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“Hey, Luce? You gotta get up.”
Lucy sighed pleasantly, burrowing herself deeper into the warmth of her comforter as consciousness threatened to steal her dream from her. At the edge of her haziness, she could hear the alarm clock vibrating on the bedside table, and she was tempted to launch it across their apartment bedroom.
“Lucyy. You’re gonna be late.”
She cracked one eye open, finding it safe to open the other one when she was met with pitch darkness. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked up, catching a glimpse of her boyfriend’s vibrant hair against the light of the moon.
He was leaning over her, a concerned look etched into his expression. He usually never was awake before at least nine, so something was off.
She squinted at the clock. It blared 6:45 in bright red lettering, and she settled back into the sheets. “‘Tis Saturday,” she slurred.
Natsu’s eyebrows rose. “Nah, it’s Monday.”
“So?”
He ran his fingers through her hair, pulling the messy ponytail out from its hair tie, so he could massage her scalp. She hummed appreciatively.
“Ya stayed up too late grading things or whatever again, huh?”
Her eyes popped open.
He sneezed all over her, spraying wetness all over her face.
She grimaced, wiping at her face with a tissue. “Really?”
To his credit, he did look sheepish. “Sorry. But you really do need to go get in the shower if you’re gonna get to school on time.”
And then reality crashed back to her like an unmerciful wave, and she sprung from her spot. “Shit!” Clicking on the lamp, she reached for whatever her hands could find in her dresser, not thinking twice about her audience as she pushed her underwear down with her pajama pants, pulling on a pair of slacks and a blouse. It wasn’t like he’d never seen it before, anyways.
She turned back to him, clasping hoops into her ears. “Whatcha doin’ today?”
His arms were crossed over his bare chest, a pout formed on his lips. “Just gonna go live, I guess. I’ve got nothin’ to upload to Youtube.”
Natsu Dragneel was one of the founders of Fairy Tail, an exclusive group of the world’s most famous Youtubers. His name accompanied those such as Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Gajeel Redfox, so on and so forth. Each member offered a different type of entertainment, ranging from Levy McGarden’s book reviews to Laxus Dreyar’s risks and dares (videos that often included him almost dying by electricity or lightning).
But Lucy knew that they were all just big dorks.
She was technically a part of Fairy Tail, ever since Natsu dragged her to their “guildhall” (literally just Laxus’ grandfather’s house before he died unexpectedly and left the huge mansion to Laxus) a few years ago, but she didn’t like the spotlight, comfortable with just staying to the side and watching their goofy shenanigans. She helped Warren with filming sometimes, but mostly just avoided big events where they tried to complete the newest challenges, or whatever else they did.
Having a father who was so well-known kind of crushed any childhood daydreams she may have had about fame.
She much preferred her job as a small-town middle school teacher, even if literally all of the girls in her English classes had massive crushes on her boyfriend.
She narrowed her eyes and pointed her index at him. “Don’t you dare do something dangerous again.”
He flashed his canines at her. “No promises,” he said, then wiped his nose with the back of his arm.
Taking a mental note to wash her face before she applied mascara, she approached him, placing a hand on his forehead. He leaned into her touch, which she assumed was because she was cool in contrast to his nearly-always burning skin.
Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. His cheeks felt a bit clammier than usual. “Are you feeling alright?”
He shrugged, which was Natsu-speak for No, please don’t leave me .
She sighed. “I can’t stay home.”
He huffed.
She kissed his forehead. “You’re absolutely not going outside. You’re sick. I’ll try to come home early and make you some soup.”
He didn’t complain, going willingly as Lucy pushed him back down against the mattress and covered his shivering body with the comforter.
He must not be feeling well at all.
“Chicken noodle?” He murmured, eyes already starting to droop from exhaustion.
“I’ll try.”
She sincerely hoped that he didn’t do anything stupid while she was at work.
Lucy bookmarked her page, pulling her glasses off their perch on her nose and folding them in her lap over the book. She stared at her class, raising an eyebrow and piercing her lips in a way she hoped was halfway intimidating. “Okay, I’ll bite,” she said. “What’s with you all today?”
Her class glanced around at each other, doing a poor job of hiding their phones below their desks or in their backpacks. Lucy guessed they needed a bit more incentive.
She stood up, clasping her hands in front of her. “Okay, well. If no one’s willing to speak, I will have to confiscate your phones so that you can pay better attention.”
Hands flew into the air, just like she’d suspected.
“Alright, Lily?” She offered a hand in the girls direction. “What can you tell me?”
