*Chapter Nineteen: Checkup
(November 25, 2017, Saturday Evening)
The first thing Natsu did when he entered his room was look to see if Lucy was there. When he saw she wasn't, he raised a brow, his gaze settling on her bed. Since as long as it had been in the classroom, that mattress had always been near the windows. However, it was now about a foot and a half away from his bed, Happy's food and water bowl now taking up the spot Lucy's bed used to be in.
He cocked his head, slowly closing the door while he tried to figure out why the bed was moved. He knew he didn't do it. When he left for watch that morning, it had been where it always was. 'Did Lucy move it?' He didn't think she would have since she was adamant about keeping her distance, but he didn't know who else would do it.
Natsu scratched the back of his head, deciding he could wait until Lucy got home before thinking more about it. He thought it was weird, but she had to have a good reason for scooting her bed closer to his. 'Right?'
Seeing as he was alone, Natsu took the opportunity to change. He felt dumb smiling at his new boxer briefs. Before the outbreak, he didn't care too much about underwear, but now they were like a treat. His new pair had never been washed, meaning they were softer than the pairs he already had. Of course, since they were new, he was going to have fuzz sticking on his body when he went to remove them, but it was worth the slight inconvenience.
New clothes was something special now, Natsu not taking any item for granted. Not only did he recently get a new pack of underwear, he got new socks, a relatively new shirt, and lightly used jeans. Considering the alternative was getting nothing, Natsu was happy.
He looked over when he heard something by the window, his movements paused until he was sure what it was. He caught a flash of blue fur before Happy jumped down, trotting over to him to sniff his shoes. Natsu dressed quickly so he could pick up his cat, giving him a belly rub before the feline nipped at him, clearly not in the mood to be pet there.
Natsu laughed as he set Happy down, going over to the calendar to mark off another day. November would be over in less than a week. That realization put a frown on his face. It had been almost five months since the outbreak, and they were still no closer to getting things back to normal.
'There's less zombies,' he reminded himself, but that thought didn't feel like a victory when Natsu remembered something more crucial. 'There's less edible food too.' Every day things around them were expiring, meaning they would need to rely on their crops to pick up the slack when they ran out of food they found in houses or stores. However, the crops posed their own problems.
Natsu heard the gossip floating around the base. The crops wouldn't last much longer in the colder weather. There were some crops they could grow over the winter, but Natsu doubted they could live off of onions and peas. They still had plenty of canned food, but he didn't know if it would last them until spring.
'We have to make more progress clearing.' It was the best way to allow runners to get more supplies. More supplies meant a better chance of survival. Natsu was doing his best to take out as many zombies as possible when he was a clearer. Not having to share his food with Lucy and getting better sleep did wonders for him. He didn't worry as much about going off base now that he was in good condition.
He wasn't great, but good got the job done.
Natsu glanced over when he heard the door unlocking, Lucy walking in a moment later. She gave him a small wave before locking the door back, shrugging off her orange jacket.
"Hi," she mumbled, tearing her eyes away from him so she could walk over to her bookcase. Natsu watched as she pulled off her gloves, setting them on one of the shelves. "How was watch?"
"Boring," he drawled, remembering the slow day he had. Despite knowing 'boring' was good, he still craved excitement. If he wasn't helping out by allowing the regular people a break from watch, he would have told Gramps to take him off it. He preferred being a clearer or runner.
"Mine too," Lucy said, taking a deep breath. "They uh... they mentioned a greenhouse again."
"Yeah?" Natsu took a seat at the desk, pulling out his phone and charger from one of the drawers. He would leave it charging while he was gone, but it tended to overheat, and he didn't want to risk damaging either devices. "Think they're gonna do it?"
"I don't know," she whispered, taking the seat opposite of him. She met his gaze briefly before her eyes flitted to the desk, her teeth gnawing on her lower lip. "Maybe?"
Along with the rumor that the crops were going to die soon, another rumor about possibly building a greenhouse circulated. Natsu didn't know how to build one, but a few people said they still wanted to try. If they could do it, they could grow more crops without worrying about the weather killing them off. However, building a greenhouse required supplies they didn't have.
