*Chapter Six: Her last name

(October 4th, 2017, Wednesday Afternoon)

"Good morning, Natsu!" a very short girl greeted him when he walked through the door. She pushed her long, pale blonde hair out of her face so she could flash a smile.

"Hey Mavis," Natsu said with a wave, stepping aside so Lucy could enter the room.

The girl perked up when she saw the newcomer, walking over to check her out. "Oh, hello! Are you the new girl?"

"Yeah," he answered for her. "This is Lucy. Lucy, this is Mavis Vermilion."

Mavis held out her hand. "It's amazing to meet you! I'm so glad Natsu here was able to find you. It's so hectic out there. How are you doing?"

Lucy paused before staring down at the hand, then looked at Mavis' face. Her green eyes held a genuine happiness that seemed to ease the discomfort Lucy held in her shoulders. Slowly, she raised her hand, but hesitated before sticking it out.

Mavis met Lucy the rest of the way, gently taking her hand to give it a light shake, feeling the slight tension in her fingers. She noticed Lucy's silence, but didn't comment on it. "I hope you're enjoying your stay at Fairy Tail. I'm sure Natsu's already told you all there is to know about it here, but if you ever want to ask me something, or just talk, I'm available."

Mavis let go of Lucy's hand, turning to face Natsu. "Is she here to meet the master?"

Lucy's head snapped towards Natsu, a look of horror twisting her features. He chuckled, waving his hand as he said, "Don't worry. He's not a master. He's just the guy in charge." He looked at Mavis, giving her a pointed look. "She's the only one who calls him that."

She shrugged. "You don't hear me complaining when you call him Gramps."

"Hey, he likes that nickname though," Natsu defended. He turned back to Lucy, offering a soft smile. "He's nice, I promise." He realized he had been saying people were nice a lot. He wanted to put her at ease, but now he felt a little repetitive.

"He's free now, if you'd like to talk," Mavis said, turning to lead them to one of the offices.

Lucy stuck close to Natsu as she followed them to the room. Her eyes darted around on the short trip there, as if waiting for something to jump out at her. Natsu noticed her odd behavior, wondering why she was paranoid.

He turned his attention to the office, a plaque on the door that read 'Principal Makarov Dreyar'. After a few knocks, they heard a man's voice from the other side of the door.

"Come in!"

Mavis opened the door for them, smiling as Natsu walked in. "Hey Gramps!"

Natsu was greeted by a man whose height matched that of his desk. He had a white mustache, the same color as the patches of hair on the sides of his head. If he weren't wearing a blue and orange hat, he would have seen Makarov's bald head.

His bushy brow raised when he saw Lucy come into his office. "You must be the girl Natsu found." He tapped on the walkie talkie on his desk before walking around to sit in his chair. "Please, have a seat."

Natsu closed the door behind him, carefully observing Lucy's face as he went to sit down. She didn't move until he patted the seat on the chair beside him. As she sat down, Natsu turned his focus to Makarov, looking for any hint of recognition on his face.

He saw none.

Makarov allowed Lucy a minute of silence to relax. He turned, opening a window to allow more sunlight to enter. "It's a great day today." Some chilly air rushed in, causing Lucy to shift in her seat. "Very quiet. Just the way I like it."

He turned in his seat until he was looking at Lucy. "Everyone's going through rough times now. Fairy Tail is a place to feel safe and at home. We're not just comrades, we're family. I hope Fairy Tail gives you a sense of hope the outbreak is trying to rip away from us." He paused, a smile ghosting over his wrinkled lips. "How are you today, Child?"

When Lucy just stared at him blankly, he turned to Natsu. "Can she not speak?"

Natsu, who was busy trying to figure out how Lucy knew Makarov was the principal, frowned. "She can, she's just shy. You... didn't know that?"

Makarov furrowed his brows. "How would I know that?"

Natsu looked at Lucy, then to the leader. "You don't recognize her?"

He gave Lucy a hard look, staring long enough to make her squirm in her seat. "No, I can't say that I do. Why? Should I?"

"I guess not," Natsu mumbled, the mystery still lingering. If Makarov didn't know her, how did she know him? Or did she not actually know him and just knew his profession.

He sighed. All that questioning was giving him a headache. It wouldn't have been bad if he got a good night's sleep. He was so tired, exhaustion hitting him harder every hour he denied himself rest.

"Anyways," Makarov started, looking back to Lucy. "That's alright if you don't want to talk. You don't need to say much now anyways. There will be plenty of time to talk after you get settled in. Just nod along if you agree." Makarov began listing the rules, something Natsu should have done beforehand.

"Do you agree to work six days a week, and in return receive breakfast and dinner every day, a shower once a week, laundry services every other week, shelter, and security?"