Lily twisted her hands nervously under her desk. “Uh,” she stuttered. “Well, there’s this group of really famous people who live kinda near here. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them, but they’re called Fairy Tail.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “I’m twenty-five, not seventy. Yes , I know who they are.” She waved her on. “Continue.”
“Well, one of them, well,” she paused. “One of those guys, his name’s Natsu Dragneel, and well, he was live during lunch, and gosh, he looks very sick.”
Lucy stared at her.
A boy, Leo, chipped in: “Yeah, he was mumbling stuff under his breath, saying something about how his girlfriend was gonna make him soup or whatever.” The kid grinned mischievously. “And he said your name, Ms. Heartfilia.”
That fucking idiot.
Lucy could’ve smacked her hand against her head in annoyance. This is exactly something her stupid boyfriend would do.
Instead of doing that, she pasted a mask of nonchalance over her obvious surprise before it was noticeable. “And how does that connect me to him at all?”
Leo flushed. “Well, he said Lucy, then he kinda like, described you. He seemed kinda high or whatever.”
“Described me,” she deadpanned.
Leo choked, his face as red as his hair, and nudged his shoulder partner. Bryce looked up at her, biting his lips. “Yeah, he described like, your hair, and your face, and like, your hips, and he kinda went into a little bit of detail about-” He glanced at her, pausing his sentence.
She was going to kill that idiot.
“Mavis,” she whispered, falling back and covering her probably blushing face with her hands. “Mavis.”
One cry of, “Wait, so you are dating him?” immediately led to an onslaught of questions, one after another, with no time to answer in between.
She shushed them quickly to ask the one thing that had been bothering her: “How sick did he look?”
They looked at her in confusion, before Lily said, “Oh, very sick. He had a glassy look in his eyes, and his cheeks were flushed, and he sneezed and coughed and moaned about the chill in the air.”
The room fell silent as Lucy contemplated leaving, until one girl chuckled, “Can’t believe I missed it. I imagine him moaning all the time, would’ve been great to finally see if it matches my imagination.”
Lucy stared at her, eyebrows drawn together. “You’re literally fifteen.”
The girl, Sadie, shrugged. “Age isn’t a hindrance when it’s true love.”
The entire class watched her with bated breath, trying to gauge her reaction, until she laughed.
Sadie eyed her with wariness as Lucy put her hands on her hips. “You can keep on dreamin’, kid, but I must admit, you’re not worth the lawsuit.”
She spluttered, her face slowly heating up as she realized what her teacher had just said, but, before she could retort, the door flung open.
Chatters and whispers were lowered to a mute as Lucy stared at Gray’s frazzled appearance.
He stalked over to her, until he was close enough that she had to look up at his towering figure. “Damn it, Lucy, I’ve looked all over this fucking school for you.”
She side-eyed the class of children, before realizing that they had probably said filthier stuff ten minutes before class started, so she waved off Gray’s blunder. She crossed her arms over her chest, glowering at him. “Why are you here to begin with?”
He choked, hissing, “Flamebrain. That fuckin’ idiot is in the hospital.”
The room fell silent again.
Lucy couldn’t breathe.
She sank to the floor, gasping quietly, finally not caring what or who her students saw. She couldn’t fucking breathe, and her boyfriend was an idiot, and she didn’t know what to do.
“We don’t have time for your panic attacks today, Lucy.” Gray’s gruff voice sounded like he was trying to be gentle, and he laid a hand on her shoulder. “We gotta go.”
She looked up at him, and he brushed away the wetness that was gathering under her eyes, and she was reminded again of why he’s one of her very best friends. He pulled her to her feet, and would’ve dragged her out the door had she not dug her heels in the floorboards.
She marched to the room beside her, asking the teacher to watch her kids before wrapping her scarf around her neck, turning back to Gray with a flourish.
“Let’s go.”
“She can’t go in.”
Gray’s smile faltered, and his arm dropped to rest on Lucy’s shoulders. Usually, she would’ve shoved it off, but right now, the weight helped calm her anxiety.
“And why not?” His voice was deadly calm.
It was part of his charm, Lucy supposes. With the beanie that consistently sits on his brow and his lip piercing, he radiated emo from a mile away. Girls and boys alike worshiped the ground he walked on, and his nice set of abs and the chill that resides permanently in his tone didn’t help.
The nurse fidgets. “Uh, he…” she glanced at Gray, and hurried through the rest. “Mr. Dragneel requested that only Fairy Tail members be allowed in, and I don't recognize her. I’m sorry, sir.”
He rolled his eyes. “She’s with me.”
The nurse blinked, obviously very conflicted. Her shoulders slumped in resignation. “My daughter’s a big fan of yours,” she whispered. “I’ll allow your new… girlfriend in if you sign this.”
