#Ft Fanfiction

[bumblebeehug]

Together Forever

Summary: Natsu and Lucy being consent in each other's presence, and a little bit of Happy being a sweet baby boy. Notes: This is the first fanfic I've written and posted, and since I don't wanna re-read and edit stuff I'm just gonna close my eyes and hit publish :P Ao3 - FF.net

***

“Come on Natsu, at least steer your vomit away from me!” Lucy cried out, watching the sick dragonslayer destroy yet another pair of shoes. She was seriously considering putting plastic bags on her feet if Natsu couldn��t gain control over his flow anytime soon.

“Luuushi...” Happy said with a groggy voice, barely keeping his eyes open. The exceed had used up almost all his magic powers this mission, making him unusually tired - and unexpectedly cuddly towards a certain celestial mage.

“Come here Happy.” Lucy patted on her lap, letting the blue cat curl up into a purring ball of blue fur. The low frequent rumbling actually helped her calm down too. She would just have to deal with his shedding and the dirty shoes later - it’s not as if she could do anything now anyways.

Natsu himself was laying on the bench opposite to his best friends, watching them regain lost energy and magical power from the exhausting mission. It was sweet watching them both being calm like this. Of course he truly didn’t mind their friendly bickering. Happy felt comfortable enough with Lucy to show all sides of him to her, both the emotional and the snarky part. He remembered how loud and reductant Lucy was in the past, with her big and crazy reactions to almost everything that happened. Shouting every time Gray stripped or kicking Natsu out of her apartment. She never wavered. Once again, he didn’t actually mind that part, in fact, he really liked it. She had courage to be herself no matter who she was encountering, and her cute reactions often made the enemies favour her. However, she had gotten a lot calmer and sweeter the last two years. It must be that thing they call growing up, huh?

While in the middle of his thoughts, the train started moving extra much, making the salmon haired boy hurl up a mix of whatever he had eaten before boarding the hell-transportation. He really hoped Wendy could learn a new anti motion sickness-spell soon - life hadn’t been too kind since that Troia spell stopped working on him.

***

“Finally!” Natsu kissed the ground in delight of finally leaving the train, being back in their hometown. Lucy ignored him, as usual, and took care of their baggage. After all the years she had known him, he was still just as embarrassing to be out in public with. How hadn’t he picked up on social cues yet? Happy was still asleep in her arms, so after struggling for a bit she finally kicked some sense in Natsu, somehow without waking the cat.

“Come on and help with the bags you moron!” She scolded quietly, not wanting to disturb the sweet little animal who conveniently used her left boob as a pillow. “You don’t want to wake Happy, right? He deserves some rest, you know.”

Natsu obliged to the blonde’s orders. She was helping him nurse Happy back to full health after all. Grabbing the baggage, they soon headed back to Lucy’s apartment. The sun had started setting and he really craved that soft bed of hers.

Shortly after Lucy had met Natsu, she noticed an odd behaviour with him. Usually when walking back from missions with the entire Team Natsu, the air was filled with discussions. Natsu and Gray bickering in the background, Erza talking strategies with Lucy and Wendy, Happy and Carla talking about fishes or something, and then the occasional bickering between Lucy and Happy. When it was only Natsu, Lucy and Happy though, it was as if a switch had flipped. They rarely spoke, only leaving the sounds of Happy’s purring and Natsu and Lucy’s footsteps in the air. It was never uncomfortable though. They already knew what the other thought, and even if they didn’t know, they never felt the need to rush any conversations. This happened more and more frequently after the Alvarez Empire war, when Natsu had said those words to her. “We’ll be together forever, right?” Not any huge words, not anything complicated - just, the truth. Why would they need to talk all the time when they had forever in front of them. Everything would come in time. Lucy had decided to believe that.

“Hey, Lucy…”

… Did she jinx herself?

“Can we stay at your place? And can you make us some food, pleaaaase?”

Nevermind.

“Whatever, you guys just do what you want anyways.”

***

When they stepped into the apartment Lucy immediately went into the bedroom, carefully dropping off the knocked out exceed on the foot of the bed.

“I’m taking a quick shower, get the meat out of the freezer and defrost it while I’m gone, will you?” Lucy didn’t bother doing that stuff herself - Natsu knew her kitchen almost better than she did, he could figure it out.

Once she was in the shower she finally relaxed. A bath would undeniably be better, but right now she was more focused on getting all the dirt off her body. The mission they had gone on was fairly easy for Lucy and Natsu - the only one who had a hard time was Happy. The bandits had some type of flying ability, and the only way to defeat them was to get close. Therefore, Happy had to switch between them while they regenerated their powers. Lucy had gotten a bit worried when she saw Happy’s fur getting wet from sweat, but the exceed had just shaken her off, staying strong to the end of the mission. Lucy couldn’t help but admire him. If only Carla saw these heroic moments, maybe they would have gotten further in their relationship by now.

That reminded her of how protective Natsu could be. He hated it when Carla was rude to Happy. He didn’t show it, but Lucy saw. His twitching legs and furrowed eyebrows were of course big clues. Yet he still was very supportive. Every time Happy felt down because of Carla's cold behaviour, Natsu cheered him on, giving him money to buy an extra nice fish for Happy to give away. Lucy really had to give them better gift ideas though, once they had tried giving Carla a live eel instead, and she had ended up transforming into a human to run away faster. Who knew she was afraid of eels? And who knew she was that fast in her human form.

Lucy chuckled for herself at the memory. Yeah, she should definitely tell Happy to give her flowers or tea or something. She could at least spare Carla the terror of any other horrible sea creature.

After a quick round of shampoo, conditioner and body soap, she finally got out of the shower. She tried running a brush through her hair in an attempt to sort out the knots, but she quickly gave up. She would just have to brush it out when it dried.

When she left the bathroom, only dressed in a towel, she was met by a nice smell and the sound of sizzling coming from the kitchen.

“So, what are we having?” Lucy asked, secretly happy with getting a meal cooked for her. She would say that she was glad that it was free for a change, but she did buy the groceries with her own money after all.

“Curry ‘n rice,” Natsu answered, tongue sticking out of his mouth as he concentrated.

“Sounds nice. I’ll put on some clothes, then I’ll take over. You can take a bath or something while I finish it,” Lucy offered, once again not waiting for an answer before going into her bedroom where her wardrobe stood. She picked out a thin crop top and a pair of shorts in a soft material, before heading back into the kitchen.

“Now shoo,” the blonde said, dragging Natsu away from the bubbling pot.

“Wait! I didn’t turn on the stoves!”

Lucy grunted loudly.

“Whatever, I’ll fix it. You stink, here’s a towel, the opened medicines are to the left on the sink.”

Who knew the fire dragon slayer had such a passion for cooking? Lucy was pretty sure that was something only she knew about. Team Natsu never really had dinner the same way at Lucy’s. The only possible person who could have known about his cooking skills would be Lisanna, but to be frank, he didn’t really have enough control over his fire back when they played house. Happy knew about this skill of course, but then again, how could he not know about it? They lived together for god's sake.

As the clock struck 10pm Natsu finally left the bathroom, dressed in only a pair of chequered pyjama pants.

“Do you know where my t-shirt is?” He asked, lifting one of the pillows that laid on the couch.

“Oh yeah, it’s in the washer. Seriously, if you keep leaving your sleepover clothes here then you at least have to learn to wash them regularly!” Lucy scolded half heartedly, blushing slightly at the sight of her half naked best friend. It’s not as if she was immune to his muscular torso.

“Whatever, it’s not as if you ever come close enough to smell it anyways,” Natsu murmured as he made his way over to the table.

“Do I need to remind you that I also use the couch that I accidentally happen to OWN. If your clothes smell, then the couch will smell too. You seriously have to break your habit of sneaking in,” she groaned, knowing that her words had no effect whatsoever. “Nevermind that for now, did you see if Happy has woken up?”

“Nopfe, he’f ftill refting,” Natsu grunted, mouth full of hot curry.

“I’ll cut up some fish for him later then, hopefully he’ll get his energy back after a good meal.” Lucy pondered for a second, wondering if she maybe should wake him up anyways. He never liked missing meals and then having to eat alone. Lucy sometimes wondered if it was because he was unaccustomed to being alone, seeing as he always had the guild or Natsu around.

The mage decided to let him sleep on for now. Happy could wake one of them up if he wanted a snack in the middle of the night. It was already late enough for Lucy, so she sat down, finally digging in on the homemade food.

“Delicious!” She beamed, letting out a satisfied sigh before continuing letting the hot curry warm her up from the inside. Nothing tastes as good as a newly cooked meal after a long mission.

Natsu watched as the woman in front of him made a happy little dance before digging in. He had already eaten his portion of the food - almost four times the amount that Lucy had on her plate, and sat now and just watched as Lucy regained energy and warmth.

This was one of his favourite moments of the week. After many days sleeping in tents, constantly being on alert and never even getting the chance to clean themselves up, the smell and familiarity of Lucy’s apartment really made him feel safe. Sure, he might be a bit barbaric on missions, itching after someone to fight, not really caring about living conditions while he actually was on the mission, but getting back to this smell always made him shocked by how tense he had been the last week. Finding this type of ritual of sleeping the first night after a mission with Lucy, brought a sense of relaxation he didn’t know his body or mind possessed. Just coming home, chatting with Happy or starting cooking while Lucy took a bath or shower, and then himself taking a shower either while Lucy finishes or starts the food, or just after the meal. There was still one problem in Natsu’s opinion though. He still slept on the couch. After all these years she still wouldn’t let them share bed unless she was drunk or if he snuck in during the night.

While Lucy’s apartment smelled great, there was just something else he felt when he shared bed with her. Sometimes he got a boner, he was not going to lie, she is very attractive after all, but most of the time he felt something else. It could be called love, but for some reason that just didn’t sit right with Natsu. Love was great, no doubt, he had felt it lots of times, to his father, to his guildmates and to material things, but sleeping with Lucy was… Comforting. The combination of the sound of her soft breathing and her steady heart, and her cool skin against his hot, and then that special smell that he only could smell when they got really close. All this made him feel… Safe. Happy. Reassured. Content. If family could be an emotion, that is what he felt.

Even better was when Happy curled up in the middle of them, making Natsu able to smell and hear him too. Sometimes, when Natsu felt bold and cuddled really close to her, Happy would lay above their heads or close to Lucy’s belly. That’s when he truly slept the best.

Natsu knew that he wouldn’t exchange these two people for the world.

“Ya done?” He grinned, watching Lucy swallow the last forkful of food.

“Yep, that meal was exactly what I needed!” She purred, patting her belly. Natsu stood up and started putting away their plates.

“We’ll wash them tomorrow,” he croaked, filling the pots with water so that they would be easier to clean the next morning. Lucy just agreed as she began cutting up that fish she had promised Happy. When she was done Natsu had already removed all the dishes from the table.

“Let’s go to bed now,” Lucy suggested, a big yawn escaping her lips.

A small part of Natsu didn’t want to go to sleep just yet. His wounds were itching and he didn’t look forward to leaving Lucy’s presence. With Happy in Lucy’s bed he didn’t have anyone to cuddle with.

So, Natsu did what anyone would do in his situation. He took the lead, grabbing Lucy’s wrist on the way to her bed, only to gently fall into it and pull Lucy closer, wrapping his arms around her.

“N-Natsu… Hey... “ The mage was blushing furiously at his actions. Not that this was the first time he had done so, in fact, it happened more and more regularly nowadays.

She didn’t dislike sleeping in the same bed as Natsu. Quite the opposite to be honest. When she was cold she found herself cuddling up closer to his chest, feeling safe in his muscular arms. When it was hot outside they actually kept a good distance - but they always touched in one way or another. Legs tangled together, feet touching, or Lucy’s personal favourite - hand holding.

She vividly remembered that hot summer night in June, shortly after her birthday, when Natsu had climbed into her bed again. Natsu didn’t understand why she kept turning away and moving from him - he didn’t understand how unpleasant the summer heat was for normal people. He was a fire dragon slayer after all. In the end they just laid in bed, back to back. Natsu really wanted to turn the other way and hold his best friend close, but he knew that she was uncomfortable in the heat. Lucy didn’t know if it was her or Natsu who had grabbed the other’s hand in the middle of the night, but she remembered how important she felt that morning. He had respected her boundaries and still found a way to hold her close. It was heartwarming. Except the part when she saw that Happy had woken up early and raided her fridge in hope to find some yummy fishes. They ate breakfast at the guild that morning.

However, keeping that night in mind, Lucy finally gave in to Natsu’s demands.

“At least let us get under the covers first,” she mumbled, squeezing out of Natsu’s bear hug. She pulled Natsu to his feet as well and then crawled under her bedsheets. Natsu stood beside her bed, pouting in disappointment. Lucy giggled for herself before lifting up one side of the blanket, inviting him into bed. Natsu immediately lit up, jumping into bed with her, almost giving in to the temptation to cuddle up in her arms and sleep on those soft, squishy boobies. Once again, who could blame him for wanting to do that - not only would it be soft, warm and comfortable, but he would also be able to hear and feel the beat of her heart.

Of course, he didn’t do that. Natsu wasn’t a pervert (sometimes he wondered if he was though), but ever since Lucy showed up in his life his hormones had been acting up a bit. He had once felt a similar way for Lisanna, but nothing really blossomed on that part. Now he found himself accidentally seeing or feeling the curves of Lucy’s (sometimes naked) body and he actually got a boner from it. He had heard Gray and Loke talk about relieving themselves if the tension got too bad, but he only tried it once. He felt bad about it later though because he had thought some nasty thoughts about Lucy, so he never tried it again. No, Natsu wasn’t actually a pervert. He could go almost a month without thinking about Lucy in a non-platonic way, but one week every month Lucy smelled different. Wondering about this odd occasion, he had actually asked Levy about it. She had gotten all flustered and thought he meant that Lucy and the other girls smelled period blood, but then he explained that that wasn’t it. It came almost a week before that, and only from Lucy too. Levy explained that it possibly had something to do with her ovulation - the perfect time to impregnate a woman. This time Natsu had gotten flustered instead. He didn’t want to impregnate Lucy! Not then anyways. Not now either. He was far too young to have kids, and besides, it was his best friend they were talking about.

No, Natsu wasn’t a pervert. He never acted on these thoughts. He knew that Lucy wanted her lines between friends, best friends and lovers to be clear. Natsu didn’t mind being all over the place. He could easily bleed over all the lines, just them being them was enough for him. But Lucy wanted them to stay as best friends - not because she didn’t want to be with Natsu, but she just wasn’t ready to take that step yet. And Natsu respected that. He wasn’t sure of course if she ever wanted to have a romantic relationship with him - how could he be? But he had faith that they both would come around some day and show the world that relationships don't need to be complicated - they just needed to be happy together, and if kissing, cuddling, chatting or raw sex was the source of it, then so be it. In Natsu’s opinion anyways. Lucy still wanted things a bit more traditional, but it was clear that as long as they made each other happy it didn’t really matter if they had ever gone on a real date or not. They didn’t mind being more than friends, less than lovers.

Now, since Natsu respected Lucy, he didn’t use her chest as his pillow - even if it tempted him to, but instead he laid down beside her, faces facing, and he did the one thing he had never done before. As Natsu settled down beside Lucy, they had locked eyes. Lucy’s big brown eyes were dazy of tiredness, and her lips were turned upwards in a little smile. Natsu had a crooked smirk on his lips, still happy with his accomplishment of sleeping in her bed. As they gazed into each other's eyes they somehow found themself moving a tiny bit closer. Natsu lifted his head up slightly and gave Lucy a light peck on her lips. The kiss was short, Lucy had barely felt Natsu’s dry, chapped lips against hers before it was over. She just smiled though, not feeling as frustrated as she probably could have felt.

“Goodnight Natsu,” she said as a light blush danced on her cheeks.

“Goodnight Lucy,” Natsu whispered back. They both closed their eyes but still felt their hearts flutter as their hands reached each other.

Yeah. There was no need to rush this family. They understood each other perfectly fine, and after all, they were going to stay together forever, right?

[kiliinstinct]

Chapter 30

Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next] Happy Birthday to me! Here's an Update! Remember to thank @phoenix-before-the-flame for their Beta work! * April Post Date: 16th As you can see, there will be only one post next month due to me taking part in Camp Nanowrimo. (Similar to Nanowrimo but shorter.) Two chapter posting will continue in May. Those Dates will Appear on the Next Update.

Gajeel knew they were coming.

Before morning hit, he expected the hurried steps and smell of angry magic tickling his nose. He would have been disappointed otherwise.

Laying in his cot with one leg over the other, he affected the perfect air of calm indifference, holding back a snort. Honestly, who in their right mind wouldn't come running after his little stunt? Getting loose was one thing, but sniffing out one of the fairy’s dragons and cornering him in his own home? Gajeel was surprised they hadn’t come sooner.

The door to his cell swung open, revealing the chief all but vibrating in waves of magical power. Sweeping through the small room, the pressure of his power rattled the cot beneath him. He resisted the shiver that traveled down his spine while gooseflesh pricked along his skin. Obstinately, he met the old man’s venomous stare with an arched brow, feigning unconcern. 

He couldn't react. Not yet. 

