Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

- Fever -

"Thank goodness." Lucy puffed out, stepping on the concrete. "We've arrived."

The Magnolia Train Station was almost desolate - naturally - it was sometime near midnight when they finally arrived, tired- no, drained, but content of the work they've done nonetheless. Retrieving that necklace was a pain, but the payment they got after that was fair and lifted their spirits.

"Alright, guys! I'm going home!" Lucy waved at Natsu and Happy's stooping figures. "See you tomorrow at the Guild."

"Bye, Lucy." Happy wearied, almost tripping with fatigue. Lucy smiled, unsure how Happy got tired since she and Natsu did all the work by fighting those thieves. Natsu, on the other side, blinked drowsily and she was sure he was half asleep already, not paying attention to anything or anyone around him.

She parted with them and walked down the main alley of the city. It was quiet and cold, as it usually was in this time of the year and she couldn't help the shiver that coursed through her body. She longed for the moment when she'd be able to throw those dirty clothes off her and get some sleep.

As she quickly paced her way to her apartment, these thoughts swirled in her head and she lost track of time, but soon enough she took the last turn and walked the last few meters to her home by the riverside in absence.

Finally.

She could get a warm bath and rest her swollen feet, and get a decent meal, and-

"Happy?" Lucy marveled at the sight - Happy was sitting on the stairs to her apartment, hands on his knees, apparently sullen. "What are you doing here?" He must've flown his way there, no way he had reached the apartment before her, by walking.

Happy straightened up at her voice and his face lit up a bit, but there was this tinge of worry stained on it.

"Natsu is in your bed." Happy announced in the most nonchalant tone he owned and she was suddenly hit by the urge to yell.

What the hell?

Her fists curled with anger as she strode to the door and crashed it open. In her bed? At a time like this? It was awfully late and she wasn't in the mood for any guests. Any at all. When she had dreamt of a relaxing night, she didn't think of screeching her lungs out and beating people out of her apartment. Beating them out with her pillows.

"Get your butt out of my ho-" Lucy thundered in, switching the light on her way in, but her breath hitched when her eyes fell on the bed. "Huh?"

Her brows gathered together in general confusion as Happy walked to her and looked at her with worry.

"What's with him all of a sudden?" Lucy lowered her voice, eyes full of wonder.

Natsu was hiding somewhere underneath her sheets, shrunk in a comically looking bundle and if he wasn't trembling violently she would've found it quite funny.

"I thought it's the motion sickness from the train, but then he fell unconscious on our way to the Guild!" Happy explained all of this quickly, holding onto her knee sock in panic. Then he became quieter, drooping. "I think he's sick, Lucy. Can you help him?"

A noise of exasperation fell off her lips. She thought she'd have a nice rest tonight. But those plans were gone. Lucy walked to the bed and slightly pulled the sheets he was covering himself with… surely he overreacted, as always.

She blinked once, then twice. Alright, maybe not.

His skin was a marble white, but she couldn't see his eyes because he covered them with his hand. It took her a second to realize that it was too bright and hurried to switch the light off. Thankfully, she had this reading light close, on her desk - it gave her enough clairvoyance to move around without stumbling or groping.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" Lucy climbed onto the bed again, exchanging curious glances with the now hovering-over Happy.

"I'm… f-f-freezing."

"What?" Lucy's lips parted with utter surprise. Natsu? Her Natsu? Her fire-breathing Natsu? Freezing?! Her hand reached for his shaking, huddled at one side form and moved his hand to touch his forehead. "Oh, goodness. You're burning." She bit her lower lip. "I think you have a fever. As wondrous as that sounds."

"F-fever? I've never…" Natsu tried speaking, but it all ended with a groan. "M-my whole body… h-hurts."

"Alright. Let me, uh…" Lucy swallowed, thinking over the solutions in her head. "Let me try to lower your temperature. Don't move."

"Lucy… is he gonna be alright?" Happy almost sobbed.

"He'll be fine." Lucy waved her hand indefinitely, trying her best to sound cheerful, but something told her this fever was no ordinary fever. She headed straight to her bathroom.

She found one of her fluffy towels and tore a small piece from it, quick to moisten it with ice cold water. As she did it, her thoughts swirled in a chaos. How could a walking flame fall from a fever? For all the years she's been with him, he'd never even thought of lying sick on a bed for more than five minutes.

He was strong and active, and loud. He's never been like this. Did some strange magic catch him? She could call her friends over or even Porlyusica, she actually might know what's going on… if he didn't get any better, she would definitely call for help.

Her own medical knowledge was pretty basic, though. What if she makes things more complicated than they are?

Lucy shook her head, scattering those morbid suggestions and squeezed the water off the cloth, returning to her bed. Happy was still looming over Natsu and frowning.

