Roxy's random fandom posts

“Whatcha thinkin’ ‘bout?”

He sat down beside her, leisurely throwing an arm over her shoulders. How would this natural action change if he fell in love with someone else? Lucy shook her head, ridding herself of the thought.

“Nothing important. What have you been up to? You stink…” She made no effort masking the look of disgust on her face. Natsu chuckled mischievously.

“I pranked Happy. Messed around with the plumbing in the bathroom, you shoulda seen his face!” His teeth gleamed in the daylight as he threw his head back in laughter. Lucy would have found him insanely attractive, Adam's apple bobbing as gleeful chuckles escaped his mouth, if she wasn’t suddenly very aware of what it was she was smelling on him. He smelled like feces…

“God, Natsu!” She shoved him away. “And you didn’t wash up afterwards? We’ll both get sick!”

Natsu gave her a nonchalant shrug.

“The plumbing is ruined, I couldn’t shower even if I wanted to. That’s why I came to you!”

“What, so you could rub poop on my new shirt?!”

“No,” he scoffed. “To tell ya’ I’ll borrow your bathtub.”

Lucy, who was now standing up, felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn’t want to touch a single object at this state, and even less touch Natsu, but she grabbed his scarf and started walking towards the guild door.

“We’re taking a bath, now.” A faint whistle from one of the guild mates was met with a deadly stare from Lucy. “God, all the times you’ve invaded my apartment without asking, but this is when you ask? This stench has got to be killing you and your bloodhound nose.”

“Meh, I got used to it pretty quickly.”

Lucy gave him a puzzled glance. With the wind blowing away the worst of the stench she didn’t find the same fiery energy as before to scold him. Instead she dragged him all the way home, and immediately drew him a bath.

As she took off her shirt to throw it in the washing machine with Natsu’s disgustingly damp clothes, she remembered the victim of the prank.

“Hey, where’s Happy? You didn’t leave him in poop-city, did you?” She lifted up her left bra-strap that had fallen down her shoulder.

“He jumped in the lake to wash himself. Then I reminded him that we eat the fish from that lake, so he ran away crying. He’ll be back sooner or later.” Natsu was sitting on the bathroom floor in just boxers, as Lucy forbade him to sit on any furniture. The tiles in there were easy enough to clean, so she allowed him to wait there. As she looked at him, he seemed to be staring intensely at something south of her face. “Is that a new bra?”

Lucy’s face became warm, and according to the bathroom mirror, glowing red.

“Why do you keep an inventory of my bra-supply?” She clipped back, sounding angrier than she intended to.

Natsu just sheepishly smiled, pointing to his head.

“I like the colour, it kinda matches my hair!”

Lucy felt a vein pop out of her forehead. She suppressed the urge to hit him for his insensitivity, and instead redirected him to the hot bath.

“Okay, fashionista, how about you like cleanliness instead.”

She pointed to the tub and then left the room so he could do what she’d brought him to do. In the meantime she washed her hands in the basin in the kitchen, and went and picked out some clean clothes for them to wear. She’d called him a fashionista, and she really meant it. That man was so peculiar with the clothes he wore that she sometimes wondered why he wore that open vest when they first met. She understood the appeal, as she didn’t exactly reject the straight view to his abdominal muscles, but she was attracted to him. Natsu didn’t seem attracted to anything, other than maybe food and fighting. Still, he was picky with the clothes on his back.

A few minutes passed, and she heard the water sloshing around in the bathroom, followed by a loud sigh of relief. Natsu must have finally submerged himself. Just as she sat down on the couch, a muffled voice called from the bathroom.

“Oi, Lucy!” She sighed.

“What now?”

There was a brief pause before he answered.

“I think I dropped my soap.”

Lucy groaned, rubbing her temples.

“Then pick it up, genius.”

“No, I mean… it went flying. I think it’s under the cabinet.”

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut. Why is he like this?

She stood up and stomped over to the bathroom door, cracking it open just enough to glare at him through the gap. She picked her field of vision carefully.

“I’m not helping you unless you cover up. Spin around or something.”

“Prude,” he muttered under his breath. Lucy ignored him. Some social rules were important to adhere to – friends of different sex weren’t supposed to see each other naked. The fact that this rule had been accidentally broken multiple times before didn’t have anything to do with it.

She exhaled sharply and opened the door wider to enter. Natsu had obediently spun around to face the window, allowing Lucy to step in without any worry. She crouched down and peered under the sink cabinet, spotting the rogue soap resting just out of reach. With a huff, she stretched her arm underneath, fingers just grazing the edge—

Splash!

Lucy froze. Slowly, she turned her head, feeling the cold trail of water drip down her lower back. Natsu was half-sunken in the tub, grinning like a mischievous imp.

“…You did not just do that,” she gasped, her voice a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Natsu snickered, completely unrepentant. He eyed her up and down, so fast Lucy thought she might have imagined it, but then he quickly gulped, proving that he had, in fact, ogled her. Before she could swiftly take her leave, Natsu spoke up.

“It was an accident?”

A playful fury rose in Lucy’s chest. Oh, he was so dead. Without hesitation, she grabbed the soap and hurled it straight at his head. It smacked against his forehead with a satisfying thunk. Natsu flinched, then burst into laughter, clutching his head.

