Winter Musings
It was mostly silent in the apartment, save the sounds of Plue, who was shivering over on her bed as he huddled under some covers. Occasionally, Lucy would look over at him and grin or say something, but she mostly focused on writing for the time being. Finally she was having a good day, one were not only was she not experiencing any writers block at all, but also was completely alone. And planned to be that way for most of the day too.
Except for Plue, of course, but he hardly counted. She'd want him around always, if she could have him.
Maybe it was just the mood that she was in that had her so creative all of a sudden. It was actually rather pretty outside and she knew that if her desire to write died off, she'd just go walk around out there for a little bit. It was snowing still, as it had been off and on for the past few days, but nowhere near a blizzard. Just enough to blanket the city in white and make Magnolia look pure for once. For a little while.
"No wonder you're so cold, Plue," she told him as she herself had a quilt draped over her shoulders as she sat at her desk. "But it's worth it, I guess, to be cold, if it means snow. I've always loved winter, if only for that reason."
Plue agreed with her. Or so she guessed. He was actually a little tangled up in the covers on her bed and was having a little trouble disentangling himself.
As the day wore on though, the less Lucy thought about even stepping foot outside. She was so zoned in on her writing that she was honestly thankful that Lisanna had taken Natsu and Happy off her hands for the day.
Since Lucy and Natsu had begun dating, it'd been rather awkward for the three of them. Err, rather it was for Lucy and Lisanna. Natsu seemed oblivious to the fact that Lisanna ever had so much as had a crush on him, but that was to be expected, considering who they were dealing with.
Lucy, however, was very much aware of the change in the friendship she'd always shared with Lisanna from the moment her and Natsu went off on their first real date. Not to say that there was even a tad bit of animosity between the two of them or anything silly like that. No, they were still friends, she and Lisanna. They were just…at an impasse.
It wasn't too complicated, really, when you laid it all out. Maybe, at one point, Natsu did have feelings for Lisanna. Lucy didn't know. She knew that he loved her, fine, but she'd always assumed it was just in a comrade sort of way. It'd never really occurred to her that he'd been romantically involved with Lisanna. Especially considering when she came back from Edolas, nothing changed. At all. One would surmise that if he had been in love with her before her death, suddenly getting her back into his life would be enough to push him over the edge into admitting how much he cared for her.
But it didn't. He treated her about the same as he treated Lucy. And during that time, Lucy knew that she and Natsu were most certainly just friends. So why would he feel any differently about Lisanna?
Still though, it had never been really unclear to anyone how much Lisanna loved Natsu. And from what Lucy'd heard over the years, she always had. Since they were kids. So yes, Lucy did feel a little bad for her, that Natsu was too dense to see it. But no, that didn't mean that she was willing to sacrifice the relationship she had with him for the other woman's sake.
That didn't mean that she didn't care about Lisanna. Because she did. And even though at times it was clear that Lisanna got a little jealous about the way Natsu would throw his arm over Lucy's shoulders or openly admit his love for her in front of others, there was no way that she hated Lucy either. They were still friends. They'd always be friends. Just like her and Natsu. It was just…complex at times.
Such as it had been that morning, when Natsu showed up with Lisanna at Lucy's place. Happy was with them too and they all wanted to go down to the lake. Since it'd frozen over and there was no chance at fishing, they were going to go ice skating. Of course they wanted her to go.
Lucy had turned them down though, quite quickly, as from the moment she'd woken up that morning she'd decided it was going to be dedicated to writing. At her denial of going, Natsu immediately offered to forgo it as well, spend some time with her. It wasn't only the fact she just knew he'd ruin her train of concentration if she let him stay that made her decline the gesture.
It was the way that Lisanna looked, partially, that had her telling him to go on without her. She even went and got his little knit hat that he'd left over at her place and tossed it over his head, so he didn't catch a cold. It was just…how disappointed Lisanna seemed. Lucy knew that feeling. And she also wasn't a complete idiot. It could have just as easily been her that Natsu was constantly ditching, her that became second tier to Lisanna instead of the other way around.
