In the Cover of Darkness

Submission for Nalu week 2018. Day Four: Wicked

Summary: Lucy and Natsu were off to a good start, but they needed a little push to get the ball rolling. Is a game enough to cast away the embarrassment of intimacy, or do they need the darkness to show what they truly want? I do not own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does. Fantasy AU.

Rated T for foul language and adult situations.

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Word Count: 3.2K

Lucy's heart beat wildly as she walked forward, her fingers curling into fists as she struggled to keep herself composed. Her friends gave her a mixture of snickers and shit-eating grins, making her wonder if the game they were playing was rigged. She wouldn't be surprised, knowing Erza would go to extreme lengths to get what she wanted.

It wouldn't be the first time, after all.

Lucy placed her stick into the jar on her way to the closet, cursing herself for getting '4'. Then again, if she hadn't, someone else would be paired to play seven minutes in heaven with the person who had '9'.

In other words, someone else would have been paired with her new boyfriend, Natsu Dragneel.

Lucy heard his footsteps behind her, her eye twitching when a clanking sound filled her ears. He had dropped his stick into the jar as well, doing so without so much as a peep. She thought he would have protested the game, but he said nothing, merely obeying the 'Master'.

Lucy hadn't wanted to play the game in the beginning, but Natsu convinced her it would be fun, only to be proven wrong. So far, Lucy was forced to hop on one foot for two minutes, sing the chorus to a song with no music playing, and pretend she was a dragon for three minutes. She had hoped the last one wouldn't offend her boyfriend, but he ended up enjoying it, saying she would 'make a fine dragoness with a little more practice'.

The game was called 'Guild Master Game', and it was one of Erza's favorites. Each stick besides one had a number assigned to it, and when everyone picked their sticks from the jar, they would see who had the one stick with a crown symbol on it. That meant they got to be the Master for the turn, choosing what the others would do. There were a few rules, like no nudity or things that would be permanent, but other than that it was free game.

Lucy frowned when she realized Natsu was being too quiet, especially since he had been hyper all night. Pigging out on cake and soda was bound to do that to a person, even if said person hadn't been an eighteen year old, already full of energy to begin with.

Not only that, his kind were naturally boisterous, but Natsu wasn't living up to that expectation right now.

Lucy's shaky hands grabbed the knob, slowly twisting it open. She took a good look at the closet she would be sharing with her partner, happy they wouldn't be dealing with clothes hanging everywhere. For the most part, the closet was bare, which would be helpful when Natsu stepped in since he took up more space.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy entered the closet, her eyes adjusting to the darkness when Natsu shut the door behind them. His tail bumped against the few jackets hanging on the rod, but he didn't complain, merely moving around until he fit better. There was nothing he could do about his tail or horns, but at least his wings were gone, needing to be summoned to appear. She couldn't imagine how cramped they would be if he had them out tonight.

From outside the door, they could hear Erza's voice as she gave them their 'instructions'. Lucy couldn't help but narrow her eyes, wishing she had sat this round out.

"We'll get you two in seven minutes. Make sure you use your time wisely, and don't get too carried away!"

Not a few seconds later, the music was turned up in the other room, drowning out any sounds that might have escaped the closet. Lucy couldn't help but blush, realizing they were truly alone. She didn't know what was going to happen between them, but part of her thought there wouldn't be much sounds coming from them anyway. She doubted Natsu wanted to go through with it, even if they had experimented a little on their own.

Well, experiment was a strong word. They had only kissed a few times, but that was because their relationship was fairly new. She didn't know how far Natsu wanted to go inside the closet, but she knew he would back off the instant she said she didn't want to do something.

There was a reason she said no to all the other boys who asked her out before. She only wanted Natsu, her best friend. She trusted him more than anyone else, so when he finally asked her out, she didn't hesitate to say yes. She didn't want anyone else, especially not the boys like her.

