A/N: Hello! I wrote a fluffier chapter this time to combat the angst. It's a little shorter than most of my chapters, but I really enjoyed writing it :)

Enjoy! :)

"I hope he wakes up soon," Lucy said to herself softly as she sat on Natsu's bedside. She wasn't sure why he passed out, but she knew that it had something to do with someone he was close to in the past.

'Her,' Lucy thought, her brows furrowed from confusion, 'who in the world could she be?'

Her anxiety started to push at her ribcage, and she grasped the blanket that covered Natsu's body to calm herself down. This was about Natsu himself now, not anyone he was close to. She had to make sure her jealousy didn't get the best of her.

She looked across the room and smiled as she saw Gray asleep on one of the chairs with his arms crossed with Juvia holding onto his arms, blissfully unaware of the tiny frown on her beloved's face. Gajeel and Levy were sound asleep on a bench with Levy pressed against Gajeel's arm with a soft smile on her face. Gajeel slept with his arms crossed as well, but he was leaning closer to Levy than Gray was to Juvia. Maybe it had to do something with how close they were.

Lucy giggled as Juvia opened her eyes and winked at her before throwing her arms around Gray's waist. Gray, who was still unaware, wiggled into her touch. Juvia gasped silently and snuggled closer to her crush.

Deciding to go get some lunch from a burger joint for she and the others, Lucy got up and made it all the way down to the parking lot when she heard a familiar voice yelling, "Lu!"

Lucy turned around and found Levy trailing behind her, out of breath. Hands on her knees, Levy wheezed. The small woman had asthma, and sometimes when she ran faster than she was used to it would act up. Lucy watched with concern as Levy pulled herself up a few moments later and grinned.

"Are you going to In-N-Out? If so, I'll go with you. Gajeel was starting to snore and I was going to get tired of it!" Levy giggled, which made Lucy laugh along. Her friend had such a cute giggle that it was hard not to think it was adorable and giggle with her.

"Yep! Let's go!" Lucy said, and the two began the walk down the street to the conveniently placed joint. There were quite a few places to stop for food around the hospital, which made food runs easy if they had to stay for a while. As the two ate, Lucy began to wonder if Natsu was going to be okay. She knew he had medication for depression, but she would never have thought that he had anxiety like herself. Maybe it would be a good idea to get Natsu some medication like her own that she took every morning.

"Lucy, are you okay?" Levy asked as she nibbled a french fry, and Lucy realized she had been zoning out while drinking her root beer. With a shy smile, she nodded and began to talk to Levy about something new at the store that Juvia and she had been excited for.

"It's shampoo, but they have essential oils in each bottle to help you with stress, energy, sleep, or anything else that you might need help with! We're also going to be carrying bubble bath and bath bombs," Lucy said, and Levy's bright smile showed that she was as thrilled as Lucy was.

"That sounds amazing, Lu!" Levy said, practically bouncing up and down in her booth seat. Confusion crossed her face after a moment, and Levy asked if the store was open today.

With a sigh, Lucy began to explain. "No, Juvia closed it for the day. She had to come get Natsu and I from our apartment when Natsu passed out because Gray and Gajeel were both at work. A few customers were pretty annoyed that we closed it, but they can get their crystals another day."

"I see. I'm glad you can close the store for an emergency like that!" Levy tapped her chin in contemplation. "Although, I'm not sure why you didn't think of calling me."

"Well, you had just written a 30-page essay for your boss, so I thought I would give you a rest for once," Lucy teased, booping Levy on the nose with her spoon before dipping it into her malt.

"That doesn't matter! I would always be there for you even if you called at three in the morning. You know that!" Levy crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes slightly at her best friend.

"Is that because you want to steal one of Gajeel's sweatshirts again, or because you actually like me?" Lucy smiled smugly and gave her friend a knowing look.

"Hey!" Levy growled in an attempt to look menacing, and Lucy laughed at the contradiction. Levy couldn't look scary if she tried.

They ordered extra food to go so then the boys could eat when they woke up and headed back to the hospital with multiple bags in tow with the knowledge that most of the food would be eaten on the spot. When they got to the hospital room, Gray and Gajeel were watching a popular television show with the volume turned down low and Juvia still clinging onto Gray's waist.

"'Bout time you got here. What took ya so long?" Gajeel said, grabbing one of the bags and stuffing some fries into his mouth.

