Thanks once more to all my fabulous reviewers! (and those more silent readers, I appreciate you too of course! haha)

I originally wasn't gonna post one tonight since I'm kind of busy, but I'm hanging at a friend's house tomorrow after work (going out for another friend's birthday! haha), so I definitely won't be able to post tomorrow. So instead I just decided to throw this one up tonight since I already had it written :D This one's really long, too, so hopefully it'll tide you over at least till Saturday, haha.

#43 Spooky

"Ah—ah—ah—choo!"

It was official. Lucy hated being sick. Nothing good ever came from it, really. She was forced to stay cooped up at home all day and couldn't even have friends over to visit. Missions were unthinkable, meaning she missed out on a precious few days' worth of rent money. No matter how she willed it, her body seemed to refuse to want to move, forcing her to sit on her bed and stare forlornly at the book in her hands, or glance longingly out her window. Not to mention the fact that every few seconds the air around her would be broken by a sneeze or a cough, and the pile of used tissues at her feet was growing at an alarming rate.

All in all, she was quite miserable.

Lucy didn't get sick often, but when she did it hit her like a freight train, and all she could do was wait it out. Still, it meant for a few very long days at home.

"At least it's not bright and sunny outside…" she grumbled, watching the pounding rain slam against the window to her left. It would be even more difficult to keep herself inside if the weather had been better. This way, she knew she at least wasn't missing much.

She turned her attention back to the novel lying open in front of her. She was currently in the middle of her third horror book in a row, justifying that if she read something in which people were continually chased or killed she could at least revel in the fact that her life wasn't so bad after all. It was a feeble attempt at cheer, but it was all she could do at the time.

That is, until a loud crash of thunder took out the electricity.

Startled, Lucy froze as her bedside reading light went out and she was thrown into an inky darkness, all sounds ceasing save for the pouring rain outside. Suddenly her breathing sounded ten times louder than it had before, and she had to force herself to quiet down. She racked her brain to remember if she'd had a flashlight or any candles, and decided that if she did, they would be in the kitchen, which meant that she would have to move from her semi-comfortable spot on her bed. Of course.

She took a deep breath (and sneezed twice in the process), before setting down her book, pulling back the blankets, and forcing herself to her feet. Her head spun vaguely at first, but the sensation soon subsided. She stumbled through the darkness and out into the hall, feeling her way toward her kitchen. Her steps creaked quite loudly in the silence, and she mentally cursed herself for reading all those spooky stories that day, as they now gave her a strange sense of foreboding as she walked down the familiar hallway. She tried to tell herself there was obviously nothing to be afraid of, but that didn't change the fact that she was sick and alone in a dark, quiet, house with no electricity or means of communication other than her hoarse voice. Anyone would be a little skittish, right?

Before long she reached what she knew was the kitchen, as the room widened and there were no windows. She crept toward the nearest drawer and rummaged through it, cringing at the seemingly deafening sounds that resulted. When the first drawer housed no candles, she closed it and reached for the second. She stopped dead, however, when she thought she heard a distant tapping sound coming from the living room behind her.

Lucy stayed stock-still and listened as the tapping sounded again. After a moment, she realized it was originating from the front door. Someone must have been knocking. She sighed in relief, but stopped and wondered, Who would be here in the middle of this storm? Surely everyone else would be safe in their houses, right? And her friends all knew how sick she was and that she didn't want to be disturbed.

Curious but wary, she crept into the living room as the mysterious guest knocked again. It was a moment before she made it to the door, attempting to fight both illness and darkness simultaneously and having some difficulty. She held her breath and pulled open the door—only to find no one on the other side.

Lucy stared at the empty doorstep for a moment, but was forced to slam the door shut again almost immediately to avoid letting in too much rain. But… I could've sworn there was someone…

Puzzled and slightly afraid, she turned to head back to the kitchen, when she noticed out of the corner of her eye a dark shadow creep by her window. She jumped a mile high and backed into the wall behind her as the shadow—which was decidedly human-shaped—stopped just outside the window, silhouetted against the rainy night. The shadow began to fiddle with the latch on the windowsill, and Lucy's eyes widened as she realized it was trying to open it.