Hell, he didn't even know what went into building one, but if they asked for the supplies, he would try to find them along with the other runners. It was times like that where Natsu missed having the internet. He could just do a quick Google search to find out how to build one, but since that wasn't an option, they were left waiting until they either found someone who knew how to build one or found a book that described it.
Natsu let the subject go since it was frustrating him, his eyes roaming around the room to find something else to talk about. His gaze landed on the beds, the earlier question popping into his mind. He quirked a pink brow, nodding towards that area. "Any reason for the remodel?"
Lucy looked behind her, eyes widening for a second as she realized what he was talking about. "Oh, that."
He thought she had a weird reason for moving the bed, but when she said it was colder by the window, Natsu frowned. "Oh, okay. Do you wanna switch sides with me?"
Lucy shook her head, turning back to face him. "That's okay. If—" She looked down when she saw something moving, eyeing Happy as he walked around the desk. When the cat veered off, Lucy sighed, glancing at Natsu once again. "If you don't want me there that's fine. I-I can keep wearing my jackets to bed."
Natsu shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "It's fine with me if you wanna stay there. As long as you're comfortable." He grinned as a thought crossed his mind. "Actually, that'll make it easier to talk at night too."
Lucy gave him a tiny smile, but since it was genuine, it made Natsu happy. "True."
Ever since their talk on the roof almost a month ago, Lucy had been opening up more to him. It wasn't too personal, but he found out more about her life before the outbreak.
Lucy told him she lived in Crocus for her entire life, but she did travel to Alvarez and Bosco a few times. She wouldn't tell him more about her parents, but she did talk about her classes from college and how she missed some of the courses she wanted to take. Natsu's favorite subject was when Lucy talked about her interests before the outbreak, finding out she liked to do more than just read in her free time.
Besides writing, Lucy liked to sketch and paint. She let it slip that she liked singing too, but once Natsu asked her if she wanted to sing with him to some music, she had shut down. It hadn't lasted as long as some of the other times she went silent, but it was a good reminder that Lucy wasn't comfortable with him yet. He understood, giving her time to come out of her shell.
Natsu didn't want to push her to reveal too much. In his opinion, she was doing phenomenal so far. Though, she had a few setbacks. Since being at Fairy Tail, she had only gone nine nights without waking up screaming, but seeing as she only did it once or twice a night now, he was okay with it. She still took the melatonin tablets, but she would need another refill soon since she was running low.
Lucy hadn't freaked out in a week and a half, the last time being because someone bumped into her in the hall on their way back from dinner. It took him a moment to calm her down, needing to bring her to their room to give her a sense of security. The guy who ran into her apologized a few times, but Natsu waved him off, knowing it wasn't really the hit that triggered her freak out. Lucy still wasn't okay with people being too closer to her, specifically hating touching.
That being said, Lucy was warming up to Natsu in that sense. He was now able to give her a soft pat on the shoulder without her tensing, and she accepted his hand two more times since they were on the roof together. It was small progress, but Natsu knew it was a big improvement for her.
"Wanna play some Pokémon before dinner?" Natsu asked, smiling when Lucy nodded. He taught her how to play two weeks ago. Despite her being decent at it, she still needed help a few times during a game. Natsu didn't mind, happy he had someone to hang out with.
It made living with Lucy less awkward now that he could interact with her more.
"How was work?" Natsu asked between rounds, letting Lucy defeat one of his Pokémon even though he could have beaten her.
Lucy made a sound of disapproval, her brown eyes flitting to his for a moment before falling back to her hand. "Since the grass stopped growing, they... they don't want me cutting anymore. I had to work on the c-compost pile."
Natsu's nose wrinkled as his lips curled back. "Ew. That thing stinks."
Lucy nodded, brushing her bangs out of her eyes before shivering. He didn't know if it was because she was cold or if she was thinking about the smell. "It's so gross."
