Chapter 10

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

That's the only thought that kept running through Natsu's mind as he stood outside of a certain blonde's hotel room door. He shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet as he contemplated what to do. Lifting his hand, he started to knock on the door but paused as he heard more than one person moving around on the other side.

Looking at the clock on the far wall on the hallway, he noticed that he still had time to bail if he really wanted to. After all, Lucy hadn't actually agreed to this 'date' or anything, so he could leave and then pretend like everything was a joke.

Pfft. Yeah right.

He knew that if he backed out now, he would never hear the end of it, not only from Lucy but Gray and Gajeel as well.

Especially Gajeel.

Natsu suppressed a shiver as he recalled the knowing look in the other dragon slayer's eyes. It was as if he had looked into Natsu's brain and saw everything that had happened, not to mention everything he had wanted to happen between him and his teammate. No wonder he was quick to point out the sorry excuse for a male that had moved in on his Lucy.

The sound of the doorknob turning brought him back to reality and suddenly he started to panic. He wasn't ready yet!

Regardless of him being ready or not, the door started to open and Natsu planted himself firmly in his spot. He would just have to go through with this, seeing as his possessiveness got him in this in this predicament. Besides, like he said earlier, if Lucy wanted to go on a date that bad then he was going to be the one to take her on one. The only one to take her for that matter.

The bluenette that appeared in the doorway hadn't been what he'd expected though.

"Oh, Natsu! You're actually on time!"

Natsu opened his mouth to retort to the slight jab at his usual tardiness but promptly shut it when a familiar smell tickled his nose. He whipped his head to first the left then the right as he surveyed the hallway, but didn't see anything. He gave a couple more sniffs, sure that he was smelling was indeed the iron dragon slayer when he realized that the scent was coming from in front of him. Slowly he turned back with wide eyes to see one confused Levy McGarden looking at him in question. Natsu on the other hand was dumbstruck for the moment.

Although he could still smell Levy's normal scent, there was also Gajeel's irony scent coming off her as well, almost as if she were wearing it like perfume.

"Levy, why do you smell like Gajeel?"

The solid script mage's mouth fell open in shock at his question as her face turned a healthy shade of red and Natsu was a bit confused. Had she not known she smelled like him? Levy opened her mouth to say something but was cut off at the sound of his partner's voice from behind her.

"Levy-chan? Is that Natsu?"

Both of the mentioned people turned their heads to find Lucy peeking around the corner. As soon as his eyes connected with hers, a faint blush spread on her cheeks as she came into full view. She smiled nervously as her hands smoothed the material of her clothes. "You ready to go Natsu?"

Natsu could only nod in silence as he took in the sight before him.

Lucy stood there, her hair curled and down around her face with what looked to be a genuine smile as she looked him over. He was vaguely aware of Levy slinking out of the doorframe and down the hall as he took in Lucy's simple cotton strapless dress that was his favorite color, red. It was tight around her chest, accentuating the roundness of it, but flowed out from there, stopping right at her feet. She wore no other accessories, making her look as though she were getting ready to lounge at the beach with a book instead of go out on a date.

In a sense, she looked comfortable, which honestly was a major relief to him. He honestly didn't know what he would have done if she would have actually dressed up for the occasion like he's (unfortunately) seen her do before. Taking one last look at her though he was instantly reminded why he had become so possessive in the first place. Even in a plain cotton dress, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and he wanted her all to himself.

Man, he really had it bad didn't he?

"Uh, um. You look really nice Luce."

She smiled as she slipped her feet in a pair of flat sandals and made her way over to him, the difference in their heights making her look up into his face. Had she always been this small and delicate looking?

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself."

He looked down at his own attire which was a pair of shorts and a plain white cotton t-shirt, and let out a small laugh which she instantly echoed. "If you say so Luce."

She chuckled again as she headed out of her room, beckoning him to follow which he did obligingly. Once out of the door, Lucy closed and locked it, then looked around as if searching for something before turning to him sheepishly while holding out her key. He looked at her confused before she mumbled something about not having pockets, making him chuckle before taking it and placing it in his own pocket.

"So, what do you want to do? Tonight is all about you Lucy."

She blushed again at his words and he couldn't help the small flutter his heart did. He also couldn't help the loud growl his stomach let out as well.

She laughed out loud as he scratched his head in embarrassment. To his defense, he hadn't really eaten all day, which was a rarity to him. Especially since all of their food was free for the duration of their stay there.

