Comedy, bonding, friendship
Getting himself pumped up the flame-brained mage took the injured earthling along for a tour around the harbor town with its many attractions so why not start with the central hub?
He took her to a fairly populated spot which still had the tiled-stone motif ground with fenced off greenery, shrubbery, and trees but right smack dab in the center was a marble fountain that gushed out water in a seamless stream that shot up and curved down beautifully into the water basin without so much as a splish.
He allowed her to sit down at one of the many wooden benches available, clearly this was a park.
"We'll still hafta do something about that leg of yours but I think it'll be fine if you just take it easy for a bit. A break sounds nice, yeah?"
Irina loved the pretty fountain Natsu had taken her so far as well as the many sights this town had to offer, her expression lit up by these new sights. Who knew opening up a mysterious book would lead her into a place like this. Natsu, the strange boy she had met who saved her from rowdy bandits wanting to take her captive. Is even very polite when he’s not acting like a crazy beast throwing around flames from his fists, Irina really appreciated him letting her rest after that tiering trek into town and saving her life from the unexpected run in, though had sprained her leg in the process from trying to escape by herself.
Irina smiled and nodded in agreement to her savior's reply, getting herself comfortable on the bench and letting her leg relax. "Yeah, definitely! I figured you need one yourself after carrying me around this far... sorry to make you go through this much trouble by the way."
He did some light stretches in the meanwhile, going down onto his haunches and coming back up with arms upraised fully toward the sky.
"No kiddin'," Natsu said. "You're heavier than I thought you would be."
He said all too casually with that same grin only to then perform some side stretches pulling out the cramped muscles all over his body. He was stiff all over.
After that comment about her weight, Irina's smile went down as it now turned into a look of annoyance.
"Hey! You better not be calling me fat because I was just starting to like you.” Irina rolled her eyes. “Wow, you really don't think twice about anything coming out of your mouth, do you?" She crosses her arms with a slight glare at Natsu questioningly.
He rigidly turned his head toward her with his brows anchored, he didn't mean for the two of them to bicker but if push came to shove he always doubled-down.
"Huh? I never said you were fat-you're just heavier than I pegged you to be!"
"That's exactly the same thing!" Irina yelled with a groan, Natsu really didn't understand what girls don’t want to hear which is pretty clear. "Telling a girl she's heavy is like calling her fat, don't you understand anything about that kind of sensitive stuff, Pinky?"
She kept glaring at him with her arms still crossed in annoyance.
"WHUZZAT? OI! My hair ISN'T pink! It's salmon!" Natsu corrected, finding that of all things to be the most insulting thing to be said about him as he moved toward her.
"And what's so bad about being heavy? You can win plenty fights by being heavier than the other person or having the heavier punch!"
Irina wasn't very intimidated by him anymore as she still kept her glare, but the way Natsu acts like a child throwing a tantrum, Irina couldn't help but let out a little giggle. "The way you describe that sounds more like what a sumo wrestler would do." Irina responds, bending her hands behind her and holds herself up with them as she keeps her focus on her savior.
"Do you always focus on picking a fight, Natsu? I mean it can't be everything, right?" Irina asks in a more calmer tone now, curious of his destructive behavior.
"Heh!" Seemingly placated, Natsu straightened and eyed the people who wandered about staring at the duo as they argued briefly.
His fist ignites with fire before he slams it into his awaiting palm with a fiery rupture of sparks with a FWOOM!
"It ain't everything but in MY book it's definitely up there! How else're people supposed to get stronger? Just talkin' about it right now is getting me all fired up!"
Irina yelped when Natsu ignited his flames again, she was afraid to get burned but was relieved when he just punched his fist together and didn't wave it around. Irina had to admit, that action was pretty cool despite being frightening and otherworldly.
She giggled from his upbeat attitude as Irina can tell Natsu really does enjoy being strong and cocky about his strength. "As exciting as that may be at times, don't you ever focus on other things in life besides that?”
Irina was starting to be interested to learn more about this mysterious boy, as he is interesting in many ways.
