A/N: Ok. So this is my first ever fanfic so don't judge me too harshly please. Constructive criticism is always welcome (and every once in a while a good word might not hurt either)!

The Last Dance of Evasion

She licked her lips as she watched the salmon haired man train. His muscles rippled as he worked out, sweat trickling down his stomach tracing his abs leaving an enticing wet trail in its wake. Natsu had destroyed his house yesterday due to an 'unforeseen incident' (as if), so obviously as she was his closest friend, she had to put him up at her own place.

Not that she was complaining.

They had started dating a month back and frankly speaking, Lucy was quite upset with how their relationship was progressing. Unlike his brash side in real life, he seemed to be quite shy when it came to relationships. A few chaste kisses here and a handful of passionate ones there were not enough to sate the raw hunger that had been gnawing at her for the past few years. She wanted more. She needed more. But she was scared. What if he didn't want her in that way? What if he got disgusted after seeing the needy part of her that she had so far kept locked up tight? She had hoped that few nights together might make him see her in a different light. And if she was lucky…it might even end up with them… She sighed.

It was eight in the evening and such thoughts were going to get her nowhere. Especially when her personal body heater climbed into her bed in an hours' time. She felt heat growing in her cheeks. Lucy took a deep breath and got back to the notebook that was lying on her lap before Natsu could look up and notice her obvious discomfort. Luckily, it wasn't very long before she was engrossed in her own storyland slowly turning oblivious to the other activities in her room.

-X-

'I'm going for a bath ok?'

Lucy simply hummed.

Suddenly she was enveloped in darkness. Her head jerked up only to almost hit it against Natsu's.

'You alright Luce?' She gulped as she realized how he was almost completely lying down on her half naked, his face mere centimeters away. At that moment, she could grab him, ravish him, make him hers and never let him go. But instead what did she do?

'I'm alright.' She muttered twisting her head to look the other away so he wouldn't notice her red face. 'You're all sweaty! Go away!'

He immediately moved aside to her disappointment (even though this was her doing) and scratched his head meekly.

'Sorry. It was just that your face was really red so I was wondering if you were sick or something. Are you sure you're alright?'

Lucy's eyes unintentionally fell to her lap where her notebook lay. She had been writing a very steamy and M rated scene between two people when Natsu had come. No wonder her face had changed its look.

'N-no nothing's wrong with me.' At that moment she looked at him and saw him staring…..at the book on her lap. Lord! Did he see the names in it?! Or something even worse? She hurriedly closed it before saying 'Go for a bath right now! I really don't want my apartment to stink!'

His eyes drifted to hers for the briefest of seconds before he got up and without a word headed towards the bathroom.

Lucy blinked. What was that just now? When their eyes had met she had seen something in them that she had never seen before. Something that could only have been equated to…lust. She shook her head furiously. No. It had been dark. She must have imagined it. She sighed. This is what came out of fantasizing about your best friend when he was in the same room as you and especially when he was sweaty after a workout.

She buried her face into her pillow and soon her mental exhaustion claimed her and she drifted off to deep sleep.

So it wasn't really her fault that she totally forgot to hide the notebook before sleeping. Right?

-X-

Did she have no idea whatsoever as to what she did to him? Couldn't she control herself even a little bit? First, the whole wearing revealing clothes thing. It was so frustrating! They caused him so many problems that it wasn't even funny anymore! Whenever she would pass by a guy, he would outright gawk at her without even the slightest bit of shame until he threw each person a deadly glare telling them clearly who she belonged to and where they would end up if they continued to strip her with their eyes. Sometimes it even came down to physically hurting them if they didn't get the not so subtle message. And to make it worse, it didn't even bother her! When he tried to talk to her about it, she had just simply huffed and said that he was overreacting too much. Overreacting. Pah! And when it was heat season, he actually had to go out of his way to avoid her. Every time that he saw her during that time in her skimpy clothes, he had the overwhelming urge to jump her bones. And her scent… God her scent! It drove him mad! The vanilla mixed with a hint of summer blossoms were enough to get him hooked.

