It's hilarious thinking that Natsu gets motion sickness...and here I am writing him driving over the speed limits with a dorky smile on his face.
God damn.
=xxx=
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Ride 'em Hard
Chapter Two
It wasn't far from the city, actually.
An old industrial factory that was long abandoned for more than fifty years, built from bricks in the middle of a boring, shriveling field, it gave itself a space that appeared to be stuck in time from the always-changing city. You had a wonderful view of the skyscrapers, lights of advertisement and people still awake to play around from the opened doors that would have once let trucks, tractors and crowd of men through to work. However, despite it's older and more mature outside, the inside was pristine and shiny with metal and neon lights once you peeked through the garage doors.
White floors and light up walls that promoted the sun in the night, Fairy Tail's garage was more of a heaven within it's doors and the people and cars that lived within. The large space served as a garage and social spot for its members, included with a stretch of a table in the corner that had drinks and menu signs against the wall, and a bridge stood to seal off from the shop itself. Three car beds were on the other side of the wall from the bar, and the mechanics had their tables and tool chests at hand and a red, plastic curtain to shield off the welding sparks that would harm one's eyesight.
A rumbling noise caught the attention of the occupants currently inside the garage, some heads turned to see approaching lights of a familiar car coming their way at high speed. Others ignored the noise and continued on with welding with masks on or under the hood of a car on their backs. The screeching of brakes hitting close to home, the Mitsubishi Lancer with flames came to a rough stop and slowly let itself inside the garage into a parking spot.
The driver door swung open, and a pink haired man leapt out, dropping his glasses back into his seat. With the energy of a hyperactive brat on a sugar high, Natsu scrambled through the slippery floor and crashed himself to the bar, hitting his gut from the impact.
"Mira! Miraaa!" he called out as loud as he could, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the volume. "Mira, I need two burgers and fries pronto! And don't be too shy on your secret sauce, either!"
From the bar's curtain that separated the kitchen from view, a woman with white hair cascading down her back peeked out from inside. Blinking, blue eyes found Natsu jumping onto a stool with a giddy smile on his face. Stepping out, the woman was dressed in a pink corset top and black jeans, her feet decorated in simple sandals as she went closer to the driver.
"Natsu, what have I said about eating so much at this time?" Mirajane chided softly, putting her hands on her hips. "Especially if you're going to bed soon."
"But it's a celebration, Mira!" Natsu shouted out, throwing his hands in the air. "I won my first race, and I recruited someone!" Spinning around in the stool, Natsu faced back to his car, where the driver's door was still opened. "Luce, come on out! Mira's gonna make that burger I was talkin' about!"
People paid more attention when the passenger door slowly popped open, and Lucy slipped out with her backpack in hand. Trying to play it cool, she closed the door and refused to meet anyone's eye as she scurried pretty quickly to the bar and joined Natsu's side.
"S-stop shouting, please," Lucy hissed under her breath, her cheeks bright red in embarrassment. Hearing footsteps coming up, her nerves prickled as she let Natsu pick her up and set her on the seat next to him, his muscular arm wrapping around her and patting her shivering shoulder. "Are you always this loud..?"
Mirajane blinked before smiling sweetly to the nervous woman. Her head tilting, she placed her hands on the bar table and leaned to speak softly to Lucy. "Hello there, sweetheart," she said with a polite smile. "My name is Mirajane. It's nice to meet you."
Lucy flushed even deeper as she met the other woman's pretty face, biting her lip as she refused to speak. This caused Mirajane to giggle at the sight. "No need to be shy, sweetheart. No one is going to hurt you," she explained as she stood back up. "So, what place did you make? Where's your car?"
"No, no, Miraaa!" Natsu waved his hands to the white-haired lady. "Luce placed first with me! She was my passenger, you see, and she helped me win the race - I beat Erza and Gajeel, thanks to her!"
"Shush, Natsu!" Lucy elbowed him in the ribs, making him wince and rub the spot. Pulling her hood over her blonde hair, Lucy tried to shrink herself as much as possible and focused on the pattern on the wooden table. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Natsu won?" another voice erupted behind her. It was a man, she could tell, and probably really, really tall and dangerous. This was a gang, for Christ's sake!
"Wow, you did? Congrats, Natsu!" a cheery, feminine voice came up, making Lucy freeze. "That's wonderful, Natsu! What place did you make?"
Jutting up his pointer finger high in the air, Natsu spun himself around in his seat a few times with a stupid grin on his face. "I got first place, man! I beat Erza and that jackass Gray! Even Gajeel, man you shoulda been there, guys!"
"I'll go make you a small burger," Mirajane said with a sweet smile. "For the both of you, but no fries tonight. You can have them after you've slept and drank lots of water." Lucy watched the beautiful woman walk away and back through the curtain.
Lucy let out a yelp when Natsu purposefully spun her chair and made her face the people behind her. A tiny crowd surrounded the two, lots of men and women of size and shapes looked at her with interest, making her shake hard; Natsu wrapped his arm around her again in a friendly hug, using his free hand to gesture to the crowd.
"Guys, this is my new partner, Lucy Heartfilia!" he announced with a proud voice, his cheek pressing against her boiling one. "Whoa, Luce. You okay? You feel like ya got a fever!"
"Lemme go!" Lucy whine as she pushed his face away, even though he kept his arm around her. "I didn't agree to anything, you idiot!"
"Luce, this is our head mechanic, Levy McGarden. She's probably the smartest mechanic I've ever met," Natsu pointed to one of the girls, who was somewhat small in height and had choppy blue hair pulled back in a yellow ribbon. She wore a mechanic suit, yet had the sleeves wrapped around her waist, leaving her in a orange crop-top. There was tiny smudges of dirt and oil on her skin, but she was obviously a ball of sunshine.