Natsu wished he could say she could try doing another job, but he didn't think anything else suited her. At least, that was his opinion. Until she showed him differently, it wasn't going to change.
"Was that all you did?" he asked, causing her to shake her head.
"We had to set out buckets..." She watched as Natsu placed a fire energy behind one of his Pokémon before gesturing for her to start her turn. His new active Pokémon didn't have enough energy cards to attack yet. As she drew her card, she mumbled, "They think it's going to rain tonight."
"I don't think it will," Natsu said, biting back his smile when Lucy narrowed her eyes at her cards. He wished he could see what she was holding that made her look like that, but he was enjoying the funny faces she made regardless. "But I guess it'd be good if it did."
"I want to say I hope it doesn't, b-but I know it's better if it does." She looked over at the open window, frowning. "It's already cold. The rain's going to make it worse."
Natsu stood, walking towards the window to shut it. He was thinking of having a cigarette soon, but he decided against it. He was running low, and Lucy was shivering again. He could go without for a while longer.
"I heard next week's gonna be the last week for laundry detail for a while. I guess the water's super cold at the creek." People were complaining about their hands freezing, so Makarov made the decision to hold off on laundry detail until the weather warmed back up. Until then, they would be distributing more clothes to make up for the lack of freshly cleaned clothes.
Natsu still planned on cleaning his favorite clothes. All he needed was a bucket of rain water and some laundry detergent. He could wash them on base without having to use the creek. It would be cold, but Natsu considered some of his clothes worth it.
Lucy nodded before having her Pokémon attack his, adding a few damage counters to his active Pokémon. After she ended her turn, she mumbled, "I'm glad I'm not a water gatherer."
Natsu chuckled as he drew his card, his lips quirking into a grin. "Me too. I'd rather ya not be off base. For what it's worth, I think you're doing great at your job."
"Thanks."
He nodded, adding another energy before attacking Lucy's Pokémon. He added the damage counters before telling her it was her turn. She picked up a card, her lips pulling into a smile. It vanished immediately as she put the Pokémon down on her bench, acting as if she wasn't happy to draw a good one.
Natsu sighed, wishing she wouldn't stifle every smile or laugh she had. Life was hard enough with everything going on. The least she could do was let herself be happy, even if it was over small things like getting a good card.
Natsu didn't say anything, knowing it wasn't his place to tell her how to feel, even if he wanted her to smile more often. He liked when people were in a good mood. It made life feel worth it, instead of everyone just surviving for the hell of it.
What was the point of surviving if they didn't enjoy life?
"I saw you today by the way," Natsu said, Lucy's eyes snapping to his in an instant.
"You did?"
Natsu nodded, scratching the back of his head before looking out the window. Even if he couldn't see the ground, he still imagined it. "When I was out patrolling I saw you. I waved, but I guess you didn't see me?"
She shook her head, her lips tugging into a frown. "Sorry."
"It's fine," he assured, not wanting her to feel bad about it. "I was just—" Natsu's eyes went wide as he set his cards face down, scooting his chair back before he stood. "Ah shit! I forgot we were supposed to see Grandeeney today."
Lucy's eyes widened as she placed her cards on the desk. "You're right. I-I forgot." She looked down at herself before going to grab her jackets, putting both of them on. "I'm ready," she said, following Natsu as he headed towards the door.
Natsu decided to leave Happy behind since they were in a hurry, knowing the feline might wander if he found something that caught his interest. Natsu had his headlamp with him, but there was enough light filtering in through the windows, rendering it useless for now. If he could conserve his batteries, he would.
Natsu knocked on the nurse's office, grinning when Wendy answered. She gave them a short wave before stepping aside, allowing the two adults to enter. Grandeeney raised a brow from behind her desk, her lips pressed into a tight line before a small smile surfaced on her face.
"I was starting to think you weren't going to come."
"Sorry," Natsu said, walking over to the beds. He plopped down on one seeing as he wasn't the reason they were visiting the doctor. "I forgot."
