"Dammit Natsu!"
"What? What'd I do?!"
"It's more what you didn't do. We've been over this." The redhead was absolutely livid, launching into one of her famous "big sister" moments. "You stink! When was the last time you bathed?"
"Last night, right after we, uhh..." he exchanged a quick glance with Lucy, who immediately blushed. Not exactly discreet. "...got home from a job request."
Lucy's blush deepened at the thought of the previous night's activities. She snuggled closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder.
"I think he smells just fine."
"You would." Gajeel sneered from the next table over, where he was busy looking through a baby book with Levy.
"Yeah, Lu. Slayers are known to stink to everyone but their mates. It's something to do with pheromones. To me, Gajeel smells like a rainy day just before a thunderstorm." She let out a content sigh as she rested her head on the iron slayer's bicep.
"Really...cool." Lucy was actually a bit surprised she hadn't noticed sooner. Well...that would explain why everyone else thought Natsu stank...Personally she had thought of his scent as reminiscent to a camping trip. Natural, earthy, smoky.
She giggled. Natsu noticed.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about going home and taking a nice hot bath...if you wanted to join me, that is..."
He didn't even have to say anything. All he did was scoop his girl into his arms and take off running. Lucy barely had time to wave good night to her friends.
But she didn't mind. There was nothing quite like soaking in the tub in the arms of the man she loved...
