well you can't move because of your sprain so I don't have to worry about you," The blonde replied back with a sassy smirk, one hand on her hip, "And even if you did try to sneak a peak, I'd hear you fall before you could even head towards the bathroom."

"Point taken," Natsu muttered before shoving the food back into his mouth.

He was faintly aware of the blonde's footsteps as she made her way to the bathroom. Despite the food being amazingly spicy, only half of his mind was focused on the food while the other heard the bathroom click shut. Happy purred joyfully as he jumped from the table to settle next to the man. Natsu set the empty bowl on the coffee table and ran his hand down the blue feline's spine. A sense of peace flowed through him, like after every good meal, as he closed his eyes, listening to his furry friend's purrs.

He didn't know when he fell asleep or how long he was sleeping but soon, he was awoken by a gentle shake and a strong scent of strawberries and vanilla.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy's soft voice floated to him, causing a smile to stretch across his lips.

He contemplated on whether he should feign sleep but wisely decided against it. When Natsu opened his eyes, he saw that she had already cleaned up his mess without a look of annoyance or irritation. He didn't even know that she had started to clean up and Natsu considered himself a light sleeper. When Lucy gently took her hand off of his shoulder, he brought his attention back to the blonde. Her hair was still wet as it framed her slightly flushed face. The affects of stepping out from a hot shower.

Something was folded over her arm but he barely noticed because she was staring at him with a slight bit of panic. Red alarms rang through his head as he immediately straightened, his body alert. Lucy had to move back to narrowly avoid an accidental head-butt.

"Luce?" Natsu asked, his eyes frantically scanned the apartment for danger in any shape or form, "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I'm fine!" The blonde exclaimed, trying to calm him down. It wasn't until Lucy squished his face between her hands when he finally calmed, forcing him to focus back onto her, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Why are you freaking out?"

Natsu shot a look at her, gently pulling her hands from his face, "Why were you scared? I thought someone broke into the apartment!"

"I wasn't scared!" Lucy argued, tugging her hands from his worried grip, "I was panicking because you feel asleep!"

"Why would you panic because I fell asleep?!" He exclaimed, exasperated, "It's not like I had a concussion!"

"You finished Happy's third step!"

"Happy's third- What the Hell are you talking about, Luce?"

"Sleep! You fell asleep! In my apartment!"

"And why does that matter?!"

"Don't you remember? Cleaning, eating then sleeping?" Lucy asked, knocking the man on the side of her head, "Never leaving? Ring any bells?"

"Seriously?!" Natsu growled out, bringing up his hands and squishing the blonde's face between them like she had done earlier, "You made me worried just because of that?"

Lucy laughed as she swatted his hands away, "Thank you for worrying but that's besides the point. The point is that you fell asleep and if I ever find you in here, I will not be held responsible for my actions and any hospital bills that you may send."

"You can't hurt me, Luce," Natsu rolled his eyes cockily and got a sharp slap to the side of his head in response, "Ouch, dammit!"

"Ha!"

"That didn't count!"

"Whatever you say!" Lucy laughed mockingly before throwing something on his face, temporarily blocking his vision.

When Natsu finally freed himself of the blonde's death trap, he felt the familiar material of his scarf slide between his hands. Looking down, he was surprised to see the scaled texture of his scarf finally back in his hands. Natsu turned around in his seat and shot a look at Lucy who was crawling onto her bed. To be honest, he kind of forgot about not having it around him.

"Where did you get this?"

Lucy paused, halfway under the covers and shot him a weird look, "What are you talking about? You let me use it when I was knocked out, dummy."

"I don't remember giving it to you," Natsu accused.

"Well neither do I," Lucy shot back, "I was out like a light when you put it around me. Happy would be the only one to remember, but he can't talk."

"Sure he can."

"And he can sprout wings and fly," Lucy snorted sarcastically, fitting the blankets around her legs.

"Now that's a little out there," Natsu muttered, purposely ignoring her sarcasm, "You are a weirdo, Luce." His body lurched forward as something else hit the back of his head, "Hey!"

"It's a pillow, stupid," She pointed out as he pulled the fluff from his face and shot her a glare, "Since you already broke the third step, you might as well sleep but you're staying on the couch!"

"What?"

"I would have let you take the bed but you keep on calling me a weirdo!"

"That's because you keep callin' me stupid!"

"That's because you are!"

Natsu was about to reply but his blue-furred companion stumbled awake and yawned. Drawing his eyes down, he watched as the cat flicked his ears before hopping off of the couch. The blue cat turned his large eyes on the salmon-haired man before smirking. Natsu quickly bent down to catch the cat but he easily danced out of his hands and trotted towards the blonde who was looking sleepier by the second. With irritation, he watched as his feline friend hopped up on the bed with no resistance from the blonde.

"How come he gets to sleep on the bed?" Natsu whined, earning a tired smile from Lucy.

"He can't call me a weirdo," She muttered sleepily, "And he's a cat, so that's why."

Lucy drew her hand down Happy's spine and making him purr loudly. The blue feline curled his tail around the blonde's hand before trotting onto her pillow and curling into the crook of her neck. She laughed when she heard Natsu mumble something about Happy being a traitor before snuggling up against the cat. Her father would find it unfit to even sleep in the same room with a man, much less an unmarried man and a stranger no less. On the other hand, he did save her.

"Don't be a baby, Natsu. At least I'm not trying to kick you out yet," She muttered softly, unaware of any response the salmon-haired man would have returned. She pulled the blankets over her shoulders, her eyes fluttering shut. "There's a blanket on the floor. Good night, Dummy."

When she didn't hear a response, she figured he had already fell asleep. But right before her mind slipped into unconsciousness she could have sworn she heard him say something. Unbeknownst to her, Natsu had grinned while staring up at the ceiling, his mind unwilling to fall asleep so quickly.

"Good night, Weirdo."