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Weekly Prompt Game

Activity: Community Prompt Share

1-25-24 Prompt Options:

Floral, Blood, Denial

Alt prompt(s):

"Are you kidding me? You're actually bringing this up right now?"

"I don't know whether to be angry or proud."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Submitted By: @dawnwynters

Prompt Used: “I don’t know whether to be angry or proud.”  

Fandom: Fairy Tail

=============================

“You have so many options, Lucky.” Laxus leaned back against the counter in the kitchen of their father’s lake house, a beer in his hand as he looked at Lucy who was sitting on the island counter with her own beer.

“I know.” Lucy nodded, letting out a sigh as she lifted the beer to her lips and took a swing before looking up at the ceiling. “But they’re all so far away. I’d rather just stay in Magnolia and go to the community college.”

“This have anything to do with Natsu and the fact that you’ve been in love with the idiot since you were twelve?” He arched a brow at her.

Lucy felt the smile spread across her face at the mention of her boyfriend of three years, her fingers tightening on the bottle in her hand as her heart stumbled in her chest. “I just,” She bit her lip, looking at the floor as the blush spread across her cheeks.

Laxus chuckled and moved forward, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I support whatever decision you make, Lucky. I’ll even make sure Jude shuts up about it.”

Natsu hovered outside of the doorway to the kitchen, his hand gripping the frame as he listened to their conversation about Lucy going to college. He had been in love with her since he was thirteen but didn’t have the courage to ask her out until three years ago, when he was fifteen. He loved everything about this girl; how smart she was, how kind she was, how she was just beautiful inside and out. He knew about the colleges she had been accepted into, knew that her father was pressuring her to finally pick one, knew that she was serious about staying here to go to community college to stay close to him.

He knew she deserved so much more than that, knew she wanted so much more than that but wanted to be close to him more. He refused to hold her back, so he took a deep breath as he stepped into the kitchen, his mind made up on how he was going to make her do what was best for herself.

“Laxus, can we have a minute?” He spoke quietly, refusing to meet Lucy’s questioning gaze.

“Sure.” Laxus frowned before kissing Lucy’s forehead again. “One more beer after that, Lucky, then you’re done.”

Lucy rolled her eyes as Laxus left the kitchen before smiling brightly at Natsu. “Where’ve you been hiding?”

“Just been thinking.” He leaned back against the counter across from her, his arms crossed as he refused to look at her face. “You pick a college yet?”

She frowned at his question, a sick feeling building in the pit of her stomach. “I told you, Natsu. I’m going to the Community College.”

“Why?” He scowled, still refusing to look at her because he knew if he did, he wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done. “For me?”

“Well, duh,” She rolled her eyes fondly even though the sick feeling inside of her was growing. “I want to stay-“

“You’re a fucking idiot.” He scoffed, shaking his head and trying to ignore her sharp gasp. “Picking to go to a Community College for a guy? That’s fucking stupid, Lucy.”

Her knuckles turned white from how tightly she was holding the bottle in her hand, tears gathering in her eyes at his words. “It’s not stupid.” She whispered. “I’m doing it because I lo-“

“You’re doing it to control me!” He snapped, his heart breaking with his words, but he pushed himself to continue. “For fuck’s sake, Lucy! Did you really think this thing between us would actually last?” He forced himself to look at her, forced himself to glare and ignore the tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Wh-What are you-“ She pressed a hand to her stomach, unable to get the words out.

“I’m saying I’m way too fucking young to be tied down!” His eyes flicked over her shoulder, silently cursing himself for being too loud as he saw several of their friends hovering in the doorway. “I’m going to become a firefighter and I don’t need you around causing trouble when I want to get some action from the women who will want me! I don’t fucking want you around, Lucy! I don’t want to fucking be with you!”

The only sound after his outburst was the bottle shattering in her hands from how tight she had squeezed it and the soft sobs escaping her. “N-Natsu, h-how could-“

He forced himself to roll his eyes as he pushed away from the counter and headed for the door. “Get over it, Lucy. We’re done.” He shoved through their angry friends, ignoring Gray, Loke and Erza as they chased after him because he needed to get away before he ruined everything by telling her the truth.

He sped away on his motorcycle, amazed that he didn’t get into a wreck with how fast he had been going as he drove to his brother’s house, the only place he could stay where no one would find him.

“What did you do?” Zeref’s voice was filled with barely restrained rage as Natsu got off the motorcycle. “Laxus just called and said you broke up with Lucy by telling her you wanted the ‘attention’ you were going to get as a firefighter?”

Natsu pulled his helmet off and set it on his bike before looking at Zeref, watching the anger fade from his brother’s face at the sight of tears on his own. “I had to.” He whispered.

“Why?” Mavis, his sister-in-law, spoke up from slightly behind Zeref, her concerned eyes on Natsu.

“Because she deserves better!” He shouted, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “You know how fucking smart she is! She doesn’t deserve to be going to Community College! She deserves to go to a university! She deserves to have that experience and get the degree she wants! I was holding her back! She deserves better!”

Zeref studied him for a long moment before sighing heavily. “I don’t know whether to be angry or proud.”

“Proud?” Mavis looked at her husband in shock. “Why the hell would you be proud that he broke her heart like that?”

“Because he did it for her, Mavis.” Zeref shook his head. “The fucking idiot just ruined the best thing in his life just so she could have the life she deserves to have.”

Mavis frowned and crossed her arms. “She deserves to be happy, and Lucy is the only one who decides what makes her happy.” She looked at Natsu. “You should’ve talked with her instead of doing this.”

“She wouldn’t have listened.” He rubbed his hands down his face. “You know how stubborn she is. I know her, Mavis. She wants to go, but she wanted to stay here with me. She would’ve stayed.” He gave a weak shrug. “So, I forced her to go. She means more to me than anything. Even myself. I’ll gladly be miserable the rest of my life without her as long as she get to do the things she dreams of doing.”

Mavis shook her head and turned to go inside. “Her biggest dream was being with you, Natsu, and you just shattered that.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Submitted By: @teleiapotami

Prompt Used: "Are you kidding me? You're actually bringing this up right now?"

Fandom: Fairy Tail

HYQ SPOILERS

=============================

Memories raged through his mind. Memories that didn’t belong to him. The power of Aquarius’ Stream of Memories was so potent that Natsu could smell the dust and blood in the air like he was back in the ruins of Tartaros. Except he hadn’t been there, not really. The Allegria spell had swallowed him, and Lucy had saved them all. He didn’t know how, or how he knew that, but he’d known it from the moment he regained consciousness.

In the aftermath of losing his father, the feeling slipped his mind, buried under his grief and self-loathing. A feeling which was now made worse by Lucy’s memories coursing through him. The sound of her scream, summoning the Celestial Spirit King…he’d never heard it, but he could feel it in his bones now, shaking loose guilt he thought he had let go of.

The sound of careful steps outside his room drew him out of his brooding, and he heard the hushed murmurs of Wendy and Lucy, then the door slid open, and Lucy knelt at his side. He turned his head to look at her slowly, searching her face silently. She smiled softly at him.

“Wendy says you’ll be okay. It was bad, and with Erza being just as wounded, she didn’t have the power to heal you all the way,” she said, reaching out and brushing his hair out of his eyes carefully. “You heal faster so….”

“Lucy,” he rasped out, catching her wrist. She gasped softly at the strength of his grip, and he relaxed a little with a frown. “Sorry…Lucy, I need to ask you—”

“You need to rest,” she insisted. “Suzaku’s attack—”

“I saw them, Lucy. I saw the memories Aquarius showed you…” he said quietly. Lucy fell silent, staring at him with wide eyes. “I wondered why you didn’t summon her when Ignia set the city on fire…there was plenty of water, but you didn’t…”

Lucy clenched her fist and pulled it away, placing it on her thighs. “You need to rest, Natsu,” she whispered. Her shoulders trembled slightly, making him sit up slowly, letting out a growl of pain when the wound on his abdomen pulled slightly.

“I can’t Lucy. I close my eyes and I see….you. I hear you screaming…crying. I wasn’t there but I can’t stop seeing it now! You never told me what you did,” he paused when she looked up at him sharply. “I-I never asked…” he corrected himself.

Lucy shook her head sharply, angrily wiping her eyes. “Are you kidding me? Are you actually bringing this up now? It doesn’t matter Natsu, it’s over. That was more than a year ago!”

The knot of guilt tightened in his stomach at her words. “A year that….you were alone. I didn’t….I would never have…Lucy, why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t exactly have the time…the fights were still going, and then Igneel, and Acnologia. There wasn’t time, and you were in enough pain. You didn’t need mine too,” she said, looking away again.