Grandeeney nodded, standing so she could walk over to the scale. "Okay, let's start by having you take that off." She gestured to Lucy's clothing, making the girl tense. Grandeeney noticed, shaking her head as she clarified. "Just your jackets and shoes. Keep everything else on."
Natsu saw the tension Lucy carried slowly ease before she removed her jackets and shoes, her toes curling on the cold tile floor. She walked to the scale, letting Grandeeney check her weight.
A warm smile took over Grandeeney's face when she got Lucy's weight, her voice lighter as she said, "Congratulations. You've gained thirteen pounds already."
Natsu grinned, proud of Lucy for gaining weight. She had been at Fairy Tail for seven and a half weeks, being fed every day while also taking supplements to help gain extra weight. He wished she had gained more, but all things considered, he knew thirteen pounds was a great amount. Her body definitely needed it.
"Can you tell the difference since you first arrived?" Grandeeney asked, earning a nod from the younger woman.
Lucy wrapped her arms around her waist as she stepped off the scale, her brown eyes brighter than they had been the last time Lucy got a weight checkup. Natsu could tell the difference in her face and neck. She didn't look as bony now. It was hard for him to gauge her waist and legs since she wore multiple layers all the time, but when he did get a glimpse of her arms, they looked fuller.
"I'd like you to gain another ten or so pounds. That'll bring you to a healthy weight for your height." Grandeeney saw the frowns on Lucy and Natsu's faces, her brows furrowing as she asked, "What?"
"We ran outta mass gainers," Natsu explained, knowing that had been a huge impact on Lucy's weight gain. "I'm still lookin' for more though." They were getting closer to the first real stores, so he hoped it wouldn't be too much longer. They would be further along in their clearing, but things always came up to further delay their progress.
"I'm sure you'll find more," Grandeeney said, turning to Lucy. "Remember what I said?"
"L-lick the plate?" Lucy guessed, causing Grandeeney to smile.
"Exactly." She walked over to the cabinets to pull out a pack of wet wipes. She handed one to Lucy, nodding towards the bathroom. "Go check your IUD, okay?"
Lucy hesitated before going to the bathroom, using Natsu's headlamp to give her light. When the door closed, Natsu turned to Grandeeney, his grin widening as he asked, "So, she's getting healthier?"
Grandeeney nodded before taking a seat on the bed next to his, keeping her voice to a whisper. "I'm still concerned over her mental health, but she's coming along physically." Pausing, Grandeeney peered over at the bathroom door before adding, "Her teeth look better."
Natsu had noticed that too. Her teeth were yellow when she arrived at Fairy Tail. They weren't pearly white now, but they had improved since she was brushing them twice a day. Not only that, her cuts on her arms were healed. The scars wouldn't fade for a long time, and that was if they even did. Natsu had a few scars that lasted his lifetime, but he hoped Lucy's would ease up over the years.
'If she even lives that long.'
Natsu bit his inner cheek, punishing himself for having that dark thought. Despite trying to stay optimistic, a few pessimistic thoughts entered his mind every so often. They usually revolved around people dying since he had seen so much of it.
'At least I haven't grown completely numb to seeing death,' he thought, wanting to keep his humanity. He hoped the day would never come where he saw someone die in front of him and felt nothing.
He had to keep hope alive. They would overcome whatever was happening One day.
Natsu's thoughts went back to Lucy's skin, the parts he could see anyway. He didn't know what exactly happened to her to cause those scars, but he was glad she was away from it now. No one would harm her at Fairy Tail, and he hoped she knew it. The sooner she felt safe, the sooner she could heal herself. At least, that was the assumption. Without any knowledge on how the mind worked, he was left guessing.
"You're doing good, kid," Grandeeney said, pulling Natsu away from his thoughts.
He blinked a few times before his grin came back, his heart warming at her praise. "Thanks." It was nice to be told he was going a good job, reassuring him that he wasn't fucking up when it came to helping Lucy.
