Frost- LMFAO I'm like the Queen of cliffy! MMMUUUHAHHAHAAHAHAH But thank you for loving me and this story!
Link- BRING BACK MY COCOA YOU BRAT!
Riven- Isn't being a tease what I've been best at? LMFAO My mind is rattling around the idea of a lemon near the end so don't cry you silly perv you. At the least a something will happen.
Groves- TY! Yeh I tried to keep it so that you could get past the nightmare which I assumed everyone would have no issue reading. Especially since I didn't go with the gore I had envisioned. And then be able to skim through and pick up what was going on through dialog. Both the original vision I had for the gore and the *couch* spicy section were things that would make the rating go up. I didn't want people to not be able to read the whole thing so I kept it mild since it is a glimpse into what terror awaits Natsu when he sleeps alone as well as his pervy side. BTW I actually LOL reading that you brought some unwanted attention on yourself at your friends reading this. Good stuff glad I did so well!
Exxcal- LMFAO Took you long enough! LOL But yes I love being a cheeky monkey and so I have fun messing with ppl including my readers. You should have expected something like this though honestly! How many times now have I diverted the story? LOL
Now onto the show... er... story!
It was in the late night hours on the third day or morning of the fourth depending on how viewed, when the mumbled words of a dream began slipping past Natsu's lips. "Hungry…" a groan following as he rolled over draping an arm across Lucy.
The movement slowly woke her causing confusion in her sleep riddled mind. Attempting to reposition herself and once more find sleep Lucy paused, feeling the sudden weight across her. Natsu had moved. Shrugging the idea off she almost drifted back to sleep. Wait, Natsu had moved! Eyes suddenly wide and alert she looked to the mumbling man next to her as tears welled, "Natsu!" Gaining only a moan as response she smiled and called his name again, "Natsu!" this time shaking him slightly.
Hearing the noise Happy awoke to the scene. Rubbing his eyes he too was confused. "Lucy?"
Turning to the exceed she smiled as tears cascaded down. "Happy he moved. And he's sleep talking!"
His eyes widened and filled with hope, "AYE!"
Tears flooded her vision. Shaking Natsu gently she said, "Wake up PLEASE!"
"Wha…" the slight mumbled came out as Natsu pulled Lucy closer.
Shaking him harder she wailed, "Come on Natsu! You can do it! I believe in you! Just wake up already! Fight this damn it!"
Lucy and Happy watched with batted breath as bleary eyes slowly creaked open. "Eh?" Was all Natsu was able to produce thanks to his unusually dry throat. He had no time to say or do much else before he was crushed under the weight of both his partners.
"NATSU!" Happy cried launching himself at the man.
"Thank goodness…" Lucy sobbed as she tackled him to his back against the bed causing him to groan slightly.
Trying his best to use his stiff limbs to reciprocate the actions he was incredibly confused. Where the hell were they? What was with the greeting? Why did he feel like shit? Mostly, what happened? Letting his mind fully go to a conscious state the events in the days prior came flooding back and he realized quickly he wasn't in a familiar building but they were still in Mining Cailys given the smell of iron that hung thickly in the air.
As the memories flooded he began to take note of the woman still crying against him. She looked unharmed. Sighing in utter relief he relaxed further. "Guys?" he croaked out. Frowning, he also noted he must have been out for days if he was this parched. "Water."
Sitting up abruptly Lucy tried to wipe some of her tears. "I'll get it hold on!" She rushed out and jumped off the bed to fetch the drink. Quickly lighting a lantern so as able to see she found a jug still sitting on the table and retrieved it. Turning around she smiled noticing Natsu was already sitting up rubbing sleep out of his eyes with Happy still crying and clinging to his midsection. "Here," she offered not bothering with a glass knowing he'd drink the whole contents anyway.
After chugging down the liquid Natsu flopped back on the bed and looked to his partners, "Ugggg I feel like shit what the hell happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" Lucy asked.
