~Because You're With Me~

Sleep well, princess, and we'll always be there when you wake up.

Lucy opened her eyes blearily, and for one heart-stopping moment, there was only black, surrounding her in every direction like it would never end.

Gradually, her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, and Lucy realized that she was lying on a bed in the infirmary, a single dim light illuminating the room warmly. She winced suddenly, feeling every cut and bruise and burn over her body flare up at the movement. It must be nighttime by now, but how... what had happened?

She remembered flashes. The pain from the Sabertooth woman's blows – pleasestopstopSTOPithurts keyswhere havetowin natsuhelp – followed by the sensation of falling. Multiple arms catching her, breathing in raggedly through a mask – lucy lucy keep breathing that's it hang on – and wondering why why why wasn't she in the water, she had to keep going, she had to win for everyone's sake—

Natsu, shouting her name in panicked desperation, hovering over, patting her face and telling her that everything was going to be okay. Gray, silent, but gripping her hand softly in a way that conveyed all his chilling rage. Erza, calmly and methodically pushing people out of the way, threatening anyone who came near with her sword.

Lucy didn't remember much after that, and here she was now.

Her lower lip began to tremble, and Lucy felt her eyes water. Had everyone in the arena seen her like that? This… this was even more humiliating than the first day, when she had lost against Flare. It wasn't that she had just lost here; she had managed to make it all the way to the final two, only to be toyed with by Sabertooth, getting the least amount of points and having to be dragged to the infirmary on top of it.

No, she couldn't cry. She wouldn't cry. Even if no one was watching, she could at least do this.

She shifted to get into a more comfortable position, biting back a cry of pain, vaguely taking in that Elfman and Evergreen were no longer in the infirmary, and realized that something was tugging at her hand. Hands. And they were numb.

Somehow, Lucy hadn't noticed it before, but Natsu and Gray were sitting on the right and left sides of her bed respectively, their heads pillowed over her hands. Dead asleep.

What?

It certainly wasn't the first time she had slept in close proximity with them (and she meant that in the most innocent way possible), but usually they were piled together uncomfortably. Lucy glanced around and with a jolt, spotted Erza in a chair by the single door, sitting guard. But also asleep.

They were with me this whole time, Lucy realized, feeling an unbelievable rush of gratitude swell up inside her. Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that Natsu and Gray had been in the day's tag battle portion, judging by the small bandages over them and the generally scuffed up look they had. How did they even manage to stop arguing for a moment and work together? Or maybe they didn't? She couldn't tell if they had won or not, but Lucy had a feeling they did.

Her friends, her best friends hadn't abandoned her. They didn't think she was a failure. They didn't think that she was weak and useless and completely helpless without them.

They didn't, right? Or else they wouldn't bother staying with her.

She blinked back tears all of a sudden, and Lucy couldn't decide if they were tears of happiness or frustration or relief or some strange mix of it all. She was angry too. Angry at the competition, angry at Sabertooth, not just for what they had done to her but to Yukino, angry at Minerva, angry about losing…

Most of all, she was angry at herself.

Natsu shifted over her hand suddenly and Lucy froze, not wanting to wake him up. He turned his head over so that he was facing her, and she couldn't help but think that Natsu's sleeping face looked cute. Although the last time she had thought that, he had sent her flying into a river while still sleeping. Fortunately, he didn't do anything but let out a loud sudden snore. On her other side, Gray twitched, but didn't move.

Erza was as still as a statue. Was she really asleep?

The sight of her friends all so peaceful looking calmed her marginally. Her anger was their anger too, Lucy remembered.

For now, she was tired and sore and emotionally drained, and Lucy could already feel the lull of sleep closing in on her again. Maybe in the morning, she could talk with Natsu and Gray and Erza and figure this whole thing out. But at the moment the only thing that mattered was that they were all together, and here to stay.

Weren't they?

Lucy closed her eyes, and tried not to think about what if they left her behind.

A/N: Right, I won't spill out my extremely conflicted and inarticulate feelings over Chapter 291, but here's a crappy little oneshot that wouldn't go away in my head and was begging to be written out. I hope we get to see the whole team with Lucy, not just Natsu. Remember, Gray and Erza were just as pissed as Natsu was. And the rest of Fairy Tail too, probably.

…Juvia should've won.