"Well, I think I agree with your stomach. We should go get something to eat, as I'm kind of hungry myself. Sound good?"

"That sounds perfect. I saw a place that I think both of us would love. Come on!"

He smiled as he made a grab for her hand, not noticing that he had unconsciously intertwining their fingers until he had started down the hallway. She didn't object to his and in hers, only smiling as she sped up a bit so their steps were even with each other. He felt his smile widen further as he finally tore his gaze away from her to pay attention to where he was taking her.

Tonight, he was going to show her a good, relaxing time, so the next time she wanted to go out on a date he would be the one she would come running to.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Lucy was in a state of mild shock.

She still, for the life of her, couldn't believe that she was actually on a date with Natsu of all people. How often had she dreamed about this? It seemed too good to be true, and something in the back of her mind told her that it was. She had the nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong as it often did when the pinkette across from her was involved.

"Luce?"

She snapped out of her thoughts to see Natsu looking at her expectantly. His plate, she noticed absentmindedly, was practically licked clean. "Yeah? What's up?"

He smiled sheepishly and she briefly entertained the thought that he was going to say something sweet. So far that night, Natsu had been a complete gentleman. Well, as much of a gentleman as he could be. Never the less, this was the best she had probably ever seen him behave. Not to mention he had held her hand the entire way over and even held the door for her. It was a complete change from the Natsu she was used to, but it wasn't unpleasant.

"Um, are you going to eat that?"

She sighed as she put the fork she had been playing with down and pushed her plate in his general direction. Natsu would be Natsu she guessed, and really, she wouldn't have it any other way.

"No, I'm pretty stuffed. Go ahead."

He needed no further insistence from her as he greedily pulled the plate towards him and proceeded to demolish what had been left of her shrimp linguini. Resisting the urge to chastise him about being greedy, she instead took the time to really look around the restaurant they were in.

She had to tip her hat to Natsu's choice. It was a nice little restaurant that was located on the beach, some of its tables being on the sand with huge umbrellas for shade during day hours. It wasn't too formal so that their attire wasn't appropriate, but it also wasn't informal to the point that people were walking around in their bathing suits either.

All in all, the place's ambiance screamed relaxation and that's just what she and Natsu were doing. They had fell into easy conversation when they first sat down, talking first about how nice the resort was and then what they had done earlier that day. When the food had arrived they had fell into a comfortable silence as they ate, occasionally poking fun at each other, especially when Natsu had managed to get sauce on his nose.

Honestly, she was having the time of her life with him. With no mission or thoughts about having to find somewhere to live, she was finally able to relax and really enjoy his companionship. Still, she couldn't help the feeling that this was all too good to be true.

"Are you feeling OK?"

His onyx-colored eyes were looking at her in worry and she chuckled as she waved him off. She was just being paranoid for no reason. So far their night was going great and that's what she needed to focus on. "Oh, sorry. I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all."

He didn't look all that convinced so she reached out to touch him but was interrupted by a person's shadow appearing suddenly across their table. Pausing, both she and Natsu turned to look only to have Lucy's earlier predication come true.

There, standing by their table was none other than Lisanna.

"Hey Natsu! Lucy! What are you guys doing here?"

Slowly Lucy retracted her hand from it's mid-reach to Natsu and settled back in her chair while Natsu simply answered, "eating." When Lisanna pulled a chair over from a neighboring table to sit, Lucy had to physically restrain herself from slapping herself in the face.

Really, she should have just listened to her gut when it told her this night was going to be far from perfect.

To be fair, she couldn't blame Natsu on this one. She assumed he hadn't told anyone that they were going out tonight, seeing as he had a shocked expression on his face, but knowing him it was going to be a while before they could resume their activities. He honestly was too nice to tell Lisanna to get lost so she guessed it was safe to say that their date was officially over now.

Suddenly she stood from her seat, making Lisanna pause in whatever question she had been bombarding Natsu with as his attention was instantly on her. "Luce?" She shook her head, noting the worry in his features and plastered the best smile she could on her face. "I'm just going to the bar for a cocktail. You guys want anything?" She received two headshakes in return. "Okay, well I'll be back in a minute."

Ignoring Natsu's questioning gaze, she fisted her hands in her dress and quickly shuffled over to the bar, parking it on a bar stool and calling loudly for the bartender. She ordered three shots of tequila with a large sex on the beach to chase them down with. Cana would probably be proud of at least the shot choice. The other drink, not so much.