Whistling low, he pulled a grin that made his visitor’s eye twitch. A fact that brought him satisfaction as he noted the scents of others crowding the hallway. Good, so he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could handle a possible threat alone. Gajeel could respect that at least. 

”Damn is this how ya' greet people in the morning?“ He asked innocently, ”if Kage pissed himself, I’m laughin’ til my lungs give out.“

”I don’t appreciate lying, boy.“ Makarov accused without preamble; His magic strengthened, flowing around the room like an ominous wind, shaking dust from the rafters as bits of broken stone rattled against the floor. 

”I ain't lied since I got here.“ He replied, grin widening, ”something wrong?“

Makarov’s eyes narrowed as another wave of magic emanated from his body. It swept across the building and the fortress shuddered and creaked in its wake. Stepping inside, the rising pressure almost stole Gajeel’s breath.  He leapt to his feet as the old cot groaned, legs giving way under the power being exerted as it collapsed to splintered boards.

This was more than a show of power; This was a threat.

Instinct and common sense told Gajeel to make a break for it, but he held his ground, digging his sharpened nails into his crossed arms. He stood straight. Too straight. The old chief stood before him with a presence that belied his age and size. If he noticed how stiff the metal draconis became, with pupils blown unnaturally wide, he remained silent.

“You tell me,” The old man hissed.  “You seem to be under the impression that you are a guest of some sort. The chains may be gone but you know as well as I that you forfeited your freedom the moment you came within these walls.” 

A crack split the stone beneath the window behind Gajeel, neither paid it any mind. Makarov continued fiercely, “ You seemed a smart enough man to understand that. And yet you took it upon yourself to slip away, stalking through the streets of my home like some sort of animal. Tracking down Lucy-”

”Calm down, old man, I ain't interested in the blondie! I told you that already!“ Gajeel retorted, swallowing thickly as the chief's magic sought to overpower him.

“ I’m here for the other one you got hangin’ outside there like a dog on a leash.” Gajeel said, catching an answering snarl to his barb. A glimpse of pink flashed before the entryway before multiple sets of arms drew him back. Underneath the shimmering pressure coming from Makarov appeared a touch of heat. It took to the air in a haze, molding with the immense pressure.

He recognized it immediately, smirking as his gaze peered through the doorway, “The pink brat’s important. Not his girl.”

”And what? Breaking free to harass him is your idea of a formal meeting?! That was outside of our agreed terms and you-”

“Agreed what?!” 

Fire sparked to life just beyond Gajeel’s sight as the voices of many yelped in surprise. Their restraining hands fell away as Natsu stormed in, fists ablaze with unbridled fury. “You WANTED us to meet?“

”Natsu! I did not give the command to-“

He wouldn't hear any of it, “No! You acted like you knew nothing about what he wanted from me! and all along you were lying-”

Oh Gajeel was enjoying this- the thrum of pressure lessened and his posture relaxed considerably “Not the smartest move there, Gramps, now was it?”

Natsu turned his glare on Gajeel, yellow bleeding through those dark irises as scales pricked along the edges of his eyes. He spied the hints of darkness that speckled through the orange flames billowing from Natsu’ skin. That’s all it took? Laughter burst forth with no resistance, too pleased by the situation.

“Well well, if it ain’t the man of the hour.” Gajeel greeted with a sneer, “Didn’t take you for a snitch considering…” He let the sentence hang unfinished in the air, innocently tilting his head at the other despite the murderous intent rising in the room.

Snarling, the fiery draconis stepped forward, but Makarov threw out a hand to block his path.

“Enough!” Makarov shouted, fixing him with a stern glare that stopped him in his tracks. “Stay put and silent. As for the rest of you-,” He waited for Lisanna, Levy and Freed to poke their heads through the doorway, both girls looking far more sheepish than the other, “Get in here and get him under control. There's no point in standing by if this fool decides to start causing a scene.”

“I'm not a fo-!”

“Natsu.” His voice rumbled with the force of his power,“I said enough.”

His mouth shut instantly with the blaze of his flames receding just enough to make the temperature bearable. Hatred burned in his now amber eyes, refusing to take them off the metal draconis while the others filtered in. Warily they stood behind Natsu, apprehensively eyeing Gajeel. Paying Natsu no mind, he turned his attention to the others, taking a quick assessment.

Nothing impressive to look at. The group didn’t look like wranglers of any sort, but the white haired girl held herself strong and ready by Natsu’s side. She was poised to grab him at a moment's notice. The other two… blue and green haired mages that reeked of ink, stood by her side. The taller man rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, just as ready and the shortest one appeared nervous, bravely holding her hands in a curious manner, eyes wildly flicking about the room. A caster perhaps?

His eyes narrowed as the last two scents finally answered his unasked questions. These were the fabled barrier makers keeping Kage in check. He’d have trouble with them if things went south.

Makarov cracked his back with a groan, ignoring Gajeel’s snickering. He rubbed his temples in exasperation. “Now then,��� he muttered, “You need to explain yourself. Now.”

The Draconis hadn’t moved since the chief’s command, but his body trembled from adrenaline coursing through him. Every second, another scale dotted his skin red, peeking through pieces of bandage that still covered his many wounds. Gajeel watched the smoke that rose from his body with a mild interest.

And then he bared his teeth in return, mocking a snarl.

“Enough about me. Let’s talk about him for a bit.” He stated, cracking his knuckles as he matched Natsu's gaze. Neither blinked, one growing more agitated while the other remained irritatingly calm.

“Now I know you fairies can get emotional, but you wanna explain why he’s about ready to pop? Don’t tell me you couldn’t get that lil temper of yours under control after all this time away from home.” 

What little flame was left on Natsu’s person burst back into life, now more black than red, proving Gajeels’ point. He took a menacing stop closer, fingers flexing with sharp claws glinting in the light. The Chief stretched out his arms and shouted a warning, holding Lisanna off from charging her own magic. She nodded, but remained poised, with shimmering silver crawling up her arms in a brilliant web.

Natsu didn't notice, too distracted by Gajeel while he hissed steam, ”Wanna say that again you son of a-“

”And that.“ Gajeel said pointedly, snapping his fingers, ”Had to see it myself to make sure. Did you suckers really think black flames are normal?” 

His snarl cut off as he blinked owlishly, nervousness filtered into those wide eyes. His magic still flared, casting shadows to all corners of the room. But the others took note of the streaks of oranges and reds slowly breaking through.

“Plenty of us noticed. He's always been like this,“ Makarov admitted, mustache twitching as he frowned, ”Black fire is as natural to him as breathing. Though it seems to flare when his temper has reached its limit.”

”... umm,“ Levy chimed in, uncertainty pulling at her features as she nervously stepped back. Freed placed a calming hand on her shoulder and she nodded, digging her heels into the floor and inhaling deeply to soothe her nerves, ”We have other fire wielders here, they use purple flames. And though I’ve never seen it personally, our traveling group has encountered people who use flames of all colors. Black isn’t so strange, is it?“

”You really got ‘em tricked good haven’t you flamehead?” Gajeel scoffed, waving off her question, but considered her words regardless. Storing the new information in the back of his mind he motioned towards Natsu again. “Get it outta your heads from now that draconis fire is anything close to what normal fire magic is.”

 He pondered his next words carefully.

“I’ll let ya in on a clan secret.” He continued gleefully, ignoring Natsu’s growl of warning.  “Despite what he’s made you think, black fire ain’t exactly common back home. Rarer than rare. No run of the mill fire draconis could make those flames unless they were-”

“SHUT UP!”

Fire spilled from his mouth as he shoved his way past Makarov, ignoring the old man’s shouts to stand down. Up close Gajeel could see the glow of flames gathered in his throat, even through the heavy bandaging, ready to let loose on a man who was saying too much. 

Freed unsheathed his sword, purple runes rising forth from the blade as sweat beaded on his brow from the sweltering heat.  “Makarov,” He began tremulously, “I think it would be prudent to-”

“Shut up.” Natsu snapped in a startling voice that sounded closer to beast than man. He could barely be seen behind the thick dark flames that swirled violently around him. Only the brightness of amber eyes shone through with more fear than rage.“Whoever this bastard is, he needs to shut the fuck up before I rip out his fucking throat-”

Gajeel cocked his head to the side and chuckled. For all the blustering and the threats, he  didn’t call upon his own scales to meet the call to fight. He took the brunt of the black flames unprotected, unblinking at the heat scorching his skin. The others couldn’t see it beneath the cloak of flames he used like armor. But Gajeel could see everything. Only his eyes were strong enough to pierce through the head and see how Natsu’s body trembled. 

He smirked. He had him cornered. Like a desperate animal. And Gajeel wasn’t afraid of animals.

”What's wrong, hothead? Don’t want me to let something slip? They’re your clan after all. They have a right to know about you. S’not right to keep family in the dark-”

”I'm warning you to shut up right-!“

Gajeel bent to meet him at eye level. His voice rose mockingly above Natsu’s and everyone clearly heard over the roar of his flames.

 “-You know exactly why I'm here, don't you, Prince?”

Outside the rumbling keep, Lucy held herself tightly, enthralled by the stranger she’d met. Erza stood by in silence, listening fondly as the two celestial roma spoke. Lucy was eager to know of the state of the other clans and Jellal was more than happy to share what he knew. All were blissfully unaware of the state of things beyond Jellal’s holding.

“So they're…..all safe?” She asked, eyes wide and watery in relief, “No others were attacked?”

“You knew of the ones before your clan began its North-bound trek,” He replied, lounging easily in his chair with a hand resting light atop hers. They'd begun their chat in earnest once Lucy gained control of her emotions enough to stop crying. Now she sat upon the edge of his bed, restlessly fidgeting. Her grip in his was tight as steel in an attempt to ground herself. It was hard to accept the reality; She truly wasn't the only one left after all.

Jellal continued with a faint smile,  “I can attest that the other branches made it past the mountain ranges to our haven. Only stragglers like myself ran into issues.”

“I still can't believe Erza knew you all along,” Lucy looked back at the redhead, “Why didn't you mention earlier?”

She coughed into her hand, cheeks turning red at the attention suddenly turning to her, “my excursions outside of the clan I like to keep private unless I feel it necessary to share. That being said, I wasn't sure if he was alive or not and didn't wish to give you false hope.”

This was enough to appease Lucy, who tilted her head right back to Jellal excitedly, “and you weren't hurt too much, were you?”

He didn't bother hiding the truth, ”No, I was not. Jose and his men were not pleasant by any means, but they wanted to keep me alive. …  I'm certain they want the same with you, as well.“

That was a quick dampener to the mood as Lucy's hand twitched. Her mouth twisted into a grimace and she wavered between keeping her own counsel and asking more questions.

Makarov had kept most of it secret from her, giving her just enough information to mildly satiate her curiosity, but it wasn’t enough. Here, however, was a man of her own blood who could explain everything.

”... is Makarov aware I'm talking to him?“ She asked, curious how much the chief was aware she had found another way to the truth.

A guilty silence from Erza was her answer. Looking to the wall, she fiddled with the straps of her bracer. That was all Lucy needed. For once he was in the dark and Lucy had all the answers laid bare before her, and she hungered for the truth.

Perhaps this could be considered a breach of trust. One that Lucy was unsure if she should take. However... looking at the bruises that dotted Jellal's arm and thinking back to the attacks that began all because she was with them, she couldn't remain in the dark much longer.

“... Was it any celestial,” She asked, voice low, “Or just me? Were they responsible for my Parents-“

She was silenced before the line of questioning could continue as Jellal rested his other hand on her shoulder, sighing. ”I wanted to verify that for myself. And I'm unsure if you'll like what you may hear.“

“Please,” she urged, “I need to know.”

He released her hand and slid from his chair, gaze turning to Erza for a second as he contemplated his next words. Whatever he read in her expression was enough for him to make up his mind. Looking down at the determined Romni, he motioned to the book he'd left shut at the table.

“That you do. But not yet. I think it best I have a meeting with the Chief first to discuss the stirrings I've seen out there,” he decided, dropping to his knees to kneel before her, “but as a fellow Celestial, I promise I will tell you everything you wish to know afterwards. It may not be ideal, but can you accept these terms?”

It wasn't what she wanted to hear and while her shoulders sagged in disappointment, her mind spun with possibilities. Promises were important. No Roma of the celestial blood would dare break one if made. This was it. Her heart pounded at the thought.

She just needed to wait a little bit more.

“Is ... there anything else you can tell me, then?” She asked instead. 

His visible relief melted the weight in the room as he looked to her injured leg. The old wound was hidden from him but he spied thin golden strings wrapped gently around her knee, undisturbed in their workings as they hummed with a magic no different from his own.

“Erza may have let it slip that you had issues reclaiming your power.” Humor filled his voice. ”Though there are some differences, I know our teachings have some similarities. Perhaps I can assist?“ 

Her smile grew so large she felt it would freeze into place, never to change again. ”I would like that.“

And assisted her, he did. He told her things about their abilities: the way the night enhanced them, how to mold the light of the stars to their bidding. Lucy was a natural, he told her, observing her knee with a keen interest. While the current effects did their job well, the efficiency was lost to inexperience, something he expertly talked her through with a guiding hand and patient voice.

Fragmented memories came to the surface with every word. Memories Lucy once refused to let surface. They trickled thoughts of a family long lost, but the old pain from her grief didn’t join them. She watched in awe as Jellal instructed her, hanging onto his every word and practiced motion. The familiarity of it all almost pushed her to tears again.

Erza watched in amusement as Lucy keenly absorbed everything he said. As the minutes passed by she took to the floor, withdrawing a rag and oil from a pouch on her belt to lathe over the length of her blade in delicate strokes. She was as patient as Lucy's teacher and would continue to watch and listen as Lucy relearned her abilities anew.

She was giddy, watching as the magic pooled in her palms and glimmered, casting a warm, yellow glow upon her skin. It was basic: a brief lesson of control that she once did as a child under a parent’s guiding hand. But to do it again without fatigue or pain clouding her mind left her childishly happy.

Jellal eased his weight back into his chair, fondly watching Lucy’s growing excitement. Her eyes glowed from the magic within, widening as a coo left her lips as she observed the swirling depths of her magic. She was, quite literally, starry eyed and her happiness pulled at his heart. To think that something so simple brought her so much joy, he couldn’t imagine the grief it caused to have her magic locked away.

He hummed and looked to the ceiling, eyes glazing over in thought as if he was watching the sky rather than the aged wood above.

Reaching a decision, he snapped a finger and grabbed a candle off the table.

“Lucy,” He asked, holding it aloft between them. The flickering light grabbed her attention as she curiously waited, “What is your experience with talking to the stars?”

Oh. This lit a light inside her mind, eyebrows rising into her hair. “I wasn't allowed to as a child. Even when I was older it was still something kept from me.  But I've made ... attempts.”

“Even if you didn’t participate, did you watch anyone in your family do it?” 

She shook her head, “I was always sent off to bed before they began.”

At the dubious stare he gave her she quickly amended, “I mean, I tried to sneak peeks. Of course I did, but they always seemed to just know and shoved me back off to bed before I could witness anything.They must’ve had their reasons so I eventually figured not to question them.”

He noted her admittance with a tilt of his head. “How odd. Are you aware of the meditations involved at least?”

When her eyes lost focus, attention leaning towards a speck on the wall, he followed with the candle flame, “I admit, it's much easier at night, but we can practice now all the same. Sometimes the stars speak regardless.”

Attention regained, Lucy flushed prettily and the magic in her palms dimmed with her embarrassment, “Is that what I've been doing wrong?”

“Hmm?” He prompted, settling the candle back down. He reached for a pack of matches, striking one to life as he moved to light a second one.

Well now she just felt silly, ”I can’t recall if I heard them as a child, but within the past year I’ve heard them without trying anything. They were just these voices either whispering nonsense into my head or shouting loud enough to give me migraines for hours on end. I've tried to reach out to them, but I suppose without knowing the proper ways I've never been able to instigate it.“

The match he was using to light a third candle dropped from his fingers, snuffing itself out as it clattered to the floor. 

His eyes narrowed, his tattoo beneath his eye crinkled as his brows drew close together in suspicion. Gone was her patient teacher, replaced instead with a sudden interrogator. Even Erza glanced up at his change in tone.

”... you've heard them?“ He repeated with a mystified air, ”no meditation? No prompting? Just... voices?“

She felt very insecure under his cold gaze.  Her magic faded beneath her skin and she shrunk in on herself. Her arms fell to her lap to fidget with her skirt. ”.....am I not supposed to?“ 

Had she just admitted to being absolutely crazy?

“No, no , please, I apologize,” setting the candles aside, he quickly moved to brace her shoulders, expression wide in surprise, “I didn't mean to offend you, it's just…” He gnawed at his lip, “.... not how we normally do things. In fact, I've only heard of one occasion it was done in such a manner and that was-”

He clamped his mouth shut and shook his head, “Nevermind you mind that. Perhaps I'm over thinking it and it's just a sign of you needing to regain control of your abilities. Meditation can help with that.”

Lucy bit her lip as she observed him. He was avoiding her gaze, looking everywhere but her. Sometimes his eyes flickered occasionally back to the aged book. Erza stopped wiping down her blade, eyeing the two of them with intense scrutiny. Her gaze practically drilled a hole into Jellal's stiff back.

