there'll come a day when I can feel the satisfaction of being held, without any disturbance or boundaries; nothing. there'll come a day, sooner than later or later than soon, when they'll take my hand and sing me to sleep.

With the coming of the winter months that cloaked Magnolia in a crispy cold blanket, people had begun to wrap scarves across their necks and pull colorful gloves on. Short sleeves turned to long sleeves and sneakers turned to boots with the first snow. Of course, Natsu continued to leave a blazing path wherever he went. He melted snow around him, got annoyed by water dripping on his head as icicles melted above him . . . but he served as the best blanket.

Lucy found herself guilty for getting excited before going to bed every night. She would snuggle up in her blankets and shut her eyes, yet she would stay awake until she heard her window open, the quiet grunts of Natsu climbing into her room. She'd tremble slightly from a sudden whoosh of cold as would slide the window shut and crawl into bed with her, laying on his side towards her. She'd wait before shuffling into his waiting arms, and they would sleep.

They've been doing that for a month since Lucy had first cuddled up at his chest, nearly every night. They would go to Fairy Tail and get made fun of for coming in together late. They never talked about it. Lucy stopped yelling at Natsu in the morning. They cuddled at night. And they never talked about it.

So, as Lucy was pulling a loose sleeping shirt on, she said quietly to herself, "I'm going to talk to him." Ever since that night, it felt like something within her blossomed what she would call a crush on him. She felt as if it had always been there, but just that one damn night he had to put an arm around her and win her heart. So, if she wanted him to know that she acknowledged their little sleepovers as romantic, she would need to say it.

She sighed after brushing her hair and spritzing on some fragrance (just to smell nice when she would chat with him later) and hopped into bed, quickly pulling the sheets over her body. She was shaking a little, slightly from the cold and mostly from anticipation. She waited patiently, eyes shutting as she drifted into thought but not sleep.

Natsu waded through a sheet of snow, careful not to melt it and get his pants all wet. He glanced at the sky - a sheet of dark navy had rested across the yonder like a dark abyss, flecked by twinkling stars and gray clouds. He thought about how Lucy could easily point out constellations. He had memorized where Cancer was - her zodiac sign.

He let out a soft sigh, which came out as a puff of hot air that blew away in the soft breeze. He was close, judging by the buildings barely lit by dull streetlights. He took a deep breath and wiped his brow of snow, excited to feel Lucy in his arms. Since she had crawled up close to him and held onto him like he was hers, he had always felt his heart speed up near her. She ignited something in him, and he wanted that feeling more. Might it be love?

He began the climb of the side on her apartment. Natsu memorized each foothold in the bricks, which windows to avoid, et cetera. Soon enough, he recognized the pink curtains spread across a window, lit slightly by a light in her room. He felt a grin dance on his lips as he pried open the window and quietly shuffled in.

There she was, like a princess in deep sleep waiting for her knight to come and kiss her awake. She looked graceful, her hair becoming ruffled slightly by the cold wind that filled her room. He watched her shiver slightly before falling still, into slow breaths that caused her side to rise and fall. After shutting the window, he crawled in bed with her and began settling in, before Lucy murmured out, "Natsu."

Her voice caught him by surprise. She sounded so gentle, so unlike the boisterous and loud Lucy during daytime, yet her personality was still so strong in the whisper. He looked down at her.

Lucy almost instantly recognized the sound of Natsu tugging open her window. She trembled with the cold draft that filtered in her room. She listened to every noise - Natsu shutting the window, catching his breath, then crawling into bed. The mattress creaked as he plopped down on his side, expecting Lucy to roll into his arms, but she gulped and lifted her head towards him instead, blinking open her brown eyes.

His beauty was almost stunning. Flushed cheeks from the cold, messier-than-usual cherry pink hair and an angular face in the dim light. She took a staggering breath and murmured out his name. He was focused on tugging the blanket over him, so she caught him by surprise.

"L-Luce?" Natsu whispered, his voice cracking likely from not talking for a while. "You're awake."

"Of course I am," Lucy half-sighed, half-giggled. She waited - they stared at each other. ". . . why do we do this?" she finally breathed out.

"Do what?" Natsu deadpanned. Lucy scrunched up her nose, wanting so badly to punch him for his stupidity, but she looked down and focused on her hands.

"Why do we like, cuddle together? Only couples do that."

Natsu was silent. She was scared that he had just decided never to go near her apartment again, never to talk to her and never to cuddle with -

"Because we're like one?" Natsu blurted out as-a-matter-of-factly. He clapped a hand over his mouth instantly and flushed red. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that out-out loud. Ugh." He hid his face in his hands. "I-I just-"

"Natsu," Lucy said, resting one of her hands on his. "I-it's okay. Can we keep doing it?" She held her breath, before blurting out, "I really like it. You make me feel so safe and warm."

Natsu stared - more like gazed - at her with dark eyes, before a small smile spread across his face. The pink in his cheeks turned duller as he opened his mouth to respond, "Well, of course, stupid."

Then, out of the blue, Lucy tackled Natsu into a bear hug, causing them both to fall over in the mess of Lucy's pillows and blankets. She tucked her face in the crook his neck and murmured, "Thank you," though it probably felt like a vibration against his thick neck. However, he breathed in her flowery scent and and wrapped his arms around her, mustering up enough courage to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"No problem, Luce."

you guys are so sweet! I want to thank you all for the favorites , follows and extremely encouraging reviews! I was super pumped to write a second chapter! aaaa thank you!

I feel super happy right now which is nice b/c i've been a lil anxious the past couple days so I'm gonna make more drabbles!

i'm sorry for natsu's ooc-ness. I tried (and failed) to put a bit of his character in the fluff. ahhhh, in the midst of angsty-ness in the recent chapters of the manga, writing this was like a breath of fresh air!

thanks again for the super sweet reviews and favorites n follows! I really absolutely pos-i-tiv-e-ly appreciate each one~~

-nyx

{Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima}