Summary: inspired by this awesome fic s/9448858/1/Rescue-Rewards. Natsu learnt as a child that heroes get kisses from the princesses they save. Well Lucy is a princess and he definitely saved her…
Pairings: Natsu/Lucy, a little Natsu/Lisanna if you look at it that way, some Levy/Gajeel, Natsu/Lucy, Edo-Lucy/Natsu, Edo-Natsu/Lucy, Edo-Lucy/Edo-Natsu, a little Elfman/Evergreen, mentions of Mira/Laxus, Cana/Bacchus, Wendy/Romeo, Happy/Charle, Alzack/Bisca, Lisanna/Bickslow, Natsu/Lucy, Laki/Freed, Jet/OC, Nab/OC, Droy/OC, Warren/OC, Max/Broom, Natsu/Lucy, Jellal/Erza, Gray/Juvia, and I have mentioned that this is a Natsu/Lucy fic, right? XD
YouTube Prompt: A Fairy Tail couples tribute to the song 'Kiss Me' by Six Pence None the Richer because it's just a perfect love song and would work for them all.
It was Lisanna's fault.
When they were children and he had rescued her from the forest Vulcans, she smiled prettily and kissed his cheek.
"What was that for?!" he blurted out. Gildarts chuckled and cooed teasingly, and Natsu could feel his cheeks heat up. "Shut up, old man!"
"It's a thank you," Lisanna said patronisingly, "you do know what a thank you is, right?"
"Of course I do!" Natsu shouted. "But you don't use your lips!"
"Well…actually you do."
"Shut up!"
"Heroes get kisses for thank yous when they rescue the princess," Lisanna said a lot more patiently now. "That's how all my story books end," she giggled a little then, "aren't you a hero, Natsu?" she asked.
"Of course I am!" Natsu's chest puffed out proudly. "But you're not exactly a princess are you?"
Lisanna huffed and smacked him, and then told Mirajane about how nasty Natsu was which left Natsu beaten up to a pulp. But despite Mirajane's attempt to erase Natsu's memory of that day it had stuck in his head, and would one day effect his life dramatically.
Heroes get kisses for thank yous when they rescue the princess.
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Not that it affected his life straight away. He failed utterly to save Lisanna by simply not being there (if only he was an S-Class…) and he never dared demand a kiss from the likes of Erza (who would kill him), Mirajane (ditto), Levy (Jet and Droy would be too annoying), Cana (does he look like he wants beer soaked lips on his?), Bisca, Evergreen, and Laki (urgh…). He never wanted a kiss from anyone. None of the females he saved when he was on a job, none of his guild members, and definitely none of those girls in magazines that Gray the pervert likes.
And then he met her.
The blonde weirdo that needed rescuing and loved Fairy Tail almost as much as he did. The pretty girl that made his stomach and heart do weird things like flipping and skipping, seriously what was with that? All he knew was that heroes get kisses for thank yous when they rescue the princess, and this girl was definitely a princess.
And he really wanted his kiss.
He stopped running (the council soldiers could never catch up to them now) and let the girl's hand go, and then stared at her intently.
How was he going to approach the subject?
The girl stared at him weirdly and he looked back. "What?" she demanded to know.
"Where's my kiss?"
Lucy and Happy both dropped their jaws and their eyes bugged out in a comical fashion. Natsu almost burst out in hysterical laughter but he really wanted his thank you kiss first and something told him if he laughed, he would more likely get a kick.
"WHAT?!" Lucy screeched. "What did you say?!"
Natsu wondered how someone could be so dumb. Wasn't he clear about what he had said?
"Give. Me. A. Kiss."
"HELL NO!" Lucy suddenly clutched her chest protectively. "YOU PERVERTED LOUT!"
"Who are you calling a pervert?!" Natsu roared furiously. Did he look like he was Gray? Or Macao and Wakaba? Hell no! He wasn't into weird things. He just wanted his kiss as it was his right. He rescued her, didn't he? "I'm just asking for my thank you! I just saved you! The princess always kisses the hero when he rescues her!"
