Writer exchange

A Heated Exchange

"Don't get your panties in a twist" prompt

Well that was no fun, Natsu huffed as the bandit's dust trails were the only wake left behind. All he'd done was light up his hand and they freaked out. Chickens! Couldn't they have put up a little bit of fight?! While Lucy surveyed the contents of the stolen items for return, Natsu dug through the personal belongings forgotten by the bandits. Nothing much of value, mostly clothes, toiletries, couple of weapons, and a small amount of jewel. They'd been small time punks, nothing more.

And it seems one of the bandits was a fan of Sorcerer's Weekly. Natsu's chuckles. Who wasn't, especially when every edition came with coveted pin-up pics inside of smoking hot female mages? Judging from the wear patterns along the edges, these were looked at often enough. He figured the bandit read the magazines to pass the time, look at the pretty girls between jobs, or late at night when nothing was happening. That's what he would do. Some of the editions were older, just over two years based on the dates. Natsu tips his head, thinking back. One of the magazines came out when he was away training, no wonder it didn't look familiar to him.

His curiosity peaked, the slayer sits down and slowly flips through each section, biding his time. An article about Fairytail's disbandment, he frowns, not what he wanted to see. Advertisement for Mermaid Heel's restaurant. But oh, what is this, his eyes narrow as he reaches the center fold. A familiar blonde in a very, skimpy lingerie set spanned both sweat stained pages. 'Bastard was getting off on Lucy!' Natsu's hands crunch the edges. His nose knew exactly what some of the stains smelled like and that was really pissing him off!

But he couldn't stop staring at the photo.

She looked gorgeous, ravishing. How could he blame the fool for coveting such a starlet? 'Because she's not up for grabs that's why!' Well technically Lucy was, but not in Natsu's opinion. What was she even doing in such a risqué outfit like that?! Yes, she tended to be a little showy with her short skirts or cleavage showing tops, but nothing like these photo's! As far as Natsu was concerned, Lucy was barely a step above being naked in them, and that just didn't work for him!

Seeing, or rather not hearing any noise coming from the slayer's direction, Lucy looks up from what she's doing and see's Natsu gripping so tightly to a magazine that she could have sworn he was frozen stiff. Though she couldn't tell what magazine it was, by the look on his face was it a mixture of disgust, anger, coupled with the reddish tinge on his cheeks of maybe, arousal?! She wouldn't put it past a bandit to have some kind of smut mag in his belongings.

"What's that?" she asks in a nonchalant tone not wanting to react incorrectly.

"Nothing," Natsu rolls it up quickly and sticks it into his pants pocket, "just an old magazine I found."

"Oh," her eyebrow raises, but she lets it go for now. "Okay, well, I've got all the loot squared away, everything that was stolen is accounted for."

"Great," he shoves the bandits belongings back into its bag and burns it. "Let's get them back to the owner so we can go home."

Every chance Natsu had he pulled the magazine out to look at it. When Lucy was asleep. When Lucy was cooking. Whenever he thought she wasn't watching him. Like a glutton for punishment, for each time that he did, it'd only make him more furious. He didn't want to get mad at her, though he was a little that she even took such photo's or allowed them to be published. Maybe he should blame Jason, that creep! Bet he had something to do with it! 'Oh, the next time that guy comes around,' Natsu hunches over, crushing the page even further in his hands, 'he's gonna hear it!'

Lucy peeks around the corner of her bedroom door and sees Natsu sitting on the floor next to the couch, hovering over that stupid magazine again! What was so interesting about that edition that had the slayer so riled up? Was he obsessing over another woman?! Though he did seem more agitated than aroused. The time had come to get to the bottom of this!

So focused on the magazine, Natsu fails to realize Lucy'd snuck up behind him.

"That's what you're all engrossed with?! An old spread of mine?"

He freezes, busted!

"For days now I've known you were crazy about that thing. Why are you so obsessed over it?"

"I'm not obsessed," he closes it and tries to act like it was nothing special. "Maybe I just don't understand why you took the photo. It's such a revealing outfit, you shouldn't be taking these kinds of pics for guys to drool over." Crossing his arms, "you shouldn't be sharing your body like that with anyone else except…"

"Except for what," she cuts him off, "for you? Are you jealous or something that other guys get to see and appreciate my looks?"

"And what if I say yes," he fires back, standing up in the process to stare her down. "I don't wanna think about other guys seeing you like this!"

Lucy rolls her eyes, "don't get your panties in a twist, it's just a photo."

"A photo in the most popular magazine in Fiore! Who knows how many copies they sold because of this!" He opens it back up to the centerfold and shoves it in her view. "Was it Jason? Did he convince you to pose in this?!"

"Natsu I agreed to it. I needed the money after Fairytail disbanded! And yes, if I remember correctly, that edition did sell very well at the stands."

The over-exaggerated idea running through his mind, that this magazine could be in the hands of over half the men in the country sent Natsu's blood past the point of boiling. He lowers his head, and quickly sets the magazine in his hand ablaze. At least now there was one less copy in the world.

"What did you do that for!" Lucy throws her hands up in frustration. "I did what I had to do to make money, I'm not naked, and you aren't even in a position to be so upset!" She jabs her finger repeatedly into his chest. "You're acting like some boyfriend who just caught his girlfriend cheating on him!"

He grabs her by the wrist to stop her from poking at him. "I'm being protective," there's a growl to his undertone as he stares her down. "And how would you feel if I posed in just boxers in some magazine for every girl out there to fantasize over? Would you like it?"

"Look at me Natsu." Lucy levels a stare right back, "I'm not afraid of any other girls fantasizing over you. Why would I be when I'm the one you still come back to?"

Total Knock Out.

Crossing his arms in a huff, "Yeah, w-well I still don't like it, and I forbid you from ever doing it again!"

Lucy gasps, "you forbid me?!" She rips her wrist out of his grasp, "give me one damn good reason why I should listen to you!"

"Because I will hunt down and burn up every copy of that spread!"

"You are beyond crazy," she turns on her heel to walk away, still talking with her back to him, "and that isn't a good enough reason!"

"Oi!" How dare she walk away from him! Natsu grabs her by the arm, spinning a now furious blonde to face him again. "Fine! You want a better reason?! I'll give you a better reason!" Before she can retort, he grasps the back of her head, slamming his lips against hers with such ferocity a squeak barely cuts through the seal. He fists her hair with a low growl, adding pressure behind his kiss, along with all the pent-up frustration of holding back for so long. She wanted a reason well she is getting one!

He releases his hold, giving Lucy a chance to breathe again. "Enough reason for you?" Natsu nibbles her bottom lip. "Or do you need more?"

"I-I think, I still need more convincing…"