“You promised to be truthful with me.” Lucy said blankly. He flinched at her accusation, pulling his hands from her shoulders. Guiltily he ran a light finger over his wounded wrists.

“I did.” 

His emotions played out on his face- the confusion, the concern and the briefest hint of clarity before he steeled himself. Donning a placid mask, he spoke again. He cut Lucy off before she had the chance to protest. 

 "Our promise is not broken,“ He admitted, once again reaching for the candles, ”That I can assure you.  But I may need to speak with your chief sooner than I expected. I’ll have to inform him of this immediately.”

“Informed of what?” Lucy dug. Erza rose to her feet in a clank of heavy metal, worriedly looking at Lucy then casting a suspicious eye at her friend. “ What are you talking about?”

“At least tell me this much.” Lucy begged. She wanted to know, before following anything else, she HAD to know.

Jellal sighed and lowered his gaze, blue fringe of hair blocking his expression further, ”... That perhaps, Jose was on the right track. That you may be the one Celestial none of our kind would ever want him to get his hands on.”

He gripped his hands tightly, mirroring Lucy as the world seemed to fall out from under them. She. she had to know more! But from the look on Jellal’s face said the discussion was already closed. He wouldn’t tell her. 

Not yet at least. 

---

All Natsu felt was rage when he came to. The ghost of a snarl rested on his tongue as his instincts sparked back to life.

He wanted to burn something. No, someone.

That other draconis just wouldn’t stop talking. Every word he uttered in that grating voice of his was deliberate, carefully chosen to dig under his skin and set his blood to a boil. It had driven Natsu closer to the edge beyond the realm of reason. 

He had no right to even be here. A stranger with a self assured sneer standing freely in Natsu’s home, looking down on him without a care. He had no right to live after that awful word fell from his lips. Natsu screwed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memory to no avail, it echoed in his mind. 

Prince. 

He vividly recalled the look of sly victory that settled in the man’s piercing red eyes. He didn’t bother to keep his gaze on Natsu when the title spilled from his lips. Instead, his gaze settled on those behind Natsu. He couldn’t see their bewildered faces as they looked to him for confirmation. For the truth.

He only saw red bleeding away to darkness as the world closed in on him. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, louder than the blood rushing through his ears. It drowned out his only frantic thought- 'They can't know. No one can know, stop him, shut him up, shut him up shut hi- NOW.'

The fires around him swirled like a cacophonous tornado. Any hint of red in its depths was stolen by the black flames pounding at the walls. Gajeel stood arrogantly, unperturbed even as the raging wildfire licked at his skin. The cracking of stone walls under the blast and the groaning of the abused ceiling above were sounds lost to the fury inside his heart. The incessant screams and desperate cries for him to calm down were barely registered, as the others fought to regain his attention over the one word that repeated in his mind over and over again.

He lunged and the room erupted in frantic shouts.

 Freed flung himself before Levy and Lisanna, swiping his sword in an arc that sent a line of runes across the floor, protecting Gajeel.  It lasted mere seconds against the onslaught before it crumbled under the flames. Pressure dropped to nothing as Makarov grew in size, magic swelled around as he shoved the others out the door. Grasping the burning draconis with an oversized hand, he held the feral draconis back with a power the keep could barely contain.

Power ballooned in his chest, forcing its way up his throat. He dug his claws into Makarov’s seared skin, all sense of himself lost.

Everything went dark after that. While Natsu blinked at the ceiling, clarity returned to him slowly, allowing him to pick up the pieces of his actions and realize his location was different. He wasn’t in Gajeel’s cell anymore.

What... just happened? 

He knew this room and knew it well. It was a side room in the keep that Makarov often snuck off to for short naps. The old man’s light scent on the sheets was strong evidence to that. He blinked again when he caught Freed and Levy’s scents as well despite the silent room being void of anyone else.

Straining to move, Natsu grunted in surprise. He realized with horror that he couldn’t. And it wasn’t the weariness deep in his bones that stopped him. He struggled to bend his neck, finding himself covered in runic spells, shifting lines of words he couldn’t read. They bound his wrists and ankles. Now wonder he could smell the two Rune Enchanters . It was their handiwork.

But why? How did he even get here?

”Finally back to your senses are you?“ Makarov’s voice echoed from behind and Natsu craned his head back as far as he could to catch a glimpse of the Chief sitting on the floor with arms and legs crossed, almost as if he’d been dozing for quite some time. 

The world swam in and out of focus for Natsu, he couldn't make heads or tails or what was going on. Why was he being held down? His growl of frustration was pointed towards Makarov as he strained against the runes binding him. They didn’t dig at his skin. In fact he barely felt their presence save for a light buzz of magic, but they were unbending against his struggle and he was too drained of his strength to give it his all.

Prince, the word echoed in his head once more and a panic began to settle into his bones. 

They- they knew. They heard Gajeel’s admittance of a secret he had long since buried with his past. He stared at Makarov wide eyed, the old man stayed still as a statue, eying Natsu critically. Dread soured the air as Natsu gasped in shaky breaths.

They had him tied up for it. 

Why else would they tie him down if not to do something with that information? A surge of betrayal stole his breath even as logic desperately screamed against it. This was his family now, they would never-

“What's going on?” He rasped, breaking free of his turbulent thoughts, “why can't I move?”

”Good, you're definitely more lucid than you were thirty minutes ago,“ Makarov rose from his seat with a low groan, unusually hunched in his posture as he hobbled over to Natsu’s side. His tired eyes keenly swept over the draconis as he let the question go ignored for the moment.  ”I was worried about you for a bit there.“

Relieved to take the strain off his neck, the draconis followed his chief's steps in rapt attention.

He was never one to ignore a question. Take frustratingly long to answer as he sought the right words? Yes. The chief was a man of patience, something he often butted heads with the fiery draconis over as he seemed to have none. But Natsu was wise enough in this moment to not demand speedier answers. Not when he couldn’t move. 

But the question bubbled in his chest, burned the tip of his tongue and refused to be quashed down. It died on his tongue only when Makarov stumbled, gritting his teeth to quiet the pained hiss that left him.

Gramps was wounded? How? Who- he struggled to sit up again, desperately trying to reach the old man’s side to help him. His thrashing was cut short by the chief laying a hand against his chest, giving a firm pressure to hold him down.

“None of that,” He chided, “I'm better now that you’re awake. Wendy has already had a look and Porylusica will be double checking later. I'd rather talk about you.”

“But-” he tried to remember on his own, what exactly happened during his outburst, who could have- the only conclusion he could figure sharpened his features in a barely concealed rage, “Did that draconis-”

“No,” interrupted Makarov, fingers flexing on Natsu's chest. “. Gajeel has not laid a finger on me. In fact, if not for him, everything would have gone much worse.”

Gajeel …? The name sounded oddly familiar to him but he couldn’t ruminate on it further as the master’s words only served to confuse Natsu, “He's the one who snuck around and said all that- what do you mean thanks to him?“

”... I almost think it's better for you to see for yourself,“ Makarov muttered more to himself than to Natsu but negated the idea immediately, ”no, perhaps not. Not in your condition. Who knows what it would do to you to know the truth so quickly.“

The truth? 

The truth?

Already his earlier ire was starting to rise again, simmering under his skin as heat swelled and smoke started to leak from his nose, ”This ain't making any sense! Can't you just-“

Makarov continued in his inspection, silently ignoring Natsu’s outburst. He examined the magic bindings on the draconis' body and clicked his tongue at the growing singe marks on the sheets. Wordlessly he shot Natsu a look that demanded his silence.

The stony intensity in his eyes cut Natsu off immediately, “I can’t just proceed further without caution! This situation has fallen from my grasp without my knowing! And you especially my boy! I cannot just-!” 

He sucked in a breath to steady his nerves. Natsu could hear the frantic beat of Makarov's heart hammering away in his chest and the old man wobbled on his feet. Natsu whined, “ Gramps please.”

 His shoulders fell in defeat and his other hand found its way to rest atop Natsu’s crown. A calming gesture. But if it was to calm one or the other, Natsu couldn’t tell. “...Before I explain anything, I need you to promise me not to blame yourself.” He continued in a low voice. “In fact, I need you to mentally prepare yourself to remain as calm as you can manage. I won't say anything further until you prove to me you can do that.”

How could he-? ”I can't just not feel things!“ Natsu protested.

”Promise me!“ Makarov's voice was a harsh whisper, bordering on pleading, ”My boy, it is alright to feel, but you mustn't 'react'! Do you understand?“

His desperate plea froze Natsu in place, staring wide eyed at Makarov’s face. At that moment,  he reminded Natsu of another man he wanted to forget. A man who never shied away from his fire even as it was thrown around in frustrated bouts that burned the area around him. 

It was safe then, screaming his rage in a room designed to contain his outbursts til he grew weary. And a comforting arm would wrap itself around his shoulders. Warm eyes that always beheld him with quiet pride would meet him at eye level, accompanied by whispered instructions that held no fear. No judgement.

'My son... it is alright to be angry; to feel it and express it, but you must not react. You must control yourself. Can you do that for me?' 

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and Natsu forced the memory out, nodding vigorously to his chief. “I'll... I'll try.”

Makarov waited in silence for a few seconds, watching as Natsu closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. Allowing his body to relax against the sheets, the burning embers of his body simmered and the smoke dispersed. It was hard to dampen his own inner flame, but with a few more breaths, he managed.

Makarov sighed in relief, “Good. Now keep it tethered. I’ve always known you to have a temper on you but I see now why Gajeel treated your outbursts as abnormal. I don't appreciate him purposefully baiting you. That man took too much pleasure in the barbs he threw at you, but I believe, I think this is something we all needed to see.”

His grip on Natsu’s chest tightened. “Your black fire has always been a point of interest, but never one of danger. It’s become so rare in these past years I'd almost forgotten it. But today…..This level of anger and hatred…. I’ve not seen anything like this from you before; The reports Laxus and Cana gave of your fight with Kage, today's instance hardly compares….. I’m worried for you.”

Today?

What did he mean by…?

Makarov patiently waited for him to connect the dots. He was often like this, giving others the chance to find the truth at their own pace instead of thrusting it on them all at once. But nothing made sense.

Gajeel wasn’t at fault for what Natsu could barely recall no matter how hard he tried. It made him feel light headed as he fought to piece together all that was laid out for him . Annoyance started to take hold. He inhaled deeply to steady his slipping nerves and almost choked on it when a familiar scent coated his tongue. 

The muted scent of charred flesh, burnt black beyond recognition. It wrapped Makarov as he stared down at Natsu, forlorn, waiting for it to click. He didn’t need to see to know how bad the injury was and the truth struck his chest like a pile of rubble crushing his bones. 

Natsu didn't always put things together as fast as the others, but this wasn't something that flew over his head, “... it was me….?”

No. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t. He searched Makarov’s grim expression for something that said otherwise but woefully found nothing of the sort. 

The limp, his restraints…. The hand on his chest, how didn’t he notice the burns that marred Makarov’s fingers sooner? Panic seized him.

“What did I do?!” Natsu’s terror threatened to choke him. He vaguely recalled Makarov’s order to stay calm but control was slipping from him again as fear sank its claws into his frazzled brain. ”Where are the others?! Did I-“

”No,“ Makarov chided gently as he moved to rest his hand against Natsu's forehead, ”Freed moved quick enough to protect the others from the initial blast while I held you down, but the explosion was bigger than any of us could’ve imagined. If not for Gajeel knocking you out, the Keep may have been lost. I had guessed his affinity with metal, but to see an entire arm turn into it was something else entirely.“

Natsu wished he could do something instead of just laying there. He wanted to run, to cover his face in shame, to sink into the floor away from Makarov’s worried eyes that held no fear. There was only pity in their depths that made him feel worse. His breathing grew harsh as everything began to come back in vague pieces.

The memories were faint and blurred from the anger he'd felt, but with the chief's recollection he could catch the hints of surprised shouts and the crackling burn of splintered wood in his mind. He wouldn't be surprised if the room was nothing more than a gaping hole in the side of the building.  The realization reflected on his face in horror and despair. 

He'd hurt the old man. He could have killed everyone if not for Freed and that damned, filthy metal head and it was all because he couldn't control his temper.

He couldn't remember reason, try as he might, his rage had ignited something that made him blind to everything around him.

The tears that streamed down his face were unnoticed until a choking sob wracked through his body. “I'm sorry... ” He rasped, “I'm so sorry-”

Makarov continued to rub his forehead, shushing him quietly with clicks of his tongue and a gentle hum. It wasn't the same as the night before, when Lucy had held him tight, but the comfort was there. It had always been there. The chief was respected and loved for more than just his leadership and strength, he had always acted as a father or grandfather to the majority of magic users in his home and Natsu was no different.  He shuddered beneath the touch, whimpering softly as his inner turmoil threatened to boil him alive. 

“I told you,” Makarov murmured, voice low and mixed with pain, “it's not your fault. Whatever this is... this madness, it can be tempered now that we know about it. Don't just blame yourself for what you can't control: at least not yet.”

But he could control it, Natsu thought. He'd been taught so long ago to keep his rage in check, the lessons were a part of him for as long as he could wield those dark flames.

When had he begun to lose it? When had he stopped caring to hold the dark vestiges of it in check? He didn't have the time or the mental power to think it through in that moment, too aggrieved by his own actions, but he nodded despite himself, desperately wanting to believe anything Makarov said.

He didn't know how much longer he sobbed, unable to move while the elder stayed at his bedside. All he knew was the anguish at his own mistakes and the wild thoughts swarming through his mind in a tornado of regret. 

If only that draconis hadn't come, if only he hadn't come to Natsu's window last night if only-  he must have begun to mutter the thoughts out loud as Makarov quickly shushed him.

“I'll take care of him myself,” He assured, voice gruff, ”whatever he's after, it's not Lucy. What he has done to you is another matter that won’t go unpunished. He's followed my rules down to the letter, so far. You don't need to do a thing.“

”but...“ Natsu struggled through his words, sniffing as his earlier tears stuffed his nose and made his eyes far too swollen to be comfortable, ”we, I can't just-“

”Natsu,“ Makarov warned, removing his hand to flick the boy's chin in a sharp reprimand, ”as your chief, I will handle it. I can’t let you do anything in this state. His interest is clearly focused on you, not what Jose wants. I beg of you, please, hold yourself back..“

Natsu couldn’t. It wouldn’t be enough. It sounded so simple to do but how could he? Not when everything he’d struggled to build for himself was at stake. Why couldn’t Makarov get that?

”He knows about me…..who I am.“ Natsu whispered, voice cracking as he tried to get his point across.

Makarov hesitated, lifting his hands from Natsu at the reminder of a bold truth. True the questions burned at the old man’s mind. It was another strange puzzle piece to an already complex situation that continued to swell out of his control.  

But what was he to do? The boy before him was just that: a boy as terrified as the day Makarov carried him in his arms to a new life. He rested his palm over Natsu’s heart, the erratic beats thumping wild enough to rattle his bones. 

”A secret you have kept hidden for good reason I'm sure,“ Makarov agreed softly, ”but we all have our own secrets, and yours has been forced from you in a terrible way. It’s something I would like to speak with you about, but only when you are ready. For now I need you to recover. Focus on staying calm in the coming hours: understood? I’ll be back later to check on you.“

Natsu had no choice but to nod his head as another wave of guilt washed over him. Makarov gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he turned away, limping towards the door. It was painful to watch as he dragged a leg lamely behind him despite his best efforts to appear hale and hearty. He could see it now, the burnt edges of his pants, and the tight wrappings of white bandages spotted with red through the charred holes in his shirt. 

He tilted his head towards the wall and clenched his eyes shut, unable to accept the truth that he was the cause of everything. Makarov’s groan of pain was shut out by the door clicking shut, leaving him completely alone.

Natsu bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, forcing back another whine. More tears threatened to spill down his face. Not even the tang of his own blood filling his mouth could distract him. He deserved it for what he’d done.

What else could he do if he wasn’t careful and lost control again? Just how much damage would be done because he wasn’t strong enough? The thoughts clung to Natsu’s mind the rest of the day, unable to think of anything else.

[sakurastarkey]

Page 86 (The End)

[dragonslayer-secretagent-a]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel & Lucy Heartfilia Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Erza Scarlet, Jellal Fernandes, Levy McGarden, Gajeel Redfox, Wendy Marvell, Grandine (Fairy Tail), Igneel (Fairy Tail), Romeo Conbolt, Happy (Fairy Tail), Lisanna Strauss, Loke (Fairy Tail) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Actors, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Past Relationship(s), Canonical Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Natsu Dragneel/Lisanna Strauss, BAMF Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel Needs a Hug, Nalu does not like each other Summary:

Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia may feign varying emotions through their gazes but at least they could be honest about that one emotion. 'I hate you. ' 'I hate you too.'

Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia are popular, rising actors whose on-screen chemistry is adored by many but beyond the cameras and limelights, do not even see eye to eye. They had no qualms about keeping it that way until circumstances entwine them together, without an easy way out.

[matt0044]

Elfman's Full Beast Takeover goes wrong. Lisanna is smacked away and killed. She gets better. We all know how the story went but... suppose she never stepped foot in Edolas but rather an entirely new world. A Digital World.

