Author's Note: Hey, guys! After a small break, I'm happy to say that I'm back to complete the rest of this story! I know I've been away for around two months since I've last uploaded, but I haven't had the most motivation to write lately, and the last thing I wanted to do was force myself to write something I wasn't interested in and upload it when little effort was used. This chapter fills in a few plotholes some of you might have questions about, and it advances our favorite couple's relationship just a bit more. There's only around two more chapters before the return of the Tenrou Group, and that's when I'll start looking into the sequel!
I have a few smaller plot points to flesh out in Chapter 40 before we complete our final timeskip, and if I feel comfortable with how it looks, I might even have the next timeskip towards the end of it. But… That's a REALLY big stretch. If you couldn't tell already, I don't want to rush the ending of the story since that's going to have a massive contribution to how the sequel will progress.
Depending on how much you guys like my writing style, I wanted everyone to know that I have 2 potential story ideas that I am considering writing alongside the sequel. I want to be clear that the other stories I have in mind are pieces I will complete ON THE SIDE if I ever need a break from writing the sequel. That way, if I'm ever not in the mood to write, you guys won't have to go long content droughts without any uploads. These side stories will not take priority over the sequel, but they would be here for anyone who wants something else to read. I'll go into more detail once the final chapter of During Those 7 Years has been uploaded.
With that out of the way, please let me know how the Chapter went! Whether you drop a review or message me directly, all feedback is appreciated. Although I'm not taking any more requests for plot ideas, let me know if you would like me to try and incorporate anything into the sequel!
During Those 7 Years
Chapter 39: Advice
The silhouette of a middle-aged woman folded her arms against the doorframe leading to her house's living room. Her head was hung towards the floor while she gritted her teeth in frustration. After a few unnerving moments, she violently kicked the doorframe and vented her frustrations to herself. "AAAUURRRGGHHHHHH! That stupid, dumb lizard!" She comically spat using reduced vocabulary.
Without hesitation, she was met with a response. "Rebuke…? What's wrong?"
Rebuke flinched from the startlingly innocent voice projected from her couch. "Akagi!" She yelped the name of the young girl resting in her living room. After fully realizing who responded to her, the woman reflexively separated herself from the doorframe and pressed her dominant palm against her chest in relief. "I'm sorry for raising my voice. I know it's been a few years since you started living here, but I still forget from time to time that I'm not alone."
"Is everything okay?" The preteen continued in a concerned tone.
Rebuke sported a comforting smile and responded. "Don't worry about anything. I'm just dealing with some 'adult problems' right now."
"Do you wanna be left alone? I can try to find some kids in the town to play with and come home later."
Rebuke vigorously shook her head and smiled. "It's fine. I think I already got the worst of it out of me," She paused to reassure Akagi by diverting their attention to a different subject, "Now that I'm back, do you want me to whip us some dinner? Or do you want to go into town to pick something up?"
"How about," Akagi rested a finger on her lip while using her dominant hand to stroke the pink highlights coursing throughout her hair, "We do both?! You make us something to eat while I run into town to pick up dessert!"
Rebuke flashed Akagi a warm smile, "You always have the best ideas," She paused to approach where the young girl was resting while scouring inside the pockets of her dark, olive joggers for loose change. She proceeded to pull out a series of folded Jewels before placing them into Akagi's open hands.
"Feel free to pick out whatever sweets you like, and since you've been a really big help around the house lately, you can keep the change and spend it on something you like in town."
Akagi beamed in joy, "Thanks, mom. You're the best!" The preteen's eyes immediately widened as she realized the term she used to refer to Rebuke. "Uh- I didn't mean to call you that! I'm so sorry, Rebuke!"
Rebuke sheepishly rubbed her blazing hair while stroking her jawline with her free hand. "Y'know what? I'm not COMPLETELY opposed to being called that. It almost makes me feel like I've done something positive with my life."
"Yes, ma'am!" Akagi complied with Rebuke's reasoning by bowing in respect, "Uh- I'll try to hurry back before dinner is ready!"
"Are you sure you don't need me to come with you again one last time?"
Akagi rolled her eyes while kneeling towards the floor to fasten her sandal straps. "I'm fineeee. I'm all grown up now. Just leave it to me!" She hollered over her shoulder while bolting through the front door of their house.
Before Rebuke could respond, a nostalgic smile crept upon her face as she was left to her thoughts. "That you are, Akagi."
As Rebuke began to tidy up the kitchen to begin preparing dinner for the duo, she began to reflect over the past few years Akagi had begun to live with her.
The capital of Dragnof had steadily rebuilt itself over that time. The few survivors of the town who managed to escape into the vast plains beyond the mountain range decided to rebuild it after realizing the Dragons had left in peace. After all, it was the only way to preserve the rich history of the country. The former brutal attack was all but a memory now, and it was all courtesy of Rebuke offering her friendship towards the inhabitants in an attempt to move past the events. The townspeople lived a comfortable life knowing that their country was once again safe from the terror of Acnologia. This even extended to someone like Akagi.
Of course, it wasn't easy for the now preteen. Rebuke needed to use every bit of parenting passed down to her from Atlas Flame to raise Akagi to the best of her ability without the young girl succumbing to any long-term trauma, but it paid off. Akagi still sported the scar down the midsection of her body from the Dragon attack, and her hair consisted of the highlights from Natsu using Macao's Purple Flare to save her life. It was more than a clear indication to Rebuke that she would one day be able to reintroduce Akagi to Natsu and the rest of Fairy Tail in good conscience.
Rebuke lightly shook her head to snap herself out of the trance she was in, prompting her to finish gathering the ingredients she required to prepare a nice dinner. As she began to chop an array of freshly picked vegetables on a wooden cutting board, she released a shallow gasp the moment she moved her knife in a downward motion. The blade cut through the vegetables but grazed the surface of her draconic knuckle, drawing an almost unnoticeable amount of blood.
