Chapter Thirteen: Tastes Like Lucky Strike

"I'm going home."

Lucy was secretly hoping Natsu would take her hint - as she was trying really hard to make it obvious that she wanted to be left alone. However, the reality was she felt a wave of relief seeing him. She wanted him to hold her, shielding her from the outside world that kept throwing knives at her… but she knew that being near him any longer would only just cause both of them pain.

"You're not going home like that - you'll get sick!" Natsu exclaimed as he parked his motorcycle right next to where Lucy was on the sidewalk. Proceeding to get off, Natsu took off his jacket, and draped it over Lucy's shoulder.

"Natsu, please -

"Just, let me do this." Natsu adamantly suppressed Lucy's urges at a refusal as he also reached for the helmet that was protecting his own head. Placing it gently over Lucy's own head, Natsu smiled. "C'mon. I'm taking you back to my place."

"But -

"No buts." Natsu responded, with a tone of sterness. "There is no way I'm letting you catch a cold."

Finally surrendering to Natsu's persuasion, Lucy took the hand that was extended towards her. Getting onto the motorbike, Lucy's arms were gently placed onto Natsu's shoulders. A sensation of familiarity and pleasure shot through Lucy's whole body. She was touching Natsu after weeks of no contact… and as much as she wanted to stay away from him, she couldn't deny that she wanted to feel him again.

"Hold on tight."

Even his voice sounded like smooth butter - silkier than she had remembered. She felt the goosebumps rush through her arms, and send a shiver down her spine. She felt pure bliss as her hands maintained upon his shoulders, carefully spreading every inch of her palms across the leather jacket he had draped over himself. Domes of raindrops were perched on top, and Lucy's hands were freezing… but she didn't care. She wanted to feel what she could feel against her skin.

Feeling the motorbike slowly coming to a halt, Lucy's daydreaming mind came to face reality. Natsu got off of the bike, while extending his hand towards Lucy's direction. Taking it immediately, Lucy carefully guided herself off the motorbike. Before she could turn towards Natsu, he already had his hands full with the helmet that was nuzzling on Lucys head. Patters of raindrops fell on her face gently as the helmet came off, and their eyes met for a brief second. Realize the stare was lingering, she quickly pulled away and blinked. Grabbing her hand, Natsu quickly pulled Lucy towards the door, trying to avoid getting any more soaked than they already were.

Prying the door open to a bungalow, Natsu and Lucy quickly tumbled in the house. As they both took off of their shoes, Natsu pointed down the hall ahead of the entrance, and glanced at Lucy. "Shower. I'll bring you a towel and some clean clothes."

"But -

"If you don't want to catch a fever, then take a shower." Lucy's attempts to protest Natsu came to a screeching halt with his dominant persistence. Giving into his demands, Lucy sighed as she made her way to the bathroom. The house was relatively clean, with a few clothes and books lying here and there. Once Lucy entered the bathroom, Natsu came out of one of the rooms, and handed her a black towel, as well as a T-shirt and sweatpants.

Holding up the T-shirt, Lucy chuckled. "I didn't know you liked Bugs Bunny."

"I got it when I was 12…" Natsu mumbled under his breath, clearly looking annoyed. Lucy smirked, enjoying him getting embarrassed. "Okay, hurry up and shower, will you?"

Shrugging, Lucy nodded her head, and closed the washroom door when Natsu got out of the way. Turning the shower on, Lucy became lost in her thoughts. The steam fogged up her eyes, but her mind was moving at lightning speed. She was in Natsu's house - who she hadn't seen in weeks - and she was taking a shower, in his house. She couldn't help but admit missing him through the time she was avoiding him - often thinking about those small moments they shared together that continue to bring shivers throughout her body… however, she still harboured fears of letting too many people get too close to her.

Turning off the faucet, Lucy stepped out of the bathtub, only to be greeted by a foggy mirror. Approaching it as slowly as she could, she wiped the steam off of the mirror with her bare hands, exposing her face, whereas the rest of the steamed mirror blurred the rest of her body. Seeing her reflection in the mirror was different for her now; the brunette with the curls was no longer staring back at her. She was now looking at a shell she masqueraded behind, hoping to make it her permanent identity in the hopes it'll prevent the trauma from hurting her even more than it already had.

