Sleep. Sleep was a wonderful thing. It was necessary, it was welcomed, it was calming. Well, it was supposed to be. Lucy Heartfilia normally slept like a rock, exhausted after her jobs as a celestial mage, often physically worn out after whatever adventures she and her team had gone on. If that wasn't the case, it was mental exhaustion from working on her book and dealing with the constant bickering and fighting and general ruckus that entailed being around her friends and a member of Fairy Tail. That was fine. She loved her life and she would not change it for the world. What was so frustrating and had changed her sleep from peaceful to restless and from comfortable to cramped was her partner, her best friend, and the man she happened to love but could not say so.

Natsu Dragneel had captured her heart as easily as he defeated Bora the first day they met. Granted it had taken her plenty of time for her feelings of friendship to morph into something else, end even longer for her to realize that what she felt for him was more than just friendly; that she cared for him more than anyone, and that she wanted him to feel the same way, but it didn't change the fact that she could not and would not say so to him. Admitting such a thing to Natsu, the man who was still very much a boy, was unthinkable. She doubted he understood what love even meant. What scared her even more was the possibility that admitting her feelings could harm their relationship – their friendship. Natsu was her best friend and he had been with her since the beginning – he was the reason she joined Fairy Tail in the first place. He was the person she looked to in her time of need and the person he came to when he was in need… No, she couldn't risk changing that.

Regardless, Natsu was the reason she can't sleep. His nasty habit of breaking into her apartment and sneaking into her bed had only gotten worse as time went on. It used to only happen sporadically (at least the sneaking into her bed part). He would crash unexpectedly after long jobs, after staying too late at the guild, or before they needed to leave early in the morning. Now, it was nearly an every night occurrence. And even if she kicked him out, he would just wait for her to fall back asleep and sneak right back in! It was infuriating! Her twin-sized bed wasn't meant for two people! At least, two people who could not and should not touch so intimately in the middle of the night!

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became, her brow furrowing in agitation as she squeezed her eyes shut, willing sleep to come, forcing her body to be comfortable with the overwhelming presence of Natsu at her back. The fire dragon slayer moved a lot in his sleep, throwing his limbs about without a care in the world. She always ended up with either his arm across her waist or his legs entangled in hers. One morning she woke up to his face buried in her neck! Her neck! And yet, she couldn't move without fear of touching him inappropriately either. She was just as guilty of waking up with her arm thrown across his chest, or her hand brushing against his thigh or butt while trying to get comfortable. Things were definitely getting too close for comfort and she had to increase the distance.

Of course while she suffered in silence he was sound asleep, snoring softly, an arm draped casually over her waist. If she moved her legs at all, they brushed against his. If she moved her hips at all, she brushed against him in a very intimate manner. If she shifted her shoulders, his grip on her would tighten, as though he were afraid she was leaving. Why would I think that's the reason his grip tightens?! I must be going crazy! Of course I am, I haven't slept properly in days!

Her eyes snapped open as she finally let out a pent up sigh. She wanted to roll over, she needed to roll over. Her hip and shoulder were sore from lying in the same position for too long, but rolling over meant facing Natsu, who happened to be sleeping without his shirt on – another more recent change in his sleeping habits. Facing him while they were both in such a confined space in such limited clothing was too inappropriate! Her cheeks warmed at the thought, her heart rate picking up as the warmth in her cheeks spread to her heart and belly, pooling warmly there and inexplicably making her want to smile, but she willed such wanton thoughts away. No! That's the lack of sleep talking!

"Natsu," she grumbled, wiggling her shoulders and hips in an effort to shrug his arm off. He simply snored in response. How can someone with such good senses sleep so damn hard?! She fumed, her face growing even warmer as now her ears felt hot. "Natsu," she tried again, louder this time. "Come on, move over."

"Mmmnnggghhhh," he groaned, his arm around her waist tightening. He shifted, burying his face in her hair.