Lucy hesitated before nodding.

"Do you agree to not have any contraband while staying at Fairy Tail. That includes weapons, explosives," he shot a glare at Natsu, "food or drinks without first getting them from the cafeteria, and medical supplies?"

Lucy nodded.

"Do you agree to refrain from using unnecessary violence towards another member of Fairy Tail."

Natsu bit his inner cheek, only releasing it after Lucy nodded again. He barely held back the urge to sigh. However, he realized a second later that it wasn't Lucy he should have been worried about.

"Speaking of which, Natsu, what's this I hear about you getting in a scuffle with Nobarly?"

Natsu flinched. He had forgotten about that. "He was being a dick, so I hit him... Am I in trouble?"

Makarov shook his head. "No, Elfman vouched for you. I agree, their behavior was uncalled for."

Natsu's shoulders relaxed, thankful he wasn't going to get in trouble.

"Now, that doesn't mean you can make a habit out of punching people. This isn't high school anymore."

A groan tore from Natsu's lips. "Yeah, I know..." He used to get in fist fights a lot during his high school years. What was he supposed to do? Let them get away with making fun of his hair color? If it weren't for Makarov, he would have gotten in bigger trouble than just a few suspensions and detention.

"Speaking of violence, what happened to your face?"

Natsu almost pressed his fingers to his cheek, but stopped himself when he remembered that would make it hurt. He could mostly ignore the pain if he didn't think about it. He saw Lucy tense in the corner of his vision, but he had no plans on ratting her out.

"I ran into the side paneling of a house. Sliced my cheek open." He stole a glance at Lucy, seeing her surprised expression. He hoped she would start believing him more, but he knew he couldn't force it. Trust took time.

"Make sure you're more careful out there." Makarov said before looking at Lucy. "Okay, where were we? We covered the contraband, the violence... Oh! That's right. Do you agree to undergo processing every time you come back from being off base?"

Lucy glanced over to Natsu, then to Makarov. She nodded, but Natsu saw the way her hands balled into fists before she slowly released them.

"Do you agree to listen to the guards if they give you any instructions?"

The two men noticed when she swallowed hard, but she nodded, so Makarov moved on.

"And finally, do you agree to stay out of restricted areas while staying at Fairy Tail? That includes any rooms marked with a yellow 'X' on the door, as well as certain sections of Magnolia that aren't cleared for travel yet?"

Lucy furrowed her brows, looking at Natsu for clarification. He paused as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to explain that. "I found you in section six. It's relatively safe there, but only because we already cleared it out."

She continued to look at him, but he couldn't figure out if she was understanding what he said or not. "The higher the number, the safer it is. Section one through four are currently off limits because they're overrun with zombies. Or, the cannibals as you called them."

Lucy shook her head, barely opening her mouth as she muttered, "Th-that's not..."

"Huh?" Natsu asked, leaning in to try to hear her better, but it was no use. She stopped talking after that. He sighed, realizing she was about to shut down again. At least it was happening less often than before. "Until the sections get cleared, we can't go there for runs. But, if you don't leave base, you don't have to worry about that."

As an afterthought, Natsu added, "And there's certain areas in Fairy Tail that are off limits. There's a few rooms where we store our food and water that needs to be kept safe. Just stuff like that. If there's a yellow 'X' on the door, don't enter. Okay?"

With that explanation, Lucy nodded.

"Great." Makarov flipped open a book as he asked, "Now, what's your name?"

"Lucy," Natsu answered.

Makarov shook his head. "Elfman already told me that. I mean her whole name."

"Umm..." Natsu turned to Lucy, seeing her lower her head again. "She didn't tell me. Does it really matter?" He remembered she shut down on him the last time he asked. He didn't want that to happen again.

"It would help. We already have another Lucy and I don't want to make this confusing."

Natsu cocked his head. "We do?"

Makarov nodded. "Yes, she's one of the senior citizens. You would know that if you volunteered to help them."

Natsu groaned dramatically, slumping down in his chair. "But I like hanging out with the kids better. They can actually keep up with me."

Makarov sighed, shaking his head. "Anyways," he looked at Lucy, "do you want to tell me your last name?"

Lucy slowly shook her head, hands balling into fists again. "Very well, I guess I'll just put you down as Lucy Dragneel for now."

Lucy furrowed her brows while Natsu snickered. He guessed she didn't remember his introduction earlier. "Dragneel's my last name."

Lucy's eyes widened as her cheeks tinted a pale pink. That only caused Natsu to chuckle, finding it amusing she would blush over a last name. Admittedly, he liked the additional color in her cheeks. It made her look more lively.