Levy waved with her free hand, since the other was holding two wrenches. "Hey there," she said with a friendly smile. "Nice to see Natsu bringing a girl home and not someone's dog this time."
"Oi, oi! Don't tell her that!" Natsu whined before pointing behind her, where two taller men that were equally, if not more dirty than the short woman stood dutifully behind her. "Those guys are Jet and Droy, Levy's assistants; they're brothers, I think. I never really bothered to remember…"
Before the two could correct Natsu, he moved on to the next. "That there is Elfman and Lisanna," he pointed to a very buff man and tiny woman, who both had white hair. "They're Mira's younger siblings. Lisanna helps out with Mirajane sometimes, and Elfman is a mechanic, too."
Moving to a clutter of guys and a girl, Natsu pointed each one out carefully. "The dude with the fancy coat is Freed Justine. He used to be a gambler and scammed a shitload of casinos back in the day," he snickered when Freed narrowed his eyes at him. "That's Gildart there," he went on to a burly man with slicked back hair, then to a curvy, tanned woman with her brown hair tangled in a messy bun. "And, that's his daughter, Cana. They both race together, kinda like what you and I did, and Cana is around our age but drinks a lot!"
"Watch it, lizard boy," Cana warned with a raise brow, yet not too threatening when she crossed her arms. It was like she had nothing to defend on with his statement.
"Those two are Macaro and Wakaba," Natsu went on down the line, stopping at a man who had a toothpick in his mouth and another with an unlit cigar. "Macaro has a little kid name Romeo, but I bet he's asleep right now, so I'll introduce him to you later. There is Azlack and Bisca Connell. They're both pretty neat people, but they always take too long with jobs Makarov gives them."
The couple shrugged, as if it wasn't a big of a deal, and Natsu blinked. "Speaking of the old man, where is Gramps?" he asked, head whipping left and right.
"In his office with Jellal," Levy explained. "They were waiting for Erza's call when the race was over. Why are you back so early anyway, Natsu?"
The pink-haired man grinned and pointed to Lucy, who flushed and glared at him. "I already got someone I wanted to recruit. This is Lucy Heartfilia, guys!"
"Heartfilia?" Cana blinked, looking to Lucy with a raised brow. "Why does that… Oh!" she snapped her fingers and grinned to the blonde woman, who frowned in response. "You're Jude Heartfilia's kid, aren't you? Yeah, you look like your mom! I was a huge fan of your mom's clothing line, and your dad is pretty famous, too!"
"Hah?" Natsu blinked and looked to Lucy with absolute confusion. "Ya mean the guy who owns the trading company, and is basically the richest man alive?"
"Fourth richest," Cana corrected, pointing to Lucy with a gleam in her violet eyes. "No doubt about it. She looks exactly like Layla; I've collected magazines and clippings of her work and photos of her. Natsu, you picked yourself a princess! Where'd you find her?"
"By the bus stop, on my way to the race," he answered, still looking at Lucy. Her bangs covered her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself, not speaking a word. "Luce, is it true? What happened?"
Lucy only turned her seat around and faced the bar, where Mirajane was holding plastic baskets with their burgers in them. Mira met Lucy's eyes and saw how stiff and upset she looked, and offered a tiny smile before looking up to the crowd with a tilt of her head.
"Why don't you guys give Lucy space, hm? I bet she's hungry from the race," she said in a sweet tone, but everyone knew better at Mirajane's voice that they better listen. Everyone dispersed and left the bar quietly, allowing Natsu to watch before turning back and had his meal placed infront of them.
"It's nice and hot," Mirajane said sweetly after releasing the baskets. "I'll go get you two some cold water. Natsu, don't try to shove the whole thing in again while I'm gone," she instructed before going back and leaving the two alone at the bar.
Natsu glanced to Lucy, who didn't touch her food and he followed her. Swallowing a little, Natsu tried to meet her eyes and was met with her wrapping her sweatshirt tighter around herself. "Hey, Luce...I'm sorry if I did something wrong. I didn't know you were related to Jude Heartfilia."
"I actually prefered it if you didn't," she whispered, picking at the plastic with her pinky finger. "Remember when you guessed that I ran away? My life...was just controlled by my dad. I wanted to go to college and live my life, but he sheltered me and treated me more like an employee than his own daughter."
Natsu kept silent, but he pressed a warm hand on her back, his thumb rubbing gently as if to try and relax her. "Everything has to do with my dad, even my own name is associated with him and I hated it," she exhaled shakingly, putting her elbows on the table and rubbing her face. "He sent word back home, since he's overseas on a business trip, about how he met his partner's family and thought it would be in my best interest to arrange a marriage. Basically, I packed my backpack with whatever I could fit," she squeezed her backpack, keeping her shakes down. "I left a note for the housekeepers to give him when he came back, and left. I have no fucking idea what I'm going to do, but anything would be better than living another second in that cage…"
"Luce, I didn't mean to bring you here," Natsu said calmly, his hand sliding up to hold her shoulder. He could tell she was holding back tears, so he gently used his other hand to grab a napkin Mirajane put with their meal and dap her cheeks to catch them when she blinked. "Incase you haven't noticed, I'm the kind that acts without thinking, but I definitely didn't want to leave you on that bus stop."
She sniffed and shakingly reached for her burger. Inspecting it for a good moment, Lucy swallowed a hiccup and took a large bite of the food. He grinned, pleased to see her eating. "But, if you don't mind me saying, I think it was a great thing to have found you," he said. "Maybe it was destiny, or something. Maybe it was meant to happen for me to pick you up and bring you to the race with me; Hell, you even helped me win my first race, and I've been racing since I was younger and never placed before until I met you!"
