123Let's just say this for sure takes place after the Grand Magic Games Arc and down the road…
Chapter 1
Summer is ending which means that autumn will be starting soon enough. Sometimes the days are warmer than expected while sometimes the nights are chillier than usual. Currently, the sun is setting and the colors in the sky are certainly beautiful. Pinks and blues are highlighting the wispy clouds.
Lucy, Natsu, and Happy are walking to where a job is since a pink-haired Dragon Slayer blatantly refused to take the train. The trio will arrive at their destination at a point tomorrow. In the meantime, they are able to enjoy the fresh air and wonderful countryside.
"Are we almost there?" Lucy whines as she plods along the dirty road. She is more cranky than usual and just wants to sleep since she is so tired.
"We'll be there before you know it, Luce," Natsu assures her. He is currently acting as a pack mule. His bookbag is on his back while Lucy's bookbag is over his chest. Both sets of straps are over his shoulders, and the extra weight is easy enough to manage.
"Aye, sir!" Happy agrees as he walks on the ground between them.
Being lightheaded is not helping Lucy in the slightest. "I just want to go sleEEEP!" She trips over a small rock, but manages to stay on her feet this time.
"Do you think that you'll make it?" Natsu asks, maneuvering behind Happy and Lucy so he can be on her right side. He makes sure the rolled up blanket sticking out of his bookbag does not accidentally knock into the back of her head. Not that he will admit it, but he is slightly worried about Lucy. She is not acting like one hundred percent herself.
She waves it off his concern. "I'll be fine soon enough."
Not even five minutes later, Lucy is resting her hands on her knees as she bends over in place. "Can we take a break?" she huffs. "I'm really tired."
"You want to take a break before setting up camp for the night?" Happy questions.
"Whoa, I don't want to camp out here. I want a real bed."
"We can find an inn if we keep walking," Natsu says. "The town isn't that far from here." After all, that is their destination.
She lets out a pitiful whine. "Walking requires effort." Lucy starts considering calling for a Celestial Spirit to lend a hand…
Natsu looks down at Happy. "Can you help me out, buddy?"
"Aye, sir!" he answers.
So Natsu slips off Lucy's bag and sets it down on the ground. While he moves his bookbag to the place Lucy's had been, Happy takes a hold of her bookbag and hovers into the air with it. It is easier for him to carry it this way.
With his free back to Lucy, he bends at his knees in front of her. "Hop on."
Without a word, she climbs on and adjusts herself so they are both comfortable.
Then Natsu stands up and starts walking. "Ugh, you're heavy," he teases.
"Hey, I'm trying to watch my weight!" she stresses.
"She's gained a few pounds," Happy snickers.
"Quiet, you cat!" Lucy hisses. Truth be told, she has. She cannot figure it out either, and the unknown reason is frustrating her. She likes her figure!
With her being so close to him, Natsu can easily pick up on her scent. She has been smelling different recently. She still smells like Lucy, but there is just something different about her. He cannot quite put a finger on why. But he knows it is not because she changed her perfume or anything like that. Her body has slowly been changing its natural scent.
"I bet Lucy will feel better with some fish in her belly!" Happy says.
To Lucy, any food sounds good right about now. Especially something tasty and satisfying.
"We'll get some at the inn," Natsu says. "How does that sound?"
"Yay, I'm excited for fish!" Happy cheers.
Lucy's head sinks down and she rests it on Natsu's right shoulder. She closes her warm brown eyes to relax. "Thank you," she whispers, slightly flexing her arms in a weak hug around his neck.
It is easy enough to hear her with his excellent hearing. "Anything for you, Luce."
x-X-x
With a full belly and her long golden blonde hair pulled up into a bun, Lucy is soaking inside of a steaming hot bath. All she needs is a good book and she is will really be set. Oh, and maybe some music playing.
Lucy sinks down a bit more under the water and accidentally slips. She jerks in place, arms splashing in the water as she attempts to catch herself. She does. Wanting to dab off the dripping water from her face, Lucy looks around for her towel only to notice that it is nowhere to be seen. She will definitely need it later when she needs to dry off and get out. "Hey, Natsu?" she calls.
A moment later, he is standing on the other side of the shut bathroom door. "Yeah?"
"Is my towel out there?" Towels had been laid out on the bed when they entered the room. The odds that she forgot to grab it before going into the bathroom are likely.
"Yeah, it's still on the bed," he answers after checking.
"Can you bring it to me?"
Natsu does not need to be asked twice. After fetching a towel, he is quick to slip into the bathroom and close the door behind him. After all, Happy does not accidentally need to see inside. Natsu's mesmerizing dark green eyes immediately land on Lucy, taking her in. He has seen her naked plenty of times before. The topography of her body from head to toe is memorized. Every mark is committed to his memory.
They have secretly been dating for awhile now. Only Happy knows. Even the Dragon Slayers at the guild are completely unaware of their relationship. Bathing and changing into fresh clothes is key after spending time together. They way, they have been able to keep each other's scents off of the other. They are normally together since they are partners, but they do not entirely mix their scents together.
"Thank you," Lucy says.
"Are you sure you don't want me to join you?" Natsu asks, waggling his eyebrows. He is still by the door, just in case he needs to lock it as a precaution.
She makes a face. "We both can't fit comfortably in here. And you know that."
"I'm sure that we can make due…"
"We can when we're at my apartment. We'll do that when we get back from this job."
"You promise?"
"Promise."
He grins. "Okay then." Natsu approaches Lucy with the towel and hangs it over the nearby rack. He bends down on his knees and affectingly strokes the top of her head with his right hand. "Feeling any better?"
"A lot. The heat is helping."
