*Chapter Seventeen: No zombies allowed
(October 25th, 2017, Wednesday Morning)
Natsu waved as Asuka and Bisca walked down the hall before closing his door. He stretched, thankful the girl was tired for the most part. He almost wished she would be content with watching TV on his phone every time he babysat her, but he knew it was better to interact with her.
He looked over to see Lucy flipping a page in the book she was reading. Happy was on her lap, snoozing away as if he didn't have a care in the world. Natsu smiled, enjoying the peace and quiet.
"I'm gonna take a quick nap," he started, walking over to his mattress before pulling off his shorts. Lucy tracked the movement, but after he sat down on his bed, her eyes returned to her book. "When I wake up do you wanna come with me to help the kids? They're gonna be making those costumes I was talkin' about?"
Lucy's lips twisted, making him think she was going to say no, but she surprised him by nodding. "Sure," she whispered.
The tension he didn't know he was carrying in his shoulders eased as he nodded too. "Cool." With that settled, Natsu got comfortable in bed, falling asleep easily since he had been up all night for watch.
(July 5th, 2017, Wednesday Noon)
The air rolling over the current helped Natsu and his friends cool down. The sun was high in the sky, casting its rays of heat on their spent bodies. Things would have been better had there been some shade, but the sky was free of any clouds.
Natsu's friends were rafting down the river, the journey taking longer than they imagined. They had knocked a good one hour down, but they still had at least two more before they reached the end, and that was if they didn't take any breaks.
They used two rafts, the men in one and the women in another. The idea was to race down the river, but after twenty minutes of intense paddling, the group called it quits. That resulted in the two rafts drifting down the river at a leisure pace, going with the flow.
"I'm glad we brought sunscreen," Gray said, slathering another glob of the protective substance against his skin. Him and Lyon were more susceptible to the sun's rays, causing them to apply sunscreen more often than the others.
Erza looked over at them, raising a brow from beneath her sunglasses. "Don't waste it all. We still have another day after this."
"Don't remind me," Lyon groused, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
Natsu rolled his eyes, managing to keep his mouth shut. No one forced Lyon to come. It wouldn't have been that different without him anyway. Deciding his breath would be wasted on Lyon's negativity, Natsu dipped his hand into the river, trying to feel for the bottom.
"Do you think it's deep enough to swim?" he asked, shifting so he could stick a foot into the water.
Levy looked over her raft, humming to herself. "I can't see the bottom, so probably?"
Natsu grinned, throwing both legs over the raft. "I'mma swim for a bit. It's boring just sitting here." He didn't give anyone a chance to speak before jumping into the water.
"Fuck! It's cold!" Natsu rubbed his arms while his feet kicked to keep him afloat. When he saw the raft was moving ahead, he swam towards it, not wanting to be left behind. It didn't take long before he adjusted to the water, but he wished it was warmer. "Guess it's not so bad."
Jellal joined him for a swim, leaving Gray and Lyon to control the raft. Cana jumped in too, but instead of swimming, the woman tied an innertube to the back of her raft so she could float behind them.
Levy cocked her head before turning to Erza. "Didn't the instructors say we couldn't do that?"
Natsu heard Erza grumbling, as if she was deciding what she should do. Erza was a stickler for the rules, but it was better to keep Cana connected. She had a few beers before they began, and he didn't think she could keep up if she was on her own.
Sighing, Erza shook her head. "I think it'll be fine just this once."
The group traveled along the river, Natsu and Jellal splashing their friends while also avoiding the offending oars when they started retaliating. It was all in good fun, smiles and laughter filling the space around them.
After another hour passed, the two rafts were directed to shore. Everyone agreed to take a break, most of them needing to stretch their legs or use the bathroom. Natsu helped tie his raft to a tree before Erza and him hauled the cooler from the girls' raft.
Erza pulled out the marked sandwiches, handing them out. "Who's hungry?" She had everyone prepare their lunch before leaving the campsite, wanting to save time while on the river.
Natsu was the first to grab his food, his stomach growling when he smelled ham and spicy mustard. While eating, he hoped Happy would be okay. He left his feline in the tent, but he unzipped all the 'windows' so fresh air could flow through the screens. Happy had food and water set out, as well as some catnip sprinkled in the corner of the tent. That would be enough to keep his furry friend busy while he was gone.
The only thing Natsu worried about was someone trying to take Happy. He hoped the small padlock on the tent would be sufficient, otherwise the camping trip would turn into a hunt to find the asshole who stole his cat.
If it weren't for the fear of Happy popping the raft with his claws, Natsu would have brought his buddy with them.