She had the sudden urge to panic, and if she had been fully healthy she might have done just that. Someone's trying to break in! she thought frantically, searching for a method of action. Knowing she had no way of contacting anyone, and that there was little chance she'd find her keys in time, she instead hurried as quietly as she could into the kitchen and pulled the largest frying pan she owned from the cupboard below the stove. This'll have to do…

Making as little sound as possible, she crept back into the living room and crossed to the opposite wall, where she stood just to the left of the window and hid herself in shadow, waiting with her breath held, adrenaline rushing through her veins. The figure almost had it, and she had to be ready…

With a click, the window finally slid open and a shadowy form stepped through it and onto the floor. Lucy's muscles tensed as she waited a beat until both of its feet were on the floor and it stood upright. Then, with a feral cry, she swung the frying pan and slammed it with all her strength into the side of the person's head. The shout of pain and surprise that resulted was one she instantly recognized, and she gasped as the intruder lost his balance and crashed into the end table a yard or so in front of him.

"N-Natsu?" Lucy stuttered in shock, frying pan still poised and ready. A flash of lighting struck just outside, illuminating the room for a brief instant. It was enough, however, to confirm her suspicion, revealing her dragon slayer friend sitting on the ground in a heap amid the fallen end table and its contents, rubbing the back of his head with a pained expression.

"Lucy?" he said through clenched teeth once darkness had taken them again. "What was that for?"

She finally let the frying pan drop, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I thought you were a criminal!" she answered in a slightly shrill voice, shouting over the wind blowing in from the open window. "Ugh, this is why you shouldn't sneak into people's houses!"

"I wasn't sneaking," he retorted, climbing to his feet (or at least Lucy assumed he had, based on the sounds she heard). "I knocked on your door, but you didn't answer! I had to get in somehow!"

"Why?" she demanded. "What are you even doing here?"

"I was worried about you, alright? Jeez…" Lucy fell silent, whatever reply she'd been about to give dying in the air. He was… worried? "The whole city lost power. I knew you were here alone, and you were sick, so I just… wanted to check on you, okay?"

Alright, maybe she'd overreacted. Natsu was just looking out for her, like he always did. He just had a… different way of going about it.

The wind gusted and a shiver ran through Lucy's body, making her sneeze loudly. Before she could move, Natsu darted to the window, forcing it closed and causing an eerie silence to spread once more. He remained standing there, so Lucy could just make out his shape against the vague light from the window frame. Both of them were silent for a moment, until in unison they said, "I'm sorry."

Lucy bit her lip guiltily. "No, I was just being paranoid. I shouldn't have… attacked you like that."

Natsu chuckled almost understandingly. "I guess I probably was a little suspicious…" he admitted. She smiled, then remembered he couldn't see her. After a brief second of hesitation, she stepped toward the window and wrapped her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly. He stiffened in slight surprise, but returned the embrace without question.

"I'm glad you came…" she whispered, realizing how true the statement was. She hadn't noticed how lonely she'd been all day, trapped in her house in the middle of a storm. And it had only worsened after the loss of her electricity. It was nice to feel something—someone familiar, even if he was so drenched from head to toe that she felt her own clothes dampening as she held onto him.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Lucy backed up and shook the loose water from her hair. "I think I have some candles in the kitchen," she said. "Wanna help me find them?" She moved away from the window, but stumbled and lost her balance. Apparently, the adrenaline had finally faded, causing her illness to come rushing back and her body to become suddenly weak. Before she could fall more than a few inches, though, she felt a strong grip on her upper arm, bringing her back to her feet and holding her firmly in place. She blinked a few times to clear the momentary haziness from her mind, as the hand on her arm slid down to grasp her own hand tightly.

"Better be careful," Natsu said seriously, though she could tell from his voice he was smiling. "You're probably tired after all that activity." Lucy laughed lightly, before leading the way back across the room.