Rebuke sighed as she lifted her finger towards her mouth to cleanse the dismissible wound. It was clear she was distracted and unable to prevent her mind from once again succumbing to the conversation she just shared with Igneel. "Hmph… He says that there's no point in telling Natsu," Rebuke instantly shook her head in denial, forcing her to grit her teeth in frustration while eyeing her cut, "I don't believe that. What if… What if Natsu one day moves on? Then, I'll be the one to blame when they come back."
It was at that moment Rebuke turned her head to the coffee table in the living room and rested her gaze on the communication Lacrima being supported by it. The crystal orb remained motionless but practically called out to her. "Natsu…" Rebuke sighed to herself. She was completely aware the Fairy Tail Guild Master was only a call away.
"Shh-tuck, Shh-tuck… Shh-tuck, Shh-tuck." The subtle sound of metallic grinding resounded throughout the nighttime sky: generated by a train powering through the forests of Fiore.
Many of the train's passengers had long retired to the comfort of their coaches, including Natsu and the Fairy Tail Guild members who were returning from Era. Unable to sleep due to his prevailing motion sickness, the Fairy Tail Guild master opted to close his eyes in an attempt to rest his body and ease his mind. He began to doze in and out of a light slumber only to be disturbed by a warm sensation caressing his chest from the inside of his cloak. After extending his arm towards the familiar feeling, he retracted a communication Lacrima and was met with the face of an all too familiar person attempting to contact him.
Natsu immediately beamed upon realizing the person who appeared on the other end. The Guild Master slowly parted himself from Kagura's body, slid open the glass pane serving as the entrance of the coach he was in, and entered a vacant car across the thin hallway. After ensuring he wouldn't disturb Kagura and the other passengers, he answered the Lacrima and projected his voice towards the figure with as much positivity as he could muster. "Ah, Reedus! I suppose everything went well with that Dark Guild?" Natsu chuckled while gesturing towards the background Reedus was present in. Even the Pict Mage appeared to be sitting in a vacant coach somewhere on a train, indicating that he was also on his way back to Magnolia Town.
Reedus forced a smile and formed a response to provide Natsu with. "Oui. We managed to get on the last train back to Magnolia. Everyone else is just trying to catch up on some sleep," Reedus paused to divert to the question plaguing his mind, "How was your nomination in Era?"
A bright smile crept upon Natsu's face as he inserted his dominant hand into his undershirt to fish around for his Brooch hidden below his attire. "I'll tell you guys everything when you get back into town. Long story short," He then retracted the metallic ornament and revealed it to Reedus, "The Magic Council brought in the Second Wizard Saint to duel me. I ended up turning down the position because I didn't like the outcome of the duel, but they gave me the brooch and offered me a seat if I ever want to return in the future! The rest of us are also on the way back to Magnolia, so we should pass each other once we get back in town."
Reedus flashed a warm smile and reassured his Guild Master. "That's amazing, Master Natsu. I'm sure the rest of us will be so proud of your decision when they wake up," Reedus cocked his head in confusion at where his Guild Master was sitting before continuing, "Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're on a train, shouldn't you be like... Throwing up from motion sickness?"
An uneasy feeling developed inside Natsu's stomach while he responded with an uncertain tone. "Don't remind me. Before I left, Porlyusica offered to give me some medication to help with my motion sickness. She never mentioned how long it's supposed to last, so let's make this quick." The Fairy Tail Guild Master sweatdropped while sheepishly rubbing his head.
Reedus nodded his head in agreement. "No problem. The eight of us cleared out the Dark Guild without any problems, but something came up that you need to know about."
Natsu nodded in acknowledgment before cocking his head in confusion. "I expected things to go smoothly. What is it you needed to tell me? Let's hear it."
Reedus plastered an uncomfortable frown on his face and began to speak. "There's no real way to word this delicately, so I'm just going to be upfront with you. After we cleaned out the Dark Guild… We ran into Acnologia."
Natsu's face went dark as he gritted his teeth. "That fucking punk. Are you sure you're all safe?"
"Oui… For some reason, we stumbled upon him just as he was about to kill Jellal. Jet managed to save Jellal at the last moment, but Acnologia managed to flee before we had a chance to confront him. Just before we parted, Jellal ended us something that I think you should know about."
"Well, hearing that Jellal was there isn't much of a surprise. What is it he told you guys?" Natsu anxiously tapped his foot while expecting the worst.
"There's a reason Acnologia was at that Dark Guild," Reedus paused to delicately phrase his response, "There's no easy way to put it, but Jellal thinks Acnologia is trying to find a possible lead to Ivan Dreyar. If Acnologia manages to find Ivan and get ahold of the Darkness, he'll become so powerful that nothing will be able to stop him from finishing Rebuke off, killing you, and ending the Dragon King Festival once and for all."
Even though they were on completely separate sides of Fiore, Reedus's words lingered throughout the atmosphere between him and his Guild Master. Natsu forced himself to maintain his composure, but he was unable to form a response; he didn't even know where to begin addressing the problem at hand. After a few unnerving moments, Reedus squinted his eyes in utmost concern. "Master Natsu? Can I offer my opinion from what I know?"
Natsu snapped himself out of his trance by rapidly shaking his head. "Uh- Of course! Your input is always welcome."
Reedus continued speaking in his concerned tone. "I'm worried about you: about Fairy Tail. From what Eiji told us, we're more or less clueless about understanding anything about Ivan. It's been five years, and not a single lead has turned up that we can use to track him down. The only thing we know is that Kagura told us about Ivan harvesting Lacrima to use Lumen Histoire to secure a life of luxury and power- that's it! If Acnologia finds a way to get Ivan before we do, I don't wanna think what'll happen to Rebuke or even yuh-"
Just before Reedus was allowed to finish his statement, Natsu held up his hand and sported a reassuring smile. "Reedus…? Get some sleep. It's late," His startingly soft words caused Reedus's eyes to bulge open in disbelief, "I know you're concerned about Fairy Tail, but you've had a long day, and panicking isn't going to change any of that. It'll all be okay. In fact, I might even have something we can work off of. It's a longshot, but you're just gonna have to trust me. If everything you said is true, this might be our only chance of being able to come out on top."