"You ready to be a firefighter?" Gray asked, breaking Natsu out of his thoughts.
He nodded, ironically having a fire burning in his eyes as he thought about training. Without swallowing his food, Natsu roared, "Hell yeah I am!"
"You're not worried about the dangers?" Erza asked, jumping into their conversation.
Natsu shrugged, ignoring the way his heart pounded faster at the thought. "Not really. I like a good fight anyways."
Erza's voice grew stern as she looked at Natsu. "You realize the fight won't be with your fists. Are you ready for that? Fire can be unpredictable."
"Honestly?" he started, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt the ends of his scarf tickling his arm, the white material wrapped around his head. "No, I don't think I'm ready, but they're gonna teach me all that stuff in training. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it."
"You shoulda picked a job like mine," Lyon boasted, grinning as he munched on his sandwich. He would be leaving next month to join the royal army. "You get to shoot a gun."
"Military doesn't sound like my thing," Natsu said, shaking his head. "It would be cool to shoot a gun once though. The closest I've come was holding Igneel's pistol."
Lyon's nose scrunched, making an unnecessary comment. "That sounds so wrong."
Natsu narrowed his eyes before kicking Lyon's thigh, pushing him off the rock he was sitting on. "Pervert!"
"Hey!"
Natsu didn't pay him any mind, thinking Lyon was lucky he didn't do anything worse. "Anyways," he sneered, reminding himself not to crush what was left of his sandwich in his anger. "I'm happy with my choice."
Jellal cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "I remember the first time I fired a rifle. It was interesting."
"I didn't know you shot a gun," Cana said, sipping on her beer. "When was that?"
"Last summer. When my internship ended, my boss took me and a couple other guys out to the CEO's lake house. We shot at some birds." He chuckled as he admitted, "I didn't hit anything, but it was still fun. Actually, the place isn't far from here. Just a short walk from our spot."
"Man," Natsu sighed, closing his eyes to let his imagination flow. "I wanna own a lake house someday."
"Really?"
Natsu nodded at Gray, not bothering to look over. "Yeah! Can you imagine just living out in the wild. I mean, I'd obviously get cable and internet, but other than that it'd be great. Just relaxing all day."
"What would you do about money?" Levy asked, bringing Natsu a step closer to reality.
He shrugged, his cheek twitching. "I'll work from home."
Gray snickered to himself. "Doing what? Can't exactly be a stay-at-home firefighter."
Natsu furrowed his brows as he opened his eyes, sending his friend a glare. "I dunno. Haven't thought it all the way through." He sighed, feeling his mood shifting. He was an optimist by nature, so when people constantly belittled his ideas, it bothered him.
"It's just a dumb fantasy anyways."
Levy must have taken pity on him, deciding to give him hope. "It would be cool to stay in a lake house. Maybe next time we're all together we can rent one for the weekend?"
Natsu perked up in an instant. "That sounds awesome!" He wanted any excuse he could get to hang out with his friends, knowing he would miss them when they all went their separate ways.
"Maybe," Erza said with a nod, returning to her lunch. "We'll have to see."
Natsu didn't let her noncommittal answer get him down, his mind already planning the next trip they could take, even if he had no firm details regarding time and place.
After they finished their meals, they set out on the river again. The time seemed to fly by, everyone joking around or relaxing until they reached the end of the rafting trail. They turned in their rafts and loaded in the shuttles to return to the campsite.
Once there, Natsu checked on Happy. He unlocked the tent, letting his cat out to stretch his legs. The feline stepped outside, looked around, then went right back into the tent. Natsu laughed, realizing he had nothing to worry about earlier. Happy was content with chilling while they were gone.
After taking a shower, Natsu went to check his phone. He had no missed calls or texts, so he shoved the device into his bag.
While waiting on his friends to finish cleaning up, Natsu thought about the past couple of days. They had fished, swam, hiked, drank, played outdoor games, and talked. Natsu added rafting to the list of activities, counting himself lucky they had done so much in less than a week.
They had tonight and one more full day to go before they left. Friday morning they would have to be packed up and ready to go back to their normal lives.
Natsu grabbed his wet clothes and hung them on the clothesline. Part of him was glad he would be going home soon. He couldn't wait to get a proper shower and throw his clothes in the washer. The camping shower did a good job, but Natsu preferred his water scalding.
The rest of the day was spent hanging out around the campsite. Natsu and Levy went to get more food in town, but other than that, they all relaxed. When night came, they lit the fire and shared stories. Some were about ghosts and monsters, but most were about memories they had with each other.
Natsu didn't go to bed until three in the morning. His head was swimming with ideas for their last day together. He laid down, letting Happy curl against his side as he tried to get to sleep. He wished his time with his friends could last longer, but he knew they all had to start their lives sometime.