“Okay, okay! I surrender!” he wheezed, hands up in mock defeat.

Lucy crossed her arms, scowling – though the tiny smirk tugging at her lips betrayed her.

“You better be squeaky clean when you get out,” she warned, turning toward the door. “Or you’re sleeping outside.”

With a huff, she spun on her heel and marched out, leaving Natsu’s laughter echoing behind her.

When Natsu finally stepped out of the bathroom, he was dressed in the clothes Lucy had picked out for him. A couple of months ago, she’d reached out to his tailor to get him a new set, something close to what he usually wore. The result was an outfit not unlike the one he had during their fight against Tartaros. She had always liked that look – it suited him – but it was a shame when those clothes were destroyed in battle.

Then again, the same could be said for her own. That green top and vest she’d chosen specifically because they reminded her of Natsu’s had met a similar fate. But unlike him, she could never wear that outfit again. Too many painful memories were woven into the fabric, especially the ones tied to Aquarius. Just thinking about it made her chest tighten.

She could only hope Natsu didn’t feel the same way about his clothes. Or at least that the subtle differences in design would keep any bad memories at bay. Maybe the fact that it was a gift from her could be enough to soothe the wounds. But that might be wishful thinking.

The original plan had been to give them to him as a birthday gift, but given the state of his old outfit, he might as well start wearing them now.

“Where’d ya’ get these clothes? They fit me perfectly.” Natsu was tugging at different parts of the fabric to correct the position. “Like they were tailored or somethin’.”

Lucy let out a chuckle.

“They were. I was going to give them to you at a better time, but you needed something wearable now, so…” She crossed her arms over her stomach and smiled at him. Natsu smiled back, flashing his teeth.

“Thanks! They’re great!”

“Spin for me.” Lucy let a mischievous glint in her eye show.

“What. Why?”

“I just wanna…” She tried to pick her words. “Fulfill the vision.”

To her surprise, he actually did as she asked. Not the pretty ballerina version like a small part of her had wished for, but still; a slow couple of steps that gave her the full view. Lucy almost barked out a sit command too, but the dog-resemblance would be too big for her to keep from laughing. So instead she just nodded in approval.

“He did well.”

This time it was Natsu’s turn to look at Lucy. It wasn’t anything new that he stared at her; he’d done it countless times before, sometimes what felt like hours at a time. She didn’t usually care, as she was too deep in books or too busy writing to notice, but when she stood in front of him, facing his longing gaze, she couldn’t help but cower a little. She didn’t understand what he was thinking about. So many thoughts were swirling around in that head, yet the silliest words made it out. Once he’d stared at her for 2 hours, practically begging for her attention, and when she finally gave in and looked at him, he had just said “Hey look at this” and farted.

But she knew he wasn’t as unserious as he wanted to seem. He was smart, thoughtful and kind; his mouth just filtered all intelligent words out and let the goofy ones out. So when he finally opened his mouth, she didn’t know what she expected him to say.

“Are you going out like that?”

Lucy blinked.

“Like what?”

“Ya’ know… You’re not wearing a whole lot.”

A brow scrunched up in confusion. She never wore a whole lot, yet he’d never complained about it before?

“What are you trying to say?”

Natsu stepped closer, only stopping when their chests were practically touching, and Lucy could feel his hot breath against her face. He leaned in and whispered straight into her ear;

“You’re just wearing a bra.” Lucy’s entire body shivered when she felt his finger curl into one her bra strap, letting it go with a light smack against her shoulder. She was certain her face was the deepest shade of red.

Natsu laughed and goofily put his hands behind his head as he took a step back.

“You shoulda’ seen yer face!” He cackled, clumsily stepping out to the kitchen to search through the cupboards for something quick to eat. Lucy let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and then sent him an angry look; a look sent in vain, as he already had his head deep in a drawer with different boxes of cookies and bags of flour.

She shook her head. Whatever mood there had been earlier was long lost. Instead she grabbed the nearest clean shirt, a pink tank top, and then entered the kitchen to take back the food that was getting stolen.

“You’re getting crumbs all over the floor. Sweep it up, lick it up, I don’t care – just make it clean.” She didn’t hide the irritation that lingered from his prank, letting it lace her voice as well as her facial expression. She was irritated. He smeared her with sewage-water, made her draw him a bath, annoyed her while in said bath, took a gift early, didn’t thank her for said gift, then played her feelings like tangents (unknowingly, but still), and now he was eating her food and leaving a big mess to top it all off.

“Yer crabby,” Natsu mumbled, crumbs flying out of his mouth like they were fleeing from his stinky breath.

“You’ve been annoying,” Lucy simply stated. “Look, I’ve cleaned you up, you’ve had some food, let’s just go back to the guild. I’ll…” she already regretted what she was about to say, “... clean this stuff up later.”

She rested her hand on her hip as she let out a tired sigh. If she stayed in this mess she’d get a headache, no doubt.

“Nah. Let’s take a walk.”

Natsu sprung up from his seat and was standing in the hallway, putting on his sandals, before Lucy even had time to blink. Still, when her brain caught up with his words, she didn’t bother protesting – she didn’t mind taking a walk. The guild was just an excuse to get him out of her apartment after all.

“Alright. Sure, let’s walk.”