The fire was short lived as right after his fist slammed into his palm it was expunged and snuffed out. Now posed with this question Natsu would pivot to the side and throw a quick series of jabs toward the air aimlessly.
"DUH! I'm focusin' on trying to bring you back to the guild and takin' a break. ARGH! I coulda taken out those guys and now that I'm all excited for a fight I need something to punch!"
"I wouldn't really be calling that taking a break..." Irina smiled kinda sheepishly and sweat dropped.
"So, you were looking for those thugs to not only turn them in but just beat the stuffing out of them? I admit they do kinda deserve that…” Irina mumbled under her breath as she was not happy running into those creeps, if Natsu hadn’t turned up she probably would have been assaulted in ways she didn’t even want to think about… lifting her gaze back to the dragon boy.
“But I figured you had other hobbies as well. You said you had a female friend you traveled with at times, right? Lucy, was it? Is she your girlfriend?" Irina recalled Natsu brought up the mention of his teammate, thinking if they were a couple they would go out and stuff.
He turned his head back to look at her and he had this madden glare worn but it wasn't malice for her but those guys from earlier.
"Huh? Girl? Friend? Oh, Lucy. Yeah, she's my friend. What 'bout it? Actually, you'll do! Fight me!"
He stopped air punching and let his arms droop down to his sides. He didn't seem to be joking. He was serious.
Irina was taken back by the sudden challenge to fight as she panicked and waved her hands in front of him in a frantic manner to try and convince him to stop. "What?! Me?! No no no! Don't you even think about striking a punch on me! I'm not capable of fighting! Especially with my leg all banged up like this!"
Irina had no idea why Natsu was suddenly challenging her when he knew her leg was sprained, she would think he knew by now she wasn't capable of magic or fighting.
While she waved her hands frantically he turned his body fully and began to take measured steps toward her but then came her reasoning and he stopped leaving his towering figure to eclipse the sun casting his shadow down at her.
He took rearward steps and planted his hands firmly over his own hips barking with laughter.
"BWA-HAH-HAH-HAH! I totally forgot! My bad, my bad! Gee, somebody really oughta' fix that leg of yours-THEN WE'LL FIGHT!"
Not only does Irina groan with annoyance, but a tick formed at the side of her head by his sudden stupidity. Eye twitching as she took a stand to scream at him.
"Are you some kind of psycho?! First off, I just told you I'm not capable of magic! Second, I don't know anything about fighting to take you on! Ever think those flames of yours could possibly kill me?!" Irina stomped her good foot but then winced from moving as she had to sit back on the bench, but Irina didn't stop glaring.
"I did not accept your help just to get burned to a crisp just because you couldn't finish beating up a bunch of crooks!" Irina fumed, thinking how crazy this guy was to take action on a defenseless girl.
That shut him up really well.
Natsu despite himself sometimes got uppity especially when presented with peacefulness or sitting around and doing nothing. It wasn't something he could do. It wasn't something he wanted to do-and it was HIS idea, too.
He was fine with it until the conversation dipped into his enjoyment of fighting which brought him back into that mindset.
He could only wallow in his idiocy, her words made his own catch in his throat.
Eventually... Irina took a deep breath and exhaled to relax herself... Once she was calm, Irina's expression turned more softer.
"I may not know a lot about you, but it’s pretty clear getting into a brawl is something you really enjoy doing. While I kinda understand your frustrations of not being able to beat up somebody you hoped would be exciting to challenge, you shouldn't act out on others without knowing if they are capable of fighting or if they even want to fight." Irina relaxed more onto her seat, knowing he's not going to try anything now. Narrowing her eyes at the boy.
"Like I said, there’s more to life than fighting, and I can guess not being able to would be boring for you. But lighten up once and a while and try to focus on other things. You said you wanted to relax, didn't you?" Irina then smiled.
His shoulders slumped and he hunched forward defeated. She won this bout without even swinging a single punch in his direction.
He gritted his teeth together in stifling frustration trying his hardest not to blow a fuse over something as little as this but it was difficult.
