【Re:Freezing】 | Gray Fullbuster x OC

42. Top of Chain

As she dug into her back pocket for her wallet, she heard Happy's voice call her name. When she turned, she found him with his partner and Lucy. They looked dressed and packed. Ready to go on a job, maybe?

"Yo."

"Going on a job?" Natsu wondered.

"Nah, just going to return a book to a library after I make a stop somewhere. You?"

"We're going with Lucy to see her dad."

Lucy put a hand on her hip and gave him a suspicious look. "Yeah? You never said why you wanted to, though."

As if she struck a nerve, both the Salamander and the Exceed began crying.

"Your dad has ways to earn fish-catching opportunities!" Happy cried. "I mean, profit-making opportunities! We need to take this chance now!"

"Why so urgent?" Karissa quirked an eyebrow as she stood next to the blonde whose face still didn't change. "Go snag a job from the request board."

"You don't get it!" Natsu grabbed her by the shoulders. "When Happy and I got home, our money box was gone! That's our food money!"

"Oh, no." Lucy grimaced.

"Ah!" Karissa dropped her fist in her hand. "So, you're broke as fuck."

As if the truth struck him hard in the gut, he whimpered and cried even harder.

As Natsu released her to panic with Happy, Karissa put a hand under her chin thoughtfully. "You two do live away from civilization, aka Magnolia, so I wouldn't be surprised if some homeless person found their way to your house for shelter and found your money box."

Immediately, Natsu's tears evaporated from the heat his mouth produced when he angrily spat fire. "Damn homeless person! That was our food money!"

"My fish money!"

The two women stared at them for a few seconds before turning around and continuing their walk to the train station.

"Maybe they'll try to mooch off your father since he's a businessman."

"I really hope they don't do something like that." Lucy muttered, placing a hand on her face as if to dread the possibility.

"Don't talk like as if I'm not here!" Natsu snapped as he and Happy caught up to them. When he slowed down and walked directly behind them, Karissa spun around her heel to look at him, walking backwards. Lucy looked to the side to see what she was up to.

"Since you're flat broke, I guess I'll help you get started." Karissa held out her wallet and looked down at it. The moment she opened it, they froze. Natsu and Happy might as well have been blinded by the amount she kept stored in there. The sight of so much bills had them gaping, jaws practically slamming into the earth and reaching deep into its core. Even Lucy was shocked at the amount she kept.

"Shouldn't you store some away in a safe place?!" Lucy suggested. "What if you lost your wallet?!"

"I rarely lose my wallet. Number of times counted is actually on one hand, and I bought this wallet when I was probably nine. Says a lot, right—?"

"Forget about that!" Natsu interjected and looked at the black haired mage with enlarged eyes. "H-How much are you giving us...?"

"Just enough to get you started." She repeated, pulling out two dozen of bills. "An estimate of a week and a half's worth. That way you can take it easy, no stress, and it'll help since our jobs aren't exactly paying right now so—" Karissa was cut off when Natsu and Happy literally barreled into her, landing on the hard ground.