The air outside felt nice and crisp as they stepped out from the front port. Lucy had thrown on a jacket, thinking that the February weather would make her temperature drop too quickly otherwise, but she didn’t have to worry about that. Natsu was plenty warm for both of them. She took a deep breath in, finding more pleasure in the air now that Natsu didn’t stink of poop.

“Hey, look! The sun is out.”

Winters weren’t harsh in Magnolia, but there came years where the sun rarely peeked out from behind the clouds at all for months. This year had been like that; the snow had started falling late in November, continuing to mercilessly pack on during December and January. Sure, the sun might have blessed Magnolia with its warm rays a couple of times, but Lucy must have been away on missions, because she could swear that this was the first time she’d felt the sun against her skin in months. 

“One day I’ll taste it.”

Hadn’t Natsu said it so dreamily, Lucy would have laughed. For some reason though, she actually related to his words – in a much less literal sense of course.

“Yeah, one day.” It was about as realistic as finding out if fairies had tails, but dreaming didn’t hurt. She hooked her arm to Natsu’s and started walking. “So where did you want to go?”

“I dunno…” Natsu thought for a second. “Just wanted to walk around. We haven’t done that in a while.”

While he said he didn’t know where he wanted to go, he still decided on the direction to take. They walked through new blocks, some that they rarely went through due to the lack of shops. The estates in that area were beautiful – somehow Lucy felt like she had been missing out. She really wasn’t enough of a tourist in Magnolia. Today was the perfect opportunity to make up for that though, as the sun still stood high in the blue sky, and Natsu and Lucy had what felt like all the time in the world to stroll around, looking at the small wonders around them.

When the alleys between apartment blocks disappeared, the shops appeared in their place. All kinds of shops – some with beautiful, delicate looking pastries, some stands selling little bars of soap, the smell of which spread out over the entire street. They passed flower shops, street food stands, a couple of coffee shops, and near the river the most beautiful handmade jewelry shop. Lucy, who insisted she’d been good to save money on all the previously mentioned stands, couldn’t resist stopping at this one.

“Oh, Natsu, look at this necklace… It’s beautiful!” She pointed to a necklace, delicate with a gold coloured chain and a gorgeous pendant in the shape of a star. It was simple, but had clear marks that showed its handmade quality. Rough, almost raw. Only when Natsu pulled away Lucy’s hand from his arm, did she notice the hard grip she held him with.

The woman in the stand smiled warmly.

“I made that one many years ago, to an old friend of mine. She passed away before it was finished, and it’s never sold since then. You remind me a bit of her. You have the same eyes.” The wrinkles around the lady’s mouth made her seem kind – like she’d spent so much time smiling that her joy had made a permanent mark in her face. Lucy was starry eyed. So filled with awe that she couldn’t make out any words. She was glad to hear her partner speak up for her.

“It’s nice. It would fit ya’, Lucy. How much do ya’ sell it for, Granny?” Lucy didn’t bother telling Natsu off for his impoliteness. The shopkeeper didn’t seem to mind the nickname, and it was rare for her to hear compliments from Natsu. A beautiful piece of jewelry like that, fitting Lucy? Flattery took him far.

“Normally I’d try to get 30’000J for it, as it carries too much emotional value to let it go too easily… But for you, my dear? 10’000.”

Lucy’s mouth fell open.

“No, ma’am, you couldn’t possibly give it so cheap. Let me pay full price, please.” Her protest was made in respect for the handcraft, but the woman shook her head firmly.

“You can try to give me more for it, but I won’t let you.” She picked up the necklace and put it in a small mesh bag. “I’ll simply give the money back. I wanted this piece to go to a good owner, and I trust that you’ll care for it.”

Lucy tried to protest more, but this time Natsu cut her off.

“Whatcha complaining ‘bout? You’re not the one payin’ for it either way. But Granny, I’ll give ya’ 15’000J, no less. Can’t be a proud Fairy Tail wizard if I’m rippin’ ya’ off.”

Before Lucy could stop them, the exchange had been made. Natsu was trying to sneak in another 5’000J, but the lady stood firm. Before the mood became unpleasant, Lucy gave her her deepest thanks and dragged Natsu along so they could make their leave.

“How nice to be young and in love… Lucy, was that your name? You’ve caught a good one.” This time Lucy’s protest fell out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

“Oh, no, he’s not-! We’re not… like that…” Her blush got deeper as she stuttered. “Natsu’s a friend!”

This time it was Natsu’s turn to drag them away. The shopkeeper only held back laughter as he and Lucy walked out of sight.

“It’s gonna be an awfully long day if you’re gonna explain that to everyone,” he pointed out. 

Lucy looked at him, still tinted pink from the embarrassment. If a normal person, someone who wasn’t Natsu, had said this to her, they probably would have said it with meaning behind it. Something along the lines of ‘I don’t mind being in a ‘relationship’ if it’s with you’ or ‘I take offence at the insinuation that I’d be so terrible to be in a relationship with’. But as she tried to understand the face he made, she didn’t see any of that. He didn’t mind being ‘just a friend’. Of course he didn’t, being friends was the best thing they could be in his mind – and after all, they are friends. Best friends even. Still, a small part of her hoped that the small scowl that showed in his face was due to feelings deeper than friendship. Though, her brain told her it was merely the sun blinding him, so she just hooked her arm with his again and let him continue their walk.