"Ghnk... That's no FUN! Sitting 'round and doing nothing but sightseein'! What's so special about that? Nothing, that's what!"
"It's not so bad if you really take in such a beautiful sight around you.” Referring to the fountain and the calming atmosphere of this beautiful village-like town. “What I mean is you should relax after the trek from the woods and carrying me down here. I get it can be boring at times and I'm really sorry for not being fun enough to spar..." Irina can guess she was pretty boring to Natsu that she's not some spell caster.
"It's best to save your strength anyways so you can be even stronger for your next fight with those thugs or any other baddie out there." She gives him a confident smile now as Irina tries to encourage Natsu to still be him but try to preserve his fiery flames.
She wants him to take it easy and conserve his strength? Natsu mulls over the thought but, alas, it doesn't last very long as he thinks those crooks are nothing more than low time criminals. What was there to take seriously about those low lives?
But she ain't entirely wrong, he had to admit.
He wouldn't say she was boring as she continually surprises him and matches him word-for-word whenever he acts up unintentionally or not. The sun beamed down over them and the trees offered some recluse to the intense rays, people walked on by sometimes couples, solo, or those with family and/or friends. Life here didn't seem bad, and as a reminder, most of the people here are incapable of magic.
Stiffly he brings his neck to an abrupt tilt, his brows anchored close together trying to grasp his mind around the fun in all of this. It was more frustrating being unable to just slip into the kind of trance of these other people.
"Those guys're nothing, still, what's supposed to be fun about doin' all of this?"
"Well for starters.” Irina offered a closed eye smile, before her expression slowly shifted. “You could... NOT TRY A DUMB STUNT LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Irina suddenly got mad again as she yelled at him with a hard scary glare.
He flinches and recoils back when she suddenly raises her voice at him.
Once Irina finished with her own fury, she took a deep breath again and laid back down on the bench, looking up into the sky.
"Well, after hard times I like to think of it as trying something new, you know like I just dropped out from the sky and met you, I go through a lot of hard stuff myself back at home even if it is nothing like what you go through..."
She then smiles again as Irina looks back towards Natsu. "But when I've been given new experiences like this when it comes to being somewhere or meeting somebody new, it gives me an idea how exciting this must be and how I could have made a new friend."
It was hard to argue against her logic. But it certainly got his attention. The smile, also, had an effect on him as well.
She really could say some pretty strange things in one moment and then drop a hard hitter like that in the next. He exhales through his nostrils relenting to her, to at least give this thing a shot. Domestic life was never quite his style.
"When you... Put it that way..."
He averted his gaze from her smiling face, unable to meet her eyes. It somehow made him feel all self-conscious and nervous.
"I guess it wasn't too hard to tame the wild beast after all." She teases as Irina also added a giggle after the joke.
"You're full of surprises yourself you know, I mean besides the unusual pink hair and the sniffing around, I think you're pretty cool." She compliments him with a wider and cute grin.
"What are you anyways? I mean, I know you're a wizard like you said but I can guess you must be more than just that?" Irina asks now with a slight tilt of her head curiously.
And here he was feeling sorry for her, like he was just ruining her experience in this new world of his but she had to throw it all back to him huh? Natsu's head whips in her direction as he had some choice words for anybody who was willing to bark up this tree.
"What'd you just call me- Huh? I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer! Plus, I'm not just ANY wizard but a wizard from Fairy Tail! I'm a human being, just like you are."
That caught Irina's attention as she had more of a look of wonder, leaning forward to hear more about what he meant. Paying no mind to his almost sudden tantrum.
"A fire dragon slayer? You mean like... you're a wizard that slays dragons?" Irina asked further as she had no idea what the term Dragon Slayer meant... as she assumed he was like a knight slaying dragons or more wizard instead? But she had no idea what having fire magic and acting part beast had to do with that title.
"Hmph!" He harumphs as he lifts his nose upwards pointedly, finally some respect.
He grins wickedly and throws some fists into the air, a one-two followed by a quick but no doubt heavy uppercut. Of course, these things wouldn't do all that much to a gargantuan dragon with a thick hide of scales razor-sharp teeth and large talons that could tear entire buildings and skyscrapers asunder.
