CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

He heard her footsteps growing farther and farther away as Lucy practically ran down the hall and back to the rest of the guild.

Move. Go after her. Just move. But his body remained frozen, against his hearts wishes. Natsu felt more confused and elated at the same time than ever before. He could still feel the warmth of Lucy's lips against his and the feeling of her body under his hands. Blood pounded between his ears and he felt the dragon fire inside of him ready to explode. He couldn't believe he actually did it, actually kissed her when he didn't even know what he was doing, since he'd never kissed anyone before. It seemed like his mind was moving a mile behind the rest of his body as it processed, like an old computer booting up. She had kissed him back. Lucy kissed him back. And liked it, from her reactions.

The draconic instincts inside of him were screaming for him to move, to chase after her and claim what was his. What was theirs. He tasted stardust and vanilla on his lips even still, something he could easily become addicted to. But he'd never kissed anyone before, nevertheless been kissed back and he didn't know what to do. Natsu may be emotionally dense sometimes, he knew it just as well as everyone else in the guild, but he still knew what the swirling in his stomach meant. It was new and exciting, but also terrifying. What if he messed up and Lucy didn't want to be around him anymore, or be his friend anymore? What if she saw what everyone else did: a mess that could barely control his temper or his magic? Fear poisoned the instinct to run after her, tainting the glowing elation he felt inside. It only lasted a moment, a few breaths, but it was long enough for her to get away.

"Fuck, shit. Godsdamnit, Natsu you idiot," he cursed himself. He was never one to cower in fear, not even to his own emotions. Fear and anxiety be damned, he was falling for Lucy and he needed to run after her. Natsu leapt from the bed, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. He slammed open the door and ran down the hall towards the main guild hall, cursing under his breath. There was one thing he knew and that was he couldn't lose her. Not his Luce, not when they hadn't even gotten started yet. He couldn't let himself get in the way either. Not when his draconic instincts were screaming an important, four letter word. A word he didn't think he could face yet. A word that made complete sense to him, that would explain why he was so drawn to her and why their magic reached for each other.

Natsu charged down the stairs, sliding to a stop in the bustling tavern, eyes frantically searching for that speck of gold. He spotted her sitting by the master and Hibiki and Levy. She was chewing her lip and wringing her hands together in the way she did when she was thinking about something. His heart fluttered in his chest as he stared at her from across the room. She half smiled at something Hibiki said, looking over at Levy and talking for a few moments. He was about to take a step towards her, when Hibiki reached over to Lucy and grabbed her hand, lifting it to his lips and winking.

Everything went red. A fiery hot rage burst inside him, boiling in his blood. The dragon inside of him screamed to defend what was his, what belonged to him. To take it and protect it. He felt the fire just under his skin, threatening to explode out and incinerate everything in his path, but then he saw Lucy smack Hibiki on the head. One of her deadly Lucy Chops. The dragon inside him still seethed and called for a fight, but Natsu managed to reign in the beast just before he charged over there and beat Hibiki to a pulp.

Lucy wasn't his, not like that. She was her own person and could make her own choices. Natsu knew that but the jealous, possessive instinct inside him still burned. He had to punch something. Turning he saw Gray walking towards the bar.

"Gray, fight me!" He screamed, charging his friend with fire bursting from his fists. Gray barely had a chance to react before Natsu slammed his fist into his jaw.

"What the hell, Natsu?" He yelled, but he still swung back. Gray met Natsu's gaze as they squared off, and his brows raised, a question rising in his gaze. Natsu growled, and Gray just rolled his eyes before sending a wave of ice towards the fire drakon.

Lucy didn't even think when she ran from the room. She barely had any time to put her thoughts together before she reached the main tavern of the guild that was still bustling with activity. Her heart was pounding faster than ever, with excitement and fear, but mostly fear. What if she had ruined her friendship with Natsu? What if he didn't actually mean to kiss her like that, or didn't know what it meant to her?