For around 10 minutes they walked by the river. Lucy doubted Natsu actually wanted to take this way, but she wanted to do her little routine, balancing on the brick wall as the sun slowly moved closer to the horizon. A familiar voice made for a pleasant surprise.

“Hey miss Lucy! You better be careful today, the water's cold and the wall’s slippery!” It was one of the men that brought in smaller shipments of fish through their river boat that had made his voice heard. His friend chimed in.

“Better hold on tight to your boyfriend there! Catch her before she falls, would you, sir Natsu?”

His assumption made her slip as she once again tried to argue against the boyfriend-claims. Before she actually lost her balance though, she felt Natsu’s steady hand grab on to her.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Lucy squealed. Though, she sure was happy he caught her before she fell. The clucking laughter echoed between the walls of the river bank as the boatmen enjoyed the self fulfilling scene.

“Have a nice date you two!”

“We’re not on a date!”

She tried to counter their claims again, but they were soon too far away to bother talking any sense to. Only the slight pull from Natsu’s hand brought her attention back to the two of them.

“Ya’ really gonna fall one day if ya’ keep this up,” he smirked. Lucy pouted a little – she just couldn’t help it. She liked talking to the sailors, and it was a creative way to make a long walk home shorter. But she usually did avoid it when it was close to freezing. The dangers of icy cold water weren’t something to just shrug off. But today? With the sun shining, the ground looking dry, and Natsu as a space heater right beside her? She supposed she got cocky.

Finally, she jumped off the ledge and got her feet back onto the street. She didn’t go out of her way to drop Natsu’s hand, and seemingly neither did he. It was a rare occurrence, but sometimes they ended up holding hands. A drunken walk home after a late night with the guild, or just a silent drop off at Lucy’s place before Natsu took a sleeping Happy home to their cottage. When she thought about it though, they’d never held hands in broad daylight before. To keep their intimacy secret, only having the mild moonlight revealing their tender touch, was one thing. But to show it off to the sun, to the world? Lucy couldn’t stop her heart from racing even if she tried. Unimportant worries filled her brain like annoying flies. Was her hand sweaty? Was her face blushing too red? Was he listening to her heartbeat? Was he aware of the level of intimacy this was? That they were displaying their oddly close friendship to the world, and that their touches weren’t only between them, the moon, and the fluffy sheets in her bed at night, when she pretended she was asleep as he cuddled close?

“Breathe.”

Lucy wasn’t sure she’d heard him at first, as the word was spoken so quietly it could just as well have been merely a breath. Then he tilted his head slightly towards her, tightened his grip on her hand, and said it again:

“Breathe.”

A big exhale followed by a slow inhale made Lucy realise that she, in fact, hadn’t been breathing. When had she stopped? Well, so many thoughts had been going through her head that she’d simply forgotten to. An easy mistake in her opinion, though it made her kind of dizzy. She was glad that she had Natsu to hold onto. Broad and steady, grounded in their slow stroll towards the park. If he were to drop her hand right now, she was sure she’d lose her balance completely, fall on her face even. But he held on to her, like a warm, unwavering anchor.

With oxygen making its way back in her lungs, Lucy dared to speak.

“Aren’t you getting hungry? I could go for a bite.” A well-timed rumble made itself heard from Natsu’s stomach, drawing out a hearty giggle from Lucy.

“Man, I could eat a horse.”

“Would a couple of hotdogs suffice for a while?” Lucy pointed towards the small cart in front of them with her free hand. It wasn’t the most nutritious option, but it was food and it was close.

“I’ll need at least 6!” He almost looked offended, but a smirk appeared in the corner of his lips before she took him seriously. Not that he’d been joking about the amount of hotdogs – those he really did need in numbers. He would probably need twice that amount to even begin to feel full, if this wasn’t just a snack.

At the cart, Lucy began to order.

“Hello! May we order 7 hotdogs, please? All condiments.” She showed him a polite smile. She didn’t always like how meak her voice got when she spoke as a customer, but with Natsu backing her up she knew she didn’t need to feel bothered by it. If anyone tried to rip her off he’d be quick to… negotiate.

“Seven? Yer sure a hungry one!” A hearty laugh boomed out from his chest. “And for the lad? Hoho!” Before Lucy could correct the man, he’d already started scooping up the hot dogs from the warm water bath they rested in. “A word of advice for ya’ son – don’t be givin’ the lass hotdogs on a date. Ain’t proper.”

What was with the residents of Magnolia today? The jewelry seller, the boat men, and now a hotdog vendor? Lucy didn’t want wizard-fame to go over her head, but surely they all knew the two of them? Lucy Heartfilia, celestial mage of Fairy Tail, and Natsu Dragneel, the fire dragon slayer, the Salamander? Sorcerer's Weekly had covered their relationship status for ages – sure, they always made sneaky remarks of ‘secret relationships’ and hopes for something more than just friendship, but they always debunked the same thing: that they were just friends. Dates and boyfriends? It still felt further away from Lucy’s reality than another visit to Edolas.

But before she had a chance to rebuttal, Natsu opened his mouth to speak.

“Yeah, tell me ‘bout it. I’ll take her on a proper date next time.” He rubbed his neck as he let out an embarrassed chuckle.