“Yeah, I lost my dad, but you lost your first friend! The closest thing you have to family, and you sacrificed her?! We could have comforted each other; we didn’t have to suffer alone!” he growled, pressing a hand against the pain in his stomach.

“You want me to believe you would have stayed? That you wouldn’t have gone off for your training if I had told you? Or maybe you would have taken me with you? Not left me behind?” she demanded, glaring at him. Natsu winced back at the heat in her voice and ground his teeth together in frustration.

Lucy sat back on her heels after a moment with a soft huff. “That’s what I thought. You had to go, and my pain wouldn’t have meant a thing. So you saw the moment I did what I had to do, so what?” She cut off for a moment and looked at the door when Gray shouted for her. “ It didn’t matter then, and it doesn’t matter now,” she argued, pushing to her feet.

“Lucy!” Natsu growled, reaching for her, but drawing back with a low groan of pain. “You know that’s not—”

“Lucy! They followed us here!” Gray shouted as he ran past the room.

“What I know, is that I have a fight to win, and you need to rest, Natsu. I’ll send Wendy to check on you later.”

“Lucy, we have to—”

“We don’t have to do anything but get through this Natsu,” she said softly, without looking back. She left him there, staring after her and listening to the sounds of her fight. The screams from her memories blended with those she was letting out as she fought, sending Natsu’s mind into a dizzying madness of rage and guilt.

“I’ll fix this,” he swore to himself, laying back reluctantly. “If it’s the last thing I do, I will make sure she gets that key.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Submitted By: @blazingorchid

Prompt Used: Floral, Blood, Denial

Fandom: One Piece

=============================

It should have been a time for victory… and for some it was.

Zoro watched as crowds of people swarmed the town square. Bright colors from festive clothing and lights blended together. Laughter and chatter became nothing more than a murmur to his ears. The smell coming from the large cooking pot that was in the center of the square made his stomach churn.

He brought his bottle of sake to his lips and gulped; downing half of it in one go.

“You should go talk to him.” Robin’s voice soft voice carried to him. Zoro didn’t even spare a glance back at her. “You’re the only one he-“

“I can’t help him.” Zoro stated bluntly. “Nothing I say is going to fix the problem.”

“So you aren’t going to offer him comfort?” Her tone turned sharped. Anger bubbled within his chest as his drunken mind detected something accusatory in her voice.

He took another drink until the bottle was empty. He chucked the bottle to the side. The strong glass didn’t break but bounced on the wooden flooring until it settled into a roll. He had his next bottle opened before he heard it clink against the wall.

“Zoro.”

He turned sharply on his heel.

Robin’s face was puffy around her eyes. The redness in them was a stark contrast to ice blue eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her nose was slightly runny.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Robin cry. He didn’t really care to at the moment anyways. He just wanted her gone; out of this room and far away from him.

“If you’re so worried, you go comfort him! Leave me the fuck alone!” He growled.

She glared back at him, before her eyes fell to his torso. It was only a matter of seconds before her face twisted in devastation.

Zoro followed her gaze and instantly regretted it.

He was covered in blood.

Her blood.

Just another fucking reminder that he failed.

He had every intention to rip his clothing off once he got to the room. To get rid of any remaining evidence that this night even happened… and yet he didn’t. He couldn’t. The thought of trying left him in a daze before he was consumed with the desire to drink.

“He has the sunflower she wore in her hair.” Robin stated softly. Her voice trembled, not able to bear the weight of her grief. “Her blood is staining the petals and yet he just keeps …” she was interrupted by her own sob.

Zoro could only stare.

“When Sanji tried to take it away… Luffy… he…”

Zoro didn’t need to hear the rest. He knew what his captain was capable of when pressed to his limits. He knew that Luffy did not handle loss well and had more than likely kicked the cook’s ass for even daring to take her flower away.

“She’s gone.”

Zoro felt his pain ripple down his spine. His hands clenched; one around the neck of the sake bottle, the other in a simple fist which led to his nails piercing his palm.

“And because you two can’t let her go, you’d rather comfort yourselves with her blood.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Submitted By: @notsofluffyunicorn

Prompt Used: "Are you kidding me? You're actually bringing this up right now?"

Fandom: Fairy Tail

=============================

Her eyes immediately sought out the voice that she knew better than her own, and she was confused to find Natsu curved over her with tears streaking a path down his cheeks.

She frowned, concern for him welling inside of her chest. She didn’t like it when Natsu cried. He didn’t ever really do it, not often, so when he did cry Lucy knew that something must’ve seriously rattled him.

“Natsu?”

Natsu’s eyes were locked on hers, wide and panicked.

“Stay still, Luce,” He pleaded. “W - we need to wait for Wendy. You’re bleeding.”

It took a minute for his words to register, but when they did she found that they didn’t make much sense. Because, she wasn’t bleeding but her nails were.

“Natsu, my nails.” She held a shaky hand up in front of her face again, not bothering to mention that her body was starting to feel cold. Natsu was with her, and he always warmed her up anyway. “Look.”

“Are you kidding me?” He growled, using his forehead to nudge her palm back down. “You’re bringing this up now? You’re fucking bleeding from a hole in your stomach, Lucy. I don’t care for your nails right now.”

She found that she didn’t really have the energy to reply, and instead she just watched him.

He was crying, but he still looked as beautiful as ever. Natsu had always been beautiful to her, in all the loud ways a person could be beautiful, but in the little ways too. He was kind and sweet to her, considerate of her feelings.

She blinked up at him tiredly, finding that she just genuinely wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right there on the dirty ground. Nails and Natsu be damned.

“No. No, Lucy! Luce! Don’t close your eyes, baby, please.”

She tried to tell Natsu that she couldn’t help it, but everything faded into the background as soon as Natsu let out a gut-wrenching sob and a searing, blistering heat slammed directly into her abdomen.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Submitted By: @xfangheartx

Prompt Used: “I don’t know whether to be angry or proud.”

Fandom: Genshin Impact

=============================

The Conqueror's Promise

  “I don’t know whether to be angry or proud…”

  Xiao stood quietly as he stared at Lumine’s back. The sun was setting beyond the rocky outcrops that surrounded the Chasm and the wind blew gently, rustling her hair and making the ornaments at the end of her scarf tingle like two little bells. The Yaksha’s face was one of rare nervousness as they stood there at the cliff’s edge.

They had just escaped from that strange dimension they were trapped in. He remembered the frightened look on Lumine’s face as she reached out to stop him from sending her and the others back up to the surface. He knew that she didn’t want him to do it… but he couldn’t tell her his plan. He knew she’d try and stop him, regardless if he told her or not.

  It was the only way. He just hoped that she had understood.

  As he fell back toward the darkness, all he could think of was that face. The face of the girl that he became so attached to. He was usually so closed-off to others, but with her… he felt different. He felt safe.

  To know that she would live was enough for him… or so he thought.

  The next thing he knew, he was back up on the surface with the otherworldly traveler and the others. As he looked up toward the clifftops, he could see the retreating figure of the Archon that he served. Deep in his heart, he was thankful to Lord of Geo… but now, he knew that he had something to answer for.

  He knew the moment he saw Lumine’s frowning face and then told Paimon and the others to give her and Xiao a moment alone. They walked here, toward this cliff, both of them standing in tense silence before the traveler finally spoke to him in the present moment.

“…I know you must be upset,” Xiao replied.

  “I’m not just upset, Xiao!” Lumine spat as she turned to face him. “Why would you ever do such an insane thing?!”

  “It was all I could think of doing at that moment!” Xiao argued, his voice momentarily rising. “I-I had no choice!”

  “We could have figured something else out together!” Lumine countered.

  “There was no time!” Xiao snapped back. “I had to do something! We were about to fall back down and… and…” He sighed as his shoulders sagged and he glanced off to his left. “I… I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

  Lumine’s eyes softened and her shoulders dropped. “Xiao… no sacrifice is ever worth it. Did you even think about how much it would hurt everyone if you lost your life, no matter how immortal you are? Don’t you have any idea how much you mean to the people who care about you?” She paused as she cast her eyes to the ground. “Or… how much you mean to me?”

  Xiao’s eyes widened slightly as he looked up at her, his golden amber eyes meeting her honey gaze. The wind blew again, carrying the golden yellow ginkgo leaves and rustling the orange and brown grass. That’s when Lumine approached him.

  “Xiao…” she said. “I want you to make a contract with me.”

  “A… contract?” Xiao asked.

  “Yes,” Lumine nodded. “I want you to swear that you will never take your life so lightly again… do you understand me?”

  Xiao stood there, unsure of what to say… but then his expression hardened with that steely gaze of seriousness before, with some hesitation, he reached out and gently took the traveler’s hand in his own, then slowly fell to one knee as he bowed his head and closed his eyes.

  “I, Adeptus Xiao, Conqueror of Demons… hereby swear that I will never treat my life lightly again.”

