notes: warning i do not condone the act of drugs nor am i encouraging drug use.


"Papa! Why are you packing your bags?"

"I'm leaving."

"Why? Where are you going?! Take me with you! "

"Get off of me, Lucy!"

"Papa, please! I need you! Don't leave me!"

"I said get off of me!"

"Please… papa… papa!"

Turning in her bed, Lucy began to wake up as she heard the birds chirp outside her window and the sun started to creep in. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked away her sleep as she stared into her empty bedroom. She laid on her side for a minute before turning around on her back, looking up at her ceiling as she prepared herself for another day. She felt a huge wave of sadness as she remembered her dream, tears rolling down her cheeks as she silently laid in her bed. She could only think of Natsu as she cried silently, wondering how time went by so quickly since she had last seen her father.

Trying to blink away her tiredness and tears, Lucy felt incredibly tired after she came home a little before ten thirty last night. She fell asleep at the Dragneel household and Zeref woke her up when it was about nine thirty making her embarrassed at the idea she fell asleep and they both had to see her snoring on the couch. She didn't even know she fell asleep since she woke up in complete shock, not knowing where she was at the time.

Now as the time blinked seven fifty three AM, Lucy prepared herself for yet another day of work.


Yawning loudly, Lucy pulled up to the Dragneel residence as she parked her car in the driveway. She sat in her driver's seat for a bit as she stared at the house, blinking back her sleepiness and emotions as she could only think about her dad. All the anger and sadness she had for him disappeared years ago but once in a while she continues to yearn and grieve him as she grows into society.

This made her think of Natsu a lot and ways she could possibly help with him, knowing she was a lot like him.

Seeing how the time rang eight forty seven , Lucy opened her car door and stepped out, stretching her limbs as she moaned in pleasure.

She could see Natsu's pink hair poking above the bushes and the smell of marijuana, the blonde walking over to the stairway to see him appear. He was shirtless and wore black sweats, standing barefoot on the porch to drag his rolled up joint.

Lucy could only admire him as she watched him inhale and exhale, a puff of smoke emerging from his lips as they soon locked eyes.

"Good morning," Lucy smiled softly. "Aren't you cold?"

"No," he said, flicking off the ash on the end of his joint. "Aren't you?"

"No," she said, smiling sheepishly as she realized she came in a mini skirt. "You're up early today."

Natsu just hummed in response as he grabbed his lighter to try to even out the burning on his joint, holding it between his lips as he lit the end. Lucy could only watch as he dragged the joint and puffed out smoke, the blonde finding herself feeling a little bit hot as she felt her heart throb inside her chest.

"Um, is Zeref inside?"

Natsu only nodded as he turned around to look out into the wooded areas, going back to his morning routine. Lucy only nodded to herself before heading inside the house, taking her purse off her shoulders to lay it on the entry table and kicking off her shoes.

The house felt quiet as she walked through the living room and to the kitchen, popping her head in to see Zeref reading the newspaper as he leaned against the counter. He had a mug that read #1 DAD on it and was dressed for work. He soon looked up and noticed Lucy, a smile forming on his lips as he folded the papers and put the mug down.

"Good morning, Lucy!"

"Good morning, Zeref." She offered a small smile and wave at the man who frowned.

"Wow, you seem tired today."

"Yeah," she smiled sheepishly. "Just didn't get enough sleep last night."

"Would you like some?" He gestured towards the coffee maker. "Only the best in town."

"Yes, please." Lucy giggled as she took a seat at the counter, watching as the older one grabbed a mug from the cupboard. She smelt fresh coffee and toast, the breakfast delight filling her lungs as Zeref handed her a mug, pushing milk, cream, and sugar towards her.

"Help yourself."

"Thank you," Lucy sighed, preparing her cup of coffee as Zeref grabbed his toast that popped from the toaster. She watched how he got butter and jam, lathering his toast to pop it into his mouth. "I hope you're not too tired from coming home so late."

"Eh, I don't sleep much as it is anyways." He shrugged. "You alright, though? You should take it easy today."

"I'll be alright. I'm going to do some light housework and maybe some laundry. I'm also going to go to the store to pick some groceries up, too."

"Great, could you pick up some toothpaste for me, actually?"

"Of course. Let me know if you have anything else."

He nodded as he took a sip of coffee. "I'll leave my basket in the laundry room for you and I'll have Natsu bring his basket down, too."

"Thanks," she smiled, feeling her body wake up with the cup of joe. "Natsu is up early today."

"Yeah, sometimes he wakes up early to work out." He chuckled. "Is he outside?"

"Yeah," Lucy nodded, remembering she shouldn't say anything about him smoking.

"Well, whatever keeps him going." he shrugged before he drank the rest of his coffee. He rinsed the mug into the sink and left it flipped over, grabbing the rest of his things to give Lucy a smile. "Have a great day. I'll be home at the usual time tonight. And don't work yourself too hard! Make sure you take a break."