"Exactly right! And I ain't the only one, too. It was Igneel who taught me," He says in a boastful tone but toward the end of it his voice became more somber. "And raised me. I think... I think he would've liked a place like this, too."
When Natsu started pulling some stunts, Irina was very impressed by his incredible moves he displayed. Natsu really seemed to like showing off, Irina thought that was cute and found his whole demeanor to be fascinating. Though Irina didn't know he meant a dragon raised him.
"This guy sounds like such an amazing teacher if he taught you those amazing tricks of yours, though what does fire magic have to do with slaying dragons? Don't dragons breathe fire themselves?" She continued to question him as Irina was interested to know more about Natsu’s life.
Natsu became really talkative when it was about these sorts of subjects; dragons, fire, and Igneel. He wasn't much the type to show off like this normally he was still in the afterglow of wanting to fight, well, anything at this point.
"You'd think that, huh? Well, if you wanna take down a dragon you gotta fight like one, too! You gotta have the claws, the nose, the magic, and the guts of one! And believe me, nobody was more stronger than Igneel!"
Or so he claims anyway, saying this with all smiles and some laughter as he reminisced.
Irina liked how chatty Natsu can be when he talks about himself or his family, it has her see another side to him Irina took a liking to. When he mentioned being like the dragons that sparked her curiosity more if he was actually a hybrid.
"So, you're not only human but part dragon as well?" Irina can guess that would explain the teeth, the sniffing around and the fire stunts he does... her curious nature took hold of her more as she stood up to get a better look at Natsu’s features to try and spot more dragon traits.
Irina was a bit close up as she gazed at his face, below his arms, his feet and around his head.
What she saw was albeit a young man with thin dark eyebrows and salmon-coated unruly hair that jutted out every which way in a systemic pattern as if a contained fiery explosion of hair, he had calloused and rough hands toned forearms and a almost Greek sculpted muscular build like Theseus of Ancient Greece that went down to his feet as well.
Essentially, he was a above-than-average built young man with an interesting sense of style for his hair. His 'do definitely didn't look normal, it looked more purposeful than that. While she circled around him his eyes followed but he kept still for the most part.
Irina stood back and placed her hand on her chin. "That would explain a few other things about you... though you lack scales and claws, but other than that... that's pretty awesome!" She suddenly exclaims as her eyes sparkled with amazement, Irina never heard of hybrid people with dragon traits before and found all that she learned to be incredibly fascinating witnessing in a person.
That would've been a touchy subject some time ago but Natsu had come to terms with it, his species. Human, dragon, or demon? Like back then he gave her a resolute answer.
"I'm human," Natsu assures her. "If they got the right stuff anybody can become a Dragon Slayer but I think the best way to go about it is to be taught by a live and breathin' dragon."
Irina could guess the way Natsu expressed he was human, that he didn't like anyone viewing him differently, she can understand how that would feel as Irina went through that back at home... as she stares at him in thought of that, her soft kind smile rose once again as if she was offering her compassion.
"I can see you’re more than just a human Natsu, not because you have magic or dragon traits. But I can already see you're an incredible guy with a big heart." She took a step back as Irina put her arms behind her and continued to grin brightly.
"During this short time I have with you, I don't only think you're just head strong and cool but someone who's strong at heart, it's not because of how big your muscles are but you went out of your way to save me despite how harsh I was towards you in the beginning.” Having been frightened by him at first, Irina now sees Natsu as so much more.
“You even carried me all the way here and offered to help me further when you didn’t know anything about me." Irina went to sit back down since her leg was still hurting, but she didn't stop talking, cocking her head with her eyes closed as she grinned brighter. "You're not just human Natsu, but you're somebody very special and unique, and the way you are so defensive about yourself shows you have feelings like any human does."
Hearing that said to him in that way really struck a chord within him. Up until this point he can't really remember if anybody has said anything similar to that. As in, taken the time to deconstruct him and understand him to the extent that this person who was a total stranger a few hours ago, has. This was without sounding condescending or making him out to be someone who deserved to be looked down on and pitied.
