AN: The last half of this is just smut. If you don't want to see it, just end the chapter when they start to head upstairs. ;)

Deck the Halls, Bitches

Part Seven: (Mistle)Toe the Line


It took the group of them longer than expected to return home from their excursion. Elfman's proposal had surprised all of them, most notably Evergreen, but also Lisanna and Mira, as well. The sisters had immediately swarmed their new future sister-in-law, tears in their eyes as they welcomed her to the family, startling the poor girl so badly that she started crying as well. Lucy eventually had to drag the siblings away so that Elfman could spend time with his new fiancée, much to Lisanna and Mira's disappointment. Lucy had merely rolled her eyes at their complaints, reminding them that they'd have the next few months to do each others hair and make blood sacrifices to the heathen gods, or whatever the hell the Strauss siblings are into.

After they left the park, they somehow found themselves at a local pub, which was selling mixed drinks of eggnog and rum at the time. They had all bought themselves a round to celebrate, save for the twins, who had nonalcoholic eggnog, and Aries who isn't much of a drinker.

Because of the surprise, they didn't end up coming back to the house until almost three-thirty, much to Makarov's frustration. As soon as the group entered the house, they were immediately shoved towards their temporary rooms with orders to "clean up" and "put on something nice" before coming back downstairs. Usually, the Dreyar family is fairly relaxed when it comes to celebratory dress, but Makarov always makes a point of having everyone look their very best on Christmas Eve. Something about them all being together once in a blue moon.

At least he doesn't want them to wear matching sweaters or Santa hats. She's fine with dressing up nicely one day out of the year. It gives her an excuse to wear the dresses in the pack of her closet the she buys for dates she doesn't end up going on! If nothing else, it makes her feel like she's not wasting her money, and that's all she needs.

That's how she finds herself standing in the family room, dolled up in a deep purple cocktail dress and nursing a plum sour made by her new best friend Bixlow. Yeah, Lisanna never mentioned that her boyfriend is a mixologist, but when Lucy found out she immediately dragged the man to Makarov's old wine cellar, which is stocked with everything and everything. Did she use him to make her a drink so she could avoid the generic rum or vodka? Yes. Did Bixlow appear to care? Judging by his excitement and the hug he gave her, absolutely not.

It's a win-win situation, she decides. She gets alcohol and Bixlow gets to fuck around with an assortment of strange liquors. They're both winners in this situation.

Lucy smiles into her drink, leaning back against the far wall as Loke and Aries bring out a trey of the cookies Natsu and Lucy made the night before, the couple whispering about something as Loke twirls his fiancé under his arm, spinning her in circles. Aries shrieks, nearly dropping the trey, but Loke manages to keep it from falling.

Lucy hides a smile behind her drink, shaking her head slowly and sending a few messy strands of curly hair spilling into her face. With only a half-hour to get ready, Lucy is pretty amazed that she managed to tame her hair into a decent bun, leaving a few strands to frame her face. Usually, her hair is a little bitch and doesn't do anything she wants.

Someone comes up beside her, an arm curling around her waist naturally. She doesn't need to look up to know who it is. A smile flits over Lucy's lips before she can stifle it, but then again, why would she want to? Lucy doesn't look up at the new arrival, instead choosing to watch Laxus fight with a strand of Christmas lights, the colorful array of bulbs tangling around his legs and knotting in several places, much to her cousin's frustration.

"Hey," someone whispers in her ear, lips grazing her skin softly, much to her enjoyment. She manages to stop herself from doing something like shivering, instead leaning into the man's side as he rests against the wall beside her.

She takes another sip of her drink, nose wrinkling at the sharp, fruity taste. Bixlow did a good job, she decides, peering down at her glass with a smile. "Hi," she replies after several seconds, simply enjoying his company. Natsu smiles against the shell of her ear, fingers tapping against the curve of her waist in time with whatever sound Lisanna had pulled up on her phone, the steady thrum of music pulsing through the room gently.

His hand moves to hers, fingers slipping up her bare arm slowly, before sliding back down. "Did I miss anything?" he murmurs, glancing around at the people milling around the room, everyone finding something to do be it decorating or merely staying out of the way.

Lisanna and Bixlow have taken to serving drinks to the adults, taking turns picking what cocktails to make. Mira is struggling to help Laxus with the lights, only succeeding in tangling them up even more. Makarov is on the floor, telling the twins a story about his early like in Russia during the revolution, with Ida listening in with interest. Elfman and Evergreen have tucked themselves into a corner of the room, simply enjoying each other's presence. Her father is standing by the fireplace, lips twisted into a frown as he sends Lucy a narrow look.

She pretends not to notice, turning on her heel to face Natsu more directly, taking in his appearance with raised eyes, approval on her lips. "Nice tie," she tells him, reaching up to give the fabric a sharp tug, bringing Natsu's face closer to hers. He lets out a small huff as the tie loosens around his neck, the knot beginning to come loose from his shoddy job at tying it.

She thinks it looks better that way.

He chuckles, smiling down at her as she sets down her drink and begins to retie it for him, doing a much better job that he did. She doesn't blame him for doing a poor job at it. The only reason she knows how to tie these damn things is because her father made her learn how when she was about ten. Natsu wets his lips, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment as she flashes him a smile. "Thanks," he tells her, watching her hands pull the fabric into a loop. "Mira found it for me." He shrugs, apparently clueless about where she might have found an extra tie, but Lucy figures that she planned it. The girl always brings extra things with her, ready for anything short of an apocalypse.

"We match," she murmurs, smoothing a hand down the front of his button up, flattening the dark purple tie against his chest. Her lips press into a pensive line, eyes narrowing just the slightest. She's pretty sure Mira was there with her when she bought this dress, and the color would have been an easy one to match, but there's no way the other girl could have known that Lucy would bring this specific dress this year.

Lucy's gaze shifts to Mira, who catches her eye for a moment before winking and turning away just as quickly.