Lumine nodded her head. “Good.”

  “Hey, Traveler!”

  Upon hearing that squeaky voice of her companion, Lumine turned to see Paimon waving to her, as well Yanfei, Yelan, Itto, Shinobu, and Razor.

  “Yo, compadre!” Itto called. “We’re off to get some grub! Wanna join us?”

  “Come on! Let’s eat, already!” Paimon added.

  Lumine smiled, a sudden sense of relief washing over her before she turned to face Xiao, who was back on his feet once again.

  “How about the others go eat in town,” Lumine began, “and I’ll meet up with you at Wangshu Inn for some Almond Tofu. What do you say?”

  “…Sounds good,” Xiao nodded.

  Lumine smiled warmly at the Yaksha, who felt his cheeks grow warm as they were dusted a light pink, and he could feel his heart skip a beat or two. As they went to join the others, Xiao didn’t even realize that he had reached over… and had taken the traveler’s hand in a firm yet tender grip. Lumine didn’t look at him… but instead, she just silently locked her fingers with his.

  ‘Thank you, Lumine…’

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Submitted By: @Miskii

Prompt Used: Floral, Blood, Denial

Fandom: Fairy Tail

=============================

She was crying so hard that she feared that she might run out of tears.Her best friend had died trying to protect her and she couldn't help but feel guilty.

If only I was strong enough to protect myself, then she wouldn't have died such a gruesome way.

Earlier

“Zera, stop running, you're going to trip and fall!” Yelled Mavis at the short brown haired girl.

“It's fine.” She yelled back before she fell on the ground.

“I told you so.” Mavis said after she caught up to the girl.

“It's fine really, I'm not hurt.”replied Zera.

“Let's just go back to the tree.” She added.

“Fine,”Mavis replied.

After they reached the tree they were surprised to see that most of the animals had been killed.

They were looking around when they saw a man with short black hair and decided to question him.

“Do you know what happened here?”asked Mavis to the boy.

“I do.” He replied,not happy that he was being questioned but obviously taking interest in the long haired blonde.

“Then what happened?” Zera asked.

“I killed them.Just like I'll kill you two.” He answered.

“W-why would you do that?”questioned Mavis.

“Because I was cursed this way, for every thing that I care about to die.” He replied nonchalantly.

“I won't allow you to kill Mavis, kill me instead if you have to.”Zera said sternly.

“My,My.What fascinating friendship you have.To go as far as to risk your lives for each other.”He said.

“NO!” Yelled Mavis. “Don't kill her, kill me.”she said.

“What are you talking about!?” Zera screamed.

“Well, I suppose I'll kill the white-haired girl,”He said.

As he prepared to kill Mavis, Zera jumped in front of the attack and took the hit for her.She fell to the ground with a thump,blood spilling out of her chest where a hole laid in her body.

“No,No,No,No.”Mavis said. “You can't die, you promised to stay with me.You promised dammit!”she cried out,falling to her knees to cradle the body of her friend.

“You can survive.I promise you will find more friends and family.Just promise me that you will leave this island and travel with the people that you meet.”said Zera

“I-I can't leave you!” Mavis replied. “You're my friend, my family and my sister.”

“Just this once, promise me.” Zera said,choosing to ignore her refusal.

“No!”she cried, still hugging the broken body of her friend.

“Please.” Zera begged.

“Fine!” Mavis said.

“Thank you.” Zera said before taking Her last breath.

Present

“No!!” Mavis cried, feeling her friend's heartbeat stutter till it stopped completely.

She cried and cried and cried, never once letting go of the body or looking at the boy in front of her.

Finally after hours of crying she got up to go bury the body of her friend. She made sure to put flowers on the burial.

That night she cried and cried. She cried the next day and the day after that until two weeks passed since the death of Zera. She was an emotional wreck but decided to push past it.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Submitted by: @blazingorchid

Prompt Used: “Are you kidding me? You're actually bringing this up right now?"

Fandom: Teen Titans

=============================

“That was … something.”

His ears perked at the sound. Her voice wrapping around him like a velvet curtain. The soft growl that was natural in her voice never failed to send a shiver down his spine.

And as much as he always loved being near her… right now was a bad time.

“If you came out here to scold me-“

“No.” She cut him off.

He couldn’t help but look back at her. Her hood was down giving him a clear view of her face. Although always stoic- since her powers were sensitive to emotion, he had become a master at reading her by her eyes. Deep and dark in contrast of her pale skin and yet he found that nothing shined brighter.

“Good.” He sighed. He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to. Unlike her, all he ever did was feel. Too much and all the time. His heart constantly on his sleeve as if it was etched there.

“You’re not that easy to read.” She spoke, sitting next to him.

“You read minds now?” His lips lifted just slightly. He could feel one of his fangs scrap against his bottom lip.

“No. I mean to anyone but me. Even then, it took me a while. You’re actually confusing to empathic powers considering you’re always so optimistic. When we first met, I thought you were a brainless twit.”

He raised an eyebrow. He watched as a bit of humor glimmered in her eyes.

“Now I know you’re a brainless twit with a dark side.”

“Ha ha ha. Saw that coming a mile away.” He grumbled. His ears drooped. And he was all of sudden stricken with guilt.

He had exploded moments ago with Lin the tower. He had said some pretty unfair things to everyone before storming outside to where he sat… and even though he didn’t think anything he said was wrong, it was definitely hurtful.

“I’m so-“

“Don’t.” She raised a hand. “Nothing you said was a lie.”

“But-“

“Garfield.”

He felt his mouth shut upon hearing his name from her lips. A pretty normal reaction since it never failed to shock him with how fucking great it sounded to him.

“Everyone has limits. Robin pushed you to yours.  You reacted just as anyone else would have. Were your words hurtful? Yes… but true. Sometimes the truth just hurts.”

“I never want to hurt you.”

“That is an impossible task.” She countered gently. “Pain is … inevitable. Especially when the heart is involved.”

“Oh yeah!” He perked up instantly. He leaned back into both hands and smirked in her direction. He grinned, his canines poking out from his top lip. “You love me. That’s what you said last night”

“You’re bringing that up now?” She rolled her eyes. “Aren’t I supposed to be comforting you in your time of need.”

“This is comforting me. The girl I’ve been crazy about for years finally confessed to me last night and I haven’t been able to bask in its glory.” He suddenly felt agitated again.

He flinched when the light above them popped; glass shattering and falling to the concrete. He then eyed the empath to his side and smirked.

“The way you can shift emotions like that is actually impressive.” She let out a breathy chuckle. Her eyes lifted to the now busted light. Then she sighed falling back to her resting features. “I hope they don’t ask.”

“Just say I did it. Robin thinks I mess everything up anyways.”

“Hey.” She rested a hand on his shoulder. He leaned into her touch, a purr rolling out from his chest. “Don’t let him get to you. Just cool down and as for a sit down where it’s just the two of you. Then apologize to Cyborg and Star.”

“So I should apologize?” He asked her.

“To them. Star is very sensitive to how people feel about her. She probably thinks you hate her right now. And Cyborg is the closest thing you to a brother so he’s probably crying on the inside despite trying to act tough.”

“Can’t you … tell?” He asked.

“All my focus is on you at the moment.”

He beamed at the confession.

“I’ll do that, but first… wanna fly with me?”

Her reply was the dark shadow disc that was conjured with a flick of her wrist.

=============================

Thank you to everyone who participated this week! We are going to get some monthly prompts moving in February, and keep the weekly ones going for those who like them!! We'd love to see you in our discord!!

[kiliinstinct]

Chapter 26:

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

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

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Corpses don’t deserve pity.

He finally had him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was no remorse, no guilt, no horror.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Lucy please-”

Her shriek pinned him to the ground heavier than stone:

“G-GET AWAY FROM ME!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

 “Lucy!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

”... what am I, a cat?“

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then again…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I can sleep outside!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perfect.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lucy gawked, “That’s normal?” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

”... can you tell me who Igneel is?“

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isn't that what he always did?

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

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

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

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

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

They said yes louder than her voice ever could.

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

The beach?

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

The forest clearing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

”Were you going to lick me? Again?!“

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He'd take her word on it….. for now.

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

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

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

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

“Do what?” He mumbled.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“... next time, then.” She hoped. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Is she okay?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[dawnwynters]

~~WIP Wednesday~~

So, first WIP. Trying this tumblr thing out. Hope you enjoy? (I'm so damn awkward)

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WIP (Working) Title: Feelings

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She easily found Juvia and Lisanna, hugging them both and telling them she was heading home because she really didn’t want to stay at the party if Dan was there and constantly trying to get under her skin. “We’ll talk soon, I promise.” She kissed both of their cheeks before she headed towards the door, her dreams of a peaceful escape shattering as Dan blocked her path.