"Well, when you get out, we can cuddle."
Her eyes light up. "Really?"
"Oh, please. We have the room to ourselves without worrying about somebody from the guild busting us."
She giggles. "You're right."
"And, if you want, I'm sure I can have Happy take a lil' flight for a bit…"
She gets what he means. "We'll see if I'm up for it, all right? No promises."
He completely respects her decision. "Lemme know if you change your mind." Natsu leans forward to smooch her left cheek. Then he showers her cheek with a bunch of sweet kisses and pecks.
She cannot help but giggle at his display of affection. "Natsuuu!"
"What?" he asks innocently. "I just love you so much."
She smiles. "I love you, too."
"Well, I love you with the power of a thousand suns exploding into a supernova of rainbows and Exceeds!"
She laughs at his silliness. "You are such a weirdo."
"Nah, you're my weirdo. You're my Luce." Then Natsu spins on his feet as he stands up straight in order to face the bathroom door.
Just to be playful, Lucy quickly reaches a hand out to smack Natsu's rear.
Being the dork that he is, he wiggles his behind for her as he walks away.
She laughs. "All right, you're definitely the weirdo in this relationship!"
"Nu-uh!" But he provides no real argument in his defense.
x-X-x
Not much later, Lucy is dried off and wearing just an oversized tee as pajamas. It just so happens to be an old tee that belonged to Natsu. Since Happy is around, the couple cannot walk around and sleep naked like they have in the past. It is Natsu's favorite way to sleep with her, and Lucy's does not mind in the slightest.
Lucy exits the bathroom to find Natsu and Happy taking up a majority of the left side of the bed, the side closest to the bathroom.
Natsu turns his head to look over at her. "Hey, you're done. My turn."
"Can we snuggle now?" she asks. "Just a little bit before you bathe?"
As if he can deny his girlfriend. "C'mere, Luce."
She immediately gets into the bed and snuggles up to him, backing into him so his front half is spooning her back half. She sighs in contentment. He is like her personal furnace. It is especially wonderful to have him around when she is feeling cold.
Natsu focuses on his magic and wills it to course through his body. He is really acting like a personal furnace now.
Lucy's breathing slows down as sleepiness starts claiming her. By the time she has dozed off, Natsu slips away so he can clean up. He will not be slow about things since he is rather eager to join his Luce back in bed.
"Watch over her for me, buddy," Natsu instructs in a low voice, grabbing the other clean towel for him.
"Aye, sir!" he acknowledges, keeping is volume down. Then he adjusts his position so he is closer to Lucy's head before he curls up again.
Knowing Lucy is in good paws, Natsu enters the bathroom and softly closes the door behind him. He gets to work on stripping and cleaning himself off. Just as he is starting to relax in the bathtub, he hears a voice coming from the bed.
"Lucy?" Happy asks with groggy surprise. "Are you okay?"
The bathroom door flings open a moment later.
Natsu jumps in surprise at the sudden presence of his girlfriend. "Luce?"
Without even sparing a glance his way, Lucy rushes over to the toilet to kneel in front of it. With her head over the bowl, she starts vomiting. She might puke up a lung at the rate she is going at.
"Luce!" Completely forgetting a towel to cover up, he does his best to not slip on the floor that is becoming slick due to the water dripping off of him. He rushes to her side and avoids holding her since he is still wet. Instead, he gathers up her now down hair and holds it back for her.
She is grateful for his actions, but cannot voice her thought since her mouth is currently occupied with another task. When Lucy is finished and her body comes to a still, her skin feels clammy and hot all at the same time. She hates vomiting. Absolutely loathes it. It is one of the worst things to be sick with.
"C'mon, let's get you to bed," Natsu says after a moment. He can only hope that she will feel better now. Maybe that explains why she has not been herself since recently.
"Brush teeth," she mumbles. "Got to brush."
He is more than sure that she wants a clean mouth after what she just went through. "I'll help you then."
So while Lucy brushes her teeth, Natsu dries off and puts on some shorts. When she is finished with her task, Natsu carries Lucy princess style into the main part of the inn room. He discovers that the blankets are already pulled back thanks to Happy.
"Thanks, buddy," Natsu says.
"I hope Lucy is feeling better…" Happy says, keeping his voice down so he does not disturb her. She appears to be sleeping, but she might just have her eyes closed. He is not entirely sure.
In reality, Lucy is still conscious and miserable. She wants sleep to claim her so she does not feel a thing while sleeping.
"I hope so, too." Natsu sets Lucy down on the right side of the bed and crawls over her so he can snuggle up behind her. He gets to work on pulling the covers up.
Happy flies around until the room goes dark before he joins the couple on the bed. He takes an extra pillow for himself, not coming between Lucy and Natsu.
"I love you, Luce," Natsu whispers, and lightly kisses her.
She barely manages to mumble out some incoherent words.
"Night, you two," Happy says with a yawn.
"G'night," Natsu says.
Lucy remains quite.
"Sleep tight," Happy adds. "Dream of fish tonight."
A/N Part 1: Wow, first time I've written a non-au FT work in a long time! It's been fun having Happy talk for a change (I like writing him and his sassiness). And I know I said that Ink & Icing will be the next FT work that I post, BUT THIS INSPIRED WORK HIT ME LIKE A BRICK. I literally started writing this work (5 chapters) super late on a Monday and finished it all that following Friday evening! I'll be updating the remaining chapters with each Monday to come until it's done!
A/N Part 2: Once again, this work is inspired by annahbabeess' post on Tumblr! And the scene it's inspired from will be coming up :D I wanted some fluff to happen first XD Also, bonus points to those who recognize that certain line Natsu says to Lucy since it's from CAF!