Lucy’s mouth was left hanging open as the two of them snickered. Was Natsu acting… bashful? Was he even acting? She knew better than to pretend like she could read Natsu’s mind by now, he was one of the most unpredictable persons she’d ever met, but surely she knew him well enough to understand if this was a joke or not? But a small spark of hope acted as a shield, hindering her from asking. Because if it wasn’t a joke, if Natsu really thought that the two of them going on this walk was a date – well, was she really ready to reject him?

She didn’t know how to answer that yet. So she closed her gaping mouth, hung on to Natsu’s big hand, and stayed silent. Natsu and the vendor were making idle small talk, but Lucy couldn’t find it in her heart to join in. Her mind was racing. Natsu wasn’t the romantic type; he smelled of sewage, his favourite way to pass time was to prank people, and his top three concepts in the world were 1. Food, 2. Fighting, and 3. A talking blue cat. He didn’t think about romance the way Lucy did. He found his emotional satisfaction from being with his friends, with the guild, and, well, with Lucy. So realistically, Lucy shouldn’t take this as a sign of anything. She had made peace with his lack of interest years ago – he had always just been her Natsu, and that was okay. More than okay, it was good: perfect even.

But there it was – the small glint of hope that had managed to keep Lucy’s fear of rejection at bay for all these years. This time in the form of a chatty remark at a hotdog vendor’s off-hand comment. Other times known as a rainbow cherry tree floating down the canal, the call of her name every time he feared that she was in danger, a hand helping her up to see the perfect views of the stars, the heavy arm leaning on her for support during his toughest times, and the small air of flirtiness that saturated the air between them when their faces were close enough. The sign that her hope had something to hang on to. That there was something more than just coincidental romantic gestures between Natsu and Lucy – that there was meaning behind it.

By the time Lucy came back from the thoughts swirling around inside of her, the hotdogs were ready to go, and already halved in numbers Natsu.

“He was nice! Funny old man.”

Lucy nodded.

“Yeah, he was great. Really kind.” She realised that her voice didn’t carry the same weight it usually did. She almost sounded shaky, like all the air had been pushed out of her. Before Natsu asked, she cleared her throat and spoke up again with more power. “So, what do you want to do now? We’ve seen half the town.”

Natsu had a puzzled face as he looked at her. Maybe Lucy couldn’t read Natsu very well, but Natsu could sniff out Lucy’s emotions before she even knew them herself. He read her like a book – ironic, when he was the actual book, in a literal sense.

“We could watch the sunset.”

Was she really being delusional for sensing something similar to romance between them today? A sunset. And then what, gaze at the stars? Kiss under the moonlight? The thought intensified her small blush.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s do that.”

She wasn’t sure why her first guttural instinct was to fight it, reject it. She wanted to do all these romantic things. Like, really wanted to. She just didn’t know what to brace herself for: the humiliation of rejection, her senses being wrong and Natsu not having any romantic intentions behind his actions at all, or the emotional vulnerability of a confession – that there was something more going on today. She didn’t know; and it scared her, not knowing. Life with Fairy Tail had never been predictable, but in a way, Natsu’s stoic, yet reliably silly character, was the one thing she could always lean on. No matter Lucy’s odd antics, freaking out at her chest being exposed, crying from thankful nostalgia, laughing at Natsu’s jokes, or getting angry when he trashed her apartment; no matter what she threw his way, he always reacted the same. He’d brush any embarrassment off and then tell a joke to turn her frown upside down. Reliable.

The park bench they found would have been cold and humid if it weren’t for Natsu’s magic. He had dried up the spot for them, even heated it up a little, and then they sat down to finish the food. The sun hung lower in the sky, and in Lucy’s peripheral she could see the moon sneaking a peak at the sunset itself, ghostly faint against the pale blue sky. She clung close to Natsu, as the longer shadows also meant cooler breezes. The temperature was dropping rapidly, and she briefly remembered that she should have brought in some wood for her stove.

“Nice day.”

“Poop-incident aside,” Lucy agreed. She hesitated for a moment, but soon found her head resting against Natsu’s shoulder. “Thanks for treating me today.”

“Oh, that’s right,” he dug through a pocket on his jacket that still smelled like her fabric softener, “I forgot to give you this.”

The mesh bag that the jewelry maker had given him was now hanging from the grip between his thumb and his pointer. The contours of the pile of gold-plated metal were strong in the backlight of the sun, but she could still clearly see the shine reflect through the mesh of the fabric. He dropped it into her open palm and watched as she carefully undid the scrunch. Holding the necklace up in the increasingly golden light of the sunset made it look like it was glowing. Like there was a fire within, waiting to burst out from the five points of the star pendant.

“It really is beautiful,” she breathed. “But I can’t accept it, Natsu. It’s too nice, what if I lose it or drop it or-” Natsu cut her off.

“Well who else is gonna wear it, weirdo? Ya’ won’t catch me or Happy with it. And as I said, it fits ya’. Take it.”

When she turned to look at him her breath got caught in her throat. Golden hour. Natsu was more handsome than she’d ever seen him before. Lips turned in a soft smile, dark eyes pointing all his attention to her. She wasn’t sure how long he’d been looking at her, but it seemed like ages. Like he’d admired her from a distance for centuries, like a human admiring a God. Her heart rate picked up, though not in the unpleasant way that made her prepare herself to fight off monsters on missions. It raced in a good way, the way that made adrenaline addictive and roller coasters exhilarating. She felt alive.

