no spoilers

enjoy!

"Natsu," The dragon swallowed the thick lump in his throat, his ears burning with the whisper of her voice. "Why won't you hold me?"

"U-Um," A groan slipped past his lips, his hand wavering on the side of her hip. Lucy laid on top of him, giggling quietly as she nuzzled her nose against his cheek. "Where are we, Luce?"

Natsu looked around, his nose twitching at the smell of the humid air that surrounded them. His eyes met the scenery of a rocky ceiling, a cave stretched around them. He looked beside them, noticing a stream of lava flowing against the wall, leading to a larger waterfall. There were piles of random items, things he didn't recognize but things he knew he needed. It was strange not to be in his bedroom, yet he felt safer than he would at home.

"Your hoard, silly, where else would we be?" She hummed, slowly lifting herself up. She straddled his hips, spreading a sweet smile as she tugged on the sweatshirt he wore. His favorite sweatshirt, in fact. "We always come here when we want to be alone."

"Really?" He felt anxious, not used to the sweet yet seductive look Lucy gave him. Her eyes were unfamiliar, looking at him with the feeling of something more. Something that he didn't know could conspire between them.

"It's so warm," Her voice came out in a light moan, making Natsu's skin crawl with unknown delight. "Just like your fire."

Natsu felt his nose flare, a growl forcing its way through his clenched teeth. She giggled, excited by the tightening of his grip on her thigh.

"People would assume that your scales are hard and sharp, but they're so soft and smooth." Lucy hummed, sliding her hand underneath his shirt, feeling along the ridges of his scales that suddenly riddled his skin.

Her smile spread as he flipped them over, baring his fangs as he snarled, Natsu's body moving before he could register it.

"Let me taste your fire again, it's so sweet."

Natsu shot forward, gasping as he woke up in a cold sweat, his heart beating faster than he ever felt it beat before. He looked around quickly, surprised by the sight of his own room. He could tell that Lucy hadn't been in his room, at least not since she left after their homework session.

He looked down, his hands still shaking, his scales and talons scratching into his palm. He cringed at the odd feeling underneath his sheets, hsi dream having gone much farther than Lucy simply whispering seductive words.

The dragon groaned, getting out of bed to clean himself up. Not that he could fall asleep after having such a dream.

Natsu sat in a cold shower, curling in on himself slightly as he grimaced. He had never thought of Lucy like that before. They were best friends, better than that even. She was like his other half. A person that made his heart glow and his world make sense. He would've been happy forever just having the chance to stand by her side. But...did he even deserve that anymore? After thinking about her like that?

It made Natsu's stomach twist in knots, fire bubbling up like bile from his stomach. Lucy was too precious to him to be thought about like that, especially by himself.

His half transformation took hours to vanish, the dragon unable to calm himself down. He could feel the phantom of her fingers grazing his skin, Natsu cringing with anger as his heart skipped a beat.

This went beyond their friendship, their simple love. Though he didn't want to admit that. Maybe seeing Lucy in the morning would help deter his wild imagination.

Lucy was unaware of Natsu's abnormal behavior, walking hand in hand with him like always. He was a bit quieter than usual, but not to the extent where she thought to worry.

He still roped his arm around her casually, smiling whenever she walked into a room. His hugs were warm and protective, making her feel safer than ever.

He struggled to lose the faux scent of his hoard, the thick and humid pressure following her wherever she went.

It felt as though she needed to be there and not out in the open like this. It annoyed him to even let Levy give her a hug, not that he would stop any of his friends. He knew better than to be outright disrespectful.

He felt the weight rise from his shoulders when he was in his own classroom and relatively far from her scent. But the tranquility of the lessons made him think back to his dream...and the dangerous things they did together.

He questioned how he loved Lucy now, unsure that his intentions were still to be her friend. There was no way he could stomach being away from her...but maybe it was the best thing to do until he found a way to seal his unpleasant thoughts.

Natsu continued to swallow the lump in his throat as the two sat together at lunch, Lucy cuddled up to him as they ate their lunch.

It was perfectly natural, they were inseparable after all.

When she got up to use the bathroom, Natsu released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Her scent was so raw and enticing, that Natsu didn't want to allow himself to give into any sort of temptation. To do what, he wasn't exactly sure.

He turned to his white-haired friend, finding her light and spiritual scent that counteracted the heaviness that weighed on him. And maybe if it were Lisanna, she could help him figure all of this out. Speaking to any of his other friends would more than likely result in a fist fight for Lucy's honor.

Natsu let out a slight squeal as he was pulled into an empty classroom, staring at Lucy with wide eyes as she flashed a sneaky grin.

"Luce, you're gonna be late for class if we don't go, lunch is almost over." He whispered, not wanting to get caught in someone else's room.

"I don't care. You've looked stressed ever since I came to pick you up, what's wrong?" Lucy frowned a bit, tugging on Natsu's shirt as he moved to lean against a desk.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just a bit tired," He shrugged his shoulders, knowing Lucy was barely convinced. "A little stressed about grades too, but nothing to worry about, okay?"

"Grades? The year barely started! Come on, Natsu, it's me." The downward tug of her lips made his heart falter, Natsu not so keen to lie to his best friend.

"If it were somethin' I'd be telling you about it, right? So stop worryin', Luce. I'm okay." The slight smile he pulled did nothing to convince the star, Lucy using the only tool she had at her disposal to calm his nerves.

Their deep kisses were soft and quick, both letting a certain amount of emotion leave them as they reached out to hold one another.

Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck as Natsu held her hips, both communicating through the thread of tension that held them together.

The dragon felt himself slip slightly as she surprised him with a kiss. His mentality wavered and brought them back to the hoard she smelled of. It made him want a little more, to replicate the feeling of love they made that phantom night.

Lucy moaned lightly as Natsu brought her slightly closer to himself, his hand sliding slightly around her ass. He cupped the round shape, his body relaxing as it pushed something into Lucy's mouth.

"Mmph!" Lucy pulled away in surprise, her skin a bright peach as Natsu looked at her with a dazed expression. "What was that? It was sweet...were you still sucking on candy from lunch?"

"It was some of my fire," He answered without hesitation, still loose from the reigns of his brain. "Did you like it?"

"Hmm? Fire? It wasn't hot...and weirdly sweet like cinnamon," She wondered aloud, not noticing the change his pupil had made. It formed a slit, much like the more monster half of himself. "Let me taste a little more, then I'll tell you if I liked it."

Natsu snapped back to his senses at the sound of her playful tone, knowing Lucy had no idea what was reeling through his mind.

"F-Forget it! We're gonna be late!" Natsu ran out of the room before Lucy could stop him, a solemn look settling into her features.

"He ran away…?"

the next chapter will be from Lucy's POV continuing, so please stay tuned!

I've been reading tarot cards recently and have found that I'm much too good at it

I was vague but I hope you can guess what happened in his dream! I'll go more depth into it soon!