It's a Monday!

For those who asked, the official update schedule is a chapter every Thursday. Once in a while, however, I'm feeling terribly generous (a once-in-a-lifetime thing, trust me), and I post on a random day of my liking. A bonus chapter, if you will.

Gihi.

*********THIS CHAPTER IS NSFW!*********

*********IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ SUCH CONTENT, LOOK FOR THE MARKS!*********

Super, super big thanks to NaluETERNITY, Alaya Karangalan, Shunakoo25, HeavensSetFire, CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai, ImFaMOOSE, AnonymousStalkerFriend, Sanspree, LunarWolfDragon, Bananarock509, Quadrangulator, FlameDragonHime, BOSS02109, WeasleyofFairyTail, and The 0bservanc3 for reviewing!

Now, without further ado - onto chapter 20!

~BrennaCoris~

"You still owe me."

"I'm not the one who fell asleep!"

"Still—"

"Yeah, I get it. I owe you. Now shut up."

Lucy checked the note Levy had given her. The name matched, and if they were lucky, they might get something out of this visit. She hoped that there wouldn't be as many patrons during the day – it would be easier to avoid causing a scene – and gave the door a push. It swung open with a creak that had her wincing.

Everyone who happened to be at the underground bar looked up.

"Don't start a fight," was all she said before walking through the room. Her face was carefully impassive, hiding her discomfort, and she kept her eyes cold. Most people quickly found something else to look at, although she had a strong suspicion that was mostly Natsu's doing. He could be very intimidating when he needed to.

The bar was small and cramped, the kind of place she would have frequented when on the run. Two long tables ran from the door to the bar on the other side of the room. Trash clumped in little piles on the floor while a lone, overflowing garbage can stood in a corner. The bar took up most of the far wall, leaving just enough space for another door. Dirty mugs and glasses hung above the counter. A dark-haired woman took them down one by one to give each a few quick swipes.

The lighting was very dim, coming only from a single grimy ceiling lantern, and the air stank of cigarette smoke and cheap beer. Even though it was past work hours, only ten or so people were spread out on the benches. Two were women. The rest were men, most thickly muscled and covered in black leather. Lucy would have dismissed them as thugs after a single glance.

Natsu growled very quietly, just loud enough for her to hear and pick up on his irritation. He moved to walk beside her, his arm wrapping around her hips. She flashed him a smile to show that she didn't mind – the possessive gesture was doing wonderful things to her insides – and led the way to the bar. The woman barely glanced at them as they both took a seat.

"Only got lager," she said. Her voice was hard, a complete contrast to her soft features.

Lucy arched a brow. "That's fine."

"Two?"

"Mhm."

Natsu twisted in his chair to stare at someone behind her. His expression was threatening, yet also challenging. He looked as though he was itching for a chance to prove his strength.

The barmaid slammed two beers on the counter. Natsu casually left his seat and Lucy picked up the sound of a fist colliding with a face. She ignored it in favor of paying the woman and taking a long sip. Levy had revealed that shifters didn't get drunk easily. Apparently, Gajeel had downed more than three mugs without feeling the effects of the alcohol.

"You better not destroy anything. We can't pay for damages," she called. Her bank account didn't have that much money.

"Sure," Natsu muttered. "But the prick's face doesn't count."

"I've never seen you before," the barmaid said.

"Yeah, we're just passing through. Had a bit of trouble with the officials where we came from." Lucy grinned as though it was bound to happen. "You a local?"

"Sorta." The barmaid didn't elaborate. "But I've got plans to leave. Not much for me to do here."

"Huh."

"'Sides, I don't wanna die early. The big guns still don't know why those people are gone, and I've got business there."

"People are missing?"

It wasn't hard to sound surprised. Lucy shot her mate a quick glance to see him wrestling with two men. Another lay facedown on the table, most likely unconscious. Hopefully, Natsu was listening.

"Any rumors?" she asked.

The barmaid shrugged. "Some people say they saw a demon. There's a church up there, so I'm not surprised. A bunch more are sayin' it's a wolf. I'm thinkin' wolf, or one of the underground suckers."

"What side of town?"

"Eastern edge, I think. What's it to you?"

"Better to have warning. We were thinking of heading that way."

Lucy tapped her fingers on the counter, trying to hide her excitement. She'd have to tell Gajeel and Levy, and they'd have to check for shifter scents, but it was something to go on.