Reedus took a moment to collect his composure and form a proper response. "Okay… I guess you're right. We just want to make sure you remember what Bisca and everyone else tells you; we're all here to help you."
"Thank you, Reedus. You don't have to worry about me not coming to you guys for help. I mean, it's not like Kinana has to remind me of that every morning," Natsu's lighthearted comment caused the duo to release a chuckle, prompting the Guild Master to continue speaking, "Before we go, I have one more favor to ask of you guys."
"Oui! What is it?"
"If anyone back at Fairy Tail asks you or the other seven guild members how the quest went, tell them everything went smoothly and that Nab should be ready to take S-Class quests on his own. You technically wouldn't be lying since that's what you told me happened, but just make sure you let the others know when they wake up."
Reedus nodded his head in agreement. "I understand. I know you don't need me of all people to be telling you this, but it would be for the best if we kept this on the down-low; the last thing we need is to stress out the rest of the guild when you're doing the best you can to keep the situation under control. I hope you sleep well, Master Natsu."
With that, the pink haired Guild Master nodded his head in agreement, "Thank you for understanding, Reedus. We'll meet up whenever you get back into Magnolia Town. Enjoy the rest of your night," before ending the connection between the two of them.
Natsu released the stressful sigh he was containing while tending to the Lacrima in his hands. He attempted to dismiss the conversation he shared with Reedus a few moments ago and forced himself to sport the most welcoming smile he could muster while revealing the new person's identity projected towards him. "Sir Warrod? I'm sorry for disturbing you at this hour, but I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't an emergency. I needed to ask you a question while I can still remember all of the pieces."
Warrod returned the warm smile towards the Fairy Tail Guild Master. "What is it you need to ask me, young lad? You'll find that I like to tend to my garden at this time, so it's rare that you'll ever disturb my sleep."
Natsu sighed in relief, "That's good to hear," before returning to the thoughts plaguing his mind, "I'm just gonna cut right to the chase, and I need to you be completely honest with me," He paused to release another stressful sigh before mouthing the singular question, "Seeing as you're one of the founding members of Fairy Tail, what do you know about Lumen Histoire?"
Natsu watched as Warrod froze in place. After a few seconds, the elderly man instantly retracted the watering can he was holding over his flower bed and lightly closed his eyes.
"Sir Warrod?" Natsu pressed on after witnessing Warrod's sudden change in composure. "What do you know?"
"There's no point in trying to hide it from you. You can see on my face that I obviously know something," He paused to release an elderly chuckled, "I honestly didn't expect you to find out about it without me having to intervene."
"What do you mean 'intervene?'" Natsu pressed on.
"You mean you haven't seen Lumen Histoire?" Warrod reluctantly opened his eyes and was met with Natsu's blank stare. "Hidden in Fairy Tail's basement? The Lacrima containing our…" Warrod began to trail off as he began to realize how clueless Natsu was. "Wait, how did you find out about Lumen Histoire if you don't know what I'm talking about?"
"I found out from Gramps's son, Ivan Drey-
Warrod held up his hand in response. "Hngh," The elderly man grunted in frustration, "You don't have to say anything more; I am well aware of all the mischief that ruffian has been getting himself into over the many years he tried forcing his ideologies onto Laxus," He paused to sport a comforting smile towards Natsu, "I promised that if you ever need anything that I would be upfront with you, so, make yourself cozy, lad. This story started around 400 years ago, and it leads up to when Fairy Tail's first Guild Master was born, so we might be here a while."
A solid hour had passed since Warrod had begun speaking to Natsu, and the pink haired Guild Master had long ended the conversation between the two. "Lumen Histoire. Mavis Vermillion. Zeref. It all makes sense." He recited the phrases to himself like a broken record.
CONTENT CRINGE WARNING
Natsu anxiously made his way to a separate coach diagonal to the one he and Kagura originally rested inside. It was the only way he could think of to distract himself from the most recent revelation bestowed upon him. To his relief, the sliding glass door was not obstructed by the curtains used for privacy, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the woman sitting inside.
The woman was currently leaning next to the window at the far end of her coach, spending the next few moments peering through her purple eyes into the darkness of the night. The woman sported a dark vest resting atop the bikini covering her upper body. This complemented her matching skirt leading towards a pair of cowgirl boots. Her attire was completed with a dark cowgirl hat sporting a curved-up brim.
Despite how western her attire was, Natsu was first able to confirm the woman's identity by her rich, green hair. "Bisca," Natsu sported a smile while whispering the woman's name below his breath. Even if the Bisca remained completely visible to any passengers traversing the main aisle, Natsu respected her privacy by politely knocking on the glass door to acquire her attention.
Bisca caught Natsu's figure looming behind her from his reflection in the window. Just as Natsu's fingers began to rap on the sliding glass pane, she sported a welcoming smile on her face while turning around to gesture for her Guild Master to enter the coach.
Natsu returned the smile and politely accepted her offer, only pausing to slide the glass pane closed behind him.
"Master Natsu. It's great to see you back on your feet." Bisca broke the comfortable silence between them.
Natsu nodded his head in agreement and flashed his signature, toothy grin while approaching the window Bisca rested her head against. He planted himself in the seat across from her and mimicked her posture by crossing his legs. "I agree. I had more than enough time to rest in the infirmary after that duel of mine, so I haven't been able to sleep at all. I decided to stop by and clear my head a bit," Natsu paused to survey the rest of the coach they were sitting in, "Where's Alzack and Asuka?" He took note of the empty cradle next to Bisca.
Bisca chuckled while triumphantly folding her hands behind her head. "Hehehe. Asuka started crying and woke the two of us up, but it's Alzack's turn to put her down again. He took her to the back of the train, so we wouldn't disturb the rest of the passengers."
Natsu returned the chuckle. "Well, shouldn't you be catching up on some sleep?" It was then he began to furrow his eyebrows in guilt, "Wait, I'm not keeping you awake right now, am I?
