Seafarers

Chapter 6: Friends and Familiarity

(Diamond 💎)
After we all hung out at a local cafe, that is until they kicked us out for being too rowdy, I walked back to my new home with the whole crew of The Patty Joseph. It was so comfortable, everyone was so close. This is truly a family. Not that I would know what having a real family feels like. Even when my mother was alive, my father was cold towards me. He was always too busy to even acknowledge my existence. I must look upset or something, because before I know it, I feel a warm body near mine and heard a voice smooth as the fine silk my father used to force me to wear. "You ok, Luce?" His soft voice sends chills up my spine.
   The nickname sounds so familiar, like I've been called that for years. I nod my head slightly. "Y-yeah!" I say. "I'm f-fine! Why do you ask?" I look at him curiously.
   I look into his dark, charcoal eyes. "You just looked deep in thought, you looked a little sad." He looks away for a moment before staring deep into my eyes. "I was a little worried."
   "Worried?" I ask. "What about?"
   "I don't know, I just don't like to see people sad." He says shyly.
   "Ok then!" I say, putting on a playfully fake smile. "Is this better?" Natsu laughs.
   "Yeah, much." We walk the rest of the way in silence.

. . .

"Bye everyone!" I yell from my doorstep as they turn a corner and onto another street. I recall the day's events as I slowly shut the door. I turn around and shriek. Sitting on my couch, passed out, is... "Natsu!" I scream, startling him awake.
"Yeah?" He says innocently, wiping drool from his mouth.
"What're you... how did you... when did you.. why...?" My mind has so many questions that my mouth just can't keep up.
He points lazily towards the kitchen. "You left the window open."
"SO YOU THOUGHT IT WAS FINE TO JUST BREAK IN?" I scream at him.
He just shrugs, pissing me off more. "I watched you leave... how did you get in here, and fall asleep?"
"I ran. I was tired." He says simply.
I. Am. Furious. I walk up to him, yank him off of the couch, drag him to the door, and throw him outside without saying a word. "I'll see you tomorrow," I then thought of something else to clarify. "ON THE BOAT!" I slam the door to prove how angry he had made me.
I lean against the door with a sigh. Something inside me feels weird, it's as if I am trying to remember something buried deep inside. But what? I try to remember what exactly my mind is trying to dig up. As I slip my legs under the covers, I realize what I have been trying to remember. Natsu seems so familiar to me, but why? I don't think I've ever known a pirate, I would remember that. These thoughts run through my head as I drift comfortably off to sleep.

. . .

I wake up to loud noises outside of my bedroom door. "What could that possibly be?" I say to myself.
I open the door and see a strange sight. Gray, Erza, Natsu, and Happy are in my house. Erza's cooking breakfast (if she gives me some, I won't mind her being here), Gray and Natsu are having a, very loud, sword fight, and Happy is just flying around looking at everything in my house. "HEY!" I shout. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!"
Everyone looks at me for a moment then returns to what they're doing. Happy comes over and lays on my head, purring like mad. I sigh. It's too early to fight about this. I think to myself. I just sit down at the kitchen table, watching Natsu and Gray's fight. "Here you go!" Erza chips happily, placing a plate and mug of steaming coffee in front of me.
"Oh!" I say, my mood brightening. "Thank you!"
"You're very welcome!" She replied, walking back towards the kitchen.
I gulp down some of the coffee and start shoveling pancakes into my mouth. I'm finally part of a family.