#nalu is mood

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Lucy: If you were to die, what would your last words be? Natsu: I love you Lucy: Aww, me too! Lucy: What about you, Gray? Gray: Finally. Erza: No.

[azriaann]

my nalu will Always be phoenix priestess nalu. i do not respect 100 yq nalu… that is not them… like they do not fuck around when it comes to each other and I WISH that the writers would make good on that🙄 anyway sorry i’m doodling nalu and i was like am i being too ooc and then i remembered that canon nalu is also ooc so i’m right basically!

[metriawaves]

for you, no matter when, i’ll always give you a smile so please always hold my hand fairy tail opening theme 10 - i wish

[balkanbitch]

Thinking about fairy tail again and I just have to say one thing

Demisexual biromantic Natsu is canon

[iwantedyou-toknow]

I love carrying you like this

[celestialulu]

missing nalu rn

[oulkheir]

kinda hot take but you guys are so desperate for nalu because i'm just not shipping something that has vanished in a spin off anymore. why bother waiting for them to get canon when they had nearly 0 development for almost 200 chapters?

let's keep enjoying the delicious writing of their pair in the main series i swear you'll stop being mad at mashima

[bumblebeehug]

A Way Into Your Heart

Summary: After a friendly night out, Natsu and Lucy connect under the street lights. Notes: I just wanted to write about them kissing. I have no other excuse for not writing on my last nalu week fanfic - I just wanted them to smooch for ten pages, so that's what I did! Ao3

***

Lucy was feeling hot. She was currently mushed between a fire dragon slayer and a very sweaty Ichya at the bar. The Fairy Tail guild had been invited to yet another event that they didn't deserve to go to. Even if they helped save Christina from getting destroyed by enemies, the town beneath the flying ship hadn't been as lucky. Still, Blue Pegasus were persistent that they had to thank Fairy Tail, so here they all were, crammed into a semi big pub in the outskirts of Magnolia, drinking and celebrating yet another victory.

"You okay?" Natsu leaned towards Lucy and whispered in her ear. The blast of hot air made Lucy sweat.

"It's weird that he doesn't smell bad," Lucy complained, adding a slight nod towards Ichya. As she glanced towards him she noticed that he was flaring his nostrils and bending towards her. She could only cringe. "He's smelling me…"

Natsu poked his head forward and gave Ichya a menacing stare. Sadly, Ichya was far too drunk to care. When Natsu's tactic to scare him away didn't work, he slid off the bar stool and pulled Lucy away.

"That creep," he muttered, placing a protective arm over Lucy's shoulders. "How hasn't he gotten locked up yet?"

Lucy let out a small giggle.

"It's not against the law to be weird. Plus, he's dating my great grandmother, he can't be that crazy."

Natsu huffed in response.

"Don't brag 'bout having a weirdo family tree."

Lucy stuck out her tongue. No matter how close they got, or how long their friendship lasted, Natsu would never stop calling her that. She wouldn't be surprised if he wrote R.I.P. Weirdo on her headstone one day.

On another note, Lucy was craving a new drink. She had only gotten halfway on her previous one since Natsu pulled her away, so after some coercion she got him to pay for her new one.

"I'll get us some seats," she said, pushing him back towards the bar, along with a small prayer that he wouldn't get carried away and confront Ichya. That could only lead to the fire alarm going off, best case, or worst, the bar turning into ashes, which would definitely ruin the festive mood. After scanning the tables she noticed a table for two where one guy had fallen asleep. The many empty beer glasses in front of him indicated that his night out was coming to an end. Lucy threaded over to him, careful not to bump into anyone with a drink in their hand. A sticky dress wasn't pleasant.

"Excuse me, sir?" Lucy spoke loudly in hope that he hadn't fallen asleep just yet. After a couple of pokes he finally looked at her. "Sir, could my friend and I use this table?"

The man looked like he was going through the worst kind of drunk — the kind where he'll wake up the next morning in a bush with his pants halfway down, wondering why his lip is hurting and soon learning that some other drunk guy tried to pierce it with a safety pin. He had left a puddle of drool on the table in front of him, and it was obvious that Lucy's words didn't connect. They had gone in through one ear and out the other. Still, she tried again, being sure to keep her distance, just in case.

"Could we have this table?" She shouted this time, finally hearing her own voice over the myriad of others. That seemed to go through to the man as well.

"Y-yearh…" he slurred, slowly standing up from the chair, knocking down multiple glasses in the process. Good thing they were plastic and not glass. "Hu… here ya' go sweetie…"

Lucy smiled politely as thanks. She wasn't exactly scared of drunk people — most of them were quite kind, and she knew that if anything were to happen, she'd have two guilds and all her spirits to back her up. Still, she preferred to not start a commotion. Natsu didn't have a reputation for staying calm and collected when people bothered her.

Luckily the guy left before Natsu came with the drinks. The table itself was disgusting, but it was nice not having to sit all crammed in between people in the bar. Besides, a waitress was quick to spot them, wiping down the table and bringing the used glasses with her.

"One pornstar martini for you," Natsu said, placing a pretty reddish orange drink in front of her, "and a whiskey on the rocks for me." Lucy smiled brightly.

"Thanks!" She picked up the rounded martini glass and held it up. "Here's a toast then, for a free drink!"

"And for finding a table," Natsu added, picking up his glass as well.

"And for Christina!"

"And toast to another victory for Fairy Tail!"

"Hear hear," Lucy said, giving Natsu's glass a small clink before finally tasting her drink. It was a delicious blend of sweet passion fruit, mixed with vanilla vodka and a splash of lime. She let out a squeak in delight — few things made her happier than an alcoholic drink where she couldn't taste the alcohol. They may be dangerous, but she saw no joy in consuming drinks with that bitter spiciness. "This is delicious! What's it called, did you say?"

"Pornstar martini!" Natsu leaned slightly over the table to ensure that he was heard.

"What a vulgar name…" Lucy muttered under her breath, confirming to Natsu that she had heard him. It sure was convenient that he had that excellent hearing — way less shouting. "How was yours?"

"Pretty good," Natsu said, "wanna taste?"