Teaming up with Shoutmon, Lisanna Strauss finds herself leading the charge as the Fusion Fighters' Red General. Between the Bagra Army and two punk kids, will she ever find her way back home?

-------

This is semi-born from a not unpopular disatisfaction with how Lisanna was handled post Edolas. She didn't have to become a main character but more of a focus on her return and what that means would've been a good small scale arc before the game changer that would be Tenrou Island.

It would be a semi spin off in the vein of Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures to Doctor Who where the story would crossover with the main storyline for specific finales like in Series 3 and 4.

As such, things will really get complicated when she makes her layover back in Earthland.

Do read and give your thoughts on how this Pilot makes it come together. The Prologue is up to get my footing.

[callmewisteria]

Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and Gray got really drunk at a party one time. Erza threw a lot of glass which got broken. Gray accidentally sat on it the next day, and Natsu was the only one brave enough to try and figure out (read: he licked it) what the weird goey stain on the carpet was.

[thunderandlightningstriketwice]

I just discovered your event…And I’m so impatient to see what writers and artists will do for this week ! :D

Can I ask you which pairings are not considered as « rare pair » ? (Bix/Lisanna, Ever/Erza, Freed/Rufus ? and others)

We wouldn't consider the super popular ones (Mira/Freed, Evergreen/Elfman, Laxus/Freed) rare pairs, but we aren't restrictive! We want to explore our favourite fairies to the fullest extent possible, and, to be clear, the four you listed would fit in for us! Thanks for the ask!

[prankdoeswriting]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Natsu Dragneel & Wendy Marvell & Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel & Gajeel Redfox, Wendy Marvell & Gajeel Redfox Characters: Wendy Marvell, Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel Additional Tags: One Shot, Anthology, Slice of Life, Fluff, Not Beta Read, Fairy Tail Week 2024, Fairy Tail Week, Baking, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, References to Canon, Natsu Dragneel Being a Good Big Brother, Gajeel Redfox Being a Good Big Brother, Natsu Dragneel Being a Little Shit Series: Part 32 of Popular Fanfiction Tropes the Series (based on the ColeyDoesThings videos), Part 67 of Works by "Prank" (Pseud Series) Summary:

Natsu and Gajeel try to be good big brothers to Wendy by helping her run her dream bakery. Here are some highlights of their lives:

AKA: They just try their best.

(For Fairy Tail Week Day 7. Also fulfills the "Baking AU" trope for my trope series.)

[fairyofthefriz]

Baba Yaga and the Devils Research update!

Chapter Seven: Baba Yaga

Remus is inducted

All of the Links

[vaaaaaiolet]

When you run out of his work summit on the brink of tears, you can't believe that Leon hasn't picked up on how he hurt you. His only option is to apologize, but you're not listening to a word he says. So he'll just have to make you watch.

mdni i'm so serious. married f / m smut where porn is the plot THERE'S LORE I SWEAR, sour then sweet dom leon, mirror sex, EMOTIONS, aftercare :3 + 1 bad pun

a/n: anon req'd reader w/ praise kink. i really thought i did something and then i read it and i wanted to die. it isn't my writing if i don't try turning smut into shitty poetry.

word count: 2.9k // read on ao3

“I’m apologizing now, aren’t I?”

“A little late for that, Agent Kennedy,” you seethe. 

Your metronome heels keep time with the irate pounding of your heartbeat. This California Ritz-Carlton hallway stretches like the goddamn Shining and you can’t seem to get away fast enough from your husband. He’s too damn good at his job, and you’re too smart to pretend that this dance the two of you are playing at is anything but a distraction, an impediment.

You are a distraction. You’ve been an unwelcome one all night.

So you’d cut it short yourself.

One keycard slice through the sensor and the sanctuary of your hotel room opens up to you, messy with the aftermath of black-tie preparation. You step up to the vanity; plant your palms on its wooden surface and stare straight ahead as if to admire your ruined mascara. It’s a formality, really. It’s not as if you need the mirror to remind you what happened in this room. Tonight began with indulgent kisses afraid to smudge dress shirt collars, hands squeezed for courage, Leon in perpetual pursuit of the train of your gown. Big dreams.

“You wanna talk? We can talk.” Leon shuts the door with an exasperated sigh. “Don’t make this difficult, sweetheart.”

“I didn’t do a damn thing,” you hiss. You stare daggers at his reflection.

“Really?” His shoulders drop. “Then what was all that with the storming off, the- oh baby, don’t look at me like that.” 

Leon’s arms wrap around your middle while his nose buries itself in your diamond-laced neck. He’s good at that, that sneaking thing without leaving so much as a whisper to signal where he’s going. The higher-ups at the DSO call it stealth. You just want the man you married to tell you what the hell he’s doing before he makes a fool out of you. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you. I swear,” he whispers, kissing softly down your neck. “Didn’t mean it at all, I’m sorry. What’d I do?”

You scoff. 

He’s testing the waters. A rough thumb finds and starts running down the divot of your spine, thank you backless Mirror Palais ballgown. Pass the smoking gun back and forth, pretend not to see the shrapnel from the bullet holes. You don’t pay Leon any heed as you stoically unhook diamond pendants from your ears, and he frowns.

“I said I was sorry.” 

“I shouldn’t need to tell you what you did, Leon.” 

Shame simmers sickly and strong in the pit of your stomach. You teeter on the edge of snapping altogether and consider throwing his blankets on the floor for the night – you will, actually, as soon you take off all your evening regalia. In your haste, your nails end up nicking Leon’s nose when he tries to murmur another weightless apology.

The kisses stop leaching onto your collarbone. “Don’t play this game with me, sweetheart.” 

“So now you’re calling me immature?”   

“Isn’t that what you call running out of my work summit? Making me chase you down?” Leon counters, running his hands down your sides in a last-ditch effort to diffuse the situation. Thinly-veiled irritation finally seeps into his tone. “What exactly did I do?”

And gosh, does that get the tears going. He’s so blind it hurts.

You tug pins furiously out of your hair in an effort to keep an impending outburst at bay. “You practically had me on a leash!”

Not once had he let you out of his sight in that dreadful ballroom. In front of all those international representatives and agents, people whose reputations preceded them, Leon had kept you attached to him with a heavy hand on your waist, glued to his hip like an untrustworthy child he’d lose track of at a supermarket. Coughs had quickly turned to snickers behind your back. You’re no agent, sure, but you could expect to have some kind of autonomy, right? 

The guest badge you’d flung over the hotel room bed glints tauntingly now, respected by every security detail except the one whose chest your back is currently pressed against. It’s humiliating how untrustworthy, how incapable he made you look tonight.

Leon blinks. “You’re saying I think you can’t handle yourself?”

“You don’t have to. You showed me all night.” 

Tears drip down your cheeks when he relents, his arms lifting like fog over the Golden Gate, and if you’re finally free from his clutches, you might as well take off this suffocating dress. It’s gauzy and gorgeous and completely worthless despite the stack of bills Leon paid for it, however giddy you’d been when he’d brought it home. 

If only you could reach the tiny zipper perched on your tailbone. 

Leon, ever the perceptive one, however, never passes up an opening whether it be zipped or not. He’s got a handy index and thumb; he puts them to use. He’s your husband after all. 

“Right, okay,” he exhales sharply, tugging the chain as your back bows forward, “I did this all wrong. I thought you’d catch on when I should’ve just shown you instead.”

“Show me what?”

A hand inside your newly agape gown. A palm pivoting south to the curve of your hip, pressing, searching. Leon presses his lips to your neck in answer, but this time, it’s urgent in a way that doesn’t quite feel like remorse. He hisses.

“Tell me to stop and I fucking will, but this is my last resort considering how bad I seem to be with my words, sweetheart. How many times have I told you I’m sorry?”

“You-”

A squeeze on your hip. A direction. 

“I need a number.”

The door, your neck, seconds ago.

“...three.”

“And not one of them made it inside that pretty head of yours,” Leon scowls. “Doesn’t look like words are either of our strong suits. Chin up for me, doll, and pay attention ‘cause I’m only asking this once.”

So you do, you lift your face to meet mascara-rimmed eyes in the mirror along with Leon’s sapphire-blue ones that glint right behind, and his palm drifts up to cup your jaw from underneath. He tilts it back and forth. Kisses his teeth. 

“Tell me. How am I supposed to let my wife loose in a room full of criminals just like that?”

What?

Leon circles your cheekbone with the pad of his thumb, pulling away quickly. Too early to indulge in this kind of affection. “Thought I asked you something, doll.”

But you hesitate, and so Leon must disappear. His final instructions are to face forward.

He dives to the floor, locking rough fingers around your ankles only to slide them up to the backs of your shins. He goes under so quick that there’s a breeze; you’re granted mere seconds to watch Leon’s blond head duck underneath the floor-length train of your dress and by then, it’s far too late to notice the fire. 

Leon loves starting those.

He also doesn’t wait. Invisible flames lick up your bare legs from Leon’s dragon mouth. Red hot kisses trail up your thighs – he drops a sweet one on the inside of your right knee, makes you buckle momentarily – and these stubbled kisses of his have a tendency to sear any skin on their skyward path. You can’t remember when your elbows propped themselves on the vanity, out of instinct, maybe, to keep the floor of your stomach from falling out at the very first sneak of Leon’s tongue inside the drenched lace gusset of your panties. 

But you can’t afford to be surprised, can you? Not with the line of destruction he’s left behind on his way to his destination. They say it takes one to know one. 

You clutch the edge of the vanity’s shelf, suck down sobs in your throat fluttering into something indecent.

“I need you to talk to me,” he whispers with his lips pressed to your pussy. The vibration echoes up your spine, jerks your head back. “You’re all clammed up. Keeping secrets.”

Air gushes down your throat. “And you’re not?” 

“Of course I am, baby, but I’m explaining, aren’t I?” 

Kiss. Kiss. Suck. 

You keen with your mouth shut.

He noses at your clit, prompting you. “So, where’s your explanation?”

Another quality the DSO prides itself on is your husband’s ability to sweet-talk himself out of a tight spot. That seems to includes in between your legs. Your thighs clench together in a final attempt of defiance when his mouth makes contact with your cunt. Your reflection in the mirror starts to swim at the first swirl of Leon’s tongue, and he makes quick work of you with his goal being none other than to dangle the promise of more to come, literally. 

Thumbs tuck into sensitive folds, and you’re gone. Shaking at the first breach of Leon’s fingers inside you. You spread apart at his will. He dips into arousal now impossible to ignore, and when sparks finally light at the hot air Leon blows over your spasming pussy, he commits his second unforgivable sin of the night: ducking right back out at the crest of your orgasm.

You have principles. The mirror reflects Leon’s swollen lips, tousled hair damp with you when he rises from his knees, and above all this, you clench your teeth. Face forward. 

He wipes his mouth.

“That’s one.” 

The other two remain rhetorical.

You’re being lifted bridal-style when the seal on your mouth finally breaks. “Leon,” you tremble in his arms, “where are we?” The summit, the people; you chase his mouth for any explanation. “You’re working with criminals now?” 

“Yes and no. Arms up,” Leon rasps, and tugs down what remains of your gown, crashes his mouth onto yours. 

You taste yourself in his kiss. Surely that’s not an answer, is it?

“Tonight was a mission,” he continues in his feverish haste, quickly laying your naked body onto the bed before kissing down your breasts.

Pride gets tossed on the floor next to your undergarments, his crumpled dress shirt. 

“The DSO couldn’t guarantee you wouldn’t become collateral for this assignment if things went south and I didn’t want to risk it. So I took you with me.” 

“You brought me to a- oh! ” 

Two thick fingers push into your sopping cunt. You squeal, clutch the sheets. Leon presses the ribbed flesh nestled deep inside you, carving out room for himself from his kneel at the foot of the bed. He gouges deep and you writhe. Your arousal shimmers on his fingers when he finally pulls them out and you find that have nothing to say about that.

“Go on,” he coos lowly. “Don’t get quiet now.” 

Your head whirls. “You sh-should’ve told me they were dangerous.”  

“And where do you think that would’ve gotten us, sweetheart? I didn’t want you panicking. Blowing cover. I had you to take care of and intel to gather, I couldn’t think straight myself. Letting you out of my sight could’ve meant losing you.”

Fuck. You don’t need a mirror to remember how antsy Leon had been before going down to the ballroom. 

Hands squeezed for courage. Hand on your waist. 

The vanilla and leather on his skin had reeked of nerves, and you? You’d written it off.

“I wanted to keep you safe.” Leon looks up at you now, eyes glinting in the dim light. There’s a new softness in their blue depths, a sincere apology. “I just wish you'd believe me.” 

By all intents and purposes, Leon Scott Kennedy is sorry.

There’s been a lapse in judgment. Your elbows sit you up from the bed to fix it. Cupping his cheek, you lean forward to meet Leon’s waiting mouth in a long overdue embrace, one he can melt into with relief. There’s no bitterness on your tongue now. Just sweetness in the seconds you take to breathe your forgiveness into him. The clink of his falling belt promises no punishment.

“But you can’t let me off the hook just yet,” Leon murmurs when he tugs free from your latch on his bottom lip, “I hurt you, angel, and I never wanted to. Tell me I can fix it.”

He can. Your husband can fix everything, the world included. You sigh your approval, yes, yes, more, because forgiveness feels incredible as he lays your shoulders down, sets your hips straight when you twist them the first time he teases his cock’s weeping head over the soaked seam of your pussy. 

“Don’t take your eyes off the mirror for a second,” Leon instructs.

He plants his palms on the sides of your head. You whimper; swear you won’t.

“I mean it. Watch yourself, and maybe then you’ll understand how crazy you drive me.”

So begins your descent. 

You’re drowning, crying for air when Leon sinks into the liquid warmth you’ve saved for him. There’s so much of him to take, tight, tight, tight – your mind is a melting record. You’re breaking. Can’t disappoint him again. When your overwhelmed cunt nearly pushes him out, Leon just chuckles. He cants his hips to compensate, goes at it again. That should be enough to tell you how the DSO’s finest agent never lets a detail go amiss. 

“The Belgium ambassador started tailing you by the fountain." 

And to your astonishment, he starts rattling off half the world map. 

“Got rid of him quick. Then there was a – oh, sweetheart, you’re gonna kill me – Swedish agent, don’t remember what I did to him.” 

A roll of his hips. Your nails down his back. 

“Someone from Germany tried to dose your champagne. Another from Argentina, shit,” his thrusts grow erratic the longer the list grows, “two from Russia, a Japanese spy – perfect fucking pussy, oh my God…”

Your husband takes you on a trip around the globe. He’d traveled to the ends of the earth in that ballroom, kept your back bulletproof with just his hand, the one that was once a collar to you. Turns out being a Kennedy puts you on a hitlist; makes your blood run blue. 

“Too much!” you sob.

You can’t take the responsibility. 

But here in the dark, here with Leon, there’s just pleasure. Opulence. The back of his head is a blond crown in the vanity mirror, the diamonds on your breasts sparkle with each bounce from Leon’s cock slamming home. Even the gooey mess you’re leaving on the chiseled marble of his lower stomach shimmers. War paint from a battle won for you.

Your head falls away from the mirror and Leon guides it back without losing his rhythm. “Mm-mm. You need to see your face when you break.” 

Never has a threat sounded so loving on anyone’s lips, you imagine. 

Your hands tangle into his hair, you grow quiet, you clench. You’re close. This, he can feel.

His lips curve into a weary grin. “Wanted you to see why I had eyes on my baby all night. My pretty girl, all mine.”

Lucky you. 

That somehow does you in. Every word of praise Leon utters makes it clear that no, he did trust you, does trust you. He trusted you enough to know you could hold your own in that lion’s den downstairs, trusts now that you’ll forgive him for a misstep born of love. And with that realization, your pleasure rides helium high. 

“Shit, Leon!” you cry.

Electric pressure builds in your sensitive bud, the one Leon rubs frantically now. Gasps from your wide open mouth sweeten the air like perfume and Leon wishes he could breathe it all in, you’re beautiful when he turns you into a wailing mess. All for him.  

“This one’s two, angel,” he groans when you flutter around him. No way. 

His cock had put you in a trance, so warm and filling is it inside you. You’d forgotten about the deal entirely. 

Your cries increase precariously in pitch. “Oh, please, please, you can’t, Leon, I have to-” 

“Hold on!” 

Leon presses you into the sheets one last time to free the pretty songbird singing his name. You sprout wings in the looking glass.

The afterglow is golden. The sunset is long gone but it glows in your hotel room all the same, wrapped in silk sheets and Leon’s arms.

“You’re beautiful like this, you know?” he hums, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. 

“What, all sweaty and gross?” You wouldn’t expect him to know. He’s gorgeous. Leon is gorgeous when he makes love to you.

He nods, laughing when you roll your eyes. “Really, you do. Enough that I had to spend half my mission clawing bad guys off you. But I got it finished, and so did you in the process, huh?” 

Leon drops a kiss to your forehead, murmuring one last I’m sorry, his fourth one.

Shit. 

You scramble to hide under the sheets, leaving him cocking his head after you in utter confusion. “Wait, wait, what’s the matter?”

“I can’t do any more, Leon, I’m gonna pass out.” 

“Do any…?”

“You only left off on two!” 

Leon snorts. You soon feel a warm press on the top of your head: a sugary, schoolboy-sweet kiss.