"Whaddya say Lucy? I don't mind sharing, my name's pretty badass after all." Natsu ignored the way Makarov rolled his eyes. "It means dragon lord, ya know."

Makarov raised a brow. "Does it?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, but it sounds cool." Natsu smiled at Lucy, pausing before asking, "Wanna be a Dragneel?"

Her blush only intensified, but she made no efforts to shake her head. She stared down at her lap for a moment before finally nodding, accepting Dragneel as her last name.

"Cool," Natsu said with a grin, looking back at the leader of Fairy Tail. "It that is?" He coughed, clearing his throat. "I meant, is that it? Sorry, kinda tired." Kinda was an understatement, but he didn't want to admit that.

"Almost," Makarov said, writing down Lucy's newly appointed last name. "Does she have any food or drug allergies I need to tell Grandeeney or Mira about?"

Natsu shook his head. "She doesn't. Grandeeney already knows."

"Okay..." He wrote that down. "And which room will she be staying in? I understand Max is no longer with us. My condolences." He paused for a moment while Natsu frowned. "Will she be staying with you, or should I assign her a room?"

Natsu's brows pinched together as he thought. "I don't think so..." He hadn't considered Lucy staying with him as a legitimate option. He didn't think she would want to room with a guy. "I was gonna ask Cana and Levy if she could live with them."

"Very well." Makarov made a small note next to Lucy's name. "I'll put her down for that room, but if anything changes, let me know. We only have two keys for that room though."

"I'm sure they can figure it out," Natsu said, confident in his friends.

"I'm sure you're right. Now, for a job assignment. Lucy, do you have any special skills?"

She swallowed, shoulders tense as she shook her head.

"That's fine. We can find something suitable. There's a few jobs I think you'd be good at. How's—"

"Actually," Natsu said, cutting him off as he pulled out a note. "I forgot, I was supposed to give this to ya." He handed him the note Grandeeney gave him, letting the old man read it.

"I see. I'll let Mira know before dinner tonight. We can revisit what job would be best in a few days. Is there anything else you two need?"

"Oh, shit," Natsu mumbled once his hand brushed against his cargo pocket. He felt a large bulge, reminding him that he still had that jar of peanut butter on him. 'Fuck! I was supposed to turn that in!' Jellal obviously didn't check his clothing, otherwise he would have said something about it.

"Is something wrong?" Makarov asked, causing Natsu to sweat.

'I should tell him now, that way I don't get in trouble.' Natsu opened his mouth, then paused when another thought came up. 'But Lucy's really skinny. She needs more calories to get some weight on her. That peanut butter can really help her.'

Natsu clenched his teeth, brows furrowing as he tried to decide what to do. Was it wrong to hide the peanut butter if it was for a good cause?

'Yes,' he decided, sighing as he opened his cargo pocket. It was wrong to hide food. Rules were rules for a reason, even if Lucy really needed the food. Everyone deserved their fair share, and it wasn't his call to decide what was fair.

"I guess Jellal didn't check my shorts," Natsu said, pulling out the jar of peanut butter before setting it on the desk. "I forgot to turn that in. Sorry."

Makarov glanced at the food, then to Natsu. "I'll have to talk with Jellal. He's still new at the job, so it's expected he makes a mistake or two. At least it was this and not something serious."

Natsu frowned, so Makarov added, "Don't look so upset. It's an honest mistake for the both of you."

Natsu only grimaced, knowing that wasn't why he looked upset. He already broke the rules once for Lucy, and he was about to do it again. He couldn't keep doing that. "Sorry. I'll do better next time."

"I know you will," he said with confidence. "You're one of our best. I can let something like this slide."

A faint smile ghosted over Natsu's lips. It was true. Natsu was fast and he had a high body count every time he worked as a clearer. Not only that, he was good at thinking on his feet. Resourcefulness was a trait that saved his ass many times.

Makarov started to stand. "Now, if that's all—"

"Actually," Natsu started, cutting him off, "I was wondering if Lucy could get some more clothes? At least some real shoes?" He looked down, seeing those dirty yellow slippers. "I know the commissary is closed, but is there anyway around that? Just this once?"

"I'm sure I can work something out. Lucy, write down your sizes and I'll have Erza fetch some things for you." While Makarov handed her a pen and paper, he looked at Natsu. "You'll need to bring Max's stuff to turn in. Leave a few shirts out for Lucy, but we need more men's pants and shoes."

"I... I understand," Natsu said, voice strained. He didn't like the idea of gathering up his dead friend's belongings to turn in, but it was the way it had to be. He already did it twice before, so he knew the routine. "I'll get his stuff."

