Natsu is staring up at his tent while rubbing his bare stomach. He was eating with everyone else but decided to head to bed early after seeing Lucy skip off with Levy, who came late. It's weird, is the thing. Lucy fitting in so well with his group. They're a family and usually don't stray from each other but she molds so well, as if she belongs.
That's not the type of thing that happens after just two days of knowing someone, yet here she is mocking gramps, while holding her own against Bickslow and even trying to make nice with Laxus. It shouldn't be this easy.
He crosses his ankles and sighs, so heavily that he can feel the breath down to his toes. He takes his left hand and puts it behind his head as he continues to stare. The way his tent is made he can clearly see the stars. He used to love doing this, just lying under the stars whilst trying to see how many he could count. It was Lisanna's idea, they would compete to see how many they could count before their eyes would go cross. That was back when things were simple; before Laxus lost Freed and Natsu lost Lisanna.
Lost. That's not even the right word to say. She's not lost, nor did she willingly leave. She died. Lisanna, sweet Lisanna, was taken from this world far too early and it's all Natsu's fault. He swallows back a tear, and hates the tight feeling in his throat; the lump that refuses to go away.
"Here you are," Lucy's voice cuts through his tortured thoughts. Her cheeks are pink and flushed and her eyes a bit glossy. She's so drunk, he chuckles as she stumbles to lay beside him. "I was looking for you." She pouts.
"Sorry, felt kind of tired." He half lies. "I thought you would be fine with Levy, though." She closes her eyes and begins to shuffle close to him, as if trying to squeeze into his sleeping bag. Natsu laughs as she grows frustrated and shuffles over so he can make room.
"You're so warm." She rubs her cheek against his arm as she holds him close to her body. The way she grabs on to his forearm it makes his pinky finger rub against her cleavage. He freezes and tries to shuffle the two of them so he's not touching inappropriate body parts.
"Are you okay?" He dares to question as he notices her pants coming out a lot more softly.
"Just missed you is all," she says in a mumbled voice; eyes still closed. "I'm always so lonely." Her voice sounds both earnest and dejected at the same time. It breaks Natsu's heart.
Natsu wants to ask her why she's always so lonely but decides it would be best to let her sleep it off for now. He stays still until he hears her soft snores. He wonders why he feels so drawn to Lucy. He wonders if he'll ever be able to get over his guilt and open his heart up again.
Needless to say, he falls asleep with a heavy heart and even heavier mind.
FT
Natsu wakes up and tries not to panic. It's not like he meant to keep staring but how can he not? Lucy is still asleep but she must have taken her bra off in the middle of the night because her under shirt has come up, her crop top is nowhere to be seen, and her breasts are on full display; just full, round, and resting comfortably on Natsu's arm. He can even feel the round nubs beginning to harden against his skin.
How do I pull away and pretend like I saw, and felt, nothing? He has no idea. Best go with honesty. He gently shakes her awake and calls her name softly.
"Huh," she wakes up slowly. Her eyes flutter between open and close like there's some kind of battle going on within her and she's not sure if she wants to stay awake or go back to sleep. She pulls down her top absentmindedly and yawns before smacking her dry lips together. "Natsu?" She blinks, looking confused.
"Hey," he waves as he scoots to give them a bit of distance. Don't mention her boobs, don't mention her boobs. He mentally tries to force himself to behave. "I saw your boobs." Shit.
Surprisingly she just chuckles as her face grows red, and surely hot.
"Well, I've seen yours so I guess it's only fair." She jokes as she cautiously folds her arms over her chest.
"I didn't mean to stare but they were on my arm and…" Natsu can feels himself blushing as he stops himself from talking. Hehr chuckling surprises him.
"Natsu, it's okay." She actually sounds sincere. "They tend to flop all over the place while I sleep and it was my fault for taking my bra off." She waves off his panic. "Besides," she says whilst standing. "Having you see my boobs isn't the worse thing that could happen." She flees, shirt in hand, the tent before Natsu can even say anything in response; he's just left gaping in response.
Its takes him far too long to realize the shirt in her hand was Natsu's. Deciding to 'fuck it' he puts on her crop top and exits his tent. Bickslow's crackling laughter is the first thing Natsu hears before a chorus of chuckles join in. Laxus smirks, Gray tries to give him a high-five, gramps shakes his head, Wendy takes a few photos, Erza is nowhere to be seen, neither is Levy and Gajeel, and poor Lucy looks ready to bolt from embarrassment.