Her mind was clouded by an anxious fog she couldn't seem to escape. A small voice told her that he was the one that kissed her, more than once in fact. It tried to yell through the fog, to remind her of his reaction, of the heat she felt under his skin. She wouldn't let herself acknowledge that voice though. Not when there was a chance that she could lose Natsu. She wouldn't survive, not when she'd just found her new family, when she finally wasn't alone.

Before she knew it, Lucy was standing by Levy and Hibiki, their voices reaching through the fog in her mind.

"The trace usually doesn't take this long, but they were careful. They've been hopping around, using different wards to try and confuse the trail but I'm smarter than they are." Hibiki said, gesturing to the golden shimmering apparatus before him.

"Your magic is so interesting, I've never seen it used like this before," Levy said, staring at the symbols with a curious glint in her eye. Lucy forced the turmoil boiling inside of her aside and focused on what her friends were talking about.

"Why thank you, I always love being complimented by a beautiful lady," Hibiki replied with a wink. Lucy fought the urge to roll her eyes. Levy was right though, Hibiki's magic apparatus was very interesting. Not that Lucy knew a lot about magic yet, but she did know technology and his magic seemed to be similar to the tech she knew from her human life. She listened to them explain for a little, something about how he could categorize and track magic types and how he had a whole data bank of different magic.

"Would you happen to know anything about celestial magic or Starchildren?" Lucy asked. Hibiki's gaze ran up her body, leaving a sour taste in Lucy's mouth. She knew plenty of men that looked at her like that, none of which she liked to stay around for any longer than necessary. All of the men from Blue Pegasus flirted like their lives depended on it, and Hibiki was no different. She didn't know much about the rest of the guild, but she knew the members in the Alliance were definitely womanizers.

"I'd love to tell you everything I know, beautiful. Maybe over a romantic candlelit dinner at my place," Hibiki said with a wink, grabbing her hand and lifting it to his lips. Lucy saw red. She snatched her hand away and with a cry sent one of her deadly Lucy Chops to Hibiki's head. Maybe that would knock some sense into him, or at least push out some of the hot air that must be trapped between his ears. Levy fought to control her laughter, raising a hand to cover her mouth. Hibiki was frozen in shock for a few moments, staring blankly up at Lucy until she saw the suave ego return to his eyes.

"I like a strong woman myself," he said, trying and failing to recover from his previous mistake. Lucy just rolled her eyes. Her thoughts turned to Natsu, again, and wondered where he was right now. Was he still sitting in that room?

Her question was answered a second later when the fire drakon's voice echoed through the chamber, yelling at Gray. Moments later there was a flash of heat followed by freezing cold as the two began dueling. She felt her gaze turn towards Natsu and his magical display, almost unconsciously she sought him out in the crowd, searching for a flash of pink. Levy placed a hand on Lucy's arm, gesturing for Lucy to follow her. She led them to a little alcove where it was quiet and empty of people.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you two," Levy said quietly. Lucy bit her lip in thought, the panic and anxiety inside of her bubbling up to the surface.

"Oh Levy, I just don't know what to do," Lucy began. She wrung her hands together and knew her starlight was dull and muted due to the swirling cloud of emotional turmoil she was trapped in.

"He kissed me, and then I kissed him back, but I don't know if he knew what it meant, or what it means to me, rather. And he just sat there after and I ran away, and I can't stand to lose him or all of you. I couldn't bear to be alone again; it would kill me. I just don't know what to do! I think I'm falling for him and every time I'm near him it's like everything just makes sense, like there's this string pulling us together and it's getting shorter and shorter with each passing day. I just don't know what to do or think," Lucy rambled. The bottled emotions inside of her bubbled over and she couldn't stop speaking until it all spilled out in a single breath.

Levy smiled softly and shook her head. She grabbed Lucy's hands in her own. "Lucy, you are one of the smartest people I know but right now you are being an idiot." Lucy's mouth parted in shock.