Lucy passed the paper back to Makarov, who nodded as he folded it up. "I don't know how long it will take until Erza can get you the stuff. I'll call her over the radio and let her know what's going on."

"Thanks, Gramps," Natsu said, sighing in relief. He knew it wouldn't be long until Lucy had proper shoes and more clothes. Those slippers wouldn't cut it for long.

"Now, if that's all you two need right now?" Makarov looked between them, seeing them shaking their heads. "Great. I'll see you both at dinner. Lucy, welcome to Fairy Tail! I hope you like it here!"

With that, Natsu and Lucy stood up to leave. Natsu said bye while Lucy gave him a slight nod. They left, passing by Mavis again on the way out. She was busy talking with a brunette girl of the same age. Natsu didn't know much about her, other than her name was Zera and that she worked in the office with Mavis.

The two girls made sure everyone showed up for work every day they were assigned and reported things to Makarov when it needed to be done. They were essentially his assistants, though sometimes it seemed like Mavis was running things more than him.

All kids under sixteen years of age went to 'school' besides Mavis, Zera, and Wendy. They had more important things to do. Mavis and Zera were both intelligent beyond their years, assigned to keep records for Fairy Tail despite being fifteen years old. Wendy, who was fourteen, was training to be Grandeeney's assistant.

Other than those three, the kids reported for 'class' every day their parents didn't have the day off. The 'teacher' was a combination of adults who would teach the kids basic subjects, as well as things of relevance now. They taught them how to garden, how to make shelters and campfires from items they could find lying around, and taught them how to get away from zombies.

Natsu and Gray would sometimes volunteer and teach the kids about defending themselves against zombies, but most adults didn't like that idea. They did however like when the men told the kids facts about zombies that could help them out.

Cover your scent, keep quiet, and cause a distraction to get away were the best pieces of advice they could give. Hopefully, the kids wouldn't have to use that information. Everyone was holding out hope that things were temporary, and someone would fix the problem. Natsu was one of them.

Until then, Fairy Tail was secure enough to keep straggling walkers away. Occasionally, a sprinter or two would run up to the gates, but they were always put down immediately.

"So..." Natsu stopped right outside of the office. He turned to Lucy, seeing she was already looking at him. "I wanna introduce you to your new roommates, but I need to feed my cat first. Is that okay?"

Lucy nodded, her hands intertwined together in front of her body.

"Awesome," he said with a grin, beckoning her to follow him. "It's up here." While they walked towards the stairs, he decided to ask something that had been on his mind. "So, I know it might be rushing things, but since we both have the same last name I figured I might as well ask."

They passed by a window, allowing Natsu to see a blush on Lucy's face again. He thought it was funny she got flustered over a last name, but at least she looked more like a normal girl now. "Can we be friends?"

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks. "Y-you..." She looked down, bangs covering her eyes. Now that it was dry, Natsu could see her hair wasn't a dirty blonde color. It almost looked golden. "... want to be..."

"Yeah." Natsu crouched down, forcing Lucy to look at him. "I wanna be your friend, if that's okay with you."

Lucy's lower lip began to quiver. He thought she might cry again, but she surprised him when she simply nodded. "Y-yes."

"Awesome!" Natsu stood, flashing her a toothy grin. "Come on, friend. Let's go see Happy!"

Feeling a little better, Natsu led her up the stairs and towards his room. He unlocked his door, opening it wide for Lucy. "After you."

When she didn't budge, he frowned. "Or I can go in first..." To make her feel more at ease, Natsu used the kickstand to keep the door all the way open. He worried she might not want to be alone in a room with him. "That better?"

Lucy nodded, slowly making her way inside. She was immediately met with cold air, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm. Natsu walked in behind her, calling out, "Happy?"

"Nyaaa!"

Lucy's eyes darted over to see a blue cat sitting on the open window sill. The feline swished his tail quickly, then jumped down to greet his owner.

"I got something for ya," Natsu said as he removed Lucy's backpack, setting it on an empty chair by the door. He pulled out the bag of cat food, shaking it a few times. When Happy didn't react, he lowered the bag so Happy could sniff it. That caused recognition to flash through Happy's eyes.

The cat went nuts, trying to climb up Natsu's leg to get to the food, digging his claws into Natsu's skin.

"Damn Happy! Wait a sec!"

Natsu hobbled over to the side of his mattress where Happy's food and water bowls were located. He opened the bag, pouring about a cup's worth into a bowl.

Happy went to town on it, munching on the fish-flavored pieces like there was no tomorrow. "I think I'm gonna mix some regular food with this. We can't afford to be picky anymore," Natsu warned as he sealed the bag. He pet Happy twice before standing up, heading over to the classroom's closet to keep it safe.

