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Day Seven: Hoard/Nap
Natsu kicked a rock off the path, harder than it deserved.
He tipped his head back, squinting at the sun filtering through the canopy, and let out another long sigh.
"We could try the guild again," Happy offered from beside him.
Natsu didn't answer.
"Maybe she's home now," Happy tried again. "Finished up some errands."
Natsu only grunted, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.
He could feel Happy watching him out of the corner of his eye. The little guy was worried. Natsu knew that. Didn't stop it from getting on his nerves. Happy was only trying to cheer him up, but today had been so damn awful nothing was gonna fix it.
It'd started yesterday, on the way back from the mission.
Everyone kept calling it a success, but one of the culprits had gotten away. Sure, the local guards swore they'd handle it from there, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth. They should've finished the job themselves.
And that wasn't even the worst part.
The second they'd gotten back to the guild, the lecture started: Erza. Lucy. The old man. One after another, for what felt like an hour straight.
Then they'd docked part of his reward to "compensate" for the damage he'd caused.
Bullshit. Gray and Erza had wrecked just as much as he had.
He'd tried cheering himself up by ordering his favorite meal afterward, only for Mira to tell him Gajeel had eaten the last serving. The next shipment wouldn't arrive until next week.
Next week?! Who ran a kitchen like that? Couldn't they just…buy more?
Natsu clicked his tongue.
Then Gray and Gajeel picked a fight with him.
By then he'd been wound up so tight that all he wanted was to go home—which should've been easy, except he and Happy had barely spent enough time there to keep the place from turning into a complete dump.
And yeah. It was bad. Even he'd admit that.
Usually they just burst in, dumped their packs and whatever junk they'd picked up, ate, slept, and headed back out. Cleaning never really happened.
His last hope had been Lucy's place.
She'd shut that down fast—something about needing peace and quiet to work on her novel—no interruptions. Normally he'd have argued, hung around anyway, gotten under her skin just to watch her get all huffy. Usually that was fun. Yesterday, he just didn't have the energy for it.
So he and Happy went home instead.
Big mistake.
The front door barely budged before slamming into whatever mountain of junk had piled up behind it. After a few increasingly creative shoulder checks, Natsu gave up and climbed through a side window instead—one that, somehow, hadn't been swallowed by the mess yet.
That only made his mood worse.
Five stumbles, six bruises, and seven popped veins later, he'd collapsed into the hammock with Happy and called it quits. Tomorrow, first thing, they were going to Lucy's—if only to steal a proper shower, since his own soap and shampoo were buried somewhere in the wreckage.
The night didn't cooperate either. Scratching, rattling, something scurrying just out of sight—by the time it got bad enough that neither of them could ignore it, Natsu and Happy spent half the night chasing down a family of raccoons and hauling them as far from the house as they could manage.
Eyebags hanging under both eyes, they stumbled over to Lucy's apartment the next morning, only to find it spotless and empty.
They took the chance to sink into a long, relaxing bath anyway, but with no sign of Lucy coming back, the wait got old fast. So they headed to the guild instead, where more brawl-baiting and the ongoing tragedy of missing meals started pulling at his nerves all over again.
Still, they waited—or really, he waited, while Happy chatted away happily with Charle. Lucy never showed.
Five hours in, nothing had changed, so they trekked back to her apartment. Empty. Her favorite bookstore. Empty. Her second favorite bookstore? Empty. Her favorite restaurant? Empty, and closed. Their favorite restaurant?? Empty, and fully booked. Her favorite street food stall??? Empty—though at least he finally got some decent food out of the ordeal. Back to the guild. Empty. Her apartment, again. Empty.
By the time the sun started setting, Natsu's irritation had curdled into flat-out anger, much to Happy's dismay.
"Natsu…" Happy tried, hesitant.
Natsu ignored him, dragging his feet through the dirt. He hated doing it, hated the idea of snapping at the little guy for no reason—but hell, where was she? He kicked a loose stone off the path, jaw working.
"Natsu."
Why hadn't she said where she was going? Left a note, told Mira, something—
"Natsu!"
Natsu's eyebrow twitched. He whipped around, snapping out an irritated "WHAT?!"—and promptly tripped, going face-first into the dirt.
"There's a tree," Happy said, tone clipped, which—fair. Natsu probably had it coming.
He groaned, pushing himself up, wincing at what were definitely two of yesterday's bruises taking a fresh hit. He brushed the dirt off his clothes, sneaking a glance at Happy, who was glaring right back at him, arms crossed.
Natsu opened his mouth, then shut it. "...What?" he muttered again, quieter this time.
That did it. "You're bein' mean! It's not my fault you're all cranky!" Happy stuck out his tongue, then flew ahead without another word, leaving Natsu trailing behind under the sinking sun.
Something in Natsu's chest twisted. He'd been a jerk to Happy for no good reason, and now he felt like absolute crap about it. He raked a hand through his hair, sighed, and kept walking home.
