Lucy had had a rough day. First she was late for her interview (thank goodness she got the job!), then when she was running errands for Gloria, the heal on her shoe broke. She'd had to break the heal on her other shoe so she could get her work done without walking awkwardly. Her feet were killing her! Now she has to bring some important papers across town to Mr. Dragneel at a restaurant called Spetto's.
Her stomach grumbled... She had also forgotten her lunch today.
Lucy sighed and looked toward her destination across the street. The front had large windows with the name SPETTO'S across them. Red and white checked curtains covered the bottom half of the windows giving it a cosy look. As it was late, the restaurant was dark, except for a faint light coming from the back half of the dining area. She could see shadows of multiple chair legs in the air all clumped together.
They must be closed...But this is where I was told to go.
Sighing again, she made her way across the street. Her feet hurt so much. When she got her first paycheck she was soooo investing in some flat comfortable dress shoes. Nothing fancy, she wasn't planning on working for Mr. Dragneel for very long. She was just covering Levy's maternity leave for six months. The library where she works in Hargeon should be done with the emergency repairs by then.
Once she was close enough to see in the windows, she could see a large group in the back. She turned toward the entrance and saw two men standing on either side of the door. Walking over to the entrance she made to reach for the door handle when she was blocked by one of the men.
"This a private dinner Miss."
Lucy, with a surprised look, said to the man "I was told to come to this restaurant to find Mr. Dragneel. I am his secretary and I was instructed to bring an important file to him. If you won't let me pass, could you go in and tell him I am here?"
"Name?"
"Just tell him Lucy is here with a file from Gloria."
The man that spoke to her nods at the other man and heads into the restaurant to give the message to Mr. Dragneel. Now that she is closer, she can see through the glass door and can see Mr. Dragneel at the head of the table. Satisfied that she is at the right place and will be let in momentarily, her eyes slide over to take in the rest of the table. They widen when she realizes that she knows a few of the people around that table. She went to high school with them, one even bullied her occasionally. She also knew that these particular people followed around another particular person.
I wonder if I'll see him?
Guard number 1 is back and pushing through the door. "Boss says you can come in." He holds the door open for her.
Lucy nods her head and walks through the door. Taking in the layout, she sees that the fastest way towards Mr. Dragneel is along the wall. It had the less chance of people really noticing her. It helped that the wall was brown, she could blend in. In and out, unnoticed. Praying that these people didn't recognize her, she weaves her way around the cluster of chair legs toward the wall. Once there, it's a straight shot to the head of the table.
So far, so good.
What she failed to realize was she was walking right past the swinging kitchen doors.
WHAM
Her world exploded in pain. Stunned, she starts to tip backwards from the impact, but is suddenly stopped by hands on her arms. The pain catches up to her. "AAHH!" Her hands come up to clutch her nose, she can already feel the blood sliding down her face. "Who the hell stands behind the kitchen door?! And who are you?! You're not supposed to be here!" The hands leave her arms and she can feel them on her wrists to pull her hands away from her nose.
She doesn't put up any resistance and lets her hands be moved from her face. Tilting her face up, she hears a suck of breath in and assumes her face must look really bad.
"Lucy?! What...?!"
Or not...
Realizing her eyes are closed, she opens them and is greeted with a view of the one person she thought she was never going to see again.
Natsu Dragneel. In the flesh, looking much more mature than when she last saw him.
"Fuck!"
His right arm went around her waist and his left came up to hold the right side of her face. He is stunned. No way did he expect to see Lucy Heartfilia again. He starts to tip her head back to get a better look at her face.
"Natsu! Don't tip her head back!" Grandeeney says as she comes over with a napkin. "Here, let me see if it's broken."
Natsu drops his left arm so Grandeeney can take a look at Lucy's nose. Her hand comes up to prod the bridge. Lucy flinches back but doesn't go far because Natsu has her held still.
"It doesn't feel broken but she should go get an x-ray anyway. She can get some pains medicine too." She hands the napkin to Natsu and he brings it up to put light pressure on Lucy's nose. He nods his head, trusting that what his Aunt says is right.
"Right, come on Luce, let's go get you checked out. Can you hold this?" Natsu gestures with his head toward the napkin for Lucy to hold. Reaching her hand up she lightly holds the napkin to her nose and turns slightly to head for the door. Natsu's arm stiffens behind her keeping her in place. He reaches down behind her legs and suddenly she is in the air!
WHAT?!
"I camb walk!"
Natsu looks down at her in his arms and smiles. "Nah, better not chance it."
Turning his head to the group he says, "Grey and Elfman, with me. The rest of you are good to go home."
Gajeel throws his napkin on the table and gets up from his chair. "I'll come too. Shrimp would have my head if anything happened to Bunny Girl."
Grey sighs and pushes his chair back from the table. "And here I was hoping for an early night in. Elfman, can you bring the car around?"
Elfman nods his head and turns to his sister, "Don't wait up for me." And he gets up to head out the door first to get the car.
Igneel watches his son carry his secretary to the front, Grey and Gajeel right behind him. He can see Elfman drive up to the curb and get out to come round and open the car door. Grey opens the restaurant's front door for Natsu and Lucy, Gajeel coming right out behind them. Natsu gently puts Lucy onto the car seat and scoots her over so he can get in beside her. Once everyone is inside they drive off towards Hargeon Hospital.
Igneel faces the rest of the table and with a scowl on his face steeples his fingers. "Would someone mind telling me how they missed my son having an interest in this woman?"
Mirajane answers for the group, "We have been watching him Boss and we have never seen him with her."
"Hmmm. I already know Gajeel knows her because Levy is the one who recommended Lucy for her replacement. Has anyone else met her before?" Igneel looks at the faces around the table and he is met with blank looks except for Mirajane.
"Mirajane? Do you know her?"
Mirajane grimaces and then looks sheepish. "Yes, she went to our high school. She was a Sophmore when I was a Senior. I used to pick on her. But, I had no idea that Natsu knew her."
Igneel leans back in his chair, his hands move to rest on the arms. He has a concentrated look on his face. Sighing he gets up from his chair and walks over to the file folder on the floor by the kitchen door. Reaching down to pick it up, he then stands and turns to address the group.
"Keep an eye on them. I want to know if he shows any romantic interest. I'll do what I can to get some information from her."
"Yes Boss!"