The crop top barely reaches under his pecks, but if Lucy's going to steal his shirt then he's just going to steal hers in return.
"Way to go man, that shirt matches yours eyes." Gray jokes first.
"Shut it ice princess, I know I look good." He retaliates.
"You should put her skirt on too, give us a real good show." Bickslow winks.
"You wouldn't be able to handle all this," Natsu poses while gesturing to himself.
"I was going to ask if you two slept well, but I guess that answers that question." Laxus eyes both of them with hidden mirth in his eyes.
"Don't be pervy." Natsu chastises.
"Man, the boy has been living like a monk for so long I thought he forgot how to make his dick work." Bickslow laughs to Laxus. Natsu's face is a crimson color. How dare they embarrass me in front of Lucy?
"Language." Grandeeney warns.
"Please grams," Wendy waves off the language. "I hear worse than that at school."
"What kind of school do you go to?" Gramps holds his chest in shock.
"As if you were living like a saint at eighteen." Gajeel snorts as he comes out his tent, Levy in tow.
"I was an honest man," Gramps sniffs.
"I've seen your porn. Honest my ass." Bacchus slurs as he slouches beside Cana. "The old man is w-i-l-l-l-d."
"What were you doing going through my stuff?" Makarov shouts.
"Cana and I were…." Bacchus' mouth is quickly covered by Cana's hand, her eyes wide. Makarov lowers his eyes and glares hard, steam practically coming from his head.
"Oh my," Lucy gasps.
"Please forgive us Lucy, we are normally not so crude." Erza says as she arises from her tent, Jellal in tow.
"Like hell we aren't." Bickslow shouts as he starts taking down his and Laxus' tent.
"I suggest you come to brunch so we can make up for our bad behavior." Erza offers.
"Oh you must." Levy clasps her hands together. "Grandeeney makes the best brunch."
"I don't want to intrude." Lucy shakes her hand while waving them off.
"As if," Natsu snorts. "You have to go to brunch too." Lucy looks down and Natsu can see her cheeks reddening.
"Okay, if you're sure it's okay." Natsu beams a wide smile and nods his encouragement.
"Then it's settled. We shall all go home, change, and meet at Gramps house at noon." Gajeel commands. "Come on shrimp, let's finish with this tent."
"Aye," Natsu calls as he begins to break down his tent. He gestures for Lucy to come closer to him. "Hey, if you tell us where you live then Laxus and I can take you home so you can shower and change." Her expression falls a bit as her eyes shift to the ground before making contact with Natsu again.
"Can I just borrow something from you?" Her smiles doesn't reach her eyes which causes Natsu to draw concern. What is she hiding?
"Is everything okay Luce?" He speaks calmly as if he were approaching a scared animal.
"Of course, it's just…" she looks off to the side. "I haven't been the most honest." Her expression turns stoic now. "What I said about my father is true, but his people aren't following me because he's suspicious of me, instead it's to get me back." Natsu' brows raise on their own. "I kind of ran away from home." Fuck.
"That's insane." He says lamely because apparently words no longer register in his mind.
"You don't understand, living with him was a nightmare and when I found out what he was doing I knew I couldn't be a part of it. So I had two of his employees, Loki and Virgo, help me escape." She explains like she's pleading for Natsu to understand. "I cashed out everything in my name and now Loki and Virgo are holding the cash for me, and I'm staying in the cheapest motel I could find so it won't raise any suspicions."
"That's a lot to take in." He says slowly. He's not even angry that she's kept this from him. It does make sense though, why she didn't want to go home. Who would want to go back to a lonely cheap motel?
"I know, and I know you didn't sign up to take care of me and my problems but I just feel so comfortable and free around you. It's hard to explain, and I understand if you want me to leave you alone but please still take my case and…" Natsu has to put hands on her shoulders to calm her down, and stop her from ranting further.
"Hey, hey Luce. It's okay." He shakes her a bit as he says. "Of course I'm still going to take your case. The thing with your father sounds messy, but I admire you for doing what you believe in. Why don't we go to your motel and you can get a change of clothes and then come back to ours." She bites on her bottom lip as she gives a terse nod.
