*Chapter Thirty-Eight: One step at a time

(December 27, 2017, Wednesday Morning)

"Hey Happy," Natsu said before he stepped into his room.

The blue ball of fur was wide awake, already meowing as soon as he heard the door being unlocked. Natsu figured out what he wanted as soon as he made his way to the closet, his suspicions confirmed when Happy grew louder, letting his owner know he was on the right path.

Before Natsu reached Happy's food bowl to fill it up, he noticed Lucy stirring under her blanket, no doubt woken by their noise. He tried keeping quiet, but once her head popped out into the chilly air, he knew it was no use.

"Sorry," he whispered, giving her a soft frown before pouring Happy's food for him.

Lucy mumbled something before turning under her blankets, facing Natsu's direction. She closed her eyes for a long moment before opening them again, her gaze settled on him. "Just getting back?"

He nodded, giving Happy a few pets before returning to the closet. As Natsu put the food away, he noted the weight of the bag. It would be at least two, maybe even three weeks before he needed to refill it. That brought Natsu a bit of comfort. There was one less thing he had to worry about.

"Are you staying up?"

Natsu raised a brow before looking over his shoulder, seeing Lucy still tucked under her blanket. She wasn't looking at him anymore, instead focusing on Happy while he munched away at his breakfast.

"I can," Natsu said, closing the door before heading back towards the beds. They were still pressed against each other, but Natsu didn't mind. He slowly lowered himself onto his mattress before grabbing his journal, deciding to jot down yesterday's events before they left his memory.

Of course, he left out the reason he talked to Makarov, unsure if Lucy would ever look at his writings. He doubted she would care, but he wanted to be safe. Not only that, he didn't want to think about that conversation at all. It wouldn't help either of them, so he did his best to put it out of his mind, deciding to worry about it another day.

After writing a few sentences about the day, he put his journal away, wondering if he should catch a nap or stay up. "What are you gonna do?" he asked, surprised when he glanced over, seeing she had turned again to face him. Natsu almost laughed because of her messy hair, the blonde locks going in random directions. He didn't, instead settling on a smile.

"I don't know," Lucy whispered before yawning, her eyes fluttering closed. "Kind of tired still, but I could get up."

"I have an idea," Natsu started, sinking down into his mattress before rolling to the side. He made sure to get off his blanket before pulling it over him. It was cold, but his body would warm it up soon enough. He inched towards the middle of the mattress, getting nice and cozy. "We can stay up but not get up."

Lucy let out what sounded like a muffled laugh before nodding. "Sounds good." She hummed as her blanket moved, the woman slowly stretching her limbs before sighing to herself. "Days off are the best."

"Absolutely." Natsu grinned, bringing his blanket up to his chin before scooting closer to the edge of his bed. "How'd you sleep?"

"Okay, I guess." She did something under the covers that could have been a shrug, but Natsu wasn't sure. "How was watch?"

"So fucking boring," he drawled, rolling his eyes. "I mean, I get it's important, but damn does it suck. Someone's gotta do it though."

"At least it's only twice a week," Lucy pointed out, earning a nod from her roommate.

"True. I'd hate for that to be my only job."

Lucy hugged herself under her blanket, relishing in the little warmth she had. "Do you really like... having so many jobs?" she asked, wanting to cock her head but her position prevented it.

Natsu gave her a soft smile, happy her speech had gotten better since first arriving at Fairy Tail. "I think I just didn't wanna get bored with one job. I dunno. I like all my jobs, well, except watch."

He groaned before readjusting his pillow, not minding when some of his bangs brushed his face. He hadn't been sure about letting Jenny leave his bangs, but now he decided he liked them. "Watch wasn't so bad in the beginning, but now that there's so much cleared around us, it seems kinda useless."

"But, one of those things... It came up yesterday."

Natsu nodded, his brows furrowing. "Which makes me wonder if the watch is even helping. Apparently the undead fucker got all the way to the fence without anyone spotting it. How messed up is that? What's the point of having people looking out if it's not even gonna help?"

Lucy didn't know how to answer his question, but part of her felt he wasn't looking for an answer. Instead, she decided to share some news, something she didn't realize she had kept from him.

"I saw it. I... I was the one who found it first."

