#lucy waits and waits at natsu's house for him to come home

[nalu-gifs]

“Is waiting for someone to return really this lonely?”

[tokkiasficlets]

Natsu’s body aches with every step he takes through Magnolia. It’s been a while since a guild fight roughed him up like this, and while he knows it’s nothing that’s going to hurt long-term, it’s still not a pleasant sensation in the moment.

The path he’s decided on is different from his usual but not one that’s unfamiliar to him. He could go back to his little cottage in the woods, but Lucy’s apartment is much closer, and she hadn’t shown up to the guild today, so he’s still in need of his Lucy fix. He doesn’t have to think much about where he’s going; he’s taken the route so many times before that his feet bring him there as if on instinct, and before he knows it, he’s standing outside that little building on Strawberry Street.

He lets himself inside the way he has many times before and greets one of Lucy’s neighbours, whom he has come to recognise, with a light nod as they pass by in the hall. The stairs make his legs ache with each step, but he perseveres because he knows what’s waiting for him at the end.

The door’s unlocked when he arrives, and he doesn’t bother knocking when he lets himself in.

When he enters, he finds Lucy still in her comfy clothes, indicating she hasn’t left the house today and doesn’t have plans to soon. She’s curled up on the couch, half way through a book, which he assumes she started that morning and has yet to put down in that time, but her eyes flick up to meet him when she notices his entrance.

“Hey, Lucy,” he greets, and she responds in turn with a warm smile.

“Welcome home,” she hums, shuffling to the side of the couch to allow him more room when he eventually flops down to join her. “How was your day?”

Natsu merely shrugs as he makes himself comfortable next to her, finding the most comfy position to be the one where he lays in her lap.

“It was good,” he replies, which isn't a lie, but there’s something he feels he needs to add. “But it was lame without you there.”

Lucy lets out a soft laugh with an air of nervousness to it as she averts her gaze.

“What?” He asks, tilting his head at her strange reaction.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really,” she breathes. “You just say the sweetest things, sometimes.”

[lisannastraussisanangel]

okay but now surely you heal our hearts with a part two of the fairy heart ask when team Natsu reacts to Lucy becoming a thought projection just like Mavis?? bet she just shows up in their living spaces like they used to do to her lol

I was actually just talking about this!

Lucy gets absolutely giddy when she finally figures out how Mavis was able to materialize herself. Her mind is filled with revenge for all the times they broke into her house

The first person she thinks to harass is Natsu, but he literally never goes home so Lucy can't wait in his house

So instead, she goes for Gray first. Lucy snoops through everything he has out

Gray comes home and finds her floating in front of his desk with tears in her eyes. Gray has a sketchbook open on the desk with a sketch of Lucy surrounded by the rest of her team

Gray freaks out at seeing her and tries to hug her. His arms go straight through her

Gray tells her that he started sketching again because he was scared he would forget what she looked like

After Lucy explains what she figured out, Gray insists they go to Natsu and Wendy next

Gray keeps trying to grab her hand and drag her but his hand goes right through. He gets increasingly annoyed, but Lucy finds it hilarious

When they get to the Lacrima where Natsu and Wendy have been sleeping for the past week, Lucy cannot help but mess with Gray some more

Gray goes running in (completely forgetting about his fear of looking at her in the lacrima), excitedly telling the dragon slayers that Lucy was a ghost and that she was able to talk to them. He turns and gestures to where Lucy should be and there's nothing there

Natsu yells at Gray that he's not funny and the two start fighting for the first time since Lucy sacrificed herself

While Natsu is distracted, Lucy pops up behind Wendy and whispers "boo" in her ear

Wendy jumps and screams so loud that the boys stop fighting

Everyone turns and sees Lucy floating there grinning. They all run (including the exceeds) and try to hug her

Natsu runs straight through her and crashes into the lacrima. Lucy yells at him not to break it. She's still in there after all

Everyone is crying by this point. Happy in particular is drenched in tears

Lucy asks where Erza is and everyone gets quiet. She is able to pry the information out of them eventually and they decide Lucy should go alone

This is the first time Lucy is serious about revealing herself. She sits with her hands in her lap and waits for Erza to arrive

Erza gets home and walks right past her. Lucy is too nervous to speak

Finally she whispers a tentative "Erza" and the redhead drops what she was holding and turns to Lucy as white as a ghost

Lucy tries joking that she thought Erza would be happier to see her. But Erza just stands there shaking with tears forming in her eyes

It gets super sappy and the girls cry together for hours. Erza opens up about everything she had been hiding from the guild and Lucy makes her promise never to do that again

Then Lucy finds out how all her friends coped and they are in trouble. She uses her ghostly powers to make sure they are all taking proper care of themselves and will literally follow them around complaining until they did so

[tokkias]

Hi this isn’t a nalu request (but it does have nalu in the background lol) , modern au where gray invites cana over at his place to tutorial maths only for them to hear gray roommate ; natsu and his GF Lucy in the next room having sex ? If you want to add anything or change anything you can do , if you wanted to add some spice between gray and Cana you can do I won’t mind please and thank u

hi anon! thank you for the request :] (and sorry it took so long. *sigh*) i went a more comedic route with this one, i hope that's okay! i'm ngl i have no idea how to write gray or cana, but i hope i did okay

inconsiderate summary: All Gray wants is to pass this goddamn test, but even that simple task proves to be difficult when the only thing he's learning about is his roommate's breeding kink. ao3

The last textbook Gray needed landed on the table with a hearty thwack as he threw it down. While he couldn’t say that he was the best student out there, Gray at the very least cared about his grades enough that he was willing to put in the time and effort for improvement. When Cana had offered to go over the course material with him in the wake of upcoming exams, he had in turn offered up his apartment as a place for them to study, knowing the sheer chaos that they would be met with had they met up on campus.

Cana’s timing couldn’t have been any better, as a knock on the front door rang out as soon as he tossed a new pack of highlighters on the table. Abandoning his post, Gray made his way to the door to let her in. He opened the door expecting to come to face his study partner, but was instead met with a familiar but unexpected face.

“Oh! Hi Gray,” Lucy greeted, looking just as surprised to see him as he was her. “Sorry, I’m here for-”

She didn’t get time to finish her sentence before what she was here for came barrelling down the hallway to make his presence known.

“Out of my way, dipshit! She’s here for me!”

Before he had the time to react to what was happening, Gray found himself pushed out of the way, stumbling back slightly from the force of it. For a split moment, he was more than ready to swing back at him, but by the time he regained his bearings, his poor-mannered roommate had already diverted all attention to his girlfriend at the door.

“Hey Lucy!” Natsu greeted, all bright-eyed and smiles, any residual hostility towards Gray having melted away the moment he saw her. “Lucy and I are gonna study,” he declared, as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his side.

“Yeah, if that’s okay with you,” she politely added.

“It doesn’t have to be okay with him; I pay rent here too,” Natsu sneered, only to be met with a smack on the arm and an unimpressed glare from Lucy for his impoliteness.

“Yeah, whatever, do what you want,” Gray huffed, doing his best to ignore Natsu’s comment.

If anything, he was happy for Lucy to stay over—she was nice and polite, she minded her own business, and she kept Natsu out of his hair. There really wasn’t anything more he could ask from a house guest, especially when he was expecting one of his own. Natsu wasn’t exactly a star roommate, but he always seemed to be on his best (or better, at least) behaviour when Lucy was around.

The conversation didn’t last much longer before she was being dragged by the wrist back down the hall and into Natsu’s room. She offered him a polite smile and waved as she disappeared into the bedroom, but Gray suspected that might be the last of Lucy he was going to see for the day.

Thankfully, Cana didn’t leave him waiting much longer and promptly made her entrance not much later. She hadn’t bothered knocking, instead letting herself in and making sure her arrival was known.

“Who’s ready to get this damn show on the road!” She called out, kicking the door shut behind her before making herself at home. She tossed her bag over the back of the chair, dropping herself down on it. “Professor Wakaba isn’t gonna know what hit him when we ace this shit,” she added as she pulled out a stack of flashcards from her bag and slid them across the table to Gray.

“Hey Cana,” he replied, taking her comments in lieu of a formal greeting, knowing he couldn’t expect much more out of someone like her. “Lucy’s here, by the way,” he informed her, gesturing towards the closed door of Natsu’s bedroom. “She and Natsu are studying in his room, so you might see her coming and going.”

Cana shrugged in indifference, seemingly unbothered by the extra guest, though she didn’t let the notice pass by without adding her two cents.

“They’re definitely fucking in there.”

Gray scoffed at her suggestion.

“No way,” he retorted. “Lucy’s too good of a student to blow off studying to have sex with Natsu.”

“You say that now, but I’ve heard a thing or two from Lucy about Natsu’s di-”

Before she could even think of finishing that sentence, Gray cut her off.

“No. I don’t wanna know.”

Thinking (hoping) that would be the last he heard about his friend’s sex life, Gray picked up the flashcards Cana had pushed his way in an attempt to divert back to what they were here for. Wakaba’s class certainly wasn’t the most difficult he’d taken before, but the test would be worth over a third of their final grade, and Gray wasn’t entirely keen to have to repeat it because his study partner was more interested in if their friends were having sex in the next room or not.

The distraction worked well enough and his Lucy theory held up for a little while, at the very least. They’d managed to get through a good portion of the course material in peace, not hearing much from the couple aside from the occasional murmurs of chatter that made it through the thin walls of their apartment. Living in a communal space like this, Gray had learned how to tune stuff like that out, so it really didn’t bother him for the most part.

That was until the giggling started.

It was quiet and sparse at first, nothing he would otherwise pay much attention to, but soon Lucy’s girlish giggles became louder and more frequent until it wasn’t something he could passively ignore.

Gray gripped his pen to try to contain his frustration. Sure, it was a little annoying, but he wasn’t about to be the fun police. Had it been Natsu, he’d have no hesitation in storming in there and telling him to shut the fuck up, but he had too much respect for Lucy to do that to her. She had always been a good friend to him and a polite houseguest. Lucy was the type of person who had always gone out of her way to ensure her friends comfort and happiness, even when it was to her detriment. If whatever was going on in Natsu’s room was making her happy, he wouldn’t be the one to stand in her way.

"Natsuuu, Natsu, stop it! I’m trying to focus!” She managed to get out between laughs.

Whatever it was that Natsu was doing, he clearly did not stop at her request. In fact, based on the way Lucy’s giggles only increased in volume, he had obviously ramped things up.

Gray glanced up at Cana only to find her already looking back at him, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Not wanting to engage in whatever conversation she was about to initiate, he simply ignored the silent implication and turned his attention back to his textbook.

Lucy knew how to keep Natsu in line, so Gray was certain that whatever shenanigans he was currently engaging in would be cut short by her soon after. He did his best to ignore the muffled sounds, and it worked to an extent. He’d managed to scrawl a few notes across the page, tuning out their little lover’s bout for as long as he could, but it seemed as though whatever gods were playing with him today had other ideas inside.

“Ah-!” Lucy squeaked from the other side of the wall. “Aaa~aahh~!”

The first noise that she had made had been innocent enough; if it had stopped there, Gray could have paid it no mind, moving on with his life and never even considering giving it a second thought, but that second noise was anything but innocent. It was quite possibly the last sound he ever expected (or wanted) to hear out of Lucy, and any mental gymnastics he was about to go through to justify it in his brain were quickly cut off by Natsu’s response.

“Yeah? Ya like it when I do that?” he growled.

“Mmhmmm~”

Never in his life had Gray been more upset to be wrong about something than right now. He really had thought he was a better judge of character than that.

How he yearned to go back twenty minutes ago when he believed that Lucy was better than this—when he hadn’t been cursed to listen to his roommate and his girlfriend talk dirty in the next room.

“Fuck, Lucy,” he groaned, eliciting a physical reaction of discomfort from Gray. “You’re so hot, I’m gonna put a baby in you.”

After that one, Gray was certain he was about to vomit, but Cana, on the other hand, burst out into laughter.

“Aww, he’s a family man,” she cooed.

Though Gray opened his mouth to speak, whatever he had to say was quickly cut off by a groan Natsu let out, which was followed by the distinct noise of skin slapping against skin.

“I’m going to kill him,” he said—a sentiment he often found himself directing towards his roommate.

Had it been anything else, he would not have thought twice about walking in there and giving him a piece of his mind through a fist straight to the face, but if he did that now, he would risk embarrassing Lucy—or worse—seeing Natsu’s penis.

Up until now, he’d lived a blissful life, unaware of the goings on in his long-time friend’s sex life. Some part of him had always assumed he’d never get some—Lucy seemed like the kind of girl who would be into abstinence until marriage.

Seemed. Past tense.

That version of Lucy that lived in his head was preferable to the Lucy that he was currently learning about through sensuous moans and cries of pleasure affirmations. If the Lucy that lived in his head was real, at the very least he wouldn’t have to be cursed to live with the knowledge that Natsu had a fucking breeding kink.

“If you wanna join them so bad, why don’t you just go in and ask?” Cana asked, the shit-eating grin on her face showing that she was just trying to push his buttons.

It was certainly working, but Gray tried his best to suppress his reaction, lest she make this experience any worse for him than it already was.

“What? You really thought Natsu was some loser virgin who doesn’t know how to get laid?” She said, her tone almost disbelieving. “How do you think someone like him bags a hot piece of ass like Lucy?”

“Blackmail?” He dryly suggested, wanting this conversation to have ended before it started.

“It’s because he knows how to eat pussy.”

Her point was further proved by the delighted cry Lucy would let out next.

“Oh, yes, Natsu~!”

“What’d I tell you?” She smugly replied.

Gray grimaced slightly as he was haunted by the image of Natsu’s face between Lucy’s legs, no more than a few feet away from him.

“How are you not bothered by this?” He asked, narrowing his eyes to try and spot a crack in her nonchalant façade.

“It’s just sex; people have it all the time,” she brushed off. “I once walked in on Freed and Laxus during a party, and Freed hasn’t looked me in the eye since, but Laxus was fine about it.”

Somehow nothing about that story surprised him, but it did little to ease his woes because two of his closest friends were currently having loud sex in the room next to him, and now his perception of them was forever changed for the worst.

What he wouldn’t give to go back to the days of dumb, virgin Natsu and sweet, innocent Lucy—the ones that he could look in the eye and not be haunted by the sounds of their most intimate pleasures.

He wanted to hit her back with a sarcastic quip or remark, but he just couldn’t seem to think through the fervent sound of sex on the other side of the wall.

Suddenly, the idea of studying on campus, surrounded by hundreds of sleep-deprived students with the smell of espresso embedded into their very beings, was sounding a lot more appealing.

As if to rub his misery in his face, the noises did not cease—in fact, they only continued to get louder, more feral until Natsu finally cried out.

“Shit, Lucy! I’m gonna cum!”

The announcement made Gray physically grimace, sending a shudder up his spine. There was a mental list that had formed in his head of “things he never wanted to hear Natsu say again,” and that line promptly jumped to the top of it.

“Ah~ Ah~ Ah~! Yes! Please!” Lucy begged in reply.

The noise Natsu let out after that was indescribable, but Gray was certain that it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

If that was the last of it (and he certainly hoped it was), then they could get back to studying, but he wasn’t so sure that this was going to be something he could move on from so quickly. The way he perceived the two of them was forever changed, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to make eye contact with them ever after tonight.

His head fell onto the table, landing against his notes with a thud that was drowned out by the miserable groan he let out simultaneously.

He was going to fail this fucking test, and it was all Natsu’s goddamn fault.

Gray hadn’t seen Natsu since before The Incident the night prior, and thank god for that. He knew he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from kicking his ass the moment that he showed his face—he still wasn’t entirely sure he could.

It took all the willpower in him to not sock him in the face the moment he heard footsteps approaching behind him. Instead, he gripped firmly on the mug handle and tried not to spill his scalding hot coffee down his shirt, lest he decided he wanted to tip it down Natsu’s front later.

“Hey,” he greeted from behind him, as though nothing was wrong.

Gray didn’t acknowledge him, still too pissed at him to even consider responding. That wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary for him; if anything, it was a little abnormal for Natsu to bother greeting him in the morning, so it shouldn’t have mattered when he garnered no reply, but Gray was sure he could practically hear him seething.

“What’s got your panties in a twist, ice prick?” He asked, and Gray felt something inside of him snap.

Unable to hold himself back, he turned on his foot to face him before barking out, “What the fuck is your problem?”

“What?” Natsu asked, taken aback by his sudden, unprompted hostility this early in the morning. “What’s my problem? What the hell is your problem?”

“Are you stupid?” He snarled. “My problem is that you’re an inconsiderate bastard who has loud sex in an apartment with walls so thin I could punch through them.”

Natsu’s face paled slightly, as if this was the first he realised that maybe someone on the other side of the wall could hear them.

Maybe he really was stupid.

“Uh…” He dumbly replied, averting his gaze slightly, looking as though he were considering bolting from the conversation in hopes of never addressing it again.

“Did you not stop for a second to think that maybe we could hear you? Or do you just not think at all?”

“I was horny,” he shot back in justification, but it did little to sway Gray’s opinion—he was already well aware of that. “You woulda done the same thing if you were me.”

He hated everything about that answer, including how Natsu was so willing to believe that he would stoop as low as him.

"No, I fucking wouldn’t. Who the hell has loud sex in the middle of the day while their roommate is home and has a guest over?”

Natsu opened his mouth to retort, but Gray, not ready to hear another word from his mouth, cut him off.

“And do you really have to announce when you’re going to cum?” He hissed, grimacing at the memory.

“Yeah?” Natsu replied with genuine confusion in his voice, stating it like it was obvious. “She gets mad when I don't, ‘cause otherwise she gets it in her eye.”

Gray couldn’t do anything but look on in abject horror as he tried to scramble for a response, but all he could do was stand and gape while he struggled to decide if it was worse knowing that he had finished inside her or on her face.

If there was one thing Natsu knew how to do, it was leave Gray speechless with his absolute stupidity, and right now was no exception. All words had left him as he stood there in seething rage.

There was, at the very least, one thing he could settle on.

“I’m going to fucking kill you.”

[circus4apsycho8]

𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗, 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕. | 𝚊𝚌𝚗𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚊 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 | 𝚌𝚑. 𝚟𝚒

𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢'𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢, 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜, 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.

“Hey kid. Come on in.”

You step aside, allowing Romeo to enter your home. Acnologia is out attending his classes for the day, leaving the house to yourself.

“Thanks,” he replies, stepping inside. You notice he’s tenser then normal, which doesn’t surprise you.

You gesture for him to have a seat at your dining room table. “Can I get you any snacks or drinks?”

“I think I’m okay for now, but thank you.”

You nod, sitting down across from him. “All right. So I know you heard Alexander’s real name.”

“Yeah…I’ve been thinking on it for a while.”

“I know you have. I’m here to tell you the facts, not change your mind about him,” you say. “I met him when we battled, as you know. Ever since we traveled together, I started noticing improvements in his character. Which…I understand why you’re hesitant to trust him. I was too at first, but as I got to know him, I realized that he’s just been too enveloped in his magic to see the good in Dragon Slayers.”

“I heard Natsu and Lucy talking to Makarov about his attack on Tenrou,” he notes, sighing heavily. “It’s just…hard for me to know that he’s the reason our guild mates went missing for seven years. And now he’s here. With you.”

“I understand that,” you say softly. “He’s proving to me that he’s getting better. He retained control while we were fighting the dragons, and he’s been working hard to improve his healing and character.”

“I see that now,” Romeo says, shifting his gaze to your face. “And I really think it’s just going to take me a little while to get over it.”

“It’s okay,” you say, smiling. “He knows what he did was wrong, and he’s trying to atone for it as best he can now.”

“I’ll try to give him a break. What do you mean by him trying to maintain control, by the way?”

“He has these…blackouts,” you answer, frowning as you recall that conversation. “He loses control of his magic and conscience self, and his inner dragon controls him while he’s passed out.”

“Oh,” he replies. “I see.”

“Yeah. Doesn’t excuse what he did, because he had to kill a lot of dragons to get to that point, but it does explain.”

“His magic is so powerful….” Romeo comments. “But he’s doing a lot of good now. He saved you, he’s been working on himself, he acknowledges he needs to change and has been getting better. So… ”

“He also joined Crime Sorcière,” you add. “They’re going on their first mission with him this weekend, I believe.”

“Okay,” Romeo replies, smiling. You see his shoulders relax a little bit. “I still don’t think I can forgive him just yet, but…I’ll give him a chance.”

“And that’s all I ask,” you say with a smile.

“I feel a lot better about this now,” he confesses, standing up. You follow his motion, grinning as you ruffle his hair.

“I’m glad,” you state. “Are you doing okay, though? Not just physically…I know what you saw is hard to cope with.”

“Oh…yeah…” His smiles fades as he sighs. “I don’t know. I’ve been having nightmares ever since. But my dad is looking into therapy, so…”

“Good. It’ll help.”

“I hope so. It’s been hard for me to sleep lately.”

“I bet. But let me just say that you’re doing well. Just make sure you get the help you need, all right? And I’m always here if you want to talk.”

“Thank you,” he says, smiling as he comes to hug you. “I should get back to the guild now. But thanks for this, I needed it.”

“Anytime. Be safe, you hear?”

“Got it. See you later!”

With that, Romeo exits your home, leaving you with your thoughts.

Hmm. Maybe you should take a job? It’s not like you have much to do right now. Maybe you should wait for Acnologia to get home first and ask if he would want to come with you.

You look around, realizing that your house is a bit of a mess. Well, maybe some tidying wouldn’t hurt in the meantime. Mind set, you start straightening your house up.

After a while, you’re interrupted by a knock on your door. Hm, not Acnologia. So who?

Upon opening it, you find Jellal standing there.

“Hey,” you greet.

“Hello,” he replies. “Is Acnologia here?”

“Not yet, he’s still at his lecture for the day.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I have a question for you as well.”

“All right, come on in then.”

You step aside, gesturing for him to enter. He does so quickly and with elegance. Once more, you have a seat across from your guest.

“So, as you know, our first mission featuring Acnologia is coming up this weekend,” he starts. “We were wondering if you’d like to come with us?”

“What’s the mission?”

“We’ve caught wind of one of Zeref’s demons lurking in a small village near the northern coast. According to Ultear’s research, we think they’re planning to cause a large-scale massacre on the full moon occurring this Sunday.”

“Demons, huh? Why wait for a full moon?”

“There’s something different about this type,” Jellal replies, frowning. “I don’t know what, though. That’s why we thought we’d offer you to come with.”

“I’ll talk to Acnologia first before I decide. I wouldn’t mind joining, but I want to make sure he’s okay with it too. He’ll be home shortly.”

“Excellent. There is one more matter I wish to discuss…” he sighs, expression growing serious. “We are looking at defeating Zeref in the next year or so. We’re going to need all of the help we can get, and if we could enlist your help…”

“Of course,” you reply, straightening your posture. “Zeref has done enough damage. I’ll be glad to help stop his sorry ass.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” the bluenette replies.

The two of you talk for a bit longer before the sound of the doorknob rattling catches your attention. Moments later, Acnologia walks in.

“Hey!” you greet with a smile as you go to hug him. He grins, returning your embrace and pecking your cheek. “How was your day?”

“It went well enough. And yours?”

“Good,” you reply. “We have a visitor!”

“Ah, Jellal,” Acnologia releases you (much to your dismay) and walks over to the table, where you both sit down.

“Hello. How are you doing?”

“Well, thank you. How about yourself?”

“I’m fine, thank you. I have some matters to discuss with you about our upcoming mission.”

“I’m clear to go,” Acnologia answers, leaning back. “We’re leaving Friday, right?”

“Correct. We’re leaving early Friday morning. I’ll send you the details later on, but as of right now, that’s our plan.”