He punched the bathroom wall (Gently of course. Otherwise Lucy would…*shudder*). It was all he could do to restrain himself from roaring with frustration. He wanted her more than anything in the world. To feel her, to caress her, to make her feel the heights of pleasure that one could only imagine in their wildest dreams until she was as addicted to him as he was to her. But he couldn't. Dragons don't merely have sex. They mate for life. He didn't want force Lucy to do anything just because he wanted it. He left that choice to her. But no more. He had had enough. 'I'll ask her today. I will, I will, I will. And if she denies me…. No. I can't think negative' He muttered to himself as he vigorously toweled himself dry. With his mind made up, he threw open the door only to find…..Lucy curled up into a ball on her bed and sleeping peacefully.

His resolve crumbled as he looked at the angelic figure inhaling and exhaling softly. How could he even think of tainting this beautiful woman's innocence?

Disgusted with himself, Natsu whirled around and started walking towards the couch at the other end of the room where he usually slept. But as he was moving away he caught sight of something on Lucy's bedside table. A notebook.

He recognized it at once. It was the same notebook she had been writing in during his training. The one that had caused her to blush that pretty shade of red. His scruples were now completely dominated by the fire of curiosity burning inside him. He walked up to it and picked it up before flipping it open.

'I moaned as he kissed my neck and slid his tongue along my collarbone. My fingers threaded themselves in his hair and pulled him up to give him a long, needy, passionate kiss. I broke away to stare into his eyes. "Listen….. Loki….. I-

His heart felt like a boulder, ready to fall right down to the pits of hell. Natsu snapped the book shut his face contorted in anger. He couldn't bear to read more. Loki? That play boy? Why? He thought Lucy loved him! At least liked him. She had never confessed her love for him after all.

Doubt crept into his mind. What if she didn't like him? What if she loved Loki?

He dropped the book with pure repulsion as though it was the vilest thing on the planet. Had he forced her to date him? Lucy couldn't….. She wouldn't… No….

He stood there for god knows how long rooted to the spot by disbelief. But in the end as always, he managed to collect his thoughts.

'It's okay if she doesn't love me.' He thought to himself. 'As long as she's happy….' He smiled bitterly to himself. 'That is after all my job as her best friend. To keep her safe and happy forever. Even at the cost of my life.'

He bent down with a lump in his throat to pick up the book on the ground. Only to find himself staring at an open page.

"'Natsu….. Oh Natsu…"

He grabbed it enthusiastically and started reading the contents with new found interest. What was his name doing here?

"Ngh…. Yeeesssss… There!" I screamed as I reached the zenith of pleasure. As I came down from my high I saw him looming above me staring into my eyes with a soft smile adorning his lips. I reached up and caressed his cheek. "I love you….Natsu"

He kept reading the line again and again not able to believe his own eyes.

Lucy…loved him?

-X-

It was cold. Lucy shivered as a gust of cold wind ruffled her hair. She scanned her surroundings only to find an empty expanse of nothing but snow and ice. She took a step forward only to stumble and fall upon her knees. 'Hello? Anybody?' She tried calling out but to no avail. It was hopeless. 'Levy? Erza? Gray? Anyone?' By now she was crying and her tears had already started to crystallize. 'Natsu? NATSU! She shouted at the top of her lungs but the same eerie silence was the only response she got. 'Oh Natsu…..' She buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

Suddenly, warmth flowed into her as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her and her nose was filled with the all too familiar smell of smoke and spices.

'It's alright Luce. I'm here now.' Her fire, her warmth, her Natsu had come…

He stroked her hair and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.

Her eyes flew open only to find a Natsu's staring right back at her. In a normal situation, she would have jumped out of bed and screamed at him until he would convince her about the fact that her bed was a million times more comfortable than the couch and that he loved sleeping next to her. She would finally give up with an exasperated sigh and a slight blush because come on! Who can say no to his puppy dog eyes!

But this time it was different.

Natsu's expression was nothing close to what it usually was. His eyes no longer playful and happy but instead they bored into her own with seriousness that she had never before seen in his eyes.

'Natsu….?' She managed to croak out.

And then he was kissing her.

It was not even close to anything she had received from him during the last one month. This one was long, passionate and….purely lustful.

As soon as she recovered from the shock she retaliated with full force. She poured all those pent up frustration and emotions that she had kept bottled up into him, telling Natsu with her lips how much she wanted this….how much she had waited for this.

Her hands moved and latched on to his shirt trying to desperately draw him closer. The kiss had begun to grow needier and full with wanton desire.

Suddenly he pulled away.

'Lucy….. I-' He said in a hoarse voice.

'Don't stop.' She cut in before claiming his lips once again. Now things started to accelerate really fast.

