Wherever You Go

Wherever You Go Part 15

Lucy, Natsu and Happy trudged back towards Magnolia at around lunchtime the next morning, with lead in their feet and bags under their eyes.

"The owner was happy we got rid of the monster..." Lucy said.

"...but Natsu destroyed half of the building work in the process." Happy finished for her. Natsu fumed.

"She blamed me for everything that Orfio kid broke as well! If he wasn't dead already..." fire formed around his fist.

"So we came back with only half the reward." Lucy went on, ignoring him.

"At least we can buy food, huh Lucy?" Happy flew up and nudged her in the ribs, his eyes sparkling. "Maybe I should leave you two alone to grab a bite, huh, huh?"

Lucy batted him away.

"Be quiet cat, my head is throbbing and I have to face my landlady with no rent!" She wailed.

They stopped outside Lucy's apartment building and she walked up to the door.

"I'm going to take a bath and go to bed."

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the guild hall with us and say hello to everyone?" Happy grinned at her. He was enjoying himself far too much, she thought.

"No thank you." She said firmly.

"See ya!" Natsu said and turned to go. She caught his sleeve and held him back.

"Lucy?" He raised his head to look up at her on the top step.

She summoned her courage.

"D-do you want to come over later?" She asked in a small voice. He rolled up his eyes to think.

"Well I gotta go home and sort out a few things and..." he caught the look she was trying to give him without Happy seeing.

"Oh, yeh! Yeh sure!" He cleared his throat. "I'll stop by."

She let go and smiled at him.

"See you then. See you Happy!" She said and opened the door to go in. Natsu and Happy continued walking up the road and Lucy watched them from the doorway. Natsu turned to walk backwards and wave to her and she waved back to him, blushing to have been found spying on him. He disappeared from view and she closed the door with a rush of happiness. Everything was going get more interesting from now on. She charged up the steps to her apartment.

"Let's go!"

Later, when the moon was up but half covered with clouds, Lucy slipped quietly out of her bed and put on her silk robe. The smooth fabric was pleasantly cool against her bare skin. Natsu continued to snore under the covers behind her as she went from the bedroom to the living room. Her writing paper was sitting ready on the desk so she sat down, turned up the lamp and picked up her pen.

She had only intended to jot down a few notes but before she knew it, she had filled three pages with writing. She paused when she heard bare feet on the floorboards behind her and Natsu leaned over, draping his arm around her and nuzzling his face into her neck. It tickled and sent a dizzying rush of blood through her veins at the same time.

"I woke up and you were gone. Did you need a snack?" He said.

"Don't you mean you want a snack? I suddenly had all these ideas and wanted to write them down before I forgot."

"Are you almost done? Come back to bed." His hand slid inside her robe, hot and inquisitive. She flushed pink, having flashbacks of what they'd been doing earlier that night.

"I- I'll be there in a minute." She said, gently nudging him away.

"Okay." As he withdrew, she glanced after him and in a shaft of bright moonlight that came through the window, saw that he was still completely naked. She gasped and looked away and then looked back and then forced herself to look away again. It was too late of course, the sight smell and feel of his naked body was already emblazoned in her mind.

She put down her pen and turned out the lamp. She wouldn't get anymore writing done now. She returned to the darkened bedroom and slid back in next to Natsu. He opened his arms with his eyes still closed and enveloped her in them as she pulled up the covers around them both.

As Natsu fell asleep behind her, she marveled at how normal this felt already. They were together almost everyday and now they could spend their nights together as well. Everything was the same but also completely different. It was exciting and frightening all at the same time. She snuggled herself closer to him and he responded sleepily, tightening his arms around her. They had been given a second chance and out of respect to all the lovers whose lives had been cut short by the Nightmare, she refused to waste it. She knew that right here, with the one she loved the most, was right where she belonged.