Summary: Lucy tries to take advantage of Natsu's warmth during the winter but Natsu isn't giving anything away for free.

Pairings: Implied Natsu/Lucy and Natsu/Happy/Lucy friendship.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for giving me over SEVENTY TWO HUNDRED reviews! I must say I'm incredibly surprised by the response to yesterday's chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I hope you like this one too, it's much lighter. Promise.

Lucy hated winter.

She hated the cold, she hated the snotty noses it caused, and having to wear tights and turtlenecks that strangle her for warmth, she hated the fact that she had to use more electricity, she hated how the days were shorter and she had to walk in the dark, and she really, really, really hated that her bed was freezing cold when she got in at night.

Seriously, it was as if the sheets were made of ice.

Every night, when Natsu hadn't snuck in, she shivered and shook until eventually, at an increasingly slow pace, her body heat warmed up the bed and she can doze off into a peaceful sleep.

It was beginning to take a toll on her as her old hot water bottle leaked and she couldn't quite afford another one or for a semi-permanent warming charm, what with food, rent, and the latest damages when both Natsu and Lucy slipped on the ice and accidentally crashed the bandits through a shop window, and so now she always seemed permanently cold.

Then, once again, she pulled her covers down to reveal Natsu snoring away. "NATSU!" she screeched furiously. "What have I told you about sleeping in my bed?!"

"But Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucy!" Natsu whined and yawned simultaneously. It would have been impressive if it hadn't been so disgusting. "Your bed is so comfy and nice and warm. Can't I stay here tonight?"

"No!" Lucy barked.

"Lucy's so meaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" Happy wailed from the crook of Natsu's arm. "It's so cold out in the woods. We just want to snuggle. We're not doing any harm."

"Yeah, Luce," Natsu pleaded, his eyes deceptively wide with innocence. She wasn't fooled, she knew the truth. "We're not doing any harm."

"I said," Lucy hissed between gritted teeth, "get out!"

"No you didn't!" Natsu protested. "You said 'what have I told you about sleeping in my bed?' and 'no!' nothing about me getting o-"

"LUCY KICK!"

She grimaced as Natsu flew out of her bed and landed, head first, against her coffee table which made all her books fall off. The noise was horrible and she had no doubt she'll get a complaint from her Landlady….again. "You okay?" she asked a little worriedly as she slid into her nice warm, toasty, bed.

"M'fine," Natsu mumbled, "have you been practising that?"

"Well yeah," Lucy blinked, "how else am I going to get you? You keep dodging them."

"Why wouldn't I, you weirdo?" Natsu cried out. "They hurt!"

"You should just fly out of the way like I do," Happy said as snuggled into the bottom of Lucy's bed, "that way you might not be so stu-"

"Lucy Kick!"

It was a light one but it was enough to send Happy flying off the bed and into her pile of stuffed toys. "Meanie!" Happy wailed as he spluttered against the plush material.

"What was that about flying away?" Natsu snickered.

"You're both so mean to me!"

Lucy giggled until she fell back on her equally warm pillow and then sighed in contentment. Her bed was warm. It was cosy. It was so nice and toasty that she was already beginning to drift off into a light doze as she remembered her bed back in the mansion.

There was a lot she really didn't miss about her old life but she must admit this winter had made her miss her old bed and the bed warmers it came with.

An insane, stupid, rich person thing to have. A servant to just lay on your bed to warm it up but still….she sort of missed it.

Especially when she's convinced there was a layer of frost on her duvet the night before.

She rolled over and stared at Natsu, a (terrible and selfish) idea forming in her head. "Hey, Natsu?" she spoke up.

"Mmm?"

"If I were to allow you to sleep on my bed," Natsu perked up at that, "every night for the entirety of winter. You'll have to get out of it when it's time for me to sleep."

Natsu eyed her suspiciously at that. "Are you asking me to be your bed warmer?!" he demanded.

"Erm…" Lucy smiled sheepishly, "I suppose I'm not the first one to ask."

"Everyone has asked at some point," Happy said, "apart from Gray…..and Laxus….and Elfman said something about frozen toes being manly. I don't get it."

"I'm not being used as a bed warmer," Natsu sniffed indignantly, "I'm a human being. If you want me to warm your bed up, you have to let me sleep in it all night."

"What?!"

"That's my payment!" Natsu said firmly. "I'll keep you nice and warm but you ain't kicking me out. We share the bed."

To be improper or to be frozen….? Lucy nibbled on her lip as she thought it over, as embarrassing and invasive sharing a bed with Natsu would be, it wasn't something she had never done before, and it's not like he was asking anything really improper off of her….and when the other option was to lose all feeling in her toes as she struggled for sleep….well it made her choice easy.

"Okay," she sighed, "you have a deal. We'll share a bed providing you keep me warm – and no setting my bed on fire!"

"Why would I set your bed on fire?" Natsu asked bewildered. "Jeeze Luce, you're such a weirdo," he climbed onto the bed and nudged her with his scalding hot foot, "budge up."

Lucy obeyed with a glare. "No getting handsy with me either," she tacked on as Natsu flicked the light off.

"Me?" she could virtually hear the grin in his voice when he said that. "I'm not the one that snuggles into my chest, Lucy."

"You do too!" Lucy fumed. "Just last week I woke up finding you drooling all over my boob!"

"It was soft and squishy!" Natsu argued childishly. "And you were no better the week before that when you almost strangled me with your arms."

"Well none of that!" Lucy huffed. "You keep your hands to yourself!"

"Fine!" Natsu said shortly. "But tomorrow it's my turn to sleep on your chest!" Lucy choked at that but Natsu wouldn't let her argue against his insanely rude and improper declaration as he suddenly pulled her to his own chest and held her tightly against him. It did make a nice smelling, firm, and very warm, pillow that Lucy found it difficult to pull away. "Hey Happy," Natsu called out softly, "aren't you joining us?"

"No thanks," Happy mumbled, "I think I'll stay with the stuffed toys. They might be freaky but at least they don't flirt with each other."