Hi, hello... I was fucking excited to write this chapter last night. I was laying in bed when the first part of this chapter popped in my head and I had to write it down before I forgot. Today was kind of a busy day though so writing was a bit of a challenge, but I did it! And I love this chapter! Okay, have fun... and tell me what you think! I think I'm a creative genius, man... (I'm quoting Kanye) lol just kidding, but Ya know I am a Gemini and us Geminis have got enough confidence to share. Everyone hates us though... like man, we're great... maybe a little psychotic at times *ahem* Donald trump and Kanye west definitely aren't geminis *ahem* but we know we're crazy and we're fun. And I talk a lot, I mean obviously ^^ lol. Anyways, have fun! Btw I know I don't have a filter... it's one of my many flaws
Natsu walked past the front door with his phone opened to Snapchat and his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. Lucy never seemed to care when he walked around shirtless, but he would notice her eyes lingering at times so he tends to walk around like this a lot more often than when he lived alone. He was just passing by the door to head to the living room when he noticed Lucy slipping her boots on and wrapping her scarf around her neck. She looked cute all bundled up in her furry coat, but it was a bit odd for Lucy to leave without him, unless she was going grocery shopping. But she tends to do that during the week and it was Sunday afternoon.
His brows furrowed and he leaned against the wall to stare at her a bit curiously. "Where ya headed, Luce?"
She popped her head up to look at him, her unchanging eyes staring at his chest and firm tummy for a moment before Lucy finally met his gaze. She didn't look flustered, but it also seemed like she wanted to look back down at his body. It made Natsu smirk.
"To look for a job."
Natsu nodded, happy she was going through with it, but a wonderful idea suddenly popped into his head. He started recording a Snapchat video while he moved his other hand up to kiss his fingers, then blew it in Lucy's direction and in the cameras view. "Good look, boo."
She just stared at him long and hard, not seeming to understand what he just did. It made him sigh because that was not the video he has hoping for but he could still make this work.
"Luce, what are you doing?!" He stood up straight, mock panic clouding his voice.
"W-what?" She looked alarmed and stared at him in worry.
"You need to catch it! Quick before it flys away!"
"C-catch what?" She was now looking around in fear, her hands protectively coming up to block her head from whatever was supposedly coming. "What should I be catching?!"
"It's going to the window! Get it before it flys out, Luce!"
"H-how do I grab it?!" She ran over to the window in the living room, hands flying around in panic and eyes searching desperately for what she's looking for or what she can catch it with. "I don't understand what I'm catching!"
"Reach your hands in the air and slap them together!" Lucy did as he said, and Natsu sighed in relief dramatically. But then he paused to stare at Lucy expectingly when she looked at her hands like they were holding a nuclear bomb, but she didn't do anything else. Fake unease slipped on his face again and his voice trickled with worry. "Luce... what are you doing...?"
"W-what?" Lucy looked so confused, but she was just too cute.
"You have to kiss it!" His phone continued to record. "Before it escapes! It needs love or it will evolve into a demon! Cleanse it with your love!"
"K-kiss it?!"
"Yeah," Natsu brought a hand to his mouth dramatically and slapped it against his lips. "Go mwah!"
Lucy looked confused but brought both her hands to her lips. "Mwah!"
Natsu held a hand to his heart. The feels, man. The feels. "You're fucking adorable, Luce."
Then he ended the video and posted it to his story. What a great afternoon this turned out to be.
Lucy pouted as she stomped down the street, cheeks tinted pink from the cold, but also in embarrassment because Natsu was stupid. She thought there was some invisible demon inside the apartment, but he only tricked her to get good video material. He's stupid… stupidly handsome and attractive with his stupid nice body and stupid tan skin with his stupid pink hair which she definitely doesn't like, and his stupid smile. He's also stupid because he stopped touching her and she's lonely and he's just stupid. Natsu is stupid.
She looked around the streets in search of another store that may hire her, but Lucy wasn't sure if she would be able to find any. She's reluctant to put prostitute on her resume, plus she's never had any job her whole life so she doesn't have much experience… But Lucy is determined to get a job so she can at least take care of her needs and buy the groceries for Natsu. Lucy didn't have much money saved up and she's running short on her expenses and needs a job before she runs out completely.