Lucy gulped down her bite and took the napkin on her basket to wipe her nose, and Natsu still dried her tears for her like a parent to a child. "But you don't need to worry about a thing right now, okay? Luce is makin' choices for Lucy now, not her dad."
Mirajane came back with two tall glasses of water and ice. Settling them down, the woman knelt to their level and rest her cheek on her palm. "I suppose Natsu tried to tell you about Fairy Tail?"
Lucy shrugged, not very comfortable about speaking as she is right now. Natsu waved his hand in a 'sort of' motion to Mirajane, who giggled at the answer. "Well, you may have originally thought we were a gang," she started, "which, we are in some way. But, we're actually not like those gangs who rob and steal and murder…"
"Y-you're not?" Lucy gurgled before taking another bite of her burger and sniffed. Mirajane smiled bigger and shook her head.
"The real story is that we work for the big guys," Mirajane sang out. "The police department, FBI, CIA - you name it, we are racers who work underground to track down the bad guys and take them down. For Fairy Tail, we recruit unprivileged individuals and try to turn their life around by taking them in to the department, or work with us to pay off your past mistakes. Like me, for example, and my siblings.
"Our parents were great to us. Very loving and always supported us, but they had big troubles financially and made some very bad choices," she went on, not minding Lucy's reaction with a full mouth. "They robbed people and small companies, even stealing identities and even used our names to get money in fake ones, and it caused me and my baby brother and sister to grow a record since we were born. They were caught and arrested when I was sixteen, but we were also in trouble with the law, even though we didn't do anything.
"They gave me and my siblings a choice to either go to juvenile confinement, which would have separated us for a long time - or join Fairy Tail and be raised by Master Makarov to slowly erase our records." Mirajane pointed out to Natsu to start eating, which he obeyed automatically. "I learned how to race, while my brother learned mechanics and we both raced as S-Class and took jobs of catching bad guys. I don't race anymore, but I dedicate my life here to rebuild a new one for myself and my siblings, since we can never be with our parents ever again."
"Oh...I…" Lucy mumbled softly, unsure of what to say.
"Fairy Tail is a second chance in life, to put it simply," Mirajane as she gently pat Lucy's hooded head. "It's like you can start a new identity here, and everyone here is willing to accept you with open arms as long as you try your best. That's all we can ever ask of you."
"Very good, Mira. Although, it does not surprise me at how well you explain," a voice startled Lucy and she spun her head and saw a short, elderly man stand with his arms behind him. White hair and a mustache, the old man hobbled up to the bar and climbed up to the table, sitting down next to Natsu and crossing his legs. Following him was a tall, much younger man with blue hair and a maroon tattoo over his face stood and nodded in greeting to Natsu and Mirajane.
"Hey, Gramps," Natsu smiled brightly to the old man. "Did ya hear? I won the race!"
"Yes, Erza had a lot to say 'bout that," Makarov nodded. "Which reminds me, she's not too happy about you taking off right after…"
"Sorry," Natsu brushed off. "I had to get Luce here a taste of Mira's grilling. Ya know you haven't been to the city unless you had a bite of Mirajane's cooking!"
"You give me too much credit…" Mirajane rolled her eyes, an amused smile on her face.
The old man leaned back and took a look at Lucy, who wiped ketchup off the corner of her lips and cleared her throat. With the sleeve of her hoodie, she tried to catch anything she or Natsu had missed with the napkins. "Hmm, you must be the one Erza was yammering 'bout. Something about a girl's voice bossing Natsu around on the radio," he grinned at Lucy's reddening cheeks.
"I-I...I didn't mean to sound bossy," she stammered, putting the little chunk left of her burger back on her basket. "I was… Uhm, I'm sorry. My name is -!"
"Lucy Heartfilia, yes," Makarov smiled politely and held out a small hand for her to shake. Lucy had to reach over Natsu chowing down to lightly greet in return. "Cana was talking to Levy about you, and I overheard. Cana is a fan of your mother's fashion line, and she is right when to say that you look a lot like her."
Lucy blushed and couldn't meet his eyes. "U-uhm…"
"But," the old man pressed with a single nod, "Cana also understands that you're uncomfortable as of right now, and she respects that. Believe me, she's not the type to be a fangirl when she sees someone remotely related to a celebrity she likes."
"I-it's not that, uhm," Lucy twiddled with her thumbs shyly. "It's just...a lot to take in for me."
"It has been a rather long night, no?" Makarov nodded in agreement, looking at Natsu who finished his burger and all his water quickly. Squinting, the old man shook his head at the younger one's manners. "Especially when driving in the same car as this kid here," he jerked a thumb at Natsu, who blinked and hummed questionably with his mouth filled. "You must be tired, Miss Lucy. You should rest up and we will take you to a hotel in the city in the morning, if that will make you feel better."
"Huh?" Lucy's head shot up.
Makarov shrugged his shoulders, but his smile never faltered. "We're not gonna force a young woman such as yourself to stay here against your will. That sounds rather harsh, if you ask me," he chuckled and stroked his mustache. "From what I heard, Natsu here picked you up from the bus stop and offered you a place to stay for the night. I knew I taught him something well."
"Oi, Gramps! You didn't teach me that!" Natsu shouted after swallowing all the contents down. "Erza had to pound it into me!"
However, Makarov ignored him completely. "Besides, we give recruiters a choice once coming here," he said pointedly. "If you have a criminal record of some sort, you can either join us or be taken to jail to serve your time. You haven't got a record, do you?"