"Night, Happy," Natsu whispered, hearing crickets chirping and his cat purring. It felt peaceful, lulling him to sleep. That was, until he heard a soft moan coming from a tent not too far away.
"Damn it," he groaned, getting up so he could grab his phone to drown them out. Natsu plugged in his headphones before selecting his playlist, a smile growing as he closed his eyes, looking forward to the rest of the trip.
(October 25th, 2017, Wednesday Noon)
After Natsu woke up and got dressed, the two headed to the kid's classroom. It was located where Natsu's old sophomore English class used to be, the large windows giving the room natural light. The kids were sitting at the tables when they arrived, coloring and designing their costumes.
"Where's your dad?" Natsu asked Romeo when he sat across from the boy, raising a brow when Romeo didn't answer right away.
"Not sure. I think he's in the band room?" Romeo wouldn't meet his gaze, his focus on his drawing.
Natsu frowned, wondering what Macao's excuse was today. It wasn't the first time he decided to hang out with the other drunks instead of spending time with his kid, and as sickening as it was, Natsu didn't think it would be the last.
Still, it was none of his business. Besides, Romeo was being taken care of with the other 'students'. In Natsu's opinion, Romeo was better off hanging out with kids his own age, even if the only other kid near his age was Sherria.
As Natsu pulled out an orange piece of construction paper from the pile in front of him to hand to Lucy, he thought about the people who hung out in the band room. 'How are they always getting drunk? They never seem to run out of booze.' He knew they couldn't spend their workdays drinking, so they probably only drank on their days off, which would explain why Macao chose to hang out in the band room instead of spend time with Romeo.
It wasn't a good excuse, but it was a reason, he supposed.
"Can you draw a pumpkin?" Natsu asked, handing Lucy a black crayon next.
She nodded, making sure their fingers didn't touch when she took the crayon from him. "Y-yeah." Her voice was softer than usual since they were surrounded by people. It had been less than a week since Gray yelled at her, but Lucy was recovering. She could somewhat hold a conversation with Natsu, but she was still shy around other people.
Working helped build her self-esteem. He found her growing the tiniest bit more confident every day she came back from work. He hoped having her contribute to the base was helping her feel useful. After what she said when he found her in that house, he realized she felt like a burden, but he didn't want her to see herself like that.
Natsu grabbed a red crayon to start outlining his dragon mask. He wasn't the most artistic, but he figured he could pull that much off. While he drew, he thought about what happened over the past few days.
Gray and him weren't seeing eye to eye much. Lucy agreed to come to breakfast and dinner with him since she was now earning her own food, but there was still heavy tension at the table where all his friends sat. No one said anything, but Natsu knew his friends knew what happened. It was hard to keep secrets at Fairy Tail.
Lucy's abuse was still a secret to everyone but Natsu. Of course, there was a lot he didn't know about her, but he was giving her time to adjust. Despite being at the base for three weeks, Natsu knew she was still getting used to the new environment.
Speaking of environment, he was glad he wasn't working today. It was raining outside, buckets and bowls all over the base to collect water. It would be harder for the clearers and runners to do their job, so they would be working less hours to accommodate.
Natsu was grateful Lucy wasn't working today either. He doubted she would be able to cut grass or dig graves while it was raining, at least not without getting dirty or having the mower jam. Since Natsu had a fear of losing another roommate, he refused to let Lucy get a job off base. That limited her options, but they found a job she could handle for the most part.
Lucy was put in general maintenance. In other words, she was a handyman. 'Or handywoman,' Natsu thought.
She did odd jobs around the base, but most of the time she was by herself. He already asked her what she preferred, her answer being mowing the grass. It helped everyone since they had better paths to walk, but it was sometimes difficult for Lucy since the reel mowers didn't cut weeds well. She would often have to pull them by hand, but she said she liked that more than digging graves.
He couldn't blame her. That job sounded physically and emotionally taxing.
"Hey Lucy. Can you pass the scissors?" Romeo asked, extending his hand.
Lucy placed her hand over the object in question, eyes flitting to Natsu's to get his nod of approval before sliding them to the boy. Romeo mumbled a thanks as he started snipping away at his construction paper, the outline of a gorilla already drawn on the paper.
Natsu waited until Lucy looked at him before mouthing 'good job' to her. He saw the corner of her lip twitch, forming a half-smile. Her head dropped a second later, her hands busying themselves with her own project.
She had the pumpkin drawn, but she was adding smaller details to make it look somewhat realistic. There was only so much she could do with the limited resources. Still, Natsu thought it looked great.