“Acno, do you mind if I tag along with you guys?”

“Of course not, love,” he replies with a small smile.

“Okay, I just wanted to ask.”

“Perfect. I’ll tell Ultear that you’ll be accompanying us as well.”

You nod, leaning back. “Sounds good.”

...

“This one?”

Acnologia frowns, studying the flash card in your hand. You giggle slightly upon seeing that the tip of his tongue is poking out between his lips, a confused expression on his face.

“Don’t make fun of me,” he growls playfully. “It’ll come to me in a second.”

After Jellal left, you decided to help Acnologia study for another exam. It’s been kind of successful, but you’re in the mood to mess with him for some reason.

“You can do it,” you encourage, a teasing smile on your lips. “...I think.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

He goes silent for a moment, gazing piercing through you in the way that sends excited chills down your spine. Moments later, he lunges forward to grab your cheeks, pulling your face to his. He kisses you roughly, causing you to drop the flashcards so you can wrap your arms around his neck and deepen the kiss.

Seconds later, he pulls away with a smirk. “That seemed to work.”

“Whatever,” you reply with a grin. “Okay, back to studying!”

“I don’t feel like studying anymore.”

“Oh?”

“I want to do something else.”

“Like what?”

“You.”

You laugh, going to sit on his lap. He encircles you within his arms as he pulls you towards him. “That was bad.”

“Maybe so, but it’s true,” he mumbles, a soft smile on his lips as he gazes up to you. The two of you quietly stare at each other for a few heartbeats. “You’re so beautiful, you know that?”

“Acno...”  you mumble, smiling as your heart melts. “Thank you. You are too, though.”

“I could never compare to you,” he mumbles, raising one hand to brush against your cheek.

“Acno!” you whine, drawing out the last syllable of his name as you wiggle in his grasp. He only holds you tighter, grinning against the skin of your neck.

“What? Everything I’m saying is true.”

“Stars, you’re so sweet...” you mumble, resting your head against his shoulder. Mmm. You could stay like this forever.

“Not as sweet as you.”

“Dude!”

He chuckles. “It’s the truth.”

“Give yourself some credit too!”

“I don’t need that,” he says, smiling softly.

“You do need it, you’re just edgy,” you tease, booping his nose.

He scrunches his face. “Hmph.”

Another giggle escapes you as press a kiss to his cheek. “Are you excited about the job?”

“I am. It’s going to be my first official mission.”

“I think it’s going to be fun. Plus, we get to go with Crime Sorcière! I’ve heard such great things about their group!”

“Really?”

You nod. “They have such powerful wizards, like Jellal and Ultear. We can learn a lot from them!”

“That’s true. Do you know if the whole guild is coming?”

“I don’t think so. Angel and Meredy are in Crocus visiting Sabertooth, I think, and Racer and Hoteye are working on another mission.”

“So, it’ll be us, Jellal, Ultear, and…who else?”

“Cobra and Midnight,” you finish.

“And you haven’t met any of them besides Jellal?”

“Nope.”

“I see. Well, how about we get to bed, love? We have an early morning ahead of us.”

…

“Is this the spot?”

“Yes. We’re a bit early, so we still have a few minutes,” Acnologia answers as you glance around.

The early morning sky looms above the two of you, a soft breeze raising goosebumps on your skin. Despite the hour, you can’t help but feel like something is off about the town. You know you’re being watched.

By the looks of it, though, the demonic infestation haunting this town would not be a problem for much longer. Jellal’s letter had instructed the two of you to meet them at Hargeon Town at the listed time. From there, you all would initiate the search for the possessed townspeople. Hopefully that wouldn’t be a problem considering the nature of your magic.

After a few hours of traveling, the two of you managed to make it to Hargeon just in time. Beginning to grow anxious to hunt down Zeref’s demons, you step underneath a nearby streetlight in order to read the job description:

Location: Hargeon Town Task: eliminate demonic activity located near the 8-Island restaurant. Lethal force unauthorized unless facing life-or-death situation. Goal: eradicate all evil from villagers, who have been possessed by Zeref’s lower-level threats. I have a confirmed record of about a dozen, but that’s only the ones that have been seen. We need to exorcise the entities out without harming the villagers. If Erik and Acnologia cannot pick up their scent, we will have to find another way to figure out where they are hiding. Reward: up to 100k Jewel if done correctly. Additional Note: Stay aware in this area. This town is home to Yajima-san. We will need to work quickly as to not cross paths with him.

“How does Jellal get this kind of money?” you wonder, stowing the paper in a safe place.

“From what I heard, he and Ultear managed to negotiate a grant contract with an organization that specializes in criminal reformation,” answers your boyfriend as he runs a hand through his hair.

“Wow, that’s both impressive and clever,” you note, stepping closer towards him. It’s a little bit chilly out, and he seems to sense that as he slings an arm around your shoulders. The warmth from his body helps you stop shivering for the time being.

“Thanks,” you mumble, laying your head on his shoulder.

“Anything for you,” he says, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Are you doing okay? You seem a bit restless.”

“I love hunting demons,” you admit, jitteriness overcoming you. “It’s my favorite type of job. Their presence here is overwhelming. I can tell they’re going to put up a decent fight considering they stem from Zeref’s magic.”

Acnologia nods. “I understand that.”

A few seconds later, Acnologia suddenly turns in the direction of the road, where you spot Jellal and the others walking towards you. The heavenly body magic is with a tall, dark-haired woman and two men – one, however, seems to be asleep on a floating carpet. Interesting.

You offer a brief wave in greeting as the two of you approach them.

“Good morning,” Jellal greets. “It looks like we’re all here. Excellent. First things first – this is Ultear, Midnight, and Cobra. This is Acnologia and…” he introduces you. “Acnologia is our new recruit and she is a Devil Slayer who agreed to help us fight Zeref.”

“A Devil Slayer? That’ll simplify this mission tenfold,” Cobra notes as he shakes hands with Acnologia. “Regardless, it’s nice to meet you both.”

“The pleasure is ours,” Acnologia replies as you shake Cobra’s hand.

“It is an honor to be working with you both,” Ultear adds with a small smile.

“Same here. I’ve heard amazing things about your magic,” you state.

Cobra lazily points a thumb towards Midnight. “That’s Midnight, but he’s always asleep. If he wakes up soon, I’ll force him to properly introduce himself.”

“Anyways, we should get started in the interest of time,” Jellal interjects.

You nod in agreement. “They already know we’re here.”

“How can you tell?” Cobra questions.

“They’re watching us. They cannot understand our words but they can sense our intention. They aren’t going down without a fight.”

“In that case, what’s our plan?” Jellal wonders.

“Leave the exorcism up to me. There are lots of them here, but we’ll need to subdue all of them if we’re to complete the job without harming the people. Exorcisms are dangerous for the vessel, so we need to get the demons as weakened as we possibly can.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Cobra states. “Where are we headed?”

“This way,” you answer, leading the group towards a clearing in the town. “A large portion of them are gathered just beyond the forest line.”

“Acnologia and Cobra. Can you guys smell them?” you question, spotting Midnight merely peeking one eye open.

“I’m picking up a weak trail,” Acnologia notes.

“Me too. It’s coming from the forest. I can hear them, too. They think they’re being sneaky.”

A twisted grin settles on your face as you ready yourself for battle. “Void Ray!”

Your furrowed stare spies figures emerging from the forest. A ball of dark magic gathers in the tips of your fingers before you send it spiraling out towards the group. The others leap into action, joining in on the attack.

“Dokuryū no Hōkō!” Cobra yells, sending a blast of poison towards their group.

“Invisible Scythe!” Midnight adds, causing ethereal blades to slice towards the demons.

As the demons fall from the first few attacks, Acnologia backs up. “Eternal Flare!”

Magic stars barrel down onto the fallen foes, eliciting the possessed humans to screech inhumanely before they rush towards your group. You can tell they’re all injured and suffering from Cobra’s poison, but the pain doesn’t seem to affect them.

Midnight suddenly steps in front of you and sweeps his right arm out to the side, causing an unseen force of magic to make the group fall.

You snap your fingers while chanting underneath your breath, causing a symbol in the shape of a pentagram to appear on the ground underneath the fallen bodies. There are five symbols in each space between the points of the star-like figure inside.

“Damn you,” one of the demons spits. “Our Emperor will kill you all!”

“Yeah, he’ll get them. There’s no need for us to worry,” another adds.

“Banish Demon,” you mumble, causing the magic circle to light up a dim purple as all of the demons inside the circle start writhing in an attempt to resist the powerful spell. Within moments, all the demons have been exorcised as the humans scream out in agony.

And then, the evil within them dissipates entirely. The pentagram fades and you smile, left with a bunch of confused humans.

“I thought you said they were gonna put up a fight,” Cobra jokes, glancing at you with a smirk.

You chuckle, shrugging. “It appears I was wrong.”

A wave of hushed murmurs catches your attention. You turn to see the townspeople nervously studying you and the others.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to hurt you. The demons are gone. Are you all okay?” you ask, leaning down to help them each up.

“I feel weak...what happened?” one person asks. This one is a young woman of about twenty years or so. You’re glad this exorcism went well – the results of a bleaker outcome would have been horrific to say the least.

“You were possessed by some of Zeref’s lower-level demons,” Midnight answers, “but they should be gone for good now. If you’ll let us put an anti-possession symbol on you, then you shouldn’t get possessed ever again.”

“You’re feeling weak because of the poison I used. It’s a weaker one that just tires you out. It won’t actually hurt you, it just takes a bit of time to wear off.” Cobra explains next.

“Is anyone hurt?” you ask.

Acnologia goes around healing anyone who has an injury before you and the other five set about stamping anti-possession tattoos on their bodies.

“Um...aren’t they fugitives?” asks a man who is clearly shaken. “I feel like I’ve seen them on the Council’s most-wanted list.”

“They are, yes, but they’re trying to make up for their sins. They’re good people, trust me.”

“How do you know that?” a nearby woman asks you.

“Tell me something,” you say, catching Acnologia’s gaze as you step in front of the crowd. “My old mentor once asked me: ‘What is better: to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?’ What do you all think?”

That question always gets people. The group falls silent.

“Well, in any case, we recommend that you keep a hefty supply of salt, iron, silver, and holy water handy just in case of a supernatural attack. In that case, your best bets are wizards from legal guilds,” Jellal adds. “We tend to drift about, so it’ll be quicker to alert the legal guilds.”

Ultear nods in response. “Additionally, we would greatly appreciate it if you all keep quiet about our involvement here.”

“Or just say that I was here,” you suggest.

After getting the rest of the villagers secured, you rejoin the group at the road.

“That took way less time and effort than I expected,” Cobra admits once you arrive. “We normally have such a hard time hunting those assholes down. But you knew exactly where they were and how to get rid of them. Did you even read an exorcism?”

You shake your head. “I created a spell that implanted the exorcism’s language into the magic in order to expedite exorcisms.”

“That’s clever,” Jellal notes as Acnologia steps beside you, looping an arm around your waist.

“I mean…if you guys are really set on fighting Zeref, I wouldn’t mind teaching you how to cast it,” you offer.

“We would greatly appreciate that,” Ultear says, smiling at you. “Though…we have another matter we’d like to discuss with you.”

“What’s up?”

“Well…as you were finishing up, Ultear and I decided to make you an offer. We’d like to formally offer you dual guildship with our guild.”

“Dual guildship? That exists?” you wonder.

Ultear nods in response. “It’s rare because it’s hard work, but has been done before. Your primary focus would still lie in Fairy Tail, of course, but you would still be considered a full member of Crime Sorcière at the same time.”

Your eyes widen slightly as you turn towards Acnologia. He chuckles softly, nodding at you. “Are you kidding? Of course, I’d love to be a part of this guild!”

“We are delighted to hear it!” Jellal says as a slight tingling sensation emanates from your skin. You realize it must be your new guild mark.

Cobra grins, patting your back a few times. “Hey, welcome to the team. Both of you.”

…

Two days pass, and you and Acnologia make it home without trouble. Jellal promised to keep in contact, and you’re hoping to hear back from him soon.

With Acnologia out taking his exam, you’re left home alone with a bit of time to pass. Laxus had invited you on a mission with the Thunder Legion, which you’d accepted since you didn’t have much else to do.

You quietly hum as you change into a fresh outfit, checking your appearance over in the mirror. Hopefully Acnologia would do well on his exam – he had been studying hard for it but still struggled with some of the material.

Once you’re ready, you dart to the living room, gathering the rest of your belongings before making your way to the guildhall.

Upon arrival, you’re greeted with the typical ruckus you’d grown used to. Laxus and the Thunder Legion are seated at the bar, speaking with Mirajane.

After weaving your way through your guildmates, you have a seat next to Evergreen, greeting the group.

“Hey guys,” you say, smiling at Mirajane.

“There you are,” Laxus replies. “Ready to head out?”

“Yeah,” you affirm, noting that the commotion has seemingly increased for some reason. Hm, someone must be unconscious now. You’re about to ask the white-haired bartender something, but the question dies in your throat as you see her expression.

She’s frowning, staring at something behind you. “Mira? What is i-?”

You’re cut off as someone harshly grabs the back of your neck, slamming your head down onto the counter. A grunt escapes you as the person snatches your wrists, yelling your name as your guildmates start shouting at whoever’s grabbing you.

“By order of the Magic Council, you are under arrest!”

[kiliinstinct]

Chapter 23

Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next] -   Special Announcement: I'm going "dark" during November to participate in NaNoWriMo. (National Novel Writing Month.) I'm using this challenge as a way to work more on Flame's Desire, but the next update may not happen during this time. If it does, it will be a surprise! So, with that in mind- the next "planned" update will be: Dec 16th. See you then! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

It was three, fretful days before Natsu blearily opened his eyes again.

Another four days and Porylusica declared him stable. With him no longer at the risk of keeling over, she was ready to throw him out of her hut; which is exactly what she did. She claimed the worst was over, ordering him bed rest in his own home (rather than taking up space in her own) and demanded he talk as little as possible. 

“In fact,” she had mumbled, almost absentmindedly, “It would be best if you didn't speak at all. Or moved.”

“- but...!” Natsu attempted with a croak.

“No buts and shut up!” 

How did she expect him to do nothing? From the moment he first awoke with the scent of Lucy on his pillow, but nowhere to be seen, he wanted nothing more than to escape the healer's house and be updated on everything he'd missed.

Was she safe? Was Kage captured -or better yet, dead? Did the festival continue without him? The fire caused by his battle hadn't damaged more of the forest, had it? 

There were too many questions and very little answers given. Only withering glares met his curiosity accompanied by a sharp slap to the wrist and another threat to keep his lips shut. When he tried again, she held up a needle, the silent threat of sewing his lips shut obvious.

 “I'm in no mood to explain any of this to you. Just stay still until Makarov comes to fill you in.” Was the only answer she’d give.

Porylusica was not the greatest for information. It was hard to tell whether she truly wasn’t aware or just didn’t care enough to tell him anything. She was, however, true to her word of Makarov's visit. The chief did his due diligence enough to visit him while he rested, but even he was annoyingly tight-lipped with the truth. 

“You'll know when you've healed.” Makarov tried to explain, a comforting hand resting lightly on Natsu’s arm despite the other’s stubborn scowl. He patiently sat by Natsu’s bedside as he picked away at the feathers poking through his pillow.

(”Stop damaging my furniture!“ Porly had shouted minutes later. The draconis ignored it until she smacked his fidgeting hands with a ladle.)

His throat stung at the slightest movement. It was a constant ache he now dealt with every shaky breath despite Wendy’s best efforts to lessen it. It was easier to keep his sentences clipped and to the point, if he spoke at all, when even swallowing jolted his nerves and pricked his eyes with hot tears. He didn't want to admit the severity of the pain, but it was too poignant to be ignored. Even so, that wasn't enough to stifle his impulsive need to growl out his frustration at Makarov's unwillingness to provide information. 

The choked whine that escaped was more embarrassing than anything and the chief had left without giving him a chance to argue. He only offered Natsu an apologetic smile that didn’t reach his tired eyes.

He’d grown restless. Once returned to his own home, its walls began to feel like a prison the longer he stayed put. He’d yet to see Lucy since he awoke, (“She's helping with cleanup.” Warren had told him the second day when he garbled through his blazing throat to ask. “I'm sure she'll visit as soon as she's able.” That hadn't made him feel better.) He still didn't know what happened to Kage. (A fact that told him the bastard was probably still alive, damnit.) And he hadn't seen a hair of Erza's redhead since waking up. (He was positive she would have checked in on him at LEAST once!)

None of it added up and he was tired of waiting. So what if he was wounded. He deserved to know as much as everyone else, didn't he? Hell he was the one who tangled with Kage! He deserves to know way more than everyone else! 

He was done waiting around for answers. First he would head straight for the old man and stare him down until he coughed up whatever truths he was hiding. Natsu nodded to himself, the plan set in his mind as he rose to his feet. With eyes trained on his door his determination was anchored into the depths of his soul.

And he took his first confident step towards his door.

Well, actually, he limped. His body still felt like it was on fire from aftershocks of lightning and refused to cooperate. In fact, he was certain his back was littered in spider web scars though he only caught the tail ends of the scarring that trailed along the side of his ribs, peeking out from under the bandages. Laxus truly did a number on him, but he persisted, intending to get the answers he sought for himself. He twisted the handle and shoved the door open with a grunt.

Unfortunately, he’d taken only one step through the doorway when his body was locked in place against his will.

Red light sparked at his feet and lit up the area around him as magic tendrils snaked their way around his ankles to keep him rooted in place and a literal bell dinged incessantly beside him. 

His current keeper, Freed, stood to the left, a sympathetic grin on his face as he clicked his tongue and rested the bell lightly against his palm. “Sorry, but it's back to bed with you.”

Natsu sputtered, eyes wide and fury rising, ”What the-,“ His voice cracked and he winced, “... What... are. you. doing. here.” He took a deep breath, ”Freed?!“

It was weird, punctuating his every word with a pause to avoid as much pain as he could, but the serpentine hiss that pushed through his teeth couldn't be mistaken for anything else. 

”I’m making sure you,“ Freed jabbed the bell accusingly at Natsu's chest and stifled a yawn, ”don't do something very unwise.“

'Shouldn't you still be sleeping?' He wanted to ask, the retort sharp on his tongue but his throat had already begun to clam up under the strain, crackling at any attempt to utter a sound. Frustrated, he wildly gestured to the red glow beneath his feet, that he now saw were enchanted runes etched around his front door and curved around his hut out of sight, most likely wrapping around his entire home. Bringing his attention back to Freed, he returned the accusing jab and quickly pantomimed his best impression of a person falling asleep. 

Considering how exhausted he felt, it wasn't a hard act to do. Freed watched the display with a keen, amused interest and after a few, confused seconds, snickered behind his hand. 

“I'm simply giving Warren a break and then I'll be back on bedrest myself.“ He conceded with a tilt of his head, long green hair slipping past his face to reveal he hadn't bothered to tie it up that morning. ”Makarov wants us to be on rotation after all.“

The draconis motioned once more to the enchantment beneath his feet and grunted, which spurred Freed to laugh again, louder this time. The grunt turned into a deep frown as his face burned in shame. ”My magic was all but drained when Kage attacked, but a simple circle such as this won't hurt me.“

If Natsu hadn't been so annoyed he may have felt relieved to know that. He'd only caught brief conversations over the last few days. Those visiting his keepers or passing by his window during idle talk that managed to reach his ears. It was never enough to know the full picture, but mentions of Freed's health had made the rounds enough for him to feel some concern. 

Before he could start considering the strength of Freed's spell (or how long it would last), the other took the initiative to explain further, pushing himself up to quickly usher Natsu back into his home. The bell, Natsu noticed, was left behind.

”It's a preventative measure, meant to hold you still just long enough for anyone who hears it to come get you.“ He explained, hands surprisingly firm even as they gently guided the impatient draconis back into the soft furs of his bed, mindful of his many bandages. ”Everyone knows to listen for it, so I imagine, if it weren't me watching, someone else would have come running already.“

Natsu couldn't resist talking through what felt like a ball in his throat, ”Then... why ring the- “ and was immediately cut off by a fit of hacking coughs that doubled him over in pain. 

Setting him down, Freed tried to give his back a soothing pat on instinct. White hot pain seared through his nerves and blinded him. The shock lit up every wound from a dull throb to a blazing fire. Seething through his gritted teeth, Natsu curled in on himself further, biting back a loud, pitiful whine. The humiliation was getting worse by the minute, but Freed jumped back at his error, apologies spewing from his mouth quicker than Natsu could pick them up. 

”Of course... Laxus' magic must have...“ Freed began, looking just as flustered as Natsu felt over his own weakness, ”I apologize.“

He didn't bother with a reply, choosing to stubbornly look to the wall instead, arms crossed and ears burning. Taking his silence as a sign, the enchanter readjusted the collar of his shirt and brushed the hair from his eyes, blinking wearily. Uttering a meek farewell, he shuffled away, back to his post, gaze glancing at everything but the pouting draconis behind him.

He wavered at the door with his hand resting lightly over the handle. Whistling, he stole Natsu’s attention from the wall, who turned his shamed glare back at him. Freed met the gaze over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised into the fringe of his hair. “When you have a moment, I'd suggest cleaning up a little before Lucy convinces Makarov to let her join the rotation.”

He swept his hand through the room towards the organized mess of old knick knacks and clothes scattered haphazardly about. Mixed among them was ashen stems and half burnt flowers. He coughed into his fist, “Unless you want her to put it together so soon.”

Natsu didn't resist flinging his pillow with as much force as he could muster, mentally cursing when Freed shut the door in time for the pillow to bounce harmlessly off. His chuckle, however, reached the draconis' ears with ease, raising his ire further. 

His place wasn’t that messy! He squinted at the floor, taking in every stray sandal thrown about and a crumpled shirt with broken buds caught in the folds.

Natsu pouted.  And so what if it was? That was none of Freed's business. Besides whenever Lucy showed up he doubted she would-... 

He blinked, eyes widening at the realization that struck him. His eyes zeroed in on a stray, dried petal and he cursed. He’d have to thank Freed later for the subtle information he’d just passed along. 

And chuck a pillow at Makarov too, it seemed. Great. He'd bide his time with that one. 

A decision that greatly undermined just how impatient he truly was. Within the hour, he was already attempting to leave once again. Though he belatedly realized Freed had switched places with Mirajane without his notice. The barrier hadn’t a chance to activate when she descended on him as soon as the door cracked. She brandished the bell in her hand like a when she forced him right back to bed with a sweetly menacing smile.

It would be two more days before anything new happened.

Two, long days of being pricked and prodded by Wendy during her check ins, moving mechanically as she wrapped fresh bandages around him. 

Two extra long days of half hearted ‘cleaning’ whenever he was up, shoving away evidence under stray clothes and kicking things out of sight. His eyes narrowed, the enchanted barrier was proving harder to trick than the village’s night guards.

He didn’t know the ins and outs of Freed’s magic, but he felt its presence whenever he tried to leave. The barrier wasn’t all that strong. If he was at full strength he could break out just fine. It made him wonder if all he needed to do was give it a further push of power, despite his injuries. The harder the better, right?

If not for that damn bell. 

It was more frustrating than the barrier. No matter the force used, it rang faster than he could reach it, bringing anyone in the vicinity his way to reprimand him. He hated it. Each escape attempt foiled by an incessant ringing that rang constantly in his sensitive ears. And it was always annoying out of reach despite Natsu’s best efforts. It would take only one slip up. Of someone absentmindedly leaving it just close enough for him to melt it. When the opportunity came, Natsu knew he’d enjoy the action far too much.

What little patience and self-preservation he had dispersed in a fit of manic clarity that had Natsu chastising himself. How could he be so stupid?

