Camp Crush |✔️|

The Brushing Hands

"Dude, what?" Erza asked irritably, rubbing her side where Gray had just elbowed her.

"Check it out," he smirked, nodding his head at something behind her.  Erza turned to see Natsu and Lucy arriving to the bonfire.  Together.

Erza smirked as well, dropping her bag down next to their usual bench.  "Well that's something you don't see every day."

Lucy was smiling when Natsu dropped her bag next to Erza's, then he laid down her crutches and turned to help her sit down.  "Natsu," she said, for probably the millionth time.  "You can stop.  I have a twisted ankle.  I'm not paralyzed from the waist down."

"Okay," Natsu said, folding his arms and pressing his lips together to prevent a smile.  "Go ahead.  Have a seat."

Lucy hesitated, looking at the log, low to the ground.  She hopped slightly on her good foot, and then, "...God, fine.  I could use a hand."

Natsu chuckled, sitting down first, and then letting her put her weight on his shoulder so she could lower herself.  Natsu steadied her with a hand on her lower back, letting it trail lingeringly away once she was settled.

Lucy suppressed a shiver.

Natsu had opened his mouth to say something when Sting showed up.

"Lucy!  Hey!  I heard you had an adventure this week.  Glad you still made it out here.  How's the," he stammered a little in response to the brightness of her smile, "How's the ankle?" he smiled back at her, wearing that faintly nervous expression he always had around her.

"It was no big deal.  And I'm doing a lot better.  Swelling's mostly gone down, and it doesn't hurt nearly as bad anymore."

"Glad to hear it.  Well," he glanced at Natsu for a split second.  "I'm just gonna, um, go get a seat, I guess.  Let me know if you need help with anything this week."

"I will.  Thanks, Sting," Lucy said genuinely.

Natsu tried not to scowl.  She was practically beaming.

"Well...Later," Sting said, backing up slowly before turning and heading for another bench.

"What's the matter with you?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Natsu," Gray asked, turning from his place on the dirt in front of Erza and not bothering to mask the amused twinkle in his eyes.  "What's the matter?"

"Who me?" Natsu asked, schooling his expression.  "Not a thing.  Pass the marshmallows."

The night wore on and Natsu watched Lucy's face glowing in the firelight, her expression attentive as someone picked up the previous week's ghost story where they'd all left off.  He studied the nervous way she worried her lip, the little gasps and jumps when something scared her.

God, I am so in over my head with her, Natsu thought tiredly to himself, turning his attention away to make sure she didn't catch him staring.  He wrapped his fingers in her ponytail and let the curls slide between his fingers before dropping his hand next to hers on the bench.  He knew she'd noticed.  He could hear the small breath she sucked in, sense the sudden tensing in her shoulders, and the faintest twitch of her hand when his brushed close to hers.

His stomach plummeted in disappointment when she pulled her hand away and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Natsu almost dropped his head in defeat.  He glanced across the flames at Sting, who was sitting with his friends Yukino and Rouge, and wondered if maybe Lucy really liked him better.  The thought was demoralizing to say the least.  Why did he have to pick the one girl in the whole camp who refused to like him back?