Bisca cocked her head in confusion. After registering her Guild Master's concerned tone, she briskly shook her head in denial while holding up her hands, "Nonononono! Now that Asuka woke me up, I probably won't be able to fall back asleep for the rest of the night. You don't have to worry about keeping me awake."
Natsu immediately sighed in relief from Bisca reassuring him. "That's good to hear. The last thing I wanted was to stop you from catching up on some sleep. You deserve it from all your hard work."
Bisca sweetly smiled and relished the tender moment between the two. As the two mages accepted the comforting silence, an uneasy frown began to plaster upon Natsu's face as he was left to his thoughts. He attempted to shield his facial expression by darting his gaze outside the window, but Bisca immediately recognized the distress on her Guild Master's face. "Sweetheart…? Is something on your mind?" She asked in a concerned tone while leaning towards him in a comforting manner.
Natsu began to sheepishly rub his head while reluctantly breaking his gaze from the darkness before him. "I swear. You, Macao, and Kagura can see through me better than anyone else."
"We can talk about it if you want." Bisca offered.
"There's something that's been bothering me lately, and I was hoping that asking you for advice would take my mind off all the other things going on in my life right now," Natsu sighed and responded sincerely, "And if I'm being forthcoming, part of the reason I'm here is that I wanted to take you up on that offer you made a week ago. It was when you stopped by my office to ask if I would be able to pick up Asuka's crib."
Bisca began to scratch her head in slight confusion. "Are you talking about when I kept teasing you about how you were living with someone as beautiful as Kagura?"
Natsu snapped his finger in relief. "You've got it!"
Bisca began to smile as she began to recall the moment. "Ah, NOW I remember it. I said that once you finally figured out your feelings for Kagura, you should come to me if you ever needed some advice!"
Natsu grandly gestured to the booth he sat in. "Well… Here I am. I was hoping you'd have a better idea about what's going on with me since you're married to Alzack and everything." He optimistically chuckled.
Bisca propped her chin in the palm of her hands and intently leaned in towards Natsu. "What's been bugging you?"
Natsu gripped his head in frustration while beginning to adopt a serious demeanor. "That's the problem; I have no clue where to begin at all! Now that we've been dating for over a week, both Kagura and I know how we feel about each other now, but ever since recently, I started to feel weird whenever I'm around her."
"Care to elaborate?" Bisca cocked her eyebrow in an intrigued manner.
"For starters, I noticed that the closer I am to her, the faster my heart begins to race. I know this probably sounds super weird, but whenever I know she doesn't have clothes on, I start to get a bit excited. It happened two times already. The first time was when she needed to shower after we first kissed each other, and the second time was when we both spent time together in our resort back in Era. I still try to respect her privacy because I know she needs it, but it's stuff like this that just confuses me sometimes which is why I thought it'd be a good time to bring it up with you. My question is, why is this only happening when we're alone and when I know I need to give her privacy?"
A sweet smiled crept upon Bisca's face as she sighed, "Natsu… I'm glad you're finally beginning to realize that your body is acting differently now that you're dating Kagura, and I'm even more honored that I'm the person you decided to come to. First, I think you need to understand that these new feelings you experience around Kagura are completely normal."
Natsu skeptically cocked his eyebrow. "Are they…? Then why do I feel this way every time we kiss, and what do I do to make it go away?"
Bisca felt slightly embarrassed by how awkward the situation was, but Natsu being as dense as he was made it bearable. Not to mention, she promised to provide him with relationship advice when the time came. "How about we start with this; do you know how Asuka was made?" She generally phrased the question.
"Like little Asuka?"
Bisca confidently nodded.
"No idea."
"I'm going to put this delicately, but children are made when a couple has strong feelings for each other: even stronger than the ones you had when confessing to Kagura about how you feel. You might have felt like you've been getting the most excited and restless when you kiss her and hold her. Is that right?"
"Yeah, I guess I'd go as far as to say that being close to her like that feels even worse than when I know she doesn't have clothes on."
Bisca flashed her guildmate a reassuring smile. "Well… That feeling happens because you're a young man who loves his girlfriend very much. That feeling can only be stopped one way."
"What is it?"
"It's a beautiful thing called 'sex,' and it's the thing that makes children."
"Does that mean I want to have babies with Kagura?"
Bisca laughed. "Technically, yes. But you want to wait until you're married and are settled in before you even think about bringing that up with Kagura. I didn't have Asuka with Alzack until after we got married, which means it was two years after we started dating. For you, it could be even longer."
"But… How do I do this 'sex' thing if I don't wanna have children."
Bisca sighed. "This is where it's gonna get a bit weird, but I'll get to that later. It's not important for understanding how you feel which is what I'm here to help you with," She paused to sigh, "Tell me, what happens when you get excited around Kagura?"
"I feel all flustered and excited. It's almost like I want to be closer to her at any cost."
"That's a good start. It means you're on the right track. When you first start feeling that way, it's probably right after she kisses you?"
"Yeah. It's almost like I want it to continue."
"Natsu, that means you want to have sex with Kagura. Sex is so beautiful and amazing, the problem is that it requires you to be super intimate with the other person which means being comfortable with your bodies. Do you feel embarrassed after kissing her sometimes?"
"I didn't at first, but the more we kiss, it's almost like I don't want it to stop. I just don't know if I should tell her that my heart beats faster and I want it to continue. I feel like that would be selfish which is mostly why I'm embarrassed when it happens."
"Well," Bisca began to stroke her jawline, "It can seem selfish at times if you're not intimate with the girl, but you told me that you kiss and hold hands all the time, so I doubt Kagura would think you are. Let me ask you this, can you feel her heartbeat increase when you kiss? Or, can you tell if she seems to get embarrassed in similar situations?"
"Now that you mention it, I think I can. It's gotten more noticeable the closer we've gotten, and I've noticed that she gets just as embarrassed as me whenever we're in situations where neither of us has clothes on. We make it work out, and we love spending that time together because we're comfortable, but it never really changes the fact it's always on the back of our minds."
