AN: TURN BACK ALL YE WHO DO NOT LIKE THE LEMONS! This chapter is definitely citrusy and earns that M Rating much more than the first chapter!

EEP! SPOILERS. ENJOY! ;)

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Chapter 8: Inferno

"You would have killed him!"

Lucy's screeching cry kept echoing in his head, guilt stabbing at him with every syllable. Natsu recalled the aftermath of his battle by the river with Loke better than the battle itself. Everything was kind of a blur of bloodlust.

Lucy had forced Loke's gate closed when she realized Natsu was past the point of no return. Even Lisanna and Happy's cries for him to stop were futile. All Natsu could see was red, his fist pummeling Loke's smug face, the jealous rage in his chest pushing him farther and farther off the edge.

"You would have killed part of me!"

Natsu flinched and shook his head energetically. No way. He could have stopped himself before it went that far. His dragon rage had been out of control during his fight with Loke but he would never have actually killed him. Would he?

"Natsu you idiot!"

Natsu shuffled his feet, ashamed at his lack of a response so far. But what could he even say that wouldn't just muck things up worse? He had a horrible habit of making Lucy more angry in situations like this.

They were in Lucy's apartment now, Happy and Lisanna were long gone back to the guild hall to doubtlessly tell everyone all about the fight. Natsu was still amped up from his double header of battles; Gray and Erza and then Loke, quite the eventful hour for the battle crazy dragon slayer!

Lucy, however, was furious; arms crossed over her chest, one foot tapping out an angry beat on her living room floor. Her cheeks were flushed, mouth turned down in an angry frown. But, even when she was yelling at him, Natsu thought Lucy was beautiful. Fierce and amazing to watch, like a sunset after a storm.

He wanted so badly to tell her what he really thought in that moment, but instead Natsu huffed, and wiped his sweaty forehead off on his scarf, adopting his usual dismissive attitude.

"Pssh. He had it coming, Luce." He knew this would piss her off more. He loved it. Honestly, he would rather her be mad at him. At least when she was mad she wasn't drying. Seeing her cry made him feel worse than he did the day that Igneel left.

"WHAT?!" Lucy squawked at him, arms flailing around furiously.

"What does that even mean Natsu? He is my most loyal spirit! He is a Fairy Tail Mage! He's nakama! No matter-"

Natsu growled, a low warning, and it made Lucy gasp, silencing her rant. The dragon part of him grinned. She responded so easily to him. It was tantalizing.

"Doesn't matter. He bragged about touching you. He had it coming." Natsu felt childish admitting that to Lucy, but he was clearly being possessive. When Loke had taunted him about holding Lucy and wiping her tears and had called her "his", that was too much.

Even remembering it made Natsu angry. He felt the fiercer side of him, the fiery dragon side, straining against his control.

Lucy was quiet. She was staring at him wonderingly, chocolate brown eyes wide and shining. Natsu inhaled deeply, trying to gauge her mood. He was anxious about her, ahem, feelings after she flat out said she loved him like that in front of the whole guild.

But again, her scent caught him totally off guard. It filled his nostrils and invaded his mind in an effusively sensual way. Such a juicy, fruity smell. It made him wonder about how she tasted.

Another growl rumbled within his chest and Natsu realized too late that he was not in control. His dragon instincts were taking over. As his eyes traveled over Lucy's body, he slowly approached her and delighted in the way even that seemed to spike her own excitement.

Her green tank top was cut low and short, showing off her ample cleavage and flat stomach. So much creamy skin visible. Natsu knew how soft it was but wanted to touch it all.

His gaze slid lower, appreciating the shortness of her khaki skirt as well. Her shapely legs on display all the way down to her booted feet. Every bit tempting him more and more. Natsu's slanted olive gaze shot back up to Lucy's face and was pleasantly surprised by her expression.

She looked flat out excited, aroused even. She was panting, pupils dilated as her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides. By now Natsu had crossed the room and was standing barely a breath away from his partner. He felt that tingling itch all over his body spike eagerly, his self-control slipping further away with each passing second.

"Lucy, you don't know what you do to me." The gritty quality of his voice was foreign to his own ears but Lucy shuddered at hear it. Normal Natsu's would have been bugging out of his head at this sultry blonde before him.

"Tell me then." She breathed in response, licking her lips. Her eyes were locked on his as she closed the distance between them, leaning forward.

"Show me." She whispered this into Natsu's ear and his final shred of control snapped.

He grabbed her shoulders with a snarl and smashed his lips onto hers. The force of the kiss made Lucy stumble backwards, but as Natsu slid his hands down her sides to grip her hips, she relaxed her weight into him. She moaned and parted her lips as he probed his tongue into her mouth.

The heat of the kiss rapidly increased and soon, Lucy's hands were tangled in Natsu's pink hair, pulling him closer. Every inch of their bodies was pressed together and they were both lost to the feeling of lips, tongues, teeth dancing together.

Natsu broke the kiss and moved his mouth to explore the tender flesh of Lucy's neck. She sighed appreciatively, hands stroking his scalp and shoulders. Natsu's hands rolled the edge of her tank top up, caressing the exposed flesh he came across roughly.