"I wouldn't, if I were you," the barmaid said. "Tell your man to cut it out. I don't wanna explain a broken bench to my boss."

"I think we'll head on out. Thanks for the chat, and keep the change," Lucy said.

"Sure."

Lucy slid off her seat and stepped over a couple unconscious bodies to reach Natsu, who hadn't even broken a sweat. In a common brawl, humans stood no chance against shifters.

"Happy now?" she asked softly. Natsu leveled a threatening stare at a cluster of men in the corner until they averted their stares.

"No," he growled. "They keep looking at you."

"And those two ladies keep looking at you," she muttered, suddenly realizing the rather open stares of the women. One of them licked her lips, and Lucy had a strong desire to smack her senseless. Instead, she simply glared at them. They didn't look away.

"Luce?"

"Let's go," she said, her voice curt.

He wasn't the only one feeling territorial in the bar.

The walk back was slightly hurried. Natsu kept an arm around her waist, and even though he didn't actively pull her closer, his pace betrayed him. Lucy's thoughts voluntarily strayed towards what was more than likely to happen once they were alone. She tried to appear relaxed, but the occasional twitches of Natsu's nose and heated growls told her that he could clearly smell her arousal.

Their hotel room was small, with the bed taking up most of the space. Lucy barely had time to close the door before she was sharply turned around and pressed against the wall. Their kiss was hot, demanding from both sides. Her hands moved to his shoulders, her nails digging into his back. His fingers gripped her hips, and when she bit his bottom lip, one hand wrapped around her waist to pull her flush against him.

"You have no idea," he murmured between kisses, "how hard it was to stop."

Lucy moaned as his hips jerked against hers. "We don't have to stop now."

#####

His hand moved to the back of her thigh and she wrapped a leg around his hips, pressing his hard length against her core. The heat coursing through her body flared at his pleasure grunt. Their clothes didn't do much to stifle the contact since it was so thin. Shifters didn't like constraining clothing, and everything they wore had to rip easily.

Natsu carried her to the bed without interrupting their kisses. When her back hit the mattress, she immediately pulled him closer, searching for the same contact. He crawled onto the bed and moved to her neck, leaving her gasping for air. Gentle nips trailed down her throat while his fingers sneaked under the hem of her shirt.

Lucy closed her eyes and let him win, too overwhelmed by the pleasure to try to regain her dominance. He sucked harshly at a spot barely above her collarbone and released it with a kiss before meeting her lips again. Warm fingers ran across her stomach and tugged at her bra.

"The hell is this?" he muttered.

"Human thing," she gasped. "Just take it off. Please."

He grinned against her mouth and ripped the bra apart, leaving her shirt intact. His fingers massaged her breasts and she moaned when his thumb, rough and calloused, flicked over a hard nipple. He paused before repeating the action again, as if he wanted to see her reaction, and by the fourth flick he had her squirming.

She had to admit that for never having pleasured a woman before, he was very good.

Her patience at a limit, Lucy ripped her shirt apart herself. The cool air of the apartment had her nipples tightening to the point of pain, but she forgot about them when Natsu pressed a soft kiss to one pink tip. She whined in desperation, wanting more than just a kiss, and nearly missed his surprised huff when he took the nipple into his mouth. Her spine arched, heat flooding her body anew, and she grabbed at his hair.

Anything to get him closer.

He swiped his tongue back and forth before grazing the tip with his teeth. His hand played with her other breast, massaging and pinching until she whined again. Laughing, he switched breasts, and Lucy squeezed her thighs together in a pointless attempt to relieve the steadily building pressure. Her fingers tore at his shirt, and then his back. The heat sharpened into a burning coil, just waiting to spring apart.

Natsu's fingers drew senseless patterns on her stomach as his free hand traveled down. Her shorts and panties vanished quickly. At first, his touches were careful, curious, but when he found the little spot that made her cry out, he resumed his explorations with greater confidence. His name left her lips as he slipped a finger into her and the resulting growl, heated and possessive, was by itself enough to make her moan. He added a second finger and pulled them out before sharply thrusting both back in. A third finger joined and he curled them each time he pumped them in and out, his mouth on hers to swallow every sound she made. Her hips pushed against his hand, trying to prolong the feeling of his fingers moving inside of her.

"Say it again," he growled. Lucy kissed him, smiling against his lips.

"So . . . bossy . . . ngh!" Her breath hitched at a slightly sharper thrust. His thumb pressed down on the little bundle of nerves and the burning coil exploded, sending pleasure racing through her body. For a single moment, her world was painted white, and when it was over she collapsed onto the bed with a sigh of his name, face flushed and panting.

