Ah, thanks for reading this far, guys! Toxineena here, I'll be taking over TBF for the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy!

chapter 8: Red Card

definition:

Fire qualification card issued to fire rated persons showing their training needs and their qualifications to fill specified fire suppression and support positions in a large fire suppression or incident organization.

"16176 Strawberry Street. You can find that okay, right?"

Natsu frowned down at the little scrap of receipt paper that Lucy had scribbled her address on the day before. Strawberry Street, he thought, and his eyes narrowed at the swirling loops of her handwriting.

Strawberry Street was a…nice place, for lack of a better word.

A place of cushy apartments and condos and sweet family homes; a place for people who had money and nice clothes and white picket fences. It was definitely not a place that would welcome the likes of himself, who had been raised downtown by a single father living in poverty and who had spent a good time in jail.

Strawberry Street was upper class—and he was anything but upper class. Upper class was so far out of his reach that it wasn't even a foolish dream of his any longer.

Though try as he did to be indifferent to the stares and whispers of the upper class folk as he passed them, a little part of his chest still ached with every sneer he encountered. He was…very out of place here. The neighborhood he had spawned from was dark and gritty, with bad, bad things that lurked in the shadows and broad daylight.

He was a stark contrast to everyone else in the street. From his baggy cargos, too-small t-shirt, and lace-up boots, to his glaring tattoos, disheveled hair, and the simple bar that pierced his upper ear.

Danger seemed to radiate from him.

So when passerbys turned their noses up at him, he only scoffed and continued stalking to Lucy's apartment. They all gave him a wide berth, not one person dared to come within three feet of him.

But that didn't stop them from staring.

When an elderly woman, her hair in a fancy twist and her hand tight on the leash of her yapping Yorkie, openly scoffed at him, Natsu bared her a shark-like grin that made her pale.

He didn't like Strawberry Street.

But…Lucy Heartfilia lived on Strawberry Street, and she was enough of an enigma to keep him intrigued and chance this hellish, posh neighborhood. Of course it helped that she was beautiful he supposed. But she was more than that; she was sophisticated and smart, and while she was a good detective, she was still a little green around the gills in an innocent way that…captivated him.

An image of her flashed through his mind, her soft rosy skin and her golden hair. Golden hair that would look much better when it wasn't pulled up in a tight, no-nonsense ponytail that had enough sass for four people.

Golden hair that would look much better as it spilled through his fingers.

Natsu nearly tripped on the sidewalk.

Jesus Christ, he thought as he scrubbed a hand over his face. What was he thinking? She was a detective.

That thought sobered him right quick.

Yeah, he reminded himself. She was a detective and he was a convicted ex-firebug and a suspect in her arson investigation. She needed him in order to catch the real criminal, that was all.

Looking up, he found himself on her doorstep of her condo. Her fancy doorstep surrounded by a long and expensive-looking porch.

And all of the sudden, he had the strangest urge to flee—to hightail it all the way back downtown to his dump of a house. However, Natsu would not have survived prison if he hadn't learned how to contain reckless and imprudent urges. So he refused to give into this strangely powerful new urge, standing there with a stiff spine and a half-raised fist to the wooden door.

But before he could knock, the door swung open.

"Oh, good, you're here," greeted Lucy with a bob of her rumpled blonde head. "I thought for a second that you got lost." She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, and Natsu found himself captivated.

Though he didn't know why.

Perhaps it was because she looked…disheveled for once, he thought as he perused her askew hair. "I can find my way around uptown just fine, detective," he snorted at her, pretending to be mildly offended.

"Of course you can." Lucy rolled her eyes, big and brown, before she stepped aside to let him in. "I figured we could talk about Jackal more over dinner. I'm not the best chef, though, so you'll have to bear with me," she said with a little laugh as he entered her condo.

The moment he did so, the heady scent of oregano and other spices bombarded his nose.

Natsu cocked his head to the side, shutting the door behind him. "Spaghetti?" he guessed.

