LUCY POV
Lucy is in her apartment in Crocus staring at the "Fairy Tail wall". On the stool next to her Plue is trembling as usual.
With the index finger of the right hand she starts tapping her lower lip "Also today no new information about them. I know that they are fine but… I worry nonetheless." She says to Plue. Of course she was talking and thinking about the other members of her team. She didn't have any new news about neither Natsu nor Gray or Erza. She sighs and finishes preparing for work. Today is the last day of the Grand Magic Games, so many memories were flooding her mind. The last GMG was won by her now disbanded guild. And soon after all hell broke loose as the dragons came through the Eclipse door that was promptly destroyed by Natsu in the end.
She sighs again whispering his name "Natsu...". His defection brought a pain far more profound that she wants to admit to herself. Not only he didn't probably know that Fairy Tail does not exist anymore, but he left her behind.
"Stop thinking about that! I'm gonna give it my all! Today, too!" She exclaims with force. "Plue, I will see you after work!" And with that she sends him back to the spirit world and she goes off to work as an editor for Sorcerer Weekly.
She did some modeling for them also just after the guild was disbanded, but this job brings so much more satisfactions!
She meets her boss just out of the stadium "Hey Lucy! Are you ready for today?"
"Of course! I'm fired up!" She answers grinning but on the inside her heart seemed to squeeze with those words, not for the first time since the games started she finds herself thinking about him.
Lucy and her boss go to their places to assist to the GMG.
Her boss is just going on and on about the article that we will gonna write about today events, but Lucy remains a little distracted about her early thoughts.
Senpai then says to her "Earthland to Lucy.. Are you there?"
Then she gradually snap out of it "Oh Sorry, i was lost in thought. What's up?"
"Come on! It's the finals! Skull Millione versus Chrisack! How exciting!"
"No Senpai, it's a total farce" she says with an absolutely bored look.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" completely surprised he demands more information.
"Chrisack is strong but the Skull Millione guys were holding back during all the games. Maybe they wanted to up their bookies profits, or theirs."
"Whaaaaaat?" just as he said that again the match starts, and after just 1 minutes was already finished with Skull Millione as a victor, just as Lucy predicted.
"Coool! Just like you said Lucy!" the reporter is so excited and happy about this great story.
Lucy continues to be bored and more than a little annoyed about the outcome of this year GMG.
"It is just sad that they are the number one guild in Fiore..." she mumbles.
But then a man with an heavy dark cloak enters the arena. The leader from Skull Millione says "And who the hell are you?"
The intruder just laugh at him "So you should be the number 1 guild in Fiore?"
"Yeah, so?"
"I'm your next opponent!" and with these words a tremendous heat started to irradiate from him.
Lucy turns to the reporter with her: "Quickly evacuate the arena!"
The reporter is shocked and is completely froze in place.
The heat then starts melting the clothes on the people of the arena, not only that but the arena itself starts to melt! "What a tremendous power… could it be?" Lucy mumbles to herself trying to cover up with her hands as well as she could.
The intruder then removes his hood revealing to the whole arena that he is "Natsu" as Lucy promptly says and so much emotions bloom in her chest thinking that finally she knows where he is and that he is fine, obviously more than fine.
"Good to see you, Lucy! Long time no see eh?" she hears a voice calling out to her and she, shocked, stares in that direction.
"Happy! What is going on?" she exclaims.
"Eh you know Natsu. He just had to check out the new number 1 guild in Fiore… bus as you know he does not know how to hold back!" the blue feline laugh.
"Yeah! I know… he has not changed a bit has he?" a little smile crept on her face and when Natsu finally glanced at her he too was smiling.
"Hey Lucy! It's been a while eh?"
"Are you okay?" she answers with concern.
Natsu is then surrounded by the guards who escort him to the the palace in front of the King and his daughter Hisui.
"Oh i better go check on him!" The winged Happy says to Lucy before going to Natsu.
She shook her head and then went to her home to change and freshen up with a turmoil of emotions raging inside of her. "I can't believe it! He's back..." tears starts to build up in her eyes but she refuses to cry. "I have to hurry to go to pick him up."
NATSU POV
In the moment that he enters the arena he finally smells the taste of Lucy essence, it almost drives him mad to go to her, embrace her and kiss her senseless. Unfortunately for his emotions his bravado has another idea. Nonetheless the first thing he does is whispering to his blue winged companion "Go to Lucy"
"Aye, Sir!" Happy answers as per custom.
