Warning: Contains slightly disturbing imagery.
*Chapter Nine: Dinner is served
(October 4th, 2017, Wednesday Evening)
Gray's muscles ached as he lifted his arms, exhaustion washing over him. He was finally done working, but it always left him sore and tired. He hated that he was good at killing zombies. Not only did it mean they assigned him the job of 'clearer', it also meant he had to spend most of his days off base.
He could never afford to relax while outside, never knowing when a zombie might come out and attack.
"You're good," Jellal said, working his way down the line of nude men.
Gray went to where his clothes were, shrugging them back on as quickly as he could. He had to wait until all the other clearers were finished being processed before he could leave, needing Jellal to tell Elfman that they were good.
After Jellal gave the clearers the green light, they all filed out of the locker room. Some stayed in the arena, but Gray headed out. He wanted to get out of his clothes and into something more comfortable. Though, to him, comfortable meant nothing but his boxers. However, last time he did that, he got a scolding from Grandeeney because there were children present.
Gray headed towards the school, enjoying the cool air before he made his way into the building. His body was stiff, bones creaking as he took his first step up the stairs. He regretted getting a room on the second floor, wishing he had fought harder to live on the first.
'Fuck walkers,' he thought, only halfway up. 'Stairs are my real enemy.'
When he entered his room, he stripped down to his boxers, letting his body air out as he sat at one of the desks. Despite the chilly air, he was still sweating from today's work. He took down a decent amount of zombies, but it never seemed like enough.
No matter how many they killed, more popped up.
If it weren't for the fact that he was stuck with his family and friends, Gray would have wished he had already moved before the outbreak happened. The town he was planning on moving to had a population of less than thirty thousand people. There would still be zombies, but not nearly as much.
At least, that was the idea. They had no clue how far the infection spread. There was a chance there were towns out there that didn't get hit, but without going there, they could only speculate.
When Gray's skin felt clammy instead of wet, he threw on a pair of gym shorts and a tank top. 'The cold never bothered me anyways.'
He shook his head, a small smile coming to his face. After the outbreak, it was harder to relax and think about lighter times, like the time he dressed up as Elsa for Halloween and spent the night quoting the movie.
It was a lot of fun, even if it earned him the nickname 'Ice Princess' from Natsu. Luckily for him, no one else called him that.
After grabbing his dishes, Gray decided to leave the room, knowing Lyon and Ultear probably weren't coming back since their dishes were already missing. Most likely, they were headed to dinner, so he figured he might as well go too. His stomach twisted at the thought of food, not hungry despite knowing he had to eat to survive.
He couldn't help it. Seeing one of his comrades drenched in blood, their intestines strung out over the concrete while they begged for help, ruined his appetite. He was just glad he didn't have to put the guy out of his misery. Kagura had that honor, stabbing him deftly through the skull with her sword before they loaded him into the truck to take back to Fairy Tail.
Some days were worse than others, and unfortunately for everyone, today wasn't nearly the worst.
When Gray entered the arena to get his food, he looked around for his friends. He spotted Cana and Levy in line, Erza a few places behind them. Since cutting was against the rules, he headed to the back of the line. Everything seemed normal -all things considered, until he noticed a new face in the crowd.
Her blonde hair easily stood out, contrasting with her dirty skin. His eyes widened when he realized that wasn't dirt, but bruises covering her arms and face. He could see cuts adorning her arms, but that wasn't the worst part.
Judging by her face and her arms, she was malnourished. Even her waist looked too small for an adult woman. His eyes went down to her legs, seeing they were covered in a pair of sweatpants, hiding their true size.
Gray's brows furrowed when he realized whose sweatpants those belonged to, recognizing a red stain on the left thigh from when they were worn to art class. It was hard to forget, seeing as Natsu wouldn't stop bitching about it after Gray accidentally -it was definitely on purpose- spilled red paint on his pants. He only did it to end an argument they were having.
Gray's eyes darted up, finally seeing the man standing in front of the blonde. He appeared to be talking to her, but she didn't look as if she was listening, her head down and her arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
'Natsu?'
Gray wondered who the new girl was, and why she looked so scared. They were only standing in a line to get food. The base was safe against zombies, so he saw no reason for her fear.
He started walking closer to them, but he didn't stop. Walking past them, Gray made his way to the end of the line, knowing he could ask Natsu about it later. With as freaked out as that girl looked, he doubted his presence would help.
"Gray, you're stripping again."
He blinked, looking over to see Rogue and Sting standing in line. Rogue was pointing down at the ground where Gray's tank top sat, messily thrown a few steps behind him.
"Damn it." Gray grabbed his shirt, not bothering to put it on until he walked away. His stripping habit was already bad, but after the outbreak it got worse. He only stripped when he was in deep thought or he was anxious.
Most of the time, he had to wear a belt with a small padlock so he couldn't remove his pants while off base. Running away from a zombie in nothing but his underwear was not the safest thing in the world. He had a large scar on his thigh to prove it.
Gray stood in the back, not bothering to talk to anyone while the line started moving. He wasn't that much of a talker anyway, especially after he just got off work. He preferred the silence.
When he finally made it to the front of the line, he was given a scoop of white rice, covered in what smelled like a tomato sauce and a side of green beans. He thanked Lisanna as she handed him his 'dessert', seeing today he got half of a rice crispy treat.
"They expire at the end of the month, so it should still be good," Lisanna said, but Gray was already waving it off.
"It's fine. Thanks again."
Gray took his tray and cup of tea and made his way to the usual spot where his friends ate. He would sit with his siblings, but they were hanging out with other people. He didn't mind, they could hang out later tonight.
Tables and chairs were set up in the arena, covering the court that was no longer used for basketball. Since it was getting dark, the area wasn't as bright, but they used a bit of their stored electricity from the solar panels to turn on a few lights so people could see. It was better than eating in the cafeteria at the school. Right now, it would be nearly impossible to navigate through.
