Late

Summary: Who knew being late could get you a date? Modern AU

Word Count: 1.7K

Lucy groaned as she rolled over, arm sticking out from under the covers to search for her phone. She knew her time in bed was coming to an end, the woman already snoozing her alarm a few times. Her eyes squinted as they adjusted to the brightness of her screen before they snapped wide open, her mouth dropped as she tapped her finger to the sensor on the back to unlock her device.

"Dang it," she mumbled, calling her work number before throwing the covers off, grumbling as she sat up.

"Magnolia World, how may I direct your call?"

"Hey Mira, it's me," Lucy said, rubbing her eyes before shifting out of bed. "I overslept. Will you let Makarov know I'm going to be late?"

"Oh dear," the receptionist started, concern laced in her tone until a snicker followed. "Late night, perhaps?"

Lucy was in a hurry as she changed into her work clothes, but she had enough time to roll her eyes before shaking her head. "Oh yeah, you know me. Had another wild night last night."

By 'wild', she meant staying up thirty minutes past her bedtime to finish a chapter of the newest book she was reading, but she didn't have to say that.

Everyone in Lucy's life knew she didn't do anything like that anymore. Her partying days were behind her, that chapter of her life closed around the time she turned twenty-nine. Now at the sizzling age of thirty-two, Lucy preferred more quiet nights in, reading and snuggling with her white-furred Japanese Spitz, Plue.

Normally Lucy preferred adopting mutts from shelters instead of buying from a breeder, but Plue was a present from her father, and it wasn't like she had the heart to reject the dog, even if he was a purebred.

"I'll let him know you'll be getting coffee for us," Mira said, Lucy imaging the wink accompanying it.

She couldn't decline the offer in front of her, shrugging on her shoes as she nodded. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"Really?! Well if that's the case, would you finally consider going out with—"

"Gotta go!" Lucy hung up the phone before Mira could finish, not wanting to hear about the woman's cousin for the umpteenth time.

While the guys her friends had tried to set her up with in the past had been... alright, Lucy had found it was easier putting her love life on hold in favor of furthering her career. Since she stopped dating, she had risen the ranks at Magnolia World, a top editor for the most popular newspaper in her city. While it wasn't the dream job the aspiring author wanted, it paid well and gave her many opportunities she wouldn't have if she had focused on finding 'the one'.

She still indulged in her romance books every now and then, but for the most part, Lucy was content living the single life.

That was, until she woke up late, the wheels of fate spinning in her favor.

Had she woken up on time, Lucy would be at the office instead of rushing out of her front door, jacket barely zipped as she faced the frigid winter air. Snow crunched beneath her feet as she made her way down the sidewalk towards her car, parked on the opposite side of the street.

Just as she reached for her keys in her pocket, Lucy heard something approaching, her head lifting as her eyes widened, stunned when she saw a huge Siberian Husky coming right for her.

It only took a moment for her to melt when she saw the dog meant her no harm, the friendly giant delighted to meet a new person. She held out her hand as she smiled, already saying "Hey there," before she noticed someone running towards them a few houses down.

Having been in those shoes before, Lucy gently reached for the dog's neck when it was close enough to pet, one hand holding its collar while the other ran over their face, feeling its soft fur. She looked up, seeing the man slow when he saw the dog wasn't going anywhere.

"Sorry!" he called before crossing the street, holding up a harness.

Lucy shook her head, moving while keeping a grip on the collar so he could secure the harness. "You're fine. I can't count how many times my dog's gotten loose."

"He's not even my dog," the man said, clipping the last piece before standing to his full height, which was slightly taller than Lucy. He looked about her age if she had to guess, probably in his early thirties. "He's my friend's."

"He have a name?" Lucy asked, reluctantly letting go of the dog who seemed interested in smelling every inch of her skirt. That didn't bother her, the material resistant to pet fur, but her leggings underneath were a different story.

"Gray?" he said, only to grimace. "Oh! You meant the dog!" The man's face turned a soft shade of pink, similar to the tufts of hair sticking out from his beanie. "This is Storm, the escape artist."

"Aren't you a handsome fellow, Storm?" Lucy asked as her eyes fell to the dog, admiring his coat. It was obvious his owner took good care of him, the dog looking as healthy as could be. "I've met Gray before, if it's the same guy I'm thinking about."

"Tall, pale, really annoying?" the man asked, causing her to chuckle.

"I didn't talk with him long enough to find out if he was annoying. He just introduced himself once when I first moved into the neighborhood. He invited me to a house party, but I don't really socialize all that much nowadays."

"Ah, that's too bad." He grinned, showing off his abnormally sharp canines. "He's a butt sometimes, but he throws great parties." Holding out a hand, he added, "I'm Natsu by the way."

Lucy gave a polite smile before nodding towards his hand. "Nice to meet you, but ever since that virus last year, I don't shake hands."

Natsu quickly cupped the back of his neck, an uneasy laugh following. "Yeah, I can understand that. That... Yeah."

She appreciated that he didn't carry on with that topic. It had been a horrible and confusing time for everyone, and even though it was over, the damage it caused still lingered. Lucy continued taking precautions after the pandemic ended, knowing her health was crucial.

"Is Gray out of town?" Lucy asked, changing the subject. The reason she was outside escaped her, the woman's priorities slipping as she gazed into Natsu's eyes. They were dark, but inviting, especially when he smiled. Something in her stomach turned, but instead of being sick, it was the opposite.