Natsu clears his throat, drawing her attention back to him in an instant. She cocks her head to the side curiously as he shuffles nervously from one leg to the other. "Is that a bad thing?" he whispers back to her, one handing wrapping around her wrist gently, his fingers warm against her pulse point. There's something shy in his voice that she hasn't heard before, and she watches as his throat bobs as he swallows thickly.

Her gaze rises to meet his and his eyes immediately lock with hers. "Not at all," she reassures him, smiling up at him, keeping one hand pressed to his chest as she tangles her fingers through his, giving his hand a squeeze. "You clean up nicely," she adds, eyes trailing him up and down slowly.

Sure, his shirt is untucked and he has his sleeves pushed up over his elbows haphazardly, but he looks just the right amount of messy. Classy, but not necessarily proper. It suits him. Aesthetically and personality wise. She's just glad that he didn't try to stuff himself into a full blown suit like her father has. That would have been far too much.

He chuckles, thumb brushing over her knuckles. Her eyes snap up to meet his once more and she watches as his expression relaxes, the tension leaving his body like it was never there to begin with. "Thanks," he whispers, teething his lower lip briefly. "I considered taking out the piercings—" he starts, only for Lucy to cut him off.

"No," she says suddenly, stopping him before he can finish, her head already shaking before he's finished the last word. "Leave them," she tells him, squeezing his hand in hers as she reaches up with her free hand, letting it trail up his chest before curving around his jaw, her thumb brushing over his lower lip gently, hushing him as she skims across his lip ring. "They're a part of you," Lucy adds, voice low. "You shouldn't have to take them out."

He cocks his head to the side, lips parting slightly. "Your family won't mind?" he asks after several seconds of just looking at her. Really, truly seeing her. There's bemusement in his gaze, as if he's not used to people not judging him for his piercing or his hair.

She figures that he probably isn't, as sad as it is.

"If they do, they don't matter," she tells him simply, shrugging and trying to ignore the heavy weight of her father's stare. She knows who he means by family—her father, not Makarov or Ida or Laxus. He means her father. And while she wouldn't put it passed him to try to corner her later and tell her how horrible her life's choices are, he won't make a scene in front of everyone else.

He's a bigot, but he won't make a martyr out of himself to promote his shitty opinions.

Natsu's eyes flicker across her face, taking her in. He nods after a moment, his smile coming back. Lucy thinks he looks best when he smiles. His entire being just seems to light up in a way she's very rarely seen. "Okay," he whispers back to her, still smiling. "Thank you," he tacks on, arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace.

Lucy inhales sharply, eyes widening slightly as she's pulled into his chest, his arms curling around her back, anchoring him to her gently. Lucy blinks in surprise for a moment, before slipping her own arms around his back, sighing softly as she pressed her cheek against his collarbone, lips pulling up in a small smile.

His grip around her tightens briefly, and she hears him swallow loudly next to her ear, lips parting audibly as he tilts his head towards her, exhaling nervously as he shifts towards her. She thinks he's about to speak, maybe ask her something, when someone calls his name, causing him to snap around in surprise, his arms loosening around her as they both peer at the person calling for him.

It's Laxus, still tangled in Christmas lights. Mira seems to have disappeared from him side, apparently giving up on helping her husband with the decorations. Lucy can understand that. Laxus is absolutely horrible to work with when decorating. He has no sense of aesthetics unless it includes things lighting on fire.

And hey! They haven't had a house fire! Yet! Maybe they'll finally make it one Christmas without one. Now that truly would be a Christmas miracle. They've had fires every year since she was fourteen. That's almost a decade of them accidentally lighting shit on fire.

"Hey, Natsu!" Laxus calls again, seemingly not very pleased about having to repeat himself, judging by the scowl on his face. Then again, Laxus is always scowling. He has something of a permanent resting bitch face. Which is kind of hilarious when she thinks about it. The rest of them are all smiles and sunshine, and then there's Laxus. It's adorable. Christmas cards are fun. "Come help!" her cousin barks at her date, still covered in a tangled mess of lights.

Natsu sends her a bewildered and slightly panicked look, his arms loose around her back. Lucy suppresses a smile and slips out of Natsu's arms, placing her hands on her hips and sending Laxus a mock angry look. "Really?" she asks him, eyes narrowing playfully. "You're going to steal my date?" Lucy scoffs, pretending to be offended.

Laxus's lips quirk up at the edges and he raises a brow in her direction, a challenge in his eyes. "Would you rather help me with the lights?" he asks after a moment, watching with a smirk as she cringes and takes a step back, shaking her head and reaching for her forgotten drink.

"Nope," Lucy decides, sending Natsu a quick look before turning back to her cousin. She jerks a thumb in Natsu's direction. "You can have him," she tells her cousin, ignoring Natsu's betrayed expression. Laxus snorts, shaking his head and waving the younger man over.

Natsu peers down at her, lips twisted into an exaggerated frown as he sends her a wounded look. "You're sacrificing me to your cousin?" he asks her, scandalized.

She just giggles. "Better you than me," she tells him, leaning up to press a quick kiss against his cheek. "Besides, I helped him last year." She doesn't tell him that it was a horrible experience or that they started an electrical fire. Maybe they should just stop letting Laxus do the lights? "He's trying to welcome you to the family," she continues, swallowing thickly, "be nice."

He disappears from her side a moment later, chuckling and reaching out to squeeze her shoulder briefly.

"He has a nice smile," Ida comments, stepping up beside Lucy slowly. The younger woman just smiles, raising her drink to her lips. Ida waits until she's taking a sip to continue. "And a nice ass," she tells her granddaughter, grinning when she chokes on her drink, sputtering slightly.

Lucy sends her grandmother a bewildered look, blinking rapidly. She coughs suddenly, unsure how to respond to the comment. It's not like she doesn't agree, but she'd rather not talk about the shape of Natsu's ass with her grandmother. Lucy shakes her head, raising her drink to her lips once more. "He's too young for you," she reminds Ida, hiding a teasing smile behind her drink, hoping she doesn't accidentally offend the other woman.

Ida, however, just nods in agreement, her gaze focused on Natsu as he tries to untangle Laxus from the lights. Somehow, Bixlow has been roped into helping as well, though he's mostly laughing as Laxus becomes more and more tangled in the strands, Natsu only seeming to make things worse. "And too in love with you," Ida tells her, nursing her own drink as she sends Lucy a brazen look.