He opened the door, seeing the small space. It was cleared out with one shelf located at the top of the closet. Natsu placed the bag of food on the shelf, knowing he had to hide it from his cat. If he didn't, Happy would rip into the bag the first chance he got.

Natsu closed the closet, eyes searching the room for Lucy. He found her standing at the door, her eyes fixed on his cat. "Lucy?"

She flinched, tearing her eyes away from the feline across the room to look at Natsu. He grinned in amusement. "Do you wanna meet Happy? He's nice too."

Without receiving an answer, Natsu headed over to his cat. Happy was already halfway through his bowl of food, a testament to how hungry he was before. Natsu laughed when Happy let out a low growl after being picked up. He clearly wasn't done eating. "It's okay. You have to save that anyways."

The feline struggled in his arms for a few seconds before settling down, accepting his owner's embrace as he brought him over to the new girl. After scratching Happy under his flea collar, he began to purr, rubbing his face against every part of Natsu he could reach.

"Sometimes he can be a little glutton," Natsu joked, standing close enough to Lucy so she could pet the cat, but far enough away so he wasn't in her space.

Lucy's hand shook a little when she reached out, a surprised gasp coming from her mouth when her fingers brushed over Happy's soft fur.

"Whoa," Lucy murmured, no stutter to her voice. She continued petting, pale fingers smoothing over blue hairs. "H-Happy?"

"Yeah," Natsu said softly, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't startle her. He liked how relaxed Lucy looked. He made a mental note that Lucy was best around animals and children, but less so around adults. "Do you wanna hold him?"

Lucy's eyes snapped up to meet his gaze, as if just realizing Natsu was standing there too. "Yeah."

Natsu carefully shifted his cat so his butt was facing towards Lucy. "I'll hand him to you. Bring your arms up like mine."

Lucy did as she was told, struggling only a little to accept Natsu's cat in her arms. Happy seemed confused over the change, but quickly got to work sniffing at Lucy's arms and shirt.

Natsu beamed when he saw Lucy smiling at Happy, watching the feline as he investigated her. Happy used his paws to secure himself on her breasts before leaning up, sniffing at her chin and lips before coming back down to her arms. When he was content with the exchange, Happy started snuggling closer to Lucy's body.

"He's probably cold," Natsu said, walking away so he could close the window. If Happy hadn't already used the bathroom by now, he would have to wait until later. "For a while we ran out of cat litter, so I taught Happy how to use the bathroom outside."

When he looked back at Lucy, he saw her focus was completely on Happy. He doubted she heard a single word he said, but that was alright. He hadn't seen her that happy before. At least his cat was able to put a real smile on her face.

However, despite him being glad she was smiling, it made him notice something he saw earlier. Lucy's teeth were a little yellow. It wasn't uncommon anymore given the hygiene standards dropped after the outbreak.

He hoped she would take advantage of the toothpaste and toothbrush he grabbed for her. He used to hate brushing his own teeth, but now he enjoyed it, even if sometimes he had to do it with rain water. It left him feeling refreshed and relatively clean.

Natsu's eyes flitted to Lucy's backpack, the one Max wore when he showed up at Fairy Tail. It was hard for him to process that he would never see his friend's face again. He regretted all the times he complained about Max's snoring, or how he would never stop cleaning the room even when it was already clean.

Those things seemed so petty now, and there was no way for him to tell Max he was sorry for not cherishing their friendship more. Hell, what he really wanted to do was apologize for not being there with him when he was off base. Maybe with a second pair of eyes, Max might not have died.

A tear rolled down Natsu's cheek, but he blinked the rest away before they had a chance to fall. He took a deep, shuddering breath, denying himself the chance to get emotional. It was true he didn't care what people thought of him, but at the same time, he didn't like crying in front of others.

Natsu felt it would be worst crying in front of Lucy. He was supposed to be the stable one out of the two of them. How could he show her things were fine at Fairy Tail if he started crying now?

Steeling his heart, Natsu got to work. He grabbed a cardboard box that was sitting near his bookcase, then headed to Max's. Natsu cleared it out, placing the items that belonged to Max inside. They would be redistributed at the commissary for people who needed them. The only exceptions were the roll of toilet paper and a few shirts. Lucy could use those.

The last thing he grabbed was Max's wallet, but he didn't put it in the box. He slipped it in his back pocket. Later tonight, he would put it on Max's grave when he visited.

Natsu put the full box by his door, then went to retrieve Max's broom. It was propped up against one of the bookcases. When Natsu grabbed it, he felt the uneven texture beneath his palm. With a raised brow, he lifted his hand, frowning when he saw what caused his confusion.

