Prince For Ransom...

The Room...

"You're sleeping with me." Lucy announced without a care.

"What?!" Natsu replied, objecting her statement.

"I said you're sleeping with me." Lucy repeated herself, feeling like she was talking to a child.

"I heard you the first time Lucy; why am I bunking with you? Why not with someone else?" Natsu had walked over to where she was. She had explained because she was on kitchen duty, it meant being in the kitchen all day, cleaning and cooking.

"There are no other rooms for you to sleep in. This isn't the Royal Castle where the space is unlimited." Lucy stopped peeling carrots, put down her knife and looked him straight in the eye.

Natsu felt a pang of fear and guilt as she explained that he wasn't home and making accommodations wasn't going to be easy, especially seeing as it was partially his part for wanting to play a hero by taking a pirate home.

Lucy resumed peeling her carrots, wanting to make a coleslaw but decided against it. She looked at the salmon and trout that the guys had brought on board after they went fishing, only god knows how they manage to catch the amount of fish they always catch.

"What do you think we should cook?" Lucy asked Natsu as he turned to resume washing the dishes.

"I don't know, I'm better at eating food rather than cooking it." Natsu said, no shame in his voice. Lucy wondered if eating was all he knew how to do.

"How about fish with veggies and a nice lemon sauce? The guys are crazy for sour food with their beer and it couldn't hurt to make something out of the ordinary for once." Lucy smiled as she picked up the lemons in the barrel.

Natsu watched as she cut up and squeezed the sour citrus, taking out the juice seemed like an easy enough task. He quickly went back to washing, if Lucy wanted something and it wasn't clean, he knew that he would have find a good hiding spot.

"Natsu, can I have a bowl please?" Sure as faith, Lucy asked for something that he had just washed. He was glad that he didn't have to worry about getting her mad; he glanced over to her as she prepared the food and noted that she was too mannered and graceful to be a pirate. The way she moved, held things, talked and even the way she stood all spelled out one thing, Aristocrat.

"Lucy, do you know the Baron and Baroness of the Mountain Country?" Natsu asked, knowing fairly well that the country had no Nobility in it but only someone of a certain status would know that.

"The Mountain Country doesn't have Nobles. What kind of question is that?!" Lucy turned around to look at Natsu, only to realize that she had opened her mouth without regard of what she should've said.

"So, you are an aristocrat? I should've known Lady Lucy." Natsu smiled, knowing that he had some knowledge about her and part of him knowing that if he could get her off scotch free, he would marry her.

"I'm not an aristocrat, I left that part of my life behind; it doesn't matter anyway if you know, everyone on the ship knows about my past." Lucy was genuinely glad that she left the life as a Noble. Last she heard, her father had gone broke, lost his status and starting working as a traveling merchant. Of course her father would blame her for losing everything; if she hadn't run off and left, he'd still be the rich man he was.

"How did you become a pirate and you had a status?" Natsu didn't want to pry but he was curious.

"I told you I left that part of my life behind, which means that I'm not going to spend anytime reminiscing about it. The reasons for it don't matter but let's just say that I wasn't happy where I was." Lucy finished cleaning her fish and walked around to the other side of the counter, turning to motion to Natsu.

"What?" Natsu asked, confused.

"I told you that you were sleeping with me right; so I need to show you where my quarters are. Unless you plan on following me around all day so you don't have to remember directions." Lucy smiled, genuinely pleased that he had come from behind the counter rushing to catch up.

"Are you always like this?" Natsu quipped, Lucy burst out laughing as he commented. Natsu looked at Lucy strangely but he liked the way her laugh sounded.

"You just don't know me Prince Dragneel." Lucy walked onto the deck and crossed it rather quickly, leaving Natsu to chase after her.

"Can you slow down please? I wanna get to know the ship and not just pass through like were going to war." Natsu jogged to keep up with her.

"Stop complaining, we're already here anyway so you can stop your whining." Lucy shrugged as she opened the door to her quarters. Natsu inspected the room, it was small but large enough for two people to move around in. A small bed and a long couch with a dresser next to it. The room would fit them comfortably but how long until they learn to move around without getting in each others way.

"It's nice but don't you think that we'll be getting in each space if we do this? I mean I really appreciate that your willing to share with me but I'm sure that you'd prefer your own luxury and private time." Natsu wasn't sure what to do or say; he was nervous because he'd never been a woman's room and now he had to share one with one he'd never met before.

"Stop fidgeting about the room, the captain said that because I brought you, I have to take care you. So , its not that I want to share with you, its that I have to share with you." Lucy walked over to her closet and pulled out a blanket and a pillow. She set them on the couch, along with some basic toiletries.

"Is all this for me?" Natsu walked over to inspect the intricately designed blanket. He was impressed with it and work that seemed to be put into it.

"You like it?" Lucy felt her heart skip a beat for a moment.

"Yeah, I love the designs; it reminds me of one I had as a child." Natsu looked up at Lucy with a melancholy smile on his face. Lucy noticed that he had the smiled she held from time to time when she thought about her mother.

"I made it, my mom used to love knitting when I was a kid and she taught me how to knit as well. It was something she and I did together all the time." Lucy's shoulders calmed down but they slouched far past relaxed, more sad about her not being around.

Natsu took note that the reasons behind her leaving her home were probably sad ones; if that were the case then it were better he didn't pry, maybe she would tell him eventually. He walked over to the couch and sat down, it wasn't the bed he was use to but it was definitely better than the ground where he had originally thought he'd be.

"If you're ready, we have to finish cooking in the kitchen and its soon time to feed the hungry people aboard this Fairy-like ship." Lucy smiled, walking towards the door. Natsu followed behind, she was moving slower this time where he could keep up and not worry.

They reached back to the kitchen and started cooking once again. Lucy was beginning to become more clear to Natsu but like most woman, she was a mystery and a good one at that.