#gratsuerlu

Playing house

I think some time after the Alvarez arc, Erza, Natsu, Lucy, and Gray moved into a house together. The house is located near the guildhall, yet it was sufficiently remote from the bustling town to provide them with a peaceful environment. The four of them (and Happy) would switch between staying at Lucy's, Gray's, and Natsu's place and it was just easier to all live together.

The house would be pretty big, as it had the combined income of four super strong wizards and Natsu's little money hoard. It would have plenty of space and rooms (one main bedroom and a room for each of them, one bedroom for Happy, a bedroom for Wendy and Carla, and a spare room for guests).

I think that Natsu's room would be where he holds most of his hoard, all this stuff from past jobs, things he thinks his partners would like as gifts, etc., etc.

Erza's rooms would be similar, a place where she is safe to keep all the things she likes that aren't just in her dorm or magic subspace. It's probably one of the bigger rooms due to how much she has.

Lucy's room would be an office and small library; she likes to have a little peace when writing, after all.

Gray's room would probably be the smallest but also have its own cooling lacrima so it can be as cold as he wants it without dealing with Lucy complaining.

I think their bedroom would be massive, with a huge bed in the corner to keep one side always protected, and it would be an organized mess. Natsu always knows where everything is in the room, even when things are thrown around into piles. Lucy loses things the most due to being so used to things being organized.

Drinking

Natsu is pretty much unaffected by alcohol to me (all the dragon slayers are, for that fact). So he is the designated "dealing with drunk idiots" person. Not that he minds much because he gets to fret over his pack-mates and care for them, which really warms his heart.

Lucy is a silly drunk; she also becomes very clingy. Wanting to cling to Natsu and drag him along everywhere she goes.

Gray just wandered and liked to sit in the cold even more than normal; this becomes a problem if he is allowed to wander around and doesn't come home. This puts everyone into a panic.

Erza gets tired and just likes to sleep the more liquor she has in her system. She will go from being unfiltered to sleeping like a rock in ten minutes.

All together, it's like herding cats for Natsu to drag them all home, not like he wasn't used to this before they all lived together. He would normally bring them all to their respective lodgings or just bring them all to Lucy's place. It took him a little time to get a proper bed in his house for them all to sleep there, but once that was in place, Natsu always brought them home to take care of them.

Natsu also likes helping with their hangovers. Lucy needs a cold shower and then some food and tea to help her, Gray needs black, cold coffee, and Erza needs lots of food and tea. It's one of the few times Natsu cooks for them, as he also makes them all breakfast to help them out. He just likes being a good pack-mate and helping the people he loves.

Sleeping aragments

Something that has always held over from missions is sleeping in shifts. Even in the safety of their own homes, it's something ingrained in them all from the trauma of their childhoods and their adulthood's.

Gray almost always takes the first shift. He naturally falls asleep later than the other three, so it just made sense for him to take first watch. He uses this time as his designated brood time, where he can just sit in the quiet and the soft sounds of his partners sleeping. It's done wonders for his mental health because he knows he's safe but is able to be alone with them.

Erza and Natsu switch who does second and third watch based on how they are feeling that night. Normally Erza takes second and Natsu takes third. Erza is normally easier to wake up after only a few hours of sleep, and Natsu likes waking Lucy up.

Lucy takes the last watch. She naturally wakes up early, and after a few watches, she started waking up when the fourth watch began anyways (much to her own disappointment. Sometimes she wants to sleep in but just can't). Lucy now likes waking up early; it gives her plenty of time to read or write without the others being annoying, and she is able to cook for them, which she loves doing.

Never empty home

Their house is never empty. Wendy and Carla are over all the time. The only reason they don't live with the four of them is because she wants a little freedom at times as she comes into her teenage years and later adulthood. Their house is a safe place for her to run to whenever she needs it. (It's not like there aren't other places she can run to, too. The whole guild cares about the youngest dragon slayer).

Levy likes to pester Lucy in her home, taking it as a good chance to read her stories and gossip about what the two ladies have found. Gajeel will often follow after Levy, much to the Iron Dragon Slayer's dismay. Being in Natsu's den feels weird even if he's welcomed because they are family.

Juvia and Lisanna like to visit and will stay for afternoon tea. As much as the house is chaotic, it is ever relaxing to be there.