HI

Lucy awoke to an empty bed, hearing the shower running behind her, Natsu's usual spot empty.

The alarm clock on the other table blinked a sign that she had slept well into the early afternoon. She yawned and stretched, a little disappointed that Natsu hadn't stayed in bed and waited for her to wake up.

She stared at where he had slept, the blanket he probably tucked back in so as to not disturb her.

Lucy hadn't known him for long, but Natsu was doing so much to make her feel comfortable and validated, something she wasn't entirely too used to. Did he act like this with every girl he kept around?

But if Lucy really thought about it, wasn't she using him...just a little? Not to say that Natsu was manipulating her in any capacity, things happened to come to where they were now.

Her intention that first night was to sleep with him and leave the next morning, knowing her head would probably be clear enough to regret running away so suddenly.

His apartment felt like an alternate universe, where she could do whatever she wanted without facing any sort of consequence. Natsu made that easy enough, with his free will and voracious nature.

Lucy was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the water shut off in the other room. It wasn't until Natsu stood over her, his wet hair dripping onto her face, that she snapped out of it.

"Were ya sleeping with your eyes open?" He asked, his every day smile calming the crashing waves of her swelling worry.

"Just thinking," She smiled, sputtering as he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. "Hey! You're all wet!"

"I was about to dry my hair," He smirked before shaking more of the water out to land on her. "And make something to eat, so you get washed up too. I left something out for you to wear, we're leaving in a little while,"

"Shopping?"

"I said I'd take you, so duh. Can't have you uncomfortable, though I wouldn't mind if I kept finding you without a bra on,"

"Oi!"

When she emerged from the shower herself, she had the twinge of a thought to buy a different scented body wash and shampoo set, preferably her own. She didn't like smelling like the other girls who'd come through here before, if she really thought about it.

Maybe Lucy would challenge herself not to think so much, perhaps she was overthinking this whole thing. Natsu was a go with the flow type of person and they just happened to cross paths. What their relationship might mean after her time spent in his apartment shouldn't weigh so heavily on her.

The aroma of savory breakfast foods made her stomach burble, Lucy scrunching the water from her hair as she walked out of his room.

"Yeah, I really don't like seeing you in Erza's clothes," Natsu shivered a little as he set a plate onto the table motioning her to sit before it. "It's like when you see your mom in a bikini,"

"Would you quit saying things like that?" A scowl irked on her forehead, Lucy sticking out her tongue. "I could have just worn something of yours, you know,"

"I would've given you my hoodie but it's going to be pretty hot. Didn't think you'd like being sweaty half the day." He said, his back toward her as he finished pushing something back and forth in a saucepan. The tips of her ears felt warm at his words, Lucy would never get used to them.

"Where are we going?" She asked, taking a bite into the stack of pancakes he made her. "Oh, these are actually good!"

"My mom's recipe," He grinned and sat himself across from her, flour staining the side of his chin. "I asked one of my dad's guys to drive us into Onibus. Figure that way it'll be easier to avoid anyone that might be lookin' for ya."

"Smart thinking," Lucy nodded, letting herself get lost in the surprisingly good breakfast Natsu made. "Do you cook often?"

"Sometimes," Natsu shrugged, munching on a strip of bacon. "Mostly when I stay here, though. My mom does it all at home, she won't let anyone in the kitchen unless you ask nicely."

She took a sip from the glass of water given to her, pausing for a moment, wondering if he ever cooked for anyone else. Ugh.

"I only cook for myself, and friends." Lucy met the mirth in his eyes with another embarrassed blush, of course he knew what she was thinking.

It wasn't long before they were sitting in his family's car, a man in an imposing black suit driving them in silence. He introduced himself to her earlier, Gildarts was his name. She looked out her window to avoid the stares in the rearview mirror he kept giving the two.

"Think you'll be out long today? Your dad called for a meeting in the evening," Gildarts hummed, Natsu looking up from the game he was busy playing on his phone.

"Whaddaya think, Luce? Wanna stay out 'n get some dinner?" He threw her a cheeky smile, Gildarts rolling his eyes. "I think some place fancy a couple hours away might be a nice change of pace."

"You don't have to come, I need to be back in Magnolia before six is all,"

"I'm fine with cooking something at home," The last word pushed past her lips before she could catch it. Home. Natsu had that playful look in his eyes again, Lucy swatting his arm as he stifled a laugh. "I don't want to make you late or anything,"

"Finally hanging out with a nice girl for once, I'll say." The older man laughed as we veered from the highway, finally driving into Onibus. It wasn't a long ways away from Magnolia, maybe a half hour long drive. Natsu instructed Gildarts to take them to the mall, one of the few he and his friends often accompanied Erza to.