He arrived at the table, seeing Cana, Levy, Erza, Natsu, and the mystery girl already sitting there. The girl had her head down, preventing him from seeing her face. He blinked a few times before taking his seat, right across from Natsu.
He wanted to ask why he had a bandage on his face, but knowing his friend, he probably did something stupid. "Hey."
Natsu looked up, brows lifting for a second before he nodded. "Hey. Glad you made it."
And that was about as affectionate as the two of them got. 'At least he doesn't want me to die,' Gray thought as he took a sip of his tea. He wanted to ask who the new girl was, but he figured Natsu would introduce her soon enough.
However, instead of saying any more to Gray, Natsu turned to look at Blondie. "Are you okay?"
She slowly nodded her head, but she didn't look up at him.
"You need to eat. Go ahead, it's safe here."
Gray watched as Blondie grabbed her fork, picking up a bit of rice before bringing it to her mouth. Being closer, Gray was able to see the cut on her lip, his own wounds stinging as he thought about it. He wasn't shy to injuries, but he knew that had to hurt.
Gray looked away from Natsu and the girl, glancing over at the other women at the table. Cana was oddly quiet, while Levy kept stealing glances at the mystery girl between bites. Erza stayed stoic, eyes on her plate as she ate her meal. He wanted to ask what was up with them, but he didn't know if that would put them on the spot.
"How was work," he settled with, not talking to anyone in particular.
"Day off," Cana said, taking a gulp of her drink. He was surprised he couldn't smell alcohol coming from her drink. She must have run out.
"It was okay," Levy mumbled, but she wasn't looking at Gray, her eyes trained on Blondie.
"What about you, Erza?" Gray tried, hoping they could break whatever tension had settled around them.
"Fine. No incidents to report."
Gray pressed his lips into a thin line, his brows furrowing. Despite his efforts, it seemed things only got worse. To him, everyone felt on edge. "You still doing that movie night thing?"
Erza nodded, her eyes quickly glancing at Blondie before flitting to his. "We are. Anyone's welcome to come."
Gray had a feeling she wasn't talking to him. "So Natsu," he started, realizing he was getting nowhere with waiting. "Who's your new friend?"
Natsu's head shot up, eyes blinking a few times as if registering the question. "Oh, oh shit!" He looked at the girl, then over to Levy. "I forgot to introduce everyone. "Gray, Levy, this is Lucy."
When all eyes were on Lucy, Natsu added, "She's the girl I met at the gas station. Remember? We were on our way to the camp grounds?"
Gray raised a brow, shaking his head when he came up blank. "I don't remember."
"I do," Cana whispered, drawing the focus to her. "Me and you had a debate over what was more important..."
Gray didn't know why Natsu looked so relieved Cana didn't finish her sentence. He closed his eyes, trying to remember that far back. "Let's see, I pumped gas, I remember that. Then you, oh right. You did say you were talking to a girl." He didn't say more, realizing now why Cana didn't finish.
They had debated what was more important, chest size or beauty. He looked at Lucy, not able to tell much of either. He guessed if she had a bit more color in her face and no bruises on the skin he could see, she might be considered cute. He didn't bother looking down at her chest, not wanting to get smacked by Erza. He figured no one else at the table would care if he stole a peek.
'Maybe Lucy would?'
She wasn't looking his way, but he decided to be respectful and keep his eyes off her chest. He looked down at himself, thankful his chest wasn't exposed. He was feeling antsy, but he had kept his shirt on so far. To him, that felt like a victory.
Erza broke the silence by saying, "Makarov told me her last name is Dragneel. Is this true?"
Gray jolted as soon as Natsu said, "Yup. Her name's Lucy Dragneel."
Eyes zeroing on Lucy, Gray asked, "What the hell?! Did you get married or something?!"
He guessed his tone frightened her. The girl set her fork down before shrinking in her seat. Natsu glanced over to her, whispering something in her ear until she went back to eating, though she did so at a slower pace.
When Natsu looked back at Gray, he said, "Keep your voice down, will ya? We're right here, no need to yell."
"Sorry," Gray muttered, eyes narrowing. "But seriously? Did you get married?"
Natsu shook his head, squinting his own eyes. "No. Why would you say that?"
"Is she a lost sibling?" Levy asked, interrupting the conversation.
"Nah," Natsu said, looking over at Lucy before glancing at Levy again. "She's just borrowing my last name for a bit, until she tells me her real one."
Gray looked at Lucy, his gaze accidentally catching hers as he asked, "Why won't she say her last name? Did she hit her head and forget?"
Natsu raised a brow, asking, "Why would you think she hit her head?"
Without using a filter, Gray mumbled, "Well she's got all those bruises. I just thought—" He stopped talking when the girl moved.
Lucy immediately ducked her head down, shielding her face while her grip tightened around the fork, her knuckles turning white.
Natsu saw, blowing out a breath when he looked over at Gray. "Nice job."
"What'd I do?" he asked, looking back at the girl.
"Doesn't matter what her last name was. If she doesn't wanna say, she doesn't have to." Before Gray could say anymore, Natsu added, "Can we just drop it?"
The other three girls shrugged while Gray tilted his head to the side. Since the girl was looking down, Gray decided to mouth, "Is she okay?"
Natsu stared at him for a few heartbeats before looking down at Lucy, then back at him. His lips twisted before his eyes fell down to his own plate. "How was work for you? Kill any zombies?"
Avoidance.
Natsu clearly didn't want to answer the question, and Gray couldn't do much about that. "Yeah, but we lost Toby..." Gray trailed off, fork picking at his food. "We got hit pretty bad today... I dunno how we'll deal with section four."
"Hopefully it's not too bad," Natsu said, not commenting on Toby's death. None of them were close to him, but they did allow a moment of silence to pass in respect. After a few minutes, Natsu looked up at Gray, his lips tugging into a small smile. "You know what's in section three, right?"