Natsu's eyes flitted around the room, trying to find something to say to fill the silence while they waited for Lucy to finish. He saw Wendy in the corner of the room, a headlamp on her head and her nose in a book that was as thick as Natsu's arm. He turned to Grandeeney as he whispered, "How's Wendy doing?"
Grandeeney nodded, glancing at her daughter. "Great. We're working on her vocabulary now since the books I want her to read have some complicated words in them. I think that book she's reading will help."
Natsu's jaw almost fell. That large book she was reading was just a warm up to the harder books? He couldn't imagine how much knowledge Wendy was going to have to consume to get better at healing people. He wished he could help, but he didn't know how.
"She knows some basic first aid now," Grandeeney added, pride laced in her voice.
"Oh yeah?" Natsu rubbed a bug bite on his arm as he asked, "Like what?"
"Yesterday I taught her how to splint a broken arm, but hopefully we don't have to use that. She also learned how to give proper CPR." Grandeeney chuckled. "Poor thing was so worried when I told her she might break a rib doing chest compressions, but it happens."
Natsu barked out a laugh, finding the idea of Wendy hurting someone funny.
The light atmosphere darkened when Grandeeney sighed, all traces of humor lost in her voice. "I hope nothing bad happens though. I have no idea what we're going to do if someone gets seriously injured and I can't help them."
"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, seeing the pain in Grandeeney's eyes.
"I relied on machines to help me with my job. If someone came in with, let's say someone gets an air embolism. I wouldn't be able to find it to help them. There would be nothing I could do since I don't have the equipment to find and fix it. That's just one situation. Technology made helping people easier. I don't know what I'm going to do when I can't help someone..."
Natsu decided not to ask what an air embolism was. He heard the term in a few medical shows, but he hadn't been paying too much attention to the actual science, more interested in the stories that occurred around the medical parts.
"Can we go to the hospital and get some machines?" Natsu asked, already knowing the answer.
Grandeeney shook her head, shivering as her eyes flashed with fear. "The hospital is swarming with those things. It's not safe going back."
Natsu nodded, his smile slipping from his face. He hadn't been to the hospital to see what happened, but from what he was told, it was suicide stepping foot in there. People went to the hospital seeking treatment, only to end up spreading the infection. He saw a few people go through the initial change from human to zombie. Those who were first infected coughed up blood and wheezed for about thirty minutes before they died. Natsu wasn't sure what exactly killed them, but he knew they didn't stay dead for long. Given the time it took for the change, many infected people made it to the hospital, but none of them survived the change.
Natsu's eyes widened when he heard the bathroom door opening, thankful for the distraction. Lucy stepped out, throwing away her wipe before nodding at Grandeeney.
"It's... there," she whispered, sitting on the empty bed.
Natsu didn't ask what Lucy had to feel for when she checked if her IUD was still in. He didn't want to know, trusting that Lucy and Grandeeney had it covered. Not only was it none of his business, he figured Lucy would be upset if he asked. That whole topic felt way too personal.
He wondered what Lucy had to do when it expired. Would the world be fixed by that time? He hoped so, tired of living like they were. Natsu would suggest them taking it out now since Lucy didn't need birth control, but he kept his mouth shut. Despite her not having sex with anyone, he knew the IUD helped her with her periods. The more supplies they could save, the better.
He knew it didn't get rid of her monthly visit completely. A few times he had seen her grabbing a pad before she went to the bathroom, so he guessed she was still affected by it. That thought was confirmed when Grandeeney started asking Lucy more medical questions, starting with that topic.
"Still not getting your period?"
Lucy swallowed before mumbling, "Spotting, a few times."
Grandeeney nodded, jotting it down in her notebook. She asked more basic questions, some Natsu had to step away from because he didn't want to know the answers. He figured it would be easier for Lucy to be honest with him away anyway.
Lucy had warmed up to Grandeeney, and by that, he meant he didn't have to sit next to her the entire time the two talked. Grandeeney was slowly piecing together Lucy's medical history, something that took Natsu less than thirty minutes to do when Grandeeney asked for his.
It was a slow process to get information from Lucy, but Grandeeney was being patient, which was exactly what Lucy needed.
