Spoilers for Chapter 340. Pointless fluff in which Natsu can't last a day being back at Magnolia before breaking into Lucy's.

Nalu: Home

Hours had passed since the impromptu celebration the town had broken into after the unveiling of Fairy Tail's restored guild, and Lucy was finally able to fall back onto her bed and actually soak up the fact that she was home. That she was here, in her own room, surrounded by her own possessions, with her body warm and comfortable after the long bath she'd just had, and there was no threat of ten thousand dragons hanging over her head, or games to train for, or even a job that she needed to wake up early to go to. She was simply home, and, for the first time in a long time, she was able to actually enjoy that.

But, if that was the case, why, then, did she find herself staring up at the ceiling, her lips pulled into a dissatisfied frown, as if something were missing? Rolling her head, she looked over at the fridge, and her frown increased as she did so.

Out of habit, she'd checked it the second she'd walked in the door. It had been strange to see it was well stocked. Just as it had been unsettling to open her door and not find her kitchen table covered in mess.

Shaking her head, Lucy told herself that she was just being silly, that it simply felt weird to not be stressed about something after the constant stress she'd been under for the last few months. That was all it was. Her mind was just looking for something to be concerned about, because it wasn't used to not being concerned. And, really, she needed to take more holidays if it was strange to not be stressed over something.

Even as Lucy pulled a novel off her shelf with the intention of curling up in her armchair and losing herself for a few hours, she wasn't sure she quite believed herself.

Not even half an hour later, Lucy had snapped the book shut again with a groan and a pout. It was no good, she still couldn't shake this feeling that something wasn't right, and it was distracting her from the story, making it impossible to get lost in it even though it was one of her favourites.

For a moment, Lucy considered going to the guild, it was still pretty early after all, barely past moonrise – but then she remembered the ruckus she'd left behind, the party that hadn't looked like it had been going to wind up anytime soon, and she shuddered at the thought of being surrounded by all those people again. All wanting to talk to her about the battles she'd been in – Both of which she'd lost.

Sighing, Lucy pulled her hair out of the pony tail she'd pulled it up into, and, though she didn't feel nearly tired enough to actually sleep, crawled into bed, hoping the warmth would be enough to lull her into unconsciousness.

After ten minutes, though her eyes were clenched shut, her mind was as active as ever, stubbornly flashing images of fire, destruction, claws and teeth despite the way that Lucy tried to force it to think of something, anything else.

Because of that, when a sudden heat washed over her, Lucy instinctually scrambled away and reached for her keys, panting as she turned to face her scaly foe. It took her a few seconds more before she finally realised that she wasn't in Crocas anymore, that she was in her room at Magnolia, and it hadn't been a dragon bearing down on her, spewing fire as it went. It had just been the warmth of a dragon slayer sneaking into her bed in the dead of night – And when had she fallen asleep?

Bringing a trembling hand up to wipe at her sweaty forehead, Lucy breathed, "Na… Natsu…" She wasn't quite sure whether she ought to be relieved Natsu hadn't lasted a whole day before breaking into her room, or annoyed.

As he slipped from the bed with a concerned look on his face, before silently wrapping his arms around her though, Lucy couldn't stop herself from clutching at his back, the warmth of his presence as comforting as the sturdy arms that were embracing her. In other circumstances, she might have questioned why he wasn't wearing a shirt, or worried about what the hug would look like to anyone looking in, but, in that moment, she was just glad he was there.

Once she'd calmed down enough that her breathing had returned to normal, though she still found herself hesitant to withdraw her arms from where they'd wound themselves around Natsu - A feeling she could only assume was mutual, since the hold he had around her shoulders was still just as tight – Lucy softly asked, "Why are you here Natsu?"

The boy hesitated for a moment, then, just as quietly, he told her, "It just didn't feel right at home," and, the words reminded Lucy of the uneasiness she'd felt earlier that day.

Ah, Lucy thought as she allowed her head to come to rest against Natsu's chest, So that's what it was, and she would have to deal with the implications of that in the morning, just as she would have to scold him for breaking into her room in the middle of the night. But, right then, she felt warm, and safe, and home, and maybe that was what was important after the last couple of weeks.