Lucy couldn't resist the offer. She knew she wouldn't enjoy it herself, but after drinking with Natsu for a few years, she learned that different whiskeys had different tastes. Some were quite sweet and fruity, others had nutty notes. With a tiny sip from this glass, she learned that he had gotten his favourite kind — the one with spicy and smoky notes. She made a face.

"Bleh! It's your type of drink, alright," she confirmed, sticking out her tongue to lessen the strong taste. The most she could enjoy whiskey was if it was as a highball or a whiskey sour — she avoided straight on the rocks as the plague. Luckily, she always had Natsu to drink them for her if she was served any.

"What an ugly face!" Natsu laughed, snickering at her scrunched facial expression.

"It's unnatural to be calm after drinking something like that," she countered with a sour face, trying to hide the smile in the corner of her mouth. "At least my drink resembles something edible instead of sharing more similarities with gasoline than a drink." This time Natsu was the one to poke out his tongue.

"Let me taste yours then," he dared her.

"Fine." She slid her drink over, watching him take a sip.

"Too sweet," Natsu said, contorting his face to further prove his point. "It's just sugar! Makes my teeth feel icky."

"It's not just sugar! It's fruity and sour and has that perfect amount of vanilla flavour to it. Don't pride yourself in having uncultured taste buds."

They always ended up bantering like this when they shared drinks, but Lucy found it to be pleasant banter. The kind she remembered when she woke up the next morning, earning a giggle, thinking of all the fun retorts that had been said. She knew that Natsu shared her sentiment, not letting his soft facial expressions go past her. Even when he tried to rile her up by blowing raspberries and feigning annoyed sighs, she could see how his eyes were squinted together into a constant smile. She never felt like she had to second guess their friendship.

Four drinks and three shots later, they decided it was time to head back to Lucy's apartment. Natsu wasn't as much of a lightweight as Lucy, but even he felt the effects from having one too many vanilla vodka shots. Plus, the constant blush on Lucy's face and her jokes that were gradually getting flirtier were enough for Natsu to close the tab for the night.

He stood up from his chair and swiftly helped Lucy up as well. She was still giggling at a joke she had said ten minutes earlier and was swaying like crazy once she stood up. As the pub was still crowded, Natsu held a tight and steady arm around her as they made their way to Makarov and Bob's table. Even though he'd never let anything bad happen on the way home, he felt like it was good to inform them that they were leaving.

"Natsu," Lucy called out, squirming around in his grip around her, trying to face his ear. "Doesn't Master Bob's head look like a chestnut?" She whispered silently, making sure not to be heard by anyone other than him. When her lips accidentally brushed against Natsu's earlobe he felt a violent shiver – a pleasant, but violent shiver throughout his body.

"I wouldn't tell him that though," Natsu answered, leading to a new fit of giggles from Lucy. After all, he agreed with her statement.

After giving the supposed responsible adults a heads up, Natsu could finally lead Lucy out of the premises. The cool night breeze was heavenly after having breathed the same air as at least a hundred other drunkards for hours. Some fresh air was precisely what Lucy seemed to need as well, since she sobered up quite a bit from just stepping outside. She was still clearly loopy, but at least she wasn't laughing like a crazy person anymore.

"Finally, some air!" Lucy exclaimed, stretching the one arm that wasn't glued to Natsu's upper body. He still hadn't let go of her – for all he knew, she could have been too drunk to walk straight. Though as soon as he noticed that that wasn't the case, he lightened his grip around her, settling for resting his arm over her shoulder. That way she wouldn't be out of reach if she stumbled and fell.

"Our friends really know how to party," Natsu said with a big grin. He really loved having fun with everyone – it was an unparalleled bonding experience in his eyes.

"Yeah they do," Lucy giggled, resting her head against Natsu's shoulder. "By the way, who won the shot contest before?"

"Cana 'fcourse."

"But she wasn't in the contest," she puzzled, furrowing her eyebrows in an attempt to piece it all together.

"You think she cared 'bout that?"

"Ah, of course not."

They continued walking in silence for a while. The pub they had been to was on the opposite side of Magnolia, though luckily Lucy's place was pretty much right in the middle. They hadn't walked on this side of Strawberry Street in a long time – last time must have been back when Lucy, Natsu and Happy had just formed a team and Natsu and Happy had taken her sightseeing in the city. Most stores and pubs were between Fairy Tail and Lucy's apartment though, so on this side there were mostly residents. Still, the river was as thrilling as always to a drunk Lucy. She managed to slither her way out of his grip four times, attempting to balance the ledge. Natsu, however, absolutely couldn't let her do that. He wasn't sober enough to tend to her like he usually could, so the risks were too high.

"Come on," she whined after being caught again, giving the o an emphasis. "I've never fallen in, you know that!"

"Yeah well that's 'cus I always catch ya'!"

Before Lucy could slip out of his half embrace for the fifth time, Natsu took a firm grip of her hand. Rough in his motion, he brought their hands up in front of her face, making sure she saw him holding on tightly.

"I'm not letting ya' go this time." His eyebrows weighed heavily on his eyelids as he tried to emphasise his annoyance with her. Of course, he wasn't actually annoyed, but if he looked like he was joking, Lucy would just giggle and continue struggling. He'd gone through this before.

Lucy wasn't blind. She saw the smirk in the corner of his mouth, but she decided to follow his lead this time.

"Fiiine." She quickly stuck out her tongue at him before she looked forward again. They had already gotten quite far, they'd be home in just under ten minutes.

It only took a couple of steps before Natsu softened his grip around Lucy's hand. With the new motion range she'd received, she swiftly changed the position, braiding her fingers into his. Another couple of steps and she felt a soft caress against the back of her hand. Natsu's rough, warm thumb, rhythmically moving. His hand was warm, she noticed. Well, of course it would be. It was Natsu after all. She rarely held colder hands, other than Levy's now and then when they were sharing excitement over a new book arriving in their library. Levy's hands however were small and soft, nothing like Natsu's. She was once again made aware of the fact that he wasn't just another girlfriend she hung out with – he was a man. Broad shoulders, big square hands, feet several sizes bigger than hers. Most days she wore heels, but when they were in her apartment, only socks on their feet, she noticed that she had to bend her neck a little bit further back when talking to him. He wasn't the tallest man, but he was over half a head taller than her.

Even with the cool breeze outside she felt her cheeks getting warm. She'd blame it on the booze if he asked her, but she knew very well that she was getting flustered. Natsu was a really cool guy after all, chiselled features and fierce, fiery eyes.