"No," Lucy said honestly. 'Haven't really been out to even cause a record, let alone a ticket...'
"Then you really have no business to be in Fairy Tail," Makarov concluded, standing up to the seat and hopping down without any help. "You rest for the night, and we will drop you off wherever you want in the morning."
"W-wait…" Lucy whispered at the sight of Makarov leaving. When he didn't respond, Lucy jumped off of her seat, hands clenched and standing tall. "Hey, wait!"
The blue haired man blinked at her and then glanced down to the old man who stopped walking away. Lucy could feel Natsu's eyes wide and staring at her in surprise, and maybe everyone else who heard her yell angrily was watching too, but she couldn't care right now.
"Mirajane said that Fairy Tail gives second chances, right?" Lucy spoke in a strong voice, yet it felt dry from her previous tears and silent sobs. "Start a new identity - that's what she said. So, is it true?"
Makarov looked over his shoulder with an unreadable expression. Natsu gulped and turned around in his seat towards Lucy. "Uhm, Luce…"
"I left the place I was born into and practically trapped in for twenty years," Lucy announced, a stomp of her foot on the shiny floor. "I left that place because I hated the identity I was raised with under my father's control. It wasn't my life, and it was something I knew I couldn't live with for the rest of it, so I left with whatever I could fit in my backpack and refuse to look back!"
Turning halfway, Makarov raised a busy brow at her. "What is it you're trying to say to me, Miss Lucy?"
"I'm telling you that I want a second chance in life," Lucy said strongly, no falter or hesitation. "I want to erase what the old Lucy Heartfilia was and make her into someone else. That was Lucy Heartfilia, the daughter of the Heartfilia Company and she doesn't exist anymore to me. I want to be Lucy Heartfilia, just Lucy! I don't know why, but...Fairy Tail can make me just Lucy. I want to join Fairy Tail!"
Makarov and Lucy held their gazes for a long moment, silence taking over the whole garage. No sound of tools, voices or music could be heard in the eerie stretch of waiting for something to happen. Lucy's body didn't fall, nor did the determined sparkle in her brown eyes dimmed when she held her ground to the short, old man…
Slowly, Makarov's mustache curled with his smile growing underneath. Closing his eyes, he turned around and resumed his walking, having the blue haired man follow silently.
Blinking, Lucy became confused. "Wait...what -?"
"You are already a member of Fairy Tail, Lucy," Makarov interrupted her before she could take a step to stop him. "Welcome to the family. Your work starts when you and Natsu wake up!"
The two men walked out of sight, leaving Lucy flabbergasted and confused. Her cheeks went bright red as she slowly turned around to Natsu, who only blinked and looked at her just as confused as she is. A giggle from Mirajane made their heads snap over to the white haired woman, who winked at Lucy playfully.
"You can bunk with Natsu, since it seems like you two are friends," Mirajane instructed, glancing over to the young man. "Treat Lucy as a guest, Natsu. Until we finalized Lucy's profile here, make sure she's comfortable on her first night here."
Breaking into a grin, Natsu chuckled and looked to Lucy. "How's that sound, Luce? Wanna be roomies with me? I promise I don't bite."
That weird feeling in her chest came again. Not as intense as it was when she raced with Natsu, but more softer and gentle...and it felt nice. It couldn't keep the genuine smile from spreading on her face as she nodded to him. "Yeah!"
Through a doorway beside the large garage was an elevator that went up a few stories to the living quarters of Fairy Tail. From what Lucy understood from Natsu, it was like apartments for all the official members of their gang; each apartment would have either one or two bedrooms, a large bathroom and kitchen and a living room quarters, and possibly a balcony if you were bunked in special rooms.
"I don't have a big balcony like Erza, Mirajane and Laxus," Natsu said as he guided her down the rugged hallway. "But it's still something - Gray doesn't have a balcony, so I guess you got lucky! Although...I don't have two bedrooms. You can have the bed and I can take the couch."
"Are you sure..?" Lucy raised a brow at him when he stopped at a door decorated with specific car posters and silly doodles of dragons and lizards. No doubt Natsu's room. She watched him fish out keys from his pockets. "I don't mind taking the couch."
"Mira said I gotta treat ya like a guest, Luce," Natsu smiled at her. "To tell you the truth, Mira is one of the people here I don't want to disobey. Erza is still number one, but Mira is still scary. Her race name was the She-Devil, you know?"
"Really? But she seems so nice and sweet!" Lucy gaped. She tried to think of Mirajane being evil and trying to throw bombs to other drivers and laughing like a maniac.
"She took racing super seriously," Natsu explained, picking out a specific key from his collection. "When she was younger, she had a bad temper and would fight with Erza on a daily basis over everything. She grew out of it, thank God, and she retired when turned twenty and paid off all her crime in her and her siblings' name, but decided to stay here and get engaged with Gramp's grandson, Laxus."
"Oh...I suppose I'm happy to see Mirajane now, than before," Lucy smiled wearily.
"Yup!" Natsu grinned as he unlocked the door knob. Opening it and flipping on the light beside him, the pink haired man stepped in and held the door for her. "Come on in, Luce. You're gonna have to forgive me about the mess...I wasn't expecting company."
"That's…"
Lucy only took one step inside to see the whole place trashed. Clothes, magazines, movie boxes, video games… cardboard boxes, car parts and even a tire. Brown eyes scanned what she assumed to be the living room and the kitchen connected to it were just...trashed. However, since it was a young adult man living here, Lucy figured that this was considered normal in the real world.
