Chapter 7

Lucy woke slowly. Warm sunshine caressed her face, taking the chill away from her skin. A light breeze drifted by, bringing with it the deep woodsy scent of pine and moss. The sound of water softly rippling reached her as she opened her eyes. Her fingers curled into the softness of the blanket she laid upon as she slowly rose, looking around. She was sitting on a large brown blanket in a small patch of lush grass. Nearby was a large pool being steadily fed by water gently falling down the sloping cliff on the opposite bank from her. It was completely gorgeous, even if she had no idea how she got there.

The sound came again, drawing her attention to the center of the pool. Natsu was there, facing away from her as he began unhurried movements, the muscles in his back and arms tensing and defining. She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them. Lucy had seen him train like this before and it was no less fascinating that it had been the very first time she had beheld it. Flames built up in gradual progression until they danced around him, fire on the water, clinging to him like a lover's embrace. She watched in rapt attention, a small blush touching her cheeks.

Natsu felt her watching him. She always stopped whatever she was doing and came to see him train on the water, without fail. That might be why he decided to do it while he waited for her to wake up, but he really didn't put that much thought into it. Lucy had been out for a little over an hour and he had needed to calm the turbulent thoughts her words had brought with them. Gradually he let the flames die away, keeping tight control on them, this particular training made for control and manipulation of his power.

Turning toward her, his eyes greedily took in her form. Looking like a true fairy, her blonde hair fell in waves around her and her head resting on her knees, the white gown she wore covering her legs completely. Her brown eyes caught his attention, drawing him in, the warm depts hiding so many mysteries he wanted to discover. They slid closed, hiding from him as she raised her face to the waning sunlight. He moved, walking toward her, barely slowed by the water around him.

She had to look away, he was so intense with just one look, he made her heart pick up pace. Looking at the sky, she took in the golden color at the horizon, spreading out with reds and pink clouds painted across it. The first of the stars began to peak through all that color giving her a small smile. The sound of him lifting himself out of the deep pool brought her attention back to the dragon slayer. "Lucy," he stood before her clad only in his usual white pants and scarf and dripping wet. With no warning, Natsu shook his hair, raining wet drops all over her.

"Natsu!" she screeched, trying to get away and giggling at the same time, all that pressure and tension gone, broken by him being ridiculous. As always, Lucy could not tell if he did it on purpose or if it was just how he was, but either way, she was grateful.

He plopped down beside her, laying back, using his scarf for a pillow. "You feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I guess." She said, playing with a blade of grass. Lucy did feel better then when she had spilled Levy and Mira's private thoughts. She nearly groaned, hoping the two did not kill her, provided she survived this mess she was in. Peeking to the person at her side, she gave in and asked what she was most curious about at that moment. "so, what did you guys do, some perverted version of rock, paper, sizers?

Natsu chuckled, a grin flashing across his face. Lucy was so silly sometimes. "No, we just went with what felt right." He studied her, wanting badly to know her thoughts. Despite the way he seemed, Natsu Dragneel was not one to do without what he wanted whether it was fighting, food, or answers. "Luce, why did you never choose someone? You knew that Gray, Loke, and I loved you, even Laxus and his group have some kind of pull to you, so why?"

She looked down at him, her breath caught like a quick jab to the stomach. Blowing it out, Lucy lay back beside him facing the ever darkening sky, deciding to answer him to the best of her ability. After a moment, she said "I guess it's because I love you, all of you." She seemed to test the words, but could come up with no better, "I have given many reasons to myself as to why, my parents relationship a big one, but I guess when you boil it down, I would rather be friends with all of you, love you in my own way, then to lose one. I will not deny that Loke, Gray, and you hold a more special place in my heart, but I could not pick one over the other, nor did I want to see you fight over it, so it was just better that way."

"You sure we would have fought about it? They could have just bowed down to my awesomeness," Natsu said, fangy grin on full display.

Lucy laughed again at the smugly superior look on his face. "Yeah, yeah, I have heard all about your awesomeness."