"No!" she cried, pushing on his arm. "Natsu, let go and move over!"

In her struggling, her hips moved back and bumped low into Natsu's hips. Although he didn't react, she froze, the intimate contact causing her blood to boil and yet freeze at the same time. His mouth was near her ear, his hot breath caressing her skin and emanating down her neck. I need to just kick him out, she grumbled inwardly. She always faced this inner dilemma lately – the want for sleep and so the need to kick him out, and yet the desire to remain close to him. "Damn it," she sighed, her grip on his forearm relaxing somewhat.

Seriously contemplating giving up, Lucy relaxed for a moment until the ache in her hip resurfaced. They had just returned from a rather tough job, and had walked much of the way thanks to Natsu's motion sickness. While defeating the robbers and dark guild had not been as difficult as it could have been, they had all received their fair share of injuries and were all still in the process of healing, despite Wendy's treatments – she was healing as well.

"Natsu," she whined, allowing a high-pitched whimper to enter her voice, "you're hurting me."

It was as if she had said some magical words. Natsu's grip on her immediately relaxed and he all but threw himself back from her. "Luce?" he asked, his voice fraught with concern.

Free of his confining hold, Lucy inhaled deeply before exhaling. "Oh, thank Mavis," she breathed, before rolling over and stretching to loosen up her sore muscles by throwing her arms over her head and arching her back as she extended her legs. Everything stretched and lengthened – it felt so wonderful she couldn't help but groan.

Once she finished her full body stretch, and she opened her eyes, Lucy gasped. Natsu's wide and concerned eyes bore into hers, a hidden light practically glowing from them in the darkness. Oh crap, he saw that! She cursed her actions for her stupidity and smiled crookedly. "I needed that."

Natsu was tense as he pressed himself into the wall, as though trying to distance himself from her as much as possible, but still looking at her with worry. He was holding himself up with one hand while the other braced against the wall at his back. His legs were bent as though he were ready to spring forward at a moment's notice. It was as though he hadn't just been dead asleep a moment before. "What happened?" he ground out, his voice rough with sleep.

Realizing he was probably just as exhausted as she was, and she had just given him quite the show, Lucy sighed and wriggled to get comfortable once more. "You were squeezing me too tight," she murmured, finding it impossible to meet his eyes as she pulled the blanket up tightly over her shoulder. "I couldn't move." When she finally forced herself to look back up at him, she gasped softly at the darkness in his already tan cheeks. There was just enough moonlight coming through her bedroom window to perfectly illuminate his features, sharp and handsome in the darkness. Stop thinking of him as handsome!

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered, not relaxing in the slightest.

Seeing him so distraught made her heart ache. Although she had wanted his distance to be more comfortable, now that she had it, he felt too far away. It's just because he looks so nervous, like he's trying to disappear into the wall, she told herself. She shook her head softly, trying to clear her already disturbed thoughts before resting her head back down. "I'm fine, Natsu. Really. Now stop acting so weird and go back to sleep." She wriggled into the pillow once more, one arm beneath her head and the other in front of her, her legs slightly bent with her top leg forward of the bottom so that it rested on the bed – the same position she had been in just on the other side. Once she was comfortable, the blanket securely pulled high around her, she sighed and closed her eyes.

Who said I'm acting weird?! "You sure?" Natsu asked, his voice soft as she felt the bed shift under his weight. He was situating himself beside her again, no longer pressing himself tightly against the wall.

"Mmmhmm," she sighed, the corners of her lips pulling up into a smile as she nodded. "Just tired."

