Hey guys, sorry for the delay in an update. I got a promotion at work that took a lot of my free time as I transitioned into my new responsibilities. It's calmed down now, so I'll be posting more frequently. As always, let me know what you think! Your feedback is always appreciated. This story will start to shift from depressing to a happy one, so if you've stuck with me thus far I appreciate it!

When Natsu awoke, he was confronted with two major sensations: the scent of Lucy's shampoo and the familiar feeling of morning wood pressing into something very soft. Knowing that those two sensations did not belong together, he cracked one eye open to assess the situation. Lucy was still wrapped in his arms, very much in the same position they fell asleep in (a testament to just how exhausted they both were). Peering further down, he suspicions were confirmed when he found Lucy's round ass flush with his arousal.

"Ah, shit.." he muttered quietly. He slowly pulled his arm from around her waist, careful not to rouse the sleeping woman beside him. Being quiet was not his forte, so he was proud of himself for being able to slip from the bed and into the bathroom to take care of the situation without disturbing Lucy.

He turned the shower on as hot as it would go, knowing a cold shower wouldn't quell this arousal. Oh no, this arousal was due to not seeing Lucy for over a year and then suddenly sleeping with her wrapped in his arms. After shedding his pants, he stepped into the seething cascade of water, sighing in relief as the water eased his tense muscles; while he was happy to have slept in bed with Lucy, having his arm underneath her all night made for a very sore appendage. Well, make that two of them as his attention was drawn back to his aching lower extremities.

Bracing one arm of the glass of the shower, he brought his free hand down to grasp himself, letting out a hiss as he began to slowly pump. He knew it was wrong given their current situation, but his head was filled with thoughts of Lucy. Of her robust breasts, her plump lips, her ample hips and ass…

"Lucy…" he groaned, maybe a little more loudly than intended, but his release was rapidly approaching. Increasing his speed, he closed his eyes and thought about himself plunging into her wet heat as she panted beneath him, moaned his name, screamed his name as she begged him for more… and that was his undoing. With one final, low growl he came as hot spurts of his seed plastered the inside of Lucy's shower.

Relishing in his release, he turned so that he was leaning up against the glass as he let the shower pour over him.

Lucy awoke to the sound of her shower and an empty bed. Although she was initially confused, she remembered that Natsu was here and that he held her all night last night. Blushing at the revelation, she quickly gathered herself as she purged the thoughts from her mind. Curious that the bathroom door was still cracked open, Lucy slipped out of bed and padded over to the bathroom where steam was wafting out of the crack. Knowing Natsu, he would use all her hot water and she would be left with a lukewarm bath (which negates the point of taking a long bath in the first place).

Intending to tell her friend to save her some hot water, she was stopped in her tracks as she heard Natsu say her name, no groan her name. The blush that she had just successfully got rid of came back in full force, the warmth spreading throughout her body and settling deep in her core.

She could not have heard what she thought she just heard, right? Curiosity getting the better of her once again, she creeped closer to the door and peered through the crack. She immediately regretted her decision as she was met with the lewd scene before her: Natsu braced himself against the shower as he relieved himself, water cascading over his taught muscles as his hand pumped his arousal at a vigorous pace. Lucy knew she should turn away, but she physically could not bring herself to. What she saw confused her as that heat in her core began to pulsate. She was aroused. The sight of Natsu relieving himself was turning her on, she realized.

Natsu growled once more, the sound causing Lucy to quickly sprint back over to her bed where her thoughts began to run rampant. Natsu, touching himself in her shower, moaning her name, was this a dream? It had to be a dream. Natsu thought of her as his best friend, his partner, nothing more. At least, that's what she thought. That's what she told herself to keep her own feelings in check.

Getting frustrated, she wished with all her might that this was a dream. This complicated things beyond comprehension if this were real.

She heard the shower turn off, so she climbed back under the covers pretending to still be asleep. She knew she was still blushing, she felt hot and the blankets were no help.

The bathroom door creaked open as Natsu made his way out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He noticed that Lucy was still sleeping, so he went into her kitchen to get something to munch on, opting for a banana. He leaned against the counter, admiring Lucy's sleeping form. She looked so peaceful, he thought as he ate the fruit.

Lucy, not being able to bear pretending to be asleep any longer, pretended to stir as she turned towards her kitchen. She stretched before sitting up in bed, rubbing the fake sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning, Luce! I hope you slept well, I know I did. I forgot just how comfortable your bed is," Natsu beamed with his signature grin.

"A-ah, good morning," Lucy stated, too afraid to make eye contact.

Natsu noticed was a little red, maybe she got too warm from sleeping next to his natural body heat. He didn't dwell on it too much. "I was thinkin' we could go on a little trip, if you're down for it," he prompted.

Lucy finally looked at Natsu, confused. She forced herself to not falter at the sight of him in only a towel that was slung low on his hips. "A trip to where?"

"Well while Happy and I were traveling we came across this lake up in the mountains. It's so pretty and peaceful, I knew I had to take you there some time and I figured there's no time like the present!"

Lucy thought about it for a minute, it did sound nice to get away for a while. "How far away is it?"

