[Fairy Tail] Thirty Seconds Till Sunrise
Lisana came home late that night, a little wrung out from the day’s events and quite eager to settle into bed. She was barely able to keep her eyes open long enough the maneuver through the darkness of her room, but she managed to make it to the edge of her closet, where she slowly disposed of all her clothes, hung them on her chair before changing into her nightgown.
Still with her eyes closed, she clambered into bed, sank tired-bones and muscles against the softness and warmth of duvet covers when she realized the mattress was … moving. A little confused at this point, Lisana opened her eyes and nearly let out a shriek to what-or rather whom-she found already laying there.
Without further ado, she gave the sleeper a duly smack across the chest.
“Oof!” The sleeping figure sat up abruptly, looked around the room as if he wasn’t quite sure where he was before finally settling on her.
“Lis…ana?” he mumbled, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. “Is that you?”
“Of course it’s me,” she said, exasperated. She crossed her arms. “The question is what are you doing here? And why were you on my bed?”
Unfazed, Natsu yawned. “I was waiting for you. Got bored and fell asleep.”
He made it sound like the most logical thing in the world. Lisana sighed and shook her head. “You’re not supposed to be here. This is the girl’s dormitory, you know. Mira-nee is just across the room from me. If she finds out you’re here, she’ll-“
“Oh, relax,” he said, grinning. “She won’t even know I’m here.”
Lisana made a face. “How did you even get in here?”
“Oh, the window,” he said, pointing behind him, where streams of moonlight had seeped past the curtains and over her bed. Somehow, this did not surprise her one bit.
“Why though?” she said.
“I told you… I was waiting for you,” he said.
“But,” she said, this time, staring at the clock on her bedside table, “it’s almost two in the morning. Couldn’t have this waited till later?”
That’s when Natsu’s expression changed and he looked away, but Lisana had caught it. He looked like he was troubled by something and automatically, she felt the need to reach out and help him.
“Is something wrong?” she ventured carefully, although a tingle of fear crept into her heart. “Are you okay? Is Happy alright?”
“Everyone is alright,” he assured her gently.
Lisana nodded, relieved. She tilted her head to the side, a tad curious now. “Then what couldn’t possibly wait till later?”
He shifted in his seat, this time looking slightly embarrassed. “Well… you hardly come over any more,” he muttered, causing Lisana to blink.
“Huh?”
It could just be the lighting, but Lisana could have sworn Natsu was blushing.
“You don’t come over as much anymore,” he repeated, making it a point not to look her in the eye.
Lisana just continued to stare. “I was busy,” she replied, not knowing what else to say. “I had missions…”
“And Happy’s always looking for you and keeps asking me when the next time you’re coming over,” he mumbled, looking down at this hands. “I get you have to work, but … Happy… we-he really misses you, you know.”
Underneath those words, she could hear the unspoken, And I miss you hang over them, loudly. Echoing.
It was Lisana’s turn to look down at her hands as a rush of heat swarmed her face and stained cheeks; in her chest the rhythm of her heart started picking up speed-something that Natsu was getting better at doing day by day. She briefly wondered if he could hear it somehow-the loud trilling of her heart as it picked up speed each time she laid eyes on him. And with his incredible hearing, there were times when Lisana wondered just how it was possible he didn’t know yet… didn’t know what he did to her and how she felt about him.
“O-Oh, I never realized,” she murmured, biting her lip. “I’m sorry.”
He immediately looked panicked. “I’m not angry or anything,” he said quickly and then flushed. “I just thought, you know, it’d be nice … for Happy, if he could see you around more. I mean I’d like to see your around too-I mean, you’re my friend and all and-”he went on babbling, his expression rather pained, as though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch himself or not.
Watching him a flounder was rather adorable, especially when it was rare to see Natsu so embarrassed or shy about anything. He rarely held back his thoughts-was never afraid to speak his mind-let alone his feelings. He was blunt, carefree and lived life so freely. And for all the toughness and loudness he put on, he only went completely soft and gentle for both Happy and for her. And she was glad-was secretly pleased-that she was one of the only few who ever got to see this side of him. It made her feel a little different from all the rest of their friends; it made her feel like she was special to him somehow.
And the fact that he went out of his way to see her, had stayed up waiting for her… well, it made her happier than she’d ever been. Before she could help herself, Lisana threw her arms around him.
“Whaaa-what-I-I-“ Natsu choked. “W-What are you doing, Lisana?”
Now she knew for sure Natsu was blushing; she could practically feel the burn of his face against her cheeks as she held him tighter. She pulled away slightly, but kept her arms around him; her cheeks as red as his.
