Chapter 9: Mysteries
Natsu's smile is so very very unnerving.
And Lucy's chest burns as she stares deep into his eyes, because he's acting as if he's already won.
They still have a bet going on! The week isn't over yet!
So he has no right to say such things, not yet at least…
"You know it's not Friday yet, right? Nobody has won or lost anything at this point." She asserts, though it comes out scratchy and thick with the haze of leftover sleep and Natsu's chuckling shows he's not taking her seriously.
'Honestly, could I sound any less sleepy or confident of a win?'
"Luce just go back to sleep, unless you want to keep enjoying the view." He taunts deviously.
Lucy felt herself flustering all over again, scoffing as she turned away at sight of his flexing muscles.
All still in perfect nudity.
"Oh, just put your stupid clothes on already!" She snapped from beneath her blankets.
'There were old scars on his chest, I wonder just how many fights has been getting into these past weeks or months that I never knew about?'
Thinking about it too long brings back the same churning in her stomach and she sucks in slow breaths to calm the familiar racing of her heart around him.
It's nothing to worry about right now she reminds herself, she'll ask him about these things another time.
Sooner or later.
A low groan escapes the bed as Natsu lays back down next to her, even with the covers over her she can feel his stare.
And he moves one hand slowly just enough to bring the sheets down so their eyes can meet.
"Anyways, when I win by Friday evening, I have a lot of plans in mind for the weekend! One of the first things will be for you to be an official member of Fairy Tail! That way you won't need me as access anymore to attend events, meetings, and whatnot." He beamed.
"Eh? I don't have the jewels to pay those membership fees! Besides, isn't it a little too late to be joining considering we're seniors now?" Lucy questioned.
After all, everyone she knows that most people at the university stick with the one or two clubs they joined in their freshman or sophomore year.
Natsu yawned offhandedly as if none of that mattered or probably even occurred to him. (Most likely the latter). "Don't worry about those issues Luce, I'll get the old man to take care of it someway! Really what I want is…"
Lucy pursed her lips as he trailed off, surely he didn't have so many stipulations in mind for her?
"What I want is for us to be official, no more running or hiding over our feelings anymore, okay? I mean, well if it's fine with you as well though! There were so many events and parties in the past I wanted to take you to, but you were always so busy cooped up in your room studying, doing a job, or with Loke, and-"
Natsu was rambling.
He only seems to get this way around her and it shouldn't make her so happy, but her pride and ego are soaring.
It's nice for once to make the first move and shut him up.
His lips still hold the same addicting taste of spices and smoke just like from last night and when he deepens the kiss by threading fingers into her hair to hold and bring her closer she completely falls into him.
"Hmm, want to have a round two?" He suggests into the curve of her neck, voice deeper with the beginnings of arousal.
And she swears she catches again a faint spark in his dark eyes.
"Ah, we'll be late for class!" Lucy quickly excuses, hopping off the bed just as his hands reach for her breasts.
She won't get fogged up with lust and let her grades suffer.
Even if her body craves for him more at the moment.
'I have a little over an hour until Literature, enough time to take a quick shower, change, and look over my notes.' Lucy planned, grinding her mind to go back into study mode.
Behind her, she can hear Natsu casually coming up behind her. His hands reaching to give her a hug from behind and she nearly melts at the kiss he presses to her cheek.
"Luce, we have enough time to be quick, look it's barely even 8:00 am." Natsu notes, pointing out her desk clock's time.
"No we don't! Besides, don't you have your pyrotechnics class in 30 minutes?" She retorted back.
He goes silent and that was enough of an answer.
Though he still didn't let go of her, swerving her back around to face him properly.
"Natsu, we really shouldn't…" Lucy starts.
But he lips smolder hers before she can complete herself and when she slowly opens her eyes once more she meets his sinful grin.
"Yeah?" He drawled, fingers slinking, rubbing down her curves. "Your body is in disagreement with you Luce."
Damn him.
"Well, I suppose if we we're quick in the shower…" Lucy purred and Natsu immediately brightened with a nod.
"Okay, okay let me just make sure the water is working. Sometimes Levy and I can't get it to hot." She crooned on, breaking from his grip to walk ahead of him while discreetly grabbing for some new clothes.
Only to lock the door immediately on him as soon as she was inside.
A fit of giggles bubbled up at Natsu's banging and sheer confusion. "Lucy that's playing dirty; I'll get you back!"
"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? I'm not going to completely bend all my rules so fast." She called back teasingly.