“There you go, baby. That’s three. Apology accepted?”

And when you poke your head out of the covers to give Leon a kiss of your own, you make sure he knows it’s for apology number four.

He shouldn’t be so surprised you noticed. It’s not like you can take your eyes off him either.

psst, find more of my work here!

comments and reblogs are very much appreciated <3 take care and i love you!

[bumblebeehug]

Massage Misunderstanding

Summary: Happy comes to the conclusion that Lucy and Natsu really should stop making such suggestive sounds when massaging. Notes: I honestly don't know what this is supposed to be. It's already published on my ff.net account but I thought y'all might like it here too. Translation - Ao3 - FF.net

***

It was just a normal day in the Fairy Tail guild where everyone was having a happy time, one or two small fights in the background and Mira serving drinks to the guild members. Natsu, Happy and Lucy had just gotten home from another mission, and Lucy dramatically laid her head on the table where they sat.

"Urgh, my muscles are killing me!" She groaned, vincing at her slightest movements.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad Lucy!"

"Yeah Lucy! I told you that you should have gone with us on our morning runs," Happy exclaimed. "You're just out of shape!"

"I'm not going to get up at 5 in the morning to go on runs with you two. Our stamina isn't even close, you just run ahead anyways," Lucy answered with a pout. "Besides, you never let me sleep a full night's sleep. I can't sleep with fur in my face and an overgrown baby taking up all the space!"

"That's why I keep telling you that we should cuddle, I wouldn't take any space that way."

"No, but you would overstep my personal boundaries. Now shoo, let me recover in peace."

Natsu just frowned, ignoring his partner's attempt to get him to leave her alone.

"Is it really that bad?" He asked with a slight concern. He knew that she would be okay after a few days, but he really didn't like seeing her in pain. "Your back I mean."

"I'm not dying or anything, but I could really use a massage. I'm gonna ask Kinana to give me one if she has a moment to spare," the blonde explained. "She must have been gifted with the hands of a God, I don't think anyone can fix soreness as well as she does!"

Happy snickered as he heard Lucy's praise.

"Lucy, did you know that Natsu also is really good at giving massages," he revealed.

"Wait, seriously? Natsu, is it true? How come you've never told me this?" Lucy's eyes widened in disbelief. How could Natsu, whose only skill is burning things and fighting people, be good at giving a massage?

"Meh, Happy is exaggerating." He just shrugged. "I've only given a handful of them, I wouldn't know if they're any good," he explained. Maybe that was a lie. He had given massages to a good bunch of the guild, and had gotten just as many compliments.

"I'm totally not exaggerating!" Happy exclaimed. "Well it doesn't matter, you'll get to decide that for yourself Lucy. Come on Natsu, give her a free trial!"

"No way. She doesn't want me to anyway, let's just go fishing or something," Natsu said, trying to get away from this forced labour. He found it so incredibly boring to give massages. There was never a reward for him, it was just a big waste of time in his opinion.

"Wait a second mister, who said I didn't want you to give me a massage?" Lucy protested, feeling curious about this new skill she had found out about the dragon slayer.

"I'm not gonna give you one either way." Natsu stood his point this time. Last time he did it the requests kept coming, keeping him from doing anything productive that day, He was not going to have that again.

"Pretty pleaseee!" Lucy gave him her best puppy eyes, but at no avail. "I'll cook food for you the entire week, I really need a massage as soon as possible!"

Natsu's interest peaked slightly. He would get something out of it if he did it, and he never refused food.

"Two weeks or no deal. And don't tell anyone, got it?"

"Deal!" Lucy chirped. "Come on, let's do it now! I think the infirmary is empty!"

Natsu just sighed as he watched Lucy skip there in advance.

"Happy, if my entire day gets ruined, then it's your fault."

"Yeah yeah, whatever, let's just go now before anyone catches on!"

As Natsu and Lucy prepared to satisfy the blonde's poor muscles, the rest of Team Natsu entered the building.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia's sweet voice filled the guild hall, informing everyone about his arrival.

"Hello Juvia," Erza greeted, leaving Gray to her. "You haven't seen Master or Mirajane, have you?"

"Ah, if Juvia's not wrong she believes that she overheard that Master is in a meeting with the council. Juvia hasn't seen Mira-san today, but she believes you may possibly find her behind the counter," Juvia answered before turning her attention back to Gray.

"I see. Thank you Juvia. I just wanted to tell Master that we're back from the mission, but if he isn't here I'll just inform Mira. Well, if I can find her."

"You're not just gonna leave me, are you!?" Gray mustered to say, feeling a bit sweaty in Juvia's tight embrace.

"Sorry Gray-san," Wendy timidly excused. "I'm feeling a bit tired from the mission so I was planning on finding Lucy-san and Natsu-san."

"They owe her a pastry for ruining hers last week," Carla further explained.

"I wonder why Happy hasn't come to greet you yet Carla," Wendy teased. "He's usually the first one to notice us when we come back from missions."

Carla let out an annoyed puff.

"I haven't noticed. I'm just glad that Tomcat isn't pestering us today."

"It's still odd though," Gray said. He had gotten himself a free moment while Juvia ran to get some new handmade gift. "I usually can't even get a moment to relax before Fire Breath tries to pick a fight."

"Maybe they went on a mission alone?" Wendy said.

"They said they wanted to rest a bit though before taking a long mission with a big reward." It was Erza's turn to invite herself to the conversation. "I'm not sure if it has anything to do with Natsu and Lucy, but Mira was lurking outside the infirmary. She seemed excited so I didn't want to interrupt."

The gang started asking the rest of the guild about the original team Natsu's whereabouts, but no one seemed to know where the three members held house.

"I'm gonna talk to her," Gray finally said. "She's been gasping at the door for ten minutes, whatever she's doing can't be more important than knowing where our friends are."

"Juvia agrees. Mira-san should probably go back to work soon anyways. Let's ask her."

As they all came closer to the door to the infirmary Wendy started blushing. Did she really hear..? No, she must have been mistaken.

"What's the matter Wendy?" Carla asked quietly.

"No, no, it's nothing… I think. Unless!" Wendy gasped. Maybe that was the reason Mira's ear was pressed to the little gap between the floor and the door. But was it really Lucy and Natsu she was hearing? Maybe she was a bit too tired from the mission to think right. The voices must be distorted from exhaustion.

As they got closer more members of the group started hearing what Wendy was suspecting. They tried to ignore it while talking to Mira. Whatever two members that were having fun in there could keep doing what they were doing - the group just wanted to know where three of their team members were.

"Sorry to interrupt you Mira but can we ask you something?" Erza said, taking the lead.

"Ah!" Mira finally started to get back from her dreamland. "Yes of course. Welcome back by the way. I must have missed your arrival," she pardoned herself.

"It's fine, we were just wondering if you have any idea where Natsu and Lucy have gone? They were supposedly in the guild before and no one saw them leave so we feel quite confused," Erza explained. Mira burst out in a fit of giggles.

"Yep, yep, I know exactly where those two are! They're a bit occupied right now though."

"Well, where are they? We wanted to say hi at least," Erza insisted.

Instead of answering, Mira just pointed to the door that led into the infirmary. The rest of the group couldn't believe their eyes.

"You're joking, right?"

"There is no way!"

"Juvia knew it!"

"I really shouldn't be listening to this…" Wendy blushed as she held her hands over her ears.

"It's quite inappropriate." Carla shook her head disapprovingly.

"In the guild hall? That's bold." Gray snickered tauntingly.

"Wait, does that mean that Happy is there too?!" Erza exclaimed as she came to the realisation.

"Gross!"

The group felt confused by their discovery. None of them knew what to do with this new information, but it was hard for them to just leave Natsu and Lucy to it. They might have wanted this to happen a bit more than they cared to admit, and they weren't going to lie - they were quite curious about what they were doing.

Let's head a few minutes back where Natsu and Lucy had just arrived at the infirmary. The blonde had just taken off her shirt, and laid down on the infirmary's only massage bench as Natsu locked the door.

"So, let's see how good you really are," Lucy mumbled confidently. She already knew that Natsu had dry and calloused hands, so it couldn't feel that good, right?

"Take off your bra too."

"H- huh?" Lucy stuttered as she felt her face warming up slightly. Was that really necessary? Kinana usually found ways to go around the bra, and that worked perfectly well. "W- why?"

"I'm gonna use oil so that I don't scrape your back. You don't want your clothes ruined, right?"

"Ah, of course…" With a blush embracing her cheeks she unclasped her bra and pulled her arms out of the loops. In one smooth movement she removed the bra under her and then tossed it to her left, where her shirt laid neatly folded. She took a moment to consider if it was worth pulling down her skirt too, and since she definitely didn't want to deal with washing an oily skirt, she decided to drag it down slightly, just so that it still covered her buttcrack.

While Lucy was stripping down, Natsu had turned around to grab the oil. He remembered where it was since he'd given the rest of the guild massages, and after moving around a few bottles he found the small, cylinder shaped container. It was only half full (or was it half empty?) but it would be plenty for one massage.

When Natsu turned back around he was met with the sight of his best friend half naked, with her head facing him.

"Ya ready to be blown away?" Natsu joked, his signature grin dancing across his lips. Lucy let out a small giggle.

"Do your worst." Lucy winked playfully. Little did they know that Mira-Jane just happened to walk by the room, hearing all of the following conversation.

"I'll start out slow," Natsu informed, finally placing his slightly warmed up hands on her stiff shoulders, earning a quiet groan from Lucy. Knowing it was probably a groan of slight discomfort having sore muscles kneaded, he decided to ease up on the strength he put in. "You okay there Lucy?" he whispered, keeping the voice down in an attempt to be calming.

"Mmh, yeah… God, that feels good," Lucy groaned. She figured the secret behind these magical hands must be heat, because while it was only barely the same temperature she took baths in, they were still hotter than Kinana's hands.

A minute passed with Natsu just slowly rubbing his hands up and down her back to get her blood circulating, when he decided to begin the real kneading. He started out lightly, beginning at the nape of her neck (exactly where she smelled the strongest) and working himself slowly to her shoulders and down to her arms. Now, while he had massaged many people, he had never before massaged such a loud person. At almost every motion he made, Lucy let out a small sound. If he didn't know better he would think she was moaning.

"God, Natsu… gnh… harder," She whimpered out, blushing slightly for a moment when she realised how it sounded. She didn't have time to worry about that though since Natsu followed her order, making her groan out louder.

Natsu himself actually found that he got weirdly flustered by her sounds. The fact that he could hear a gasp coming from outside didn't really help either since it made him feel like he was doing nasty stuff - stuff he only thought Gildarts or that nasty Gajeel would like to do. To cover up his reaction to Lucy's pleading, he immediately followed through, only resulting in also adding speed to the massage.

"Does it feel good?" Natsu heaved out in an attempt to ignore the heat in his lower belly.

"Uh, oh yeah, a bit sl- ahn~… slower though."

"Oh yeah, sorry, got a bit too excited," he quickly apologised. Now that her shoulders felt kneaded through he carried on down on Lucy's upper back. He could feel some really tight knots there, and he felt a bit bad for her, knowing how much of a bother they must have been. Natsu himself had really good blood circulation, so he was only sore for a few hours if he strained himself too hard, but Lucy had to deal with that pain for multiple days, if not weeks sometimes.

"Happy, could you get me some water?" Lucy managed to get out. She got a bit sweaty from the heat in the room.

"Aye!"

Soon enough she had a glass of water in her hand, and with wobbly arms she managed to take a few sips before accidentally spilling it on the floor. Lucy didn't have time worrying about that though, as Natsu carefully dragged his hot and oily fingers along her waist.

"Look at how wet you are," Natsu whispered out in an attempt to tease her for getting her arms and hands wet. "You're even dripping, Lucy"

"Ggnhh~ come on Natsu, it's not- mmh… it's not funny" She managed to get out. Natsu had just poured on some more oil and was now caressing her hips.

"You're making a mess," Natsu commented smugly. Lucy could hear his grin in his voice.

"Well so are you," she answered, aiming at his overuse of the oil.

"Everything to make the princess feel good" Natsu witted. He didn't really care about the multiple new smells that now lingered outside of the room. He didn't even know how long they had been there, but he also didn't care as he currently felt like he was in a fog of Lucy's smell and whimpering.

Natsu had now worked through every single knot he could find, and was topping off the treatment by dragging his nails loosely over her entire back. Lucy let out a loud sigh in relief - she definitely loved how his hands had felt, working so thoroughly on her body, but it made her surprisingly tired. A quick run over her armpits made Lucy gasp out loudly, giving Natsu one last sound that he never really had heard before. Weren't people supposed to laugh when they got tickled? Well, it didn't really matter since he had gotten a response either way.

"Let me clean you up before you get clothed," Natsu said sincerely, happy to see his friend so satisfied.

"Alright. Thank you for this Natsu, seriously. It felt great. And I promise, I won't tell the others about it. It'll be our little secret." Lucy blinked playfully, happy that she had her own secret masseur. She definitely didn't want to share, that much she knew.

After they both got cleaned up and Lucy got clothed they finally got a good look at each other. Both looked sweaty and had a small blush, probably from the adrenaline kick from keeping a secret from the guild, and Lucy's hair was messy. They grinned at each other before opening the door that kept them apart from the rest of the gang.

As Natsu and Lucy walked out from the infirmary they were met with half the guild, who all were blushing furiously.

"I can't believe they-"

"Shhh, not with Asuka here!"

"Lu-chan oh my god! It finally happened! How did it feel?"

"I must say I'm quite surprised you both kept your relationship a secret for so long!"

"Juvia would like to apologise to Lucy-san for thinking she was a Love Rival."

"I can't believe flame-head lost his virginity before me!"

"Wa- wait! You're all misunderstanding!" Lucy finally gasped out. "He's not-, we're not-, I'm not-!"

"Meh, let's leave them Lucy. I'm really hungry, let's go back to our place and get some food." Natsu grabbed Lucy's right wrist and started tugging her along and through the crowd.

"OUR place?! Last time I checked it was me who paid the bills!" Lucy argued. "AND it's me who does the grocery shopping! You can't even fold your own laundry!"

"That's just because your way of folding it is too complicated. Why does my drawer have to look as neat as yours anyways, it's not like anyone checks them."

"I only started doing that folding because a certain person and a certain cat wouldn’t stop looking in my panty-drawer!" Lucy burst out, forgetting the crowd behind them.

"Jeez Luce, we're just confused how you can wear that stuff. It doesn't cover anything!" Natsu tried to defend himself, earning a light smack on the head.

"Don't go talking about what my panties cover-" "or doesn't cover" Happy added, "in public! Urgh, just be quiet until we get home."

The rest of the guild looked wide eyed at the door which Lucy and Natsu just left through.

"Do you think they got married on a mission or something?" Someone in the guild asked, not expecting an answer.

"What do you mean? Lucy and Natsu have always been like this." Happy said.

"Are you telling me they've fucked all this time!?" Levy burst out in shock. Wendy screeched at her choice of words.

"What? Natsu was just giving Lucy a massage" Happy revealed before leaving the guild behind, catching up to Lucy and Natsu.

A bunch of sighs and groans filled the guildhall as they got back to their day to day business, rather disappointed.

"Are those two never going to get together?" Mira cried out with a defeated look on her face.

"Welp, at least Natsu's still a virgin," Gray shrugged, taking a seat at the bar where a gloomy Juvia held place, muttering something about love rivals. "Some things will never change."

[kiliinstinct]

Chapter 26:

Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next]

Next update is Upon us! Thanks to @phoenix-before-the-flame for their awesome Beta work, as usual. Next Update: February 12th February Post Dates: 26th March Post Dates: 15th and the 28th (Yes, my Birthday!) Warning: The beginning of this chapter contains sensitive material in violence, blood and gruesome visuals. You've been warned.

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Dark fire consumed the world.  Its raging swirl lifted off Natsu’s scaled skin, twisted from his claws and burned the smokey air around him.  Dirt encrusted his gaping wounds as he stood before Kage. The  man staggered on his feet as ash covered him from head to toe. 

Their battle was intense. Lucy had disappeared into the forest at the Draconis’ command. Her safety was top priority (the only priority his mind hissed furiously-). Those thoughts governed his frame of thought as he weaved in and out of the scorched landscape, cutting the shadow users' attempts to flee at every turn. 

He had threatened Lucy: a mistake he would soon regret.

The fight spread with fire devouring trees as their blood soaked the ground with streaks of red. Howls of anger left the pair to be swallowed in the empty sky. The only source of light came from an orange moon that mirrored the heat of Natsu’s magic. A part of Natsu knew something wasn't right, but there was no time to question it. No time to stop and look.

There was only his prey who whimpered as he was cornered  and lifting a shaking arm in a desperate try to defend himself. His control over shadows sputtered out to reveal the frightened man he truly was. Natsu purred, pleased by the scent of fear and stepped forward. An all-consuming need pulled at the core of his being, demanding to rip out the throat of his prey and to feel the final screams of Kage’s life cut out as teeth and flames tasted his wretched flesh. 

He wanted - no, needed - to leave him as nothing but a rotting, burnt corpse on the dying forest floor. The thought sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine.

There was no one else to fight, no one to defend Lucy and keep her from harm. Natsu had no choice.  He HAD to do this.