“Lucy! I don’t believe you’ve met my Angel.” He grinned at her, his eyes slowly moving down her body despite the woman in his arm. “She’s a reporter, too. She works for the Magnolia branch of the National Paper. She covers the big stories as they happen. So much better than covering small time, fluff stuff, right?”

Lucy gave the white-haired woman a genuine smile despite the barbs in her heart at Dan’s well aimed dig. “That’s amazing. But, if you excuse me, I was just-“

“Angel also lives in his amazing penthouse!” Dan grinned maliciously at her, not realizing the frown on Angel’s face as she caught on to what he was doing. “She also models on the side. She has the best fucking body I’ve ever seen.”

Lucy kept her face neutral, trying not to take his words to heart even as they stung because she took pride in her looks. “I’m happy for you, Dan. But, really, I was just-“

“There you are,” Natsu slid up beside Lucy, his arm curling around her waist as he pulled her against his body. “Bedroom’s the other way.”

Lucy’s eyes widened just a fraction as she noticed Natsu was now shirtless, his belt was unbuckled, and pants were undone. “Wh-“

“Ya promised I could lick whipped cream off ya in celebration, Luce.” He purred the words, holding up a can of spray whipped cream as his eyes locked on hers, silently telling her to go with it. “I’ve been dreaming about it all night, baby.”

“S-Sorry,” She stumbled out, her hands resting on his bare chest as she decided to go with it despite how mortified she was. “I was heading out to grab something.”

“Mmm, don’t worry, baby. I got everything we need in the room.” He held the can up. “Wanna open that pretty little mouth of yours for me?” He was completely ignoring the stunned looks from everyone around them, giving Lucy his undivided attention and grinning when she opened her mouth almost instantly. “Good girl.” He sprayed some of the whipped cream in her mouth, pulling back just enough to have some drop on her collarbone. “Oops.”

Lucy’s fingers lightly dug into his chest as she watched him duck his head down, his tongue sliding across her collarbone and up her neck until his lips were at her ear.

“Put your legs around my waist. Trust me.” He whispered, lifting her up and smirking when she did as he told her to. “Let’s go. I’m ready for my reward.” He carried her off to one of the bedrooms, not bothering to look at anyone as they left. “Sorry.” He muttered, setting her gently down on the bed before stepping back and fixing his pants. “You looked so hurt and uncomfortable.”

She stared at him, her eyes wide and her face bright red as she watched him pull his shirt back on. “S-So your solution was to do-“ She gestured helplessly. “That?”

He chuckled as he started pulling his socks and boots back on. “Yeah. Because he’s trying to hurt you because he knows you’re still single and he thinks the more he bugs you, the quicker you’ll go back to him. I just made sure he knew you had moved on.” He glanced at her as he tied the laces on his boot. “Everyone was just watching. They all knew what he was doing and no one fucking did anything. It pissed me off. You don’t deserve that.” He rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. “I just wanted to get ya out of there and save your pride at the same time.”

She stared at him, completely baffled by his sudden mood change. “Th-Thanks.” She whispered, looking away as she tried to calm her racing heart down. “So do we just sit here and wait an appropriate amount of time before leaving?”

“Nah,” He smirked and moved to the window, shoving it up and showing her the fire escape. “Why don't you let me walk ya home?” He held his hand out to her. “I promise after we get on the ground, I’ll keep my hands and mouth to myself.” He winked.

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[fandomcreatorsguild]

Prompt Activity

Since one of the big things I have always wanted to do with a space like this is help creators to learn and grow together, we are getting started on testing out some of the community activity ideas we have been given and/or have come up with.

We asked out creators to choose a fandom, and pick one of the prompts offered! We will have different length of creation times base on interest and requests later.

Activity: Community Prompt Share 1-19-24 Prompt Options:

"Since when did you hate to interfere?"

Alt prompt: “I’m sorry I’m so much trouble, really.” “Shhh, stop it. Your no trouble at all, zero.”

Due by: 1-21-24, 11 pm Central Time. For this prompt, the only length limit is what you can get done by Sunday!

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Creator: @teleiapotami

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Prompt: "Since when do you hate to interfere?"

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Natsu had never seen his brother look more flustered in his life. He stifled a snicker, watching Zeref rub the back of his head nervously, while his other hand fiddled with the pin on his tie nervously. Before him stood a petite girl with a mass of blonde hair that nearly brushed the floor.

Zeref looked around suddenly, and Natsu ducked back around the corner of the bookshelf he was hiding behind, holding his breath. There was no way he was interrupting this! Not when his big brother was practically blushing! He poked his head back out after a slow ten count and scanned the area, frowning.

“Looking for something?”

Natsu bit back a yelp, scrambling to catch the books he'd knocked off the shelf in his startled reaction. “Wha— Hey Zeref! I thought you were…uh…busy with…” he trailed off, swallowing at the irritated glint in his brother's dark eyes.

“Busy with Mavis? Yes, I was. No thanks to you. She said that YOU told her sister she should ask me out?” he demanded, his hands automatically moving to reorganize the upset shelf properly. Natsu shrugged slightly. “I….might have mentioned it to Lucy, yeah. But so what? Why are you mad about it? You TOLD me you liked her, remember?” He poked one of the books further back into the shelf, grinning mischievously. Zeref instantly tugged it back into line with an annoyed huff.

“I also said I wasn't ready to do anything about it, and that I wanted to talk to her on my own terms and timing. And you promised you would make sure I got to do that,“ he said, pushing Natsu out of the library.

Natsu grinned sheepishly. ”O-Oh yeah…I did say that, huh?” “Yes. You did Natsu. So why didn't you come interrupt when you saw her waylay me?”

“W-Well, y'know….I would have hated to interfere in your—”

Zeref let out a rare snort, stopping their walk to give his brother a disbelieving look. “Since when do you hate to interfere? You are the KING of interfering!”

“Prince,” Natsu grinned. “You hold that crown, big brother.”

Zeref opened his mouth to argue, but his eyes fell on the scar on Natsu's neck, and he looked away. “Fair enough,” he grunted.

The pair walked in silence for a few minutes again before Natsu stretched his arms out behind his head. “So…did you get a date?”

The bright blush on his brother's cheeks was the only confirmation Natsu needed.

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Creator: @dawnwynters

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Prompt: “I’m sorry I’m so much trouble, really.” “Shhh, stop it. Your no trouble at all, none.”

TW: Mention of Attempted Assault

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Natsu groaned as he rolled over, his hand searching blindly for his phone as the loud ringing pulled him further out of sleep. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew that it was nowhere near time for him to wake up. Cracking open a green eye as he grasped his phone, he pressed the green circle to answer before holding it to his ear, not bothering to check the name or number. “What?” He growled, irritated at being woken up.

There was an odd silence for a moment, the person on the other end sniffling as if they were crying. “Natsu?”

He sat upright, his eyes wide as he fully woke up at the sound of that broken voice, a voice he hadn’t heard in years but knew better than his own. “Lucy?” He shoved the blankets off him as he shifted to sit on the edge of his bed. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m s-sorry,” Her voice was dazed and thick with tears. “I-I didn’t know who-“ She trailed off, another sob escaping her. “I-I’m lost?”

He was up, his phone pressed between his shoulder and his ear as he yanked on his pants. “What do you mean you’re lost? Lucy, what’s wrong?” “Th-There was a p-party?” There was another choked sob. “Dan t-tried-“

“Where are you, Lucy?” He interrupted her as he tugged a shirt on. “Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.”

“I-I don’t kn-know.” She took a shuddering breath. “D-Dan d-drove us there and I-I r-ran.”

“Are you hurt?” He pulled his boots on before grabbing his car keys and heading out the door, his heart racing as he waited for her answer and cursing the current downpour of rain. “I f-fell a few times. H-Hit my head.” She sniffled again. “It’s raining and it’s s-slippery.”

“I know.” He kept his voice soft to try and soothe her. “Can you focus enough to share your location with me so I can find you?” He started his car, his phone automatically connecting to the Bluetooth as he waited, relief flooding him when her location popped up. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

He kept her talking as he sped through the streets, ignoring almost every traffic law there was until he was pulling up to a curb, his heart breaking at the sight of her huddled up under the awning of a store. “Lucy,” He spoke her name softly as he picked her up and carried her to his car, carefully buckling her in.

She didn’t speak, her face turned away from him to stare at the passing scenery as he drove, her hands clutching the edge of her short dress tightly. “I-I’m sorry.” She finally whispered. “I know I’m the l-last person you w-want to-“

“Shut up, Lucy.” He made sure to keep the frustration out of his voice as he parked outside of his apartment building. “Sit still for a moment.”