Now she knew why it was so much fun for Levy and Juvia to mess with their own boyfriends…
'Boyfriend and girlfriend, so that's really what we are, huh?' This was the airy and light feelings she had been missing out on, denying herself.
Natsu halted his pounding for a moment, speaking up again. "You do know that I know how to pick and break locks, right?"
He just had to add in that seductiveness to his tone, didn't he…?
And Lucy rolled her eyes, of course he did.
It was a short-lived victory.
-X-
"Juvia wants to hear it again! And start from the very beginning!" Juvia squealed, peeking her head up from her book for probably the fifth time.
Lucy could practically see stars shining in her eyes at her gleefulness.
She quietly shushing her as their teacher turned their away, her voice carrying in the relative silence of the library.
After all, they were supposed to be writing their reports on 18th or 19th century literary poets and writers and how their works influenced their time period.
Not gossiping.
So far, she had only gotten about half a page done, there was still another page and a half that needed to be typed and they had less than an hour of class left. If she didn't finish, she would have to turn it online by 9 o clock tonight.
'I'm getting this done now, the last thing I need is extra work on my plate later on with the other new biology and astrology assignments that came up already…'
"Juvia, can we please just focus on our work instead? There isn't much to repeat anyways, Natsu just declared himself my 'sleeping buddy' and takes to breaking into my room to help me rest at night." She hissed.
Juvia arched a brow, clearly wanting more. "And nothing comes of these nightly meetings?"
Her face burned and she rapidly shook her head, voice failing her.
But Juvia smirked, twirling a finger slowly through her sapphire locks. "Hmm…"
Oh, she knew where this was going.
"Juvia is doing her report on Robert Browning, particularly the poem Meeting at Night." She went on with a hum.
Lucy forced a smile, cheeks still hot. "And I suppose you're going to tell me how this poem will connect to Natsu and me right?"
Juvia beamed, nodding her head excitedly. "Well, just towards the end really! You didn't have to tell Juvia all the details you know, she already got all that she needed from asking Levy."
Oh, she and Levy were going to have a long conversation after this. Mainly involving some lewd photos of her and Gajeel she had tucked away for situations like this…
"It's so romantic: A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch and a blue spurt of a lighted match. And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears than the two hearts beating each to each. That's just the last 4 lines of the second stanza." She recited.
Lucy clicked her tongue, typing up a few more sentences before she smoldered a grin at the idea that came to her. Opening up a new tab next to her document, she did a quick search of passionate/sexy poems online.
"Juvia, why don't you send this one to Gray? It might go well with his stripping habit." She asked in a light singsong voice, allowing Juvia to scoot over to see.
"…Starving and craving for an evening of erotic bliss, where dreams come true in just one kiss? Juvia would never send Gray something so…so naughty; Juvia could write a better poem than that!" She read aloud, reddening before lightly shoving her at her snickering.
Their teacher sent them another glare and they quickly scrambled back to their positions.
Her eyes were beginning to burn from staring at a computer screen so much though, she needed a break.
"Hey, I'm going to take a small walk to see if I find any more classical literature books." She murmured to Juvia, stretching her arms out.
Juvia sent her a quick nod, diving back into her work as if they had never been talking.
'Let's see where the renaissance section at was again?' She wondered. Their class had been huddled in a small area on the first floor despite the vast space Magnolia's library had for them to spread out.
Despite the tight space though, she loved being in the throes of the library, especially at this time of day when hardly anyone was around. Sunlight poured in through the windows, lighting rows of mahogany shelves and specks of dust. Magnolia University prided itself on the generations of books they kept, and she could see why with the wide range of collections surrounding her on all sides.
Just as she strolled down another aisle, she heard the sound of two voices not too far off.
"So, Lucy really is dating Natsu now?" The first voice asked.
Her eyes widened then. This deep, baritone voice… 'Loke?'
She hurriedly squatted herself out of view near a pile of books laid out haphazardly. Whoever he was talking to, they were purposely keeping their voices low.
"Wow man, that certainly sucks for you. Having her break up with you, sabotage your chances with the Minerva, and then slander your name in school's newspaper." The other man whistled.
Loke scoffed, the sound of his fist jabbing against the bookshelf reverberating. "Well, Lucy and I had been done physically and emotionally a long time before Natsu came into the picture, his presence just speeded things up. And anyways, it's not like Lucy knows what she's getting into by getting into a relationship with him."
Lucy bit her lip not to yell out; the blood is hot and metallic on her tongue.
The other man chuckled and Lucy wished she could get a good look at his face, at least so it could be imprinted in her mind.