"It's about the only 'fancy' thing I can make, really," admitted the detective with a hint of a sheepish smile. As if noticing she was doing so, however, she quickly schooled her features with a cough and waved her hand about. "Anyway, make yourself at home while I finish up with dinner, okay?" She gestured to the couch before heading off for what he assumed was the kitchen.

"Gotcha," he muttered as he glanced around the spacious apartment.

Just like the rest of Strawberry Street, Lucy's condo was…nice. Wide and open with a pleasant color scheme of peach and very light yellow, it looked as though it had been put together by a professional interior decorator, made just for Lucy's tastes.

Clearly, his detective had a little cash to throw around.

Judging from the eloquent taste of her home—gossamer curtains, stain glass windows, cherry wood furniture and lacy throw pillows—she'd grown up a privileged child. Probably the daughter of some company bigwig, if he had to make a guess; she had that air about her. The air of a princess who didn't need to work a day in her life.

And yet, he thought as he glanced over to the kitchen doorway, she had chosen to become a detective.

Natsu stalked over to her fireplace, glancing at the many picture frames on the mantle. He selected one, studying it with careful fingers.

A bright-faced little girl with blonde ringlets beamed back at him in her pink, frilly dress.

Definitely a princess, he mused to himself. But, he had to give her some respect for choosing a difficult profession over a cushy, stress-free life.

Setting the picture back down in its place, Natsu turned and spotted a comfy leather couch, its color matching the dark cherry wood of the wooden furniture. She had told him to make himself comfortable, he thought with a grin, and so he sank into the soft leather…and kicked his boot-clad feet up on her coffee table.

No doubt she'd give him that look when she returned from the kitchen. But until then…

A loud rumbling sound met his ears, making him startle. Frowning, Natsu peered over the arm of the couch just as something warm, furry, and blue jumped onto his lap.

"What the hell?" He couldn't stop the startled noise he made in the back of his throat, nor his knee-jerk reaction to swat at whatever had lunged at him.

He managed to pull his hand back at the last second, however, and found himself staring into innocent brown eyes.

"Are you okay?" Lucy's voice floated in from the kitchen.

Natsu blinked and shook his head as a rueful smile tugged at his lips. "You have a cat," he said simply, staring at the animal on his lap.

The cat stared back with wide eyes and released a rumbling mewl before it curled up in a ball onto his outstretched legs with a content yawn. It was vibrating—he could feel the tremors through his legs—and it was blue; he didn't know if that was good or bad. But either way, it seemed as though the thing wasn't planning on moving anytime soon.

"Oh, that's Happy," came Lucy's explanation. "Don't worry, he's friendly."

"He's blue," Natsu couldn't help but point out as his brows lifted.

A genuine laugh met Natsu's ears, the sound so pure that it made something in his chest clench hard. "Yeah, he is. He's a mischievous little guy; got out a couple weeks ago and rolled around in an open container of dry hair dye at a garage a couple blocks down," Lucy said through her chuckles. "I've tried washing it out, but I think he's stuck that way for a while."

"Huh, no kidding…" Natsu's head fell to the side as he studied the feline perched in his lap.

As if sensing his stare, Happy opened his eyes and picked his blue head up with a chipper "meow". When Natsu only blinked at the cat, Happy made the noise again before walking up

Natsu's lap to sit on his chest.

He must have made a noise of some kind, because then Lucy said, "He wants you to pet him."

Pet him?

She understood that and she wasn't even in the room, looking at the cat.

Natsu's brows furrowed in confusion, but he lifted a hand and patted the cat gently on the head nonetheless. Happy, pleased by this, began to dig his paws into Natsu's t-shirt and knead.

"Oh, look at that. He likes you."

Natsu glanced up from the blue furball on his chest to spy the detective, standing just outside the kitchen doorway. She smiled as she made her way to the couch, two plates of steaming spaghetti in her hands, but when she came closer that smile slipped just a fraction to reveal a slightly irritated scowl.

