It was still dark when I woke up. Turning towards the soft blue glow of the clock, I notice it's too damn early. Oh well, it's not like my mind will let me to return to sleep - another nightmare, but at least I didn't wake up screaming and flailing this time - so I drag ass out of bed instead. I remembered seeing an espresso machine in the kitchen, and if I'm lucky I can find what I need to make a decent drink.

Thirty minutes later, I'm sitting on a lounge chair on the main balcony, drinking my soy mocha – not as good as the real thing, but it'll do – and watching the darkness fade into the oranges and pinks of dawn. There is a certain peace that comes with being awake so early, and I allow my mind to wander wherever it wants.

I didn't know I was no longer alone until the warmth of the mug left my hands. Natsu took a drink of the sacred darkness within as I stood to try to take it back.

"This is pretty good," Natsu says with a satisfied smile on his face. "Why didn't you order me one?"

"Where would I have gone to get coffee? I don't have a key, I haven't memorized the codes, and I don't really know this area of Magnolia." His head tilts to the side, as if he doesn't understand the words I'm saying. "You have an espresso machine."

I'm met with a look that tells me he understands the words, but not the meaning. Admittedly, the confused puppy look is pretty cute paired with his just-rolled-out-of-bed hair.

"A little slow first thing in the morning?" I giggled as he attempted to glare at me. "I made myself a drink."

Natsu hands my cup back, the half-hearted glare transformed into a look of awe. I roll my eyes at him and walk back into the kitchen to make him one, lest he try to take mine again. It boggles the mind how someone so seemingly capable does not know how to perform simple tasks. He followed me to the kitchen, leaning on the counter while I got to work.

"Whatcha doin', Lucy?"

"Making you a coffee," I reply as I get everything ready. "What would you like? I have what I need to make you a cappuccino, latte, cafe au lait, mocha…"

"A mocha sounds great!" He sits on the closest bar stool to watch me work, his eyes sparkling from joy (or from the sunlight now filtering into the window). "How do you know how to do all that? I've tried, but...I kinda...started a fire. Stop laughing!"

"How did you manage that?" My sides hurt, and I'm holding onto the counter to keep mostly upright as I wheeze and gasp for breath.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he pouts.

"I worked as a barista for over a year," I tell him after I compose myself enough to start on his drink. "Cana actually helped me get the job. It was fun, the tips were great, and it gave me a greater respect for people who work in the service industry. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You worked with Cana?" There's a gleam in his eyes I can't quite place, but he looks more than a little amused.

"Yes…"

"Wasn't she a bikini barista?"

I can feel the warmth of blood rushing to my cheeks and he breaks out a toothy grin. That is information it would be nice for Natsu not to have, but it's a little late now. Maybe if I could have kept myself from turning a brighter shade of pink than his hair, I would be able to deny it, but no such luck. His eyes swept over me quickly, and I narrowed mine at him.

"Hey! Stop that," I practically snarled at him.

"What? I didn't do anything."

"I call bullshit." I put the finishing touches on his mocha, but didn't hand it to him just yet.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Natsu had the balls to look me in the eyes while he said that. Okay, fine. Two can play at this game.

"That's fine. If you don't want to own up to it, you don't get the coffee." Keeping eye contact, I move closer to the sink, slightly tipping the mug.

"Wait, no," he nearly screamed as he leapt from the stool and took a step closer to me. The panic on his face was priceless; as if I'd really dump a perfectly good cup of coffee down the drain. "I may have momentarily pictured you in the...um...uniform you'd wear working with Cana, but purely because it seems a bit out of character for you?"

"Trust me, after eighteen years living under my father's rather tyrannical, over-protective thumb, it was completely in-character for me," I reply, handing Natsu his drink. "Mind you, I didn't dress nearly as skimpy as Cana, but even the guys wore more than her some days."

"That's understandable. And I'm sorry if it seems like I'm objectifying you; I don't mean to. It's just that, I can see why the tips would be good. For you...you know because you're really friendly, and because...I mean...you know…" He glances around the room, looking at anything and everything that is not me while he continues to stammer. Part of me wants to put him out of his misery, but the way he's stumbling over his words is too funny to pass up. "I have a feeling you'll murder me in my sleep if I keep talking, so I'm just going to stop doing that...the talking, I mean."

I let the subject fall away at that and we leaned against opposite counters, enjoying our coffee in relative silence. This entire scenario playing out is so strange to me. With the exception of the - still adorable - rambling, it seems so easy to just step into this domestic routine, like we've known each other and have been living together for years instead of the mere days since we met.