"Grandma," Lucy sighs, shaking her head slowly, grip tightening on her wine glass just the slightest. Of course, her grandmother doesn't know that this is all fake. They aren't dating—might never be. Maybe they've been acting too well. Or, Lucy thinks, swallowing thickly, maybe they've stopped acting all together. The cuddling at night? Almost making out in the kitchen the night before? None of that was necessary.

There's a snort from Lucy's left, and she glances down at her Grandmother, brow raised questioningly. She's met by an equally questioning look from the older woman. "What?" she asks, quirking a brow right back at Lucy, lips parting to reveal her teeth as she grins. "I'm old not blind," she reminds Lucy, winking at her.

Lucy shakes her head, her drink suddenly tasting far too sour on her tongue, or maybe that's just the words there. "We haven't even been dating that long," she murmurs. Or at all, she thinks bitterly. Her knuckles begin to turn white as she squeezes the glass and she hastily loosens her grip, not wanting to accidentally break it.

She glances up at the boys. Natsu catches her eyes, grinning at her widely as he gestures to Laxus, finally untangled from the string of lights, which they're beginning to wrap around the tree quickly. Behind them, Lisanna is beginning to grow impatient, foot tapping against the wood floor as she waits for them to finish, a box of decorations clutched in her hands. Lucy returns Natsu's smile briefly, before he turns back to what he's doing.

Ida snorts again, but it's softer this time, sounding more like a sigh than anything else. She glances up at Lucy gently, a sad little smile on her lips. "Time doesn't dictate love, Min Kære," she whispers, voice so light Lucy almost does hear her. There's a heaviness in her grandmother's eyes, a weight that Lucy always notices around the holidays.

Lucy swallows thickly, trying to ignore the way her heart squeezes at the thought of being in love with Natsu. She isn't. She can't be, but she might very well be on her way there. He's a hard person not to love, if her family is anything to judge by. She smiles ruefully, taking another sip o her plum sour. "It's illogical," she murmurs back, leaning back against the wall with a sigh.

"Love isn't logical," Ida tells her, chuckling slightly. She nudges Lucy with her elbow, nodding towards a couple across the room. "Look at Lisanna and Bixlow," she tells the girl, watching as Bixlow lifts Lisanna by the waist so she can place ornaments higher of the tree, the two of them giggling as Lisanna barely manages to slip the star onto the top of the pine. "Happy as clams together."

"But that's not love," Lucy tells her, shaking her head softly. Maybe someday it will be, but it's too soon for it to be love. Sure, they've been dating for a few weeks and they did have something going on before that, but you can't just fall in love with someone over night. Those things take time.

Another laugh from Ida. "Maybe it is," she tells Lucy, taking a large gulp of whatever alcohol she seems to have procured from Bixlow earlier in the night. She swirls her glass, making the pale pink liquid within swish beautifully. "Maybe we're just scared to call it that." She glances up at Lucy once more, raising a challenging brow at the younger woman.

Lucy's lips press into a thin line, a pensive expression crossing her face. "All the whirlwind love stories are tragedies," she reminds her grandmother, peeking down at her. "Romeo and Juliet." she clucks her tongue. "Paris and Helen." She could go on, but she doesn't particularly want to. All of the greatest love stories of the ages end in death or war. That's not exactly a comforting thought.

"Yes," Ida agrees, taking another sip of her drink. "But they were all written by men," she tells Lucy, who frowns back, not understanding the correlation, but also not wanting to ask.

She shifts on her feet, resisting the urge to bite her lip, least she smudge her lipstick. "Were you in love with Sven?" she asks suddenly, watching as Natsu and Laxus disappear into the kitchen, talking animatedly about something Lucy can't hear over the other noise in the room.

Ida sighs through her nose, swirling her drink once more. "More in love with him than I ever was with your grandfather," she admits softly, tone a little bitter when she mentions Lucy's late grandfather. She knows that the pair never got along. Their marriage was arranged and her grandfather was always a bit controlling, according to Ida. That's probably how her father ended up the way he did. No child of Ida's should have been such a prick.

Lucy leans her head back against the wall, not understanding. "But why?" she croaks, heart constricting in her chest. She feels like crying, unable to understand what she's feeling at this point. She's just so damn confused. Not about Natsu, of course. She knows that she likes him, but there's still the matter of— "You two hardly knew each other," she murmurs, eyes squeezing shut tightly.

A warm hand is places on Lucy's bare shoulder, fingers curling around the joint slowly before giving a soft squeeze. Lucy doesn't open her eyes. "Aye," Ida agrees, sighing once more, "but what we did know were things that mattered, not just trivial facts."

"I'm not in love with him," Lucy tells her grandmother. And she's not. She doesn't think she is, anyway.

Ida hums, though Lucy isn't sure whether or not it's in agreement. "And Sven isn't your biological grandfather," she tells Lucy, before patting her on the shoulder and walking away without another word.

Lucy freezes, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stares after Ida, lips parting slightly in bewilderment. Did her grandmother just admit what she thinks she admitted? Or was she agreeing with Lucy?

She decides she doesn't want to know.

She doesn't know how long she spends standing their in silence, but eventually she pushes off the wall, deciding it's about time for her to grab another drink. She'll be needing it, if the past week is anything to judge by. Of course, that's when she nearly runs into Natsu as he's leaving the kitchen. "Hi," he says, smiling down at her and catching he by the elbows as she loses her balance.

Lucy smiles up at him in greeting, inhaling sharply at the sudden contact. A moment later, she frowns, realizing he smells distinctly like raspberries. "Have you been drinking more of Makarov's vodka?" she asks in lieu of a hello, leaning forward just a bit more to sniff him.

On second thought, maybe she doesn't need another drink.

Natsu chuckles, looking a bit embarrassed. She doesn't know why. Makarov makes great vodka, there's nothing for any of them to be ashamed about. "Just—little bit," he tells her, holding out his thumb and pointer finger for emphasis, they two of them only millimeters away from each other.

