She was broke again. Disgust and resignation warred on her features as she scanned the board. Any job worth the money needed at least a two to three person team. The ones she could complete on her own wouldn't even pay for a week's worth of meals, let a lone her rent. Looking around the guild hall, hoping to possibly find a companion, all she saw was the usual pairings and groups chatting eagerly about their next monetary gain. Yup, to her dismay, she had just two choices. Solo, or those two again. Why? Why, did she always get stuck with those blockheads? Especially him. That pink haired dragon slayer was so obnoxious. And reckless... destructive... clueless... the list was endless. Shaking her golden mane about her shoulders, she turned back to the board. A resigned look settles over her pretty features as she reaches for a flyer.
"Hey Luce! Whatchya lookin' at?" his angular chin leaned over her shoulder straining to read.
'Too close too close!' A quick reflexive kick sends the bubble invader back into the wall. Annoyance pinching his brows, he stands brushing off his clothes.
"Do you have to get so close? I swear you don't know what personal space is." She eyed him warily as he sauntered back over.
"Geez, sorry Loopy. You're your usual charming self today I see." he chided, leaning forward to pluck the flyer from her grasp. His usually upbeat manor sobers as he scans the details.
"Hey Lucy... kinda small reward for the three of us don't ya think?" He looked like a kicked puppy as his eyes met hers.
'Stay strong, girl!' She pushed away the almost overwhelming need to give him a big ol' hug.
"It's not for the three of us." she informs them, lifting her chin defiantly. She could swear his eyes had grown larger, more pleading. She crossed her arms below her chest to keep from reaching out.
"Oh... you're going on one without us?" His olive eyes dropped to the floor between them, toeing the floor with one sandaled foot.
"Again?" whined his flying feline side kick. The cat she could ignore.
"That's what 'not the three of us' means." A pang drives through her due to the corners of his mouth pulling down even further.
"We haven't been on one together for two weeks now. Everything ok?", olive eyes searched her face.
"Fine. Everything's fine. Just want to work alone is all." Her gaze bounced from one point to another, never really settling on the man in front of her.
"Okay... maybe later this week then, I guess?", he mumbled, glancing to the side giving her the opportunity to hurry away. "We're here if you need us.", he called after her retreating form.
Dejected, the dragonslayer sat down at the bar, slumping in the stool.
"Man Happy, Lucy's actin weird lately." His eyes kept drifting to the door she walked out of.
"Yea, but isn't she always weird?"
"Weirder than usual then. She's so uptight and moody."
"Aye", agreed his furry companion.
"Her Lucy kick was extra kicky too.", he shifted his jaw feeling it pop.
"I think you may need some ice for that...", Happy advised helpfully.
Taking his calloused hand, he gently prodded the egg sized lump growing along his jaw.
"How we gonna buy any food if we cant finish any jobs? I'd hate to admit it, but without Lucy, all our reward money goes to repairs." A quick huff left his lips.
"You do have a tendency to wreck what we need to save.", Happy said off handedly.
"Hey, I don't see you helpin'", the fire mage retorted.
"See if I fly you to safety next time... I'm sure you can find a nice reliable form of transportation." the exceeded replied snottily.
Natsu's stomach churned just thinking about it.
"No, no! Anything but that...", the usually proud Salamander dropped to his knees, hands pleading. "I'll give you as many fish as you want, just, no trains!"
The flying cat's eyes filled with tears of joy. "Really? As many as I want?"
"Yes, yesss!" Natsu called from his spot kneeling before his tormentor.
"Hmph", a single claw tapped the tom cat's chin. "I guess you're forgiven." Natsu rose to his feet, relief evident in his sigh.
"You wanna go look at the board and see what we can find? There's gotta be something that pays enough to fill our bellies." Happy suggested.
"You got it little buddy."
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Back at home, the celestial mage looked into her empty fridge, then the freezer, which incidentally was empty as well. Her tiny spirit Plu climbed inside, lounging back against the ice tray with a contented sigh.
"Well at least someone is happy with how empty it is in there." Sorrowfully, she wanders to her bed and plops down.
"What am I gonna do?"
The canis minor slid out of his haven and pulled himself onto her plush bed patting a bare shoulder.
"I'm starving," a loud gurgle emits from her tummy, "and after I paid rent, that last job only left enough for a few measly bowls of ramen." Lucy slung an arm over her eyes in defeat.
Plu leaned against his key wielder's knee, attempting to comfort her with his soothing noises.
"Thanks.", she whispers giving a shadow of a smile.
"Plu plu plu..." there was a questioning lilt.
"Natsu and Happy?", she questions.
"Plu."
"I really can't." Lucy bit her lip not meeting her companion's eyes.
"Plu plu plu plu plu plu." Confusion. Yup, he was confused.