She knocked back the three shots quickly, but her mood hadn't been improved by the time her other drink arrived.

What did she honestly think was going to happen? She was going to have the date of her dreams with Natsu and they were going to finish what they had started the last time they were out of town? She should have known better, especially considering the fact that they were on a mini vacation with half of the guild in toe. Really though, she could have taken an interruption from anyone else, but of course it had to be the one person she really didn't want.

Taking a long sip of her drink, she sighed in frustration as she stared into her glass. What the hell had she done to deserve this? It's like every time she gets close to Natsu something keeps getting in the way.

"Oh. It's you!"

Her head looked to the right to see tall, dark, and handsome from earlier. What was his name again? He smiled as he sat down beside her, resting his elbows on the counter. "I'm Sean, remember?" Oh yeah. Sean. "Oh, yeah, hi."

Sighing, she turned back to her drink and took another long pull as Sean ordered something for himself. This obviously wasn't her day.

"So, where's your pink-haired boyfriend from earlier? I didn't think I'd see you all by yourself here."

She felt herself stiffen at the question because, hello, her 'boyfriend' was busy talking to another woman while on their date. Resisting the urge to turn back around to look and see if Lisanna was still there, she shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. "He's around." She felt him scoot in a bit closer to her so she shifted back a bit, taking her drink with her. The last thing she really needed right now was another scene from earlier.

"Do you need some company?"

She eyed him wearily and opened her mouth to answer when a familiar baritone voice and a blast of warmth from her left cut her off.

"Her company is right here."

She watched as Sean's eyes widened to the size of saucers before he picked up his drink and got up and left without another word. The poor man didn't even have a chance with her to begin with, but Natsu really didn't help the situation. Especially after their encounter earlier that day.

Lucy repressed a sigh of frustration but didn't turn around, instead downing the rest of her drink in a single gulp. She sat there with her empty glass when she suddenly felt Natsu's warm hand on her bare shoulder.

The shiver that ran down her spine was damn near a sin in itself. How was it that she could be irritated with him but a simple touch from him could make her do a complete one-eighty?

"Lucy?"

He was beside her now, giving her one of his puppy dog looks. Breathing heavily through her nose, she schooled her face into a nonchalant expression and turned in his direction. She had to jerk herself away when she realized how close their faces were. He must have noticed it too because a healthy blush spread across his cheeks.

"Are you mad? You didn't come back to the table with your drink."

She looked over her shoulder to see that their table was now unoccupied. Had he actually got rid of Lisanna and been waiting for her to come back? "No, I'm not mad. I'm sorry." She didn't want to elaborate any further though for fear of saying something she couldn't take back. Something like she was upset their date had just gone to shit, for example.

He shifted around in his seat, a sign that she knew to mean he was nervous, and then placed an arm on the bar's countertop. "So, uh, do you want to walk down the beach? I heard someone saying there's going to be a firework show in a couple of minutes and you can see them really good from there."

She didn't know if it was the liquor finally kicking in or not but she felt herself flush with warmth at the nervous look on his face. Was he really trying to have a serious date with her? Instantly the smile was back on her face. "Sure Natsu, that sounds like a wonderful idea."

His trademark fanged grin lit up his face and before she knew it, his hand was once again in hers, their fingers intertwining as he pulled her up and down the beach.

Maybe this night wouldn't be a complete waste after all.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Natsu sighed contently as he shifted, the blonde between is legs doing the same so that they were in a more comfortable position, albeit she did it unconsciously.

Lucy had fallen asleep some time ago, leaving Natsu to watch the remainder of the fireworks show by himself. She had been cold, thus the reason they were in the position they were in, and he had enough body heat to share. He wasn't complaining though. In fact, having her in his arms and leaning against him like that was actually very comfortable.

He knew she had been tired from the trip, plus she couldn't really hold her liquor to begin with. After a drink or two she always became sleepy, and tonight hadn't been any different. As comfortable as he was, he knew he had to get her up and to her room even though he was content to stay like that all night.

"Luce… Hey Lucy wake up."

She mumbled something along the lines of 'no' and burrowed deeper into his chest, making him chuckle lightly. Reluctantly though, he removed his arms from around her and sat her up, shaking her lightly to make sure she was really awake.