“Thanks.” She wasn’t sure if he noticed, but her voice was laced with love. Pure and whole, filling her chest to the point that she had to look away before it spilled over and she threw herself on him in a passionate kiss.

He took the chain from her hands and undid the clasp.

“Turn around.”

She obliged, knowing what he was about to do. Except, knowing didn’t help avoid the sparkly sensation that electrocuted her skin once his hot hands moved her hair aside though, grazing the nape of her neck in the movement. She wasn’t sure if she’d imagined her light gasp, as he didn’t pay her skittish reactions any attention. His focus seemed to be on the necklace, as he had to dry his hands against the fabric on his pants multiple times to get a better grip on the tiny hook. She knew the struggle, so she didn’t rush him.

When he finally managed to get the chain secured on her neck, he rested his hands on her shoulders. She was just about to sneak a peek at him when he rested his forehead to the dip right between her neck and her shoulder. Maybe she tensed up – it wouldn’t surprise her if she did – but her attention was tuned to Natsu only. The slow, long breaths that cued her in on the fact that he was smelling her, and the sensation of his hands clasping the fabric of her jacket. She wasn’t sure how to react or what to say, so once again, she said nothing. She just waited, hoping that Natsu would have figured out the words to explain what he’d been doing.

But as he picked up his head and Lucy turned back around, he stayed silent. Watching her, studying her face. Perhaps he was searching for any sign of rejection or disgust, none of which Lucy could muster up even if her life was on the line.

Then, finally, he spoke.

“You’re golden.”

Lucy almost thought it was she who had said it. Natsu’s skin in the deep, orange glow that was cooling by the second, the sunlit shine in his eyes, the reflections in his hair – but it wasn’t she who had said it. The words were Natsu’s.

“Your hair, it’s like a waterfall of liquid gold,” he clarified. Then he let out a small chuckle, and Lucy found herself joining in.

As the warm laughter faded, Lucy’s breath evened out, the moment stretching between them like a held note. Lucy carefully cuddled closer again. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and all that was left was a dim blue hue over the landscape. The dusk brought a gorgeous sparkle as the moisture in the air crystallised into frost, making the beige grass look dusted with sugar. She wasn’t fond of the cold, it brought back memories from her first year after running away from her father, when she still didn’t have enough money to sleep inside. The frosty winter nights were the worst, yet another night just like that was falling around them, and Lucy felt as warm and toasty as she would in bed at home. Natsu was a blessing in every sense of the word.

“Not too shabby for a date, eh?”

His words cut through the silence of the evening.

“It was a date?” She felt stupid asking, but she felt the urgent need to clarify. “You called it a walk before.”

His right arm took her into a tight half hug. She glanced up at him, and to her dismay he was looking goofy and playfully childish, like the sun had brought any overflow of handsomeness with it below the horizon. Was he messing with her?

“That was the plan,” he explained. “A walk to get your mind off of stuff. Ya’ seemed tense. Crabby.” She rolled her eyes, but he continued. “But then the mood got good, don’t ya’ think? So I rolled with it. Ya’ got a pretty necklace out of it. And a hotdog.”

He poked a finger in the side of her stomach to lure out a giggle, which he immediately succeeded at.

“So, what…” she got out in between the fits of giggles, “it was just an accidental date?” She was still smiling, but she raised a questioning eyebrow. Was it all just a chance? Would he have kept it as a normal hanging out session if the shopkeepers hadn’t been in a romantic mood? She wouldn’t feel offended exactly, just… disappointed. It might be selfish, but she wanted him to want her.

His finger became still and she watched as he looked away from her. It wasn’t light enough for her to properly tell, but his ears looked… reddish. Was he blushing? Her heart skipped at the small ray of hope.

“Well… if ya’ didn’t want it to be a date, it doesn’t have to be.”

Lucy poked her head forward, tilted it to see his face clearer. Was he giving her an easy way out if she wanted to reject him? If that was the case, didn’t that mean that Natsu actually wanted it to be a date?

“It was a date,” she decided, hurried before he took it back. He glanced back at her, boyishly happy with her choice.

“Yeah?” He gave her a sheepish, cocky even, smile.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “but next time you gotta tell me ahead of time. I would have picked a better outfit.” She chuckled. Natsu let an eyebrow raise as his lips crooked in a mischievous manner.

“The outfit with the bra was kinda good,” he teased. Lucy just smacked his arm playfully.

“Calm down stallion, I have a cheekier stash. For actual dates.”

“Wait, you do?”

Lucy stifled a laugh as she stood up from the warm park bench. She’d been half joking – the sexiest lingerie she owned was stuff he’d seen a long time ago, just tucked away in a box in the attic since dates weren’t a common occurrence. But it was tempting to buy some new stuff – you never know what the future might hold.

“Come on, let’s go home.” She reached out her hand to help him stand up, but when he stood on his feet he didn’t let go of her.

“Oi, how have ya’ kept that a secret?” He playfully leaned his weight on her, making her stumble as they slowly made their way home.

“Not. Telling.”

The path ahead was dimly lit, but with Natsu’s warmth beside her, Lucy didn’t mind the chill. His grip on her hand was firm, like he had no intention of letting go – she certainly didn’t want him to. A few minutes of silence passed, the only sound being of the low chattering spilling out from a rogue bar on the way, and the gravel beneath their feet. Then Natsu spoke again.