Natsu's clothes seemed a little old, but they were small enough to fit Lucy, but large enough to give her breathing room. Wrapping the towel around her hair, Lucy stepped out of the washroom, and walking down the small hallway to the living room. It looked as if Natsu tidied up the space a bit while Lucy was in the shower, and Lucy also noticed two mugs of hot chocolate placed on a mauve coffee table which was placed in from of a matching sofa where Natsu was also sitting. He brought his eyes up to her , and smiled while placing a hand next to the empty space by him. "Come. Sit."

Nodding her head, Lucy took her seat next to Natsu, and grabbed one of the cups of hot chocolate, which warmed her up right away. "Thank you." Not letting her eyes meet his, she took a sip from the cup, before placing it back down on the table. She felt the goosebumps once again, flooding her entire body. The tension was building up in the room quickly, and Lucy had no idea how to start a conversation. Having him so close to her felt so good, yet so painful… she wanted him to stop wasting time and kiss her, although realizing that it wasn't realistic of her to think this way.

"Why are you ignoring me?"

The tension was finally cut from Natsu's bluntness, which took Lucy by surprise - and enough to bring her eyes to his, which never left her face. While his was filled with longing, hers were filled with guilt.

Opening her mouth to speak, Lucy felt herself jittering. "I wasn't trying to ignore you, it's just -

"You've been avoiding me for weeks." Natsu affirmed what Lucy didn't want to admit. After going silent for a little bit, Natsu sighed. "Was it because of Lisanna?"

Lucy jerked back at the sound of her name, but tried her best to refrain from being too obvious. She didn't want Natsu to notice her discomfort, but she also realized she needed to say something. Anything. "I just… didn't want to be on anyone's bad side."

"Is that really it?" Natsu sounded incredibly unconvinced, and Lucy couldn't blame him. She knew if she was fed the same excuse, she wouldn't buy it either. "I know Lisanna can be… well… a bitch, but if you're gonna let her stand in the way of what you want -

"How do you know this is what I want?!" Lucy snapped back before Natsu could finish that sentence, which evidently made him shut up instantly. Lucy could sense his shock, but she was upset enough to let that slide past her. "You literally JUST broke up with her - how do you think it's gonna look if you and I start..." She was almost not even aware of the words that were coming off of her mouth.

"I don't care what she thinks!" Natsu's tone was on the verge of pleading, which took Lucy aback. "For years, no matter what I felt for her, she's always ruined the smallest things for me. It was like I wasn't even allowed to be myself around her." Taking a deep breath, he placed the tips of his fingers against his temple, trying to relive some of the pressure. "Honestly, even though I loved her... I'm glad she left me."

Lucy honestly couldn't believe what she was hearing at the moment. Even though it was the first time she heard someone be happy over a breakup, her face turned a shade of red. Hearing him talk about a sense of freedom... it felt special. But what made it more special, was that he wanted her to be a part of that.

"But..." Natsu's voice cracked ever so slightly, but caught Lucy's ears. "Even though I don't want you to stay away, I won't stop you if you don't want this."

The hurt wasn't that evident, but it as noticeable enough for Lucy to pay attention. And Lucy could feel a ball forming in her throat. She didn't want him to step away - she wanted him right where he was. She was scared to crack her walls, but she wanted to. Every bit of her wanted to break her barriers for him. She wanted to feel his hands on her, she wanted to feel his lips on hers. Lucy could feel her hands slightly shaking, as she tried to not show her vulnerability. Her voice slowly started to crack, but she spoke as confidently as she could, hoping Natsu would hear her.

"I don't want you to stay away."

Natsu's eyes got larger, as he shot them straight back upon Lucy's, whose gaze lingered upon his. The tension could've been cut with a table knife. A few silent, passionate moments passed the two by, as if time stopped after Lucy uttered those words. Nothing around them, or outside of them mattered - it was just them that mattered. However, those moments didn't last too long, as Natsu let out a small giggle.

Baffled, Lucy scoffed. "What the hell is so funny?"

"I can't take you seriously with you wearing my Bugs Bunny shirt." Natsu chuckled, which made Lucy playfully shake her head irritatingly. "I feel bad giving it to you in the first place, but I didn't have a whole lot of options."

Laughing alongside Natsu for a little longer, Lucy's face suddenly went serious. It was almost as if whatever fears she held onto her until the last minute disappeared, and a wave of confidence came across her face. It was the kind of confidence that she hadn't visited since the night she spent with Natsu at the park; it wasn't just confidence, but also dominance. "If you can't take me seriously with it on, then why don't you take it off?"