"You're good at that," Natsu said, hoping the praise would help. He could see her biting back a smile as she gave a short nod.
"Tha... thanks."
Natsu looked over at the drawings around him, smiling because they looked good too. "What are you gonna be?" Natsu asked a girl sitting beside him, her name escaping him.
"A bunny!" she shouted, ironically bouncing up and down in her seat.
Natsu chuckled as he gave her a grin. He resisted the urge to tell her a bunny wasn't very scary, but after everything the kids had been through, he knew scary wasn't what they needed.
That was the main reason they had one rule for deciding costumes. No zombies allowed. It was in poor taste to dress up as the creatures who were plaguing them.
"What about you?" Natsu asked Asuka, who was sitting near Lucy, an empty chair separating them.
"A cowgirl!"
Natsu wasn't the least bit surprised. Considering the girl could be found wearing a cowgirl hat on a regular day, it seemed natural she would want to dress up as one for Halloween.
"Everyone's doing amazing!" the 'teacher' said, walking around to assist anyone who needed help. There was one other adult who happened to have the day off in the room, but they were focused on their own kid. Natsu and Lucy were helping, both of them having Wednesdays off.
Besides sleeping, Natsu couldn't think of a better way to spend his free time.
Lucy had only worked four full days, but Makarov decided it would be best if she had Wednesdays off so Natsu could look after her better. Natsu found himself agreeing, but he did miss the privacy he used to have. All his other roommates had other days off, but he was managing.
Today would be the first day she took a shower she earned, but he had a feeling she would be more accepting that time. Every time she went to see Yukino, it got a little easier, the girls warming up to each other slowly.
As he went back to coloring, he whispered to Lucy. "How's work been?" His attempt at starting a conversation had less to do with passing the time and more to do with wanting to get Lucy comfortable talking in front of other people. He figured if she could hold a decent conversation in front of kids, it would be a good stepping stone for when she had to talk in front of adults.
"G-good," she whispered, grabbing the scissors when Romeo was done with them.
Natsu's cheek twitched, remembering her cutting him in self defense. He didn't think she would try to hurt him now, but the memory was still fresh in his head.
Lucy started cutting at her paper, the pumpkin ready for the most part. She would have to cut holes for the eyes, but they were already drawn for when she got to that part.
"How are they treating you?" Natsu asked, keeping his voice low. Romeo's dad was one of the men Lucy worked with, so he didn't want the boy knowing what they were talking about. Despite the chatter going on from the children around them, Natsu had a feeling Romeo could still hear them. If he did, he never said anything about it.
"They... they don't talk to... talk to me much."
Natsu nodded, not able to hide his grin. They didn't talk to Lucy much because he threatened most of them. Before Lucy started, Natsu had gathered the four men Lucy would be working with and told them if they laid a hand on her or said anything inappropriate, he would burn them to ashes.
One of the men told Natsu he shouldn't be going around making threats, but Natsu assured them it wasn't a threat. It was a promise. Since then, they all kept their distance with Lucy. He didn't want them to make her more uncomfortable.
Natsu was easier on the two women Lucy would be working with, telling them not to bother her too much. They agreed after Natsu explained Lucy was a bit skittish around new people. He also told them not to touch her, even if it was as simple as a pat on the back. He made sure they understood her boundaries before releasing Lucy to her new co-workers, hoping she would have a safe work environment.
So far, she did.
"How... how's this?" Lucy asked, sliding her mask across the table. Natsu lifted it up, smiling as he turned towards her.
"Hold still."
She obeyed as he brought the mask up to her face, seeing the eyes were off-centered, but he still thought it looked adorable. He wouldn't tell her that though, not knowing how she would react.
"Looks awesome," he said, pulling it away so he could punch holes in the sides. They would be needed so he could tie the twine on it to secure it to her face.
He smiled to himself when he heard her mumble, "Th-thank you."
"No problem," he whispered back, happy with her overall progress. Gray's yelling had set her back a bit, but she was coming out of her shell again, even if it was just a little bit at a time.
As he measured Lucy's head with the twine, Natsu wondered what her main job would be when it got colder. The grass was already growing less, but she could still mow what had grown over the last few months. There were large patches of it where people didn't normally walk. The more they cut, the more they could venture around. It would also limit the amount of critters that hung out in the tall grass, some of them biting harder than others.
Natsu scratched at a few bug bites he had on his leg, then scolded himself for giving in to the temptation. Scratching would only make it worse. 'Speaking of scratching...'