"It's stupid...", she explained, embarrassment heating her cheeks.
"Plu?"
Beyond uncomfortable, she hides her face deep into her pillow. "I can't.", she mumbled.
Her shivering friend peeks under the pillow made shield. Disgusted with her own cowardice, she sits up pulling long legs in, squeezing the down pillow to her chest. Turning away to hide her embarrassment, she exhaled a puff of air, sending her bangs upward.
"I don't know what's wrong lately, but its just so... awkward being around them."
The concerned spirit stepped into her line of sight. "Plu plu plu?"
"No, it's not because Happy has been eating herring lately.", her chocolate orbs rolled at the silly suggestion, then pinched her brows in thought. "Although, someone should really introduce him to tic tacs."
Plu plopped down facing his key wielder, showing he was fully engaged in the conversation, encouraging her to continue.
"It's... Natsu.", she whispered. "I feel claustrophobic being in the same room as him. It's almost itchy having him near. His antics are more irritating than usual.", she shifted uneasily, feeling what she described. "I'm just tired of babysitting him all the time. He's always getting hurt and into trouble.", slim fingers fidgeted with the hem of the pillow laying in her lap. "I'm always waiting for the next disaster."
"Plu plu plu..", a half shrug following his noises.
She bolted upright in disbelief. "What?! You've got to be kidding me...Natsu?" Her eyes were wide in disbelief. "There's absolutely no way.", the emblem stamped hand waved the idea away. "Not that flame brained idiot."
"Plu plu.", he replied, getting to his feet.
"I'm serious!", she cried incredulously, fingers digging into her bedding. "Don't you 'yea yea' me."
With a shivering shrug, Plu wandered into the kitchen to jump back into the freezer.
Frustrated and confused, she rolled over under her covers, mind racing. Just as the night before. And before that. They always seemed to come back to that exact moment.
Her eyes had fluttered open finding his concerned face staring down at her, clutched in his arms close to his body.
"Hey.", he said softly, a smile just as gentle breaking across his face. The one word sent butterflies dancing in her chest. "I'm glad you're alright. Had me worried there for a minute."
She had trouble focusing on his face. Part being inches away, part the whole head bouncing off a wall thing. The hard press of muscles and warmth seeping into her body were impossible to ignore. Becoming flush, she began pushing him away.
"I'm fine.", she assured. "You can let me go now."
"Oh, yea sorry.", he muttered awkwardly. He released his grip carefully to make sure she could support herself. Which was a good thing as she almost slid back down to her knees. His calloused hands gripped her bare shoulders, olive eyes searching hers as she kneeled before him.
"Man," he chuckled, "that last spell really sucked the juice outta ya."
She stayed silent a moment, on her knees swaying slightly. She felt like she was hit by a train. "Yea." She agreed weakly.
"Here," he extended a hand in aid, "let me help you." He gave a tug pulling her too quickly to her feet. The world was sent reeling around her. Her fingers wrapped into his vest, scrabbling for stability.
"Too quick, too quick," she muttered turning sickly green. His eyes grew wide with panic, hands encircling her waist.
"Sorry, sorry.", he murmured over and over, as he steadied her once more. "Wrap your arms around my neck.", he whispered, looking down into to her exhausted face. Being that close up, she could see how thick and long his lashes were. Were there flecks of gold in his eyes? She turned a brilliant crimson, doing as he asked. Bracing an arm behind her knees, he swept her upward before carrying her back to her place.
"I can stay if you want.", he offered, his strong hands gently tucking her into her blankets. He had been glancing down as he fidgeted with the ends under her chin. This gave her the perfect opportunity to really look at him now that her eyes had came fully back into focus. There was a straining white line crossing his jaw, shadows beneath his eyes. He looked exhausted.
"I'm ok. Really.", sleep tinged her words. His eyes flicked up to hers. From inches away they were an olive green. They always seemed to change color like that. This color held warmth, and usually came when dealing with those he cared deeply for. And as she stared back into those eyes, that she'd seen day after day, she noticed the tiny flecks of gold. They were so pretty. She swallowed hard, thinking how she definitely had been knocked silly.
A half smile crept across his lips before he answered. "I believe you, but", he rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away. "Can I crash?", he asked guiltily. "I don't think I can make it back to my place on such an empty tummy." Aforementioned tummy rumbled to accentuate his words. "I mean, it was carrying you all the way here that really sapped all my energy.", he grumbled, effectively shifting the mood to something more familiar.
"Are you calling me fat?" Her brow twitched in agitation.
"Hey now Loopy, don't be getting all worked up. "I'm done cleaning up after you if you get sick again." His nose scrunched up in disgust remember why he was no longer wearing his signature scarf. Hand wash only sucked.
