Burning

If one were to ask who initiated the kiss, Lucy would not be able to answer. But at that point, did that matter?

She moaned softly against his lips as they kissed gently. The act was worlds different compared to the wild moulding of lips from the first date, but this one burned with its own exciting brand of passion.

Their bodies were already so close that it wasn't difficult for her to shift into his embrace. Almost immediately, the man's arms enfolded her. The embrace warmed her body, the new heat intermingling with her own fire to arouse her some more.

Lucy dug her fingers into his back, yearning to be ever closer despite the sheer impossibility of it. Her long hair had slipped free of its loose braid, and the strands, like golden tendrils, wrapped around his shoulders, as if to secure their own grip on him.

When a second moan parted her lips, her tongue reached out to delicately trace his lower lip. Her tastebuds picked up the leftover richness of the chocolate sponge, and Lucy swallowed it. It was heady and sweet, a mix of chocolate, milk tea, and something else. Something powerful.

It was him.

His flavour.

The thought made a thrill shoot down her spine and all the way down to her toes.

At some point, he shifted backwards as if to stop the kiss. And for one vexing moment, it did break. However, a mere heartbeat later, his lips were back on hers, moving with, if it were possible, even more fervour than before.

His heart was ablaze, and Natsu channelled all the fire into his kiss. The fire was so intense that it felt like he would spontaneously combust if he did nothing to tame it.

Every part of him wanted to experience the woman in his arms. His hands itched to touch her, so he did. His mouth craved more of her flavour, so he acquiesced. And since his ears longed to hear her voice…

"Lucy…"

A 'Mmm' crossed from her mouth into his.

"My… name…" he mumbled in between kisses. "Say it."

He thought he heard a soft giggle. Then, her lips lifted a smidgen from his, her face tilting so that the tip of her nose touched his.

"Natsu."

As she spoke, her moistened lips grazed his, and her sweet breath tickled his nose. It was but one word, but what it did to him…

Lucy laughed when he suddenly grabbed her waist and lifted her. Her laugh was music to his ears and he immediately splayed his hands across the gentle curves of her back.

Natsu could not explain it, but even though she was already on his lap, his body still wanted to hold her in any other way it could. Looking up at her, he noticed that her appearance appeared slightly different. The late afternoon sun rays hit her body at different angles, and her golden hair and satin skin seemed to take on a new lustre.

Meanwhile, Lucy glanced about herself curiously and then commented, "Oh, wow… I was right. It's really soft."

Her words doused him in ice water.

Rearing back, and ignoring her protest as he did so, Natsu arched a brow at her. Her amber eyes were still dazed, but they refocused when he cleared his throat.

"W-what?"

"Uh… soft?"

"Yeah." She shifted again. "It feels really soft, really comfortable to sit on."

He was speechless. At that moment, his pants felt three sizes too small for him, especially in the crotch area, and she was…

The blonde must have caught on to his confusion, for she immediately launched into a fit of giggles. "I-I meant your pants! The denim is soft… hahaha! Oh gosh, did you think I was referring to your p…"

The words died on her lips and her amber gaze, previously so filled with mirth at his expense, quickly turned bashful.

Natsu's lips quirked up in one corner. "My p…?"

She refused to reply, but the redness spreading around her face was revealing enough. Natsu mischievously rolled his hips and watched in amusement as her eyes grew wide. Because he was so damn aroused, there was no way she would not feel the bulge. And she did. Lucy's lips, swollen from his kisses, parted ever so slightly.

"You were saying?"

"… Now you're just teasing me again."

The complaint could not have sounded more adorable.

"I'm sorry," he laughed.

"You don't mean it."

"No, I don't," he confessed. "But I do mean to kiss you again. Can I?"

"You're asking for permission now? Maybe you should have done that before you sat me on your lap." Then, she leaned down, her hands curling around his shoulders. "But, okay."

"I'm sorry to interrupt but…"

Lucy nearly screamed when Timothy's voice rang out. Standing two metres away was her student, and he looked absolutely mortified.

"What the- I told you not to bother us!" Natsu growled.

Her amber eyes bulged. "When did you tell him that?"

"He came in earlier, but I shooed him away."

Her mental cogs began firing at full power, and within seconds, it pulled forth the memory of him breaking their kiss for the briefest of moments. Lucy turned a horror-stricken face at her student. "You came in…then?"

The painfully red face of the 21-year-old made her breath leave her in one big whoosh. "I'm dead, so dead…" Lucy mumbled, curling her face into Natsu's scarf.

"Don't worry, Ms Lucy! I promise I won't tell anyone, especially not Jacob."

The mention of a specific name made the pinkette's brows shoot down. "Jaco- never mind. What did you need, Timothy?"

"Uh, I'm really sorry, Mr Dragneel, but my manager recommends you two… take your business somewhere else private. There's a… CCTV camera here. Only my manager has access to the screens, but… the recording… it's automatically saved to the drive."

"Fuck!"

The poor lad jumped a mile high when the harsh invective flew from Natsu's lips. "I'm really sorry!" he blurted out again, looking just about ready to burst into tears.

Natsu ruffled his hair frustratedly and slowly eased the blonde off him. Her fingers were still tightly latched onto his scarf. Sighing, he removed the strip of cloth and bundled it around her face and neck like a shawl. There were no love bites, but one look at Lucy's face would kill her reputation, especially in a café filled with her students.

"Take this as well," he added, gently sliding his sunglasses onto her nose.

As they rose from the seat, Lucy adjusted the windbreaker and zipped it all the way up. Natsu could not help but note that even with every zip and button sealed up tight, the piece of clothing was too loose for her svelte frame.

Natsu sighed again. "Is there a side entrance we can leave by?"

"Certainly! I'll take you through the staff entrance."

Thankfully, the path was free of prying eyes, and Natsu distractedly wondered if that had been by design. Turning towards the waiter, he plastered on a smile. "Listen, Timothy… Ms Lucy and I are…"

"Mum's the word!"

"Smart kid. Thank you, and I meant it… about the name card. Write in whenever you want."

With one hand pressed lightly to her back, Natsu guided Lucy along the trees lining the path. The tree line created a natural wall that helped shield them from any curious eyes at the café. The blonde still had not said a word since they left, and he knew the first thing she needed was absolute privacy. However, he was not so familiar with this area.

"Lucy, is there anywhere we can go?"

The bundle of clothing beside him quivered for a moment.

"Uhm… my h…"

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Lucy ducked her head down and mumbled again, but this time in a loud enough voice.

"My… house is ten minutes away."

I'm hungry. Dinner was way too early. I want chocolate cake and milk tea too.

Sam.