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Natsu was over at her apartment.
Again.
Happy had vanished to spend time with Carla and Wendy, claiming he needed to impress her sooner rather than later. Lucy just scoffed, because he had dropped Natsu off at Lucy’s apartment like he was doing her a favor, and then flew off to find the girls. Natsu had already made himself comfortable in her bed, as he always did. She tried not to get annoyed, but he didn’t… seem dirty. She just sighed as she walked into her bathroom to go ahead and get ready for bed. Natsu did seem very tired, which was weird considering their last mission was about a week ago. But, he has been hanging out a lot more around Lucy, even without Happy and the others, she wondered why.
She continued her methodical routine. She washed her face, making sure not to do it too roughly, as it tended not to be helpful. Then moved into her hair and washed it with the expensive stuff she saved for special occasions. Not that Natsu visiting was special, the fire dragon slayer came over all the time. But, he was here alone, and he looked sad. She wanted to do something to help. Maybe it was something to do with Igneel. Lucy knows that she was feeling depressed when Aquarius’ key was broken, but… but! Her key could be found again. Igneel was gone .
She had seen Natsu, bent over his father figure, and knew the tears weren’t going to stop. She limped over to him, and whispered, can I hug you? He didn’t say anything, but didn’t push her away when she wrapped her arms around him. He grabbed her arm, softly as always, and then squeezed like he didn’t know where he was or what he was doing. She tried not to cry. It was hard when Natsu turned around in the hug, putting his head in her chest. She tried not to cry into his hair as she just held him. They stayed like that for a moment, just being in each other’s presence before she sensed Gray coming up behind them, reminding them they had to go. She could hear his jaw drop. She held Natsu closer, whispering into his head, and he just nodded.
That was a month ago. Since then, Natsu would look off into the distance, like he was searching for something that was no longer there. Happy would try to talk to him, eyes wide and accepting like there was something he could do. Natsu would just smile and then get back to normal, arguing with Gray or talking to Lucy. But, Lucy could tell. She knew something was wrong. His eyes were duller than she had ever seen in her life. But she remembers, when they first met, he talked about Igneel, and how his goal in life was to find Igneel. Now that he had, he was dead. Every other dragon slayer got to meet their dragon, but not Natsu.
She finally got out of the bath, drying her hair off, and getting into her comfortable pajamas. She peaked into the room, where Natsu was still in bed, his scarf wrapped firmly in his hands, causing her to frown. His top was thrown off to the side, as if he were burning up. Her eyes softened as she walked closer to the bed, she supposes he can stay just this once. Before she could comprehend it, his hand reached for hers and pulled her into the bed, putting her under his arm, keeping her close to his chest, as if she disappeared he would be lost. When she lost Aquarius’ key, she knew she would never be the same. Summoning the Celestial Spirit King had taken so much out of her, but she did it for him. For Natsu.
She let herself relax. Before she could overthink it too much, she let herself sleep.
-
When she woke up, she was still curled up against Natsu and she couldn’t even find it in herself to be mad as he was radiating heat. She wondered how she was going to over explain this to herself to prove they were “just friends”. Her favorite explanation is that Natsu is just touchy because he was raised by a dragon, which apparently was very, very real. It wasn’t that she ever doubted Natsu, per say, just was hesitant, considering Dragons had been extinct for nearly 400 years - but apparently they had just been hiding within Natsu. She wasn’t sure she could survive without Natsu. They had always been together, but now more so than usual.
He held her posessively, like if he lost her too, he wouldn’t know what to do with her. Everything she knew was about to be thrown out the window if he kept holding her like this. She remembers the look on Natsu’s face when Future Lucy jumped in front of the attack Future Rogue shot at her. Future Lucy died, without her hand with her guild mark. She was dead. But something tells Lucy that future Lucy wanted to be dead, like she wanted to be with her friends so badly she didn’t mind. She whispered her timeline was basically gone anyways, that she was going home, where it really mattered. Later, Lucy isn’t sure how she knows, but she knows future Lucy was finally reunited with her Natsu and her Happy. The thought was comforting, Lucy admitted, because when she was lost and alone, Natsu made her feel sane.