How in the hell am I so comfortable around someone I know so little about? Even that first night...I'm not like that with new people. Maybe it's not for me to understand, just something I should accept as a good thing which - according to my friends - is something I deserve more of in my life.

"You're really something else, you know that?" Natsu commented while we rinsed out our mugs. "Too many women I've met from wealthy families have been vapid divas who lack empathy and basic human decency, but not you. They're so fake it's disgusting. You take care of yourself and the people around you, and you may not know how to fight – yet – but you're a fighter. It's kinda inspiring, actually."

"Thank you," I whisper, not trusting myself to speak any louder as my heart races from Natsu's words as well as how close he's standing to me. His arm brushes against mine as he reaches past me to set his mug on the drying rack.

Damn it, Lucy, pull yourself together! I'm going to lose my damn mind if I can't find a way to change the subject off of me, but I've got nothing.

"Do you think you're up for going out today?" Natsu's voice breaks through my dazed state. "I'm supposed to take you to speak with the detectives about your car, but if you're not feeling well I can call to reschedule."

"Can I have my laptop back today?"

"Absolutely not," he snorted. "Nice try, though."

I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at him. It's not like I planned to just spend the day surfing the web, but Natsu doesn't know that, so I won't hold it against him. As much as I want to just get it over with, another day of rest would probably be better than skipping over to the precinct today.

"Can we reschedule for tomorrow, or maybe Thursday, then? I don't know if I can deal with an interview today."

"Of course. It's probably better if we don't put too much stress on you today anyway. I'll call and let them know, then we can figure out what to do with the day."

Goosebumps sprouted on my arm as Natsu's fingertips grazed my skin when he walked past me into the living room. I really, really, fucking REALLY need to get my shit together. The rational part of my brain has already figured out the source of this crush; with how caring and considerate Natsu has been the past few days, my affection-starved brain has translated that into attraction that goes beyond friendship. Because that is just what I need right now. I know it will fade in time, so the master plan is to ignore it until it goes away.

Though I'm doing better than I was yesterday, I find my balance wavering as I stand alone in the kitchen. I try to blink back the darkness that forms at the edges of my vision, but it won't go away. Instead of being stubborn, this time I go for the smart option and allow myself to slide down the cabinets to the floor. It's cold and not particularly comfortable, but it beats the hell out of falling and making my concussion worse than it already is.

My cheek presses against the tile, helping me fend off the nausea that has decided to make an appearance this morning. This, I think, is going to be the entirety of my day today, and I quickly resign myself to this fate.

"Lucy!"

Well, so much for the plan.

"What happened? Did you fall? Are you alright?" Natsu's panic is endearing, but his voice is far too loud.

"Dizzy," I murmured, not even bothering to open my eyes as I spoke. "Slid myself down...didn't hit anything, but I kinda feel like I'm going to vomit."

"Do you want me to get your medication?"

I squeaked out a soft 'no' that he somehow heard, since I don't know if my stomach would tolerate anything right now - including my anti-nausea meds.

"Do you think we can get you off the floor, at least?"

A slight nod was all he needed to kneel down and help me to my feet. He practically carried me to the couch, then eased me onto it before leaving the room. When he came back, he had a tall glass of water and a few other things that I couldn't quite identify. Everything was placed on the coffee table before he turned to me.

Natsu paused, seeming unsure of what he was supposed to do next.

"I...you trust me, right? I mean, you know I'm not going to do anything to hurt you?"

"Yeah, I trust you."

He nodded, then sat sideways on the couch with one foot on the floor and pulled me towards him. My pulse speeds up as I'm positioned between his legs with my back against his chest.

"Relax, Lucy," he whispered. "Try to match my breathing; slow, deep breaths... that's it."

The knots in my stomach begin to relax when I follow his directions, my nausea slowly easing. Taking another breath in, my head falls back to rest on his shoulder, and I feel his left arm sliding down mine to grasp my forearm, pushing his thumb in with gentle pressure.

A small part of my brain panics at the hold. Memories of struggling to break away from my abuser are flung to the forefront of my mind, and I can feel his bruising grip on my wrist. My breathing speeds up; I can feel the anxiety bubbling within me until I hear a voice break through my spiraling thoughts.

"It's alright, Lucy, I'm not gonna hurt you. You're safe here," he says. His words are soft and slow as the pressure on my forearm releases. "I'm sorry. I should have explained what I was doing."