Natsu seemed to notice this and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah…" he offered a lopsided smile, but still obviously embarrassed at the sight. "If Gramps lets us off early, I'll get to cleaning right away. I'll ask Erza to borrow her duster-thingy and the thing that...cleans the floor."
"You mean a mop?" Lucy quirked a brow. A sad smile stretched on her face as she took off her backpack from her shoulders, holding it by the straps. "I can help out, too, if you want, Natsu. It can pay back for letting me stay here."
"But you're living here now, so it's fine! Ya don't need to do anything around here," he waved his hands and began kicking things out of her way, making a path. "I made the mess anyway, so it's only fair if I pick it up, right?"
Lucy rolled her eyes at his behavior and shrugged it off. She simply stood there, waiting until Natsu could give an idea of what to do, since she really didn't want to impose on his attempt to try and make an impression.
'Although...his driving did that for the most part,' she reminded herself with a twitch of her brow. How could Lucy forget the racing with the bombs and jumping through things, and all that interesting stuff. Looking at the engine part next to her feet, Lucy wondered that Natsu would do with all these little parts, and the tire over by the couch.
"Ahh, here. You probably want to change and go to bed, right? The bedroom is there!" Natsu pointed to a closed door, and Lucy went over and opened it. He snuck to her side and flipped the light open, and Lucy was impressed that the bedroom was actually very organized (even though the bed was made very lazily, she could tell, there wasn't a lot of junk in here). A few magazines flopped on the floor and the dresser had paper and photos piled on it, it was a lot better to look at than the rest of the living quarters.
"I don't sleep in here all that much, but the sheets should be clean - I changed them a day or two ago," Natsu explained before looking to the blonde woman. "Do you have pajamas with you? Your backpack seems a little small and a bit clunky when you hit me with it on the way to the garage."
Yes, Lucy had smacked Natsu with her backpack on the ride here when he asked her if she could pick up the fallen items from the glove box. She didn't, but Natsu didn't pressure her when she smacked his head with her backpack and called him crazy.
Lifting her bag to her level, Lucy realized that she most likely packed her day clothes and underwear and socks. "Uhm…"
"That's okay!" Natsu grinned and went over to the dresser. Pulling a drawer open, Natsu slipped out a red t-shirt that would fit him, but most likely be a bit large for Lucy's less-muscular and slimmer body. "Would this be okay, Lucy? I can try to find some sweats, too, but it might sag a bit."
"It's okay for now," Lucy smiled, taking the shirt from him and looking at the print on the shirt. "I'm pretty sure I have sweatpants on me."
"Okay, okay!" Natsu nodded understandingly and scurried over to the closet, forcing himself into the pile of blankets and pillows and shoes. Lucy watched with an amused look while Natsu grumbled before pulling out a comforter and a pillow. A victorious grin was plastered on his face as he held the tangled mess with both hands, his cheeks bubbling at how large his smile was.
"I'm gonna be a marshmallow taco," he announced proudly, like a child with an amazing plan. "Or, or like an onigiri, right? I'll be wrapped in rice and have jelly in the middle - that'd be me, Luce! Jeez, now I'm hungry again. I want Mira-chan to make me fries…they're really good, too. It's not the same without the fries and burger together."
Lucy's lips went to a firm line and her eyes looked away from him and down to her feet. "Hey, Natsu…"
The man noticed her change in body language and tilted his head to her. He waited for the blonde woman to breathe and look back up to him, a small smile returning to her face as she met his eyes. "You were right about the burger, Natsu. Mira's cooking is amazing."
Blinking, Natsu tilt his head to the other side, seeming unable to understand her. She smiled a bit bigger to him. "Thanks, Natsu."
"For what?" Natsu asked, oblivious.
"For finding me, and bringing me here," she explained simply, hugging her bag and shirt close to her chest. "Sorry if I come off as bossy or hard to you. I don't mean it."
Slowly, Natsu resumed his stupid smile and shook his head. "Nah, I much prefer ya tell me what I need to do, instead of being quiet," he confessed with a snickering grin. "Just remember, if ya need anything at all, come to me okay? I'll take care of ya here in Fairy Tail, Luce."
Back in the city, the little hidden lot that Natsu and Lucy discovered the plastic spikes, a Dodge Challenger Hellcat with black paint rolled to a stop, a deep blue Nissan 370Z parked beside him. The Hellcat door kicked opened, and a tall, extremely muscled man stomped out in his steel-toed boots. Gritting his teeth, Gajeel Redfox pounded his feet over to the broken strip with seething rage.
Looking at the chain briefly, the dark man let out a deep, guttural growl as he kicked the tool away in disgust. "The fuck happened here? How did this happen?" he shouted in the night, ready to tear his spiked, long hair out. "How in the fucking hell did that kid figure it out!"
"Nii-chan shouldn't be yelling so loudly," a cool, feminine voice spoke behind him. Leaning on the hood of the Nissan, a slim, pale woman with long, wavy blue hair observed the man with a tilt of her head. Her thick eyeliner orbs watched at Gajeel's display of rage; chewing on his black shirt and then ripping off his beige-colored bandana and stomping on it on the pavement, the young woman sighed and crossed her arms gently. "Nii-chan will make someone nervous and make them call the cops for the ruckus."
"That little shit is gonna get it next time I see him! How the fuckin' hell did he win?" he growled and pointed to the broken plastic, his head snapping back to it and the woman watching with a somewhat bored look. "Salamander has never even placed before, and all of the sudden he just wins first-fucking-place?"