Lucy's nose scrunched as she narrowed her eyes at his boots and muttered, "Down."

Deciding to be complacent, Natsu slid his feet off her coffee table and to the floor with a dull thud. Then, he flashed her a grin.

See? said his cheeky smile, I can be polite.

Lucy, whether or not she understood his words unspoken, shook her head and handed him a hot plate and a fork. "So, let's talk about Jackal," she started as she sat next to him on the couch. "From what I could tell yesterday, he's got more ego than he does common sense…"

The ex-firebug's grin fell flat and the atmosphere in Lucy's living room turned dark and serious along with his mood. Right, he reminded himself again, this was not a friendly visit–this was a consultation.

She needed him for his knowledge on arson and firebugs; that was it.

"Jackal," he began, sticking his fork into his pile of noodles and twisting it, "is a complete nutcase. And what's worse is that he's smart, too." Natsu shoveled the bite in his mouth, his utter lack of grace the last thing on his mind.

Yet, he couldn't help but note that Lucy's cooking, despite her earlier reservations, was quite good. The spaghetti tasted like real food, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten a homecooked meal that hadn't been charred to a crisp thanks to his own incompetence in the kitchen.

He'd never been a good cook.

Shaking his head, Natsu continued. "Because he has no conscience, he'll stoop to any means to accomplish whatever he's got himself set on. He does what he's told, and he does it well. And because of that ruthlessness, he's a popular arsonist for hire." He pushed around a meatball with his fork before stabbing it.

"That's right," murmured Lucy. "Some companies hire arsonists to set fire to their own buildings in order to claim the insurance funds."

"Yep." Natsu nodded curtly, his stomach tightening.

He almost forgot about the furry little beast sitting on his chest until he mewled and butted his head against Natsu's arm. Happy, still vibrating like a little lawnmower, took his paw and placed it on the edge of Natsu's plate.

"Oh, careful," Lucy warned with a small laugh. "He'll steal your food when you're not looking."

Just as she said so, Happy's paw shot out and snagged a small meatball. Meowing his triumph, he scooped it up with his mouth and darted off of Natsu's chest and the couch altogether, choosing to eat his stolen treat on the floor.

Natsu gave a chuckle. "Too late, looks like."

An answering "meow" met his and Lucy's ears, and she only sighed.

"Don't encourage him, Natsu…" Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the pretty blonde detective roll her own, big and brown like bittersweet chocolate. She brought a bite to her supple mouth and he had to look away. "Anyway, you were saying?"

Right. Jackal.

"He's smart, and he's crazy," he mumbled around another mouthful of spaghetti, "but he's got a weak spot just like everyone else."

Lucy lifted a single blonde brow. "And that would be?"

"His ego. It's the size of his own fucking mansion."

He hadn't meant to crack a joke of any kind–he hadn't even meant to be funny–but Lucy snorted and then coughed and hurriedly shoved her plate onto the coffee table in front of them. And when he turned to look at her, she was pounding her fist into her chest and wheezing out her laughter with watery eyes.

And strangely, the fact that he'd made her laugh filled his chest with warmth.

"At least give me a little warning next time," she rasped after her coughing subsided. "Hand me a napkin?" Her hand, so dainty compared to his own, gestured to a pile of napkins close to his knees on the table.

He hadn't even noticed them, but he grabbed one and sent it her way nonetheless.

"So," she snagged the napkin and blotted it around her mouth, "how would we use this to our advantage?"

"Simple: you hit him where it counts." That was what he would do, anyway. And considering that she was coming to him for help… He was the expert in this situation. "You encroach on his territory, take something away from him, show him up. If you wanna prove Jackal's your guy for this arson-homicide, then you need to poke the bear with a stick."

"And…you're sure that will work?" She sounded hesitant.

Not that he exactly blamed her–she was getting advice from a convicted felon who had just recently been released from prison on "good behavior".

In her position, he would be hesitant too.