After Lucy was finished with her checkup, the two went back to their room, Natsu laying on his bed with his phone while Lucy sat at the desk, writing in her notebook. She had her cash box where she stored her notebook next to her, but it was closed for now. Getting her something that locked was the only way Natsu could convince her to start writing. If no one could see what she wrote, she felt safe.
Natsu couldn't deny he was curious about her writing, but he didn't snoop, even if he had the combination to the cash box. He hadn't meant to get it, accidentally seeing the numbers once when she unlocked it. Her combination was 545, but he wouldn't breathe a word about it, knowing it would upset Lucy if she thought her notebook could be read by anyone else.
Not only did Natsu want to respect her privacy, he wanted to repay her kindness when it came to personal belongings. She didn't look through his notebook while he was away, even though there was no lock on it. Of course, Natsu didn't write down anything too personal. It was mainly used to keep track of what happened each day. It was another way to keep his sanity. He didn't want the days to start blending together, even if sometimes that was exactly how life felt.
Natsu turned on his side when his stomach growled, the man trying to ignore his hunger. Dinner wasn't for a little longer, so he had to wait. He couldn't help but think about how life would be if the outbreak hadn't happened. Most people would still be full from the holidays, something Natsu was envious of even though it hadn't happened. He wanted to feel full, but he doubted he would ever feel that way again.
Thanksgiving had passed a few days ago, but there was no big feast, no one celebrating the holiday. Natsu gave thanks to the fact that he still had his friends, but that was it. He wasn't thankful his dad was missing or that people around him kept dying. He couldn't bring himself to acknowledge the holiday out loud, keeping those bitter feelings to himself so he wouldn't ruin anyone's mood.
Natsu decided to stop thinking about food, keeping himself distracted by watching a funny video he downloaded from YouTube back before the internet cut out. He chuckled under his breath as he watched, the pain in his stomach lingering despite his efforts to ignore it.
When the video ended, Natsu shifted on his back, his eyes widening when Happy jumped on his chest. He groaned when the cat scratched him, but once he stopped moving, Happy calmed down. He turned so his butt was towards Natsu's face, his blue tail flicking him in the nose.
Natsu moved the cat so he was facing him before petting his back, waiting until Happy purred before going back to his phone. After starting a playlist on the lowest volume, Natsu directed his attention to Lucy, seeing her staring out the window. The pen was still in her hand, but she wasn't writing, her eyes unfocused and her lips pulled into a frown.
"Have you written any stories?" Natsu asked, causing Lucy to jolt. He guessed she was in her own little world, the woman blinking as she looked at him.
Lucy shook her head, her lips pressing into a tight line as she pushed a blonde lock behind her ear. She looked down at her paper with furrowed brows, but without seeing what she wrote, Natsu didn't know if that was normal or not.
"You should write a story," he said, catching her attention again. "I'd love to read it." If he wanted to read he could always go to the library and grab a book or two, but he was more interested in seeing what Lucy would create.
Honestly, he encouraged her more so she could write for herself than for him to read. If Lucy wanted to be an author before the outbreak, that had to mean she enjoyed it. He figured if she got into writing, she would feel better.
He hoped giving her a notebook would help her deal with what happened to her, but without any training on the human mind, he was only guessing. The way he saw it, her writing could be an outlet. Natsu was no stranger to outlets, having a few before the outbreak started, most consisting of burning things or exercising.
"Really?" Lucy asked, her cheek twitching as she glanced at the page.
Natsu gave her a smile she didn't reciprocate. "Absolutely. I bet it'd be great."
She nodded before writing something down, not bothering to reply with words. He didn't know if she was going to write a story or not, but he figured it was a start. He went back to his phone, playing a few games until the device died.
Natsu wasn't too upset considering it was time for dinner anyway, the two grabbing their dishes before heading towards the arena. Lucy stuck by his side, not making a peep while they were surrounded by people. He gave her a few opportunities to talk when he tried starting a conversation with her, but after the third failed attempt, he kept quiet. Some days Lucy talked back in public, others she was silent. As long as she wasn't on the verge of tears, Natsu was fine with her silence.