"That's great, Natsu. The way Kagura acts makes me believe that she feels the same way whenever you find yourself in 'intimate situations' with her, so it's not selfish to want to feel that way at all. Those are just the beginning signs that she's ready to have sex, but YOU need to be the one to take charge. It's not just because you're the man in the relationship, like Macao probably told you by now, but it's because you're probably more dense than Kagura. Kagura grew up with Simon, so she understands how boys act and already knows that sex is, but the same can't be said about you. She wants you to be the most comfortable before you guys 'get serious.'"
"I think that makes sense. She always says that she's comfortable, but she also tries to make sure that I am. The question is, how should I start this sex thing?"
"Since both of you are comfortable with kissing and that makes both of you excited, how about you start with that? The next time she goes to kiss you, return it with a bit more passion. Kiss her more deeply and for longer, and try to feel if she returns it."
"Aside from kissing her, how do I know if she's ready in that specific moment?"
Bisca put a finger on her lip. "Hmmm," She paused to snap her finger, "I KNOW. Think about it this way; when you're in a battle, do you charge at your opponent head-on?"
Natsu beamed as their conversation shifted to his forte. "Absolutely!"
Bisca immediately smiled without fully registering Natsu's response. "EXACT-" Before she could even answer him, her expression turned into that of a frown as she realized Natsu completely overlooked her rhetorical question. "Wait, NO," She comically facepalmed, "I mean a TOUGH battle!"
Natsu sweatdropped. "Oh… Why didn't you just say so? If you're talking about facing someone like Draculos, then I try to size my opponent up before going in for the first move."
"That's better," Bisca sighed in relief, "What I'm trying to get at is that kissing is a good way to size Kagura up. If she's kissing you back with the same emotion and passion, then that's a sign she wants to continue. If she tries to break the kiss or tells you she's not ready for sex, then just back down and try another day."
"What do I do if we've been kissing for a long time and both of us start to get comfortable?" Natsu began to sink in his seat from the embarrassing, intimate thoughts beginning to course throughout his mind.
Bisca chuckled from Natsu's lack of composure. "See…? You're starting to feel those emotions again. Don't feel embarrassed, Natsu. This is completely normal," She paused to reassure Natsu before continuing, "Once you've been kissing for a long time, that's gonna be your sign to make your next move. Take her somewhere comfortable to lie down: maybe a couch or bed? After that, slowly take off her clothes and do whatever feels natural to you," She smiled, "I know that's what people say all the time, but it's seriously the best way to describe it. The only thing you need to watch out for is if she ever says she wants to stop. I've seen how you behave in situations like that, so I know how much of a gentleman you are. If she doesn't want to continue, there's no doubt In my mind that you'll be able to respect what she says and try another day."
"And you said this should all come naturally?"
"Absolutely. You're a young man, so it's wired into you. You'll know exactly what to do when you've gotten to that part. It'll come just as naturally as your haymaker putting a dent into Draculos's cheek. It'll be as easy as that."
"That honestly doesn't sound hard at all."
Bisca smiled by leaning in towards Natsu and patting his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Sex is supposed to be beautiful your first time, not hard. Kagura will be there to help you if you get nervous. She grew up with Simon and knows when guys are ready to have sex. As long as you make that first move, I promise you that she will be there to tell you how she feels every step of the way."
"So, what you're saying is the next time we kiss, I shouldn't stop? I should try and feel Kagura up, then move on to trying to engage sex by taking off her clothes on a bed or couch? UNLESS she says to stop?"
"Yup!" Bisca began to sheepishly rub her head at the straightforward response she provided Natsu. "Now that you mention it, that's kinda the only way for you to have sex. So, you're stuck with my advice."
"Well, I'd take a bet that your advice makes much more sense than whatever Macao would have given me," Natsu paused to release a small chuckle before growing concerned, "But, wouldn't taking off Kagura's clothes be breaking her privacy? I think she refers to that as me not trying to 'pull anything'."
Bisca smiled. "Not if she wants to have sex with you also. If she doesn't want to have sex, she'll ask you to respect her privacy which is why you'd have to wait until she DOES end up feeling comfortable. As long as you treat her like you normally do up until that point, I promise she'll be just as sweet in telling you she isn't ready."
"It feels a lot better having you tell me that this isn't gonna end with me screwing up like I normally do in these types of situations."
Bisca laughed. "Of course you aren't gonna screw up. The most important thing to remember is that YOU have to be the one to make the first move to let Kagura know that you're ready whenever she is, and if she also happens to be comfortable at that exact moment, you'll finally be able to experience all those feelings you came to talk to me about," A few comfortable moments of silence passed between the duo, prompting a devilish smirk to creep upon Bisca's face, "Natsu… Can I ask you a question?"
Natsu shook his head to snap himself out of the trance he was in. "Uh- Of course!"
"This is completely unrelated to everything we just talked about, and I guess I should have asked you this from the start, but do you WANT to take Kagura's clothes off?"
Natsu hid his facial expression out of embarrassment and nodded. "That's what it feels like at times, and it's hard for me to do anything about those thoughts because I need to make Kagura comfortable by respecting her privacy. It's just that she looks so pretty, and I get excited when she's near me because everything about her is amazing. Maybe I've always thought that and haven't realized it up until we started dating, but I think it's the reason why I want to keep being closer to her. Just thinking about Kagura for too long causes my heart to race, and then I end up remembering her eyes," Natsu began to groan thinking of Kagura's signature, piercing gaze, "Those freaking eyes of hers. That's easily my favorite part about her," He paused to shake his head in uncertainty, "But, that's exactly why I wanted to see you. I didn't want to tell Kagura any of this because I've wanted to respect her privacy. Should she also feel the same? Duh- Does this mean something's wrong with me? I don't want to look weird by forcing her to do something like this."
