A/Note: Written for the prompt "Accidentally Fall Asleep Together" for Endragoneel on tumblr.
Natsu and Lucy spend the day together at a festival in Magnolia. Natsu ends up watching more than just the stars when the festival is over...
Notes and reviews are always appreciated!
~Impracticaldemon
A Star At His Side
Lucy loved attending fairs and festivals and Natsu loved hanging out with Lucy. Lucy would insist on seeing every homemade crafts booth (even though they all looked the same to Natsu), and she would somehow manage to find the one stall that was selling second-hand books (even though Levy usually found it first and bought up the best things). She would inevitably fall in love with something big, cute and fluffy at one of the game booths, and Natsu would offer to try to win it for her. For quite a while he thought he only did it because it broke up the monotony of looking at yet another bead and silver bracelet or sweet little change purse. Eventually, he was forced to admit that he just liked to see Lucy smile.
This year it was a cat: a three-foot-high, plush Siamese with all the right markings and blue bow decorated with yellow stars.. As soon as he saw it, Natsu knew that this was IT-at least for this particular festival.
"Oh wow, look at that! That's perfect! I mean look at how well they captured the detail!"
Natsu looked at the creature dubiously. Happy, who was tagging along as usual, sniffed disdainfully.
"Looks too friendly for a Siamese," Natsu said critically.
"I like it when they look friendly," Lucy retorted. "Who wants a stuffed animal that glares at them all the time?"
"You don't need a fake cat when you have me around," Happy argued.
To nobody's surprise (including the man running the game), the Siamese cat was duly acquired and Natsu waited for the next stage of the of the day to begin. Lucy always seemed to feel badly about the way that booth owners always scrambled to give Natsu what he wanted quickly so that he would move away from them as soon as possible. When it came to getting their food, though, Lucy always put her scruples on hold. It was just one more thing that made Natsu realize that Lucy was the perfect person to have in his life.
Usually, once they'd eaten and walked around for a bit longer, Lucy was ready to call it a day. Today was a little different, however, because there were going to be fireworks. Natsu loved the festivals with fireworks, even though he always claimed that he could make them more exciting. Nobody disagreed... or allowed Natsu to run the fireworks display.
They let Happy find them a good spot, and sat on a low rise overlooking the area. This was something else that Natsu had discovered: as much as Lucy enjoyed being with people, at the end of a busy day she enjoyed being away from them. He was proud of the fact that as long as he wasn't too loud, she didn't mind spending her "no people" time with him. They didn't talk about it, and others might not have believed it, but Natsu was good at being quiet when that's what Lucy needed.
"Your cat is weird," Happy said, as they settled into their spot.
Lucy tightened her hold on the giant plush animal.
"My cat is perfect," she retorted. "Or are you just envious because I have a white cat and you don't?"
Happy looked at her reproachfully. Wendy's white Exceed Charle had declined Happy's proposed treat of an afternoon of fishing followed by an evening of eating fish (and watching fireworks). Lucy was too kind-hearted to resist the look, as usual.
"Sorry, Happy. I shouldn't have said that. But I wish you wouldn't say my stuff is weird. Besides, right now I'm just happy I have something warm to hold onto-I always forget how the evenings get cool so quickly when it's early fall."
Natsu shifted closer to Lucy. When she turned to look at him, he grinned.
"I'm warm. Just sit closer to me." He flashed Happy a sharp look, and saw the inevitable "he liiiiiikes her" die away unsaid.
Eventually all three of them-plus Lucy's soft, three-foot high stuffed cat-were cuddled up together on the grass. As the fireworks roared and shimmered and showered overheard, Natsu heard Lucy say:
"It's great that we don't have to worry about a blanket"-she paused to yawn hugely behind her hand-"because with you here the grass stays dry and warm."
By the time the fireworks were over, Lucy was half-asleep. As Natsu had expected, she insisted on staying where they were for just a little longer. He certainly had no objections and he knew that Lucy loved to lie there and look up at the stars.
This festival was different, though. Maybe it was the big soft toy-it was nicer than usual, Natsu admitted, although he didn't say that to Happy-or maybe it was just that Lucy was more comfortable around him now. Whatever the reason, by about the time that Lucy would usually sigh and get to her feet, she was fast asleep, curled up against Natsu's warmth.
Natsu settled himself more comfortably, his eyes now fixed on the bright star he shared a large part of his life with, instead of on the cold lights in the sky. He would have to wake her up at some point, of course. But not too soon…
Surprisingly, Happy was the last of them to fall asleep. Of course, that meant he was able to get in the last word:
"They liiiiike each other!"