Flyby
"Put that table over there it's too close to this one." Natsu said measuring the space between two wooden circular tables. Cobra grabbed one end and started to drag it away.
"Here?" He asked gesturing to it.
"Yes perfect!" She snapped the tape measure closed. They both looked around the room. The main area where all customers would be eating in their new restaurant dubbed "Dragons Den" by Natsu.
It used to be that empty building next to the clothing store they had visited when they first came to the village. But it's been a few years sense then.
Natsu had grown much more confident about going in public and wearing clothes that showed off her skin. Her hair had grown out a lot, it swept bellow her shoulders and she kept it at that length. She's gotten more comfortable in female clothing as well, she currently wore a green dress curtesy of Elipton. Natsu could remember when she first got it.
-Flashback~
"You want to what?!" Natsu asked shifting closer to Cobra.
"Have a girls day!" The carrot top said bouncing up and down. Natsu had admitted that day about once being a boy and still getting used to the change...
"What would that entail..?" The pinkette asked.
"I'm going to teach you how to be a real girl!" She pounded her chest enthusiastically.
Natsu smiled sheepishly. "Oh uh no I don't think that's-"
"Go for it." Cobra said, he smacked her in the butt which made her jump forward with a yelp. Elipton took that moment to snag her arm and run away with her.
"Cobra how could you!" Natsu yelled as she disappeared down the street.
The tan male just laughed to himself. "You need the lessons... Plus I need the free time to practice cooking."
Natsu walked along down town with Elipton. She watched her reflection in windows feeling self conscious about her scars again. "So... What exactly is there to learn about being a girl?"
"It depends. Every girl is different, but to start off -your eating habits." Elipton turned Natsu into a Café and sat down at an outside table, Natsu across from her.
"What's wrong with the way I eat?" She asked curiously. She always assumed she ate fine.
"You devour everything. Do you even stop to taste it?" Elipton chuckled.
Natsu pouted slightly. "Sometimes... I just really like food..."
"That's fine. Your metabolism appears to be high and your energetic in general." The female waved her hand and a waiter came over. "What's your favorite food?"
"Meat!" Natsu said drooling already.
"Small steak please?" Elipton recited to the waiter.
"With all sides?" He asked, writing down the order.
"Something tells me yes. Water for both of us and a salad for me please "
The waiter bowed elegantly then moved back inside. It didn't take long for him to return with the food.
"Enjoy."
"Thank you!" Elipton called after him as he left. Natsu was about to dive into her food but a fork impairing itself in her steak before she could grab it stopped her. She sheepishly looked up at the stabber.
Elipton had a pleasant smile, but it was one of those smiles that said "try me, I dare you."
"Now now Natsu," she giggled still smiling. "You need to use your manors."
"M-manors?" She stuttered trying not to look frightened. She got a sudden reminder of Erza from this girl, she instantly decided not to go against anything Elipton said... Just in case...
"That's right, table manors." She pulled the fork out of the steak and used it to point to a neatly folded napkin sitting next to Natsu's plate. The pinkette glanced to it then at the fork currently being used as a weapon. She slowly grabbed the napkin, unfolded it and placed it in her lap.
Elipton removed the fork from point blank. "At least you know them. I was scared I'd have to teach you eating etiquette. Now, don't house your hands it's barbaric."
"I don't always!" Natsu snapped at her feeling offended.
"I hope not... But I saw you lunge for that plate food, you were planning on it.
Natsu sweat dropped. She was indeed planning to eat the steak with her hands. "s-sure... Can I eat now?"
"Use your fork." Elipton wave at her with that smile again, the fork still in her hands. Natsu nodded quickly picking the utensils up. She started cutting it up when Elipton stopped her.
"Smaller sizes." She interrupted. "You'll look funny trying to eat more than your mouth can hold."
Natsu, crest fallen, did so and took a bite. Her eyes sparkled. "Wow this is better than Mirajanes!"
Elipton looked up from a bite f her salad. "Who's Mira jane?" She asked after swallowing.
"An old friend of mine when I was in the guild. She was the bar maid so she did a lot of cooking. She had the best steak but this beats it!" Natsu said smiling.
"Bet your boyfriend can make a better one." The carrot top said with lewd expression.
"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"
"Sure he's not."
After lunch the duo went down to a small clothing store.
"Is there something wrong with my dressing to? I though I was doing okay." Natsu looked down at her shorts and tube top. She was sure she did okay seeing as how she modeled her outfits after Lucy's.