To distract herself she started swinging their hands. It started out mild, but soon enough she noticed Natsu was in on it and the swinging motion rapidly became comically big. Since Natsu didn't hold back on his strength he almost lifted Lucy up in the air on the upswing.

"Eeeek!" Lucy's high pitched shriek left Natsu in a fit of snickers, though he stopped swinging his arm.

Lucy had to find her balance again. Even if she wasn't wearing her highest heels, the ones she wore were thin and extremely wobbly on the cobblestoned path.

"To think that you'd be the one who would try to throw me in the river, out of all people," she teased, leaning her weight on him.

"Thought ya' wanted the lesson," he countered, leaning back. He couldn't help but love Drunk Lucy's cravings to be physically close. She never declined holding his hand or hugging him when she was tipsy, hell, she usually begged for cuddles. Though, to be fair, he hadn't exactly tried to hold her hand very often while sober, either, so she wasn't the one to blame for that.

Just then Lucy saw a familiar brick wall in the distance, dimly lit up by the sparsely placed street lights surrounding the area.

"Hey, we're home!" She started picking up the pace, eager to wash up and surround herself with her warm blankets. Soon they were in front of the building, and Lucy started digging for her keys in her purse. She just managed to get the key into the door before she turned around to say something to Natsu.

As soon as she spun her head around though, she got stopped in her tracks. Whatever she just wanted to say flew straight out of her head. He looked gorgeous. His hair was a bit messy from the long night, and his usual styled bang was hanging down over his forehead. The light from the street lamp behind him, made his hair lit up like a halo around him. And his face, she couldn't recall a time he had looked at her this softly. His lips were curved into a gentle, mild smile, and his eyes were practically sparkling. For a second it looked like he was going to say something, but it seemed like he had stopped himself mid thought. Instead his head tilted the slightest to its left, gaining an observing gaze. He was thinking of something, and she couldn't quite tell what.

Lucy looked like a puppy, Natsu realised. Her eyes resembled gemstones, glimmering between a deep chestnut colour and a lighter amber tone. He could stare at them all night, though, sooner or later she would probably want to go to sleep. For now though she had this questioning look to her. She was smiling, but her eyebrows were slightly raised, as if she was inviting him to ask her anything – tell her anything. He almost felt dizzy looking at her, her hair was giving this golden sheen, her skin looked airbrushed with that pinkish blush on the apples of her cheeks. She was angelic. Before he had noticed, he was hovering slightly over her. Had he gone a centimetre closer their noses would have bumped together.

Suddenly he got this urge. A question he had to ask her, something he'd never let pass his lips if he had taken one less whiskey tonight.

"Can I kiss you?"

The air between them stood still. In fact, they could swear the time stood still as well. Lucy was processing his words, and Natsu was waiting for an answer. A yes, a smile, even half a nod would suffice. And there it was. Lucy had wetted her lips.

She barely had time to take a breath before Natsu crashed his mouth against hers. For some reason she was surprised – she thought the moment had called for a soft, fluttery kiss, but soon her surprise was drowned in awe. After all, this was her very first kiss. She wanted to be in the moment. The initial crash had been the most forceful part. Natsu quickly adapted, moulding his lips against hers with a soft motion to it. One of his hands had been cupping her cheek when he first brought his face to hers, and now his other hand was on her waist, pulling her entire body closer to his.

Lucy, who felt like she was melting under his hot touch, was quick to wrap her arms around his neck in an attempt to hoist herself up, getting tangled up in his scarf. His mouth was burning hot, but just cool enough for her not to want to pull away, and at the edge of his lips she could feel his stubble scratching her. How could they have waited so long to do this?

She hadn't yet gotten the hang of breathing while kissing yet though, so soon she had to pat out. While panting for air, she noticed that Natsu was still bent over, giving light pecks on her cheek, continuing down, kissing a trail along her jaw. As he neared her ear he gave her a nibble, earning a giggle that could easily have been confused with a gasp to someone with an untrained ear. She could feel her entire body tingling, every fluttery graze from Natsu's lips leaving her with goosebumps. Did he know the effect this had on her? That she couldn't help but to get confused about what their relationship was currently. What were they doing?

When Natsu noticed that Lucy had catched her breath, he picked his head up from being buried in her neck. The eyes he earlier had compared to a puppy's glimpse, were now darkened in a seductive gaze. Her rosy, now plump, lips were slightly parted as an aftereffect of her panting, and he suddenly had to know what they tasted. They looked so soft, no – they were evidently soft, so certainly they had to be sweet as well. Her lip gloss, though smudged from him having mushed it around, made her look appetising.

Once again Natsu closed their distance, though this time he left his mouth slightly open. He just wanted to see if those lips really were as sweet as they looked. Lucy, who still was in a daze, having closed her eyes to invite him to further action, suddenly became aware of what he was doing. Natsu's tongue brushed over Lucy's bottom lip. She could feel her heartbeat pick up – she had never felt another person's tongue on her mouth. That didn't mean she didn't like it: if anything she wanted to do the same to him. Lick him, see what sensations he could give her, what she could give him.

On accident, Lucy's tongue met Natsu's. She was about to retreat it back into her mouth when she felt Natsu's tongue enter her mouth completely. The bodily reactions she had to his action was like nothing she had ever felt before – hadn't she known better, she would think she was about to get eaten. Devoured by the lust that had taken over their brains. Natsu tasted like smoke and whiskey, and she wondered if he could feel the aftertaste of the drinks she had had as well. Lucy quickly decided that she couldn't just be on the receiving side. She brought her hands to his head, did a combing motion through his hair that almost stopped Natsu in his tracks, and when he no longer dominated their combined mouthspace, Lucy pushed forward her own tongue. She started exploring his mouth, examining every single part of that grin that she found in all her happiest dreams. This was Natsu, no frowns, no barriers, nothing that kept space between them. They were melting together into one.

Natsu had been caught off guard when Lucy's slender fingers started combing through his hair. A motion he had always connected to being soothed while motion sick, was now edging him on, giving him the extra courage to go all in. As Lucy's tongue searched around in his mouth, feeling the sharp canines with its tip, Natsu started sucking hers in retaliation. Kissing reminded him of sparring, in a way – a balance between fighting for the upper hand and learning to give up when the other clearly was winning.