Bisca reassured her guildmate, "Trust me, Natsu. I can see it on your face; what you feel for Kagura isn't screwed up, it means you love her as a partner both physically and emotionally. Not to mention, Kagura is objectively an amazing girl with an incredibly attractive body, and you're a young man who's dating her. Wanting to have sex with her shows her that you think she's the most beautiful girl on Earthland, and when she ends up accepting those feelings of yours, she'll end up returning them since she'll think you're the most handsome and amazing guy she knows. When the time comes where the two of you are comfortable, you're gonna want to touch each other and make each other feel more excited, and that's completely normal as long as you take your time and listen to what the other person wants. If you play your cards right, it'll feel like a compliment for both of you."
Natsu slowly nodded his head over the few moments he took to register Bisca's advice. "Uh- I think I've got all of it pieced together: wait until we're both close and alone, warm up to her, make sure she's comfortable, and the rest will come naturally. If she's comfortable and wants to continue, I'll know that she'll always feel the same way, so I'd have nothing to worry about anymore?
Bisca ran her fingers over the rim of her cowgirl hat and tipped it towards Natsu. "You've got it, pardner."
A hopeful smile began to creep upon Natsu's face, "Bisca… Thank you for helping me.…"
Without hesitation, Bisca pulled Natsu if for a tight embrace. "You're gonna do great. Just follow everything I told you, and I promise when the time's right, it's going to feel incredible for both of you guys. Once Kagura knows that you're completely comfortable with sex, then she'll even offer to make the first move at times."
Natsu separated himself from Bisca's arms and stood up from the seat, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," He smiled.
Just as Natsu prepared to return to his coach, Bisca snapped her finger and widened her eyes, "NATSU," She beamed.
"Huh?"
Bisca leaned down towards her handbag and retrieved a small box from inside. "When we first started talking, you asked how sex makes kids. Don't worry about how since I'm sure you'll end up putting and two together later down the line. Just make sure you use these before you have sex, and you'll be good to go."
"What the hell is this?" Natsu cocked his eyebrow while Bisca chucked the cartridge towards him.
"It's called birth control. All I'm going to say is that whenever Asuka falls asleep, Alzack and I like to have some time to ourselves." She smirked while crossing her arms.
"What do you-," Natsu shook his head, "Oh, alone time… You mean Sex?"
"Ummhmm. We bring an extra box whenever we're out of town, so we don't have to go out of our way to get more. If you find yourself in the moment with Kagura and need help, I think the box has instructions on the inside. Once she's realized you guys are ready to have sex, she'll also start taking her form of birth control. It'll keep you guys from having any children."
Natsu eyed the box's design and released a sigh of gratitude. "Bisca? I don't even know where to begin thanking yuh-"
Before he could even express how much he appreciated their conversation, Bisca interrupted Natsu by holding up her hand. "There's no need to thank me, sweetheart. Everyone needs to figure out their feelings at some point, and all you needed was a bit of guidance. Just remember that I'm always here if you need to talk to me about Kagura."
"I'll totally keep that in mind. Enjoy the rest of your night, Bisca." Natsu smiled and turned his back towards the cowgirl. He then reached out to open the glass pane leading into the main aisle. Just before he could exit the coach, he was met with Alzack approaching from the rear of the train with Asuka resting in his dominant arm.
Alzack used his free arm to open the sliding glass pane and sport a welcoming smile towards his Guild Master. "Woah, Master Natsu! You weren't tryna pull anything on my wife while I was away with Asuka, were you?" The cowboy jokingly nudged Natsu's ribcage with his free arm, causing Bisca to shield her face in embarrassment.
"Pull anything…?"A fleeting moment of confusion crossed Natsu's face as he recited Alzack's joke, but his clueless expression was almost instantly replaced with that of confidence as he remembered the conversation he shared with Bisca. "Of course I wasn't gonna pull anything! I respect her privacy because the two of us wouldn't be comfortable having those types of feelings towards people we aren't attracted to." The young Guild Master proceeded to prop his fists against his hips while proudly marching back to Kagura. All the while, he remained completely oblivious to his motionless godchild in Alzack's arms.
Before Alzack could respond to his Guild Master's comment, he sweatdropped while slowly inching away from the sliding glass pane and towards Bisca's seat. "Uh, have a good night, I guess?" The man spoke to him and his wife.
After ensuring the curtains covered the entrance of the coach for privacy, he turned to face Bisca who couldn't help but hide the hysterical grin plastered upon her face.
"What's up with him?" Alzack questioned while gently lowering Asuka down into her miniature cradle.
Bisca managed to wipe the grin off her face to reassure her husband, but not before playfully jabbing at him one last time. "You heard him. He came to tell us that he respects my privacy."
"I guess I can't argue with the lady, can I?" Alzack rolled his eyes and inched closer towards where his wife had her legs crossed.
"Not a chance in the whole wild west."
"If that's the case…" Alzack's voice trailed off. "Now that Asuka's back down for the night, do you want to have some time to ourselves?" He caringly smiled while tracing his hand down Bisca's side.
Instead of Bisca adopting a look of lust, she sheepishly rubbed her head, causing Alzack to cock his head in confusion.
"Is everything alright?" The cowboy inquired.
"We're kinda all out of protection…"
"Already?!" Alzack comically raised his voice in bewilderment, caring as to not wake Asuka for the second time tonight. "I know we're young and everything, but I didn't think we were THAT crazy to burn through all of it!"
"I know, I know… But it's the truth. Couldn't we wait until we get back into Magnolia Town, honey?"
"Oh, well… I understand. If you want to wait, then I'll wait with you. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable-" The more Alzack began to speak, the more his voice began to trail off as he remembered the short line Natsu provided him and realized how similar they sounded. The cowboy displayed an amused look for his wife to witness, causing her to choke back on laughter as she was well aware of her husband's realization, "So… That's where the box went," Alzack remarked.
Bisca sported an empathetic look and rubbed Alzack's hand. "I really am sorry, sweetie. You know I want you just as much, but Master Natsu needed advice, and I wanted to be there to help him."