When she turned to look at him, she blinked a couple of times before she smiled, still obviously not all the way awake. "Sorry. How long was I asleep?" She made a move to stand up but he was up before her, helping her to her feet. She smiled at him and brushed her rear free of the sand they had been sitting in. Breaking his eyes away from the movement, he looked at their surroundings so he wasn't tempted to stare at her behind.

He was an ass man after all.

"You weren't asleep long. The show just ended."

He was lying of course. They had been sitting there like that for the last two hours at the very least he guessed. He couldn't help it; he loved having her in his arms. It made him feel like she was his, especially when she cuddled up to him in response.

"Aw man, I missed the rest of it!"

He chuckled as they started making their way back down the beach. They hadn't really gone too far from the restaurant, just far enough that the lights from the place didn't affect the way they saw the show. She stumbled a bit suddenly, catching her foot on a hidden rock, and his arm shot out to catch her before she went face first in the sand.

"Watch it weirdo!"

She giggled and he took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close to his body. She didn't object. Instead she moved in close and wrapped her own arm around his waist, her hand fisting in the material of her dress as they started walking.

After a couple of minutes, they finally arrived to her hotel room, both of them pausing in the hallway. Reluctantly he reached into his pocket for her key, his fingers wrapping around the warmed metal piece but staying hidden in his shorts.

For some reason, he really didn't want to let her go for the night. He couldn't understand why, seeing as they were technically living together back home and he has seen her every day for the past two weeks, so leaving her for the night shouldn't be a big deal right? Maybe it was because of the night they had. It was relaxing, and save for the Lisanna incident, they had had a lot of fun. Damn, Lisanna.

That had been the last thing he was expecting to happen on their date. If it were Gray or someone else that had popped up, he wouldn't have hesitated to tell them to fuck off. It was harder for him with Lisanna though. She was his childhood friend after all, but when he noticed the resigned look on Lucy's face at her appearance, he had to grow some balls and tell her that he was too busy with Lucy to hang out. Speaking of which, he had to apologize to Lucy.

Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he placed the key in her hand but didn't let go of it immediately.

"I'm sorry about tonight Luce."

Her eyebrows rose in confusion until she realized what he was apologizing for. "Oh Natsu, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known that was going to happen, and besides, it's not that big of a deal." He frowned in response but she just smiled, taking the key from him and turning to unlock the door.

He shook his head, his frown spreading. He had known her long enough to know that she was actually bothered by it. Truth be told, he was too. He had taken the date pretty serious, and although she acted indifferent about it, he knew Lucy did too. It was almost as if they had some kind of spell on them that made someone or something happen every time they got close to each other in a more than friendly way. He wanted to make it up to her, he just didn't know how.

"Well, thanks for tonight Natsu. I really had a lot of fun."

He snapped out of his thoughts to find Lucy standing directly in front of him, a nervous smile of her face. Before he knew it, she had leaned in and gently placed her lips against his.

The instant the smooth skin of her lips touched his, the last of his resistance shattered into a million pieces.

Without a second thought, Natsu wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against his body as he pushed his lips more fully against hers. He felt her gasp against his mouth and he slipped his tongue past her lips to meet her own, effectively deepening the kiss as her arms came up and wrapped around his shoulders while her tongue battled for dominance over his.

Breaking a hand away from her waist, he fumbled for the doorknob behind her, his fingers brushing against it before latching on and turning before he swung the thing open and moved them inside. He stumbled around with her blindly, too focused on his hands roaming over her curves and the way she was kissing him back to really pay attention to where they were going.

Eventually they hit something solid and Lucy fell backwards, pulling him down with her onto what looked to be the bed. With her lips momentarily detached from his, he was able to think for a second, and took in the sight of the woman beneath him. Her chest was heaving up and down, making her pant slightly as she looked up confused but excitedly into his eyes. Her hair was spread about her head like a golden halo, her dress pulled dangerously low on her chest. He couldn't help but think that the sight was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen when an idea hit him. He suddenly had a solution to his earlier problem of how to redeem the night for Lucy.

He was going to make it up to not only her but himself by finishing what they had started two weeks back, no matter what the interruption may be this time.

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KTKG SAYS: SO! There you have it! Sorry for the delay, I had a lot going on. I hope this chapter more than makes up for those of you who have been waiting for an update. Let me know how it was, REVIEW! Hahahahaha! Until next time!