“Still not tellin’?” he prodded again, his voice teasing.

Lucy smirked, leaning into him just enough to make him stumble in return.

“Nope. Guess you’ll just have to take me on another date to find out.”

He huffed a laugh, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

“Deal.”

And just like that, they walked home. The moon had risen high, yet the stirring of people on the street gave away that midnight wouldn’t arrive for some time. Playful banter made their laughter carry through the frost-kissed air as they took the leisurely stroll towards Strawberry Street. Between Natsu and Lucy, the only thing indicating that the night had turned cold was the clouds of breath escaping their mouths. She felt so comfortable.

“Did ya’ find her?” He asked loudly, earning a pained, muffled groan from the lump hiding under the comforter.

“Shh…”

Natsu looked worriedly at Happy, and then back on the bed.

“What’s goin’ on?” He whispered. It sounded like she was in pain.

Lucy slowly wormed up from her odd position, and Natsu almost winced when he saw her. Her hair was messy, matte, and it was clear that she had been sweating, her bangs sticking to her forehead. She had tired, watery eyes, heavy under eye bags, and her pale skin looked pasty, sickly.

She coughed.

“I’m sick.”

Natsu suddenly felt like he had two left feet and like his torso was twisted 180 degrees. Well, not exactly, but he didn’t know what to do, what to say, or how to fix Lucy’s sickly state. She reminded him a little bit too much of how Natsu himself looked when he saw the train station in the distance. He really wanted to know what steps to take, but this wasn’t a situation he could solve his usual way: no punch would get Lucy out of this.

Luckily, Happy stepped in before Natsu could accidentally set his brain on fire.

“Do you have a fever?” He asked with a low tone. A small disturbance took place in the fur on his forehead, right where a frow would have been, hadn’t he been clad from head to toe in a blue coat. It was obvious he was worried, and it made sense: last time Lucy had been sick, she’d missed out on the rainbow cherry blossoms. A day they were meant to look back on with fondness turned sour, despite the fact that they managed to turn the day for the better by night time.

Natsu hadn’t stayed in the bedroom to hear Lucy’s answer. The apartment was small, were she to use words he’d hear them anyways. Instead he went straight to the bathroom to search for the small thermostat that he’d seen on one of his raids for anti-motion sickness medicine. 

When he got back he looked at Happy for answers to his question. She hadn’t used her words, resulting in Natsu only hearing a rustle: he couldn’t know if it had been a nod or a dismissive shrug. Happy shook his head, confirming that Lucy hadn’t checked.

Natsu carefully treaded forward, not wanting to cause any disturbance by carelessly stomping around. He wasn’t sure if it helped being so overly quiet, but he remembered Happy being sick once, and back then he’d be unusually sound-, smell- and light-sensitive. The slim possibility that it was the same for Lucy today made him walk around like the floor was made out of thin glass. There was no need to make a tough day tougher.

He kneeled down beside her and took her chin between his pointer and his thumb, turning her head gently to look at him.

“Open up,” he ordered, sticking the thermostat under her tongue once her lips parted. He was a fire mage – he was used to heat, but even he could tell that Lucy’s face was burning up.

While waiting, Natso hovered by the side of Lucy’s bed like a confused puppy, hands twitching at his sides. It felt wrong to see her like this – curled up, pale, and fragile in a way Lucy was never supposed to be. She was strength wrapped in kindness, sunshine and starlight rolled into one loud, exasperated package. Not this. Never this.

Lucy cracked one eye open, her voice scraping like sandpaper against the stillness.

“What are you doing?” The thermostat wobbled as she spoke.

“Watching you,” he said, honest as always, though he winced at how it sounded.

She let out something between a sigh and a chuckle, weak and barely there. 

“Creepy.”

“Not as creepy as dying alone in your apartment.”

“I’m not dying.” Her words stumbled over themselves, exhausted. “Just sick.”

Natsu grabbed the thermostat and scanned the numbers it displayed.

“38,6 degrees. Same thing, clearly,” he mumbled, once again feeling constipated. Action wise, that is. He wasn’t sure what to do: did she want water? Tea? He’d heard spicy food helped keep people healthy, was he supposed to cook something for her? Had she even eaten breakfast? He figured the best way was to just ask: better safe than sorry, after all.

Her usual sharpness was dulled by exhaustion, like all her edges had been smoothed out. Natsu didn’t like it. Lucy wasn’t supposed to be soft like this. She was supposed to sit upright in the middle of battle plans, snapping at him for knocking over her inkwell, or rolling her eyes when he suggested something reckless. She wasn’t supposed to need help.

“Do you need something?” he asked after a moment, the question stiff in his mouth. He didn’t know how to say things like that. They didn’t come naturally, not the way punching things did.

She blinked at him, slow and tired, like she wasn’t quite sure if she’d heard him right. “Just... stay.”

It was barely a whisper, but it felt like she’d reached across the space between them and gripped him by the collar. His heart thudded awkwardly, too big for his chest, but he nodded, scooting closer on the chair he’d dragged over from her desk.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly, the words landing in the quiet room like an anchor.

