The Scarlet's Familiar

Waking Up

Natsu's head throbbed, his vision was blurry as he opened his eyes, he stared at the white ceiling as the memories slowly came back to him, the duel, the way he felt, he took a long breath before sitting up slowly and looking around, he recognized the set of scent's in the room, Erza's remained the strongest so she had been here the most, he felt like a blacksmith had used his head as an anvil as he laid back down. He heard the door open and forced himself upright much to his bodies disagreement. The made that had come to fetch him the day he fought the dual moved about the room slowly, she seemed to finally realize he was awake and she let out a surprised gasp, he gave her a small smile and inhaled slowly.

"How long have I been out?" He asked flatly.

"Almost three weeks," She bowed to him "According to the doctor's you were not going to wake up at all."

"What changed?" Natsu asked rubbing at his forehead slowly.

"Lady Erza purchased a very expensive and rare herb," The woman explained with another bow "You improved greatly over the next few days and now you re awake I am sure she will be thrilled."

"She will more likely attack me for being so foolish," Natsu chuckled and regretted it as his head responded with lighting crack's of pain "What happened after I passed out?"

"After the blonde-boy forfeited and you won the duel, many people began talking about you...Some even going as far to call you the sword of the poor," She bowed again, he kept his annoyance in check, he wasn't important and he didn't want to be treated like he was "People are calling you a hero."

Natsu sighed "I am not a hero." He said flatly "If anything I am a fool who just happens to be lucky."

A fire erupted in the young woman's eyes and he chuckled the pain in his head was slowly subsiding "I disagree, I do not thing you 'got lucky' you defeated that boy with skill alone." She nodded approvingly.

He held up his hand, she stared at the pale gray runes on it and looked at him "I won because these gave me a power I have never had before." He said flatly "I do not know how they work, therefore I got lucky."

She stared at him in disbelief for a second before conceding, he knew she still didn't believe him but in truth he didn't really care, he slid from the bed and realized, much to his own discomfort he was shirtless and a row of tight bandages were wrapped around his rib's, he pressed lightly and groaned in pain, he remembered taking a heavy hit from one of the armored things that boy had summoned, he focused intently on his form reverting into a wolf, he let out a satisfied mewl as the pain subsided almost immediately, although it was accompanied by a strange itchy sensation not all that unlike millions of bug's were crawling under his skin, he walked past the girl slowly, she moved ahead and let his out as without his hand's he could not open the door.

He continued out into the field's, it was approaching late afternoon he continued around the academy lazily, he noticed a set of chair's and a table he recognized the scent's of that idiot boy and the woman he was with when he had begun the fight, he watched them from a small distance away before growing bored and walking towards the kitchen with any luck he could find something to eat. He allowed himself to retake his human form, still shirtless but at least the discomfort of pain was gone he muttered a silent prayer of thanks for the increased healing when he was a wolf as he entered the kitchen. The various smell's of the room his him like a train and his had to use all of his willpower to avoid drooling like a dog. A man looked up from his pot and flashed him a wide grin.

"Bout time you showed up, I have been waiting to cook you a meal since you beat the pompous boy weeks ago." He announced loudly.

The fact that he was shirtless seemed to have little effect on the guy's in the room, they assumed it was because of his bandages, although he could do without the not unheard whispers of the few female people in the place, he was battling inside his own head to go find clothes or get food, ultimately food won. and he was seated behind a simple wooden table in the corner, the man who had spoken earlier put a large plate of steaming vegetables, rice and a large slab of meat in front of him. Natsu grinned widely and thanked him before digging in.

As he was exiting the kitchen's a large smile on his face and a full belly he noticed a large metal tub, he frowned at it before turning back to the chef.

"What's with that?" He asked curiously.

The man looked at it and shrugged "It was just there one day, I was going to take it into town and sell it for scrap."

"Mind if I take it?" Natsu asked, he had a use for it in mind and the thought made his smile broaden.

"Go ahead," The chef offered "I don't need it and if you move it from here that is less work for me."

Natsu nodded his thanks before flipping the thing it's side, the large circle bowl of metal rolled easily and he positioned it behind a few tree's, setting it up over some log and filling it with water. He lit the log's on fire and waited for them to heat the water, slipping down to his boxers he sat down in the makeshift bath with a long and relaxed sigh, he let his head fall back and closed his eyes. He could smell the girl approaching before he actually saw her, she peeked her head around the tree's and watched him as he cracked an eye open to look at her.

"Erza calling me again?" He asked flatly, still wondering why the girl was there.

She shook her head "Uh, what are you doing?"

Natsu frowned "Taking a bath," He said flatly "Well sort of a bath anyway it ended up feeling more like a hot spring than a bath."

"Hot spring?" The girl asked stepping up towards him.

'Women certainly are different here,' He thought with a small smile "Yeah, where I come from they are naturally heated pool's people go to relax in."

She stared at him for a few minutes, he sighed "You want to join me?"

"Would that be okay?" She couldn't hide her excitement, what he couldn't tell if she was excited about the bath or being near him.

He nodded "It's fine." he waved her over reassuringly with a smile.

Natsu closed his eyes and leant back in the tub again, his hearing didn't miss the sound of her removing her clothing and he used all of his willpower to make sure his mind didn't stray into the gutter 'It's just a bath, if she wanted you, you'd smell it anyway calm down and don't do anything stupid.'

And that's when he noticed the slightly unfamiliar scent,, he stifled his groan 'You just had to go and beat a noblemen in a dual, you just had to do it and now this is what you get for it.' he wanted to beat his head against a wall, he should have given up when Erza's told him too, then he would not be sitting in a bath with a not at all unattractive woman and she wouldn't be giving off heat. He rolled backwards and landed on his feet with a sigh.

"I should probably get going anyway," 'Please don't ask why.' he silently prayed as he morphed into his wolf form and almost ran from the area, he did break into a run when she could no longer see him. Eager to be away from the scent he shook his head and continued running. The air cleared and following soon after his head, he emitted what would have been a relieved sigh but when he was a wolf it was a slightly higher pitched growl. He arrived in Erza' room and looked around happy she wasn't there otherwise he would have to explain why he was only in short's and that was a conversation he really wanted to avoid. He pulled a set of clothing from the closet, it was just carbon copies of his original blue and white jacket as well as a black t-shirt and black pant's Erza made about twelve copies of the same clothing using magic. he got dressed quickly and walked back outside looking up at the star's with a long breath. He was surprised when someone latched onto him, he knew they weren't a threat but he was even more surprised when said person turned his head and planted a long kiss on his lips, he shook his head trying to clear it, he pitched his nose shut and jerked away from the person, red hair, brown eyes.

"E-Erza?!" He shouted in surprise.