Within him, a war was raging. The visceral, draconian side of him was delighting in this moment of lust and was prodding him forward. His desire for Lucy was burning hot and his magic was pushing at his control. Some bizarre pulsating energy was reaching out for her.

The opposing side of him was the emotional, loving side and was screaming for him to stop. He will hadn't made his intentions clear or responded to Lucy's outburst confession from earlier. He cared deeply for Lucy, of course, he was very protective of her and wanted to see her happy. He also knew he did NOT want to see another man lay hands on her.

But was that love? Was it enough?

Lucy's soft hands were pushing up his shirt now and any thought of talking out his feelings disappeared. The sensation of her hands gently exploring his chiseled abdominal area, teasing slightly at the waistband of his pants drove all rational thought right out the window.

Natsu picked Lucy up and carried her, still kissing and licking her neck across her apartment, to drop her on her bed. She helped in surprise but did not protest. She sprawled beneath him on top of her pink comforter, chest heaving, lips bruised from their heated kisses. Her eyes were glazed over with something Natsu had never seen before. Something wild.

It drove into the core of the vibrating energy within his chest and made his whole body hum with desires too long ignored.

"Lucy..." He breathed her name like a prayer, eyes drinking in the way she looked bathed in the moonlight spilling in from her bedroom window. She was glowing in the silver light, like a goddess. His goddess.

He reached out to stroke her cheek, gentle now. Lucy sighed and leaned into the touch, closing her eyes as she did so. Natsu straddled her hips and leaned in close, inhaling depth of her heady peach scent.

"Lucy...I want you." He swallowed his next words, cursing his own humanity in that moment. He wanted to say so much more, but didn't want to ruin this either. Lucy opened her eyes, smiling softly.

"No Natsu. You need me." Her tone was so different, so bold and husky. She bucked her hips and rolled out from under him, putting distance between them. Natsu ached at the separation, body screaming out to grab her and pull her back to him.

She reached down and fluidly pulled her top up and over her head, revealing her lacy pink bra in the process. Natsu's mouth nearly started watering. Kneeling on the bed, topless, Lucy gestured toward Natsu and he grappled his own shirt up over his head.

Lucy giggled at his clumsy haste, eyes roving over his exposed chest. The smirk playing on her lips did it for Natsu's dragon side, but his heart was pumping the brakes again. Natsu growled at himself inwardly.

"Lucy I, geez..." He trailed off again, watching in rapture as Lucy continued her striptease, shimmying out of her skirt and kicking it over his head. Of course her panties matched her bra; lacy and dark pink and barely covered the essentials. Damn. Natsu was done for.

Her scent was so strong now he was positive it was enhanced by her desire. Or his. Or both. Who cared? All he knew was that his whole existence yearned to bury itself in that creamy skin, to drown in that sweet scent.

Lucy seemed to reciprocate his sentiments, chest heaving as she breathed in a gasping breath, eyes dark and gleaming wickedly. Natsu groaned inwardly at his physical reaction. No woman had ever effected him like this.

There was only Lucy.

Natsu growled and launched himself at her again, this time pulling her on top of him. Lucy fluidly straddled him, rolling her hips into him fearlessly, deep brown eyes never leaving his face.

"Lucy..." Natsu snarled in a warning way. He was barely reigning in his urge to mount her without further ceremony. Her gyrating on top of him would not help this moment last. She sighed and pouted slightly, dragging her fingers down Natsu's chest. The sensation was glorious.

"Natsu..." How could someone saying your name make your whole body hum? Natsu marveled at how sensitive he had become and how bold Lucy was being, as her fingers traced along the hem of his pants again.

He barely grunted in response, struggling to keep somewhat still. The weight of Lucy's body on his pelvis was making him burn up. And he liked it. That's why what Lucy said next made him positively lose whatever shred of humanity was still clinging to his control.

"What are you waiting for?" Her voice was thick with emotion, lust, desire, who knew? But the force of it hit Natsu like a wave.

He wasted no time, hands flying up to Lucy's shoulders where his suddenly very sharp clawed fingers ripped her bra straps. Lucy gasped as the lacy garment fell away and again when Natsu claimed his prize. His hands grabbed and teased her ample breasts, eliciting the most delicious sounds from the blonde temptress.

Yet he silenced her anyway, forcefully kissing her again until they were both dizzy and breathless. He then flipped her off him and onto the bed, pausing only to rip his pants off. Now they were even, both naked down to just underwear and the tension in the air was palpable.

Natsu could feel her energy pulsating in time to her quickened heartbeat. A golden aura almost visible around her, leaping up in response to his own fire magic that was coursing around like he was preparing for battle; just under the surface, waiting for the climax of battle.

Natsu crawled across the bed and nudged his way between Lucy's legs, eyes asking a silent question even as his hands slid up her thighs to rest on her hips. Lucy gave the barest of nods, her expression one of wonder and elation. The dragon slayer growled victoriously and shredded her last remaining garment mercilessly.

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GIHI! ANOTHER CLIFFY! You love me, so you'll stay tuned for more fluff! KISSES! xoxo