"I'm not a princess!" Lucy said really quickly and in a very weird voice.
"I've noticed," Natsu said deciding to ignore the weird voice. "You're an ungrateful wrench."
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"YOU HEARD ME!" Natsu bellowed. "UNGRATEFUL WRENCH! I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO DO ANYTHING VILE JUST GIVE ME MY KISS FOR SAVING YOUR UNGRATEFUL, SELFISH, ARSE!"
"YOU WANT A KISS?" Lucy shrieked. "WELL FINE, I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR KISS!"
And that was when she grabbed him by his scarf, almost throttled him to death as she yanked him ferociously towards her, and planted her lips firmly over his.
This wasn't what he wanted!
And yet….it was….he was confused.
Her lips felt nice against his and he wanted to taste more but she pulled away before he could find out what lip kissing could be like. She stepped back and looked away from him, and he suddenly felt weird, like shy weird, like creepy weird, like….just fucking weird! And he didn't like it!
"Erm…Thanks," he muttered.
"No problem," she mumbled, and he couldn't help but notice that she was really pink, and even prettier. Was that even possible?
"Tee-hee," Happy giggled mischievously, "they liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike each other!"
"Shut up, Happy!"
"It's just a kiss! It didn't mean anything!"
Natsu huffed quietly, feeling really offended and weird still, and decided to walk home now. She can follow if she like, he no longer cared. Yeah that's right. He didn't care.
He definitely didn't want to kiss her again!
He decided quite firmly that he wouldn't want anything to do with her now.
Therefore Natsu didn't look at her for the rest of the journey home and he most certainly did not let himself go near her once they returned. After all if her lips could make him feel ill what would accidentally touching her body do to him?!
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
But it all changed when she followed him to the mountains and helped him save Macao. She was whiney, annoying, and stupid as hell, but she was also kind, and pretty, and sweet, and he quite liked that he had to rescue her again.
He was quite quick to point this out to her once everything died down. "So I rescued you again," he grinned evilly.
"You did not!" she fumed.
"You were kidnapped by a giant ape which I defeated."
"You could have done the defeating thing a little more gently," Macao grumbled quietly, "I could do without these burns. It's going to take weeks to recover from."
"I was perfectly fine on my own!" Lucy said hotly, and incredibly untruthfully in Natsu's opinions. "Taurus was doing splendidly before you knocked him out."
"He was just as bad as that perverted monkey!"
"Thanks mate," Macao said sarcastically, "it's not like I'm standing right here."
"Don't insult my spirits!"
"Oh really nice," Macao continued just as sarcastically as before, "I just sit here while you insult me, shall I?"
"Aye Sir!" Happy said gleefully. "You really stink!"
"I was being sarcastic!"
"Oh fine!" Lucy huffed in defeat. "You rescued me!"
Natsu's grin grew bigger and he couldn't help but feel eager. He was the hero again. "So?" he pressed her.
"So I'll give you your bloody kiss you insatiable bastard!"
And with that she ducked in quickly and kissed him sweetly before she pulled away. Natsu's grin was nothing compared to the bugged-eyed, jaw-dropped, look Macao had.
Now that was fucking hilarious.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
They didn't kiss for ages.
Despite what impression Lucy had initially given within the first two days of knowing each other, she didn't actually need rescuing that much and therefore he couldn't claim any kisses from her. This had left him strangely disappointed and he had hoped his epic battle against that weird flute demon would make her want to kiss him.
Instead she kissed Happy more than she kissed him. He watched, feeling oddly angry at his best friend in the world, as Lucy nuzzled the blue cat's fur and cover his little furry face with kisses of gratitude when he presented her with Virgo's key. To make matters worse Happy was disgusted by Lucy's kisses as if they were slime or something. Didn't he feel the nice tingle? Didn't he appreciate the nice burning sensation? Didn't he realise how fucking lucky he was?
No he did not. Which just made Natsu feel angrier and angrier at him for some reason.