Their arms had been flailing around for the past five minutes, tugging and pulling at their partner. Lucy was busy holding on to Natsu's shoulders, sometimes trailing down to rest on his chiselled chest, but mostly finding themselves back around Natsu's face – cupping his cheeks, getting her fingers tangled up in his soft hair, drawing small circles on the back of his neck, all things that made Natsu feel like he was going insane. How could her soft touches have such huge impacts? But he absolutely wasn't complaining, he was soaking everything up, wanting to remember every detail. He was totally wrapped around her finger.

Lucy shared his sentiment, as Natsu's hands had been trailing down her waist, sometimes staying there in a massaging motion, sometimes going down further to grip her hips. Then she found him going back up again, cupping her face, bringing her so close that not an atom could pass by. She was obsessed. He was pressing his entire body against her, even putting a leg between hers, resulting in a very embarrassing moan from Lucy.

This entire time that they had been kissing, Lucy hadn't heard a single thing, being so wrapped up in their actions and in her own headspace. When she suddenly let her voice out, it was as if the bubble that had been around them burst. She could only take another few seconds of their smacking and panting, before she had to pull away.

"Oh my god, Natsu," she breathed, taking in the scene of the man in front of her. He, too, was panting, but had the air of being able to continue for eternity. His eyes looked even darker than usual, like they were in this limbo of determination and lust. He seemed to be waiting for her to continue talking. "We're still outside."

She almost smiled when she heard how stupid she sounded. Being outside wasn't the problem – kissing her best friend in a drunk haze was. Natsu seemed like he hadn't even considered the consequences of what they were doing. He just smirked as he answered.

"Then we'll go in." His voice was huskier than it had been earlier this night. Like a switch had flipped and some instincts were speaking, deep from his soul. Those words were all it took for Lucy to swing the port open from behind, falling back into the dim hallway that led up to her apartment's front door. Natsu immediately kissed her again, while simultaneously struggling to get the keys out of the keyhole. When he did manage, however, he didn't hesitate a second to hoist Lucy up so she was straddling his lower stomach. Lucy was quick on the notes, wrapping her legs around him so she wouldn't slide down when he carried them up the stairs.

As soon as they went through the door and threw off their shoes, Lucy jumped down from him. The kiss, that had been deep on their way up – lots of tongue and saliva, was interrupted as she took his hand and headed straight for the bed. Natsu was walking slightly behind, worshipping the sway of her hips and her sculpted back underneath that flowy red dress. He would have kneeled, hadn't he been following her footsteps towards his version of heaven – Lucy's bed, with Lucy in it.

The apartment wasn't big, so it took ten steps to stand in front of the bed. Lucy turned around, and Natsu's breath was once again taken away. He wanted to treasure her like gold, yet at the same time he wanted every piece of her. He wanted the privilege to touch her, feel her, know her. And as Lucy's lips turned upwards into a smile, he knew that she was allowing him. So he brought her face close again, accidentally bumping their foreheads together, like they had done many times before, and then he closed his eyes and gave her the softest peck on her lips he could manage. Their first kiss, outside of the apartment, had been rough and clumsy, experimental even. Now he just revelled in being allowed to feel those soft, warm lips that had been plumped up by his own doing.

And after that first peck, he gave her one again. Then a third time. Then he slowly brought them down on the bed, and then Lucy took the lead again. She figured that they could do a mixed style of kissing – no major tongue events, no extra saliva, but also no pecking. She held her mouth half open, sort of closing off any attempted entrance Natsu might want to do with his tongue, and instead softening her lips and tongue, making the make out style deep, but gentle. Natsu was of course quick on the notes and followed her lead, liking the mood it set between them. No crazy panting, no feelings of rushing, just them, there, kissing.

Now, even if Lucy could have done this all night, she realised something important. More important than the half-way relationship they had created this last half hour. Yes, she realised she was lying in bed with outdoor clothes. The realisation made her still, prompting Natsu to pause the kissing. He was still hovering over her, though their legs had tangled together, and now that he wasn't kissing her he realised Lucy's skirt had ridden up quite high. He swooped her sweaty bangs to the side.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"We have to strip," Lucy said, crawling out of his grip and up, walking to her dresser.

"What?"

"Oh, Natsu, come on. Think! We've been to the pub in these clothes, it's disgusting!" Before Natsu could even register the fact that she first of all hadn't implied what he thought she implied, and then register that he had to change out of his clothes, Lucy had switched her dress to a night gown and taken off her jewellery.

"Right," he mumbled, surprised that Lucy was so composed, despite their situation. He certainly didn't feel composed. "Are my sweatpants in the drawer?"

"Yeah," she said, picking them up and throwing them on the bed. She wanted to brush through her hair before going to sleep – it helped it stay tangle free during the night.

Natsu took off his scarf and unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing. He didn't mind undressing in front of Lucy, but after tonight he felt like it was odd. His life had just changed for the better, yet they still had to eat, sleep, brush their teeth, go to the toilet – change clothes. It would be much better if he could just kiss Lucy non-stop, for eternity.

As he changed out of his dress pants and into his sweatpants, Lucy took a glance at him. He looked like a God with his physique, the perfect muscle definition and the tan he had left from the summer – she wanted to feel every crevice. Normally, she would have shaken off the thought and made some tea to cool her head off, but with alcohol in her blood and with the current situation, she allowed herself to be bold. She snuck up behind him, though she knew he could probably hear her footsteps. With a soft touch, she felt the dip where his spine was buried with muscle – starting at his neck and slowly following it down to his lower back, stopping once she felt the curve change from convex to concave.

She had never seen him this turned on. The entire room felt electric, and when she looked up from his back, she saw that he was watching her in his peripherals. It only took him a second to turn around and lock himself to her lips, and this time she was practically thrown onto the bed. He was eating her, lightly pulling at her bottom lip until he once again dove down in her mouth. If the previous kissing had been gentle and kind, this was the heavy stuff. A string of saliva connected their mouths when they pulled apart for a second, like it was telling them to get back in again. And they obeyed.

