#the recent vocal tummy love has made me less worried

[jellybeanium124]

nobody has mentioned this so hopefully that means you would... not be mad? haha? maybe?? maybe I can mention having a very stigmatized kink and it'll be okay? hopefully?? everyone can be normal maybe? I'm still me I haven't changed hopefully this won't change things at all and I've been terrified of sharing this part of myself for no reason??

[phoneboxfairy]

Love in Quarantine ch 1...

(ao3 link -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23417971/chapters/56125711)  Okay, the first chapter is pretty light on the smuttiness. But from chapter 2 on...not so much. This is pretty much two horny twenty-somethings spending a week of isolation *really* getting to know each other...enjoy!

It all began on a typical afternoon at the guild. The hall was filled with hustle and bustle, with its occupants fighting, flirting, eating, or reading.

Of course, it’s always the typical days that end up going haywire.

The first sign of trouble was Wendy sneezing then claiming to feel fatigued. She never got sick, usually protected by her sky dragon magic.

This wasn’t a good sign.

“Come, child. Let’s go to Porlyusica’s house before you get any worse.” Carla grabbed her then flew off. This left the rest of the guild shrouded in uncertainty.

What was going on…?

Minutes ticked by, each one seeming like an hour. Lucy tried to read, tried to pay attention to her book, but just couldn’t. Somehow, from across the room, Natsu noticed. He moved away from his fight with Gray mid-punch, walked over to her, put a hand on her shoulder.

“You alright?”

She shook her head.

“Not really. I’m worried about Wendy.”

“She’s a tough kid. She’ll be fine.” Shoulder squeeze. The touch was familiar, comforting. She found herself wanting him to hold her close, wanted to hug away all her fears. Irrational, but honestly Lucy didn’t mind the feeling. She wanted to be close to him...although she wasn’t about to admit it out loud.

Not just yet anyway…

Minutes later the hall door flew open. Porlyusica came rushing in, as close to panic as anyone had ever seen her. She had several words with Makarov, then both got the entire guild’s attention.

“Okay, you brats, this is serious! We need you all to report to the dormitory immediately.” “Wait. Gramps, is Wendy okay?” Natsu shouted, met with similar sentiments from the others.

“She’ll be fine. She has a mild magic bug that could jeopardize the entire town if we’re not careful.”

“Indeed. I have enough antidote to vanquish the bug but I cannot administer it until you are all quarantined. Listen to this old fossil. For once he’s got the right idea.”

There was more clamor as everyone made their way to the dorms behind the hall proper. Luckily the guild’s recent expansion had included building more residential facilities in addition to Fairy Hills.

Nobody could have predicted that they would be used in such a manner, though.

The quarantine itself was initiated fairly easily. Wizards were paired off in each room, typically with a teammate. Then they were given an injection of the antidote. Happy, Carla, and Lily went with Porlyusica to give Wendy some company as she recuperated. Anyone who already had a dorm in Fairy Hills went there, although Lucy couldn’t help noticing that Levy was accompanied by Gajeel and Juvia had somehow convinced Gray to bunker down with her.

One room was left, which meant she was going to be more or less stuck with Natsu for a week, which was how long the antidote took to work. A certain less vocal part of her found the situation appealing.

That didn’t make it any less awkward. Stuck in a room with someone you had growing feelings for but didn’t have the nerve to do anything about it? This could be a nightmare.

Ugh. Well. Better make the best of things. Lucy set her bag down and glanced around the room. It wasn’t huge but it was nice. The kitchen was stocked with enough supplies for the week. The window gave a nice view of the waterfront. A couple comfy chairs, a desk to write at…

...And one full-sized bed. The irony wasn’t lost on her.

There was just one bed...when did my life become a cheesy romance novel?! She shook the thought out of her mind and plopped down on one of the chairs, book in hand, determined to distract herself.

Easier said than done. Natsu, true to form, was working out by the window. From where Lucy was sitting she had the perfect angle to watch his every move as she read.

Talk about a distraction…

At one point she glanced up at him. Their eyes met. He grinned.

“Yo Luce. Let’s spar.”

“What, here?”

“Sure! I won’t even use fire. What d’you say?”

