Inseparable

Time For A Break

It was day six of their journey, and Lucy was about to strangle her companions.

Happy would not stop whining. He was constantly hungry, constantly complaining about how far they had to go. Lucy would end up snapping at the exceed, only for him to burst into tears, which was even more annoying.

Lucy had no idea what was going on with Natsu, though. He kept yelling in his sleep, and always woke up covered in sweat and looking like he had just seen a ghost. He always refused to say what he had been dreaming about.

Even during the day, Lucy would catch him staring at her, his eyebrows furrowed. He would jump at the slightest of sounds, even setting a bush on fire when it rustled, the rabbit that had been in the bush barely escaping the small inferno. With each passing day, he seemed to get more de-railed and jittery. The blonde didn't know what to do, or how to help. He refused to talk to her, always mumbling that he was just tired, or making up a lame excuse. It was frustrating her, and also making her extremely worried.

Lucy was starting to think that this mission was a bad idea, but they couldn't turn back now. Maybe he just needed a break? They had no real time limit on the quest, perhaps they could take a few days to rest and rejuvenate. They'd been travelling non-stop for almost a week now; they could afford a few days to relax.

That night they set up camp beside a small lake in a clearing. The night was clear, and the lake was reflecting the moon, casting a soft glow across the clearing. Happy had caught some fish, and they were currently roasting them over the fire Natsu had created.

Lucy glanced at the exceed and dragon slayer over the fire. They both looked worn out and tired, and Natsu was definitely not acting like himself. His eyes were dull and without their usual sparkle, and she hadn't seen him grin in days. They needed a break.

Lucy turned a fish slowly as it cooked, clearing her throat softly to grab their attention. "So, I was thinking that maybe we could stay here for a couple of days. We've been travelling for almost a week, and I think we deserve a break. Besides, this place is rather nice."

Happy looked up at her, waving his half cooked fish around in the air. "Lushi, that's a great idea! I can fish all I want!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, glancing over at the dragon slayer who was currently staring into the flames. "Natsu? How does that sound?"

"Yeah, it sounds great." Natsu didn't even raise his head when he responded, poking at the coals of the fire with a stick.

Lucy sighed, shuffling around the fire to sit next to the dragon slayer. She threw her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen at her touch, his head turning to glance down at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving you a hug, stupid." She shrugged, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder. "Thought it might make you feel better." She was glad it was dark enough that he wouldn't notice the blush coating her cheeks. His body was so warm, and she wished he would hug her back, but his arms remained in his lap.

"She liiiiiiikes you~" Happy trilled, rolling his tongue as he covered his mouth with a paw, giggling.

Lucy huffed, shoving herself away from Natsu. The dragon slayer only tilted to the side slightly. She stood up, marching over to the blue exceed.

"I am this close to strangling you if you don't shut up, you stupid blue cat-" Lucy picked up the cat, shaking him lightly. Happy wailed, trying to escape her grip.

"Natsuuuu, help! She's gonna kill me!"

"Damn right, you annoying little-"

A laugh broke into their quarrel, and they both looked at the source in surprise. Natsu had a small grin on his face. He blinked when he saw the shocked looks on their faces. "What?"

Happy and Lucy looked at each other, grinned, then started laughing as well.

Natsu had a look of confusion on his face, "What?" He repeated, a pout forming on his face.

"Oh, nothing. Just nice to see you smile again." Lucy smiled at him, Happy nodding in agreement.

"Aye!"

The fire had died down a while ago, red coals now the source of heat. Happy had long since fallen asleep, and Lucy wasn't far off doing the same. Lucy stretched as she was about to crawl into her sleeping bag, only to stop when she noticed Natsu wasn't in his. Frowning, she glanced around in search of the dragon slayer. She eventually spotted him sitting by the lake, his figure a dark silhouette against the light of the moon.

Lucy carefully dodged Happy's sleeping form as she quietly made her way over to Natsu. She was barefoot, and her feet hit the sand as she walked up behind him, placing her hand on the pink-haired man's shoulder. He didn't even flinch in surprise; she supposed that was the benefits of having enhanced sense: no one could sneak up on you.

"You should be getting some sleep," Natsu said quietly, not looking at her.

Lucy shrugged, moving to sit beside him on the sand, drawing her knees up to her chest. "I'm not really tired. You?"

Natsu shook his head, "Nah, neither." That was a lie. It was hard to miss the dark rings around the bottom of his eyes. She let it slide, though, bumping her shoulder lightly against his.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" She mused out loud as she stared out at the sparkling lake.

Natsu nodded, glancing to the side to look at Lucy, though she didn't notice. "Yeah, it is."

Lucy was silent for a moment before a sly grin spread across her face. "You know what?"

Natsu shook his head, frowning. "What?"

She glanced directly at him, a mischievous light in her eyes, a smirk spreading across her lips. "We should go for a swim."