So she cut the other woman some breaks at times. She and Natsu had been friends first, after all. It'd be a little wrong of Lucy to horde him all to herself (not that she really wanted him all that much for the most part either). And she knew, above all, that Natsu would never, like, fool around on her with Lisanna. Or that Lisanna would allow that. She might love Natsu, but she cared about Lucy as well and wouldn't hurt her in that way.
There was no problem, then, for Lucy when she sent Natsu and Happy off with Lisanna to go have tons of fun while she stayed all alone in her apartment, with only her thoughts that hopefully would transfer well to paper. She hoped, too, that they did have fun. That they had a great time, just the three of them. Or whoever else they invited.
She didn't own Natsu, after all. They were just dating. And had been for a few months at that point. All that fluttery jitters that were associated with that were gone. They were just them again. No more giggles when he grinned at her or blushing when they kissed. He was just her boyfriend finally. They were stable.
And she knew that no other woman, no matter who she was, would ever mess that up.
Lucy was so concentrated on her writing that, when her window suddenly sprang open, it scared her back into her current reality. Instead of relaxing when she realized it was just a snow covered Natsu and Happy, she took to getting agitated.
"I thought you guys were ice skating?" she complained as Happy went to shut the window, as to keep the cold out. Plue had finally freed himself of the blankets and was rushing over to Happy in greeting. He was shivering again, but that was more due to the cold than that he was nervous around Natsu or Happy. Not at all. He spent more time with them than anyone else in Fairy Tail. Other than Lucy, of course.
"We were," Natsu told her as he came over to investigate what she was writing. Lucy immediately took to holding the papers against her chest, hiding them. "Come on, Luce."
"When we got our ice skates on and everything, we realized that Natsu can't ice skate," Happy said as he and Plue rushed over to Lucy's bed, diving for the covers. "Then Natsu started moving and vomited all over the ice!"
"You're getting snow on my bed, cat," Lucy complained to which Happy only snickered. "And Natsu, really? Even ice skates?"
"I can't help it, okay? Now let me see what you were writ-"
"No!"
"Then we went out to eat instead," Happy told her as he purposely shook all the leftover snow from his blue body, knowing it would melt and leave her bed soaked. "To refill all the food Natsu'd chucked up."
"You guys already ate?" Lucy asked as she stood, going to put the papers away. Natsu frowned at her, but then conceded to not trying to get them anymore. Instead he took to hugging her. He'd missed her, after all.
"Yeah," he said as she giggled a little bit, but still pushed him away. "With Lisanna."
"They love each other, Plue," Happy told the spirit who only made some noises in return. "Don't you, Lucy?"
"Be quiet, cat," she retorted as Natsu let her go. "And what happened to Lisanna then?"
"I dunno," Natsu said as he went to go lay down on her bed as well, not even thinking to take off his coat, which was covered in snow as well. "I think she went back to the guild. I-"
"Natsu," Lucy complained, glaring at him and Happy. "Not you too. Now my bed's going to be, like, drenched when that snow melts. And with the heat on in here, it-"
"No problem, Luce." Natsu jumped back up then, his hands flaming almost immediately. "Watch out, Happy! Plue! I'm aboutta dry Lucy's bed real fast! Just watch. I-"
"No, don't!" Lucy rushed over to him then, grabbing quickly onto one of his biceps and pulling him away from the bed. "Natsu, seriously. You might, like, start a fire or something. Just don't."
"But I was gonna fix it for you, Luce," he said, dropping his arms then and glancing at her. "Don't you want me to?"
Shaking her head, she reached up then to pull his hat off his head, making the Salamander shake it immediately, his hair taking it's normal shape once more.