The blue haired woman shrugged lightly, a tiny smile on her lips. "Perhaps, Natsu-san realized that your spikes were fake, Nii-chan?" a little giggle escaped her lips as rest her hand on her collarbone, dressed in a black-bikini top and ripped shorts. "Juvia is rather happy for Natsu-san, though. She has been waiting for Natsu-san to place for a while now."
"Don't think I'll let your pal get away with this," Gajeel hissed and glared to the woman, who blinked unamused in response. "Just because ya get along with those freaky shits in that gang, doesn't mean shit with me, kid!"
"Juvia has never asked you to be friends with them," the woman, Juvia reminded simply. "Juvia does wish that Nii-chan would be a little bit nicer to when they visit. Don't be mad about this, okay? Nii-chan tied with Erza-sama in second place and Juvia placed third, so there is nothing for Nii-chan to get angry for. It was a recruiting race, therefore no one would think of Nii-chan's placement as anything more than just gaining newbies."
Gajeel tsk-ed at her and scooped the chain up, tossing it to the side where a small pile of garbage laid ignored by anyone who passed by. "Still doesn't make sense," he went on darkly. "How he knew about this pathway and how that it was a fake trap… It's not like that dumbass went to school, or something. You didn't tell them anything, did you, Juvia?"
Juvia narrowed her eyes at Gajeel, who flinched and raised his hands to her. Tapping her high-heeled foot, she raised a brow at him. "S-sorry, kid, I didn't mean that," Gajeel waved a hand in defeat and gruffly sighed. "I'm not blaming you for any of this, okay? I'm just pissed that the little shit actually beat me."
"Juvia understands Nii-chan's problem, but it is nothing for him to bitch about," she rolled her eyes and stood up from her car. Flipping her long hair past her shoulder, Juvia head back to her car's door. "Hurry up, Nii-chan. We still have work to do before going home, and Juvia wants to eat something."
"Don't order me around, kid!" Gajeel grouched at her shrinking back. "I'm your older brother, remember? Don't forget that I'm seven years older than ya, too! I'm practically the adult in this situation and -!"
"Yet Nii-chan still has the attention span of a child, no doubt," Juvia sang sweetly as she opened her door. Looking to see the tough man flush at her retort, she offered a sweet smile to him. "Juvia wants to go now, Nii-chan. Juvia would like to go home and make pancakes!"
His cheeks still pink, Gajeel picked up his thrown bandana and crossed his arms. "You're such a child sometimes, you know that?"
"Juvia will put extra chocolate chips in Nii-chan's portion, if he hurries up," she told him before slipping into her car and shutting the door. This definitely sparked Gajeel's interest as he took large steps back to his ride in a quick manner.
"Don't forget I like 'em a little bit burnt on the edges, kid!" Gajeel reminded to the blue car in a shout, not liking how the Nissan revved at him and took off up the ramp ahead of them. The man grumbled in distaste and slouched into his ride. "Still," he mumbled to himself as he slammed the door, "doesn't make sense how that kid won…"
From the radio, Juvia's monotonous voice made him stiffen. "Juvia swears, if Nii-chan won't get the pole out of his ass, she will not make him any pancakes."
"Ya won't starve me, you know that!" Gajeel howled as he stomped on the gas, his car speeding up to catch with his sister at a raging speed. "Where we goin', hah? Ya got the directions, don't ya?"
"If Nii-chan can focus and catch up to Juvia, then she will help him!"
"You little brat!"
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Lucy sighed, waking up under the thick blankets and minty-smelling sheets that she recognized to be Natsu's scent. She felt warm, which wasn't common for Lucy to wake up to, and it felt wonderful. Usually, she would wake up freezing because a housemaid would have peeled the blankets off to wash them, leaving Lucy unprepared for the cold draft that always came in when they opened her bedroom door. She never got mad at the maids, really, but it still felt wonderful to wake up for the first time in a very, very warm bed.
It may just be her, but Lucy also thought Natsu's pillow was firm and comfortable. Something she could snuggle against and listen to the heartbeat and -
Wait.
Opening her brown eyes, Lucy came face-to-face with Natsu's snoring and dead-asleep head. His mouth was open, and a tiny bit of drool was trickling out of the corner (not on her, thank God) of his lips. His brow twitching when she sat up in the bed like a bullet, grabbing her shoe that was on the floor of the bed. She didn't hesitate to smack Natsu awake with a snork! with her shoe to his cheek, an old-fashioned glove slap with a shoe.
"Whadd'ya doin' in bed with me, you idiot!" Lucy shrieked as Natsu squirmed and fell off the other side of the bed. His head collided with the nightstand and the lamp wobbled, but Lucy didn't stop as she chucked her shoe at him and pulled the thick blanket around her. She wasn't sleeping with pants underneath Natsu's shirt, since it went down to her knees.
"What are you talking about?" Natsu whined and groggily sat up, rubbing his skull with his eyes closed. "This is the couch…"
"No it's not!" Lucy screamed at him, making him stiffen and open his eyes. Frowning, Natsu looked around and recognized his bedroom. "I thought you said you were taking the couch!"
"Oh, whoops," Natsu blinked and twitched under his eye. Looking up to the frantic woman, Natsu could see her trying to find something to whack him with again. "Ne, Luce, it's not what it looks like, 'kay? I must've slept walk last night - it usually happens after I get done with a race."
"What kind of excuse is that?" Lucy growled and scooched away when he climbed back up. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I usually get motion sickness while I sleep after a race," Natsu sighed with an embarrassed blush on his face. "It's weird, I know, but I used to get sick really easily in the car as a kid. When I was little, the only way I could calm down and not puke was by snuggling someone; it basically turned into a habit when I sleep now, but I usually break into Gray's room or try to snuggle Gramps or Laxus. You're actually a lot more nicer when waking up compared to them."
