Natsu patted her back gently as she retched into a pot that had become a perfect makeshift vomit-receptacle after he'd dumped the plant out. The sun was beating down hard on them, though he didn't notice it much aside from the way it baked the ground and changed the way things smelled, making them more putrid and heavy in the air.
Lucy's upchuck wasn't excluded from this, and the effect of the combination was trying all his willpower to not join Lucy at the pot. He suspected that this, the hanging about smell, was the cause for the extra dry heaves around her…well…less-than-dry heaves.
But, that wasn't even the worst of it. The way her whole body quivered under his hand and the embarrassed little whimper twisted his gut in a way not much else could. He knew that she was mortified to be throwing up in public and he had been doing his best to shield her from onlookers with his own body.
"Oh, the poor Dear," said a lady with a kind smile and stroller, moving closer and apparently oblivious to his attempts to block Lucy from her sight. "Morning sickness can be so difficult. Here, take this."
Natsu took the water bottle she held out, caught between appreciating a stranger's kindness and worrying at Lucy's back muscles tightening under his palm.
"Thank you," he said, rubbing his hands soothingly over her stiff shoulder blades, trying to rub away the tenseness.
"My husband owns a pastry shop over on the square. Stop by later and we'll give you a treat on the house," the lady continued, already starting to move away. She pointed in the direction she was walking, "It's the shop with the blue sign, you can't miss it."
"Thank you!" he repeated, excited at the prospect of free food. He turned to Lucy, "Did you hear that! I wonder what kind of…Lucy?"
Lucy shook her head, covering the unreadable expression that given him pause with a smile.
"I hope they have something strawberry flavored," she said, wiping her mouth and taking the water bottle when he extended it. "What a nice lady."
He watched her drink it and noticed that some color was returning to her face again. Seeing her face suddenly turn pale and her freezing in place had been the only warnings that she was about to get sick. He'd barely had time to improvise with the pot and get it in front of her when the first wave had her doubling over and emptying her stomach.
"Do you think you're okay now or should we wait a few moments longer?"
She made a face, "I don't know. I hope I'm done."
"Well, we can lounge here in the sun for a little bit longer, just in case, and then head over to the pastry shop." He paused. "She said later…how much later do you think she meant?"
"Hm," Lucy said, sitting down on the curb next to the pot. He took the other side, giving her thigh a squeeze. "It looked like she might have been returning to the store…so maybe she'd be okay if we showed up sooner rather than later."
"Sounds good!" he leaned in towards her and kissed the side of her head.
"Let's…just wait a little bit longer."
"We can wait as long as you need, Luce."
#60 Free Treat
(Long time no see, Guys. Please forgive me for being a sucky updater, I'm sorry)
