Once the Sky Reaches the Flames

Chapter 44: Heart to Heart, Mark to Mark

"...!"

Natsu's eyes shot wide open, his senses becoming fully alert. He stared at the ceiling, his mind slowly regaining awareness of his surroundings.

Ugh, my head hurts...

He gripped his head and rubbed it to ease the pain. Pushing himself up by the elbows, he turned his head to the windows. No sun rays were passing through the glass. In fact, it was completely dark!

What... time is it?

He gave a quick glance at the clock and saw it was a few hours after midnight. Woah, it's really early in the morning... he didn't expect to wake up this early.

"Mnnh..."

Natsu's ears perked up as he recognized the sound of the faint breathing beside him. He turned his head and saw the face of a little bluenette sleeping beside him. A face he recognized all too well.

Wendy...

Her expression looked calm and adorable in his eyes. Her hands were wrapped around his arm. She kept me company while I was sick, didn't she? It finally clicked in his mind that yesterday, Wendy wanted to be there for him while he rested in bed.

Natsu drew his hand to her face and gently stroked her cheek. Her skin was always so soft to touch. He brushed some of her bangs away to clear her face. She's sleeping peacefully...

He tossed his blanket away and was about to slide his legs off the bed, but quickly remembered something crucial. More specifically, words that Wendy had told him a while back...

"I want to wake up together with you from now on."

Earlier, Wendy had expressed her interest in waking up together with him. Natsu took her words close to heart. After all, he hated seeing her sad, especially if he were the cause of her sadness. But now that he was awake, he felt rather... perplexed. Seeing Wendy's calm, sleeping face left him with mixed feelings. Not to mention that it was practically midnight. Should he wake her up at this time? Would she feel disturbed? These questions swirled around his mind. I don't want to disturb her sleep...

Shrugging his shoulders, Natsu carefully pulled his arm and slid his legs off the bed so as to not wake her up. I'll let her sleep. Don't wanna bother her... was the decision he ended up figured she needed all the rest from looking after him.

Right after his feet touch the cold floor, Natsu felt himself being yanked back onto the bed by his scarf. Slender arms tightly coiled around his chest.

"What did I say about –yawn...–waking up together?"

"W-Wendy?!" Natsu's eyes widened in surprise. "You're awake?"

"I felt cold all of a sudden." She snuggled closer to him. "I had a feeling you were trying to escape."

"Heh, really?" Natsu poked her nose. I wouldn't say I was escaping... "You look very tired."

"No, I'm wide awake..." she tightened her arms around him, her eyes still shut. "Just... give me a minute."

"It's pretty early to be waking up." He chuckled, brushing her forelock. "You don't have to push yourself."

"I said give me a minute." She pouted, repeating herself in a sterner tone, which Natsu found rather endearing.

"Haha, okay, okay."

Natsu waited in bed as he let Wendy cuddle with him. One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed... and Wendy had not budged even a single inch, to which he concluded that she was asleep.