After all hell break loose in the arena and he finally gives in to his emotions and he lets himself see her for the first time after a year. His smile is as big as it can ever be.
"Good to see you, Lucy! Long time no see eh?" he hears himself say, while his emotions are a cluster of uncontrollable need to check on her and cover her with something. He sneers internally at what he is thinking, he never would have cover her up, usually it was the contrary. Mine is the word that is continuously running around in his head.
The guards arrive to escort him to the palace, so he reins in all of his pulsion towards Lucy and accepts to go with them.
Mine… Mine… Mine...
LUCY POV
After a quick shower and a change of clothes she hurries to the garden of the castle where she sees him just walking out of the building grinning.
"Oh Luce, did you came all by yourself to pick us up? Where are the others?" Natsu says as a way of greeting.
She stops on her tracks and just becomes sad, completely sad.
"Oh right… you don't know… You abandoned us just before the announcement." she says watching him in the eyes. "Come with me and i will explain it all to you." After that she starts to walk back to her apartment, sadness growing into rage.
"What's wrong Lucy?" Natsu says after starting to follow her.
With rage and accusation dancing in her eyes and her voice she glances back at him without stopping in her eagerness to reach home. "Oh, apart from the fact that you vanished completely from Earthland for a year with just a note that didn't explain anything?"
After seeing the look that she has given him he freezes for a second before catching up with her "Lucy..." He is completely speechless, he does not know where this rage is coming from, he have finally seen her and she is totally mad at him. Surely it can't be for the training, she knows how much that meant to him right?
"Shut up, it is better if we talk after we are in my apartment." with the same rage as before.
Gradually her steps became more relaxed until she reaches her building.
Unlocking the door she glances back seeing that Natsu and Happy have indeed been following her. "Good. Come on in."
They follow her inside. Her place is amazing more so than the one in Magnolia. In fact the bedroom was in another room entirely for once! Same goes for her kitchen.
Lucy continues inside her home leaving Natsu and Happy the time to admire it.
"Wow! You live here? It's an amazing place!" She hears them say.
"Yeah, pretty much. Come here, I have something very important to explain to you" she calls from the couch.
They enter her living room and then sits down on the couch next to her, or at least Happy goes there, Natsu thinks it's safer to leave the table between them. She seems restless, she continues to fidget and doesn't know how to break the news to him.
"Lucy, come on! You know that you can say anything to me!" Natsu exclaimes with some concern.
"Yeah, probably that was true one year ago, when you actually decided to go wandering the kingdom all by yourself! " she sputters.
"Lucy, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. It is just that…" she sighs "the guild is disbanded" again a sad look grows on her face.
Natsu and Happy are in shock "how is that possible? Gramps would never do that!"
"But he did. The day after you went away so carelessly." she exclaims like all the fault of this was theirs and theirs alone.
"But how? Why? We have to go and bring some sanity to that old man's mind!"
"Actually, we can't. Nobody knows where he is. He is missing pretty much since that day, just like you were" her words sounds more and more sad and painful, like she is going through the worst heartbreak of her life.
Natsu is in so much pain seeing her like that. No one makes Lucy cry. No one.
"So it is pretty clear what do we have to do. Rebuild the guild, from scratch, recalling all our friends." He says with such hope and eagerness that his eyes shine for that.
Lucy smiles and then, because she knows him so well.
"Do you want something to eat or drink? Surely you are famished knowing you both. You probably don't have any money left so you also don't have a place to sleep correct?" After she receives only a nod after her inquiry she says with a little smile "Do you want to stay here for the night?"
As for answers both of them went on their knees praying "oh thank you angel! We will be forever in your debt".
At that she laughs and with a mischievous grin and a devilish look in her eyes replies "You better remember that dragon boy and you too kitty cat". She stand up from the couch and goes to the kitchen to prepare something to eat and drink.
"I have another favor to ask you if I may Lucy" she hears him say, so she turns around and sees him leaning against the kitchen's doorframe.
"Can you please summon that spirit for me? The one that is good with the scissors?" Natsu answers her quizzical look grinning.