Natsu's hands were roaming Lucy's body, no longer stopping at the friendly zones. Her nightgown showed so much skin that he would have thought she wore it to seduce him, hadn't he known better. Luckily, that meant easy access to grab a handful of her ass, earning an airy moan from Lucy.

She, too, was busy feeling Natsu up. She consistently held him close to feel as every muscle on his back was working. When she felt company at his groin being rubbed up against her, she once again felt her voice slip out, though this time she stifled it by clawing at his back. That only seemed to edge him on more though, since the accidental rubbing started feeling more intentional.

Natsu started kissing Lucy's neck again, though this time he didn't leave dry, fluttery kisses, but rather a wet trail of saliva as his tongue travelled down towards her collar bones. Lucy felt like she was floating – he was warm, made her sweaty, yet he gave her goosebumps like he was paid for each shiver, searching everywhere on her body to earn a new one. As he settled on a spot right below her collarbone, just where the flesh of her breast started, she felt a sucking sensation. He was grabbing the skin in the area with his teeth, and Lucy wasn't sure if it was painful or the best feeling ever – perhaps a mix of both.

"God, Natsu," she breathed, feeling her voice waver as one of his hands held her waist tight.

Natsu, who must have decided that his hickey was finished, hoisted himself up. Lucy suspected he was having a hard time holding himself back, the sheen on his temples and his puzzled eyes giving it away. Without a word they seemed to have agreed to take a breather, Natsu leaning himself against the window while trying to compose himself, Lucy throwing her legs over the edge of the bed to gather her thoughts as well.

Though the silence was loud now that the room wasn't filled with their smacking and panting, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was ambiguous worst case, which Lucy didn't associate with bad.

"Look, I…" Lucy started, turning her head to face Natsu's. "I don't have any condoms."

Her face immediately turned red once she said it, and she regretted having turned to look at Natsu's reaction. His eyes widened and his mouth fell agape – had her implication been that horrible?

"Now that'cha mention it, me neither."

He laughed. Slowly at first, but when Lucy joined in they fell into giggles. It wasn't the end of the world, so there were no hard feelings. Though Natsu had a hard feeling that he had to deal with… He'd have to do it quietly in the bathroom before they went to bed.

Lucy turned around properly to look at Natsu again.

"I think we should… talk. About this." She looked serious again, but not in a stern or menacing way. "It's not that I don't want to do it. I do." Her face was blushing, but she continued speaking. "I just don't think it's a terrible idea to wait. At least until we're sober?"

Natsu nodded. Of course he could wait, he wasn't exactly fond of the idea of going all the way when they were this drunk and naive. He wanted her to feel into it, for her to be able to call their first night special.

"Yeah, let's do that. Should we go brush our teeth?"

Lucy let out a tired giggle.

"Yeah, I need some water as well."

As soon as they went back to bed, they realised that they didn't want to stop kissing just yet. After all, once you got the hang of it, it turned out to be easy to replicate.

[sweetasmiele]

NALU WEEK - DAY #3

YEARNING

“Is something wrong, Natsu?” Mirajane asked, skillfully balancing a tray full of wobbling dishes.

Natsu had been restless all morning, and a restless Natsu was a danger to society, especially when the guild had just been renovated, again. 

She had been watching him wander from table to table, annoying everyone he encountered. He had already set a wooden pillar on fire and picked two fights with Gray. He would likely have started a third if the ice mage hadn’t left for a job with Juvia.

He was slumped over one of the tables, his forehead pressed against the wood. Happy was doing the same beside him.

“Just so you know, the Master said if you start another fight, I’m allowed to kick you out,” she said casually, trying to catch his attention. “He said I can use any means necessary.”

She saw him shiver and heard a series of grunts, which answered her previous question. Natsu was anything but okay. Mirajane sighed, putting the tray down on the table to focus on the little depressed boy in front of her.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he whined while sitting up straight. “I’m so bored.”

“Mira, life has no meaning,” Happy added, his tone equally depressed.

“Have you looked for a job?” Macao suggested from a table nearby.

“They’re all stupid,” Natsu grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Maybe you’re hungry,” Droy chimed in from somewhere behind her.

“You just need a drink!” Cana cheerfully exclaimed, presenting him with a full pint.

Mirajane looked around. The hall that day was quite full, but someone’s absence was clearly standing out.

“Guys, I don’t think it’s any of that,” she said with a giggle, and Natsu raised his eyebrows and looked at her with curiosity. She picked up her tray and started walking away, realizing there was nothing she could do to fix Natsu’s mood. 

“What, Mira? What?” he called after her, as if she knew secrets he couldn’t remotely fathom.

“Lucy will be back shortly,” she raised her voice so he could hear her, a knowing smile on her lips.

“What does that m—Lucy! You are back!” Natsu shouted, loud and excited.

“You are back!” Happy repeated.

Mirajane shook her head and chuckled. She might have to help Lucy out one of those days because Natsu was oblivious to so many things it was becoming painful to watch.

But, at least for now, the guild hall was safe.

[happilychee]

thinking about gray fullbuster and måneskin...

I think I need to change my rules bc I keep thirsting over gray😭

side note: the driver is so nalu coded to me. whatever lucy wants to do, natsu is the first one there making it happen.

♡ gray singing honey (are u coming?) on stage. he's in dark jeans that make his thighs look great, and he's not wearing a shirt. usually that wouldn't fluster you, but his ice devil slayer markings are on full display. the only thing adorning his torso besides them is his silver necklace, shining in the mood lighting of the venue.

♡ his biceps strain as he plays a complicated melody on the guitar, face and body covered by a sheen of sweat as he concentrates. you think that you'd be drooling if you weren't busy screaming along to the music.

♡ you're trying hard to stay in the front of the crowd, but it's hard when you're being jostled around. you're sure there's more enthusiastic people in the audience, judging by the screams, but when your eyes lock onto gray's, he doesn't look away.

♡ "meet me there where it never closes, meet me there where it's never hopeless" your gaze is transfixed, and it's not your imagination hoping that gray's getting closer to you because he is, and oh he's still playing the guitar but he's on his knees and- you feel your legs go weak and your face burn. you grip onto the barricade like a lifeline because otherwise you might get pulled under.

♡ when the show comes to an end, your ears are ringing, your feet ache, and you think you're going to lose your voice tomorrow. you shiver in the cold, lamenting your decision to forego a jacket. still, you forget about your discomfort when the back door opens and gray comes out.

