#prompt: does this fire you up natsu?

[tokkias]

jealous bone ship: natsu dragneel x lucy heartfilia summary: The sight of Natsu with another woman, her hand running up his thigh and her less than innocent flirtatious giggles makes Lucy sick to her stomach. She knows that he doesn't belong to her, she has no right to feel the way she does, but seeing another women try to get romantically involved with her best friend makes her think that if anyone should be filling that role, it should be her. ao3

like a month or so ago i asked @celestialulu to pick a fic off of my list to write and she picked this one. i didn't forget about it, it just ended up being double the length i originally intended it to be..... i hope it meets ur expectations :]

It was supposed to be a nice outing, a fun way to spend their last night in Crocus before they were to head back in the morning.

And it was, for the most part, anyway.

Sting had recommended a bar in the middle of town with good vibes and even better drinks, and Lucy was more than willing to see off their trip with a few more cocktails than she could handle. Natsu had been happy to tag along, as he always was, not exactly keen to spend the evening alone at the inn.

The two had quickly come to the conclusion that Sting had in fact been justified in his praises, with a shot of fire whiskey that had a delicious burn going down and a fruity little cocktail that Lucy was certain she could get sloshed on without even noticing.

It seemed as though everyone else in Crocus had had the same idea that night, with every seat in the establishment occupied and chatter filling the air.

The bartender slid over a plate of fries Natsu had ordered earlier, and Lucy wasted no time in helping herself to some.

"Hey, those are mine," Natsu scolded, but didn’t make any attempt to stop her nonetheless.

Lucy merely flashed him a coy smile and continued to steal off of his plate. If it were anyone else, he would have stopped her in her tracks, by force if he had to, but Lucy was already well aware that she held a coveted position at the top of the list of people Natsu was willing to share his food with, and she was going to take advantage of that.

"You want one?"

He didn’t reply; only opened his mouth up for her to share with him. Picking up his cue, she tossed one into his mouth, which he caught with no issue before chomping down on it and flashing Lucy a wide grin as she giggled along to his antics.

Natsu’s hand moved to the basket, picking up another chip or two, which she simply assumed were to feed himself, only to be pleasantly surprised when he held them out for her.

"Open up."

Lucy promptly did as she was told, and Natsu responded in turn by flicking them into her mouth, though her catch wasn’t as successful as his as it dropped down into her lap, where she looked down at it with a pout on her face.

Flagging down the bartender, Lucy ordered one, two, three more of those delectable cocktails. The drunken flush was quick to take hold on Lucy, who was already feeling the alcohol that she certainly couldn’t taste. It hadn’t hit her too hard yet, but she certainly felt slightly wobbly, something that was made evident by her poor aim the next time she tried to toss a fry at Natsu, sending it right over his shoulder where it hit the man sitting next to him, who was none the wiser as the duo burst into a fit of giggles together.

When a lull in the conversation hit, Lucy shuffled uncomfortably in her seat slightly, glancing around the bar until she finally located the restroom.

"I have to pee," she told him, holding onto his shoulder for balance as she hopped off the stool.

He nodded in understanding before she tottered off to the bathroom, pushing her way through the crowd. She was prompt and quick with it, keen to get back to Natsu so she could continue to order them shots until she got so hammered that he had to carry her back to the inn.

Lucy could have sworn she had been gone no more than five minutes before she returned to find her seat taken by another girl who was currently engaged in a more-than-friendly conversation with her partner.

Natsu could talk to whoever he wanted to; she had no control or say over his autonomy; he didn’t "belong" to her. It didn’t matter how many people mistook them for a couple, Natsu was still very much an eligible bachelor, and without Lucy by his side, he certainly looked the part. Lucy knew that, but that didn’t stop the horrible sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched this woman practically drool all over Natsu.

Her actions held no subtlety to them; even Natsu, as oblivious as he was, knew what was going on; she was certain of it. She swooned over how big and strong he was, and he was more than accepting of her praises, willing to indulge her with stories of his epic adventures as she gasped in awe as he recounted tales that Lucy already knew because she was there when they happened. She laughed when he spoke, an overexaggerated giggle covered by one hand as the other bashfully brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, laughing at something Lucy was certain wasn’t all that funny.

It wasn’t the flirting or giggling that got under her skin, though; it was the touches. It was the way she’d lightly bat his arm as she laughed at his tales, the way her hand came to rest on his thigh as she leant forwards, no doubt relishing in the comforting heat his body emanated as her fingertips trailed up, up, up his thigh. Natsu shifted slightly but otherwise didn’t stop her, and suddenly Lucy felt like she was going to vomit.

Every part of her brain was telling her to look away, save herself the pain, and pretend she hadn’t noticed, but the scene was like a train wreck that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from.

Natsu had never shown interest in women before, or at least, she hadn’t thought he had, but maybe it was because he’d never been given the chance to. The women at the guild were his family, it would be weird for them to show an interest in them, and his time spent outside the guild left him little time for socialising. Perhaps Lucy’s assumption had been one made with insufficient evidence because now, watching him indulge a random flirt at a bar, she was questioning everything she thought she knew about him.

She was so used to his undivided attention, to being the one attached to his hip, to being the only girl Natsu was willing to even give the time of day to, that suddenly seeing him with another woman made her suddenly feel... inadequate. Almost as if her place in her life had been taken along with that stupid barstool she had been sitting in just a moment prior—that she had been replaced.

That was a stupid thought. There was no way that Natsu finding himself a woman was going to change the relationship they had. Sure, he might have less time for her, and they probably couldn’t go out for dinner together like they always did, and he couldn’t spend the night in bed with her anymore, and he wouldn’t hold her hand or spontaneously put his arms around her, or tuck her head beneath his chin when he held her.

But she could live without those things.

Maybe.

So why did the thought of losing that make her want to cry in the middle of this bar?

She was just drunk; that was it. She couldn’t think straight. She was just confusing all of these feelings she had for Natsu with love.

Because there’s no way she was in love with Natsu.

Right?

Lucy didn’t want him to go home with that girl, or anyone else for that matter.

Just her.

The mere thought of it made her skin crawl. It wasn’t like she expected Natsu to bed some random stranger, but the thought of it wouldn’t leave her head, and it just felt so… gross.

Perhaps it was the alcohol flowing through her veins—the dose of liquid courage—that, in her jealous frenzy, compelled her to do something she would never have done otherwise.

She licked her lips slightly to replace the glossy sheen that had been lost on the rim of her glass throughout the night and mustered her best doe-eyed look before finally approaching Natsu. Her hand gently grazed his arm, capturing his attention before it ran down his bicep and down to his hand, her fingertips brushing against the back of it. Perhaps if she had let herself order just one more cocktail, she might have mustered the courage to intertwine his fingers with hers, but she was already pushing her luck with her cutesy showing; if she had done that, he would have known for sure something was up.

"Natsu?" She pouted, "Can you take me home now, please?"

"Everything okay?" He asked, brows furrowed in concern.

"I‘m just tired," she answered, not wanting to elaborate any further on why she needed to cut their outing short.

He gave her an unconvinced look, confused by her sudden change in demeanour, but didn’t choose to press her any further.

"Alright," he conceded.

Lucy tried her best to hold back the sigh of relief trying to pass through her lips now that her plan had succeeded. She’d never done something quite so… manipulative before, if you could even call it that. Regardless of whether it was or wasn’t, doing so still planted a seed of guilt in her stomach, ready to grow into something bigger and more sinister. She didn’t like the feeling, but there was no going back now. She couldn’t simply apologise to the girl, give her Natsu back to her, and pretend that it was all a big misunderstanding. She was in too deep now, the seed sewn within her consciousness.

Before that seed could sprout, however, it was quickly kicked through the dirt at the feeling of Natsu’s arm thrown around her shoulder, pulling her comfortably into his side, just like he always did.

"Oh."

The soft voice came from the very girl seated where Lucy had once been. She could see the realisation in her eyes as she watched her ease into the space between Natsu’s arm and torso, fitting so comfortably in there as if it were a spot made for her.

"I didn’t know you had a girlfriend."

There came the eternal line, the obvious assumption that everyone else seemed to make. The one thing that Lucy would scramble to correct every time she heard it.

But she didn’t this time.

Seemingly following her lead, neither did Natsu.

Tonight, she would let herself fill that role.

The side of her head nestled comfortably against Natsu’s chest, arms wrapped around his torso as they walked, their steps in tandem even as she clung to his side. The night air was cool against her skin, but Natsu’s unusually high body heat kept her warm as she clung to his side. Lucy was simply content to continue on as they were the rest of the way to the inn, to enjoy his company, and to not bring up what had just happened.

Ever.

The silence was never uncomfortable between them; they were both happy to enjoy each other's company without the burden of banter, and tonight was no exception. Lucy fully expected the quiet to follow them home, where they would exchange sleepy goodnights before heading off to rest for the night. That expectation was quickly dashed when she finally heard Natsu speak up for the first time since they left the bar.

"What’s wrong?"

Moving her gaze from the path in front of them, Lucy looked up at him and saw a look of concern painted across his face.

"What? No, nothing’s wrong," she tried to reassure. "Why would anything be wrong?"

"Because you’re trembling," he pointed out. "And you haven’t let go of me since we left."

Her breath got caught in her throat as she realised that he had realised something was up. She didn’t even notice she was shaking until he pointed it out to her.

"Did something happen while you were in the bathroom?" He asked, concern growing in his voice and becoming evident on his face. "Do you need me to go back there and kick someone’s ass?"

"Like I said, I’m just tired," Lucy repeated, guilt returning to gnaw on her consciousness as she saw just how much worry she had caused him.

It wasn’t technically a lie, but it wasn’t the entire truth either. It’s not like she could tell him what was really on her mind. What would she even say?

Seeing you talk to that girl made me so sick that if I didn’t get both of us out of there immediately, I was going to throw up or do something stupid. Maybe both.

He probably wouldn’t even believe her anyway. Lucy wasn’t a vindictive person; she would never hurt a hair on someone’s head without good reason, and being a little jealous over the way she touched him hardly constituted a good reason. It wasn’t like her to get jealous, either. She had everything she wanted in life, so much to be grateful for, she didn’t have the right to be jealous, so why was she feeling this way?

Because Natsu was the best thing she had ever had.

That was why.

Because in her stupid will to keep things the way they were, she’d convinced herself that what she was feeling towards him wasn’t love and that these feelings would pass. But she didn’t want to keep things the way they were, did she? Seeing someone else have the courage to take the step that Lucy was too afraid to take was the wake-up call she needed. If she wasn’t going to take what she wanted, then someone else would.

They’d stopped walking, their feet instead planted on the sidewalk, lit only by the moonlight and a nearby flickering streetlamp. Natsu was looking down at her, clearly unconvinced by her weak excuse and concerned by her silence, as she seemed lost deep within the trenches of thought.

Her gaze rose to meet his, and she was met with a reminder of how pretty his eyes were, even as they were clouded with worry over her. His hair, wild as it was, framed his face perfectly, making him look so pretty in the gentle moonlight, even as he looked down at her in concern. It was deceptively soft—she was well aware of that from hours spent tangling her fingers through it on long train rides. His lips looked so soft, like they would feel perfect against hers, and she wished in this moment they weren’t curved into a frown so she could catch a glimpse of that smile of his that made her melt every. single. time. Oh, he was so handsome that it made her heart ache.

Natsu was everything she could ever want wrapped up in a perfect little package, and in her fear of losing that, she had inadvertently nearly done exactly that. If she wanted to keep him for real, she needed to let him know exactly what she wanted.

With the vodka still lingering in her system, just enough to override any hesitancy she may have felt otherwise, Lucy grabbed his face and she kissed him.

She kissed him like his body was the air she breathed, like his lips were the one thing keeping her tethered to this mortal plane. His hands came to rest on her waist to hold them both steady as her thumbs brushed against his cheeks, revelling in the feeling of his skin against hers.

Lucy was nothing short of breathless when they parted, her lips merely inches away from his, tempting her to take them again, hands still resting on his cheeks.

"Wh-" His eyes were glazed over slightly, and his breath caught in his throat as he tried to piece together what had just happened. "What’s going on, Lucy? What was that for?"

It wasn’t until she heard his voice that she came crashing down from her high, and she suddenly realised the gravity and consequences of what she had just done.

Yeah, Lucy. What the hell was that for?

She opened her mouth, but the words got caught in her throat, and she couldn’t do anything but stare helplessly at him. It wasn’t that she had nothing to say; it was more the fact that she had too much to say that her brain simply couldn’t settle on what the right words were.

"I- I-"

Normally Lucy prided herself on always being able to read Natsu, knowing him better than anyone else did, but right now his expression was inscrutable, and that only made her panic more. There was nothing she could say to undo whatever damage had been done; their relationship was now going to be irreparably defined by the time she had too much to drink and kissed him like her life depended on it.

If she could just move on without having to explain herself, she would. They’d never speak of this night again, and her little shame would live only in their minds, but Natsu was looking down at her expectantly, waiting for some sort of answer or explanation. His gaze was inescapable, and all she could do was crack under the pressure of it.

"I want to be your girlfriend!" She finally sputtered out. "And- and I know that’s weird because you’re my best friend and I shouldn’t be feeling this way about you, but I do."

"Lucy."

His voice only vaguely registered in her brain as she continued to ramble, paying little mind to the fact that he was trying to get her attention.

"I know it’s weird and selfish of me because what we have right now is so good, and that doesn’t have to change. I just needed you to know how I feel."

"Lucy."

Hearing him say her name like that stopped her thought spiral in their tracks.

"What?"

"You already are my girlfriend."

Now it was her time to be confused.

Her jaw fell open as if trying to mouth out the words that her brain could not muster, and instead of responding, all she could do was stand and gape at him like an idiot.

"Wh- what?" Was her brilliant reaction. "Since when?"

"Uh, since about fifteen minutes ago when that girl at the bar called you my girlfriend and you didn’t say no," Natsu shrugged.

He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Like it wasn’t the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard in her entire life.

"You think that constitutes us being in a relationship?" Lucy cried. "That is the craziest thing I have ever heard in my entire life! You can’t just assume things like that, Natsu!"

"Well, I was right, wasn’t I?" He said, completely matter-of-factly, ignoring any logic that might have come from her words. "You just said you wanna be my girlfriend."

Maybe it was just the alcohol, but this whole thing just seemed so absurd.

"You do want to be my girlfriend, right?" He clarified. "You’re not just saying that because you’re drunk?"

"I’m not drunk," she replied. "Only a little bit…"

Before she had time to process what was happening, Natsu’s hands were on her waist, pulling her close to him so they stood chest to chest. When she looked up at him, he was beaming down at her, and in that moment, she realised that all of her worries were for nothing.

"‘Cause I like being your boyfriend," he grinned, a look of pride plastered on his face despite the short period since their initial misunderstanding. "But I don’t wanna just be your boyfriend when you’re drunk."

"I don’t want you to just be my boyfriend when I’m drunk either," she murmured, fully aware of how close they were, feeling his breath against her nose, and feeling that wonderful temptation to close the space between them again.

Using all of her willpower, she held back her desire to taste his lips once more. As much as she wanted to drag her hands through his hair, feel his palm against the small of her back, holding her close as they kissed beneath the gaze of the moon, there was a much more important conversation at hand.

Because Natsu wanted to be her boyfriend.

If she had known that, maybe she would have kissed him earlier.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" She inquired, her voice soft, quiet, almost hesitant.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Natsu shot back.

"Because I didn’t think you were interested," she sighed, bringing her hands up to rest on his forearms. "I just thought that you kind of… didn’t care about this kind of stuff."

"Why’d you change your mind?" He asked, head cocked to the side in curiosity.

Her eyes darted away from his for a moment as shame suddenly filled her. She had sobered up slightly since they left the bar—not entirely so, but enough to be embarrassed by what had prompted her sudden kiss and confession.

Was she really about to admit this to him? That she was jealous of some… random?

In hindsight, she knew she shouldn’t have been worried. She was always going to be Natsu’s number one, but in the moment, she felt so threatened that she didn’t know what to do with herself. From the moment they stepped out of that place, Lucy had sworn that she would take those feelings to the grave, but not even an hour later, she was beginning to crack under Natsu’s questioning gaze.

He deserved to know, didn’t he?

Sucking in a breath, she began to confess.

"Seeing that girl flirting with you at the bar made me feel… I don’t know… like that should have been me."

Natsu blinked at her, dumbfounded.

"What?"

"The girl at the bar!" Lucy repeated, exasperated by his seeming lack of understanding. "She was cozying up with you, and you weren’t turning her away, and it made me feel…" She paused for a moment, considering the word she was about to use, experimenting with the feeling of it on her tongue, before she finally caved in. "Jealous."

"She wasn’t flirting with me," Natsu frowned, looking completely unconvinced by her words.

Surely, surely, he wasn’t that dumb. She couldn’t have been more obvious about it! Anyone else could see it from a mile away, but here Natsu was, just thinking she was being overtly friendly with him.

"Yes, she was," Lucy retorted. "She was touching your arm and laughing at all your jokes and doing that thing girls do where they tuck their hair behind their ear."

"But you do that to me all the time."

She could practically see the gears turning in his brain the moment those words left his lips.

"Oh."

"Yeah," she breathed.

At the very least, she knew that losing him to another woman wasn’t something she’d ever have to worry about.

"Well, I like it better when you flirt with me," he grinned, finally having put the pieces together, and Lucy felt her insides turn to mush.

Her arms snaked around his torso, and she rested her head on his chest. He eagerly reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, nuzzling his nose into the crown of her head.