"Really?" he asked, rolling toward her, propping his head up so he could see her.

"Um hm," she blushed a little, but went on anyway, "Lisanna and Cana both like to tell tales about the great dragon slayer." Despite still feeling fatigued, Lucy had to admit, it felt good to just sit and be with him, even if she was being a bit more daring that usual. Not to mention, she had just made him blush a little, something not even accomplished any of the times he had 'accidentally' walked in on her naked or felt her up.

"Tell me this did not take place where Mira, Elfmen, or Gildartts could hear it," he said, mildly worried they were plotting a secret revenge. They were all close as family, but that just made them worse when it came time for payback.

"No, we all went out drinking with Ezra to help keep her from going and murdering Jallal after that whole fake engagement thing. They were teasing me about being the only virginal fairy of age left and still getting voted slutiest dresser by sorcerers weekly." She rolled toward him, covering her flaming face with her hands, "they decided to share their experianses with me in drunken detail. I really thought that that night would always reign as the most embarrassing event of my life, and damn if it's not still a close second. Nor were you the only one mentioned. I swear I could hardly look at any of them in the guild hall for nearly a week!"

Playfully, he tugged her hands down so he could see her flushed face, her eyes sparkling with humor. "So," he asked, leaning closer to her, "What did they have to say?"

"On no, fella," she tried to squirm away from him, but he was not having it, keeping her wrists lightly pinned, "you ego is already big enough." Lucy muttered.

"Come on Luce," he pouted.

"Not a chance."

"That sounds like a challenge," his grin turned more savage, just like before he went into a fight, "I'm all fired up!" Natsu told her before he began to mercilessly tickle her. Screaming with laughter, she tried her hardest to fight him off to no avail. He ended up over the top of her. She had intended to push him off, but when her hands met with the warmth of his stomach, her fingers quit obeying her and explored the texture of his skin instead. His hands came to rest on either side of her head as he bent closer, a sexy little half smile playing on his mouth. "Got you," he teased softly before closing the small distance between them and capturing her lips.

Her taste matched her scent, just as he knew it would. It was like sweet vanilla flavored flames, as his tongue delved into her mouth. Lucy's hands moved up his back, soon leaving a hot trail as his magic poured into her. She moaned as he drew back, nipping her bottom lip before moving down to her neck.

Lucy clung to him, her breasts pressed tightly against his chest, the temperature rising. It was as if lava was replacing the blood in her veins, intensely powerful magic rushed through out her along with the pleasure from his touch. She gasped, meeting his eyes that had become completely dragon like, their green centers glowing. She gently traced the shape of one before her fingers tangled in his hair, meeting him half way for another devouring kiss.

Another large burst of his power surged through out her, sinking into her and resounding through her flesh. "Natsu," she breathed out when they broke apart, "What's happening."

His gaze was as hungry as she'd ever seen him, "you are absorbing my magic," he trailed his fingertips across the tops of her breasts, tiny flames sparking in his wake, "we are catching on fire, Lucy." Natsu growled before his tongue followed that flaming path, the very best fire he had ever taken into his mouth. It was igniting him, causing tiny eruptions of flares, her hand burned a path down his back, sucking and drawing upon him as if dozens of tiny tongues blazed on him. The feeling was intoxicatingly thrilling and unlike anything either of them had ever felt before.

With only a little help from him, the gown that hid her from him lit up and fell away in tattered remains. Before she could even come down enough to become bashful, his hands covered her breasts, kneading them as his mouth ravaged hers once again. His fingertips taunted and teased her nipples to aching peaks, making her throw her head back moaning. His mouth covered one, his tongue swirling around it before sucking it, the heat adding fuel to the fire. He dragged one fang across the harden bud, growling when her hands found the waistband of his pants.

