With recent manga events I felt the need to give you all a short little comfort drabble. There's another one on my profile in an extra post. 3
SPOILERS FOR FT CHAPTER 414
It was quiet in the train.
A week away, that was what they all had needed. It had not been a fun vacation, not filled with careless laughter and silly nonsense, but it had been healing.
It would take them far more than a week to heal, Lucy was well aware of that. The aching pain inside her chest, the one that was far worse than all the bandages she'd worn in those first few days after Tartaros' defeat, still whispered to her when it became too quiet and the night came creeping in.
The memories were haunting her.
She could only guess what Natsu was seeing and hearing.
He had lost his father right in front of his eyes.
He'd told her about it, that one night when they had sat alone at the beach. She had cried silent tears that had mingled with the sea. He had consoled her, and she had laughed bitterly at the irony.
But they had stayed in that embrace they shared, letting the starlight and the other's warmth heal their broken hearts.
Now that they were on their way back to the place they called home; those shattered ruins of a town even now, Lucy's heart contracted painfully.
The memories were worse there, somehow fresher.
Lucy turned her head to the side, concentrating on the unsteady rumbling of the train, and the way it made her head bounce against the headrest ever so compartment was empty, except for her and the boy softly snoring beside her.
Motion sickness seemed to be a little less worse when he slept. Or maybe those were the lingering effects of Wendy's Troia.
In the last days, she had watched his smile return slowly, almost hesitantly. But it was there, from time to time, when she caught his eye. But only when he was sleeping did he look this peaceful.
Was he dreaming right now? Of happier times? Like she dreamt of Aquarius?
He sighed, and she watched how his breath tickled the tips of some strands of hair that had fallen into his face. His head turned in her direction, and for a moment she thought he'd woken up.
But he was still asleep. He inhaled deeply again, and a small smile appeared on his lips.
The sight made Lucy's heart lighter for some reason. It was like his happiness was her happiness too - and his healing was hers.
"Lucy…"
She blinked. It had just been a whisper; a mumble, but her ears had caught it as it had tumbled from his lips. He nudged closer towards her warmth, and she could feel the heat emanating from his body.
"I'm here." she whispered back, aware that he wouldn't hear her. Maybe she said it for herself. To reassure her own heart too.
She was here. Natsu was here, too.
They had survived, and they were together.
Maybe that was enough.
Maybe it had to be.
His head fell softly onto her shoulder, and she smiled over at him, relaxing against his side and letting the old train carry them towards their home.
Together.