March 9th
Lucy dropped onto the stool, an exhaustive sigh escaping her lips. It had been a busy Sunday spent cleaning the bar from top to bottom. She had lucked out during her first two months at Fairy Tail, avoiding Mira's cleaning wrath, but she drew the short straw this week. Every Sunday, Fairy Tail closes to clean up the mess from the previous week. Lucy had no idea just how much mess a bar could accumulate in one week. She was well aware now.
"Yo! Lucy!" The familiar voice caught her off guard and she had to grip the bar to keep herself from falling off the stool. Natsu popped his head out from the kitchen before smiling widely and throwing himself over the counter. His legs dangled beside her as he leaned over right into her personal space. "How's it going?" She kept her stare level with his, trying to keep her brain from processing just how close he was to her.
"Do you know someone has been hoarding chicken wings under table six all week?" Lucy blurted, since that was the first thing that popped into her mind. Natsu leaned backwards, holding his stomach as round laughter shook his body.
"You found the chicken wing stash! Oh man, that's gold." He howled and Lucy's jaw went slack.
"Were you hoarding them?" She was baffled.
"No way! It was probably Elfman. The guy doesn't think he's manly unless he orders the largest plate of wings each time. Since he can't eat them all, because it's really not humanly possible, he hides them. Usually Mira gets to them on cleaning day before anyone else." He chuckled, the amused glint still in his eyes.
"Why do we keep serving him all those wings if we know he doesn't eat them?" She wondered aloud and he nudged her shoulder with his elbow.
"He's Mira's brother. And trust me, Mira may look all sweet and innocent, but she has a very dark side that you do not want to come face to face with." He shrugged.
"Why do I get the feeling that you've seen her dark side Natsu?"
"Because he has. Two years ago. Him and Gray got into a huge fight and nearly destroyed the entire bar." Mira narrowed her gaze at Natsu, her tone bitter as she stepped out from the kitchen. "He's about to see it again if he doesn't get his butt off the counter that we spent all day cleaning." She quipped and he dropped himself off the counter.
"Oops." Natsu glanced at Mira for a moment before turning his gaze back to me. "I did actually come here with a purpose you know."
"Was that purpose pissing Mira off and scuffing our shiny counters with your butt?" Lucy mused, grabbing a rag real quick to wipe the marks off.
"Uh, no. But, my bad." He spoke sheepishly before continuing. "Levy is having people over for dinner and movies. Since neither of you answered your phones, she sent me to retrieve you." He explained, adjusting his waistcoat to fall evenly on his chest.
"We are finished a bit earlier than usual. Lucy, why don't you go with Natsu? I'll meet you guys over there!" Mira chirped, her pleasant demeanor back once again.
"We can wait for you. I should run home and change anyway." Lucy moved to stand next to Natsu and he smiled down at her.
"No, no. I have to balance the books real quick. I won't be long. I'll just meet you guys there." Mira insisted and hurried up the stairs before Lucy could protest. She sighed, glancing up at Natsu and shrugging before leaving the bar. Lucy turned to say goodbye to Natsu, but the bartender was following her towards her place.
"I figured I would just walk with you. I'm not in any rush. Only Gray and Juvia are there so far and trust me, nobody needs to see what they're doing." He shrugged, eyes trained on the river. Lucy shrugged as well, continuing her way down the river until she reached her apartment. She already knew Juvia and Gray were all lovey dovey when people weren't really looking. Juvia wouldn't stand for anything less. The couple started dating the day she helped Gray bake Juvia's birthday cake and they were still in the honeymoon phase. Lucy unlocked the door and wandered into her room while Natsu dropped onto the couch. His body was sprawled out across it when Lucy shut the bathroom door to change. She tossed her dusty, sweaty clothes in the laundry before swiftly washing herself off and pulling on a long-sleeved sweater dress. It hung down to about mid-thigh and it accentuated her curves. It was the dress Levy picked out for her during their trip to the newly opened boutique and she insisted that Lucy wear it to her next gathering. Lucy really couldn't say no to Levy, so despite it being ten degrees out, she would wear the dress. She slid into tan ankle booties and threw a few things in a cross body purse before stepping back out into the main room of the apartment. Her hair was still in a messy bun, so she stood before the mirror, attempting to brush the knots out. She bit her lip, grumbling under her breath as she tried to not rip a chunk of hair from her head. She choked back a scream when gentle fingers pulled her hands down before returning to the knot. She stared wide-eyed at Natsu's calloused hands as they maneuvered the hair from the tangled mess. Lucy was speechless, but Natsu decided to fill the silence.