She gave the obnoxious fire mage a hard shove, sending him to the floor, a quick smack of a pillow to his face silenced him before he could vocalize his ire.
He grumble while putting his makeshift bed together. He froze, stopped by a timid 'thank you' floating down from the bed above him. With a secret smile, he flopped backward onto his nest of borrowed bedding.
"It was nothin. Go to sleep Luce. See you in the mornin'."
She had awoke to an empty apartment, and, once again, cupboards. The little that had been there, anyway. A quick scribble had been jotted and tossed to the small dinning table. 'See ya at the guild and ... you're welcome.' The tender smile that graced her lips, dissolved quickly as she discovered what the impromptu notepad had been. Her fingers clenched into fists looking at the ending of her last story. The ending that had her stressing from a wicked writer's block for two freaking hours.
"Natsu!"
Unbelievably irritated, hungry, and exhausted, she headed to the guild hall. There was a cloud of murderous intentions hanging around her, and the members that were close to the door, scattered in her wake. She stalked over to the table where Happy and Natsu sat. The latter was shoveling eggs and toast into his cavernous mouth. Beside him Happy was munching on the biggest fish she had ever seen. Apparently they had gone fishing bright and early after ransacking her kitchen. She however was not a morning person and plopped down weary eyed, clutching a cup of coffee. She inhaled the wonderful aroma, sighing happily.
Glancing upward, Natsu greeted her around a mouth full of toast. Fork in one hand, he pushed the flyer across the table. Reaching out, she brought it up to her still sleep bleary eyes, struggling to make out the tiny lettering.
"Ya wanna just give me a summary. I'm still not awake.", she says while pushing the paper aside in favor of her caffeinated beverage.
Apparently it was a basic retrieval job. A couple of tomes stuck in an old, dilapidated ghost town. There were bandits as usual. And as the details blurred into any other mundane job, Lucy faded in and out of the conversation before a large rumble emitted from her gut.
"Geez Lucy... ya wanna quiet that thing down? I can't hear myself speak."
"Ya know, if two bums hadn't ate everything in sight, in my apartment, I'd be having more than hot bean water for breakfast." Her hands laid palm down, upper body leaning closer and closer as the words came forth, low and dangerous. The dark cloud of menace began reforming around the fuming blonde. By luck, Mira chose that moment to push a plate under her nose. Bacon, toast, and a fluffy omelette sat invitingly on the ceramic plate.
"Thanks Mira. It looks awesome!" She quickly dove in, eating with more ferocity than her table mates ever had. They ducked and dodged flying remnants of her meal. Finished in no time flat, she leaned back, belly protruding over the top of her acid washed jeans.
Natsu blinked slowly as his blue companion looked at the blonde with disgust.
"Ya know," the exceed began, "that may be one of the reasons you cant get a date Lucy." he finished condescendingly.
"Hmm," a manicure nail tapped her chin. "I wonder if your wings would taste good with buffalo sauce?" Brown eyes twinkled deviously as she stared down the smart mouthed cat.
Thoroughly traumatized, said cat darted quickly behind his fire wielding friend.
"Don't worry little buddy," he patted the soft fur of his pal's head. "I won't let her turn you into barbeque."
Pleased with the fuzzy brat's reaction, she returned to the flyer that sat between them. "So, you were telling me about the job?"
He eyed her cautiously, confused by the quick change of subject. "Yea..." he proceeded to fill her in on the rest of the details, returning the remainder of his meal that was interrupted by the seething woman across from him. She sat there half listening, staring at his mouth as he rambles between huge bites. It had gone on long enough that it hadn't gone unnoticed by the object of her focus.
"What? I got somethin on my face?" as he wiped his arm across his mouth. She startled, turning a rosy pink. She couldn't bring herself to meet his curious eyes.
"Uh, no. No. Just kinda zoning out", she gave a weak smile, "Sorry. I didn't sleep too well last night."
"He was snoring like a bear again, wasn't he?" Happy asked, voice serious.
"I don't snore!"
"Okay, if you say so."
She grinned at the two bickering in front of her. They both snored. Loud. According to them, she drooled, so no throwing stones. But, although it wasn't his snoring, truth was he was the reason. Him of all people, kept invading her dreams. That day he had carried her own. Always flashing to his eyes and smile. And those bronze toned arms holding her tight to a chiseled chest. She bolted upright, tummy flip flopping making heronce delicious breakfast sit like a rock. The two paused in the throwing of insults to frown in confusion.
"You know what guys, you go ahead. I'm not as ready for a job as I thought.", she said apologetically, standing from the bench. "Good luck though." Hurrying out the door, she hightailed it to her apartment to wrestle with her thoughts.
That had happened two weeks ago now and still it plagued her mind. Putting this itchy wall between them. She had to get her head straight. Figure out what changed between them before they could work together again.