Ten minutes later, back at the front door, he caught the clatter of movement inside.
Happy, apparently, was already home.
His hand found the knob out of habit, forgetting it'd been blocked the night before—so when the door swung open without the slightest resistance, momentum carried him straight into the room, and he had to catch himself on the frame.
He blinked.
The floor beneath him was empty. Clean, even.
The sharp scent of detergent, sanitizer, and a dozen other cleaning products hit him all at once. Underneath it lingered something warmer—cumin? Strong enough that he wrinkled his nose and pinched it shut for a second.
He looked around. The whole house was spotless. Everything sat neatly where it belonged, and even the souvenirs they'd dumped around over the past few months had somehow found places on the already crowded shelves and walls.
Happy was sprawled across the couch, happily tearing into a grilled fish Natsu was pretty sure they hadn't had in the freezer that morning.
Natsu wandered over, his gaze catching on the second plate beside Happy's—a thick cut of steak, veggies, and mashed potatoes, all glazed in some dark sauce. His stomach growled before the saliva even had time to pool in his mouth.
Happy kept eating without looking up, chewing with determined focus, but Natsu could tell he was still upset with him.
Natsu sighed, scratching the back of his head. Shifted his weight. Scratched his head again.
"Hey...so..."
His eyes drifted toward the ceiling.
"You know..."
Why's this so damn hard?
He blew out a slow breath, rubbed the back of his neck, then finally turned to Happy properly.
"...I'm sorry, buddy."
The words came out quieter than he'd expected, but Happy finally glanced up.
"I shouldn't've taken it out on ya like that."
Happy scoffed. "Takin' it out would've been nice," he mumbled around another bite.
A laugh almost escaped Natsu. Instead, he reached over and ruffled Happy's fur.
"Yeah...I know."
He leaned a hip against a side table, folded his arms, then unfolded them again almost immediately.
"I was just so damn frustrated. Everythin' kept goin' wrong, one thing after another, and I didn't know what to do with it." He rubbed at his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Usually hangin' out with you and Lucy fixes that stuff. But she was just...gone. We couldn't find her anywhere, and it just kept buildin' and buildin' till I figured if I opened my mouth I'd end up sayin' somethin' stupid."
He let out a heavy breath, thumb scratching idly at the table's edge.
"Should've just talked to ya instead."
His eyes dropped to the floor.
"Wasn't fair to you."
Another pause.
"...Wasn't fair to Lucy either. Ain't like she's supposed to fix my mood just by bein' around."
He huffed a quiet laugh through his nose.
"It's just..." He shrugged helplessly. "I dunno. I feel...comfortable with you guys. So when everythin' goes to hell, all I wanna do is be with the two of you."
He scratched at the table's edge again, harder this time.
"It's not like you ain't enough, buddy." He shook his head quickly. "It's just..." A crooked smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "Lucy's Lucy, ya know?"
The words slipped out so naturally he barely noticed them.
"She's important."
A beat passed.
"...To us."
Another.
"...And..."
He grimaced.
"...Ah, hell."
Steam escaped with the long sigh that followed—a thin curl of it drifting up past his bangs.
"Sorry."
He dragged a hand down his face.
"I keep ramblin'."
Happy watched him quietly. The annoyance had mostly disappeared, replaced by something far more amused.
Natsu looked down at the floor again.
"...I just really missed her, buddy."
The silence was quickly followed by a "Pff."
Natsu looked up.
Happy had both paws clamped over his mouth, shoulders shaking.
"I just wanted an apology," he snorted, barely holding it together, "and you somehow turned it into a whole confession to Lucy."
Natsu blinked. His brow furrowed. Then everything he'd just said replayed itself in his head.
His ears burned.
"I—I was just tryin' to apologize properly!"
Happy completely lost it, laughter echoing through the house while Natsu stood there, ears getting hotter by the second.
"...Fine." He waved a hand at Happy, dismissive, and turned toward the door. "Keep laughin'. I'm outta here."
"Hey, that's not very nice." The door creaked shut in front of him. "You know how long I spent cleaning this place up and cooking for you two?"
Natsu froze mid-step. Lucy's scent hit him like a wave, sudden and warm, and he looked up to find her standing by the door—empty laundry basket in one hand, the other planted on her hip, brows drawn together.
His heart stuttered, just for a second. He shoved the feeling down before it could go anywhere.
Happy slurred something beside him, mouth full, but Natsu barely registered it. His eyes were locked on Lucy, nails digging crescents into his palms.
Lucy leaned to peer past him at Happy, a wide grin breaking across her face. "Glad you're loving it—cost me a small fortune, so I hope it was worth it."
She took a step forward. Natsu closed the distance in two.
She didn't even have time to react before the basket hit the floor and his arms were around her, hauling her in tight.
He felt her breath catch against his chest, her hands hovering uncertainly before landing on his back—and he only pulled her closer for it.