"No," she told him as she gently tugged at his coat until he slipped it off. After setting them down on the desk, she said, "It's fine, Natsu. Really. Just-"
"Then we'll go to me and Happy's house," Natsu said ecstatically then.
"Uh, no," Happy said as he cuddled into a drier part of the bed. "I'm fine here, thanks."
"Gee, Natsu, let's see. Do I want to stay in my cozy, heat fill apartment or walk across town to your run down shack that I know it's probably below freezing in?"
"…Are you asking me to make the decision or-"
"We're staying here," she told him as she went over to her bed once more. She only lifted Plue into her arms before setting him on the ground. Then, without any warning to the nestled up Happy, she jerked some of the blankets off the bed, sending him flying.
"Lucy!" he complained as he landed on the floor. "No fair!"
"You shouldn't have gotten my bed all dirty," she retorted as he only stuck his tongue out at her. She'd tugged off the two blankets under the top ones that he hadn't gotten wet and moved to lay them out on the floor. Then she went to grab the one that had been draped over her shoulders before.
"Come on," she said as Plue immediately moved to get on the blankets. Grabbing the pillows from the bed, she added, "We cam lay down here."
So they did. She put the pillows down and then turned off the light and, much to Happy and Natsu's amusement, she went to get one of the short stories she was working on to read to them. They all immediately nestled up together in the blankets, even Plue, who was pleased to find that in Happy's green knapsack, the Exceed had found a lollipop and saved it just for him. And Natsu, he just laid there with all of them, occasionally shifting so he could kiss Lucy's neck or something, trying hard to pay attention to the story she was reading. But even when it bored him or the next one she read did, he just laid there and pretended to be interested. Because he was. In her at least. And if that meant sacrificing his own entertainment at times, so be it.
Lucy was just glad though, that they were all four there. And she thought little again of Lisanna for the rest of the day, though part of her felt a little bad that she couldn't be there as well, but hey. Lucy might not own Natsu or dictate who he spent his time with, but she was still his girlfriend. And that held a lot of weight.
"You should write a story about us one day, Lucy," Happy told her excitedly at one point. Plue, who was sucking on his lollipop as he sat next to her, nodded his head.
"You guys think so?" Lucy giggled as she laid on her back. Natsu had jumped up to go put away that last story and get another one, a longer one. A complete one. "Really?"
"Yeah," Happy said, nodding his own head as he cuddled up against her side. Turning his head up then to look at her, his eyes showing his enthusiasm, he went on. "It could be about…about me being a superhero!"
"A superhero, huh?" she sighed, rolling her eyes then.
"Yeah," he said as Natsu made it back to them. He only handed the papers off to Lucy before diving back under the covers. "And I my arch nemesis could be…a fish! A big fish. And when I defeat him in the end, because I'll win obviously-
"Obviously."
"-he'll turn into all these smaller fish. I might even let you and Natsu have one or two. Maybe."
"How wonderful," she said. "What will we be in your story, Happy?"
"Mmmm…Natsu can be my sidekick!"
"Sidekick?" Natsu frowned. "No way, little buddy. If Lucy's writing a story, I'm gonna be a kick butt, super awesome hero. Aren't I, Luce?"
"I-"
"No," Happy told him, frowning then at his best friend as he cut Lucy off. "You're going to be my sidekick. You and Lisanna. And then Lucy can be…you know, what you usually are."
"What am I usually?" she asked him, not even taking the time out to frown. She knew to just wait for the punch line.
"You know," the Exceed insisted. "The damsel in distress."
She narrowed her eyes as Natsu snickered. "Just for that, cat, you lose in the end."
"What?"
"The fish is going to eat you alive."
"Joke's on you," he told her then. "Because that sounds awesome!"
So she must have laid there for ten minutes at least, listening to Happy ramble on about what he wanted his story to be about. He made her promise at least twenty times to get started on it soon too. And of course Natsu begrudgingly agreed to be the sidekick.