Lucy giggles back, raising a brow at him, clearly not believing him. No one ever has just a little bit of Makarov's vodka. To do so would be a crime. "Oh, really?" she asks, calling his bluff. Natsu, for his part, manages to keep a straight face as he nods.

"Yeah," he tells her seriously, then laughs, his stoic expression melting away in an instant. "It's good!" Natsu tells her when she rolls her eyes, curling an arm around her waist and pulling her up against him, poking her nose with his free hand. Lucy grins up at him, momentarily shoving her grandmother's words to the back of her mind. "Do you think he'd give me the recipe?" Natsu asks, dipping his chin to whisper in her ear as if it's a secret.

Lucy snorts, shaking her head slowly. "You'd have to pry it from his cold, dead hands," she tells Natsu, smiling sweetly. That is, if Makarov ever dies. Lucy thinks he might be immortal.

"Is that so?" Natsu asks, smiling widely down at her. She nods rapidly, giggling.

Natsu starts to respond, but he's cut off by Lisanna. "Hey, Lucy!" She other girl shouts over the music, gaining the attention of nearly everyone in the room. The girl is balancing precariously on Bixlow's shoulders, still placing ornaments on the tree. A wicked smile creeps across her lips, then, she points towards the ceiling, wiggling her eyebrows at her friend.

Lucy frowns back, not understanding, before glancing up, gaze searching for whatever Lisanna had been gesturing too. She freezes suddenly, eyes widening as she realizes what's above them. Natsu inhales sharply as well, gaze locked on the little plant hanging above them, tied to the ceiling with a red ribbon.

Behind her, Bixlow begins to make kissing noises.

She doesn't know what makes her blurt it out, but it's the first thought that comes to mind upon seeing the little plant. "Did you know that mistletoe is poisonous?" she murmurs to him, not really expecting an answer. Her heart begins to beat faster, practically slamming against her rib cage, and she briefly wonders if Natsu can feel it against his own chest.

She can feel her father's eyes burning against her back, rage boiling just beneath the surface, but that's not why she does it.

Natsu lets out a sound halfway between a gasp and a laugh, something soft and shaky and Lucy can't help it when she grabs him by the tie and yanks him down to meet her, his mouth crashing against hers almost violently. His hands immediately latch onto her hips, holding her steady as she presses up on her toes to kiss him. One of Lucy's arms slinks around the back of his neck, dragging him down to her, the other clenching his tie tightly between her fingers. She sighs against his mouth, feeling the coolness of him lip ring pressing against her lower lip.

Natsu exhales through his nose, practically sighing against her, mouth pressing against hers with just enough pressure to make her head spin as he pulls her flush up against him, arms coiling around her back. Lucy is assaulted by the smell of raspberries as she presses herself up against him, tilting her chin up to deepen the kiss as best she can. Natsu leans into her, tilting her back as he kisses her harder. His teeth nip at her lower lip suddenly, followed by his tongue brushing over the same spot. A small sound leaves her throat, but he swallows it quickly, pressing closer.

There's a wolf-whistle behind her and Lucy suddenly remembers her family members are watching—and probably getting more of an eyeful than they bargained for.

Lucy lurches back, breathing heavily as she stares up at him, releasing her grip on his tie and pressing her palm against his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath her hand. He blinks down at her, lips parted and stained a deep red in color, whether the coloring is due to her lipstick or otherwise in unknown to her. She swallows thickly, his breath fanning across his face as he pants, grip tightening on her hip unexpectedly.

Mira steps out into the family room beside them, clapping her hands in front of her to gain everyone's attention. She looks around the room, gaze lingering on Natsu and Lucy for just a moment, a sly smile on her lips. "Dinner is ready!" she tells them all, spinning on her heel and whirling back into the kitchen, beckoning them all forward.

Lucy glances up at Natsu who's still staring back at her, breathing heavily.

Dinner, she decides, is going to be incredibly long.


Lucy realizes she was right about four hours later, the clock just short of ten o'clock as the adults sit around the table, drinking and chatting with each other about nothing in particular. Mira had taken the kids to bed about an hour earlier, despite their sleepy protests, and as soon as they were gone the good wine glasses were brought out, along with more of Makarov's vodka stash and an assortment of other drinks that Bixlow was concocting right in front of them.

Lucy and Natsu had been pulled into conversation with Lisanna and Bixlow about ten minutes after the drinks came out and haven't moved since, Natsu's hand warm against her bare thigh, fingers teasing her sensitive skin, and Lucy nursing her third drink of the night, giggly, but nowhere near drunk.

Natsu's fingers skim along the inside of her thigh, just above her knee, barely brushing the hem of her dress as it rides up her legs. She squirms slightly, shivering as her fingertips ghost across her skin teasingly. He hides a smirk behind his glass, only half-listening as Lisanna talks his ear off about the Christmas party the previous year, recounting in great detail how Lucy and Laxus accidentally lit the Christmas tree on fire, much to Lucy's embarrassment. She doesn't interrupt the storytelling, however, much more concerned with the way Natsu is teasing her beneath the table, getting her worked up despite only barely touching her.

She shifts again, holding back a sigh as she spreads her knees apart slightly, his movements growing bolder as she does: his touch just a little bit firmer and fingers staying pressed against her skin longer than before.

"So," Lisanna says suddenly, gaze snapping towards Lucy, who freezes as blue eyes lock with hers. Lisanna's grin is just a bit too much like her sisters: sly, as if she's planning something. "You two are coming to the New Year's party, right?" she asks glancing between the couple sitting opposite them.

Natsu and Lucy share a look, neither of them really discussing the proposal from two days earlier. Lucy wouldn't have a problem with going, but she doesn't want to ruin any of the plans Natsu might have already made. He just shrugs though, grinning at her as he runs his fingertips up her thigh. Lucy's knee jerks up, but he holds her in place, keeping her from slamming her knee against the tabletop.

