Soundtrack - Collide by Howie Day

She was barely waking – heavy and slow.

Lucy felt like her body was filled with lead, eye lashes fluttering many times across the spans of her cheeks. She struggled to open them, sleep trying it's best to dig into her again. There was a strange soreness to her limbs; odd and unsettling. As if she had just emerged the loser in one of the magical games. But then…Lucy also felt warm. There was a weight and heat on her that almost blended right into her skin. It stilled her. Kept her whole and safe. It made the throb of her seemingly injured muscles fade. The heat was nice. It was familiar.

She didn't understand it. What had happened yesterday? Lucy wracked her brain as she still tussled to open her eyes. She remembered the storm. She remembered reaching her apartment. Trying to warm herself with the bath – or enveloped in the blankets piled on her bed. She also remembered it not working. Lucy had shivered and dropped into a cold oblivion last night. An iced darkness that she hadn't been able to escape…

Her eyes jolted open.

Natsu.

His face was in front of hers, features quiet in deep sleep and a rumbling snore that seemed more like a hum than anything else. His salmon hair was falling across his eyes, dusted across his nose and Lucy…she sucked in a breath because for the strangest reason it seemed like all the air had disappeared from the room as she looked at him. He was the warmth and heat and weight pressed up against her. On her. He was the one keeping her safe.

They were in her bed. Together. Lucy's face immediately flushed the darkest shade possible. Not only that…they were entwined, so very perfectly to each other. Natsu's much longer legs were folded in-between her own, knee pushing upwards along the inside of her thigh and…Mavis…Lucy could almost feel the steam coming off her face.

One of his arms was languidly laying over her waist; slack fingers ghosting over the bare flesh of her lower back. The other was tucked under the pillow that held both their heads and Lucy wouldn't have been able to escape even if she wanted to.

If she wanted to…oh my…

Where were her hands? Her heart thundered against the press of her lungs because she found them – one fisted in the threads of his scarf. The other had wormed inside his robe spread out along the ridge of his stomach. Was it possible for her throbbing heart to burst from her chest? How could Natsu sleep through this? Couldn't he hear it? It sounded so loud in her ears.

Traitorous hand.

Lucy knew she should kick him out. Yell and scream at him for invading her space and apartment. Isn't that what she always did? But…to be fair, those angry instances of hers had become less and less frequent over time. Now, it seemed the many occasions that Natsu and Happy so proudly burst into her room (uninvited) were simply accepted. When the hell had that happened? When had she started looking at this little apartment as something she shared? Shared with a mage that was reckless, loud, energetic and too destructive. A mage that had managed to secure himself (sometimes with intense joyous force) into every piece of her life. He never gave her a choice. But then again…even if she could choose…it wouldn't have been any different.

He was her guild mate. Her team mate. Her…best friend.

Lucy wasn't supposed to be feeling this way. She had gone through that once before – when Mirajane had so annoyingly suggested Natsu had had a crush on her…and how had that gone? Blown completely up in her face. How mortifying. The only thing making it less embarrassing was that the boy in question was so oblivious that he hadn't know what the hell happened. Merely just shrugging it off and chocking up her behavior to the general oddness of women. Things had continued with relative normalcy after that. For Natsu's part anyways.

But for Lucy…Lucy had never been able to truly put those growing feelings out of her heart. They had weeded in there; roots dug so deep they were impossible to pull out. They caused her blushes when he thanked her, the times he grasped her hand when she cried and they made her chest hurt so achingly when he smiled that stupid goofy full grin just for her. And now?

No. No. No.

She pushed it down. It was just between friends. He was just keeping her safe from harm. Like he always did. Swooping down with his fire and smoke and heat to save her. Now was no different. Yes. Lucy was sure of it.

She gazed up at him, watching the part of his lips as he breathed. His dark lashes were spanned out across his tan skin and why hadn't she ever noticed how long they were? They cast small shadows on his cheeks, fluttering in his sleep as he dreamed. Lucy felt warm all at once again. Her own eyes sagged in the sudden tiredness that pulled at her. The unconscious tightening of her fingers in his scarf and against his burning body seeped at her. Right into the pores of her skin. She could smell him around her. Lucy didn't have his knack for scents – not even close, but there were some things she would be able to recognize even blind and filled with slumber. It was like the smell of a fireplace. Of a campfire. Like warmth and heat, like adventures and the wild places of Fiore. Like safety…and home.