His face pressed into the curve of her shoulder, her hair tickling his cheek, and he breathed her in deep, feeling the day's weight slide off him like gravel shaken loose. His heart was still racing, but not from stress this time—just the quiet, dizzy relief of having her here, solid and warm, in his own home, in his arms.
"N-Natsu…" Lucy stuttered, her hands shaking where they clung to his jacket. "Is everything alright? Did something happen?"
Natsu took one last breath of her before pulling back, flashing a bright grin. "Nope. Everything's fine. Just glad ya ain't lost," he teased.
Lucy pouted, opening her mouth to fire something back—but Happy beat her to it, giggling out a drawn-out, "He missed yoouuu."
Lucy went red instantly, eyes darting between the two of them before landing on Natsu, brow raised like she expected him to just own up to it right there.
Natsu bit the inside of his cheek, willing the heat climbing his neck to stay put. Thank god he'd already broken the hug—otherwise she'd have felt him warming up like a damn furnace against her.
He shrugged, scooping up the empty basket and stashing it in the corner, eyes anywhere but on her. "Was just worried somethin' happened. Nobody'd heard from ya all day."
Lucy's eyes narrowed at him for a beat too long, like she wasn't quite buying it—but she let it go, arms crossing as she huffed out an explanation instead.
"When you guys told me yesterday how bad your place looked, and how crappy your mood was—" she shot him a pointed look "—I felt bad for kicking you out. So I pushed through as much writing as I could last night, and first thing this morning I went out for cleaning supplies. Figured we could tackle it together." She threw her hands up. "How was I supposed to know you'd actually be out and about at the crack of dawn for once?"
She dropped onto the couch with a huff, arms crossing, bottom lip jutting out in a pout that was somehow both genuine and completely performative.
Natsu smirked at the sight and dropped himself down right between her and Happy, immediately digging into the plate she'd left for him. The steak practically melted apart under his fork.
"So bad," Lucy went on, clearly not done, "so incredibly bad, Natsu. Do you know how much stuff I had to throw out? I had to go through every single pile like an investigator just to make sure I wasn't accidentally chucking one of your souvenirs." She jabbed a finger at him. "Also—have you had pets over recently? Because I found fur, Natsu. Black fur."
Natsu choked slightly on his mashed potatoes. Beside him, Happy suddenly found his fish tail extremely interesting.
"Anyway," Lucy pressed on, either not noticing or choosing not to, "when I went out back to hang your laundry, Happy nearly gave me a heart attack sneaking up on me—but luckily for you two, I'd already finished cleaning and cooking by then, so at least you didn't come home to me mid-scrub covered in dust."
She kept going, listing off every horror she'd uncovered—drawers that wouldn't close, mystery stains on walls and ceiling, the sheer volume of unopened junk mail—voice pitched somewhere between exasperated and scolding. But underneath the annoyance, Natsu could hear it: the warmth she wasn't quite managing to hide. Her mouth stayed pulled into a frown, sure, but her eyes weren't nearly as sharp as she wanted them to be.
He got his ear chewed off for a good twenty minutes straight, and somehow didn't mind one bit. He just sat there, shoveling in bite after bite of food that tasted as good as always, letting her voice wash over him.
By the time she wound down, Happy had gone quiet beside him, full belly rising and falling in easy, sleepy breaths.
The house settled into a comfortable kind of silence. Lucy had picked up a magazine at some point, flipping through it with heavy-lidded eyes that kept threatening to close. Natsu glanced over—caught the way her head kept dipping, jerking back up, dipping again—and leaned in closer without really thinking about it.
"Oi," he murmured, close enough that she startled a little, cheeks going pink, though she was clearly too worn out to do more than blink at him. "Get some rest. I got the dishes."
He grabbed the throw blanket off the armrest and draped it over her before she could argue.
"...Thanks," she mumbled, already melting back into the cushions, eyes sliding shut.
Natsu eased the magazine from her loosening fingers and set it aside, letting himself watch her for a moment longer than necessary. Then he leaned back against the couch himself—and a second later, felt the soft weight of her head settling against his shoulder, her breathing gone slow and even.
Asleep. Just like that.
He looked down at her—the closed eyes, the long lashes casting faint shadows on flushed cheeks. Made him wonder why she'd even bothered with makeup today if all she'd planned to do was scrub floors. His gaze dropped lower, caught on the soft shine of her lips, and he found himself dragging his tongue over his own before he'd even registered doing it.
He jerked his eyes away, jaw tight, one hand coming up to scrub down his face.
"Missed you," he mumbled into his palm, quiet enough that it barely qualified as sound. "Wish it could always be like this…comin' home to you."
His fingers curled loosely at his side, not quite reaching for her hair, not quite pulling away either. His eyelids were getting heavy too, the warmth of her against his side pulling him under.
Guess a short nap wouldn't hurt.