She nodded, listening to him getting out of the car and waiting silently until the door opened and he was getting her out of the car and carrying her inside, her body shuddering at the warmth of him and his apartment. “I-I’m-“

“Cold. I know.” He carried her to the bathroom and set her down on the toilet. “Don’t move.” He watched her nod in agreement before he left her alone for a moment to retrieve a pair of his sweatpants, a t-shirt, and the first-aid kit he kept. “Okay,” He knelt in front of her, his eyes moving over her body to assess where she was hurt. The gash on her forehead looked superficial, as did the cuts scrapes on her hands, knees, and bare feet, but it was the finger print bruises on her upper arms and thighs that had him biting back his rage. “Tell me what happened.” He kept his voice calm as he started treating the cuts and scrapes on her feet and knees.

She watched him as he treated her cuts, her eyes finally dry as she took a deep breath. “Dan took us to a party at one of his old Fraternity brother’s house and he got stupid drunk. He-“ She swallowed and looked away, closing her eyes tightly. “He told his friends to ‘go for it’ and they grabbed me-“

His hands stilled, the fingers that were gently curled around her leg tightened as his eyes flew up to her face. “Lucy, how far did they get?”

“Not very. I struggled and managed to get away. I just ran.” She let out a shaky breath and opened her eyes to look at him. “I didn’t know who else to call, Natsu, I’m sorry.”

He pulled out more supplies from the kit and started to clean the gash on her forehead. “What happened to your shoes?”

“I kicked them off the second time I fell.” She whispered, her eyes closing as she let him treat her wound. “Natsu, I’m sorry I’m so much trouble, really.”

He gently gripped her chin, his eyes locking on hers when she opened them in surprise. “Shh, stop it. You're no trouble at all, Luce, none.” He held her gaze until she nodded before he released her chin and finished cleaning the cut. “Okay, take a shower and I’ll put a bandage on that. You can wear these.” He gestured to the clothes he had brought in for her.

“Okay.” She whispered. “Thank you.” He nodded and left the bathroom, moving to put the first aid kit away before pulling out his phone and scrolling through until he found the number he was looking for and clicked on it. “Hey,” He sighed when the man on the other end answered. “Sorry to wake you, Laxus, but there’s something you need to know.” He quickly filled him in on what had happened and what Lucy told him. “I’ll keep her here tonight, but she might feel better if you come get her in the morning.”

“But she’s safe? She wasn’t hurt too badly?” Laxus’s voice was filled with anger.

“She’s perfectly safe with me, I promise.” Natsu listened to the shower shut off and sighed. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Take care of my sister this time, Natsu or I’ll fucking kill you.”

Natsu rolled his eyes as Laxus hung up, his head turning towards the bathroom door when it opened and Lucy stepped out. He noticed how red her skin was and held back a growl, knowing she probably tried to scrub herself raw. “Lay down.” He gestured towards the bed.

“I can lay on the couch, Natsu.” She bit her lip. “I don’t want to kick you out of your-Hey!” She gasped in surprise when he picked her up and laid her down on the bed. “Really! I can take the-“

“Shut up, Luce.” He rolled his eyes and grabbed the bandage he left out of the kit to put it over the cut on her head. “Get some rest.” He waited for her to nod before he stood up and headed for his bedroom door so he could take the couch.

“Natsu?” She whispered, her eyes on him. “Thank you.”

“Always, Luce.” He gave her a weak smile before leaving her alone to sleep.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Thank you to those who participated in this weeks prompt, and to those who couldn't but expressed an interest! We are so excited to continue this activity and see where it goes!!

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[teleiapotami]

WIP Wednesday!

Here's a new thing I'm doing this week! Probably the last thing I'll have done and posted before November starts!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “No, not that,” she snapped, rolling her eyes. “I meant us. I thought things would be so different for us than they are,” she said, fighting back a sniffle.

Natsu reached up and poked her nose. “No more of that tonight. You need sleep. We can talk about anything you want in the morning when you are better. I’ll take you out for breakfast before I leave, deal?”

Lucy nodded slightly and let him tug her blanket up over her shoulder. “Thanks, Natsu. You’re a good man.”

“I’m gonna remind you of that in the morning when you yell at me,” he warned teasingly.

Lucy smiled sleepily. “Please do.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Lucy woke up it was almost two in the afternoon. The sun shone through her curtains, darkened by the drawn blinds. Looking around she frowned. Natsu wasn’t on the couch, or anywhere else that she could see. His helmet, shoes, and keys were missing from the coffee table. She climbed over the bed to look out the window. His bike was gone too.

Just like that, he’d left again. Lucy sat back against her headboard with a sigh. She knew she shouldn’t let it upset her. If things had gone the way they were supposed to, she never would have seen him last night in the first place. None of which stopped the pit in her stomach as she felt his absence like it was brand new all over again.  

[museaway]

I hope the fic you are working on right now finds a reader who will think about it constantly for years

[kiliinstinct]

Tumblr Fanfiction

┈➤ Table of Contents ◦ Incomplete • Complete ◬Mature ◹Temp Hiatus ✮Featured

◘ Fairy Tail

➸ Multi Chapter

Flame's Desire: ◦◬ ✮ |Chapters| 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

A Smile In The Embers: • |Chapters| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Not a Monster • Part 1 | Part 2

Red Herring ◦◹ |Chapters| 1

The Colosseum ◦◬ |Chapters| 0 , 1, 2

The Stone Prince ◦ |Chapters| 1 , 2, 3

The Volunteer ◦ |Chapters| 1 , 2

Like a Trojan ◦ ◹ |Chapters| 1 , 2

Violet Moon ◦ Updates Annually Oct 1st |Chapters|  1, 2 , 3

Bouncer Baker ◦ |Chapters| 1, 2  

Practice Makes Perfect ◦◬ Part One

➸ One Shots

Primal: ◬

Soft Caress: ◬

Dancing Flames: ◬

Tease: ◬

The Mood: Rekindled: ◬

What Doesn’t Submit:

Progression of Attraction:

Don’t Think About It:

Under The Starlight: ◬

None The Wiser: ◬

Under The Table: ◬

Wash Away My Tears:

The Matching Scale: ◬

Settling With Insecurity: ◬

The Morning After: ◬

Then It All Flips:

A Moment In Time:

Mindsplitting:

Mistletoe Claim:

Sun In The Rain:

Difference In Opinion: ◬

All In: ◬

Fire Sprite No. 5:

The Concept of Ready:

M.U.T.B:

Warm Comforts:

Untitled Guardian Angel AU:

Have You Missed Me?: ◬

Brother’s Wingman:

In The Garden:

Stood Up:

EOTW:

Refinement:

Transient -

The Secret -

A Slushie a Day

The Forbidden Temple

Taste Test -

In The Closet ◬

His Sun and Stars

Hand of Sorrow

Hyper Focus

Side-Lines

Closure

◘ Genshin Impact

➸ Multi Chapter

Coming Soon...

➸ One Shots

Of Rumors And Almond Tofu ✮

◘ Misc.

➸ One Shots

Our Hearts Talk On The Ice - Yuri on Ice 

A Realization From Ice Cream - Yu Yu Hakusho

Before The Storm - Legend of Zelda

➨Return to Master List

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[kiliinstinct]

Chapter 23

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

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

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

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

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

“No buts and shut up!” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And he took his first confident step towards his door.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It would be two more days before anything new happened.

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

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

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

If not for that damn bell. 

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

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

The window. He should have thought of it earlier.

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

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

Natsu smirked: I knew it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shit!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

”That’s disgusting!“ 

He waggled his brows, grinning.

Definitely worth it. 

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

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

Which is exactly what made watching him so difficult.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It stabbed at her heart.

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

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

She had no right to cry.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“... don't cry.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just one more step.

And another.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hopefully his plea wouldn't land on deaf ears.

[personnotthestatue]

Signs You Should Write The Story

1. You can't stop thinking about it

2. It would be exciting and fun to write

3. It's meaningful to you

WRITE THE STORY

[teleiapotami]

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Ship: Natsu x Lucy

Tags: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Moving In Together, Falling In Love

Summary: For some reason, all of Lucy's friends seem fixated on her her moving in with Natsu. She swears it will never happen, but that won't stop Natsu from trying.

Notes: Hey look! My brain made more fluff!

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[tokkias]

anything but vanilla ship: natsu dragneel x lucy heartfilia summary: The cake may be vanilla, but their sex life certainly is not. ao3

authors note: one year ago today, i published my first ever (real) nalu fic. since then i've published almost 70 fics and over 200k words. in fact, this fic will mark 200k words published on ao3 just for the year 2023. thank you for all of your support this past year, it means the world to me, and what better way to celebrate it than with straight up smut? i hope you enjoy <3

If there was one thing Lucy Heartfilia knew how to do, it was how to give a good gift. Being able to pin down what someone wanted was a skill she had honed over the years, and it was certainly one she was proud of. Something about it came so easy to her, but there was always one person who stood between her and the title of Fairy Tail’s premier gift giver.