Things that he might've been doing this entire time with her being someone without magic. If anyone was strong here, was it really him? He doubted it now. Had any wizard-especially one from Fairy Tail-he really believes they'd do what he did AND successfully took out the bandits in the process while keeping her safe at the same time. He should've brought the others, but he also enjoyed just being here with her. No Lucy. No Happy. Just him and her. He never imagined he'd feel like this. He felt guilty because of it, too.
Okay. Fine then. I'll- I'll give it a shot. If not for me, then for her.
Natsu simmers down now and takes on a more forlorn and thoughtful face. He had lots to think about, still a lot of room for growth. She pushed him toward this, and for that he was thankful. Her words inspired him.
Once Irina finished expressing how she felt about him, she was a bit surprised how Natsu's expression changed to look almost down or in thought... He was just so active and cheery a moment ago.
Irina wondered for a moment if she said anything wrong as her own expression took on a look of concern for him now. "Hey... are you alright, Natsu?" She asks him as Irina hoped she didn't make him feel she offended him in any way.
Natsu doesn't respond to the question, but instead sighs.
Looking back toward her he nods his head to assure her, once again, that he was indeed okay with what was said-more than that actually.
"Would it be okay if I joined you? Sittin' I mean." He asks, gesturing with a point of his chin to the empty space next to her now.
Irina was very surprised by the sudden question, but she just smiled again as she let out a little giggle at how silly and cute that sounded.
"Of course you can sit, you don't need to ask, silly." She continued to smile as her hand patted the seat next to her to gesture for him to sit as he pleased.
Yeah, so it did sound a little silly to ask for something as common as that but this was just his way of extending an olive branch. He flared up for a split moment but was able to quell it just as quickly. He sits down beside her.
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know. I ain't used to this sorta thing is all."
Irina giggled again, finding Natsu’s behavior to be really cute, Irina figured she should offer something else for them to do for him to enjoy.
"Well, if you're still not tired from carrying me around, do you want to do something else? I mean it would be helpful to find a place that sells bandages for my leg." With the topic back on her leg, Irina suddenly whipped her head forward and looked down in thought.
"Now that I think about it... once my leg is fixed up, what will I even do next? It's almost getting late and my parents probably figured out I'm gone by now... where will I even stay in the meantime through all this?" Irina looked up to the sky, she was worried how she would even adjust when she has no plans or even money to use to live...
It might be possible she have to camp out in the woods… which Irina dreaded by the idea.
That was actually a pretty good question. What should she do when they get back to where he planned on taking her? Well, he already knows that his friends will work tirelessly to make sure that she returns home. They, of all people, know what it is like to be trapped; not FUN.
He folds his arms and he lowers his eyes as his thoughts begin to just spill out from his mouth.
"It'd be really bad to worry your parents about all of this, especially since the only thing you did was open a book..."
He then begins to stroke his chin.
"...I think I might know a shop that'll help us out."
Irina's eyes wandered back towards Natsu in wonder as she was curious what ideas he had in mind for her.
"Really? Is there a place you know where I can get healed?" She asks as Irina guessed by how much he travels he would know a lot of people and places from his jobs he takes on.
Natsu just stands up from his seat and places a warm comforting hand atop of her head quietly, not saying anything to respond to her inquiry.
Irina was surprised by the sudden gesture as she looked up at him. The head gesture was a bit strange since nobody had done something like that to her since she was a kid.
Irina guessed it had a comforting meaning behind the action he did. "Natsu?"
He takes on this faraway look like he wasn't quite present in the moment but elsewhere, but his words belied this observation as it was directed for her in the here and now.
"Everything that has you worried you don't need to think about, because on behalf of Fairy Tail we-I-got your back. I know a place where you can stay, and you'll have a roommate. For now, *I* should worry about findin' those bandages."
Irina stared up at Natsu to not only process his dedication to her but also admire his features as well... His words were very reassuring to her and how determined he looked to help her really warmed her heart as if his own flames that comforted her...