But he swallowed it down and took it out on the likes of Gray and Laxus (who totally deserved it) and went on an S-Class mission to prove he was worthy. Worthy of being S-Class, worthy of being Fairy Tail's strongest, worthy of being Igneel's son, and worthy of Lucy's kisses.
It soon turned out to be all about Gray (so typical of the icy bastard to make it about himself) and he didn't have time to think about being a hero and winning a kiss as they had evil wizards to fight, demons to save, and Gray being useless as limp lettuce as he was blatantly stuck in the past.
Natsu would have said something. Anything. But they were attacked before he could think of something and he acted without thinking when he saw a great big droplet of green magical acid heading towards Lucy.
"Lucy!" he cried out. "Watch out!"
He then tackled her down to the ground, out of the dangerous magic's way, and into the safety of his arms. She gasped, shocked and horrified, and clutched at him as they rolled across the ground. Once they halted to a stop, she had caught his eye and gave him a hesitant smile.
"Thanks!" she gasped.
And then for the first time since they met she willingly leaned up and placed her lips on his. The first time that she kissed him without being asked to. He couldn't help but groan his appreciation and kiss back. God he missed this. But don't tell anyone. Especially Happy. He'll be teased to no end about it.
"WHAT THE HELL?! " Gray bellowed as his eyes popped out of their sockets. "IS THIS REALLY THE TIME AND PLACE FOR THAT SORT OF THING?!"
Natsu ignored him in favour of prolonging his kiss with Lucy. After all of his heroic actions that she had chosen to ignore these last few weeks, he deserved an extra-long kiss.
"Is this normal for you guild mainland people?" Natsu could hear one of the islanders ask Gray.
"HELL NO!" Gray shouted. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF EACH OTHER, YOU LOSERS!"
Natsu only obeyed his pain in the arse guild member because Lucy needed to breathe. "You're just jealous," he said tauntingly with a small smirk.
Gray has never been kissed by a princess he had rescued. Three times. Only Natsu has.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"Guys," Lucy said sternly as she stood up and brushed the dust off of her clothes, "this isn't the time."
"YOU COULD TALK!"
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Natsu didn't get any more kisses from Lucy. Although he supposes apart from preventing Gray being insanely stupid and killing himself, Natsu hadn't particularly been heroic. Hell, Erza saved Lucy more than he had on this mission. And as much as he liked being kissed for saving Lucy, no kiss was worth bringing the wrath of Erza on his head.
So they went home, terrified, miserable, a little bitter (Lucy got a reward of a new key but did Gray and Natsu get their money? Nooooooooooooooooooo), but somewhat satisfied that they had done some good and Gray wasn't going to commit suicide any time soon (seriously, what a fucking moron).
Their possible punishment vanished though the moment they somehow managed to swap bodies. Now Happy was driving Erza mad as he did weird things to her, Erza was sobbing in Happy's body for acting so cat-like, Loke was vomiting fire in Natsu's body, Natsu felt weird in Loke's body, like he had permanent stomach pains, Gray was struggling with his stripping problem in Lucy's body, and worst of all, Lucy was vomiting ice cubes up in Gray's body.
This could not do! He will not endure this!
"WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!" he bellowed having lost all patience now. "I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE BEING KISSED BY GRAY OF ALL PEOPLE!"
"YEAH?!" Lucy in Gray's body roared in retaliation. "WELL I DON'T WANT TO KISS LOKE EITHER!"
"Wait," Mirajane said gleefully, "you guys kiss?!"
It was ignored as everyone else was too amused by the situation to notice, Erza was too depressed, and anyone who would normally catch that was too busy researching a way to switch everyone back.
"I feel like we should be insulted," Loke grumbled to Gray.
"What do you mean should be? I am insulted!" Gray snapped. His wounded ego overcoming his intelligence. "What's wrong with kissing me?!"
"I'll kiss you Gray while you're in that body."