Lucy could only smile as Zeref gave her one last smile, giving her a wave to disappear into the hallway. She listened as a door opened and closed, hearing how Zeref walked around the house before he popped his head back into the kitchen. "Basket is in the laundry room!" He gave her a thumbs up making Lucy give him one back. "I'll get Natsu to get his."

"Thank you!"

"No, thank you."

Zeref disappeared again as she heard him open the front door, the voices of the brothers echoing through the household. She then heard Natsu come inside and go up the stairs, soon hearing how he came back down the same stairs to drop something off as the sound bounced off the wooden floors.

"Bye Lucy! Natsu!" Zeref sang before the door closed one last time. Lucy finally got up from her seat, stretching her limbs again as she moaned and sighed, looking out the window to see Zeref's car drive away. She heard Natsu's footsteps come into the kitchen making her turn and look at him. His eyes were lowered and slightly red as he smelt of smoke and marijuana, the shirtless male strolling into the kitchen.

She watched how he rummaged through the pantry, grabbing a bag of chips and a can of soda.

"Don't you want some breakfast before eating that junk?"

"Fuck off," he muttered, digging through the pantry.

Lucy only huffed as she watched him open the bag of chips to start munching on them, the pink-haired male busy looking for more snacks.

"I'm going to go to the store later today if you want me to pick something up."

"Actually," he paused in between his chews. "I need a ride into town."

"Alright, what time?"

"Around noon." He muttered, opening his can of soda to take a loud sip. "I'm meeting a friend."

"You have friends?" Lucy said before she realized what she said. She saw Natsu whip his head to look at her, shooting daggers at the blonde as she looked mortified. "I—I—I mean—"

"It's none of your business."

"Alright…" Lucy bit her lip, cursing herself as she just wanted to disappear in her spot.

Every time she felt like she was making progress she always had to slip up and make it worse for herself. Shaking her head, Lucy grabbed her mug to finish her coffee before coming around to rinse her mug in the sink after Zeref. She could smell Natsu as she stood next to the male, the blonde flushing slightly as she could feel the warmth that radiated from his half naked body. He smelt smoky and warm, almost like a campfire that burnt down a marijuana tree.

She never understood how he was so warm in the middle of autumn with just pants on.

"Um, then do you mind coming to the market with me?"

Natsu was silent for a minute as he thought it over. "I guess."

"I won't be long and I'll let you pick out some of your favorite things."

Natsu snorted as he rolled his eyes, closing the pantry door. "How many times do I have to tell you I ain't a fucking kid."

"Nobody said you were."

"Whatever," he turned around to start walking away.

Lucy frowned to herself as she watched him disappear into the hallway, hearing his footsteps go up the stairs before the bedroom door shut. Every day was something new and for today, she felt like Natsu was more talkative but more rude. What happened to the man that was asking her to eat lunch with him? Maybe it was because he was high.

Digging through the fridge, Lucy arranged the ingredients and things she needed to make lunch. Since she forgot about the fish she was supposed to make for Natsu yesterday, she made a mental note to make it today but she needed some lemons and herbs to dress the fish. She grabbed a notepad from the corner and pulled a pen out of the drawer, writing down a list of things she needed including Zeref's toothpaste.

She hummed to herself as she started to think about what else the house may need until she remembered she should start laundry. She eyed the clock that blinked nine twelve, the blonde rushing over to the laundry room to see the two baskets full of clothes sitting in front of the washer. She dug through the bins, throwing in their clothes as she started a load, shaking the laundry detergent to feel it getting light.

She made a mental note to write it down on her grocery list.


Coming down the stairs, Natsu was dressed in white joggers and a black t-shirt as he walked over towards the kitchen. He looked around the empty room and found himself looking for Lucy, peeking out the window to scan the area to see the woman he was looking for. She was hanging laundry from a line and all he could do was admire her for a bit as he watched her golden hair dance in the autumn wind, her mini skirt blowing upwards for him to see a flash of her blue panties.

His pants felt tight as he adjusted himself, clearing his throat as he tried to shake off the feeling he had inside.

He just wanted to go over to where she was and bend her over but he knew he shouldn't and just shook his head in denial. He went over to the door and opened it, popping his head outside.

"Hey, let's go!"

He watched as Lucy turned around to look at him. "It's twelve already?"

"Yeah, so let's go."

"Okay, just a minute!" She shouted back.

Natsu watched how she dug through the basket and hung one more item before she grabbed the empty basket to walk over to where he was. He watched how her hair blew behind her like a halo and how her large chest bounced with her steps. He could feel his cheeks redden slightly and he looked away, walking away from the doorway as she approached.

Closing the door behind her, Lucy put down the empty laundry basket as she looked around for her purse. She went over and grabbed the list from the counter, coming into the entryway to bend down to put her boots on. "Natsu! I'm ready! Let's go!"

"I'm already outside," his voice startled her, making her jump upright.

She turned around to see Natsu standing on the porch, his arms on his hips as he watched her get herself together.