"Depends," she says after a moment, voice slightly higher than usual. Natsu hides a smile behind his drink and Lucy swallows thickly, hoping her face isn't as red as it feels. "Can we bring a couple of friends?" she asks Lisanna, trying to keep the other girl talking. Lucy might say something stupid if she keeps opening her mouth.

Lisanna quirks a brow, lips twisting into a toothy grin. "Cana?" she asks, excitement clear on her face. The other girl always has loved hanging out with the brunette, and Cana had practically taken Lisanna under her wing during high school. Lucy frowns slightly, feeling bad. Cana and Lisanna haven't been able to see much of each other in the last few years, what with the two of them going to different schools and all. Though, Lucy did hear from a certain someone that Lisanna might be moving back into town, which will certainly be nice. Lucy's missed having the other girl being around to chat her ear off. It's just too quiet without Lisanna around.

Lucy grins back, nodding. "Cana," she agrees, taking a drink. Besides, Cana will probably kill her if Lucy abandons her on New Year's Eve. Lucy has already been getting daily texts from her friend, most of them consisting of frowny faces and demands that Lucy keep her updated on the Natsu situation. And Lucy will gladly tell her all about it, considering Cana is the only one she really can tell. Other than Gajeel, of course, but she doubts he wants to hear any of it. Lucy snorts, gaining Lisanna's attention once again. "That girl just loves a good party," she says fondly, a grin creeping onto her lips.

And while Lucy would much rather spend the night sleeping or doing something else—she glances at Natsu out of the corner of her eye, but rips her gaze away when he catches her eye, winking at her—there's no way in hell that Cana would let her pass up a party.

Besides, she always has wanted to be kissed at midnight.

"Is she bringing a date?" Lisanna asks, giggling. At this point, the boys have tuned out, turning to discuss something that Lucy isn't all too interested in. Probably sports, she guesses, judging by Bixlow's rapid hand movements and animated expressions.

Lucy turns back to Lisanna, trying to ignore the way Natsu's thumb is drawing small circles against her leg, fingers tickling her skin ceaselessly. He's trying to tease her to death, she thinks, swallowing thickly and trying to stifle a groan. She must not be as successful as she hoped, as his gaze flicks to her immediately before going back to Bixlow, a wicked grin creeping onto his lips.

The way his hand is crawling up her dress under the dinning room table is woefully inappropriate. Anyone could see them if they happened to really look. The tablecloth is by no means thick—it's quite transparent actually, but that doesn't seem to bother Natsu in the slightest. In fact, it only sees to egg him on even more.

If Lucy's being honestly, she can't say that she really minds either. There's something thrilling about the prospect of being caught, but she would never tell him that. She's not sure how far he would go if he knew just how much this was affecting her. Furthermore, she's not sure how far she would let him go.

Lucy presses her thighs together, squirming in her seat and trapping Natsu's hand between her legs. His grin only widens though. She realizes that egging him on earlier during dinner probably wasn't her best move, but she'll be damned if she regrets it.

"Yeah," Lucy tells Lisanna, shifting her glass to her other hand before slipping it under the table. She relaxes her legs, slipping her hand between them to tangle with his, her fingers lacing between his before squeezing slightly. "She has this new girlfriend, Kagura," she tells Lisanna, smiling at her from across the table. Under the tablecloth she slides Natsu's hand higher under her skirt, her smile widening as she hears his inhale sharply beside her. Lucy continues as if nothing had happened. "She's a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes," she mused, fighting back a shiver as Natsu's fingers go back to tracing nonsensical shapes against her inner thigh. She tightens her grip on his hand. "But Cana's starting to bring out more of her wild side."

She clears her throat before taking a drink, trying hard to control her breathing.

Lisanna simply nods, completely oblivious to what's going on under the table. Lucy casts a quick look at the other occupants, sighing when she realizes none of them are even looking at her, save for two people at the other end. Her father hasn't stopped staring at her all night, but he doesn't seem particularly bothered, so she doubts he has a clue what's happening. Ida, however, sends Lucy a wink, making Lucy freeze in place, her eyes widening slightly. The older woman just turns back to her conversation with Makarov as if nothing is happening.

In that moment, Lucy realizes she's becoming her grandmother. Whirlwind affair and all.

Suddenly, Lucy isn't as sure of what she said to her grandmother earlier. After all, the older woman is a hell of a lot wiser than Lucy.

"Is she the one from on your college fencing team with the resting bitch face?" Lisanna asks suddenly, lips pursed and head cocked to the side curiously as she stares at Lucy. Lucy simply nods in response, not sure she can speak at the moment as Natsu continues whatever the hell it is he's doing with his fingers. "I thought she liked Erza?" Lisanna continues, looking at Lucy expectantly.

Lucy downs her glass, knowing she's going to need it if Lisanna keeps asking her questions. "Yeah," she says, clearing her throat and smiling at the other girl, remembering Kagura's infatuation with Erza. "Well, she gave up on that once Erza officially started going out with Jellal," she explains simply, shrugging.

"Huh," Lisanna finishes her own glass, reaching to pour another. She raises the bottle towards Lucy, raising a brow as she shakes the bottle slightly. Lucy nods, holding out her glass for Lisanna to refill. Lucy smiles in thanks as Lisanna does so. "Good for her," Lisanna says suddenly. "And Cana. Though, Kagura seems a little…" She trails off, waving her hand in front of her as she tries to think of a word.

"Intense," Lucy supplies. Lisanna nods, smiling gratefully. Lucy grins back, shrugging slightly. "I think Cana needs someone a little intense to keep up with her," she murmurs, staring down at her drink, swirling it absentmindedly before taking a drink.

Lisanna chuckles. "It wouldn't surprise me." She looks away then, turning to Bixlow.

Natsu takes the chance to lean down towards her, whispering in her ear. "Your dad's been staring at you," he tells her lips brushing her skin as his fingers begin to tap against her thigh absentmindedly. He doesn't sound happy about it, but she doesn't blame him. After all, he did witness her breaking down last night after an argument with the man.

It's sweet, how protective he is, but she doesn't want him to get caught in the middle of a longstanding feud. He doesn't deserve that.