It wasn’t fair that he could hardly realise when someone was flirting but could so easily turn her legs into jelly with cheesy little lines like that. Not that she could mind too much. All she could bring herself to care about was that after months of hopeless pining, she was finally nestled away in Natsu’s heart.

"Heh, my Lucy was jealous~" He immediately began to tease. "I’m so tellin’ Happy when we get back."

Lucy could immediately feel her face turn red in embarrassment as she realised that she was never going to live this one down for as long as she lived, and suddenly she almost began to regret letting him in on her feelings.

"You will not!" She whined, lips sticking out in a pout, with a less-than-intimidating frown on her face as she looked up at him.

Her scare tactics clearly didn’t work on him, as he just chortled in response.

She should have known better than to think his teasing remarks would end as they stepped into a new stage in their relationship. If anything, it would only get worse from here. She supposed that was simply the consequence of being his Lucy.

[bumblebeehug]

Foggy Baths

Summary: Prompt: *Fogs up mirror and writes a message* As Natsu once again finds himself suffocating in the scented air, he leaves a secret message on Lucy's mirror. Notes: This is a fic on the shorter side that was inspired by a Tumblr prompt I found but can't remember the creator of. "*Fogs up mirror and writes a message*" just screamed NaLu to me, so in two days I scrambled together this fic. I hope you like it! Ao3 - FF.net

***

Lucy took a deep breath through her nose. The air around her was magical. Not literally, but she could definitely feel the eternano enter her body through the calming aura she was in. Light floral scents were steaming out of Lucy’s scalding hot bath, almost making her a bit dizzy, and with her moisturising face mask on and her lavender scented candles lit, she was in heaven. She had even been wise enough to bring a book and put on some of her favourite classical music pieces, because now she was in her own amazing world, diving into the romantic story that hid in those old pages.

Natsu was so bored. The team had just gotten home from a long and hard mission, and Lucy had immediately forbidden him and Happy to enter her apartment. He truly couldn’t wrap his head around why - even she knew that they were impossible to keep out. They basically lived together! Well, not according to Lucy, but Natsu knew better. He did half of their chores and slept in her bed - not even Lucy was dense enough to believe they were only friends, right?

To be honest, Natsu wasn’t too sure. He thought he had been super clear with his feelings for the celestial mage, promising to be together forever in the future and making sure to always keep her safe, but he suspected Lucy wanted something else - something more, as a confession. She was, after all, an avid and passionate reader of romantic novels. He could bet 10 years of food money on that she was nose deep in one of those books right now.

But Natsu isn’t a prince. He doesn’t know what to say or do to make the woman he loves feel special. It’s an unknown world. So instead he does what he does best. He brings Happy along to break into Lucy’s apartment.

As he stood outside the pink building on Strawberry Street he could already sense that Lucy’s taking one of those “relaxing days” that mostly fried Natsu’s nose more than they made Lucy relax. The sound of multiple violins made him understand that she was listening to her mother’s favourite classical music. That was to Natsu that was a relief, since it meant that he easily could sneak in through her bedroom window. Happy was immediately off to raid the fridge, and Natsu was tempted to do the same before he heard a soft humming, slightly out of tempo, from the bathroom. While Happy was distracted, Natsu took his chance to sneak away. He was already thinking up multiple pranks as he gently opened the usually creaky bathroom door.

He was met with a thick puff of steam and heavy artificial scents. Natsu almost let out a cough but kept it in as he studied the room Lucy had decorated. He was trying to find one of those face sharpies… Lucy called them eyelid liner or something, Natsu wasn’t paying too much attention back then, when his eyes came across the mirror. It was so fogged up that he could barely make out his own figure in the reflecting glass. He smiled slightly at the sight, because only Lucy could be so drawn to the heat that it almost made a fire dragon slayer sweaty. And then he wondered, could he maybe find a way to prank her with the mirror in some way, while also not getting caught? His first idea was to scare her by placing his palm against the glass and pretend that it was some ghost, but he knew that Lucy immediately would recognise his hand size. He mindlessly glanced at the drape, where her shadow seemed to be dancing in the flickering light that probably came from some of her oh so loved candles. She seemed peaceful right now, probably completely calm and relaxed in this steamy room.

The longer he stood in the room, the dizzier he got. Honestly, it felt as if a sauna and a perfume shop had been fused, and according to Natsu, that is a mix that should never be made. Though, the longer he stood in the room, the more of Lucy’s laughter, gasps and small exclamations he could hear as she progressed with her novel, flipping pages faster than Natsu could understand. How could she read so fast? He felt incredibly calm near this presence. Her presence. He wanted to stay and listen to her vocalising her emotions forever, but these scents were really getting to his head and he could already feel a really bad headache coming up. So he swiftly moved over to the mirror and started doodling. He tried to stay focused as he painted out a poor portrait of Plue, and then a small fire dragon, which he labled "Igneel" to make sure she got the refrence, and then a little paw mark to frame Happy, even if he wasn’t the partner in crime this time. And then, as Lucy once again started with her humming to the melody, Natsu found his hands writing out a small “I love you” in the corner of the mirror. As he realised what he was doing, he started blushing profusely. Yes, by now he definitely thought that Lucy already should know this, but he had a feeling she didn’t. And with this being the most obvious confession, Natsu naturally felt embarrassed.

But he didn’t wipe it out. Instead he used his best ninja-skills in order to get out of the place as quietly as he had gotten there. When he came out of the bathroom his head immediately felt clearer - and with that, so did his embarrassment. So he hastily made his way to her bed where Happy had already fallen asleep while cuddling a fishbone. And as he lied there under her soft covers, he could for once not fall asleep. His eyelids felt heavy while his ears listened to Lucy as she blew out the candles, drained the bath, started drying her body, and then, the dreaded moment when she pushed her drapes aside. Natsu could swear on his life that his heartbeat was detectable for every dragon slayer on the continent right now, because he knew that Lucy would see what he had written. He could hear a defeated sigh, and then a small giggle as Lucy loudly showcased her emotions through her voice. If he wasn’t so nervous right now he’d fall in love all over again - she was just too cute.

Natsu put all his focus into breathing steadily and keeping his face relaxed as he feigned his sleep. Lucy opened the bathroom door, and he heard her shuffle her feet across the floor. She was walking straight towards him.

The closer she came, the more obvious it was to him that her heart was beating a bit harder than before. With just a few inches apart, Lucy raised her hand and cupped Natsu’s cheek.

“Me too,” she whispered, as if she knew that he was awake right now. And Natsu felt like flying, because two words had never sounded more heavenly to him. He loves Lucy and Lucy loves him back. The corners of his mouth twitched in pure happiness, and he had to use all the power in his mind and body to keep faking his sleep. One day he was going to get Lucy to say “I love you” to him, while looking him straight in his eyes, no more funny business. But today he allowed himself to just relish in the blessings he had been given for the day. Whatever was waiting in the future could wait a bit longer. They still had forever ahead of them after all.

[teleiapotami]

NaLu Week Day 5

Prompt: Gifts

Summary: Natsu has never hidden anything from Lucy before, so why does he keep dodging her questions all of a sudden? And why does he seem to be avoiding her?

@allaboutnalu @thenaluarchive

Natsu wasn’t a man known for his discretion. He was quite proud of his reputation as an outspoken “open-book” type. So when he began to dodge questions and hide things, Lucy noticed. While weird habits and behaviors were not uncommon to her partner, his dismissal of her curiosity was.

Every so often, she would notice him squatting in the middle of the road, his fingers poking around in the dirt. When she would call out to him, he waved her off or ran to catch up. Once, she found him knee-deep in a river along the town they were working in, bent over with his arm shoved into the water. That time, he had jumped when she called out to him like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. When he climbed out of the river, she thought she saw him slip something into his pocket, but the motion was so fast, she couldn’t be sure.

These strange occurrences went on for months, on nearly all of the jobs they took together. Once, she woke up in the middle of the night while they were camping. A weird sound kept her from falling back asleep, so she stumbled out of the tent to look around. Sitting beside the dying embers of the campfire was Natsu, blowing a thin, consistent stream of fire down into his hands. There was something in them that was glowing from the heat, but as soon as he heard her coming he stopped and hid his hands. There were other times that he would vanish from camp randomly. Whenever she would think to look for him, Happy would volunteer to go get him. It was weird, but not so unreasonable that she worried. Happy generally knew where Natsu was, and the pair of them were well known to be weirdos as it was, so she would let it go and move on with her day.

The strangest occurrence happened when Lucy was walking home from the guildhall one day, and Natsu came out of one of the stores just ahead of her. She called out to him, and he grinned. “Hey Lucy, what’s up? On your way home?” She nodded and looked up at the storefront. To her surprise, it was a jewelry store.

“What on earth could you need at a jewelry store Natsu? Jewelry doesn’t exactly seem your style, and I’m not sure it would really suit you,” she told him. He gave her a pouty look that made her giggle.

“Not that it’s any of your business nosy, but I broke something, and they fixed it for me, that’s all.” She nodded again. That made more sense than him shopping for anything, even as a gift for someone else. Natsu was certainly sentimental, but he had never been the gift-giving type. In fact, she couldn’t think of a single instance where she had observed him giving or receiving a present, even during the holidays.

She probably would have forgotten all about those strange little moments, if it hadn’t been for the other changes. She barely noticed at first, but all of a sudden Natsu and Happy were showing up in her apartment less and less. It didn’t stand out to her until she came out of the bathroom once, having heard something in her kitchen, swearing she was going to skin them for raiding her fridge. But it had just been a very drunk Cana, searching for booze, and an exasperated Lisanna, trying to keep her from wrecking things. She had been a bit disappointed that it wasn’t Natsu, but even more so to realize that none of her friends had any concept of boundaries.  

The invasion made her think back to the last time her partner had shown up in her home unexpectedly. Had it been so long? Once she tried to put a date on it, she realized that it must have been almost a month, if not a little more. It startled her that it had taken this long for her to notice. Compiling a list of his weird behaviors, plus the unexplained absence from her apartment, Lucy tried to make sense of it but came up blank.  When she asked Natsu about it, he just told her he had been working on something at his house, and not to worry.

“If you miss me all that much, I’m sure I can make some time to break in for ya Luce!” He grinned widely at her.

“No way!! I’m sorry I mentioned it!”

 Even though she loved her privacy, there was certainly something missing from her home without the noisy, warm, messy, comfortable atmosphere that Natsu and Happy brought with them. She wondered how much longer he would be tied up in whatever he was working on, but dismissed the thought, just like all the others. Natsu was far too open to be hiding anything serious from her.

A few days later, Natsu snuck up behind Lucy at the guild and placed his hands on the table on either side of her, planting his chin on her shoulder. “Heya Lucy!” She tilted her head to bonk against his lightly.

“Oh, hi. Are you done with your…..uh….whatever that was?” She felt her skin tingle slightly where his chest pressed against her back and became acutely aware of the way the guild was beginning to quiet down to watch their interaction. Again.

“Mmhmm.” He murmured, his chest vibrating against her back. “Come with me. I wanna show you what I was doing.” He stood up and held out his hand.

Lucy stood up and took it, glancing around the room. “Sure, anything to get away from these gossips!” She followed him from the hall and out into the bright sunshine. To her surprise, he didn’t let go of her hand when they exited the building. They walked together along the river to her apartment. Without warning Natsu leaped up through her window, leaving her behind. She huffed and took the proper way around, climbing up the stairs and letting herself in.

He was sitting on her bed holding a pink wooden box on his lap. He patted the bed beside him with a grin. She quirked a brow and moved to sit beside him. He was being unusually quiet and strangely cryptic. She pulled her legs up underneath her as she sat facing him. “So….what’s up?” He just grinned even bigger and offered her the box.

She took it and set it on the bed between them to open it. The box was lined with a dark blue pillow with a bracelet set on the center of it. Lucy gaped at the piece, studying it. “You made this?” she whispered.

“I did. For you,” he said proudly. She wanted to look up at him, to say something to express her curiosity, but she was too focused on the bracelet. A delicate silver chain held ten stone charms of various shapes and colors. The stones had glossy finishes that caught the light and made them shimmer. As she studied them, she felt a chill run up her spine. Each of the stones had one of her zodiac key symbols carved into it. The largest, shaped like a heart, bore Aquarius’s sign. The delicate silver clasp had the final charm, a tiny crystal Fairy Tail emblem, dangling from a chain a few links longer than the stones.

As her silence dragged on, Natsu shifted anxiously. “Do you like it?” he asked, hesitantly. Lucy let out a soft sigh.

“Natsu, it’s amazing! You really made this? How? Why?” she tore her eyes away from the gift to look at him.

“I did! I melted the stones until they were in the shape I wanted, and then I polished them to make ‘em shiny. I know you like sparkly stuff. I got the chain and the emblem from the jeweler, but I put it all together myself. Oh, and I carved the symbols in myself too.” He grinned so proudly that she couldn’t help but giggle.

“But why?”

“What d’you mean why? Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day you put Fairy Tail back together, did you forget? I wanted to give you something to let you know how special you are to the guild….and me. I love you, Luce. That’s why.”

Lucy stared at him, baffled. She had forgotten. Could it really have been so long already? But more importantly, had she just heard him right? “You love me? Like…..guild love, or….” she flushed, unable to finish.

He rolled his eyes and tucked his chin into his scarf. “Gah, c’mon Lucy, love love. Like…..I dunno, I just don’t ever wanna be without you, and…..erm…..” he cut his eyes to the side, “I wanna spend my life making yours perfect and stuff” he mumbled.  

She couldn’t be sure, because he was hiding his face in his scarf, but she was pretty sure he was blushing under there. Gently, she closed the box and set it on her nightstand. Then she launched across the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. He gave a strangled yelp and caught her, flopping back on the bed with her in his arms.

“Thank you thank you thank you Natsu. I love you too,” she squealed, burying her face into his neck.

He chuckled and sat them up. He gave her a mischievous smile that made her heart skip a beat. “Aren’t you going to give me anything in return?” She frowned slightly and chewed on her lip.

“But….I don’t have anything…” she said, concerned by the way he was starting to grin.

“That’s okay. I’ll just take you as my gift then. Forever.” Lucy flushed and squealed as he rolled them over, so he was pinning her. Looking up at him, Lucy had the strongest sense that she would be spending quite a bit of time trapped beneath him in the future. He stole her breath away with a kiss, and she wasn’t sure if he had taken her as his gift, or just given her another one.

[thyandrawrites]

Turns out that the key to tricking me into writing stupid fluff is to preface it with 7k of angst. I'm talking about the silliest Todofam dialogue I've ever typed. I don't even know how this happened tbh

(since this is too long and spaced out for discord, you'll get a peek instead. snip under the cut. Spoiler alert, it's all silly Todofam nonsense)

[For context, they're talking about a gift drawing Touya didn't think to hide because he didn't expect a visit. Rest in fucking pieces, Touya]

The second time Touya wakes up that day, it’s not because of a sneeze, and his headache is gone. His luck ends there, however. Muffled voices reach him from the kitchen, and one of them is definitely Fuyumi. He briefly considers going back to sleep—he’s sick, he can get away with it—but it’s then that he becomes aware of how dry his mouth is. Ugh. 

Touya decides the bathroom sink is his best contingency plan. He can slip past the kitchen unnoticed if he’s quiet enough. He’ll make it quick. 

Mind made up, he gathers his blanket to wear it like a shawl and softly pads down the corridor. That’s when he registers the muffled conversation between his siblings. 

“Look at that grumpy face,” Natsuo is saying, laughter evident in his tone. “The little guy got it down perfectly.” 

A chuckle. Then, somewhat guiltily, “That’s mean, Natsu.” Her voice is clear if slightly static-y. She must be on speakerphone. 

“You laughed too.”

“Oh, hey, Is that a unicorn?” She's quick to change the subject. 

Abruptly, Touya feels dread pooling down his stomach. Oh no. 

“Nah, it must be a hammer. You know, cause Touya does repair work. Or an axe.”

“Why would a child draw an axe?” she questions. 

“Have you ever met a child? They function off candies and violence. You should know. You’re the school teacher.” At Fuyumi’s tut of displeasure, he adds, “Besides, it’s right next to Touya. It cannot be a unicorn. Not even a child’s imagination can be that bold. Not without prompting a different type of violence.”

“It looks like a rectangle to me,” Shouto cuts in, attempting to break the impasse. 

Contingency plan forgotten in the wake of a more urgent house fire, Touya enters the kitchen with all the casual nonchalance of a man who once sat on his murder plan for ten years. He's out for blood, but he'll have to figure out who to kill first.

[to be continued]

[maruyaaya]

omg guys maruyaaya september rapid fire wrap up bc ive posted like 4 fics on ao3 and not talked about any of them here

i wrote three fics for a femslash gotcha4gaza (which you can check out here)

FIRST!

i could eat that girl for lunch — twilight — alice cullen/bella swan

NEXT!

daylight — fairy tail — fem!rogue cheney/fem!sting eucliffe

THIRD!!

swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover — fairy tail — fem!natsu dragneel/fem!gray fullbuster

AND FINALLY!!

red wine supernova — identity v — tracy reznik/emma woods

the tracy/emma fic is just one that i wrote for fun while the other three are gotcha4gaza prompt fills but i had fun with them all! if anyone is curious, i have four active wips rn: chapter 6 of always an angel (never a god), friends with benefits kuroo tetsurou/miya atsumu for oli my beloved, slowburn internalized homophobia gray fullbuster/loke, and a hurt/comfort natsu dragneel/lucy heartfilia for the loml sanja bc even tho i am not a nalu shipper myself, i am willing to write anything for her

but yeah! if anyone does want to ask about any of these fics go crazy i love talking about myself <3 or even if u want to ask about any other fandoms/wips bc i always have so many im working on…

[ft-dads-au]

Natsu and Gray

Gratsu Week 2020 Prompt: “Does this fire you up Natsu?” Pairing: Gray x Natsu

Gray thinks he knows just how to get Natsu all fired up, but the reality is just a little different than what he imagined!