"Hmm, that's right. Don't the Dragneel's have that strange nickname or history to be called Dragons or something because of-?" But he's quickly hushed by Loke before Lucy can catch any more of what he says.
"Don't be so loud, there are other people around after all."
And her heart nearly stops when his gaze begins to go in her direction, only to realize he's noticed a couple of other students walking by.
She quickly begins to backtrack away from them before she risks getting caught, conversation echoing over and over in her thoughts.
'Dragon?' Maybe she hadn't heard them right.
That wasn't a nickname she had ever heard used in relation to Natsu.
But her chest tightened knowing people knew this secret of Natsu's, but she didn't. This had to be how he felt when she was still keeping him in the dark over her own troubles.
Just how dangerous of a secret was it for her to know if people like even Loke were so tightlipped on it?
She'd get her answers though.
One way or another.
-X-
'I hate when it rains.' Natsu scowled.
Spring weather lately has been annoyingly fickle, but at least the familiar summer heat is arriving soon in the coming weeks.
The rain has been coming down in slow waves throughout the day. Cold enough at times for frozen pellets to bounce along the pavement as he trudges from class.
He wrapped his scarf closer around his neck, ignoring how the wind continued to tangle and make it slide around.
Stupid wind.
Stupid technician assignment he still had yet to completely finish.
"It isn't due until Sunday at midnight so I have time at least." He grumbled to himself, pausing at the sound of laughter up ahead.
'Lucy?'
She's just far ahead enough to not hear or notice him, sharing an umbrella with Levy while Gajeel can barely get any covering.
"So, you'll help with me this project Levy? I know it's not exactly school-related, but you're one of the best researchers I know…" Lucy trailed off, grin brightening at her nod.
"Oh, you know there's no need to butter me up Lucy! Besides, this whole enigma plan is interesting; right Gajeel?" Levy mused, elbowing Gajeel to join in.
Gajeel simply shrugged, much to her annoyance. "Salamander won't like it."
And Natsu's ears perked up at that, trailing closer.
Gajeel knew he was there.
Lucy pouted, fidgeting with the one arm loosely holding her backpack. "Natsu won't mind! There's…there's nothing wrong with me wanting to help him in any way possible. He's doing it for me after all…"
Her voice crackled and grew soft and Natsu restrained himself from breaking his position to go comfort her.
"Of course there's nothing wrong! You didn't mean it that way, did you Gajeel?" Levy emphasized warningly with a glare back towards him.
Gajeel scowled, opening his mouth before closing it with a short shake of his head.
He didn't need to look back to know Natsu was snickering over this.
'Well, you won't be for long. Gihihi.'
"Look bunny girl, you don't even know exactly what Loke meant when he used the word 'Dragon.' If you even heard him right. He could've been talking about how his last name sounds similar to it or his personality." Gajeel grunted.
Lucy hummed thoughtfully. It was one possibility she had to admit, but the way he had stated it with such calm contempt, a vileness that made her heart quicken and stomach knot.
It couldn't be something as simple as that.
"Well whatever the meaning behind it, we'll get to the bottom of it! Come on, let's get back to the dorms before this weather gets any worse." Levy stated, trailing ahead with Lucy quickly moving to catch up.
Natsu stared between the pair for a moment longer before sighing.
"Asshole, why bother coming up with those stupid excuses knowing it would egg them on?!" He griped.
Gajeel simply grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "To get your reaction of course…and also for laughing at my expense."
Natsu snorted, crossing his arms. "I can't help it if you're whipped!"
They walked in silence for a good while then, the rain beginning to let up once more, peaks of light breaking through the stream of gray clouds.
"I-I don't want Lucy to find out about that connection to me just yet. She'll jump to wrong conclusions or worse get mixed up in it and we've just barely started dating too…" Natsu muttered, mainly to himself.
"Yeah, and how do you think she felt back when you kept trying to pry her secrecy over her insomnia out? Now the situation has just been reversed." Gajeel questioned.
Natsu stopped walking then, gritting his teeth. There's a rage and fear simmering in the pit of his chest at knowing what Lucy is trying to do.
'It's in your blood Natsu, stop trying to fight it.'
He had been told those words by his family so, so many times…
"Are you going to try to stop her?" Gajeel went on curiously.
His voice seems so far away despite him being right next to him.
And Natsu sighed, wishing he hadn't asked him such a painful question.
"I don't know yet."
-X-
"Natsu's going to be by soon." Lucy yawns out again. Her bedroom clock ticks agonizingly closer to 1:00 am.
