Late Night

Inspiration. It's such a fickle thing. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it will make you write until your hand feels like it will fall off, like your body can't keep up with your mind, and other times, it may as well be nonexistent, existing only as a shadow in the back of your mind. Sometimes it trickles in slowly, often sparking something great when it's least expected and other times it's like a rush of water similar to a flash flood. Writers are often at the whim of their inspiration or lack thereof. Tonight, Lucy was on a roll. She had left early from the guild, having an idea in her head that she just couldn't let go of until she poured it out on paper. She had been writing for hours, her neck and shoulders beginning to ache from her position at her desk, her hand smeared in ink, and her wrist aching. But she couldn't stop. Not now. She was afraid if she did, she would lose the thoughts racing through her mind.

Midnight came and went with Lucy still bent over pages and pages of a new manuscript. It was storming outside, the pounding rain and occasional thunder only adding to her creative stimulation. She had no idea what time it was but she didn't care. She was so focused she scarcely noticed when Happy and Natsu appeared at her bedroom window until Natsu pulled the window open and jumped inside. The sudden sound of the heavy rain made the hair stand up on the back of Lucy's neck, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the words before her.

"Luce?" Natsu asked, his brow furrowed as he wiped his feet on the rug she finally broke down and placed beneath her window just for him. "What are you still doing up?" He pulled the window down behind him, shutting out the rain.

Lucy had to finish her sentence before she could look at him, a pleased smile on her face. "I had a sudden strike of inspiration," she answered simply. Her eyes narrowed as he stood dripping on her floor, but she relaxed when she noticed he had actually wiped his feet.

Natsu noticed the dark circles under her eyes, then the large stack of papers on her desk. "A good one?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

Giggling, Lucy interlaced her fingers and stretched her arms over her head with a contented groan. "Um hmm," she replied with a smile as her eyes drifted closed. Her back stretched pleasantly as she leaned to each side briefly. Then she brought her arms in front of her and rounded her shoulders forward, easing some of the tension as she popped her knuckles. When she looked at Natsu again, her eyes were clearer, and she rose to her feet to get some water. "What are you doing here, Natsu?" she asked, no accusation in her tone for once.

"It's time to sleep!" Happy answered for him, bunching the blankets up at the foot of the bed and laying down.

Drinking her water, Lucy leaned against the counter and looked at the two before her. She used to scream at him and give him a Lucy Kick when he invaded her bed late at night, but she did that less and less now. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she realized why she no longer cared if he slept in her bed. In fact, she preferred it. To hide her discomfort, she turned around and filled her teakettle with water. "You two go on ahead," she instructed as she put the kettle on the stove to boil.

Natsu still stood beside her bed, having scarcely moved since entering the room. What's going on here? "Y-you mean you're okay with it?" he asked, not sure he could believe his ears. Warmth was squeezing his heart with relief, but his belly also felt tight.

Taking her seat once more, Lucy looked at him with slightly bleary eyes. She was tired, but not tired enough to quit on this crazy spark of inspiration. "I'll be there soon."

Natsu was prepared to argue, his mouth open with his retort, but she had agreed, throwing him off. Slowly closing his mouth, he felt wrong not having to fight with her over their sleeping arrangements. Sure, he and Happy had their own place and own bed, but he preferred to sleep with her. It made going on missions easier since they were already together, she had better food and a better bath, and she was cleaner. And don't forget that you like sleeping next to her, his own inner voice admonished him and he narrowed his eyes in response. "Ok," he murmured, still feeling uneasy as he turned and collapsed onto the bed with a loud huff.

"Take your wet clothes off first!" she shouted, causing him to shriek and jump to his feet. Her eyes were narrowed in annoyance until she realized what she just said, and her mouth fell open as heat rushed to her cheeks once more. Her blush turned downright crimson when Natsu shrugged and took his shirt off as instructed. She immediately threw her hands up and averted her eyes, after gazing for just a moment of course. "I don't mean here!" she cried.

Natsu stopped, his wet shirt draped over his arm with his hands on his pants. It was only once he realized what he had been about to do that his own face darkened, his ears burning as he laughed to hide his nervousness. "Gotcha!" he teased, flashing his charming smile as he instead stepped back from the bed and allowed his body to heat up without flames, his pants instantly steaming as they began to dry. Although he held onto his shirt to dry it, he didn't bother putting it back on. "How's this?" he asked as he steamed in the middle of the room.

Her cheeks still red, Lucy allowed herself to look at him, sighing in relief that he was still clothed, for the most part, anyway. "Better," she admitted, then bit her lip. He had always been strong, even more so than his muscles let on, but he was without a doubt well built. His arms were defined and his abs were toned, the muscles well ridged and lined in the faint light from her lamp. She knew from hugging him how hard he could be, but also how soft. He was rarely if ever shy, so it wasn't new to see him without a shirt on, but for some reason she felt her heart rate quicken at the sight of him, the steam rising from his pants not helping the stirring low in her gut.