"Wendy is basically my little sister. When she doesn't stay with Levy and Gajeel, she stays with me. This happens a lot with her hair, so I eventually learned so she didn't make herself bald." He smiled softly as the last piece of hair slipped through his fingertips. The moment the hair brushed Lucy's shoulders, Natsu's own eyes widened. "Shit, I'm sorry. Was that okay?"
"It's okay. Thank-you, Natsu. I really appreciate it." Lucy gave him a reassuring smile, before running a comb through her hair and turning to face him. "Ready?" His eyes glanced over her body, a light pink hue settled in his cheeks before he pulled his gaze away and studied the kitchen.
"Do you have any chips?" That caught the blonde off guard. She wandered over to her fairly empty pantry and pulled an unopened bag of kettle cooked chips from the shelf. She held them up in question to him and his eyes brightened. "Can I have some?"
"Sure. Levy bought them for whenever she is over. You'll have to deal with her wrath for opening them." She chuckled and he simply shrugged, ripping open the bag and munching on a handful. Lucy pulled on her winter coat, tying the waistband before locking the apartment door behind them. Soft snowflakes cascaded from the sky, melting on her cheek when they landed. She glanced at Natsu, who was studying the sky above them. He met her gaze and smiled before dropping down her front steps. Together, they made their way to Levy's house on the other side of town. They talked about their favorite thing to do in the snow. For Lucy, it was building snowmen while Natsu enjoyed building forts and having snowball fights. Their conversation drifted towards how they spent their holidays as well. Natsu spent Christmas day with Fairy Tail and dinner with Wendy, Gajeel, and Levy. He also spent New Years at the bar, working the busy holiday. Lucy spent both holidays on the road. She went and saw the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Northward kingdom, went to a lovely diner in a small village on Christmas day, and then spent New Years traveling to get to Mongolia. When she finished her story, Natsu's gaze was somewhere else, a frown playing on his lips. It was Lucy's turn to nudge his shoulder.
"Will you spend Christmas with us next year?" He blurted and both of them jumped in response to his outburst.
"With Fairy Tail?" She focused on the clouds of cold air forming from her breath while they walked.
"Well, yeah, obviously. But, I mean with Wendy, Gajeel, Levy, and I. Levy and Wendy already adore you. I think it'd be nice." He glanced down at Lucy and she was grateful for the cold air turning her nose and cheeks red, otherwise her blush would be radiant. She thought over his words, picturing a holiday dinner with her friends, laughing and exchanging gifts by the fire.
"I would love to." The smile that blossomed on Natsu's face dazzled her and she hadn't even realized they reached Levy's house before the front door was thrown open.
"Lu! We were beginning to think Natsu kidnapped you! Mira got here a little while ago." Levy jumped out of the house, throwing her arms around the blonde.
"Hey Levy. I had to get changed at my apartment and Natsu wanted a snack." Both of the girls glanced at Natsu who was crinkling the now empty chip bag into a ball. Lucy was bewildered. How did he manage to eat that entire bag on the walk over here?
"Are those my chips?" Levy narrowed her gaze at the bartender.
"They WERE your chips." He smirked, stepping around both of them and into the warm house.
"Dragneel." Levy growled, releasing Lucy to chase after him. The blonde shut the door behind her and said hello to Gajeel, Mira, Gray, Juvia, and Wendy.
"Lucy!" Wendy threw herself off the couch and pulled Lucy in for a hug. Lucy held the smaller girl against her, smiling into her hair before they separated. Fingers circled her wrist, pulling her down towards one of the couches. She met Natsu's grin, noticing the fading red hand print on his cheek. Though she felt a little guilty, she did warn Natsu that they were Levy's. He shouldn't have eaten the entire bag. A glass was placed in her other hand by Levy and she studied the blush wine swirling in it.