Gray snorted, his own smile appearing. "Magnolia Mart. Damn, it'll be weird going back now that, well, everything's turned to shit."
"True." Natsu took a generous bite of his corn before speaking with his mouth full, "Can't wait though. Once we get that store, we won't have to worry about supplies for a while."
Gray, momentarily distracted because he wanted corn more than green beans, nodded. "Yeah. We'll need to raid the pharmacy before anything else though."
"Yup. It's funny, we were used to unloading the trucks. I bet it'll be weird loading them back up."
"Don't think of it like that," Gray said with a laugh. "Imagine it as a million carry outs."
"That only made it worse." Natsu started chuckling, the corners around his green eyes crinkling with his smile. However, he went dead silent as soon as Lucy looked up at him, his focus immediately going to her. "Yeah?"
"Y-you two w-worked together?"
Gray's eyes widened a bit, finally hearing Lucy's voice. It was quiet and weak, sounding as if she strained herself to get even those few words out. He watched as Natsu nodded, his own voice turning gentle, something that spooked Gray.
"Yeah. He's the buddy I worked with. He was in the hardware department."
Lucy nodded before her eyes returned to her plate. Natsu kept staring at her until she took a bite. His shoulders visibly relaxed, a smile spreading over his lips. When he spoke again, his voice was no longer that gentle tone. "So, what movie are you wantin' to watch?"
After Erza listed a few options, Gray asked Natsu, "Is Max coming?"
He swore the area around them got quieter, Natsu stiffening in his seat. 'Was it something I said?'
When Natsu didn't answer, Erza stepped in. "Max... didn't make it. Natsu found him in section six today."
"Damn," Gray mumbled under his breath, wondering why no one warned him. Then again, he didn't sit around visiting after finishing work today. "I'm sorry man. I didn't know."
"It's fine," Natsu assured, but the shaky breath he took told him otherwise. "He shouldn't have gone out alone."
"Why was he out there?" Gray asked. 'Max is a— was a janitor. Why leave base?'
"He wanted to visit his parents' grave. He... he never made it."
Gray knew it wouldn't help, but he offered it anyway. "That really sucks. I'm sorry."
Natsu didn't respond, his frown saying it all.
"So," Gray started after a minute of silence, "What happened to your face?"
"Accident," Natsu said quickly, scooping up another bite of food. "Just ran into the side of a house, nothing major."
He noticed the way Lucy tensed for a second, but without more information, he decided not to say anything. 'She sure is jumpy.'
Instead of asking the girl directly, Gray spoke to Natsu. "So where'd Lucy come from?"
Once again, the girl tensed.
"Found her in section six," Natsu answered, unwrapping one of his Starbursts. "Dunno where she came from before then." The tone of his voice suggested Gray shouldn't ask either.
He opened his mouth to respond, only to blink in surprise when Natsu slid his other Starburst across the table towards Lucy. "Want that?"
Lucy looked up at him, her bottom lip quivering. "Are you s-sure?"
Natsu nodded, giving her a soft smile. "Yeah. It's cool."
She hesitated before taking the treat, setting it beside her small piece of pink Laffy Taffy. "Thank you," she whispered before taking another bite of her rice.
Gray didn't know what to think. He had seen Natsu be soft and gentle around children and animals, but never around other adults. 'Is she even an adult?' She looked like a young woman, maybe seventeen or eighteen years old. However, it was hard for him to tell, especially since he couldn't get a clear look at her face.
"How old is Lucy?" he found himself asking.
Natsu hesitated before saying, "Twenty, like us."
Gray decided to keep his thoughts to himself, thinking she didn't look twenty. Then again, Levy was twenty too, and she looked to be sixteen, at least height-wise.
Looking at Lucy, he asked, "When's your birthday?"
Her hand shook before she lowered her head further, her bangs covering her face. He looked at Natsu, who was shaking his head. "She's had a long day. Should probably let her rest before we start questioning her."
Gray kept Natsu's gaze for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay..."
"I hope it rains again soon," Levy said, breaking the tension. Everyone could tell she was trying to change the subject, but no one called her out on it. "I miss having a weather app."
Natsu let out a strained chuckle as he nodded. "I still have the app, but it doesn't work," he joked. Without any data, a lot of his apps were useless.
"I wonder where Jellal is," Erza said, looking around the arena towards the locker rooms. "Is he still processing?"
Gray nodded. "Think so. I know the runners were still out after we came back."
The redhead pouted before returning to her meal. "I don't like him having that job."
"You just miss working with him," Cana teased, causing Erza to blush.
"He was better as a guard," was all she said before eating again.
"I'd hate to do processing," Levy said, directing the flow of conversation. "I can't imagine looking at naked people all day." She shivered while Cana laughed.
"I don't think I'd mind too much."
"Good thing you're just a water girl," Gray laughed, earning a snort from Cana.
"Hey! If it wasn't for people like me, you wouldn't be drinking your tea."
"I guess you're right," Gray admitted, lifting his cup at Cana. "Thanks."
She nodded, pleased with the small victory. "You're welcome."
Dinner carried out almost like usual after that. Natsu was less eccentric than normal, but Gray figured it had to do with that skittish girl sitting next to him. She flinched a few times during the conversations, but for the most part, she stayed quiet.
Gray wondered why Lucy didn't talk much, but he guessed asking about it would only make it worse. Truthfully, it didn't matter too much to him. As long as his friends and family stayed safe and happy, he was fine.
Everyone was finishing up their meals when a large man walked up to their table, setting a container in front of Natsu. "Here. I think Lucy needs this more than me."
Natsu blinked as he looked up to see Elfman towering over him, then slowly grabbed the container so he could inspect it. He recognized what it was instantly, remembering seeing these containers and ones like it at Magnolia Mart.
"Mass gainer?" he mumbled, turning it over so he could read the back.
"It'll help Lucy put on weight," Elfman explained, pointing to the nutritional facts. "She needs to take two scoops a day with thirty-two ounces of water. I don't have any more, but this should last her a few days. If you can find more while you're out on a run, it'll help her."
