Natsu threw his arms up in the air and released his grip, scattering his fistful of cards all across the floor. "Ughh! How can you be good at every rotten game? First you kicked my ass with board games, and now you hand my ass to me with poker!"

Supremely smug, Lucy didn't bother hiding her smirk. "You know, I told you before, my nickname was Lucky Lucy, yeah?" She leaned forward to take a handful of popcorn from the big bowl sitting on the coffee table, yanking it away as Natsu went to help himself. Lucy shook her head. "Nope. None for you until you pick up the cards."

"Fine." Natsu knelt and swept a few cards into his hands, stacking them neatly, moved over a bit, cleared that area and kept going. He was absorbed into his task but flinched at a sudden crack of lightning. It was so strong it rattled the empty beer bottles on the coffee table - and Natsu flung the cards he'd just cleared. "Dammit!"

"Oh, that's too funny!" Lucy pointed and laughed at Natsu. "Scared of a little bad weather?"

This morning had been sunny - but in the afternoon, dark and dreary clouds had covered all Magnolia.

Natsu huffed; standing upright, he turned to Lucy, his hands on his hips. He sneered. The windows rattled at a giant gust of wind and the rain that had been pelting down seconds ago began to hammer even harder. Natsu shivered.

"Are you okay?" Lucy rushed over and hugged Natsu without thinking twice. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have laughed, I know you've been jumpy because of -"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Natsu pouted, crossing his arms.

Lucy felt bad for almost bringing up exactly why her partner was currently scared shitless of storms. Or, more accurately, scared of lightning. Laxus had been playing nicer with his guild mates but was still, at times, unpredictable. Who was she kidding? Laxus was Laxus. And Natsu was Natsu - he lived for pushing boundaries.

"I'm sorry." Lucy patted Natsu's back. She let her fingers drift into his spiky crown of hair, pushing so that he rested his face into the crook of her neck. "It's not your fault…" Her fingertips massaged his scalp in small circles. "It's okay."

"Oh Luce, it's better than okay."

"What?"

Natsu nestled deeper into Lucy's embrace even as she removed her fingers from his hair. His voice a bit muffled, admitted, "I said, it's better than okay."

"I mean, what do you mean? Better than okay?" Lucy pushed half-heartedly against Natsu. The man was warm after all - no point in getting too far away from such comforting heat.

"Um…" Natsu licked his lips and looked imploringly at Lucy. "I'm okay with you holding me?"

"Why am I a little creeped out?"

"Dunno, but if you said weirded out, then I'd know why." Natsu had the audacity to smile. "Ain't nobody weirder than you, Lucy." He said it like a compliment.

"Don't confuse me." Lucy stared into Natsu's dark eyes. "Why would you say you're better than okay? I know Laxus shocked the crap out of you this morning. So why are you telling me you're fine?"

"Fine?" Natsu let fire leap and dance in his eyes. "How can you forget so easily? I said I'm better than okay and that's the truth."

"Laxus hurt you, I know he did." Lucy sighed.

"I've forgotten all about that." Natsu smiled. "Why wouldn't I feel better than okay when you're in my arms? You're my whole world."

"W-w-what?!"

"Lucy! You know." Natsu edged closer. "The bad weather outside can't compete with an armful of sunshine."

"Sunshine? Me? What?" Part of Lucy wanted to cry at her failure at words. She was a writer and this was the best she could speak? Fuck. The other part of herself was seriously jonesing for more bodily contact with Natsu. "What do you mean?"

"You're the actual wordsmith." Natsu shook his head. "Imma have to go with action." He cupped Lucy's cheeks, the light in his eyes roiling with heat. "Remember, you asked for this." Natsu moved closer inch by inch, his lips brushing lightly and then roughly overtop Lucy's. He gasped as she opened her mouth, rushing to claim this new space with his tongue. Natsu keened deep in the back of this throat.

Chests heaving, both Natsu and Lucy separated. Blazing green met honeyed brown.

"That was pretty good." Lucy shivered and hugged her upper arms. "Not bad even."

Lighting cracked, the glare illuminating the curtains over the windows. Natsu was able to ignore the wrath of the storm, and held out his arms to Lucy. "Not bad? I've got my work cut out for me, don't I?"

Lucy considered her options, an earthy smile crossing her lips. "Slightly better than okay."

"Challenge accepted." Natsu embraced Lucy and kissed her into mindlessness as the storm raged to new heights - neither of them noticing as it eventually moved away. After all, who could notice such a petty thing when they held their entire world in their arms?