Natsu peeked at Lucy's arms through his peripherals, seeing them covered by her jacket's sleeves. Despite that, he knew what they looked like uncovered since she didn't wear a jacket to sleep most nights. Her arms had healed considerably since she arrived at Fairy Tail, as well as her legs and feet. He didn't know about the rest of her body since he didn't see those parts, but he hoped they were similar, healing with time and care.
Things were looking up. The last three weeks had been difficult to say the least, but Natsu was optimistic. He hoped nothing bad would happen anytime soon.
However, he wasn't that lucky. In the zombie apocalypse, bad things were lurking around every corner.
"DeZille died today."
Natsu furrowed his brows as he tried to put a face to the name, but he kept coming up blank. "Was she a water gatherer?" he asked, causing Erza to shake her head.
She tried looking unaffected, but Natsu could see the strain in her jaw as she scooped up a bit of food. "Laundry detail. I guess the rain was bad enough they didn't hear them coming."
"How many?" Gray asked, glancing between Natsu and Erza.
"Two walkers. The guard was able to get to them before they bit anyone else, but..." Erza didn't need to finish her sentence for them to know. DeZille had to be put down, otherwise she would infect the rest of the people doing laundry.
As the conversation progressed, Natsu couldn't help but think he was right to make Lucy work on base. If she had been there, she could have been the one killed instead. He wasn't trying to say Lucy's life was more valuable than DeZille's, but he favored his new friend over someone he didn't know.
"Natsu," Levy huffed, her tone suggesting that wasn't the first time she called his name.
He blinked, coming out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"
"I asked if you and Lucy wanted to hang out with us later? We're going to play some games in our room."
Natsu turned to Lucy, seeing the tension building in her shoulders. Asking would be pointless, her stiff posture letting him know her answer. He smothered the sigh that tried escaping, knowing Lucy would feel bad if he did it.
"Nah, probably gonna call it an early night."
"I thought you were sleeping better?" Jellal asked, making Natsu's lips press into a tight line.
It was true, he was sleeping better. The last few days Lucy started taking melatonin tablets from Grandeeney. They helped Lucy stay asleep longer, which meant she woke up screaming far less than she had been. It was a struggle convincing her to take them in the beginning, but he was able to talk her into it. She was reluctant, but after that first night of sleep, Lucy agreed to keep taking them.
He didn't realize how much she wanted sleep too, only focusing on himself for the longest time.
"I am, but still tired." He stretched, hearing one of his joints pop. He cringed before dropping his arms, setting his forearms on the table. "Maybe next time?" He knew he had been saying that too often, but they accepted his answer.
"Okay, yeah," Levy said, nodding as she returned to her food.
Natsu stole a peek at Lucy, seeing she had resumed eating. He couldn't stop himself from smiling, proud of her for earning her own food. He knew it had to be helping her self-esteem, but it also helped him. He no longer had to share his food, meaning he was getting the calories he needed.
Of course, he wanted more food than he received. Before the outbreak, his friends used to joke that he could put an all-you-can-eat buffet out of business. What could he say? He loved food.
Natsu's fork nudged the cherry tomato, wishing he had meat on his plate instead. He was tired of pasta, soup, and vegetables, but unless he wanted to go try to hunt an animal himself, he was stuck with what he got.
"Wish someone would catch a deer or something," Natsu groaned, his stomach growling despite the food he already ate. Bisca and Alzack got close a few times, but they had to look out for the undead while they hunted. Usually they came back with rabbits or squirrels, if they came back with anything at all.
Gray cleared his throat, catching Natsu's attention. He watched as Gray hesitated before saying what was on his mind. "You realize one deer wouldn't feed everyone. There's not enough meat."
Natsu sighed. He didn't know if that was correct or not since he had never been hunting, but he didn't think a single deer could feed everyone at the base. At least not fully. He was about to say Gray was probably right, but stopped when he felt a soft poke on his arm.
Looking over, Natsu saw Lucy cupping her hand over her mouth. He raised a brow before leaning in, turning his head so she could whisper in his ear.
"A cleaned deer can... can weigh about fifty pounds. My m-mom used to... to say h—" Lucy swallowed thickly, but Natsu didn't move away. "It's half a... half a pound per person, so a d-deer can feed about one h-hundred or m-more people."
Natsu's eyes widened as he pulled away from Lucy, a large grin taking over his face. He turned to Gray, his tone smug as he said, "Ha! Lucy says a deer can feed everyone!" He didn't know why he was so excited. It wasn't as if they had a deer to eat in the first place.
"How would she know?" Gray asked, causing Natsu to narrow his eyes.
Once again, Natsu found himself caught between a Gray vs. Lucy battle, and once again, he was taking Lucy's side. Though, that time had more to do with the fact that he liked Lucy's side more.