Natsu chuckled, unable to stop himself from saying, "That sounds like a video game quest."
He saw a few of his friends raising their brows, so he explained. "Like a side quest? One of the continuous ones where you go do something and you can keep getting more experience for it?"
Natsu looked at Lucy, seeing her eyes fixed on the container. "Except instead of points, we might get lucky and get pounds."
He meant it as a joke, but unfortunately for him, Lucy didn't take it that way. She lowered her head, hands shaking as she returned them to her lap.
"Lucy?" he asked, voice soft as he tried to look at her face, but she kept it hidden behind her hair. "Are you—" He cut himself off when he saw a droplet of liquid land on the table, followed by another and another.
His stomach twisted in an instant, guilt flooding his chest. "Shit," he mumbled, realizing he offended her. "Hey, it's okay. So you're a little underweight, it's not—"
Once again, Natsu stopped himself from finishing. Saying 'it's not gonna kill you' would be a lie. Starvation and malnutrition could definitely kill her.
Despite just eating, his stomach was starting to feel empty. He promised he would help her, but it seemed like everything he did was the wrong move. "Lucy, I'm sorry. If you don't wanna take this stuff, you don't have to. I was just making a joke. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
He clenched his hands into fists, hoping that would stop him from touching her. Patting someone on the back was supposed to help, but he couldn't do that to her. It would only make her more upset.
"Lucy, I'm really sorry."
She shook her head, swallowing hard before she finally looked up, meeting his gaze. Her brown eyes were watery, the skin around them turning red and puffy. Her lip quivered when she opened her mouth, voice strained as she said, "I'm n—" She had to pause to take a deep breath. "I'm not m-mad at y-you."
"You're not?" he asked, incredulous because she hadn't stopped crying.
She nodded, lowering her head again. He had to lean in to hear her, voice barely a whisper. "Not your fault."
His heart only dropped, not knowing what to say or do to make her feel better. What would he do anyway? She didn't want to talk about whatever happened before he found her, and comforting her with touches was off the table. He would give her space, but he didn't want to leave her by herself. What if she hurt herself again?
Before he could ask her what he could do to help, Lucy spoke again, voice a little stronger than last time. "I'll take the st-stuff."
Natsu looked back at the container before returning his gaze to her. "You will?"
She didn't say anything else, but she nodded, letting him know her answer.
"Thank you," he whispered before looking to Elfman. "Thanks man. I appreciate the help."
"It's fine. Helping is what real men do anyways."
Elfman turned to leave, but Natsu stopped him. "Wait, isn't this considered food?"
He shook his head. "Makarov said it was fine when I first joined, so I'm sure it'll be okay for Lucy too." Elfman's eyes fell to the container, frowning. "You may need to shake it though. I haven't opened it in a month or so. The powder might be sticking together."
Natsu nodded, thanking Elfman once more before jolting, surprised when he heard Lucy's voice beside him. He glanced at her, seeing she was looking up at Elfman. "Thank... you."
Elfman gave her a smile. "You're welcome little lady. Anything to help." With that, Elfman walked away from their table, leaving them all in another bout of silence.
Natsu's eyes widened when he remembered something, the idea of Lucy taking something to make her feel better jogging his memory. "You gotta take your antibiotic. Do you have the pills with you?"
Lucy nodded, slowly pulling out the bag of pills before plucking one from it. He watched as she swallowed it before taking a sip of her water, her nose scrunching a second afterwards. If he had to guess, she didn't like the taste.
Natsu thought they were going to get back to eating, but Gray spoke up.
"So, did you ask Lucy the three questions?"
Lucy flinched when she heard her name, but other than that, she didn't make a sound or move. Natsu watched her for a few seconds before turning to Gray, already frowning. "I still don't understand how you're making fun of me for that?"
"Because I think it's funny," Gray said simply, stabbing at his last piece of green beans. "Why else would you make fun of someone?"
"Because you're a bastard. That's a reason right there." Despite his tone, he knew he was joking around. It was how Gray and him worked, always teasing or bickering with each other to pass the time. If it came down to it, they knew they had each other's backs, but it was still nice to visit the good old times when they harassed each other.
"Wh... what questions?" Lucy asked, gaining every shred of Natsu's attention.
He met her gaze, seeing she had stopped crying, but her eyes still showed the stress of the act. "It's dumb, just something from a TV show."
"'The Walking Dead'," Gray elaborated, earning a scowl from Natsu before he looked at Lucy again.
"Have you seen the show?" When Lucy shook her head, he said, "It's just something one of the guys asked people when they joined his group."
Before anyone else could say anything, Gray said, "You should see his list."
Lucy lifted her eyebrows while Levy and Cana snickered. "Wh-what?"
Gray smirked as he explained. "Natsu's been keeping a list of everything he learned from zombie shows and movies that are correct and wrong. It's crazy." Natsu's eye twitched, but it didn't stop Gray from continuing. "He's been obsessed with zombies for as long as I've known him."
"Oi! How am I crazy when they became real?!" Natsu shouted, only to quickly shut his mouth and look down at Lucy. Her shoulders looked stiff, but she didn't seem too frightened by his outburst. Still, he would have to keep his volume under control so he didn't startle her.
"Still crazy," Gray said with a laugh, causing Natsu to grunt.
"Remind me again, whose ax do you use when you go outside? Huh?"
Grumbling, Gray said, "Yours."
"That's what I thought."
Gray crossed his arms over his chest, glaring across the table. "That thing's not all that great ya know. I'm only using it 'cause I don't have fancy knives like you."
"They're not fancy," Natsu said, his lips twisting into a frown. "They're just military-issued Ka-Bars."
"Better than that dumb ax. That thing's heavy as shit. I don't know why I let you buy it."