Lucy easily fell back asleep. Pulled closer to Natsu, she twisted with him in bed.

Natsu felt like he was suffocating. He couldn't breathe – and why did everything feel so hot and thick around him? His throat choked, chest screaming in protest. Something was wrong – trapping him with crushing weight and he could feel the rising panic swelling in his body. He had to protect his friends from whatever had crept into the room while they were all peacefully sleeping. With a sudden jolt Natsu snapped awake.

Happy was sleeping across his face.

Argh, what the hell! Natsu lifted up quickly with a shout, sucking in a breath to fill his burning lungs. Happy toppled forward, screeching as he rolled off his partner. He landed with a dizzy heap in the cradle of blankets between Natsu and Lucy, eyes spinning comically. Natsu blinked and started as he stared at the cat. At where he had ended – the small interspace that separated his hips with Lucy's…

Natsu turned quickly and looked down at the bed. His arm, that had moments before been underneath both her head and the pillows now propped him up – calloused fingers sprayed outwards near her shoulder. He could feel the strands of her hair underneath his palm.

Her cheeks were flushed, and the hand that still lay across her waist could feel the warmth from her skin pooling along his fingers. Natsu sighed in relief. She was okay. She would probably murder him for this – but she was safe. And that's…really all he cared about at the moment.

He watched as her lashes fluttered, back and forth for just a moment before she slowly opened her eyes. Some of her hair still fell across her face, riming the edges of her chin and neck and Natsu blamed his undiagnosable sickness because he suddenly wanted to push it back for her. He really should go see a doctor when all of this was said and done. There was obviously something wrong with him.

"Natsu?" She blinked and whispered his name. One of her hands remained fisted in his scarf…had she not let go all night? Where was the other one…? Holy Mavis! Natsu's face burned a brilliant red. It hadn't moved from his stomach. Her nails and fingers dusted over his skin as she lifted her head a bit.

Holy fucking shit. Yep. Doctor. For sure. Today.

"Lucy!" Happy shouted at her, his rough and tumble completely forgotten. He hovered forward to cradle himself in folds of her breasts, his eyes shimmering with rather obvious sobs. "You're okay! You're all warm again!"

He watched as a soft smile pulled at her mouth as she petted the cat's trembling head. "It seems that way…" She glanced up at Natsu from through her lashes, gaze slowly moving from the Exceed to him. He could feel the exact moment that their eyes met. It made a jolt and throb in his chest so violently – an ache that shot straight across his lungs. He watched as a fevered blush spread like a wildfire across her cheeks, which was strange because…he was sure that his face held something very similar.

Why wasn't she shoving him out of her bed? There should be shouting and screaming; loud angry voices and furrowed brows…not this. This Lucy he had never seen before. Waking up with a Lucy tasseled from both sleep and his own warmth…she shyly dropped her eyes and hugged Happy again. Natsu couldn't help but notice that one of her slender hands still remained clutched to his scarf. He rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment, but he also smiled at her – a grin that was bright like sunshine.

"I'm glad you're back to normal," Natsu said. "Happy and I were worried."

"Yeah! When we got here your entire room was iced over and you were…"

Happy broke into tears again and dug his face into the front of her t-shirt. Natsu vaguely heard broken sentences of promised fish sharing if she never did that again. He snorted loudly in response.

"So," he heard Lucy begin. "What happened? Yesterday I came home and just couldn't get warm. The last thing I remember…I remember a darkness. Dropping straight into it. I felt so incredibly cold and everything felt bitter. Wrong." She sighed heavily and frowned. "I can't explain it."

"No you're right," Natsu growled through his teeth. His frustration to set something on fire returned tenfold from the night before. "There was this strange magic power all in your apartment – I have no idea what it was. Never felt anything like it before. I thought…I thought you were…"

He stared hard at her then, almost as if he looked away she would disappear. Lucy blinked rapidly, eyes widening a bit at his intensity. She was suddenly very aware that they hadn't pulled apart. Her legs still knotted within his and they were so close that she could fell his breath puff over her skin.

"I had to warm you up," he mumbled, dropping his eyes down to the bed. "So I…well…you know…"

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck again, uncharacteristically shy. Lucy blinked rapidly, swallowing the lump that had suddenly grow in the crest of her throat. Mavis help her! He looked so adorable!

"No, no…" she began stammering. "I understand…it's uh…its fine…Yes, totally fine!"