"Anyone in this room can see that Natsu cares for you, and you for him. It's one of the most obvious things. From how you literally light up when he's around to how calm he is around you, it just makes the most sense in the world. As your friend, I am obligated to tell you that you're overthinking this." Levy squeezed her hands and nodded her head towards the flash of fire across the room, where Natsu and Gray were fighting it out. Lucy looked over, her heart skipping a beat when she finally saw Natsu. His brows were furrowed and eyes burning. She watched for a few moments, until Erza showed up and quickly put an end to their little squabble.

"If anything, you need to go talk to him about how you're feeling. You can't assume what he's thinking or feeling, it won't do you any good. Natsu may be a little dense sometimes, but I'm sure he knows what he's doing when it comes to you." Levy reached up and ruffled Lucy's hair, mirth shining in her eyes. Lucy felt the panic inside of her slow at Levy's words. Of course, her friend was right. Hell if anything Lucy shouldn't have ran out of the room after they were interrupted.

"Levy, I just can't lose him. What if he doesn't feel the same as me?" Lucy asked. Levy sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think there's anything you could do to lose him, and I don't think you need to worry about if he returns your feelings. But, if he doesn't, you have the rest of us and we'll beat him up for you," Levy answered with a large grin. Lucy let out a small laugh at the mental image of Natsu getting ganged up on by all of Fairy Tail. "And if he ever does anything to hurt you, Mira and I will personally kick his sorry ass."

Lucy laughed, then pulled Levy in for a hug. "Thank you."

"It's what friends are for, right?" Levy squeezed Lucy tight, then pushed her away, towards the bar where Natsu was brooding. Lucy looked over at him, his fluffy pink hair and broad shoulders clearly tensed. The kernel of warmth next to her heart flashed with heat and Lucy began walking towards him. She was halfway across the bar when the Portal flashed, and the heavy doors slowly swung open. She glanced over, not even really paying attention to whoever was entering the guild. She saw a tall dark shape slowly come into focus and they entered the guild. Lucy stopped in her tracks, staring in shock as a familiar and unwanted presence made itself known. She knew those squinty red eyes and long wavy black hair pulled back with a bandana. She saw those eyes in her nightmares sometimes where she relived the hell in Phantom Lord. The long-healed wounds she suffered began to ache as she stared at Gajeel, the Iron Drakon standing inside her guild.

The chaotic cacophony of voices filling the guild faded to static. Lucy froze, her body locking up as Gajeel finally met her gaze, something akin to shame tainting his expression. She felt a white-hot rage fill her as memories of what he did to her and to her friends rose to the surface of her mind. Waking up next to Levy, seeing the fear in her friend's gazes as Phantom attacked, the pain as he beat her nearly to death. Lucy's magic reacted to the rage and fear boiling inside of her and she lit up. Magic danced across her skin and pulsed with her rapid heartbeat. She clenched her fists and could feel her body shaking. She remembered with painful clarity all the pain this monster wrought upon Fairy Tail. And here he was, standing before her.

"You!" She growled. Starlight flashed and her sword was in her hand. The blade was sizzling and flaring with magic. Before she had a chance to think, her body moved. She just reacted. Lucy ran at the intruder, her face warped with wrath and fury. The sword in her hand hissed and sparked and Lucy swung at Gajeel, who quickly dodged and jumped back. The guild around her faded to the background and her entire being was focused on the monster before her. She would not let him hurt her friends again. Lucy sprang forth, feinting high and moving to strike low at his legs. Her blade slashed through his pants but instead of meeting flesh it met steel. There was a loud clang and scream from her blade as it scratched against the metal skin. Cursing Lucy didn't give him a chance to respond and twisted her blade up towards his face. She saw the shock in his eyes as she attacked. He barely managed to lift his arms to deflect her blow, the starlight streaking across metal once again.