"Alright then." Natsu gives her shoulders another squeeze before letting go and finding Laxus, letting him know what's going on. Laxus agrees to take her to her motel only if Natsu agrees to put his shirt back on, because apparently Natsu makes Laxus "uncomfortable."
"Hey, you ready?" Natsu asks his new friend as he walks back up to her.
"Yeah, almost done folding the tent." She acknowledges him. Natsu goes to join her, taking the other side of the tent. By the time they're done, Laxus is waiting impatiently in the car; glaring at the two of them.
"Could you two move any slower?" Laxus complains.
"What's got your panties in a twist?" Natsu grumbles as he takes packs up the trunk and slides into the car.
"Tired of waiting for you, aren't I?" Comes the snarky response, one that Natsu doesn't believe for a second but he decides to drop it. "Oi, Blondie. Which motel is it?" Lucy looks up after having heard her name called.
"Grim Motel, right off of…" Laxus puts his hand up.
"I know where that is." He stares at her, which unnerves Natsu. "The question is, what is a girl like you doing in that part of town?" He questions as he starts to drive. Natsu isn't familiar with the area but he looks at her expectantly anyways.
"I'm sure Natsu told you my story already, it's the only area that's the least likely for my father to find me." Laxus shakes his head.
"That's because it's not likely for their to be anything left to find. That area is seriously dark. The crime rate is one of the highest in this state." Laxus continues to explain.
"That's what Loki warned me of, but I can take care of myself." She looks determinative; almost as if she's having to convince herself of her own words. Natsu tightens his lips and remains quiet for the rest of the ride.
Pulling into the parking lot makes Natsu go on edge. There are people loitering around, half dressed and look unkept. The ground has cracks all in it, there's trash everywhere, the place looks dirty, and worn down, to say the least. This is the type of place where you pray for rats, or bed bugs, because at least those are creatures you can identify.
As soon as the car stops a few guys begin to look at Laxus' car. They gather in a group of four and fold their arms over their chest as they stare intentally at the three intruders; like they're waiting for the perfect opportunity to cause damage. Laxus raises his brow at Lucy and shows his disapproval.
"Alright honesty time, why are you here?" Laxus demands to know.
"I think my father stopped trusting me a while ago because he's cut me off completely. I literally have another five-hundred to my name and I need to reserve my funds until I get a job." She bows her head in shame. Natsu places a hand on her thigh and tightens his lips. He doesn't know her but there's no way in hell is letting her stay in a place like this.
"This is the deal." Laxus begins as he cuts his car off. "I'm walking you into your room, we're getting your stuff, and then you're coming home with us." Laxus doesn't even leave room for discussion.
"I can't impose…" she's instantly interrupted.
"I don't make offers if I secretly don't want you to accept." Laxus states as he gets out the car and glares at the strange guys. "Come on." He commands.
Lucy tumbles out of the car and Laxus pops his head back in to throw the keys to Natsu.
"Lock the doors." Laxus barks.
"Oi, I can go protect Lucy." Natsu shouts in indignation.
"Just lock the doors," Laxus dismisses. Natsu does, in fact, lock the doors but he pouts the entire time they're gone. He doesn't like being dismissed as if he were a child. He can fight, and he's certainly not afraid to take those four guys on. How dare Laxus make me look weak in front of Lucy?
He's still pouting by the time the two return. Lucy only has a duffle bag of clothes with her, which Laxus is carrying.
"Stop pouting." Laxus rolls his eyes as he gets back into the driver's seat. Natsu huffs and crosses his arms.
"Hardly," Natsu denies.
"If it makes a difference, I know you could take those guys on." Lucy whispers really quick before leaning her head against the window; facing away from Natsu. Natsu doesn't respond back, just looks at his lap, throws Laxus the keys, and allows his thoughts to wonder.
The rest of the drive is in relative silence.
They arrive back to the house and Laxus immediately goes to his room. Natsu leads Lucy up the stairs and to his ensuite bathroom. He rubs the back of his neck while eyeing Lucy.
"You can wash in here for now." Natsu gestures around the large room. "The spare room is right beside mine but it doesn't have a bathroom, and the hall bathroom doesn't get really good water pressure." Besides, Natsu's bathroom is a lot better anyways. He has a separate shower and tub, a walk in closet, a water closet, and jets built into the wall of shower so he can feel pressure from all angles.