[aki-natsuko]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Post-Alvarez Teikoku | Alvarez Empire Arc, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Trust, Fear, Guilt, Promises, Memories, Angst with a Happy Ending Series: Part 81 of Gratsu, Part 5 of Gratsu Week 2020 Summary:

“Gray,” Natsu interrupted, closing the last of the distance and reaching out to grasp his hands, burning warmth a balm against the chill Gray’s dark thoughts. “We’re always going to fight. We were rivals before anything else,” he squeezed Gray’s hands. “We’re still going to be rivals on some level even when we’re married, or when we’re old and grey.” That derailed Gray for a moment, and he gaped at Natsu, unable to react as the Dragon-slayer shifted his hold until he had Gray wrapped up in a tight hug. “That hasn’t changed, and it’s not going to, I promise.”

[nalu-gifs]

Prompt: NaLu, Natsu listening to Lucy's heartbeat as she rewrites the Book of E.N.D; E.N.D marking spreading to her heart as she does so.

No…this couldn’t be the end.

Natsu lay face down in a pool of his own blood, the world around him rapidly fading into darkness. The only sounds were the retreating footsteps of Zeref across the wooden floorboards of the guild hall and his own ragged breathing. He couldn’t move. Could barely think. No, damn it! It couldn’t end here! He had to stop Zeref, had to get back to the others! But, try as he might, he could barely do as much as twitch a finger.

Then…there was another sound. At first, Natsu thought he was imagining it, but no, there it was: a heartbeat. A strong, steady heartbeat.

Lucy.

Natsu had no idea how he knew it was her. He just knew.

The fire reignited within his chest. The world stopped fading away. Natsu’s fists clenched at his sides, and he could feel the skin of his chest stitching back together again. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, other than Lucy was at the heart of it. The sound of her heartbeat rallied him back to life, the sound growing faster and faster as he felt his own heart pump furiously in his chest. Wherever she was, he hoped she was alright.

By some miracle, he was back on his feet, ready to do whatever it took to stop Zeref from walking out that door. His brother turned around in surprise to see the wound he had inflicted had completely disappeared.

“Wait. Where is my Book of E.N.D.?” Zeref uttered. “Could it be…that someone’s rewritten it?”

Natsu’s freshly invigorated heart skipped a beat. Is…is that what’s going on? Lucy was doing something to the book?

Zeref went on to dismiss the idea, declaring that no human would survive for long if they attempted such a task. Natsu’s fists clenched even tighter, and a deep growl rumbled from his throat. Lucy. He could still hear her heartbeat, pounding in what he now realized was distress. Something wasn’t right. If she kept this up, would what Zeref said be true? Would the demonic word of E.N.D. overtake Lucy’s own heart, envelop her in darkness?

No. No way. That wasn’t gonna happen.

Natsu drew in a deep, steadying breath. “I owe you, Lucy,” he murmured. She had saved his life, and she had done so by risking her own.

Time to take this bastard down and get back to her.

[kiliinstinct]

POV? For the writing prompt!

Writing Memes For The AskBox // Gimme POV - something that’s already happened, retold from another character’s perspective

--- Flame's Desire Chapter 12 - The Bonfire Party/ Natsu's POV.

Lucy's willpower could only take her so far. Natsu had kept his eye on her throughout the gathering, gaze never wavering from that limping leg as she moved through the sand and enjoyed her time amongst the others for the night. Sneaking her out may have been his idea, but it didn't come without it's concerns- her without the cane the biggest among them. He watched when her head nodded then jolted back to the waking world as she struggled to keep rapt attention on those around her. And he watched until the fight against sleep failed and she slumped in the sand, back pressing against a nearby log for support. Well, now, they couldn't have that. With careful movements and a sturdy arm, he maneuvered her just right to brace her with his own back, sitting so the brunt of the heat from the bonfire would strike him first: shielding her. She was his charge after all, he could do this much for her. The gathering had calmed down enough that his attention wasn't in every direction anyway. "Hey, Natsu," - except for Gray, who met Natsu's eyes across the flames. His cheeks were flushed, by a distant memory or the heat of the flames, Natsu couldn't tell and nor did he care, but once Gray had his attention, he poked the flames with a stick and cleared his throat, "Sorry about, uh, earlier." Was the sky falling or did he just hear Gray apologize? "- with a face like that, no wonder you're apologizing, but I don't remember you needing any other reason to do it."

"Are you trying to start a fight with me you-!" Voice raised just enough to make Lucy stir, mumbling in her sleep and they both stiffened.

"Great, first you spill the beans on my plan, now you're trying to wake her up." Natsu said, sarcasm dripping as he held back a snarl. It was so easy to fall into arguments and insults with Gray, but even he knew now wasn't the time for it. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm not the one throwing insults while you've got a girl sleeping on you." Gray stretched his arms over head and frowned, giving Natsu the impression that whatever topic he wanted to bring up had been long forgotten. Which was fine by him, he'd just go back to ignoring him, no biggie. "I didn't mean to interrupt your moment with Lucy, that's all." He continued after a time, bringing Natsu's attention back to the present as he tried to put together just what the other clansmen was trying to say to him. "You know? When you brought her to the beach? Listen, if I'd known you were actually going to put the moves on her, I would have waited longer."

Either the heat of the fire uncharacteristically scorched his face, or embarrassment flooded Natsu like high tide. He reminded himself not to move, keeping Lucy comfortable behind him, and glanced off to the pile of sleeping friends. "Ain't got a clue what you're talkin' about." He replied, voice gruff as he dipped his nose into his scarf, muffling his voice as he thought back to his earlier venture with Lucy. "I wasn't trying to do anything."

They had been rather close, though, hadn't they? Forehead to forehead. Nose to nose. He could still remember how small she had felt in his arms. How much her tears had stung him and the overwhelming urge to do what he could to put a smile back onto her face. He hadn't meant to make her cry, after all, but how does one heal from the loss she had suffered? How does someone move on? Natsu supposed you could only try, but how lonely it must be to do it alone. I didn't want her alone, that's all. He thought to himself. It didn't matter that she almost seemed to lean into him, that his pulse had quickened and his body felt an urge to meet her halfway for something he never dared try before. It's not like I was planning on doing anything more than comforting her. He reasoned again as his eyes finally moved back to Gray, who was staring at him as if he'd just ate a bug.

"... are you serious?" Gray said, mystified, he tossed the stick he'd into the fire and quickly rolled behind the log he'd been seated against. "You keep that up, you're going to give her the wrong idea, idiot."

"And what idea is that?" Natsu growled, fangs gleaming. "Figure it out yourself, bonehead."

If Lucy's weight wasn't still against him, he'd have leapt through the flames to throttle him. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder, staring at her blonde tresses, before crossing his arms and leaning back against her. There was no way they were going to do what Gray assumed. Not at all. It was just bad timing, that's all! He grumbled these thoughts to himself and let his own exhaustion finally pull at his eyelids. The smell of the fire, the salt of the ocean, and Lucy behind him, was the perfect combination to put his mind at ease. She wasn't alone and neither was he. That's all that mattered.

[aruuq]

ꜱᴜᴘᴇʀ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ꜰᴜɴᴋʏ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ to celebrate Christmas Day + the fact that I’ve reached 500 ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ! Tysm for the support! Requests are closed

ɪꜰ ɪᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ, ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴠɪʀɢᴏ ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ꜱᴏ ꜱᴏʀʀʏ ɪɴ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇ, ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀ!

❏ There’s a list of 50 dialogue prompts below. 30 of them are ꜱꜰᴡ, the other 20 are ɴᴏᴛ ꜱꜰᴡ and they are under the cut. Dear minors, please, be kind and don’t cross this border, otherwise there’s a sack full of coal ready to be thrown at you ;)) ❏ You can request from Genshin Impact, Haikyuu, Jujutsu Kaisen or Tokyo Revengers. I write for both male and female characters. You can request literally anyone (yes, even Mahito or Kisaki) besides the children (Klee, Qiqi, Diona, Sayu, Natsu, etc.). In the ɴᴏᴛ ꜱꜰᴡ prompts the characters are obviously aged up if necessary. ❏ One prompt per one request. One request per one ask (I just don’t like the mess). You can put as many requests as you want, but please use your common sense when it comes to the amount ;) Judy send me an ask/s with character/s and the number of the prompt! ❏ For the ꜱꜰᴡ prompts I’m doing only gn!reader so everyone can enjoy it. For the ɴᴏᴛ ꜱꜰᴡ ones I’m taking requests for afab! or gn!readers :) State which one you want, otherwise it’s most likely that I’ll make the afab! version. ❏ Yes, I write polyam!relationships. You can request them. ❏ When it comes to the ɴᴏᴛ ꜱꜰᴡ prompts, you can determine the dom–sub situation. If you won’t do it, I’m gonna decide on my own (with a higher probability of making it dom!character). ❏ All of the drabbles can be found under the ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴀʟᴇɴᴅᴀʀ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ tag + the ones stated in the main post. ❏ I have no idea when the event will end. I’m planning to have the requests opened for at least a few days but it all depends on how many I’m gonna receive. ❏ Be respectful and understanding that it's the holiday season, but also I’m still an adult that has to work. I’m planning to complete all of the requests at my own pace! It may take me a few hours, or even a day or two! ❏ Just have fun! Happy holidays loves!

1. ”Ugh! Wrapping presents is, like, impossible!” 2. ”Who keeps hanging all this damn mistletoe everywhere?” 3. ”Did you really call me over for a snowball fight?” 4. ”Surprise! I’m your present!” 5. ”I didn’t expect you, of all people, to be this excited about Christmas.” 6. ”You can’t put alcohol in hot chocolate!” 7. ”I thought we weren’t exchanging presents…” 8. ”I knitted you a sweater!” 9. ”Thanks for lending me your jacket.” 10. “This gingerbread man is me, this one is you, and I know the house looks a bit wonky but I promise our future home will be much better!” 11. “My hands might be cold, but I promise my hugs are warm! I missed you so much, come here!” 12. ”You know what? Fuck the Christmas dinner. Let’s just get drunk!” 13. ”Look! It’s snowing!” 14. ”I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve and I’m stuck in a snowstorm with you.” “There’s worse company.” “Doubtful.” 15. ”Who set the fake Christmas tree on fire?!” 16. “Did you really glue a picture of me on the star and put it on the top of the tree??” 17. ”Why have you hung those on the tree?” 18. ”Oh, so we’re putting beer out for Santa now?” 19. ”Well, looks like the power’s out.” 20. ”You’re getting coal this year.” 21. ”Do you add alcohol to every glass of punch you pour for yourself?” 22. ”Excuse me– where is my Christmas kiss?” 23. ”I can’t reach the top of the tree to put the star on.” 24. ”Look. It’s a mistletoe.” 25. ”That snowman looks evil.” 26. ”I don’t celebrate Christmas.” 27. ”Have another drink and stop complaining.” 28. ”I made you hot chocolate!” 29. ”Wait. Your mother’s coming?” 30. “The collapse of this gingerbread house reminds me of my childhood.”

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈ ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇᴅ! •

31. ”Have you been naughty this year?” 32. ”Come and sit on Santa’s lap.” 33. ”You deserve coal, but a good spanking works too.” 34. “All I want for Christmas is you.” 35. ”I was right. Christmas garland does look really good on your wrists.” 36. ”You are so going on the naughty list.” 37. ”Usually it’s just a kiss under the mistletoe.” 38. ”Do not open until Christmas, huh?” 39. “I was right, this frosting tastes much better on your body.” 40. “You are the best gift I could ever get.” 41. “I hope you can handle a bit of cold.” 42. ”You taste like gingerbread.” 43. ”This is just what I wanted.” 44. ”Well, if that isn’t a delectable sight to come home to.” 45. ”The more the merrier.” 46. ”Such a good Santa’s elf.” 47. “Gotta wrap you like a really good gift." 48. ”This should warm you up.” 49. "Say aah and imagine it's a candy cane." 50. ”That’s a tradition I’ve never heard of.”

[millennial-star-gazer]

A Fire Dragon, His Princess and The Not-So-Terrible Party Aftermath: Chapter:5

A Fire Dragon, His Princess and The Not-So-Terrible Party Aftermath

Nalu week 2020 Prompts: Voice, Flirt, Charm & Smile(All implied)

Genres: Romance, Humor, New Adult Fanfiction

Pairing: Nalu/Endlu (Natsu x Lucy & E.n.d. Natsu x Lucy)

Rating: M for language, steamy and mature/adult sexual content (all consensual) in these and future chapters. Reader Discretion is advised.(You've been warned!)

Summary: God knows it was all fun and games at an outdoor guild party until a drinking contest results in a not-so-great time for a certain celestial wizard much to the dismay of a protective dragon slayer and company. Even worse is Lucy's hangover with some kind of mild flu and busted ankle to boot . At least a doting Natsu is more-than-willing to provide his mate plenty of TLC. One of my entries for Nalu week 2020 and part of the Nalu-centric anthology series The Dragon Demon and His Celestial Princess anthology series (slight au/ canon divergent).

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Chapter: 5: Of All The Over-Protective Loved Ones And Nonsensical Health Remedies

A/N: Hey folks, it's your girl back with another installment of AFHCPATNSTPA! Apologies for the delay! My beta and I have been somewhat busy on and off for different reasons which will be explained further in the bottom author's note. Anyways, Chapter 5 is finally posted for your reading pleasure with plenty of Nalu fluff, Gray and Natsu rival-related hijinks and humor to go around! Many thanks and a special shoutout to the awesome @mannyegb for helping me edit and further develop this chapter yet again! Seriously, words can't express how grateful I am for this dude's contributions or how invaluable they are ! Make sure to hit him up on Tumblr and Discord. Now without further ado, here's the chapter-enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairytail which instead belongs to the one and only Hiro-sensei instead!

(Scroll down for Designated links and actual story content below the keep reading button/cut)

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Legend

Italics: Fantasy, flashback & literary/ song quotes

Bold: First Person Thoughts

Bolded Italics: empathized word

Bolded Italics: outside of main story): A/N

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"Friends are the family you choose".

(NIN/Ithilinin: Elven Rogue)

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"Seriously Natsu? Again?! "

Lucy's exasperated voice echoed through the stairwell of the couple's duplex after returning home from a trip to the local physician's appointment and some errands. Can't believe we're having this conversation again. Little did the other nearby tenants and neighbors know that this wasn't the first time that the two disagreed over his sometimes -overprotective nature instincts or the level of " safety precautions" for the sake of his mate's well being.

Bloody Hell ...

"I'm not a porcelain doll, y' know!" The wizard grumbled, arms crossing over her chest. "I mean, really!"

"Mhmmm." Nastu merely hummed in response with a lazy smirk illuminating those sage eyes much to her chagrin.

"Are you even listening to me right now?"

"Course I am , beautiful" came his reply without missing a beat. "But damn." Difficult to miss the hint of a flirtatious purr in the fire wizard's voice or how his eyes swept over his mates form in apprecation that sent her pulse jumping into a frenzy . "Do you know what seeing ya' all flustered like this does to me? I mean you're even more adorable, gorgeous, and irresistible than you already are right now. Kissable too."

"Well, th-thank you" Lucy mumbled, heat rising and pooling in her cheeks. God knows how she couldn't but be a little subconscious over the effect of his natural charms despite being irritated. "But I don't think no's really a good time for flirting."

"Aw who says?" Natsu challenged with a throaty chuckle. Agree to disagree, princess ." Notto mention the gleam of mirth dancing in his eyes or the languidly smooth empathis on one of her beloved nicknames that he knew turned her knees to jellow .

Cocky bastard..

And damn were those supple hands currently settled on the curve of the summoner 's waist distracting in all the best possible ways.

"This couldn't be a more perfect time for flirting…"

One of the dragon slayer's hands was reaching to drag the blonde's locks through his fingertips. and Holy Hell did that blush deepen all thanks to that shit-eating of his and the way he continued to play with her hair .

Fuck ... there he goes again.

"Don't you think,Luce?" He finished, twirling, and tucking a stray tendril behind her ear as if to puncture his point further.

Damn it...

God damn did all those calculated ministrations kickstart the flustered girls heart into overdrive .

Again. So hard to focus right now. He 's that good…

As if that soft gasp tha wasn't t slipped out of her mouth wan't already enough. And pretty clear that noise undetected by Natsu if the way his sage eyes were glittering like coals was any indication.

"Someone' s flustered" His words came out as infuriatingly goading and yet velvety at the same time. " But I know you're into this as much as I am…. and you're falling prey to my charms." Natsu let his thumb lightly graze along the contour of her cheek. "Oh yeah. I can tell. Your heart's racing and everything." Now the fire dragon slayer wizard's forehead was mere inches from Lucy's. All that was needed for for her heart rate to skyrocket for the third time just as he so brazenly pointed out.

"Nastu..." the blonde started only for the words to die in her throat when her breath hitched from Natsu 's lips brushing against hers.

Shit...

"Are...you…trying…to…distract...me?" Was what she finally managed to force out, desperate longing seeping into her breathy tone.

"Me? Never." Natsu denied, the soft vibrations of his smoky timbre against her lips sending a tingle rippling across all those nerves. "Just having a little fun, is all."

"You are?"

"And I succeeded!"

Wait...what!?

Nastu was pulling back ever so slightly from Lucy without so much as a warning. God did that unwelcome disruption not fly so well with the mage who moaned in protest.