She knew her father wanted her to settle down with another werewolf, but Lucy wasn't attracted to them like she was supposed to be. There was nothing particularly wrong with her kind, she just preferred someone more fiery and fun, and that was Natsu.

While her father didn't approve of Natsu, her mother did, and that was a relief. Even if both parents didn't like him, that wouldn't have stopped her from spending time with him.

Despite demons being known as wicked, Natsu had a kind soul. She knew part of that was because of his dragon nature, the creatures nurturing yet fierce when their loved ones were threatened. Natsu was the best combination of the two, mischievous yet loving.

Lucy couldn't help but fall for him, her heart yearning to be by his side, and she would hold him close to her for as long as she lived.

Which would be a normal hundred years, so long as nothing brought her end sooner. Natsu's species lived far longer than hers, almost three times as long, but they hadn't been together long enough to bring up that topic. They were still figuring out how to be girlfriend and boyfriend. The tough conversations could wait until later.

Lucy swallowed, feeling the closet's temperature rising already. Natsu's dragon side made things hotter, and the small space around them didn't help.

Lucy's breathing had already increased, worried things might get awkward between her and her boyfriend. Despite the two of them being seniors in high school, they were both inexperienced. She barely knew what the differences between the bases were, and now she was supposed to spend seven minutes in a closet figuring them out with Natsu?

To say she was nervous was an understatement, and when Natsu finally spoke, that nervous energy only increased.

"It's kinda small in here," he said, making her jump. She was thankful for the darkness. He could see her, but she knew he would be able to smell her stronger emotions.

Lucy's abilities were far different from his. While she could smell people's fear and sense happiness, she could only do them when she was close to the full moon. Since she was nowhere near her cycle, Lucy's powers had receded, laying dormant until it was that time again.

She was thankful her species had less noticeable features for most of the month. While she did sport some excess body hair and slightly pointed canines, it was almost impossible to tell what she was without asking.

Natsu on the other hand couldn't blend in even if he wanted to, but she knew her friend didn't care about things like that. With long horns, a tail, and patches of scales adorning his exposed skin, Natsu stood out like a sore thumb. Of course, most people did, only a few pure humans remaining in the mix.

Mostly everyone was mixed with another creature. Lucy even had a little fairy in her, but that bloodline wasn't strong enough to give her any powers. Natsu was the same, having human, demon, and dragon blood coursing through his veins. He was a force to be reckoned with, yet he was one of the kindest souls she had ever met.

Lucy swallowed hard, almost forgetting she was supposed to say something back. She imagined the silence made things worse, her palms sweating as she cleared her throat. "Y-yeah, it is."

She heard him sigh, wondering if he was running a hand through his hair or cupping the back of his neck. He usually did one when he made that sound, one of his nervous tics ingrained in her mind.

"I'm starting to think we shouldn't have played this game," Natsu whispered, unknowingly causing Lucy to smile.

She had been thinking the same thing. "I don't think Erza would've given us any other choice. She can be..."

"Demanding," Natsu supplied, but Lucy cut him off.

"Persuasive."

They shared a chuckle, the slight relief of them being on the same boat easing some of her tension. "Yeah, I guess that's a good word for it, just don't let her hear you say that."

Natsu barked out a laugh, the sound of something rustling behind him accompanying the cheerful sound. If Lucy had to guess, she would say it was his tail. Sometimes she swore it had a mind of its own. Natsu said the same, but she suspected he had more control over it than he lead on, especially when it 'accidentally' tripped Gray.

Natsu snorted, his words suggesting he wasn't afraid of their friend, but his tone said otherwise. "I can take her."

Lucy smiled, glad to hear Natsu acting normally. He was overzealous at times, and a bit rough around the edges, but he was fun, and that was what she liked about him.

However, that lightheartedness faded when Natsu breathed a sigh, his voice turning serious. "If you don't wanna play along with this game, we don't have to. I'm fine with just waiting here and talking." He paused, his tone growing softer. "I really like talkin' to ya."