"Lucy's the class president, of course she's nice."

"A class president? Are you sure Natsu's not holding you hostage? I can let his dad know if he's done anything weird to you, he has a tendency to act out sometimes. Forgets how menacing his parents can be when they try."

Lucy hid a laugh of her own this time, trying not to grin from ear to ear as Natsu's jaw dropped.

"Oi! I'm not a kid, don't tell her stuff like that!"

Natsu was soon slamming the car door shut, ignoring the protest of Gildarts to treat his vehicle with manners.

"I'll let you know when we're done," He said, ducking his head into the passenger window with a wave. "Don't go too far, got it?"

"Yeah, whatever. I'll see you both soon,"

Lucy waved politely as Natsu settled his arm around her shoulders and spun her around.

"You don't need to wave him off, that old man likes to get clingy when a girls too nice. He doesn't know how to act his age."

"He was kind enough to drive us, don't be rude," She drove an elbow into his side, smiling as he let out a loud yip, groaning as his head fell to her shoulder. "So let's hurry up, we don't need to take too long, do we?"

"Ain't no sense in trying to get everything done at once! Learn to relax a little, remember that's what I'm here for," Natsu said as he walked them through the gate to the main plaza.

Lucy hadn't been to Onibus before, even though her father was rich, she rarely spent his money. Jude didn't like the idea of her going out unnecessarily, often instructing their servants to go out and bring back whatever she might want.

He was okay with her and Levy hanging out, since they usually just went to a cafe for lunch before spending the day in a book store or library. Occasionally they went to the mall before the seasons changed, Capricorn usually watching from closeby in case of an emergency. It felt nice not to have a babysitter for once.

"Know what kind of clothes you want?" Natsu asked as they leisurely walked past a couple of the first few stores, the gush of the fountain nearby accompanying his voice.

"Is assuming everyone's a child today's theme? Of course I know what kind of clothes I want. It's not like I'll need a lot, just a couple of outfits for the rest of the week." She felt her hips sway a bit more when his hand fell onto their curve, sending a warning to any man or woman that might look their way.

And they did, Lucy watching from the peripheral of her eye. Probably because of what she was wearing; the short skirt that flounced to nearly expose her borrowed panties, the top a little too snug on her chest and failing to make her look anything but desirable. She felt confident and comfortable; usually she could only wear an outfit like this if it were in Levy's bedroom on the weekend.

She felt their eyes and felt Natsu squeeze, tempting her to wonder if they might get lost in another slip of space later that night.

"I'm just takin' care of you 's all," He said in a cheery tone. "Everything's on my dad, so don't worry about pickin' the cheap stuff. Lead us wherever you want, get anything but Heart Kruez."

"Do you go shopping with Erza a lot?" Lucy giggled as he groaned, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Don't make me talk about it, it's not by choice, trust me. She forces all of us to go to every sale just to carry her bags. She has a shopping problem and no one can say otherwise, unfortunately. That's what happens when you're pampered by your mom and Jellal. They let her get away with it because they like to see her happy."

"That actually sounds really sweet," She smiled as he groaned, turning them in the direction of a store that caught her eye. "You're a good friend."

"I guess I can agree with that," The scent of the store washed over them, Natsu's nose twitching at the overperfumed scent. "Urgh, I forgot how much I hate this smell."

"You don't like perfume?"

"Hate the stuff," He stuck his tongue out and shivered, almost wanting to lift up the collar of his shirt to hide his nose. "So don't buy any,"

"I won't," She said, knowing she wouldn't want to do anything to make him uncomfortable. "But what kind of scents do you like? I don't like the soap you have in your apartment."

"Oh?" Lucy ignored the smarmy look he sported, turning her attention to the few clothing racks before her. "How about we go to a store and I'll pick something out for you? It'll be a surprise,"

"Sounds fun," She hid her smile by lifting a dress in front of her, showing it to him. "Like this color?"

"Ask for my opinion when it comes to the sexy stuff," Lucy rolled her eyes. "You'll let me watch you try it on too, yeah?"

"For your information," She slapped the dress against his chest, motioning for him to hold it for her. "They don't let you try on lingerie, especially if it's the good stuff."

"Oh, you're definitely getting the good stuff," There was a bit of a purr in her words, his canine sinking into the bottom of his lip, his eyes drawn to her hips as she walked away. "Let me pick that out for you too."

"Sure," Her own words surprised and invigorated he; Natsu was turning out to be a bad influence. Briefly standing at his side was exposing her to a darker nature that she didn't even know was in her. "And then what?"

She stood on the other side of another clothing rack as he faced her, her tongue tracing the edges of her teeth.

"You're gonna wanna hurry up and pick some more stuff out so I can get you alone in the dressing room,"

LOL BYE