The window. He should have thought of it earlier.

Just small enough to be looked over. It was a shining beacon of victory. Surely there would be a chink in Freed’s barrier somewhere, and if he squirmed just enough, he could escape his house long enough to find it. It made perfect sense- and no one would have a chance to ring the stupid bell! The plan was foolproof.

Hoisting himself with more effort than he’d like to admit, he slipped one leg through the frame while the other feebly balanced him on his bed. With careful, slow movements, he began to pull himself through, grunting quietly from the effort. If there was a pinch in his nerves, or the shock of pain, he bit his lip harshly as he willed himself to stay silent. He could just feel the light echoing tug of the barrier, but no runes or magic coiled around him. It tickled the edge of his senses but moved no further.

Natsu smirked: I knew it.

But a sudden, familiar voice rang loudly in his ears and he froze, attention quickly turning towards the front of his home as the sounds of conversation floated his way. 

”I know my leg isn't completely healed,“ Lucy argued. Mirth laced her words and he felt every muscle in his body seize up, ”but I know I can handle this. It's not that hard to ring a bell. Even then I doubt if he'd try and fight me to escape.“

He snorted, but was unsure if it was because of Lucy's lack of awareness towards his impulsivity or the fact she was right. 

It took his leg buckling in on itself for him to realize he was still partially out his own window. Biting back a surprised yelp, he clung to the window frame frantically to hold himself up and missed the next part of conversation.

Freed had already hinted the chief wasn't allowing Lucy to watch over him, so the discussion outside was one that grabbed his interest, but once he'd finally settled himself, Lucy's emphatic urging had ended with a tense silence between her and the chief. 

The draconis shamelessly strained his ears to pick up any further sound and considered throwing the door open to speak on her behalf if he could. 

”All right then.“ Makarov agreed, throwing that plan out the window that Natsu's leg still dangled through, ”but don't hesitate to call on us if anything happens!“ 

”I won't!“ Lucy cheerily replied while the Chief grumbled a reply so low Natsu couldn’t make it out. His words faded behind the crunching of gravel down the path as he left as quickly as he came. He almost laughed at Lucy’s all too giddy squeal, and watched the door handle jiggle in growing excitement.

She was all right after all! That truth eased the worried pang that dug at him for days. What’s more, she could tell him exactly what had been going on while he was out. This would fix everything-

It was at that moment, Natsu became all too aware of the chipped wooden sill he was still halfway over as the door handle clicked.

Shit!

Many things happened all at once in the seconds it took for Lucy to entire his home. He scrambled to right himself, stepping back in with a rush that dizzied him. His weak leg, already struggling to hold him up, buckled under him, giving away in the tangle of his bed covers. In the struggle to free himself, he (and the blankets) crashed to the floor. The resounding thud not only shook the hovel, but brought down an array of knick knacks and other random things that hung on his walls.

The blanket - now forever labeled a traitor in his mind- snagged on everything nearby as its weight brought no comfort as it shielded his aching body from view. 

And when the door swung open, Lucy’s shriek was the first thing he heard, “Natsu?!” The panic in her voice was palpable and her steps were quick. Before he could process his position, she was at his side, pulling the fabric from his face as small, brilliantly colored stones, scattered across the floor. (He would later realize his rock collection was no longer on the shelves above his bed and dutifully recollect every single pebble.)

”Oh my gods, Natsu, what are you doing on the floor?!” Her panicked cries were shrill and made his ears ring, but she worked swiftly, pulling the blanket from his person to toss it behind her. 

In that moment, Natsu wanted to console her, but all he managed was sheepish blinking as she grasped his cheeks tightly to look him over, eyes wide and face pale. If he wasn't so dazed from his earlier tumble, he may have attempted to crawl back and bring space between them. Instead, he stared dopily into her brown eyes and gulped, ignoring the reflexive cough that tried to force its way out of him.

Worry knitted her brow as she tilted his head to the side, and there was a darkness under her eyes that was new to him. His entire body was ablaze, wounds screaming out for his attention but they barely mattered.

She was here. And she was safe. That was more important.

Relief flooded into his bones and an exhaustion he wasn't aware of pulled at his eyes. Dazedly, he followed her as she directed him back to the comfort of his bed. Subconsciously, he noted she was stronger than her frame appeared, and she wasted no time in checking him over, tsk'ing at the sight of bandages that had loosened during his less than graceful fall.

“What were you even doing to be on the floor like that?” She muttered, not waiting for an answer  as she sat him down and began to fix the bandages along his arms.

Her movements were jerky with inexperience and felt too tight in places, but Natsu didn't mind it. He watched on in silence as she continued to fuss over him, unaware of the draconis' careful examinations, focused on her as much as she was him.

She didn’t have her cane, he noted curiously, and his gaze subtly dropped to the lengthy skirt that kept the old injury out of sight. She wasn’t in pain was she? He had to know, but he didn't dare try to pull her dress up just to see her knee. He wasn't THAT stupid.

A few seconds more of consideration and he threw caution to the wind, reaching over to rap his knuckle lightly against her leg instead. 

She froze. He did too. Was that the wrong move? Had he hurt her? 

“... if you weren't injured, I'd return the favor,” She muttered, tying his next bandage into a tiny bow, “but I'm fine, Natsu. It's sore, but manageable. Worry about yourself for two seconds. You’re lucky you don’t have a concussion after that fall…”

He didn’t even attempt to resist the urge to rasp out a cheeky response, “ ...Got an answer out of ya at least.” 

“What?“ Lucy asked, puzzled, but clamped a hand over his mouth when he tried to respond, ”No, no, no! You should not be talking, Mister!“

Rolling his eyes, Natsu now had an altogether different urge to resist. He remembered, vaguely, many months ago, he'd done the exact same to her, and her response had been to bite him. He wondered if he should do the same...

Instead, he licked her. The cry of disgust when she retracted her hand was more than worth it.

”That’s disgusting!“ 

He waggled his brows, grinning.

Definitely worth it. 

Natsu was a handful while wounded. This was a fact that hardly surprised Lucy. On any other day, he was often seen darting from place to place, his focus shifting as easily as the wind changed. She was no longer a stranger to him running off at the drop of a hat to return just quickly to do god knows what else.

The fiery draconis was simply the type of person who had to always be on the go one way or another. 

Which is exactly what made watching him so difficult.

Makarov had given her plenty of warnings about his flightiness when ill and so had everyone else when she pleaded to be let on the rotation. She had expected it, but the guilt still gnawed at her bones as she watched his discomfort play out before her. 

Restlessly he fidgeted under his blankets. He couldn’t sleep. When he sat up, he’d cast a longing stare at the door only to hide the expression moments later. She noticed every change in his expression and it attacked her resolve every single time. Any attempt to talk led to her shushing him, fearing his pain and any chance of his healing being interrupted. Each time, he’d throw himself under the covers in defeat, but the pouting lasted a few seconds before he was shifting yet again. His discomfort and inability to sit still was obvious.

He wanted to leave and Lucy hated that she couldn’t let him.

Her mind wandered back to her conversations with Makarov. Asides from the general warnings to his want to escape, Lucy was baffled to learn he was still in the dark over what happened after his battle. All knowledge of Kage and Erza's chase had been purposefully hidden: even her own whereabouts had been kept from him. And for what reason? 

Makarov had grunted when she asked, having the self-awareness to look guilty, ”He deserves to know. And will. In due time, but I know this boy. The moment he learns of the truth he’ll take off, no matter the condition he’s in. I’d rather he give chase when he’s not wobbling where he stands.”

Lucy had to begrudgingly admit that the Chief was onto something with that thought. It was easy to imagine Natsu throwing caution to the wind to summon his fire in order to escape Freed's barrier. (The enchanter assured everyone that it would take a lot more than that to break it down, but Lucy wasn't so sure. How much of his abilities could he hold after the mass amount of magic he'd lost?) Then it wouldn't be a shock to find him dashing off into the woods, using his excellent sense of smell to track the others. 

But handling another fight in his condition? Lucy dreaded the thought, and dutifully nodded when she was asked to keep the truth hidden as well.

As she surveyed Natsu now, however, she regretted that decision. His restless energy came from more than just a need to be busy. Looking back in her memories, Lucy felt it was much the same as her own feelings when she'd been asked to endure being locked away.

She hated being in the dark, and some of that was still hidden from her. Of course Natsu would hate it as well. 

”You'll never get any rest if you keep moving like that,“ She gently chided, fingers moving to straighten his blanket and swipe his pink fringe from his eyes. 

Natsu was quicker than she expected despite the injuries. Before the romni could pull away his hand snapped upward, grasping her wrist as he looked at her. His face was set in a careful mask but she could still see the frustration leaking through in the tightness of his jaw and how it thinned his lips.

But his eyes were so tired. Dulled without the usual spark of mischief that was always there. 

It stabbed at her heart.

This was all because of her. His pain now, and back then, bleeding out on the ground motionless with breath barely rattling in his chest; screaming in Porlyusica’s hut as he desperately clung to life, crying out for a man she didn’t know as the healer stitched him back together. It was all for her sake while she could only stand by, useless.

The healer's sharp words echoed loudly in her mind, that she should respect his sacrifice.  She felt the embarrassing prickle of tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

She had no right to cry.

Too many things weighed her down and here she was, crying. She came here to help, but instead she felt as if things were only worse.

“Natsu?“ Her voice fell to a soft whisper as she blinked back tears, “Just try to rest, please? I know you want to go out and see everything for yourself, but you're too hurt right now. I just..” What? What was she trying to say? Even though she wasn't sure, the words fell helplessly from her lips like stones before her mind had a chance to lock them up. 

“You don't know how scary it was to see you like that. Please don't make me see it again….”

For a second, his grip tightened, brows knitting together as he processed her words.

As the pressure began to cut off circulation, his hand loosened just as fast, a silent apology marring the features of his face. Her vision blurred and Lucy realized her thoughts began to escape through her eyes and she quickly moved to wipe them before any tears could fall. 

“Sorry, I shouldn't be putting this on you,” She began, hastily turning her attention to the rest of the room. It was a mess. “You were protecting me after all. I shouldn't make you feel any worse than you probably do-”

The words jammed themselves in her throat when he moved his hand again, bandaged fingers moving to clumsily entangle with her own as a comforting heat emanated from his palm. Surprise caused two drops to fall before she could catch them.

“... don't cry.”

His voice was quiet, meek almost, in an attempt to keep the pain of his throat at bay, but the hoarse rasp sent a shiver down her spine.

 If Natsu hadn't blocked Kage's attacks, would she be the same as he was right now? No, Lucy shook the thought away, he’d needed her alive after all. It wouldn't make sense to mortally wound her. 

When Natsu squeezed her hand again, pulling her from her thoughts, she coughed on a wet laugh. The way he looked at her now spoke volumes: quit thinking so much!

“All right, all right,” She conceded, giving his hand a returning squeeze. “Can you let me go? I think I have something we can do. There’s a quill and parchment in my bag. I think we can talk easier with that. Will that work for you?“

If his disgruntled pout was anything to go by, Natsu would accept this, but grumble about it the entire time.  He was slow to ease himself back into a sitting position, scooting to rest his back against the wall for support.

He pouted the entire time she rifled through her pack, carefully stepping over fallen keepsakes and baubles that decorated the floors. It was still there when she turned back thim with prizes in hand. His eyes narrowed childishly at the papers while he drew a pillow onto his lap to serve as a frumpy table. Only her laughter at his expense filled the empty spaces. Though his own, pale attempts at chuckling joined hers when she tripped over and knick knack or two. 

“Someone should really clean up in here,” she muttered, casting him a sidelong glance. His answering shrug was all she'd get on the matter for now, but with careful sweeps of her legs, she managed to clear a path back to him with minimal effort. 

His gaze never left her leg the entire time, but she waved the stack of acquired parchment in his face to reclaim his attention. “Hey, I said it's fine, Natsu, so quit worrying about it!”

Had he always been this attentive to her leg? She'd pin that thought for later perusal. He scrunched his nose as the edges of the stack tickled it and with a snort, the edges curled back towards her in a flimsy show.  

Hoping to prevent any further distractions, Lucy dropped the papers to his pillow and held her quill and ink between the fingers of her spare hand, excitement curling the edges of her smile. “Let's see how good your penmanship is, shall we?”

Natsu huffed, snatching the quill from her without a fight. She didn't expect anything special out of this arrangement. Writing with an ink well over a pillow wasn't the smartest of methods, but Lucy wanted to keep him resting as long as possible. She'd rather a few holes poked through her paper and spilled ink over him hurting himself to sit at the table any day.

But his handwriting was chicken scratch.  Or barely a step up from that. Lucy was certain she wouldn’t be able to read it even if he had a stable platform to write on. Seconds turned to minutes as Lucy's earlier excitement shifted to utter bafflement. 

Many in the village couldn't write, but she'd seen enough to know that those who traveled learned out of necessity, but how did Natsu get by with this sort of illegibility?

She bit her lip, tilting the paper from side to side as her nose twitched in consternation. No matter how she observed the thick and thin lines that scrawled along the paper, she couldn't make heads or tails of it. 

”Whoever taught you how to write needs to give you another lesson,“ She muttered. Natsu's answering response was to scrawl a single letter over the paper, large enough that no amount of chicken scratch could hide its secrets from her: a large E.

Before she could respond with the obvious answer, he quickly scratched over the letter and shook his head frantically, lips thinning as he frowned. In larger letters, he added two more words that Lucy translated to, 'never again!'

She laughed so hard ink sloshed onto her fingers and dripped onto the paper, seeping into the pillow fabric beneath. A subconscious part of her realized she'd have to help acquire him cleaner bedding later if this kept up. 

”Fine. No Erza to teach you. Let's try again... slower this time.” Lucy sighed, wiping her fingers on the hem of her dress, “maybe I can understand it then.“

Natsu crumbled the paper under his hand and flicked it into her face, grinning maniacally as she quickly tossed it back which he smugly dodged, and watched it sail by his ear to bounce off the back wall. More laughter ensued and even Natsu managed a chuckle, grunting from the strain. 

It wasn’t perfect, and the mess of ink spread out of control, but it was enough to keep him occupied in the following hours while Lucy learned to translate the language he wrote in. It failed to get better under her tutelage, so the chicken scratch remained.

Lucy hoped it was enough to distract him from the burning questions that still hung in the air.

'I hope Erza comes back soon,' She thought, glancing out the window as Natsu, with quill held in the opposite hand, prepared another message for her. 'Maybe then I can give Natsu all the answers he deserves without any problems...'

Though, another more ominous thought struck her pulling a grimace across her face. 'at least then we'll know she's safe. Please let her be safe.'

Unbeknownst to Lucy, in the far off reaches of the forest, Erza still followed the tracks of a man half-dead. Her armor was stained, streaked with mud that dulled its pristine gleam as she tore through the trees with a blade in each hand, hacking a clear path with mounting fury.

Thin scrapes adorned her face from stray undergrowth and dust thrown into her eyes countless times.  She’d had him in her grasp too many times and still he eluded her. Their last struggle had him inches beneath the tip of her sword, only for the sharp steel to sink uselessly into a tree trunk. His shadows protected him far too easily, giving him multiple chances to slip away not a moment too soon. Melting away from her sight, the chase would begin once more. It was infuriating.

He was weakening, and he knew it. But Erza was like a bloodhound, following him with a tenacity that matched the ones he'd fought before. Kage could admit to himself, as he struggled to move through the thick, spring bushes, that he'd sorely underestimated the members of the Fairies with Tails. 

Escaping the fire and flames of an angry dragon while the bellow of lightning struck from above was nothing short of a miracle. He could boast it was skill and great timing, but the truth of the matter was far less a triumph. He'd panicked, called the shadows back into himself and desperately prayed he could shift his form into the ground and escape before his body failed him. His wounds were far too great to handle such a strike head on and the memory of the fanged smile snarling above him. It was inhuman and bordering on insanity with manic glee. The expression had bored itself into Kage’s memories and he was certain it would haunt his nightmares. 

Swallowing back a cough he rubbed his aching throat where scale shaped bruises painted the skin in dark shades of purple. Not for the first time, he considered the draconis he battled a monster. 

Battling a Draconis was something he never wanted to do again.

Even now, his body cried as he moved, but adrenaline and survival instincts served him well. What little magic he had left was used to aid covering his footprints and trails of blood or made to cloak him during the night as he sought what little rest he could. If he made one mistake. One misstep. Or lost the ability to draw the shadows around him, he'd be caught.

There was only one choice: find Jose. His own clan should be waiting for him. Kage was certain of this fact. All he had to do was survive long enough to find them and then... then..

He stumbled through a rather dense thicket of trees, and Kage almost wished he was tucked away back in his cell counting the cracks in the wall and taunting whatever guard he had for the day.

At least there he had a warm blanket and fresh food to eat. His stomach, empty, growled in tandem with the thought. Already he could imagine the fresh meals he'd taste once he'd made it safely home. 

He paused for breath under a wide canopy and wiped the sweat from his eyes. His hair was dripping and his limbs shook signaling the need for another break. It was near impossible to resist the siren song for rest. The temptation to slide to the ground and lay his back against a sturdy tree trunk to slip off to sleep, but he managed to lock his knees in place as he listened to the natural sounds of the woods. It took a few minutes of sorting through the spring call of birds and buzzing bees to hear what he was looking for.

A restlessness in the trees that came from the source of a higher power, encapsulating a magic that had yet to be unleashed. Erza was still on his trail despite all his earlier escape attempts, and she was closing in once more. Cursing, Kage looked inside himself, eyes sliding shut as he felt for the remaining vestiges of shadows that still clung to his being.

“Just a little more,” he thought, “a little more and I'll be home free.”

The magic answered the call, thrumming softly beneath his finger tips before dark tendrils drilled into the mossy earth to settle in. A little surprise to buy him more time. If he was lucky, the shadows sprouting from the ground would hit Erza's feet and render her incapable of walking without excruciating pain.

He forced himself to move and Kage prayed the diversion would be enough. When the cover of leaves no longer barred his vision, he surveyed the sky to regain his sense of direction when he glimpsed the faint wisps of something hopeful.

A sick, satisfied smile curled his lips. Smoke, no doubt curling away from a campfire further along the hills. The wispy smoke beckoned to Kage and he saw no reason to ignore it. His allies would be more than enough to handle one warrior after all and then the others could finish what he could not. And he could rest.

Pushing through the pain, Kage continued his escape, ignoring the way his eyes swam in and out of focus as another drop of his magic faded away.

Time was unknown to Kage. All he knew was the steps he took. Counting them in his head as he motivated himself to keep moving forward. Eyes trained on the ever thickening smoke trail in the sky as he neared his target.

Just one more step.

And another.

When his trap is triggered, he barely senses it. The last dredges of his magic were too far from his body to strike his senses as they once would. 

He was almost there. Just a little further. Feeling exhilarated by his soon to be triumph, Kage pushed passed twigs and leaves as large as his own head and the muscles in his face began to hurt from his relieved smile. Just a little bit further and...

When he stepped into the camp, he stumbled over a tree root and hit the ground, nose crunching against the hard ground. His mind whirled from the pain, curses and exhausted gasps escaping in short intervals as he struggled to reorient himself. He was there. He could smell the burning wood and the thick smoke. This HAD to be where Jose was. Already he could hear a whirl of movement, a clan mate he thinks with a lucid grin, rushing to help him -

”How the fuck did you get here?“ A voice snarled in a deep timbre. Kage stilled instantly, eyes widening as he realized his mistake. 

This wasn't Jose's camp. This was-

Calloused hands bunched the thin fabric of Kage's shirt, hoisting him up to his feet as the world spun in dizzying circles. The movements were rough and calculated as an iron gauntlet struck his ear when the hands owners moved away. He barely had time to hiss from the smarting pain before his eyes swam back into focus to see angry, deep red ones glaring back at him.

 -The camp of a man he'd been told to avoid at all costs. 

“...Gajeel?” He breathlessly asked, laughing hoarsely, “I didn't know you'd be here. W-what a...” Kage swallowed, thinking of the correct words, “What a coincidence!”

A man known to be Jose's right hand when it came to information and trudging through the most dangerous of enemy camps. That was Gajeel. Gleaming iron studs dotted his brow and nose, speaking  to a heritage many failed to understand, but the twisted smirk that gnarled his features was an echoing reminder of another deranged grin.

Kage was jolted from his memories when Gajeel drew him up higher, feet dangling uselessly above the forest floor. He shouldn't be here, Kage realized. Whenever Gajeel was sent out, carnage was sure to follow. Something jammed itself in his throat, cutting off his words as his eyes wildly scanned the area for an exit.

“You gonna keep staring or give me an answer, shadow runt?” He pulled Kage's attention back to him, dark amusement running through his impatient words, ”I ain't here all day.“

Was this another lion's den ready to consume him? Or a blessing in disguise? Kage honestly didn't know.

“Point me to Jose's camp,” He begged, words falling from his mouth like water, “I'm being followed by one of the fairies, you can't let them get me. I've- I've got information on their village!“

Hopefully his plea wouldn't land on deaf ears.

[shelbyshoe]

Looks Like Rent Is Due

One-Shot

Fairy Tail (NaLu) Lucy is fired, again. Saving the day with psychic abilities isn’t as rewarding as you think it is. Down on her luck, and with only half rent, she strikes a deal with her landlord’s brother, a vampire named Natsu. Free rent for free blood. At least it’s a trial run, and he’s incredibly hot. Rated E (smut, vampire bites, blood) Words: 7398

Based on this amazing post.

AO3

FFN

“You’re fired.”

“What? Can I at least get a two-week notice? I have people to feed,” Lucy said. Her manager narrowed his eyes and slapped an envelope onto the counter.

“First, you are the only person you’re feeding. Second, this is the rest of your paycheck. Feel free to leave.” He didn’t wait for her to convince him that she was a great employee and that she needed the money. On his way to the back room, she caught his brief thought.

Thank gods she’s gone.

The front door to the Seven Eleven rang as she walked out of the store for the last time toward her apartment building. The summer humidity settled over her skin. Some of the hair that had escaped her ponytail stuck to the sides of her face. This wasn’t the first time someone had fired her. That’s what happened when you had psychic abilities and just so happen to stop a man from abducting a child at a Seven Eleven. Alright, she could have stopped him a bit less aggressively. But come on. It was either she allowed the man to walk away with the kid or she kicked him in the face to give the kid some time to get the heck out of there.

Lucy was a magnet for disasters. She had stopped two kidnappings, a robbery, a drug deal, and stopped a surprisingly sneaky old lady from pickpocketing everyone that passed by her at the local coffee shop. Every time, she’d had to intervene without a good reason. No one would believe that she could read people’s thoughts.

She’d tried to tell herself that it was none of her business what people thought about. Their evil intent had nothing to do with her. But when she kicked that man in the face today, that little kid appeared so relieved. It made it worth getting fired. Except, she now had to find another job. The Seven Eleven gig was already a miracle. Managers knew her as the girl that kicked the shit out of customers. No one would take her.

Lucy stood in front of her apartment building with a sinking feeling in her stomach. The small apartment she’d moved into had the usual amenities, leaky faucets, missing cabinet handles, and of course the loudest neighbors in town. The ones below her sounded like two giraffes scraping their heads on the low ceilings, and the ones above had two dogs who had zoomies all night. The outside of the building let her know that she lived in a Junji Ito novel. The lock to the gate had long broken, left wide open for anyone to get through. The building itself needed a new paint job, and the banisters had rusted, just begging for someone to fall. But at least it was cheap.

She trudged up the concrete stairs to her second-floor apartment. The little old lady that lived next door sat in the breezeway in a little chair. She cradled a steaming cup in her hands and smiled at Lucy’s approach.

“You’re home early,” she said.

“Fired again.” She pulled out her house keys from her bag as she approached her door.