Natsu's eyes widened, his body going stiff for a moment before realizing there was no danger. Lucy clearly wasn't hurt, and seeing as he hadn't heard of anything bad happening despite news spreading so quickly, he knew he could relax. "Yeah?"

She nodded, lowering the blanket so the rest of her face was revealed. "Yeah. I, I kind of wanted to... well, to see if I could handle it myself."

Before Natsu could think of scolding her for being so reckless, Lucy was already speaking again, somehow figuring out what he was going to say.

"I know, it was dumb. I'm not even sure why I wanted to do it, I just thought... It doesn't even matter. I didn't do it though. Erza came in and took care of it. It all happened so fast. It was alive and growling, then the next minute it was down on the ground."

"It wasn't alive," Natsu said, barely waiting until she finished before speaking up. "It was already dead. Didn't think, didn't feel, didn't anything."

"I know," Lucy mumbled, feeling like she was being talked to like a child. She did her best to ignore it, knowing Natsu didn't mean any harm. "I just meant it was moving around like it was alive, not that I actually thought..." Her voice trailed off as she moved the blanket up again, covering her mouth.

When her eyes flitted to the bed, Natsu frowned, realizing he was too harsh. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna sound like an ass, I just don't want you thinking those things are like us. They're not."

"I know." Lucy swallowed before pushing down the fear that seemed to trickle up when thinking of those creatures. She hadn't had too many encounters with the living dead, but she knew they weren't people anymore. She still wondered occasionally if they could feel things, like temperature or pain, but aside from the basics, she knew there was no reasoning with them. Their minds were gone, no longer able to make rational decisions or feel compassion.

They only wanted to kill, eat, and roam. Everything else, they were oblivious to.

"Can we change the subject?" Lucy asked, surprised when Natsu jumped on board immediately.

"Yeah, of course." He didn't like the topic either. It was their day off, a time to rest. There was no need to discuss the undead. Natsu didn't want to bring their mood down, happy for the change. "So, when am I gonna get to read your story?"

He could have looked at it on his own, opened her lockbox to read it, but he didn't want her knowing he had her combination. Besides, he wanted to see her reaction when she gave it to him. Would she be excited? Nervous? He was curious, hoping he would find out later.

"Oh, right." Lucy's eyes flitted around, as if looking for it before giving up, settling her gaze on him. "Can I get it later?"

"Yup. I'm in no rush," Natsu said, relaxing a bit more. 'Fuck, maybe I should take a nap. This bed is so comfy!'

"Oh damn," Natsu muttered when he realized he couldn't sleep for long. "I forgot about Asuka."

"How could you forget?" Lucy asked, knowing he babysat her every Wednesday morning.

"Think I'm just tired. I was kinda wanting a nap, but now," he said, ready to get up before Lucy spoke up.

"I can do it."

"Hmm?"

"I can watch her if you want to."

"You'd do that?" he asked, relieved when she nodded.

"Yeah, it's no trouble. And if I need you you'll be right there," she said, giving herself some comfort. Watching Asuka wouldn't be difficult, but if it was, she could wake up Natsu for help.

"Are you sure?" Natsu asked, needing Lucy to be confident in her decision before he relaxed.

"Yes. I can handle it. Promise."

Lucy lowered the blanket, offering him a small smile that solidified the deal. He felt whatever resistance he had slip away, trusting Lucy to help him out. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," she said, slowly pulling the blanket down further before sitting up. "It'll be a piece of cake."

She was sure of herself, and that allowed Natsu to lower his guard, preparing for a needed nap to recharge his batteries. He would need it for later, whether he realized it or not.

When Natsu woke up from his nap, he found himself alone. Lucy and Happy were nowhere to be seen, but he didn't panic. Either they went for a walk, or Happy was going to the bathroom. Maybe both.

A groan tore from Natsu's throat as he forced himself to get up, not wanting to leave the comfort of his bed. It had warmed up, and every muscle in his body ached as he sat up. He rubbed at his face in an attempt to wake faster, but it was no use. He was exhausted, but that seemed to be a permanent condition after the outbreak.

No one ever truly felt rested when their lives were constantly in jeopardy.

