Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Author's note: Warning – spoiler for chapter 212's special.


Waiting

"What … is … this?"

I really couldn't think of anything to say. This mess … it looked like a dumping ground. And one of the worst I'd ever seen at that.

To think that one could actually live in this chaos … well, that was unthinkable.

I stood there, indecisive whether to enter or to stay out and do as if I'd never seen this. It was just so … "Gross!"

Dirty dishes everywhere, not just in the sink (did they even have one? I couldn't see it). Torn blankets and towels draped over furniture. An overturned wardrobe. Barrels to sit on. Sofas stained with things I'd better not imagine. And broken toys everywhere in the room.

"They're actually living in this squalor?" I muttered. "It's such a mess!"

I cautiously stepped into the room, careful to avoid all those things lying on the floor – which was rather difficult, for almost everything was lying on the floor, making the room inaccessible. "Ouch!" I yelled out when my foot made acquaintance with a mega dumbbell in a painful way, and even the sight of a broken and battered wooden training dummy titled "Erza" didn't make it any better.

Damn you, Natsu, I thought by myself. The thought that I wasn't here because of an invitation but because I was just committing trespass didn't cross my mind as I looked around, trying to orientate.

"Hm?" I uttered when my glance fell on the wall pasted up with posters behind the scrappy hammock, and dared to make a few more steps in this direction. "Are these all the jobs he's done so far?" I asked myself, feeling impressed. Those were really many posters.

"Ah!" I said when I spotted the Everloo quest poster, the first quest I had done as a member of Fairy Tail. It was nothing compared to all the things that had happened until now, but still. It was my first Fairy Tail quest.

There was a little scrap of paper pinned to it, and I narrowed my eyes to read it. "The quest I performed with LUCY for the first time!" it said, and I bit my lip in surprise. He remembered … he really thought of this … my first quest, and it had been with him. He still remembered, and that was not just kind of unexpected, but also overwhelmingly and incredibly cute of him. I felt my heart beating faster as my throat got dry all of a sudden. I averted my eyes from that cuteness and looked at another item, for I just couldn't stand it, I don't know why.

It was a framed piece of paper with a dagger stuck in it and a scrap saying "Fake Salamander's signature". Oh, I remembered that one.

The next one … "Rubble from the meeting hall". "A souvenir from Garuna Island". And then, a clothes-stand with a black and white dress on it, a dress I immediately recognised, my eyes wide as saucers. I didn't have to read the label to know it was the maiden outfit I had worn when we had been at the Everloo quest.

I hadn't known he still had it. I didn't even know where he had it from. I only knew that I suddenly had a large lump in my throat, feeling so sentimental I could have cried on the spot. He had saved it, he had saved it all.

Natsu had always been so … idiotic and stuff, but seeing this here made me think over him anew. Actually, it fit his personality. He was chaotic and crazy and unpredictable, just like this room. But then, he also was sweet and caring and loving … sometimes, at least. Like these things, like flowers amidst the chaos.

"They're taking surprisingly good care of items that hold memories …" I whispered, audible to nobody but me. This, this was just cute. And I felt the urge to do something for him, for them both.

"Alright! I guess I'll do some cleaning before they get home then."

It just didn't feel right to leave like this, or to continue my previous plan of scaring them to hell. I had to do something. He had just proven to me that he deeply cared for our friendship, and now I would do the same for him.


Three hours of cleaning and scrubbing and polishing and one shiny room later …

"They still aren't back yet?" I mumbled, sitting on the floor that looked like you could eat from it. Sure, I was happy they didn't barge in when I had been at it, but now they could come. Now it was ready.

But they didn't come. I waited … and waited … and waited …

They're probably at the guild, having fun.

"Just when I thought I could finally surprise them! What are they doing?" I yelled, threw myself on the floor and punched and kicked it with my fists and feet, feeling awkwardly like a little child.

I feel so empty … Does waiting for someone to come home always feel this lonely?

Then Natsu and Happy must have experienced it quite a few times. I smiled sadly at that thought and got up slowly. First I had thought I could surprise them like they always managed to surprise me – in this 'barging-in-when-I-was-dressing' or 'sitting-unexpected-in-my-bathtub' way. Then I wanted to surprise them with a neat, shiny home … but they didn't come. It hadn't worked, I had to admit, and wiped a tear away from my cheek. "I'm leaving."

At least they'd see the house when they came home, even if I wouldn't be able to see their faces then.

Slowly trotting back to my home, all the way fighting the tears from pouring out of my eyes, I thought of how much I felt for him, this stupid idiot with his stupid scarf and his stupid cat and his stupid pink hair … He was my friend, and I loved him. Of course I did. Even if he was reckless, stupid, thoughtless, stupid …

Smiling, I opened the door to my room – and got the surprise of my life.

"So they were in my room after all!" it escaped me when I saw a certain pink-haired scarf-wearing guy sitting on the floor next to a certain blue cat, leaning on to my bed. They were sleeping, and damn they looked cute like this, even if their snores could've woken the whole town. They had barged in here again, even if they knew how I hated that …

"Lucy … come home already …" Natsu muttered in his sleep, scratching his stomach, followed by an "Aye!" from Happy.

… but now I knew what it meant to wait for someone. They just wanted to surprise me, and deep inside, I was grateful for every single unwanted visit they paid me. They wanted to be here, with me, and it touched me deeply.

Still smiling like an idiot, feeling one thousand butterflies in my belly, I turned around and looked for a blanket to cover them. It wasn't like Natsu could catch a cold, but Happy could, and it was more comfortable; surely he could feel that too.

Just when I wanted to drape the piece of cloth over them, Natsu gave a sigh and, completely out of the blue, pulled me in a tight embrace – which almost made me shriek in surprise. "Lucy …" he muttered and sighed again, nuzzling his face into my neck. "You're home …"

My eyes grew wide when I recognised that he was still sleeping, holding me like a cuddly pet (or a lover), pressing me against his chest and cradling me in his arms, almost taking my air away. Even when I tried to get free, I didn't succeed a bit. I never realised how strong he was – which was silly, because I had seen him smashing usually un-smashable things on several occasions after all.

After I had struggled like that for a couple of minutes, I gave up, deciding I could just as well sleep here – since I didn't have much of a choice. Leaning my head against his shoulder and scrambling up into his lap, I found that it was surprisingly comfortable up here. He smelled a bit like fire (oh wonder), and somehow, it calmed me. It made me feel safe, like he always did. He always had this effect on me.

With one last "Aye" from Happy, I felt myself drifting off to sleep, the smile never leaving my face.


Author's note: I had this on my mind since last week already, and now I finally found the time to actually write it down. Hope you liked it.