Her window was locked, and her chimney was blocked off. Natsu almost gave up before remembering to try Lucy's door, which opened right up for him.
Lucy was asleep. That didn't surprise him. It was late, and she never seemed to have as much energy as he did. Happy flew over to wake her, but he grabbed his partner's tail and gestured for him to stay quiet.
If she woke up, she would insist on going with him. As much as Natsu wanted her around, he could never allow it. The master had picked him specifically for the mission. Convincing Natsu that the nature of his assignment made it too dangerous to bring anyone else hadn't been easy, but he'd gotten the message across well enough that Natsu didn't want anyone else coming. If Lucy woke up, she'd know he was leaving, and she'd want to know why she couldn't come along. If she asked to come, Natsu wasn't sure he could tell her no. It would be safer this way.
"You make yourself at home, buddy," he whispered to Happy.
Happy scowled. He didn't get to go with Natsu either, but when Lucy woke up in the morning they could miss Natsu together. Since Natsu didn't want to wake her up, he went and settled on her couch rather than her bed. He'd worn himself out earlier arguing with the master about whether or not he could go with Natsu, and was out almost as soon as he set his head on the cushion.
Natsu shut the door quietly and crept over to Lucy's bed. She looked deep asleep. Happy would explain it all in the morning, but he would feel better if he said it himself.
"Hey Luce," he whispered. When she didn't stir, he risked sitting down beside her on the bed. "I'm leaving in a few minutes. They're sending me to a volcano. It's going to be really fun. Or it would be, but Gramps says I have to go alone." He paused. "Maybe you wouldn't have liked it. You always complain about how you're too hot or cold or tired or bored or scared or…" he chuckled. "I would have liked listening to that. It's half way across the world. I won't get to hear you complaining for months. There won't be anyone to make fun of me when I get sick on the boat either."
He swallowed, realizing just how long he would be on a boat, and needed a moment to calm himself. Panicking would wake Lucy up.
"I'm not excited about it at all. I'm already looking forward to getting back and seeing you again. Don't do anything too fun without me."
What else could he tell her? She was asleep, and so was Happy, so nothing he said could be used against him. "Don't you dare go out with any weirdoes while I'm gone, too. I saw that guy who took you to dinner last week. He had more piercings than Gajeel does. You've gotta wait for me, you hear?"
Lucy murmured something about strawberries, and rolled over so she faced the window.
"Good. As long as you understand."
Natsu looked around. He stood and peered over the couch to make sure Happy really was asleep, then leaned over the bed to make sure Lucy was. No witnesses. Perfect.
He bent down and kissed her. Had she been at a better angle, he might have aimed for her lips, but he settled for her cheek.
"I'll miss you," he whispered.
There. That was everything. He went back to the door, giving Lucy one last look before he left.
Lucy waited until she heard her door shut, then sat up and looked out her window, waiting until she saw Natsu pass by.
"I'll miss you too, idiot."
STA: Originally written for a prompt blog on tumblr. The prompt given was Natsu says goodbye to Lucy before leaving on a long solo mission ~