Lucy was lost int the sensations running over her skin, falling into every part of her. Giving into every craving she had ever had for him, she let her mind go and let her hands travel over his chest, moving down, following the lines of his well-defined stomach muscles until she slowly traced just above the waistband of his only clothing. Despite the many times he had managed to see her unclothed, she had never allowed herself the temptation of seeing him. Raising up, he watched her, that gaze making her bite her lip as she slipped inside them, immediately meeting with the hardened length of him. His forehead dropped to hers as she circled him, using both hands to stroke and explore his body. A loud rumbled came from his chest, actually vibrating through her. Lifting up, she released him, slipping his pants off.

Taking advantage, he pulled her tightly against him, groaning as his throbbing flesh pressed against the softness of her stomach. His hand followed the curve of her breast, down her side, flames teasing her hip before his fingers dipped lower, finding her body already more than ready for him as he met with welcoming dampness. Part of him was impatient, had been waiting too long to have her all the many nights his body lay next to hers. Carefully, well aware that she was new to this kind of touch, he slid a fingertip into her, moving it shallowly in and out only for a moment before withdrawing and moving, his moistened digit circling the tiny bundle of nerves there, before repeating the action, making his fingers go just a little deeper every revolution. "Natsu..." she called to him, her voice pleading.

Seeing the flash of that carnal grin again, she moaned, not sure if she wanted him to stop or continue his torment over her over heated body. Her hands dug into his shoulders, unconsciously pulling him closer. Her mouth watered with the want to taste him, so she copied his early movement, kissing down his jaw, letting her tongue sample his skin. As he thrust his fingers deeper into her, her eyes slid closed and her teeth bit into him. Before she knew it, she was flat on her back, a feral dragon slayer pressed between her legs, her hands pinned in the grasp of one hand while the other roamed freely over her body. Desperately wanting him, she rolled her hips against him, rewarded by another earth shaking growl, "Natsu, please…"

Unable to hold off any longer, he raised her hips, still keeping her wrists pinned. They both were aware that this was going to hurt her, his wide girth daunting even for some who had experience, but she was well beyond caring. He rubbed the tip of him against her, following the same path his fingers had earlier. Slowly, he pushed inside her molten heat, the tight muscles resisting and clenching down on him sending waves of pleasure and pain through them both.

Natsu was on edge, trying to hold his nature back to be easy and somewhat gentle with her, but the woman beneath him was not having it. Even though it did sting somewhat, he felt so good inside of her, testing the limits of her body, she could not stop herself from lifting her hips to him again, forcing more of him in. "Lucy…" she barely recognized his voice, harsh and animalistic.

Giving into her and the beast within, he released her wrists. Both hands gripped her hips, holding her steady as he thrust into her until he hit bottom, her body flush against him. Lucy shrieked, the ecstasy and the ache of having him with in her nearly too much to bear. Their mouths collided again as he began to move, the inferno around them increasing in size and strength.

The firestorm raged well into the night, the glade lit up like some pagan ritual dedicated to dragons flame. With a roar, the dragon pierced the maiden one last time, her body convulsing around his as her fingernails dug bloody trails down his shoulders. He barely noticed as he fed the last of his heat and magic into her, the aftershocks causing him to shiver. With the last of his energy, he rolled to his side, keeping her connected to him. The flames died away as they were absorbed into her, leaving her over heated and Natsu a little cold for the first time in his life. He smiled at her concerned face as she traced his face with her over heated skin. Natsu snuggled her, like he always had from the very first time he snuck into her bed. Closing his dark eyes, he wearily began to drift off to sleep. "I love you Lucy," he whispered against her.

"I love you too," she told his sleeping form, tears in her eyes. Truthfully, she now felt like she could run the continent and not be tired, but she forced herself to relax. Feeling that odd shiver from him again, Lucy drew him closer, trying her best to cover them with the edges of the apparently fire proof blanket they still laid upon. She spent the remainder of the night gazing up at a sky full of stars, holding her lover tightly, contemplating how screwed up and wonderful life could be.

Freaky Poet: this is the last of my ready chapters, so the next will be longer in coming, but I will get it up as soon as I possibly can. Thanks for reading, Laters!