The Good Tails

The First

Natsu snuck out from under the covers. Lucy was across the bed, curled up fast asleep. Her hair was everywhere, and to Natsu it looked like a lake of gold. He brushed his fingers through it quickly as he got up.

He had left the bedroom door open last night so it wouldn't make a noise in the morning. As quietly as Natsu could, he made his way to the kitchen. He looked around at the new appliances, but the walls still had scorch marks. Natsu leafed through the drawers, and pulled something out.

It was an apron. Lucy had bought it for him a while ago, but he had never worn it before, even when he first tried cooking and burnt the kitchen. But as he tied it snug around his waist, he willed it to help him not fail.

Natsu rubbed his hands together as he looked to what was in front of him. Flour, sugar, milk, and various other things that he didn't really understand. But there was a book there, with instructions. Natsu could only hope it was enough.

He pulled out a wooden bowl and placed it on the counter. He went to grab a cup from the cupboard, but paused. Whenever Lucy cooked, she never used a drinking cup. Opening the drawers below, Natsu searched. He had no idea what this cup was supposed to be. Eventually, he figured he had found it.

It was a small metal cup, with the words "1 cup" written on the bottom. As Natsu brought it back to the counter, he began.

2 and one half cups of flour.

Natsu looked at the cup he had found. It was one cup. He easily measured the first two cups, but stopped at the half.  He thought for a bit, then picked the cup back up. As best as he could, Natsu measured one half cup.

3 eggs.

Natsu grabbed the eggs from the fridge and held them. Carefully, he cracked each one.  A few pieces of shell made it into the mix, but Natsu ignored them. After all, they were only a few small pieces.

As Natsu followed the recipe, he kept getting excited. How happy Lucy would be! Her husband was making her breakfast on their first anniversary.  Natsu could barely contain himself.

Once the batter was ready, Natsu poured it into the pan. Watching carefully, he lit the stove.  Lucy had forbidden him from using his own fire in the kitchen.  It took a few tries, but eventually the gas lit.

Natsu began to hum to himself as the pancake cooked. Soon, he could see little bubbles forming in the batter. Natsu watched as the pancake slowly changed color. It went from a pale yellow, to a golden brown, and it kept darkening. Natsu's nose twitched with the smell.

"Natsu?"

He flinched as he heard his name. It didn't take Natsu long to know who it was. The voice, the smell of lilacs, and the fact that no one else would have wandered into his kitchen at this hour. Lucy. It was Lucy. He groaned silently as he turned around. Of course, this was the one day she woke up early.

"Luce~ You're up!" he laughed. 

Lucy watched as he shuffled in front of the stove. She knew. She always knew what he was planning. The slow burning smell from behind him, and the apron around his waist. Lucy shook her head with a chuckle, and walked up to Natsu. Gently, Lucy wrapped her arms around her husband.

"I'm up, and I know you're trying to cook." 

Natsu grinned at her. Lucy always knows, doesn't she? He wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on her head. The two sat like that for a while, just as Lucy relaxed into him, she pulled back.

"Ouch!" She cried.

Lucy pulled her hands back from Natsu, and held one gingerly in the other. Her hand was red - it had touched the stove. Lucy tried to blow on it to cool it down. Natsu's eyes widened at his wife's injured hand. Without a word, he grabbed her wrist and pulled it towards the sink. He immediately ran cold water over it. Lucy flinched as the water first hit her hand, but could feel the relief.

"Thanks, Natsu." She chuckled. "It makes sense that you're the one who knows what to do whenever someone gets burned."

Natsu didn't react to his wife's joke. He watched her hand under the running water. The redness was slowly disappearing with Natsu's worry. Once Natsu had decided that Lucy's hand had stayed under the water long enough, he pulled it out. Grabbing a towel, he patted Lucy's hand dry. Lucy watched as her husband cared for her injured hand. For all she knew, Natsu would take anything and not complain. But if it was her that was hurt, he wouldn't stand for it.

"Let me bandage it for you." Natsu offered.

Lucy gently pulled her hand back and hugged her husband. She wasn't afraid of fire. Natsu always smelled of fire, so it comforted her. And even the burn couldn't change that. Natsu smiled and hugged his wife back.

"Natsu?"

"Yes, Luce?"

"I think breakfast is burning."

"Dang it!" Natsu cussed as he turned to the stove. The pancake within was nearly charcoal, and had started to smoke. Natsu quickly turned off the stove and dumped the pancake onto a nearby plate. Natsu watched as it slowly fell apart into smaller pieces of charcoal. He had failed.

Lucy laughed, and picked up the plate. Natsu watched, wide-eyed. What was she going to do?

Lucy walked the plate over to the garbage, and dumped it. Natsu could feel his heart fall with it. "I tried, Lucy, I really did."

"I believe you, baka. But from now on, leave the cooking to me, okay?" 

Natsu  nodded.

"Now, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Not pancakes, that's for sure!"