♡ he's wearing a coat (unlike you) but your mind goes a little fuzzy when you realize there's still no shirt on his body. gray's eyes light up when he sees you, and he's quick to settle his hands on your hips. he frowns when he notices you're trembling, and he immediately pulls you into his arms. you nuzzle into him, grateful for his body heat.

♡ neither of you say anything, voices exhausted from screaming all night long. that is, until a tiny smirk forms on gray's face. you eye him warily, unsure of what the trickster will do to you. there's no tickle attack or tossing you over the shoulder, though. no, instead, gray leans down, his breath hot against your ear, and he whispers, "did you like the show, honey?"

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Lucy: When I asked for a spoon, I meant the utensil.

Natsu, hugging her from behind: Oh.

[gymjunkie412]

🖤🤍Dark Side🤍🖤

Okay this was like a theme kind of like dark nalu and all. I’m not sure if it was from a fan fiction (Which I’m sure it was) or if I was just in the mood. It is a combination of sketches in my sketch papers like randomly hahah.

I use a different brush for the lineart which it turned out great!

[moxiepoxart]

And that’s why no one respects the NaLu rapecult! You animals are all to willing to sexualize your OTP, but turning into triggered little beasties the moment someone ask for NSFW NaLi! Hypocrisy incarnate is what you savages really are! The total extinction of your species is the wet dream of this entire fandom!

This has filled me with so much joy, the thought of someone looking at my NaLi dance to the Donkey Kong rap spawned this is making me cackle. tysm !!! Sometimes I'm not in the mood to draw NSFW and that's ok <3

But please keep sending me these it's made my day <3

[teleiapotami]

NaLu Day 1

Happy NaLu Week! I am super excited to take part in my first NaLu week! I hope you all enjoy! Day One. @allaboutnalu @thenaluarchive

Anniversary

“Your anniversary with Lucy is coming up Natsu. Did you forget again this year?” Happy flew in circles above Natsu’s head. His tone was teasing, as though he already knew the answer to his question. Natsu chose not to answer, staring out at the quiet guildhall. It was a rainy day, so most people stayed home rather than hang out in the hall. The quiet atmosphere coupled with the grey skies had made his mood sour. Anniversary huh?

Natsu had not forgotten. In fact, he hadn’t forgotten any of the years that the others thought he had. He just didn’t understand anniversaries the way the others did. An anniversary is the celebration of the first time you did something, right? Why does only one first matter?

Looking around the guildhall he could see a hundred firsts as though they were printed into the wood grain of the walls and tables themselves. At the doorway, he could see the first time he brought Lucy to the guild. She had gaped at the sign with a look of such wonder and fulfillment that even then it made his pulse race.

The request board, though a completely different one now after so many years, held the memory of the first job they took together. Everlue’s mansion seemed like such a lifetime ago, and yet the lessons he learned about his partner were still at the forefront of his mind. It was there that he learned of her strong sense of justice, her compassion, and her uncompromising ideals.

In the corner of the room sat a large box full of iron scraps, Gajeel’s snack box. The smell of the iron always reminded him of the day Phantom Lord had attacked them and kidnapped Lucy. That was the first time he realized that she meant much more to him than just a teammate. The battle against Gajeel had taught him that Lucy was loyal, brave, trusting, and above all, she was his. He hadn’t known at the time why he felt that way, but it would always be a memory that resonated within him.

Hanging on the wall, a painting Reedus did of the Tenrou Team held the first time he realized that Lucy loved him. She hadn’t said it, and still wouldn’t for a long time after that moment, but he understood it all the same. In her fight with Kain Hikaru of Grimoire Heart, he found himself trapped in rubble and begged her to run and save herself, but she refused. The massive man had lifted her by the head to face Natsu. Expecting her to be afraid or resigned, instead her face wore the largest smile he had ever seen. Her words echoed in his mind: It’s always more fun when we are together. It was a mantra he carried with him every day.

The shelf behind the bar houses a large silver trophy bearing an engraved Fairy Tail emblem. Emblazoned on the base are the words ‘X791 Grand Magic Games – Fiore’s Greatest Guild – Fairy Tail’. In this relic rests many memories of firsts. The most significant was the moment he watched as Lucy died. In that moment he found himself facing the concept of a world without her and found it unbearable. That horrific moment was branded into his mind as the same moment that he realized he was in love with Lucy. He swore to save and protect her future, a vow he maintains even now.

Hanging from the rafters is a tattered flag with the guild emblem on it. The same one he pulled from the rubble just before the war against Alvarez. The bittersweet feeling matches the tattered remains perfectly, as this is the memory of the first (and last) time he left Lucy behind. A year in seclusion, training to become strong enough to protect Lucy’s future forever. But for her, it was a year of seclusion without him or any of their friends. Looking back at the training time now, Natsu can see that the most valuable lesson learned in that year was how much he wanted to be by her side, always.

“I’m going for a walk Happy; I’ll see you back home.” He wanders absently out into the drizzling rain. Even the weather held an anniversary for him. It was raining like this the day he first kissed her.

A picnic in South Gate turned into a mad dash for cover from the sudden downpour. The sound of her giggles and squeals still rang in his ears, bringing a smile to his lips. Hiding under a small awning, they watched the rain fall from the sunny sky. His arm was around her shoulders, drying the wetness from her clothes with his warmth. She told him of Sunbursts, a kind of rain shower that bursts forth from a sunny sky, just like the one that day. He’d watched her face as she spoke of how her mother told her that Sunbursts always preempted some of the most beautiful moments in life because they guaranteed a rainbow at the end. When she turned and smiled up at him he captured her lips with his own, leaving both of them glassy-eyed and panting gently. “I guess your mom was right…” he’d murmured to her. She had thrown her arms around his neck, attaching the memory of their second kiss to the sound of rain on the pavement as well.

Passing by the apartment on Strawberry Street was always full of memories. Glancing up at the window made him grin at the number of times he’d broken into her home to wait for her. His favorite anniversary held there was the night they had slept together. A long mission surrounded by their team, with no time to themselves, ended with the couple tangled together in Lucy’s bed. Exploring each other’s bodies had been the sweetest adventure, and it was one Natsu enjoyed embarking on as often as she would let him.