Every year Natsu’s birthday rolled around, and every year Lucy was at a loss for what to get him. It wasn’t that she didn’t know what he liked, but simply the fact that he wasn’t a materialistic person. He had loved every gift she gave him, but she had yet to hit what she considered to be the bullseye.

It should have been easy—she knew him better than anyone; he was her boyfriend for god’s sake, but she seemed to struggle just as much as everyone else did this time of year. But not this year. No, this year, Lucy decided she was going to cut the bullshit and get it straight from the source. Sure, maybe it undercut the meaningfulness of the gift, but at the very least she would know exactly what he wanted.

He was very busy lazing on the couch when she finally decided to ask, making it his life’s work to ensure that half of the chips would end up in his mouth while the other half would end up as crumbs between her cushions. Fortunately, that was an activity that Lucy did not mind interrupting.

“Natsu?” She called out, pulling his attention to her with a soft hum of acknowledgement.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

Deciding to cut to the chase, Lucy asked her question straight up.

“What do you want for your birthday?”

Natsu’s answer came quick and useless.

“Nothing,” he shrugged.

That was about the answer she had been expecting from him. She’d asked him once or twice in the past and had since given up on trying to get a useful answer out of him since. Natsu simply wasn’t a birthday guy. Sure, he loved to celebrate and party, as did everyone else in the guild, but all he cared about was if the food kept coming and the drinks kept flowing.

“You can’t say nothing; you have to give me an answer,” she replied, her arms crossing over her chest in frustration, truly at her wits end.

Natsu was quiet for a moment, contemplative almost, and Lucy started to feel her hopes rising that this year she wouldn’t have to go through the same struggles she had to push through every year.

Those hopes were quickly dashed, however, when he finally settled on his answer.

“Sex with you.”

Lucy let out a defeated huff.

That was not the answer she had been looking for.

“You are no help,” she grumbled as she tottered back to their bedroom to go back to brainstorming all on her own.

Lucy clenched and unclenched her jaw in time with the frustrated clicking of her pen as she looked down at her empty list of ideas. She had hoped that Natsu could have at least prompted some ideas, but sex with her wasn’t anything special—they did it practically every day, and though she knew he would enjoy it, it didn’t feel like it was meaningful as a birthday gift. It didn’t feel like it would be any different from the cake she got him every year—it was simply expected.

That trail of thought made her pause for a moment. It felt almost as though it had struck a match in her brain that was now burning into a bonfire of incredible ideas.

With a final click of her pen, Lucy began to frantically scribble down her thoughts. What she was certain had started as Natsu’s simple dismissal of her question was slowly beginning to blossom into what she was certain would become his best birthday gift of all time.

Natsu wasn’t at the apartment by the time Lucy arrived home—something she was infinitely grateful for considering the large, white bakery box in her hands that she was certain would have caught his attention had he been home.

Carefully, Lucy placed the box on the countertop and lifted up the lid. Inside sat a decadent-looking cake, lovingly decorated with white frosting, with pink frosted rosettes and ribbons littering the top and sides of the cake. It looked so pretty that Lucy almost felt bad about what she was going to do with it tonight.

Lucy tugged on her bra strap as she adjusted it to sit more comfortably on her shoulder. It wasn’t one that she wore very often—it was a little… risqué for her taste, so it was saved for special occasions. Considering it was also one of Natsu’s favourites, she supposed today counted as one of those occasions.

She desperately hoped there were no peeping toms looking in through her apartment window, where they would find her standing in her kitchen in nothing but a red bra and panties, lighting a single candle on a slice of cake. That view was reserved for one person only, whom Lucy was expecting to arrive very soon.

She made sure to be careful as she carried the cake into the living room, fearing the loss of her deposit if she tripped and scorched the carpet with her dainty little candle.

Once she made it to the couch, she made herself comfortable for however long she would be waiting for him. Really, any wait would be too long, already having gotten herself riled up for what was to come. She could feel the slickness in her panties and she had to rub her thighs together to get just a hint of relief for the ache between them, but she knew it would all be worth it once she got even just a glimpse of his face when he saw his gift.

It was an agonisingly long wait, each passing moment feeling like hours as she watched the flame melt the wax of the candle and thought about Natsu’s hot touch up against her body. She licked her lips at the thought, only managing to pull herself out of it when she heard the turn of the doorknob, followed by Natsu announcing his interest.

“Hey, Lucy, I’m ba-” He cut himself off as his eyes flicked up and he saw what was sitting, waiting in front of him. “Hey,” he breathed out.

“Hi,” she greeted, a smile adorning her lips as a soft blush spread across her cheeks. “I got you something.”

She watched as his gaze moved from the cake up to her boobs, then back down to the cake, almost as if he didn’t know which was more enticing to him. Lucy had to press her lips together to suppress the smug grin that threatened to take over had she not. Without another word, Natsu joined her on the couch, curious and intrigued.

“Happy Birthday to you,” she began to sing as he sat down next to her, her voice soft, slow, and low, almost teasing. “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Natsu.” She paused again to gauge his reaction, but his gaze was still squarely stuck somewhere between the cake and her body. “Happy Birthday to you~”

For the first time since his arrival, Natsu looked her in the eyes, and she got to see the swirl of emotions behind them. It was all joy and surprise, and the little glimmer of lust that she had been after.

“You can blow out the candle now,” she told him after a few moments of inaction.

Semi-heeding her instructions, Natsu grabbed the candle and devoured the flame before discarding it on the coffee table and eagerly moving for the slice of cake. Before he could get too close, however, Lucy pulled the plate away from him, and he glanced up at her with a hint of hurt and confusion.

She was certain that look wouldn’t last long once he saw what she had in store for him. She placed the plate down on the table before digging in, grabbing handfuls of cake before smearing it over her breasts and abdomen. Natsu stared and watched, wide-eyed, as she grabbed another handful and pressed it into her inner thighs before draping herself across the couch, ready for him to feast on.

“Dig in~”

Natsu wasted no time on attaching his mouth to her skin, dragging his tongue over her breast, lapping up the creamy frosting that decorated them.

“Have I ever told you that you’re the best girlfriend ever?” He murmured as he gobbled up some of the vanilla cake that had lodged itself in the valley of her breasts.

His comment elicited a soft giggle from her as he continued to lap her clean.

Though he quickly ate her clean, he promptly decided he had yet to have his fill, his hands slipping behind her back where he fiddled with her bra clasp. Once he managed to undo it, he tossed it somewhere to the side, uncaring about where it landed, his focus entirely fixated on what was underneath. He looked down at her with hunger in his eyes, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t just for the cake.

Lucy let out a small squeal as he roughly grabbed her breasts with both hands before attaching his lips to one nipple, licking and sucking like his life depended on it. His teeth grazed the sensitive peak as his free hand worked the other. With a soft sigh, Lucy arched her back, pushing her breast further into his face, and Natsu let out a moan of approval.

He let go of her nipple with a loud pop, but he didn’t stay detached from her for too long before he was nipping and sucking at the soft skin around her nipple. He moaned into her skin, appreciating her taste as he left behind his mark before moving to a new spot and repeating the process anew.

A trail of hickeys was left across her skin as he made his way to her other breast, feeling that he had left that nipple neglected and in need of some loving. He took it in his mouth, his fang grazing across it, causing Lucy’s hands to shoot up to his head, where she tangled his fingers through his hair as he flicked his tongue across her nipple.

Once he was sure that each nipple had seen equal attention, Natsu dragged his tongue across the valley of her breasts, cleaning up the residual frosting that was left there before burying his face between them. He pressed both breasts against the side of his face, relishing in the feeling of her soft skin against his cheeks.

From his new favourite spot, Natsu looked up at her, his grin wide and from ear to ear showing that he was definitely enjoying his gift. She couldn’t help the fond smile that made its way onto her face as she lovingly gazed down at him.

That loving gaze was quickly cut short when she felt Natsu bite straight into her boob, causing her to squeal out at the brief shot of pain she felt.

“Just wanted to get a taste,” he grinned, a mischievous smirk across his face.

Before she had the chance to reprimand him, he had already slinked down her body, his teeth toying at the top of her panties before he gave a slow, languid lick all the way up her torso. Lucy squirmed slightly at the sight, watching him thickly swallow the frosting as she wished he would do something else with that tongue.

Eyes flicking up to meet hers, Natsu noticed the horny gaze she was gracing him with.

“D’ya want some?” He asked, and intrigued to find out where he was going with this, Lucy nodded her head.