Her side made him hopeful.
Natsu heard her gulp beside him. He looked down at her, seeing her face turning red. He had seen girls blush before, but that wasn't what was happening to Lucy. She was either mad or embarrassed, or maybe both. He didn't want her upset, but he was curious himself. "How do you know?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't be offended.
Her voice was too soft, but he heard her by straining his ears and leaning in. "My d-dad... H-he liked to... liked to hunt."
Natsu's heart dropped when he pulled away, seeing her lower lip tremble and her eyes turn glossy with unshed tears. His grin slipped from his face, replaced by a small frown. Lucy didn't share many details about her past, but when she did, it was a toss up. Either it was happy or sad, and more often than not, it was sad.
Instead of paying Gray any attention, Natsu scooted his chair back. "Do you wanna finish eating in the room?"
Lucy nodded quickly, grabbing her cup and plate before getting up. Natsu gave his friends a weak wave, following Lucy out of the arena, not surprised that she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
A few tears had fallen down her cheeks by the time they got back to their room, but she didn't cry more than that. As soon as the two went to sit at the desk, Natsu pulled out his phone, hitting shuffle to play whatever song came up next. He set it on low, letting it take her mind off her thoughts.
She sniffled a few times, but after she scrubbed at her face, no new tears formed. Natsu knew he wouldn't be that fortunate every time, but he was glad Lucy was able to calm down before it got worse.
When they finished eating, Natsu put his dishes away, grabbing his pack of cigarettes and lighter before heading to the corner to smoke. Lucy busied herself with cleaning her own stuff, lighting a candle to give them light since it was getting dark.
Natsu's eyes widened when he heard the sound of a guitar coming through the speakers of his phone, his chest tightening when he recognized it. The song playing was something he ripped off YouTube, an extended version of 'Through The Valley', sung by the voice of Ellie from 'The Last of Us'.
His jaw strained as he inhaled the harsh flavor of his cigarette, reminded yet again how unfair the world around them was. It seemed petty considering everything that had been going on around them for the past few months, but Natsu had been looking forward to 'The Last of Us II' coming out. With the way the world was going now, he knew he would never see it made.
Even if the world miraculously went back to normal overnight, he didn't think anyone would want to promote anything having to do with zombies. Hell, he had been wanting to play that game since he heard rumors that there would be a sequel, but even he had second thoughts after everything that happened.
'At least there aren't clickers here,' he thought, allowing himself a chuckle, but it ended up hurting more than making him feel better. He used to laugh all the time, but now it seemed more like a luxury than anything. That thought alone made his mood sour.
Natsu put out his cigarette just as the song ended, feeling bitter about the fate that was forced upon them. Despite harboring resentment for how his life was turning out, Natsu knew there were a few things he could do to make himself feel better. And unfortunately for Lucy, one of those things involved leaving her by herself.
"Will you be okay on your own while I'm gone?" Natsu asked, grabbing his headlamp. He looked over, seeing Lucy's eyes went wide. Before she could ask, he explained himself. "I wanna go hang out with my friends. You're welcome to join?"
As expected, Lucy shook her head, her hands balling into fists by her side. He felt his heart pang for her, sorry she couldn't hang out with his friends yet, but he couldn't let her stop him from living his life. She would be fine on her own for a few hours. Hell, she would probably prefer it.
"I'll be back later. You'll probably be asleep by the time I get back. I'll try not to be loud." Natsu went to pet Happy twice before giving Lucy a wave, forcing a smile on his face as he turned away. "See ya later. If you need me, I'll be down the hall in Levy's room. Room 216."
He didn't wait for a reply, leaving the room and locking it behind before heading down the hall. He had to wait a few minutes before Levy and Cana showed up, the rest of their friends saying they would be right there after they put their stuff away. Natsu had to hang out in the hall for another minute or so while the girls got changed in their night clothes, Cana telling him he could come in when they were ready.
Natsu helped light the candles while Levy grabbed a board game. He smiled when he saw they would be playing 'Clue'. He loved games that involved imagination. 'It's a lot better than fucking 'Monopoly'. I swear me and Gray almost killed each other last time we played... And that was before the world went to shit.'
As the minutes passed by, their friends started trickling in. Soon the gang was all there, sitting in a circle on the floor as Levy and Cana set up the game. Gray sat next to Natsu, but he didn't say anything. Natsu decided not to let what happened the other day effect tonight, knowing his friends wouldn't take his side if he got in a fight with Gray.
Honestly, if Gray had been in his position and Natsu didn't know the whole story, he would have been upset at Lucy too. However, he knew enough to know she was doing the best she could, even if it wasn't enough for some people.