She thought maybe a waitress, but they didn't seem interested. Lucy gave them her number because they said they didn't have any applications, but she wasn't expecting a call. She also thought she could work at a cute clothing store, and they gave her an application, but… Lucy just feels like they didn't like her. And then she thought this adorable little candy store would be cute… But they didn't seem interested either.
She stared at the few applications in her hands, her eyes going down to read the sticky note on one of the applications. This place was a workout center and the two twins who worked there wrote directions on how to get to the right place for the online application, but the way they wrote "we look forward to hearing from you!" didn't seem like they were really all that enthusiastic about it. They were probably just being nice because she's always been so useless and hasn't been able to do anything right. Papa never was happy with her performance no matter how hard she tries so these people will probably feel the same way.
Lucy sighed, and stuffed the applications in her bag. She was about to go home, until she noticed a quant looking bookstore called McGardern's, and thought that maybe she could find something there. The bells on the door chimed when she entered, and Lucy looked around the unique looking store with interest. "I'll be with you in a minute!" A female voice called out to her, but Lucy didn't respond, too focused on the little shop.
There seemed to be two parts to the store. One was older books that have obviously been read by many previous owners, and then there seemed to be recent books that were brand new. Lucy immediately ventured to the cookbooks and searched for any ones that caught her eye. She touched each one, scanning over each title and it's pictures, before she zeroed in on a book labeled Hot and Spicy. Lucy immediately picked it up and flipped through the recipes with bright pictures that made Lucy wince because they looked awfully spicy. It had pasta dishes, soups, chicken recipes and even classic foods but with a spicy twist. She tucked that one under her arm, then slid down to the dessert section to look for something for herself. A French dessert book piqued her interest with an assortment of sweets on an elegant cover. Lucy was secretly getting bored with the usual desserts and needed a challenge, and French desserts was definitely something she wanted to take on. She never gives up when it comes to her cooking or baking.
"Hi!" Lucy nearly jumped right out of her skin, and held a hand to her pounding heart to try and calm down. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay," Lucy turned around after a moment, finally calm enough to face the employee, and Lucy swore she's seen her before. The woman was short, shorter than Lucy with wild blue hair tucked back with an orange headband, making both colors look more vibrant. The uniform seemed to be whatever they wanted to wear because she looked comfy with some leggings and a plaid button up shirt.
When the employee saw her, she immediately stuck her hand out with wide eyes and a blinding smile. Lucy took her hand and yelped when the woman shook it excitedly. "Hi, I'm Levy McGarden! And you're Lucy, right? I'm friends with Natsu and saw you at Fairy Tail when you came to visit." Then Levy frowned and suddenly looked a bit uneasy, her hand still holding hers. "Sorry about Gray… he's actually a really good guy, he just has a cold demeanor at times, that's all."
Lucy smiled a little nervously because meeting new people was always a little scary for her, but she kind of has the same feeling she has around Lisanna. Like they could be good friends... a relaxing feeling. "He already said sorry, so it's okay." Then Lucy brushed some hair behind her ear a bit bashfully and Levy finally removed her hand. "Do you happen to know any good cookbooks? I already picked these two out but was wondering if you had anymore suggestions."
Lucy showed her the Hot and Spicy book and the French dessert one, and Levy smile while tapping on the Spicy one. "Natsu will love that." Lucy blushed, but didn't say anything before Levy picked through each book and pulled out one Lucy would normally pass. She knows she's being childish, but Lucy likes to look at the pictures and this book had no pictures to be found. Not on the cover or even on the inside. "This book looks boring, but I promise it's great. I always keep one stocked on the shelves because someone is bound to buy it. After I put a new one out, it's gone within two weeks, which is short for a small bookstore like mine."
"Okay, I'll take your word for it." Lucy accepted the book with a smile before Levy tugged her to the front of the store where some cozy chairs were and a coffee table. Lucy sat down a bit anxiously with her toes curling and fingers fidgeting in her lap.
"Would you like some coffee, hot chocolate or hot cider, Lu-chan?"
Lu-chan... it made her heart warm… she made a new friend. "Hot chocolate please."