"That's the most stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Lucy hissed when he grinned at her. "I could've sworn I locked the door, just incase!"
"So does Gray and everyone else, but I guess that doesn't stop me," Natsu shrugged with a chuckle. "Sorry about that, Lucy. I didn't mean to scare you, honestly."
Lucy sniffed and looked away, her cheeks bright red as she looked for her backpack to get pants. Natsu pulled it up for her and handed it to the blonde, who muttered a thanks and took it from him. He hopped off the bed and made his way out the bedroom, and Lucy nearly died when she finally realized that he was shirtless and walking around in his boxers; heat rushing to her face as she mentally cursed her friend and yanked sweatpants out. She dressed in a tank top and pulled Natsu's bed back in order, not sure if he would whine if she was discovered actually making his bed. Fixing her hair into a lazy bun, Lucy stepped out of the bedroom and found that the living room changed.
Changed, as in it was sort've clean.
"W-what..?" Lucy stammered looked up to see Natsu rolling the blanket on the couch and dropping the pillow atop of it. The pink haired man straightened and looked back, now wearing a white shirt and jeans.
"Is it okay right now?" Natsu asked with his brows raised. He looked around to the cleared floor, and magazines were stacked neatly on the coffee table; the engine parts and tire were put into cardboard boxes and placed in the coat closet, all of the discarded clothes were missing, too. "I can finish it later, but it looks a lot better than last night, right?"
"Y-yeah," nodded. "You didn't...have to, Natsu."
He snorted in response. "Luce, if we're gonna be roommates, I can't live like a pig around a lady. It's rude, you know." The woman twitched to hide her laughter as she shook her head at him, and he smiled politely to her. "You ready to head to the garage? You haven't met Erza and Gray yet, and I bet they wanna meet ya. Knowing Gramps, he probably told them about you already when they came home last night."
Lucy nodded, looking over herself carefully. "Do I look okay..? I'm not sure if I look decent."
"Pfft," Natsu gurgled a laugh and tried to keep it down from pissing her off. "Don't worry 'bout it, Luce. After races, we all don't give a crap what we look like. Can't you tell?"
"But you're a boy," Lucy said flatly, ignoring how Natsu gaped at her and began walking towards the door. She pulled her sneakers on and began to open the door to go out with her sweatshirt in her arms. "Girls are different, and appearance kinda means a lot to them."
Natsu cocked his head before scrambling after her. "Well, I think you look good! If that helps, you look very nice, Luce."
"Not really."
"Aww, Lucy!"
But Natsu was right, much to her surprise. Even though Lucy still felt underdressed compared to the other women in the garage (minus Levy and Lisanna in their mechanic garbs), everyone was either in leisure clothes or still in their pajamas. Lucy could recognize a few faces from last night, huddling around Mirajane's bar or strolling around the garage and still waking up. She discovered that it was only ten o'clock, and she had gone to bed around three or four, if she remembered right.
Natsu most likely went to bed later than her, though, she thought. Since he cleaned the living room while she was asleep, Lucy figured he passed out sometime around six...and snuck into bed, or slept walk. Whatever. However, he was hyperactive and happy to be awake, running in circled to say good morning to everyone present in the space, all while tugging on Lucy's sleeve to have her follow him and properly introduce to them better than last night.
"Morning, Lulu-chan!" Levy smiled and waved with her screwdriver to the blonde, making her blink at the nickname. "Oh, don't worry about it, I give everyone personal pet names if I like them."
"How come I don't get one?" Natsu asked with a whine.
Levy crossed her arms at him and tapped her boot on the tiled floor. "You have Salamander. That's close enough until you pay me back for doing your doors, you little snot."
Lucy giggled and complimented Levy's work inside and out of Natsu's car, which made the young mechanic squeal and glitter up with joy. Lisanna, who Lucy discovered to be Natsu's friend every since they were little, little kids, is just as excited to have Lucy here (since there aren't enough girls in Fairy Tail).
"Sorry about last night," Cana said straight away when she bumped into Lucy and Natsu on their way out of the mechanic office. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable like that. It's not everyday I meet someone related to...you know."
Lucy smiled in response. "It's okay. Cana, right? Can you teach me how to dress like that?" Lucy pointed to Cana's outfit, even though it's probably her pjs, she was wearing a sexy crop top with the word Hot Rod written across her breasts and sweat shorts. "I don't know how to dress for races. "If I'm going to be Natsu's partner, I think it's only fair to dress like everyone else. Pretty sure people don't wear sweats and tennis shoes to races."
Cana was more than happy to oblige and told Lucy that she'll whip something up the next time she goes to a race or job with Natsu. Natsu then introduced her to Cana's dad and Macaro and Wakaba, who were next to a red headed woman and a bored-looking man around Natsu's age being served by Mirajane at the bar.
Natsu grinned brightly and wrapped an arm around Lucy to keep her from pulling away (which she had been trying to do the last few times meeting someone). It seemed to be a habit of his, holding people, but Lucy secretly welcomed the warmth he gave her in the not-actually-a-hug. "Guys, guys! This is Lucy! Has Gramps told you yet? She's my partner and we're bunking together now! I have a roommate!"
The redhead woman blinked and looked to Lucy, who flushed and refused to make eye contact. "So, this is the girl who was in the car last night?" she asked calmly, giving Lucy a gentle smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, Lucy. Master Makarov has told me you are joining us. My name is Erza, by the way."