Alzack rubbed her shoulder in comfort. "If Master Natsu came to my wife for advice, I'm sure it'll be the best advice he's ever heard."
Bisca nestled her head into Alzack's pectoral muscle. "I always love hearing that from the best pardner on Earthland."
As the duo relished the tender moment they shared, Bisca subtly lowered her western hat over her gaze as Alzack snuck his arm around her waist. The cowgirl casually slumped her body in her seat before referring to Natsu one last time in her thoughts. "Go get her, tiger."
CONTENT CRINGE WARNING END
Natsu carefully entered the coach Kagura was resting in hopes of finally retiring for the night. He proceeded to slowly close the sliding glass pane behind him while simultaneously covering it with the curtains on either side. The subtle noise generated by him caused Kagura to stir as she was eventually awoken in response to her boyfriend's presence. "Natsu…? Where'd you go?" She inquired while groggily rubbing her eye sockets.
"It's a long story," Natsu sighed while taking a seat next to where she sat upright, "I can give you a quick rundown and fill you in on the rest when we get back in town."
"That serious, eh?" She teased before returning to her serious persona. "I just wanted to make sure everything is alright with you," Kagura began to grow comfortable again by casually pressing her shoulder up against Natsu's.
Natsu couldn't help but feel embarrassed from the proximity he shared with Kagura after his most recent conversation with Bisca, but he shoved those thoughts into the recesses of his mind before diverting his attention towards his girlfriend, "It depends on how you look at it," Natsu massaged his head while beginning to explain himself to Kagura, "Remember back in Era when Warrod told us that he was one of the founding members of Fairy Tail? Well, I decided it would be best to contact him to see if he knows anything about Lumen Histoire. Even after all these years, it's just about the only lead we have on Ivan."
"Oh, wow. That was a smart move! I am quite surprised that you were able to think of that before even I could," Kagura's comment caused a tick mark to generate on Natsu's forehead, prompting her to relieve the comedic atmosphere by changing the subject, "Anyway, what did you find out?"
"You're gonna have to bear with me because even I of all people had trouble believing what Warrod told me at first."
"Damn, now THAT is saying something." Kagura sweatdropped.
"You have no idea," Natsu sighed in agreement before continuing, "Long story short… Warrod told me that Lumen Histoire is a Lacrima containing the body of Fairy Tail's First Guild Master. She was placed inside of it after she was cursed by the Dark Mage she loved. That mage is named Zeref, and if you heard the rumors from back when you first joined Fairy Tail, you probably already know that he's the reason why Acnologia was summoned to Tenrou Island during our S-Class exams; Zeref did it in an attempt to erase anyone who knew of his existence. The reason Zeref became cursed was that hundreds of years ago he tried to resurrect his dead brother using Dark Magic."
"What was Zeref's curse?" Kagura paid no mind to how farfetched Natsu's claim was.
"Immortality."
Kagura jokingly stroked her sharp jawline and chuckled. "Immortality doesn't sound all that bad. I mean, I can't find a reason for immortality being the reason for someone you love becoming cursed."
Natsu returned the chuckle and continued, "I didn't finish yet. Zeref's curse grants immortality at the cost of killing anyone he comes into contact with. He lives forever, but he can only live with the pain of knowing that he will never have anyone that he can love."
Kagura cringed at the depth of Natsu's response. "Err, I change my mind. Maybe that is a pretty depressing curse."
Natsu chuckled in response. "That it is. Loving someone like Zeref comes at the ultimate cost, and that's how our first Guild Master ended up in that Lacrima. If it weren't for Warrod and the other founding members of Fairy Tail being there when she was cursed, she would have died before her body was able to be preserved."
A few moments of silence passed between the two before Kagura began to speak. "Since we're already on the topic, who was Zeref's dead brother?"
Natsu opened his mouth to speak, but he was unable to form a satisfying response. "Now that you mention it… I don't think Warrod mentioned his name."
Kagura cocked her eyebrow in confusion before grunting. "Eh, that's understandable. I'm sure he just forgot to mention him because of how long the story took."
Natsu nodded in agreement. "You've got a point. But what he did tell me is that Zeref's brother was manifested into a demon. That demon goes by the name of E.N.D, and its only purpose is to be strong enough to one day kill Zeref and end his Hell on Earthland."
Kagura skeptically squinted her hazel eyes. "At first, I kinda had a bit of respect for someone willing to go that far to save his brother, but if the new purpose of manifesting him into a demon is to one day end Zeref's life, then I would take it all back," Kagura scoffed at how selfish Zeref's actions were before continuing, "What made you contact Warrod all of a sudden instead of talking to him while you ere still in Era?"
"Talking to Warrod never crossed my mind until Reedus managed to get in touch with me about Nab's training. He told me that his group ran into Acnologia trying to kill someone while they were training Nab to take down major Dark Guilds."
Kagura's eyes widened in disbelief. "You can't be serious… Uh- Are Reedus and the rest of them okay?"
Natsu sported a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. From what I was told, Acnologia fled the moment they saw him," Natsu paused for his face to contort into an uncomfortable expression.
"What's wrong?" Kagura affectionately cocked her head in concern after noting Natsu's change in composure. "And who was Acnologia trying to kill?"
"Can you promise to not overreact to everything I'm about to tell you?"
"Natsu… I don't like where this is going."
"Just promise you won't overreact. I'm trying my best to balance everything else that's going on, and the last thing I need is for you guys to get the wrong idea."
Kagura contorted her mouth. "If that's the only way I'll get you to tell me, then I promise not to overreact."
Natsu inhaled deeply before continuing, "Alright, here it goes," He paused to collect his composure, "The person Reedus and them saved was Jellal, but that's not what I was worried about telling you. Jellal told Reedus's group that he thinks Acnologia is trying to find a lead on Ivan Dreyar. If Acnologia manages to find Ivan and gets ahold of the Darkness, he'll become so powerful that nothing will be able to stop him from killing me and ending the Dragon King Festival. The reason I contacted Warrod is that I needed advice on what Fairy Tail needs to do to get to Ivan before Acnologia does."