To himself, he chanted this reasoning like a mantra as he grasped Kage’s neck with a taloned hand. Kage’s desperate scratching and pulling against his forearm meant nothing as the Draconis’ eyes bled to gold, staring coldly into the Shadow users streaming eyes.  Natsu had already made peace with what came next, before he had a second to think about it.

His vision tunneled and the world faded away,  there was nothing left but the slowly dying struggles of the body beneath him. For it was no longer a body full of life and an unknown future. It was a corpse. It was always fated to be a corpse.

Corpses don’t deserve pity.

He finally had him.

Tongue lashed out over rows of sharp teeth, tasting the tang of his own blood as a triumphant grin twisted his lips. Bordering on the edge of madness, he watched as Kage’s shadows peeled from Natsu’s skin in burnt husks, crawling off his wounded flesh. Whimpering, the corpse’s skin cracked and broke under the onslaught of the mighty flame Natsu wielded and his grip tightened, marveling at the sight. 

A rumble of satisfaction ran through him as the smell tainted the air. His fire ate away at the one before him with each pulse of magic in his palm, a slow, excruciating death. He wanted it to be quick at first, but no, this mongrel deserved no mercy and he gleefully watched as even Kage’s blood over heated, sizzling away to nothing. 

His body hung limp in Natsu’s steady grasp and the Draconis wondered if he’d succumbed to the slow death too soon. Or had his crushing grip choked the life from him? He flexed his fingers, feeling the bones shift beneath him: broken. A hoarse, mad laugh burst through his chest as he felt more splinter in his grip. 

The body became nothing. Just the dust in the wind. The ash in the air. The crushed earth beneath his feet.  His lips curled into a sneer and he felt triumph. This is what he deserved! This was the power he held for those who wronged him this-

He blinked and the mangled body beneath him twisted. The edges of his vision swam in and out of focus. The broken bones and murky shadows faded to a mangled body, scorched nearly beyond recognition and lumped over the ground in a familiar pose that brought memories of a golden girl back to the surface. 

Blinking again, screwing his eyes shut tight, Natsu reopened them and realized this wasn’t Kage. 

It was the unnamed man he'd followed into the forest all those months ago.  A man who imprisoned a golden haired girl and forced himself upon her.

Another despicable wretch that deserved the fate given to them. He dropped into a crouch to peer into the burnt out sockets. This was a man whose face he never knew and whose death tasted sweet on Natsu’s tongue. He threw his head back in a laugh so loud it broke through the haze, manic and crazed. 

There was no remorse, no guilt, no horror.

 “It's what you deserve!” He cackled, forked tongue swiping against his teeth. The fangs gleamed in the moonlight, it's orange glow fading to cold white light, “It's what you ALL deserve, disgusting pieces of -“

A whimper- quiet, pained and wracked with sobs pierced the air. It blew through the smoke and fire and sent a chill of ice water through his veins. 

The once wicked laugh cut off as pupils grew wide. Natsu jumped to his feet as a creeping, dismal fear coiled around his heart. It gripped so tight he lost his breath. Looking away from the carnage, his glory, his reality came crashing down in sharp, jagged pieces. 

He met his gaze with Lucy who stood at the edge of the clearing, hands clasped over her mouth. 

She was ragged. Clutching the tree for purchase, Lucy gasped for air making his heart sink at the sight. A rotted arrow stayed buried in her knee as blood dribbled down her leg. Her clothes were torn, burnt at the edges and crusted in mud. Whimpering again, his attention turned back to her face as she grimaced in pain, paling to match the white of the moon above.

The smoke was gone- blown away with a sudden wind as the moonlight illuminated the world around them. He no longer smelled the stench of one or two corpses. Instead, the scent of many crashed into him like a raging avalanche.

There were dozens. Bodies broken and contorted, all staring at him with the glassy, empty eyes of the long dead.  Lucy quivered as she beheld the massacre and retched at the sight. His throat swelled shut, eyes stinging with hot, horrified tears that threatened to spill down his heated cheeks. 

What had he done? He didn’t- He couldn’t remember. 

”Wait.- Lucy, I didn't- “ He reached for her, voice turning to the hoarse whisper of a man whose wounds were catching up with him; Blood welled in his throat. Stepping towards her, he tripped over a dismembered arm, ”I was protecting you-“

She didn't see him. Not really. Her gaze looked around them, through Natsu. The horror and disgust that distinguished her features was palpable. She whispered words that struck him as sharp as the arrow that pierced her skin. 

She stepped back. Away from him. Closer to the shadows of the trees.

“You're a monster... you killed them. You...”

“Lucy please-”

Her shriek pinned him to the ground heavier than stone:

“G-GET AWAY FROM ME!”

She took off through the underbrush, her golden light swallowed quickly by the shadows. Natsu struggled to follow, but he couldn’t stand, his legs wouldn’t move.

He was tired. Everything hurt. Where did this pain come from? His body quivered as he attempted to stand, but he slipped against the bodies, eviscerated beyond recognition. The stench rose to greet him, making him dizzy with nausea.  

He choked on his own bile, reaching out in vain,  “I didn't want... I'm -”

Blood welled in his mouth and he spat it out, only for it to refill in an instant. His neck felt sticky as red dripped down his neck and heaving chest. His wounds were fatal. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe - 

“Wait!” He struggled to scream, “No, come back! Don’t leave me! I'm sor-“

He needed to get to her. He had to. He needed-

 “Lucy!”

The world tilted on its axis as her name echoed through the air as his final breath took him under the weight of all his sins.

Natsu crashed to the floor of his bedroom, gasping for air as tears flowed down his cheeks.  Everything hurt, his body sang from nerves firing along the scars of his back and he winced as he bit his cheeks in a poor attempt to silence himself.

His head pounded behind his eyelids. Whining pathetically, his sobs wracked through Natsu's frame, unbidden and unwanted.  Pain flared in his chest, reigniting the raw feeling in his throat, but  he didn’t dare move himself to the comfort of his bed. Instead he curled in on himself, quivering against the floor as it chilled his heated skin.

The clear floors that remained from Lucy’s insistent cleaning provided a strange solace and he sought to ground himself through it. He almost wished he could sink into it and be swallowed to get away from the emotions welling in his chest. But there was no escaping into the night to sleep in another's bed, no checking on the safety of someone else. There was just pain tearing through his healing body and stabbing into his bottom lip as he struggled to contain himself.

Lucy... that look in her eye, he tried to blot the visual from his mind; to think of anything else that would ease the frantic pounding of his heart. But that expression morphed from its former horror, to the pained smile she gave in a different dream he tried to bury in his memories: The sad understanding as he'd run her through with his own hands.

Did they mean something? Natsu wiped his eyes and groaned, not wanting to know the answer. If anything, he'd rather not think about any of it. 

He didn't know how long he laid there, but as time passed and he gained control of his breathing, he grew aware of the chirping birds and bugs outside his window, almost drowned out by the loud snores of his current watchguard. Right...It was Elfman’s turn. The draconis felt a twinge of relief at the larger man’s deep sleep. Him resting through Natsu’s night terrors was a blessing.  

But these were clear signs of daylight. Had he slept all night, or napped during the day? He wasn't altogether sure, feeling disoriented and unaware of the passage of time. He could shamble to his door and ask, but that required energy he didn’t have.

Not now, when the floor felt so nice. Sucking in air, he blindly reached for the blankets on his bed and tugged them over his body. This would be his bed for now. 

Somehow, the hard surface felt more comforting than anything else. 

It would be hours more before Mirajane came with his lunch, confused by his position on the floor, but having the mind not to press him for details when he peeked tiredly from his blanket nest with red rimmed eyes. Instead, she opened the door for Wendy to follow after and left a warm-cooked meal upon the table.

“We think it's time to start using those muscles!“ She excitedly explained, smiling gently as Wendy observed him from the floor, the concern obvious on her young face. ”We can't let those limbs stiffen too much after all.“

”... am I free to leave then?“ He rasped, barely registering Wendy's light touch along his bandages, soft magic poking and prodding along his body for any sign of issues.

”Aunt Porly wants to see you first before deciding,“ The Air Draconis whispered, leaning close to check his temperature. She gripped his jaw gently and tilted his head to press a finger against the bandage wrapped around his neck. He shuddered as the healing magic flowed from her fingertip, sinking into the one wound that refused to close properly.

Natsu opened his mouth and Wendy peered at the sides, squeaking at the sight. The bits of flesh he’d bitten when he woke revealed more than he wanted to admit. She pressed her full hand to the side of his neck and sent out another wave, stronger this time, to hook and close whatever he had reopened internally. He fought the urge to shy away, beginning to really hate having anything close to his neck.

Wendy sighed and pulled away, lips pursed tight together, “But Makarov at least wants you to go on walks now.“

”... what am I, a cat?“

”Yes/Cats Don't go on walks!“ Mirajane and Wendy spoke at once, one all smiles and the other quite bewildered. 

“Huh...” Natsu drawled distractedly, biting his raw lip in thought, “... what did I mean then."

Mirajane, ushered him to his feet, brows knitted together as she looked him over. She answered with a helpful smile that didn't meet her eyes. “I think a dog, dear.” 

“Are you……okay?” Wendy asked once he sat down, hovering from side to side as she continued to check his vitals, “Everything looks to be healing fine despite a few small issues. And your aura's getting stronger each day, but you... you feel off?”

“Nah, m'fine.” The lie fell from him with practiced ease as he eyed the meal placed before him. Mirajane's cooking never failed to impress and today's lunch did not disappoint just from looks alone. The smell was heavenly and almost washed all his concerns away in an instant, giving Natsu the perfect excuse to dodge the rest of Wendy's questions, “Just hungry!”

Diving into a hot meal rather than talk about his woes was as simple as breathing and he dutifully ignored the shared looks passed between the two over his shoulder. 

But if Natsu wasn't willing to talk, they knew better than to press him. Instead, Mirajane remade his bed, ruffled his pillows and tittered about cleaning his dishes while Wendy continued her check up. Something about the domesticity of the scene settled in Natsu's bones like a heavy weight. What was once a source of comfort among his family felt strangely off, as if he was missing something.

A flash of golden hair appeared in his mind's eye and he spoke with a mouth full of soup, swallowing the hot liquid when he only managed garbled words.

”Is Lucy coming today?” She did say she would join the rotation, but it had been days since he'd last seen her. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was starting to wonder if their last encounter had scared her off.

Then again…

He felt the ghost of soft lips feather against his cheek. She was so close then, barely any space between them as her scent surrounded him, calming his racing heart. His fingers tangled with hers, so small in his grasp as he tugged her close. And yet he felt the inexplicable urge to have her closer still-

He choked on nothing and began to eat in earnest. Nope. Nothing was happening or happened. Best not to think about it.

“Uhm.. maybe?“ Wendy hedged, pursing her lips together in thought, ”I wasn't told who was decided today, erm...”

Mirajane's following laughter made a sense of danger crawl up Natsu's spine. “It's so cute how often you think about her.” And her following giggle had him choking all over again.

“I think about a lot of people!” His protests went ignored as Mirajane's giggles grew in volume. As he waited in consternation for an answer, he drank the rest of the soup without further prompting and frowned. At the same time, the taller woman finished her cleaning, placing a now dried mug back on its shelf.

“She spent time with Levy and Cana yesterday,” She finally answered, eyes sliding along the walls of the room before landing on Natsu's scowl. Without further prompting, she grabbed a rag and moved to wipe his face, ignoring his protests. She hummed quietly, “but I think she mentioned something about taking a shift this evening with you.”

Natsu didn't have a chance to respond as Wendy interrupted with a poke to his ribs that sent his nerves firing a jolt of magic through his body. A streak of fire flashed atop his skin in a brief instant, forcing the pair to step back when he yelped. She retracted her hand and ran soothing air across his heated skin instead, allowing the waves of healing magic to soothe him from head to toe.

“Sorry!” She explained through her bottom lip quivering, ”I just wanted to test how sensitive it still was. If it's still like this tomorrow, Aunt Porly might not let you walk like we've planned.“

That was news the draconis didn't like, as he snorted a puff of smoke and flame through his nose to show his disdain. So what if his body wasn't still up to snuff? His magic was responding to him instinctively again and the two healer draconis weren't so amateurish with their abilities. Despite the need to still recuperate, he doubted a walk along the paths would over extend him that much.

“If she doesn't want me burning down my own hut,” He threatened darkly. Annoyance made him curl his lip. “she better let me out.”

“None of that,” Mirajane chided with a light smack to the back of his head. It wasn't enough to hurt, but his head rang all the same, “you're too old for tantrums and none of us have space for you anymore.”

“I can sleep outside!”

”Please don't,“ Wendy pleaded, ”besides, how can Lucy visit if she doesn't have a place to go?“ They both fixed him with pointed, knowing stares.

He didn't quite like the way the two of them were using Lucy as a way to calm him. And he especially didn't like it when he realized it was working. Not only had his shoulders dropped, his breathing had gone back to normal. The realization was enough to make him pout as he crossed his arms.

”I don't really know how, but you two are being unfair,“ he accused, perplexed when they laughed, “And I don't like it.”

Despite the claim, Natsu realized the teasing barbs served a purpose aside from raising his ire. Not only did his mind settle from his errant thoughts, but his mood rose to positive levels that made it easier to think. Despite the chill of his nightmare hovering behind him, he didn't feel the grip of his sharp claws, nor did it distract him for the rest of the afternoon. 

Wendy made quick work checking his vitals and testing his flexibility, muscle tension and reflexes. By the time he was ready to throw a pillow or two at her and Mirajane for their teasing, she finished her tedious work, doused him in another wave of healing magic that settled over his eyes like sleeping sand and exited with a promise to see him in the morning. She'd bring Porlyusica along then, and just the reminder of finally being allowed out of his house invigorated him. 

Mirajane, however, stayed longer, ensuring he rested as the healing worked its magic. He managed to sleep in his bed, listening to Mirajane lull him to rest with a song on her tongue. It reminded him of simpler times when he was younger, ill or frightened by the new world around him.

A simple comfort. One that was the safety of his own home. He fell into a-thankfully- dreamless sleep and woke when dinner was brought along and Mirajane switched off for the day.  

His body felt like a stone when he awoke, still under the influence of Wendy's magic, but he caught Mirajane on her way out, promising with a nod of his head to finish the meal she'd left him once he was able to move. He was surprised to catch the scent of Laxus in the air when she opened his door, her voice rose an octave in surprise as she greeted her partner on the street. He strained his ears to catch their conversation and frowned when it was too jumbled by village chatter to make sense.

However, that distraction led him to miss something and the moment Lucy's scent hit his nose he froze, realizing too late who Mirajane's replacement was. 

”You must really be out of it to have missed me coming in.“ His friend chided when she closed the door behind her. Her voice carried a soft, amused lilt, ”did you sleep well?“

Tongue-tied, he reworked his jaw to jostle the sleep from his bones, body heating at the sight of her.

”You're here.“ He lamely said, voice a confused monotone. 

”I was able to make time today.“ Her eyes softened as she nudged his shoulder, ”Come on, you need to eat, I could hear your stomach rumbling while you napped.”

He wanted to call her out for an obvious lie. No way that had happened after all, but the smell of the food, Lucy's warm grin and the way she fluidly moved through his room left him far too comfortable to argue. In a matter of minutes he'd shuffled from his bed and returned to his earlier seat, feeling like his life had shrunk to doing the same two things since he was injured.

Unfortunately, though his stomach rumbled at the bowl before him, another part of him was mildly annoyed; it was the exact same dish he’d had before. With his throat damaged as it was, he was placed on a diet of liquids only; the current dishes of thicker stews being a step up from where he’d started as Wendy’s healing magic patched his damaged vocal cords a little more each day. He should be thankful, he knew, but the dish choices were beginning to be too repetitive for his taste. 

And even as he dutifully ate his fill each day he was still gnawed by hunger after each meal. How he longed for a thick cut of meat or a fresh caught fish roasted by his own hand….

Which led him to his current actions as he reached across the table to grab the parchment he’d written on days ago, carefully stacked together in case he needed to write yet again. He swept the blank ones aside, and eyed the old ones with a curious glance before his gaze settled on the nearby candle Mirajane had left lit on the table.

Perfect.

Lucy hardly paid him mind as she sat across from him, instead rummaging through her bag to find whatever it was that she needed. Another inkwell perhaps, the one she had left with him was near empty after their last encounter.

She didn’t notice when his fingers wrapped around the waxy pillar, staring intently- hungrily- at the little flame that flickered atop it. Natsu smirked, pushing it over with a single finger.

He intently watched the little fire as it grew, slowly eating through the messily scrawled pages, curling in on themselves as they fed the heat that licked across them. His mouth watered at the sight and his stomach rumbled.

When the crackle of burning parchment met her ears, Lucy squealed in surprise, flying to her feet. Her bag clunked to the floor as ink splattered from a half opened bottle, leaking out against the floor. Whoops. Guess she’d have to bring another replacement for that one, too.  

Lucy paid it no mind, hurried rushing to his small kitchenette to frantically fill a glass with water, “Are you TRYING to set your house on fire?!”