"But I want my own story too, Lucy," he was quick to add. "One where I'm the superhero. And…and Gray's the villain! And I totally roast him in magic battle after magic battle until he says that I'm the supreme master. And I do the same thing to Erza too, huh? Alright?"
And she only giggled along with Plue, who was mostly just happy to have gotten that sucker, agreeing to whatever they said, never letting on that they were in all the stories she'd ever written since meeting them. Sometimes not even consciously. They just were. There'd always be a little side character that annoyed the fire out of the others and was a little smart aleck. And then there was the hero that always saved the day. Always. Even though he was never too intelligent, he always protected the ones that he loved. Always.
It was late when Happy finally drifted off, along with Plue, who'd probably be going back to his own world soon enough. And Natsu was curled up on his side, facing away from her, no doubt snoozing as well. Lucy only smiled, as she had been in the middle of a story, but figured it was just as well. Carefully, she slipped out of the little pallet they'd made down on the floor before going over to her desk to put the papers away. And, since she was up, she figured she could get back to writing finally.
She'd only been sitting there a moment though, before someone spoke up.
"Lucy?"
"Hmmm?"
It was Happy, who had jumped up to rush over to her. Once he got to her, he only took to the air though, his wings appearing as he came to land atop her head.
"Are you writing my story?" he asked her as he yawned slightly. Lucy held down an eye roll as a smile won out instead, spreading quickly across her face.
"No, Happy," she sighed as she moved then to set the paper she was writing on then aside before grabbing some fresh sheets. "But here, let's start."
"You mean I get to help?'
"Sure," she said. "Don't you want to?"
"Of course."
He slid off her head then and into her lap which only made her giggle. He was staring interestedly down at the blank sheet of paper.
"How do you get started?" he asked her in wonder.
"Well," she said slowly. "I guess it depends on what sort of story it is. So it's up to you."
"Hmmm." He thought hard for a minute before grinning and tilting his head back so he could look up at her. "I know. You could start with how I destroy the fish guy!"
"Happy," she sighed. "That would be how we end the story. Remember?"
"I guess you're right." He looked back down at the paper. Then, after a moment's thought, he said, "You should begin it however you want, Lucy. You're the one that's so great at writing."
"You really think so?"
"Mmmhmm." He nodded his head in affirmation. "You're the best writer in all of Earth Land!"
It was so rare that a moment like that existed between them. The only times that Happy and Lucy were ever true with one another about how much they cared for the other was when they were in imminent danger. But it was nice, still, to be able to have a chance to say it without any of that. It made it more real.
They had to have been at least three chapters in before Happy got tired again. He and Natsu had stayed up the whole night before, after all, at the guild and then cleaning up around their home. It was so cold over there that they couldn't catch a single wink. Even when Natsu built a fire! He was super glad that they would be staying with Lucy that night…even if she didn't know it yet.
But she did, whether he realized it or not. She most certainly did. And she knew that soon, Natsu would be awake again and claim that he was starved. Then they'd raid her tiny fridge, looking for anything edible.
That was a few hours off though. She hoped. At the moment, Happy was leaning forwards in her lap, resting his head against the desk, while she rested an elbow against it as well and had her head there, eyes shut as she started to drift off too.
"Lucy?" Happy yawned at one point. She didn't even open her eyes.
"Mmmm?"
"I'm real glad that you're Natsu's girlfriend," he told her through another yawn. "You know. Since you're such a good writer and have a warm apartment. That's all."
Smiling, she reached over with her other hand to scratch at his ears some, since she knew he liked that.
"Yeah," she said. "And I'm glad you're his best friend. Since you're so good at catching fish and stuff."
"The best."
So maybe she hadn't spent the whole day writing, but hey, she'd gotten some done. And the rest of the time was at least used doing something important. Spending time with Happy, Plue, and Natsu. Honestly, there wasn't a single tale that she'd ever write that would be more important than that.