"Yeah," he assured her as he scooped up another forkful of spaghetti. Looking directly into her unsure gaze, he said, "You wanna make Jackal screw up? Make him crazy first. He'll stop thinking smart and start thinking with his ego instead and then everything'll fall apart."

The detective fell silent, her plate still sitting on the coffee table.

Natsu continued to eat, practically inhaling the food on his plate–and she'd given him a lot. It seemed she'd taken note of his appetite the day before. While he did so, he watched her sit there contemplatively as she crossed and uncrossed her legs, biting down on her luscious bottom lip.

He could only imagine the things going on in that pretty blonde head of hers.

Eventually, she broke her silence. "Are you suggesting…that we blow something up?" Lucy turned to him, her wide brown eyes hard and serious and filled with so much heat that he almost choked.

Instead, he swallowed and shrugged. "I'm not suggesting anything, detective. I'm just telling you how to catch this rat-bastard the best way possible: my way."

"And that would be by blowing something up," Lucy deadpanned, bringing a hand to her face.

"Well…" One of his shoulders lifted nonchalantly. "If I were still active, it's probably what I'd do."

And that was what she needed him for, correct? For his perspective on this matter.

The rest of their evening was fairly uneventful. Lucy refrained from asking him anything else about Jackal, and instead, she questioned him about the general firebug lifestyle, as she called it.

How did companies get in contact with firebugs?

How did the transactions occur and through what means?

What kind of chemicals were used for setting the fires?

He answered them all to the best of his ability. And hell if he knew why, but seeing that spark in her brown eyes every time she learned something knew was like a sweet reward for him. Maybe it was because those eyes looked at him without contempt–they saw Natsu Dragneel the informant, not the Salamander.

Regardless, he found himself going out of his way to keep that look in her eyes. He gave information voluntarily.

And that eagerness scared him.

Why was he going through with this? Why on earth was he helping her, Lucy Heartfilia, the detective?

Those questions stewed in the back of his head for the remainder of his visit. And when it came to a close, he still didn't have any answers, much to his frustration.

What he did have, however, was her cellphone number. And she had his.

Happy had slinked his way back into Natsu's lap sometime during the conversation. Natsu hadn't even noticed until he realized he'd been running his calloused hand continuously over soft fur; for some reason the cat seemed to like him. And that baffled him entirely, because he hadn't even been nice to the damn thing.

Though he had fed it, sort of. Was that all it took to win the friendship of the detective's blue cat?

Regardless, Happy gave a displeased squawk when Natsu went to stand up.

"Gotta be gettin' home," he muttered, stretching his arms above his head with a wince. Natsu closed his eyes and pulled his elbows back, popping the vertebrae along his spine in the process, and when he opened them…he swore he caught the detective gawking at his arms.

Rather, at the hint of dark ink beneath his sleeves that had been revealed during his stretches.

Realizing she'd been caught, Lucy quickly averted her gaze and hurried to her front door. But that didn't hide the flush along her cheekbones, and he noticed it with a half-pleased grin. By the time he made it to the front door, however, her blush had dissipated and a coy grin tugged at her mouth–shocking him.

He hadn't known his little detective could play at saucy.

"Yeah, it's late," she said, opening the door for him. "You sure you can make it home okay? A guy like you all alone at night…"

Natsu snorted at her. "I'm scarier than anything out there, trust me," he said in a low, rough voice that usually made people back away very quickly.

But Lucy only blinked at him, stunned, and gulped.

Then, before he knew what he was doing, Natsu leaned down and pressed his lips against her soft, soft cheek. Her startled gasp was music to his ears, and when he pulled back with a grin, he was more than pleased to see the indignant scowl on her face.

She was cute when she was angry.

"Gotta keep up appearances, right?" he mused. Before she could say anything, he chuckled, "G'night, detective," and shut the door in her red face.

And on his way back downtown to his shitty house, all he could think was: what the hell was he doing?

Yay! My first chapter is done! Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Stayed tuned for the next installment!

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