He didn’t bother telling her of his earlier conversation with Wendy and Mira, but chuckled at the reminder. Letting the fire travel higher still, he licked his lips and held a hand out to Lucy before she could douse the parchment with the cup she’d filled. His mouth opened wide, fangs glinting sharply as his tongue reached out to taste the lingering ash and embers of the paper before he stuffed the flames, stack and all, into his mouth and swallowed it down. 

The effect was instant, his body humming from the addition to his magic as his chest rumbled in appreciation. “That hit the spot! Way better than boring soup anyway-”

Water splashed against him as Lucy slammed the mug on the table, frantically grabbing at his jaw as she pried his mouth open, “Oi- Usshie ,stawp-!”

“What is wrong with you?!” She cried out, panicking, she searched the inside of his mouth for any signs of burns and grimaced as ashy breath blew in her face, “ugh, I can’t believe you’d just… are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Natsu wrenched himself from her grasp, rubbing at his jaw in pain as he watched her in consternation, “What's wrong with me?” He repeated, coughing lightly despite the warmth that flooded his limbs, “What’s wrong with you? I do that all the -”

He paused, eyes widening in realization, “Oh shit, I’ve never eaten fire in front ya’ before have I?”

Lucy gawked, “That’s normal?” 

“Oops,” He muttered, laughing sheepishly, “Uh yeah. Draconis thing. Can eat the element we’re attuned with: tastes pretty good actually. Even Wendy and Porly can do it.”

He couldn’t help it. The look on Lucy’s face as it changed from aggravated panic to frustrated relief was too good. He hadn’t meant to freak her out over something as simple as having a snack, but his laughter shook his shoulders as he wheezed, tasting the remnants of burnt parchment in the process. “Don’t laugh at me for not WARNING me you could do that!” She snapped, but after a few more seconds of catching her breath, she began to laugh as well, muttering under her breath.  Through the laughter, he finally resumed his actual meal, promising he’d give her ample warning next time he chose to eat fire out of nowhere. “Like it matters now,” She muttered bitterly, swatting his shoulder, “I already know you can do it!”

While he accepted the point, he still couldn’t resist the cheeky smile he gave her, spooning his soup into his mouth as she resumed her earlier wanderings around his room. Apart from the new ink stain on his floor ( and a bag that Lucy bemoaned the loss of) Mirajane had kept it spic and span already, but it was clear she was looking for something to do as he continued to stuff his face. However, it gave them both the time needed to stifle their laughter as it continued to sprout between them at random intervals. It was when he was halfway through his dish that his mind wandered back to earlier musings and he looked to Lucy curiously from the lip of his bowl in consideration as she flitted about still, rearranging his vests by color.

”If I asked you to let me out, would you?”

The question fell from his mouth, voice hush and almost hesitant, already fearing her refusal. He knew he could force his way out. He’d tried once and almost succeeded. He had half a mind to just waltz right out the door, shambling with his new bowl of soup in hand, but the lull of sleep still pulled at his eyes. But Natsu didn’t want that, not when it was Lucy watching over him. 

Briefly he wondered if Lucy would ring that damn bell if he attempted. He didn't see it on hand, but that didn't mean it wasn't outside waiting to be used at a moment’s notice. He had a brief thought of hunting Freed down later when he was free. That man was the first atop Natsu’s very long list of petty revenge that he wanted to enact. He’d regret the day he suggested they use a bell to keep a Draconis in line.

”Hmm, asking nicely?“ He was surprised when Lucy considered his question. She left the vests in a rustle of fabrics to take a seat across from him, turned her gaze upwards as if in deep thought. She tapped a nail softly on the tabletop, ”If I agree to let you stargaze with me later, will that suffice?“

That... was better than expected and his eyebrows shot into the fringe of his hair in surprise. ”Seriously?! That’s all I had to do? Ask you?“

”Yup! But this is a one time offer.” She smiled, but then he realized it didn't quite reach her eyes as she looked away again, ”That is.. if you still want to after...“

Her voice trailed off and she rubbed her shoulders, appearing almost as uncomfortable as she'd been during her first weeks sharing a space with him months ago. The expression pulled at Natsu and he scowled, nose scrunching at the sight.

”After what?“ He prodded, clearing his throat as he willed it to behave. He can have trouble speaking later, damnit!

Silence spread between them, and rather than wait awkwardly, he gulped down the rest of his soup. The sleep had fallen from him the moment he'd noticed something was wrong and now he couldn't stop himself from noticing every little thing that was off about the romni before him.

Her eyes were dulled, almost somber and her complexion seemed paler than usual. The way she pulled in on herself, looked as if she was attempting to become smaller by the second and her gaze couldn't stay in one place for longer than a few seconds. It was strange to witness, knowing her focus was far better than his own and not knowing what caused her look so solemn was beginning to tear down his nerves, brick by brick.

'Who upset Lucy?' He wondered, 'And how am I gonna get out of here to punch 'em for it?' 

Attempting another bite of his meal, he was surprised to meet nothing but air on his spoon, frowning as he realized he'd unknowingly finished it. All that hard work Mirajane had done just for him to not enjoy it! 

Deciding Lucy was more important than an unenjoyed meal, he shoved the bowl aside and continued to wait, trailing his tongue across his teeth as he considered how to pull her from her thoughts. 

He didn't have to think for long, as she finally shook herself with resolve and fixed him with a guilty stare. “I want to ask you something, but I'm afraid it's going to upset you. I'm pretty sure it's a sensitive topic, but... should I not ask?”

Ask what? How was he supposed to know the answer to that if he didn't even know what she wanted to say? Natsu couldn’t help the incredulous look as he leaned back in his seat, eyeing her in obvious confusion.

He muttered under his breath and growled, agitated, “No offense, but that's the weirdest thing I've heard ya' say in months. If it upsets me, I can just change the subject and not answer, yeah?  That's my business. If it's bothering you, that's yours. So just ask.”

Honestly, what was it with her and everyone else always making things more difficult than they had to be?

Lucy's laugh was like music to his ears, even when subdued. She wiped her eyes and sighed, “that... somehow makes me feel better. You're good at that.”

He ignored how her words made his chest feel lighter, not resisting the smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Just saying what I think, that's all.”

She nodded, looking more relaxed than she had, ”All right, then, if you don't want to answer: don't. And then I can be the one to sneak you out for a bit this time, deal?“

That was more like it. His grin was all teeth, enjoying the idea of her breaking the rules for once. 

”... can you tell me who Igneel is?“

The crack of splintering wood shot through the air, silencing Lucy with a flinch as she ducked her head away shamefully. The grin froze into place and he felt his entire world drop out from under him. His fingers dug into the grain, nails gouging scars into the small table.

”How...” He started, voice dry and cracking, “how do you know that name?”

Her gaze was back on the ceiling, looking far too guilty for his liking, but he couldn't manage another sentence to console her. Not now with that name ringing in his ears. His body felt hollowed out, too hot and cold all at once, and the corners of his eyes began to sting with a familiar wetness he refused to acknowledge.

”You... said it... when you were being operated on." She admitted, explaining what others had said when she posed the question to them.

Realizing what his ailing body had done against his say was embarrassing enough, but everyone else was aware too?  

Splinters dug into his skin beneath his clawed fingertips and Natsu fought back the urge to snap. The air inside his house grew stifling from rising waves of heat lifting off him. It was his first sign of emotional overload and he fought to contain it. To breathe and back away. 

Isn't that what he always did?

”You don't have to answer-!“ Lucy began but he held a hand up, quivering with too many emotions to separate from himself. He inhaled deeply, fighting back the warmth that pricked the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t cry. Not after only hearing just a name. The seconds trickled  by as he willed the sweltering heat in the room to disperse to normal room temperatures. 

”My Dad.“ He said, voice wavering with every breath, ”... I was calling for my Dad.“

In just one breath, the world and ocean itself crashed in on itself in his heart and Lucy hid behind her hands. He could hear the apology before it fell from her lips and fought through the lump in his throat to stop her.

”... don't.” He interjected, not recognizing his own voice for the first time in years, tired and weak., “Just, don't. Please. Can we just go see the stars now?”

Natsu reached across the table to pull her hands from her face, desperately searching her eyes as he asked, “Please?”

They said yes louder than her voice ever could.

They waited in tense silence for the sun to sink well below the horizon before they attempted to enact Natsu’s escape. At first, the two wondered where they could go that would keep him hidden enough, but every idea was struck from their minds the second they thought of them. 

The beach?

“Everyone could see us and you're in no condition to walk through the sand.” Lucy pointed out.

The forest clearing?

“... that's even farther out! Plus there’s barely anything nice left after what happened!” Natsu barked non quizzically, eyebrows raised in judgment at Lucy's flushed face, “besides do ya' really wanna go back to where that asshole attacked us?”

“Uh, no... not really,” She winced, “That was stupid, huh?”

“No,” He muttered, scratching the back of his neck and awkwardly looking at a speck on the wall, “Just ... being your weird self.”

Other suggestions came and went with Natsu's voice progressively becoming hoarse until Lucy demanded he merely nod or shake his head in response to her ideas. 'I'm not becoming the reason you can't talk tomorrow!' She had said.

He grumpily agreed, crossing his arms as he fell quiet, mouth practically burning with the want to say his piece. More ideas came and went and just when the two thought they would never find the perfect place, Natsu struck gold. The perfect location.

That he couldn't explain without Lucy cutting him off with a hand to his mouth, hissing angrily at his inability to not cause further damage to his vocal chords. He recalled her last visit where she did the same, and her outcry of disgusted horror when he licked her palm, running to his kitchen to clean her hand while he almost popped a stitch with laughter at her reaction. The temptation to see her reaction again was irresistible.

As if sensing his train of thought Lucy pulled back just in time to witness his tongue peeking between his lips. Her face burned red and she held her hand tightly to her chest. A weird reaction, but he chalked that up to Lucy being Lucy.

”Were you going to lick me? Again?!“

He went to answer, but she snapped, ”Shake yes or no!“

Gods, was this his fate until he was fully healed? Seriously? Not bothering to hide his disdain, Natsu shrugged and rose to his feet instead. If that was how she was going to be, then he wasn't going to answer. Instead, he stopped by the front door and mimed the motions of her following him.

'I'll show you the way, you keep me hidden,' He tried to emphasize, hoping she'd piece it together on her own.

But Lucy was smart. Smarter than him on a good day, he'd wager. Not a second later, she was opening the door and muttering a quiet word under her breath that caused a swirl of magic to burst through the unseen barrier of Freed's runes. Natsu stared, mystified and grunted when he realized the words felt foreign on his tongue and he couldn't put together what she'd said to repeat it himself.

”A passcode Freed gave.“ She explained, winking proudly at him, ”and it only works for the one he gave it to, so good luck trying it yourself! Once we get back, I'll have to put it back up for him.“

Damn them. They really thought of everything, didn't they? Another reason to smack Freed with a pillow, right along with Makarov later when he was recovered. He'd have fun bombing them with feather attacks, he was certain.

But he hadn't much time to consider that thought further as Lucy grasped his hand and gently tugged him out the door, passed the barrier that had been the bane of his existence for nearly a full week and the sense of freedom brought a smile to his face.  

He’d foregone his shoes, not bothering to waste time searching for them and after a week of smooth wooden boards beneath his soles. The quiet crunch of gravel beneath each step was a welcome change. 

This was so much better. He was almost giddy, were he fit he’d dart off down streets like a child. The air outside tasted so much better than he remembered. He didn't think about it when his fingers curled around hers and he began their slow trek along the path, keeping close to the shadows as they made their way up to the decrepit keep. 

If they were going to stargaze as he enjoyed the fresh air, then why not do it from the top of an abandoned watch tower that still basked in the last vestiges of sunlight as the stars began to blot the sky one by one? 

This wasn't the first time Natsu climbed this particular watch tower. Like the clearing in the woods, he had many places he liked to go when he just wanted to exist and nothing more and this was the best view of the entire village without any obstructions from the landscape below.

Today felt as good a day as any to stop existing, especially with the thoughts now tugging at his mind left and right. Teetering on the edges of his perception, Natsu could feel the hints of his nightmare slowly creeping in on him, but over-shadowed was the echoing of a name he'd tried to keep to himself for years.

Igneel was a name he wanted to forget. (It was a lie, but maybe one day he'd believe it.) The fact Lucy now joined the ranks of those who knew of it left him feeling off-kilter. Others knew from when he was a child and unable to control the words spewing from his mouth when he'd wake cold and alone in his home, desperately for any source of comfort, but the name so rarely left him now that hearing it again brought back every negative emotion he fought desperately to hide.

Lucy's grip on his fingers served to ground him, but the moment they began to climb the tower, each thought came rushing in as if a dam had burst. He wanted her to go first, to ensure her leg could handle the ladder up, but she refused. ”Let me take care of you this time.“

Despite the cold chill that ran through him when his hand slipped from hers, her order warmed him from the inside out and became the only barrier he had against the errant thoughts still igniting in his mind.

He stood to the side when he clambered to the top, making room for Lucy to join him. The dwindling light of the sun caresses the edges of his hair while the wind whipped it about in the cool breeze.  Distantly, he realized a few of his bandages had come loose as they fluttered in the air current, but he paid no mind to fixing them. The sunset was far too hypnotizing.

But as it sank away beneath the horizon, he felt a distant pang in his chest that tightened with an unknown emotion. It was nostalgic, in a way, but effervescent, just beyond his reach of understanding. He tore his gaze away, the dull sensation fading as he watched Lucy make it up the final rung.

The wind caused the temperature to drop, but his magic had already begun to replenish itself, faster than his body could heal. It kept him warm, but he caught the sounds of Lucy's teeth chattering. He frowned, irritated. He’d led her up here, how fair was it to let her freeze from his own suggestion?

Lucy wasn't prepared for the way he grabbed her, hands snapping out like a viper to drag her into his hold where his body heat could warm her better than the thin fabric of her dress ever could. 

”H-hey! Natsu, you're injured, you can't be-'' She squeaked as he pulled them to the floor, keeping her seated between his outstretched legs. Wrapping his arms securely around her middle, rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes. He felt Lucy stiffen, too scared to move, afraid she might knock against a wound and-

Colour crept up her neck as he inhaled against her. The slow expansion of his chest was close, it felt as if it were merging with her own. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling, but her mind stretched in too many directions, threatening to overwhelm her. She sputtered, tumbling over her words.

“Natsu- what are you, you really can’t-!” She fell silent when his annoyed breath fanned over her cheek and sharp teeth nipped the edge of her ear in reprimand. His action cut her off  and he rumbled softly at his quiet victory. It was a no win with her if he tried to verbally answer. 

This was quicker, and it got the response out of her he wanted. 

That was better. He pointed out to the sky where there was more night than sunset and spoke an octave lower than usual, just enough to get his point across.

”You take care of me, and I keep you warm,“ He muttered, ”Fair enough?“

”....... I can't believe you bit me.“ Her reply was breathless and for a second, he thought he caught a rasp in her tone. 

”... you're not getting sick, right?“ He asked.

“No!“ Her elbow nudged him just enough to serve as a warning and she stubbornly looked to the sky. If not for the way she sat stiff as a statue, he would have laughed at the way her face had turned tomato red. 

He'd take her word on it….. for now.

What more could he do to chase the errant thoughts plaguing his mind away? Pulling her close worked better than their held hands and he found himself distracted by the golden gleam in her hair rather than the stars sparkling above them. 

A comforting silence fell between them, one that Natsu reveled in. He wasn't certain what thoughts rampaged through Lucy's mind, or what she did during the times he couldn't see her, but in that moment, it was just the two of them. Much as it had been in the forests after the landslide. He could properly ascertain her safety for himself and the restlessness that was ever present shrank to non existence. 

Almost too comforting, in fact, as his eyes began to drift shut as the sun finally set and the glow of the waning moon shone above them. He struggled to stay awake, annoyed at his body for becoming exhausted so quickly. 

Luckily, for him, Lucy provided the perfect distraction, fiddling with the loose bandages. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”

“Do what?” He mumbled.

“Bite me,” She muttered, ears so red he could feel the heat coming off her in waves, “It’s not something you should do to just- ugh, never mind. Would you like to see more constellations?”

Although confused by the sudden change in topic, Natsu smiled into her hair, eyes shining as he watched her point to the stars above, “... are they different from last time we were on the beach together?”

“Of course they are,” She lectured, voice warm with recollection, “the stars move and change just as we do. You just have to know where to look.” 

His eyes widened in curiosity, feeling a strange familiarity with the words. “That makes sense.”

They fell into a companionable embrace, with Lucy pointing to different constellations, naming each one she recognized. Natsu watched, eyes blinking from weariness as he rested against her shoulder. It melted away their myriad of thoughts that tangled their emotions and mired them in emotions they weren’t ready to traverse. This was a comfort, a moment of peace. A little world just for them. It was perfect. 

Lucy squirmed in her spot from time to time, biting her lip as she struggled to remember each cluster of stars. The memories of her childhood faded away in the fog of her mind; She looked above as if they were family, but the names were shadows of their former selves and she constantly questioned the accuracy of her words. 

But Natsu sat and listened with quiet hums of encouragement, surprisingly patient as she considered each star. Despite her earlier embarrassment of his lack of personal space, Lucy found herself sinking further against him, basking in the heat his body presented. 