'She'll get better,' he told himself as he got his food, peeking at Lucy to see her holding out her plate to get her own. 'Baby steps. She'll get there.'
Natsu led Lucy to the table, Erza and Cana already there. He nodded to them before digging in, starting with his rice. He wished he had butter to add to it, but that was out of the question.
'Or maybe hot sauce.'
He looked over at the counter where condiments were at, lips twisting as he debated his next move. Lucy didn't have the best track record with Cana and Erza, but he hoped by now Lucy could at least sit with them without panicking. He put that theory to the test when he tapped on Lucy's shoulder, waiting until she looked at him before he whispered, "I'm gonna go get some hot sauce. Will you be okay by yourself?"
Lucy glanced at the counter before her eyes flitted to his. She opened her mouth, pausing before she mumbled, "Yeah."
He smiled as he stood, taking his plate with him to enhance his food. In his opinion, rice didn't have a taste, so he wanted something to add some flavor to it. After dabbing a few drops on -because that was all they were allotted, he returned to the table, finding Levy and Gray had joined during his absence.
He looked over Lucy once he returned, seeing her head down as she scooped her food into her mouth. Her eyes didn't appear watery and her face was only slightly red, so he guessed she handled being on her own well, even if it was just for a minute.
Since Halloween, Levy had taken Lucy to breakfast and dinner when he couldn't, but according to Levy, Lucy hadn't said much during those times. He knew it would take time before she warmed up to his friends, but he hoped she would give them a chance soon. He was starting to feel guilty every time he left her in the room alone while he hung out with his friends, even if it was within his right to spend time with them.
Natsu wanted Lucy to make more friends, but the woman was scared, keeping herself closed off to new people. He wondered if she had always been like that, or if her trauma caused a change in her personality. Either way, he hoped she got better soon, otherwise he would continue to feel guilty and Lucy's healing would be further delayed.
"Where's Jellal?" Natsu asked, looking around for the last member of their group.
Erza sighed, shaking her head as she mumbled something about him working late because some people weren't processed yet. Natsu let the subject go, seeing as Erza wasn't happy with her husband's absence.
"Hey, did anyone else hear about Karen and Hibiki?" Cana asked in a whisper, but if anyone around them tried listening in, they could hear her.
"I heard they got caught making out in the guy's bathroom this morning during work hours," Erza said, sounding less thrilled with the gossip.
Levy shook her head, her voice barely audible since she didn't want anyone outside the table to hear. "They were in the closet in receiving. Freed caught them. You should have seen it. He was pissed."
"They work in receiving, right?" Natsu asked, earning a snort from Levy.
"Not anymore. Freed told Makarov he wanted them transferred somewhere else. I mean, we were looking to move some people around anyway, but now it's official. She's going to be a water gatherer and he's going to start being a runner tomorrow."
Natsu nodded, directing his attention to his plate as he mumbled, "Wonder who's gonna train him?"
There was a buddy system in place for people new to being a clearer or runner. They would train with someone who had been at it for a while until they were ready to do it on their own. Before they just told them a quick rundown of the job before turning them loose. It had proven fatal, so they changed it.
Fairy Tail's system wasn't perfect, but they adjusted as they went, trying to find the perfect balance while they waited for the world to get better.
"They might have you do it," Gray said, causing Natsu to raise a brow.
"Why me?"
"You're gonna be a runner tomorrow, right?" Gray started, only to shake his head. "But you'll only be there once before switching jobs again. Maybe it'd be better if they stuck him with someone who was only a runner."
Natsu nodded, scooping up some food. "That makes more sense. 'Sides, I'm not good at training people." He chuckled as he shook his head. "Remember when I tried training that one guy at work?"
Gray snorted as he nodded. "Are you talking about the time you tried teaching the guy how to start one online order and he accidentally started all of them?"