"Let me?" Natsu asked, one of his eyes twitching. "Last time I checked, I was a grown ass man who could—" His voice cut out as soon as he felt something touching his arm. He looked down, seeing Lucy pull her hand away from him. "Yeah?"
"Wh-what were they?" she asked, looking genuinely curious, though he didn't know why.
"What were what?"
"The questions?"
It took Natsu a moment to realize what she was referring to. He couldn't help but smile. Despite it being about zombies, Natsu still loved 'The Walking Dead'.
"How many walkers have you killed, how many people have you killed, and why?" He paused before adding, "But you've never killed a zombie or a person, so the answer's zero, right?"
She slowly nodded. "Right."
"Was today the first day you saw a zombie?" In the corner of his eye, Natsu saw a few of his friends sitting up straighter, obviously listening in to their conversation. He didn't care, as long as Lucy was fine with it.
She stared at him for a moment, her brows furrowing as her lips twisted. She shook her head, but it took a moment before she was able to properly answer him. "J-July."
Natsu blinked, surprised that he was shocked by the news. Everyone saw their first zombie in July since that was when the outbreak started, July seventh. He just assumed with the way Lucy was acting, she might have not seen a zombie until today.
The thought was silly, he realized, knowing it would have been extremely hard to not see a zombie until today. "Which day?"
Lucy closed her eyes tight. He didn't know if she was thinking over her answer or not. Sometimes she was easy to read, but other times he struggled to understand her. Without saying a word, Lucy lifted her hands, her fingers twitching as she put some of them down.
Natsu counted before looking up at her face. "Seven? July seventh?"
She nodded, lowering her hands.
"Guess that makes sense," he said, voice low. "That's the first day we saw them too." He knew better than to ask where she was when it happened, not wanting to upset her. Natsu considered himself lucky enough she even told him that much.
"Lucy," Gray started, causing her to tense. She looked over at him, a flash of fear in her eyes. Natsu gulped, hoping she wouldn't panic. So far when she talked to his friends, it hadn't gone so well. "If you don't mind me asking, were you with a group or something before Natsu found ya?"
Natsu already knew what Gray was thinking. With Lucy's condition, it didn't look as if she could take care of herself out there. He figured she had help from other people, otherwise she might have died a long time ago, especially if she saw zombies on day one.
Natsu wasn't surprised when Lucy didn't answer, her face lowering before looking in Natsu's direction. He wished he knew how to help her feel better, but he was at a loss. 'Maybe I should've brought my phone. It might've distracted her.'
Natsu looked over to Gray, his eyes slightly narrowing as he reminded him, "Should probably lay off the questions."
"Why?" Gray challenged, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's an easy question to answer. Yes or no. She answered yours."
"Sometimes things aren't so easy," Natsu said, feeling his heart start to race, but not in a pleasant way. He didn't like how Lucy started shrinking in on herself, trying to appear smaller. "Let her get situated here before interrogating her."
"It's just a simple question. She doesn't even have to talk. She can just nod or something." Despite his tone sounding calm, it still pissed Natsu off.
Shaking his head, Natsu could feel his blood boil. "She doesn't owe you any answers. Just drop it." He couldn't keep the anger from his voice, frustrated Gray couldn't just leave it alone. Natsu was curious too, but he was accepting that Lucy didn't want to answer. Why couldn't Gray?
"It's just—"
"Y-yes," Lucy said, her voice meek as she talked more towards the table than at any of them. Her shoulders shook as more tears fell down her cheeks, her eyes nearly void of emotion as she looked up at Gray.
It was Gray who flinched that time, clearly not expecting her reaction. "You were with a group?"
Natsu watched as Lucy swallowed thickly, her eyes blinking away the tears, but more formed in their place. She opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out. After a few seconds, she closed her mouth, deciding to nod instead.
Natsu, feeling his chest tighten and stomach churn, turned a nasty glare to Gray. "Happy now?"
"Not really," Gray mumbled, returning to his food. "Sorry."
Natsu had to force himself to keep in control. Any other day, he would have tried to take a swing at Gray, but that wasn't a good plan. Not only would he get scolded by Makarov and Erza, he didn't want to leave Lucy unattended.
Running a hand through his hair, Natsu took a few deep breaths before looking at Lucy again. "You should finish eating. Grandeeney said to get every bite."
Lucy nodded, scooping up the last two bites of her food before shoving them into her mouth. If Natsu had to guess, he would say she was forcing herself to eat. He knew the feeling. Sometimes after coming back from working, Natsu didn't want to eat at all, but everyone had to keep up their strength, and the best way was with food and rest.
"Did you explain the bathroom situation?" Levy asked, prompting Natsu to look over at her.
"Huh?" He blinked, needing an extra few seconds before realizing what she was asking. "Oh, yeah. I did."
While they could force toilets to flush by pouring water in the bowls, they couldn't do anything like that for when they pooped, so when that was needed, they had to go outside to the modified porta potties.
Scrunching his nose, Natsu decided to stop thinking about that. It made his stomach twist, the effects greater since he just ate.
"Does she need any pads? I can spare a few if she does," Levy started, Cana and Erza quickly agreeing after her.
"We don't mind sharing."
Natsu was about to tell them Lucy said she didn't get her period often since she was on that birth control, but he decided against it. As much as Natsu wished he could ignore what he heard around base, he couldn't. He knew people were getting more sexually active since there wasn't much to do, and condoms were in short supply.
If word got out that Lucy was on a long-term birth control, it might give her unwanted attention. So, he would keep that a secret. "I grabbed her some, but thanks."
The girls nodded before returning to their plates. After about three months of the same routine, no one batted an eye when everyone started licking their plates. They didn't have anyone who did all the dishes, so it was up to the survivors to clean up their own dishes, even if it wasn't the most sanitary thing they could do.
Once a week, Natsu washed his and Max's dishes with boiled rain water and a bar of soap, but he had to save most of the clean water for drinking and brushing his teeth.