“You’re young yet. You’ll find another one. I believe in you, Heartfilia.” Ms. Sato took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes in bliss. If only Lucy’s life could feel that good.

“Thank you, Ms. Sato.” She pushed open her door and slipped inside. There wasn’t much to her apartment, maybe that was best in her situation. She pulled off her shoes in the tiled genkan, passed the little kitchenette and the door to her all-in-one bathroom, and dropped her bag on the floor before she sank into her two-seater couch. She had plans to get a new TV to fill the empty space in her living room. That was until she lost her job, again. Now she had to save every penny. She didn’t feel like she had needed one before. There was a used bookstore down the street, so she had piles of mass market paperbacks stacked just below the window in the way she’d seen on Instagram. Lucy’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She found a text message from her best friend lit up the screen.

Levy: Want to come out tonight?

Lucy leaned her head back on her couch cushion and stared up at the water-stained ceiling. Either this was a girl’s night, which she couldn’t afford now that she had no job, or Levy had asked her to be a third wheel again. Levy had acquired a new boyfriend and loved to drag Lucy along to try and find her one too. Her tired body begged her to stay home, take a hot shower, and crawl into bed. Her weary mind wanted to drink and forget her loss of a job. Ah, decisions.

Lucy: Who’s coming?

She hoped that was a hint to leave the boyfriend at home. With her luck, Levy would insist that he join them. Their honeymoon phase was cute and all, but Lucy didn’t want to date while in crisis. Did she even have enough money to go out? She leaned over, pulled her bag into her lap, and took out the envelope that her ex-boss gave her. Inside was a stack of cash. He had counted the exact amount that he owed her for her final paycheck. It included a copy of an official notice of termination. Great. Might as well add them to the pile. Her phone buzzed again. She expected to find her answer about Levy’s plans.

Scumlord: This is your reminder that your rent is two days past due. If it is convenient for you, submit your payment through the client portal. If you are using cash, please slip it under door 101. No checks or money orders. Thank you.

Fantastic. Just what she needed in these trying times. Another message lit her screen.

Levy: Just me and Gajeel. You’ve been working so many hours. You should take some time for yourself!

Lucy: Maybe next time! I’m exhausted.

If Lucy’s calculations were correct, she didn’t have enough money for rent. She needed money or time to find a new job. She stared at the landlord’s message. She had cash at least. Maybe she could go down to 101 and convince whoever lived there to take an IOU. Or she could run down to Seven Eleven and beg for her job back. She devised a plan to tell the manager that she’d heard the gross guy, that she kicked to hell, tell that kid some dirty things or something. Though she doubted that made a difference. She still kicked a customer, and corporate only cared about the money in their pockets. The next time she saw something weird, she’d ignore it. Lucy hated her little gift of reading minds. For her entire life, it had only brought her trouble.

“What people think is none of my business.” If she said it enough, she could feel better when she inevitably allowed things like kidnap to happen. Might as well—

Someone knocked at Lucy’s door. She stood and slipped her phone in her back pocket. She peeked through the peephole and found nothing on the other side.

“Who’s there?” she called.

“Here to collect rent,” a low voice said from the other side of her door. Lucy had met her landlord on a few occasions. He was aloof with longish black hair, owned multiple properties, and was ruthless with rent. He had enough money to live somewhere other than the Junji Ito horror apartment building. This person at her door must be whoever lived in apartment 101. Now was her chance to convince whoever was on the other side to allow her to pay half.

Lucy opened the door with an entire spiel about rent rattled off in her head. All of which evaporated as soon as she got a good look at 101. He stood off to the side and leaned against the metal railing. He braced himself on the rail. The drapey gray sleeveless shirt helped display his perfectly toned tanned arms and broad shoulders.

“I can’t.” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out. To her credit, her brain had run on fumes all week and clearly no longer functioned like an adult.

“You can’t pay?” The man in front of her lifted himself off the rail. Her eyes followed his movement. Bad idea. Now, she couldn’t stop staring at his arms.

“I can do half.” She held up the white envelope.

“No can do.” He crossed his arms over his chest. This was not the time to lust over a random man at her door to collect rent. “When can you have all of it? I was explicitly told by my shitty brother not to accept more than full payment.”

“Look, you seem nice. I’d hate to put you in a bad spot, but I only have half. I just got laid off and need to find another job,” Lucy said. He whistled low and shook his head.

“That’s a bummer. But I still can’t take half.”

“Wait, you’re the landlord’s brother?”

“Unfortunately.” He grimaced and peered down the breezeway.

“What brings you to this dump?” It helped the situation that the hot guy sounded like he hated her landlord as much as she did. If she could soften him up a bit, and get him to talk freely, she could convince him to take half the rent payment.

“Dropped out of college and needed somewhere to go.”

“Man, your brother must hate you to send you here.” Lucy leaned against her door frame and tucked her envelope in her back pocket.

“Probably, but I’m not planning to stay. What brings you here? I was expecting drug dealers and gang members.”

“What makes you think I don’t deal?” she said. His eyes widened before he broke out into a soft laugh. The sound made her want to hear more. “I’m kidding. I’m strapped for cash.”

“Clearly, but I meant that you seem like you belong in a high rise somewhere, not here.”

“It’s a long story. What made you drop out?” she asked.

“It’s a long story.” This time when he smiled, his canines stood out to her as particularly sharp. Either Lucy was extremely lonely, or she’d unlocked a new turn on.

“Well, if you don’t want this money, I’m going to grab a drink with it. You are welcome to join me.” Lucy ducked back into her apartment, grabbed her bag, and slipped the envelope inside.

“I’ll take you up on that,” he said as she locked the door.

They fell into step with each other down the stairs and to the sidewalk.

“So, what is your name, 101?” she asked.

“101? Oh, Natsu.” He lifted his arms to secure his hands behind his head while they walked. Lucy found him oddly relaxing to be around. “What about you, 204?”

“I’m Lucy.” They waited at a pedestrian light and waited for cars to pass. Natsu moved to turn the corner, but Lucy took his arm before he could move on.

“Nope, not that way,” she said.

“There’s a Seven Eleven down this way. It’s not that far,” he said.

“We’re going to the Lawson down the road. I was fired from that Seven Eleven.” When the crosswalk signaled them to go, Lucy stepped off the curb and tugged him in the same direction.

“How did you get fired from a Seven Eleven?” Natsu asked. This was the problem with superpowers. She didn’t know how to tell someone that she could hear people’s thoughts. Most freaked out or believed she was crazy.

“I apprehended a criminal,” she said. The cicadas whined in the lush green trees as they passed a small park. A couple kids laughed with each other on the swings. All the sounds of summer played out in a lull around the neighborhood. Even their chatter matched the ambient sounds of the city. If she wasn’t in such a tight spot financially, she may have enjoyed it.

“Fighting evil by moonlight?”

“I’m the one named, 204.”

“But seriously. What did you do? Attack someone in the store?” His tone implied sarcasm, and Lucy wished she could laugh it off with him. On another timeline, she’d still have a job and could have met Natsu under better circumstances, all bills paid. Her fantasy of a better paycheck loomed over her. Natsu’s smile fell, and he leaned forward to get a better look at her face. “You’re kidding. You attacked a customer? No wonder you got fired.”

“He was being a pervert to some kid! I couldn’t stand there and let him abduct children.” The need to validate her actions made her chest tight.

“You didn’t have to beat him up either. Though I don’t blame you. He sounds like he deserved it,” Natsu said.

“I didn’t beat him. I kicked him.”

“What’s the difference?” he said as they rounded the corner to the Lawson. They passed below its blue and white striped sign and into the air-conditioned building. Lucy followed Natsu to the back of the store and stood with him in front of the wall of refrigerated drinks.

“Beating him up implies that I hit him more than once,” she said and browsed the shelves. Her usual green tea caught her eye. Natsu picked up a bottle of cold coffee and eyed the back of the can. What was he thinking? Wait. What was he thinking? Lucy concentrated on his energy but came up empty. Until now, she’d yet to meet a person whose mind she couldn’t read.

“What? Can’t decide either?” He took up a different coffee from the shelf and meandered toward the alcohol. Either she was finally free of her powers, or Natsu’s mind was as dry as the Sahara Desert.

Damn it, she’s here. The thought had dripped in malice and entered her mind at top volume. Lucy glanced over her shoulder to find the man she’d kicked the hell out of eye her from the register. He narrowed his gaze in her direction as the clerk, oblivious, rang him up. Just what she needed, drama to follow her while she browsed a Lawson with her landlord’s brother.

Natsu had moved away from the drinks and strolled the aisle of snacks.

I’ll kill her. The man’s thought sent a chill down Lucy’s back. She turned back to the drinks, grabbed her usual green tea, and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, she prayed the man had disappeared. Lucy jumped when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“It’s on me.” Natsu held up two beers, a bag of Calbee chips, and his coffee tucked under his arm. “What?” He followed her eyes to the cashier behind the counter on their phone. “Miss your job already? Don’t worry! You’ll find another one.” He took her green tea and added it to his stuff. She followed him to the counter and surveyed the store for signs of the man. Maybe she had imagined him. Natsu swatted her hand away from the bag when she tried to take it from the counter.

“I got it,” he insisted. The summer air, while tepid, made her feel better. The streets were desolate behind them. “Looking for someone?” Natsu asked. Lucy shook her head and adjusted her bag on her shoulder as they walked back. They turned to the street where their apartment building loomed. When she realized Natsu was no longer with her, she made it to the staircase. He squatted on the corner of the street with a shoelace in each hand. He had placed the bag down beside him to tie his shoe. She crossed her arms over her chest and opened her mouth to make a snarky comment when she heard the voice again.

There she is. The man’s voice was unmistakable. Lucy took a step toward Natsu, who kneeled far from her by the street with his other shoe’s laces in his hands. The man jumped out from the shadows. Lucy stepped back into the massive crack in the pavement. She fell over her own feet to the concrete and lifted her hands in front of her face to block an imminent blow. A wall of darkness blocked the final rays of sunlight. Natsu had stood in front of her, bags dropped at her feet, with his hand clutched around the man’s throat. How had he gotten there so fast?

“You may want to rethink that.” Natsu lifted the man up. His feet jerked around as they left the ground. One of his shoes clattered to the floor as he clawed at Natsu’s grip to no avail. “If I catch you anywhere near my friend again, I’ll have to do more than choke you. Got it?” A grin spread across Natsu’s face, and his eyes lit up. While the man gasped for air, he nodded in Natsu’s grasp. The man crumbled to the ground and coughed. His hand had wrapped around his own throat, now an angry shade of red, as he clamored away. “You forgot your shoe!” Natsu picked up the shoe and threw it at the man. It hit the back of his head so hard that he hit the floor. The man grabbed his shoe with wide eyes and ran from sight. When Natsu turned and held out a hand to help her up, she flinched.

“Don’t worry, I don’t think he’ll be coming back any time soon.” Natsu helped her off the floor and took the bag again. Without a second glance, he trotted merrily up the stairs with their goods. Lucy followed behind him with her heart still in her throat. As not to incur his wrath, she quietly opened the door and allowed him inside. Natsu set the bag down on her coffee table and sagged into the couch. “I think your apartment is bigger than mine,” he said.

“What did your brother put you in? A sardine can?” she asked. Her apartment was already tiny. She couldn’t imagine something smaller.

“Basically, a closet compared to your place.” He leaned forward and took out his can of coffee. His fingers snapped back the aluminum tab. His casual posture did not read as someone who would murder her, but she found herself on edge.

“Are we going to talk about what just happened?” she asked.

“I think he followed us from the Lawson.” Natsu took a long sip of his coffee and leaned back on the couch. “I like your couch too. Need a roommate?” he teased.

“Are you on drugs?”

“Drugs? Where did that come from?”

“I’m serious. What was that?” she asked. He eyed her for a moment and tapped his index finger against the can.

“You are kind of odd yourself, being a mind reader and all,” he said. Lucy’s blood ran cold in her veins. She took an involuntary step back toward the door. Natsu held his hands up in front of him. “It’s cool. Your secret is safe with me.”

“How did you know?” she asked.

“You probed a few times,” he pointed to his head, “but I have guards up, sorry.” He downed the rest of his coffee, placed the can on the table, and leaned into the bag for his chips.

“You’re a psychic? But that doesn’t explain the speed.” Lucy slid her bag from her shoulder and set it down on the floor beside the table. Natsu munched away on his chips, and Lucy sat opposite him on her little pink sitting cushion.

“Not exactly. But I’m not allowed to talk about it. Chip?” He held out the open bag for her. She took some and pulled out her cold tea from the bag. They sat in silence munching and enjoying the air conditioning that she turned on with a little remote.

“Why aren’t you allowed to talk about it?” Lucy had never met anyone like Natsu before. Granted, she’d yet to meet someone like herself. “Is your brother psychic too?” she asked.

“Nah, he didn’t get the gift.”

“Does he have your speed?” Lucy’s phone buzzed in her bag, and she reached over to grab it. A text lit up the screen.

Levy: When was the last time you were outside of that apartment, aside from working? You deserve a night out. She practically heard Levy’s voice through the text. Unless she had an alibi, Levy would insist she join them.

“He does.” Natsu sifted through the shopping bag, pulled out one of the beers, and popped the tab.

Lucy: Just now, actually! I’m hanging out with a neighbor. Her phone buzzed immediately.

Levy: A hot neighbor? Her text included a very suggestive emoji.

“What?” Natsu asked from the couch.

“Nothing. Texting a friend back.” Lucy turned her phone face down beside her and sipped on her tea.

“I’m faster than him,” Natsu said. It took her a moment to remember what she had asked him before.

“Your brother?”

“I mean, he tried to beat my speed, but I always have the fastest time.” Natsu grinned to himself and took a drink of his beer.

“I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me. Let me get this straight, my landlord is a super speedy guy, and his brother can read minds but isn’t allowed to talk about it,” Lucy said.

“Look, I’m not allowed to talk about it with just anyone, but you clearly are just as weird as we are, so I’m sure he’d let this slide,” he said. Lucy’s heart raced in her chest. She didn’t expect the excitement that came with those words. Would she feel less alone if she could finally talk about her gifts with someone like her?

“We’re vampires,” Natsu said. The world dropped beneath her. She needed to get this clearly delusional drug addict with brother issues out of her apartment. She lifted her phone to check it and gave herself a moment to escape.

Levy: Lucy Heartfilia! Do not leave me hanging or else I will call you!

Lucy: He is good looking, but he is my landlord’s brother. It isn’t what you think. She hoped that was enough to keep her from calling. Now was clearly not the time.

“No, I’m not a drug addict with brother issues.” Natsu rolled his eyes and finished off his beer. “Do you recycle?” He crunched a can in his fist and pointed to his empty coffee.

“Stop reading my mind! And yes, the cans go in there.” She pointed to the kitchenette. “There’s a bag under the sink.” Her phone buzzed in her hand. Natsu got up with the cans in his grasp.

Levy: Ohhh free rent? Lucy had almost forgotten about her rent problem. Natsu’s relaxed demeanor and possible insanity really put a wrench in her plan to talk her way out of paying in full.

“Ah yeah, the rent,” Natsu said from the kitchenette.

“I said don’t—”

“Read your mind. Yeah, I got it.” Natsu waved her off and sat back on the couch. Lucy leaned back onto her palms. “Well, now that you know I’m a vampire, maybe we can make a deal for rent.” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands steepled together. From her angle, Natsu resembled a movie villain.

“A deal? Look, I tried to get you to take half the rent. I can get the rest by the end of the week if I can get another job.” Lucy didn’t want to make a deal with a drug addict, but her back was against a wall here.

“I’m not a drug addict.”

“How am I supposed to believe that you’re a vampire? That’s crazy.”

“You’re a psychic and you don’t think vampires can exist?”

“Fine, I’ll bite, what kind of deal?” Lucy heard her phone buzz again but left it alone. Levy could wait.

“I feed from you, and you get free rent. You can use the money to take a vacation or have more time to look for a new job. I get fed, which I’m currently having a hard time doing since the blood bank is low on supply. A win-win if you ask me.” His grin revealed the sharp canines from before. Could he really be a vampire?

“Feed? As in bite me? I’d rather not go to the hospital for an infected human bite.” She sat up and drank more of her tea.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not human then.”

“I’m going to be honest with you because you can read my mind.”

“That’s fair.”

“I think you’re a lunatic.”

“I’ve met lunatics and I can assure you that I am not one of them. But my offer still stands. My brother clearly stated he will not take half rent.”

“You couldn’t just ask him to take half?” she asked. Natsu tossed the empty bag of chips into the plastic shopping bag and stood.

“When I say he won’t take half, I mean it. That man will not budge on something like this, trust me.” He threw the trash away in a bag under the kitchen sink.

“Do you mean that, or do you just want to bite me?” she asked. Natsu leaned on the entry to her small hall and laughed.

“You really are fun to be around, you know that?” He ran his hand through his messy pink hair. She had to admit that she hadn’t lied to Levy. The man was hot. If only he wasn’t crazy. “I mean it though. He won’t take it.”

“But you’re so convinced that he’ll let it go if you get to feed from me?”

“Yeah. If he thinks it’ll get me closer to getting a big boy job and out of this apartment, he’d allow it. Saving money on blood supply would do that.” He pushed away from the wall, his eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers. The gesture was so comical she expected to see a little light bulb above his head. “I have an idea.” Natsu bounded back into the living space and crouched next to her. He sat on the heels of his feet and draped his arms over his knees. Lucy leaned back at his sudden closeness.

“I’m afraid to ask,” she said.

“Why don’t you try a trial run?” he asked.

“Come again?” Close up, everything about Natsu remained pristine. The flawless skin and attractive turn of his lips made her rethink his immortal status.

“We can do a monthly trial,” he said, “I take your blood, and you keep your money. If you don’t like it, then you can go back to paying for rent the old fashion way next month.” His excitement was infectious and terrifying. The truth was, she had no idea where she was going to look for a job. She couldn’t go back to the convenience stores. Retail was hell and she had a better chance of running into people with malevolent intent. If she took this little trial, she could stash her money away and buy her time to find a job in another industry, something quiet.

“How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?” Lucy couldn’t believe she entertained the idea.

“I live downstairs from you. Even if I didn’t keep my end up, you could find me easily and kick my ass,” he said.

“Do we have a contract or something?”

“I’m fine with your word.” Natsu shrugged and gave her a million-watt smile. She couldn’t help the way her stomach flip flopped. Either she had reached the limit of her loneliness, she had lost her mind, this man had mind control over her, or it was truly a good deal. Either way, she took his offered hand and shook it.

“It’s a deal then,” she said. He dropped her hand but made no move to stand up. “Uh, when did you want to start?” Her heart hammered in her chest as he leaned in and sank to his knees in front of her.

“Now, if you’d like,” he said. If she moved mere inches, she’d be able to kiss him. The idea rattled around in her head but all she could do was nod. Had he heard that little thought? Natsu moved her hair over her shoulder, leaned in with both palms pressed to the ground on either side of her, and hesitated at her neck. “I did hear that.” First, she felt his warm breath against her neck, then the exquisite sensation of his lips against her skin. She melted into him.

“You should stay out of my head,” she said.

“Do you want in mine?” Natsu took her arms in his grasp and pulled her against him. Lucy’s breath caught in her throat, and with apprehension, she concentrated on his mind.

Beautiful. The first word she’d picked up from him made her heart flutter. Hold still, Lucy.

When his fangs pierced her skin, she balled his shirt in her hands. The pinpricks were followed by the most overwhelming lust she’d ever felt in her entire life. A soft moan slipped from her lips, and his grip tightened around her arms. Her sex clenched painfully with need. A long draw of her blood forced another moan to tumble from her lips. Her whole body pulled taut and teetered on the edge of orgasm from his mouth alone. Natsu’s chest vibrated with a deep groan. He slid his hands onto her backside and dragged her into his lap. His thick arousal pressed against her core. He pulled away from her neck and lapped at the mark. Lucy’s head lulled to the side and her body thrummed in her haze.

Natsu palmed the back of her neck and dragged her lips to his. Their kiss was like lit propane. His taste mixed with the metallic tang of blood that rolled over her tongue. She thrust against his length, determined to relieve the ache. The clothes felt too heavy, too imposing, against her skin. As if to answer her thought, he pulled her shirt over her head and unclasped her bra. The air was cool across her heated skin. He took her lips again and trailed kisses from her jaw to her breasts. Lucy slid her fingers through his hair when he took possession of her sensitive nipple. He rolled the peak between his deft fingertips, and his eyes never left her as he swept his tongue over the breadth of the other.

The loud buzz of her phone cut off the curse that rolled off her tongue. She groaned when he squeezed her breast in his hand and sucked harder on her skin. The phone stopped and then started again. This time, her groan was because of the sound.

“Sounds urgent,” he said against her nipple, “you can answer it.”

“I can’t.” Her voice came out as more of a whimper than she liked.

Just tell them you’re busy and hang up. His hand that cupped her ass tugged her against him. She’d give anything to take the rest of her clothes off. The phone continued its demand for her attention. Better answer it if they want to talk to you that bad.

You just want me on the phone while you do this. She made sure that her voice came out snarky in her mind.

I wouldn’t say that. But it’s going to keep ringing. He grinned and released her nipple from his mouth with a wet suck. His dark eyes flickered up to her as he lapped at the flushed skin. Her phone started up again.

“Fine.” Lucy leaned back to reach for her bag. Her arm dug around for the damn phone. She wrapped her hand around it like treasure and answered.

“Lucy! What is going on? Did your hot neighbor leave?” Levy spoke loudly to the receiver. Her voice slurred slightly, and other voices mingled in behind her. A bar maybe?

“No and I have to go.” Lucy worked to keep her voice steady.

“He’s there with you?  Did he get you free rent or something?” she asked. Natsu took that moment to sink his fangs into the supple skin of her breast.

“Yes.” She bit her lip to keep from crying out in Levy’s ear.

“What? What does he get in return? Surely, they wouldn’t let you get away with a whole month for free.” Levy was clever. Lucy feared that her intelligent friend, even tipsy could hear what the man in her arms did to her.

You taste amazing. Natsu groaned low against her skin.

“I really have to go.”

“Are you alright? You sound out of breath,” Levy said. Lucy had a few choice words for Natsu, but her brain had barely processed her phone conversation, her telepathic one was out of the question.

“Just ran to the store. I’ll call you after, I promise.”

“After what?”

“Come on, Shrimp. You’ve had too much and it’s time to go.” Levy’s boyfriend’s voice sounded further away. If it weren’t for her predicament, Lucy would thank Gajeel.

“Talk to you later!” Lucy hung up the phone, tossed it on the couch, and let out a long moan. “Why did you have to bite me while I was on the phone?” she asked. Natsu gave another hard suck and groaned against her breast. Her pleasure sent stars across her vision. No matter how good she felt, or how close to the precipice she was, her orgasm didn’t come. Something about the bite itself could not bring her over the edge. He laid her back against the floor and pulled back. A bead of blood traveled down the side of her breast, and he followed it with his tongue before he licked the bite.

They fumbled to get the rest of their clothes off. His erection sprung free, and precum shone from the head of his shaft. In Lucy’s haze, she looked her fill, unabashed by her greedy gaze. Natsu did the same and languidly stroked himself at the sight of her.

Where have you been all my life? Did he even know she could still hear him? Natsu lifted her legs over his shoulders and clutched her thighs, lowering himself to the floor. His warm breath stroked her core.

Please. Her sex glistened with how wet she’d become.

Someone else liked the phone call too. His voice and soft chuckle bounced around her head. Natsu trailed his lips along her inner thigh toward her center. She wiggled with impatience. His deep green eyes flicked up to her. Looks like you loved it. He reached one hand over and ran his thumb up and down her damp slit. Her legs shook as he skimmed the pale skin of her thigh with his teeth. When he bit down, he pushed past her folds with his thumb and slid himself deep into her. Her moan was so loud that she was sure that the little old lady next door heard.