Lucy flushed in embarrassment as she came towards the male who turned and walked away from her as she shut the door closed and locked it. The couple went over to Lucy's car as Natsu went over to the passenger side, seating himself comfortably as he shut the door. Lucy could only take a deep breath in as she prepared herself for the car ride and the day spent with Natsu.

She just hoped she wasn't going to say anything stupid for him to yell at her or snap.

Getting seated on her side, Lucy shut the door closed and started the engine as Natsu sat beside her. She could feel his heat once again and the smell of him made her squirm. She could only glance over to him as he was facing the window, watching the trees dance around them as she got herself buckled.

"So, um, who are you meeting?"

"A friend."

Lucy bit down on her lip as the silence surrounded them again, the blonde wondering if she should even bother talking to him. But the ride into town was at least a twenty minute drive and she was now feeling shy all of a sudden.

Putting the car in drive, Lucy started her way back down the driveway of the Dragneel's and went on the road. Soft music played from the radio as the sounds of the gravel poured into their ears.

Lucy gripped the steering wheel as she started to feel uncomfortable, racking through her brain to see what conversation starter would work.

Clearing her throat, Lucy gave herself some small words of encouragement and spoke. "So, uh, do you know how to drive?"

"Yes."

Silence got in between them again and Lucy could only pout, wondering if she should even continue the conversation.

"So, why don't you?"

"I don't have a car."

Silence.

"So, you and Zeref share the car?"

"No."

"Okay." Lucy started to frown, understanding that Natsu didn't want to talk.

She could feel him looking over at her and then away, making her feel a bit sweaty as her palms began to moisten. She tried to be discreet as she palmed the steering wheel, loosening up her grip and shoulders so she can comfortably drive.

Hearing her cellphone begin to ring, Lucy sighed in relief as she tried to fish in her bag to retrieve the device. When she couldn't, she let out a frustrated sigh and adjusted the bag, trying to find her phone while driving.

Natsu gave her a look before he snatched her purse from her lap, fishing in her purse to pull her phone out and answer the phone for her. He put it against her ear making her blink in surprise before she spoke.

"H—hello?"

"Hi, is this Lucy Heartfillia?"

"Yes, speaking."

"Hi this is Jason from Sorcerer's Weekly and I got your information from your friend Levy McGarden. I was wondering if you had some time to chat about an open position we have?"

Looking over to look at Natsu who sat beside her and stared out the window, Lucy chewed on her bottom lip as she suddenly felt a wave of guilt.

"Um, this actually isn't a good time for me. Could I call you back later?" Lucy paused as Jason spoke, making her smile. "Great, thank you. Have a good one."

Natsu pulled the phone away from her once he heard the beep from the other end, tossing her phone back into her purse as he continued to silently window watch.

"Thanks."

Natsu only grunted back a response, the pink-haired male continuing to face the window and avoid conversation.

The rest of the car ride was quiet as Lucy gave up on starting conversation with Natsu. He didn't seem like he wanted to keep one, anyways, so she turned up the volume on the radio and rode into town humming her favorite tunes.

Pulling into the parking lot of the plaza, Lucy looked over at Natsu who leaned against the car door and arm. "Where are you meeting your friend?"

"I just told him to meet me at the store. I assume you're going into Magnolias?"

"Yeah, it's the only grocery store around, really."

"Cool, I'll just meet you inside."

Lucy parked the car and immediately Natsu was unbuckled and left the car. She watched as she grabbed her purse, her eyes following the male who made a beeline for a car parked towards the back parking lot. She was watching him through the rear view mirror and saw how he just hopped into the car and just disappeared.

Coming out of her vehicle, Lucy kept a close eye on the car as she slowly made her way towards the grocery store. She locked her car on the way and grabbed a cart that was left out, slowing down her steps to see if Natsu even came out of the car safely.

It was Natsu, it wasn't like she had to worry but she still memorized the license plate.

Not wanting to seem like she was watching or being overbearing, Lucy entered the grocery store and hid behind the Christmas decoration as she peeked out the window to look at the car. People passing by gave her an odd look but she ignored them as she waited for something to happen, wondering when he was going to get back out the car.

Yelping, Lucy turned around to scowl at the person who accidentally ran into her ankle. The stranger offered a half-assed apology as she bent down to rub her sore ankle that throbbed from the pain of colliding with the metal object.

"Watch where you're going." She hissed. Lucy continued to scowl and glare at them as they walked away, the blonde whipping her head back to look back at the car Natsu went into not too long ago.

She continued to stay watch, staring and waiting. Then she saw how the car's light turned on, making it reverse. The sedan pulled out of the parking spot to drive away, making her gawk and swing her head around to see it leaving the plaza.

She panicked a bit as she looked left and right before digging into her purse to find her phone, cursing out loud as she couldn't find anything but junk.

Flipping her entire purse over, all her belongings dropped to the floor as she got on her knees to look for her phone that slid across the floor. "Fuck!" She cried out as she crawled over to reach for her phone but stopped when a foot covered it, the blonde looking up to see a familiar pink-haired male staring down at her. He had his hands in his pocket and his scarf hung from his neck, slightly brushing against the top of her head as she began to smile sheepishly.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Um…" she retracted her hand slowly. "I was just looking for my phone…"

Natsu lifted his foot off from the phone and bent down to pick it up, inspecting the device before he pocketed it. "Why are you on the floor?"