"I can't even begin to say thank you," Lucy starts. "This is all too much, and the two of you are far too kind." Natsu grins and chuckles.
"Eh, it's not problem." He shrugs. "If you want to stay in the spare room just let me know. There's a sleeper sofa in the basement but Bixs usually sleeps on it when he stays over and Laxus decides to kick him out of his room. Then there's my room here, the bed is a King but I don't mind sharing." Lucy looks down, cheeks a bit flustered.
"Thank you again, for the offer and everything." Tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes and Natsu immediately starts panicking. He feels like an older sibling who just hurt his younger sibling by accident and is now trying to get them to stop crying before mom and dad notice.
"Don't cry," he tries. She sniffles, her shoulders rising and falling.
"I'm not crying from sadness," she promises as she goes to place her bags down on the bed. "It's just…" She sighs. "I was so convinced that after being turned down by Fairy Tail that I would be forced to live with my corrupt father again, or I would be all alone in a small motel room until I could get on my feet." She gives Natsu a small smile.
"Now I have the powerful group of Fairy Tail willing to take my case, I have new friends, and now, because of you and Laxus, I have a safe place to stay without having to worry. I didn't think any of this could happen, and it suddenly is…" Natsu gives her an encouraging smile.
"Don't talk like that," he waves her off. "Maybe it was fate that you met me in the elevator, who knows; but right now you should get dressed and then afterwards I'll get dressed and we can head for brunch. Grandine makes the best food." Lucy sets her face and nods happily.
"I'm determined to take life one moment at a time, just like you." She declares proudly.
"Good, I'm always up for an adventure." She responds by sticking her tongue out and standing before grabbing her things and heading into the bathroom. Natsu takes this as his cue and goes to the kitchen to feed Happy.
He finds his blue cat sleeping happily on the couch. Natsu puts fresh water into one bowl and opens up a tuna fish dish and puts that in another bowl. He knows it won't be long before Happy smells food and will come running. In the meantime, he goes to the downstairs bathroom and grabs Happy's litter box so he can change it out.
By the time he's done, Happy is meowing at his ankles.
"Someone enjoyed breakfast, huh." Natsu picks up his cat and rubs it under its chin as he begins his walk back upstairs. As soon as he nears his room Laxus decides to open the door, staring at Natsu whilst only wearing tight black briefs.
"Copying Gray now?" He teases. Laxus, who is unimpressed, gives Natsu a flat look in return.
"Came to see how you're meant to have her live with us and not fall in love." Laxus leans against the door frame and Natsu tries not to glare too hard. Shouldn't he be the one to lean against the door frame since it's Natsu who's being attacked right now?
"Just because I'm a good person doesn't mean I'm opening myself up for anything other than a friendly helping hand." Natsu grits his teeth as he whispers harshly.
"Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about heartache, either don't let yourself fall at all or be prepared to deal with it if you do." Laxus walks back into his room and shuts the door. Natsu jolts at the noise that it makes, mind still reeling from Laxus' random warning.
He decides to ignore Laxus' warning and heads in his room. Lucy is wearing a long skirt with a matching top and has her hair in a high ponytail.
"Your shower is heaven." She boasts and he grins as he chuckles a bit.
"Thanks Luce," he acknowledges as he walks into the bathroom. "You can go wait in the living room if you'd like. I'm sure Happy will join you on the couch." She nods and leaves him be, closing the door behind her.
He sees that she put her towel, and rag on the counter along with folding up her old clothes. He strips quickly and gets into the shower, allowing the warm water to flow over his body completely and clear his mind.
It takes no time for him to change into a pair of jeans and a red top, making sure to grab his belongings before heading down the stairs. Upon reaching the edge of the living room he sees Lucy, on the couch, on her back with Happy trotting on her stomach. She's smiling and looking so full of bliss it hits Natsu hard.
"She reminds me of Lisanna, a bit." Laxus says from beside him. Natsu swallows hard and nods briefly. "You have to forgive yourself sometime." Natsu tightens his lips.
"I'll forgive myself when you forgive yourself." Laxus doesn't respond verbally, just heads towards the front door.
"Let's go." The taller man calls from over his shoulder. Natsu shakes his head and huffs a laugh. He and Laxus truly are a sad bunch, but if Natsu has anything to say about it, they won't be this way for long.