Lucy stirred again an hour later, her fever still high but her breaths more even. Natsu’s knee bounced rhythmically as he watched her, and Happy shifted beside him, yawning.

“She probably needs food,” Happy said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Food?” Natsu frowned. He hadn’t thought of that. “Yeah, okay. I’ll make something.”

Happy blinked at him. “You?”

“Why not?” Natsu bristled, already halfway to the kitchen.

The answer became obvious as soon as he stepped inside. Cooking wasn’t like fighting—it required patience, timing, and an understanding of ingredients. None of those were Natsu’s strengths. Still, he wasn’t about to let something like that stop him.

He rummaged through Lucy’s cupboards with the energy of a tornado, pulling out things that looked promising: rice, some dried herbs, a small tin of broth cubes. He had no idea what he was doing, but that didn’t matter. Lucy needed food, and he was going to make it happen.

By the time he got a pot of rice simmering on the stove, the kitchen looked like it had been hit by a minor explosion. Herbs were scattered across the counter, and there was a suspicious scorch mark near the cutting board. Happy flew in, wrinkling his nose.

“It smells... weird.”

“It’s fine,” Natsu snapped, jabbing at the pot with a wooden spoon. He’d accidentally added too much water at first and then not enough, but it was starting to look like something edible. Maybe.

When the rice was finally done—soft and sticky, though slightly overcooked—he ladled it into a bowl and brought it back to Lucy’s bedside. She was awake again, barely, and her tired eyes widened slightly at the sight of him holding the steaming bowl.

“You... cooked?” she asked, her voice raspy and full of disbelief.

“Yeah,” he said, a little defensive. “Don’t look so surprised.”

Lucy blinked at him, then at the bowl. She reached for it with shaky hands, but Natsu stepped in, sitting down on the edge of the bed and holding the spoon instead.

“Here,” he said, scooping up a small bite. “You’re too weak to do it yourself.”

Her cheeks flushed, whether from fever or embarrassment he couldn’t tell, but she didn’t argue. She let him feed her the first bite, her brows lifting in mild surprise.

“It’s... not bad,” she said softly, her voice as warm as the steam rising from the bowl.

Natsu grinned, his chest puffing out a little. “Told you I could cook.”

She gave him a look, equal parts fond and exasperated, but didn’t say anything else. Instead, she leaned back into the pillows, letting him carefully offer her another spoonful. The warmth of the food settled into her, easing some of the ache in her body.

And for the first time all day, Natsu felt like he’d done something right.

By the time Lucy’s fever broke, the room was bathed in the soft, amber glow of the setting sun. The light filtered through her curtains, casting long shadows that danced gently across the walls. Natsu was slumped in the chair beside her bed, his head tilted back at an awkward angle, his mouth slightly open. Happy was curled in his lap, his tail draped lazily over Natsu’s arm, twitching with every soft snore.

Lucy blinked, her head still heavy but clearer than it had been in hours. The ache in her limbs remained, but it was muted now, softened by the warmth spreading through her chest. She wasn’t alone.

Her gaze drifted to the bowl on the bedside table—half-empty, the rice clumped together in a way that screamed Natsu tried. Her lips curved into a small, fond smile. He was a disaster in the kitchen, but he’d tried anyway.

She shifted slightly, the rustle of blankets loud in the still room. Natsu stirred immediately, his nose twitching like he’d caught a whiff of something burning. His eyes blinked open, unfocused at first, before they landed on her. Relief bloomed across his face, pure and unguarded.

“You’re awake!” he said, his voice a mix of surprise and triumph. “You look... not terrible.”

Lucy huffed a weak laugh, her head sinking back against the pillow. “Thanks, I think.”

“Seriously, though.” He leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees as his grin softened into something quieter. “How do you feel?”

“Better,” she admitted, her voice still raspy but steadier now. “Tired, but... better.”

“Good.” His grin widened, and for a moment, he looked like he might jump out of his chair. Then he paused, glancing at the bowl. “You ate, right? I mean, I saw you eat, but did it actually... help?”

“It did,” she said, surprising herself with how true it felt. She gave him a small, crooked smile. “The cooking could use some work, though.”

“Hey!” Natsu bristled, sitting up straighter. “That was top-tier rice. I worked really hard on it.”

Her smile grew, softening around the edges. “I know you did.”

For a moment, the room was quiet. The golden light from the window brushed against Natsu’s hair, turning it into a fiery halo. He looked so... there, so solid and unshakable, and it made something inside her chest tighten.

“Thanks for staying,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Natsu’s expression shifted, the usual bravado melting into something warmer, something gentler. “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

“I know.” Her eyelids fluttered, the weight of exhaustion tugging at her again. “You’re... dependable like that.”

“Dependable?” He wrinkled his nose, leaning back in the chair. “I don’t know if I like that word.”

Lucy’s laugh was faint but genuine, like the first crack of sunlight after a long storm. “Too bad. It suits you.”

Natsu watched her for a moment, his head tilting slightly as if he wanted to argue. But then he sighed, letting it go. “Fine. But only for you.”

Her breath caught at the quiet sincerity in his voice, and for a moment, she thought about responding. About saying something that would match the weight of it. But the words didn’t come, and instead, she let her eyes close, the safety of his presence pulling her back into sleep.

Natsu settled back into the chair, his knee bouncing softly again as he glanced at Happy, still snoozing in his lap.