The teakettle chose that moment to start whistling and Lucy all but bolted from her chair to tend to it, pouring a mug of hot water before adding a bag of chamomile tea. "Would you like some?" she asked Natsu. It would take him more than a few minutes to dry without burning his clothes.

"Sure," he answered with a shrug and she poured another cup, adding his own heavily spiced tea to the mug this time. She swirled it for him and handed it off with a quick smile before returning to her desk.

"Now don't bother me. I've got to do this before I forget it."

"Ok." He was quiet for a moment, watching as Lucy stirred her tea before leaning back over her stack of papers. She brushed the end of her feather quill against her cheek as she thought a moment, something he noticed she did when she was trying to figure out exactly how to say what she wanted. Light entered her eyes that made the corners of his mouth pull up in a smile before she leaned forward and started writing once more.

Minutes passed as his pants continued to dry and he drank his tea. He didn't have to wait for it to cool down like Lucy did, and the moment it was strong enough to drink, he downed it. He wanted to say something, anything, but Lucy's tone from before told him it was not a good idea. Instead, he went to the kitchen and rinsed out his mug before stepping into the bathroom. Once inside, he debated while he brushed his teeth (he had a toothbrush at her house at all times at this point) before pulling his pants off and draping them over the shower rack. They were mostly dry, but not enough where she wouldn't yell at him if they ended up on the couch. He left the bathroom running warmed fingers through his hair to make sure it was dried as well before collapsing onto the bed with a content sigh. "Night, Luce."

Lucy looked up at the sound of Natsu collapsing onto her bed and smiled softly. His eyes were already closed, his mouth already partially open as he drifted into dreamland. "I wish I could fall asleep so easily," she muttered under her breath before returning to her story.

It was nearly two in the morning before Lucy found herself falling asleep at the pen. She would be writing a sentence, but the words would trail off into squiggly lines, her hand going limp as she'd doze off. With a heavy sigh, she made a few last minute notes so she wouldn't forget anything, turned the manuscript over so Natsu wouldn't see anything, and pushed back from the desk. She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms overhead as she took in a deep breath, stretching out her back again. Once more, her eyes fell on Natsu, who had tossed and turned since he fell onto the bed. He sometimes talked in his sleep, the words often unintelligible, and tonight was no different. It was as she got up and headed to the bathroom to ready for bed that he mumbled something resembling 'Why?'

Slowing her pace for a moment, Lucy stopped and looked down at the boy, no man, sleeping on her bed. Happy was unconscious at his feet, a much calmer sleeper than his counterpart. Natsu's hair, which was always spiky and unruly, was even more so, and she couldn't resist running her fingers through it. She let him think she played with his hair on the trains to help him, which she did, but she also genuinely enjoyed doing it. He would snuggle into her lap, sometimes pressing his face awfully close to her belly, a soft smile on his lips as she'd play with his hair. He would fidget at first, and more than once he'd actually wrapped his arms around her from the nausea, but once he fell asleep he was peaceful. She liked doing it to help him, she liked doing it because he liked it, she liked doing it for the closeness it afforded them, and she liked doing it because his hair was so damn soft. Realizing she was staring at him, watching him sleep and smiling, she quickly pulled her hand back and retreated to the bathroom.

Moments later, Lucy emerged with her teeth and hair brushed, and her face washed. It was too late to bathe now and she had already had a bath earlier in the day. She wasn't used to Natsu being here as she was readying for bed, he usually came after, and so she had forgotten to take her pajamas into the bathroom with her. Stalking quietly so as not to disturb him, she crept to the dresser and pulled out some shorts and a tank top. She briefly considered returning to the bathroom, but was too tired to care, and stripped out of her clothes and into her pajamas while facing away from the bed.

When she finally slipped beneath the covers, Lucy sighed. Her bed was no longer cool, thanks to Natsu's warmth. It was late fall, and cold outside, but she knew better than to sleep in heavy clothes when Natsu was around – he was her personal space heater. Natsu had turned in his sleep, now facing her slightly while his legs sprawled. She curled on her side next to him, watching him sleep in the now dark room. He was so peaceful and innocent in his sleep… Smiling softly to herself, she reached up to play with his hair one more time before sighing happily. "Good night, Natsu," she breathed, her eyes immediately drifting shut.

Natsu's reply came in the form of a content sigh as he rolled, throwing his arm over her waist and pulling her closer. It was something he was doing more and more frequently, although he insisted it was in his sleep so he had no idea. Sometimes she minded that he seemed to think it was okay to invade her personal space, but more often than not she was beginning to enjoy it, her heart growing light when she'd wake up and find herself in his arms. Tonight had been a good night, so even though she was finally exhausted, she was still in a good mood, so for once she allowed herself the pleasure of placing her hands on his bare chest and snuggling closer to him.