As they played their game, the laughter and smiles started coming out. Natsu felt his tension melting away, the relief welcomed with open arms. If he didn't know any better, he could pretend they were all just friends staying up late, playing games when they should be heading home for bed. They had been friends for so long, been through a lot together. Natsu couldn't count how many similar nights they had before the outbreak, but he knew one thing.
He valued the time spent with his friends.
By the time everyone was heading back to their rooms, it was already ten at night. Natsu knew he would be feeling it in the morning, but it was worth it. He hadn't laughed like that in so long, a light feeling lingering in his chest.
He slipped into his room without making too much noise, smiling when he saw Lucy asleep in her bed. He grabbed his stuff to brush his teeth before taking care of his nightly routine, locking the door when he returned to the room.
As Natsu grabbed his notebook to write about his day, he looked at Lucy again, his smile slipping when he saw the strain on her face.
'Did she go to sleep upset? Was she lonely?'
He crawled back to his bed, trying to push the guilt down. It wasn't his fault he wanted to hang out with his friends. Just because he said he was going to help Lucy didn't mean he couldn't still have a life. 'I can't keep blaming myself every time she gets upset. It's not my fault.'
Despite thinking that, his chest hurt.
Natsu wrote about his day as quickly as he could before shoving the notebook and pen to the end of his bed. He set his alarm, turned off his headlamp, pulled the covers over his head, and sighed. He shifted, uncomfortable because his shorts were still on. He shrugged them off before moving to his side, facing the wall instead of Lucy's bed. He wanted to put her sad face out of his mind, needing to fall asleep soon so he could rest for tomorrow.
Once again, he found himself trying to soothe the pang in his heart. 'It's not my fault. I can't keep missing opportunities just 'cause Lucy's not ready to hang out with other people yet... Eventually she'll be ready to spend time with them too. She'll get there... I hope.'
Natsu shut his eyes tight as he tried clearing his head, knowing there was nothing he could do tonight. Lucy had to take responsibility for herself too. It couldn't all rest on Natsu's shoulders.
He already had enough weight to carry on his own.
(October 31st, 2017, Tuesday Evening)
Natsu smiled as he walked towards his room. He had the day off since he would be doing overnight watch. Instead of sleeping, he choose to help decorate one of the halls for Halloween. Makarov made an exception the past week when it came to runners, helping bring more fun to the holiday.
Usually they weren't supposed to bring back things that weren't useful -like holiday decorations, but their leader told them it was okay since Halloween was coming up and he wanted it to be festive for the kids. Natsu was shocked by how many houses had decorations in storage.
Not only did they have enough decorations to make one of the halls look perfect for the occasion, they also found some costumes the kids and adults could wear. Some were old and tattered, a few smelling like mildew, but some were salvageable.
Natsu spent most of the day with devil horns on his head for the hell of it. He wished there was a red cape and tail to go with it, but he was out of luck.
A few people told him he would make a great demon, but he didn't know if it was a compliment or not. He ended up giving each person who said it a short nod before going back to his decorating.
Natsu entered his room, locking the door before turning to find Happy. His feline companion was sunbathing on the desk, his body stretched out. He ran his fingers over Happy's blue fur, feeling and hearing his cat purr from the contact.
Natsu perked up when he heard a key sliding into the lock. He turned just in time to see Lucy opening the door, a smudge of dirt on her cheek and a frown on her face. Her eyes found Natsu's, a light flickering behind them before she closed the door.
"How was work?" he asked, grabbing his headlamp to shove in his pocket. He would need it later, thankful he got a fresh set of batteries for them since his other ones died last night.
Lucy shrugged, her frown less prominent as she stepped into the room. "Okay, I guess. Dug... dug graves."
Natsu nodded, tapping on his cheek. "I can see that. Got a little dirt there." He took a step towards her, seeing her eyes widen.
"I got it," she rushed out, scrubbing at her cheek with the back of her hand.
"Wasn't offering," Natsu mumbled, mildly offended. He knew Lucy didn't like getting touched, and he thought by now she would know he wouldn't do it.
Pushing that aside, Natsu went to the closet, grabbing the bag of cat food to feed Happy before he had to go to work. It was fish-flavored mixed with chicken-flavored, but thankfully Happy seemed to tolerate it, even if it was mostly the chicken.
Since it was Tuesday, he worked overnight. He wished he had thought about the dates in advance. It was his idea to celebrate Halloween, but he didn't realize he wouldn't get to participate.
He would be stuck on a roof most of the night, and by the time he got his break, most people would be asleep.