She swore butterflies had swarmed in her belly, but she ignored the feeling as Natsu told her about the vacation his friend was taking.

"And I told him he needs to bring me back some souvenirs, but we'll see if he does. I'm staying at his house while he's gone. I work from home so it doesn't matter where I set up shop, but it is kinda distracting being in such a quiet neighborhood. My apartment downtown is so noisy, I'm used to it, but here I can really hear myself think. I brought my cat though, which helps 'cause he loves meowing all day for no reason. I'm just glad him and Storm gets along, since usually Happy doesn't like dogs. Especially big ones."

Natsu paused, blinking a few times before smiling once more. "I'm rambling, anyways, thank you so much! Gray would have definitely killed me if I lost Storm. I'd rather not die if I can help it."

"It was no trouble. I love dogs, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost my dog."

Right on cue, Plue started barking from inside Lucy's house, probably riled up from hearing his owner speaking without seeing her.

"That your dog?" Natsu asked, earning a nod.

"Yeah, that's Plue." Lucy was about to relax into a smile before it occurred to her what she was supposed to be doing, her stomach dropping at the thought of the lecture she might get from her boss about accountability. "Shoot! I forgot, I'm already late!"

"Oh, that sucks." Natsu's body jerked when Storm tried to take off, but thanks to the harness, he stayed mostly secured by his side. "I uh, I was about to ask if you wanted to go to that dog park down the street. Gray told me to check it out, and I was heading there with Storm when he just ran out of the house before I could stop him, and—"

He must have realized he was rambling again, because his face burned with a deeper blush. "Anyways, you're clearly busy. Have a good day, and thanks again for your help."

Natsu was just about to move away, but a feeling Lucy thought had been buried deep inside lunged to the surface, the hopeful romantic in her eager to accept the offer, but she knew her responsibilities came first.

"How about tonight?" Lucy asked, causing Natsu to stop.

"Huh?"

"Tonight? When I get off work?" Lucy did her best to ignore the heat creeping over her cheeks, hoping it would look like the cold was affecting her and nothing else. "I should be home around six. I know that might be too late, but if you're interested, I'd love to take Plue to the park too."

Natsu's eyes lit up as he nodded, Storm's tail wagging at the excitement in his voice. "Yeah! That sounds awesome!"

"Great." Lucy tried but failed to hide the giddiness in her voice, but that only seemed to make Natsu's smile brighter. "Want to meet me here? Say, around a quarter after six?"

"I'll be here," he promised, yelping when Storm took off, jerking him out of his spot and down the sidewalk. "Whoa! Easy boy!" Natsu turned to give Lucy a wave, laughing as he was pulled away. "See you tonight!"

Lucy swallowed, waving before turning towards her car. She hadn't realized how fast her heart was pounding until she entered her car and closed the door, her body thrumming with energy she couldn't explain. It had been years since she felt something like that, so thrilled to do something she had done a million times before, but with someone else.

She didn't bother hiding her smile as she started her car, no longer concerned about the talking to she might receive from her boss. Nothing could bring her mood down as she looked forward to her unusual plans for that evening, even if she wasn't sure what to expect.

This story is super loosely based on real life. I was late this morning and because of that, I was able to help someone catch their dog who escaped the leash. Nothing came of it. They said sorry, I said you're fine, my dog's gotten out before. They said thanks, I said have a nice day, then went to work. But, I couldn't help but wonder what would it be like if it happened to Lucy and Natsu. :P

Side note, I hope everyone is being safe during the Coronavirus. I work at a grocery store so we're still open while other places are shutting down. While I'm exhausted from all the extra hours I've gotten, I'm considering myself lucky I'm still able to work instead of being unemployed. I can't imagine what I'd do if I stopped having an income, even for a few weeks.

Remember to stay safe! Wash your hands! Wear a condom! Tell someone if you're going somewhere with someone you don't know that well. Have an escape plan ready just in case. Charge your phone before going out. Carry a granola bar just in case you get hungry and food isn't readily available. Just be as safe as you reasonably can. This is a weird time we're in, and part of me thinks we're overreacting while the other part thinks we're not doing enough to stop the virus from spreading. Just be safe, practice social distancing, and always always always wash your hands!

Thank you for stopping by and reading. I've had Kovu (my dog) get off the leash or escape the fence a few times, and it's always scary not knowing if you're ever going to find them/catch up with them, but thankfully I've always gotten him back each time. Hell, he almost got hit by cars a few times when running away, but so far luck has been on our side. I'm glad I was able to help someone get their pet back. If you're in a position to help someone like that, take it if you feel comfortable and safe. Had that dog presented any signs of aggression, I would have kept my distance, but I could just see it in the dog's face that it was friendly and looking for a new friend, so I decided it was worth the risk to help.

Alright, I could literally ramble on and on like Natsu was, but I need to get some sleep. This one-shot isn't edited, so hopefully there's not any huge mistakes. I'm just scanning to make sure there's no spelling mistakes, but yeah, anyways, have a great day/night! Thanks for reading again! And hopefully I can get to updating my main stories. Just had some inspiration for this one-shot and some energy since we closed early tonight, so I took advantage of it. Anyways, see ya next time! :D

Oh, and let me know what you thought! Anyone ever been in a similar situation, whether you were in Natsu or Lucy's shoes?