Natsu had to encourage Lucy to lick her plate, even though it technically wasn't hers. Thankfully for her, Natsu washed the dishes yesterday before he went to work, meaning it was clean for her. If he hadn't done that, she would be sharing germs with Max.
His shoulders fell when he remembered his dead friend. Freed said he could visit him in the evening, so he would do that once he finished dinner, but before he went to see a movie over at Erza and Jellal's place.
That was the plan, but sometimes plans fell through.
"Do you want to watch a movie over at Erza's place?" he asked Lucy on their way back to his, scratch that, their room. They were a few steps behind everyone else, Natsu's headlamp helping guide his and Lucy's way.
She didn't answer right away, instead walking beside him with her head down. He frowned, wondering if she even heard him, but the halls were pretty quiet.
It wasn't until they reached the second floor before she answered, shaking her head. "N-no."
A frown tugged at his lips, disappointed he wouldn't be able to hang out with his friends tonight. Despite all of them living near each other -literally all down the same hall, they barely had time to visit. Work kept them busy, and most of their time off was spent resting or doing more random chores around the base if needed.
Natsu unlocked the door to their room, letting her go in first before he propped the door open. He set their dishes back on the bookcases, Lucy now occupying the one beside his.
Before they went to dinner, Natsu helped her 'unpack'. They set her things on the bookcase, organizing them by hygiene products, clothes, and personal stuff. However, the 'personal' shelf was left empty, seeing as the only thing she still had on her from before was that charm bracelet.
He looked down at the shoes she was wearing, his frown slightly fading. They were a little tight due to her bandages on her feet, but Lucy said besides that, they felt good. He was glad, seeing as shoes were a necessity.
"I'm gonna go visit the gravesite. Do you want to wait here until I get back or do you wanna come with me?" Natsu asked, trying to keep his voice level. He didn't want Lucy to know he was upset he couldn't hang out with his friends. 'Maybe I still can?'
"You," was all she said, so he nodded.
"After, I was gonna go hang out with my friends... Are you gonna be okay hanging out in here while I do that?"
He saw fear flash through her eyes as she took a step towards him. Her bottom lip quivering as she shook her head. "Stay?"
Natsu's lips twisted into a frown, realizing he really wouldn't be able to hang out with his friends, at least not until Lucy felt good on her own. "Okay. I'm gonna go tell them I'm not coming. You stay here."
He proceeded to walk out of the room, hearing footsteps behind him. 'Or follow me. I guess that works too.'
Natsu knocked on Erza and Jellal's door twice before entering, only peeking his head in. He had to keep his headlamp pointed up so he didn't blind them. "Hey..."
"Hey, we were just about to start," Jellal said, leaning forward on the couch to press play on the laptop. "Should be charged enough to finish... I hope." Raising a blue brow, Jellal glanced over to the door. "Are you going to come in?"
Natsu shook his head. He went to fake yawn so he had an excuse not to hang out, surprised when a real one came out. Then again, he shouldn't have been too surprised. He was exhausted. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep early. I'm beat."
"Are you sure?" Erza asked, pausing the movie.
Nodding, Natsu said, "Yeah, I'm tired." He was about to slip away, but decided to add, "We should hang out this weekend though?"
"We can do that," Jellal said, their other friends nodding. "We'll try to do something earlier next time."
"Thanks." Before they could say anything else, Natsu said, "G'night."
"Good night," they said, some adding, "Tell Lucy good night too."
"Will do." He didn't bother telling them Lucy was right behind him. Without another word, Natsu closed the door and headed back to his room. Their room? That would take some getting used to.
"I guess it's cold outside," he started as he walked to her bookcase, grabbing the light green jacket that was in the bag Erza gave her earlier. "You should wear this."
Lucy accepted it, putting it on without question. He realized belatedly she should have been wearing it earlier, but he couldn't do much about it now. He didn't get cold easily, so the idea slipped his mind.
The jacket was loose, but to be fair, most of her clothes were loose on her. He hoped with the stuff Elfman gave him, Lucy might be able to gain some weight faster. She definitely needed it.
Before leaving the room, Natsu taped a little green glow-in-the-dark star on the back of Happy's flea collar. When he saw Lucy looking at him, he explained. "So he doesn't get lost while I'm outside. Figured I'd take him with me in case he needs to piss."
His eyes widened as he cringed. "My bad, I meant pee."
Lucy shook her head, the smallest smile gracing her lips. "It's okay... I-I don't... mind."
Natsu found himself smiling too, realizing Lucy did a lot better with fewer people around. He hoped she would get used to his friends soon. He wanted her comfortable around them too.
Then again, was she even comfortable around him? He didn't know, and he didn't ask, deciding it wasn't worth the possible tears that might come if he offended her. He had made her cry enough already, even if most of it was from misunderstandings.
After locking up, the two walked downstairs and towards the closest exit. Natsu asked if she wanted to wait inside one more time, but once again, she wanted to come with him.
Using his headlamp, Natsu led the way. The gravesite was on the opposite side of the school as the garden. They knew the infection spread through blood contact, but they didn't know if it was just limited to that. So, in an effort to keep from contaminating their garden, they kept it far away.
It didn't take long for Natsu to find Max's grave. Not only did it have a wooden cross above the plot with his name craved in it, it was also the second to last in the row. He looked next to it, seeing one for 'Toby'. The body inside was wrapped in a tarp and covered lightly with dirt.
Natsu recognized what that meant. It was too dark to burn the body, not wanting to draw too much attention to them, but it was still a little covered so people wouldn't mess with it, not that anyone would.
Looking back at Max's grave, Natsu pulled out the wallet he had been carrying, taking out the ID inside. He had already swung by the main office on their way to dinner and punched a hole in the top, the perfect size to hang on the nail that stuck out an inch on the wooden cross below Max's name.
Natsu placed it on the nail, frowning when he didn't feel any better. He never did before, so he didn't know why he would now.