They lapsed into a strange silence. It should have been uncomfortable. Or at the very least somewhat awkward. They were waking up together for shit's sake, right? Natsu wasn't the most well-versed with it came to matters of romance and relationships…okay, actually he was merely one step up above clueless - but he was pretty sure this was something very intimate. Something they would not be just discussing in front of their guild mates. This felt very much just theirs.

He should be jumping out of this cursed bed (because that could be another valid reason he would be feeling and thinking these weird things. You know…in case the doctor thing didn't work out), or just rushing her out of here to start their mission already. They agreed today right? Their other teammates were undoubtedly waiting for them back at the guild hall. And patience wasn't exactly a word in Erza's vocabulary. And she was okay now so…

Natsu huffed. His stomach rolled into a knot because she almost wasn't.

"I almost lost you again," he mumbled and now both Lucy and Happy turned to look at him. "After I made that promise to you from the future. After all that shit that happened; I came in here and you were almost gone Lucy. I could have failed or…"

He stopped because she was laughing. Shocked he watched her – hair tumbled about and drops of tears tangled in her lashes. He lay rigid like a stone as one of her hands crept closer to grasp onto his scarf again. He eyed it almost like a snake.

"But you didn't," she whispered and smiled at him. "You didn't fail at all…in fact you saved me. Or I should say you and Happy."

"Aye sir!" the cat cheered and Natsu felt a grin tug at the corner of his mouth. Maybe she was right – he was getting all worked up over nothing. The frost that caked her room had long since disappeared and the air around them had turned warm and still. From his position on the bed Natsu gazed out the window and cheered to see the light shining through her fractured glass panes. So the snow storm was all talk and no bravo? Natsu snorted. Just like the Ice Queen. Losers. How fucking typical.

Lucy was safe. She was right here with him - back to normal and now they could finally get up and head out to Crocus! That job that their team had snagged looked like a hella of a good time after all. Bandits and banquets (fights and food!) and maybe if they'd hurry he could snag a couple of breakfasts at the guild hall before they left! Mirajane always made the best pancakes…

Holy shit.

Natsu, stunned, lifted a hand to his cheek; fingers brushing and searching along the spot where Lucy's lips had just been. Lucy. Her mouth. She'd kissed…

"Thank you Natsu," she said shyly. It was almost as if she had no idea he was about to spontaneously combust in her bed. Natsu's face steamed as Lucy dropped a kiss to Happy too. But not on his cheek, right on top of the Exceed's furry head. "And you too Happy."

She pulled herself from the bed, throwing back the covers and strangely not meeting Natsu's shocked gaze. He couldn't help but notice the flush of color that spread across her face or the fact that her palms were pressed tightly against her breast – right near the crook of her heart.

"You boys just give me a few minutes to get ready and we can leave for the guild hall alright? I know we have a big job today after all."

She didn't give them time to answer, but instead turned on her heel and fled to the bathroom; shutting the door with a quiet snap. Natsu stared after her, hand still ghosting over his cheek. He blinked a few times, trying to puzzle together the thoughts from his addled brain. He vaguely toyed with idea of trying to find a damn doctor (you know because now his illness was getting worse), before Lucy appeared again…but…

She had asked him to wait.

So Natsu shook himself slightly before stretching, long muscles pulled tight across his back and shoulders. Shouldn't he be more tired? Sleeping together with someone – fighting for space on the bed, crushed together with…

No. He wasn't.

In fact he felt eased. Content and ready. A strange fire in the pit of his stomach.

Natsu lifted himself from Lucy's bed, hands remaining on the side where her small heat had been only moments before. He could smell her everywhere. He could smell her on him. Mavis…He had to find something to take his mind off of this. Something…to distract him from how her lips felt against his skin. She was his friend…his best friend…nothing was different. Nothing changed. He was sure of it.

"Come on little buddy," he hollered at Happy ignoring the fact that his voice cracked in the end. Standing quickly and with sheer determination forced these unknown and terrifying feelings to the base of his mind. "Let's go see if Lucy has anything to snack on while we wait!"

"Aye sir!"

Oh poor Natsu. Just too confused ;)

You know what helps him figure things out? Reviews! Review are like medicine, lol!

This chapter was originally going to be longer, but then while writing it came to a rather nice conclusion so I just left it. A bit shorter I know, but hopefully you still enjoyed it.

I wish I owned Fairy Tail...but then it probably wouldn't be half as good. Good thing it all belongs to the brilliant Hiro Mashima.

Reviews and follows? Please and thank you!

- Aulani