"I just dropped everything—"

"Get up." He snapped, making her sit upwards and clear her throat. "Get your shit. You look batshit."

"I do not!"

"You're literally on all fours at the grocery store and everyone is staring at you." He gestured at the customers who were staring right at the couple. Lucy flushed red as she hurried to throw everything back into her purse, standing up on her feet to begin dusting herself off. "You were spying on me, weren't you?"

"N—no!" Lucy sputtered, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. "I told you, I just dropped everything and was trying to get my phone."

Natsu eyed her weirdly as he grabbed the cart that was sitting beside them, pulling it towards them as Lucy started to walk with him. "You're a terrible liar."

"Fine!" Lucy threw her hands up. "What were you doing? I just saw you go into some strange car and not come out for god knows how long and I didn't even see you come out of the car so I thought you just left and didn't even tell me so I kind of freaked out! I tried to look for my phone to call someone and ended up on the floor!"

Natsu snorted. "Who would you have called? 911?"

"I don't know! Your brother maybe? A friend? That reminds me—I don't even have your phone number."

"Why do you need it?"

"Because of instances like this. What if you just disappeared?"

Lucy followed Natsu down the snack aisle as he made a beeline for the treats. "I'm twenty six years old."

"That doesn't mean bad things don't happen to you."

"I'm not a fucking child," he hissed as he grabbed some chips and threw them in the cart. "I can handle my own."

"I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying I would feel better if I knew what was going on."

"I know what I'm doing." he muttered as he continued to walk down the aisle with Lucy trailing him.

Lucy could only huff as she walked with the male, a frown decorating her pale face as frustration and anger washed over her body. She just wanted to strangle him but she knew if she did she would be the one dying.

Digging in her purse again, Lucy grabbed the grocery list she had and started to walk ahead of Natsu. She stomped away and Natsu could only watch in amusement as he followed behind her, his eyes glued on her ass as her pony tail swung lift and right with each step. He walked with her throughout the grocery store as she stayed quiet the entire time, the scowl continuing to mirror her face.

The trip only took fifteen minutes before they were making a beeline towards the check out line. Natsu leaned against the grocery cart handle as Lucy checked out, the male yawning in the process. Waiting for the check out process, Natsu felt his pocket vibrate making him reach in and pull out Lucy's phone. He was confused for a minute as he remembered he took her phone. Looking at the lit up screen, Natsu saw a text message from someone named Jason making him knit his brows in confusion.

Call me when you're free.

It made him wonder if this was her boyfriend, his onyx eyes peeking at the blonde who was smiling at the cashier as she handed over a credit card to them. He proceeded to pocket her phone again, pushing the cart forward as Lucy got the receipt and started to walk away, thanking the cashier who offered them both a wave goodbye. The walk outside to the car was silent too as Natsu thought about who Jason could be and why he wanted her to call him.

Spacing out, Natsu didn't realize they were already at her car and she was loading the groceries into the trunk. He went over and grabbed the rest and threw them in her trunk, shutting the door and grabbing the cart to start walking it over to the return station.

He came back to the car once the cart was returned, hopping into the car that was running and parked.

He reached into his pocket and held the phone out to Lucy who just looked at her phone back to the male. "It's your phone."

"Oh," Lucy reached for it. "Thanks."

"Your boyfriend texted you."

"My boyfriend?" Lucy asked in confusion as she turned the phone on to read the message.

"Jason."

She quickly typed something back and put the phone in her purse, looking over at Natsu who went back to looking out the window. "Jason isn't my boyfriend."

"Cool," he shrugged. "Figured he was because he called you earlier and texted you."

"No, Jason isn't my boyfriend he's—" Lucy paused as she realized she might say something wrong. Natsu cocked an eyebrow at her as she suddenly stopped. "Um, he's just someone I know."

"Alright."

"I'm serious. I don't have a boyfriend."

"Alright."

"You don't believe me?"

"I don't care."

"You just sound like you don't believe me."

"I said I don't care." Natsu turned to look at Lucy, making them lock eyes. "I really don't care who you're fucking or seeing at the time."

Lucy flushed red as she looked at the man who stared at her with a blank expression.

"I—I—I am not! I—Jason—I told you! I'm not seeing anyone right now!"

"Alright." He rolled his eyes, turning away from her again. He had a slight smile on his lips as he stared out the window. "Are we going to leave or are we going to sit here all day?"

Lucy growled at herself as she buckled herself in, putting the car in reverse to begin their drive back home. She felt frustrated as Natsu knew how to push her buttons in the way not many people could. She didn't know how to handle such emotions since she knew if she didn't watch herself she could put herself in a position where she could get hurt, again. But why did it seem like he didn't believe her? And why did she want to prove a point so bad?