Max's name was engraved into the wooden handle. He wondered how Max managed to engrave his name, but he cast that thought aside when he realized it was done with a pen. Black ink was smudged inside the markings. 'Must have taken him a while to do this.'

Natsu sighed before placing the broom by the door. He would drop them off now, but he really wanted to get some sleep. He glanced over to his bed, fantasizing about taking a long nap before dinner.

The only problem?

Natsu looked back at Lucy. He didn't know if he should sleep with her here. It wasn't that he thought she might try to harm him in his sleep. He just wanted some privacy, and he thought it would be awkward to rest with her in the room. However, he couldn't just kick her out. He was essentially the only person she knew at Fairy Tail. It wouldn't be okay to tell her to beat it while he caught some Z's.

With a sigh, Natsu looked at the other mattress in the room. 'Should I bring Max's bedding stuff to the commissary too?' He shook his head at the thought. Lucy could use it. Sliding that mattress down the hall to his friend's room would be easier than bringing it downstairs, only to push a different one right back up. He didn't think she would mind, considering all the mattresses were previously used anyway.

'Maybe I should get different blankets?' Natsu looked at the brown comforter and maroon pillowcase. He didn't know her preference, but those didn't look like girly colors. In the end, he decided to not bother with it. Seeing she was still wearing those dingy yellow slippers, he doubted she cared about the color of a blanket.

Natsu's eyes slid shut, wondering if he should just say fuck it and take a nap anyway. Would Lucy really mind if he slept? The last time he slept was yesterday, but that was just a nap to get ready for his overnight shift.

He found himself walking over to his mattress, sitting on the edge to relax. While he debated what he should do next, Natsu's mind started to wander, his eyes sliding shut. He thought about what Mira could be making for dinner tonight, then to the job he would have to do tomorrow.

Soon he was thinking about the first time he saw a zombie, until finally his mind settled on the last few days before the outbreak... A time when he didn't have to worry about fighting for his survival.

(June 29th, 2017. Thursday Afternoon)

"What the hell are you doing, Flame Brain?" Gray asked, peeking over Natsu's shoulder to see him holding an ax. "Put that back!"

"Why?" Natsu asked, placing it in the cart despite his friend's protests. "We might need to chop wood while we're out there."

"We can just buy wood at the campsite," he pointed out, trying to remove the ax from the cart, only to earn a groan from Natsu.

"That's no fun! I wanna chop our own wood!"

"Are you planning on cutting down a tree?" Gray asked, picking up the ax. "Whoa! This thing's kinda heavy."

"Right," Natsu said with a grin. "Imagine how badass it would feel cutting our own wood for a fire?"

Gray took a moment to think it over. Sighing, he dropped the ax back in the cart. "Fine, but you really shouldn't be spending your entire paycheck on this damn trip."

"Why not?" Natsu asked, grabbing a pack of waterproof matches. His green eyes brightened as he put them in the cart. "I already paid my truck loan for July, and Igneel said I can skip out on rent this month as a birthday present."

"Geez," Gray said, running a hand through his raven hair. He pulled his hand away, frowning. "You couldn't have let me go home and shower first? My hair's oily."

"Not my problem," Natsu laughed, flashing his friend a smile. He knew it actually was his fault. He was the one who decided to make a last-minute shopping trip. They barely clocked out after their shifts before Natsu convinced him to stay.

"I swear you act annoying on purpose, just to get under my skin."

Natsu acted as if he didn't hear him, reaching for a machete before Gray slapped his hand away. "No."

"Aww," Natsu pouted, looking between Gray and the weapon. "But it looks soooo cool!"

"That's not a reason to buy something." Gray looked down at the cart. "Do you really need a solar powered charger?"

He pulled out the phone charger, inspecting the front and back. Natsu frowned, snatching the charger before Gray could try to take it away. "As a matter of fact, I do."

"For what?" He laughed, shaking his head. "I thought the point of going camping was to get away from the modern world?"

"It is..." Natsu sighed, cupping the back of his neck with his free hand. "I'll let you do the math. Great hearing plus newlyweds a few tents over equals..."

Gray nodded. "Gotcha. Yikes. Guess that makes sense."

Natsu dropped the charger back in the cart. He would need something to drown out Erza and Jellal's moans. "Oh look! Sleeping bags!"

"What? You already have a slee— Where are you going?" Gray yelled. "Seriously, you're gonna waste all your money! Don't forget you still have to buy gas and food!"

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu said, waving him off. He placed a fluffy sleeping bag into the cart, then tapped his chin when he saw what was right next to them. "Should I get an air mattress?"

"What? No!" Gray shook his head. "We're only going to be out there for a week!"