Scratching his head he glared at the ceiling trying to recall the very last thing he could, "That damn thing was coming at us again."
Lucy sighed happily. At least there wouldn't be too much to fill him in on. "Well…" she began while taking a seat on the bed next to him once more. She told him what little she remembered after that point and then looked to Happy to pick up his part of the tale.
The exceed had finally calmed down and was now sitting on Natsu stomach as he retold his partner his end of the story. "Aye and then when Virgo and me were headed to the hospital you woke up and asked about Lucy…"
This little added information caused said woman to blush but smile fondly. Here he had been on the verge of death's door and he had been worried over her. Shaking the thought she picked up telling Natsu about her own waking up with Happy choosing to interject in her story.
"Aye! And Lucy yelled at the doctor guy a whole lot when he said she needed to leave!"
Natsu chuckled at that. She didn't want to leave him? "Really now?" he asked with a smirk.
Lucy blushed five shades of red, "It wasn't like that baka! I'm your partner I'm supposed to worry!" Huffing she continued on with her story and flushed further when Happy chose to once again point out she freaked out on another doctor. This time though neither commented on it and she finished her tale of getting the herbs and dealing with visitors and such, never once bothering to mention her sobbing outbursts.
Natsu listened carefully to everything the two were saying. In essence they had completed their job and been paid which was good. But the best part of the story was the fact that Lucy stayed with him and fought to do so. He wasn't too thrilled to find out that she had been beaten up so badly but to know she hadn't been as critically off as himself was of some relief. Not to mention the trouble she went through to save him. Taking in more of the room he noticed the two beds pushed together. He let a goofy smile come forth at that thought. She really was the bestest person in the world.
"So we can go home?" he asked.
Both Lucy and Happy smiled and cheered, "AYE!"
A couple hours later had the trio sitting in an all night dinner with Natsu gorging himself horrifying the waiter and cook.
Although the doctors protested leaving so soon they didn't listen because all three of them wanted out of the place as soon as they could. Stopping at the inn to pay their bill and gather their belongings they had headed to the main market district in hopes of a decent meal. They watched the sun rise while they ate and laughed like the whole episode had never happened. It was good to all be back together and healthy again.
As they were preparing to head out of town and make their way home Lucy stopped, "Shit!"
Whirling around and alert for issue Natsu asked hurriedly, "What's wrong?"
Sweating a bit she blurted out, "Well we were in such a hurry to leave I forgot to tell the guild you're ok."
Rolling his eyes Natsu called for Happy as he continued to lead them to the train station. "Come on weirdo." He said. As she passed he took hold of her hand and started pulling her along. "The sooner we get back the sooner they'll know." The light squeeze she gave his hand surprised him. Stealing a glance at her he smiled at the blush and smile on her face.
Aww he's awake! YEY! Now it's time to make their way home... I wonder what I'll do to them? MMUUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Ok I'm not cruel I'm not going to try and kill them again. For now... maybe... hmmm...
Anyway you guys are the best! I love the reviews and I love the traffic and my goodness it gives me warm fuzzies. So I'm working on chap 42... Yeh I gotta say I'm hoping I'll be right and be done with no more than 45 but who really knows. I give up on these predictions because I had been stuck for days on 38 and 39 and then the plot bunny came by deleted the shit that was stumping me and rewrote things.
Now anytime I try to take my laptop back to work on the story he hisses at me and tells me to back off. He's got my muse guarding too and that guy is just scary at times. Have you ever seen a penguin dressed in black leather wearing an executioners mask while holding a whip? No? Well imagine it... SCARY!
So yeh. I think I'm going to bake cookies and dream up some fluff for NaLu. Maybe I'll make lemon squares... Who knows? I sure don't but I feel this need for some sugar and I want it NOW! LOL
Keep sending me fuzzies of luv and cuddles cause I still llliiiike it!
~Gemi