Loosening up her grip on the steering wheel, Lucy took a deep breath in before exhaling, trying to calm herself down as the couple came to a stop at a red light. She peeked over at Natsu who was now on his phone, tapping away at something.

Clearing her throat again, Lucy started to drive as the light turned green. "So, could I have your phone number? You know, for emergencies."

Natsu looked over at the blonde for a second before he looked right back at his phone. "Eh," he shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

"I guess."

"Okay!" Lucy smiled a bit. "I'll give you my phone number."

Natsu only grunted in response as Lucy recited her digits to the male. He put her number into his phone and then went back to his scrolling.

Lucy felt a bit better about herself and the situation as she couldn't help but smile to herself. She hummed tunes to herself as the couple made it back to the dirt road that took them to the single home in the middle of the woods. The sound of her tires dragging against the gravel road and the dust of dirt behind her started to bring her comfort as Lucy pulled into the driveway. She put her car in park and unbuckled herself as Natsu was out the car before she was unbuckled.

He waited behind the car as Lucy got out, opening the trunk for Natsu to dive in and grab as many bags as he could at once. When he had the majority of the bags, he walked past the blonde without a word and went inside the house.

Lucy could only glare as he was so rude, the woman coming to grab the leftover grocery bags and then closing the door to follow behind. Walking into the house and to the kitchen, Lucy put down the grocery bags on the counter.

Natsu was already gone by the time she came inside and she saw a glimpse of his pink hair in the backyard, a small huff of annoyance coming out of her lips. She went over to the doors and opened it as Natsu was lighting his joint.

The two got eye contact as Lucy shot him a look, the male raising his brow at her.

"What?"

"I'm going to make fried fish for lunch."

"Alright." He took a drag.

"You know for someone who doesn't want their brother to know they smoke, you're really not so discreet about this."

Natsu just shrugged as he took an inhale.

"That's who you were meeting, weren't you?" Lucy squinted her eyes at him. "You had me bring you to the grocery store to buy drugs!"

"So, what?" Natsu exhaled a puff of smoke making Lucy wave her hands around to get the smoke away.

"I was an accomplice!"

Natsu snorted as he flicked off the end piece of his joint. "What did you think you were doing? Driving the getaway car while I picked up pounds of drugs? Running from the cops? Smuggling weed and cocaine across the border?"

"As far as I know marijuana is illegal." She planted her hands on her hips. "I could get in trouble for that, you know."

"Only illegal if it's in large quantities. You won't get in trouble for this amount," he shrugged as he stood there watching the blonde huff and puff. "You're being anal for no reason. Fuck off. You're not my mother."

"You hold no accountability for your actions."

"I don't have any to hold. Besides, it's just weed." He rolled his eyes as he took a drag, again. "It's not like I'm smoking crack cocaine."

"You might as well be."

"You sure do sound fun." He crouched down to crush the burning side against the concrete to put it out. "It's just fucking weed."

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest as she pouted, glaring at the male who stood crouched down on the ground. He just looked up at her as the wind blew around them. He caught a glimpse of her panties making him want to linger, looking at Lucy who looked offended.

"And just FYI I am fun!" Lucy pointed her finger at him before turning around to walk back inside. "I used to smoke, too."

"Yeah, right," he snorted as he stood up to follow her inside, closing the sliding door behind him. "And I like rainbows and unicorns."

"Hey, I did," Lucy whined as Natsu walked past her. "But that was like, in high school and college. I'm an adult now, I can't do these kinds of things."

"If you did you wouldn't be acting like I just smuggled illegal drugs into the country."

"I don't know what the laws are now but I did! And I'm just warning you of the dangers of… that." She pointed at his half joint he held onto. "It could lead to worse things."

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu said as he dug through the plastic bags that were still sitting on the counter. "I'm sure you did or do or whatever," he waved her off as he grabbed the bag of chips and cookies they got. He opened the fridge door and grabbed a can of soda, turning around to see Lucy standing there with her arms across her chest again. He raised a brow at her as she frowned. "What?"

"I'm about to make lunch and you're eating that junk, again."

"I can eat it, trust me." He walked past her. "Let me know when it's ready."

And with that, Natsu left Lucy standing in the kitchen by herself as the blonde threw her arms around to punch at the air. She felt like grabbing a bat and hitting him across the head with it but she also knew better than that. She felt incredibly frustrated and annoyed that Natsu was acting like this but somehow, it made her happy that she was able to spend time with him like a friend.

He seemed… different today. Livelier but also still a dick. But she could live with this kind of treatment.


Plating the fried fish, Lucy brought it over to the dining room table as she had all her other side dishes and plates ready for lunch. She spent a little too long on lunch and it was almost three in the afternoon, making her hurry as she had so much more on her to-do list. Coming back to the stove to remove the pan from the heat, Lucy tossed the pan into the skin as she pulled off her apron.

"Natsu! Lunch!" She shouted as she went over to the rice cooker to scoop rice into a bowl. "Natsu!"