A few unnerving moments of silence passed between the duo as Natsu waited for some sort of reaction from Kagura. To his surprise, he watched as his girlfriend's blank persona adopted a supportive expression instead of turning into that of malice from hearing Jellal's name.
Kagura continued by resting her hand on top of her boyfriend's limp palm. "Natsu, first things first, if getting to Ivan Dreyar before Acnologia means getting to the bottom of Lumen Histoire, then we definitely have our work cut out for us. Back when I unsheathed Archenemy in Dragnof-" Kagura momentarily paused to rapidly shake her head as she retracted her previous statement, "No, it was before that; back when you accepted Rebuke's flames to light that spire, you, me, Macao, Sayuki all knew what we were getting into. The days we spent traveling to Dragnof were so much more than you discovering why your Dragon Slayer Magic disappeared. It was about you taking the vow to end the Dragon King Festival along with Acnologia's reign. Even if Gajeel and Wendy aren't here anymore to help you with that, Fairy Tail still is, so you'll never be alone. That's why I'm not worried about whatever that phsyco has up his sleeve. At the end of the day, if Acnologia wants to get to you to end the Dragon King Festival, he's gonna have to go through me first." Kagura flashed Natsu a confident grin while drawing Archenemies scabbard from below her seat.
Natsu was taken back by how supportive Kagura's response was. "Uh- I don't know what to say. I was expecting you to give me another lecture like how Erza used to."
Kagura rested a finger on her bottom lip and sighed. "I know. I would be lying if I said I did not consider ripping you a new one, but lectures won't change the situation we're in," Kagura paused to plaster a look of envy on her face, "Besides, for someone who uses Flames of Emotion, part of me always wonders how you're able to stay this calm in situations such as these."
Natsu released a sigh of relief while providing his girlfriend with a lighthearted response. "Trust me. You should have met Lucy. When your second job is making sure she stays out of trouble, you get used to it fast."
Kagura snickered. "How could I forget the old Team Natsu?"
"We WERE a wild bunch," Natsu stated in defense.
Kagura deadpanned from such a predictable response. "You sound like Master Goldmine."
Natsu retorted with a small, confident chuckle. "No… As far as I know, Master Goldmine sounds like me," A few moments of comfortable silence passed between the duo prompting Natsu to continue speaking, "But what about Jellal?"
A dark shadow draped over Kagura's facial expression as she grasped Natsu's hand. She was hoping Natsu didn't have to be reminded of that name. "I can't promise anything will change between us, and as far as I'm concerned, that's just how I want it," She paused to reassure Natsu, "You and the rest of Fairy Tail are more important than him right now."
Natsu briskly stuttered. "Uh- I understand. I just don't want to keep something that important a secret from you."
Kagura sweetly smiled and provided Natsu with an honest response. "And that's why I wouldn't want to be with anyone else."
As the two Fairy Tail Guild members began to embrace the heartfelt moment they shared, Kagura closed the remaining distance between them to nestle her head into the crook of Natsu's neck. "After everything we've been through, it's all starting to make sense."
Natsu grunted in agreement and began stroking Kagura's purple locks before releasing a yawn. "Yeah. From what Warrod told me, we've got our work cut out for us. Until we get to Ivan Dreyar, we can't afford to sit back and wait for someone else to make a move. We're gonna have to go straight to Lumen Histoire for that," Natsu paused to avert his gaze from the top of Kagura's head to peer out the window into the seemingly endless darkness, "Now that I have to end the Dragon King Festival, the pieces of the puzzle are all starting to fit together now…" Each thought crossing Natsu's mind drifted him in and out of slumber, "But there's still one piece missing that I can't seem to lay a finger on. It won't be long until we figure that out and face something greater than all of us; I can just feel it. I… I just hope we're able to get to it… before Acnologia does."
Minutes of comfortable silence passed between the duo. Natsu subtly stirred in their spot to divert his gaze back towards the top of Kagura's motionless head. Each lock of Kagura's purple hair parted through his fingers without the slightest resistance and with the finest consistency. Every stroke he took caused his hand to gradually tense up in hesitation as he was under the assumption that the slightest tug would release her strands, causing them to cascade towards the ground.
Natsu remained amazed at how such a confident and independent woman was capable of possessing such fragile hair. It was his definition of an oxymoron, and compared to her hair, his had the consistency of steel wool.
After composure returned to his hand, Natsu proceeded to gently plant a kiss on top of Kagura's bow, "Thank you for reassuring me, Kagura," He whispered in the event Kagura had drifted to sleep.
Unknowing to him, Kagura remained fully awake and contemplated breaking the tranquility, but she chose to remain silent. She was perfectly content with the situation and didn't want to ruin the moment for the two of them. Over the next few seconds, she allowed her body to become encased in the warmth they shared.
It was at that moment she lightly shook her head to snap herself out of the trance she was in. She recalled that this was one of the few instances the two of them could fully appreciate each other's company without some sort of intervention, and she wanted her boyfriend to be well aware of that: even if it meant disturbing their comfort. Kagura brought herself to confidently project the statement neither of them had been able to express in words lately, "Natsu, I luh-" Just before she could finish projecting her thoughts, her speech was interrupted by the light snoring being generated from her boyfriend's chest.
Instead of disturbing his sleep, Kagura plastered a warm smile on her face and whispered a single phrase in her mind. "I'm sure he feels the same way."
Thank your time!
Author's Note: It's been a while since I can can remember posting an Author's Note at the end, but I wanted to apologize if I disturbed anyone with some of the content in this update. I purposely placed disclaimers round the parts to avoid if you are not interested in reading stuff like that.
If you did read that part of the update, or if you have a general idea on what it contained, you could probably what's going to happen soon with Natsu's and Kagura's relationship. I want to make it clear I have no plans on writing any of that out, and it will probably consist of a small scene or two at most. This story is meant to be about adventure and friendship, not sexual desires! With that being said, I hope you all enjoyed the update, and I've already managed to start working on the next Chapter!