"Girls eat too, you idiot," Levy said, sitting down next to Gajeel with her arms crossed.

"Oh, cmon, shrimp. I was just playin' with ya! Besides, everyone knows you don't eat much cause you're so tiny." Gajeel stuffed four fries into his mouth before stopping to have a bite of his burger, and Levy narrowed her eyes at her crush.

"Oh yeah? I can eat more than you can!" Levy said with a growl, and Gajeel grinned. The two argued until Gray told them to knock it off and began to eat his burger with annoyed force. Juvia chewed on a few fries while watching the show and watching Gray eat with what Lucy would call 'heart eyes'.

Lucy sat down on Natsu's bedside once again with a grin, watching him with a careful eye. She wanted to make sure that he wouldn't have another anxiety attack again. If he did, she would have to figure out another way that would not be rubbing circles into his back. Maybe if she rubbed his shoulders or something it would make him feel a bit better.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked raspily, his eyes blinking open. Lucy gasped and smiled, telling the others that he was awake with a bigger grin than Natsu had ever seen. He didn't want to worry anyone, and he definitely didn't want to worry Lucy.

He remembered what had happened last night: he had his first full-blown anxiety attack in years. His depression had also acted up, causing him to be a jerk to Lucy. The first thing he had to do was apologize.

"You doing alright, Flame Brain? We thought ya were a goner," Gajeel said, but his voice was softer than normal. He really was worried about Natsu, Lucy concluded, and she was happy that the three of them stuck together. Well, now the four of them now that Lucy was there.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. You really saved my ass, Lucy," Natsu said with a grin, and Lucy smiled back. Her eyes shone with emotion, and tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"Eh? What's wrong?" Natsu asked, reaching out a hand to put on her shoulder.

"I was just so worried about you! Juvia had to come get us and take you into your room while I checked in with the receptionist. I almost had an attack myself," Lucy confessed, and Natsu smiled and thanked her once more. She really did care about him past being her crush. She cared for him like a friend as well, but she had passionate feelings for Natsu that obviously went past friendship.

"Thanks, Lucy. And thanks, Juvia," Natsu said with a nod at the woman, and Juvia nodded back with a smile of her own. Juvia's depression was getting a lot better now that Gray was in her life, and with the help of medication and her crystals she was beginning to feel like herself once more.

"You're welcome, Natsu. You would have done the same for me, I know it. Actually, you did do the same for me," Lucy giggled, and Natsu smiled and chuckled back. Lucy looked upon Natsu with eyes filled with love, and Natsu looked back with a bright grin.

"Let's give them some time alone," Gray said with a smile at Natsu and Lucy, and Lucy flushed at Gray's words. Everyone filed out one by one, and Gray smirked at Natsu and closed the door before Natsu could protest.

"I hope you're feeling better. I brought you some food, but I'm not sure what's left of it," Lucy said sadly, but Natsu shook his head.

"Thanks, Luce. I'm starvin'!" Natsu said, grabbing an open bag and pulling out a burger and beginning to chow down. The news began to play on the TV, and Natsu turned it off. He didn't want to hear any of that garbage.

Lucy's eyes became heavy and with a happy sigh, she fell onto the first thing she could use as a pillow: Natsu's chest. The steady thumping of his heartbeats made her fall asleep within moments, and it helped that she had just had a meal a little while ago. She was exhausted since she had stayed up so late helping Juvia carry Natsu into the car to take him to the hospital.

Natsu's pulse raced and his face flushed. Lucy was using his chest as a pillow! She felt so warm too…what was he supposed to do as she slept on him?

Natsu smoothed her hair for a moment, feeling its silkiness and smelling its scent from where it lay on Lucy's back. His nose was a little more sensitive than others', and he could smell the shampoo wafting from her locks as she slept. Natsu himself felt his eyes getting heavier by the minute, and he fell asleep thinking of Lucy and how he hoped that she would sleep next to him like this forever.

Gray and Juvia came in a few moments later, remembering that Gray had left his shirt and pants in the room. Walking around in a hospital in only his underwear had created quite a commotion in the hallways, and they had sped back to find that Natsu and Lucy were sleeping next to each other on Natsu's hospital bed.

Juvia laid a tentative hand on Gray's chest and smiled, leaning her head up on his shoulder. Gray allowed the action and grinned softly.

"Well, would you look at that."