"It's about a day's journey on foot, if you're aren't up for it that's alright we can find somethin' else to do."

"No, it sounds lovely. It would be nice to have a change of scenery for a while."

"Well pack what ya need for a couple days and we'll head out! I'll have to stop by and let Happy know we're heading out of town, but we can do that on the way," Natsu said with a smile.

Lucy, finding his energy contagious, smiled as well as she moved to pack.

Once they were finished packing and picking up some supplies from the market, they stopped to let Happy know where they would be. He was more than pleased for an excuse to hang out with Charle a little longer.

"The dynamic due is back at it!" Natsu exclaimed.

Lucy couldn't help but giggle, "Yeah, it's been too long."

"Wait 'till ya see all the new magic I've learned. I could totally pummel Gray into the ground now!"

"Oh, I believe it. What you did at the games was incredible, I had no idea it was you at first."

Natsu grinned and Lucy caught sight of his signature canines. "I've gotta be able to protect my most important people ya know? And get the guild back together. I say as soon as we get back from our trip we use your notes to start hunting everyone down."

Lucy was silent for a moment, pondering his words. "Don't you think they would have by now if they wanted to get back together?"

"Of course, that's why I think they're all off on their own little missions. Kinda like I was, just getting stronger and learning new things."

Lucy thought about all the notes and sightings she had collected, many members stayed in pairs or small groups. Those who drifted on their own normally did even before the disbandment, so Natsu's theory made sense. She was so caught up in the suffocating sadness of everyone being gone that she didn't really stop to think why they were gone or what they were doing. She was selfish.

"Don't worry Luce, we'll find everyone! I promise," Natsu insisted.

Lucy didn't say anything, just looked at the ground as they continued to make their way out of town towards wherever Natsu was leading them. They made comfortable small talk during their journey as the sun went down. Once it grew too dark to safely travel, Natsu found them a small clearing to set up camp for the night.

"I'll gather the wood if you want to carry some rocks over to make a fire pit?" Lucy prompted.

Natsu almost agreed, but something within him was nagging at him to not leave Lucy alone. Instead, he prompted they go together to collect what they needed. It didn't take them but ten minutes to find what they needed, and Natsu had a fire roaring in no time.

"How about some roasted corn and salmon? We can go catch a couple fish in the river while the fire settles down."

"Sounds good to me, I just realized how hungry I am," Lucy observed as her stomach rumbled. That was something worth noting, she was hungry. She wanted to eat. She smiled at the thought, not wanting to bring it up. But she was proud of herself, even if it was just a baby step.

Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and led her over to the river that wasn't very far from their campsite. They walked up to the river's edge, the clear water's current wasn't very strong, filling the air with the soft, calming sound of flowing water. Without warning, Natsu slipped his shirt over his head and dove into the water, causing the water to splash out and effectively soak Lucy's clothing and ruining the calming atmosphere.

"NATSU!" Lucy exclaimed.

A mop of pink hair resurfaced, that stupid grin plastered on his face. "Come on in, the water feels great!"

Lucy laughed, her erratic friend never failed to amaze her with his spontaneity. "Are you insane? That water can't be very warm and it's not exactly warm outside either! You're just always hot no matter what the temperature is," she concluded.

"Well, I could've told you that Luce," he shimmied his brows at her.

Realizing how he took her comment and twisted it, she sniggered. "Natsu, has your head gotten bigger since I last saw you? I must just now be noticing."

"Well, I mean I could show you, but then I'd have to take my pants off," he deadpanned.

"NASTU, what is wrong with you!" she shrieked while chucking a rock at his head, which he easily dodged. She just wanted to distract him from the blush that was furiously making its way across her face.

"Oh come on, you made that way too easy!" Natsu responded before plunging back into the water.

Lucy just smiled. Nothing had changed between them. He didn't treat her any differently… maybe because she didn't change as much as she thought she did. Maybe it was this great internal war she was fighting with herself that only made it seem like everything was so substantial and overwhelming.

It seemed that's the eternal sunshine that was Natsu was slowly allowing the wilted flower that Lucy had thought she became to bloom again. It would take patience and a lot of hard work on both sides, but progress was being made every second that went by.

Later that evening, after the sun had set and the two of them had eaten dinner, the duo sat beside the fire and reminisced on some of their favorite moments over the last few years. This was exactly what Lucy had needed, a reminder of all the good that had happened in her life. A reminder that she has had so many more good memories than bad ones.

Natsu yawned as he stretched his arms over his head. "Man am I getting tired, I think I'm going to lay down for the night. We've got a busy day of travel ahead of us, you should get some sleep too, Lucy."

"Mhmm," she agreed while walked over to her unrolled sleeping bag before climbing in. "Goodnight Natsu."

"Goodnight Luce, sweet dreams!" Natsu exclaimed before following suit. With full bellies and the dull roar of the fire, the two of them were asleep before long.

Lucy jolted awake from a nightmare, reliving the moment when she had lost Aquarius. It was a dream that she had frequently, but her labored breathing and increased heart rate were a testament to just how damaged she still was from that moment.