Eventually Natsu made his way to his bookcase, grabbing his cup and the pitcher of water for a refreshing drink. He sipped it slowly, not wanting to head all the way to the arena for a refill just yet. He would need to soon, but he could put it off for now.

Natsu's eyes widened when he saw a brown sack on the desk, recognizing it as breakfast. He walked towards it, seeing a little note next to it.

Mira dropped it off. I already ate. Asuka's mom picked her up and Happy and I went outside. Be back soon.

Natsu blinked, unsure how long ago it was when she wrote that. He decided to peek outside to see if he could spot her, but before he could, he noticed something else on the desk.

A neat stack of papers rested in the center, something that wasn't there when he got off work earlier that morning. He inspected it, shoulders dropping when he realized what it was.

"Damn," he mumbled, setting down his drink to gather up the story Lucy had written for him. He hadn't gotten a chance to see her expression when she gave it to him, but he could get over that.

A small smile worked its way onto his face as he looked over the first page, seeing Lucy's handwriting all over it. His eyes widened a bit when he noticed her signature under the title, but instead of saying Lucy Dragneel like she had been named when arriving, she signed it differently.

Lucy H.

Natsu raised a brow, but decided not to ask her about it. Her last name hardly seemed important now, so even if he could get her to cough it up, he doubted it would matter. Besides, he fancied her new last name. After all, he was partial to it.

Instead of looking out the window like he planned, Natsu planted himself at the desk, eyes flitting across the paper as he read what Lucy wrote for him, intrigued to find out what she created.

He lost track of time as he kept turning the pages, mixed between fascination over the story and wondering when she had time to write so much. There had to be at least twenty pages, front and back. About halfway through the stack he couldn't help but think, 'I sure wish she was around when I was in high school. I coulda used her help in English class.'

Natsu was two pages away from the end of Lucy's short story when the woman herself walked into the room, carrying Happy in her arms. He didn't want to tear his eyes away from the paper, but he did for a second to offer her a polite wave before falling back into the rabbit hole, lost in the seamless writing she offered.

Lucy had a way of bringing the characters to life, of making him feel like he was right there with them. The descriptions were just enough to give him an idea of what was going on without going overboard, thus distracting his mind from the plot.

Natsu had to suppress a whine when he made it to the last page, wondering how she was going to tie up the loose ends in such a short amount of time. However, when he reached the end, he realized she left some parts unsolved on purpose.

Let me know if you want me to continue this or not. I have a few more ideas, but I get it if you're not interested. Merry Christmas, Natsu.

Natsu bolted up without realizing it, startling both Lucy and Happy, who were by the bookcases. "Sorry," he mumbled when he saw Lucy jolt, hoping he didn't come across as aggressive. He was excited, a burning need inside him wanting to find out what happened next. "Just, yes! I definitely want you to continue, if you're okay with it?"

Lucy's eyes widened a bit before she smiled. It didn't look as if she even tried to stop herself that time. "Really?"

He nodded without hesitation, grinning to himself. "Absolutely! This is awesome!"

Natsu swore he saw Lucy's eyes light up as she set Happy down, a small blush forming on her pale cheeks. "I didn't think you'd like it so much."

"What's not to love?!" Natsu asked, unable to contain himself. He now realized what Levy referred to as a fangirl moment. He wasn't sure if he was experiencing it himself, but he felt he was pretty close. "There's action and a solid plot. I'm not that great at I guess reviewing, but damn, I really liked it. A lot."

Lucy crossed an arm over her stomach, looking almost bashful as she accepted his compliments. "Thanks. I... I may have already started on the second part."

"You did?" Natsu asked, almost ready to drop his jaw when Lucy nodded. "When can I read it?"

"It's not ready yet," Lucy said, eyes roaming until they landed on the box she had her writing locked in. She looked at it for a moment before returning her gaze to Natsu, seeing the eagerness written all over his face. "But I'll let you know as soon as it is."

"Sweet!" Natsu didn't bother stopping himself from raising a fist into the air, happy by the news. "I'm all fired up now!"

Lucy let out a soft chuckle before shaking her head, but Natsu saw the way she smiled more. She was happy too, which only made him more pumped.