That pompous little...

"So that entailed luring your your mate in?" She eventually objected with a sour glare at her pompous -ass-of boyfriend." And then leaving her hanging? Pretty sure that classifies as some kind of entrapment! Just how much of a shameless flirt can you be?!"

"Opps.. guess you're not a happy camper right now," Natsu snickered, flashing her an awfully impish grin as if he were caught red-handed like a delinquent high school student drinking in class. "I mean I'm definitely a 'shameless flirt 'when it comes to you but I'm not going to leave you out to dry like some emotionally or romantically dead-beat loser. Knew exactly what I was doing and can't get over how cute my girl is when she's all flustered. No need to worry though." He gave a sly-yet-rougish wink that nearly left the summoner 'a heart stuttering.

Not that I'm going to tell him that.

"I promise to deliver on that promise of plenty of kisses and affection that we both crave so much. You'll see!"

"I... you ... y-you're such an ass!" Lucy stammered, entire face flushing an deeper shade of crimson. "Did you even hear what I said about... God damn it!"

"You mean about you not being made out porcelain?" Natsu was quick to supply, automatically clueing in. "Yes Luce, I did." His voice was all business now but more patient than cross. "And you're definitely right but that busted ankle of yours might as well be with how fragile it is right now. That's what having a sprained ankle means. A finger pointed down at Lucy 's sandal -clad foot with a tensure bandage .

"And why I need to carry ya'. Either way, you wanna get upstairs, right?"

"Well gee thank you for stating the obvious and what everyone already knows about sprained ankles." Lucy huffed, rolling her eyes. "And of course, I wanna get up upstairs but why is carrying me all the way up and down even necessary? You already gave me a piggyback to the clinic for God's sake! Not to mention pushing me around on a god damn platform cart while we were shopping for medicine and other supplies at the pharmacy without letting me set foot on the ground even once!

"Both were necessary to keep you from falling again." Natsu reasoned, still not budging on the matter; even when in the process of methodically removing the key holder's shoes. "Plus, I love having ya' in my arms and that cart had lots of room for you to comfortably stretch out on. Pretty practical if you ask me."

"More like total overkill!" Lucy tossed back, vein ticking above her eye. "Anyway, I might not be as fast, but can still definitely make my way up and down the stairs with a walking assist! Can't you just let me try at least?!"

"No can do, sweetheart," Natsu rebutted with a shake of his head. Good lord it was astounding how this extremely persistent man was able to unwittingly shoot down all of her ambitions for any kind of semi-independent mobility. and yet be so damn patient and even-tempered at the same time. "Can't risk you missing a step and taking another tumble down these stairs."

"Ugh...Oh My God- you're unbelievable!" Lucy couldn't help but yell; throwing her hands up in ggravation. which was met with an infuriating laugh of amusement from a certain pyro .

"The most unbelievable of them all.! Now quit complainin' relax and enjoy the ride up to our apartment!"

"Natsuuuu!"

Such a debate became a common occurrence in the Dragneel-Heartfilia household over the week with neither Natsu or visiting friends— Celestial spirits included- letting Lucy out of their sight or use stairs by herself. The extremely disgruntled mage would often gripe about her "stupid over-protective boyfriend and friends" even though ;despite secretly melting from being in the dragonslayer's arms all the time along with the rest of his "TLC." Not so much with Ezra, however, who'd often insist on personally escorting Lucy up and down the stairs herself ;when it wasn't by Natsu, Happy or anyone else.

My God is that woman overly cautious! It's beyond irritating!

Other than that, one minor pet peeve, Lucy supposed she couldn't really complain too much. Not when she was blessed with spending quality time with the love of her life and phomoneal comrades/friends who were all more than willing to keep her company. Well, okay save for that one time involving a nonsensical squabble about ailment remedies between Natsu and Gray one day.

"I'm telling you— these will help Lucy feel better!" Natsu insisted, dumping a paper bag of what could be described as god-awful-Scotch-covered-eye-sores-with-strings-attached on the counter. "See?" A hand patted the side of the misshapen bundle of items.

Uh...

Lucy meanwhile, couldn't help but steal a furtive glance of disbelief from her coral-haired soulmate; who was currently sniffing the unsightly abominations with an particularly intense focus for some inexplicable reason.

"The hell are ya' doing , charcoal-brains?!" Gray demanded, voice coming out in a mixture of incomprehension and disdain. "And what even are those things?"

"Inspecting these babies for germs," Natsu replied with an eye roll as if the answer was the most obvious in the world. "Duh! What else would I be doing'? Can't have em' infecting Lucy. And they're a supposed to be a special kind of talisman for health and good luck. Even an ice overrated snowcone like you should know that. Basically Scotch-taped covered piles of leaves and Vic patches wrapped in tissue paper. If I hang these around the apartment, then they should do wonders for Luce's health."

"You know by gradually sucking the virus toxins from her body until she's better," he tacked on with an 'exuberant grin. "Or so I heard from Nab, Maco, and Wakaba. Dudes bought entire boxes full for 20 jewel a piece from a pop-up vendor of some merchant in the market. The lady swears by them and everything. Either way, aren't they awesome?! Right, Luce? His head turned towards Lucy. "Bet you'll be better in no time!"

"I ...uh... " The blonde sputtered, still too bewildered for words." I don't…."

"Oh Good God," Erza muttered, smacking a palm against her forehead. "Of all the—-Natsu, I highly doubt those would be effective in treating Lucy's illness."

"Huh? Why wouldn't they be?"

"Well..."

"Oh jeez...How can anyone be this dense?"

Gray was shooting out of his seat at the table with an exasperated noise. "Step aside fire boy, I'll find Lucy something. Her fridge should have some suitable ingredients." A hand pulled opened the door of the fridge before rummaging around inside much to Lucy's confusion Course why a random assortment of food in the form of onions and ginger Along with some lemons were being cleared out was anyone's guess.

"Onions, lemons and ginger" The ice wizard announced, sounding tremendously pleased with himself. "Should be just what the doctor ordered for Lucy. I'm gonna chop these up and boil em' with some cinnamon in a tea for her."

Wha? Is he for real?!

"Wait….I'm sorry you want me to drink what now?"

Lucy 's brain short circuited with an owlish blink at the same time that some revolted noises could be heard from the rest of Team Natsu. More specifically Salamander 's gagging and Erza nearly vomiting in her mouth.

"Well at least Lucy gets it" Gray voiced aloud to no one in particular with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "Now to find a knife and boil some water for the tea."

"Yo, you out of your mind, ice-dick?" Natsu demanded, more than a tad incredulous. "It's pretty obvious she doesn't want what you're selling and can't say I blame her." His eyes narrowed in revulsion with a flash of exposed canines poking through his lips. "That kind of 'tea 'sounds disgusting."

Just for Natsu's striking emerald eyes to immediately soften when landing on Lucy.

"Don't worry Luce," He soothed, his voice lifting to a sympathetic coo. "I'll protect ya' from that big meanie and his stupid ".

" Uh Yeah, please do," Lucy beseeched, words trembling slightly. Honest to God that the astral almost shuddered at the prospect of such a horrendous-tasting tea invading her tastebuds. "I don't even want a sip of that stuff."

"And Why would any sane person expect you to? Not me or Ezra. Can't say the same about droopy eyes here." Natsu tossed a pointed glare at Gray which was readily met with a raised middle finger. "You really that hell bent on brewing whatever nasty crap you call tea, buddy? Then be our guest and drink it yourself. But keep it away from Lucy and out of the kitchen. We don't need that shit stinking up the place."

"Tch— shows what you know" came Gray's disparaging scoff by way of a reply. "Pretty sure you wouldn't know a proper health remedy was if it hit you in the face."

Uh-oh ...

Gray's words really seemed to touch a nerve judging by Natsu's offended growl.

"The hell is that supposed to mean, stripper?" He sniped, vein throbbing in his forehead " What? Are ya really looking' to piss me off or somethin'?"

"Yeah, just maybe I am!" Gray countered with salty heat and matching his rival glare for glare. "You want to cry about it? And you heard what I said. God ... no wonder Lucy's still sick what with your clueless ass and all failing to take care of her.."

"You take that back asshole!" Natsu seethed, foaming rabidly at the mouth. Or rather smoke circumventing from his nose and mouth what with him being a fire dragon demon and "literal hothead "and all.

"Make Me—ow!"

The rest of whatever Gray was trying to say was cut off by a flying "talisman" that just struck him point blank in the face.

"Hey!" He snapped, grudgingly rubbing his temple with a hand." The hell was that for, ya damned fire hazard?!"

"What do ya think, dumbass ?" Natsu flung back without missing a beat. "You got some nerve….insultin 'a dragon's pride like that!"

"Yeah? So what?"

"Seriously?! You pretty much implied I don't know how to take care of my own mate!"

"Yes and?"

Uh-oh...

"And it was a total dick move, dingus! That's what! Where's your sense of common decency!?"

"Wasted on incompetent dipshits like you, apparently!"

"What was that, frosty?!"

"You heard me "

"That's it you, walking freezer burn! Them's fighting words!"

"Oh yeah? Bring it flame-bitch!"

"Take this!"

Oh god ….

The next thing anyone knew were that that the bickering rivals were launchimg projectiles—aka "Talismans" at each other much to her dismay.

No...

"No fighting in our kitchen!" Lucy squeaked; cadence raised to a higher pitch. " You could really break something! So stop!" The afflicted girl couldn't help but watch with alarmed eyes when her desperate pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. Something always gets completely wrecked or destroyed when these two butt heads over anything!

Seriously, who could forget all the destruction those two left in their wake or millions of jewel racked in subsequent, property damage during their last scuffle? Like say the accidental beheading and subsequent toppling of that statue which also happened in Hargeon's beloved town founder for instance? Not to mention the scorched garden of the mayor's prized purple and white orchids. Not Lucy, that's for sure.

I really don't want them breaking anything….

Erza meanwhile. was practically frothing at the mouth from all that pent-up rage in a very-if-not-entirely-proverbial sense of the word.

"Good God—those two!" The re-equip mage ranted, vein pulsing right above her brow. "Always butting heads over one asinine matter or another! The hell is wrong with them anyways? Either way, enough is enough! I really should... no probably best not... Oh screw it!"

Erza was on the other wizards in a flash, banging their heads together with an audible crack. And good lord who could miss the stunned noises of pain that simultaneously cirumented their throats.

"OW!" Natsu and Gray whimpered in unison. "That really hurt ,Erza!"

"Yeah!?" Erza barked . "Well maybe you two dolts should've thought of that before you started acting juvenile and making a mess! I mean take you for instance, Gray! Disrespecting a dragonslayer's pride was a garbage move just as Natsu pointed out! Haven't both Master and UR taught you more sense than that? Oh, and let's not forget you doubting Natsu 's ability to effectively tend to care for Lucy despite doing more than a standup job so far for the most part! No wonder he's offended!"

"Hey, it's not my fault if the dude can't take a joke," Gray grumbled, defensive resentment leaking into his tone. "Or that he has a ridiculously overinflated and fragile ego."

"Neither helpful or okay, Gray!"

"Yeah, so there dickwad!" Natsu cut in with his tongue shooting out for good measure. "See?"

"Oh yeah... you really..."

"Oh no you don't!" Erza whirled on Natsu who shrank under the heat of her glare with another whimper. "And yes, I'm talking about you Natsu Ignatius Dragneel! Don't think for a minute that you're getting out of this scott- free!""

Oh shit ... Erza just used Natsu's full name…. She must mean business.

"What? Me, really?" Nastu spluttered, hands still raised in defense as if fend the intimating scarlet woman off. "What did I even do anyway?"

"Hmm, what did you do?" Erza questioned, rolling her eyes. Oh, and her words were just laced/ dripping/ trickling/ with just the right amount of pointed sarcasm. "Care to take a wild guess? How about those godawful abominations you call talismans for one? Look at them! Anyone can tell these are a sham! I mean really, Natsu! The hell were you thinking?! Normally, you're much better at sussing out onpossible scams and cons. How could you let yourself be duped out of your hard -earned money like that?"

"Aw- come on!" Natsu bleated "Didn't mean to, honest! All I wanted was to help Luce recover more quickly and honestly thought these things would help. That's all! I won't buy any more—swear to God! Just please don't bust my balls, Erza! I need those!

"Calm down. I'm not going to do that. It's easy to tell your intentions were pure regardless which is most important."

"Really? Thank you, you kind, merciful, woman!"

"Yes, yes,.. that's all fine and good," Erza chuckled in amusement with a light shake of her head as a response .

"Now about those talismans. They are a problem. " Erza's voice fell into a more sober tone with a hand cupping her chin in thought. "Word on the street is that Fiore is being targeted by a fraudulent band of thieves and con artists. Popping up in various towns and cities with those "vendors", posing as legitimate shop keepers and merchants —that sort of thing. and from what I've heard , these people are trying pass off bogus goods as authentic souvenirs."

"So, ya think there's some kind of link between those and what I bought?" Natsu quickly caught on matter-of-factly. "As in all that crappy stuff you mentioned ?"

"Yes, precisely that. I'm sure we can all agree that how poor unassuming customers are being ripped off by those criminals just isn't right. Something must be done."

"Okay—like what?"

"Helping folks of Magnolia getting their money back for one —yours included. And there's also the matter of filing a report with the magic reinforcement unit and other authorities . They'd want to be informed of the culprits' criminal activity ASAP. In fact, why don't the two of us go now?"

"What? Ya' mean that you actually want us to leave right now?!"

Natsu visibly balked at Erza's suggestion as if being ordered to watch Ichyia perform a strip tease in nothing but a pair of - sparkly -Leather, assless chaps.

"I.. don't…"

"Yes, I figured that would be the most efficient course of option" Erza reasoned, lifting a questioning brow at his response. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"Uh yeah..., a big one!" Natsu protested with a vigorous nod. " Going now would mean leaving Luce's side" His whole tone shifted into a whine. "Especially when she's still not feeling 100% or if it means being without her in my arms for too long. And right now, looking after Lucy and being able to spend time with her is what's most important. Not to mention what I want the most! Please… just let me take good care of my mate and queen and hold her! That too much ask?"

"No, and your feelings are understandable. That in mind, it would still be unethical to turn a blind eye to petty crimes at the expense of innocent civilians."

"Yeah, of course. But it's just…."

Sheesh… Natsu's being a bit of a drama king right now. I mean I love the guy and its always great having him around for the most part despite the fact that he sometimes gets on nerves. Completely normal for all couples even ones like us but that's besides the point. Anyways, he's being super sweet and everything but there's no need for him to blow a gasket when they would only be gone for a couple hours at most. Plus Erza's right about putting a stop to those jerks and getting those other people compensated. and it's not like I won't be okay without them or by myself a for little bit...

"Hey guys," Lucy finally spoke up after a few minutes, drawing their focus of everyone's eyes back on her. "Not that your efforts and spending time with me aren't appreciated, but pretty sure I'll be fine on my own for a little while if you want to report those people and get your money back." No real heat to her words though.

"Hmm... don't think that's a good idea, "sweetheart." Came Natsu's reply, his timbre pitched soft; though she didn't miss the pleading note in his words. "You're still not in the best shape right now. Like Mavis knows I don't really feel comfortable leaving you alone to fend for yourself right now, y' know? I mean what if ya' end up barfin' with your head over a toilet bowl or falling again?"

Not really that much of an nasty shock to say the least especially seeing how the couple were practically inseparable ever since that hazardous incident at the party.

"Don't be too surprised if Natsu's refuses to leave your side." Levy's kind voice from a recent lacrima video call echoed inside Lucy's head "or even let out of his sight-or sense range for that matter. You remember learning about how dragon slayers, demon's and hybrids are essentially hardwired to be extremely protective and territorial of their bonded, right? Well those already -fierce instincts are get an even bigger boost during certain times... like say when they're in heat . Not to mention when their soulmates are sick, injured or both in your case. In any case, Natsu's no exception especially with how you're one of the people he's been most protective of even before you two were officially an item node as we all know. Anyways, be prepared for him wanting to remain extra close to you and special attention. Think plenty of affection and physical contact like snuggling, kisses, doting on you —things like that which is always a bonus. And pretty sure he is going to hoard you. I mean the dude going isn't gonna take kindly to anyone he feels is trying to steal/snatch you away from him. Gajeels the same way. It's not so bad though."

Levy was right. Not that I'm complaining...

"We really should get going Natsu," Erza chimed in after a few minutes. The sooner these matters are sorted out the better. Either way, it shouldn't take us too long-a few hours tops."

"Yeah, I know..." Natsu replied , an unmistakable flicker of reluctance in his eyes. "But…I still don't want to leave Lucy right now…." Sage fully connected with honey-brown as a hand was reaching to gently caress Lucy's cheek. And Mavis knows she couldn't help but naturally lean into the warmth of his touch or the content smile forming on her lips.

"Pretty sure I made my reasons clear anyway."

"Yes, but…"

"Hey bro," Gray piped in —not unkindly this time."I can easily hold the fort down and keep Lucy company while you guys are out."

"Wow…Really?"

Natsu instantly seemed to perk up.

"Yeah, I'd be more than happy to. Plus, we can summon one of her spirits and Happy to help for a fun but chill time. That way, you can trust that your girl is in capable hands and won't be bored."

"Good point!" Natsu rhapsodized, bumping his fist with Gray's. "Thanks, bro!"

"Yes, I agree" Ezra concurred, an approving smile crossing her lips. "That's very gracious and cordial of you. Way to be a great friend."

"That's what I'm here for and my pleasure, Natsu."

