Chapter 22

Chanelle watched as Natsu lay down on the grass and closed his eyes. There was a frown line on his forehead that Chanelle wanted to desperately smoothen out. She absolutely hated lying to him. She just felt that she couldn't trust him with her secrets just yet because she doesn't know him well enough to know if he'd freak out. And at the moment that is the worst thing that can happen. If he freaks out and leaves, she will have lost him forever. She can't afford that.

Natsu was becoming someone she really cares for as well as a resource. He is helping her get information. Perhaps it is better to think of him as only a resource for now. If I make things any deeper than that I will only screw things up. She allowed herself to make these excuses knowing full well that it was a load of shit.

"You gonna come down from that tree?" Natsu's voice made Chanelle jump. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice that he realized she was there. Chanelle looked at him and saw that his eyes were still closed. Did he sense her, or did he open his eyes and see her? Oh well, it doesn't matter now. He knows that she is there.

"I don't know maybe I will maybe I won't," Chanelle replies, trying to speak in more confidently than what she was. Natsu opens his eyes and stares at her. "Fine then. I'll just join you in the tree then. He jumps from his position and before Chanelle knew it he was sitting next to her. Chanelle turns and lies her back against the tree trunk, attempting to put a little distance between them.

Natsu tilts his head and looks at Chanelle with a strange look on his face. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Chanelle asks him with a frown. Natsu at first doesn't reply and then a smirk appears on his face. He starts moving closer to her. He crawls towards her until their faces are mere inches apart. Chanelle's breath hitches at their proximity. Natsu was in a crawl position between her legs and his hands were on either side of her body, trapping her beneath him.

He was staring at her with such intensity. "N-Natsu? What are you doing?" Chanelle stammers. Her eyes are wide and doe-like. Her breathing was speeding up and fanning on Natsu's face. He knows that she feels the same wild emotion that he feels whenever they are close to each other. "Tell me Chanelle, do you feel this same wild desire for me that I feel for you?" Natsu says in a husky voice and leans even closer.

Chanelle gulps and tries to answer him but she can't speak past the knot that is her tongue. After a few seconds of her just opening and closing her mouth Natsu smirks and whispers in her ear. "What's wrong Chanelle? Dragon got your tongue?" Chanelle shivers and it doesn't go unnoticed by Natsu. He chuckles softly and tucks his face into the crook of Chanelle's neck. Chanelle wasn't sure how long she would be able to do this. She just cannot afford to do this now! They can't afford to make things complicated between them now for Merlin's sake!

But she just cannot stop herself from craving his touch. The cravings are so strong though that she can't help but want to give into them. "Natsu." Chanelle just says his name but Natsu gets what he wants from the way she says it. He hears the want and desire in just that one word. Natsu leans in until their lips touch softly. Natsu took Chanelle's face in his hands and Chanelle put her arms around his neck pulling him down.

The kiss stays soft for a few seconds but the two just couldn't hold their desire at bay much longer. The kiss deepened and became passionate. Natsu pulls Chanelle to sit on his lap. He presses closer to Chanelle's body and she does the same. Chanelle tangles one of her hands in Natsu's hair and the other hand holds onto his shoulder. Natsu nips at Chanelle's lips seeking entrance to her mouth. Chanelle decides to tease him and refuses to let him in. Natsu growls and Chanelle can't help but smirk in satisfaction.

Natsu, however, doesn't let that stop him, he grins at Chanelle and cuts her moment of victory short. "Do you really think you can stop me from entering that mouth of yours?" He asks in her ear and kisses down to the spot where her neck and shoulders meet. He nips the area and then bites harder, but not hard enough to break the skin.

The bite, however, is like a bucket of cold water to Chanelle. Her eyes open wide and she pushes herself off of Natsu. Natsu looks at her shocked and confused, Chanelle could even see a little hurt. "I'm sorry Natsu… It's just I don't think this is the best time for us to do this. It only makes things complicated for me." Natsu's eyes turn cold. "I see." He says and then jumps down from the tree. Chanelle jumps down after him. "Natsu, look, it isn't that I don't like this or anything. It's just that I think it will be better for both of us if we don't do this now." Chanelle pleads. Natsu suddenly turns to her with fury in his eyes.

"And why is that Chanelle?! Is it because of all the secrets you're keeping?!" Chanelle looks down but doesn't say anything. "I am tired of being kept in the dark Chanelle. I know this whole thing might seem a little weird since we basically just met, but I can't help but feel hurt that you don't trust me. And it fucking pisses me off that you think that I can't seem to handle the truth! Look, I understand that your past bothers you, you are clearly not happy about who you are. But don't drag me into this bullshit if you aren't prepared to trust me."

With that Natsu turns around and walks away.