Can't Help It ; Natsu

A Wandering Child

"(Y/N), hurry up. If you want to still go to the market, we need to leave before tomorrow rolls around."

"Aye!" Happy echoes Natsu with his gleeful voice.

"I'm coming, don't be so dramatic!" You appear from around the corner, and slip on your sandals, following Natsu, Plume, and Happy out the door.

"I'm so glad we live close." You happily say, as you walk down the road, hand in hand with Natsu.

Plume and Happy fly above, their tails waving in the evening breeze.

"I told you." Plume reminded you, her laugh tinkling like bells. Happy doesn't respond, for his mouth was full of fish you had served him for breakfast.

"Why did we need to go to the market again?" Natsu asks, scratching his head. Your intertwined hand loosely hangs on to his.

"I told you, we were invited to a formal party. And we should bring flowers. Because every social event needs flowers. I think."

You sheepishly smile at Natsu when he looks at you confused. "Flowers, shmowers. Just go pick some outside."

"Those are wild flowers, Natsu."

"What's the difference? They can't tell anyway."

"If you guys are done with your little flower talk, there's a child that's crying." Plume interrupts, and points ahead.

There, you see a small boy with brown-colored hair billowing in the breeze, and his golden eyes filled with tears.

"Are you alright?" You hurry to the child, watching him sniffle. "Miss, I'm lost!" He cries another wave of tears.

Natsu ducks behind Happy. "Get away from the splash zone!" He yells, gaining strange looks from the nearby shoppers.

"Aye!"

You return your attention back to the little boy. "My name is (Y/N). What's yours?" You gently ask, handing the boy a tissue.

He blows his nose. "I-I'm Lucas. Nice to meet you." He bowed. Your eyes widened in shock.

"Lucas..?" You softly whisper the name. 'Can I finally atone for my wrongs? Lucas...'

"Miss?" Lucas stares up at you, his golden eyes shining from the tears. "Just call me (Y/N)." You smile.

"Who did you come here with, Lucas?" You ask him, your heart melting when he clutched your hand tightly.

"My...mommy. I don't know where she is." He started crying again. You grimace, keeping your patience in check.

"Should we go look for her?" You link your arm through Natsu's, pulling the surprised Mage with you.

•••1 Hour (or so) Later•••

"Natsu..." A very unhappy Happy drags his tail on the ground. Plume swoops down from above. "Happy, we have to keep on looking!" She drags him up.

"I know." Natsu grimly looks ahead at the sea of people. Lucas sits on the park bench, his legs swinging back and forth.

He hums a tuneless song, and glances up at Natsu. "Natsu-san, do you think mommy left me on purpose?" He blinked, innocently.

Your head snaps back to the child, alarmed. 'Kids can think of those ideas already?'

Natsu grins down at the kid, and kneels down to eye-level with Lucas. "Your mother would never leave you. I'll bet she's looking for you, right now!" He confidently says.

Your cheeks warm up when you see Natsu grinning at the child, and offer him a piggy back ride.

"Wheeee, look at me, mom-"

You freeze. The atmosphere turned awkward. Lucas looked at the ground.

"I-I'm sorry, (Y/N)-san." He whimpered, not meeting your eyes. Natsu looked at you, his gaze serious. He nodded slightly, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, don't apologize." You smile affectionately at Lucas. "You can call me that. Don't worry, we'll be your family."

'If we never find his family.' Natsu mouths, winking when you gave him a playful glare.

Lucas immediately brightens. "Is that really okay?" He leaned forward, almost falling off Natsu's shoulders.

You stifle a smile. "Yeah."

Up in the skies, Plume catches your eye. She immediately notices the large smile on Natsu and Lucas's face.

She gives you a thumbs-up, before flying off to continue searching.

___

After searching for a long time, and finally giving up, you lead Lucas by the hand, and bring him home with you and Natsu.

"We can't just leave you in the streets, now can we?" You joke to Lucas, who didn't seem to get it, and looked at you with a straight face.

"Pfft..he doesn't think you're funny." Natsu bursts out laughing, and he clutched his stomach.

You shoot him a dirty look. "Hmm, either Natsu can sleep in the couch, and you can stay with me, or we can arrange the bed."

Natsu immediately shuts up, and smiles innocently. "I'm fine on the bed, thanks."

You nod. "That's what I thought." You stick out your tongue to Natsu, who pretended to not see.

When arriving at home, Lucas's eyes widened. "This whole thing is your house, (Y/N)-san?!" He points to the large apartment building.

"No," you laugh. "That's an apartment. There's many tiny rooms in there." You lead him to your room, and unlocked the door.

Lucas bounded in, followed by Natsu, Happy and Plume, who grumbled about money problems.

You reminded her you were taking jobs almost everyday.

"It's really big, after all!" Lucas twirled around on the wooden floor, admiring the clean room.

He wandered into the bedroom. 'Thank god I cleaned today...'

"(Y/N)-san, the bed is really big! Can we all sleep together..?" He shyly asked, his large eyes begging you.

Natsu nodded, before you could even react. "Let's go jump on the bed!"

Your eye twitched as you watched them run to the bed and immediately jump up and down on the creaky bed.

You sigh, and check in with the Exceeds. "Everything fitting your needs, kitties?"

Plume ignored you, and snuggled into her bed of pillows. Happy chimed, "aye!"

You walk to the bathroom, and get ready to sleep with Natsu and Lucas. "Natsu, Natsu!" He cried, not tall enough to be able to reach the sink.

You stifle a laugh at how cute he was. Natsu himself, chuckles and lifts the boy on-top of the sink, sitting him on the edge.

Lucas warily looks down. Natsu cautions, "be careful." Lucas grinned, and began to brush his teeth.

___

Laying in bed, smelling like lavender and mint, you turn on your side, looking over to Lucas, who was laying between you and Natsu.

Typically, you wouldn't want that.

But Lucas was already attached to you. And you, to him.

You fell asleep with a smirk on your face, and one thought running through your mind.

'Oh, if you could see me now, mother.'

__

(A/N)

So, uh...

I PUMPED OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER.

(That sounds so wrong I'm sorry XD)

Ok have a good day. Bye.