Seeing the woman's hand sticking out, Lucy swallowed and shook her hand with a firm grip. This seemed to please Erza, because she smiled even brighter. "Jellal was right when he said you were tough - I can tell by your grip. It will be a pleasure working with you, Lucy."
"Thank you, Miss Erza."
"Erza is fine, now that you're part of the family," the woman winked to her, before snapping her gaze to Natsu. The once sweet, motherly look Erza was giving to Lucy, it was somewhat demonic and deadly. "But you, Natsu, what gave you the right to turn off the radio while I was trying to talk to you -?"
"And that's Gray over here," Natsu spoke loudly, drowning out Erza's voice as he gestured to the man sitting next to her. The man has messy black hair and droopy eyes, and looked completely disinterested in the whole situation, despite Erza practically radiating dark auras at being silenced. "He's my best bud, Luce. He helped me get into S-Class and everything!"
"I didn't hear the end of Erza's rant last night because of you, hothead," Gray growled lowly before grabbing the cup of boiling tea and chugging it down. He ignored the burning in his throat and swallowed it. "You're gonna have to make that up, you know."
"Bah, don't be such a prick," Natsu rolled his eyes and waved his hand at him, making Lucy's brown eyes look his way with a raised brow. "He's just crabby because his girlfriend stabbed his car last night, right, assbutt?"
"Not my girlfriend," Gray pointed out darkly. He took one look at Lucy before rolling his eyes. "Feel sorry for ya, blondie. Living with Natsu is going to be nothing but a living hell. It's best for you to bunk with someone else before he sleep walks and tries to cuddle you like a teddy bear."
Lucy's face went bright red and Gray noticed with a teasing smirk. "So, that already happened, huh? You work fast, Natsu."
"Lucy's a friend, jackass!" Natsu defended. "It was an accident! Don't make me beat you senseless that you'd have to stay in bed for the rest of the week!"
"Now, now, save the playtime for later, you two," Makarov's voice caught Lucy's attention as she turned around to see the elderly man dressed in a leathered jacket and jeans. He had a hat on top of his head with sunglasses resting on them. "We got work to take care today."
"Can Luce come with us, Gramps?" Natsu asked right away, bouncing in his spot. "She's sorta part of the S-Class with me, yeah? She's my partner!"
Makarov's whiskers twitched as he looked up to Lucy, who shrugged in response. "It's just going to Phantom's for a visit. It's nothing really special, Natsu."
"But I want Luce to meet Juvia-chan and try the burgers there! It's not as good as Mira's masterpieces, but it's still worth to try."
"Is everything you want to show me has to do with food?" Lucy asked with a twitch in her brow in irritation. Gray rolled his eyes and got up with his white coat in his hands, and Erza giggled at Lucy's accusation to the young man before standing up herself.
"You can come if you want, Lucy," Makarov said to her. "We have enough room in my car for one more. Erza always gets shotgun and Natsu and Gray argue in the back...it may be good to have someone in the middle to keep those two out of each other's reach."
Lucy's cheeks bubbled with the bright smile at seeing both of the young men glare at each other while Erza crossed her arms with an approving nod. "I don't mind. I'm new to Fairy Tail, so I might as well check everything out, right?"
"If you insist, dear," the old man nodded before waddling off to a compact car parked outside the opened garage door. Natsu grinned to Lucy with a sparkle in his eye, still bouncing like a kid going to an amusement park.
"It's gonna be cool, Luce. It's like those parts in the movies that have a bar scene. Where the good guy gets some info that will lead him to save the day," Natsu explained with a thumbs up, making Lucy flinch. "But don't worry, nothing ever happens when we go to Phantom's place. No one ever does anything while we're there, so you don't have to worry about anything."
Lucy blinked in disbelief at him, but he didn't stop smiling as he gently grasped her wrist and led her to where Makarov was starting his vehicle. It was rundown, but the engine sounded fresh and healthy to Lucy's ears. "It's not going to take long anyway - what we go there to do, that is - and, when we get back, Luce, I can clean some more in my apartment. I'll get the thingy that cleans the floors really good."
"The mop, Natsu. It's called a mop."
Erza watched the two go to the car, Gray at her side and slipping on his coat. Her arms still crossed, a knowing smirk spread on her lips as she shook her head slowly. Gray noticed this and raised a brow at her once he finished putting on the jacket.
"What's that look for?" he asked her.
Erza shook her head at him and grinned. "Nothing you understand, kid," she responded, looking to her other side, where her '94 Toyota Supra stood without any decorations on the hood or sides. Jellal was laying up on the hood and window with his hands behind his head, looking as if he was taking a nap ontop of her car. Seeing his eyes crack open, as if sensing someone was looking at him, she smiled brighter when his lips curled up and exhaled deeply. Taking a brief glance to Natsu opening the door for Lucy and still chattering away, Jellal raised his eyebrows before looking back to his wife.
He winked at her in response to her little observation before resuming his nap. Gray's head tilt at the couple's silent conversation and it only made him for confused. "What are you thinking, Erza?"
"You won't get it until you figure it out yourself, Gray," Erza explained before looking at him. "You excited to see Juvia? I'm sure she's gonna start apologizing for damaging your ride, hm?"
Gray flushed in the cheeks and snapped his head away from her, marching his way over to the other side the black compact car and yells at Natsu for taking up too much space in the back seat. Erza shook her head affectionately at the younger men and woman before going to take the front passenger seat to do their job for the day.
'They'll learn sooner or later,' she thought softly before Makarov began driving off into the pathway of the city.
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=xxx=
AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - ...I think Makarov is tall enough to reach the wheels and pedals. He can drive. Yeah... I also have a secret headcannon that Juvia calls Gajeel 'nii-chan'.