Silence lingered in between and she sighed, looking at the doorway wondering to herself if she should go get him. Walking back to the table, Lucy put down the bowls of rice and then made her way to the staircase where she shouted for the male. "Natsu!"

Silence was all she heard so she sighed as she walked up the stairs. She made sure to be quiet since she realized Natsu could be passed out. Going to where his door was, Lucy knocked on the door for it to creek open as he didn't close his door all the way. She chewed on her lip as she wondered if it was best to walk into his room without permission but then she realized she would probably do worse shit if she didn't wake him up for lunch and eat herself.

Taking in a deep breath, Lucy walked into the room as she looked around in disgust. There were piles of dirty clothes everywhere and trash laid around his room. His room smelt like smoke and must be as if someone wasn't living in the room for months.

She saw Natsu laying on his bed, chips all over his chest and mattress as he snored. She found his sleeping face to be cute and almost handsome as she stared at the male who wasn't scowling like he always was, soft snores coming out of his lips like a lullaby.

A soft smile came to her lips as she watched, admiring his handsome face.

"Natsu," she whispered, dodging the trash and piles of clothes on his floor to walk over to his bed. "Natsu, wake up."

Natsu didn't move as he continued to sleep, his arm limp by his side.

Taking in a deep breath, Lucy reached for him, her fingers barely brushing against his shoulder. "Natsu. Wake up—"

Suddenly, Natsu's eyes opened wide and he grabbed her wrist that was about to touch him, yanking the blonde onto the bed who yelped in surprise. Lucy didn't know what happened but one thing she was trying to wake Natsu up and then the next she was laying in his bed looking up at the male who pinned her down by her throat on his bed. Her eyes were wide with fear and shock as he held her arms down while straddling her.

Natsu looked down at her with anger until he realized who it was, his facial features softening a bit until he looked annoyed. He released his hand off her throat and let go of her arms making her grow limp.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" He hissed, making Lucy gulp.

"I—I was trying to wake you up for lunch—"

"I thought you were a fucking burglar or something. Don't ever fucking come into my room, again!"

Tearing up, Lucy looked up at Natsu with so much fear and emotions making him sigh and climb off of her. "Hey—"

"I'm sorry!" She cried out, sitting up to run out the room. Natsu reached for her and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from leaving. "I—I just… I—I'm sorry, I—" she sobbed a bit. "I didn't know I just wanted to wake you up."

Natsu could feel her trembling as he held onto her wrist, a pang of guilt and pain shooting through his chest as he didn't know how to react.

"Lunch is ready." She said in a trembling voice as Natsu let go of her wrist. Lucy soon walked out of his room making him stand there in shame, clenching his fist in anger as he shook his head.

He took a seat on his bed and sighed, covering his face with his hands as she replayed the scene in his head over and over again.

"Goddamn it."

Getting himself together, Natsu walked out of his room slowly as he approached the stairs, listening for Lucy. He could hear soft sobs coming from downstairs and he then heard the sliding door open before closing, allowing him to come downstairs to peek around to see her standing outside. He watched as her hair blew around as her back faced the door. She looked like she was wiping her tears away with a tissue and it made him suddenly feel bad as he realized he probably hurt her in the process.

He glanced over to the dining table where dishes and food laid out for the two.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Natsu walked over to the sliding door and opened it, making Lucy jump and turn around to look at him.

Her eyes were red and puffy as the tip of her nose glowed red. He could see a small outline of his fingers around her neck and collarbone making him frown at this. She looked embarrassed and confused, stepping away from him as he walked out and shut the door closed behind him.

Silence danced around the couple before Natsu sigh again, kicking his feet against the ground as he shoves his hands in his pocket.

"I didn't mean to scare you."

"I—it's fine," Lucy tried to laugh it off. "It's my fault—"

"It's not," Natsu cut her off. "I truly thought someone was coming in to hurt me… I didn't mean to hurt you or scare you in any way."

Lucy stayed silent as Natsu swayed back and forth.

"Are you… okay?"

"Yeah," Lucy sighed. She whimpered slightly as tears streamed down her face making Natsu look over at her. "No." She started to sob, shaking in her spot as Natsu watched. "I—I really didn't mean to and—and I just… it was so scary I thought you were g—going to k—kill me or st—strangle me." She hiccuped as she wiped the tears away, sobbing into her hands. "I'm sorry. I am. I truly am sorry—!"

Natsu squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head as he listened to Lucy sob, trembling with anger for himself as he realized he did this.

Not knowing what to do, Natsu just stood there as she cried, waiting for her to stop. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his lighter and the half smoked joint from earlier, lighting the end of it to put it to his mouth to puff on it. The end eventually got lit as he puffed in smoke, exhaling. Without turning to look at her, Natsu held out the joint to the crying blonde.

Lucy looked through teary eyes at the joint he held in front of her, looking over to see Natsu was facing away and not looking at her.

Staring at the joint in front of her, Lucy eventually reached for it and put it to her lips, inhaling before exhaling a puff of smoke that eventually got her coughing.