"You dress fine. Those are just my clothes... You new your own." Elipton walked into the tailor shop. Natsu followed quickly re running things in her head.
'Blue doesn't look good... Green will, of Cobra likes green.'
"Natsu how about this?"
She looked over and instantly regretted it, she wanted to burn her eyes with fire and bleach. Elipton was holding up a skimpy sea through night shirt with matching stockings.
"NOOOOO!" She pinkette shrieked at her. Surprised her voice could go to such a pitch. Her face was beat red as Elipton skipped away laughing to herself.
"Your a pervert aren't you!" Natsu shouted trying to distract herself with skirts.
"Nope. I just like teasing you!" Her voice shouted from far away.
Natsu grunted still blushing lightly she flipped through many clothes on the rack. Elipton would come by every now and again with clothes in her arms and hold them up to Natsu. But their either didn't look good or Natsu just didn't like them. Pretty soon hours had gone by and they gad jumped through several stores.
Natsu was sitting on a stool as her friend was gone alone trying I find SOMETHING for her. The former Mage let out a sigh and glanced down the isle of clearance stuff she currently resided in. She blinked when her eyes caught a deep emerald green sleeve poking out from amongst the blacks and reds.
She got up and grabbed it, thinking someone had misplaced it but wen she pulled it out he froze and stared at it. It was a wide necked long sleeved sun dress, trimmed in gold. The pattern on it was thin and plant like coming from the bottom up. She looked around for Elipton but the orange haired girl was no where to be found. She couldn't even pick out her distinct hair color in the shop.
Natsu took the moment to scurry away into the changing rooms. She locked the door and hung the dress up. She stared at herself in the mirror. Remembering last time he was in a room trying on clothes.
"Cobra's not here this time..." She muttered to herself and grabbed the bottom of her shirt. She quickly ripped it off before she had time to hesitate. Doing the same with her shorts, soon she was in the dress admiring herself. She grinned and spun around loving the way it fanned out when air got under it.
She switched back into her normal clothes and rushed off to find Elipton.
-End~
"I can't wait till we open up!" Natsu said feeling giddy. She checked off a clipboard she grabbed off a table. Jotted down on it was things they had to do before officially opening. Getting tables and chairs was one of them. The building itself still had to be painted and they had to find waiters and cooking helpers for Cobra. Some decor would be good too.
"Looking good guys." Elipton said opening the door with a chime. Her silent friend Noir was with her. Natsu and Cobra had learned that he had trouble speaking ever sense he was young. So he doesn't talk unless its important.
Cobra didn't seem to like him too much... Natsu could tell why he was sweet heart.
The pinkette waved to them happily and put everything down to run over and greet them. She hugged both of them, the black haired boy glanced nervously to Cobra who was behind a bar-counter, leaning on it and tapping his finger against it. He was glaring suspiciously at him.
Noir gave him a nervous grin before promptly ripping Natsu off of him. The girl blinked at him confused.
"Something wrong..?"
Noir shook his head quickly still grinning his weak grin.
"How's it going?" Elipton asked catching Natsu's attention.
"Our tables came in today!" She spun gesturing to the room. "Aren't they great? We got them placed and everything."
The orange haired girl dragged a finger across the shiny surface if one of the tables. "It looks great. You still have to work on the outside though. Get a sign out and paint the exterior."
Natsu sighed. "Yeah we know... We need emotes too..."
"Me and noir can help with that. I can be a waiter and he can work your bar."
Natsu smiled great fully. "Thanks... That would be great..."
Noir suddenly reached out and lightly caressed Natsu's cheek and neck. She blushed and backed up. "Uhhh what are you doing?"
Noir felt shivers as he again saw Cobra glaring intently at him. This time a chefs knife was gripped in one hand. He point it at him and mouthed "I'm watching you."
Noir jerked his hand back then made a jittery sign to Elipton, Natsu hasn't learned sign language so she wasn't sure what he said.
"Really?" The girl asked looking surprised. She then got close to Natsu and looked her up and down. "Your right... The scars are gone!"
Natsu got a great big smile on her face. "You noticed! It's thanks to this." She brought a hand up to her neck and rested it on a pretty red and gold necklace.
"Woah where did that come from?!" Elipton gawked at it.
"Cobra... He found it and remembered I liked it... It's the first piece of jewelry I fell in love with when we first got here." She smiled fondly at the memory. "We didn't think it had magic power in it."