"Natsu," Lucy lightly pushed his shoulder until he laid on his back completely, "has this happened before?" She asked quietly as she gently placed the cold piece on his forehead, causing a shiver through him.

"Uh… No?" He mumbled, eyes half-lidded.

"Natsu." Happy's quiet cry dragged his attention and he vibrated with a weak laugh.

"D-don't worry, Happy. It's just a s-stupid flu. You can keep me company." He tapped the empty spot on his left and Happy ensconced there immediately, lying there with a tucked tail.

Stupid flu? Lucy furrowed at the unceasing quake of his body and the heavy shadows that half-light carved on his youthful face. His breaths came sharp and shallow, and drawn with difficulty. It wasn't just the flu, it did not tire him, it looked like… it drained him.

Think. Think.

"Happy?" She called him, getting off the bed. "Come here for a second."

Happy perked his ears in wonder, but followed right after Lucy, into the dark corridor that led to the front door.

"Go find Porlyusica and tell her there's something wrong with Natsu and we need her help." Lucy went straight to the point.

"But…" Happy put a finger in front of his mouth. "She's scary."

"Happy, please." Lucy kneeled before him with a worried expression. "I think someone has cast a draining magic on him and I-I don't know how to stop it."

"Even if she agrees to come-" Happy drawled.

"It might take hours for her to come, yes, I know. Still…" Lucy placed her hands on his shoulders. "I need your help and her opinion. Will you help me?"

Happy nodded.

"Aye, sir."

Lucy gave him a wide smile before he disappeared behind the door and left her with her thoughts. Only a minute after she leaned back on the door, trying to scatter her fears away, the silence was broken and she startled.

"Lucy?"

"I'm here." Lucy came off the door and almost ran to her bed, climbing up. Natsu was more than relieved to see her next to him, lips turned into a faint smile. "I'm here." She took the wet cloth from his forehead absently and thought about a better way to help him.

Perhaps if she used another pulse point… Her eyes met his. "I can cool you down faster, but I'll need to, uh," Unsure why, heat rose to her cheeks and inconvenience struck her, "remove your scarf." That scarf has always screamed intimate to her, in every possible sense, and she's never allowed herself to make any contact with it.

"Go ahead." He breathed out tiredly.

Lucy was absolutely baffled, seeing him barely able to shift and speak. Relying on someone else than himself. It was all so sudden and new to her and she wasn't really sure how to act, but one thing was certain. She finally felt useful to him and it warmed her heart, even if the circumstances were such that he was in pain.

A timid smile adorned her face as her fingers pulled the scale-like scarf with a few supple movements, to completely remove it, and caressed the still comparatively cold towel against his neck.

His breath came out in snatches, but as much as she could tell, it felt significantly better, so she decided to keep it there.

"Do you still feel cold?" Lucy absently brushed back hairs that had stuck to his wet forehead, with a few calming motions and he nodded, closing his eyes. "Alright, wait a second."

Lucy parted with him, worried that even if he breaks out of the fever, he wouldn't be warm enough with those thin sheets of hers. She opened the lowest shelf of her drawer and pulled out a colorful, thick blanket. That should do.

Upon returning, she spread it over him and decided to change into something more comfortable. Showering or bathing was out of the question (unfortunately), she couldn't possibly leave him to his own devices for more than a minute. She quickly put on her nighty and laid on the bed, fighting hesitation for a while before getting under the blankets too.

When her skin first touched his again, to check his temperature, he opened his eyes and slowly turned to her. He still trembled, but not as badly.

"Lucy… when I die, I'm l-leaving Happy to you."

"Happy is not some object you can bequeath or something…" Lucy scolded him, blushing against her will. It was weird being so close without the usual tension, without bickering with, yelling at or fighting him. "And you're not dying!"

"Just sayin'…" Natsu made a frail attempt at shrugging. "I'm gonna die s-sometime anyway."

"Shut up. No one's gonna die." Lucy met his eyes, as she was now slightly looming over his side, but then the truth of his words transfixed her and she stilled. They were both gonna die sometime, was it a mission or a disease or just an old age. The notion brought an overwhelming sadness to her eyes and heaviness set itself upon her heart. Losing Natsu was something of a fantasy to her, something that her brain could never accept as reality and that's why she never stopped to think what it'd actually feel like without him.

Tears streamed down her chocolate eyes and she lowered her head to the pillow, her hand hugging him tightly.

Losing him would be like losing hope. Natsu was Fairy Tail's guiding star, their candle in the dark. His presence was as if the very foundation in this family's construction, the scaffolding of every friendship there, and everything and everyone was somehow connected to him. A Fairy Tail without Natsu wouldn't be Fairy Tail because he was the guild's pumping heart.