"Drink up buttercup! We can have dinner once Jet and Droy get here." She chirped, maneuvering to sit on Gajeel's lap.
"And we all know they're always late." Gajeel grumbled before Levy lightly smacked him. They always bickered when it came to Jet and Droy. Eventually, the group decided to play a few card games until the guys arrived. Which of course brought out Mira, Gray, and Natsu's competitive sides. They clashed often throughout the game which amused the other players. Once Jet and Droy arrived, Levy ushered them into her grand dining room and passed out plates. Gajeel helped her bring the food out and they all dug into the meal she had prepared. By the time the dinner was finished, Lucy was sure she drank nearly an entire bottle of wine by herself, if not more.
"So, it looks like you guys are stuck here for the night." Levy's voice sounded from the kitchen and everyone at the table paused from their conversations. Natsu jumped up, moving the curtains so we could all see the snow piled up outside. The roads were completely covered and the visibility was low.
"Crap." Natsu mumbled as Mira and Wendy jumped up, cheering. "Sleepover!" With Lucy and Mira's help, Levy retrieved all the blankets and pillows she owned and brought them all to the basement. Levy had a screen set up with various couches thrown around the room. It was basically a home theater with couches instead of recliners and Lucy loved it. Her and Levy found themselves curled on couches, reading from Levy's personal library quite often.
"Everyone claim a couch! I'm going to put a movie in." She smiled widely, and disappeared into the library room. Mira and Wendy dropped onto a couch, Jet and Droy each taking their own, while Gajeel claimed one for him and Levy. Gray and Juvia took the one by the door and Natsu snagged Lucy's hand. He pulled her onto the one by the popcorn machine and grinned.
"Wanna share one?" His brow was raised in a question and she nodded groggily, attempting to wrap a blanket around her shoulders. He leaned over, swiftly helping her pull it around her body before falling back against the couch. Everyone was slightly tipsy, giggling or whispering among themselves. The movie started and the room was silent. About halfway through the romantic comedy, Lucy felt a radiating warmth blanket her as a body leaned towards her. "Mind if I just rest my head here?" Natsu mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes before lowering his head onto Lucy's lap. He curled his legs up onto the couch and Lucy smiled softly.
"Go ahead." She responded and he huffed a thank-you before soft snores escaped him. She gently ran her fingers through his soft spikes, smiling wider when hardly audible purrs of content rumbled in his chest. Just like that, she curled towards the corner of the couch and drifted off into her own alcohol-assisted slumber. She would just ask Levy if she could borrow the movie later to see the ending.
Lucy startled awake, her heart thundering in her chest as she realized she couldn't breathe very well. She adjusted her body, a muffled groan from below her as she opened her eyes. Her mouth and nose were covered by a scarf and she pulled her face away. With her lungs now having access to a sufficient amount of air, she noticed two things. One, she was sweating. Two, the source of the heat was the man who was still laying in her lap. Her bottom lip slipped between her teeth as she tried to untangle her fingers from the pink spikes without waking Natsu. Her attempt failed though and he slowly blinked up at her.
"Mornin' Luce." A large yawn escaped him as he turned towards her stomach. His reaction was immediate. His eyes widened, the heat retracted, and he basically threw himself off of Lucy. "I'm so sorry. You must've been so uncomfortable." He ran his hand through his hair as he pushed himself onto his feet. He was pacing in front of the couch and Lucy smiled up at him.
"Good morning Natsu. I actually slept very well last night. You have nothing to apologize for." She stood to join him, folding up the blanket that had been draped across them during the night. It was then that Lucy realized they were alone in the basement. Natsu paused from his pacing and smiled softly at her. "Come on. Everyone is probably upstairs." She led him up to the main floor of the house. To their surprise, the house was rather quiet.
"Hey sleeping beauties! You're finally awake! Everyone left a little while ago, but no one wanted to wake you two. They cleared the roads already so Levy had to go meet with her editor. Are you hungry? I can probably find something for breakfast." Gajeel chuckled from the kitchen. He was seated in their breakfast nook, bending different metal pieces to form some kind of design. To Lucy's knowledge, he worked in a metal shop downtown that sold trinkets and tools.
"Hey Metal Face. Nah, I was actually going to take Lucy to the diner down the street. Thanks for the offer though. See you tonight." Natsu was already on his way out the door, fingers wound around Lucy's wrist.