Ahead and to the left stood the trinket store where he purchased the small ring that changed their world in a big way. He’d never dreamt of being married, but when a glint in the window caught his eye, he couldn’t look away. A braided silver band with a golden strand twined through it supported twelve small diamonds surrounding a star-shaped opal. He had begged a loan from the only man he knew could keep a secret to buy it. How could he work extra to save for it quickly when Lucy went with him on every job? Gray had agreed, only after Natsu showed him the ring. It was perfect for Lucy, and there would never be a better one.

Looking up he realized he had almost made it to their house. Quickening his pace he crossed the remaining distance and slipped inside. His clothes steamed dry as he made his way to the kitchen where he could hear Lucy singing to herself. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he planted his chin on her shoulder. She turned in his arms and kissed him softly, studying his face.

“Hey, what’s up? You look like something is bothering you.”

He smiled slightly and brushed his nose against hers. “Nah, I was just thinking about our anniversary.”

She pressed another gentle kiss against his lips. “Which one?” The question made Natsu grin. He didn’t know why he let the others get to him. He may not celebrate anniversaries the way others expected him to, but his Lucy understood him. Moreover, she accepted his way of thinking and loved him for it. “All of them.” He buried his face into her neck, inhaling his favorite scent in the world. “I love you, Luce.”

Find this and more of my work on AO3!

[cryoux]

My first time posting anything ever and it's gotta be nalu

"Lucy," he whispered, brow furrowed with some sort of feeling twisting his heart. It wasn't anger, but it wasn't really sadness either, and Natsu couldn't figure out what other emotions could feel this bad.

He had always hated her tears. Seeing the crystals falling from her soft eyes, in combination with the sniffles and sobs she'd occasionally let out was the worst possible thing he could witness, and he had vowed to make sure anybody who made Lucy cry would pay.

But… he couldn't do that here. As airheaded as Natsu was, he recognized that. Lucy was in the corner of her home, sitting against the wall and holding her knees to herself as the tears fell relentlessly. And for him, it was all too easy to figure out what exactly she was crying about.

He could just distract her, like every other time he'd found her distraught. Jokes and general cheer always brought her mood back up, and it was certainly less nerve-wracking than trying to offer emotional advice. Hell, Natsu barely knew what he was feeling at any point, and there was no way he could help someone else with the same.

That wouldn't work, though. Not this time.

As quietly as possible, Natsu approached his partner, kneeling down in front of her. In addition to being far too absorbed in her sorrow to look up and notice him, Lucy had her head buried in her hands as she weeped.

Natsu gingerly brushed a hand on her head, and the way she jolted and looked up made his heart shatter irreparably in his chest.

"Natsu…"

Truthfully, he had long since adored the way she said his name. He never thought that a name could sound nice until he heard the way Lucy called his out in the heat of battle, or how she excitedly greeted him with an exclamation, or even huffed it out in the most endearing form of annoyance he'd ever witnessed from a person.

Needless to say, he'd never get bored of her name either. Plenty of times he'd heard the name Lucy, seeing how common of a name it was, and yet the fact that it was hers made everything different. Lucky Lucy of Fairy Tail - that was her 'full' name in his head anyways. Because just as claimed in her past, Lucy was his good luck charm, and Lucy was, for lack of any words, simply the most Lucy she could be.

She meant the world to him, and that was that.

As soon as she'd recovered from the initial shock of being found like this, she let out another sob and threw herself into Natsu's chest, embracing him in a death hug that he fully reciprocated. Here in her arms, burying his face in her golden hair and drowning in her scent, Natsu knew he was done for. He'd never be able to give this up, he realized. He just hoped with all of his heart that she could ever feel the same.

"S'okay." He mumbled in assurance, though he wasn't sure why she was crying in the first place. Whatever it was, he vowed, he would fix it, be it a broken heart or a nerve touched by some guy - that warranted a good beating from one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail. Anybody who dared badmouth Lucy soon saw the wrath of a dragon, akin to a glimpse of the afterlife.

As he was caught up in his thoughts of violence towards any who wronged her, Lucy was in fact crying about a whole different thing. The bad guys weren't out there, she'd long since learned never to take others' criticism to heart. It was the voice in her own head that hurt her the most, the one thing that Natsu couldn't beat up and move on from.

"What's up?" He asked in the gentlest voice he could muster, terrified of saying something wrong.

"I'm… not good enough."

What?

Apparently his face said it all, because she decided to explain herself, if only a little.

"I'm so useless to you guys! My spirits can only be as strong as I am, and after seeing their Eclipse forms… what if they feel trapped just because I'm so weak? Like they can't access their full power because of me?" Bleary-eyed, she shook against him helplessly, stuck in the realization of this tragedy.

Natsu thought it was the most bullshit thing he'd ever heard.

"What are you talking about? You're amazing."

She sighed. "No, Natsu, face it, I'm the weakest link. Our team would be so much better off without me, and we all know it. So why do we keep pretending like I belong?"

His head shook adamantly. "You aren't anything like that. You're what keeps us going, what holds us together. We'd never finish half the things we do if you weren't there to save our butts." He pulled back from their embrace to look into her eyes, with conviction rooted in his. "We're a team. And we'd be a team, magic or not. Nothing's ever gonna change that." Then, he simply dazzled her with that brilliant toothy white smile, dark eyes sparkling with happiness in a way that she'd only known Natsu to do. Everything about him was utterly unique, each expression, gesture, and sentence from him being incomparable to anything Lucy had seen. To her, he and his flames were like the sun- no, not like The Sun. Natsu was a new kind of sun, a different but incredibly welcome kind of warmth and light for everyone in Fairy Tail.

She only stared at him through all these contemplations, until she realized how strange it must have felt for him. What could she say? It wasn't like she could agree, but outright denying him felt wrong too. Why, these days, did it feel like they were constantly shifting on a glass floor, with each bad move threatening to send them crashing? Did it feel the same way for him?

"Lucy," he called softly, his grin fading into a soft smile that melted every bit of her. It was clear he was waiting for a response, something to let him know she was okay, but Lucy still didn't have anything she felt satisfied with giving. For being a writer and priding herself on her eloquence, she sure couldn't remember any words when she needed them the most.

It's not like Natsu was any good with words.

