The Rosafelt [Fairy Tail/Nalu AU Fanfic]

Chapter 23: Months Lost To Sleep

-Lucy P.O.V-
I watched as everyone filled into the room. I hadn't noticed at first- I was too focused on Erza's tears- but I realised that they were all wearing dresses.
"W-Where are we?" I muttered. "What's with the outfits?"
"Lucy, we made it! We're in Crocus!" Wendy said, crying with joy. "And you're finally with us again."
"We're...in Crocus?" Natsu said, looking around.
"In the palace. The king luckily took us in his care," Ezra explained.
"So that's why you're all..." I murmured, trying to make sense of it. I wanted to know everything, see everything...so much that my head started to ache. I leaned back in my bed and closed my eyes.
"Just give me a minute..." I muttered, breathing deeply.

"I am sorry, ladies, but I must ask you to leave. This is too much for them to take in all at once," I heard the nurse say. "We need to take a variety of tests to assure that their bodies are functioning properly. They will unfortunately not be able to leave until then. They also need to preform some physiotherapy, as their bones and muscles will be very weak."
"What? But they just woke up!" Cana protested, annoyed. I opened my eyes again, and smiled.
"The nurse is right...this is kinda overwhelming," Natsu said, exhaling.
"We'll be fine," I told them, smiling.
"Okay. If Lucy says it's alright, then it's alright," Erza said, nodding her head in approval.

-Lucy P.O.V-
Once everyone had left the room, I sunk into the covers of my bed.
"Everything's...different..." I whispered.
"A lot's happened in six months, huh?" I heard Natsu say, laughing.
"Lord Dragneel, we must preform some tests now. You too, Lady Heartfilia."
"Lord Dragneel?" Natsu repeated, laughing. "Call me Natsu. I'm not a king or anything."
"If that is your wish, Natsu," one of the nurses replied.
"Me too," I murmured from behind the covers. "Call me Lucy."
The nurses started laughing. "Yes, Lucy," they answered.

The tests took almost the whole day, and we'd woken up at the crack of dawn.
"Try standing up," the nurse instructed. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, however they felt completely numb.
"I...I don't want to," I muttered, afraid.
"It's alright, I'm just here," the nurse said with a friendly smile. I glacned over the nurse's shoulder at Natsu, who was also getting the same treatment. He, however, was less careful. Immediately he attempted to force himself up, only to watch his legs give way and collapse onto the floor.
"Damnit..." he said with frustration.
"N-Natsu, that was reckless!" The nurse stuttered, helping him back onto the bed.
"Reckless? I've been walking since I was two!" Natsu complained, his face slightly red with embarrassment. "It...shouldn't be an issue now."

"Natsu, your feet haven't even touched the floor in six months. Any muscle would go rough when exposed to no movement for such a long period of time," the nurse informed him.
"Natsu," I said softly. "It's not our fault-"
"Can't you see the problem?" He interrupted. I felt a sense of pain, frustration. "Everyone's moved on. We're living in the time six months ago. We can't even walk for god's sake, and everyone else is out there with the king!"
"But we'll adapt, Natsu," I told him. I breathed deeply, slowly, and stood up on my own two feet.
"Lucy..." the nurse warned. I gave her a comforting smile.

"I'll be alright," I assured her. Being careful not to pull any muscles or damage other parts of my legs, I placed one foot in front of the other, then again, and again, till I was nearer to Natsu. By the fourth step, however, my knees gave in. Fortunately, I was close enough to fall into Natsu's arms. Shocked by my fall, Natsu stood up, catching me. I rested my head against his chest, listened to his heavy heartbeat.
"We'll be okay," I whispered gently. "I know we will."

I felt him wrap his arms around me, trapping me in a warm hug. When I was this close to him, everything was clear. His thoughts, memories, emotions...even hints of feelings were recognisable. Fear, embarrassment...
Lust?
I instantly backed myself away from him, and he did the same. We both stared at each other with wide eyes.
"You..." I muttered, my face bright red.
"A-And you..." he replied, holding the same expression.

"W-What was that about?!" I shouted, so shocked that my confusion exploded into anger.
"How am I supposed to know? Y-You did it too!" He yelled back, folding his arms and glancing away.
"You're...so childish!" I cried, pushing his arms away from me.
"I'm childish? You're face is as red as a tomato!"
"Have you looked in the mirror?"
"Now you're being ridiculous!"
"How is that ridiculous?!"
"This is stupid!" Natsu shouted, "and besides, It's not like I haven't kissed you already anyway!"
I fell silent, because of what he'd said; he fell silent because he hadn't even realised what his words really meant.

The kiss.
I had forgotten completely, simply because I had been screaming in pain at the time, and wasn't really conscious enough to understand what he'd done.
But now he'd brought it up again, and it was an entirely different concept. It wasn't the connection of my other half, it was a kiss. A kiss of desire, of passion, of...
Love.
"I-I'm sorry," I muttered, too embarrassed, ashamed, or even scared to look Natsu in the eye. I turned to the nurse, praying to forget the whole conversation. "Can I please have my tests, now?"
"Of course, Lucy," the nurse replied. "We'll preform your physical exercise down the hall."
She walked over to the corner of the room and wheeled out a wheel chair from behind a white screen.

"Sit yourself here," she instructed with a motherly tone. I sat down onto the wheelchair, being careful not to injure any of the muscles that were still numb. As the nurse wheeled me past Natsu, he grabbed my hand.
"Don't make this an argument," he said. "I did it to save your life. Nothing more."
I sighed, then gave him a sad smile.
"I know," I replied. "It's just..."
"Embarrassing, and you want to leave the room as quickly as possible," Natsu finished, laughing. "I get it, Lucy. Even though we're living this life, it doesn't take away the fact that we're still teenagers."
"Look at you, so mature," I teased. Then I paused for a second, letting the silence calm me. "If we're being adults here..." I began. "Then...it was nice."
I immediately gestured for the nurse to wheel me away after, not even daring to look at Natsu's reaction. Partly because I didn't want to see it, but mostly because I did.
And that's what scared me above anything.
It was nice.
Nice...
I felt laughter creep up inside of me.
Talk about an understatement.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
OH THE GLORIOUS SHIP IS SAILING HIGH INTO THE SKIES!!!!
Natsu and Lucy tend to fall in love quite quickly in my fanfics, I don't know I guess I'm just bad at taking things slowly. Don't worry though, it won't be like the next chapter they're getting married or anything XD
It's all hints and signs my lovelies ;)
THANKS FOR READING, AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!! Xxxx