"Guess you're not so bad after all"

"Course' not. I am pretty awesome, after all."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sometimes... So, what about it, Luce?" Natsu went on to inquire, far more chipper now. " You gonna to be okay with Gray and some of the others taking over for a bit while Erza and me are out ?"

"Yeah Lucy, what he said," Gray followed up with a cordial smile of his own. . "You and me can kick it and chill for a little while. Maybe even break into the candy stash and watch movies with everyone."

"Sure!" Lucy chirped, heart leaping in excitement from the prospect of a low-key but fun kickback with splendid company. "And Natsu and Erza can, join when they get back from their errands, right?"

"Yup! Now here," Natsu instructed, pushing a glass of water on the table towards her." "Drink some more of your water. Anyways, Erza and I can bring back some goodies from the local bakery after too,. You good with that ,Erza?" He tossed a hopeful glance the armour- clad wizard's way.

"Sure—sounds good to me!" Erza jumped on board, eyes lighting up with delight. A trip to the bakery would be most excellent. All those delicious confections, yummy treats like gourmet cupcakes and strawberry shortcake. Ooooooh." The scarlet woman's hands clapped together in giddy enthusiasm.. "I can practically taste it now —so divine!"

"Yeah but think about lava- brains though" Gray quipped without missing a beat. "What are the odds he'll devour whatever he doesn't give or share with Lucy?"

"Ohhhh valid point" Erza echoed, lips pulling up into / a smirk. I wouldn't put it past him to cleanin out half of the bakery's front counter. Now why don't we get a friendly little wager started? Is 20 jewel acceptable?"

"Sure. I'm game."

"Ooh... why not make it ...30?" Lucy joined in with a light giggle. "I mean what's to say he won't clean out most of the shops and the other desert shops in town?"

"Hey! Not cool!" Natsu objected, though such sour words were belied by the glimmer of mirth in his shamrock eyes. "Makin' bets about whether or not I'll stockpile deserts and shit! I mean talk about takin' cheap shots at your leader! I am Salamander of Fairytail, damn it! Alpha drake of the dragon nest, and a Mighty and fierce dragonslayer -demon hybrid! I deserve your respect and praise!"

"Oh?" Erza spurred him on, clearly entertained by the salamander's theatrics. " Is that a fact?"

"Damn right it is!"

"And you, Luce!" Natsu bemoaned with extra melodramatic flair. "Even my own precious soulmate is betting against me and egging' the other two on?" Impossible not to notice how Natsu's hand clapped over the heart in a display of feigned offence. "How you' wound me, woman!"

"Opps," Lucy uttered, a teasing lilt to her words. "My bad. Are they really that wrong though?"

"Ooh, you got me there!" Natsu jibed s, lips breaking into a cheek into a cheeky grin agrin that set Lucy 's heart all pit-patter. "Touché and shit."

"Just as I suspected."

"Yeah, I figured!" Natsu laughed, mussing her hair with one hand. "Anyway, how about Erza and me pick up some dumplings on the way home? Maybe a Party pack with plenty for everyone to share? We can get some other things for dinner too— Our treat!"

"Ooh yes please!" Lucy crowed, mouth practically watering from the zesty-flavored-packed dumplings from one of many Magnolia's local fusion joints. "Can some be fried? And be filled with beef? Maybe tandoori chicken and cheese too? And could I have 3 or 4?"

"Yeah, sure." Natsu agreed, goodnaturedly as always. "Whatever you want. You really must be cravin that stuff today, huh?" And God she couldn't help how her heart stuttered at the way her grin morphed into a another kind of smile entirely; More subtle, tremendously fond, even. "Normally I'm the one askin' for all this different kind of food. Good to know that you have great taste and that I'm rubbing off on you more and more each day though."

" Uh, yeah… thanks. Though you don't think it's a bit much?" Lucy questioned, now glancing up at her boyfriend with a smidge of tentativeness. She couldn't help but second-guess her request especially seeing how it was partially driven by voracious craving for carbs. "Cuz I'm wondering if that many dumplings is a tad too many now."

Maybe something healthier would be better...

"What? Are you kidding?" Natsu refuted, bursting into stunned laughter . "Of course it isn't. Why would it be?"

"Well, when you put it that way" Lucy resounded in agreement, the corner of her lips twitching into a sheepish grin over how silly I'm being. "Guess I was overthinking it just a little."

"See?" The dragonslayer pointed out, punctuated by a light tap on the tip of the blonde's nose with his finger. "Now you're getting it! And hey, look at it this way! Whatever my princess and queen wants, she gets."

"Well, who am I argue to with that? Anyways, you guys heading out now?"

"Yeah," Natsu sighed, a touch of reluctance seeping back into his gravelly timbre. "Guess we oughtaa . Really don't like the idea of leaving your side though there are some things to take care of. And besides the sooner we leave, the sooner I can get back to you."

How the summoner's heart gave a little thump at those touching words that reached her ears!

"What you're saying is definitely true" Lucy breathed, finding herself adrift in those arresting eyes of his. Onyx with flecks of jade that always seemed to shine in just the right angle of sunlight on bright days. And did she mention the sensation of Natsu's fingertips brushing her cheek, the tucking a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear? How it all sent sparks racing through her nerves! "And I can't wait for you to get home so that I can be in your arms again too."

"Mhmm yeah" Natsu hummed in agreement., stroking along the side of her temple now. "I'm definitely looking forward to all that too. Also cuddling with ya' on the couch of course. Should be great! Anyway, make sure to take it easy and stay hydrated, okay? And don't forget Erza and I are one just one call away if you need anything."

"Okay, Thanks Natsu."

"Anytime," he rumbled with that same affectionate smile that always melted her heart . "See you soon, Luce." Lips pressed a light kiss atop the celestial mage's crown with a hand palming the side of her head. God such a rush cozy seeping through her bones and warming her soul to the core.

I truly love him and that'll never change..

"Yeah, likewise.. Hurry back, okay?."

" You know I will."

"That I do".

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A/N: All right that's Chapter: 5 ,folks! Apologies for the delay again! As stated previously, both my beta and I have been busy for different reasons related to differing schedules, life circumstances, responsibilities, appointments, hobbies and a somewhat more active social life among other things (with increasing vaccination rates unless everything goes south again). Not that this has necessarily prevented me from writing or working on my wips but there's also been days where I haven't been feeling well, a case of writers block or there simply just not being enough hours in a day to accomplish everything I want for whichever reason lol. In any case, this chapter is posted now and I'm trying to get back into working on writing projects more often. So that's that at least.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Once again, please don't hesitate to drop a comment/review and share. Check out the rest of my writing and stay tuned for new projects along with updates to my other WIPS too! ((Corresponding links are above in this post, bio and navigation bar if reading this on tumblr. Also in my FF and A03 profiles.) All right. that's all I have to say for now. Thanks to all my friends, mutals, followers and readings for their ongoing show of support over the years. You all rock! Take care until next time! Bye!

[sturchling]

An Awfully Big Adventure

Hey! I found an angsty prompt for a Fairy Tail fanfic a while back and have been wanting to write it for a long time. Can't remember where I saw it, but if I figure it out, I'll make sure to tag them in this! Anyways, hope you like it! And if anyone understands the references to the book/movie in this story, you are awesome! 😊

The feeling of the old leather book cover was hardly noticeable to Lucy, as she was engrossed in her book. The book had seen better days, having been damaged from being read over and over. She was so focused on the story, traveling to a far away land only found in the pages of this book, that she didn't notice a certain pink haired wizard coming up behind her. "Lucy! Let's go! I got our next job." But the celestial mage didn't hear him, turning to the next page in the story. Natsu stopped and looked over Lucy's shoulder, reading the next line out loud. "To die would be an awfully big adventure? What does that mean? Sounds stupid." This time Lucy heard him, and jumped at realizing how close he was. Then when it registered what he had said, she jumped to her favorite book's defense, chasing Natsu around the guild hall. "Its not stupid! The hero of the story is cornered by the villain but is still trying to be brave for his friends! He is scared, but doesn't want to scare his friends! This is a great story, with great writing, and don't you dare insult it again! As Lucy stands there, out of breath, Natsu walks up, grabbing her wrist. "Sounds sappy to me. Come on! We have work to do."

Natsu, and Lucy had made camp for the night, just a little ways outside of the town where their job was. Gray, Erza, and Wendy would meet them in the town tomorrow afternoon. While they sat around the fire, Lucy pulled her book out again and read by the fire light. Natsu just stared at her as she was reading for the longest time. Until Lucy finally looked up. "What? Why are you staring at me?" Natsu looked at the tattered book in Lucy's hand. He had seen her reading this book several times before. "Tell me something. Why do you love that book so much? You read it all the time. Surely it gets old after a while." Lucy looks at Natsu, before looking down at the book cover fondly. "Well, its because of the memories I have with this book. This was my mother's favorite story. She would read it all the time, and then finally when I was ten, she read it to me. It was an amazing story filled with adventures and sword fights and even a few pirates. We must have read it together a dozen times." Lucy paused, her smile fading from her face. "But then, mom got sick. So I would read it to her every day. It always made her smile when I did. Not long after that, she passed away. After that, I always kept this book with me and would read it all the time. It was one of the few connections I still had with my mom. Any time I read it, I felt like she was right there with me. I love this book, because my mom loved this book and its a way to still be close with her."

Natsu just sat quietly listening. He understood what Lucy was talking about. It was kind of like him and his scarf. It was a connection to Igneel. Lucy looked back up at Natsu. "Sorry to dump all that on you. I know to you its just a sappy book, but to me its the best book I have ever read. Anyway, we should go to bed. Its late and we have a job in the morning. The two got ready for bed, and Lucy quickly fell asleep. But Natsu decided to do something else. He crept over to Lucy's pack and grabbed the old book. He went and sat back by the fire and turned to the first page. He spent all night reading that book. In the morning, before Lucy woke up, he slipped the book back in her pack and laid on his bed roll. He was exhausted, but he had to admit, it was a good book. Maybe if he had slept instead, he wouldn't have been so tired, and he wouldn't have gotten hurt.

Lucy heard Natsu yell from behind her. They had gone into town to get the information for the job, but were ambushed. The job was a fake, posted by a dark guild that wanted revenge for a Fairy Tail team roughing up their members. It was only Natsu and her in town, the others hadn't arrived. So they were on their own. Natsu had taken the leader, and Lucy was dealing with the others. There weren't that many opponents, so it should have been fine. She had just finished with her opponents when she heard Natsu yell. She whipped around just in time to see the leader's sword go through Natsu's stomach. She stared in horror as Natsu collapsed to the ground. She summoned Loke to keep the leader busy and raced to Natsu's side, praying to anyone who would listen that he was alive.

Lucy dropped to her knees beside Natsu, looking for any signs that he was alive. When she saw that he was breathing, she almost collapsed in relief. But he was bleeding too much from his wounds. She pulled some bandages from her pack and pressed on the wound, earning a groan from Natsu. He started to wake up, and looked at Lucy with eyes fogged by pain. He could see the battle between Loke and the dark guild leader behind her and it wasn't going well. If Lucy stayed here, she would be in serious trouble. "Lucy, listen. You need to go. Run and go find Gray, Erza, and Wendy. They must be close, so it won't be hard to find them. Go!" Lucy didn't even look at him, to focused on stopping the bleeding. "No! If I leave, and don't stop the bleeding, you'll die! I won't let you die." Natsu gave her a pained smile. "To die would be an awfully big adventure." Lucy jolted hearing that line, and looked right at Natsu, tears in her eyes. Natsu grimaced, but smiled at Lucy again. "That's it right? That's the line from that sappy book of yours, right? Hah, nailed it!" Lucy almost lost the grip on the bandages in her shock. "You read the book?" Natsu's smile was becoming more strained as the pain in his stomach grew unbearable. "Last night, didn't finish though. But I got to that line you love so much. And it may be sappy, but its a good story."

Natsu was quickly fading and that was obvious to Lucy. She replaced the now blood soaked bandages and pressed down on the wound again, but it wasn't doing any good. The bandages were quickly soaking through with blood again. Lucy grabbed more bandages, even knowing it was doing no good. She couldn't sit here and do nothing! She just had to keep him alive until Wendy and the others got here. She had to keep trying. Her voice shook as she tried to keep Natsu talking. "Well, then you have to get better. You have to finish the book. We can finish it together. And W-We can go on tons of adventures. Together. All the time, any time you want. Every day for the rest of our lives, will be full of adventure and excitement, okay? I promise, we will have the best adventures of our lives. But you have to get better Natsu. You just have to! Please don't make me break that promise. Just hold on!" Natsu's eyes closed, but he was still smiling. His voice was quiet now, quieter than Lucy had ever heard it. "Yeah, sounds like fun Lucy. Let's go on more adventures..." Natsu trailed off, and Lucy felt her heart stop. "Natsu? Natsu?! Please Natsu, wake up!"

Tears streamed down Lucy's cheeks, but she wouldn't give up. His breathing was slow, as was his heartbeat, but it was there. He was still breathing and his heart was still beating. And that was enough for Lucy. She heard Loke yell from behind her, and felt his gate close. But she wouldn't leave Natsu. If she left, he would bleed to death before Lucy got back. So she stayed focused on Natsu, even as she felt the footsteps of the dark guild leader approach her from behind. He had long since abandoned his sword and started punching Lucy from behind. But Lucy wouldn't let go of Natsu. She would never just let him die. Then, just as darkness started to invade her vision, she heard someone call, "Natsu! Lucy!" She felt a blast of cold behind her, and when she looked, the leader was now completely encased in a blast of ice. She looked at the tree line and saw Gray, Erza and Wendy running toward them. Good. Wendy is here. She will help Natsu. With that last thought, the darkness completely took over Lucy's vision.

When Gray, Erza and Wendy finally got to the two unconscious wizards, they were horrified to see the condition of their friends. Wendy got right to work, healing Natsu as best she could. She was able to stabilize him, but he remained unconscious. Lucy was healed when Wendy recovered, and woke up pretty quickly. Now, Lucy sat by Natsu's bedside in the guild's infirmary. She wouldn't leave his side. She wanted to be here when he woke up. She had started passing the time by reading that old book to him. It seemed silly, but she had always read to her mom when she was sick, and it just seemed right to read to him now. She was about half way through the book, and she had arrived at that scene. Where the hero is cornered and says that line. That line Natsu had said while he lay bleeding in front of her. She instantly started to cry, remembering that horrible day. She hung her head and silently cried. But then she heard a quiet, raspy voice. "Why did you stop reading Lucy?" She whipped her head up and stared into the now open eyes of Natsu Dragneel. "Why did you stop? You were just getting to a good part, and I want to know what happens next. And maybe after you finish the book, we can go on those adventures you promised me?" Lucy smiled, tears of happiness now running down her face. "Yeah. Lets go on an adventure!"

[petri808]

Hauntober prompt Bat

Nalu drabble requested by @warlordgab

“See!!!” Lucy shrieks as she uses her arms as a shield against the heavy rain. “I told you we should’ve found shelter sooner!!!”

Natsu knew he wasn’t going to hear the end of it if he didn’t hurry and find them somewhere to hide. So, he picks her up and rockets above the tree line, searching. “There’s the caves. I’ll get us there quick Lucy.” Lucky for them he’d remembered this area had caves at the base of the mountain. Once inside one, he puts her down and rushes back out to grab some wood. They’ll be wet, but with his magic he should still be able to get a fire going.

“All better now, right?” He grins hopefully as the roaring campfire illuminates... a still fuming blonde. Lucy’s hair was plastered against her head, stringy straight and still dripping from the ends. Her clothes too, were molded to her body’s curves, arms folded against her shivering chest as she rubbed them furiously. Natsu gulps hard for two reasons, one, he knows she’s upset, and two the chilly weather had caused her nipples to be more prominent through the wet fabric.

Thinking on the fly, Natsu blurts out the second thing that pops into his head. “Take off your clothes.”

“What?!”

“I-I’ll turn around while you do it, just, if you give them to me I can dry them faster.”

Lucy narrows her eyes at him. She knows he wasn’t wrong, how many times has she seen him dry off his own. “Fine, but you better not peek!” After he turns and faces a wall, she strips the sodden fabrics from her body, leaving them in a pile at his feet. “There.” Using his body heat and magic, Natsu dries both her clothes and his own, then puts it back in a pile next to him. Lucy grabs them and redresses.

“Can I turn around now?”

“I should make you stand there as punishment.”

“Aww, come on Lucy!” He whines. “I didn’t mean for you to get all soaked. How ‘bout I make it up by keeping you warm?”

“Pfft, that’s just the start fire boy. I expect a lot more foot kissing to come.”

Outside the cave the rain continued in sheets, battering the ground in a rumble with no end in sight. If they were lucky it would stop by morning, but the thunder and lightning wasn’t a great sign. From what Lucy could tell, it was still a few miles away but heading in their direction. They also searched the short cave, discovering a tunnel too small for either of them to fit through. Which was a good thing. It meant nothing bigger was lurking inside. Unfortunately, they also found nothing of use like dry bones to burn.

The pair huddle close to the fire for light and warmth, though Natsu was enough of a heater to keep her comfortable. It was horrible during the Summers, but during the Fall like now or Winter it was a blessing. They lie down, Lucy leaning her head on Natsu’s broader chest and closes her eyes to get some sleep. Since there was nothing more they could really do about the storm, catching up on some rest was the next best idea. He in turn wraps his arm around her body, keeping her nice and secure.

But just as her mind starts to slip, a lull in the rain let’s the quiet of the cave reveal.. it wasn’t so empty.

“What was that?” Lucy whisperes as her eyes pop open and her hand grips to Natsu’s vest. “Did you hear that?”