Levy has already gone to Juvia's hours ago to crash in spite of her protests.
The last name Dragneel and Dragons hadn't turned up much in their searching, every lead they get seems to always go to a dead end.
As if on purpose to mock them; maybe she wasn't meant to know.
So she had given up for now, saving the most interesting/unique information they had found to a desktop file before switching to the rest of her school subjects.
'Tonight, I can actually get a clear view of the constellations.' She noted with a glance to her window. The skies had cleared up enough from the earlier rains, allowing a few stars to be visible amongst the blackness.
She wrapped her blankets closer, leaning her head against her palm as she studied the formations. It was a skill her mother taught her, to look towards the night sky and trace out all the figures she could whenever she had trouble falling asleep.
'Some people use sheep to count at night, or use age old herbal remedies and whatnot, but I use the stars. There's the zodiacs we use for horoscopes, Orion the hunter, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor…the list goes on.' Layla murmured into Lucy's hair.
And Lucy followed as she guided her fingers to connect each star to form a figure, eyes drifting closed as she went through them one by one.
That trick doesn't work anymore though.
Because all of that was yesterday. The past…
"You're going to get a crick in your neck doing that." Natsu mentions and Lucy nearly jolts out of her chair in bewilderment.
"Ugh, don't scare me like that! Geez, you always burst into my room without warning." Lucy complained, shifting herself to stretch and head to bed before she indeed woke up with any new pains.
Natsu shrugged, plopping down on her beside her. "I tried calling your name, but you were so zoned out. Sorry I'm late, I had to go back to my place to grab some of my blankets. You tend to be a blanket hog in the middle of sleep in case you didn't know."
Lucy reddened slightly as he wiped away at the drool on her lips, she had not only dozed off in an awkward position, but Natsu had been standing there for who knows how long just watching her.
His stare can see deep into walls she's so perfectly crafted to hide from the world. Even though sleeping near him has helped ward off her insomnia, it isn't a cure.
And they both know it considering she's still up at this hour, she still has a long way to go before she can get to the nights where she won't need him anymore…
"I don't 'hog' blankets! It's probably because you didn't consider that your sleeping buddy idea would require a bed large enough for both of us." She huffed.
Natsu arched a brow with a smirk then and Lucy instantly knew he took it the wrong way.
"Luce, if you want to sleep back at my place knowing my bed is bigger you can just say so!"
She responded by smothering him with a pillow.
"Don't try to hide it Luce, I already know you like to play rough." He teased, pushing the pillow aside to tickle at her sides.
And it's so much fun to hear her squeals and giggles divulge into moans.
"Tomorrow is the real final night you know. Before I truly win this bet of ours." He whispers against her lips, before kissing her again.
Oh, how he wants to get rid of these clothing barriers between them, to hold her close until they both release.
But she pushes him off slowly in the midst of it, instead coiling into his chest. Her breath is fast and hot against him and part of him wonders why she wants to suddenly stop until he sees the sadness in her brown eyes.
"I need you to be my heater tonight too." She murmurs out, snuggling into him until she's found a comfortable spot.
"Lovemaking gives off heat too." Natsu grumbled into her hair and her laughter rumbles across his chest.
"Moron. I wonder what mom would've thought of you…" She trailed off.
Her breathing evens out before he can ask her what she means.
"Guess, I'll bug it out of you in the morning." Natsu mused, kissing her forehead before leaning back.
Only to sit up again as he noticed an odd glow flickering by her desk.
'Her computer's still on? She must've forgotten to turn it off when she busied herself studying and waiting on me.' He realized.
He carefully sat up to go power it off, halting at the file name Dragneel-Dragon on her desktop.
His eyes widened a fraction. She truly had tried to do some research, but how much had she found? He shifted the cursor over the file, there wasn't much to see except years old articles; she hadn't discovered much then.
Yet.
That was one thing, Dragneel's left no traces of anything that could potentially show them in a negative light or could cause ugly rumors to circulate.
'You know what happens to those that try to get into our business little brother…'
"I could destroy the files, but it's all her hard work." He whispered.
He ventured back to stare at Lucy's sleeping form for a long while listlessly before turning back and moving the cursor once more.
-x-
I'm curious to see if people will guess correctly or not on what exactly Natsu will do lol, send in your thoughts/feedback! Shout-outs to Hi, Trevon, maxridelover, Soul-of-glass, Edo-Salandria, silver light of dawn, ThatOneFriend-3 for their responses last chapter and big thanks as always to everyone for reading!