Lucy grabbed a fist full of his cherry hair and tugged. The growl of pleasure shook against her thigh. He pulled his thumb out of her and rubbed her aching clit with her own slick heat. Lucy writhed beneath him. He sucked hard and plunged two fingers past her soaked lips. This time, she felt her pulse race with her impending climax. The harmony of their heavy breaths and the slick sound of his digits moving in and out of her filled the room.

Can’t get enough of you. His voice was velvet and through their mental connection alone, he made her feel as though his hands pulled her hardened nipples. A curse left her lips in surprise. He pulled his fingers out of her and began to vigorously stroke her sensitive bud. The friction mounted enough to make her eyes roll back. With one last suck, she found rapture in her release. No man had ever made her cum so hard in her life.

Natsu slowed his pace and pulled away from his bite. He lapped at the skin there and moved her legs from his shoulders. The absence of him made her skin feel cold, and her sex tightened without him inside her. With the slickness of his hand, he stroked his length. A low hiss escaped him as he did. She could only imagine the discomfort he felt then. Even so, she found the look of his hand wrapped around his shaft, the definition of muscle across his arms, and the aching way he gazed at her body sexy as hell.

Lucy attempted to sit up, but dizziness made her fall back. Natsu stilled and leaned over her.

“Are you dizzy? I’m sorry, I may have taken too much from you.” He pressed his palms on either side of her and leaned in to take her lips.

“I’m fine,” she said into his mouth. His tongue moved over hers as though he’d never taste her again.

“Can I?” Natsu clutched his thick erection and poised himself over her damp curls.

“Yes.” Lucy squirmed beneath him with need. He grinned down at her and spread her lips with the head of his cock.

Hold tight. He steadily sheathed himself into her. She arched against him, and her legs spread wider. He cursed as he plunged himself inch by inch. Her walls stretched deliciously to accommodate him; the feeling so exquisite that her legs shook. He clutched her thighs, sat up, and peered down at the way their bodies met. You wanna try something? She barely registered his husky voice in her head.

Try what? Lucy had no clue what he wanted to try, but she knew she’d say yes.

Remember how I touched you telepathically before? He took a long breath out. Her walls gripped his length as he slowly moved out of her. Both groaned with the sensation.

“I remember,” she said.

“I’ve never had a connection like this before,” he admitted, “Concentrate on that link, the way you do when we talk.” At first, she felt skeptical. Part of her didn’t care about anything but the pleasure, but she obliged him. Their eyes locked as he thrust deep inside her. Lucy grabbed his arms like an anchor. Instead of pulling out, he rotated his hips so that he could stroke her clit.

This is the best sex I’ve ever had. She hadn’t meant to “send” that thought, but from the wide grin on his face, she knew it was too late to take it back. Their connection felt like a line between them, only stronger as they came together. She held onto that line. Then she felt it. Her eyes widened and her breath quickened. Natsu thrust into her at an easy rhythm all the while she felt his teeth gently tug on her nipples, even with his mouth far from her. How? The mounting feeling in the pit of her stomach started again. Her mouth hung open with cries that never came.

He bit his lip as he surged forward. He moved his hand to her ass and pulled her hips higher. The angle was her catalyst. The head of his shaft grazed a soft spot inside her with each thrust. Lucy came undone in his hands.

Yeah, just like that. A small trickle of blood rolled down his chin from his teeth clenched against his flushed lip. Her orgasm ripped through her. Could he feel it? She concentrated on the way they spoke to each other, that thread pulled taut. Natsu’s moans mingled with hers and he screwed his eyes shut. Is that your— Fuck, Lucy. Is that yours? The waves of her orgasm ebbed, and her mind reeled.

Maybe. Served him right for using whatever this was on her first.

I guess I have to return the favor. He pulled out and flipped her onto her stomach. She made a sound of protest but quieted when he lifted her hips up for his cock to slide back into her from behind. Lucy gasped at the movement. But it wasn’t until his orgasm reached her through their connection that she knew what he meant by “return the favor”. A litany of curses tumbled from her mouth. So much for a good repour with her neighbors. His climax ripped through her so hard that she thrust in the air around his dick that rocked into her. He moaned her name like a prayer. Their essence ran down her leg as she reached down to stroke herself as he came.

When their movements became languid and her muscles ached, he pulled out of her. They lay on the floor out of breath.

You said you’ve never had a connection like that before? Her exhaustion made it easier to ask in her head.

“You’re the first psychic I’ve met.”

So, you’ve never done that mind thing with another woman before?

“Never. This was the best sex I’ve ever had.” He turned his head to meet her eyes. Didn’t know it could be that good.

“Neither did I,” she said.

“We’ll need to work on this connection thing.”

“Why?” She sat up slowly. Natsu followed her movements and held out a hand in case she fell back again.

“We keep reading thoughts that we don’t mean to send. Are you dizzy?” he asked.

“Not as bad,” she said. Natsu stood and took to her little refrigerator. It was bizarre to see a hot naked man casually in her fridge.

“Ah, ha.” He pulled out a bottle of juice and came back with it. “Drink this. You should probably eat something too. I’m sorry about that.”

“Got a little carried away?” She popped the top off the drink. He messed with the back of his hair and didn’t meet her eyes.

“It seems like it.”

The two of them cleaned up and dressed. Natsu waited until she finished the rest of her juice before he offered to grab her food. She told him she had leftovers, and he didn’t have to worry about it.

“Can I ask a question?” she asked later as she walked him to the door.

“Sure.”

“Why are there no marks?” She noticed in the bathroom that none of his bite marks had stuck around. Another reminder that he wasn’t human.

“Why? Want them to show?” He wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively. She playfully swatted at him. His ability to bypass awkwardness with mischief was amazing to her. Nothing appeared to faze him. Who was this man?

“No, I was just wondering if that was why you, you know, licked them.”

“Yeah, that helps them heal as fast as I do.” Natsu leaned against the closed door with his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat?”

“I’ll be fine. I appreciate it,” she said. Natsu nodded and opened the door to reveal Levy on the other side. Her fist raised to knock. “Oh, looks like you have a visitor, Lucy.” Natsu extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. Levy, right?” he asked. Levy nodded with her mouth slightly open. “Well, this was nice. Same time next month, Lucy?” At that moment, Lucy wanted to kick his ass. She’d save it for next month.

The weeks passed quickly. Without rent looming over her head, she found a pep in her step. It didn’t hurt that she had great sex. Yet, she debated another meeting with Natsu. They’d seen each other in passing. One time she caught him in the hall, to which he whispered in her mind. Looking good, Lucy.

Her body craved him and his bite. She found that she’d pleasure herself more with thoughts of him. Occasionally she’d bite her own arm as she did so. She never broke her skin, and it never felt the same.

The day had come, and Lucy stood in front of apartment 101. Instead of knocking on the door, she focused on that connection, that thread they shared, and sent filthy images of everything she’d fantasized about. The door pulled open and Natsu’s dark eyes met hers. He had nothing on but a towel over his waist and droplets of water rolled down his body from a shower.

Looks like rent is due.

[nagirambles]

Hi i saw your post on Nalu HCs and now I’m wondering do you have any HCs on Nalu with Gildarts as a father figure ?( Gildarts seeing how Natsu and Lucy remind him of his and Cornelia love life only their didn’t mess up like he did ) Gildarts giving Natsu love advice while comedy Gildarts kicking Natsu out of Lucy house lol. Gildarts being a father figure to Lucy cause boi does she need it. Just wholesome , comedy and chaotic HCs , it’s a shame theirs not many HCs on them please thank u 🧶

I am suddenly getting so many Gildarts requests aaaaa I love you all, thanks for all this, yeah? I feel loved. 

I think Gildarts isn’t shown to approach Lucy as much because she’s already an older teenager at the time they met? Knowing his personality, he’d come off like Macao and Wakaba with their creepy perverted uncle kind of vibe, instead of a dad one. (Yes, I do not like that in canon either. Why are those two creeping on Mirajane... seriously Mashima... I’m glad Mashima didn’t write Gildarts approaching Lucy much, because I have a good feeling he would’ve taken the same direction.) 

But anyways! Let’s start with just Lucy. Honestly, I don’t think Gildarts is much of a ‘father figure’, he’s more of the fun uncle to anyone except Natsu, and that’s because they both like destroying things. But I guess the difference is just kinda semantics, so eh. I like to think he’d put a pedestal on Cana by being all babytalk with her to lovingly annoy her though. He won’t do that with anyone else, and that’s a good balance. 

Onto Lucy. I think they didn’t have much time or opportunity before this, so the first time he’ll seriously take interest in Lucy as a person would be on Tenrou after the battles before Acnologia, and probably because Lucy was partners with Cana in the S-class test. He would probably find a coincidental opportunity to come in and maybe thank her for being there for Cana, all that. Lucy would probably deny all that, but then the conversation would turn to Cana, and they’d start agreeing and whining about things like ‘hey, wait! Cana made it to the grave! She should have made it S-class! Damn that Grimoire Heart!’ or ‘she is so strong but she won’t believe it! She’s unbelievable!’ all ranting, so Gildarts can learn as much about Cana as he can, and Lucy can keep ranting about why she helped Cana in the first place. 

I like to think Lucy would keep an eye on Gildarts were firmly. I think she would be giving him the equivalent of a shovel talk just to warn him that if he ever, ever messes the damn hell up with being a father again, she will Lucy Kick him up the head, crash magic or not. And she will uphold that promise because she cannot hurt him, but she can in fact put nails in his shoes, tabasco in his food, and mayonnaise in his beer. He is mortified enough to willingly get on his knees to apologize to Cana every time he unwillingly or drunkenly messes up henceforth. And then, he will go find Lucy to treat her to something just so both of them can make up, too. 

I’d like to think it would be in one of these times where Lucy tells him why she’s so serious about him being a good father for Cana. Maybe they would both be lightly drunk and she would be ranting. Maybe it’s right after she finds out about her father’s death and she really needs a good cry. She would rant to him, openly, and because she hasn’t actually told everyone the full details of her past with her father, Gildarts would be the first to know. (One detail in all of Lucy’s confrontation scenes with her father is that when Lucy goes back to her friends, we always see her reunion with them from Jude’s perspective, without hearing her explanation to Natsu and gang. I like to think she doesn’t overshare then, she just assures them she’s settled it, she’s coming home with them, and she’s fine now. And they accept her wholeheartedly back where she belongs.) So, Gildarts would be the first to actually get a clear look into the depth of how far she’s been hurt, and how tragic her relationship with her father is. Gildarts resolves to never fail Cana the same way, and that’s enough for Lucy to smile. 

I personally headcanon Celestial magic and Card magic are similar due to the same semi-divine connotations, so I like to imagine Gildarts being happy to talk with Lucy about Cornelia, and her history with fortunes. Maybe tell her the story of how they met, and why he believes Cornelia named their daughter Cana. And Lucy would return with the story of how her parents met, how her own name came by, and they would both laugh about how arbitrary parents can be with naming their own children. They would probably both talk about Cana in a worrying parental way, because they’re both worried about overdrinking and recklessness and all, but Cana just won’t listen to their critique. They’re like overbearing mothers and Cana hates that there are two of them now.

They would have a teasing relationship, where Lucy would poke fun of him every time for things like "you’re gonna leave without seeing Cana again? Oh, your poooor daughter!” and he would go ‘urk’. Similarly, if Nalu becomes canonical, (or even if it doesn’t and stays semi the whole way, honestly,) he would tease Lucy in the same way he teases Laxus about being kicked out of the guild during Tenrou. She would also go ‘urk’. 

I love the idea of Gildarts being the scary dad figure. Lucy wouldn’t ask for him to protect her, she just doesn’t think it necessary-- but somehow, at some point, she gets pinned under the same umbrella as Cana in that ‘you better not mess with her because you will regret it when the strongest mage in the west comes after your head’ category. Lucy and Cana are both annoyed by it because they do not need that dumb thing, it’s scaring away customers, and most of all, I can. protect. MYSELF. (Gildarts whines because he’s not doing it because he thinks they’re weak, he’s doing it as a show of his loooove!) (Both of them make overdramatic reactions of ‘ew no you creepy old man!’ but they’re both grateful)

To be clear, I’m not saying all this in a ‘Cana and Lucy are girlfriends’ way, though you’re free to interpret so. I just think Gildarts would extend some of that love to Lucy simply because his regret for failing Cana can span enough for two dear girls that desperately missed a father’s love in their lives, and he’s more than willing to do for Lucy what Jude couldn’t. Because he knows now that it’s not about blood relations, everyone deserves a father’s love. If Macao and Wakaba could do it, maybe he could, too.

More in relation to Natsu. The teasing would never stop for Natsu. He almost never let Natsu live the old crush with Lisanna down, so clearly, now that things changed, he will turn that right the hell back on. Heck, if Nalu’s the openly official relationship of this continuity then I think Lisanna would join in, because that’s kind of in line with her prior personality as the teasing one. Gildarts would chide Natsu about being always being more obsessed with wanderlust than Lucy. Lucy would insist it’s fine, but Gildarts would not, simply because that is what he did and he regretted the hell out of it. (He’s a dad, but that doesn’t mean his advice needs to be followed.) So he just nags, and Natsu ends up grabbing Lucy along so they can both avoid the damn nagging. 

I feel Gildarts would project a little. He doesn’t want Natsu to become someone like him, who was too late for Cornelia and almost too late for Cana. He’ll eventually realize that Natsu won’t grow up like him, and Lucy won’t be the next Cornelia-- and he’ll be content, and he’ll finally be able to truly forgive himself. 

Honestly, I feel Gildarts would sympathize with Jude, even though (and most likely because) he was a horrible father. Of course, absent and neglectful are two different things, but he would wonder how similar they are, that they both turned away from what needed their love because they both mourned their wives. He wondered if he could have been like him, if the situations were just a little different. He visits Jude’s grave and wondered, if they met on the road at some point after Jude’s business failed, could they have been unlikely friends?

[warlordgab]

NaLu analysis: tension and shipping

A few months ago, shippers brought up an interesting concept: "Tension." Which led to the question, what does "tension" mean in the context of relationships? Doesn't NaLu have this element in their bonding?

Let's start by answering, what's Tension?

It seems some people deliberately leave it vague as they don't specify if it is "romantic tension" or "sexual tension." So, we're going to briefly explore both concepts to see if we find either something from other premises that doesn't belong in NaLu, or something that fits their relationship and growth as seen in Mashima's works.

Let's start by assuming shippers use the term as Romantic Tension

There are a lot of concepts and factors involved, but to make it simple we can define "romantic tension" as the anticipation produced by the way two characters gravitate towards each other before their eventual relationship upgrade. Such interactions usually have some uniqueness to them, and depending on the writer and the characters, it may include a mix of both nervousness and excitement.

We have to make clear appearing in the panel/frame or having the same reaction to certain things or events is not 'gravitating toward each other,' so those scenes don't count as "tension."

What does count as romantic tension?

So, which girl does Natsu gravitate towards the most?

It's kinda hard to miss that since the story started Natsu, slowly but surely, developed a strong attachment to Lucy. It started with Natsu doing what he never did during his whole life in the guild: form a team

They kept growing so close they eventually got the point that he sticks to her a lot more often, even when having the choice to make up for the lost time with his childhood friend by the time of the GMG arc...

...to the point when having to choose between the thrill of battle in the magic games or going on a secret mission to rescue Lucy, he easily chose Lucy.

Bonus points for Lucy getting a little blushed and clearly overjoyed when she got to know about it.

The story also highlights who, more often than not, stays in Lucy's house eagerly waiting for her return...

He tends to go to Lucy's home more often that anyone else, and that special chapter revealed he just does it because he wants to be her.

Also, who was the first person he wanted to go with him to battle Hades?

...and as Lisanna predicted, Natsu drew strength from the fact Lucy was by his side even when everyone else was losing hope

Before the Alvarez battle started, who did Natsu choose to spend the night with?

The one who actually got him to talk about the future and rationalize the thrill he feels in battle was Lucy. More often than not, Natsu tends to gravitate towards her, and that's part of the reason why some of the most meaningful moments come up naturally without any of them being out of character. So, we can say there's some sort of tension there

But, what about Lucy?

Well, after sharing so much with Natsu she began to feel attached to him too. But, the most notable showings are the ones who showcase the emotional chemistry between the characters. Think about this: who did she turned when needing relief...

At the finale of the GMG arc, who did she run to when overwhelmed by, according to the narrative, a warm feeling dwelling in her chest?

Her first impulse was going to Natsu, and it doesn't feel forced at all given the context around the moment; feelings trascending space and time, but ultimately Lucy's own feelings, draw her to Natsu. Before the guild disbanded, who did Lucy run after?

Notice that despite having many guildmates, who are practically her family, it's the prospect of Natsu's absence what would make her feel lonely even if the guild were to be there for her. Still, after the disbandment was announced, she didn't run after any other guild member.

Who did she stick to after the events of HEROs? Who did she seek to prank her new friend? And who did she stay with the rest of their time?

It should be clear by now that the one person Lucy gravitates towards the most is Natsu. So, it's only logical to conclude there's "tension" between them as these unique interactions create some sort of suspense or hype around their bond and its potential to grow and evolve into something stronger.

Still, we have another term to cover: Sexual Tension

It's not the first time we tackled this subject in blogs or forums. Sexual tension occurs when two characters have sexual desires for each other, but they either hold back or never act on those urges. It's also used to create anticipation, since the only resolve that tension is for the character to get "intimate" with the person they desire.

It sounds crazy when you think about how the manga already told us that neither Natsu or Lucy have much experience with love, and take a look at how they respond to the subject. E.g. recall how Lucy reacts to the prospect of having a child with Natsu?

But, we can use a loophole: Drunk Lucy. It started in a OVA, made it into the manga, and stayed with us ever since

When Lucy gets drunk, the only target of her rather suggestive "affection" is Natsu

As for Natsu. Oddly enough, it's difficult to find Natsu "horny" even during fanservice involving NaLu. Some omakes may do the trick. But, the closest thing we got in the main storyline is feeling "good" when having Yokai Lucy firmly wrapped around him:

If we were to use those rare moments, we could say Natsu may be attracted to Lucy in more ways than one. So, despite how oblivious Natsu is, and how shy Lucy gets with the subject at hand, it's possible to argue there's some sort of "tension" in this regard

But, this is merely a small bonus. The true strength of NaLu is in the first kind of tension mentioned here, which is further enhanced by the solid chemistry they haveA lively and exciting dynamic made even more special due to the emotional attachment they cultivated for one another

Bonus:

Still, it's pretty interesting seeing shippers use similar arguments to promote premises that contradict NaLu. It's not uncommon to find fans claiming that NaLu will be canon only because Mashima said so, and because Juvia survived the Alvarez arc, while stating Lucy has "tension" with other guy(s).

So, if Mashima hadn't commented on Natsu and Lucy being the most "suitable" paring, and/or had Juvia died on the Alvarez arc, then NaLu wouldn't have a chance? Does the pairing depends on author's commentary and Juvia's well-being? That makes NaLu sound forced

And when it comes to the claims of tension, remember the definition(s)? So, according to shippers, Lucy will end up with Natsu, but she gravitates towards someone else, probably because she feels sexual desire for this person, and the only way to resolve that kind of tension is having sex with the other guy... That doesn't make any sense

The issue is that Natsu doesn't fit the romantic cliché several shippers want. He's too quirky and dorky, he’s not sexy enough, he doesn't throw corny or cheesy one-liners, and he's not actively seeking romance for he's inexperienced in that particular field. But, even without clichés, he bonded with Lucy to the point of being completely comfortable with the child he could potentially have with Lucy: Nasha

To the point of offering most of what a relationship needs to grow into something stronger and deeper, as explained in another analysis, Natsu provides Lucy with a sense of adventure that brings her joy and excitment as well as giving her both emotional and practical support

All of these are traits that make romantic relationships prosper. The more you break down the reasoning shippers present, the less sense it makes. For example, did Natsu's meaningful gestures to Lucy depended on Mashima's commentary?

Did their most powerful moments happened only because Juvia served as some sort of deterrent to other premises?

Shippers may say or imply that's case. But, what the author's works convey is something entirely different. Their bond is stronger, not because of Juvia or interviews, its strength comes from the chemistry they built through the profound effect the had on each other. The tension they have, it's only there to keep us waiting for their eventual relationship upgrade.

[prettylittleheartfilia]

The Usual

Neither of them knew how they ended up in this situation. One moment she was yelling at him for sneaking into her house, as usual. Then they began sparring, as usual. And now they found themselves on the couch, Natsu’s lips capturing hers, Lucy’s hands cupping his cheeks, which was not usual at all.

It was a soft kiss, neither of them really sure of what they were supposed to be doing with their mouths. They pulled away, pressing their foreheads together. The two stayed like that for a while, eyes closed, basking in the realization of what had just happened.

Lucy slowly opened her eyes and, just as she was about to speak, Happy flew in through the open window in her apartment.

“Lucy! Did you get any fish for me?”

Both Natsu and Lucy jumped at the sound of the exceed’s voice, scrambling to opposite ends of the couch so as to not raise any suspicion on what they had been doing less than a minute ago.

“Hey, buddy!” Natsu said a little too enthusiastically, his voice an octave higher than normal. “I thought you were hanging out with Carla.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to give her my fish and then I realized I actually ate it on the way to the guild, so I’m looking for another one.” He explained as he made his way to Lucy’s pantry.

“You already ate the fish I saved you.” Lucy called out, trying to hide her still reddened cheeks.

“What? Lucy~, that’s why I tell you to keep a bunch of them in the pantry!”

“I’m not saving any more of your stinky fish!” She got up and started pushing both of them towards the front door. “If you want more then go fishing and stop annoying me!”

The blonde slammed the door on their faces, leaning her head on it and letting her body slide down onto the floor. She normally didn’t mind their company, as much as she constantly berated them for invading her personal space, but today she needed to be alone in order to process what the hell had just happened.

The days following the incident were… weird. Lucy started avoiding Natsu like the plague. She dreaded going to the guild out of fear that she might run into him. And when she did inevitably run into him, she would make up a quick excuse as to why she couldn’t go on missions with him or sit with him to eat. The dragon slayer hadn’t sneaked into her place after that day either, which should have been a relief for the blonde, but it just made her feel like he thought what happened between them had been a mistake.

But what right did she have to feel this way? She was the one who continued to run away from him, too afraid of what might happen if they got the chance to be alone together. And now, she was all by herself in her apartment, deciding to focus on her novel instead of trying to go to the guild for a futile game of hide and seek like she had been doing all week. Except that this wasn’t working either. Every time she tried to write words on the paper, her mind went back to Natsu and that day. The way his lips felt against her own—chapped but sweet, the way his hands felt on top of her hips, how his wild hair smelled of-

Lucy flinched at the sound of someone knocking on her door. She jumped out of her desk chair and quickly opened the entrance to her apartment, not really caring who was behind the door as long as they could make her think of something other than her best friend’s lips.

“Hey, Lu!” As soon as the door opened, Levy jumped on the blonde, hugging her tight.

“Hey… everyone. What are you guys doing here?” Still a bit flustered from her earlier thoughts, Lucy hugged Levy back as she glanced up to see Cana, Juvia, Erza, Mira, and Lisanna all standing in her doorway.

“We thought today would be a perfect day for a girls’ night!” Mira explained as she and the other girls made themselves comfortable in Lucy’s home.

Lucy smiled softly. A girls’ night was just what she needed to clear her head, even if it was unexpected.

Or so she thought.