Natsu's playful grin vanished, and it was replaced with a gradual build of lust in his eyes. Lucy noticed right away, and took this opportunity to get a little closer to him. Smirk intact, she raised her arms half-way up, and said. "Well…?"

She was aware she was playing a dangerous game. She was giving into her own desires, when she knew full well she shouldn't be.

A single, brief moment of sexual tension lingered between them, but was abruptly interrupted with Natsu cupping Lucy's cheek before crashing his lips onto her. Being gently pushed back on the sofa, Lucy's hands grabbed onto his hair, and her grip got tighter when she felt Natsu's hands around the bottom of her t-shirt, taking up her offer to tug it off. Not being able to wait any longer, she tore her own shirt off, and threw the towel wrapped around her hair onto the ground. Natsu's lips immediately trailed from her mouth down her neck, and finally onto her stomach. The tenderness of his lips sent a shiver down Lucy's back, as she felt her back arch.

Natsu began reaching for his own t-shirt, and tore his lips away from Lucy's body for a brief second. His bare chest was visible, and he was as muscular, sculpted, and toned as he was that night in the forest. Mesmerized, Lucy stood on her knees slowly, and brought her own lips to his chest - urging him to let out a soft moan from his lips. Trailing up while still on her knees, Lucy reached Natsu's own mouth, and their lips once again locked, and they caved into their hunger. Natsu's hands trailed all over her body; his touch brought a certain warmth that Lucy yearned for, and she was finally receiving it. The lust, the pain, the desire - it was all she could've ever hoped for, and it was right in front of her.

The patters of the rain can still be heard against the glass windows, the thunder kept roaring, but that didn't stop Lucy and Natsu from giving into each other for the night. The two of them found themselves getting off of the sofa, and trailing up the stairs to where the bedrooms are. Gently kicking one of the rooms pen, Natsu pulled Lucy in - continuing to kiss her, as he proceeded to close the door, hiding their shame from the outside world.

"Aren't your parents going to come home soon?"

Lucy's eyes never left Natsu's as she laid on the bed, with her head tilted towards him, and the sheets covering both of them. There was still a hint of daylight left outside, but the sun was starting to set. "Mom left for a conference for the day - she won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."

Lucy noticed that Natsu failed to mention his father, but instead of pressing him on the matter, Lucy swallowed her tongue. It had happened again - even though she promised herself she would no longer have anything to do with him. There was just something about Natsu that intrigued her so much - it wa as if he filled a gaping hole that had been left in her soul. He brought a certain comfort and confidence that was killed off of her. She didn't know what she felt for him, but all she knew was that she didn't want to stop spending time with him.

"Do you remember what you asked me the Monday after… everything happened?"

Squinting slightly, Natsu took a moment to understand what Lucy was talking about, until coming to the realization. "Yea, of course I do."

Clutching the sheets against her chest for support, Lucy sat up on the bed, while her eyes didn't leave Natsu's. "Why? And why me, specifically?"

Natsu sat up on the bed as well, with his back against the back bed frame. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what is a no-strings-attached 'thing' going to do for you, and why do you want to do it with me when you can probably get any other girl?"

There was a moment of silence, which reflected Natsu's inability to come up with the right answer then and there. His face also emitted confusion - almost the same confusion on Lucy's face at that very moment. But what followed that moment of silence, was a response that Lucy never expected from him.

"I wouldn't have wanted a no-strings-attached thing if it was anyone other than you - because I wouldn't have even looked at another girl."

Seeing the shocked, yet still confused expression on Lucy's face, Natsu continued. "With you, it just feels natural. You're easy to talk to, you're fun. I like being with you."

Lucy felt her face feel warm, and she could tell she was about to turn red. Whatever he had just said to her… she felt the same way. Besides worrying about Lisanna, being with Natsu did feel natural. Whatever they had going on, it really did feel natural. No pressure, no investment, no real emotion - just wholesome and free fun. Something to ease off the tension, the stress, and more importantly… the ache.

"I like being with you too."

With those words muttered off of her lips, Natsu smirked as he grabbed her waste, and brought her closer to him. With her legs wrapped around him, he trails his lips to her ear. "This stays between us?"

Giggling, Lucy nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way." And just like that, their lips were intertwined once more.

Natsu really fought for her... but did he fight for HER or for HIS own fix? This no-strings attached relationship will get complicated very soon, but we need to explore Lucy's back story a little bit.
Be sure to review y'all! I know it's been a while but I'm going to try and upload a little more frequently.