"Tasty."

Natsu loomed over her, smirking as he slowly licked his fingers clean. His eyes were dark, focused only on her, and clouded with lust. His shirt was gone. An angry red line peeked over the edge of his shoulder. When he kissed her, she could taste traces of herself. Her fingers followed the lines, finding several more on his back, and he hissed when she applied pressure.

"All mine," she murmured. The scratches marked him as hers.

Natsu stilled when her other hand found the bulge in his pants. She grinned, still panting slightly, and tightened her grip. Even through his pants, he was warm. His eyebrows furrowed as his face contorted with a soft growl.

"Good?" she asked, her voice teasing. When he gave a quiet grunt, she slid her hand up and down his shaft, occasionally squeezing. Each time, he snarled in pleasure.

It was when her left hand moved from his back and slipped into his pants to grip him directly that he decided to end her exploration. Together, they made quick work of his pants, and when he slowly pushed into her, her world narrowed to the feeling of him stretching her walls and the pure pleasure that was once again beginning to build at a terrifying speed. A moan left her lips. There was some pain, but she was a master at dealing with pain, and she didn't allow it to ruin the moment.

Lucy was, however, unable to ignore the sharp bite to the curve between her neck and shoulder.

"Did you just . . . bite me?"

Natsu released her shoulder and licked his lips. "Maybe."

She struggled with that for a moment.

"Why— did you have to bite me to mark me?" she demanded, but her anger went up in flames as he slowly rolled his hips. She sighed in content instead, answering by arching her back to take him in further. He groaned. One of his hands flew to her hip, the other clamping into a fist around the sheets. She kissed him, sliding her tongue against his. The kiss was by far the softest they'd had, but it was just as breathtaking, if not more.

The first thrusts were careful and shallow, sort of like his first touches, but they quickly changed until he was pounding into her with a ferocity that threatened to tear her apart. She burned beneath him, desperately moving to meet his thrusts. He pushed her towards another ledge, one far higher than the one before, and when she fell, she screamed his name. He kept going, prolonging her pleasure. The final jerk of his hips buried him deep within her, eliciting a moan from both of them, and he came in several short bursts.

#####

He pulled out and flopped down next to her, drawing her close. Lucy snuggled against his chest with a satisfied sigh. She couldn't care less about the torn clothing, or that they were both sweaty. The embrace was bliss.

"I have an amazing plan," she said. "Let's just stay in bed for the rest of the week."

Natsu laughed. "I love your plan."

"Mm. Did you know I love you?"

"Now I do. I love you too, Luce." He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. "More than anything."

"Even food?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Even food."

She scooted a little higher so she could kiss him. Once again, it was slow, soft, and loving.

"I think I like the slow kisses best," she said.

Natsu immediately recaptured her mouth in a searing kiss, stealing her breath. She nipped his bottom lip and he suddenly grinned against her lips before resuming the kiss. When they separated, both were panting.

"I like the ones where you get all cat-like," he said.

"I'm not cat-like!"

"You bite like a cat." He poked her nose and she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"You're the one who actually bit me," she said.

"You scratch like a cat, too."

"Hey!"

"And—"

Lucy cut him off with a growl, swinging her body up and over his. He shut up instantly.

"I am a wolf," she growled.

"And you," He grinned, his eyes dark, "are all mine."

Gimme a second to come to terms with what I wrote. :)

Reviewer's Corner:

- The 0bservanc3 - now that you mention it... jk!

- BOSS02109 - ohohohoho!

- TheTrinityAngel - the official schedule is every Thursday. I'm just feeling' generous ;)

- FlameDragonHime - maaaaaaaaaaybe... ;)

- Quadrangulator - thanks! Puppies, you say?

- Bananarock509 - i've never read Warriors. Is it good?

- LunarWolfDragon - thank you!

- Sanspree - squeeeeeeeeeee!

- ImFaMOOSE - oooh, good luck!

- CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai - mmmmmmmmm *basks in the glow of the compliment*

- HeavensSetFire - i'm glad you like it! I have several fics started, now it's just a matter of which one has a chance of ever being finished...

- Shunakoo25 - :)

- Alaya Karangalan - see u Thursday!

- NaluETERNITY - officially it's every Thursday, I'm just feeling generous :)

See y'all on Thursday!

Cheers!