Lucy ran. She ran as if her life depended on it, because if she didn't get to him in time, she didn't knew what she would do. She needed to tell him how she felt before he left. Natsu was her everything, and if he thought he was going to leave for a year or more without a proper send off, at the very least, well, that idiot had another thing coming. So she ran. She ran until she spotted him. Then, she tackled him.

"You can't go. You can't leave like this, I have too much to tell you."

"Luce," Natsu sighed, "I have to do this on my own, I can't take you with me. I need you to protect everyone else. You're the only one I trust to do it."

Lucy stood up with the dragonslayer and, with tears robbing down her face whispered, "I know. But please, Natsu, please, give me one more night. Just one night. Leave in the morning. Please!"

Natsu looked at Lucy, really looked at her for the first time in what seemed like forever. He was used to seeing a strong young woman, with stars in her eyes and more courage in her pinky finger than most people had in their entire bodies. He was used to seeing the kindness in her heart that nobody else he knew possesed. She was more than just a strong member of Fairy Tail. She was his strength. But now, as he looked at her, she was broken. Something had happened that had broken her, and he knew that he couldn't leave her like that. He loved her too much to leave her without giving her something to hold on to.

"Ok. But I have to leave in the morning, Luce. I have to go."

His words were soft, as soft as the hand he laid on her head, stroking her hair. Lucy looked up at him, with something like awe in her eyes. Awe, and relief, and an overwhelming love, that was reflected right back at the celestial mage. They both knew, in that moment, that they loved each other deeply. They knew that they would wait for each other, no matter how long. No words needed to be said.

Happy, meanwhile, had seen what was happening between his two partners, giggled quietly, and flew off to spend his last night with Charle. This time, the blue cat thought, she would accept his fish for sure!

Natsu barely registered that Happy had left. He took Lucy's hand and, together, they walked back to her apartment. It was an easy walk, they took it slowly. The couple stopped at the impromptu marketplace that had sprung up. Lucy picked out ingredients for some of Natsu's favorite foods, as well as a few bottles of wine to go with them. The celestial mage figured what she and Natsu didn't drink, she could give to Cana. The rest of the walk back to Strawberry Street was quiet.

Lucy walked straight into the kitchen from the front door, and started to make a dinner that she was sure Natsu would not soon forget. If he insisted on going for a year, then she would make sure he knew what he would be missing. As she cooked, Natsu, in an uncharacteristic move, came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. It was not the first time that he had noticed how her body fit against his like a puzzle piece, but it was the first time that he felt like she was part of him. She was his better half.

Lucy finished preparing dinner, and Natsu reluctantly let her go, staying in the kitchen for a moment to compose himself. When he entered the dining room, they sat at the dinner table and ate in silence.

Lucy took a bottle of wine and two glasses into her bedroom, and gave Natsu a look that told him he would regret it forever if he didn't follow her. Little did he know, while he was composing himself, Lucy had summoned Virgo to set up and light as many candles as would be safe in the celestial mage's room.

When Natsu entered, his breath was taken away. The candle light warmed Lucy's skin, so that it looked like she was glowing. It didn't hurt that, somehow, she had managed to change from her normal clothes to what looked like a long silk robe. It was white and it was shear. Natsu swallowed.

"Luce," he began, but all rational thought flew from his brain when she let the robe slide down her shoulders. The fabric pooled at the crooks of her elbows, and opened to give him a view of her generous bust. He had seen her naked before, but this was different. This wasn't him peeping, of accidently walking in on her. This was Lucy, showing a part of herself to Natsu that she had denied him before.

"Natsu, I can't let you go without telling you how much you mean to me. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've seen what would happen to me if you weren't in my life, and I didn't like it at all. I don't want to end up like my future self did. So I'm giving myself to you now, before you leave."

With that, Lucy let the fabric that covered her pool at her feet. At first, Natsu was speechless. There was a dryness in his throat that had nothing to do with thirst. He crossed the room with quick strides and crashed his lips into Lucy's. She responded immediately, opening her mouth to him, letting his tongue dance with hers. He ripped himself away, breathing hard.

"Lucy, are you sure you want this? That you want me? You could do so much better than me."

There were few times in his life when Natsu Dragneel felt unsure of himself. This was one of them. Lucy was an angel, or a goddess, or something etherial and out of reach. Yet here she was, letting him touch her. He couldn't believe it. He could, however, believe the punch that followed his insecurity.

"Natsu Dragneel," Lucy scolded indigntly, "how could you even think that. You are the strongest, kindest, idiot I know. And we both know that I know a lot of idiots! You think I could do better than you?! HOW?! HOW COULD I DO BETTER THAN THE ONE I LOVE?"

Lucy was panting by the end of her rant. She continued quietly, "Natsu, I love you, only you. I have loved you my entire life, and I will love you for the rest of it. I loved you in my last life, and I will love you in my next. It will always be you, Natsu. Always."

"Luce, I promise that I will love you, just you, and no one else. Forever. But there's something you should know Luce, about dragonslayers -"

"Natsu, I know. I've known for a while about dragonslayers and their mates. I know that this will be forever, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Lucy looked Natsu square in the eye as she told him this, and the between them broke. Natsu kissed Lucy like there would be no tomorrow. He moved down to her neck, leaving open mouthed kisses and nibbling here and there. Lucy moaned, and the last of Natsu's restraint broke.

He shoved her down to the bed, and stripped his clothes faster than even Gray could. Then, he was on her. Kissing her, touching her, worshiping her body. His scalding tongue traced lines down her breasts to her hard nipples, which he licked and sucked and rolled with blazing fingers. She squeaked when he pinched one and twisted it. The pain it caused shot down her spine, straight to her womanhood.

"Luce," Natsu rasped, taking in the scent of her arousal, "I never knew you were a masochist."

Lucy's only response was to mewl and buck her pelvis against his torso. Natsu chuckled darkly, and continued to play roughly with his lovers nipples until he decided to make his way further down her body, to where her scent was strongest. Natsu looked her womanhood in awe. She was beautiful, no matter where he looked. And she smelled so good. So ripe. He pressed a kiss to the apex of her thighs, then began to feast on her like a man starved, sucking on the little bundle of nerves that gave her the most pleasure. Orgasm after orgasm crashed down on her, until Lucy, who was no longer able to make an intelligible sound, moaned a broken version of his name. It was like music to his ears.

After her third climax, Natsu made his way back up Lucy's body, leaving open mouthed kisses along the way. His member was painfully erect as he slid it across the wet folds between Lucy's thighs. He began to push into her, slowly at first, then, with a quick snap of his hips, he was completely sheathed. Lucy winced as her walls stretched in a way they had never done before, but the pain passed as Natsu began to move above her. He pistoned her into the mattress, pushing her into a fourth and fifth climax. She flipped him over and came again as she rode him, bouncing up and down on his manhood. Natsu sat up, kissing her swollen lips as he continued to thrust up into her, pulling her back down underneath him. He slowed his pace, and looked straight into Lucy's eyes.

"Always?" he asked.

"Always," was her reply

With that, he bit down on the juncture between her neck and shoulder, and they came together. Natsu collapsed on top of Lucy, holding her close as they both drifted into a peaceful sleep. In the morning, Natsu woke Lucy up, and with a proper goodbye, left Magnolia with Happy, who's fish had finally been accepted, by his side.