"Anyone give you a hard time today?" Natsu asked, running a hand through his pink hair. He frowned when he felt a knot, knowing his hair was getting too long.
While he combed through his hair, he heard Lucy shuffling about the room behind him. "No. They don't talk to... talk to me except to tell me what I'm supposed to, um, to do that day."
Natsu nodded, liking that answer. He knew Lucy needed to get more social, but he didn't want it to be with some of those people. Macao and Wakaba made inappropriate comments about Lucy's chest the first day she was at Fairy Tail, making Natsu wary of her working with the men. She continued to say they hadn't done anything else to her since then, but Natsu liked making sure.
If Natsu was more honest with Lucy, he hoped she would start opening up with his friends. If she did that he could hang out with them more. He used to spend every chance he had with them, but now he mainly saw them at meal times and while working.
"Are you gonna be good with getting dinner on your own?"
Last week she hadn't been, needing someone from the kitchen to deliver her dinner to her. Lucy's lips twisted, giving him her answer.
"What if I get one of my friends to go with you?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face. "I'm sure Levy would be glad to help out."
Lucy lowered her head, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip. He was happy to see her busted lip had healed, along with her black eye. Tomorrow would make it four weeks since she arrived at Fairy Tail, giving her plenty of time to heal some of her wounds. The back of her leg also looked better, even if it was going to leave an angry scar behind. It was better than he expected, so he counted it as a win.
"M-maybe," Lucy said, breaking him out of his thoughts.
Natsu blinked, his smile turning genuine as he nodded. He thought she would immediately shoot the idea down, but he had a rare opportunity to nudge her in the right direction. "Levy's really nice. Probably the nicest friend in our group."
When Lucy didn't look convinced, Natsu added, "I'll tell her not to ask anything personal? Would that help?"
Lucy paused before nodding, keeping her eyes on the floor. "Y-yeah"
"Do you want me to go ask her if she'll escort you?"
A weight seemed to lift from his shoulders when she nodded again. "Great." Before he could give Lucy a chance to change her mind, he was heading down the hall towards Levy and Cana's room, hoping the former was there. He knocked on the door, happy when the girl he was looking for answered.
Levy raised a brow before widening the door. "Natsu?"
"Hey! Can you do me a huge favor?" He hoped he didn't sound too eager, otherwise he might make Levy suspicious.
"Depends. What is it?"
Natsu looked down the hall towards his room, then back at her. "I gotta go to watch in a bit. Would you take Lucy to get her dinner tonight?"
Levy blinked before her eyes widened. "Are you sure she'll let me?"
Natsu nodded. "She just agreed, but you gotta promise not to ask anything personal."
Levy placed her hands on her hips, shifting her weight to her left foot. "What counts as personal?"
He didn't have to think hard about that one. "Pretty much anything about her family or life before this." His green eyes lit up as he grinned. "Ask her about books!"
Levy jolted back, surprised by Natsu's outburst. He mumbled an apology, saying he was just excited. "Why are you excited?"
Natsu stole another glance down the hall. "I want Lucy to get comfortable with you guys. I think if I start small she might start getting better. She loves books." He shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Like, really loves them. Just try talking to her about books if you get a chance. Obviously if she doesn't look like she wants to talk don't force it, but if you can, that's what you should talk about."
Levy seemed to consider his offer as she nodded her head. "Okay, I can do that. Tell her I'll get her twenty minutes before dinner starts so we can get a good place in line."
"Sounds great!" Natsu said, flashing her a grin and a thumbs up. "Thanks a lot! I owe you!"
"Don't mention it," Levy called as Natsu walked away, heading back to his room. He couldn't hear her as she mumbled to herself, "Hope I don't screw it up."
.
.
.
So, this chapter was going to cover all of the Halloween event, but as you can see, it got too long. What did you think of this chapter? Lucy is on general maintenance, meaning she does little odd jobs around the base, but mainly by herself because they see she does better on her own. What do you think of Lucy's progress so far? We see her at 3 weeks and 4 weeks at Fairy Tail. The next chapter covers only Halloween. How do you think dinner with Levy will go?
Up next, Chapter Eighteen: Trick-or-Treat
Next chapter will mainly be in Lucy's POV, so get ready for that. :P
DeZille is a real character in FT, she just doesn't get shown. Apparently she's part of Blue Pegasus. Doesn't matter too much in this story since she's gone now. Just thought I'd let you know she wasn't an OC.
I don't know about you, but I have two full boxes of Halloween costumes and decorations in my storage, so I'm guessing some other people do the same. Now just imagine if they found 10+ houses with boxes of decorations. It would give them a lot of stuff to work with.
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