"So?" Natsu asked, looking at the different sizes. In the end, he decided he didn't need one, but it had nothing to do with what Gray said.

"So? You don't need a—" Gray stopped talking when Natsu pushed the cart down the aisle. "Why the hell didn't I just ask someone else for a ride home today."

Natsu heard Gray muttering under his breath, but he didn't say anything, too busy looking at the fishing stuff. Before Gray could say anything, he held up a finger. "I know I already have fishing poles. I'm just getting some new line and hooks. My old ones are pretty bad."

"Fine," Gray grumbled, looking down at the cart. Natsu saw him cocking his head before grabbing something. "A camping shower?"

Natsu shrugged. "The showers at the campsite are awful. At least this way we can get clean without worrying about getting stung by wasps... again."

Gray shivered. "Okay, good idea."

"Should I get bug spray?"

"Yes."

"What about sunscreen?"

Gray laughed, looking at Natsu's tan skin. "I don't think you can get a sunburn even if you tried. But I need some."

He went to grab a tube, but Natsu swatted his hand away. "I got it," he said, placing the tube in the cart.

"Thanks," Gray mumbled, following Natsu further down the aisle.

"Oh! Look at this awesome headlamp! I wouldn't have to worry about holding a flashlight while I'm taking a piss at night!"

Gray cringed. "Lower your voice," he scolded, looking around to see if anyone heard. Luckily there was no one around, but that didn't excuse his foul language. "Remember, kids shop here too."

"Oh, right," Natsu said, giving his friend a sheepish grin. "My bad."

"Well, it certainly isn't mine."

Shrugging, Natsu headed out of the sporting goods section. "I still gotta get some food for Happy."

"Let me guess, cans of tuna?" Gray snickered, "He's just as picky as you are."

"Hey!" Natsu growled, eye twitching. "I'm not picky! I just really like hot sauce!"

"You put that shit on everything though. When was the last time you ate something without it?"

"Today for lunch! I had a bag of chips and—"

"You had a bag of spicy chips," Gray said, validating his point.

"Whatever," Natsu grumbled, pushing the cart away from Gray. "At least I don't suck on ice cubes randomly."

"That's not weird!" Gray defended, only to earn a snort from his friend.

"What about stripping randomly?"

Gray glanced down, jolting when he saw his pants where undone and sagging to reveal his black boxers. "Shit!"

As he scrambled to pull his pants up, Natsu laughed, "Remember, language!"

Gray looked around to make sure there were no people in the area before saying, "Man, you're fucking annoying."

Natsu grinned. "I know! Come on, let's get Happy's food fast so we can go buy snacks! I wanna get some cinnamon candy for the ride there!"

Gray placed a hand to his forehead. "Why are we friends again?"

The question remained unanswered while Natsu ran around the store to purchase more items. By the end of the shopping trip, his cart was overflowing. He was going all out for the trip.

"You know Erza's going to kill you, right?" Gray asked when Natsu put a little orange and black toy gun on the conveyor belt.

Natsu could only grin. "Nah, she'll think it's funny. Trust me."

"You said you're going to shoot her in the face when she's sleeping."

"Yeah." He didn't see the problem with that plan. "It'll be hilarious."

"Whatever," Gray drawled. "It's your funeral. I guess I'll try not to call you a dumbass in your eulogy, but no promises."

Natsu just snickered as he waited for, Jackie, their co-worker to ring him up. He nearly laughed when she asked, "Are you guys going camping?"

'That's a dumb question,' he thought, but he couldn't be that rude out loud. "Yup." Natsu grinned as he pulled out his wallet to pay. Natsu looked back at Jackie before saying, "We go every year."

"Oh, well have fun," she said while ringing up the rest of the items. "Maybe when you get back," she started, pushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, "we could grab some coffee... together?"

"No thanks," Natsu declined immediately, keeping his tone casual. He had worked with her a few times and she seemed nice, but he wasn't risking it. If it was an outing as friends he would be for it, but he heard a rumor she had a crush on him.

A date might lead to romance, which might lead to love, which would inevitably end in heartache. No one was worth risking that type of pain for. He figured it was better to let her down now than to possibly lead her on.

Wanting to change the subject to end the awkward silence that fell around them, Natsu asked, "Can I get a carton of cigarettes?" He could already feel Gray's glare settling on him, surely upset over his addiction. "The reds?"

"Sure," she said, voice clipped. Natsu didn't take offense, knowing that wasn't the worse attitude someone gave him after a rejection. Once again, it was better to stop whatever hope there was for anything more than friendship than to play with someone's emotions.

"I wish you'd quit," Gray muttered, arms crossed over his bare chest.