In the weeks since Phantom Lord attacked the guild, Lucy trained with Erza. Though, train wasn't the right word. More like got beat into a pulp while sometimes learning more about swordsmanship from the vicious Valkyrie. But they trained with dull practice blades, weighed down by iron and wood. Lucy's starlight sword was different. It was an extension of herself, of her magic and it was weightless and perfectly balanced. Lucy erupted in a wave of blows, slashing and slicing at Gajeel with all the might she could muster. Starlight flashed and sparks flew as steel met a blade of magic. Strangely, Gajeel only retreated, relying only on defense and not even raising a finger to return an attack.

Not even a full minute had passed since he entered the guild, and Lucy briefly paused her onslaught. She lifted her shortsword, pointing the tip at Gajeel. Her mind was finally catching up and a thought made her stop attacking, at least for now.

"How the hell did you get through the Portal?" She asked, chest heaving. Gajeel winced and she saw that her starlight blade managed to slice through the steel coating his skin in a few places.

"Fuck, blondie, you really don't know how to greet people," Gajeel answered, lips pulling up into a smirk. "If you wanna know why I'm here, just ask the old man."

Ice spread down her spine at his words. She slowly lowered her arm, the starlight sword fading away to flecks of dust and then nothingness. She turned to face the guild hall, and saw her teammates squared up behind her. Erza had equipped into a silver set of armor, Gray's hands shone with dense magic and she could feel the cold from where she was standing. Levy was standing behind them, her eyes wide with shock and fear. Lucy felt a familiar heat at her side and looked over to see Natsu, arms covered in draconic fire, move to stand next to her. The fire drakon bared his fangs and snarled, his face twisted in rage.

"Calm down, you damned brats!" Makarov's voice echoed loudly through the guild hall and a giant fist slammed down on the bar top. The Master made his way through the crowd until he was standing by Gajeel with a frown.

"This is what I wanted to talk to you brats about. Gajeel here has been helping me on the side to track the Oracion Seis." Makarov met Lucy's gaze, and shook his head. "He's now a part of Fairy Tail."

Shocked gasps and cries went through the guild at the Master's words. Lucy stared at him in shock and turned to Natsu, who looked equally shocked and enraged.

"The fuck you mean he's a part of Fairy Tail? Did you forget what this bastard did to us?" Natsu yelled.

"Of course I didn't forget!" Makarov shouted. He tsked and shook his head, lifting a hand to rub his temple. "I didn't forget and neither did he." Makarov pointed to Gajeel. "He is repaying his debt to us and I believe in second chances."

Lucy took a step back, her heart sinking in her chest. She reached out towards Natsu; who's flames had simmered down when the Master spoke. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. He looked down at her with concern in his eyes, and Lucy stepped closer. His arm brushed hers and Lucy took comfort in his familiar warmth. He squeezed her hands back and glared over at Gajeel.

"Quite the welcome party, old man." Gajeel spat. The steel faded from his skin and he stood with arms crossed in front of the guild. Makarov glared at the drakon.

"You all are my children, and we are a strong guild with strong bonds. Yes, Gajeel has hurt us deeply and is working to repay us. I am not asking you to forgive, but he is a member of Fairy Tail now and is helping us with the Oracion Seis. Stop making a mess of my bar and get back to work." Makarov slammed an oversized palm on the floor and waved everyone away, taking Gajeel with him into his office. There was a moment of shocked silence before everyone grumbled and went back to what they were doing before Gajeel arrived. Gray shucked his shirt on the floor and cursed.

"I need a drink now," he muttered before going to sit at the bar. Erza shook her head, requipping into her usual outfit with a flash.

"I don't like this." She stared at the closed door of Makarov's office. Lucy nodded in agreement. Erza looked over at Lucy and clapped her on the shoulder, nearly knocking the girl over. "Well fought, you're learning."

"It's all thanks to you," Lucy said. Erza smiled and said, "Not just me. You're becoming stronger." With that she went to join Gray and Mira at the bar. Lucy looked for Levy, but the demi-fae was nowhere to be seen. Understandably so, Lucy knew her friend probably needed some time to herself. Lucy ran a hand through her hair and shook her head.