Lucy hums, already knowing that he's been watching her. She's felt his eyes on her all night, and it hasn't been a comforting gaze. Not in the slightest. "That doesn't surprise me," she tells him, sighing through her nose. She squeezes his hand under the table when he tenses. "Hey," she murmurs, turning to whisper in his ear. "He's not going to start something like Ivan did," she promises. "My dad's a jerk, but he won't say anything in front of everyone."

Natsu presses a quick kiss to her hair, letting his lips rest there for a long moment. "So he's a coward?" he murmurs, inhaling deeply as he rests his cheek against the top of her head.

She chuckles. "Something like that."

A moment later, Jude speaks up, proving Lucy entirely wrong.

"Lucy," her father says suddenly from the end of the table, making both her and Natsu freeze in place. The other occupants of the table still as well, and that immediately makes Lucy angry. Her father can ruin her night all he wants, but she won't let him to that to anyone else.

She straightens her back, pulling away from Natsu entirely, her hand leaving his under the table. Natsu grip tightens on her leg, grounding her or himself she doesn't know. "Don't," she tells her father politely, tone clipped as she sends him a smile that's all venom. "I don't want to do this right now," she tells him simply, nodding once before turning back to Natsu.

He ignores her, as usual. "I just wanted to apologize for upsetting you last night," he says, equally as polite, though a hell of a lot less genuine.

Lucy pauses halfway to turning to Natsu, body going rigid. Her knuckles turn white as they clench around her wine glass. If anything her smile turns even colder. "Well, that's the thing isn't it?" she asks him sharply, not bothering to face him directly. She huffs, shaking her head. "You're sorry that I'm too sensitive to handle the truth," she spits, "not because you're the one that needs to change." She looks at her father across the silent table, bitter smile only growing at the shock in his eyes. "Come talk to me when you realize I'm not the problem here," she tells him sweetly, raising her glass in a quick cheers before downing the rest of it in one go. She pushes her chair out a bit rougher than necessary, smiling at the rest of them kindly. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to bed," she tells them, nodding once before sending a quick look Natsu's way.

She was looking for an excuse to leave anyway.

As she leaves the room, she hears another chair scrape across the floor, followed by a muffled goodbye and the sound of footsteps following behind her. It doesn't take a genius to realize who it is. Neither of them say a word to each other as they head up the stairs and it's not long before Lucy's stepping through the doorway into her temporary room, not bothering to turn on the lights as Natsu shuts the door behind her with a click.

She turns around slowly, facing him, and her bones hum. Natsu stares down at her questioningly for a moment, eyes searching hers. Apparently, he finds what he's looking for, because in the next moment her back is pressed up against the door roughly as Natsu lifts her straight off the ground, his hands on her thighs as he shoves her against the nearest wall with a bang that she hopes no one downstairs can hear.

Her legs curl around his hips as he settles against her, mouth meeting hers in a fiery kiss. Her head tilts back against the door at the rough touch, her fingers sliding over his chest before threading through his hair, pressing his lips even tighter to hers. He leans into her, hands squeezing her thighs tightly as he presses his hips into hers. His teeth nip at her lower lip, followed by his tongue brushing over the same spot, much like he had earlier in the night. A small sound leaves her throat, but he swallows it quickly, pressing even closer.

Shivering against him as his palms slide higher up her thighs, bunching her dress low on her hips, Lucy nips him back, catching his lower lip between both of her teeth and nibbling. He growls against her, shuddering as she sucks his lower lip into her mouth, tongue grazing it lightly before tracing over his lip ring. She pulls back slightly, teeth grazing the steel loop with interest, the cool metal contrasting greatly with his warm mouth. Groaning against her mouth, Natsu tears his lip from her grasp, resting his forehead against hers as he pants against her, eyes blinking open to lock with hers, gaze burning against hers.

"I've been wanting to do that all damn week," she tells him between heavy breaths, her chest heaving against his.

Natsu grins before diving back into her mouth, his tongue sliding across the seam of her lips slowly. She squirms against him, tugging at his hair harshly, which only serves to encourage him. She grins against his mouth, lips parting in order to let him in, her entire body shaking with a sigh as his tongue sweeps into her mouth, running across the back of her teeth and trailing over the roof of her mouth—tickling her.

Lucy gives the intruding appendage a sharp suck, grazing him with her teeth and he pulls out of her mouth. Natsu retaliates immediately, his hands on her hips jerking her forward as he bucks against her, causing her to gasp against him, hips pressing back with equal pressure as she feels him stir against her thigh. His hands slip higher up her bare thighs, his palm warm against her skin as he presses her harder against the door, leaving barely any room between the two of them.

His teeth tug at her lip again, coaxing lewd sounds from her which he muffles with his lips. He grins against her mouth, pleased with the sounds leaving her, and grinds against her hip, causing her to gasp.

Her fingers rake through his hair, tugging at the bright strands ruthlessly, fingers twisting and pulling as he presses harder against her, hips shifting against hers. Her nails dig into his scalp and he moans in the back of his throat, the sound muffled by their connected lips. His fingers dig into her leg, squeezing roughly.

She smiles against his lips, hands slipping down to cup his face, fingers stroking his cheeks. Her hips circle against his slowly, surprising him into a groan, and then she bucks against him roughly, startling him and tearing a snarl from his chest, his teeth sinking into her lower lip. He pulls back slowly, reluctantly, and she catches his upper lip between her teeth briefly before pulling away completely. His forehead presses against hers, both of them breathing heavily, but it doesn't stop her from leaning up to steal another kiss, dragging him down by his tie.

Natsu smiles, nuzzling her cheek as her hands slide down his chest. Lips meet her skin once more, hot wet kisses trailing over her jaw and down her neck without warning. "I was going to ask you out that day after class," he murmurs against her neck.

She gasps, squirming against him as he roughly bites and sucks at her pulse point, lips trailing up and down her soft skin. "Oh," she breathes back, panting as he continues to peruse her neck, tilting her head up to give him better access. "Were you?" she murmurs, eyes slipping shut as he finds a particularly sensitive spot.