"You can't hit it so hard." He scolded as Lucy pounded on her chest. "Do it lightly."

Lucy nodded as she took another hit again, coughing even harder this time as she held it out to Natsu. He only sighed as he took it back, taking a drag from it as he watched her hold onto her chest and pound on it. Soon, Lucy was giggling to herself, making Natsu raise his eyebrow at her.

"Okay, I'm good, hand it over." She held her hand out making him look at her in amusement. He handed it back to her and she took a drag, exhaling the smoke in front of the two as she hugged herself. "I haven't smoked weed since I was nineteen. I forgot how good it feels."

Natsu only grunted as he watched her take another drag before handing it back to him. He looked at her slim painted fingers, reaching for it gently as he held it in his rough ones.

"So, how does it feel?"

"I feel better," she nodded as the two stood there. "Thanks."

Natsu nodded to himself, comfortable silence absorbing the two as he took another drag of his joint, ashing the corner of the joint to hold it out to Lucy who took it from him, again.

"To be honest, I didn't have a good day from the start," Lucy muttered. "So, I guess this was just pent up emotions from this morning."

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened…" she laughed a bit. She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked downwards, tears streaming down her cheeks again. "Just… a nightmare, I guess. Flashbacks."

Natsu glanced over at Lucy who silently cried, seeing how tears ran down her face. "Your dad?"

"Yeah."

The two stood there in silence, exchanging the joint before it was gone. Natsu put it out entirely on the ground and tossed it in a bush nearby before turning to look at Lucy. She had red hooded eyes, eyes puffed up from her tears and nose still red from the times she wiped her nose. He thought she looked adorable as she looked up at him with a smile on her face.

He just looked away, a small blush crawling up his neck as he reached forward and placed a hand on top of her head.

Lucy jumped as she looked up at him, eyes wide as cheeks dusted pink.

"You're alright." He stated before he turned to open the sliding door. "Let's eat."

Lucy could only smile to herself as she watched Natsu walk back inside, following him as she suddenly felt hungry, too.

Walking over to the dining table, she sat herself down as Natsu sat across from her, the two getting ready to eat.

"Sorry, it's probably cold by now. I can reheat it."

"Nah," he said as he dug right into his meal. "Thanks."

Lucy could only smile and watch how Natsu went right into the food, eating everything so deliciously you would have thought he was starving for weeks at a time.

Somehow, she did feel a lot better.


"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Just put it in your mouth."

"But.. it's huge."

"Just open your mouth wide. It'll be good."

"But it's dripping!"

"Then hurry up and put it in your mouth!"

Putting the pickle into her mouth, Lucy took a big bite as the crunch from the chips and pickle echoed into the room. Looking at Natsu who watched her, Lucy held her hand over her mouth as she tried to chew with her cheeks full. She held back a laugh as Natsu snorted at her, a small smile lingering on his mouth as Lucy looked away in embarrassment.

"So?"

"It's—" Lucy tried to swallow, chewing the last bit in her mouth. "Good."

"I told you," Natsu said before he took a large bite of the pickle, his mouth crunching up the fibers. "I saw it online."

"What is it supposed to be?"

"Its a pickle with taki chips in the middle with hot sauce and a fruit roll up wrapped around it."

"Someone had to be high when they thought of it." Lucy took another small bite from the pickle as she started to absorb the flavors. "It's not amazing but it's not bad."

Natsu shrugged as he took another bite, looking down at Lucy who leaned across the counter to be closer to him. "I like it."

He somehow spent the entire day with her and he didn't hate it. Partially was because he felt bad about what happened earlier and he had to because she took him to the grocery store but he was actually starting to enjoy hanging around her. Maybe it was because Lucy was also high with him but they were just snacking and talking about stupid stuff.

The time was almost seven and Zeref would be home soon, the couple spending the last couple hours they had just fooling around.

"They also have one with sour candy."

"I feel like that would hurt." Lucy giggled.

Natsu only smiled as he finished the pickle, rinsing his hands off in the skin. He looked over to see Lucy staring up at him, her eyes wide and almost sparkling. He felt flustered suddenly as he looked away from her, feeling his cheeks grow hot from embarrassment.

He now realized how close they were and how incredibly cute Lucy looked, his heart pounding in his chest as she leaned in close to him.

"I think I like this whole getting high thing. I can see why you do it."

"It helps," he shrugged, clearing his throat. "I like to think it does."

"Well, I did it for fun back in school."

"That, too." He smiled at her, making her smile right back.

"You should smile more." Lucy said as she got up to go around the counter to the cupboard. "You're cute when you smile."

Natsu could only look away and scowl as he felt himself get red, forcing himself to look away from Lucy who could only giggle and smile.

And on cue, Zeref walked into the kitchen where the couple stood, the dark-haired male sighing loudly as he threw his briefcase onto the counter.

"You will not believe the day I had."

"Welcome home!" Lucy chirped as Zeref took a seat at the counter. "Hope your day is better now that you're home."