Raising a brow, Natsu wondered when he took off his shirt, or better yet, where he took his shirt off. "I know you do." Natsu felt a little ashamed that he got addicted to smoking.

He really didn't know why he started smoking in the first place. It was probably a combination of boredom and not caring what he did to his body. Gray got him started, then the fucker went and quit right after Natsu got addicted.

When the cashier was done ringing up the items and bagging them, she told Natsu the total. That left him gawking and Gray laughing.

"I told you." He wiped a fake tear from his eye as he watched Natsu fork over most of the money in his wallet. "You spent your whole paycheck, didn't you?"

"Shut up," Natsu muttered, accepting his change and receipt. "It'll be worth it when we get to the site."

That would be their last annual camping trip for a while. Erza and Jellal were moving to Crocus in the fall, Gray was moving to another town next semester to continue his education, and Natsu... Well, Natsu was wanting to become a firefighter. The training would take approximately twelve to fourteen weeks, roughly forty to forty-eight hours a week. It would leave little time for his friends. He wanted to make their last trip perfect.

"You better hope so," Gray continued laughing. "Let's just get this shit to your place so you can pack."

"Ugh," Natsu grunted. "I hate packing."

His mood quickly changed when he remembered something. "Oh! We need to stop at the firework stand before we leave!"

"What?" Gray's jaw dropped. "No!"

Natsu jolted out of his memory, eyes blinking up at the ceiling. He had somehow ended up laying down on his mattress. 'Was it a memory or a dream?' He couldn't be sure, but he wouldn't be surprised if he did pass out. He was exhausted.

Sitting up, Natsu grabbed his phone that was sitting on his bed. He stood, sauntering over to his bookcase to grab his solar powered charger. Plugging his phone into it, he set it on the teacher's desk so it could charge.

The desk was scooted to the wall so the sun's rays could hit it. They still had a few hours before dinner, so he hoped his phone would charge before then. He could use it to distract Lucy while he slept.

Then again, Happy seemed to be a good distraction for her. He glanced at her, seeing she was now sitting down with Happy in her lap. She was petting him, occasionally stopping so she could scratch behind his ears. The two warmed up to each other quickly, but Natsu wasn't surprised. Happy got along with mostly everyone, even if sometimes he could be ornery.

Natsu went back to his bookcase. He emptied his pockets onto one of the shelves before picking up his pack of cigarettes and lighter. He knew he should wait, but he didn't think he could. If he didn't do something soon, he would start to get irritable from the lack of sleep, and that wouldn't benefit anyone. Whatever he just had, nap or daydream, it didn't help ease his exhaustion.

Before he forgot, Natsu grabbed his red shirt he was wearing that morning and put it on. He doubted he would have to go off base for the rest of the night, so he figured it was safe to wear his nicer clothing. It had tears in it, but it was still his favorite shirt. A black tribal design in the shape of a dragon was on the front. He had a matching wristband for it, but it was on his bookcase for safe keeping.

With his torso now covered, he went to the furthest window from Lucy and Happy, propping it open a few inches to lessen the amount of cold air that could get in. He had to stand in the small space between the window and Max's bed, but he tried not to think about his deceased friend.

After lighting his cigarette, he took a long drag, sighing in relief as it hit him. Propping himself against the wall, he closed his eyes and continued smoking. It was one of the last pleasurable things he had in his life. Well, that and jerking off, but he hadn't done much of that since the outbreak. It was hard to find the time, and even then, he had to be in the mood, which was almost never.

He had only successfully masturbated twice since moving into Fairy Tail, and both times he had to watch videos from his porn stash just to clear his head. Most of the time when he closed his eyes, he thought about death. That was an instant turn off, so he usually gave up and did something else.

When Natsu finished his cigarette, he threw away the butt after making sure it was put out. He was about to head to his bed to try to sleep anyway when he realized he could try to introduce Lucy to Cana or Levy now. With any luck, they would let her stay in their room until dinner time so he could get some sleep.

Natsu turned to look at Lucy, seeing she was still petting Happy. He hated messing up their moment, but he wanted to get the introductions over with. It would be better for everyone involved if she met her new roommates before bedtime.

Clearing his throat, Natsu caught her attention. "Hey, wanna go meet your new roommates?"

Lucy's smile fell as her brown eyes dimmed. Holding Happy a little tighter, she mumbled, "Sure..."

.

.

.

Please let me know what you thought! I absolutely love hearing your theories and ideas for this story! Remember, I listen to suggestions and constructive criticism! So if you ever see a mistake, let me know, or if you have an idea you think would work well with this story, let me know too. I read every single review, sometimes multiple times! They seriously make me so happy!

Oh, and who likes Lucy's new last name? :P

Up next, Chapter Seven: Set back

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