Lucy suppressed a quiet sob and buried her face in the curve of his neck.

And she… she couldn't imagine herself without him, being there, with his insensible remarks about her weight, his vigorous motions, and his heartwarming smile. If it wasn't for him, she'd be forever lonely. He was her new life, her magic, and her fire, and having him die would kill her too. It would ruin her to a point of no return.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Lucy. Sorry." His pleasant timbre caressed her ear and she realized she's been crying for a while in the silence. The thought of losing him made her body ache.

"Idiot." Her words were muffled against the warmth of his skin, hiding her grimace of sorrow. She couldn't stop the high-pitched twist of her voice when she forced it out again. "Promise to die after me."

"Lucy, don't-"

"Promise me, Natsu." She finally heaved up and faced him, feeling his breath dance on her skin.

"That's a dumb promise." He uttered, as much as his body allowed him, and fazed her. "There's no way I can know when we're gonna die for sure."

Lucy languished at his reply, eyes down in defeat. She then leaned on him with a new embrace and took a deep breath.

"I hate when you do that." She admitted through a whisper and opened a pause.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Lucy."

Lucy heaved up again, eager to meet his eyes. It was always so hard to decide whether he was making fun of her or he was sincere so she insisted on looking at him as he said such things. He was easy to read, he's always been. Squinting at him, she opened her mouth to speak, but then he placed a quick kiss on her forehead and she froze, eyes widening.

Heat rose to her face as she stood there, mortified, and stared at him as he stared at her back with some mixture of a drowsed complacency and curiosity.

"What was that?" Lucy squealed right after she found out her common sense had returned and her vocal chords were working again. He trembled then, narrowing eyes at the unpleasant shrillness of her tone and she remembered his senses were built somewhat different from hers and she's probably ruined his hearing. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." She furrowed with worry, but the flush refused to leave her face.

Her hands turned the wet towel upside down, where it was still cold, and completely ignored his puncturing gaze on her.

"Stop it." Lucy murmured, embarrassed. She was so fine with his loud rants and childish demeanor, they were easy to handle. Having him stare at her for so long, intently and silently, was out of any character she's been acquainted with. Maybe the fever didn't allow him to move as much as he wanted to.

"Your bed is so nice. Can I move in?" He said, fazing her all over again.

"No, you can't!" Her anger returned, thumping his chest with a medium force – enough to expel the air in his lungs, but not hurt him significantly. Capital amusement was resting on his face for a while before he continued with his stare.

"Stop staring at me, it's rude." Lucy pouted at him.

"Do you always sleep with the clothes on or you're dressed because I'm here?"

"What kind of a question is that?!" Lucy hit him again but regretted it immediately because he started coughing and it was a panic attack that raged inside her before he calmed down again. At least his bluntness was still present. If she didn't know all boys were as perverted, she would've most definitely thrown him out of her life a minute after they met.

"Tell me."

"I'm not talking about this." Lucy snapped, checking on his temperature again.

"Do you think about me?"

Without any warning, a bolt of something electric-like struck her body as she heard him speak, unusually slow. There was some seriousness that was missing in the last questions he asked (seemingly only to tease and vex her), a seriousness that he's never afforded around Happy. Perhaps Happy's absence freed him of this image for once.

Lucy met his steady black eyes in wonder and remained there for a while, thinking. She suddenly felt so weird because as much as inhuman he appeared to her back then when she met him for the first time, his behavior has always compensated for her subtle fright of him. This unruly, demonic air he had around him. She grew used to it with time, but now it came the moment when she was hit by an unexpected thought.

The flush on her face deepened.

He raised a brow, head slightly tilting in confusion.

Of course she'd fall for this, she knew herself well enough. The wilder it was, the more she liked it. And Natsu was the wildest there ever was.

"Uh…" Lucy gave out an indefinite sound, pretending to be fully distracted by the towel on his neck (and also completely ignoring the scar that slashed it). At least, she was relieved to notice his temperature lowering and his condition getting better. Perhaps she was wrong to worry as much, but she still didn't regret calling Porlyusica. Although she might be infuriated that they've bothered her for no particular reason. Anyway.

Did she always sleep dressed? No.

Did she think about him? Yes.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, battling the rise of warmth in her whole body. "Uh, y-yeah." And… she finally admitted it. Reluctantly.

"I knew it!" He let out something of a laughter and his whole body shook. "Can't wait to tell-" But before he could finish, Lucy nabbed him on the head hard, this time not caring to hush her voice at all.

"Natsu Dragneel, you're not telling anyone about this!"

A/N: Thanks for reading! As I was sitting, sick myself, I realized I needed to seize the moment with some NaLu because I haven't got any fics for this precious pairing on my acc yet. I have to start writing some. Hope you liked it.