In response, he dragged two fingers through the mess of cake and frosting, collecting a good bite before shoving them in her mouth, where she eagerly took them. She wrapped her tongue around them, sucking off all the sickly-sweet frosting as he pushed them in and out of her. She sucked and licked until he was all clean, and he pulled out of her, a strand of drool connecting them until she closed her mouth to swallow.

Before she knew it, Natsu’s mouth was on hers in a hungry, open-mouthed kiss. His tongue slipped past her lips and tangled with hers. She could taste the cake on his tongue—vanilla-flavoured, though what they were doing right now felt like anything but.

Lucy hadn’t paid much mind to the flavours when she ordered the cake. Natsu didn’t have a preference—cake was cake, and she was certain that he would not give a damn what flavour it was that he was eating off of her almost naked body.

It seemed as though that thought had been proven correct.

She practically had to push him off of her when she ran out of breath, convinced that he would have kept going forever had she let him. Her hands rested on the front of his shoulders, his shirt the only thing between his skin and hers.

Suddenly, he looked much too overdressed.

Without a word, Lucy attempted to tug off his shirt, and Natsu, getting the message, promptly unwound his scarf and shrugged off his jacket, tossing both over the back of the couch. His hands moved to his belt, where he fiddled with the buckle before pulling it off and shedding his pants, leaving him with nothing but a pair of boxers with a pitched tent.

The sight of it had her whining and bucking her hips. She wanted him to fuck her right then and there, to feel him deep inside of her, but Natsu still had a lot more gift to go and, from the looks of things, was going to enjoy every last bit of it.

He dipped back down to her belly, where he picked up from where he left off, placing kisses to her skin and picking up mouthfuls of cake as he did so. He took his time with it, having her squirming beneath him, which she could only assume had him slowing down even more. It wasn’t until she was completely clean that he even dared to think about moving down between her thighs.

Once he was satisfied with his work, Natsu finally positioned himself between her thighs, where he pressed his nose against the gusset of her panties, causing her to gasp in surprise at the sudden sensation, before he took a deep whiff of his favourite scent. For a moment, she expected him to tear her panties off right there and pound her into the cushions with no remorse, but unfortunately, as she felt his mouth press against her thighs, she recalled how she had smushed handfuls of cake between them. Though it had felt sexy in the moment, she now realised that it was the one thing standing between her and getting dicked down by Natsu and his thick cock.

She quickly reminded herself that tonight was not about her—tonight was about Natsu and him getting his fill. With a soft sight, Lucy made herself comfortable as she gazed down at him, watching as he ate the cake off of her bare thighs. His arms wrapped around her legs, holding her in place the same way he did when he ate her out, and being in this position, feeling his hot breath against her skin, so close to where he needed him, was nothing short of torture.

But he was enjoying himself—really enjoying himself—so she stayed put. She let him devour his dessert from between her legs, holding herself back from bucking right up into his mouth.

As he licked up the frosting, he made sure to leave his mark on the newly cleaned surface, biting and sucking on the tender skin until it began to bruise under his touch. With each hickey he left, he made sure to kiss the mark before moving up and starting the process all over again at his agonisingly slow pace.

His teeth grazed the hem of her panties and she expected him to simply nose them out of the way and dip his tongue in for a taste, but she was left disappointed when he simply moved his attention to the other thigh.

Natsu never took this long to eat. By now, he could have devoured the entire cake if he wanted, but he was taking his sweet, sweet time. Lucy could only reason that he was doing this on purpose. He was getting the most of his present by making her squirm until she simply couldn’t take it anymore.

Each lick was slow and intentional, savouring the delectable flavours of the cake (and her)—something she wasn’t sure he had even done in all the years she’d known him. Even when her skin was bare, he continued to lick at it until any leftover residue was gone and there remained not a whiff of evidence.

It was erotic—she couldn’t deny that—but having his mouth work wonders on such an erogenous zone had her feeling needier than she could ever recall being.

Her mind blurred over with need, leaving her so hazy that she hardly registered Natsu pulling away from her thighs and sitting up on the couch besides her.

“There ya go, all clean!” He said,

“What?” Lucy cried. “N-No! You said you wanted sex! I want sex!”

“I know,” he replied, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “I’m just messin’ with ya.”

She wanted to yell and Lucy kick him into the next decade, but before she could even contemplate the idea, Natsu’s fingers had slipped in the waistband of her panties and were pulling them down her legs. When he had fully removed them, he brought them up to his face, where he licked at the wet patch she had left there.

“That cake was pretty good, but you taste even better,” he said as he readied himself back into position to devour her.

She gasped as she felt his nose brush up against her clit, which was promptly turned into a moan as he ran his tongue along it. Her hands shot down to his head, and her nails dug into his scalp as she thrust herself into his mouth. Any control she might have maintained before was now completely lost to the wind. He had given her a taste of what her pleasures were like, and she was not about to let it go so quickly.

“A-ah! Yes! Just like that!”

She whimpered as she felt him suckle at her clit, teeth grazing across it, making her lose her mind with pure lust.

“N-Natsu!” Lucy cried out, prompting Natsu to dig his nails into her thighs and go at her clit at an even more vicious pace.

There were few things Natsu loved more than to hear her cry out his name in the troughs of pleasure. It drove him nuts to hear her moan out the name of her lover, something that Lucy was more than well aware of. While she wouldn’t say she was necessarily taking advantage of the fact, it was certainly a bonus of giving Natsu exactly what he wanted.

“Yes! More! More!”

She dug her nails deeper into his scalp, and he heeded her demands. He buried his tongue deep inside her pussy, thrusting it in and out, fucking her with his mouth as he rubbed circles into her clit with the pad of his thumb.

“Mmmmhmmm~ Natsu~!”

Her eyes rolled back into her head as she rolled her hips into his face, feeling his tongue protrude even deeper inside her. He was incredibly talented with his tongue and never left her unsatisfied, so it seemed that the wait had been well worth it.

As he flicked his finger across her clit, Lucy felt her legs begin to shake as her grip on reality began to wear away, and she could practically taste the high he was sending her on. He didn’t stop his efforts even as she wailed with ecstasy—not that he wanted to, nor could he if he did—she practically had him locked in with her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his head. It was a welcome feeling to ride out her orgasm with his tongue inside of her, lapping up all the arousal she leaked out through it.

As she came down, her legs fell limp over his shoulders, and he took that opportunity to ease them off of him and hover over her, beaming down at her, looking incredibly pleased with his performance.

“How was that?”

Lucy couldn’t do anything but gape for a moment as she remained up in the clouds, hardly able to register what he had said.

This was meant to be his birthday present, and yet here she was, completely blissed out after he had been the one to service her.

That was something she would quickly have to rectify.

Without giving him a verbal answer, Lucy coaxed Natsu back onto the couch. He looked a little confused but obliged nonetheless until she positioned herself, kneeling between his legs, and began to tug at his boxers, at which point he got the message. He lifted his hips up and let her pull them off, tossing them somewhere to the side before her full attention was on his erect cock, calling for her attention.

She could ride him right now—she could sit in his lap and mount him and make him scream her name until he was seeing white, but if he wanted to pleasure her with his tongue, then two can play that game.

She reached out and gave him a slow stroke from base to head, and she was rewarded with a low groan that put a smile on her lips. Natsu was always so vocal during sex; he loved to talk dirty and whisper filthy things in her ear that had her blushing even as he pounded his cock into her, but her favourite sounds he made were the long moans and groans that told her that she was doing her job right and making him feel good. So often it was Natsu who was dedicating himself to her pleasures, but tonight she was going to return that favour.

She pressed a light kiss to the tip of his cock, looking up at him through fluttering eyelashes as she took more and more of him into her mouth. His hand came to rest on her head, grabbing fistfuls of hair as she bobbed up and down, having him throw his head back in pleasure. She could feel how hard he was gripping on, tugging at her hair so much that it was almost painful. She knew it was his self-restraint, holding himself back from simply grabbing on and fucking her face until he released his seed down her throat. Though she certainly wouldn’t have minded it, she was happy to be the one taking the lead right now.

With her free hands, Lucy grabbed the base of his cock, jerking it off where her mouth couldn’t reach while her other fondled with his balls. She could tell he liked it based on the breath he sucked in and the subsequent moans he let out.

“Fuck, ah- God, Lucy!”

Natsu had a tendency to be vulgar sometimes, and while she never liked to hear him cuss outside the bedroom, hearing him say those words while she sucked him off just got her going even more.

She increased her pace, bobbing her head on his shaft faster and faster, making horribly lewd gagging noises each time he hit the back of her throat. His other hand shot down to her head, dragging his fingers through his hair in an attempt to stop himself from thrusting right into her throat. His hands on the back of her head made it difficult to pull herself off when she did, but she managed even with his white-knuckling grip.

