Can't Help It ; Natsu

4 - Angels

You and Plume quizzically glance backwards. Natsu and Gray are arguing again. You sigh. How were you supposed to be bounty hunters when two people were squawking loudly?!

'Damn Natsu, coming along at a time like this...'

You suddenly stop when you spot two people, walking across the fields. Plume immediately shuts up Natsu and Gray.

"What's goi-" Happy starts asking, unintentionally loud. "Shhhh!!!" Plume hisses at him. Too late. The group turns towards you.

"Go, go, go!" You cry, as Plume attaches herself to your back. Natsu and Gray immediately lessen the distance between them and the target people.

"Wait!!"

Your eyes widen as you turn towards the voice. You knew that voice. It couldn't be. Here? Now?

The taller figure whips off his mask. You didn't even realize he was wearing one, until he had removed it. Natsu and Gray stand by, looking uncomfortable.

"(Y/N)!" He turns towards you. Golden locks of hair, light piercing eyes, and a swirl of light magic surrounding him. You'd recognize that face anywhere.

"Akira!?" If there wasn't a definition for 'jaw-dropping', they could just use your picture, instead. He grabs your hands, staring at your face.

Before he could say anything, Natsu cuts in-between you two, standing in-front of you. You rest your hands on Natsu's arm. 

"What's wrong?" You ask, peering at his face. Gray shakes his head. "So...you two know each other?" 

You looked around for the other, but realization hit that he had already disappeared. 

"Uh, yeah. Natsu, Gray, meet my childhood friend, Akira." You beam awkwardly, forgetting about the escapee. 

"(Y/N)..."

You didn't hear Akira muttering your name. You were too busy with Natsu and Gray. Both had suddenly started fighting again.

They agreed to let Akira go, who gratefully thanked you, promised to contact you, and disappeared.

'Bou...nty?'

___

"Graaaaay-sama!" You sidestep a flying Juvia, who attached herself to Gray. You smile. They were so lovey-dovey.

"Natsu!" Lucy hurries over, and gives Natsu a smack on the head, "you shouldn't just disappear like that!" She scolded.

She finally noticed you, and threw a smile your way. "Hey, (Y/N)."

You smile bitterly, "hey Lucy." You could admit it. You were jealous of their close relationship. You sigh, leaning against a pillar.

"C'mon, (Y/N)!" You were suddenly shook out of your misery as Erza grabbed your hand, leading you outside somewhere, while Levy, Juvia, and Lucy followed, laughing and joking.

"Wa-wait, where are we going?" You ask, bewildered. Plume had abandoned you, flying off to talk with Carla.

"The bath, of course, (Y/N)-san," Levy smiles at you, while Juvia cries about leaving Gray.

"Oh...okay, Erza, can you let go of my arm now?" You plead, feeling stupid getting dragged in the dirt by Erza. 

"Okay! We're here." The knight beams proudly, dropping you.

___

In the bath, Titania suddenly brought up the topic of the cake, and that somehow lead to the men, courtesy of Juvia. "Levyyy, we all know who you like." You smirk, rubbing soap on your body.

"Eh? B-but I..I don't..ahh." She stutters, dropping the bar of soap, and turning bright red. "You're a bad liar, then." 

"Juvia lik-no, Juvia loves Gray-sama!!" Juvia exclaims, jumping up and down in joy. You laugh, "we know, Juvia. We know."

"Gray? He's very childish." Erza asks, rinsing her long, red hair. "No. Gray-sama is kind, wonderful, cool, nice, good-looking, kind.." Juvia slips into some kind of trance, and hearts appeared in her eyes.

You raise your eyebrow playfully, looking at Lucy, who had been silent. "What about you, Lucy?" Levy immediately perks up, "yes, what about you, Lucy?" Erza pauses, and winks.

Juvia stops, suddenly intrigued. "It'd better not be Gray-sama." You smile at her obsession with Gray. "I- I don't have people like that!" Lucy laughs, waving the topic away from her.

You tilt your head, wondering if that was true. "You, (Y/N)-chan?" Lucy smiles slyly at you. "Someone I like..?" You ponder, playing with your hair.

Natsu suddenly appears in your mind, and suddenly the air felt a lot more hot than usual. 'Dammit, dammit, what the hell?'

"(Y/N)! Stop shaking your head like a wet dog!" Erza commands. 

"S-sorry, someone in my head is bothering me..." You meekly replied. 

"(Y/N)...who did ya think about?" Levy asks.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"If he appears in your mind, while we are talking...Then perhaps, just maybe, don't you think you love him? Or at least- like said person?"

Your eyes widen. 

'Love? Natsu?' Your face turns bright red. "Oooh? Who is it, (Y/N)?" Lucy smirks, leaning closer to you.

"N-no one!" You cry, as Erza accidentally gropes you, while trying to reach for the shower handles. "Oops." She mutters, sheepishly, her face the color of a thousand lotus flowers. 

___

"Aaah." You lay on your bed in your apartment, with Plume fast asleep by your side. You recall back to when Natsu entered your mind.

"It couldn't be, though.." You murmur, turning to the side, curling into a ball.

"What couldn't be?"

You almost jumped out of your skin. You looked towards the voice. There, stood Natsu on the windowsill, facing you.

You jump up. "What the heck?! What are you doing here?!" He sheepishly smiled. "I couldn't sleep..." You sighed. "What were you doing- dreaming about dumplings?" 

His eyes widened. "No, Erza's cake. Anyway- can I sleep over?" 

You hesitated. Due to your conflicted childhood, you had very little experience with men. So you usually treated them like girls. 

"Um, sure." 

"Cool!" He jumped in your bed, wiggling under the covers. "I meant the couch!" You said, your face heating up from the previous chat with the girls.

"But, (Y/N)..." He whined. 

"Don't whine."

"Buuuut...that's cold!" 

"Fine."

"If you grew wings, I'm sure you could be mistaken for an angel!" He beamed at you brightly, while laying down. 

"Don't look at me!" Your face turned red, and you whipped around. "And wouldn't anyone be mistaken for an angel if they had wings?" 

You waited a few minutes for his answer- but got nothing. Turning, you found him in a deep sleep. You didn't even know what came over you, but- 

This strange urge came over you to kiss his cheek. As you leaned forwards, he shifted- your lips landed on his.

___

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