He put the rest of the wallet on top of the mound before taking a seat at the end, just staring at the marker for his grave. He didn't know what to think. Max didn't deserve to die, especially not in that way. He wished he could have done something different, but there was nothing to be done.
Max was gone, and he didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.
Despite only knowing each other for a month, Max was Natsu's friend. They would stay up and talk about their lives before the outbreak, telling jokes and making plans for the future when everything returned to normal.
His heart clenched when he realized Max would never get to do any of those things he said he wanted to do. He would never laugh again, he would never smile. Hell, he would never get to sing into the end of his broom as if it was a mic when they had singing battles.
It was all over, just because he went by himself and got killed.
Natsu blinked his watery eyes, wondering when he had started crying. When he went to wipe the tears away, he felt his hands shaking. That was the first step before he broke down, falling forward and bracing himself on his palms before he let himself go, completely forgetting everything else around him.
It started out crying for Max, remembering his devoured body and the last conversations they had together while he was still alive, then it morphed into all the other people he lost over the months. Warren and Vijeteer were killed and there was nothing he could do.
Hell, he even cried thinking about what happened to Ur, remembering Gray and his siblings' tears as they watched their mother die. He thought about Igneel, wishing he had said more to his father before they parted ways. Why? Why couldn't he go back and fix it? Why couldn't he still have his father by his side.
Everything would be a lot less painful if he had his dad. He didn't even know if Igneel was alive, never getting closure and always hoping they would meet again, only for reality to come crashing down on him. Every day that passed, he realized it more and more, the chances of seeing his dad again were lower, nearly none existent.
The last thing he had said to his father in person was, "Drive safe! I'll see you in a few days." He didn't realize it wasn't true at the time. Months passed, and he had no idea where his dad was.
What made it worse, was the last thing Igneel said to him in person.
"See you later to set off those fireworks. Happy birthday again."
That was it. Neither one of them even bothered to say they loved the other. Of course, Natsu knew he loved Igneel and Igneel loved him back, but he desperately wished he would've said it then.
Hot tears burned his eyes when he thought about Zeref. He hadn't talked to his brother in so long, and that was before the outbreak happened. The last he heard, Zeref was living in Alvarez. An ocean was separating them, but that wasn't the biggest struggle. It was the sea of zombies that stood between him and the edge of Fiore, making sure he couldn't just go find his brother, even if he knew where to look.
Zeref had cut off contact after he graduated, Natsu only hearing rumors about his brother's whereabouts from mutual friends.
Natsu swallowed hard, throat tightening enough to cause pain. He was ready to slam his fists into the ground and curse at the world for being so cruel, but everything in his world stopped for a moment when he felt something on his back.
His eyes widened as he jerked his head, seeing Lucy kneeling beside him. She squinted her eyes, the bright light from his headlamp preventing her from looking directly at him.
Natsu opened his mouth to ask her what she wanted, but his voice died out when he felt pressure on his back again, realizing what she was trying to do.
Lucy was trying to comfort him, lightly patting his back. He almost couldn't believe she was willingly touching him, even going as far as to try to help him. Her touches weren't helping, but the thought behind it certainly did.
He shut his eyes, sniffling back snot as he scrubbed at his face, trying to stop himself from shedding more tears. How was he supposed to look strong if he cried in front of her?
He lifted the headlamp so it shined over her head, letting him see a bit of her face. Looking into her eyes, he saw she wasn't looking down on him for crying. If anything, she looked sympathetic.
"I'm fine," Natsu lied, voice almost cracking. "Thanks though."
"Any t-time," she whispered, and for some reason, he believed her.
"Thanks."
It took Natsu a few more minutes to finally calm himself down. By the time he finished, his face and eyes were red and his shirt sleeves were wet with tears and snot. He knew it was gross, but after seeing his ex-roommate dead, he didn't give a fuck.
They walked slowly back into the building, Natsu exhausted and worn out, and Lucy keeping his pace. Or maybe she was walking slow because her feet hurt? Either one sounded believable to him.
They stopped by the bathrooms beforehand, each taking turns using the headlamp. Natsu was just glad no one else was using it, considering Lucy was in the men's restroom, refusing to go alone into the women's. It was a bit awkward for Natsu, who didn't know what to do with himself while he waited for her to go to the bathroom, trying to ignore the strangeness of the situation.
He hoped she grew out of whatever fear she held, otherwise she was going to struggle when it came time to get a job. There was no way she could do what he did, meaning they would be separated all day.
Not wanting to wait until it was too late, Natsu told her they should get brushing their teeth over with. He had to show Lucy how to brush her teeth with the least amount of water possible. She was quick to learn, repeating the steps with ease.
He knew it was just brushing her teeth, but he couldn't help but feel proud of her. Despite it being weird, he told her she did a good job.
He led her back to their room, heading towards the space in between the beds to light a candle. Walking back to the door, Natsu closed it before locking it, hearing Lucy suck in a sharp breath.
Before she had a chance to freak out, Natsu showed her how to handle the lock. "You can keep people out, but you can't get locked in, see?" He unlocked it with the deadbolt, letting her see she could unlock it if she wanted to. "You're not locked in, I promise."
After a few heartbeats, Lucy nodded.
Sighing a breath of relief, Natsu went to do his nightly routine. He fed Happy, laid out the clothes he would wear tomorrow, set his alarm on his phone and watch -in case either of them decided to die during the night, smoked a cigarette, and then went to change.
He gulped after grabbing the hem of his shirt, fingers shaking as he remembered the pain of getting his cheek cut open. Looking at Lucy, he decided maybe he could sleep with a shirt on. It would be worth it if it meant he could go without getting sliced again, even if the risk was low. She didn't have a knife and he didn't think she would hurt him, but he wanted to be safe.
"I'm gonna change into shorts. Might wanna look away."
Lucy did as she was told, staring at a wall while he changed. After he finished, he told her she should get something comfortable on.
She took off the jacket and shoes, but kept her shirt and his sweatpants on. "Is th-this okay?"