"I can't believe-" she began, stopping when Natsu pulled her tight against his chest, arms wrapped around her waist and face nuzzled into her neck. Lucy gasped in surprise, but returned his embrace, her arms wrapping around him nervously.

"You're amazing," Natsu breathed. He pulled back to look at her face. "You just, jumped right in and attacked him, it was amazing."

"I wasn't even thinking, my body just moved," she said with a shrug. Natsu looked her up and down and Lucy felt a flush rise to her cheeks.

"You okay?" He asked, his eyes burning with concern. She nodded slowly. "Strangely, he never attacked back, just defended himself."

Natsu hummed, pulling her close. She could feel his rapid heartbeat and saw the faint flush in his cheeks as he stared at her, his gaze dropping to her lips.

"Um, Natsu, about earlier…" she began, biting her lip nervously. "I guess we should talk about it, huh."

He blinked slowly, the blush growing deeper. Natsu cleared his throat and nodded. "Um, yeah, I guess, I mean yes we should. Probably. Talk."

She smiled at his awkwardness, feeling a little less nervous knowing he was just as anxious as she was. Lucy grabbed his hand in hers again, her thumb stroking his heated skin. Her own heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest and her fears were still there, waiting to strike. Levy was right, though. If Lucy wanted to know how Natsu felt, she'd have to talk to him herself. And if she wanted to face the feelings she felt growing in her heart, she needed to talk to Natsu. If she was brave enough, that is. Yet the memory of their kiss, and the happiness she felt with him, the click falling into place, it was worth the risk. It had to be.

Lucy pulled them over to a small booth tucked away against the wall in the tavern, the loud voices surrounding them making a private little bubble for them to exist in. She wrung her hands together, chewing on her lower lip as her anxiety rose. They sat for a few silent moments, each avoiding looking at the other directly. Lucy took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. It was Natsu, her best friend. She shouldn't even be worrying. They were Natsu and Lucy after all. Before she even had a chance to speak, Natsu reached over and grabbed her fiddling fingers.

"Luce, I shouldn't have just sat there. My stupid brain just froze," he said shyly. Lucy squeezed his fingers. "I just haven't really kissed anyone before and I didn't wanna freak you out or anything, I know I'm kinda dense and inexperienced about these kinda things." He nervously ran a hand through his fluffy hair, rubbing the back of his neck. Lucy smiled, feeling some of her anxiety ease.

"Natsu, I don't really go around kissing people either," she began with a small laugh. "I mean I ran because I panicked and thought it might not mean the same thing to you as it does to me, but I was an idiot too and it took Levy to knock some sense into me to realize that I should just talk to you and stop hiding from these feelings growing inside of me." Natsu leaned forwards at her words, his eyes wide and pupils dilating until she could barely see his irises. Her breath skipped and she found herself stuck staring at how his bangs fell over his forehead and the light dusting of freckles over his nose, so faint they wouldn't be seen normally. She was head over heels falling for him, and she wouldn't hide it anymore. Couldn't. And Lucy swore she saw a mirror of her own feelings in Natsu's eyes as they stared together.

"That it might not mean the same thing?" Natsu murmured, almost too soft for her to hear. Lucy startled out of her lovestruck stupor as he reached all the way across the table to grab her hands tightly in his again. He squeezed, almost to the point of pain and pulled her closer, so they were both half-leaning over the small bar table. His gaze flicked down to her lips and back to her eyes again and Lucy knew the starlight inside of her was beginning to shine.

"Luce, I may be slow on the uptake for somethings sometime, but even I know what I feel for you. I know what it means." The corner of his mouth lifted, and he shook his head slightly. "Okay, sure, it took a good while to put a name to it, but I mean it makes the most sense in all of Earthland. I mean, you're strong, beautiful, so full of courage, and so insanely stubborn it drives me crazy sometimes." Lucy's lips parted as he spoke, that kernel of heat igniting inside of her.