Her hands slipped over his bare chest as if on their own accord and his hands were on her hips slowly caressing them. A fire had ignited in her and it was only growing with each passing second.

But before things could go completely out of hand, Natsu pushed her away and this time with more force.

'Wait…. Please….' he murmured averting his eyes.

'What is it?' Her voice was filled with concern at his tone. It almost sounded like he was pleading. Natsu was the most important thing in her life and she could not see him sad. Her desires could wait but his happiness couldn't.

He sat up and put on the light. 'I need to talk to you.'

She blinked momentarily blinded before getting up as well and crossing her legs.

'Lucy…. Both of us know how we would have ended up if we had continued doing what we were doing. And…..it isn't right.'

All she could do was stare at him. She thought he was finally ready. But now…

He must have noticed her shocked expression because he quickly grabbed her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. 'It's not that I don't want to do it Lucy but the fact that it's just wrong.'

'What do you mean Natsu?' She couldn't understand why he was doing this. 'Don't you…..' She bit her lip as she hesitated. This was it. 'Don't you love me?'

She heard Natsu's breath hitch as she steadily looked down and played with a loose thread on her bed sheet. Her eyes welled up. She knew it…. He didn't love her. He didn't want her…... A single tear rolled down her cheek. It was all a lie…..

'Lucy.'

She continued fiddling with the string refusing to meet his gaze.

'Lucy, look at me.'

And she did.

She gasped. Natsu was crying. Tears were sliding down his face as he stared at her. She was beyond shocked. Natsu crying was a feat that was almost next to impossible.

She extended her hand and cupped his cheek and moved her thumb in soothing circles. 'What's wrong?' She sniffed and rubbed her face with the other hand trying to stop her eyes from producing those annoying drops of water.

Natsu chuckled despite his tears. 'Why don't you tell me first?'

At that moment she knew. His expression. His eyes. His smile. These weren't tears of sadness. Oh no. they were tears of joy.

Immediately all of her grief disappeared in a flash leaving her feeling as light as a balloon.

She grinned back at him and without even a second of hesitation she said it. 'I love you, Natsu.'

His smile was now so wide that she feared that his skin might tear.

'I love you too Luce.' He whispered before capturing her in a bone crushing hug.

She yelped and then giggled as she relaxed into his arms.

They stayed like that for a long time breathing each other in but it wasn't long before the same carnal desire deep inside her started growing. Subconsciously she started grinding against him. He let out a groan and pulled away to stare at her. His face had on that same expression that it had before he had gone for a bath. Now she knew for sure that she had not been hallucinating.

The lust in his eyes suddenly turned into pain. 'Lucy… I don't think you know about my condition.'

She frowned. 'What condition?' A seed of worry in her stomach started rapidly growing into a tree instigating fear. Her heart started thumping rapidly. What was wrong with him? Was he sick? No. He would have told her by now if that was the case. Could he be… Could he be dying? All sorts of negative thoughts started flowing into her mind. She shook her head furiously. 'Natsu. Tell me. What's wrong?'

He looked down and gulped. 'Luce… dragon's don't merely have sex you know.'

Relief flooded her like water coming down from a dam suddenly being opened.

'I know.' She said with a reassuring smile.

'You-you do?' He said his eyes wide.

She laughed. 'Of course I do you idiot. Levy and I are bookworms and we both well…' She blushed. 'We both love dragon slayers so we researched you guys and we came upon the mating section. The whole mating for life thing.' She muttered the last part, too embarrassed to say it aloud.

He blinked innocently. 'And you weren't scared?'

'Scared?!' She scoffed. 'Like that would scare me. On the other hand, I actually find it quite romantic.' She ducked her head as she felt her cheeks heat up.

There was a silence.

'Romantic huh.' She heard him say with a hint of mirth in his voice. 'Let's see if you can continue thinking it's romantic after you spend a lifetime with me.'

Her eyes widened as she caught the second meaning in his words.

She lifted her eyes and saw his face only for a fraction of a second before he crashed his lips onto hers. But it was enough. What she saw in his eyes then was something that haunt her for the rest of her life. 'I'm glad you found me Natsu and I'm glad that you're the one who I ended up falling in love with...' Was the last sane thought that crossed her mind that night before pure pleasure drowned her.

A/N: So what d'you think? I would really appreciate a review or two. And also I don't know if I should write a lemon or not so if you want me to, just leave a message!

-Dusk