Natsu sat silently next to Lucy. She had fallen ill and was wrapped up in several blankets while Erza and Grey went to look for a doctor to help her. Happy curled up in her arms worried about her, hoping the doctor could make her feel better soon. Lucy shivered, even though she was wrapped into so many layers of blankets that it would over heat even Grey. He watched her sleeping face. It had been almost a year since the four of them had set out on their quest for Aquarius' key, since he had made his half assed confession to her.

"Natsu?" Happy said sadly making him look at the blue cat cuddled up to Lucy. "Lucy will be okay, right?"

"Of course she will." He smirked. "It's Lucy after all." Happy gave a small smile and cuddled farther into her arms as she shivered again. "You have to be okay, Lucy." He said softly once Happy dosed back off. "Please." He sighed looking at his lap. He felt someone grab his hand making his eyes shoot up to see Lucy smiling weakly at her.

"It's just a cold." She said softly. "I'll be okay, so don't worry." She glanced around. "Where's Erza and Grey?"

"They went to look for a doctor for you." Natsu said, holding her hand. "Erza didn't want to move you any more so we set up a camp and they went to find a village or city."

"They didn't have to do that." She shook her head and tried to sit up.

"Lucy…" He said as he jumped to make her lay back down. "Lucy, you're too sick to be sitting up." He said as he tried to cover her up again while Happy scooted out of the way.

"I'm fine." She said as she shivered again, trying to sit back up.

Natsu looked worried as he laid her down again. "It's the middle of summer, you have all of our blankets and you're still shivering, you're not fine." He sighed and unwrapped his scarf before he gently wrapped it around her. "Here this should help too."

"Your scarf?" She looked at it as he gave a small smile.

"You have to stay warm." He told her as he covered her up again.

Lucy smiled and reached her hand out of the cover taking his again. "Thank you Natsu."

He smirked and nodded. "We have a long quest for your key and to do everything we all wanted to, so you have to get better and not die."

Lucy gave a little laugh. "I did promise to be together forever after all." Natsu's face tinted slightly but he smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Natsu." She said as her eyes slid closed and she felt Happy curl up at her side as Natsu brushed her bangs off her sweaty forehead.

Happy fell back to sleep with Lucy while Natsu sat staring at her again. He heard foot steps making him perk up and glance around. He sniffed the air and gave a soft sigh moments before Erza and Grey made it into the little clearing followed by an older looking man. "How's Lucy?" Grey asked as he came to his companion's side.

"She woke up." Natsu said. "Tried to get up too." He crossed his arms as Happy woke up.

"This is your friend?" The man asked as he knelt on the other side of Lucy.

"Can you help her?" Erza asked, standing behind Natsu.

The man looked at Lucy and felt her head before he nodded. "I believe I can. I'll need to gather some medicine from my office, this is a tough illness she's caught, I need stronger medication than I have with me.

"I'll go with you." Erza said with a nod before the two were heading back to the little village he had been found in. Natsu went back to staring at Lucy with Happy curled back up trying to help Lucy in his own little way. Grey sighed and sat beside Natsu.

The two sat silently for a while before Grey spoke. "Where's your scarf?" He asked looking at his friend. "Don't tell me you lost it in that time it took for Erza and I to get the doctor and back."

"Lucy has it." Natsu said still sitting with his arms crossed as he stared at her. Grey glanced at him and smirked, shaking his head.

"Why don't you just spit it out?" Grey told him. Natsu looked at him confused. "Oh come on, like you don't know what I'm talking about. Just tell her how you feel."

"What?" Natsu looked even more confused. "What do you mean?"

"How thick is that head of yours." Grey shook his had and sighed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You love her." He watched Natsu stiffen at the words. "You'd have to be dead to not see it." He smirked as Natsu looked back at Lucy as they fell silent again. Grey glanced at the worried Natsu. "When you fought Zeref she risked her life fixing you. She was so afraid you wouldn't make it, but she still had faith. I had to use my ice magic to keep her from burning up and when it was done I had to use my demon slaying power to destroy the power that had grabbed onto her while she saved you."

"She did?" He asked looking at Lucy slightly shocked.

Grey smirked. "And when Acnologia took all the slayers she thought you were gone." Natsu looked at him as he looked at Lucy with a sad look. "She was devastated." He looked back to his best friend. "I'm not the best with this stuff but trust me, it's better when you say it."

"Is that why you smelled like Juvia when we left?" Natsu chuckled as Grey turned red and hit him. "Hey! What was that for?" He yelled glaring at Grey.

"You're an idiot." Grey crossed his arms.

"Wanna go?" Natsu pressed as Grey glared at him.

"You're going to wake Lucy." Happy said as he moved to stand between the two who stopped and looked over as Lucy turned onto her side and shivered slightly. They quieted as they watched her. "She's getting really hot." Happy said looking up worried.

"I can help with that." Grey said as he moved to sit at her head. He held his hand out activating the coldness of his magic, letting it flow as Natsu reached out to touch her head.

"You're the only person I ever felt that hot." Happy's eyes filled with tears.

"Don't worry Happy. Erza and that doctor guy will be back soon, and they'll make Lucy all better." He smiled at the little cat before he pulled him into his lap and held him as they waited for Erza and the Doctor to get back.