“It’s probably just the cave settling or something.”

She sits up, panning her listening ears for anything unrelated to the rain. “I swear its not that. It’s like...”

The fluttering of wing beats and shrill, chitters burst free from the small tunnel. Lucy shrieks as the creatures barrel straight for them. “Bats! Eww! Eww! Eww!” She screams and waves her arms over her head as the swarm wreaks havoc, landing on her, tangling in her hair, and crawling over her body.

Natsu shoots small blasts and sprays of fire into the air hitting some and deterring others. He’d rather not kill them, but his first priority will always be Lucy. He pulls them off of her and himself, flinging them away between the blasts, and covering her body with his own to shield her from more. It lasts less than a minute before most of the bats go back into the tunnel and the rest are dead or dying on the ground.

Once it’s over, Natsu moves over and helps Lucy into a sitting position. “A-Are they gone?” She whispers.

“Yeah... but are you okay?” He checks over her body looking for any bites or scratches. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Lucy gives herself a once over. “I don’t think so.” Shivering, “that was just so creepy! But...” she hesitates, then quickly places a kiss on his cheek. She avertes her gaze and does her best ignore the flush in her cheeks, “thank you for protecting me.”

“Y-Yeah.” Natsu stutters all tongue tied with a fierce blush of his own. Not knowing how to handle such an intimate gesture, he switches to reality. “Um, well I doubt they’ll be back but if you wanna get some sleep I’ll keep watch.”

“Okay,” Lucy hums and points, “can I sleep here?”

“But that’s my lap.”

“I know.”

“Um, ok—ay...”

She climbs onto his legs and curls up, wrapping her arms around his neck and body, and positioning herself until she’s comfortable. “Mmm... Good night, Natsu.”

In that moment, Natsu’s heart melts and explodes at the same time. Is that even possible?! “Good night... Lucy.” He hesitates, then places a kiss on her forehead and smiles. He wasn’t sure what this all meant but you know what, he’ll take it!

*yes that one section was inspired by @chibines art I loved that one lol

[twomanyideas]

The Way To A Man’s Heart

A collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404​

Gratsu Weekend 2021 Prompt: First Pairing(s): Gray x Natsu, Gray & Loke

AO3

Summary: Gray has long held feelings for Natsu, but it takes finding out that Lucy is planning to make a move to convince him to act first.

Chapter 1

Gray had been about to open the door to the Fairy Tail guild when he heard a rustle in the bushes.

“Pssst, Gray.”

He recognized the voice right away and could already feel a headache forming in response, but he dutifully walked towards the bush, fighting the urge to just freeze it and head inside the guild. Loke crouched behind the bushes, looking uncharacteristically serious.

“Do I even want to know who you’re hiding from?”

“I have some important intel, and it affects both of us.”

“Intel?” Gray was admittedly curious, but he stopped himself before he could get caught up in whatever this was. “Look, man, I just got back from a job. All I want is to relax and grab a beer.”

“Would you still think that if I told you it’s about Natsu and Lucy?”

Well, that certainly changed things a little. Natsu and Lucy were his teammates, and if they were in trouble, then he wanted to know about it. However, he knew from experience that Loke’s definition of trouble was markedly different from his. But what if it was serious...

Ten minutes later they had made it to Gray’s small apartment. Gray dropped his mission bag, and subconsciously his shirt, by the door and led Loke to his living room.

“Alright, so what’s this about?” he asked, getting two beers from the fridge and giving one to Loke.

“Gray, don’t take this the wrong way, but I need you to grow a pair.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

“Look, the situation is desperate. Cancer told me Lucy summoned him to do her hair and help her pick outfits this morning.”

“Is that all? She does that all the time.”

“Yes, but this time she was getting ready to ask Natsu out.”

Gray ignored the tightening of his stomach at those words, outwardly shrugging them off.

“Still don’t see what this has to do with me.”

“So you’re perfectly fine with Lucy dating Natsu? That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“I don’t care what the Flame Brain does,” Gray was lying through his teeth, but he’d gone years hiding his feelings and he wasn’t about to let them out now.

“You’re so cute when you’re in denial,” Loke snickered.

“Fuck off.”

“We both know Natsu will end up saying yes, even if only because he won’t want to hurt her feelings, and who knows how long that will last. We’d both be screwed, and not in the good way.”

Loke was right. Natsu hated hurting his friends, except for him of course, but Gray couldn’t fault him for that. Not when he was just as bad. Natsu wouldn’t want to disappoint Lucy, so he’d likely say yes. Not to mention there was almost as much pressure on him to like Lucy as there was on Gray to like Juvia.

And what if Natsu ended up marrying her? That tightening in Gray’s stomach worsened, making him want to doubl over to ease the pain. He’d experienced plenty of crushes over the years, but his heart had long ago decided on Natsu. Would he be able to live with himself if he didn’t at least try to stop this?

But what about Lucy? She was his friend too. Should he really stand in her way?

His eyes narrowed at the thought. Fuck that, he’d hadn’t known her that long, but he’d been waiting for the flame brained dimwit to wake up to romance for years. If she was planning on making a move, then it was as good as a declaration of war. And Gray wouldn’t give up without a fight.

“Alright, let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you were right. What is it you have in mind?”

“I think it’s about time you asked Natsu out. Don’t you? If you get him to date you, then maybe Lucy will finally take me seriously.”

“I can’t just ask him out. He’d probably think I was messing with him and punch me on the spot.”

“True, he’s a tough nut to crack, but there’s always something,” Loke muttered, his expression turning thoughtful.

He snapped his fingers a few minutes later, startling Gray out of his panicked thoughts.

“Okay, so the basic problem is that Natsu’s oblivious, right?”

Gray nodded, thinking that summed it up quite nicely.

“So here’s what you’re going to do.”

Loke explained his plan and Gray instinctively knew he was doomed. There was no way anyone could be that oblivious.

He knew the likelihood of this working was slim at best, but that didn’t matter one whit because Gray had already resigned himself to doing whatever it took to keep from losing Natsu forever.

0-0

“I’m back!”

Gray tensed the moment he heard the guild doors bust open, followed immediately by Natsu’s loud greeting. It was time to put their plan in motion, but he didn’t feel ready. He hadn’t really had enough time to process that he was finally making his move. Loke squeezed his shoulder before sitting down next to him at the table, and that was all the encouragement he could give because Natsu was likely to hear any words they exchanged.

“I can’t believe you got a reservation for The Spice Grill!” Loke sounded enthusiastic. Way too enthusiastic. Gray cringed at the loudness of his voice.

“Oh yeah, it was part of the reward for that job I went on today,” Gray recited his lines, feeling incredibly stupid. “I hear all the food is super spicy there and they cook it on a grill right in front of you.”

“Don’t they have that magical bartender too?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right! She makes special drinks that you can infuse with your magic. I wonder what ice-magic tastes like?”

Loke made a few crass comments in response, but at least they made him laugh, soothing his nerves a little. Gray hoped Natsu was listening, but it worried him that he’d remained silent so far.

“So who’re you taking?”

Gray thanked his lucky stars that Juvia had yet to return from her job with Gajeel, because that had been the trickiest part of this plan. If she’d been here to overhear this conversation, there was no chance he would’ve gotten away with not taking her. Voluntarily or not.

“Hey, Levy!”

Shit, that was Lucy. If he couldn’t lure Natsu over before she got to him, it would be all over.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Gray stuck to the plan, doing his best to sound disinterested even though inside he was desperately screaming at Natsu to take the bait. “You like spicy food, don’t you? Wanna come along?”

Loke rubbed the back of his neck, “I guess I could go.”

“I like spicy food, I’ll go with you, Ice Block.” Natsu finally joined the conversation, and Gray almost cheered.

“Why would I take you out to eat?” Gray sneered, knowing he couldn’t make it too easy or Natsu would suspect something was up. “You have the table manners of a boar.”

“Didn’t you say the reward was for all you can eat?” Loke threw in the last incentive.

“All you can eat?” Natsu’s enthusiasm bumped up a notch at the news, and now he was practically salivating. “Oh, come on, don’t be a jerk! I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you what,” Gray proposed after pretending to think it over. “I’ll take you, but only if you can beat me at arm wrestling.”

“As if I would lose to you,” Natsu scoffed, sitting across from him and propping his elbow on the table. He peered at Gray expectantly. “Bring it on, Ice Princess, I’m all fired up!”

Elfman had just checked their hands and elbows when Gray heard Juvia enter the guild already calling for him. So rather than complete the challenge, he got up, dragging Natsu along by the hand he was already holding and making a beeline for the exit.

“Change of plans, Pyro, let’s go!”

He glimpsed Juvia’s disappointed face on their way out, but it didn’t bother him in the slightest. Lucy’s, however, was much harder to dismiss. He felt a bit guilty, knowing what she’d planned to do and how much effort she’d put into it, but not nearly enough to abort his mission. All was fair in love and war, right? And this was both, so doubly fair.

“Hey, you can let go now,” Natsu tugged his hand free of his grasp. “What got into you, anyway?”

“I didn’t want to have to deal with Juvia wanting to come along,” Gray answered honestly, and Natsu didn’t question him further.

“So where is this restaurant?”

“Akane Beach.”

“Aw man, you didn’t say we’d have to take a train to get there!”

“You didn’t ask.”

Gray held his breath while Natsu glared at the train station as if it were somehow responsible for his motion sickness. A minute later his shoulders slumped, and he began walking. “Ugh, fine. Let’s just get it over with.”

He couldn’t believe it. Loke’s stupid plan had actually worked! He was going on a date with Natsu! Well, fine, he’d tricked Natsu into going on a date with him, but it was still more than he’d ever thought he’d get.

0-0

The train ride went about as expected. They had the compartment to themselves since Natsu’s agonized groans and dry heaves scared away most of the passengers. Gray watched over him while he thought of the dinner ahead.

The restaurant was pretty trendy, much more so than any place they usually went to. Loke had pulled some major strings to get a reservation on such short notice, and adding that all you can eat option was going to cost Gray almost the entire reward from his last job. He was a little worried that they would stand out from the other guests, and while he’d teased Natsu about his manners, it wasn’t like his were that much better. However, the hassle would be totally worth it if things went the way he hoped, but if it didn’t... Well, it was all you can drink too.

This wasn’t the first date Gray had been on, but it was the first one where he felt this nervous. Had they ever done anything like this together before? He didn’t think so. Most of the times they’d gone places together, it was at Erza’s behest - one of her attempts to get them to get along better, and she was usually there to run interference.

And they still almost always ended up in disaster.

The train slowed down, signaling their arrival and pulling Gray out of his thoughts. Once it rolled to a stop, he nudged Natsu that they had arrived, carrying him off the train on his back and walking onto the busy platform of the Akane Beach Station. He soon found a bench outside where they could sit while Natsu recovered.

The breeze brought with it the smell of the ocean, making him feel like Ur was wishing him luck. Gray couldn’t help but smile in response. Natsu stirred next to him, perked up by the sounds of live music and the bustle of excited tourists.

“You ready to move?”

Natsu responded by springing off the bench, grabbing Gray by the arm and pulling him up, “Come on Ice Block, I want to check out the music!”

That was easier said than done. It was a Friday evening, and people had come to Akane in droves. Natsu held on to Gray’s arm as he tried to force them through the crowds, making sure they wouldn’t lose each other in them.

Gray rolled his eyes at his friend’s usual blunt approach, lowering his core temperature instead. He laughed at Natsu’s surprised expression when people moved away from them, clearing a path.

Natsu grinned, but rather than letting go, he tugged harder, wanting to get to where the excitement was at. They quickly crossed the boardwalk, getting their first view of the resort and amusement park.

The Spice Grill, the restaurant they were going to, was inside the resort, but they still had some time before their reservation. Natsu headed straight for the street musicians that played outside the hotel, tapping his foot to the beat and clapping louder than anyone when the song was over. He threw some jewels into their open guitar case.

“After listening to Gajeel, I’d almost forgotten what proper music sounded like.”

Gray snorted in agreement. “We should probably head inside now, wouldn’t want to miss our reservation.”

“All you can eat, here we come!” Natsu cheered, holding the door open for Gray, and following him inside.

@fuckyeahgratsu​

[animezing-fandoms]

Starting a Family

Masterlist

Relationships: Nalu

Warnings: None

Summary: After Natsu asks Lucy if they can have a Nasha of their own back in Earthland, Lucy has a conversation with him about what it means to have a family together, and what that means for her and hopes it means for him...

A/N: Here’s a little one-shot inspired by Chapter 66 of the 100 YQ enjoy! 

---------------

“Yeah I’m sure you guys will get together! I mean, maybe your Natsu hasn’t admitted it yet but...” Edolas Lucy says as she takes a glance out the window and sees him fawning over Nasha. “I think secretly he really likes you.” 

Lucy let out a small squeak before placing her pale hand over her mouth and her reddening cheeks. 

“And it looks like those feelings are definitely not one-sided.” Her alternate self adds, only adding to Lucy’s embarrassment even more.  

“Oh no no no! I don’t like him at all and he definitely doesn’t feel the same way!” Lucy replies quickly with a nervous laugh. 

“How do you know?” Edo Lucy asks. 

“Well, my Natsu- I mean Earthland Natsu, isn’t really interested in romance at all! He’s only really focused on fighting and becoming a really strong wizard! So even if I wanted to marry him and have kids with him one day, I doubt there’s any way he would ever want the same.” Lucy says calmly. 

I mean, that was the truth as far as Lucy was concerned. Natsu may be great with Asuka and he seems to like Nasha too but...in most cases there is a big step that comes before having a kid of your own and that’s finding someone to raise that kid with. And Natsu had never once shown any interest in settling down with anyone, much less falling in love either. So even though in her heart she hopes that one day Natsu will return her feelings, she knows that the odds of that ever happening are...

More likely than she thinks as Natsu suddenly kicks the door open and appears in the room, holding Nasha by her armpits in his hands with the biggest smile on his face. 

“OH MY GOD LUCY WE’VE GOTTA GET ONE OF THESE!” Natsu exclaims. “She’s so cute and if we had our own I could teach her how to breathe fire and she could melt Gray and his son’s stupid ice and it would be so cool!!! Can you lay us an egg when we get back to Earthland please!!!”

Lucy stood frozen as both embarrassment and shock took over her. Did Natsu just ask her to have a baby with him? Well, technically he asked for an egg from her which, for biological reasons was never going to happen. But, she knew what he meant. She just couldn’t believe what she was hearing! And her alternate self wasn’t helping calm her down at all. 

“He seems pretty interested to me. Better get layin’ if you know what I mean.” Edo Lucy says with a smirk and elbows Lucy’s arm.

“I really don’t know what anything means anymore.” Lucy mumbles and covers her eyes with her hands.

“I mean, we’ve got a spare room upstairs with a bed if you two wanna get started on making that egg.” Edo Lucy teases while picking up her daughter after Natsu sets her down.

“That’s a great idea! Lucy can we start right now?” Natsu exclaims excitedly. 

His excitement ends with Lucy’s foot in his face as she kicks him out the door. 

“Know what you’re asking for before you ask for it you dummy!” Lucy shouts angrily after him. 

Everyone watches as Natsu flies over them before landing in a tree nearby. 

“Whoa...can you do that too mama?” Nasha asks. 

“I wish! Hey can you show me how to kick like that?” Edo Lucy asks.

“Sure. I’m surprised you don’t know how already though, given how you are and how boneheaded Natsu is.” Lucy says. 

“Well, my Natsu doesn’t seem as bad as yours. He might not be the brightest of the bunch but at least he knows where babies actually come from.” Edo Lucy laughs. 

“Where do babies come from mama?” Nasha asks and Lucy smirks as her counterpart’s face goes red. 

“Uh...” Edo Lucy starts while staring down at her daughter. “We’ll tell you later.” 

“But I’m curious now!” Nasha protests. 

“And I’m sure you’ll still be curious later, now go help your father get himself out of that tree!” Edo Lucy says. 

“Okay!” Nasha says cheerfully and skips away to help her dad. 

“Phew.” Edo Lucy says while wiping the sweat off of her forehead. “Dodged a bullet with that one. Parenting is no joke.” 

“I can only imagine. Which is why Natsu joking about it was extra rude...” Lucy says with a blush while looking out the door to watch Edo Natsu pull her Natsu out of the tree only to have him land on top of Earth Gray which of course prompted another fight between them. 

“Why do you think he was joking?” Edo Lucy asks. 

“Pfft. You heard what nonsense came out of his mouth! Isn’t it obvious!” Lucy exclaims. 

“Well yeah it’s clear he doesn’t have the knowledge needed to start a family with you but I think he made it pretty clear that in his heart, that’s what he wants.” Edo Lucy explains, making her Earthland counterpart blush and turn away from her. “And something tells me, you already knew that’s what he meant too.” 

Yes. Of course she did. But she’s fallen for that once before, and now that she’s really fallen for him, she didn’t dare raise her expectations again. Even as she dared to hope that this outburst could have meant something, it was safer to assume it meant nothing. 

-------------

As they made their way towards the Capital, they decided to take a break and eat some of the food that their counterparts had given them for the road. But for some reason, everyone except for Natsu had decided to go exploring in the woods, so now Lucy was left alone with Natsu. Dreading the awkward silence and the even more awkward conversation that was sure to follow.

“Hey, Lucy can I ask you something?” Natsu asks, breaking the silence.

“Before you kicked me in the face and sent me flying into a tree, you said ‘know what you’re asking for before you ask for it’. What did you mean by that?” Natsu asks. 

Lucy blushes and stares at the ground, suddenly very interested in drawing squiggles in the dirt with her shoe. 