An idea struck her.

Her beloved partner was inspiring, encouraging, and uplifting in all the things he said - but ultimately, over their friendship, Lucy had learned that Natsu knew actions much better than words. When she was upset, he hugged her. When he was sad, he rarely ever spoke about it. When he was livid about some despicable act, he would fight his way to peace, despite how contradictory that was. When she had fallen ill and was unable to see the Sakura blossoms, Natsu uprooted the entire tree and sent it down the river just for her! Yes, Natsu showed everything through actions, so it made sense that an action would be what he best understood.

Now resolved, Lucy took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. It didn't work; her proximity to Natsu was going to keep her heart rate escalated indefinitely. Damn her charming teammate and his endearing smiles.

Leaning up a bit, Lucy was trembling as she carried out this action. Her heart sang as she pressed her lips to his cheek, almost giggling at the feeling of his absurd body temperature against them. The moment lasted a mere second before she drew back, opting to shut her eyes and bite her lip rather than face what she'd done.

Meanwhile, Natsu drew a blank.

He'd gotten kisses on the cheek before. He was well familiar with the custom of greeting close friends or family with this particular gesture of affection, so it wasn't really strange that Lucy had done it.

Wasn't it?

He'd never seen her do anything like this before - maybe with Michelle, a couple of times with Levy, but never quite like this. For one, those kisses were fleeting, barely a brush of contact. That was not what had just happened. Did she do this more than he initially thought? Had she done this to Erza, or Cana, or even Gray? Red hot jealousy shot through him at the thought of Lucy's lips touching Gray of all people - that didn't seem normal. He tried to imagine Erza kissing Gray on the cheek to see if it invoked a similar feeling, but all he found in that endeavor was disgust.

Happy was right, he realized.

Virgo was right.

The whole guild had been right.

He liked her.

He LIKED Lucy. More than normal, more than he'd ever liked anyone before, more than just a friend.

This revelation needed to be shared.

"I like you." He blurted unceremoniously, looking at his partner anxiously.

Lucy opened her eyes and furrowed her brow, what? "Well I know that, we're best friends, right?"

Natsu shook his head fervently. "No, I REALLY like you, Luce."

The blonde shrugged in his arms. "Right, we're partners, then. I like you too Natsu," she spoke nonchalantly, in a way that told Natsu she wasn't getting it.

"That's not what I-" The dragon slayer felt a frustrated growl bubbling in his throat as he stumbled over his words. Good lord, how he hated words. Why did everything have to have a double meaning? There had to be a simpler, more efficient way of communicating.

Lo and behold, there was one.

One that could break their friendship, if he went through with it. One inspired by her, in hopes that what he had felt really was a sign, and one that sounded more appealing with each fleeting thought. This was what people did when they liked someone they're close to, right?

Natsu absolutely hated the uncertainty coursing through him right now, and he decided the only way to tip that horrible feeling of bated anticipation was to dive headfirst into action. Almost literally.

He reached his hands up to rest on her face, almost laughing at how serious she tried to appear despite the way he squished her cheeks. Before she could even protest, Natsu ducked his head down and placed a clumsy kiss right on Lucy's soft lips.

"Lucy," he said once again, unable to meet her eyes as a shade of pink rivaling his hair covered his cheeks. His tone was… uncertain, in a way that Lucy had rarely ever heard before. "I like you."

Wait a minute, she wasn't concerned about his tone, he'd just KISSED her?! Natsu Dragneel, the most idiotic dragon slayer, the most hot-headed wizard in all of Fiore, the rowdiest member of Fairy Tail, and her best friend - it couldn't be. For months she'd disregarded her own feelings, out of pure anxiety and fear that was completely warranted. She was so sure he didn't have a clue what romance meant, much less how it felt.

"Th…" Lucy brought a hand up to brush against her lips, still replaying the memory of the way his felt. "That was… my first kiss."

What?!

Natsu recoiled instantly, eyes wide and flustered face now on its way to match Erza's hair. "Oh, crap! I'm- I'm sorry Lucy, I know how much that meant to ya I swear I didn't mean it- well I did, but- augh!" Frustration took over his voice as he grabbed a fistful of his own hair, as if to calm himself - or maybe yank a good sentence out of his head. Whatever the case, Lucy didn't pay much attention. That is, until he turned to leave. No, he couldn't leave!

"Wait!" Without thinking Lucy grabbed his hand, forcing him to turn back around and look at her. What the hell was her plan?! Of course, she didn't HAVE one! But had he?

Without allowing it much more thought, Lucy put her hands squarely on his shoulders and leaned up on her toes to kiss him. It was shy, it was hesitant, but it was everything she'd dreamed it to be and more. Natsu's lips were hot against hers, just like she thought they'd be, and he was rather stiff throughout the kiss. Then again, Lucy was sure she was the same way.

As she drew away, she looked up at Natsu, who still had his eyes closed as he attempted to recover.

"Luce," he rasped, toned arms wrapping around her firmly, burying his nose into the soft skin of her neck and inhaling deeply. She smelled divine, in that comforting way that managed to quell his motion sickness even the slightest bit. In the way that told him everything was going to be okay, because as long as he had Lucy by his side he could never allow himself to die. In the way she always had.

The blonde squeaked, alarmed. "Natsu!" She gasped, unsure of her partner's intentions until she felt him heave a content sigh. Oh, right. He said I smell good to him. Any other time, Lucy would have called him a creep and told him to knock it off. But now? Now she found it endearing, in a way. How strange.

Their future was uncertain, now. But for once, Lucy truly welcomed this uncertainty, as that very fog harbored a whole new land of possibility that she couldn't wait to explore; with none other than Natsu by her side.

[kiliinstinct]

Chapter 23

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

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

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

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

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

“No buts and shut up!” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And he took his first confident step towards his door.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It would be two more days before anything new happened.

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

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

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

If not for that damn bell. 

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

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

The window. He should have thought of it earlier.

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

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

Natsu smirked: I knew it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shit!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

”That’s disgusting!“ 

He waggled his brows, grinning.

Definitely worth it. 

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

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

Which is exactly what made watching him so difficult.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It stabbed at her heart.

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

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

She had no right to cry.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“... don't cry.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just one more step.

And another.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hopefully his plea wouldn't land on deaf ears.