Natsu barked out a laugh as he thought back to when he thought that counted as an emergency. "Yeah. That day sucked." He had to stay hours past his shift to make up for the mistake. After that, the manager stopped having Natsu train people even though it wasn't technically his fault. He didn't tell the guy to hit 'select all' before pressing enter.
"You're telling me?" Gray snorted. "I was the one staying late with your dumbass 'cause you didn't explain it right."
"Hey! That guy was an idiot and we both know it! You were complainin' about him too!"
"Boys," Erza warned, her eyes narrowing at them. "Keep your voices down."
Natsu let out a long sigh, leaning back in his chair as he dropped the subject. He thought about life before the outbreak, when his biggest worries were showing up for work on time and waiting until he could train to be a firefighter. His lazy smile started fading, the light in his eyes growing dull as he remembered how easy life had been, and how much they already sacrificed since the outbreak.
He didn't have too much time to think about it, the conversation continuing despite Natsu's silence. He listened as they talked about wanting to see a furious Freed until the topic switched to what they were going to do tonight. It was a Saturday night, so technically the weekend, but the days hadn't held as much meaning since the world turned to shit.
On a typical Saturday evening, the group would probably gather at someone's house and hang out way too late, but the fun they had made it worth it. Apparently, Erza wanted to recreate that, asking everyone if they wanted to come over and play a game.
While everyone else agreed right away, Natsu turned to Lucy, ready to hear her rejection. He decided to ask anyway, giving her the option so it was her choice if she hung out or not.
"Do you wanna come with me to hang out with my friends?" he whispered, startling Lucy.
She looked up at him, her hand lowering to set her fork back on her plate. Judging from the faraway look in her eyes, she hadn't been paying attention to what was going on around her. He repeated the question, seeing her eyes widen as she got it the second time.
Instead of her saying no right away, she paused, her eyes falling to the table before finding his again. She held his gaze for a few seconds before slowly nodding, though the tight grip on her fork suggested that action was harder than it looked.
"You don't have to if you don't wanna," he said, giving her an out.
Her lips pressed into a tight line as her eyes flitted behind him, no doubt looking at his friends. Her eyes returned to his in an instant before she let out a long exhale. "C-can I... I bring Ha-Happy?" she mumbled, her voice sounding weaker than it had been when they were alone in their room.
"Uh, sure?"
Lucy nodded once before turning to her food. "Then y-yes," she said, resuming her meal.
Natsu blinked in shock, not expecting her to agree. She hadn't said yes once since he started asking if she wanted to spend time with his friends, but he couldn't say he was ecstatic about her decision. While he was glad she was trying, he worried she might be pushing herself too hard. Going to breakfast and dinner with Levy was one thing, but being in a small room with his friends was different.
'Or maybe it's better this way,' he thought as he told the group him and Lucy would be there too. 'Maybe she needs to see spending time with them isn't scary. I mean, I guess going to meals with Levy could be scarier than going to Erza's room to play some games? Fuck, I dunno. It's too hard to predict what Lucy'll be okay with and what she won't be. I'll just keep a close eye on her tonight. I don't want her freakin' out in front of everyone.'
Natsu would prefer her not freaking out at all, but he knew some things were out of his control.
His friends looked just as surprised as he was, all growing silent for a moment as they processed the information. They would be having a new addition to their group, even if no one expected Lucy to say much while being in their company.
Natsu didn't expect much, not wanting to put additional pressure on her. She had it hard enough. Plus, if tonight went well, he assumed it would be easier to have her hang out with them the next time it was offered.
'The more friends she has the better she'll feel. Right?'
He kept that thought in mind as he finished his dinner, hoping tonight wouldn't hold any incidents.
.
.
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Lucy's doing better, but how long until she has another panic attack? What do you think of Natsu and Lucy talking a bit more now? Or about Lucy opening up with Grandeeney a little more? Anyone wondering how hanging out with Natsu's friends is gonna go? :P Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter or the story in general! I love hearing from you no matter if it's two words or two paragraphs!
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Up next, Chapter Twenty: The Game of Life