Natsu felt his hand curl into a fist as he was prepared to punch several members of his guild (it was definitely Wakaba who said it but the likes of Nab, Macao, Warren, and some nameless members he didn't know very well agreed with him by nodding) when Lucy stepped between her body and the perverted members of their group. The glare she shot them would have been far more intimidating if she had been in her own body, and damn right more terrifying if she had been in Erza's.
"Touch it," Lucy hissed, "and I will castrate you."
Her threat would have worked better if she didn't promptly throw up more ice cubes. Trust Gray's damn body to ruin the affect her threat might have had.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
The first thing he did after he caught her from jumping off that tower like a fucking moron was pull her in for a kiss.
He won't explain how she ended up jumping off a tower because just thinking about it made his blood boil, smoke pour out of his ears, and the temptation to burn someone to a crisp far too strong to resist. Instead he just threw himself into what was probably the best kiss yet despite the horrible situation she had just been in.
Her hands curled themselves into his hair, her breasts were mushed against his chest, and he wasn't sure if they could get any closer to one another but they could damn well try as he forced her lips open with his tongue.
"Idiot," he snarled against her lips, "what were you thinking?!"
"I was thinking," she gasped as he kissed her again, "that I knew you would save me, and I would owe you a kiss."
"You owe me more than a kiss!"
And he then proceeded to kiss her again before Happy reminded them that he was still there and really didn't want to witness all this yucky, romance, stuff which promptly made them pull away from one another and deny anything romantic.
Then Lucy burst into tears and the topic turned dark as she explained exactly why she had been kidnapped.
They didn't kiss again as he patted her on the back, comforted her, and carried her back home where she would be safe.
She did, however, kiss him again when the threat of Phantom Lord was over with. The Elemental Four was defeated, Master came back stronger than ever and kicked Jose's arse, and Natsu struggled, but with the help of Lucy and her new key, he had successfully beaten the first Dragon Slayer he had ever encountered – Gajeel.
Gajeel didn't seem all that bad actually. Not that Natsu had time to find out what he really was like. In fact Natsu had no time to recover enough breath to talk to the grouchier, brooding, Iron Dragon Slayer at all because Lucy had managed to slide down the rubble, straddled his hips, and slam her lips over his before he could even say a word.
"Oh God," Gajeel shouted in disgust. "Do you have to do that in front of me?!"
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
"Well? Ouch!"
He was being patched up by Lucy that day. It had been a very long and difficult day in which they had been betrayed by Laxus, Lucy had been turned to stone, Natsu had been left helpless behind some runes while everything battled it out, and then when he was finally free both he and Gajeel (who was totally a good guy now, by the way) barely defeated Laxus.
He was now having his ribs bandaged up by Lucy, who looked really pretty in her pink outfit for the parade.
"Well what?" Lucy asked amused.
"I did just help save the town."
"Did you now?" she asked, her eyes glittering with laughter, she was laughing at him! Definitely teasing him! She was as evil as Mira and Erza when she wanted to be. "I was under the impression it was a group effort from everyone."
"Gajeel helped," Natsu said stiffly, "but I did all the work."
"Like hell you did!" Gajeel barked from his side of the room. "Fuck!" he snapped in agony. "For fuck sake, Shrimp, watch where you're putting this stuff!"
"Well stay still!" Levy snapped back. "I need to disinfect your cuts and it might not hurt as much if you didn't fidget all the time."
"I see Gajeel agrees with me," Lucy smiled teasingly, "you didn't save the town."
"Come on, Luce!" he whined. "You know I did! I didn't get beaten up for kicks!"
"You do sometimes though," Lucy pointed out, but she sighed and smiled a different smile altogether, "but I suppose you have a point." She kissed the corner of his lips gently. "Thank you for saving us all," she whispered.
Natsu would have protested for a better kiss but Gajeel took his attention but shooting Levy a look, "Where's my kiss for saving the town?" he demanded.
"You're not getting one from me!" Levy snapped in true Fairy Tail girl fashion. "You pervert!"
