This one, too, focuses on recent manga happenings, so *SPOILERS* It takes place after Chapter 418, with NaLu on the road again! ^o^

Their little campfire had long turned to glimmering coals when Lucy awoke.

It was quiet, the silence only disrupted by occasional snores from her two friends. The day had been hot, but now that the sun was gone, the night air had turned fresh, and Lucy shivered, wrapping the thin blanket around herself tighter as she sat up and shuffled closer to the remnants of the fire.

Reluctantly freeing one arm from her safe space and bringing it out into the cold, she picked up a small, crooked branch and started poking the ash. And indeed, it flared up a little, sending small sparks into the air. But it was not enough to light the fire.

Lucy sighed, hugging her legs.

She still couldn't grasp what had happened - it all seemed so unreal.

When she had woken up this morning, it had taken her a moment to reassure herself that Natsu and Happy were actually back, and it had not just been a dream. But reality had quickly caught up with her when she had heard the marching troops in front of her flat, and then everything had happened so fast, her mind could only recall it in a haze.

But now, here she was. On the road. With Natsu and Happy.

The sound of rustling sheets ripped her from her thoughts.

Natsu groaned lowly, and for a moment she felt bad that she had confiscated his sleeping mat. But the moment passed immediately. It was the least he could have done, after packing such horrible clothes for her. She deserved some comfort.

A few seconds of silence passed as she stared at the glimmering heap in front of her, her thoughts drifting off to darker corners of her mind. Corners she didn't necessarily want to visit - she'd spent enough time there the last months. Why couldn't she just simply be happy, now that they were back?

She knew, of course. It would take more than one day of carefree banter to heal the wounds a year of loneliness had left in her heart. Not even Natsu could do that.

What he could do was storm back into her life, grab her and rip her out of the routine she had built while he as gone. Just like that.

When a hand settled on her shoulder, she jumped, surpressing a scream. But instinct was faster, and she whirled around without thinking and sent her fist flying. It hit him square in the face.

But, to her own surprise, she felt no regret.

Not even as he whimpered and rubbed his nose, wide eyes fixed on hers.

No, she felt satisfaction.

She would have never done it on purpose, of course, but now that it had happened she couldn't help the grim sense of justice rushing through her. It was a stupid thing to feel, she knew, but that didn't change the fact that she was feeling it.

"Sorry."

Natsu raised a brow. It had been little convincing, but she had meant it. With a shake of her head and a deep exhale, she let her shoulders drop.

"Can't sleep, huh."

She nodded, and pulled her blanket back over her shoulders. He watched critically, and suddenly the air around her was bristling. Her eyes flew up to meet his in shock.

"Too hot?"

"Yes!" she hissed, but broke into soft laughter as he toned the heat down with an apologetic downwards tug of the corners of his mouth.

"You know I'm not good with feeling heat."

"Yeah. I know."

Why did she sound so bitter? It surprised even herself.

"Hey, Lucy… are you okay?"

"If I'm… okay?" Suddenly anger took a hold of her. She wasn't sure where it had come from, but it had probably been bubbling inside her all along. She'd felt it back when they had sat in the park and he'd raged on about the guild disbanding when he hadn't even been there - and it was back now, full force.

"Oh I don't know. Tell me. Tell me if I was okay with you walking out of my life like it meant nothing. Tell me if I was okay with finding out about Fairy Tail disbanding the day after. Tell me if I was okay with being all alone for a whole year, too scared to actually reach out to the people I call my friends? Tell me- tell me- ugh!"

Her voice broke, and she put a hand to her heaving chest as she realized what she had just said.Why had she said that? These thoughts, so dark and merciless, had they always been there at the back of her mind?

She had tried to be rational about this; she had tried to collect the facts and accept what was happening. And she had thought she had succeeded. But maybe she had just pushed it all away, ignoring the pain it brought her.

Letting it all out now, no matter if the questions were justified or not, felt good more than anything else. But it also filled her with shame. She did not want to say these things to Natsu. She did not want to burden him. He did not deserve it. He had his reasons, her ever so fair brain chimed back in.

Of course he had. But that did not help soothe the agony that his absence had caused.

Her hand over her mouth and tears on her cheeks, she stared at him as he stared right back. Neither knew what to say.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered, and the irony of it made her blow out a joyless laugh. This was the exact same thing she had said to him yesterday afternoon. Then, he had answered with an awkward silence.

Now, however, he looked her in the eye, and what she saw in his made her shiver with a feeling she could not quite pinpoint.

He had dropped into a cross-legged position, with his hands pressed against the ground between them, leaning forward ever so slightly as he opened his mouth.

"No." His brows scrunched angrily. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how much you missed everyone. Ishould have known. And I'm going to make it right. I'm going to make everything right."

Then, just as quickly as it had come, the expression was gone again, and replaced by a wide grin.

"Okay, Lucy?"

As she blinked at the outstretched arm in front of her, Lucy managed a small smile. That's how he was, wasn't it? Not even she could be sure what was going on inside of him at all times. But right now, he had shown her a side of his she knew few people ever got to see.

And she had needed it. Had needed to hear the sincerity in his tone; had needed to know that each one knew the feelings in the other's heart.

And she had needed him to hear those words, she realized. It was like a weight had lifted off her chest. Somehow she was sure he would not take them the wrong way. Because he knew her, so very well.

Which was why he had taken her on this journey.

Natsu would help her get the rest of her family back. Of their family.

But for now, she thought as she grabbed his hand, she could very well do with just him and Happy.

It was more than she had dared hope for a long time.

"Okay."

As they pulled back their hands, Natsu moved closer to the fireplace, coming to a rest when he was on level with Lucy. He leaned forward, igniting the campfire with his left hand.

Lucy watched as the half-burnt branches sizzled beneath the rekindled fire's breath and the first flames licked their way upards until the tongues of flame shone brightly against the surrounding darkness.

"Better?"

With a grin, Lucy nodded. Of course she had not been feeling cold anymore. It was virtually impossible with Natsu beside her, even if he had not been heating up the air - which he had.

Now, as he leaned back and returned her grin, their shoulders brushed, and to her shame, Lucy realized a blush was spreading across her cheeks. She laid the blame on the rekindled flames.

They focused their attention back on the fire, and it became quiet once again. That was, until Natsu suddenly started, ripping Lucy out of her dozing state.

"That reminds me! Did I already tell you about that flame monster I fought?"

"Flame monster? No way!" His enthusiasm managed to infect her every time.

"Yeah! I found it in a cave! I'm still not sure what it was, just that it wasn't very tasty. Happy thought so, too."

"You both tried to eat it?!"

"We were hungry," he shrugged. "Anyways! The fight…"

And he rambled on and on, until at some point Lucy stopped asking questions and simply listened to his words. Then they, too, turned into one big mass of mumble jumble. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she did not want to fall asleep. Not just yet. It was so nice, with the crackling fire and the constant hum of Natsu's voice.

But no matter how much she fought, sleep would always emerge the victor.

When her head dropped onto his shoulder he interrupted his story, and peeked down at her in surprise. But she didn't notice anymore. Neither did she notice the small smile that spread across his face as he looked at her sleeping face with fondness.

And so, Natsu sat still a little longer, carefully putting an arm around her waist - to steady her, because she was slipping. He listened to her calm breathing until he too dozed off, lulled away into adventurous dreams by the scent of smoke and Lucy.

The blush on his face, he told himself, was caused by the rekindled flames.