“Well...There’s a lot more to raising a kid than just having a child you know.” Lucy explains. “If you’re going to do it with someone then you want to be sure that that person is someone you care about and want to spend a lot of time with-” 

“Yeah, that’s why I asked you!” Natsu exclaims. “I said we were going to be together forever!” 

“I know but there’s also certain feelings that you have to share with that person that I’m not sure you have with me...” Lucy says and looks away from him.

“What kind of feelings? I have feelings of wanting to have a kid with you, is that not all there is?” Natsu asks. 

Lucy blushes even more. 

“Well, yeah. There’s more to it than that. And I’m also worried that you think that because the Natsu and Lucy here in Edolas had a family together that you and me need to get together but you don’t have to if you don’t want to-” Lucy starts before Natsu cuts her off. 

“But I do want to!” Natsu exclaims and Lucy blushes. “I can’t think of anyone better to do this with! I already told you we’d be together forever, going on adventures and stuff so why not have a kid to come along with us!” 

Lucy couldn’t help but tear up a little bit as she looked at his eager and excited face. How could she say no to him, especially when she wanted the same thing as him. 

“Okay then Natsu, we can have a kid.” She says. 

Natsu’s face lit up with excitement and Lucy couldn’t help but smile back at him before squealing as Natsu lifts her up off of the ground and spins her around.

At that same moment the rest of their friends returned. 

“Whoa what are you guys so happy about?” Happy asks. 

“Lucy said she’s gonna give us our own Nasha in Earthland with me once we finish the quest!” Natsu exclaims and everyone freaks out. 

“Whoa really!” Wendy exclaims. 

“First Gajeel and Levy, now Natsu and Lucy, maybe I should talk to Jellal about starting a family when we get back to Earthland...” Erza says to herself. 

“How in the world did that moron manage to win her over in the span of one conversation...” Carla mutters. 

“Seriously! A kid! With that idiot! He’d be a terrible father!” Gray exclaims. 

“I bet I’d be better than you ice princess!” Natsu quickly snaps back. 

“Oh yeah! You’re on flame brain!” Gray challenges. 

“So then you plan on asking Juvia about having a Greige of your own when we get back to Earthland?” Happy teasingly asks Gray. 

The ice mage’s anger melts away as his face reddens at the thought of asking Juvia to start a family with him.

Happy flies over to Natsu and Lucy. 

“So you’re really going to lay us an egg Lucy?” Happy asks. 

“Well uh...” Lucy says and blushes, unsure of what to say next. 

“Don’t be worried Lucy! I’ve got a ton of experience with eggs! I hatched Happy and Kemo Kemo! Now that I’ve practiced with both of them, I’m gonna take the best care of your egg!” Natsu assures her. 

“He called me a practice egg...” Happy whimpers and tears up. 

“I know, and that’s great Natsu but...human babies don’t come from eggs.” Lucy says with a gentle smile. 

The infectious grin he was sporting quickly fell as a look of confusion passed over his face and Happy’s.

“Huh? Humans don’t lay eggs?” Natsu asks. 

Lucy shakes her head no. 

“If you’re not going to lay an egg then where is you and Natsu’s baby going to grow?” Happy asks. 

Lucy’s face was now bright red under the curious gazes of both Natsu and Happy. 

“Well, humans are mammals so we carry our babies inside of us in a special part of our body until they’re ready to be born.” Lucy explains and places her hand over her womb to show them where that part was.

“Whoa, really!” Happy and Natsu exclaim together.

“It fits in that small spot for the whole time?” Happy asks.

“Well it’ll get bigger eventually...you’ll see it with Levy in a few months.” Lucy says. 

“Wait so if they baby grows inside of you...how does it get in there?” Natsu asks. 

Lucy felt even more embarrassed now after hearing that. Just explaining human pregnancy to him was challenging enough for her. But telling him what he’d have to do to her in order for her to have their baby, was something she was definitely not prepared to do. 

Wendy runs off in fear that this conversation was going to an inappropriate place and Carla follows her. 

Meanwhile Gray and Erza just roll their eyes and sigh.

“Wait...you don’t even know how babies are made!?” Lucy exclaims. 

To be fair, if he thought human babies came from eggs, then she really shouldn’t be surprised that he doesn’t know how they’re made at all. 

“Well, I thought that girls would just lay an egg when they want to have a kid but apparently I was wrong about that.” Natsu says and scratches the back of his head. 

Lucy turns to Erza and Gray, needing an explanation for why she was currently in this embarrassing situation. 

“You all grew up in a guild with a bunch of pervy men, how does Natsu not know where babies come from! Did none of them talk about it with you guys?” Lucy exclaims. 

“They did.” Gray says. “But while the rest of us were willing to actually listen to what they had to say, this idiot just wanted to fight them.” 

“Well duh! Why would I want to sit still and listen to some dumb lecture when I could have a lot more fun punching them!” Natsu exclaims.

Despite her embarrassment, Lucy couldn’t help but giggle at the mental image of a younger Natsu trying to fight Makarov or Gildarts while they were trying to give him the talk.

“So they decided to give up, and they figured that if Natsu ever wanted to know where babies come from, he’d ask them himself.” Erza explains. 

“And you’ve really never been curious about that until now?” Lucy asks Natsu. 

“Well, yeah I mean I’ve never really thought much about love before until recently. Why would I want to know stuff about getting married, and having kids if I didn’t know anyone I’d want to do that with?” Natsu states like it was obvious. 

After a moment, the meaning of what Natsu just said hits everyone and they all gasp and Lucy’s heart jumps to her throat. 

“Wait, so if you’re thinking about that stuff now...with me?...Natsu does that mean that you-” Lucy stammers before Natsu cuts her off. 

“Enough of that though! Let’s just keep moving! We’ve gotta get to the capitol so we can get back to Earthland and finish this quest!” Natsu exclaims and runs off. “Come on Wendy stop hiding in the bushes, we’ve gotta go!” 

“Coming!” Wendy shouts and runs after him. 

Gray and Erza look back and forth between Natsu running away and Lucy standing frozen in the path. 

“Lucy, aren’t you gonna run after him and make that idiot explain himself?” Gray asks. 

Lucy smiles softly and looks at the ground. 

“No. I doubt I’d get much more out of him than that. But it’s okay because I don’t need to. For right now, it’s enough.” Lucy says and places her hand over her heart that was swelling with love. 

[6ix-dragons]

Campsite Intimacy

Series: Fairy Tail Pairing: Natsu/Lucy Rating: 18+ Word Count: ~5.8K words Sinfully NaLu 2020 Prompts: Marking, Biting

Note: This fanfic can also be found over at my AO3, FFN, and PF accounts! :)

EXPLICIT CONTENT ADVISORY: The following story contains graphic sexual descriptions, and strong language. Reader’s discretion is strongly advised!

---

The makeshift bonfire crackled with small embers dancing around the rising flames, underneath the purplish-peach skies of dusk.

Just steps away from the campfire, situated a large, tall green tent nearby. The light from the fire shone through the fabric of the tent, revealing a pair of human-like shadows on top of each other, as muffled noises struggled to escape from the tent's open gaps.

Within its spacious interior, those very noises clearly turned to moans, and gasps, as the tent's occupants settled into their intimacy with one another.

"Natsu," the blonde female gasped loudly, finding herself on top of their sleeping pad, on her back. Said pink-haired male hovered over her, his lips pressing heavily against her own, in a slant.

"Lucy," he breathed out huskily, peppering her mouth with hungry kisses, not minding her hands around the back of his neck.

What became a wonderful day to spend outdoors had eventually turned to a night of intimate love for both. It was just the two of them, together, by themselves.

His fingers brushing the side of his lover's face, Natsu moved them away, where he snuck them underneath the hem of her white blouse. Lucy groaned deeply into their kiss, when she felt his fingers ghost up the side of her body, and made their way to her breast—fondling it, through her bra.

The blonde responded, by moving her hands under his body, where her fingers made quick work of undoing the buttons on his plaid, light jacket. Sitting up—forcing Natsu to straddle her, on his knees, Lucy tried to pry the jacket away from him. The pink-haired Dragneel helped her, shrugging it off, where it slipped away from him completely.

"This has been the best night we've ever had," Lucy panted, having pulled away from his lips.

Natsu also panted, grinning wildly at her, sitting cross-legged. "The best night we've ever had, so far."

The blonde giggled at him, followed closely by his goofy laugh.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy began to ask, as she undid the purple ribbons tying her hair into twin-tails, freeing it into long, looser strands that fell closer to her waist. "Was this totally your idea to bring us out here, all along?"

The pink-haired male beamed at her. "Oh, you bet it was my idea! I wanted us to spend some time, together, away from the city."

Her lips stretched into a sweet smile. "That's so nice of you." She then straddled his lap, nearly catching him by surprise. "I really appreciate everything that you've done, for us both," Lucy murmured, resting her arms over his shoulders.

Natsu gave a sheepish chuckle. "Don't mention it."

Right away, the two of them resumed their lip-lock, both leaning in for a simmering kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds, before Lucy released from his lips—allowing her to tug her sleeveless blouse over her head, from its hem.

The young Dragneel was in awe, after she tossed away her top from behind her. His eyes were directed at the strapless, baby-blue bra that perfectly hugged the curves of her generous breasts. Her cleavage became highly pronounced, when she squeezed her arms against the sides of her bosom, and leaned a little forward.

Before he could even respond, however, he sensed that there was something tugging at the bottom of his shirt. His attention drew away from her breasts, and down to her hands lifting up the hem of his black V-neck tee. With one hand on his abdominals, Lucy could feel how well-built they were, while she struggled to get the shirt off of him. Natsu finally helped her, pulling the sleeveless shirt over his head, throwing it away behind him.

His lips drawing out a sneaky grin, Natsu quickly pressed his lips onto hers, while his hands ran up and down the exposed skin of her sides. Lucy groaned lightly at the warmth of his lips, and the caresses his hands made. The kiss intensified passionately, as their tongues swirled around, and clashed against each other. Unbeknownst to Lucy, his hands snuck around her back, fingers trying their best to locate the clasp on her bra.

An annoyed groan escaped Natsu, when he didn't feel it on the back of her bra, his fingers tugging at only soft fabric, instead. The blonde, however, realized what he was trying to do, upon feeling those very tugs.

Without a word, Lucy pulled away from him—only to push him down to the mat, catching him off-guard, again.

Finding her straddling his hips, Natsu leaned up slightly to watch her, as her fingers moved to the front clasp. In one swift move, her enormous mounds were freed from its bindings, as the large cups of her bra separated from each other. The pink-haired Dragneel found himself mesmerized, by the rhythmic bounces her breasts made, after they were released.

Noticing the deepening red across his face, Lucy gave a coy giggle, and narrowed her eyes teasingly. She brought her hands on top of her breasts, and pressed her arms against the sides of them, bringing them together. "Like what you see?"

Natsu responded, wordlessly, by smoothing his palms over her flat abdomen, before darting them towards her perky pair. Gasping cries escaped the blonde, upon feeling his large hands run all over her mounds, his fingers kneading against them a bit roughly. A naughtier grin scrawled on his face, the more he dug his fingers into the supple flesh of them, while also brushing them over her pebbled buds—which hardened from being openly exposed to the air around them.

The warmth of his touches was always something that Lucy enjoyed, in the times they made love to each other. It was especially so, with his hands on her most intimate parts of her body. All these caresses had stoked the fire, deep inside her.

"Natsu…ah!" Head dropping back, the blonde gasped, and panted. "Please…"

As her pink-haired lover continued to fondle her breast with one hand, his other hand skimmed down her abdomen. Swiftly, it arrived at the silver, metal buttons of her denim shorts. His fingers managed to unfasten the first two, only for Lucy to realize this, as well.

Natsu grunted, as he found himself back down on the mat, by her. Raising his head slightly, he could see her unfasten the final button of her shorts, revealing the matching baby-blue of her panties beyond them. He then lifted his stare towards his blonde lover's face, whose sultry smile met his very eyes. His mouth opened up into his charmingly-bold, dirty grin, in response.

Lucy quickly leaned in on him—letting her tresses fall around them, in a field of bright-yellow surrounding their faces. She seized his lips again, with the same, intense passion. With one hand on her lover's cheek, her other hand grasped the top edge of her loosely-open shorts, shifting them down. Pushing, and kicking gently, she let the cut-off shorts slip down her legs, where they eventually ended up wrapped around her feet. With another light, raised kick, the pair of shorts ended up further away, on the mat.

Low, muffled hums rumbled from Natsu, as he felt her mounds press up, and flatten against his chest, feeling her erect nipples rub around against his own. The sensation was likewise for Lucy, who released a few groans that were suppressed in their kiss. Natsu then grunted loudly, when he felt her grind against his groin. Delighted moans escaped her lips, as she felt the hardening bulge through his pants, every time she lowered her pelvis against it.

It wasn't long, until the two lovers pulled their faces away from each other, needing to catch their breaths. Both could feel the hearts of one another, thrumming wildly through their chests, as they did.

His eyes half-lidded, Natsu locked his gaze on her large, doe-like ones, breathing hoarsely. "Lucy…"

Narrowing her brown eyes sultrily at him, her smile curved in the same manner, the blonde stifled a teasing giggle to herself. A gasp sounded out from Natsu, when he felt her lips press roughly against his neck, followed by what appeared to be her teeth nicking the skin of it.

Holding back an amused hum, Lucy trailed her head down to his chest, where she left another deep kiss on his sternum. As he leaned up nearly upright, Natsu watched her leave a trail of deep kisses down the front of his torso, leading to his lower-half.

Her eyes widened slightly, with intrigue, upon them meeting the bulge in his trousers, which had poked out more. The sight of it had made her sweep the tip of her tongue across her lips.

"L…Lucy?" Natsu raised his eyebrows at her, sitting up straight.

Through his narrowed gaze, the pink-haired Dragneel kept his eyes on the kneeling blonde below him, who then made her next move.

Her fingers rushed towards the top button of his denim jeans, unfastening it. They then went to the zipper below, pulling the fly down, revealing the fiery-red of his boxer briefs.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Lucy hooked her fingers around the waist band of his jeans, along with his boxers. Pulling them down past his waist, her eyes fell upon his phallus—springing out free from its confines.

In her mind, she marveled at how thick, muscular, and erect, it was, as it remained at full-mast. Then, her eyes travelled up to its bulbous, mushroom-shaped head. She noticed that there was a bit of glistening fluid already built up from its tip, threatening to leak out.

Natsu's breath hitched, when he felt her hand reach out for a firm grasp of his shaft. His head then dropped back, letting away a sudden moan, when the blade of her tongue flicked against the tip.

"Guh! A-ah…Lucy…." The pink-haired male gripped the fabric of the mat behind him, soft moans spilling out from him. "H-ah…fuck…"

Lucy released a few low, quiet hums, as she brushed her lips against the side of his cock, in a sweeping motion. His manhood twitched, and throbbed, in response. Natsu's breaths picked up, upon watching his lover roll her tongue up and down his phallus, and all around it. Instantly, he hissed out a curse, when he felt her lips wrap around the head of his cock, first, before fully taking in the rest of it.

Taking him in, deep, Lucy pulled her mouth back, leaving only the head being surrounded by her oral cavern. Breathing through her nose, she began moving her head back and forth, pushing her mouth in further, before reeling back.

If there was anything she enjoyed about his cock, for every time she went down on him, it would be its musky scent. As well, the slightly-bitter taste of the pre-cum that seeped from its tip. The thrill of doing this with him, however, had aroused her further. It made the burning desire in the piths of her body rise higher.

It also made her sense a certain kind of wetness that would seep through her panties…the more she kept at it.

His sights falling back to the blonde below him, Natsu focused on her head bobbing up and down. Pleasured sighs escaped under his breath, the pink-haired male struggling to keep his eyes on her.

Lucy continued to work her lips, and tongue, around his shaft, repeating the same motions of her head. Suddenly, she felt his large hand on top of her head, firmly gripping the tuft of it that forced her movements to a halt.

Slowly pulling her mouth away from his twitching shaft, coated completely with her saliva, Lucy looked up at her lover. "Na…Natsu?" Her hand remaining around the base of his shaft, she panted heavily, chest heaving about. "I-is something…wrong?"

Said pink-haired male shook his head at her. "No, no," he finally spoke up. "It's just that…I wanted to do the same thing to you, too."

Lucy narrowed her brown irises, hazy with lust, at him. "Is that right?"

She stroked his slickened shaft, teasingly, earning her a low moan from him. The blonde then saw him return with a genuine, coy-like grin, under green eyes intent with lust.

A naughty giggle sneaked from her. "Well, if you insist…"

Natsu chuckled quietly, pushing away the final remaining clothes from his legs, as Lucy began to crawl all over him. While he lay flat against the mat's surface, Lucy turned her whole body around, allowing her lover the full view of her most-intimate area.

His sights were met with her high-cut briefs over him. They captivated Natsu, in that there was a rather-large dark patch, where it covered over the spot between her legs. He could also see some of the moisture leaking out from there, trickling down her inner thighs.

Turning her head behind her, Lucy raised a curved eyebrow at him, his hands resting on her rotund bottom. "Ah…Nat-su?"

Right away, the blonde cried out in a squeal, when she felt his tongue press against her entrance, through her damp briefs.

Her body shuddered at every lick he made, as he lashed the blade of his oral muscle onto it. Shifting aside the fabric of her panties, Natsu traced the tip of his tongue around the outer folds of her exposed pussy, before dipping into her inner folds with it.

"Oh, God! Ah!" Lucy squealed again, her eyebrows twitching. She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to suppress her loud mewls, to no avail. "Natsuuu!"