"Oh you mean Cancer? Yes i can. But after you have finished with him please go shower. You stink" She says with a disgusted face. She then takes out the Cancer's key summoning him "Open gate of the giant crab! Cancer!"
The spirit appears next to her "Yeah baby. Want a new hairstyle, baby?"
She shudders "Not me, him." Pointing his key towards Natsu.
"Oh. As you wish, Baby." Cancer says turning to the dragon slayer and then following him in the living room.
"Cut them as they were a year ago." the rose haired boy says to the spirit.
"Okay" is the only answers Cancer conceed him since everyone in the Celestial Spirit World know how Lucy have been this past year thanks to Natsu.
NATSU POV
Finally the royals of Fiore acquitted him, probably thanks to the whole dragons issue of the past year. Now Natsu can go and search for his real prey, not the new first guild in Fiore but a prey that is much more tasty like a good fire.
He exits the castle and there she is. Beautiful like always and fortunately with clothes that aren't as torn as it was the case in the arena.
He is absolutely happy to see her, but he cannot let himself scare her. He has to be calm or at least as calm as always.
'So, she lives in Crocus now?' he thinks watching the back of her guildmate walking with such barely contained emotions.
After the first few words is pretty clear that she is angry at him, for what he doesn't understand. He is perplexed but now that he has finally found her again, he will never let go. She is his and only his.
They arrive at her apartment and after a few moments both he and Happy understand what is going on with the guild. They are pretty much shocked by her story about what happened and the first thing they wants to do is bring everyone back as usual. In doing so maybe, just maybe, she is going to be less angry with him or the world in general.
'I have to be good… I cannot scare her… I cannot give in to my desires… I have to remain as always...' he thinks… but in his heart only one word continues to circle: Mine… Mine… Mine...
LUCY POV
In the meantime Lucy spaces out without actually listening on what was said in the other room. She can't possibly believe that Natsu came back. It was just pure luck that he arrived here in Crocus? Or was it fate maybe? She was totally lost in thoughts while cooking some ramen and sandwiches. After all was done she calls for Natsu and Happy to go eat in the kitchen with her. They come grinning, Cancer in tow: "Baby, i go."
"Yes, thank you Cancer." she says with a big smile on her face.
They all sit down at the table, well Happy sits on the table but who cares? and start eating.
All of this more or less in silence apart from Happy who's listing the amazing quality of fish: "Fish… uhm… good fish… tasty fish..." and so on.
Natsu watches Lucy carefully for any sign of happiness, for something that will remind him of the Lucy he seems to have lost one year ago.
"So… Thank you for the meal Lucy! It is fantastic, i'm really full." He says and in the meantime with the right arm, that now sports a bandage along a good part of it, he massages his tummy.
He is copied by Happy "Oh yes Lucy, thank you very much for the fish. It was really tasty. I'm so full that i'm gonna fall to sleep pretty soon, better go to the couch." and with that he goes out the kitchen leaving the two of them alone.
"No problem for the food guys, i'm happy to be of help."
She stands up and starts to clean up the kitchen and the various bowls and plates that are on the table.
NATSU POV
They eat in a tension filled atmosphere.
Natsu glances at her while sitting down at the table 'Oh, this is the first time i have seen her really smile since i came back. What have I done wrong to be treated like this?'
His control is about to break. He has to have her in his arms.
'I have to do something… I have to touch her… She has to know that she is mine…'
With this last thought he takes a decision to trust his instincts and maybe just refrain them a little.
LUCY POV
Once she has finished Natsu stands up too and grabs her right hand with his left. "Lucy..." His face completely serious now. She turns back to him and is frozen in place by that look, it is like he is fighting against one of the bad guys who usually hurts her.
"What is it, Natsu?" she asks with little voice "You are scaring me..."
For answer he pulls her into his arms against his torso, at the same time with the other arm he encircles her as to be in an embrace but refuses to let go of her hand. After a few seconds in which she doesn't know what to do apart enjoy the feeling of being in his arms, cherished once again by the one that is always on her mind. Her free hand rests on his pectoral listening to his heartbeat.
He then again does something completely unexpected. He lowers his head until his face is resting in the crook of her neck. She feels him took a very big inhale like he is inspiring all of her smell the best he could. "I missed you..." he finally whispers in that warm embrace. His heartbeat speeding up now that she is finally in his arms. Now that he can finally taste her addictive smell once again. Now that he feels whole again.