Scooting just a little bit closer, but still not as close as he wanted, Natsu flopped onto his back, his arm closest to the wall extended and the one closest to Lucy carefully laid across his stomach. He tried to be careful not to touch her, as much as he hated to force such constraints on himself. Being with Lucy had never been awkward before, but then he started to notice the way her eyes shone a little bit differently, like there was a hidden light glowing within her. He found himself noticing and watching every little move she made, reveling in the sound of her voice, especially the musical sound of her laughter. Even her scent was different, drawing him to her more than ever and making him feel things he had never felt before. Although they were already together often, he wanted to spend even more time with her. It was why he started sneaking into her bed more often, even though being in the bed with her suddenly felt very disconcerting; that and simply being alone with her suddenly brought out a new sense of insecurity in him. Why does everything feel so different, he mused.

Despite her earlier annoyance, Lucy sighed in contentment as Natsu's heat washed over her from beneath the blankets without smothering her. The warmth that radiated from his body as a result of his fire dragon slayer heritage had proven a problem at first – sometimes it was stifling, especially when it was already hot outside and in the apartment. She tried to make up for the increased heat by sleeping in shorts and a tank top, no matter what the weather was like outside, but as of late, she found that only added to her discomfort. Little did she know, it made Natsu uncomfortable as well, as he was now acutely aware of the softness of her skin, which called to him at night, begging for his touch – yet he was terrified of touching too much. Damn it! Why am I so conflicted?! I just yelled at him to get off me, and here I am, wanting him back! I'm such a hypocrite, she chastised herself.

"Good night, Luce. Weirdo," Natsu whispered after a short period of tense silence passed between them.

Lucy's eyes opened a crack. Moving them was like moving hundred pound weights and she had to fight through the mental fog of partial sleep. Without thinking, she scooted closer, her knee barely brushing against his thigh. "Night, Natsu."

A soft smile graced Natsu's lips as he looked at the celestial spirit mage, his partner, his best friend, out of the corner of his eye. She's so adorable when she's sleeping… He sighed, allowing his body to relax as his eyes drifted closed once more.

When Lucy next awoke, she groaned, realizing her and Natsu's legs were tangled together. She wasn't sure how long they had been asleep, but the room was still perfectly dark and the sky didn't show any hint of lightening outside her window. Once she became more aware of herself, and the hair in her face began to annoy her, she moved to brush her hair out of her face and froze when she realized what she'd just brushed against and just how close she was to Natsu. Crap! Please tell me he didn't feel that! She screamed in her head, her cheeks turning as red as Erza's hair as she mentally also made note that Natsu's rear was incredibly firm – just like the rest of him. Stop it! I can't think like that!

Before she could mentally break herself from the momentary spell, she let herself admire the sleeping fire dragon slayer. For once he was still, calm even, and peaceful. It was almost like Natsu never stopped moving. He never stopped trying to fight or eat. He was fiercely protective and loyal, yes, but there was a playfulness to him that she didn't see in anyone else. She knew his inner pain more than anyone (except perhaps Happy), and she was honored he had chosen to share such burdens with her. The strong back and shoulders before her, the messy and spiky salmon-colored hair in front of her, didn't seem to belong to someone who carried such heavy concerns and pain with the appearance of such a light heart. It made her want to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

"Stop it, Lucy," she murmured to herself, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. I can't do that, not when he's sleeping. That wouldn't be right. And if he knew I felt sorry for him, he'd just be upset. Despite her inner arguments, Lucy scooted a tiny bit closer, pulling her legs from his gently, and placed one hand on his back. There was no reaction to her touch, reaffirming his status as sound asleep. I don't want you to hurt, Natsu. I want to make you happy. I want to see that smile of yours all the time, because I care about you…

Just as Lucy was mentally confessing her feelings, Natsu groaned in his sleep and rolled over, doing a complete 180 and turning onto his side so he was facing her. As if on cue, his heavy arm came crashing down on her waist, forcing her to exhale with a huff just as his leg draped over hers. She was trapped. "Oh come on!" she grumbled, not even bothering to keep herself quiet as she pushed against him.

"Go to sleep, Weirdo," Natsu whispered, his mouth surprisingly close to her ear.

"Natsu?!" she shrieked. "Are you awake?"