He leans into her, pressing her harder against the door. He hums lowly, the sound rumbling from somewhere deep in his chest. "But Jose held you after class," he continues, mouth trailing kisses up from her neck to her jaw and then to her ear, nibbling at the lobe and making her wriggle against his lower half. "I had to leave," he breathes against her ear, warm breath sending a shiver up her spine.

She gasps as he trails back down, head tilting to the side as he starts planting hot, open-mouthed kisses along her neck. He bites her roughly suddenly, and she yelps, surprised, but he quickly soothes the spot with a slow lick, a hard suck following soon after, sure to leave a bruise that will be hard to hide. Lucy huffs. "You could have asked the next day," she tells him.

One of his hands slip down, groping at her ass over her dress and grinding her hips against his. A hiss leaves him at the rough contact, his head falling forward to rest against her bare shoulder, still peppering kisses against her skin. "Would that have made a difference?" he asks her, echoing his words from the first night.

One of her hands fists around his tie, the other slides lower, down between their hips. "Well," she murmurs against his ear lowly. "We could have been doing this a hell of a lot sooner." Her fingers ghost over his hips before grasping his arousal through his clothes, palming him roughly.

Natsu moans against her bare skin, teeth pressing into her shoulder to muffle the sound. One of his hands slams against the wood beside her head, his hand clenched into a tight, desperate fist. His mouth leaves her, his breaths ragged as he presses into her hand, forehead dragging against her shoulder roughly. A low whine rips from his throat as she releases him. He leans back just enough to look at her.

Her eyes meet his, wide and curious, but he merely grins. Her legs squeeze around his waist, tugging him forward, and his hands slide back up her legs, skimming over her hips before slipping around her back. Lucy's hand slides to his chest, grasping his messy tie and jerking him down to her lips once more. He sighs, content as her lips move against his slowly, languidly, as if they have all the time in the world.

She pulls away once more, ripping her lips away from his and arching her back into him. "My grandmother thinks you're in love with me," she murmurs. She doesn't know why she says it, but it's been nagging at her all night. Lucy's hands drop down to her thighs, fisting the hem of her dress and sliding it upwards. She tosses it too the floor a moment later, eyes locking with his as her dress hits the ground.

His gaze doesn't leave hers, though one of his hands does drift to the newly bared skin of her stomach. "Your grandmother seems like a wise woman," he tells her, shrugging slightly as his green eyes bore into hers.

She rolls her eyes, tugging at his belt slowly, tapping her fingers against the buckle, hiding a smile when he shifts against her. He swallows hard, eyes flicking down to her fingers for a brief second before darting up to her eyes once more. Lucy leans forward, lips brushing his chin. "Is that an affirmative," she breathes against his skin, mouth moving along his jaw, touching, but not quite kissing. He groans at the frustrating contact, her hand sliding over his length through his jeans teasingly.

"It's something," he tells her, gasping as she squeezes. He pulls her hand away, grinding into her roughly, drawing a keening sound from her.

She nips his chin harshly at his answer and he yelps, surprised. "I'm sorry I never noticed you in class," she breathes against his skin. Her hands fly to his shoulders as his fingers trail over her inner thigh. She begins peppering kisses along his throat to distract herself from the feel of his hands on her body.

Chuckling lowly, he curls his fingers around her thigh. "You said that already," he reminds her, mumbling the words as she continues to trail kisses along his neck.

Lucy's mouth leaves his skin with a wet pop. "Yeah, but I really mean it." She lets her mouth hover over his, just millimeters away from touching him. "You're a nice guy Natsu," she tells him, curling her arms around his shoulders. Her voice lowers as she tilts her head, breathing the words against his ear. "But right now, I don't want nice." Her hands go back to his chest, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt haphazardly.

He stills for a moment, but then his grip tightens on her legs and he steps away from the door, forcing her to lock her legs around him to hold herself up. He shoves away from the door with one hand, twisting on his heel to cross the room. He drops her on the bed gently, settling on top of her a moment later, chest pressed against hers.

His hand moves higher on the leg hooked around his hips, tracing the edge of her underwear teasingly with a finger. Lucy shivers at the light touch, shifting against him. When he doesn't move, Lucy huffs, shifting and lowering her hands to her hips, slipping off her underwear without a second thought, which seems to spur him into action.

She inhales sharply as his thumb traces over her slit, barely touching her. He skims over her clit and she hisses, twitching and arching off the bed. Her hands fly to his shoulders as he does it again, fingers sinking into his rosy hair and tugging. Lucy shivers at the teasing touch, hips jerking into his hand in frustration, trying to increase the friction in a feeble attempt to relieve the aching between her legs.

Natsu pulls away suddenly, drawing a low whine from Lucy. She blinks up at him, watching as he pops the buttons of his shirt slowly, grinning down at her teasingly. His tie is tossed to the ground, followed quickly by his shirt, and then he's on her again, fingers skating across her thigh in slow circles for a moment before moving back to her slit, fingers stroking harder, ghosting over her sex, never quite touching her where she wants him.

"Natsu," she whines lowly, shuddering as his thumb rolls over her clit. "Please?" He grins against her jaw and she begins to think he's ignoring her, but then two of his long, tapered fingers sink into her easily, his thumb continuing to roll over her clit in small circles. She gasps, but he quickly smothers the sound.

He chuckles at her reaction, shivering as her warmth squeezes around his fingers, sucking them in deeper. He nibbles her lower lip, fingers curling inside of her, dragging along her inner walls slowly. Lucy whimpers, hips swiveling to meet his hands, shamelessly rising to meet his slow thrusts as best she can, a particularly rough thrust causing her lips to fly from his as she curses, nails digging into the back of his neck.

"Shh," he murmurs, lips quirking into a teasing smile. "You've got to be quiet, Lucy."

She wants to kiss that smile right off of him. And she does. Lucy yanks his lips down to meet hers, eyes squeezing shut as his fingers nick a spot inside of her that makes her jerk against him.

Lucy gasps as his fingers thrust against that spot again, striking it with just enough force to pull a whine from her throat and make her shamelessly press up against him. His thumb flicks over her clit again and she can feel herself tipping over the edge. His fingers keep prodding a special spot relentlessly, her walls making wonderfully horrible wet, sucking sounds as he drags his fingers out slowly, only to slam them back into her a moment later.