It was common knowledge that Gray and his partners, Juvia and Lyon, had an… well, open relationship. Kind of. They could flirt to their heart's content, going on dates and such, but there was a strict no fucking rule… unless all three of them agreed to do it together.
Lucy couldn’t even imagine. Natsu had once asked her if she’d wanted an open relationship, and she’d gotten so mad at him, she slept on Levy’s couch for a week, refusing to speak to him.
He’d apologized over and over for months after that, even after she’d forgiven him.
Her heart ached. She hoped he was okay.
“We’re not a thing,” she snapped, and Gray paused his hand in the middle of his signature. He flashed her a grin, and she flicked him off.
The nurse looked between them, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. “If you say so,” she said, pulling the photograph back from Gray’s hands, and leading them down a hallway, hopefully to Natsu.
She pressed a keycard to a pad, pushing a door open to reveal Natsu on a hospital bed, tubes and needles sticking out of him.
Lucy covered a hand over her mouth, tears pricking her eyelids. He looked so small, and she couldn’t bear it.
“Oh, Gray darling, you’re here.”
Gray made his way over to Juvia, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. She curled into his warmth, and they stayed like that long enough for Lucy to make her way over to Natsu. She sat in the chair Juvia had previously resided in, reaching out to take his hand…
“Don’t touch him, please.”
Oh. Lucy had forgotten about the stupid nurse.
The strength to argue had left her a long time ago, and so she didn’t, retracting her hand back into her sweater.
Juvia eyed the nurse up and down. “Can you leave?”
The nurse shook her head. “Sorry, I only let her in because Mr. Fullbuster signed something for my daughter. I know you guys have some sort of open thing, but leaving Mr. Fullbuster for Mr. Dragneel because he’s hurt? It’s sickening.”
She’d obviously forgotten her place. Just because they were famous doesn’t give her the right to meddle.
Juvia blew one of her bangs away from her face. She used to get angry when someone mentioned Gray and Lucy in a romantic sense (even going as far as to call her a “love rival”), but her jealousy had waned when she saw how much she loved Natsu.
“Leave,” Gray commanded before Juvia could say anything she’d regret. “Now.”
The nurse looked surprised, narrowing her eyes at Gray. “I cannot, he is within my care.”
Gray stalked up to her, getting all in her space. “Leave.”
“It’s okay,” she murmured. Lucy didn’t know how she’d gotten her voice to work, all things considered. “Just let her stay. That way, she’ll be here if anything happens to Natsu.”
“See!” The nurse pointed at Lucy, and it was getting so fucking hard for her to maintain her calm. Mavis. “She’s on a first name basis, so they’ve probably been,” her voice dropped to a whisper, “doing it behind your back!”
Lucy turned around, eyeing the nurse and her pink underwear that were very visible through her white uniform. “Probably,” she drawled. “However, if you’re gonna stay, kindly shut the fuck up.”
Then, she turned her back on Gray and Juvia and the nurse, and just focused on Natsu.
His eyes fluttered, and she grabbed his hand, ignoring the nurse’s cry of protest.
“Lucy?” Mavis, even his voice sounded weaker than usual, and she clutched his hand tighter in her grip.
“I’m here.”
He didn’t open his eyes fully, just nodding when he recognized her voice. She pressed a kiss to his brow, barely withholding the urge to recoil at how hot his skin burned.
He held her hand weakly, as if he didn’t even have to strength to grasp. “Who else is here?”
Lucy peered at him. “Gray and Juvia and a nurse.”
He sighed in relief. “Thank Mavis. I was worried Erza would come.”
“Erza is coming.” Gray’s voice echoed over Lucy’s shoulder, and Natsu grimaced at the sound. “We’re leaving, Lucy. Lyon made lunch reservations.”
Lucy could hear the smirk in his voice, and she shooed him away without turning around.
He leaned in closer to whisper: “If she gives you more trouble, call me, okay?”
Lucy nodded. “Alright.”
He turned towards Natsu. “Not gonna give me a kiss goodbye, Flamebrain?”
“Oh, fuck off, Ice Princess.” But the jar was lacking its usual bite.
To say Lucy was worried was an understatement. Natsu didn’t get sick. He was the healthiest person she’d ever met, and she was petrified that she was going to lose him.
She could see him trying to focus on her, the glassiness in his eyes evaporating for just a second. He clutched her hand, as if he’d read her mind.
She didn’t remember Juvia and Gray leaving, doesn’t even remember the other guild members that came and went. The sun rose and fell, and she hoped that Levy had called in sick for her. It was possible that she was going to get fired, and as much as she hated that, she couldn’t bring herself to leave.