His hands holding her ass in place, fingers digging into its supple skin, Natsu continued to pleasure her with his tongue. Low, delighted hums left his breath, as he gathered up the clear fluid that leaked from her clit, finding its taste to be a little sweet.

The enjoyment of giving her pleasure was short-lived, however, having been interrupted by the same, familiar wet-and-warm sensation on his cock. Pulling his mouth away from her nether-lips, a raised moan spilled from Natsu, as he felt her tongue sweep upward from the base of his shaft.

Lucy softly moaned, while she gave a few, husky licks across his phallus. At the same time, aside from the occasional twitch of his cock, she noticed that his hands on her ass were trembling. Smiling deviously to herself, the blonde swirled her tongue around the sensitive parts of its head, first, causing him to hiss. She then wrapped her lips around the head of his phallus, before sliding it further down to take more of his shaft. It earned Lucy a protracted, pleasured sigh from her lover, underneath.

"Mmmh…Lucy…." Natsu breathed out gruffly, taking in the warm and moist sensation of her mouth that enveloped around him, her lips and tongue sliding up and down his shaft, in repeated motions.

Not wanting to let her have all the fun, the pink-haired Dragneel resumed his ministrations. His fingers tugged at the band of her panties, slipping them past her thighs. With her knickers out of the way, he used his fingers to spread apart her entrance. Muffled cries escaped Lucy, while she worked her mouth around his cock, as she felt his tongue probe deeply around her inner folds.

A suppressed mewl was released from her, while she hastened the pace of her movements. "Ahh…Natsu…."

Her lover let out a muffled sigh, in response, digging his tongue roughly, and swirling it around inside her clit. Natsu then grunted deeply, when he felt her fingers run, and press against his testes—along with his cock reaching further into her oral cavern.

Holding back her groans, Lucy plunged her mouth down his shaft, taking more of it, while she massaged his testes below.

Sensing the familiar tingles in the base of spine that became more frequent, and intense, Natsu knew that he wasn't going to last that long.

Retracting his mouth from her sopping clit, Natsu took the time to catch his breath, before he finally spoke up to get her attention. "Ah…Lucy?"

Having heard him from under her, the blonde slowly ceased the bobbing of her head, before drawing her mouth away from his cock. Strings of her saliva bowed between the tip of her tongue, and the head of his shaft, before breaking apart. Panting roughly, Lucy peered down upon his throbbing phallus. She noted the head of it—which was in a deep shade of angry red, with the urgent need to release.

The blonde finally responded, having caught her breath. "Y-yes?"

Natsu's lips creased to a small grin. "I'm ready to stick it in…I want to be inside you."

"…Yeah," Lucy breathed out, with a little nod of her head. She then turned her head around, behind her. "Uh…do you have a condom, by any chance?"

Blinking for a second, the pink-haired male affirmed with a smile. "Ah, yeah! I do have one on me, somewhere…"

Lucy simpered, as she crawled away from Natsu, allowing him to search for it. While he did, the blonde took note of her briefs already slipped past her knees. She took the last remaining article of clothing she had on her, off from her feet, before casting them off outside the mat.

While it was a little inconvenient—for him, especially, Natsu fully understood about the importance of using such protection, every time he made love to her. While it would be nice to think of what it would be like, to have a child, together…the time still wasn't right for that, in his mind.

"Ugh, where is it," he muttered to himself, as he checked through the pockets of his discarded jeans, and then his jacket. "That's strange…I thought I had one lying around in there."

The clear of her throat immediately brought his attention away from his search.

Natsu turned around, and raised his eyebrows at his blonde lover—who sat on her knees, leaning in towards him. Held firmly in her fingers, was the square foil packet that he had long, desperately searched for.

Narrowing her eyes at him, with a teasing smile, she lightly waved the wrapper around. "Is this what you're looking for?"

"Y-yeah!" Natsu nodded simply, blinking with a dumbfounded expression. "Where did you—"

"I found it in the pocket of our backpack," she explained, with a cheeky smile. "Did you mean to put it in there?"

Slightly flustered at his forgetfulness, Natsu shifted his glance aside. "Yeah," he laughed awkwardly, "I actually meant to."

Lucy giggled teasingly at him. "Silly dragon."

Natsu chuckled back, returning with his usual, charming grin. He then leaned in to place an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

Taking the foil wrapper from her, Natsu carefully opened it up, removing the rubber contraceptive from its packaging. Setting aside the torn-open wrapper, somewhere, he took caution in properly slipping down the condom around his phallus, pinching the tip afterward.

Lucy raised a curved eyebrow at him, over her narrowed, lustful eyes. "Ready?"

His grin widened, at its boldest. "You bet."

Lucy giggled again, when her lover set her down onto the mat, as he hovered over her. Her fingers brushed the sides of his face, resting around his cheeks.

"Natsu,” she whispered, gazing into his bright-olive irises. They were as hazy as hers, filled with sincere passion within.

His fingertips also resting on the side of her face, Natsu held his breath at how gorgeous she appeared before him, when she happily smiled. Unable to resist himself, he took no time in slanting his lips deeply over hers, at once. Lucy brought her hands around the back of his neck, as they slipped their tongues into each other's mouths, again.

Pulling away from her mouth, Natsu dove under her chin, placing a deep kiss against her pulse. Shuddering moans poured out from her gape, while she felt the tip of his tongue sweep over the middle of her neck.

Slightly lifting her head, Lucy watched him in awe, as he moved down to her chest. The blonde then dropped her head back to the mat, and cried out, when she felt both his hands roughly grasp her breasts, and the slickly-warm sensation of his mouth over one of her nipples. Her body began to squirm around, at those sensations.

Delighted murmurs leaked out under his breath, as he suctioned his lips around her hardened bud, swirling his tongue around it. At the same time, he dug his hands against her round, melon-sized mounds, noting the overflowing flesh slipping past the gaps made between his fingers. Hearing her every moan, and mewl, Natsu pried his mouth away from her nipple, before enclosing it on her other, unattended one. It earned him a squeal from the squirming blonde underneath.

Her cries and moans became a bit louder than they were, as her pink-haired lover continued to run his tongue around her other nipple, while running his fingers over the previous one.

Natsu finally ended his foreplay on her, leaving behind a few deep kisses against the undersides of her mounds, causing her to whimper at every kiss he made on them.

Panting heavily, Lucy lifted her head again, her sights falling upon him. "Natsu…please…"

Spreading her thick thighs apart, Natsu guided his cock, with one hand, towards her entrance. Another whimper escaped the blonde, having felt the tip of him brush up against her clit. A choked gasp from her had followed, when the head of it pushed past her vaginal opening.

As he leaned in to settle over her, he pulled his hips back, before plunging his entire shaft into her, in a single thrust. Lucy cried out loudly, in response, feeling a surge of pleasure shooting across her body.

"Natsu!" Arching her back instinctively, the blonde wrapped her arms around his upper-back. She held onto him, for dear life.

"Lucy," he grunted into the crook of her neck, growling quietly at the warm, wet, and silky sensations that greeted him.

Even with the condom around him, Natsu still experienced those very sensations he had missed so dearly. It was the same sentiment shared by the woman underneath him. Lucy could feel every inch, and every twitch of his cock within her inner walls.

The intense, initial sensations subsiding for both of them, Natsu quickly slid his lips over hers, as he began to thrust slowly into her. Guttural moans spilled from their lips, as the pace of his thrusts started to pick up.

Lucy then pulled her lips away from his. "Ahh! Natsu, please!" Her sleek legs wrapped around his hips closely, riding up against them. "Harder! Oh, God!"

The blonde then dug her fingers into his upper-back, dragging her nails against his skin, leaving scores and lines of red welts on it.

Natsu grunted deeply, burying his head against the crook of her neck, feeling every drag of her fingernails over where his shoulder blades were. He drove his hips against hers, intensely, in response, earning him delighted cries from his lover.

The back of her head pressed down against the mat below her, Lucy took in every bit of pleasure as her pink-haired lover did, with her moans coming out in lilts.

A yelp of surprise suddenly escaped her, when she felt him pull her upright. Her arms flew around the back of his neck, bracing against him, as she found herself straddling his lap, on her knees. She also found her lips being quickly recaptured by her lover's, along with his tongue sneaking into her mouth.

Natsu continued to buckle his hips against hers, with his hands firmly settled around her rotund bottom, bouncing her onto his lap. He grunted lowly at every instance that her wet and warm snatch had tightened around him.

The sloppy kiss only lasted for a brief moment, as the blonde released her mouth from him, again. "Mmmh! Natsu!" Mewls, gasps, and cries left her gape, while her head lolled around from the surges of energy that ran through her body, with every thrust from him.

A particularly-rough thrust from him had sent a great surge of energy through her body, forcing her to sink her teeth into his broad shoulder.

"Yeoww!" Natsu hollered at the sudden, stinging pain brought on by her teeth into his skin. He slowed his thrusts into her, to a grinding halt. "L-Lucy? Did you just bite into my shoulder?"

Upon realizing what she had just done, the blonde's head quickly shot right up, with a heavy tinge of red across her face. "Y-yes!"

He directed his curved eyebrows towards her. "B-but, why?"

She bashfully turned her head, and sights, away from him. "B-because…i-it, felt so g-good…"

Blinking awkwardly at her, for a second, Natsu's lips stretched to his usual, big grin. "Well," he chuckled lightly, "I didn't think my princess would be this bold enough to do that!"

Lucy pouted, as she casted her eyes aside, quietly grumbling. "Oh, stop it, Natsu…"

The pink-haired Dragneel then leaned in closely towards her, with a sneaky smile. "Buuut, since you did bite onto me, 'though…"

Before the blonde could even turn towards him, his teeth swiftly nipped into the skin over the crook of her neck—while, at the same time, he thrusted his hips roughly against hers.

"Kyaaah! Natsuuu!" Lucy cried out, letting her head drop back. She held onto him with an embracing grasp, as he resumed the rocking of his hips.

Natsu sneaked a naughty chuckle under his devilish grin, only to flick his blade of his tongue against the spot on her neck he had bit against. Low groans followed from him, when he felt her fingers grip, and bunch around the strands of his hair at the back of his head, tightly. At the same time, however, he took in the throaty moans, and breathy sighs that escaped her, along with the buckling of her hips against his.

Lucy's gasp hitched, when she felt his tongue suddenly reach her neck, underneath her chin. Her breaths came out shaky, and uneven, as he traced it up her neck, stopping at her pulse. His lips then captured over hers, starting off a much fiercer display of passion between the two lovers, feeling the closer warmth of each other's mouths.

Having reached his tongue against hers, Natsu grunted in surprise, when he felt her hands suddenly grasp around his shoulders firmly. He could barely hear himself yelp, as she forcefully turned their bodies around, in a quick tumble.

Before he knew it, the pink-haired male found himself with his back against the mat. Lifting his head just over it, Natsu could make out her heaving, voluptuous body situated over him. His eyes then met her large, lustrous ones, his blonde lover smiling wickedly down at him, while she straddled his hips.

Her hands rested over his abdomen, where the young female took delight in feeling how well sculpted they were, digging her fingers onto them.

"Lucy," he winced, under half-lidded eyes. His head then dropped back down against the mat, releasing a gasping groan, when he felt her hips shift around against him.

The busty blonde gasped softly, and squeaked, while she began moving her hips experimentally, by herself. It was slow and tantalizing to her lover underneath him, but as she found her pace, and settled into it, she started to pick up the rhythm.

"Mmh! Natsu!" Lucy cried out, rolling her hips against him. Her hands moved behind her, where they rested onto his thighs. "Oh, God! Aah!"

"Lu-cy…" Natsu hissed at how incredibly warm she was, around his phallus, feeling every coil of her inner walls all over it. His hands flew instinctively to her waist, guiding her. "Ah…hah…f-fuck…"

Struggling to keep his eyes wide open, he lifted his head again, watching his blonde lover bounce up and down over his cock. Through heavily-lidded sights, he could see her enormous mounds rise, and fall, every time she dropped her hips down against him.

Lifting his upper-body even more, Natsu released his hands from her waist, where they smoothed up over her flat, toned belly. Lucy squealed away, her head dropped back, as she felt his calloused fingers roughly kneading her mounds. Combined with how deep his cock reached into her depths, his intensely-warm touches had added way more to the pleasure that coursed through her body.

It didn't take long, until Lucy had pushed Natsu right back down onto the mat, forcing another grunt from him. She then buckled her hips wildly against his, the busty Heartfilia's moans and cries becoming louder than before.

"Natsuuu!" Lucy rocked her hips even more, feeling the ball of energy deep in her core building up higher. "Oh, God! Oh, yes!"

Her pink-haired lover underneath her had growled, clenching his teeth. He could now feel the same energy in his core about to burst. "Lucy!" He gripped the mat underneath him, tightly. "I'm…I'm gonna—"

"Oh, yes! Oh, yes!" Lucy cried out those words, in a quick chant, while she kept riding away against his hips. "I'm gonna cum, too, Natsu!"

"Hah…fuck!" Natsu snarled hoarsely, as his hands flew over to her waist, yet again. "That's it…cum for me—"

"Yes! Yes!" Lucy squealed, her tongue hanging out from her gape, while she rolled her hips fiercely. "I'm cumming! I'm cu—"

With a sharp drop of her hips, the pressure that built up so much within them had finally come apart, sending them over the edge. At once, the busty blonde threw her head well back—with a piercing cry that left her wide-open mouth shortly. She could feel the intense warmth within her core spread outward into the rest of her lower body.

Simultaneously, Natsu let out a few primal growls, and grunts, clenching his jaw. Alongside the incredibly-warm sensation of her inner walls contracting around him, in a binding, vise-like grip, he could feel his liquid heat pulsing out in spurts.

The two of them remained in place, paralyzed by the spasms of energy that shot through their bodies, letting the mounting surges of their pleasure claim them both. As their climaxes gradually subsided, their sweaty bodies shuddering delightfully upon it, both lovers began catching their breaths.

Her chest heaving heavily, Lucy panted in an uneven pace. She could just feel her body about to give out, every part of her body feeling like gelatin. The blonde then let the rest of her body collapse onto her lover's, when she felt his hands slowly slip away from her waist. Her lips immediately seized his, upon doing so, while she cradled the sides of his face with her hands.

Both of them could feel the slickened skins of one another, as they pulled each other in for a smoldering kiss. Muffled groans, and sighs, escaped their mouths, as Natsu brushed his hands over her blonde locks that covered the sides of her head.

Finishing their kiss, Lucy pulled away from his mouth, before rolling her body off of him, onto her side facing him. Natsu followed, turning his body around, so that he was also on his side, directly facing her.

"Natsu," she whispered sweetly, giggling at him. "That was amazing."

He grinned at her, in response, the tips of fingers sweeping aside the front fringes of her hair that clung to her forehead, before resting them over the side of her face. "You sure enjoyed it, didn't ya, Luce?"

Lucy could only give him her heart-warming smile, sneaking another giggle. "I sure did."

Chuckling quietly, Natsu then shifted his body around, again, so that he was sitting up instead. This allowed his blonde lover to reach for a hand towel from one of their travel bags. While she wiped the sweat that gathered all over her body, as well as whatever remained between her legs, Natsu carefully slipped the condom off from his half-flaccid phallus.

Holding it up from its rubbery ring, the pink-haired Dragneel was thankful that the condom managed to hold up. He was then surprised to know that he had come a lot more than he had in the previous times he made love with her. His cheeks burning red at the thought of it, Natsu quickly tied it up into a knot, from its ring top, and crawled over to the wastebasket nearby.

As he disposed the used condom by dropping it into the small basket, Lucy slipped on the baby-blue briefs that were previously outside the mat. Before she could even locate her matching bra, however, her attention was diverted, when she heard a loud rustling that came from right outside their tent.

Whipping her head towards the direction of where the noise was coming from, her eyes imminently met a large shadow that formed through the light-green of the tent's fabric. The sudden sight of it caused her to screech, the blonde covering her bare chest with her arms.

Her screech immediately brought his attention to her, as Natsu quickly turned around. "Lucy!" His head turned back in a snap, looking at her. "What's wrong?!"

The pink-haired male then froze, only for him to blink blankly, at the shadow that Lucy saw.

As it slowly dawned upon them, said shadow in question was that of a cat. It became more apparent to both, when they heard a little, high-pitched 'meow' in the next brief moment.

Natsu's smile grew wide, upon realizing whose 'meow' had belonged to. "Happy!"

Lucy was incredulous, her eyes the size of saucer plates. "Happy?"

Crawling towards the tent's closed entrance, Natsu zipped it fully open. A small, blue-furred cat then made its way inside their quarters, greeting them with another meow.

Lucy sighed in relief, pulling up the sheets to cover her body, and over her chest, as her pink-haired lover pulled the zipper back up again to close the entrance.

"I was wondering where you went," Natsu smiled brightly at his pet companion, softly rubbing its back. "You didn't get yourself lost in anything, did you, now?"

Happy meowed back in his response, his tail curling, and wavering around.

The blonde simpered at them, right as he returned back to her, pulling up the sheets that covered only his lower body.

Lucy raised a curved eyebrow at him, with a teasing smile. "Looks like it's never a dull moment with you, Natsu."

Natsu leaned in to leave another amorous kiss on her cheek, before giving her a charming grin. "Hasn't it, always, Luce?"

Both of them then giggled away, as Natsu rested his hand over hers, before they lay down against the mat. Happy then joined them, taking a rest on top of his chest, Natsu softly rubbing its back again.

Natsu and Lucy then stared into each other's eyes, again, smiling at one another, before they had also entered into their peaceful slumber together.