“Lucyyyyyy,” he whined, bucking his hips up in front of her. “C’mon, please, don’t do this to me.”

He probably thought she was about to get back at him for all that teasing, but no, she had a much more enticing idea.

Taking in a deep breath, Lucy took him back into her mouth, taking him all the way to her throat, but as he hit the back of her mouth, where she would usually stop, she kept going, taking him all the way until her lips were at the base.

“Oh shit-” he gasped. “Fuck, that’s good.”

Taking on his praise, Lucy started to move faster and faster until she couldn’t anymore. Her jaw was beginning to ache, but Natsu’s groans were growing louder and more frequent, and she could practically feel him throb in her throat. Before he could finish in her mouth, Lucy pulled herself off before working her hand up and down his cock until he spurted a thick load of semen right onto her chest.

Natsu let out a stuttered but sated breath as he finished and looked down at her to find his cum dripping down her chest, almost resembling the frosting that had once decorated it. While he was watching, Lucy gathered up the cum on her fingers before sucking them clean. The sight of it had his dick twitching again, slowly growing back to size from its softened state.

Lucy wasn’t done with him quite yet.

Resting her hands on his thighs, Lucy crawled into his lap, making herself comfortable before pressing her lips to his. His lips parted easily for her, and she could taste the essence of her pleasure mixed with the vanilla frosting on his tongue. His hands found their way to her waist before trailing down to rest on her ass, where he gave it a quick squeeze. The squeak that she let out was swallowed into their kiss before she pulled away and rested her forehead against his.

She could feel his warm breath graze against her lips as he let out soft pants in the aftermath of their kiss, and she smiled at the reminder of all of his love and warmth. His face was all flushed red from his recent orgasm, and he looked so cute gazing up at her with all of the adoration in the world.

She was going to ride him until he forgot his own damn name.

He sucked in a breath when her hand touched his dick to line him up with her entrance, clearly still sensitive from cumming just before.

“You okay?” She asked, her voice soft and full of concern.

He gave her a frantic nod, which she took as a go-ahead.

Slowly, she sank down onto his cock, taking all of him inside of her until their bodies sat flush with each other and she could feel his tip rubbing up against her cervix. Natsu’s head rolled back as he let out a long moan once he was fully sheathed inside of her.

Encouraged by the promise of more noises like that, Lucy pulled herself up before sinking back down, repeating the motion over and over again until she had a steady rhythm that had both of them clawing at each other’s bodies, wanting, craving, needing more.

His fingers gripped her ass, arms moving along with each bounce of her hips. With every bounce came a roll of her hips, her clit grazing against his skin, sending shivers up her spine, which had her tightening around him. She could hear his breath stutter each time her pussy clenched around him, feeling as though she was milking him dry.

“You feel so damn good,” he grunted through gritted teeth, trying to hold himself back and prolong the experience of Lucy riding him.

Though he frequently showered her with praise in the midst of making love, Lucy was certain she would never tire of it. Though she certainly didn’t need his affirmations to know that she made him feel good, it always felt good to hear him tell her what a good job she was doing. She never really knew if he knew the way it drove her wild or if he simply needed her to know just how good she made him feel, but quite frankly, she didn’t care.

He made her feel good, and she wanted to make him feel just as good in return.

A soft moan escaped her lips as she rolled her hips again, feeling his head hit the exact right spot deep inside of her. He was so big and thick; he stretched her out so well and hit all the places that drove her wild. It was crazy to her just how well their bodies fit together, almost as if fate had moulded them with the intention of them fitting together so well that Lucy was never quite sure where her body ended and his began.

She tried to continue her pace in search of that absolute touch of ecstasy, but even on the plush cushions of the couch beneath her, her knees were beginning to ache, and she simply didn’t have the stamina Natsu did to keep going in this position.

Noticing her heavy breaths and slowing pace, Natsu gripped her ass and pulled her up so that only his tip remained inside of her before slamming her back down and meeting her with a thrust in the middle that had her crying out in pleasure.

She had planned to fuck him senseless, but she supposed this worked too.

The hands that had once gripped on his shoulders for leverage now wrapped around his neck as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Each thrust he pumped into her was rewarded with a little whimper against his scar, and Lucy revelled in all the grunts and groans that were being let out right in her ear. He sounded so damn sexy, fucking her like he meant it. It made her toes curl and her legs shake, and the mental stimulation alone might have been enough to tip her over the edge if he hadn’t already been pounding relentlessly against her g-spot so hard that she was beginning to see spots in her vision.

“Keep going. Please,” she whimpered into his ear, and he did just as she said.

Unable to contain her pleasure any longer, Lucy felt her release, waves of pleasure washing over her. Her nails dug into his back as she tried to hold some sort of connection to reality, eliciting an almost pained moan from Natsu.

Had she been more sound of mind, she would have apologised, asked if he was alright, but that concern was quickly dashed as she felt him pulse and throb inside of her before she was met with a hot stream of cum coating her inner walls.

When she finally came back to, she felt Natsu pull her off of his cock and set her back down on his lap before resting his forehead on her shoulder. They both sat in silence for a moment, simply content to enjoy each other’s presence and touch, fully sated, having eaten their fill.

The first movement came from Natsu, who placed a soft kiss on her shoulder before throwing his head back, and Lucy pulled her head away to look up at him. He was smiling, beaming brighter than she even thought she had seen him, and it made her heart skip a beat as she felt herself falling in love with him all over again.

“That was the best birthday present ever,” he grinned, reminding her of how they had even gotten here in the first place. “It was exactly what I wanted.”

Lucy had to hold herself back from letting out a giddy squeal now that she had achieved her goal of the perfect Natsu present. Though she managed to suppress her happy noises, there was nothing she could do about the smile that was plastered across her face in her victory.

With a firm squeeze on her ass, Natsu then proceeded to ask the exact question she had been expecting to hear from him this whole time.

“Is there any more of that cake left?”

[blazingorchid-deactivated202602]

“I love you.” He whispered. His words were broken; mangled. They were so raw with emotion that it clogged his airway. His chest heaved in shallow movements. “I love you.” He repeated. Over and over like a mantra. Perhaps, that’s exactly what it was.

Happy laid curled to her side. So exhausted by his own anguish and heartbreak. His frequent sniffles were the only indication that he was even awake. His throat too raw. His eyes too worn out. He could only lay there; shattered.

They were surrounded by silence. Met with closed eyes.

Natsu clung to her limp hand. He hated how cold it felt under his rough palms. But no matter how much heat he tried to share, she remained as she was.

The only light in the room was a single candle. It flickered. The wind had threatened to blow it out a few times and yet no matter how small the flame got; it persevered. It refused to be extinguished.

“Natsu.” His name called from timid lips. He didn’t flinch. He was too exhausted to move even if only slightly. All of his leftover energy was harnessed in his words. He hoped it was enough. It’s all he had left. “It’s time to go. We have to leave now.” Wendy took a few gentle steps in. She didn’t dare to look at the blonde who was laying perfectly still. Instead her focus was on the man who hadn’t left her side in five days.

Behind the small girl, Erza appeared. She placed a comforting hand on Wendy’s shoulder; squeezing.

“Go find Gray. He’s going to fight.”

Wendy nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. She left without a word. Erza’s boots clunked against the floor boards. She braced herself for what was to come.

“Natsu.” Her voice was stern and unwavering.

“I love you. I love you.” He continued to whisper. He was desperate. He was trembling.

“She’s gone. We have to let her go.”

Then he snapped.

She barely had enough time to block before a fist engulfed in flames came hurtling at her face.

“Shut up.” His voice was hoarse. She couldn’t call it anything other than a growl. His eyes were dilated into slits. His teeth were bared, his canines glistening from the candle light. He looked completely inhuman. “Shut up!” He swung once again.

“I know you’re in pain. We all are. We are all grieving. But there’s nothing else we can do. She’s gone.” Despite her solid tone, Erza’s bottom lip quivered. She couldn’t help her slipping glances towards the blonde. “She’s gone.”

“Shut up!” He screamed. “She’s not! She’s not! She can’t be!” He was sobbing at this point. “She can’t leave me! She promised! Lucy always keeps her promises!” While he was consumed by frantic movements and desperate pleas, Erza raised a hand and swiftly hit a pressure point to put him to sleep. By the time he slumped into Erza’s arms, Gray appeared in the doorway. His eyes dull as he looked at the pair. His complexion pale and sickly.

There was a silence between them. One that was heavy and uncomfortable. Until finally, a sob tore through Erza’s throat. Gray could only look at the one who had caused this misery.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” Erza cursed.

A harsh breeze from outside, whipped into the room. The curtains danced. Blonde hairs fluttered across a peacefully slumbered face.

And the candle’s flame was finally snuffed out.

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