"I've wanted to kiss you for a long time," Natsu's gaze flicked down to her parted lips again and she could feel the heat rising off his skin and burning in his dark eyes. "And I want to kiss you again. I don't know all the specifics of dating or anything-" his voice cracked as a blush worked up his cheeks, which Lucy found extremely endearing. "I mean all I know for sure is that I never want to be away from you and that being around you just seems right and…"

Natsu's hand moved from hers, lifting to push a stray lock of golden hair behind Lucy's ear, his palm stopping to rest on her jaw, and Lucy swore she felt a small shake in his fingers against her skin. He swallowed, jaw clenching, and his eyes searched hers for a moment.

"It meant something to me, the kiss." He leaned further in, until their faces were inches apart. Lucy knew her hair and eyes were shining with flecks of starlight and she didn't care. A part of her wondered if she was dreaming, if all the words Natsu was saying was just what her stupid romantic brain thought up in a dream. But it was real. The heat of his skin against hers was real, the butterflies swarming in her stomach were real, and his words were real.

"It meant something to me too," she whispered. Natsu's other hand cupped the other side of her face and his thumbs slowly stroked the skin of her cheek. She saw the shift in his eyes, from questioning to heated and confident. Lucy leaned in, until their lips were almost touching and Natsu pulled her face the final distance, kissing her softly.

Lucy felt as though she was going to explode with happiness. That string that seemed to draw her closer to Natsu hummed and pulled her in closer and closer. She reached up to place her hands behind his neck. Lucy smiled against his lips, and they pulled apart to stare into each other's eyes. His pupils were blown so wide and stared at her with such want it would have made her knees weak if they were standing. Heat bloomed deep in her gut and she ran a hand to push through his soft hair. She grinned, the butterflies in her chest slowly fading away. Natsu leaned in to kiss her again, as if he couldn't stay away, but stopped when they both heard a curse and an excited squeal from behind them.

Lucy flushed and turned, finally noticing the rest of the guild, and how most of them were trying to pretend that they weren't watching. Lisanna had a hand clapped over her mouth and Mira was grinning so wide it was almost scary to look at. Erza and Gray were shaking hands, Gray looking disappointed as he palmed a few bills into Erza's hand. Cana was holding a large barrel between her legs and shaking with barely concealed laughter.

"Finally! I was right!" Mira exclaimed. "The next round is on the house!"

Lucy was frozen in disbelief, an embarrassed blush across her cheeks. Everyone had seen, and everyone was cheering. She stared at Gray, pointedly looking at the money he passed over to Erza to only receive a half shrug in response. She looked back at Natsu, who was still half leaning on the table, his hands fisted on top of the wood. Smoke rose around his fists and a flame flickered from his lips. Lucy placed a hand over her mouth to try and hide her giggling. She should have known. Fairy Tail wasn't exactly known for their subtlety. She reached over and placed a hand over one of Natsu's smoking fists.

"Natsu," she said. He finally blinked away the frustration and turned to look at her. "They are our family, after all."

He smirked and rolled his eyes. "Bastards can't keep to themselves for one damn minute." Lucy laughed. Natsu stared at her with affectionate eyes and stood, pulling her beside him. He tossed an arm over her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Guess we'll have to wait for all this shit with Oracion Seis to be done before I can take ya on a proper date, huh?" He mused. Lucy felt nervous butterflies flutter in her stomach, and she tucked her nose against his shoulder to hide her blush.


Long time no see, sorry for the wait between chapters, the world is crazy right now. Hope everyone is safe and surviving? I hope you enjoy and let me know how you feel about their development! I am impatient and just want them to be together already ahh.

A special thank you to user 52dreamer52 on ff for all their thoughtful and amazing reviews! Watching as you slowly made your way through this story motivated me to continue if I'm being honest. I love anyone who leaves a comment and I really appreciate all of you readers. Also we have officially surpassed 100k! That's crazy to me, and thanks for reading!