incandescent [various!fairytail x reader

[chapter 3; familiarity]

x783

As you walk through the busy market streets, a glistening watermelon from a nearby stall catches your eye. You wander over and bend down to inspect it.

"Are you interested in purchasing this, miss?" You look up at the shop owner, a short, old man with a perverse look on his face. You almost recoil in shock (and disgust), but the watermelon you're carrying is really big, and you want to share it with your friends at the guild. You do your best to ignore the looks he's giving you as you examine the other fruits and vegetables he's selling. His tables are lined with containers full of large juicy fruits and berries, and you think that it's a shame the seller is so creepy when his produce is so beautiful.

"How much would this cost?" you ask, holding up one of the large, brightly coloured watermelons.

He grins at you, seemingly menacingly. "Fifty thousand, but I can give you a discount in exchange for something."

This time, you cannot hide the disgust on your face. "Listen, old man, you—"

You're cut off by a guy running by you, latching onto your waist and dragging you with him. As you twist around in his arms, struggling to move, you see a white, dragon-scale scarf.

"NATSU?!?"

"Yo, what's up, [Name]?" he says. You peek over his shoulder to find both the shop owner and another male, a little younger in age than the shop owner, chasing after the two of you. You look down at your arms and realize you still have the watermelon in your arms as Natsu kidnapped you without waiting for you to return the fruit.

"Why are you running from that man?!" you shout. "And put me down!"

He laughs. "I don't remember, I just know he's really pissed off! Happy ditched me too, the little bugger. He said Mira had some fish for him at the guild."

He lets you down gently as he runs, taking hold of your wrist instead to pull you with him as you try not to drop the watermelon with your other hand. You struggle to keep up, and you assume he can tell because he pivots suddenly and runs in between two houses as if he wants to hide and stop running. Your two assailants are still hot on your trail and you can hear their angered cries behind you.

As Natsu leads you through various twists and turns between houses and roads, you cry out, "Natsu, let's hide here."

He slows to a stop. You bend over, trying to catch your breath; you're jealous and slightly peeved that Natsu isn't out of breath at all. You can see one of Magnolia's main roads towards the entrance of the alley you're currently in.

"Natsu, can you tell me what's going on?"

Your wrist is still within is grasp, and as you look away, he pulls you towards him, his free hand wrapping itself around your shoulders as your back presses against his chest.

"Shhh," he whispers. "I can hear them getting closer."

You stay quiet until you hear the familiar voice of the shop owner towards the main road. "Where did that bitch go?" he snarls.

He passes by the alley you're hiding in without checking it, and you breathe a sigh of relief when you can no longer hear him.

"Sheesh, I thought he'd find us and beat us up," you say.

Natsu chuckles, and you jump at how close his voice is to your ear. "Nah, I'd never let him hurt you, [Name]."

Your cheeks flush at his words. Does he even hear himself? "You can let go of me, by the way!" you tell him. He releases you, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.