She then finally smiles at him, he feels it against his torso, her beautiful smile that fills his heart with pure joy.
"I missed you too…" she whispers in answer.
After some more minutes of being in the same position he straightens and looks in her eyes "Can i ask you one last favor?" his face a little flushed after the sniffing finished.
"Sure, ask away" she nods smiling.
NATSU POV
'She is not scared, she can take it, i knew that she could. I need her more than life itself, she is the only one that can light my fire.'
He trembles when holding her struggling to maintain control over his instincts. Only her affirmative answer to the next question can calm the beast inside him. The beast that is him.
LUCY POV
"Can i sleep with you tonight?" he stops at her astonished look like he was the crazy one, she was almost answering when he stops her.
"Wait, let me finish first… I need to be near you, to feel you in my arms tonight. I need you" he starts shaking after this few words like a junkie that has been given another dose of his poison, but this, this is the most beautiful and fulfilling poison in the whole universe: love.
"Natsu, what's wrong?" she worries at the tremors that his body is undergoing.
"Nothing major. Please answer me..." he pleads her not only with his voice but with his body, with his eyes.
"On two conditions. First:" she enumerates this with the left hand tapping one time his pectoral "do not let your hands wander where they can't go. Second:" two taps "do not freak out once you enter in my bedroom."
"Aye, sir!" he answers her smiling and tightening his grip on her almost picking her up from the floor. His tremors finally stopped after she has given him her conditions.
On second thought he actually picks her up from the floor carrying her bridal style (with little to nothing oppositions on her side) across her apartment then he stops just outside of her bedroom. "Are you sure?" he asks her.
"I'm pretty sure" she answers with a smile that fails to abandon her face, she opens up her bedroom door "You can let me go now Natsu"
Her little protest was lost in the air as he sees her Fairy tail wall with all the information regarding the others of her guildmates.
He continues to carry her until they arrive in front of the wall. "Did you actually did all of this?" he says finally moving his attention from the wall to the beautiful girl in his arms that right now was blushing furiously.
"Yes, i kept tracks on everyone. Or at least i tried." he finally let her go so she can stand up for herself. "I will go wash my teeth and to get ready for bed. You can check the wall all you want. This is all the informations i've got." She says and then vanishes on the bathroom after closing the door to the bedroom.
NATSU POV
He nods and then turns again versus the wall 'Everyone went ahead with their lives. How can they? No one ever looked back. Only Lucy. She must have been so alone' he asks finally coming to the realization of the reason for which Lucy was so angry and sad before with him.
'I'm a jerk… nothing new about it but she has been hurt… by me...' He then takes a big decision 'I will be forgiven… It is my mission… Because, she is mine. My fire. She will not run away. And this mission is more important than everything else'
He closes his hands making two fists of anger mostly at himself. He tries to calm himself down just before she reenters the bedroom.
LUCY POV
'Oh God, what am i doing… I'm seriously thinking about sleeping in the same bed as Natsu?'
Only thinking about what will happen when she returns from her trip to the bathroom leaves her with palpitation and sweaty hands. In the meantime she prepares herself for bed not even registering what exactly was the outfit that she took with her to the bathroom. A silky red babydoll and matching panties, something that she remember to have bought with Erza, Levy and Juvia after their last trip to the hot springs.
They were talking about boys then after a pretty embarrassing night where the girls had too much booze to drink. They decided then and there to buy some pretty skimpy lingerie attire vowing that they will use them for the first night with the one they loved.
Erza went and bought a white and red set that reminded them of the tattoo on Jellal's face.
Juvia bought a white and light blue set where the light blue was used to create little snowflakes, everyone knows to whom she was thinking when she bought it.
Levy's one was the more audacious set. It was a babydoll set in black satin with steel studs all along the rims. On the flowing part of the babydoll were crystals to create little cherries. They all teased her regarding Gajeel.
Lucy choose something audacious, like almost every piece of clothes that she owned, a silk red babydoll set with inserts of orange and yellow to remind of fire along the sides. Also this particular set had straps covered in stars. It was almost like it was created with them in mind, like the one Levy bought.
She smiles now remembering all the teasing they did one another, she misses them so much. She almost forgot about this piece of lingerie. It was fate that guided her hands in taking it to the bathroom and put it on for him to please or maybe to punish him. She did said no strange touching hadn't she?