"Always better when it is spent with you, Lucy." Zeref offered a wink as he looked at the blushing blonde. He looked over at Natsu who was giving him a look. "Hey there little bro. Surprised to see you down here mingling."

"Fuck off."

"Natsu and I actually spent the day together." Lucy said as she came over to place a cup of water in front of Zeref. "He went to the store with me, too."

"Wow," Zeref looked over at Natsu, wiggling his eyebrows at the scowling male. "You went to the store with Lucy?"

"I wanted snacks."

"Uh-huh," Zeref gave his brother a smirk as he went over to the dining table where Lucy began to place plates down. "And I see the fish was made today."

"Yep! Saved you some, of course. But, sadly, I do have to head out shortly."

"Oh, Lucy, you've done more than I could have ever imagined for you to do! Please, I can do the rest. Why don't you head back home? The sun is set by now."

"I can wait till—"

"Nonsense! Come on, now," Zeref ushered Lucy towards the front door making her giggle. "We will see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Zeref," Lucy smiled at the dark haired male as she came over to put her boots back on. "You may need to reheat the fish, but there is rice in the cooker and some snacks in the pantry. I left some meat marinating in the fridge for tomorrow."

"Aye," he saluted her, making her laugh at him. "Drive safe and we'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," Lucy leaned over to look behind Zeref where Natsu stood. "Bye Natsu! Thanks for spending the day with me. I had a bunch of fun!"

Natsu only looked away as he crossed his arms, burying his nose into his scarf as he didn't want her to see him blushing.

Lucy only giggled as she stood back up straight, offering Zeref a big smile as she fished her keys out of her purse. "Have a good night, Zeref. Enjoy your dinner and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, now," he said as he watched Lucy walk down the stairs to her car. He leaned against the door as he watched her get in the car, wave goodbye, and then drive off into the dark road ahead. He closed the door shut and sighed, looking at his younger brother who just stood there. "Looks like hiring Lucy was a good thing, huh?"

"Shut up," Natsu scowled, making Zeref smile at him. "It's not like that."

"This is the most I have seen you around anyone, Natsu."

"I told you I wanted snacks at the store."

"And what was this about then?" He waved his finger around. "Wanting a snack?" He smirked, winking at Natsu who just mean-mugged him. "I get it, Lucy is a very beautiful woman." He raised his hands up as he started walking into the kitchen where Natsu trailed behind.

"It's not like that." He tried to say but Zeref just shrugged as he sat back down at the counter to pick at his dinner. "She made dinner and we happened to snack together."

"I'm proud of you, Natsu."

"What?" Natsu looked at him in surprise.

"I'm proud of you." He repeated as he took a bite of the fried fish. "Damn, this is good." He muttered to himself. "But, I'm saying, you're warming up to Lucy and I'm proud of you for that. Thank you for trying, really, cause Lucy was my last hope."

Natsu stayed silent as he leaned against the counter across from his brother, watching how he picked at his food and ate.

"You're finally growing up."

"Shut the fuck up," Natsu growled. "I'm not a kid!"

"Yeah, yeah," Zeref waved him off. "I think Lucy really likes you, too." He pointed his chopsticks at the pink-haired male who blinked. "I can see she is really trying and she works hard for you. I think she's about the same age as you." He said as he tried to remember what age Lucy told him she was. "Anyways, you just never know what could happen."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying," Zeref swallowed his food. "Lucy is a single beautiful woman who can cook, clean, and handle your stubborn angry ass. She's like the first girl I've ever seen you take an interest in that has walked through these doors and I think you guys are well suited for each other."

"I'm not interested in her," Natsu scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked away in embarrassment. "And you don't know that she's single."

"I know she is."

"How would you know?"

"She told me."

Natsu stayed silent again as he remembered Lucy this morning, fighting about how she isn't in a relationship or seeing anyone and it made the corner of his lips tug upwards just a slight bit.

"It won't hurt to try to get to know her, too, Natsu."

Natsu looked back at his brother who offered him a soft smile.

"You're not getting any younger. Maybe it is time for you to find someone."

"Like you're the one to talk. You're almost thirty years old and single."

"Who said I was single?" Zeref smirked, wiggling his brows at his brother who just scowled at him again. "And don't deny it. Go get your dick wet, little bro! You need it. Especially you." He muttered the last part making Natsu flush red and look at his brother in anger and embarrassment.

"Fuck you!"

"Am I wrong?"

"Don't fucking tell me what I need," he hissed at the older man who just shrugged.

"You haven't left this place since you graduated high school, Natsu." Zeref rolled his eyes, coming around the counter to place his empty dish into the sink. "I think Lucy is what you might need."

Natsu stayed silent as his brother's voice echoed into his head, the male thinking about Lucy as he lectured him. Most of it just went in one ear and out the other but he still felt some type of way. The scene in his bedroom continued to play through his mind as he still felt guilty about hurting her, wondering if he could do something to make it up to her in some way.

Maybe Zeref was right in some way but he didn't need to say that to him.


Notes: as i stated previously: i do not condone or encourage drug use! Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!