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
They didn't get to kiss that often after that. Because again, Lucy didn't need rescuing all that often much to Natsu's annoyance. He would like a good excuse to kiss her again.
Instead he was slapped for no good reason, kicked out of her house constantly, and made prouder and prouder of all her as grew into a fantastic Fairy Tail mage.
And then she rescued him.
Or at least attempted to.
They had been ambushed, he was stuck on an evil raft with motion sickness, and it was up to Lucy and some poncy Blue Pegasus guy to fight the bad guy, and when Lucy defeated the Celestial Bitch, his raft went down the river and hurtling towards a waterfall. All he saw was Lucy wadding her way towards him, her hand held out desperately, and then the next thing he knew her breasts were in his face as they fell down the waterfall together, and then…..safety.
They were safe, dry, and dressed in matching clothes….which was weird but Lucy always was weird.
Once Virgo was dismissed and Lucy was beginning to work on a plan to find the others (Gray and Erza were around somewhere with other members of different guilds), Natsu couldn't help but stride across the forest floor, cup her face, and kiss her.
"What was that for?" she asked bewildered.
"For rescuing me," he grinned, "You're a hero Luce."
She blushed prettily at that and he couldn't help but admire the stars that Virgo had put in her hair, and how much like a princess she looked.
She was both a hero and a princess.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
And then Natsu kissed another woman.
Oh it wasn't like that! He wasn't a cheater or anything. He happened in be a parallel world that Happy apparently comes from and had just been moments away from being eaten by some giant desert worm (seriously what was wrong with this world?!) when an alternative version of Lucy, dressed in black leather, came to his rescue.
"Thanks," he grinned, "I knew you would come."
Because she may be an alternative version of Lucy but she was still Lucy, and Lucy would never abandon them.
Edo-Lucy gave him a withering look. "Is that all you're going to do to say thank you?" she snapped rudely.
"Huh?"
"Honestly," Edo-Lucy rolled her eyes, "How does my alternative self cope with such an ungrateful wench like you?"
And with that she pulled him in for a kiss. He could tell you straight away that Edo-Lucy's kiss was just like his Lucy's kiss. Harsh at first but then soft. And she was just as responsive as his Lucy was.
But when they pulled away she was undoubtedly not his Lucy as she looked at him dead in the eye without a hint of embarrassment while his Lucy would have turned pink by now and glanced in another direction.
For some reason this made him feel incredibly guilty and this guilt ate him up especially when Edo-Lucy tried to flash him in front of his Lucy. But the guilt died an instant death when his Lucy kissed his alternative self.
Edo-Lucy had abandoned them for reasons he couldn't understand. They were ambushed by soldiers and struggling to fight for their survival when a car swerved into action and rescued them. Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Charle were cramped together in the back while Lucy ended up sitting in the front with the mysterious, pink-haired, driver…..wait.
"Well, baby," Edo-Natsu purred, "who's the ungrateful wrench now?"
And that was when his Lucy suddenly pulled Edo-Natsu into a kiss causing the car to serve and Natsu to actually vomit. It wasn't just motion sickness, it was part deliberate revenge as well. Let this perverted prick endure cleaning Natsu's vomit up. It served him right for kissing his girl.
After that nauseating sight of Lucy kissing someone that wasn't him (it didn't fucking matter if it looked like him, it wasn't him!) he and Lucy got down to business to rescue everyone. They, of course, ended up captured, tortured, and in battle constantly until they got home but boy did Natsu rack up the points in rescuing Lucy (and vice versa) to the point he definitely deserved a kiss from his Lucy.
Which Gray kindly reminded her when he noticed Natsu's cloak draped around her shoulders (what? She was cold!).
"Where did you get that cloak from?" Gray asked suspiciously. "I could have sworn that Natsu was wearing it not that long ago."
"Natsu kindly gave it me," Lucy smiled warmly, "I should thank him."
"Yeah, suppose you sh- WHAT THE HELL?! SERIOUSLY CAN'T YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF EACH OTHER?!"