"Coming right up!" Levy popped the pod in the Keurig and made her some hot chocolate which she topped with marshmallows. Then she made herself a coffee with one sugar and two dollops of vanilla creamer. Levy handed Lucy the warm mug, but she immediately took it back and set it on the coffee table instead. "Take your coat off and stay a while. I've wanted to talk to you since I saw you walk in the guild with Natsu."
"O-okay." Lucy slipped her coat and scarf off and even removed her boots so she could cozy up into the chair and curl into her safe ball. Once situated, Lucy picked up her hot chocolate in both hands and brought it to her lips to smell the aroma. It was nice. "Thank you for allowing me to stay." She took a sip.
Levy smiled at her and took a sip of her own coffee. "So… what brought you to my bookstore?"
That made Lucy's heart drop. Oh no… now she can't ask for an application since Levy knows Natsu. What if she doesn't want to hire her but feels obligated to do so because she's living with Natsu. But… Lucy also wants to work here. She likes the laid back atmosphere, Lucy likes books, and she really likes Levy. But she can't possibly ask if she's hiring.
"I just…" her eyes landed on the three books on the coffee table. "…wanted some new cookbooks."
Levy nodded, but she didn't look very convinced. "Did you need help finding any others?"
"I don't think so…" does she need anymore books? "Well, maybe if you have a suggestion…"
"Let's talk more and then I'll set you up with something!" Lucy nodded happily, as Levy leaned back in her chair with a mischievous grin while taking a sip from her mug of coffee. She swallowed then set it down on the table. "So… I hear things with Natsu have taken a step forward."
Lucy blushed and looked down at her knees with fidgeting fingers. "I-I suppose… he… he told me he loves me."
"WHAT?!" Levy slammed her hands on the armrest of the chair, then leaned forward like she was on the edge of her seat. Because… well she was. "What else… tell me more."
"I-I don't know… he said he won't touch me anymore unless I want him to… a-and I do… but he said only people who like each other touch cheeks and hands and I don't know what it feels to like someone so I'm confused."
Levy looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded to herself. "I know exactly what book you should read." Then she shot up in her chair and went to the used books side of the store. Lucy watched her disappear behind a shelf, then come back a moment later with a white book labled with red lettering. Levy sat down again and kept the book to her chest so Lucy couldn't read the title, but she eventually set it on her lap and tapped it with her hand to accentuate whatever point she was making. "This book is called How to Tell If You're Really In Love. It sounds simple, but it's much more. I read it myself when I was denying my feelings for my current boyfriend, and the lady who donated this book said it was a very good read and helped her as well. It treats the reader like they have common sense, and handles the relationship you're looking at with maturity. It suggests you talk about your feelings and not just look to advice on those crappy websites that just say 'Does your heart beat while looking at him? Then you're definitely in love!' It makes you think about your feelings."
"Does my heart beat while looking at him?" Lucy looked away in thought but soon nodded and turned to Levy again. "Yeah, that is pretty silly, since your heart is always beating…"
Levy stared at Lucy long and hard before she sighed. She's heard how dense Lucy is, but this is just something else. Maybe some of those other sites would be better for her? This book is rather complex, so Levy isn't sure if she'll understand it…
Sighing, she stood from her chair again and reached over the front of the register to grab a pen and a pad of sticky notes. Once she wrote her name and number on the slip of paper, levy stuck it on the cover of the book, then sat back down next to Lucy and handed her the hard cover book. "I left my number in there, so don't be afraid to ask any questions you may have while reading it. And don't think you can only text or call me when you have questions about the book. Text me whenever you want about anything or nothing. I want to be friends, Lu-chan."
"O-okay, I'll be sure to contact you." Lucy then smiled and started to put her shoes back on. There's no way she can ask if she's hiring now. Levy has done so much for her, and she doesn't want to be a nuisance. "Thank you, but I should get going. It's almost evening and I want to try and make one of these new recipes for Natsu tonight."
She lookwd disappointed for a moment but nodded. "Okay!" Levy grinned and reached over to grab the cookbook she suggested then flipped through it to find a certain recipe. She stopped at one labeled Chicken and Avocado Ranch Burritos. "This is one of mine and Gajeel's favorites. It's seriously delicious!"