Not even ten minutes after her friends’ arrival, Cana exposed the real reason why they had suddenly come to visit. “So, Lucy, did something happen between you and Natsu?”

“Cana!” Levy smacked her arm as the other girls looked at the brunette with wide eyes.

“What? Might as well just come out and ask instead of beating around the bush.”

The blonde’s face glowed red as she hurriedly denied her friend’s question. “No! No no no, everything’s fine! W-why do you ask?”

“Please. We all notice how weird you’ve been acting lately. You run away if you see even a glimpse of pink hair.”

Lucy looked down. Maybe she should tell them what happened. She’s not used to talking about her feelings, normally just shoving them down and distracting herself by writing or going on a mission. But none of those distractions seemed to be working right now. And most of her friends had much more experience in this department than her, surely they would know what to do. Plus, she trusted these girls with her life.

“Natsu and I… we, we kissed… last week.” She muttered, still looking down. Part of her hoped they didn’t hear her but, alas, they did.

There was a resounding “WHAT?” from all of her guests and Lucy simply nodded, still too afraid to look up.

“Oh my God! Pay up, guys!” Cana jumped up, thrusting her open palm in front of Mira’s face.

“I really thought it would take them years.” Mirajane grumbled as she took out some rolled up jewels from her cleavage and handed them to the brunette. Both Lisanna and Erza also stood up and begrudgingly gave Cana their money.

“Juvia knew it was coming. They’ve been flirting more and more these days.” Said the water mage with a smug grin as Cana divided the bills with her and Levy.

“Wait, what?” Lucy finally looked up indignantly, “You guys made a bet about this?”

“Of course. We all know you two idiots are in love. You’re the last ones to realize it.” Cana shrugged as she sat down again.

“We’re not in love.” Lucy responded, but even she knew it was a weak protest.

“How did it happen? Who kissed who? Was it like you expected your first kiss to go?” Levy jumped from question to question excitedly.

“I don’t even know. We sat down on the couch after a sparring match and we were just playing around and then…” She trailed off.

“Did you like it?” Erza spoke up for the first time.

“...Yes?” Lucy responded after a while and groaned after she saw her friends’ cheeky smiles, burying her face in her hands.

“If you liked it so much, then why do you keep running away from him?” Asked Cana.

“I don’t know,” The blonde mumbled, face still buried in her hands before she moved to hug her knees instead, “Things are just… weird right now. I don’t know what I want, or what he wants.”

“Well, do you see yourself in a relationship with him?” Mira asked softly.

This got Lucy thinking. Ever since she was little, she had always fantasized about marrying her Prince Charming. Someone who was elegant, classy, a gentleman on all counts. But, after meeting Natsu, somehow the idea of that Prince Charming started fading away from her mind until there was no trace of it left. Now, whenever she thought about the one person she wanted to spend forever with, the only things she could envision were wide, warm smiles and pink hair. She never spent too much time thinking about what it could all mean, too afraid of what she might find if she dug deep enough in her heart. But the truth always found its way to the surface.

“I do.” She admitted in a whisper, more to herself than the people around her. “I want us to be together forever.”

“Then, what are you so afraid of? Go and talk to him.”

“I can’t. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? I don’t think he’s interested in relationships. And even if he was, he’s my best friend. I would never want to do anything that could jeopardize that.”

This time, Lisanna interjected. “Luce, I’ve known Natsu for a long time. I probably know him better than he knows himself in certain ways. I can assure you, the boy is head over heels for you. And I’m not the only one who sees it.” The other girls made gestures of agreement and Lisanna chuckled.

“You’re missing out on what could potentially be a beautiful thing because you’re scared of the what-ifs. Yes, maybe along the line something happens and you guys break up. But, maybe you don’t and you get to grow old together. You’ll never know unless you try. Life is all about risks and I know you’re brave enough to take them. I’ve seen you do it.”

Mira’s speech almost brought tears to Lucy’s eyes. She was right-- as she usually was about everything. If Lucy was able to leave everything behind at seventeen to become a mage and get through countless adversities in her way, even when all odds were against her, what’s stopping her from confronting a boy?

“No matter what happens, we will always be a team.” Erza added, and it was just the validation Lucy needed to make her mind up.

“Thank you, guys. Really. And you’re right. I need to stop running away and just talk to him.”

———

Today was the day. After going over everything the Strauss sisters had said to her in the mirror to gain courage, Lucy took a deep breath and made her way towards the guild.

As soon as she opened the grand doors, she was met with the familiar ruckus of Fairy Tail; chairs being thrown in the air, groups of people singing while drunk-- Cana being the most notable of all, of course. People yelling out what missions they were planning on taking to Mira, and what seemed to be a crowd of people cheering on a fight. She smiled. As much as Lucy loved peace and quiet, there was something so comforting about all the chaos that went on inside the guild. It felt like home.

Only when she got closer did the celestial mage notice that the people who were fighting were none other than Natsu and Gray. Gajeel seemed eager to join the fight from where he stood in the crowd, but he was being pulled back and chastised by Levy.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy squeezed her way through the group until she was standing on the front row. “Natsu, Gray! You better stop before Erza sees you.”

The threat fell on deaf ears, the two mages too entranced on beating each other up to even notice the presence of their friend. Sighing, Lucy made her way to where the two of them stood. Before either of the boys could process what was happening, Lucy grabbed their heads and crushed them together. The hollering crowd instantly went silent and slowly dispersed, knowing not to cross the blonde when she was in one of those moods.

“What the fuck, Lucy!” Cried out Gray as he rubbed the injured area.

Deciding there were more important matters at hand, Lucy ignored him and turned to Natsu who was also rubbing his head until he noticed the girl looking at him. He straightened up with wide eyes.

Before he could say anything though, Lucy hurriedly asked, “Can you come over for dinner later?” Knowing that if she didn’t ask now she would lose all the courage she worked so hard to build.

The question seemed to throw Natsu off. He sent a panicked look at Gray, as if questioning whether he heard her right, and answered after a few seconds. “S-sure! I’ll be there.”

———

Lucy decided to leave the guild early not only to make the food, but to mentally prepare for what was about to happen.

She was going to ask Natsu how he felt. And she had no idea what to expect. The boy had never been good with words or expressing himself, his thoughts always a mystery to whoever he was around. Perhaps if she hadn’t kicked him out of the apartment after their kiss and avoided him every day since then, she would have an idea of what was going on through his mind. But it’s too late for regret now.

Just as she finished setting up the small table, she heard someone knocking at her door. Taking a deep breath, Lucy opened the door to find her pink-haired partner scratching the back of his neck, a soft blush dusting his cheeks. Part of her was afraid he was going to fly in through the window with Happy, but she was glad to see he understood that she wanted them to talk alone.

“Natsu.” She breathed, suddenly at a loss for words.

“Hey, Luce.” He gave her one of his signature big smiles, but Lucy noticed that it didn’t reach his eyes. He seemed… nervous. She never thought Natsu was capable of feeling that emotion.

They stood awkwardly on the doorway for a few seconds before Lucy realized it was her turn to speak.

“C-come in! I made some of that spicy chicken you really like.” She looked down at the floor as she opened the door wider so he could pass.

“Thanks!” He chirped as he sat down on one of the dining chairs.

Lucy gulped. The entire speech she rehearsed over and over again had completely been erased from her mind the moment she saw him.

This was going to be a long night.

———

Once again, Lucy had no idea how they ended up like this. Dinnertime had been very awkward, the two of them eating silently for the most part, making small talk every once in a while, both of them too afraid to mention the elephant in the room. But, somehow, they had gone from barely talking at each other, to making a bet on who would win a sparring match. Even in the most difficult situations, Natsu always found a way to wreak havoc. And Lucy found a strange sense of comfort in that.

At first, the blonde was hesitant on accepting the bet, still feeling the discomfort of all the things left unsaid. But, when Natsu sent a Fire Dragon Iron Fist her way, breaking her favorite vase as she ducked, she decided to make good use of her Fleuve D’étoiles. After a few minutes of going back and forth, Lucy pretended to point at something surprising behind Natsu, which gave her the opportunity to wrap her whip around Natsu’s ankle when he looked back and tug him until he collapsed on the ground. The oldest and cheapest trick in the book, Lucy knew, but a win was a win. Honestly, she was more surprised that it had actually worked.

She unwrapped the whip from Natsu’s ankle and placed it gently on her desk. The dragon slayer was still laying flat on the floor, so Lucy decided to lay down next to him. She sighed as she felt all the tension she had been feeling lately leave her body. It had only been a week but she had seriously missed being around her best friend. It didn’t matter to her what they were, she just wanted to be with him. That was enough for her.

“Now my face is all red.” She muttered as she pressed her hands to her cheeks.

“I like your face.” Natsu mumbled and, as they both whipped their heads to look at each other with wide eyes, Lucy realized that he was just as surprised by what had come out of his mouth as she was. “I, I mean your face is cool! I-it’s nice. Even when it’s all red and sweaty like now.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow at his poor attempt to save himself but made no effort to stop him.

“But not only your face!” He continued, “Gray told me you should never just talk about a girl’s appearance.” He grumbled, as if upset he had broken some sort of special rule and Lucy could not stop her amused smile. “Like, yeah, your face is nice, but you are also nice! And smart. And I like how I feel when we hang out. Ugh, what am I saying?” He turned his face towards the ceiling again and covered it with his hands.

It took everything in Lucy’s power to not burst out laughing right then and there. Was Natsu… confessing? She had never seen him so flustered. Ever. Normally, that was her thing. She had to admit, it was nice being on the other end every once in a while. All this time, she tried her hardest to muster up the courage to talk to him, trying to convince herself that things would be fine even if he didn’t feel the same way and now here he was, making a fool out of himself in the most heartwarming way Lucy could have asked for.

After a couple moments of silence, Lucy finally decided to speak up with newfound confidence.

“... I like your face too. Just so you know.”

Natsu dropped his hands from his face and whipped his head to look at Lucy. She raised her eyebrows, hoping he would understand exactly what she meant. She knew he understood by the way his lips slowly formed a giddy smile, one to match hers. Without the need for any more words, they both turned to look at the ceiling as their hands found their way to each other’s, fingers entangling.

This definitely wasn’t the usual for them, but maybe it was time for a new normal.

[petri808]

OHMYGODDD JUST SAW YOUR LATEST POST I LOVE IT ANGST WITH A HAPPY ENDING IS JUST CHEF'S KISS. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE 42, 49 and 13 FOR NALU PLEASEEE CAN'T WAIT TO READ ITT

😳 Ya’ll really love angst huh? Lol okay, sure let’s see what I can come up with. 😊 “You can’t keep pretending it didn’t happen, cause guess what? It did!” + “I’m pregnant” + “Im too sober for this”

Lucy’s knees weakened and sent her crumbling to the bathroom floor. Why was this happening to her?! She’d just finished college and was about to start her paid internship with a local newspaper. ‘What am I gonna do?’ Lucy gripped to the stick in her hand as the tears trickled down her face. This could derail her future before it even started— all because of one slip-up. How was she going to tell Natsu… Not knowing who else to talk to, Lucy turned to her best friend Levy McGarden. She texted the woman and drove over to her friends apartment in dread.

“Oh, Lu…” Levy hugged her friend tightly before pulling her into the small apartment. She sat Lucy down on the couch, then made them both some tea. “How you feeling?” Levy asked as she handed the cup over.

“How do you think I’m feeling?!” Lucy groaned. “I feel like I’m in a nightmare.”

“Are you sure the results are correct? You know those home pregnancy tests can be wrong.”

“I don’t know, I mean I followed the instructions and it didn’t give an error sign.” Lucy pulled the stick from her pocket. “See?” She showed it to her friend. “Two lines.”

“Oh— yeah, looks like it,” Levy agreed.

Lucy pocketed the test once again and hung her head. Both hands cradled the warm cup, just holding it without a desire to drink from it. “Just thinking about this is making me sick. Maybe I can just pretend it’s not true.”

“Lu, that’s ridiculous. I’m pretty sure the growing bump on your stomach will make that difficult.”

“Ugh! I know!” Lucy shrieked. “Lie to me or something… Levy, I-I don’t think I can deal with this!”

“Well, you have to. And how am I supposed to lie about this?!”

“I don’t know, tell me this is a dream. Just a bad dream that I’m gonna wake up from. The test was wrong, something! Maybe it’s just a fiction story I’m working on cause I just don’t wanna think about it right now.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t keep pretending it didn’t happen, cause guess what? It did! Lucy you have to face reality.”

“What am I gonna do Levy? I can’t be having a baby!”

“Well first things first, you need to tell Natsu— I’m assuming it’s Natsu.”

“Of course, it’s Natsu! I haven’t slept with anyone else.”

“Well you need to tell him. He deserves to know.”

“I know…”

“Natsu’s a stand up guy, I know he’s going to do the right thing.”

Lucy sighed, “that’s not what I worry about. I mean having kids is something that’s crossed my mind… just not anytime soon. We’re not even married yet. Ugh! I’m such an idiot.”

“Sometimes these things happen.” Levy placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Can’t go back to the past, so now all you can do is figure out the now. Do you have any idea when it happened?”

“My guess is my graduation party, cause that was the last time we had sex. I barely even remember it cause I was so drunk,” Lucy whimpered, then started to sob. “We’re usually careful but… yeah, it had to be that.”

“Come here,” Levy pulled her friend into a hug. “You’re gonna be okay. Whatever happens, you’re gonna be okay.”

The women spent a couple more hours chatting, flipping between random topics, but often coming back to this one. Lucy struggled to even wrap her mind around the reality that this is real. That she was going to have a child, when she was barely an adult herself and all the factors involved only compounded her dilemma. Her new job isn’t going to afford a child. Natsu had a decent job, but even combined it would be a struggle. They’d have to find a place together, a two bedroom house or apartment. What about the medical expenses, and the baby supplies— babies are expensive! Where was the money going to come from?

When Lucy noticed the time and realized Natsu would be coming home from work within the hour, she thanked her friend for the support and bid her goodbye. Even though she had calmed down a little, she wasn’t ready, didn’t know what or how she was going to break the news to him. So, after arriving home, Lucy tried to distract herself by cooking dinner. It didn’t really work, but at least a meal was made. Her life until now had been going well in that she had a boyfriend who treated her right, supported her while she finished her degree, even pushed her to follow her dreams of writing. And now that her degree was finished, Lucy was on her way after landing the paid internship. If she passed the internship, they would offer her a permanent position at the newspaper.

But now all of that felt like it was slipping through her fingers. All her hard work for nothing because juggling a small child and going to work… Maternity leave is not paid, so they’ll have to rely on just one income for a time, then daycare is quite expensive. Sure, there are programs that she could apply for to help or family, but that’s not the point— the point is, they are sorely not ready to become parents.

“I’m home!” Natsu called out as he entered the apartment. “Something smells good!”

“Welcome home, Natsu.” Lucy called out from the kitchen. “It’s almost done.”

Natsu detected a change in his girlfriend’s tone. Usually when he gets home, she’s in a happier mood— but not today. He threw his keys onto the kitchen island and walked up, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Everything okay?”

Whatever words she’d planned to say were thrown out the window as tears pooled instantly in Lucy’s eyes. “Natsu, it’s…”the words stumbled out, “um… I-I’m pregnant.”

“P-Preg…nant?!” Natsu took a step back in shock, his trembling hand moving to cover his mouth. “Oh, wow— I’m too sober for this,” he mumbled.

“Pregnant,” she repeated as the sobs broke free. “And alcohol is what got us into this mess!” Lucy snapped and sobbed louder.

“Oh, h-hey now, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Natsu pulled her into his arms. “Don’t cry baby, please don’t cry, I hate seeing you cry.”

“Natsu, I’m pregnant, did you hear me?! Pregnant! I can’t be pregnant!”

“Shh… I hear you,” he gently coaxed Lucy to the couch and had her sit down, then sat beside her, cradling her close. “True, it’s not the best time… but we can make it work.”

“You don’t understand, I’m not ready, Natsu. I don’t think I could handle it…” all the reasons refreshing in her mind. “I have no experience with with kids. What if we screw up? It’s just…” Lucy sighed. “I think… I’m too overwhelmed right now.”

“Okay, well— they make those things now, the, um, end pregnancy stuff.”

“I don’t know…”

“Lucy, I’ll support whatever decision you make.”

“You say that now, but later you’ll probably resent me for… kil— doing that,” she mumbled.

“I don’t know that so neither can you. All I do know is that yes it might hurt— but you’re the important thing right now, and if you say you’re not ready, then I have to accept it. Kids are never easy, I doubt all the preparation in the world can really make a difference. But Lucy,” he took her hand and held it to his chest. “As long as I’ve known you, whatever you choose to do you’re great at it.”

“Really?” She looked up with hope filling her eyes for the first time all day.

Natsu smiled. “And who better to start a family with?” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her. “Then a smart, sassy, beautiful woman like you.”

Lucy’s eyes flooded with tears. “You really think we can make it work?”

He nodded. “As long as it’s something we really want, then yeah.”

After a momentary pause, Lucy let out a long stabilizing exhale. “Okay. I’ll call my doctor and make an appointment tomorrow to check.”

“Really? Y-You sure? Because I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to coax you into this.”

“No, I-I’m pretty— sure. Things sometimes happen for a reason, right? Maybe it’s meant to be.”

Natsu pulled her in for another longer kiss. “Guess I better hurry up and marry you then,” he chuckled.

She snorted a laugh. “I guess so mister!”

He pulled her close again, hugging her to his chest. “I love you so much baby.”

“Mmm, I love you too.”

“My own baby momma,” he teased.

Lucy slapped his chest with a giggling shriek. “Don’t you dare call me that!”

“Oh,” he grinned, “I’m totally getting t-shirts made.”

[nalu4emily]

Time To Heal

Summary:  'It was a marathon, not a sprint and with each day he spent with her, pretending to act like his normal self, the more he hoped she'd begin to loosen—only time would tell.' What can Natsu do to heal her aching heart? Especially when she's reluctant to tell him what happened. 

NALU friendship/ hurt/ comfort. 

Please be aware of the trigger warning. Do not read unless 18+. Contains sensitive content.

She was crying again; that much was certain. The sound of sniffles and wet droplets cascading down her cheeks, splattering across the desk she so often sat at, echoed deep into his ears. Her whimpers pulled at him the most. She tried so hard to keep them locked away, to defy her true feelings, but they managed to seep through every time.

It hurt him, to know that she was suffering so painfully, so inconsolably, and there was simply nothing he could do to stop it. He'd waited for her; to speak; to tell him what'd really happened that night, and relieve herself of the burden that weighed so heavily on her shoulders.

It haunted her every waking moment; he knew that. Even at night, she'd rouse so suddenly, coated in sweat, shivering, and desperate for his warm touch. It seemed to be the only thing that could soothe her frantic heart, especially when the tears started. Her behaviour wasn't all that different during the day either and Natsu had nearly given up hope that she'd ever tell him, making the guilt he felt for not being there all the more consuming.

The state he'd found her in the next morning, bloodied, clothes torn and completely broken, tormented his thoughts daily, and the way he'd reacted to it, even more so. Through the despair and anger at finding her so badly hurt, he'd raged through the streets of Magnolia, hunting down the bastard he could smell all over her apartment.

It wasn't hard to dissect what'd happened to her, the slayer just wasn't sure how far it'd gone. He'd learnt quickly not to ask questions though or risk losing her trust entirely. It was a marathon, not a sprint and with each day he spent with her, pretending to act like his normal self, the more he hoped she'd begin to loosen—only time would tell.

Having procrastinated long enough, the young mage jumped up to her window, and let himself in like always. Plastering the biggest smile he could muster onto his face, he greeted the girl hunched over her desk, right where he knew she'd be and tried to remain positive in such a ghastly situation.

"O-Oh, uh… Hi, Natsu! I didn't see you there." Her eyes locked onto his for barely a moment before turning away, wiping her cheeks to rid them of their wetness with her used, snot-laden tissue. She turned around to face him, her gaze never quite meeting his as a small, weak smile graced her lips, "Where's Happy?"

"Probably eating a fish somewhere… Or at the guild giving it to Carla, you know what he's like." He shrugged, his expression remained light and cheery, while his narrowed pupils latched onto her every movement, much like a predator stalking its prey, "I thought I'd come over and see if ya felt up to going on a mission soon. I snagged some pretty good ones for you to take a look at, if you're interested?"

"Sure… that sounds like fun. W-Why don't I make us some lunch? Then we can pick out a good one together." Lucy hopped up from her chair all too eagerly, desperate to remove herself from his watchful gaze.

She was avoiding him; but that was hardly new. He knew the reason why—the unshed tears in her eyes evidence of that, not that he cared what she looked like. She did it for a matter of pride, wanting him to see only the Lucy he knew so well, and not the damaged one she’d become. He, as much as anyone, wanted to see that smile light up her face once more, the brilliant one that shined as bright as the stars she wielded; what he wouldn’t give to see that again…

Gathering the request papers in his hand, he followed her into the kitchen and leaned himself up against the doorway, smiling as he watched her get to work, “Hey Luce, this one looks kinda good. I think we should definitely consider it.” But she didn’t answer, nor even look at him. If it weren’t for their close proximity, he would have assumed she hadn’t heard him. “Lucy, did you hear me?”

She remained silent, instead her body began to tremble, her face wet with tears once again and her hands drawn to cover them on instinct.

“Luce, I didn’t hear you.” He cautiously walked over to her shaking form, carefully reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder, while the other drew her body in and held her tight, “Lucy...”

"I...I-I can't do this any more…" The blonde spoke quietly, removing her hands from her face and placing them onto his chest.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice gentle as if speaking to a spooked animal.

"This." She gestured to the two of them, "Pretend, Natsu. I-I'm tired of pretending like everything's fine, when it's so obviously not." She felt his hand clasp at her cheek, wiping the tear droplets away with his thumb. His familiar warmth soothed her aching heart as she leaned into it, finding comfort there that only he could provide. "I-I'm sorry. You must be so sick of seeing me cry all the time!"

The tears flowed freely now, pulling at his heart strings as well as his own unshed tears, but he would never so selfishly let them show. He cradled her closely, wanting nothing more than for her to feel safe in that moment, like he would protect her from everything, should she so wish. It was the first time Lucy had addressed the very unfortunate situation they found themselves in, and he wasn’t about to ruin it all now by letting his own emotions take over.

She tucked herself into the crook of his neck and breathed in his familiar scent, calming her nerves as she relaxed into him. This is the way they'd always worked, one picking the other up in their time of need and carrying both of their weights should they need to, and Natsu was approaching this no differently.

Once she'd calmed down enough, he picked her up and carried her to her bed, perching them both down on it so that they could get comfortable. She was ready to finally tell him, he could see it in her eyes, and as apprehensive as he was about hearing it, all he needed to do was listen.

"I think you need to tell someone, Lucy. Whether that's me, or someone else, it's not good to keep it all bottled up." He explained, as she pulled away slightly, but not enough to fully let go of him.

"I-I know… It's just hard to relive something you spend every waking moment trying to forget." She sniffled once more, wiping her nose this time on her sleeve. "Can we at least lay back first?" Her voice was so timid and insecure, nothing like the Lucy he knew.

"Sure thing!" He laid himself back against the pillows, kicking his sandals off and placed one arm behind his head while the other was outstretched for her to lean upon. "Come lay here, Luce."

Doing what he said, she cuddled up to his side, laying her hand and cheek against his shoulder and felt his arm encircle her waist, "I… don't really know where to begin… It all seems such a blur, yet I remember every single bit of it."

He kept quiet, caressing his thumb against her hip as a way of encouraging her instead.

She began slowly, starting from where she'd left the guild hall that night, "It was kinda strange I guess… not having you there to walk me home like normal, it never feels right without you around…" She chuckled half-heartedly, before clearing her throat. "I remember walking along the canal when this bad feeling came over me… But, I just put it down to being alone in the dark and kept going.”