He wanted to tell her she should smile more, but he figured that would be pushing it. Besides, he heard from Erza once that women hated being told to smile. The way she put it was, 'Don't tell a girl to smile. If you really want to see a smile, earn it. Tell a funny joke or something, but don't tell a girl to do something she doesn't want to just for your own sake. It's rude.'

Natsu had to admit, Erza had a point. It was more rewarding earning than just getting it because he asked.

"Thanks again for taking care of Asuka. How was she?" Natsu asked, remembering she had taken over his babysitting duties.

"She was good. Like normal."

"Do anything fun?"

Lucy shrugged before pulling out his phone from her jacket. "I was kind of lazy, honestly. She watched a movie the whole time."

Natsu couldn't help but snicker. "I've done that before. You're good. What movie?"

"Something called 'Big Hero 6'?"

Natsu blinked twice before asking, "Have you never heard of it?"

She shook her head before grabbing his charger off his bookcase, plugging in the phone. As she set it on the desk where the sunlight hit it, she said, "No. I wasn't allowed to watch a lot of movies growing up, and college... Well, I just didn't watch much."

"That... sucks," Natsu said, unsure what else to say. "Why weren't you allowed to watch movies growing up?"

"I could watch some, but usually not ones I wanted." Lucy's hand lingered on the phone before pulling back, shoving her hands into her pockets for warmth. "Parents were strict. Eh, actually it was mainly my dad."

Lucy shrugged before facing the windows, wondering why it had to be so cold while the sun was shining bright. "If it wasn't educational I usually didn't get to see it. And from what I saw, that movie wouldn't have made the cut."

"You watched it too?"

Lucy nodded, smiling to herself. "It was a cute movie. I liked it."

Natsu almost laughed as he said, "Yeah, Asuka likes it too. I swear she's seen it at least fifty times!"

Lucy gave Natsu a pointed look before saying, "Well, there's only so many movies to choose from nowadays."

"True. Very true." He was limited on how many movies he could show a small child. He had a few scary movies, but those were off limits to Asuka. Natsu had seven movies that were appropriate for kids, but in total he had ten movies, all of which he had seen many times since the outbreak started.

While Natsu was thankful he had so many movies, TV shows, and music saved on his phone, he wished he hadn't deleted all his pictures off it. He would gladly get rid of everything else if it meant having a single photo of his family. As horrible as it was to say, Natsu was scared he would one day forget what his dad even looked like, but for the time being, his memory was sharp enough to remember.

Natsu didn't want to press his luck by asking Lucy more about how she grew up, knowing her family was a topic to be cautious about. Honestly, he wanted to change the subject for another reason though. He started thinking about his own family, and that brought him down.

He had no idea if they were alive, undead, or just dead, and the more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

To take his mind off it, Natsu turned his attention to his breakfast. He had forgotten all about it once he saw Lucy's story, but now he couldn't think about anything else but food. He opened the bag, not surprised to find dry cereal and a granola bar. One day they would run out of processed food, and Natsu dreaded that day.

'Hopefully things will get back to normal before that happens.'

He didn't want to think about how much the base would struggle if the only food they had came from things they caught or grew. He didn't know a thing about hunting, but there were a few hunters at Fairy Tail. They caught small animals, but he wished they'd get something bigger.

"If only they'd catch a cow. I'd kill something for a steak," he whispered, unaware that he was speaking.

Lucy took a seat at the desk, holding a deck of cards before setting up a game of solitaire for herself. She kept her eyes on the cards as she said, "I could try to hunt something." Her voice was cautious, more timid than it had been all morning.

Since Lucy didn't sound particularly confident in her statement, Natsu laughed it off, thinking it was merely a joke. "Yeah, that'd be funny to see. I can almost imagine you with a rifle." He gave her a smile, but she wasn't looking his way. "Bet you'd look terrifying."

Lucy swallowed before faking a snort, trying not to let his teasing hurt her feelings. She decided not to share part of her past with him, seeing as he probably wouldn't believe her. "Yeah, I'd be... ferocious."

Natsu laughed again before resuming his meal, counting himself lucky to have food on his figurative plate. As long as everyone at the base pulled together and helped one another, he was sure they could outlast whatever was going on.

He had to be sure of it.