"It heals?! Like anything?" The carrot top asked excitedly.
"Sadly no... It was just the one time thing. We tried it on Cobra but as you can see..." She glanced back to him as he was organizing glasses at the bar. He still had the scars on his neck and was still missing his eye. Other scars were hidden by his red and black polo and black jeans.
"Wait..." Elipton paused smirking and a fit of giggles rising from her throat. "Cobra wore that necklace for a while?"
"I know, I know." Natsu sighed expecting this. "It just... It didn't go with his eyes at all."
The two girls burst into laughter while Noir just chuckled to himself. Cobra felt a tick mark pop up on his head. "I can hear you guys..."
They laughed harder Cobra sighed and came out from behind the bar and grabbed Natsu's hand. "Can we talk?"
"Yeah sure." She said happily. Elipton had her usual mischievous face as she watched them go. Noir whacked her shoulder lightly as a sign of "don't even."
She pouted. "Your no fun..."
Cobra brought her into the back kitchen which was thankfully full of expensive equipment. They really had to find a way to make it up to Elipton for her help in paying for some of the stuff.
Cobra opened his mouth but Natsu shoved a hand in his face to shut him up. "I swear to god if this is about Noir again I'm going to-"
He put his own hand in her face. "It's not. I'm not jealous any more... Much."
"Cobra-"
"Sh! Just let me talk woman!" He said bluntly.
Natsu stepped on his foot hard and he but his tongue so he would t scream. "Okay... Okay..." He groaned. The pinkette nodded and crossed her arms, waiting for him to continue.
"Natsu..." He said after catching his breathe and making sure he wasn't going to get kicked again. She tilted her head curiously and asked "yes?"
He shoved his hands into his back pockets and sighed. He looked awkward as he tried to find words. "This whole restaurant thing... It's kind of the official turning point of out new lives."
Natsu raised an eyebrow but had an amused expression. "Where is this coming from?"
He held up one hand. "Let me finish... Before I chicken out..." He took a deep breathe and glanced away from her. "These past few years of freedom from magic and living here have been..." He paused to find the proper word. "Amazing."
Natsu chuckled a little at him, she opened her mouth to agree with him but his hand stopped her again. She felt a little irritated. "We have our own house as of last year... We're starting a great career together... And I'm pretty happy the way things are going..." He pulled his other hand out of his pocket, something red glinted inside it, and grabbed Natsu's hands. Putting the object in them.
"I don't know about you... But after all this time, I don't think I can live without you."
Natsu's eyes widened at Cobra's words and when he kissed her forehead, let her hands go.
"I don't want to give you up, to anyone."
"This really is about Noir isn't it..." Natsu huffed feeling embarrassed to get excited over another talk about Cobra's jealousy.
He chuckled. "Open your hands."
Natsu hadn't even noticed her hands were still closed. She felt her chest pound suddenly and a fear crawl into her stomach. She slowly opened her closed fingers and her jaw dropped open. Her other hand shot to her mouth as she let out a shaky gasp.
Siting lightly and peacefully in her palm was a ring. A pretty gold ring with a Ruby on the top, it was surrounded by much smaller diamond.
"C-cobra... What is.. Are..." She couldn't form a sentence, she was scare she'd start crying. She leaned against Cobra for support as she stared at the beautiful ring.
"I've wanted to give you that for a week now." He said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Natsu looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes. She couldn't believe this at all. She looked to his right eye, the scar sealing it closed and constantly reminding them of everything they've been through together.
"Together... Always together'
Natsu leaned back from Cobra's chest and slipped the ring on her left hand. Cobra smiled down at her. She brought that same hand up and cupped his cheek. He held her close and covered her hand with his own before leaning down. Natsu leaned forward and their lips met in a sweet kiss. Nothing else was around them accept each other, because ever sense day one when they ran away, that's all they've ever needed.
"Together forever." Cobra whispered to her.
"Awwww!" The two jumped at the sound if Eliptons sudden and loud voice. Their heads whipped to the door where her and Noir were leaning inside to peek. Noir was blushing and Elipton had a Cheshire Cat grin on her face. "I ca already hear the wedding bells!"
"Eli!" Natsu whined burying her face into Cobra's chest while he laughed. "You ruined the moment!"
More time passed after that. It now marked year eight of the dragon slayers freedom. And their life's were still even now full of excitement.