“Alright. Just be careful. We don’t want to destroy the dorm.”

“Deal.” That was that. Lucy took a moment to change into her Taurus form, then they sparred. Both took every opportunity possible to train, but in this case it was just a fun way to pass time.

Being careful didn’t mean taking it easy. Lucy knew that and went after Natsu at full strength. He noticed, grinned, and she forced herself to ignore the fluttering butterflies just south of her tummy.

At one point things took a rather interesting turn. She had him pinned against the wall despite his best efforts to wriggle free. Was he going easy on her? Probably. She knew damn well that he could have knocked her on her ass if he felt like it.

Still, she rather liked feeling like she could kick his ass. She also rather liked how it felt to be pressed up so close to him...although she wasn’t about to admit that out loud at the moment, along with the sudden desire to have him push her up against the wall and…

Whoa, whoa. She stopped that line of thought dead in its tracks, well aware that she was blushing like mad. At least she could shrug it off as a side effect of their sparring.

“Good fight, Luce. We should do that again sometime.” He flashed one of his trademark grins. Lucy couldn’t help agreeing with him. It was fun.

“Definitely. I think I’m gonna go take a shower, though.” If Natsu responded she didn’t see or hear. She grabbed her towel and a change of clothes then headed to the bathroom to wash away the sweat and to clear those intrusive thoughts from her mind. Or try to, anyway.

So I have feelings for my best friend. So what? Natsu’s a great guy. He’ll understand…right? Still, doubt flooded her mind. What if she told him, and what if he shrugged her off…? Well, she would have to figure that out soon.

Once she had toweled off and gotten dressed, she smelled something cooking.

Huh...guess he made himself a snack… She pushed the door open, made her way to the kitchen nook, and there was Natsu eating a bowl of noodles on one of the chairs.

“Hey. Dinner’s on the counter.” “Oh...thanks.”

Lucy grabbed her bowl and they ate together, enjoying the meal as well as relaxed conversation. Then they played games into the night. It felt nice to not have any obligation for a few days. Eventually the game ended. Natsu washed dishes and Lucy lay down in bed with her book. Several minutes later he claimed the spot next to her. She sat bolt upright, trying to keep her heart from racing and the blush from deepening. "What are you doing?" "Uh, laying down because I'm tired. Duh." "I...I...I'm not sure that's a good idea." "Why not? There's room for both of us." He quirked his head. "You okay? You're actin' even weirder than usual." "Me? I...I'm fine. Everything's great." "Nice try. Come on, Lucy. You know you can tell me if something's up." He put his hand on hers, squeezed gently. Such sweet warmth. "It's just that...I like you, and not just as a friend. It feels like we've been more than that for a while...I just, you know, didn't know how to say it. You...you probably think I'm crazy, huh?" "Nah. Come here." He pulled her into his arms, rested his forehead on hers. Grinned. "Everything's better when we're together. Even quarantine, I guess." "Yeah..." She giggled. "Hey Natsu?" "Yeah?" "There's something I want to try, if it's alright." "Okay. Go for it." He looked adorable, his expression a mix of amused and confused. So she blushed, leaned forward, letting her mouth meet his in a gentle kiss. His hands brushed over her waist. Neither seemed too keen on letting go, at least until a need to breathe prevailed. "Wow..." she exhaled. He chuckled. "Still want me to sleep on the floor?" "Nuh-uh. You can stay." With that she slipped out of his arms and lay down. He followed, laying so they were face to face with hands clasped. "So, uh...when was the last time you had a relationship?" "Two years before we met. How about you?" She hadn't expected him to ask, but fair was fair. "Right after I ran away, about a year before I joined the guild. I tried to have a fling after you left, but it didn't feel right." "How so?" "Like, the guy was nice and all, but I couldn't do it." I felt like I was cheating on you, she thought. No way was she going to admit that out loud, though. "That's when I started focusing on getting the guild back together." She yawned, pulled her blanket up around her. She was about to doze off...then Natsu pulled her back into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Huh? Whazzat for?" "Bringin' Fairy Tail back together. Night, Lucy." "Oh...night, Natsu..." The last thing she remembered was feeling his warmth around her, feeling so comfortable in his arms... I could get used to this...