She shifted closer to him, subtly indicating that what she was about to say, made her uncomfortable at the very least.

"When I reached the apartment building, I noticed the window was slightly open, even though I knew I’d shut it. I must’ve just thought that you’d come home early from your mission, or something." She fidgeted again, this time her legs began to tangle with his, giving away her anxiety and fear. “It was only once I walked into the room, did my blood run cold. It was dark and empty, and you were no where to be seen. It felt… wrong.”

"You mean they were already in the house?" Natsu asked, feeling himself tense as he looked across the small room, imagining her words play out before him.

"Mm, and by the time I'd reached for my keys, it was too late." She shivered once again, the memories making it hard to concentrate. "H-He came out from behind, shoving me against the wall and pinning my arms above my head." A fresh set of tears began to cascade down her delicate cheeks, her breathing heavier than before and her fingers gripping at his jacket tightly. "I…I remember struggling a lot, trying to kick him away, but it was no use, he was just too strong. I felt so overpowered and small and weak, and all he did was laugh."

Natsu clenched his jaw, realising now that this was about to get a whole lot darker and he could barely keep himself from raging all over again, but he kept himself controlled this time, for Lucy's sake—that was the last thing she needed.

"That's when it started…" She gulped down a large breath, steadying herself as she divulged further, "His hands; his mouth; his… teeth. I-I can still feel them… on me, crawling across my skin."

Natsu's eyes widened, turning to the blonde who refused to look him, and gasped, "He touched you!? Where?" He asked, a little too forcefully in his own shock.

Unable to say with words, she nodded and used her finger to point at the areas on Natsu's body, starting from the top, "Here," she pointed to his mouth and chin. "Then here," she then grazed over his ear and jaw line, and the next one his neck. Her finger ventured down to Natsu's chest and stomach, where she pointed once more, "And then… there," she managed to wrangle out, pointing down towards his upper thigh.

"You mean… that bastard touched you down-"

"He didn't quite get that far. When I stopped struggling, I think he must've lost concentration, because I managed to pull one of my hands free and grab at his crotch."

She felt Natsu tense at that, having anyone grab hold and squeeze them tight was not a pleasant thought, "I hope you squeezed until your hand hurt, Lucy."

"Well, that was the plan… but he slapped me across the face before I could get any real grip and I landed face down on the floor." Jolting upwards, she ran a shaky hand through her hair, removing the blonde tresses away from her clammy forehead. "Sor- Sorry Natsu, the next bit, is where he… It's the bit, I-I struggle with most…"

Feeling alarmed by her reaction, he sat up too. Fearing the worst, he could only hope she wasn't about to tell him what he'd suspected all along, "It's alright, take your time." He reached his hand out to her, thankful she'd taken it and not pushed him away, "What did he do, Lucy?"

Trying to calm the overwhelming anxiety building within her, she swallowed down the longest breath of air, filling her lungs with much needed oxygen, "I remember smacking my head on the floor… A-And then, I felt his weight on top of me…"

Natsu's breath caught in his throat, snapping his head to the part on the floor Lucy had pointed to and could only imagine how frightened she must have been, "Then what, Luce?" He noticed her hesitancy, wishing he didn't have to ask.

"I-I remember his hand on the back of my head, holding me down, while his other hand lifted up my skirt. He was laughing at me, even as he slid down my underwear." She huddled herself back into a ball by the window, wiping continuously at her red and irritated eyes, "It was then that I realised that my struggle was in vain, that no matter what I did, he was going to… then he…" The tears turned to wails as she tried to continue, "And I've… I've never felt more disgusted! I felt helpless and so pathetic, so desperate for someone to come and save me that I stupidly called out your name, even though I knew you wouldn't hear me… That hope was still there."

Natsu had barely moved, so ashamed of himself for not being there in her time of need that he didn't know what to do with this new information. He felt angry beyond words that some bastard out there was walking free after doing such a horrific thing to his Lucy. But among the anger, there were other feelings; guilt; sadness; frustration; regret; all of them fighting for dominance in his tumultuous mind.

"Lucy…" Was all he could manage, unable to find the right words to tell her how truly sorry he was for not coming to her aid, sickened by the fact that while he wasn’t there, she’d suffered so greatly.

"I was so scared, Natsu!" She started, turning to look at his own sombre expression, "But I knew that if anyone were to come, it'd be you." Lucy's lips lifted in the corners, her smile full of sadness and sorrow, "When he finished, I couldn’t move, and all I remember feeling was coldness of the hard floor, wishing you'd come through that window and warm me up again…"

But that's not what happened, and he felt like the worst best friend in the world because of it. She'd needed a loving hand to lead her away from the pain, to comfort her and protect her from the monster that lurked in the dark, but he’d arrived too late.

He felt his heart sink and his stomach drop, his guilt and regret taking precedence, "I… I, I'm so sorry, Lucy… I never meant to… I didn't think-"

"Like I said, I don't blame you for not being there… It wouldn’t be fair of me to do that. How were you to know?” As much as it hurt her, she knew that had he been there, it would’ve been a totally different story, “I just… I need…”

She couldn’t say it with words, but he knew exactly what she was trying to tell him. She needed him, and that’s exactly what he was going to give her. Without saying a word, he reached forward and pulled the desperate girl back into his chest, enveloping her in that warmth she yearned for more than anything else, and held her as if his life depended on it. He wasn't letting go, not ever, and with every minute that passed with her in his arms, was another second towards healing her shattered heart.

“I’m always gonna be here, Lucy. I promise you.” He whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head as if she was the most precious thing in the world. “You mean too much to me.”

She snuggled closer, wanting to be as near to him as she could and tightened her grip, “Thank you, Natsu.” With his warmth seeping deep into her cold body, warming her very soul, she relaxed against him, and felt her eyes slowly close, “Thank you...”

I know this was a sad one for nalu day, but I wanted to convey more the bond between them rather than the actual incident. I hope you liked it anyway! :) 

[ohmyburningdreams]

On Top of the World - A Fairy Tail Fanfic

Fanfic

Ch 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Chapter One

“Natsu!” The blonde giggled, “wait for me!”

Lucy stumbled after him, her five-year-old legs not carrying her quite as fast as her best friend, who sped nimbly along the old wooden bridges and walkways connecting the tree-top platforms of their village.

Natsu slowed to a stop, turning to face Lucy with a hand stretched out towards her. He bounced up and down, too excited to stand still. Lucy took his hand and together they raced along the path that spiralled down through their village to the front gate on the first level.

They ran as fast as they could, dodging people, and almost causing more than one accident as they went. Ignoring the irritated shouts aimed at them, the two continued on, laughing with excitement, their little feet clattering across the sturdy wood beneath them.

“Come on, Luce! We’re almost there!” He shouted over his shoulder, their hands still firmly entwined.

Running up to the group of people at the gate, Natsu spotted a tall figure in the middle.

“DAD!” Natsu cried as he barrelled through the crowd, letting go of Lucy’s hand and throwing himself into his father’s arms, “you’re back! Did ya fight any monsters?!”

Igneel deftly caught Natsu and managed to keep his balance as he swung the boy around in a sweeping circle, happy to be home after months spent scouting the world below.

“Natsu!” he grinned, slowly dropping the six-year-old back onto his own feet, “I have to go and report, but I promise I’ll tell you all about it tonight, okay, son? Can you go and find your mother and let her know I’m home?”

Natsu nodded, grinning widely, before snatching Lucy’s hand back into his own and ducking through the crowd again, taking off the way they’d come. They dodged and weaved around the same people who’d shouted at them the first time, annoying them all over again.

Natsu and his family lived on the top level of the tree-top city, past the greenhouses and the kitchen and dining hall, up a ramp and over several bridges connecting the trees and their platforms around them. Their whole lives had been spent there in the tree-tops, in the Heartfilia Estate, named after Lucy’s own family.

Natsu thought that was awesome; it meant that Lucy was his princess and he had to protect her at all costs to keep her safe. He liked to pretend he was a fierce dragon, guarding his golden-haired best friend from the scary world below their town.

Among the tallest trees in the forest, their world was a blur of green leaves and branches and wooden buildings sitting sturdily between the trunks of trees that were hundreds of years old. Birds flitted here and there as they sang their songs, dancing through the twigs and darting into and out of their nests.

Branches wrapped in flowering vines twisted along the bridges and walkways, climbing the sides of houses and decorating the branches above, only to disappear back into the trees and reappear further along the path. The brightly coloured flowers lured bees and butterflies and all sorts of insects with their fragrance, swaying gently in the breeze.

The children wove their way towards Natsu’s house, jumping into pools of warm sunlight piercing the canopy of leaves above them and bathing the paths below, making a game of it as they ran, giggling and shouting their happiness. They really were the best of friends.

Natsu skidded around a corner and slid through the open doorway of his family’s home, a multi-level wooden house, big enough to be built around two towering tree trunks.

Lucy had always loved Natsu’s house; it was big and open, full of sunlight and warmth, and every time she entered it, she could feel the love it held within. The Dragneel family occupied one of the nicest houses in the village, reflecting Igneel’s important role as Jude Heartfilia’s right hand man.

Entering through the door, the kitchen was to the left, the sink underneath the window, and an island bench, with stools tucked under one side, bordered the path straight down the middle of the house. On the right of the open space, was the living room, the outer wall made entirely of big glass windows that looked upon all the colourful levels of the village.

Sitting atop the fifth level, right next to Lucy’s house, the Dragneel’s home looked down onto the main path that swept around in a large spiral, leading down to lower levels, and eventually, the ground. Every so often, other paths branched off the main one, sweeping away into the trees, leading to other homes. At night, the paths were lit by solar powered lanterns, glowing warmly in the darkness.

The trunk of a large tree stood against the far wall of the Dragneel’s living room, decorated in fairy lights, their solar panel resting on the windowsill. The tree’s branches twisted up and through the ceiling. The stairs were beside that tree, directly across from the home’s entry, leading up to the bedrooms. While Lucy knew Natsu’s bedroom like the back of her tiny hand, including all his secret hiding spots, the two preferred to run around outside, Natsu always dragging Lucy into some kind of mischief.

The stairs were built between two large, solid tree limbs; one twisting beneath the floating stairs and turning upwards to make a handrail of sorts, and the other branch twisting above to make an archway, before disappearing into the ceiling and reappearing in one of the rooms above.

Lucy really liked being there; it felt like a real home to her, unlike her sprawling house that was decorated with things that looked nice but weren’t for touching.

Grandeney, Natsu’s mother, was in the kitchen when Natsu and Lucy came flying into the room, babbling excitedly as they jumped around her, holding hands. She laughed, smiling down at the two children. “Hey you two, slow down! One at a time please, I can’t understand you both when you’re jumping around and shouting like that.”

Lucy giggled and clamped a hand over her mouth, but continued to jump around with Natsu, who laughed and took a big breath, before shouting, “Igneel’s back! He told us to come and find you while he went to report to Lucy’s dad!”

“Oh? Is that so? I guess you’d better go tell Zeref, he’s --” she grinned, ushering the two children back towards the door, only to be cut off by Natsu.

“Zeref!” Natsu shouted, spinning in his tracks to duck under Grandeney’s arms, entirely missing the reason she was ushering them outside, and raced up the stairs towards his brother’s room.

Grandeney sighed, waiting for Natsu to reappear, knowing it would take a second for the information to sink into his over-excited, little brain. Footsteps clattered down the stairs and he skidded to a halt in front of her moments later, with his brow furrowed.

“He’s with Metalicana, fixing some pipes. You should be able to find him in the nets below level two. Be careful, Natsu, stay on the walk-way.”

Natsu opened his mouth to argue, his whole body seeming to droop as the excitement left him.

Grandeney cut him off with a pointed look, “Natsu, I don’t want you and Lucy in those nets, do you understand me? You know it isn’t safe, and your job is to keep Lucy safe, right?”

Grandeney sighed, biting the inside of her cheek as she struggled to keep her stern expression in place. She wasn’t above using Natsu’s bond with the small girl to get him to follow orders from time to time, often finding the situations she had to use that leverage in quite funny.

Natsu frowned, and then lit up again, suddenly just as excited as he was before. “Yeah! I’ll keep Lucy safe; nothing will happen to her when I’m around!” And with that, he puffed up his chest and pulled a blushing Lucy from the room, leaving Grandeney shaking her head as she laughed in their wake.

The two children wound their way down through the levels of the tree-top town, chattering excitedly about what Igneel and the other scouts may have found in the world below. Neither child had ever been down to the ground, but while Lucy hoped she never would, Natsu was excited to one day go down and fight the monsters that dwelled on the forest floor.

The small girl frowned as Natsu babbled about finding a real dragon, fear clouding her mind. The world below was a terrifying place, full of monsters and scary things she didn’t even want to imagine. She knew that sometimes people didn’t come home once they’d gone down to the ground, and they were taught in school that they should never venture there until they were adults and only if it was their job; they were safer in the trees.

“Lucy?” She suddenly realised that Natsu was waving his hand in front of her face, and she jumped, startled, when he managed to bring her attention back to him. “We found them, Luce!” he grinned.

“Oh yeah! I see them!” Lucy replied, grinning as she looked to where Natsu was pointing. In the safety nets below a wooden bridge that was suspended between two platforms by thick, knotted rope, two figures were hanging in safety harnesses, arms reaching up to fix the pipe running along the underside of the bridge above them. They might live in the trees, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have modern plumbing; their village was a few centuries old, after all.

Natsu ran over to them, flopping down onto his belly and sticking his head out between the bridge’s wooden slats and the rope holding them up, peering down at his older brother.

“Oi, Zeref!” he shouted, much too loudly, as was his habit. Everything was loud about Natsu, from his personality to the pink hair on his head. Zeref, on the other hand, was eerily calm, almost to the point that he often came across as emotionless.

“Careful, Natsu,” Lucy reached out, placing her hands on the boy’s back, trying to anchor him in place with her own body.

“Natsu?” Came Zeref’s reply, the older boy leaning back and brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, as he squinted up at Natsu, “please don’t fall, I’d rather not have to fish you out of the net today,” he sighed.

Natsu frowned and wrinkled his nose, “that was one time!”

“And the five times before that?” Zeref stared up at him, one eyebrow raised. Beside him, their uncle, Metalicana, snorted.

“Okay, okay, but I’m not gonna fall this time! I’ve got to make sure Lucy stays safe, you know,” Natsu grinned, glancing at Lucy, who was sitting quietly beside him, her hands still on his back, “anyway, we came down to tell you that Dad’s back!”

Zeref merely nodded up at his little brother, “okay, we shouldn’t be too much longer. Go on home, Natsu.”

“And keep outta the trees, squirt,” Metalicana grunted from his place, not taking his eyes off the pipe as he hung beside Zeref.

Natsu groaned as he got up, pulling Lucy to her feet with him, “Okay, okay, sheesh!”

- : -

Later that night, Lucy and Natsu found themselves camped out in his living room, listening to Igneel tell of his adventures down below. They’d made themselves a tent around the thick tree trunk, its fairy lights illuminating their little fort and casting shadows that danced across the fabric walls. They’d used blankets, sheets, and cushions to create their own little world, laughing and shouting at Igneel’s tales, which he edited into a story more suited for children.

Igneel wasn’t against telling them of the real world below, but he didn’t think they needed to know how bad it really was, especially at their young ages; it was important that they enjoyed their childhood while they could, before learning just how dangerous the world really was beneath the safety of the treetops.

“As you both know, the world as it is now, is very different from the world of our ancestors; people used to live on the land below the trees, they had giant sprawling cities made of concrete and stone, and they didn’t have to deal with many of the creatures that live down there now. We explored one of those cities a couple weeks ago, it was covered in grass and trees and plants of all kinds. Nature has slowly reclaimed that town and trees were growing in the houses. You would have loved it, Natsu, you could run around without any fear of falling out of the sky,” Igneel grinned, watching his son, “we wouldn’t be pluckin’ ya out of nets all the time!”

Natsu grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, “that’d be awesome, Dad! I wanna go explore it too!”

For whatever reason, Natsu didn’t seem able to feel fear, and Igneel wasn’t sure if that meant they’d done well in raising him, or if they’d done terribly, considering how often they’d found the boy bouncing in the nets after he’d decided to climb through the trees instead of using the walkways. Igneel thought it was lucky they even had nets, as Natsu would have been flat as a pancake on the forest floor by now, otherwise.

Once, Igneel had been crossing a bridge on the third level, only to almost have a heart attack when Natsu had come flying out of a tree somewhere above, landing in the net below. Igneel had peered over the edge of the bridge, at a giggling Natsu, and thanked his lucky stars his wife hadn’t witnessed the event. Of course, she’d witnessed it on several separate occasions, grounding the boy for a month each time, even though they both knew Natsu would just sneak out his window and in through Lucy’s in the middle of the night. That’s what happened when your best friend lived next door. Grandeney was simply thankful that Natsu and Lucy had each other in times like these.

“Did you... See any monsters?” Lucy asked timidly. She was a shy girl, slightly taller than Natsu, despite being a year younger. Her golden hair fell down her back like a wave of silk, framing her little face with her big brown eyes in a way that almost made her look like a little angel. Luckily, she seemed to balance Natsu out, the angel to his demon, and Igneel was sure his son would’ve gotten up to a whole lot more mischief without Lucy around.

Igneel thought for a moment, trying to pick the least aggressive animal they’d come across, “we found a really big, blue cat, but he didn’t seem too bothered by us, so we left him alone,” he smiled and ruffled Lucy’s hair, knowing she was easily scared. She smiled back at him, listening intently to the rest of his stories.

Lucy had always been part of their lives; from the moment she’d come along. The saying went ‘it takes a village to raise a child,' and Igneel and Grandeney had welcomed Lucy with open arms, considering her part of their family.

Lucy’s mother, a good friend of theirs, was often unwell, and Lucy had spent a lot of time at their house, playing with Natsu. Her father was always busy and didn’t seem too interested in taking the time to raise her. He did have a whole village to run, but Igneel still thought that was slack of him. In fact, Igneel didn’t like the man much at all, if he was honest.

So, Lucy often spent nights in pillow forts with their son, running around the place with him during the day; it wasn’t often the two weren’t together, and secretly Igneel knew they were never really going to be apart. Though, he wouldn’t let Natsu know that; the small boy made gagging noises whenever he caught his parents sharing a kiss.

After hours of stories, Lucy had begun to drift off to sleep and Natsu was finally losing some of his bounciness. So Igneel said good night to the two children and quietly left them, making his way to his and Grandeney’s room, hoping for the best night sleep he’d had in months.

Inside the tent, the soft glow of the fairy lights dimly illuminating their own little haven, Natsu stretched with a big yawn, and burrowed into the blankets beside his best friend, curling up around her just like he’d always done.

“Natsu?” Lucy sleepily mumbled, shifting a bit to get comfortable, “one day, can we get a blue cat?”

Natsu grinned into Lucy’s back, “yeah! With wings!” he whispered excitedly.

Lucy giggled, “cats don’t have wings, silly.”

“Ours will,” Natsu replied, breathing a sigh of contentment, and snuggling closer to her before they both drifted off into a deep sleep.

× Next chapter

[tokkias]

Natsu Dragneel didn’t read. It wasn’t that he couldn’t (though perhaps Gray might try to convince one otherwise), but rather that he just didn’t understand the appeal. He could probably count the number of novels he’d read in his life on one hand, because he always seemed to lose interest within the first few pages.

On the other hand, Lucy would often wax poetic about the way that an author could use their words to construct a narrative that could grip your soul, shake you to your very core, tear you apart piece by piece, and put you back together. In her eyes, a good book could be a well and truly life-changing experience.

Natsu, of course, would quietly disagree.

That was, until, Lucy became an author herself. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that Lucy could do anything she committed herself to, and if that happened to be proving his views on words wrong, then so be it.

After the release of her novel, Lucy didn’t stop smiling for a whole week; nothing was able to bring her down from the high of being a real, genuine published author. Natsu couldn’t help but smile along with her because he was just so damn proud of how far she had come.

Although she knew his opinions on reading, Lucy had gifted him the very first copy, a way of thanking him for all he had done for her over the years. It was first edition, hardcover, whatever that meant, but it seemed important to Lucy, so he kept it on his shelf, among various other knick-knacks. He always claimed he would get around to it, but Lucy knew better. She knew not to take offence to it; it simply wasn’t something he could help.

Lucy had been out on a solo mission the past week, leaving him to sulk alone in his house, not bothering to make his way over to the guild when Happy left (because it was boring without her anyway). Though it had turned out that it was just as boring home alone.

He was on his third—maybe fourth—lap around the house, stepping over dirty laundry that he swore he’d get to later, and examining random objects that had been subject to his hoarding habit. Natsu ran a finger over the surface of the shelf, leaving a line in the layer of dust that had collected there since the last time he (well, Lucy) had cleaned. It stopped just short of the single book that adorned it. His gaze fell upon it, leading to a moment of consideration.

Sure, what the hell.

Taking the book from its dedicated space on the shelf, Natsu threw himself down on the couch and let it fall open in his lap. He flicked through the pages, trying to find the opening lines, but his eyes were caught by a flash of text that sat comfortably before the page reading Chapter One.

A dedication to everyone in my life who made this book possible

To my dearly departed parents, for instilling in me my love for writing and magic, for always believing in me, and for allowing me to become the person I am today.

To my guildmates: thank you for welcoming me into your family with open arms, supporting me unconditionally, and inspiring this very novel.

And most importantly, to my partner and my best friend, for dragging me into our seemingly never-ending adventure, for making me smile, even in my darkest hours, and for allowing me to experience a life beyond even my wildest imagination.

I can’t wait to spend the rest of forever at your side.

She had never told him about this part of the book. It felt like he had uncovered a gift, a secret for him to find, should he ever choose to seek it out. Reading it over, again and again, made his heart skip a beat in his excitement, a grin creeping its way onto his face.

Yeah, okay.

Maybe Lucy really was right about words.

[twomanyideas]

The Grill Next Door

A collaboration by @mdelpin​​​​ and @oryu404​​​​

Gratsu Week 2021 Prompt(s): Impress, Smile, Smokey Pairing: Gray x Natsu

AO3

Summary: Natsu had to repress a loud snort when he caught his first glimpse of his neighbor. The guy was dressed in only a pair of black boxers, his fair skin slick and shiny from the thick layer of sunblock he had applied. His back had white streaks and missed spots all over it from where he hadn’t been able to distribute it evenly, and some of the lotion was sticking to the dark hairs on his neck.

But the absolute worst thing of all was that he obviously had no idea how to use a barbeque properly.

0-0 Summer was arguably the worst time to be moving. Who in their right mind would want to spend all day inside unpacking boxes when it was 90 degrees outside? Definitely not Natsu, and yet here he was, dragging another box full of stuff up the stairs in his new home. He was grateful for his friends, who had been there when he’d gotten the key and helped him clean the house, paint some walls, and install the larger pieces of furniture. But now that there was only the smaller clutter left, he was on his own, and he was missing out on all the summer fun. His friends were all enjoying themselves without him; spending their free time at the beach or the pool, barbecuing in their yards, raiding the ice cream parlor… “Soon…” Natsu sighed to himself. Soon, he could join them again. He just had a few more boxes filled with necessary items to go.

He’d already unpacked the ones filled with kitchen utensils and Happy’s stuff. All that was left were his toiletries and a few clothes. He’d sort through the rest of his crap bit by bit, one or two boxes every night until he was done. That way, he could still get the most out of the vacation days he'd pulled out for moving. He opened the box he’d brought upstairs with him and groaned; of course, he’d grabbed the wrong one. Instead of towels and shower products, he was looking at some of the housewarming gifts he’d gotten. A key hanger from Lucy, because he was always losing his keys. A baking set from Erza, which Natsu had to admit was the most optimistic gift he’d ever gotten, and a cute houseplant from Wendy, carefully wrapped up in brown paper, with wet paper towels to keep the soil moist.

