The Girl Next Door

notes: omg it's been forever! hello everyone, i'm still alive and in love with nalu! i got into miraculous ladybug recently (as have many of the FT fandom lol) and school has also been killing me. this chapter isn't great, i admit, but i wanted to get something out. and there's definitely more to come! I JUST. REALLY WANT A NALU CHAPTER. LIKE. OF THE MANGA. like there was an almost-nalu chapter except natsu DIDN'T WAKE UP YET UGGGH so that doesn't count. I NEED ME SOME LEGIT CANON NALU IS THAT WAY TOO MUCH TO FREAKIN ASK MASHIMA COME ON! ahem anyway, enjoy!

v. being with her

"Happy!" Natsu called as he tossed his coat onto the couch and made himself comfortable after a long day of work. "Happy, where are you?"

Natsu looked around Happy's favorite resting spots, but the cat was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, he remembered one more place Happy loved to languish around and Natsu sighed even as a large grin stole across his face.

He liked that place quite a lot too.

He left his apartment and walked next door, knocking loudly and yelling, "Lucy, lemme in!"

There was a moment of stillness, and then the door was yanked open by an exasperated Lucy, with Happy curled comfortably around her neck, his tail swinging down over her breast.

"How does he even find his way in?" Lucy asked as she turned, wordlessly giving Natsu permission to enter. He dutifully walked in and locked the door behind him before running and launching himself into her sofa, shuddering with pleasure as his entire body sank into the plush cushions. Plue crawled off the sofa and into Lucy's bedroom, annoyed by Natsu's antics.

This was a dance they did, Happy and Lucy and Natsu, every day since that first time several months ago when Happy somehow managed to slip into Lucy's place and surprised her after she came home from work. Lucy had blown up Natsu's phone with confused texts full of question marks, but Natsu himself didn't know how his cat had done it.

And Happy, devious little prankster that he was, had decided to keep doing it.

Natsu didn't mind, though, because it gave him an excuse to see Lucy every day. He supposed Happy's indulgent ways had their uses, though he truly was curious as to how Happy got into her locked apartment every afternoon.

"Seriously, Natsu. I don't mind Happy being here, but I'd rather he come in through the front door instead of some unknown entrance." Lucy gave him a look as she gently lifted Happy, who meowed irately, from her shoulders and dropped him into Natsu's stomach.

"Oof!" Wincing, Natsu sat up and allowed Happy to settle onto the sofa before getting up and following Lucy to the kitchen.

"That was pretty harsh, Luce, ya know Happy's no kitten," Natsu complained jokingly, rubbing his stomach as he watched her bustle around the kitchen with fish and sandwich supplies. Leaning against the doorway, he shook his head and smiled to himself. No matter how much she complained about him and Happy, she was always ready to feed them and put up with their antics.

She began chopping ingredients, and Natsu had to resist the urge to wrap his arms around her and hold her. He liked her, he knew he liked her a lot, but he had no idea how she felt about him. Besides, he liked the easy friendship they had right now. It was enough for him, at least for now. Anything more could happen in its own time.

Still, the swell of affection in his chest grew with every smile, every playful eye-roll she sent his way, and he couldn't help himself: as she walked past him with plates of food balanced on her hands, he quickly stole one from her and bent down to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

She gasped and gaped at him with a growing blush, and Natsu laughed at how adorable she was.

"Thanks, Luce, yer the best!" he praised before digging in and Happy wandered over to join him, meowing loudly in agreement.

Lucy sputtered and almost dropped the plate in her hands, before shaking her head and sitting down with them at her table, muttering about surprises and being out of character.

Natsu just grinned.

Being with her was like coming home for Natsu and Happy, and they were perfectly content to spend every possible waking moment with her.

edit 3.9.2017: finally FINALLY fixed this chapter! lol LovingmyOTP's noticed the strange lack of Plue (because i forgot about him! i'm sorry! ) so i have gone back and added him in (and then he leaves lol). thanks again for all the love!

© Copyright 2016 by The Siege