Her eyes were drifting closed again when Natsu squeezed her gently. "Why didn't you kick me out?" he asked, his voice not sounding sleepy at all.

Lucy's eyes snapped open and she pushed against his chest to get away, only his arms around her locked her in place. "Natsu?!" she cried in a hushed whisper. "I thought you were asleep!" she admonished, giving up against his strength. He smiled down at her, his eyes wide open as he took in her disgruntled state.

"That why you changed out here instead of in the bathroom?" he whispered, his voice husky.

All the blood left Lucy's face before it rushed back. She pushed away from him again, succeeding in breaking his grasp this time, and nearly fell off the bed. "You better not have peeked!" she yelled, no longer bothering to keep her voice down.

Propping himself up on one elbow, Natsu smiled at her. He enjoyed making her flustered. "I couldn't see anything anyway," he admitted with a shrug.

"Natsu!" she shouted, raising her hand to smack him.

His smile not faltering for a moment, Natsu easily caught her wrist, stopping her smack before she could reach him. "You still didn't answer my question."

Oh Mavis! What's come over him?! Is he still asleep?! "Are you awake, Natsu?" she asked, not pulling her hand away as she narrowed her eyes at him.

Natsu narrowed his eyes right back at her scrutiny. "Of course I am."

"You do say and do some crazy things in your sleep."

"I'm awake, Lucy!"

"Then why are you saying these things?"

His eyes grew serious as he finally released her. He didn't know why he was saying these things and why he felt the need to berate her so. Why couldn't he just accept the fact that she had willingly let him stay? Was he that used to her arguing that he had to start an argument over something else? Not able to answer her, he sat up, running a hand through his hair and betraying his nervousness for the first time. "I don't know," he breathed, looking at her quickly out of the corner of his eye. Sitting up beside him, Lucy had no idea how her position shifted her tank top, revealing more of her than her clothes usually did. "Why didn't you try to kick me out?" he asks again, his voice softer this time.

Lucy swallowed. I knew this day would come, she reminded herself. How long can I keep myself from saying something? From telling him how I really feel? "Because my bed is actually lonely without you in it," she finally admitted, her voice a barely audible whisper.

With his sensitive hearing, Natsu easily heard her words. "What?" he asked anyway.

Her cheeks darkening, Lucy looked away from him, imagining her toes beneath the blankets to distract herself. "Because I get lonely when you aren't here," she reiterated.

He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. Pulling her back into the circle of his arms, he laid back down, pressing her head against his chest. She moved with him, not fighting it as her body came to be pressed along his side, her leg draped over his as he held her to him. "That's all you had to say, Luce," he breathed, running his fingers through her hair.

But I mean so much more than that, she inwardly argued. "Why do you come here every night, Natsu?" she murmured.

His grip on her tightened, reminding her of the solid strength and muscle beneath her. "Because my place is too lonely without you, too."

She picked her head up, his hand sliding to her neck with the movement. Her arm was draped across his chest, and it was shocking to realize just how comfortable she was with him. He was her best friend, the person she could tell everything to. Well, almost everything. She was with him more often than not, their names practically already associated with each other's at the guild. They went on adventures, they laughed, they cried, they shouted, they hugged. Now, when she looked up at him in the dark of night, his thumb trailing along her jaw, she knew there was more she wanted. And she hoped the light in his eyes was telling her what she thought it was. "Natsu," she began.

He interrupted her by pulling her to him, his lips capturing hers in her surprise. His hand on her neck was gentle, but firm, keeping her from pulling away even if she wanted to. She didn't want to. Her lips had been slightly parted in her surprise, and when she felt his tongue along her lower lip, she quickly deepened the kiss, eliciting a groan from deep within Natsu's throat that made her heart race. He tasted like cinnamon and other spices, the same scent she often associated with his flames. Her hands were suddenly on his shoulders, pulling herself up higher so she could kiss him more easily, and his hands moved to her waist, locking around her. Their tongues danced, scarcely even shy at first, and just when Lucy's hands moved to cup his cheeks, he rolled, pinning her beneath him.

When they finally parted in order to breathe, Natsu rested his forehead against her collarbone. Her fingers were entwined in his hair, her eyes still closed as she smiled happily. "I wasn't expecting that," she breathed.

Natsu chuckled, instantly making her smile, as he pulled back to look at her. "I wasn't either. I was expecting a Lucy Kick."

She cocked her head to the side. "I could still give you one if you really want it."

He smiled, squeezing her gently. "Nah, I think I like this better," he whispered before kissing her once more.