He didn't answer, which meant he wasn't, and she sighed. Somehow she was both relieved and annoyed that it had been Natsu's subconscious doing the work for him. She was grateful, for that meant he hadn't felt her touch his back…

"Luce smells so nice," he whispered sleepily, nuzzling her hair.

Lucy froze and then kicked his leg off of hers. Did he really just say that?! She sighed. Despite their close proximity, too close, she thought to herself, she was comfortable. Although Natsu had practically punched her with the force of throwing his arm over her, it was now a comfortable weight at her waist, now that she'd removed his leg. His warmth surrounded her without suffocating her, and she was no longer in a painful position. With a sigh, she placed one hand on Natsu's chest, almost as though she were holding him at bay, and allowed her eyes to drift closed. "Shut up," she whispered.

She was awoken again, not long after, when she felt like she was being smothered. Natsu had (again) partially rolled in his sleep, pinning her beneath his chest while one leg made its way back between hers. Her arm was asleep and his hair was tickling her nose, but what was most concerning was how close his face was to her chest, his breath tickling between her breasts. "Natsu," she grumbled, attempting to shove him off as her entire body flushed in embarrassment.

He was dead weight in her arms, her movements moving his leg between hers until it touched high up between her thighs. "Eee!" she squealed, and dropped him, grunting with the sudden change in weight once more. "Natsu! Get off!" she cried.

His eyes barely fluttered. "What are you screaming about?" he growled.

"Get off me!"

His eyes slowly opened wider and he picked his head up from where it had been resting on her chest. He immediately started laughing. "Why? You're comfortable, Luce!"

She glared, seriously debating slapping him. "I'm glad you're so comfortable, Natsu, because you're suffocating me."

Without dropping the smile, he withdrew and flopped onto his other side. "You're cranky."

"Of course I'm cranky! This is the third time tonight you've woken me up!"

He stilled for a moment before turning to look at her over his shoulder, his brows low and skeptical. "Really?"

She put a foot in his back and pushed, increasing the distance between them as much as she could – she also ended up pushing herself backwards and nearly off the edge of the bed. Natsu grunted but otherwise didn't complain. "Really!"

Shrugging, he rolled back over, facing the wall once more. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Seething, Lucy ground her teeth. "Damn it, Natsu! Get out!"

"What?! Why?" He sat up now, the blankets pooling around his waist, forgotten. Lucy had to mentally check herself to keep from looking down.

"I just told you why! This bed isn't big enough for the both of us when you try to take up the whole damn thing! Now get out!"

She was shouting loud enough to hurt his sensitive dragon slayer ears, but Natsu didn't want to leave. He loved Lucy's bed. He loved sharing it with Lucy. He didn't want to leave, even if she was yelling at him. "Come on, Luce. It's just for a little bit longer."

"No!" She threw the blankets back, at her limit and no longer caring if her screaming woke up the whole neighborhood. "Get out before I make you get out!"

Rightfully fearing a Lucy Kick, Natsu crept from the bed and made his way to the couch, grumbling and muttering curses beneath his breath the entire time. The moment he flopped onto the couch, she collapsed into the middle of the bed, sprawling out with a smile on her lips as she repositioned herself comfortably. "Finally!" she sighed.

Natsu lay on the couch, an arm behind his head, waiting for the sound of Lucy's breathing to change as she drifted into sleep. He knew he wasn't easy to sleep with – Happy had complained to him more than once about being kicked when sleeping at his feet – but he didn't sleep well when he didn't sleep with Lucy. It was the other reason why his once rare visits to her bed had grown so frequent, despite her adamant disapproval. To appease her, he tried to fall asleep on the couch, but sleep wouldn't come, no matter how he positioned himself. And so, once her breathing had changed to the deep and even breathing of sleep, he cautiously rose from the couch and slipped back under the covers, careful not to disturb her this time as he joined her once more. "Night, Luce," he whispered, a soft smile curling the corners of his lips.