Spring still kept a chill in the air, despite the warning of summer already looming close and while she probably didn't need Natsu acting as her blanket, she quietly appreciated it. Their moment of peace as she pointed out her next favorite constellation served as the distraction they both needed from errant thoughts. 

“There's Centaurus,” She mumbled, pleased to finally remember the name, “One of the larger ones you can see this time of year and the smallest... Oh! There he is!“ She changed direction, pointing a little further away, eyes gleaming, ”Old Man Crux!“ 

Natsu snickered into her shoulder, voice a low rumble in his amusement, “Old man, huh? He got a beard like the geezer too?”

Her pout was unmistakable, feeling embarrassed, ”Don't make fun of me. I was taught these when I was little, and seeing them as actual beings was how I remembered them.“

Another rumble followed, “Not makin’ fun, just.. noticing... that's all.“

”Keep that up and I won't share Corvus or Musica with you,“ she snipped without any heat. When Natsu's reply was to nuzzle against her shoulder as he chuckled, she decided to turn her attention back to the stars, eyes already scanning for the mentioned constellations.

But something, just under her inner voice, quietly tugged at her. A gentle pull that led her gaze to an altogether different cluster. A familiarity she couldn't name warmed her soul and a soft spoken voice seemed to call out to her. 

'You can introduce us, can't you?' The voice urged and Lucy was pointing it out before she could consider it further, ”And that one... the maiden, Virgo. I haven't seen her in awhile.”

When did she last take the time to study the stars she once knew so well?

She could hardly remember, but the pull faded with her acknowledgment and Lucy felt a little more brave than she had moments ago.

“There ya' go again,” Natsu mumbled, sounding half asleep, nuzzling his face into the side of her neck. She was almost offended. His wounds needed all the rest he could get and the fact he was relaxed so much filled Lucy with pride, but... there was something else, something the star above seemed to share strength with her to do.

“I'm so sorry,” Her voice came out in a half-breath, chest heaving as tears stung the corner of her eyes. She didn't wait for Natsu to respond. A part of her hoped he had fallen to sleep and would miss it entirely, but the need to get it out into the air was too strong to deny herself, “for bringing up bad memories.”

The look upon his face when she'd said that name, she knew it well.

The broken emptiness that came from a loss you couldn't stop and still wrestled to accept. Her clan was gone, but even he held a loss so deep inside that his silent need for comfort couldn't be contained even in sleep. It was all too easy to feel that guilt rise up, threatening to strangle her with its many tendrils.

A part of her knew the apology was more to make herself feel better, but she hoped, if Natsu heard it, he'd take it for what it was and not mistake her apology as a way to bring the topic up again. The way his gaze broke when she asked was more than enough for Lucy and she didn't wish to witness a repeat of it. 

Lowering her hand, eyes still watching the Virgo constellation above them, she listened to Natsu's breathing even out behind her. The way his breath ghosted the back of her neck and his arms loosened their hold around her waist. All signs of rest, but the fact didn't calm her nerves. Everything felt jittery, both inside and out and Lucy struggled to name the cause of it.

“Sometimes... I wonder why you or anyone else put up with me,” She admitted quietly, allowing the freedom of Natsu's sleep to say the words she kept hidden, “but I suppose Porly was right.. It's unfair if I decide to leave just because I feel guilty over how kind all of you are. So, I'll think on it a little longer, okay?” Natsu snorted quietly behind her, his head lolling slightly in his slumber.

Maybe she wasn't half as brave as she felt.

Maybe it's better this way, She thought, sighing as she curled in on herself, holding her legs tight against her chest. 'But... how long until I have to wake him?' 

They had to go back eventually, if only to keep her replacement from knowing what she'd done. Perhaps allowing him to walk out before Porlyusica had given the go ahead wasn't the greatest of plans, but Lucy couldn't bring herself to regret the decision.  He had done the same for her, after all. 

For now, she'd let him rest, and enjoy the stars above in silence. The stars of Virgo blinked back, as if agreeing with the idea and she peered upon each constellation through her lashes, turning her focus inward to the depths of the magic that curled around her soul. 

She still couldn't use it properly, not yet, but the ability to access it was a comfort. One she hadn't properly thanked Natsu for yet. Vowing to thank him when the time came, she visualized the golden glow of her abilities spreading out to envelope her, fingers curling to play with its energy. 

Once upon a time, Makarov asked if she had learned to speak with the stars as her clan did and she had to deny it. Now, she wondered... if she focused harder, could she hear them again? She knew now what the voices were that gave whispered warnings in the back of her mind, but could she bring them out herself?

“Tell me how to hear you.” She pleaded quietly, urging her magic to spread further out like a beacon, “Please... Virgo, you spoke once, didn't you? I actually heard that? Let me hear you again.”

Silence ticked by with crickets chirping a chorus beneath them, but the constellations above merely blinked in answer. If there was something to say, it wasn't now.  Lucy drew the magic back in, panting from the exertion and sighed.

“... next time, then.” She hoped. 

Natsu didn't know when he'd fallen asleep, but he remembered Lucy's quiet voice, and what he thought was an apology. The words had slurred on the tip of his tongue and when he had meant to reply, had turned into a soft snore. The position wasn't the most comfortable, but the shared heat, fresh air and listening to a voice that wasn't lecturing him had soothed his bones in more ways than one.

And while he still felt the bitterness of past memories on his tongue, he wanted nothing more than to shove it back into the depths of his mind to stay buried. His sleep was both restful and an attempt to run away from exhausting memories.  Thinking too much was always tiring and Lucy's voice served as a lullaby for the Draconis.

Unfortunately, his sleep wasn't long, as a familiar scent traversed the wind and knocked against his nose, forcing his eyes to open. Lucy was still in his arms,a pleasant surprise despite her being stiffer than she had been before, but wide awake. She'd stopped talking at some point. (To give him more rest, he figured.) And the natural smell that came from her was unchanged.

So why did he smell blood? And Erza? (It took him a couple, nose scrunching moments to realize it wasn't hers, but the fact he couldn't pinpoint whose it belonged to was just as frustrating.) It called for him to awaken as he swung his head, swiveling to and fro to judge distance and location.

The front gate and coming up fast. Relief at Erza's safety was short lived as he caught more scents on the wind, pulling a low growl from his throat that startled Lucy from her reverie.

“What is it? Did you have a nightmare?” She asked, but he didn't have the attention to answer, pushing her aside gently to drag himself to his feet. 

He wobbled at first, tightening his hold on the old railing as he trusted it to support his weight. He was still disoriented from his inopportune nap, but while this watchtower was not in use, it still had a good view of the main gate and as the scent grew stronger, he knew he had to see for himself what was happening.

The current warriors on duty already leapt into action, opening the gate and casting orders. Their voices echoed in the distance, but Natsu caught the words with relative ease. Informing Makarov was paramount, of course, but that wasn't the news he wanted. His hackles raised as he tried to spy Kage in her entourage, his old anger refueling from his failures.

Lucy said something, but he didn't catch the words, too attuned to the group below them, but he was aware of her hand on his shoulder. It was gentle enough, but sent a shudder down his nerves regardless: the wounds still too sensitive. Her hasty apology was felt rather than heard and he grunted his acceptance.

“Erza's back.” He said, unsure if Lucy had even asked, but she moved by his side quickly enough, attempting to see the commotion down below as well. 

He doubted her ears could catch what he did, however. 

“Is she okay?”

“Smells like it.” He said, nose wrinkling in disdain as Kage's scent finally struck his nose. “She got the bastard!”

While he assumed Lucy would be happy with the knowledge, her silence spoke volumes. His own mood had dampened as rage began to fuel the fire in his mind. Kage was wounded, he could tell that much, but Erza had brought him back alive: something the Draconis wanted to rectify as soon as possible.

What reason could there be to leave the asshole alive after his attempts on their lives? 

But as much as he wanted to dart off, the aches of his body refused to allow it and Lucy grasping his wrist grounded him enough to reality. He wasn't supposed to be out yet. (As if he'd care about that.) But Lucy stuck her neck out for him. He didn’t dare risk getting her in trouble. Still growling, he pulled her and himself down just enough to hide from view and still keep an eye on the events down below.

He didn't care if he was caught but Lucy... something told him she needed a win and this was the best way to get her one. “Stay down.“ He rasped.

”You don't need to tell me that!“ She hissed in return, ”we shouldn't even be here. Maybe we should head back...“

”No. Their path is right under us,“ He shook his head, knowing Lucy could piece it together faster than he could. Ignoring her as she began to ramble concerns under her breath, he stretched his neck as far as his wounds could allow and tried to piece together what was happening.

It was definitely Erza, with Kage bound on a makeshift sled of wood and vines trailing behind her. But the blood came from two sources and while he could care less the extent of Kage's injuries, he didn't recognize the other man limping beside her with a brown hood draped over his face. One who smelt eerily of starlight beneath the stench of blood.

First she left Kage alive and now she was bringing strangers into the village? What was Erza thinking?

Gooseflesh prickled atop his skin as the wind picked up, Lucy pressing herself closer to his side to escape the chill but it was something else that made him shiver.

There was a  fourth scent just  behind the three, one that Natsu hoped for once in his life was his nose playing tricks. But the taste of iron- sharp as a blade- cut through the muddled scents of the forest standing on the edge of woods just outside in wait. 

The metallic tint that struck him sent signals flaring in his mind as his fingers dug sharp indentations into the watchtower rails. 

It was familiar, dredging up  memories of his youth and yet he couldn’t place a name to the scent that made his stomach churn. It didn’t matter though. No matter who it was, the troubles this held in store for him almost made his magic flare out of control.  The urge to ignite the forest was rising, roaring to be followed. 

What Natsu wasn't aware of, was that familiar scent had caught his own, holding a steady gaze up over the gate to the unused watchtower, a studded brow drawn close in confusion. The tall man's red eyes widened as memories of a childhood long gone flickered in his mind. 

Now this was interesting. The one left on the edge of the forest, outside of the village, couldn't stop the smirk that split across his face.

‘Looks like we're gonna have a change of plans,’ Gajeel thought.

[sakurastarkey]

Page 84

[v4mpgutz]

⊹₊ ⋆ CUT & SEWN JUST FOR: anonymous

₊˚꒰🩰꒱‧ LACY BRALETTES : rafe cameron, in ward's office.

⊹˚. ౨ৎ 𝟑𝐃, 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

❝ i wanna see it in motion, in 3d. 'cause you know how i like it girl, 3d. ❞

warnings — nsfw, fem reader, soft-ish rafe, slight exhibitionism, established relationship, degradation, praise, use of the c word, fingering, no actual piv.

1,002 words.

"c'mon baby," rafe caressed your arms gently as he had you backed up against ward's desk. all sorts of things that you and rafe couldn't care less about were sprawled over the hard wood.

"what's the matter, huh?" he teased with a smirk as he leant in to nip at your neck. "you were all over me before."

you frantically looked around ward's office, the windows wide open. the door wasn't even completely shut and rafe was here groping you in his father's office. "rafe!" you whined with panicked eyes, "ward could come back from golfing any minute!"

you watched as your boyfriend just licked his teeth, getting closer to your face.

"that just makes it all the more exciting," he cooed before gently biting down on your bottom lip as he pulled you into a searing kiss.

rafe pressed himself further into you, one hand running down your back before grabbing a fistful of your ass as the other tugged your hair slightly. he picked you up by the thighs and set you on ward's desk, hands moving to cup your face and deepen the kiss.

small moans spilt from your lips as rafe pushed his tongue into your mouth, licking at everywhere he could reached before pulling your body and manhandling you so you were bent over ward's desk.

"rafe—" you gasped as he reached a hand under your skirt, his fingers tracing over your clothed slit, slick with your arousal.

"fuck, sweets." rafe chuckled, his voice raspy from the prolonged kiss. "so wet for me. so eager to get this little pussy full, hm?"

you let out a whimper as rafe slid your panties to the side, his middle and ring finger running through your folds as he gathered your wetness before rubbing circles onto your clit.

"rafe!" you moaned, your whole body shivering at the sensation. it'd been a while since you both did anything other than makeout so you were extra sensitive. every soft or fast movement made you melt in his grip, his middle finger dipping into your entrance every time he made another circle.

rafe hummed and leant down to press a kiss to your shoulderblade, slipping his middle finger into your cunt. you shuddered as he curled his finger upwards, hitting the spongy, most sensitive spot inside of you.

"shit," rafe laughed as he worked his finger teasingly slow. "suckin' me in and i've only got one finger in there."

you couldn't help the way you clenched around him, wiggling your hips and pushing yourself back onto him as he fingered you. you let out a yelp when his free hand came down hard on your ass with a smack, soothing the redness with a rub.

"you stay still for me. let me do the work, huh? gonna be a good girl f'me?" rafe asked, lips close to your ear as he paused his hand movements.

"yes!" you whined and closed your eyes tight, your arms giving out from holding yourself up as he started rubbing on your clit again. rafe nodded in satisfaction before slipping another finger into your entrance, continuing his assault on your clit.

your fingers clawed at the desk as you let out soft moans, mouth shut through the way you chewed your bottom lip as though not to get caught.

the knot in your stomach grew increasingly tighter as rafe worked his fingers, your eyes rolling around at the pleasure.

"nuh-uh," rafe tutted and reached forward with the hand that was rubbing your ass. he grabbed ahold of your jaw and turned your head slightly so you could see his face. he chuckled as he caught sight of your teary eyes and the little bit of drool at the corner of your mouth.

"c'mon, you wanna cum?" rafe asked with a pout in false sympathy, "gotta make some noise or you're not gettin' anything, sweets."

rafe almost moaned at the way you tightened up with his words, you were clearly restraining yourself from pushing back onto him again.

not wanting him to take away your orgasm, you loosened the bite on your lip as let out any noises once again. moans, groans and whimpers all escaping your lips as your legs shook.

"atta girl," rafe grinned with a laugh and sped up his fingers. "such a good little whore for me, huh?"

you gripped the edge of the desk so hard your knuckles turned white, so close to your release. "rafe! mmh, 'm so close! gon— shit! gonna cum!"

your boyfriend didn't slow his relentless pace, starting to press down slightly on your clit as he rubbed. "i bet you were hoping we'd get caught this whole time, right? wanted my pops to see how i claim you? hm?"

you shook your head in denial before your whole body shook and you tried to lift your hips away from rafe as your orgasm hit.

"fuck!" you gasped as your pussy clenched and unclenched on his fingers, your cream coating them.

rafe groaned and kissed your neck softly, slowing his fingers down to help you through your orgasm as you squealed and writhed before him.

"s'too much, rafe!" you whined and he nodded, slipping his fingers out and moving his thumb away from your sensitive clit.

rafe laughed as he gently turned you around, kissing your lips and forehead. he hummed as he blotted your sweaty face with a tissue.

"you okay, baby?" rafe asked, his eyes softer now.

you gave a nod as he pulled you up into his arms, hugging you close to his chest as you stayed seated on the desk.

"good," he smiled softly. "let's get you cleaned up, huh baby?"

"what about you?" you asked him with a frown, feeling slightly guilty as he was obviously still hard.

"don't worry about me, this was all for you. c'mon, let me take care of you, alright?" he cocked a brow and you knew not to question him so you nodded in agreement.

"there's my good girl."

RIVER'S BLURB: i'm a little rusty when it comes to full smut oneshots but this was so fun to write jansndnd, i hope this SOMEWHAT meets expectations. thank you for the request !! <3

[xanvasofxords]

“Huh what?”

Natsu tilts his head in confusion. She’s furrowing her brows in a cutesy way. The dragon slayer feels something in his stomach flutter because of it. It doesn’t bother him anymore though, for this has happened way too many times before.

Hands on her hips, Lucy asks, “Do you ever think before speaking?”

Natsu rolls his eyes with a shrug. He didn’t say anything wrong, in fact he corrected the guy by pointing out how genes work. Their kids will either have pink hair like him or blonde hair like Lucy. He thought she’d be happy knowing he’s more intelligent than some salon-guy.

“What did I say wrong?” He crosses his arms and leans into her space. Lucy’s face heats up from the close proximity.

The celestial mage was actually very surprised when her idiot of a partner started talking about genetics. But that really isn’t the issue. It’s just moments like this give her false hope. That maybe he feels something for her, maybe he does see her as more than a friend. But she knows he’s not on the same page.

Natsu loves her too much but it’s the same way he loves any other member of the guild. And honestly, she’s happy just being his closest friend for the rest of her life. Their friendship is the most important thing and she won’t ruin it for the sake of her feelings.

She just doesn’t want him to make things harder for her. She’s trying so hard to move on and it hurts when she constantly has to remind herself that he doesn’t feel the same. She doesn’t want him to talk about their future kids knowing it will never happen, no matter how much she wants it to.

“Earth to Lucy?” Natsu waves a hand before her, “What’re ya thinking about?”

Lucy sighs and looks up at him again. “Nothing. Leave it, Natsu.”

And he doesn’t, instead pulls her closer to him and kisses her forehead. Lucy relaxes into his chest, almost forgets about the mental storm from a moment ago. She knows he’s trying to comfort her as always. It means nothing...

“I didn’t know your favorite color changed from pink to blue.”

“What?”

“It’s okay. We can just adopt a little one with blue hair, if that’s what you want.”