Natsu would have made a violent gesture at the jealous, selfish, ice prick but Lucy's kiss was incredibly distracting. Especially since she still tasted a bit like his alternative self and he couldn't quite suppress the growl and attempt to eradicate all evidence of her kissing another person.
When they pulled away they had apparently missed a mini-drama while they had been kissing (was it just kissing? Natsu could have sworn the girls had another name for it when it was a harsher kiss with lots of tongue…) because Lisanna and Happy were standing together, with equally weird and perverted looks, and in unison they trilled;
"They liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike each other!"
It might have just been Natsu but he was certain everyone could see a family resemblance between Lisanna and Happy.
Lucy was doing a lot of sweat-dropping and rambling.
FTTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
It changes on Tenrou Island. A new element was added and Lucy couldn't tell you how or why just that when. They had been kissing a lot whenever he had rescued her and it might have started out innocently but it was dangerously turning into something else.
Then they go on the S-Class exams and technically they're rivals but when a dark guild attacks they were reunited to fight them, and Natsu most certainly saved her a couple times there. Curse her stupid magic for running out during such a crucial moment!
And so they were discussing the possibilities of what could have happened and where the others might be, when Natsu suddenly sat down on some rocks, crossed his leg over the other, and magically looked sexy as hell!
No she was not kidding! There was something about his face that looked dark, intense, and so freaking sexy that she struggled to keep herself under control.
He was so alluring all of a sudden that it had to be illegal. Surely the Council was going to ambush them and arrest Natsu was being too sexy for his own good?
She didn't even think about it when she slid into his lap and cupped his cheek. "Thank you," she murmured, "for always being there," and then she kissed him.
And that was when their innocent kissing (with occasionally not so innocent kissing with tongues) turned into something more. There was something undeniably sexual about their kiss as they battled it out with their tongues, and his hands scorched her body as they took advantage of the fact her clothes were virtually falling off, and she couldn't help but rock into something that felt hard against her thigh-
"Ewwwww!" Happy moaned. "Come on, I just had lunch! I don't want to see it again!"
The moment was ruined and they pulled away but it was too late. Something had changed and it was no longer about him saving her and deserving a reward anymore.
She didn't mind.
Just as long as it was only her he kissed.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Natsu didn't get to kiss Lucy again after Tenrou Island.
There was too much hurt, sadness, and weird feelings to deal with. They had been missing for seven years. Their guild was weak, their homes ransacked, and Lucy had lost her Dad – who died waiting for her. No one was up for anything other than trying to sort their lives out in the tangle of confusion and despair. Then, of course, Lucy had to get herself involved in something freaky and weird. And get kidnapped again. And almost lose her soul to a clock. No he was not kidding, a freaking clock of all things!
Natsu thoroughly enjoyed beating to crap out of Midnight but it hadn't been worth it when he almost lost Lucy anyway. His heart stopped and his stomach lurched as he watched Lucy hurtle down from the sky like a shooting star.
He barely caught her in time, and he miscalculated so it ended up being his back that caught her but that was all right. Being almost crushed to death by Lucy's body weight smashing on top of him at the speed of light was well worth the kiss he received in thanks.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Then life carried on in full force as they trained for and then competed for the Magical Games. Their determination to win for their guild won out on any stirring hormones. That and the fact they were surrounded by everyone at every given opportunity. Lucy didn't dare give him more than a very grateful kiss on the cheek after the whole Flare debacle. After all they had Porlyusica, Wendy, and Charle watching.
It was after the Fourth Morning, in which Lucy almost died, and Natsu had just beaten the crap out of the guild members of Minerva, her almost murderer, that they kissed properly again. Natsu came to see her after his battle, his one-sleeved jacket completely torn from beneath his nipples down, giving her a beautiful and rather delicious view of his abs which was nothing compared to his radiant smile when he saw she was awake.
"Hey," he grinned.
"Hey."
Elfman and Evergreen tried to slip out of the medical room as quietly as possible but unfortunately Elfman's bulk made it rather impossible. Natsu and Lucy couldn't help but share an amused grin.