Lucy bit back a blush, though she didn't know why. It wasn't as if Natsu could see her anyway. "I like talking to you too." Her heart sped up when she stood straight, resisting the urge to keep her thoughts to herself. "And... I want to play, just..."

"You don't know how far you wanna go?" Natsu guessed, earning an unseen nod.

"Yeah. Is that okay?" She didn't need to ask, knowing he was an understanding and patient guy when it came to her comfort. He hadn't rushed her so far in their relationship, and she was confident he wouldn't try now.

"Perfectly okay. I promise."

Lucy licked over her sharp canines, wondering how far she wanted to go with Natsu. She knew whatever they did together would stay between them. Despite Natsu's tendencies to brag, she hadn't heard him breathe a word of their private time to anyone, even when their friends tried prying the information out of him.

She trusted him completely.

Others saw a wild, fiery guy, but she saw his compassion, his willingness to put others before himself, especially when it came to friends and family. He never hesitated to lend a helping hand or listen when someone needed to talk about what they were going through. He was always there for her when she needed him, and she hoped he felt the same about her.

Tension seeped out of Lucy, her heart warming and her shoulders easing. She sucked in a breath, building her confidence while trying to keep herself from sounding like a dork. Or worse, she didn't want to sound too eager, but she also didn't want him thinking she was only doing it for the sake of the game.

Lucy rolled her eyes at herself, realizing she was being ridiculous. She didn't need to think too much about it. The best adventures she had with Natsu was when they didn't plan ahead, just going with the flow of things. That was how she needed to be tonight, even if they were essentially trapped in a closet because their friend was a bit too intrusive on their relationship.

"I... wouldn't be opposed to, kissing," Lucy mumbled, hearing Natsu gulp in response. She didn't know if that was a bad sign or not, but she didn't hear him complain. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

"That works with me, if you're sure?"

"Yeah, I... I am."

Lucy felt the heat rolling off Natsu when he took a step closer, the inner dragon in him taking the lead. She gasped when she felt his warm hand on her breast, but it was removed within a second.

"Fuck, my bad," he whispered, letting out a few more curses under his breath. "Sorry, I can't see your arm."

"Here," Lucy started, reaching forward until her hand landed on his solid chest. He had taken his shirt off a few turns ago, but she was okay with that. She enjoyed looking at his bare chest, but it wasn't as good as feeling it.

She let her fingers brush over his muscles, taking a bit longer than necessary to find his arm. A smile surfaced on her face when she found a small patch of scales on his bicep, but she didn't spend too much time playing with them. Instead, she trailed her hand down until it found his own, bringing his hand towards her waist.

As soon as his palm made contact with her side, he gripped her, using that as a guide to help him find the other side of her waist. After Lucy set her hands on his shoulders, Natsu leaned in. His nose grazed her chin before he moved upwards, lips skimming her face until he found her mouth.

Lucy's eyes fluttered closed when he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She kissed him back, enjoying the way his lips slid against hers. His hands tightened when she gave his upper lip a nibble, causing him to sigh. She didn't rush things, the two teasing each other with quick pecks and lingering kisses.

"Is this okay?" Natsu asked, his answer coming to him in the form of a kiss. She melted in his arms as he kissed her back, but there was only so much soft and slow she could take before she wanted more.

It wasn't until Lucy cupped the back of his neck and brought him closer that she decided to push forward, her tongue softly prodding at his parted lips. Heat flooded the closet when his tongue came out to play, coaxing her to come into his mouth before he gave it a suck.

Lucy couldn't stop herself from moaning, wondering where that had come from. She wasn't upset in the least bit, intrigued to see what else he was capable of. Their tongues massaged each other for a moment, both getting a feel for each other before Lucy tilted her head, deepening the kiss.

Things escalated from there, both using the cover of darkness to keep them from getting too embarrassed. Every time they kissed before, they had been able to see each other, but now they were shielded, able to put more enthusiasm into the kiss without getting flustered as easily.

