Natsu was excited - most things did that to him, let alone surprise birthday parties.
Especially Team Natsu ones.
Not that he'd admit it though, considering whose it was.
Natsu hoisted the bag of party decorations he was detailed to get (not missing the chance to bring along a ton of fire based ones) and hummed a joyful tune, wondering how Happy, Wendy and Carla were doing with the first batch he dropped off with him at the picnic spot in the park.
He knew Erza wouldn't be a concern, cakes were her thing after all. 'As long as she doesn't finish 'em all before the ice princess shows.'
He decided to take a detour, wanting to check up on how Lucy was doing with the dinner she volunteered to get ready for everyone.
Hopping into her room via the window with practiced ease, he was surprised when he couldn't hear Lucy's exuberant cooking.
No really, she was really noisy when she worked in the kitchen.
He could smell some evidence of kitchen activity having taken place, but no delicious dishes as proof of the same, and the lack of any noise whatsoever stood out like a sore thumb.
Walking into the kitchen, Natsu found Lucy sitting in front of the oven, pouting deeply.
It would have been cute, had she not looked so sad.
"What's wrong Lucy?"
Lucy started at the sound of his voice, standing abruptly, seemingly trying to block his view of something behind her.
Forgetting how that was a fruitless endeavour considering, well, his nose.
"And why are you hiding jackfruit behind you?"
Lucy groaned, before slapping a palm to her face and sinking back onto the floor. She then looked at Natsu for a couple of moments before sighing and relenting. "It's his favourite and Gray mentioned not having had good jackfruit since he came to Magnolia, and I thought it'd be the perfect gift. I managed to find someone across town who sold them but didn't realise how hard it be to work with it, let alone actually cook it! The landlady was being cranky and I can't summon Crux Ji-chan today, so I tried...something on my own but my arms hurt now and I wasted half the jackfruit in those failures so now I don't have a proper gift for Gray," she said in a rush before dropping her face into her hands again.
Natsu thought of reminding her how frosty-face wouldn't mind that she didn't have a gift on top of the surprise party, but then decided to do things a different way.
He took off his shirt.
"Come on," he said, walking up to her and offering her his hand. "Let's get your gift ready then!"
Lucy watched him sceptically before accepting the offer. "How...and what happened to your shirt?!"
"Like I want any stains to let the numbnuts know I had any part in hisgift," Natsu mumbled, pulling her up. "Alright! Get me your sharpest knife, let's break this bad boy down. Also, set aside one pot for cooking. We have one and a half hours so we may just be able to make something tasty!"
Natsu was all business-mode now – only fighting and food did that to him – and Lucy only nodded, hope flooding back into her system.
She did as she was told and set the pot aside, before washing her best knife and handing it to Natsu. She watched in slight awe as he began chopping down the jackfruit, neatly separating the little pods from the tough exterior.
She would be lying through her teeth if she said that the way Natsu was just then wasn't an appealing sight, what with how all his exposed muscles were rolling and flexing with his every move.