As she tried to control her labored breathing, she looked over at her pink haired partner and found him fast asleep. Moving quietly not to awaken him, she slipped out of her bedding and made her way to the river. The crisp fall air lapped at her skin, dulling the flames that had spread over her during her night terror.

Coming to the river's edge, she crossed her legs and sat down. It was nice to be alone for a moment, Natsu hadn't let her out of his sight since he caught her harming herself. It was an adjustment to have someone around who was so tentative when she had been alone for so long.

Pulling pieces of grass out of the ground and gently floating them down the river, her thoughts also floated to her missing guildmates. She hoped they were all okay, and most of all that they were all happy. If she learned anything from Natsu's earlier assessment, they are all more than likely just building on their own skills for the betterment of the team.

This all left Lucy feeling a little silly. With Natsu here, her problems felt so small. But, this past year while she was alone she felt like the small one being dwarfed by all her problems. It was hard for her to not turn this into another reason to hate herself, because that voice in the back of her head was there. She just had something to live for now that was stronger than her desire to hate herself.

She felt a tear slip down her cheek, but she was necessarily sad. She just had too many emotions swimming inside her, begging for a way to escape. She fought the thought of cutting for the briefest moment, and that was when the tears came in a consistent flood. The more she cried, however, the more relaxed she felt.

And that's when she thought about it. She never really cried tears like this. Tears that weren't out of anger or hate for herself. These were just tears of catharsis. Tears of accepting who she was now and welcoming who she could be.

A twig snapped behind her, drawing her attention in that direction.

"Jesus Luce, I almost had a heart attack when I woke up and couldn't find ya," Natsu said calmly as he made his way over to her. He saw that she was crying but didn't want to push her to talk about it. "Aren't ya cold? You're only in your nightgown," he said softly as he took a seat next to her and looking out over the moonlit river.

"I wasn't at first. I had a nightmare, and the air felt good. Now that you mention it, though, it's pretty chilly out." she answered in a voice that surprised Natsu. Despite her tears, her voice was steady and strong.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around her smaller frame and pulled her close, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Good thing you've got a human radiator for a friend."

She giggled, the sweet sound making Natsu blush. He was thankful she couldn't see his face. "Yeah, the best human radiator a girl could have," she answered as she curled into him and wrapping her arms around his waist, relishing the warmth and the smell of her best friend.

They sat together like this for a few moments, enjoying one another's company and the serenity of the forest. "You can talk to me if you need to, I just don't want to pressure you into anything."

"I know. I don't really know how to explain how I'm feeling, but it isn't bad. I know that sounds silly because I'm crying, but I feel good."

"No, it makes sense. Everything you feel makes sense, it's all valid."

"Thanks for being there for me Natsu, it means more to me than I could ever put into words."

He pulled away just enough to look at her. Her hair was mused from sleep, falling in disheveled waves around her from when he splashed her earlier. The big brown eyes were wet, shimmering in the moonlight. Her face was reddened from crying, her cheeks and nose showing most of the effects. She looked stunning, Natsu's breath hitched.

"I'll always be here Luce. Even with I'm not physically with you, always know that I'm here for you."

Lucy noted his voice was deeper than usual, and a shiver went through her body. Whether it was from the cold or the effect of his voice, she could only guess. He moved a hand up to push a wayward strand of hair out of her face, his fingers brushing across her cheek as he did so.

He didn't break eye contact with her, the intimate moment was suffocating. Without thinking, he blurted out "I love you, Lucy."

Her eyes widened. It wasn't because of the words themselves, but because this time they had a different meaning. She couldn't explain it, but she could feel it. Natsu didn't give her time to process it, let alone respond as he tilted his head and gently captured her lips with his own. A soft sigh escaped her lips, her eyes closing in response to the kiss.

It was a chaste, quick moment; however, both of them were breathing much more heavily than they were a moment ago. Lucy shivered before opening her eyes to meet Natsu's. She smiled and proceeded to crawl into his lap and bury her face in his chest. Natsu was stunned for a moment but didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her frame. She seemed so small like this, fitting perfectly in his arms. He kissed the top of her head, just holding her in a comfortable silence.

"I love you, too Natsu," she whispered into his chest.

"Let's get you back to camp, Luce. It's cold out here and you're shivering."

Natsu proceeded to pick Lucy up without warning, and she yelped in surprise. The new position forced her to wrap her arms around his neck as he carried her bridal style to their campsite. She didn't mind, though. He was warm as always, radiating a comfortable heat that thawed her chilled body.

When they arrived at camp, he set her down near her sleeping bag.

"Do you, uh, want me to lay with you? To keep you warm, I mean…" he trailed off.

Lucy blushed furiously, the thought of sleeping so near to him after this shift in their relationship sending a heat through her body. She couldn't muster up words, so she just nodded in consent. He quickly crawled into her bag, scooting over so that she had room to crawl in beside him.

"No funny business, ok?" she asked as she slid in next to him.

"Promise, Luce," he answered as he pulled her against his strong frame.

Lucy felt so small here next to him, but not in a bad way. She was warm, she felt safe. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, feeling at peace with herself for the first time in a long time.