There were a few more small gifts, but Natsu’s attention was drawn to the flat package at the bottom. More specifically, to the image that was on it, giving away what was inside: a bright pink flamingo kiddie pool. “So you can have a pool in your backyard!” Sting had grinned when Natsu unwrapped the gift. It was obviously a gag gift, and at the time, Natsu had seen the humor in it. He’d even joked that he’d call Sting for a pool party once he was all settled in, but right now, it only fueled his longing to do something fun. Actually… Screw unpacking, he’d do that later. One look through the window, at the bright blue sky and the burning sun, was all it took to finalize his decision. He picked up the box and took it downstairs again, quickly watering the plant before it could die in the summer heat, and putting it on a windowsill. Leaving the rest of the box’s contents for now, he took out the inflatable pool and started digging through one of the other boxes in search of his swim trunks.

He’d done enough for today. He was going to sit in his backyard and enjoy his stupid pool, damn it. Once he’d changed into his swimwear, he applied a thin layer of sunblock he’d found during his search for a towel. He went outside with the pool under his arm, sticking his foot out when he slipped through the sliding door to keep Happy from sneaking outside.

“Sorry buddy, you can’t go out yet,” he apologized, knowing that it was for the best.

They'd only moved in a few days ago, and Happy needed to get used to his new home. If he were to run away, he'd get lost trying to find his way back to their old apartment, and the last thing Natsu wanted was to end up like Rogue, who had spent all night frantically searching for Frosch when he had just moved in with Sting and failed to shut the front door behind him fast enough. Still, Natsu couldn’t help but feel guilty at the sight of Happy pawing at him from behind the glass. Maybe he could get him a cat leash tomorrow, so he could at least explore the backyard safely. One thing was for sure, he’d definitely give him some of his favorite fish treats to make up for a few hours of sitting alone inside. With that in mind, he smiled and took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh summer air and the delicious smell that came along with it. It was one of his favorites, and he instantly recognized it. One of his neighbors was grilling in his backyard. Too curious for his own good, Natsu followed the scent. His nose told him it was coming from the house to his left, from the backyard that was only separated from his by a tall wooden fence. Tall, but not tall enough to keep Natsu away. He was just able to peek over the top if he stood on his tippy toes.

He wanted to get an idea of who was living next to him, that’s all. Okay, and maybe he wanted to live through them a little as they indulged in one of his all-time favorite summer activities. \

Natsu had to repress a loud snort when he caught his first glimpse of his neighbor. The guy was dressed in only a pair of black boxers, his fair skin slick and shiny from the thick layer of sunblock he had applied. His back had white streaks and missed spots all over it from where he hadn’t been able to distribute it evenly, and some of the lotion was sticking to the dark hairs on his neck. But the absolute worst thing of all was that he obviously had no idea how to use a barbeque properly. “You know, your food is going to cook more evenly and taste a lot better if you close the lid,” Natsu suggested, bursting out in laughter when the guy jumped and almost dropped his tongs. “Idiot!” He whirled around and glared at Natsu, waving the tongs in the air as he stomped closer. Damn! This guy was actually pretty cute when he was mad.

"I almost burned myself. What were you thinking?!"

"That you weren't doing those ribs the justice they deserve," Natsu retorted, frustration rising within him once he managed to tear his eyes away from his half-naked neighbor and focus back on the grill. All that delicious aroma-filled smoke that would've added so much flavor to that gorgeous meat was getting away!

It was a fucking crime.

"Pay attention to what you were doing, you jackass! You gotta flip them over!"

The guy quickly returned to his grill to tend to his ribs, cursing as he fumbled with the tongs while trying to keep a safe distance between the searing heat of the barbecue and his own bare ribs.

"Man, you really suck at this," Natsu couldn't resist pointing out.

"Oh, and I suppose _you _could do better?"

In all honesty, Natsu was a terrible cook. He lacked the ability to multitask in the kitchen, always made an enormous mess, and often combined ingredients that his friends insisted should never be combined.

However, cooking and grilling were two completely different things to him. His dad had taught him how to cook meat on an open fire or a makeshift grill during camping trips since he was little, and he had it down to a fine art by now.

"You're damn right I can," he scoffed, taking the question as a challenge and being kind enough to climb over the fence and invite himself to his neighbor's backyard so he could show him how it was done.

"What are you doing?!"

"Saving your meat, of course! Move over."

Too stunned by what was happening, the guy didn't protest when Natsu snatched away the tongs. He just watched with his mouth open as Natsu flipped the ribs and set the grate to a higher level, making sure they'd cook slower. And much to Natsu’s amusement, it wasn't just the grill he was staring at.

Satisfied with his intervention, Natsu closed the lid and stepped back. "There, that should do it!" he grinned, putting the tongs down on a plate on the nearby table so he could hold out his hand in greeting. "I'm Natsu, by the way. I just moved here last Wednesday."

"... Gray," his neighbor replied, frowning warily but still accepting Natsu's hand and shaking it briefly. "Do you always stick your nose into other people's business like that?"

“Just wait, you’ll be thanking me soon enough.” Natsu said, amused by his neighbor's grumpy tone. “Anyway, you should be fine as long as you leave the lid closed for about an hour.”

“An hour?” Gray complained, “I thought grilling was supposed to be faster.”

“I mean, do you want fast, or do you want good?” Natsu drawled suggestively. He wasn’t sure if it was the beautiful weather or just the high he felt from having had a hot guy so obviously checking him out because normally he wasn’t much of a flirt, but he felt the urge to test the waters. “Cause I could show you both.”

Gray surprised him by laughing heartily at his innuendo. “There is seriously nothing subtle about you, is there?”

“Nope.” Natsu agreed and laughed along. “Well, it was nice to meet you. I’ll leave you to your grilling, gotta go set up my pool.”

He climbed the fence to get back into his yard, hearing Gray yell behind him. “You’re going to get yourself killed. Just use the gate next time.”

“But then, how could I show you my best asset?” Natsu retorted once he was safely over, chuckling as Gray muttered something he couldn’t quite make out. He wasn’t too worried, though. After all Gray had said next time.

0-0

Gray looked back at the grill, already tempted to open the lid and check on the ribs. What was he supposed to do for an hour? He’d mowed the grass earlier, and he didn’t feel comfortable staying inside while the grill was going.

The sun felt overly hot on his skin and he found shelter under a tree in his backyard. Playing on his phone had netted him ten minutes of entertainment and two group conversations he wasn’t all that interested in.

Maybe Natsu did know what he was talking about because the smell of the ribs cooking was making his mouth water in ravenous anticipation. Thinking about his new neighbor brought a smile to his face, especially since he heard odd noises coming from the other side of the fence. Didn’t he say something about a pool?

With all this time to kill, maybe he should go return the favor and see what he was up to.

With that in mind, Gray walked over to the fence and peered over it, unable to hold back a snort when he saw Natsu sitting on the ground and puffing air into a pink flamingo-shaped pool.

"Wow, I guess you really are full of hot air."

Natsu looked up at him, flashing that grin Gray was quickly developing a weak spot for. "So you think I'm hot?"

Yes, he sure as hell did, but he wasn’t about to give Natsu the satisfaction of saying so. At least... not yet.

“I think you’re having an awfully hard time blowing, which is… disappointing.”

"Huh. Never had any complaints before." Natsu shrugged, returning his attention to blowing air into the flamingo.

“Why don’t you let me show you how it’s done?” Gray said, feeling confident.

God knows he’d blown up a ton of these things for his brother’s kid. He’d quickly learned there was a little trick to it. You had to squeeze the valve as you blew into it or the air wouldn’t get in properly. Clearly, his hot dumbass of a neighbor didn't get that.

“You want to show me how well you blow?” Natsu tilted his head, looking amused by Gray’s suggestion. “How can I say no to that?”

Gray let himself into Natsu’s backyard, using the gate that connected their properties, like a normal person, and grabbed the pool away from Natsu. Using his trick, he quickly filled both rings of the pool.

“Color me impressed.” Natsu whistled in appreciation once Gray set the pool down on the grass. He filled it with water from the hose, which he oh so charmingly put between his legs, giggling to himself as he swung it around.

How the guy could go from flirting to acting like a five-year-old within the blink of an eye was beyond Gray, but he had to admit that it was oddly endearing.

Natsu jumped in with both feet as soon as the pool was filled, watching with glee as water sloshed out onto the grass from his efforts. He sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him, and immediately propped his arms around the pool’s rim.

“That feels so much better!” Natsu moaned happily.

Now that Natsu was inside it, Gray couldn't help but notice that the pool could fit two people, albeit a little snugly considering their size. And though normally he wouldn't be caught dead in one of these things- especially a pink flamingo one- it was a very hot day, and Natsu’s yard was a lot shadier than his.

"You want in?" Natsu asked, his lips stretching into a mischievous smile.

Gray’s eyes were drawn to the slightly pointy canines, finding them incredibly sexy, and he immediately wondered what kissing that mouth would feel like as Natsu patted the empty spot next to him invitingly.

What had gotten into him? He’d just met the guy, knew next to nothing about him, yet here he was acting like a hormone driven teenager. It wasn’t like him at all, but he couldn’t deny the chemistry that sizzled between them, so palpable he could almost touch it.

Besides, what was wrong with having a little fun? It was summer, and he had been in a bit of a dry spell for months.

That thought decided him.

“I suppose I could join you for a bit.”

He had just stepped one foot inside the pool when, to his surprise, Natsu stopped him. “Hang on a minute. I didn’t say you could come in. I only asked if you wanted to.”

“If you want in-” Natsu winked at him. “It’s gonna cost ya.”

“Cost me?” Gray sputtered in protest. “You can’t be serious.”

“Dead serious. I will be more than happy to share my pool with you on this incredibly hot day, but only if you share some of those ribs with me.”

Gray had already been planning on doing that, but it was infinitely more fun to make Natsu work for it.

“I don’t know,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, which only netted him greasy fingers from the sunblock he’d slathered on earlier. “It seems to me like you’re getting the better end of the deal here. This is just a kiddie pool after all.”

“Alright, you drive a hard bargain, but I can respect that. How about this then? I’ll throw in some of my world famous special sauce.”

“World famous?” Gray scoffed, “It’s probably just something you picked up at the grocery store, but… okay, I’ll bite.”

“You promise?” Natsu gave him a cheeky smirk, one that ignited a need in Gray to get in that damn pool right the hell now and show him what he intended to do.

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” Gray said. “Just don’t complain if it ends up being more than you bargained for.”

Gray was so determined to get in there that he completely forgot he was already partly in the pool, and tripped over the edge when he tried to step in. He caught himself with his hands but still ended up splashing Natsu, not to mention had the wind yanked out of his sails.

He looked up to see the damage. The water had darkened Natsu’s pink hair and flattened it against his face, softening his features and somehow making the bastard look even more attractive. Gray watched in rapt fascination as a drop of water traveled from Natsu’s cheek, joining others on its way down his neck and over his chest until rejoining the rest of the water at waist level.

“You’re right,” Natsu laughed loudly, slicking his hair back and away from his face. “That was definitely more than I bargained for. Nice entrance, by the way.”

Gray was utterly mortified, and he scrambled to sit down, desperately trying to come up with a witty comeback, but before he could say a word, Natsu had already splashed him. 

“There you go. No need to make that face. It’s a pool. We were going to get wet, eventually.” Natsu shrugged, his expression gradually changing to distaste as he looked at the water.

“Dude, what did you use for sunblock, SPF lard?”

“I burn easily!” Gray protested, smoothing out the bits of sunblock he could see on his skin.

“Yeah? Then maybe you should actually get it on all of your skin. Turn around.”

“It’s hard to reach back there! Besides, you just want an excuse to get your hands on me,” he argued, but did as he was told anyway, turning his back to Natsu.

“Yeah, that’s the idea. Are you complaining?”

Gray pouted but remained silent.

“That’s what I thought.”

It was hard to miss the smug tone in his voice.

Natsu’s hands spread the globs of lotion evenly across his back, occasionally stopping to knead on one of his muscles and then concentrating on his shoulders. Gray closed his eyes, biting his lip so as not to let on how much he was enjoying it. If this was what he got in exchange for some barbecued ribs, he'd love to know what other types of food Natsu liked.

“There you go.” Natsu said, giving his shoulders one last squeeze. “You can turn around now. It should be safe for you to walk in daylight again.”

Gray turned just in time to see Natsu lean back into his previous position.

“Are you implying I'm some sort of vampire? Cause I’m not the one with the pointy teeth.”

“No, but you are the one who offered to bite me.”

“True.” Gray laughed, and not wanting to lose the mood, he made his move, adjusting from a sitting position to a half straddle. He leaned in, close enough that he could feel the slight puff of Natsu’s breaths on his face as he murmured, “I can still make that happen.”

“You talk too much.” Natsu said just as quietly, peering into his eyes for a split second before closing his eyes and bridging the distance between them.

Gray hadn’t expected Natsu’s body to feel so warm against his, especially considering they were both wet from the pool water, and he instinctively pulled him closer. As arousing as the kiss was, and Natsu sucking on his tongue was definitely doing things to him, he realized he had no urge to push for more.

That should have been his first warning.

But he wasn’t really thinking about anything. His world had narrowed down to sensations. The torrid heat of Natsu’s mouth, the sharp sting of teeth nibbling on his lips, and the tingling pleasure of his hair being tugged, coupled with the sounds they were both making. Needy moans that would have embarrassed him if Natsu hadn’t sounded the same.

Gray liked it all a little too much. Already, the thought of separating filled him with a sense of dread. And perhaps that should have been his second warning.

He was busy running his hands up and down Natsu’s back when he felt him let go of his hair. His hands trailed down to his chest, but no lower, and he pulled away, leaving Gray to chase after him. Confused and more than a little disappointed, Gray opened his eyes. Natsu sat perfectly still, his eyes slightly widening as he sniffed the air. “THE RIBS!!!” Oh crap! He’d forgotten all about the ribs!

“Go open the lid,” Natsu urged, scrambling to get up and out of the pool. “I’ll be there in a few minutes with the sauce.”

Gray watched Natsu enter his house and then hurried over to his yard. The food smelled even better than before and when he opened the lid and poked the ribs with the tongs; he saw they were indeed done, the meat tender and ready to fall off the bone. Rather than stand around waiting awkwardly, he grabbed two beers from his fridge along with plates, napkins and utensils to bring outside.

He opened the sliding door that led to his backyard and found Natsu brushing sauce onto the ribs from an unmarked blue bottle. There was a content smile on his face as he worked away, and Gray felt a flutter in his stomach at the sight.

Shit!

He’d never been one for one-night stands, so why had he thought he’d just be able to go along this time? Because Natsu was hot and seemed willing?

Gray wanted to know more about him, but he wasn’t sure if Natsu felt the same way or if this was just a game he liked to play. What would happen if he played along to its inevitable conclusion? Would that be the end of it? The two of them- probably awkwardly- moving on as just neighbors who happened to have hooked up?

Was it wrong of him to want more?

Natsu looked up then, waving at him and gesturing him over. His smile widened when he noticed the beer bottles Gray was holding.

“Ooh, beer wasn’t part of the deal! I must have kissed you real good!” Natsu teased, accepting the bottle and easing some of the uncertainty Gray had felt about whether things would turn awkward after their make-out session in the pool.

“You’ll notice this is only domestic beer, so I wouldn’t get too full of myself if I were you.” Gray retorted, still playing along.

“Meh, beer is beer, and it goes great with ribs.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

The back and forth was nice, but Gray was itching to ask what was really on his mind.

Can I keep you? Or will you run off after the next pretty face that strikes your fancy?

The lid of the barbecue closed again, and Natsu walked over. “They should be ready in about five more minutes.”

He clinked bottles with him and took a swig. Gray followed suit and decided to just go for it. He’d rather know what to expect than hope for something that wasn’t meant to be.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” he blurted out, sounding a bit more eager than he would have liked.

“Sure, shoot.”

Natsu gave no sign he knew what was coming, or at least that’s what his relaxed posture seemed to broadcast.

“Do you do this kind of thing often?”

“Moving? God, no, I hate it with a passion. Might as well bury me here cause I’m never doing it again.”

“No,” Gray frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” Natsu mock sighed, “I’m just trying to think of an answer that won’t go to your head.”

“What?” Gray didn’t know what to make of that answer. Was he trying to find a way to let him down gently?

“No, I don’t do this type of thing often.” Natsu admitted, meeting Gray’s eyes and holding his gaze. “Look, you’re hot and turned out to be fun to mess with, so I figured there was no harm in seeing where that led. But I’m not expecting anything if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Gray wanted to ask if that meant that he’d like to date, but to his chagrin, all that came out of his mouth was, “You think I’m hot?”

“See?” Natsu said, sounding amused. “What’d I tell you? Right to your head!”

He put his beer bottle down on the table and traded it in for the tongs and the plates before hurrying back to the grill to check on their food. Satisfied, he turned it off and heaped a large serving of ribs onto each plate.

Gray followed him to the table, only then noticing the sliced watermelon Natsu must have brought with him from his house. He bit into one to buy himself some time to organize his thoughts.

Next to him, Natsu had already begun to dig in, messily devouring the ribs, stopping only long enough to take a sip from his beer. Gray shrugged and did the same. It wasn’t like his table manners were anything to write home about, either. The moment the meat from the ribs touched his tongue, his taste buds were assaulted with flavor. Sweet, salty, spicy… all blending together in perfect harmony. It was by far the best ribs Gray had ever tasted. He could hardly believe they’d come off his grill. He glanced at Natsu admiringly. Not that he noticed, focused as he was on his plate.

“So, what other things can you make?”

Natsu looked up at his question. There was a glob of sauce at the corner of his mouth, driving Gray all sorts of crazy with the urge to kiss it off him, but he held strong.

For now.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but this is it. I can’t cook worth a damn.”

“That’s too bad.” Gray tried but failed to suppress a smile. “Guess I’ll just have to show you all the best places to eat around here, then. You busy tomorrow night?”

Natsu shook his head, breaking into a smile so blinding it wiped every single thought out of Gray’s head. Save one.

"Nope, I'm all yours," Natsu answered after what looked like a brief moment of contemplation.

Gray sure as hell liked the sound of that.

“There’s just one thing…”

Natsu tilted his head and scrunched up his nose in silent question, which was just perfect.

“You’ve got a little something there,” Gray said, leaning in and licking the sauce off before claiming Natsu’s lips hungrily.

The kiss tasted like sauce and beer, but most of all, it tasted like more. And more was definitely bound to follow soon, tomorrow night, and many more days after.

Gray could feel it.

[moeruhoshi]

Just a short bc @scarletgray9 put bad boy Natsu on my mind again

Lucy squeaked as her foot slipped on the lattice wall, tightening her grip on the squares as she regained her footing.

She held her breath, hoping no one had heard her short, startled outburst. She continued down the vine covered wall, smiling to herself as she made it safely to the ground.

She was able to quickly make her escape, grinning as none of the staff had come out to investigate.

Slipping through the front gate of her property was easy, a gap in the hedges hidden from plain sight.

The chilly night air nipped at her skin as she waited on the sidewalk for her ride, purposely having left her sweater behind.

The gentle hum of a motorcycle engine rounded the corner, Lucy’s heart pounding in her chest as it slowed to a stop.

"Hey, Luce," His gruff voice made her cheeks flush, the sight of him pulling off his helmet enough to make her melt. He put his bike into park before getting off, taking off his leather jacket to wrap around her shoulders.

"Hey, Natsu," Her words came out in a breathy whisper, feeling her vocal chords tighten as he leaned into her.

His hands fell to her hips as they shared a kiss, fingers dipping into her skin. She whined a bit as he pulled away too quickly, his smirk enticing her into wanting more.

"We've got all night," Natsu chuckled, pecking her on the cheek. "Let's get going before it gets any later."

Lucy slipped on the spare helmet he had for her, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as they took off.

She felt most comfortable when on his bike, feeling the vibration of his driving and the warmth that radiated from his back.

Lucy closed her eyes, soaking in the silence of their long drive.

They always drove a ways away from town, not wanting to be caught by any prying eyes.

After all, she was the only daughter of one of the most successful business men in town. And Natsu was the third son of the most famous mafia boss in Fiore.

Her father had caught them together before, as Natsu used to sneak into her bedroom all the time. She was forbidden from ever seeing him again, let alone think about thinking about him.

But there was no stopping true love, both refusing to even fathom the thought of leaving each other.

So Natsu picked her up almost every night of the week, taking her to what became their most favorite date spot.

It was on a series of hills a handful miles away from the closest house or storefront. The next town over was Akane Beach, but it was at least fifty miles away. The blank patch of nature left itself to become the perfect stargazing meadow.

They always walked up to the highest hill, laid out a blanket, and ate the snacks that Natsu brought along.

"Your rice balls are always so good," She sighed happily as she bit down on the pointy mount, leaning her head against Natsu’s shoulder.

"Thanks," He hummed, laying them down, pointing up at the constellation above them. "That's Lyra, right?"

"And Hercules right above her," Lucy nodded, laughing as he whooped.

"I'm gettin' better at recognizing them," He grinned, stuffing a rice ball into his mouth. "There's Deneb too!"

She giggled, having missed his sweet childish behavior. It upset her that no one was able to see what a good heart he had, even if he was a part of the mafia. She wanted her father to understand that, but there was no way he'd accept anyone he didn't pick himself.

"You're so cute," She mumbled, finishing the last bite of her food. "I missed you,"

"I missed you too, Luce," Natsu said, making her laugh again as he rolled over her, his spiky hair gravitating downwards. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to come home. I hate it when the family has to get together,"

"But it was nice seeing your brothers, I hope? I know you missed Zeref, are he and Mavis doing okay?"

"They're just fine," He pouted, dropping himself slightly to nuzzle his nose against her cheek. "I don't wanna talk about them right now, there's somethin' more important we hafta discuss,"

"And what would that be?" Her heart began to pound slightly as his serious eyes glazed over his face.

"I saw you on the news," She squeaked as his hand began to make its way under her shirt. "And that freak Sting was kissin' your hand, holdin' your hip,"

"Does it make you feel better if I tell you that I slapped him later when he tried to make a move on me?" Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as he growled against her throat, lifting her shirt to expose her bra-clad self.

"Kinda," He chuckled, moving his mouth to caress the space between her breasts. "But until I beat the bastard up myself, I'm not gonna feel very good,"

"Can I watch?" Lucy smirked as he smothered her with a sudden kiss, groaning as he pulled off his shirt.

"You're so fucking hot," She laughed as he returned to her chest, snapping the front clasp of her bra. Her fingers threaded through his hair as the chilly night air made her nipples stand on end, Natsu’s tongue licking over the pair.

She admired the dragon tattoo that wrapped around his chest and shoulder, the black and red ink glaring warmth at her.

He sat up, wiping the drool from the corner of his lip. He looked over her disheveled appearance and rosy cheeks, grinning at the quick mess he made.

"You're real pretty all wrapped up in my jacket like that," Natsu grunted as he tugged on her jeans, pulling them down and off. Lucy flushed as he spread her legs, eyeing the wetness that had already gathered. "And all sexy getting wet like this. You pent up, baby?"

"That one phone call we had wasn't enough to get me through the week," She playfully frowned as he tugged on the lace material; grinning as it was the pair he bought her.

"I'm gonna wanna take you right here right now," He groaned, Lucy rifling through the pocket of his jacket.

"You brought enough for us to be sloppy," The lust felt heavy in her breath as she held up the few condoms he always had on him. "I'd really like it if we started out rough,"