He really looked admirable in her eyes and had a great appreciation for what he's doing for a total stranger like her, Irina couldn't help but still smile thankfully as responds softly to him.
"Natsu... thank you." Was all Irina could say as she kept her thankful smile on him, but then when he mentioned the part about having a roommate, her expression suddenly turned flustered and Irina's cheeks turned almost a bright red, thinking Natsu meant himself.
"D-did you say roommate...? I-I uh... r-really appreciate the thought Natsu but I-I'm not sure if it's appropriate for a random girl like me to stay with you... I-I mean your girlfriend Lucy wouldn't like that idea, would she...?" She asked in a flustered and panicky manner with her fingers pressed together as she averted her gaze briefly. Irina still thought Lucy was his girlfriend... Irina couldn't imagine how she would feel if she stayed in her own boyfriend's home and didn’t want to be a third wheel towards them.
Watching her face turn a shade redder than it reasonably should have, reasonably to an unreasonably fellow. It seemed like she was misinterpreting something here and luckily she laid it out thick enough for him to correct it-in his uncouth way of course.
His head swung back and he barked laughter at the very prospect of her crashing in his home, along with Happy the Exceed. No way could the three of them live underneath the same room, he can barely do that with Lucy as it is even as nothing more than a-forceful-visitor.
Bringing his head back down and the laughter coming to a gradual end, he grin widens as he looks down at her.
"You won't be stayin' with ME but Lucy! Whaddaya mean random girl? We're friends, aren't we? Now c'mon, get up onto your feet, it's time we really fix that foot of yours before settin' off!"
Irina started to relax when Natsu corrected her, but now felt embarrassed for bringing the idea up… though hearing that he suggested his girlfriend's place took her by surprise.
"Wait, you want me to stay with Lucy? I-I really don't want to be any trouble for her... how do you even think she would feel when you bring a random girl back anyways? She's not the jealous type, is she?" Irina hates to be a burden to anyone... especially when they don't know anything about her.
"Mhmmg..." He utters quietly as he thought on this now.
Jealous type, jealous type...
Nothing came to mind when thinking of it for a moment, he couldn't remember being jealous of things like this. Though, if she sometimes did get jealous he reckoned.
"...Nope. If anythin' I think she'll be just as curious 'bout the place you come from as you are about our world. She ain't that type of person-maybe."
Irina was a bit surprised at what she heard, the way Natsu mentions Lucy is like they don’t have that sort of deep relationship as she expected… did he even know what she was talking about…? Irina narrowed her eyes questioningly as he seemed pretty dense…. So she decided to try and be more clear.
"Natsu... is Lucy by any chance your lover?” Irina now asks as she averted her gaze awkwardly with a rub to the back of her neck. “You know… somebody really special you hold strong feelings for since you mentioned how close the both of you were?" She slowly turned her gaze back. Irina figured Natsu would understand a relationship term more if she said lover instead of girlfriend. But suddenly took noticed he wasn’t sitting next to her anymore. “Eh…?” She blinked at the empty spot.
When she turns his eyes onto him Natsu had already begun to trek off in search for their new destination already some paces up ahead down the pathway that led toward the aforementioned water-spewing fountain.
He wrapped his arms behind his neck and cast a glance over to where she was before setting it back forward again.
"If you don't hurry up we might just end up missin' it entirely! Not like it'll stay open all day, will it? C'mon, lets get a move on!"
"Huh? Hey! Wait!” Irina called out. “You didn't- ah the heck with it…” Irina mumbled annoyed and irritated with a groan that Natsu didn’t even stay and listen to her question, he really is as dense as a brick… Standing up now as she tried to make way towards her new friend's direction. “Wait up, Natsu!"
Irina yells as she tries to catch up with him, all she could do was limp since her leg was still sprained. Soon enough Irina's right by her new friend's side but gives him an annoyed glare for already starting to walk off without her. This new experience was so out of the ordinary for her… but Irina realized no matter what happens to her in this new land she is now trapped in. She’ll be okay after all, hope was on her side. And maybe so much more…