After Natsu finished his breakfast, he got up to stretch, wondering what he was going to do on his day off. He needed to move his truck so the gas wouldn't settle, but other than that he didn't have any ideas. When he asked Lucy what she wanted to do that day, she surprised him by saying, "I want to go for a walk."

"Like around the building?"

Lucy shook her head, forcing herself to sound more confident than before. "At the track... Maybe even, jog?"

"Really?" Natsu didn't bother waiting for a reply before adding, "That sounds great! When?"

"Um," Lucy started, eyes flitting to the window before returning to him. "We can go now, if you're ready?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Natsu looked over himself, deciding he could run in his shorts. The weather was cold outside, but after running a bit he was sure to warm up.

"Cool," Lucy whispered, a bit of excitement thrumming through her. She had been itching to do something, but she couldn't put her finger on it. 'Maybe a walk will do me some good. Get my blood pumping at least.'

Lucy cocked her head as a question surfaced in her mind. "Do zombies bleed?"

Natsu furrowed his brows at the random question, caught off guard. He cupped the back of his neck, unsure how to answer. "Honestly, I don't know, but I don't think so. They don't really bleed like us anymore. They kinda just... ooze."

"Ooze?"

He nodded. "Like when I stab one, some brownish-redish stuff comes out, but it's like a slime or something. I dunno. I'm not a scientist or anything, but it doesn't look like regular blood anymore."

Natsu waited a minute as Lucy processed that information, then asked, "Why?"

She gave him a small smile as she shrugged. "Just curious. Thought you might know."

"Well, if you got anymore questions, feel free to ask. I'll try my best to answer them." He chuckled before nodding towards the door. "I know some stuff, but not everything."

"You'd probably be annoying if you knew everything," Lucy said, surprised when Natsu's tone turned teasing.

"Oh? Should I take that to mean you don't find me annoying now?"

"I—" Lucy couldn't stop herself from blushing when he gave her a cocky grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. If she didn't know better, she would think he was flirting with her, but she didn't allow herself to be fooled. Natsu was having fun, even if his fun made her heart beat a little faster. 'Cut it out Lucy! You're being weird!'

"Just joking," Natsu said, pulling out his keys as he opened the door. "I know I can be a bit much sometimes. At least that's what people tell me."

Lucy paused before pushing her earlier thoughts out the window, knowing they would only lead her to trouble. "You're fine," she said, following him out the classroom and into the hall.

"Promise?" he asked, tone unsure.

Lucy nodded, zipping up her jacket in preparation for the cold. She held her tongue about him sometimes annoying her with how delicate he treated her, knowing he did it out of kindness. He was worried about her, and after everything she had told him and he had seen, she couldn't blame him for that. "Yeah. Promise."

"Good." He locked up before they walked down the hall, making their way towards the track.

Lucy hissed as she hit the nozzle, cutting off the water supply from the camping shower. "So cold so cold so cold." The chill remained on her skin even after she toweled off, but she had to admit, she felt better after her shower.

She couldn't think of a better way to end her jog than to wash up. She had built up some sweat despite the low temperature outside, but in the end she felt it was worth it. Her muscles had a faint ache, but already she felt better about herself.

Natsu had even jogged beside her, keeping at her pace despite being able to run faster. She appreciated the company and motivating words he said as she pushed herself. It had started with walking, but after the first lap, Lucy couldn't help but try harder. All in all, she circled the track seven times, but she did take a few walking breaks here or there, that way she didn't run herself ragged.

Lucy jolted when she heard the door opening, Yukino's voice drifting in. "Are you done?"

"Yes," Lucy called back, wrapping her damp towel around her body before moving to the spot she put her clothes.

"I'm sending two people in. They won't bother you."

"I'm fine," Lucy said, using her flashlight to make her way deeper into the locker room, wanting to stay hidden while she got dressed. She ignored the new voices as she changed, pulling on a clean sports bra before slipping her panties on.

She didn't linger over the marks on her body, knowing that would only bring her mood down. In fact, it had been a while since she put focus on her scars, trying to move on little by little.

Lucy shrugged on her sweatpants before putting on her shirt, feeling the stiff material against her skin. She would wish she could use fabric softener on her clothes, but considering she had clean clothes to change into, she didn't complain about the small inconveniences.