"How are you?" Natsu asked as he sat down on the bed. "You don't seem as sleepy as before."
"I'm better."
"Good. That's good…"
"How are you? You look a bit beaten up."
"I'm fine," Natsu reassured her as he took her hand into his. "I just beat the crap out of those Sabertooth guys."
"You didn't!"
"I did! They deserved it. They laughed at you. You almost died, and they laughed."
She couldn't help but smile softly at him. "You've always looked out for me," she murmured, "You've always been my hero."
"Yeah," he mumbled, strangely shy, "I want to…I want to be your hero."
Her smile widened and she pulled him down to her level, and kissed him with her all. He returned her kiss just as ardently and climbed onto the bed properly, his knee nudging its way between her thighs, and his hands fighting with the buttons on her pyjama shirt.
"What are you doing in my beds?!" Porlyusica roared with dragon like fury. Lucy and Natsu screamed and jumped apart. They had both forgotten that she was in the room with them. How?! "Does this look like a love hotel to you? You're obviously far too well for your own good. Get out! I'm not having any celestial dragon babies conceived in my medical room!"
They ran quickly as they could from the medical room, hand in hand, with a great determination to live because if there was anything more terrifying than Erza, it was Porlyusica.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
"When we get out of this castle you're so going to owe me."
That had been what Natsu said arrogantly mid-way through a battle with the Executioners, and technically he was right. Lucy so did owe him a kiss or two already. He had valiantly broken into the castle with the intention of breaking her out of prison and bringing her home. The fact they had now been thrown in an underground labyrinth of a dungeon, Natsu had saved her from falling by being her landing mat, pulled her out of the way several times from multiple attacks, and was now arrogantly preparing to beat the crap out of the enemy so he could get her out of the castle for good.
Lucy feared he most certainly did deserve a kiss for this but to admit it or even give him one would only feed his ego.
He didn't claim his kiss when they defeated the Executioners. Instead he just shot her a grin, and said, "I want to wait till we're out of the castle," rather sensible of him, "'cause I have no doubt you'll need more saving before we get out and then I can get a better kiss later."
She doesn't care what Mira or Yukino had to say, Natsu deserved that punch. It sent him rolling down the hill to the big gates that was supposed to lead them out of this damn underground prison, and much to their horror it was immediately opened by some mysterious cloaked person. Lucy could only watch, shocked and terrified, as the cloaked person revealed herself to be her, Lucy, and say something insane about how this country was going to be destroyed.
They didn't get to question her because she fell to her knees, cupped Natsu's face, and pulled him in for a very long, desperate kiss, that lasted far too long for Lucy's likening. She had an irrational urge to slap herself for kissing Natsu so indecently. In fact Charle had to cover Wendy's eyes, Lily looked incredibly uncomfortable, Yukino was bright red, and Happy moaned his disgust as the kiss increased in passion, vigour, and use of tongues.
Eventually Future Lucy pulled away from Natsu and, much to Lucy's own revulsion, a strong of saliva could be seen connecting the two people's lips. Natsu broke it off by turning to face Lucy, and he then grinned at her, "See Luce a kiss like that, take note," he said with his usual arrogance and insensitive attitude.
Future Lucy giggled and then she suddenly slapped him. Lucy couldn't help but smirk at Natsu's startled facial expression. It was priceless.
"What the hell was that for?!" he demanded to know.
"Your comment."
"You laughed at it, you weirdo!"
Future Lucy suddenly burst into tears and then she pulled Natsu into a kiss again. Lucy shifted uncomfortably because she knew there was only one reason why she would behave so erratically around Natsu. Kissing him, slapping him, and then crying….he was lost to this version of herself, and the very idea, for some strange reason that she didn't want to admit to herself, that broke her heart.
Natsu pulled away and looked down in mixed confusion and concern for Lucy's future self. "What happened to you?" he asked.