She glanced back at the pinkette in amusement. He was cuddled up against her, his eyes were shut, but there were little mumbles of Lucy, Luce, ugh, where are you?
“Luce, stop thinking so hard,” Natsu groaned, causing her to glance at the dragon slayer. She hummed in amusement, “C’mon Luce, let’s get back to sleep.”
“We have to go to work soon, Natsu,” she whispered softly, his face shoved into her chest and he groaned about not wanting to see that dumbass ice idiot, she drew her hands through his hair, humming affectionately when he looked up at her.
“I don’t wanna!” he whined, “Where’s Happy?”
“Probably with Wendy and Carla,” she closed her eyes, his heat bringing her back into her sleepy form. She didn’t really want to get up.
“Luce, I gotta… ask you something.”
She looked down at him, “What’s up, dummy?”
“I have to go on a training arc,” he looked up at her from her chest, “I’m taking Happy… I was wondering,” he glanced away in embarrassment, “if you want to come with me.”
Her eyes widened, before she could really even say anything, because of course she wanted to go with him, but she didn’t expect him to ask. But before he could take it back in embarrassment, she sat up and nodded her head vigorously, “Yes, of course, I need to do some training too. Since Aquarius’... disappearance, I’ve felt a weird magical power within me. If I practice enough, I think I could master it. Based on the books I’ve been reading, they’re called stardresses and-”
She continued to yammer on for a couple more minutes before Natsu just shoved his head back into her chest, effectively shutting her up. She didn’t mind of course as was content to not say anything, but then he murmured, you can keep talking, I’m listening.
-
The three of them left a letter for Makarov, who hadn’t sent anyone after them, so they assumed it was okay. Lucy would look at Sorcerer Weekly, keeping up with where everyone went. She had an inkling feeling that something had changed since their departure, but while Natsu climbed mountains with only his legs, Lucy studied diligently with all her spirits, trying to awaken the spirit dresses for the zodiacs especially.
She, of course, started with Loke. When she started to explain the idea, she sighed and decided to show off Aquarius’ first. He looked at it with awe.
“So we’re gonna try doing that too?” he grinned, “Now Lucy I never imagined there would be a day where I’d be blessed to-”
Before he could finish much of his sentence and Lucy could scold him, a flaming rock came flying into him, sending the spirit flying. Lucy snapped her head over to see Natsu glaring where the celestial spirit leader had been standing, eyes flaring with something. She just huffed, and looked back at Loke who was walking back over to her.
“Oh I forgot we were here with your guard dog-”
“Loke, please watch how you speak to Natsu. We’re here to train, and I think with this gift from Aquarius, I am finally strong enough to perfect the rest.”
Loke nodded, “Yes ma’am!” He salutes and they continue working. She practices for hours until the black dress with the open-part of her thigh, with gray leggings underneath it. She had a black lace over her neck, and a pink flower in her hair.
“Wow! I look cute,” she twirled, “Now then, Loke, let’s spar.”
The two of them kicked each other, throwing hands until they were both exhausted. But, she’d mastered it, finally happy with it.
“Wow Lucy, you’re amazing!” Happy flew over to her, looking at her with wide eyes as Loke returned to the spirit world, leaving her back in her old clothes, “Amazing!”
Lucy laughed. It wasn’t often that Happy was sweet, usually when they were in a sense of despair, but it wasn’t often he was sweet to her for no reason. Natsu basically teleported behind her, putting his arms around her, and whispering in her ear, “Yo Luce! How did training go?”
She blushed brightly, and tried not to think of the implications of him cuddling up to her post-training, wondering what she did to deserve this. Take that negatively or positively.