And then he pulls out.

Lucy groans as his wet fingers trail over her thigh. He sucks in a sharp breath as her lips brush his jaw, her hands sliding up his bare chest. Her wrists snap back down, palms flat against his abdomen as her hands drag down roughly, pulling a grunt from her partner. Her hands lower even farther, grabbing him by the belt and yanking him forward to thrust her hips against his roughly from beneath him. Natsu gasps, shoving his erection against her core as she works on removing his belt with deft fingers, making quick work of the leather.

The belt hits the floor with a clack, sounding all too loud in the otherwise quiet room.

A moment later she's scrambling to pop the button on his jeans, utterly vexed with the but of fabric keeping them apart. She succeeds a moment later, hand snaking below his pants and boxers, grasping him firmly in her palm as her fingers slide up his length, tearing a filthy moan from his mouth. She hides a grin against his throat, but knows he can feel it against his skin. She kisses up his neck, nipping at his earlobe. She gives his cock a squeeze, thumb moving over the mushroomed head in fast circles as she smears the drops of pre-cum dripping from him. Her fingers run along his shaft slowly, fingers stroking the velvety, incredibly warm skin. He hisses, thrusting his hips into her hand as she plays with the slit.

A low whine escapes him as her hand begins to slide over him, matching the movements of his hips. "Lucy," he gasps, panting above her as she changes the angle of her wrist. She grins against his throat. "Fuck!" he growls, squeezing her hips tightly as she does something wonderful with her fingers.

She releases him a moment later, receiving a whine in return as she removes her hand from his pants. He catches her lips in a burning kiss, catching her off guard and leaving her breathless. Her hips rub against his slowly, feeling his cock, hot and pulsing against her core, brush against her sensitive clit, drawing a hiss from her. She leans up, placing her teeth against his throat, before pulling back and pressing her lips against his skin in a soft kiss.

Natsu grinds his uncovered erection against her slit, the flared head sliding along her slick opening. His hips roll against hers and he groans into her mouth at the frustrating contact. Lucy rips away from his mouth, biting her lip, eyes squeezing shut as he lurches against her, member slides along her entrance slowly. She whines again, shifting to meet him and he slips inside of her easily, a low, guttural sound rumbling in his throat as he drops his forehead to rest against hers. Lucy arches her back as he enters her completely, seating himself inside her.

Lucy sighs, panting against him and Natsu lowers his mouth to meet hers in a bruising kiss. Her arms curling around his neck and fisting into his hair as he holds himself over her.

Her legs tighten around his hips once more, silently urging him to move, and he smiles, shaking his head slightly. "You all right?" he whispers, groaning as her hips shift against him. He slips into her further.

"Of course," she scoffs, squeezing her hips around him. Natsu hisses while she laughs. Her hips circle against his languidly. Natsu mumbles something that she doesn't quite hear, squeezing her thigh as he swears softly. Lucy smiles. "Are you?" she teases, noticing his shoulders tense, muscles flexing beneath his skin.

He huffs, pulling out of her slowly only to slam into her roughly a moment later, stealing her breath from her lungs. She gasps at the unexpected thrust, eyes squeezing shut tightly, It's followed by another, and then another, until he's sliding over her relentlessly—hips snapping against hers roughly. Her nails dig into his skin as her hips jerk up to meet his, matching his thrusts with her own as she circles against him slowly.

Her walls suck at his retreating length as he pulls out, the head of his cock rubbing against a sensitive spot along the top of her walls—the same spot his fingers had teased earlier—and she stifles a moan. "Natsu," she gasps, his name thick on her tongue. Lucy arches against him, letting him hit deeper inside of her.

He slams into her to his own rhythm—fast and rough and leaving her unable to simply breathe. All she can hear is him panting against her ear and the wet, filthy, skin against skin slap every time he drags his length out of her, removing all but the head before rocking back into her.

"Lucy," Natsu whispers back to her, voice hoarse and breathy. He hisses as she squeezes around him, her hips rolling against his roughly. He swallows down a moan, his eyes rolling back as she clamps down on him tightly. His lips trail down her neck, nipping at her exposed collarbone. He thrusts into her harder and faster, pulling out less than he did before, and she whimpers, gasping. Her hands slide to his back, nails dragging along his skin harshly as the tip of his tongue trails along her collarbone teasingly, teeth grazing her, goose bumps rising along her sweat slicked skin. Her fingers twitch against his clammy back, her head spinning, the air around them suffocating and all too hot.

Natsu grunts against her neck, a deep, strangled sound passing his lips. He stills briefly, panting, and then begins jack-hammering into her center. Above him, Lucy whimpers, clinging to his back. Natsu snakes one hand between her legs, thumb rubbing furiously at her clit. She starts to cry out, but Natsu's mouth slams against hers to swallow the sound, hips jerking against his and practically sobbing at the intense feeling coursing through her body. His breathing becomes erratic, mixing with the sticky slap of his skin against hers. Natsu buries himself inside of her so unbelievably fast that the breath is knocked from her lungs. A finger joins his thumb at her center and he pinches her clit roughly once. She tenses at the rough touch, his name stuck in her throat as her body spasms around him, walls clenching and unclenching rapidly.

The pounding doesn't stop, his fingers still moving against her quickly, only prolonging her release. White light blinds her vision, her legs twitching against his back, her walls quiver around him, then clench down tightly, breaking his rhythm. A horrible, wet sucking sound breaks the silence as he pulls back, his thrusts suddenly becoming frenzied.

She whispers his name and his hips snap forward, his cock twitching inside of her once before he tears away from her, breaking her leg lock on his hips as he releases against her thigh, groaning lowly against her ear.

His forehead drops onto her shoulder, arms slipping around her as he pulls her into a soft embrace, breathing heavily. Her thumbs rub circles into his shoulder blades as she nuzzles his ear, panting against him and simply trying to catch her breath.


AN: One part left! How you all enjoy it! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!