"Bye Gajeel! Thanks for having us over!" She called as Natsu closed the door behind them. She could hear Gajeel laughing through the door and Natsu stopped on the porch. "So, the diner down the street, eh?" She mused and he glanced away.
"Only if you want to. They have the best french toast in town." He smiled sheepishly, still not looking at Lucy.
"Well, I'm sold. Let's go!" She entwined their fingers and pulled him down the sidewalk. Together they hurried down the street, huddling slightly towards one another for warmth. Really, Lucy was just trying to borrow some of Natsu's warmth. He had a very high body temperature and Lucy was going to use that to her advantage. Together, they threw the doors open to the diner, stumbling into the warmth as they laughed with their noses and cheeks red from the chilled air. They dropped into the booth in the back corner, nosing through the menu before the server wandered over.
"You guys are finally awake! How are you?" Wendy beamed, sliding onto the bench next to Lucy and wrapping her arms around her.
"Wendy! Hi! I didn't know you worked here. I'm doing great, how are you?" Lucy smiled widely at the girl. Before she could answer, Natsu cut her off.
"Wendyyyy. You know how I get when I'm hungry." He put the menu down to grab his stomach. Wendy giggled in response to his childish banter.
"I only work a few days a week here, when I'm not volunteering at the hospital! What can I get for you guys?" She stood back up and held her pen ready. Natsu gestured for Lucy to go first and she took one last glance at the menu.
"I'll have a cinnamon latte and the caramel french toast with a side of fruit. " She smiled as Wendy scribbled down her order. She flipped to a new page and waited patiently for Natsu. He proceeded to order a laundry list of breakfast food that Wendy wrote down diligently. She promised to be back soon and was off to the kitchen.
"What? I'm hungry." He shrugged, tucking both menus back behind the syrups under the window.
"I see that." She mused, placing her elbows on the table and leaning forward. Her hair hung down over her wrists and she realized she probably looked like a mess. She hadn't showered the night before like usual, so her hair was probably greasy. She was still wearing yesterday's clothes and she hadn't brushed her teeth. Her eyes widened and she went to shove herself out of the booth. "I need to run to the restroom." Natsu grabbed her arm though, keeping her at the table.
"Luce. You look as beautiful as ever. Don't worry about it. Anyway, I didn't brush my teeth either, so we can have stinky breath together." He shrugged, amusement in his eyes. Her cheeks heated as she fell back against the seat.
"How'd you know that's what I was referring to?"
"Because I know you." He simply shrugged, leaning back against his own seat as his eyes watched the traffic from the window. Their food came soon after that and they ate happily. Natsu even shared some of his eggs with Lucy and if she ordered her own side and another latte, Natsu nor Wendy commented on it. Wendy joined them for a bit, telling them all about this time when two customers came in and ordered one of everything on the menu just to try it.
"Oh wait, that was Natsu and Gray!" She pointed at the pinkette who was essentially licking his last plate clean.
"That was all Popsicle's idea." He grumbled.
"We both know that you guys had equal blame for how awful you felt after." She stuck her tongue out before standing back up. "I have to get back to work, but I'll see you both tonight!" She leaned down and kissed Lucy's forehead before pressing her lips to Natsu's forehead. "Bye!" She hurried away to help the new group of people who just sat down. After leaving a huge tip for their friend, the pair made their way back into the cold and Natsu walked Lucy home.
"Did you and Gray really eat the entire menu in one sitting?" She mused as they both hopped up the steps to her door.
"Yeah, it was a bad day for both of us. I went into work that night and Mira scolded us for a solid hour." He chuckled as she unlocked her door.
"Was it worth it?"
"Oh, heck yeah. It's how I found out they had such great french toast." He gave Lucy a toothy grin and a giggle escaped her lips.
"Want to come in for a bit?"
"Nah, I got some things to finish before work. I'll see you tonight though. Bye Luce." He leaned in and kissed her cheek in one swift motion before hurrying down the steps and towards downtown. Lucy shut the door behind her, pressing her back to the oak before she processed what happened. She only knew Natsu for a few months, but she couldn't help the emotions swirling in her chest for him.