Elipton held Natsu's ham tightly as she leaned against the wall and tried I make her way to a bed, it a table, or a couch or anything. Noir was running around in the background wondering what the hell he should be doing.
"E-Eli..." Natsu breathed out quickly. The girl looked at her, attention fully there on her panting friend.
"I want Cobra... Wher-where is he?"
"Back the restaurant-"
"Go get him-!" Her sentence ended in a small scream if pain. "Please!"
"Noir!" Elipton shouted and he came running in with a few towels in his arms. "Go get Cobra!"
He tossed the towels away and rushed out the door. Running down the street as fast as he could.
Cobra was on the roof of the Dragon's Den. He was completely covered in paint and had a hammer in his hands. He was eyeing a stupid hole in the roof they hadn't noticed before. It wasn't much bigger than his hand luckily but it would still be very bad if rodents or birds found it or if it decided to rain.
"At least it's small..." He muttered to himself. He whipped sweat from hi face which just spread some paint onto his cheek and grabbed a small wooden plank. He measured the proper size before cutting it up and putting it in place he put a nail at one of the corners and tapped it in place so he wouldn't have to risk smashing his fingers... Again. He brought the hammer up over his head and was a out to being it down on the nail when a jumping man caught his eye.
He stared down at Noir confused as he did some weird imitation of jumping jacks.
"Uhhh... You okay buddy?" Cobra called down. Noir had an urgent expression as he pointed down the road repeatedly and gestures for him to come down.
"I can't I gotta fix this real quick. For me a few minutes." He looked back at the planks and brought his hammer up again when a rock pelted him in the face.
Cobra glared hard down at him. "What is your problem?!"
Noir looked urgently around trying to find a way to tell him. He took a deep breathe and start mouthing something. Cobra blinked. "Are you... Trying to talk?"
"Bu- buuh-" he started sounding like a dying chicken. Cobra sweat dropped. "Bahh" then a sheep.
"Okay calm down I'll just-"
"Ba-ba- BABY!" He screamed.
Cobra stood stark still as he stared at Noir. The hammer slipped from his fingers and bounced down the roof.
"Natsu?!" The poison dragon slayer screamed as he slammed his front door open. He was met with a scream from his wife. He rushed into the back bedroom that him and Natsu shared together. Natsu was laying there half naked Cobra instantly looked between her legs but then turned feeling squeamish and went face first into the door frame smashing his nose.
"O-ow..." He said holding his nose. Noir was behind him and did the exact some thing when he saw Natsu.
"You guys are such babies." Elipton rolled her eyes from her place between Natsu's legs.
"What's happened...?" Cobra asked diving for Natsu and snatching up her hand.
"Nothing much she just went into labor..."
Natsu let out a moan and squeezed Cobra's hand tightly. He winced a little and far Natsu a nervous smile. "F-firm grip babe..."
"Shut up!" Natsu shouted as she moaned in pain again.
"Why do we do?" Cobra asked, feeling a nervous sweat start to build up in his forehead.
"We need towels... And water and a doctor would be great..." Elipton added a little sarcasm at the end of her list.
Noir vanished down the hall most likely getting the towels he had dropped earlier.
"Cobra go!" Elipton shouted as she rolled her sleeves up. The man stumbled a little at first and ran head long into Noir, knocking both of them over, on the way out.
"S-sorry." He stuttered before standing up and running to find a bucket and fill it with water. Took him forever to find the bucket, ended up stealing it from the neighbors sense it was siting outside on their porch. They didn't complain having heard Natsu's screams.
Cobra filled it up with hot water and rushed back into the room. Noir took it and placed it next to Elipton. Cobra looked worried sick as he watched her work.
"Is everything okay..?" He asked after an hour of hearing his wife scream.
"Yes... Oh hang on!" She said suddenly.
"What what's wrong?!"
His answer was Natsu's scream again and the sound of crying. He couldn't look away as a smile grew wide across his face.
"That's one..." Elipton said handing the new born to Noir so he could take care of it properly.
"One?" Cobra asked coming closer. "Shouldn't there only be one...?"
"Nope you got twins coming."
Cobra let out a breathy laugh before collapsing next to Natsu's bed and taking up her hand again, she looked at him weakly and smiled. He smiled back.
"Twins..." He whispered. Natsu kept smiling.
Soon a second cry broke the seriousness and Cobra took the child this time.
Ahhh! So much happened so fast! But now that all the important stuff as been laid out... Who's ready for fairy tail to finally get involved? And our lovely Grand Magic Games?