Lucy quickly read over the recipe and smiled. It did sound good, plus she can cook Natsu's chicken separately and add some spice. Lucy's sure he would love that. "It looks yummy." Lucy bookmarked the page, took one more gulp of her hot chocolate, then slipped her coat back on. Once she was at the registers with her four books, Levy tried to brush her off but Lucy refused to get anymore help from Natsu, even if it wasn't direct. "Let me pay, Levy... it's the least I can do for your help."
Levy sighed. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Lucy shook her head firmly, her long hair flying around, and Levy laughed as she scanned her four books and put them in a paper bag.
"Nope."
After Lucy paid, Levy ran around the counter and grabbed both her hands tightly. "I'm happy we finally got to talk."
"Me too." Lucy smiled. "I'll text you."
"Perfect." Levy pulled her in for a hug and squeezed her so hard Lucy thought she would explode. "See ya, Lu-chan."
It's been a few days since Lucy put in her job applications and Natsu has noticed she's started to get a little down. Natsu is perfectly content taking care of her and and buying her everything she wants, but Lucy wasn't okay with that and she refused to ask for anyone's help. He asked her why she didn't mention the job to Levy because Natsu was sure Levy would love to have her there, but Lucy said she wanted to do everything on her own. He guesses it makes sense. Lucy is living with him now, he practically takes care of her, and she's friends with all his friends, so he understands how she would want something of her own. Natsu is positive that all the expensive items she has were gifted to her as well, so nothing that she owns is something she's bought with her own money, except maybe her phone and furniture, but even then Natsu knows she's not very proud of her non high-tech phone and mismatched furniture.
The good thing though is that Natsu is here for her, and yes… Lucy might be upset that he'll have to buy her everyday essentials, but he can afford it so there's no rush for Lucy to find a job. Meaning it's not like they're broke. She has time to look and find a job that's suitable to her. Lucy told him she's never had a real job before so she didn't have anything to put on her resume besides her high school diploma. She doesn't have college, community service, a part time job on the weekends… she has nothing. And prostitution was not a smart thing to put on your job applications.
"Luce…" he was sitting at the bar while he watched her make them some crepes, Lucy's skilled fingers twirling the wooden stick with a long flat end around and around until the crepe was thin. She looked up at him for a moment to tell him she was listening. "Why don't you apply to cook food somewhere? You're such a great cook, and make the best desserts on the planet."
"You're giving me too much credit."
Except he's not. She seriously the best cook… she makes the best food he's ever eaten and Natsu has eaten at a tone of restaurants before. He sucks at cooking, so before Lucy came into his life, he would get takeout, eat at the guild, or force one of his friends to come to a restaurant with him. Lucy thinks she's causing him problems but she's actually saving him money with how often he used to eat out everyday. Apparently, cooking on your own is a lot cheaper than buy food already made. Who woulda thought…
"But I'm not Luce… you're seriously amazing at cooking." He leaned back on the stool, using only two of the legs to balance while he thought. "You're the best at pasta and even spicy foods, and you don't even like them! You're good at breakfast foods and other stuff like crepes or breakfast burritos… and you make the best sandwiches… like I never thought a sandwich would be so amazing until I had yours. Like damn, Luce… share your talent with the rest of the world!" Then Natsu paused, and leaned forward so the chair smacked back down on all fours. "N-never mind… I don't think you should cook food."
"W-why not?"
She looked sad, and it made Natsu sad, so he sighed and leaned both his forearms on the counter so he could bury his face in them. "Because only I can eat your cooking…" Natsu felt his face warm in the silence, but his advanced nose smelt something else burning so he hesitantly looked up and smirked when Lucy had a dark blush on her cheeks with her hands frozen.
"Luce..." his voice was a whisper as he reached his hand out, slowly inching it closer and closer to hers. He watched her eyes watch his hand, like if she focused on him hard enough he would put it where she wants.
"Y-yeah…?"
His hand stopped just a centimeter away from hers and hovered around her smaller one. He could feel the chill coming off her fingers, and he knew she feel his warmth because she gave a small shiver and stared at him with desperation. Natsu wouldn't give it to her though, at least not yet. He jerked his hand to the side and pointed to the crepe maker with a steaming crepe cooking on it. "You burnt it, darling."