Future Lucy didn't answer him as she picked that moment to collapse out of exhaustion ("Typical Lucy timing," Happy said. "What the hell does that mean?!" Lucy roared infuriated), and when she finally awakens there was only so much she could tell them before she was brutally murdered before their eyes.
The last time Lucy sees her future self and Natsu is as she runs for her life and Natsu prepares to battle Future Rouge, as if he could bring her back from the dead by beating her murderer up…
FTFTFTTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Their kiss was desperate.
She had hugged him from behind when their battle against seven, horrible, dragons ended. He touched her hand gently and then suddenly, an abrupt and random change of demeanour (which she should be used to now as he switches from sweet and stupid to intense and serious), he whirled her round into his arms and crushed her lips with his.
It was a fearsomely desperate kiss, with tongues clashing, her body crushed into his arms, and it seemed to scream Natsu's very thoughts to her. She could hear his desperation through her mind as he chanted silently; we're alive, we're alive, we're going to keep being alive, we're going to live….
It might have just been her but that's what it felt like to her.
"Oh come on!" Gray and Happy moaned. "Can't you guys ever keep your hands to yourselves?!"
"Ara, Ara," Mirajane cooed, "I think it's sweet."
"I'm looking forwards to the wedding," Lisanna agreed.
"Erm…"
"There will be a wedding," Erza said terrifyingly, "right, Natsu?"
"You know," Lucy said loudly and blushingly, "I think I just saw Elfman and Evergreen kissing behind some rubble over there."
Fortunately everyone ran off to disturb their other friends with their romantic relationships which was a relief but….well the moment was kind of ruined.
It didn't matter though. Natsu got his hero's reward.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Lucy was bloody, beaten, and exhausted beyond belief….but she did it. She had saved them all. It took all of her strength, her tears, and the loss of one of her keys but she saved Natsu, and that's what matters.
She laid on the ground, barely keeping hold onto consciousness, but smiling brightly at the sight of Natsu standing before her. He knelt on the ground, collected her up in his arms, and stroked her hair before he kissed her sweetly and softly.
"What was that for?" she whispered, exhaustion definitely getting the better of her.
"A thank you," Natsu murmured as he kissed her again, "for being my hero."
They would have shared another kiss but Gajeel barked something incredibly rude and Natsu's attention was brought back to the battle with the demons that were still very much alive.
"Go," Lucy encouraged him, "and when you beat them all, I'll give you the kiss of a lifetime."
Natsu smirked. "I'm all fired up," he said.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
When it was all over and done with, demons from Tartarus gone, Zeref gone, Jellal free to live his life, the Council no longer corrupted, and the Slayers content with what they had found out about their dragons, they gave up on the whole pretence that their kisses were only thank yous for heroic skill.
In fact they gave up the whole pretence of any innocence as Natsu scooped Lucy up, flung her over his shoulder, and marched back to her apartment without even looking back to say goodbye to the others.
Gray would complain about how disgusting it was if it wasn't for the fact he realised he was the only one without a girl to kiss. Elfman and Evergreen also gave up pretence and were snogging furiously in a corner, Mira and Laxus were doting on one another at the bar, Levy was sitting in Gajeel's lap, Lisanna and Bickslow were flirting, Freed had become Laki's latest victim, Cana had left to hook up with that alcoholic from Quarto Puppy, Happy's fish was finally being accepted by Charle, Wendy and Romeo were holding hands (the twelve year old version of snogging if you ask Gray), Jet, Droy Warren, and Nab had left to go on dates with local girls, Max was cuddling his broom, Alzack and Bisca were being disgustingly sweet with one another, and even Erza was canoodling in the corner with Jellal.
"Oh come on!" Gray shouted. "I can't be the only one without a girl! Someone kiss me! I helped save the world too!"
"Gray-sama! Juvia shall kiss you!"
Gray yelped as he was suddenly tackled onto the floor and had his wits stolen through a very forceful kiss.
Meanwhile Natsu was thoroughly enjoying the ultimate reward for any hero – spending the rest of his life with his princess.