She takes courage and walks back in the bedroom.
She finds him with his back to the door watching closely the wall with all the information regarding the other guildmates.
The moment she enters the bedroom is the moment he turns versus the door focusing his full attention on her.
NATSU POV
"I'm sorry, this is the only thing that i took with me in the bathroom." he hears her say in the haze that came in his mind the moment he laid eyes on her in that outfit. Her thumb between her lips. She is too cute when embarrassed. He starts walking towards her but she raises the hand, the one with the thumb that she had between her lips, in the universal gesture for STOP.
"Remember Natsu, no getting touchy." she finishes her instructions and let the hand fall back along her side.
'Lucy is mine. Lucy bought that for me. Lucy will always be mine. Just to be able to see her like this again i will do anything. I will never leave her side again.'
LUCY POV
Lucy stares into his eyes that now seems to have a dancing flame in them. After her request he simply nods and resumes to walk towards her.
She decides to meet him halfway so she started to move towards him, the babydoll flowing around her midsection like dancing flames.
When they almost reach each other she starts to talk again "So, should we -" and she is interrupted in the most passionate way possible.
His right hand rapidly shots towards her nape where he grabs her possessively pulling her to him in the meantime.
Then he kisses her effectively preventing her to speak again. His left arm encircles her bringing her ever more closer to him.
Her instincts take over and she gladly responds to his kiss embracing him around the neck and with her right hand she grabs his hair. Her lips, already parted, give him all the access he needs to deepen the kiss even more.
Natsu's right hand moves from her nape to her lower back, joining her twin sister. They are so into that kiss that they don't hear either the door open nor Happy talking.
"Natsu, check out what I found! This is that thing that is used to talk with other people and send them pictures. I already sent one to Wendy and Carla." Happy just then moves his attention from the device to the rest of the room and in doing so he finally sees what is happening. 'I have to take a picture of them' he thinks with a devilish look painted on his face and then starts his photographic shoot of the kiss between Natsu and Lucy.
After some photos are taken they emerge from the kiss without breaking apart, Natsu's arms around her maybe have something to do about that or maybe not.
They continue staring in each other eyes taking deep breaths as if they runned for miles, both of them flustered after the kiss.
Happy imitates some coughing sounds startling both Natsu and Lucy so much they break their embrace.
"You loooooooooooooove her!" Happy says to Natsu after he has their full attention. Repeating it to Lucy just after. "You looooooooooove him!"
After a few alternative stares between the other one and Happy, both Natsu and Lucy start to laugh for a few moments.
"You can say that Happy." Natsu states now completely serious and watching closely Lucy for a reaction. "I love her, she is the light that starts my fire."
"I think i love you too, Natsu. " she says smiling to him with reddening cheeks, in the meantime with her right hand she caresses his face.
Happy is pretty much shocked by her admission albeit he knew about Natsu's sentiment towards the celestial mage.
"So Happy, care to come to bed?" she grins to the feline "Natsu already promised me no touchy stuff"
Happy smiles happily with heavy tears of joy that build up in his eyes. "Oh yes!" The phone lies abandoned on the floor after that Happy takes fly to follow them.
With that last statement Natsu takes again Lucy in his arms and he carries her to the bed just before jumping in next to her.
Natsu lies down facing up, Lucy follows his lead and lies down plastered to his left side using his bare chest as pillow. Happy promptly lies down on the pillow next to Natsu's head.
"Can i have at least a good night kiss?" Natsu says grinning down to Lucy that raises his head to stare at him.
"Uhm, maybe..." she says smiling but anyway proceeds to kiss him full on the mouth. After a few moments kiss she smile again "Good night dear dragon boy"
"Good night, Princess" he smiles at her.
Then both of them at the same time say "Good night Happy!" but the feline is already asleep.
All three of them with hearts full of joy, love and happiness can finally sleep without any problem after a year.
Completely forgotten was Lucy's phone on the floor. For some kind of mistake made by Happy it did send one last picture, not only to Wendy and Carla, but also to Mirajane that wherever she is exclaim: "Finally! They are perfect together! I have to tell somebody! Lisannaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Elfmaaaan!" She calls her younger siblings grinning and extending her phone, so they can see the kiss between one pink haired dragon slayer and his blonde celestial mage.