“I’m just really happy,” she said, breathless; smile so wide it made her cheeks hurt. But she couldn’t help it.
Natsu just stared at her, and it reminded her of the fact that she was sitting in middle of her bed… with a boy… in her nightgown-a boy whom she currently had her arms around and who shouldn’t really be in her room, let alone in her bed in the first place.
“Oh, sorry,” she said as the full extent of her actions finally dawned on her and bashfulness and awkwardness came back to her with a vengeance. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“she moved to pull away when, out of no where, he caught her by the wrist and yanked her back to him.
And she was in his arms, taking in the musky scent of soup, earth and home from his shirt and scarf.
“Natsu, what’s-“he held onto her tighter to stop her from escaping.
He propped his chin on her shoulder as he spoke, “Does this mean we’ll see you more often?”
The surprise didn’t last too long and she buried her face against shirt, her heart so full she thought she was going to burst. She hummed her answer softly, but he caught it, and in response, he pulled her closer.
Yes.
Some time in the night, they’d winded up lying against the pillows, not letting ago of one another-not that they wanted to. They didn’t speak about their current arrangement nor did they acknowledge this new shift in their relationship. There was an air of comfort and sense of easiness she found in the way he held her, and she did not quite want to relinquish her hold just yet.
“I better get going,” he mumbled into her hair, although he still had yet to move. “It’s kinda late.”
Lisana hesitated and glanced at the clock. It was almost three in the morning. It was funny… how just a couple hours ago she couldn’t wait to fall asleep, and now, she couldn’t imagine shutting her eyes just yet.
He shifted in her arms and out of instinct, she reacted.
“Wait,” she said, gripping his shirt. “Stay.” She felt her face heat up again with the way he was suddenly staring at her, but she forced herself to meet his eyes. “Stay.”
She didn’t know what compelled her to ask him this. He really should be here and her older sister was just across the hall.
He really shouldn’t be here, but …that didn’t mean she didn’t want him to be.
“Just till dawn,” she whispered. “Stay.”
Natsu’s expression softened and his eyes were unreadable.
“Okay.”
No whys or no’s… just okay.
She watched as he unraveled his scarf from his neck, hung it on a nearby chair and threw his shoes onto the floor. Lisana lifted the covers to let him in. It took awhile to get comfortable, but like two halves of the same whole they came together to fit just perfectly: with his arms wound around her the small of her waist, drawing her to him and her face in the crook of his neck, where she inhaled the scent of soup, earth and home.
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
She felt the curve of a smile form in her hair before she fell asleep. “Goodnight.”
Still with her eyes closed, she clambered into bed, sank tired-bones and muscles against the softness and warmth of duvet covers when she realized the mattress was … moving. A little confused at this point, Lisana opened her eyes and nearly let out a shriek to what-or rather whom-she found already laying there.
Without further ado, she gave the sleeper a duly smack across the chest.
“Oof!” The sleeping figure sat up abruptly, looked around the room as if he wasn’t quite sure where he was before finally settling on her.
“Lis…ana?” he mumbled, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. “Is that you?”
“Of course it’s me,” she said, exasperated. She crossed her arms. “The question is what are you doing here? And why were you on my bed?”
Unfazed, Natsu yawned. “I was waiting for you. Got bored and fell asleep.”
He made it sound like the most logical thing in the world. Lisana sighed and shook her head. “You’re not supposed to be here. This is the girl’s dormitory, you know. Mira-nee is just across the room from me. If she finds out you’re here, she’ll-“
“Oh, relax,” he said, grinning. “She won’t even know I’m here.”
Lisana made a face. “How did you even get in here?”
“Oh, the window,” he said, pointing behind him, where streams of moonlight had seeped past the curtains and over her bed. Somehow, this did not surprise her one bit.
“Why though?” she said.
“I told you… I was waiting for you,” he said.
“But,” she said, this time, staring at the clock on her bedside table, “it’s almost two in the morning. Couldn’t have this waited till later?”
That’s when Natsu’s expression changed and he looked away, but Lisana had caught it. He looked like he was troubled by something and automatically, she felt the need to reach out and help him.
“Is something wrong?” she ventured carefully, although a tingle of fear crept into her heart. “Are you okay? Is Happy alright?”
“Everyone is alright,” he assured her gently.
Lisana nodded, relieved. She tilted her head to the side, a tad curious now. “Then what couldn’t possibly wait till later?”
He shifted in his seat, this time looking slightly embarrassed. “Well… you hardly come over any more,” he muttered, causing Lisana to blink.
“Huh?”
It could just be the lighting, but Lisana could have sworn Natsu was blushing.
“You don’t come over as much anymore,” he repeated, making it a point not to look her in the eye.