Natsu furrowed his brows, wondering why she was asking him. "It's fine," he said, his confusion easily heard in his tone. Lucy didn't bother elaborating, so he didn't press for more answers.
"This is my bed," Natsu said, taking a seat on his twin mattress. "That's yours." He pointed to the one Max used, hoping that would be good enough.
Natsu wished he had a bigger bed, but he would have to go fetch one from a house on his day off if he wanted one. Only couples and families got bigger beds. The twin bed he used was too small. He tossed a lot in his sleep, a few times ending up halfway on the floor when he woke up.
Lucy hesitated before going to her new bed, then waited another moment before sitting down. He heard her gulp, but she didn't say anything as she grabbed the blankets.
He watched out of the corner of his eye, seeing her scoot all the way to the back of the wall before pulling the blankets over her body. He could tell she was staring at him, but he tried not to make it obvious he knew.
"Wanna listen to music for a bit?" he asked, waiting until she nodded before grabbing his phone.
Setting the volume low, Natsu started one of his playlists. It held his slower, softer songs. They always helped him get to sleep when he was restless, so he hoped it helped Lucy too.
While staring at the dark ceiling and listening to music, Natsu thought about what happened during his day. It was then he remembered he didn't do one of his nightly routines, prompting him to sit up and look at the edge of his bed through some of his stuff.
If Lucy was watching him, he didn't notice. Instead, he brought the notebook he grabbed, bringing it closer to the candle light so he could see the pages as he wrote. About a month into the outbreak, Levy came up with an idea for everyone to write down their days so they could keep track of time better.
It helped see their progress, but it also held their darker memories as well.
Natsu kept his simple, only jotting down the main points of the day. It was what he usually did, not being a fan of writing in the first place.
Oct 4th, 2017. Day off, had to go off base. Section six, Max dead. Found another survivor, Lucy. Brought her to FT. She's holding in there. Punched Nobarly today. Felt great. Lucy didn't like Erza at first, but she seems better now? Didn't get to hang out with friends. Maybe next time. Said goodbye to Max. Oh! Cat food! I found fish-flavored cat food for Happy! Happy likes Lucy, so that's good. Killed three zombies today, two walkers and a sprinter. Got cut on my face, already stitched up. Doesn't hurt too much now. Gotta get some sleep.
As he put his notebook away, he wondered if Lucy would want to write about her day too. He looked at her, seeing her eyes were already closed, her lips slightly parted as she breathed. 'I'll ask her tomorrow,' he thought, crawling back to the top of his bed.
He frowned when he saw Happy laying on Lucy's bed, curled up against her arms. As much as he wanted to go grab his cat to cuddle with, he let it go, hoping Happy could comfort her.
Natsu shifted in his bed, staring at the wall as he thought. He didn't get a chance to talk to Levy alone today, wanting to ask her if she would talk to Lucy. Maybe Lucy would open up to his friend, seeing as she was the most calm of them all, aside from Wendy.
He could just ask Levy tomorrow if he saw her. Right now, they needed sleep.
Natsu rolled over again, turning the music off and blowing out the candle. Moonlight poured into the room, giving them some natural light, but not nearly enough. He used to need it to be pitch black before he could go to sleep, but over the months, he got used to the dim light.
Closing his eyes, Natsu let sleep embrace him. He slept for an hour, but he swore only a second passed before he was jolted awake by a scream, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what was happening.
.
.
.
I tried writing a bit of this chapter from Gray's perspective. But, as you can see, I kept slipping back to Natsu's. My bad. Still trying to work on writing other characters besides Natsu and Lucy, but it's taking a while.
We got a little more information about Lucy, but not much. What do you think about Natsu keeping Lucy's birth control a secret? What about Gray wanting to know more about Lucy? Do you think Lucy sleeping in the bed is realistic or not? Originally I was going to have her sleeping in the closet because she wanted to stay away from Natsu, but someone said that sounded off. Just wanted to get some other opinions? Anyways, let me know what you thought of this chapter! I love hearing from you!
Thank you for every favorite, follow, and review! Special thanks to those who reviewed last time: FlameDragonHime, The-Letters-Within, Lenachwann, Tenma360Warrior, sthokat, waiting-for-you443, ThatOneFriend-3, Mara fray, KitAlbert07, ColeyMari, MorriganFae, HollyNinetales, Terra of Life, cOokIe-MOnzTa, baybewes, An Amber Pen, Lodemai04, Meetrie, firelover11, Guest, PrincessSarahDragneel, Nalu-Nerd13, AnimeArmorFreak, Sam, MissyPlatinum, LynsieTheBraveShadowHuntress, Jaz-Chan-Senpai, wolf-cry77, itsxoi(x2), FairyLover01, LoveroftheWord, ToukaKaneki. Ulle, Ashnmarley, Guest, Tohka123, Serthrek871, Charlotte621, Queenie, alexmalik15, NatsuDragneel10045, Meow Orbit, Guest, and Guest!
Up next, Chapter Ten: Runner
The first 'day' is over now. Took nine chapters, but we finally got through it. I'm going to try not to let it get that long from now on, but I think the first day was very important because it introduces all the main characters and lets you see how they interact. Now, that being said, there are a few characters I usually write into my story that haven't made an appearance, yet. This is going to be a longer story, and it would be too easy if everyone was already together. Some characters show up later, you just have to be patient. :)
Thank you all for your support. I'd like to take a minute and say that I realize I'm not perfect. Sometimes I make mistakes while writing or replying to comments, and sometimes I say the wrong thing. I'm human, just like you are. We all make mistakes and hopefully we learn from them. I try to be a decent person, but sometimes I mess up. It happens, and it'll probably happen again because no one's perfect. I can only try to do better than I did the day before. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I appreciate it. Remember I listen constructive criticism, so if there's something you feel is wrong with the story, let me know. Even if it's just spelling/grammar or something else, just let me know. I can't get better if I don't know what's wrong. Thank you for listening.