With her eyes on the tile floor, Lucy walked past the showering women and to the exit. It was similar to when she was in college and showered in the dorms, just less light and colder water.

Lucy spared a few minutes with Yukino afterwards, seeing as they didn't speak a lot during the normal week. Yukino was one of the people at Fairy Tail Lucy felt drawn to despite their rocky start.

The woman was peaceful, yet strong when she needed to be. Maybe Lucy just wanted to be like her, to feel that strong, or maybe she just liked considering Yukino a friend. Whatever it was, Lucy enjoyed spending time with her, even if it was only a few minutes every week.

When Lucy returned to their room, her and Natsu started a few rounds of Pokémon before watching a movie, both laying on the edges of their respective beds so they could see the screen.

Dinner was more or less the same, everyone gathering to eat whatever food was on the menu that night. They talked, joked, and avoided the tough or hard conversations about the world outside of Fairy Tail. That felt somewhat repetitive, but that was okay with them.

Instead of feeling ready for bed when Natsu and Lucy reached their room, Lucy felt an odd sense of urgency. She knew what she wanted to do, even if it didn't make sense to her. She could have brushed it off, told herself to calm down and go to sleep like any normal person would, but she couldn't help herself.

Before Natsu could even reach the bookcase where his cigarettes laid for his last smoke of the day, Lucy blurted out, "I'm going outside."

Natsu raised a brow, turning slightly until he saw her standing at the door. "To let Happy out? I think he's good. I just took him before dinner," he said, surprised when she shook her head.

"Not for Happy."

"Oh, then what's up?"

"I... I really need to go for another walk." Lucy kept his gaze despite wanting to look away, feeling silly for wanting to exercise that late. The sun had already set and it was too cold outside, but she couldn't shake the urge. It was a need to do something, to better herself.

When Natsu didn't answer her immediately, self-doubt filled her head. She was almost ready to trash the whole idea if he gave her any negative feedback, but instead he did the opposite, smiling as he faced her.

"Alright. Can I join you?"

Lucy's face remained blank for a moment until she realized he expected an answer, even if that answer seemed obvious to her. "Of course," she breathed, her chest warming when he stepped closer, showing her nothing but support.

"Then, let's go."

She almost stumbled when she turned, leading the way outside again. The moonlight allowed them to travel to the track where they found themselves alone, no guards or survivors hanging out that late at night.

Lucy thought her idea was bad a few times during the walk over, but as soon as her feet touched the track, she knew she was where she belonged. It was ironic in a way, seeing as running from her problems weren't a solution, but actually running felt invigorating.

It made her feel free.

Neither said anything as they started down the track, and before they hit their first lap, they were running.

.

.

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Hello! Thank you for reading another chapter of my story! That makes me really happy! I hope you enjoyed this one! I had fun writing it. I know it didn't cover a whole lot, but hopefully it helps flow into the next part of this story.

I think one of the reasons Lucy likes running is the endorphins you get from exercising. They can be quite addictive, especially when there's not much else to get joy from in their world. Plus, she does feel stronger after doing it.

Thank you so much for showing your support! Every favorite, follow, and review is appreciated! Shout out to the incredible people who reviewed last time: Xfangirl123X, Kitty9453, valerioux, Lodemai04, Doginshoe, cbearcharlie, gazergirlstar, AnonDr, shootingstarssel, Lizxcliff11, Guest, Stellar, Screeney, itsxoi, car213, Mandapandaa, ElementalMiko12, sthokat, stranger1999, BrokenAngelWings83, deboome, JacJac-Arie, sofiesticated, Duchixx, Firefly9917, ThaDesperado64, ShushSilentSecrets, Sam, ToukaKaneki .Ulle, CodenameMise, Charlotte621, Cheeseman9100, FoxDragon1029, Animeforlife1412, BloodySabbath44, Guest, BearPlusCat, ReynaSofy997, Nalu forever, KayRawlinson, beefcakebarbierenewed, Sarah Wolfang, kayty-of-fiore, CrazyZaika, Guest, FlameDragonHime, Jinx333, neffateri13, and Lovetoreadff!

Up next, Chapter Thirty-Nine: Leaps and bounds