Apartment No.50 [8]

Lucy woke up and moaned. „Geez, my head. My eyes..." She buried herself under the blanket completely, evading the sunrays forcing through the window.

- Thank god it's Sunday and I don't have to do anything. – She mumbled under the blanket. – I'm sooo hangover. I'm never ever drinking with Natsu again.

She sharply sat up, her eyes wide open in terror.

- Natsu! OH. MY. GOD.

The next moment she regretted getting up so fast because everything started spinning and she had to lie down on her back. Lucy remembered everything what she done being drunk.

"No... No, no, no... Stupid Lucy. You told him about your ex. You asked him to strip you. And he saw you in your underwear, again. Smart move. Really." Lucy let out a loud sigh and got up from the bed, slowly and clumsy. "I cried in front of him and... and we... I fell asleep in his arms." She looked at both sides but she was sleeping alone. "And what would I do, if I had found him in my bed?"

- Maybe the sleeping part was just hallucinations... – She whispered.

Lucy stood up and staggered to the closet. She changed her clothes and gaped at herself when she saw her reflection in the mirror. "Did he saw me with my face like this?!" She cleaned her panda eyes and brushed her hair. "Water. I need water. And junk food."

She walked to the kitchen and tried to remember what happened to Gray and if she really did fall asleep in Natsu's arms. She got her answer when she stepped into the kitchen. All three of them were sitting and having breakfast. Well, more like sitting at empty plates.

- Good morning... – Lucy said and everyone turned towards her.

She looked at Natsu and the look on his face spoke for itself. "I did fall asleep in Natsu's arms..."

- Morning, how's your head? You should thank Natsu for taking care of you last night. – Juvia said, smiling like sunshine.

- Good morning. – Gray said slowly. "So I'm not the only one with headache."

- Breakfast? – Natsu asked and avoided looking in her eyes.

- Water. – Lucy said, her throat went dry, she could hardly speak. She felt ashamed.

He handed a glass with water and ice and Lucy blushed, remembering that she spilled one last night on both of them. Also, that he took off his shirt, because of her. "I cried in his bare chest. His bare and... muscular chest..."

- Ok, we're off. Gray, take your head and let's go. - Natsu grinned at his joke.

- Where? – Lucy asked, not knowing why.

- I'm taking Gray home.  – Natsu answered, still not looking in Lucy's eyes. – And going shopping.

- Bye, bye ladies. Thanks for the nice time yesterday. – Gray smiled and waved goodbye. He and Natsu left the apartment.

Lucy sat down at the table and slowly drunk her water.

- Are you ok, do you need some pills?

- No, I can manage... – Lucy smiled feebly.

- I hope you didn't fight with Natsu, although he said you were having you bonding time.

- He did? – She asked chocking.

- Yes. I asked, if he needs help, but he said you were talking about stuff. So I let you two be. He also said something about you two ending a war or something. I don't really remember. Gray and me sat and talked for hours, even after Natsu came and said that he's going to bed. "So I didn't fall asleep in his arms?! Or did?"

- The drunk me told him about my ex. – Lucy said and hid her face in her hands.

- What?  - Juvia exclaimed. – Did he say something?

- He said the same you did. – Lucy didn't mention she was crying.

- You regret telling him?

- I don't know. Sort of... But I'm not sure... – Lucy said and looked up at Juvia.
Juvia hugged Lucy and she hugged back, she felt uncertain what to do next, what should she tell Natsu . Should she even bring this all up?

- So, what did you and Gray discuss? – Lucy wanted to change the theme.

- Well, about nothing and everything. Lucy, he's cute!

Lucy and Juvia talked more about their conversation while Juvia made breakfast for Lucy. Lucy drifted away from her ashamed feeling and enjoyed time together with her best friend. She finished her breakfast, and Juvia told more about her trip, Lucy listened with enthusiasm. Juvia said she'll go and continue unpacking. Lucy washed the dishes and sat for a moment in the kitchen and pondered about the wounds she opened telling Natsu about her ex.

She stood up and walked slowly to her room, her eyes going over every corner if the apartment. "It is really a nice place." Lucy noticed something moving and saw the little gecko slowly crawling from underneath the couch. She caught it and lifted to her face.

- Hey, Happy. How are you doing? Did Natsu forget about you? – She said looking in the geckos small eyes, - I think we should put you in your home, right?

She opened the door to Natsu's room and saw a terrarium right away.

- What a nice home you have, just like me. – She put the gecko in the terrarium that had a small sticker on it that said "Happy's kingdom". Lucy smiled at the name and looked around in Natsu's room.

She saw that everything was unpacked and clean. There was a big poster on the wall where the bed was. It depicted a tree and its four seasons. His laptop and speakers was on the desk. Also some sticky notes and stationery. The bed was made with red bed linen. There were several pictures on the shelve, she recognised Juvia, Gray. She smiled at a picture showing small Juvia and Natsu. A picture of their parents.

She sat on the bed and saw a book on the nightstand. Lucy picked it up and saw a bookmark, marking the place he's reading. She put the book down and stood up. She heard the gecko in the terrarium and went to look at the noise. Halfway there Lucy heard her name.

- Lucy? – Natsu asked surprised.

- Natsu! – She startled and turned to face him.

- What are you doing here?

- Happy.

- Happy?

- Ermmm, the gecko. – She pointed to towards Natsu's pet, - I found him in the living room and put in the terrarium.

- Yeah, I guess I forgot about him. – Natsu scratched the back of his head.

- Luce, listen about yesterday... – He started, not sure what to say next, - I... You... It will stay a secret, I'm not telling anyone about your ex. – He clenched his fist, Lucy missed to notice it.

- Thank you. – Lucy smiled with a sad expression. – Friends?

- Friends.

- And you can call me Luce. – They smiled at each other.

- Did you sleep well? I sort of dozed off at the same time you fell asleep, but woke up soon after and went to sleep in my room.

- I slept well. Thank you for listening to me and I'm sorry you had to see me like this. "So I wasn't hallucinating..."

- That's what friends do. - Natsu smiled reassuringly.

Lucy made her way out of Natsu's room and stopped in front of him. She looked in his eyes and hugged him, whispering a thank you. Natsu hugged her back and felt at ease.

- I think I'm going to watch a movie or read a book. My hangover me wants to rest. – Lucy said and walked out of Natsu's room.

Lucy spent the day in her room, walking occasionally to the kitchen to get a drink or snacks, or to visit the bathroom. Juvia was unpacking the whole day so they only talked a few times. Natsu unpacked the shopping bags after the talk with Lucy and left the apartment only to return when everybody was already sleeping.