Chaos & Salamander

Chapter 12 - Dinner

Lucy's POV

"So, do you have any more questions about Gajeel and Metalicana?" I asked and then took another sip of my hot chocolate. "Two. Did his dragon disappear the same day ours did?" he asked while staring up at the ceiling. "Yep" I replied simply. "Does he know where his dragon went?" he asked his last question. "Nope" I replied simply again. On the day Gajeel and I met, we found out that both of our dragons disappeared on the same day but neither of us knew where they went. 'Why doesn't he ask Gajeel these questions? He'll be coming to the guild soon' I wondered.

"Gajeel could've answered these questions when he got to the guild. Why didn't you wait?" I asked. He rolled onto his side, facing his back to me. "I don't trust him" he replied. I think I understood the situation. "Gajeel may come across like a cold tough guy but on the inside, he's a big softy. Don't tell him I said that" I said, mumbling the last bit. "Once you get to know him I'm sure you'll like him" I added and he remained silent.

Since it was getting late and I needed to start making dinner, I decided to ask if Natsu would like to stay over for dinner. "Hey Natsu, I'm going to make dinner now. Do you want some? I'm cooking steaks tonight" I asked as I stood up from my chair. He growled in a response which I took as a yes. "Alright give me about 15 minutes" I said and then walked into the kitchen.

Once I was in the kitchen, I took two raw steaks out of my fridge and put them in a pan with a bit of seasoning. I went back to the fridge and grabbed some carrots, potatoes, pumpkin and broccoli before putting them on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, I chopped up all the vegetables and then put them on a separate plate. Once the vegetables were ready for cooking, I grabbed the pan's handle with one hand and put my other hand on the bottom. I lit my hand underneath the pan on fire which started cooking the steaks. Before I met Fairy Tail, when I was travelling, I would cook my food with my own fire. It's easier and quicker that way.

Once the steaks were cooked enough on one side, I turned it over with a pair of tongs. With my other hand, I got two plates ready on the counter and then when the steaks were fully cooked, I put them on the plates. I quickly tossed the chopped vegetables onto the hot pan I was still heating up and started roasting them. As soon as the vegetables were cooked, I plated them beside the steaks. Before bringing the plates out, I grabbed my hot sauce and poured it all over my steak.

"Dinner's ready" I said as I put the plates on my dining table. Natsu rolled off my bed and glared at the plate of food as he walked over to the table. 'Does he think I poisoned it?' I wondered as I sat down in front of my plate. "I haven't poisoned it if that's what you're thinking" I stated and then he sat down. He gave it a quick sniff and then took a bite of the steak. His eyes widened a bit that I almost missed it. Without warning he chowed down the rest of the steak within a minute. 'Wow and I thought Gajeel was a fast eater' I thought as I took my first bite of my steak, slower than how Natsu devoured his.

After finishing his meal, he abruptly stood up and walked towards the window. 'What is he doing?' I wondered until he started climbing out of my window. He paused and then looked over his shoulder at me. "Thank you for the meal" he said so quietly that I would've missed it if I didn't have Dragon Slayer hearing. That one sentence brought a smile to my face. "You're welcome" I replied and then he jumped out of the window. "Use the door!" I complained but it was already too late. He had disappeared into the night.

I finished the rest of my dinner alone, but I was glad to know Natsu liked my cooking enough to eat it all in less than a minute. After I finished my dinner, I took the two plates over to the sink to wash them along with everything I used to cook the meals. When all the dishes were clean, I decided to have a nice relaxing bath.

After I stripped off, I slid into the relaxing warm water. I rolled my shoulders back to loosen them. "Ah I wish I fought with Ice Stripper earlier. I'm itching for a fight. Maybe when Gajeel gets here I can have a sparring match with him" I said to myself. Thinking back on the way Natsu left, I let out a sigh and then looked up at the ceiling. "Now that I think about it. That's the first time he's ever thanked me. That proves that I was right. He's not as horrible as everyone thinks he is" I said to myself and then I knew what my secret goal was. "I will show everyone that Natsu is a nice person no matter how long it takes" I said with determination. Now settling my thoughts, I let my mind rest as I enjoyed the rest of my bath.

Afterwards, I got changed into my pink silk pyjamas and did my nighttime routine. Which includes: brushing my teeth, brushing the knots out of my hair, writing a bit of my novel that I'm working on and writing a letter to Igneel. Ever since Igneel disappeared, I've decided to write letters to him. Hopefully one day when I find him, I can show him these letters so he can read about all the adventures I've been on. Once I finished writing my letter, I went to bed to get some beauty rest.