Lisana just continued to stare. “I was busy,” she replied, not knowing what else to say. “I had missions…”
“And Happy’s always looking for you and keeps asking me when the next time you’re coming over,” he mumbled, looking down at this hands. “I get you have to work, but … Happy… we-he really misses you, you know.”
Underneath those words, she could hear the unspoken, And I miss you hang over them, loudly. Echoing.
It was Lisana’s turn to look down at her hands as a rush of heat swarmed her face and stained cheeks; in her chest the rhythm of her heart started picking up speed-something that Natsu was getting better at doing day by day. She briefly wondered if he could hear it somehow-the loud trilling of her heart as it picked up speed each time she laid eyes on him. And with his incredible hearing, there were times when Lisana wondered just how it was possible he didn’t know yet… didn’t know what he did to her and how she felt about him.
“O-Oh, I never realized,” she murmured, biting her lip. “I’m sorry.”
He immediately looked panicked. “I’m not angry or anything,” he said quickly and then flushed. “I just thought, you know, it’d be nice … for Happy, if he could see you around more. I mean I’d like to see your around too-I mean, you’re my friend and all and-”he went on babbling, his expression rather pained, as though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch himself or not.
Watching him a flounder was rather adorable, especially when it was rare to see Natsu so embarrassed or shy about anything. He rarely held back his thoughts-was never afraid to speak his mind-let alone his feelings. He was blunt, carefree and lived life so freely. And for all the toughness and loudness he put on, he only went completely soft and gentle for both Happy and for her. And she was glad-was secretly pleased-that she was one of the only few who ever got to see this side of him. It made her feel a little different from all the rest of their friends; it made her feel like she was special to him somehow.
And the fact that he went out of his way to see her, had stayed up waiting for her… well, it made her happier than she’d ever been. Before she could help herself, Lisana threw her arms around him.
“Whaaa-what-I-I-“ Natsu choked. “W-What are you doing, Lisana?”
Now she knew for sure Natsu was blushing; she could practically feel the burn of his face against her cheeks as she held him tighter. She pulled away slightly, but kept her arms around him; her cheeks as red as his.
“I’m just really happy,” she said, breathless; smile so wide it made her cheeks hurt. But she couldn’t help it.
Natsu just stared at her, and it reminded her of the fact that she was sitting in middle of her bed… with a boy… in her nightgown-a boy whom she currently had her arms around and who shouldn’t really be in her room, let alone in her bed in the first place.
“Oh, sorry,” she said as the full extent of her actions finally dawned on her and bashfulness and awkwardness came back to her with a vengeance. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“she moved to pull away when, out of no where, he caught her by the wrist and yanked her back to him.
And she was in his arms, taking in the musky scent of soup, earth and home from his shirt and scarf.
“Natsu, what’s-“he held onto her tighter to stop her from escaping.
He propped his chin on her shoulder as he spoke, “Does this mean we’ll see you more often?”
The surprise didn’t last too long and she buried her face against shirt, her heart so full she thought she was going to burst. She hummed her answer softly, but he caught it, and in response, he pulled her closer.
Yes.
Some time in the night, they’d winded up lying against the pillows, not letting ago of one another-not that they wanted to. They didn’t speak about their current arrangement nor did they acknowledge this new shift in their relationship. There was an air of comfort and sense of easiness she found in the way he held her, and she did not quite want to relinquish her hold just yet.
“I better get going,” he mumbled into her hair, although he still had yet to move. “It’s kinda late.”
Lisana hesitated and glanced at the clock. It was almost three in the morning. It was funny… how just a couple hours ago she couldn’t wait to fall asleep, and now, she couldn’t imagine shutting her eyes just yet.
He shifted in her arms and out of instinct, she reacted.
“Wait,” she said, gripping his shirt. “Stay.” She felt her face heat up again with the way he was suddenly staring at her, but she forced herself to meet his eyes. “Stay.”
She didn’t know what compelled her to ask him this. He really should be here and her older sister was just across the hall.
He really shouldn’t be here, but …that didn’t mean she didn’t want him to be.
“Just till dawn,” she whispered. “Stay.”
Natsu’s expression softened and his eyes were unreadable.
“Okay.”
No whys or no’s… just okay.
She watched as he unraveled his scarf from his neck, hung it on a nearby chair and threw his shoes onto the floor. Lisana lifted the covers to let him in. It took awhile to get comfortable, but like two halves of the same whole they came together to fit just perfectly: with his arms wound around her the small of her waist, drawing her to him and her face in the crook of his neck, where she inhaled the scent of soup, earth and home.
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
She felt the curve of a smile form in her hair before she fell asleep. “Goodnight.”