Her eyes snapped to the crepe as panic washed over her. She quickly pulled off the completely burnt and stiff cake, then tossed in the sink with a huff. She turned the cold water on to cool the crepe and herself off, and even after steam raised from the sink and she turned the water off, Lucy refused to look at him. He could tell she was embarrassed, but that just made him want to tease her even more. Natsu quickly slipped out of his stool and tiptoed behind her. Making sure he was silent as he placed both hands on either side of her frame on the counter and leaned over her petite body so she was practically against him but he kept a little bubble of space. He didn't say anything and just breathed behind her, making sure she knew he was there and could feel the heat radiating of his body and onto her own. "Wherever you become a cook, I shouldn't come visit you…" Natsu breathed right in her ear and he heard Lucy take a sharp exhale with a small whimper. "I'd hate to distract you like that again, Luce…"
Then he pulled away and leaned his hips back against the counter where her crepe maker was. His arms were folded across his chest confidently with a smirk plastered on his lips and his eyes twinkling in play. Lucy still refused to face him, but he could see the red on her ears and the back of her neck which he thought was extremely desirable. He had the urge to kiss her baby hairs and pull her back against him so he could hold her tight.
He was looking forward to teasing her more, but Lucy got off easy. Her phone started ringing from its charging spot on the counter, and she took the escape. Lucy quickly grabbed the phone off the charger and pulled it to her ear without even stopping to look at him. "H-hello? Yes, this is Lucy. H-hi… Yes, I was interested. No, I don't have any professional experience, but I've been cooking since I can remember. No, but t-the chef at my fathers house taught me everything I know. O-okay… Really? Um, I'm available any day." Lucy shuffled around the kitchen, quickly grabbing a pad of paper and a pen. "That's perfect... whatever time you're available. Okay… so this Thursday at 11 o clock? Great! Thank you so much, sir. I look forward to meeting too. I'll see you on Thursday at 11 a.m. Yes, thank you. Goodbye."
She hung up and just stood there frozen for a moment with her face looking down at the ground. Seconds went by until she finally looked up to meet his gaze with a huge smile. "I-I got an interview!"
Natsu threw his hands up in celebration! "She got an interview! Did ya hear, Happy?!" He looked down to the blue cat who had wondered over and meowed in encouragement. Natsu grinned as Lucy trotted her little self over to him and clutched her adorable hands on the front of his shirt eagerly. His eyes widened while looking down at her pretty, eyes shining like melted chocolate, but he still didn't touch her.
"Guess what it's for!"
"What?" He couldn't stop smiling because she couldn't stop smiling.
"I-I actually did apply to work at a cafe! It's this fitness place… and you make sandwiches and fresh smoothies… all sorts of stuff. But the job also said I may do other stuff like be a receptionist at the salon there, or put towels away. I would get a free membership too and they have like massage rooms, a sauna and a hot tub! Plus there's boxing classes so I could learn self defense!"
"Sounds like you're excited."
"I am!"
Sadly, Lucy detached herself from him and trotted back over to the crepe maker to begin cooking again. Natsu sighed in disappointment as he sat back in the stool, but he was also relieved. He knows how sad she was so this could be a big break for her, but there's one thing that could totally mess this up for her. Natsu doubts he's involved though. He wasn't the one in charge of hiring, after all.
"Did the man on the phone say his name?"
Lucy nodded while dumping a good amount of batter on the pan, then spreading it out. "Yes, his name was Krux. He's apparently in charge of a lot of stuff like that."
Natsu sighed in relief. It wasn't Loke then and Natsu is doubtful he would have gone out of his way to hire Lucy just because he's in love with her. Loke was the Vice President of the place… only working under the CEO himself. Natsu doubts he even knows Lucy put in an application, and Natsu isn't about to tell her one of his good friends is the second in charge there or she may back out of the interview, in fear of her being hired was somehow connected to him. Now, should he mention it to Loke? No… probably not. He'll just see how this plays out.
Hopefully Lucy will have a job on Thursday. He knows this would be perfect for her. Being able to take yoga and self defense classes would seriously be great for her safety and her emotional well being. Plus… she would get to do something she loves everyday, and have something of her own. Yeah, Loke may work there, but she could make her own friends with just the hard work she does. It would seriously be perfect. He hopes this works out. Natsu's just really proud of her.