"Okay." The doctor said as he and Erza arrived back. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Grey using his magic to cool her off as Natsu sat looking a cross between angry and worried with Happy in his lap looking worried. "I've brought medicine that will help bring her fever down and it will help her body fight off the illness." He knelt again beside Lucy as she stirred. "Hello, Miss. I'm Luis, I'm a doctor." Lucy nodded as he held out a round pill. "This will help you feel better." Lucy took it and put the pill in her mouth before Natsu helped her sit up and drink some water.

"This will cure her illness?" Erza asked looking to the doctor who nodded. "You have our thanks."

"It was no problem at all." He smiled. "Just take two of these every day until you feel your energy building back up then you should be fine." He told Lucy as she sat up with Natsu's help, she had one hand on his arm and the other on his on the cup he held for her. "It's going to take a couple of days but you'll feel better."

"Thank you." She said softly making him smile and nod.

"I'll escort you back to your village." Erza volunteered.

"I'll go with you." Grey said as he stood up. "It's better than sitting here with Natsu glaring at the trees." He said as he and Erza began walking the Doctor home.

"Do you feel better Lucy?" Happy asked as he climbed into her lap.

She gave a small smile. "The medicine won't work for a little bit." She said as she felt the little energy she had drain from her.

"I'll get you more water!" He smiled as he took the cup and flew off to the stream a little way away.

"Don't worry, Natsu." She said making him look at her. "I'll be fine in a few days."

Natsu nodded before he pulled her and all the blankets into his lap and he cradled her. She was surprised but smiled and leaned against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you." She felt his grip tighten slightly before he rested his cheek on her head. "Natsu?" He looked down at her but she didn't move, she was out of energy. "I love you." She whispered before she dosed back off to sleep to gain a little energy.

Natsu sat in shock as he looked down at her in his arms. He knew he didn't miss hear her, he heard what he thought he heard. A small smile came to his face as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Lucy." He whispered before he pulled her closer, letting her sleep against him.

Happy landed beside him with a full cup of water. "I brought more water." He said as he set the cup down. "She's asleep again?"

"She does like to sleep, huh?" Natsu smirked as he pulled Happy up to cuddle in Lucy's lap while Natsu leaned back against the tree behind him. Grey walked into the clearing and looked over finding Natsu resting with Lucy in his arms and Happy cuddled in her lap and he couldn't help the smirk before he turned back to the items in the cart and getting everything completely set. They would camp here until Lucy had more strength again.

He looked up as Erza made her entrance and stopped in her tracks looking at the scene. "They're something else." Grey smirked as she smiled and walked over to sit beside him as they started to set up everything. "I wish he would just tell her and get it over with."

"Matters of the heart aren't always easy. You of all people should realize that." She smiled looking at him as he paused for a moment. "I'm glad you made your decision."

Grey couldn't help the small smile. "Me too." He said. The two were silent as they continued setting up before Grey tried to start a fire.

"Need some help with that?" He heard making him look up as Natsu gently laid Lucy and Happy on the ground before he walked over and held his hand out towards the wood and started the fire with a grin.

That night Erza stood guard letting the others rest. She looked over where Lucy was sleeping and found Natsu cradling her once again, with Happy in her lap. She smiled at the sight of one of her best friends so happy. Especially Natsu, after everything he had gone through. She smiled a little more, after everything all of them went through and now they were able to be with who they loved and to laugh and spend time with everyone.

It took Three days before Lucy was strong enough to walk around and had started building her energy back up. She walked over to the stream to collect the water while the others packed the cart back up and Happy was in the village getting some more food for their journey. She smiled when she felt a familiar presence behind her. She smiled at him over her shoulder as he walked closer. "Natsu, can you give me a hand taking these all back to the cart?"

"Yeah sure." He said as he bent down beside her. "How many of these do we really need?"

"Well we don't know exactly when we'll be able to get water again and with me still feeling weak it's best if I stay hydrated." She explained as she filled another container.

"Lucy?" He said making her hum in response. "I know… I… um… you know…." He stumbled over his words making her turn and look at him with a small smile.

"I know, Natsu." She said as her face tinted red a bit, but she never looked away. "Forever, right?" She asked as they stood up, never looking away from each other.

Natsu grinned and nodded. "Forever." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. She pressed against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. They smiled brightly at each other. "Forever."

"Forever." She took a breath. "We better get back before one of them start looking for us." She said making him nod.

"Hey, Lucy?" She looked back at him. "I really liked kissing you."

She turned red as she turned away with a small smile. "Grab some of these containers." He did as she said, and she took a few as they stood back up. "I liked it too, Natsu." She said softly, knowing he would hear her no matter how soft she spoke before she started back to the camp site where they put the containers in the cart. They were silent as Lucy had decided that walking for a little while would be good to get her body back in order, even through the others disagreed, they knew she would do what she wanted anyway so Grey and Erza rode on the front of the cart as Natsu and Lucy walked beside it with Happy flying overhead.

Natsu watched as Lucy seemed to slow down more and more. "You should ride in the cart."

"I don't want to, I'm fine." She insisted as she put more energy into walking faster. But it didn't last long.

Natsu smirked and bent down. "Here." He said watching as she looked at him a minute before she gave in and let him carry her on his back. "Better?"

"Much." She said in his ear as she kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck. He grinned at her as she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Natsu. For always being there."

"Yeah, of course." He grinned. "I'll always be there." Lucy smiled and relaxed as he carried her on until she had her strength back.