One Of The Boys

Love Is Labor And I'm Very Sore

His fingers reached down and fiddled with the wads of cash in his lap, counting them over and over again. His fingertips were calloused and cracked and bloody and his eyes fucking stung because he was so goddamn exhausted but he didn't care, because this was the day.

He'd worked every day after school that entire week, desperate to save up enough cash to have a decent bet for Lucy. Not that he thought betting on her for a date was a decent thing to do—he felt a little scummy having to buy time with her, like she was an object—but he couldn't stand the idea of her going on a date with a single other person. He'd already watched her go out on a date with Gray, and that had nearly killed him. To think someone else might win her date, to think that maybe even Gray would take her out again....well, that didn't sit well with Natsu.

So, he'd figured the only thing he could do was bet on her. At the start of this week, he'd had approximately thirteen dollars in his wallet—not exactly prime betting material. He wouldn't win the date with Lucy with thirteen dollars.

So, he'd asked Lisanna if her parents would hire him after school. They had the biggest house in town and had a major plot of land that was filled with landscaping—orchards, berries, flowers, veggies, everything. He'd begged the girl to ask her parents to hire him. She'd asked why, and he'd told her the truth: he was in love with Lucy and had to win the date with her at the auction. Lisanna had laughed and said it was no problem, that her parents would be more than willing.

Thirteen bucks an hour, and Natsu could work as long as he wanted after school. So, he did. He worked from three till eleven every night that week. He'd broken his back digging up dirt and planting flowers and trimming their shrubs to perfection. He'd moved rocks and he'd cut trees and he'd watered their entire orchard, which took nine fucking years practically. And he'd come every night and he'd fall asleep right there, in his grubby, dirty clothes, but he didn't mind because he had to save up enough.

Thirteen bucks an hour, eight hours a day after school, five days in a row. Five hundred and twenty dollars. Add on his initial thirteen dollars, and he officially had five hundred and thirty three dollars.

He prayed that it was enough.

Lisanna and her parents had taken him out for dinner the night before as a treat, since he'd worked so hard and made their yard look so impressive. He'd accepted—what, was he supposed to say no to his boss?

But he'd seen Lucy and she'd left all of a sudden and she looked upset, and he swore he was going to come home and make sure she was okay but he had to clean up the Strauss' garden because he had to save up enough to bet on Lucy. By the time he'd come home, she'd already be fast asleep, preparing for the auction.

But now he was sitting on his bed making sure he had all of his money, making sure he had every single penny because he couldn't leave anything behind.

There a movement in his window and his eyes snapped up and Lucy was there. His heart melted on the spot and he watched her as she spun, looking at herself in the mirror. She was all done up, but was wearing an older dress—he recognized it now; it was in fact the one dress she owned a couple years ago. She straightened out the brown dress and wiped her lips, taking off a bit of the lipstick and then nodded at herself in her mirror, okay with what she saw, and then turned and left her room, never noticing Natsu's presence.

He didn't realize his jaw had dropped until he'd forgotten to swallow and drool spilled down his chin.

She was so pretty, and his heart ached. He clutched the money in his hand and grabbed his bag, dashing out the door, desperate to get the day going.

Both of them had sweaty palms, searching in the crowds for each other, as the school's festivities began. There were no classes—there was a bake sale and fair in the gymnasium and activities in every single classroom run by the faculty. Lucy was taken away by the principal, who rounded up all of the girls who were up for sale at the auction; they were hauled backstage and were told their cues, where to stand when they were put on stage, on display for all potential buyers.

Natsu spent the entire day going from activity to activity, looking for her, grumbling as he was forced to paint or draw or do stupid activities in each room. All he wanted to do was find her, be beside her. He'd missed her so much and he was so sore and tired and she was the only thing that would make it better.

But he didn't find her and the day progressed and the auction was starting soon. Everyone was ushered to the gym and it was packed and sweaty in there, but Natsu didn't care. He shoved his way to the front of the gym, hands clamped around the money in his hand.

The lights turned off and kids gasped; the spotlight hit the stage.

It was starting. Natsu clung to his money, heart hammering and stomach flopping nervously.

He had to win.