Natsu wrapped his arms around Lucy, pulling her flush against his body. She hummed into his mouth, her hand weaving into his long pink locks before giving them a tug. His chest rumbled with a growl, causing her to shudder against him. Her tongue dove into his mouth, surprised but happy when she felt more scales surfacing on his chest and arms. That only happened when he was either really excited or angry, and she didn't need to guess which one he was.

Natsu groaned as he let her control the kiss, but his instincts kicked in soon after, needing to tame her wicked tongue. He pushed her backwards until she was pressed against the wall. Neither cared how intense the kiss was getting, nor did they try to slow down. It was all fire and passion, the roaring flames burning hotter every second they breathed each other in.

Lucy moaned when Natsu's tail wrapped around her leg. The scaled appendage squeezed just enough to let her know it was there, but not hard enough to cut off her circulation. It tickled her outer thigh as it moved up, careful not to cross any lines in case Lucy wasn't okay with more.

"Sorry," Natsu mumbled against her lips, his voice thick and deep. She didn't know if it was because of his dragon or demon heritage, or if it was caused by their activities. "Sometimes it has a mind of its own, but that's all me right now." As if to solidify his statement, his tail gave her another squeeze, one that made her pulse jump.

"It's okay," she breathed between kisses, one of her hands moving to his chest to feel the defined pecs before teasing more scales that appeared over his skin. "I like it."

"Good."

Her hand left his chest, touching the tail wrapped around her thigh before petting it. Natsu groaned when she did it, his breathing labored when she rubbed her hand against his back before pulling him in for a heated kiss.

The longer they kissed, the less they thought about embarrassment or lack of experience. Lucy loved getting lost in their kisses, but unfortunately for them, they forgot one key detail about what they were doing.

Their minds failed to realize they were on a time limit, and just outside that door was a group of friends they would have to face when it was all over. Until then, they gave the kiss their all, blissfully unaware of the outside world while they got wrapped up in each other, hiding away in the darkness.

Erza smiled when the timer on her phone went off. She said they had seven minutes, but she gave them twice that, hoping it would give them enough time to spend together.

She was ready to send another pair of her friends in there, these more clueless about their feelings than Natsu and Lucy had been. 'Seriously,' she thought, shaking her head at the two. 'It was too obvious they liked each other.'

Eyeing Alzack and Bisca, her next targets, Erza snickered before heading to the stereo. She turned the volume down so the two lovebirds in the closet could hear when she knocked on the door. However, Erza hadn't even reached the closet before she could hear the sounds coming from within. She froze, stunned by what she heard.

"N-Natsu!"

Erza blinked, glancing at the rest of their friends, all wearing equally surprised expressions. She didn't know what to say or do, her body keeping her trapped as she was forced to hear more, which only made her face as red as her scarlet hair.

"Damn Lucy," Natsu moaned, his voice husky and muffled through the door. "That feels so good! Please don't stop!"

It was a struggle for Erza to breathe, not expecting the turn of events. She cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention before gesturing to the cup of sticks. Her voice came out shaky as she stammered, trying to fight off the secondhand embarrassment she felt.

"N-now, um, I think we should keep playing." She didn't want Natsu and Lucy's absence to disrupt the night, even if it was her idea to put them in that closet in the first place.

Erza didn't worry about them as she turned towards the stereo, knowing they wouldn't do anything stupid. Natsu and Lucy had good heads on their shoulders, but then again, hormones could do some crazy things to levelheaded people. Not only that, they were both creatures who relied heavily on instincts, even primal ones.

She would give them a little more time before interrupting. It was the least she could do for putting them in that situation to begin with.

Everyone else continued playing the game, but not before turning up the music to drown out the sounds of their friends taking the game to a whole new level.

I love nalu week, but this year I didn't have time to write for every day. Honestly I'm just glad I was able to participate, even if it's just one entry. Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought of it! It's basically seven minutes in heaven trope with a spin on it, lol. Hope you liked it! :)