Natsu. I'm with Natsu. Bora can't get to me here; I'm safe. I'm safe.

It takes a few minutes for my breathing to slow again. Once I can sync my breaths with his, he speaks.

"There is a pressure point on the inside of your forearm...here." His hand slides back where it was before, his thumb stroking circles around the place he had pressed. "It's an acupuncture point that helps relieve nausea. I thought it would help…"

I let out a contented sigh. The nausea is still present but fading fast, and my panic attack is all but forgotten.

"It's helping. Thank you." I wriggled down a little to make myself more comfortable. "How'd you know to do that, anyway? Part of your intense private security training?"

"Nothing quite that cool, I'm afraid," Natsu huffed out with a chuckle. "No, I had pretty bad motion sickness when I was a kid and had to learn a few tricks so I wouldn't have to choose between medication that made me tired or barfing in dad's car. It's not as bad now, but I've got about a dozen things I can do if I have to get in a vehicle that I'm not driving."

While I'm suddenly struck by the fact that our current position is doing absolutely nothing to help me push down my rather irrational feelings, I find myself giving precisely zero fucks. Erza's words from the reception float through my head, 'We just want you to be happy. What's the worst thing that could happen if you give Natsu a chance?'

I could fall in love with him. I shift again and tilt my head to look up at Natsu. And it probably wouldn't take more than a light breeze to push me over the edge.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Breakfast," I answered. It's not really a lie; with my stomach mostly settled, it is now demanding to be filled. "Any chance I can talk you into cooking?"

"That's...not really a good idea. Remember what I told you about trying to make coffee?" I nodded in reply, and he continued. "Yeah, that is kinda a thing that happens when I cook, so I'm not allowed to do that unsupervised anymore. Please stop laughing at me; it's not that funny."

"Oh my gods, but it is." I do try to calm myself, but this is just too much. "That's probably for the best, I don't think there's much here that can be cooked anyway. Know anywhere we can get a decent breakfast nearby?"

At his affirmative, we remove ourselves from the couch so we can throw on some real clothes before heading out.

After breakfast and a quick trip to the grocery store, we headed back home. And that thought is going to take a bit of getting used to. Home. It's been years since I've been comfortable enough in any place to call it such, and after just a day, this wondrous new space has become something I didn't think I would have again.

As soon as everything is put away - just enough to get us through a few days without having to order out again - I make my way back to the couch to lie down. Not that I'm tired, just restless, and I want to do something, but my 'somethings' usually include a book or a screen, neither of which the tyrant will let me have.

My feet are picked up as Natsu plants himself on the other end of the couch, then lets them fall again into his lap. The smirk he's flashing me is obnoxious, and I feel like he is up to something.

"You're not pouting again, are you?"

YES!

"Of course I'm not," I pout.

"Uh-huh. I can see that."

I'm not sure if I like how easily this man can read me.

"If you're bored, we could always just talk. You do owe me at least one story, after all."

"I do? Which stories do I owe you, exactly?"

"Well," the word is drawn out far longer than it was ever intended to be as his hand shuffles through his hair. "You said you would tell me about your first almost-engagement. I'm pretty sure everything else that you designated 'a story for another time' has already been gone over."

"Seriously?" I raised my head to get a better look at the ri-damn-diculous man who has taken it upon himself to rub circles into the tops of my feet while waiting for my answer. "That's what you want to do with your time today? Just listen to me bitch about the time father tried to pawn me off on some guy?"

"Got any better ideas?"

"Unfortunately, no. So do you want the full version, or the short version?"

"We've got time; I'll take the full version."

Damn, but I was hoping he would choose the short. Oh well.

"I guess it really began when I told my father I wanted a masquerade-style party for my seventeenth birthday. It sounded like such a fun idea, and what I wanted was for my friends and I to be able to dress up and have fun. The absolute horror that took place instead is something for the record books…"

I'M SORRY! I was so unhappy with how this chapter was initially written, and I decided to chop it in half and separate them into events that happen on different days. The problem with that is how do I fill all this lovely new empty space? With a little humor, a little cuteness, and a story... except, I hadn't actually gotten around to writing that part yet. I have some time this weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to keep my schedule. Worst case scenario is that I won't post a new chapter until next Friday, but we'll see how the creative juices flow.

Anywho... Thanks to everyone who fave/followed my story (or me); y'all are awesome! And special thanks to everyone who left a review: kkitz, Copperreign12, RequiemMage, samurai of sunflowers, and Niomei.

TTFN, Lovelies!