Every night, the nurse left. It became like clockwork, the relief Lucy felt as the nurse closed the blinds, folded a blanket over the end of Natsu’s bed, and left after another nurse came in. The night-time nurse was a sweet old lady who worried about Lucy as well, and forced her to eat and sleep in a chair in the corner.
Two whole days passed in a haze, and he wasn’t getting any better.
“Lucy.”
She looked up from the novel she was reading aloud to Natsu, tilting her head towards the voice.
Levy placed a hand on her shoulder, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead. “I have a few hours. Go home and take a shower, please.”
Lucy shook her head stubbornly.
Levy sighed. “I know you’re worried, but you have to take care of yourself too.” She paused, then added as an afterthought: “Your school said you can take off, at max, a week.”
Knowing that she wouldn’t change Levy’s mind, her shoulders slumped in resignation and she stood, her legs weak and wobbly from disuse.
Lucy kissed his sticky forehead. He exhaled, unconsciously leaning into her touch.
“Make sure to wipe his face with those washcloths every hour, and…”
Levy pushed her lightly. “I know. Please, just go.”
She pursed her lips.
Showers were her favorite thing in the world, but she found no comfort in the steaming water.
She fell to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, and finally allowed the tears to fall from her eyes.
She did feel better as she stepped back through the hospital doors. Cleaner, more refreshed. She supposed Levy was right; sleeping on a chair in a hospital room didn’t do much for her health.
“Miss Heartfilia!”
She turned towards the cry, her eyebrows pinching together as she saw Leo running towards her. She glanced at her watch: 6pm. Mavis, she’d been gone for a long time. “What’re you doing here?”
He beamed at her. “We’ve been waiting for you to come back.” He waved at Lily and Bryce and a couple of her other students, and they hurried to where she was.
“For how long?” She exclaimed.
“Not too long,” Lily said, exhaling deeply from her nose. She thrust a paper bag into Lucy’s hands. “Those are for Mr. Natsu.”
Lucy then realized that each child held a similar bag. She poked around Lily’s, her mouth dropping open when she saw that it was filled to the brim with cards.
She looked at her students, her eyes softening. “Oh, you guys. You didn’t have to.”
Bryce pointed proudly at himself with his free hand. “It was my idea. Your substitute thought it was a great idea, ‘cuz you didn’t leave any lesson plans.”
Lucy couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “Well, I can’t carry all of them in myself. You wanna see him?”
Leo nodded vigorously.
Lucy checked her watch again. The nurses should’ve changed shifts already, so it should be okay.
She pressed a card against the scanner, waiting for a few seconds before hoarding the small group of kids down the hall and to Natsu’s room.
“Lucy!” Levy jumped up as soon as she saw her. “You took forever. He’s been asking for you for hours.” She moved to the side, and Lucy gasped.
He was sitting up , pressing at his phone screen hurriedly as he caught up on what he had missed over the past few days. His cheeks had retained their color, and his eyes were focused and bright. He looked up when he heard her name, and tossed his phone to the side, holding his arms open for her.
She dropped the bag just as she collided with him, pressing herself into his chest, barely concealing the sob of relief. He rested his chin on her head and breathed, their inhales and exhales synching as they should.
“I’m okay,” and she could feel the grin against her scalp.
She pulled away, hitting her hand against his chest. “You scared me, you stupidhead!”
He chuckled. “Stupidhead?”
She pouted, and he reached up to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
She forgave him easily. It was hard to stay mad at someone who was so legitimately sorry for something they couldn’t even control.
Then she remembered the children behind her, and she waved them towards her, not extracting herself from the koala-like hug.
They came shyly, like they couldn’t actually believe this was happening.
Natsu’s arm tethered Lucy to him, and he flashed a smile before whispering in her ear, “Why are they here?”
She smiled at him, pulling a card from the bag next to the bed. She handed it to him, and he flipped it open with a finesse that she’d never seen him use.
His face scrunched in concentration as he attempted to read the poor handwriting. She took it back from him, announcing, “It says, I hope you feel better, Natsu. ”
His dimples crinkled as his smile returned, and he made grabby hands for the bag. The students hovered hesitantly around the bed, and he leaned into Lucy’s touch when she didn’t move to get it for him, his eyes glancing from Lily to Leo to Bryce, and then the bags in their hands.
“Are those all cards?”
Leo nodded.
If his smile could have gotten any bigger, it would’ve fallen off his face. He poked Lucy’s nose. “Your kids are nice!”
She smiled, kissing his brow and nodding. “You never believed me when I told you that,” she said, and he chuckled. The laugh tinkled around the room, and she was so genuinely happy that it sounded full and strong that tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. “Welcome back, Natsu.”