-
[ 6 months later ]
Natsu, Lucy and Happy had been sharing a tent for the past few months. It usually was Lucy and Happy curled up against Natsu after a long day of training, mostly because they did so much of their training in the mountains, and Natsu was a furnace. She was sure it was because of his fire dragon slayer abilities. She took advantage of this by getting to cuddle up against him. She loved Natsu’s affection, and one of the best parts of his “friendship” was how cuddly he was. She could delude herself into believing there was a chance he felt the same way.
As she was laying there, vaguing aware of the fact, Happy flew off to go find some fish (which they had been eating a lot of because Natsu claimed training meant they weren’t going to be doing jack squat with “civilization”). She stayed cuddled up against Natsu’s warmth, ignoring the icy winds from the outside of the tent. Honestly Happy is pretty brave for going out there just to get some fish. Knowing him, he probably is just going to get fish for himself. But Lucy was just glad to be here with them. She knew that if he had left her, even for just a year, she doesn’t know how she would have survived that. It wasn’t that she was dependent, but the fact that Natsu brought her to Fairy Tail was something that made her heart yearn for him.
She always yearned for him.
“Ugh, Luce, please quiet down that pretty head this early in the morning,” Natsu brought her closer, the heat radiating off of him, “What? Ya cold or somethin?”
“Didn’t think you’d care,” she whispered softly, her eyes looking up just so she could scan his face in affection.
His own green eyes glanced down and he hummed in amusement, “I want ya to be safe, always, Luce. Ya know that.”
She huffed, “Didn’t know danger meant catching a cold?”
Natsu huffed, pulling her up onto his chest, “For you, Luce? Anything.”
Lucy giggled, “Ugh, I’m so glad I’m here with you, Natsu. I couldn’t imagine anywhere else.”
Natsu squeezed her, keeping her on his chest, “I’d do anything for you. We’ll never be separated ever again, okay?”
She knew he was thinking of when they met Future Lucy, who died. Lucy took in her memories. She’s forcefully forgotten many of them, but she does remember this.
-
Natsu put his head against her forehead, looking at her in the eyes, whispering, “It’s okay Lucy. Let me take this fight on, you’ve done so much,” she knows his eyes are on her arm, or rather her missing arm. Her heart aches, with her arm being gone, so is her guild mark.
“Natsu please,” she sobbed, “Don’t leave me.”
“See, I have to leave to protect you, Luce. You know I’d do anything for you.”
“Then stay,” she begged, bringing her hands to his shirt, holding onto it desperately, as if her begging would cause him to stay, and she knew he did not love her more than fighting. For how could he?
“I know what you’re thinking,” he grabbed her hands, pressing kisses down her arm, “You are everything. I am the last one, let me take care of this for you.”
Lucy’s heart shattered.
-
Then she saw that Future Lucy was reunited with her Natsu and her Happy. Lucy felt bittersweet at that moment. Yes, Future Lucy had died, but Future Lucy had finally been reunited with her family, her guild, her Natsu.
So yes, bittersweet.
Lucy knows the day that Natsu saw Future Lucy die in front of them, something changed. Natsu had acted more protective since that day, his eyes had shifted. There was a gleam in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Everyone noticed. Natsu had fought for her future that day, and she would continue to honor that. Every day.
Yawning, she finally sat up off of his chest, and looked around, “We really should get up soon, Natsu. Happy’s run off to get fish, but he might get lost.”
Natsu groaned, “That little twerp. Okay, fine.”
He groaned, and helped her up, before making sure they were both properly dressed (more so making sure Lucy was, Natsu was naturally warm and also naturally adjusted to heat as well. Besides motion sickness, he had very few weaknesses).
The two of them walked around the surrounding area before they found Happy fighting with a smaller fish, but seemed quite bigger to him. She tried not to laugh as Natsu dealt with it and she checked the cat for injuries.
“Now then, Happy, Lucy, back to training we go!”
“Aye sir!”