It didn't take them long to find the candles she'd been searching for, thanks to the temporary light given off from the orb of fire Natsu summoned around his left hand. They collected come plates to catch the wax and carried them back into the living room. Lucy set them on the table, and Natsu lit them with a flick of his finger. Immediately the room was cast in a dim glow, throwing long, dancing shadows about the walls and finally allowing them to see each other properly. Water still clung to every inch of Natsu's hair and clothing, making it look heavy, as though it were too big for him. He took a few steps toward the light, possibly to see her better, and she couldn't help but notice the way the flickering candlelight reflected off his damp skin, almost making it glow like fire. It might have been intimidating, if she didn't know him better. And if the rest of him didn't look so ridiculous.

Although, she was sure she probably didn't look much better, a fact made certain when Natsu cracked a grin as he looked her over. She giggled slightly, and before long they both burst into fits of laughter. In retrospect, the whole situation was rather funny, really. Unfortunately, the laughing served to aggravate her sore throat, forcing an unpleasant cough from her chest. Natsu's grin vanished, and he strode over and forced her to lie down on the sofa, despite her protestations that she was fine.

When she tried to lift her head from the pillow, he knelt beside the couch and leaned toward her, staring at her intently. She was so taken aback by his sudden intensity, and the closeness of his face to hers, that she froze under his gaze and found herself unable to look away. It was a little scary, she admitted. She felt like he was staring into her mind, into her soul, trying to figure out exactly what she was thinking. She felt like right then, she couldn't hide anything from him. But strangely enough, she found that she didn't want to.

And then just as suddenly, he blinked twice and stood up, releasing the mysterious hold he'd had on her. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, frowning in concern.

She smiled at his expression, one she didn't often see on his face. "I'll be fine," she answered. "I just need some rest after tonight."

He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess I'll leave you alone, then." He turned and headed for the door, and Lucy felt a sudden and strange sensation, as if the lights had gone out again and she was left in that same frightening darkness as before. This time, she knew what she wanted to say. "Goodni—"

"Wait!" She hesitated as he stopped and turned around. Taking a deep breath, she asked quietly, "Will you… stay with me? Just for tonight, until the lights come on?"

Natsu studied her a moment, but finally smiled. "I dunno, I don't wanna catch your cold…" he joked. She laughed and shot him a mock glare, before he shook his head and answered seriously, "Of course I'll stay." As he made his way back toward the couch, he yanked off his damp vest and scarf, piling them on the floor. He shook the remaining water from his messy hair, then dropped onto the opposite end of the couch and stretched out on his side. "I'm right here if you need anything," he said, closing his eyes.

Lucy smiled gratefully, resting her head back on her own pillow. Glancing around the room, she watched the shadows flicker across the walls and once again was struck with an inexplicable eerie feeling. Maybe it was her illness affecting her nerves and making her jumpy, but whatever the cause it made her very uneasy. Then a random and almost crazy urge struck her, and before her rational mind could talk her sick body out of it, she pulled herself upright and crawled across the sofa toward where Natsu was lying. He opened his eyes at the disturbance and was about to get up, when she dropped herself right next to him and leaned her back against his chest, settling in as close to him as she could. She felt him shift to give her more room, before carefully and tentatively draping his arm around her stomach to keep her from sliding off the cushions and onto the floor.

Neither of them said anything, which Lucy was grateful for (she knew that if her mind hadn't been clouded by illness and fatigue, she would have been extremely embarrassed at even the thought of doing what she'd done, but she told herself that that night was a special circumstance). Again her eyes began to wander the room, but at the same time she heard Natsu's steady heartbeat and felt his slow breath hot on the back of her neck, and this time when she observed the moving shadows she didn't feel the same fear as before. This time she felt safe, she felt protected, because she wasn't alone. And she realized that no matter how scary she thought anything could be, as long as Natsu was with her, she could face it brave and strong.

…Just as long as she didn't knock him out with a frying pan first.

Hee hee, I actually like this one. It's more... realistic, maybe? I dunno, it's hard to explain, haha. Longest one so far, but probably not the longest to come. I have an uncontrollable tendency to write super long one-shots... (once I had one that was over 20,000 words. No lie. It was 40 pages in Word.)

Till next time! (Remember: More reviews=faster updates! haha)

-oMM