Chapter 2
The next morning Lucy woke early, feeling well-rested and oh so toasty warm. Without opening her eyes Lucy took note of her surroundings. She could hear birds singing and some other annoying little creature chittering madly. The river gurgled and the occasional splash could be heard from something catching its breakfast. She could smell fresh air, the lingering odour of last night's campfire, trees, and the spicy, slightly smoky scent of Natsu... She could feel the hard ground through the mat under her back, and Happy – a warm and welcome weight across her shoulder, chest and stomach, and a cozy heat along her left side. And hot breath in her left ear and neck...?!
"Aieeee!" shrieked Lucy. "Natsu, what the hell are you doing under my blankets?!"
"Actually, my blankets," mumbled Natsu, who then pressed his face more deeply into Lucy's neck, took a deep breath in and began to snore lightly.
"Natsu! Let me up!" Lucy, realizing that the comfortable weight across the front of her person wasn't Happy but was in fact Natsu's arm, began to thrash about and attempt to wriggle herself away in earnest.
After struggling fruitlessly for several minutes Lucy lost steam. Huffing indignantly she admitted to herself that it wasn't terrible... and he had been gone for a year... It was just the snoring. Every time he exhaled she could feel tremors from her neck down to her toes. And, was he drooling on her neck?!
"NATSU! DROOL? REALLY?! There's only so much a girl can take!"
"Huh? Oh, shorry Luushy, here I'll..." Mumbling, Natsu, more than half asleep, licked the drool off Lucy's neck and resumed snoring.
Lucy froze. And turned eleven different shades of red. And began to shake.
"Lucyyy KICK!"
"I still don't see why you had to kick me all the way into the river," whined Natsu as they ate breakfast.
"You were compromising my maidenly virtue! Plus, you licked me!"
"Would it help if I said you taste good?" queried an innocent – looking Natsu.
"Not bloody likely!" shouted Lucy, discovering a new shade of red.
"He liiiiikes you," teased Happy around a mouthful of fresh fish.
"Shut up Happy," Natsu and Lucy said in unison.
"Wah, you guys are meanies!" cried Happy. "And after I even shared my fish!" (Happy being the 'something catching its breakfast' mentioned earlier).
Lucy and Natsu's eyes met. Lucy began to laugh first and after a final "harrumph" Natsu joined in.
"Sorry Happy. If you like I'll share my lunch fish with you to make it up."
After this peace-offering from Lucy, Happy brightened considerably and even helped to pack up the campsite.
"Alright!" shouted Lucy with a fist-pump once they were ready to go. "Lets go find our friends!"
"Aye!" cried Happy and Natsu.
And off they went.
The End