Hey guys! Not only do I have a new chapter for you but boy, do I have something in store for you!

A big chapter guys (not in length... sorry), but please enjoy. Please review and tell me what you think. I know you guys have been waiting for this for a while!


Natsu unlocked the door and held it open for Lucy as she entered the apartment. She trudged over to the oversized chair near the futon and fell to the cushion with a huff. Natsu followed close behind and threw himself down onto the futon. He sighed a bit in relief as he slipped his shoes off of his feet. He glanced over at the blonde and was happy to see such a big smile on her face.

"You look like you had fun," he commented.

She smiled before she shook her head, "I had a lot of fun. Actually…" she began as she willed herself to sit up, "I can't remember the last time I had fun." She smiled once more at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you, Natsu; I needed tonight."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

She spoke as she took her heels off as well. "Stuff with my dad just… overwhelmed me and I didn't know what to do."

"That's what I'm here for," he winked as he pointed at himself. The two were silent for a moment before Natsu began again, "I'm sorry this week didn't turn out like you planned."

"To be honest, I didn't have any kind of expectation this week. It always seemed like it was going to be rough… honestly though, you've made it better. Thank you."

"Same here; I was dreading having to face my parents. They're somewhat off my case now thanks to you. Funny how parents are like that."

"Speaking of your mother…" she began. Natsu looked at her and noticed her nervous response so he sat up. "What did she do now?" he asked, obviously annoyed.

"She thinks we slept together last night." Lucy stated nervously, afraid of his reaction.

"Ugh… yeah, I know," he deadpanned.

"You know?!"

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, she came by the other day to wake me up to help my dad. She saw the state of the apartment and us in bed and put two and two together I guess."

"Well her guess was wrong," Lucy defended. Her face faltered a bit, "She seemed so proud though."

"Ugh! She is so weird."

"She seems to approve of me," she thought aloud.

Natsu shrugged, "Well, of course she does; who wouldn't?" She stared at him in disbelief. "You're a catch; any guy would be lucky to have you." He smiled at her with a warm grin before realizing her stunned yet embarrassed face. Upon realizing what he just said, his smile dropped and was replaced with a blush.

"She, uh, got me something for the occasion," Lucy began.

"What occasion?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"For us; with yesterday?" Her inflection made it clear what she was hinting at. "Oh yeah?"

She nodded, "Do you want to see it?"

"Uhh… sure?" She searched through the room before her eyes landed on the bag she threw aside the night before. Natsu didn't know why but she seemed excited to wear the outfit, whatever it was. Lucy grabbed the bag and retreated into the bathroom.

Lucy reached into the bag and pulled out all the items: the dress, two white stockings, a pair of black pumps, two wrist cuffs, and a doily headband. She laid everything out in the bathroom and began undressing.

Natsu laid back on the futon with an arm tucked under his head and stared up at the ceiling. He watched the blades of the ceiling fan spin rapidly, drawing him into his mind to get lost in his thoughts. Growing up with Grandine and Igneel as your parents was not an easy task. He always felt like his family was at a sprinting pace and he had to keep up; the only time he ever had to slow down and be himself was when he was with his friends, namely Lucy.

Even though her head was in space, she kept him grounded. He always felt accepted and like he could be himself around her. Her imagination was always so wild and creative; she dreamed big and he knew she could achieve it… but she made him feel like he could too. Not that he HAD too but because he WANTED to. Her passion made him want to have a passion in life, not just to live it but to experience life.

She gave him a fire, a fire he had long since forgot since high school. Without her by his side, he dwindled and faded. He tried to get back to that feeling but nothing he did seemed to work. This trip was going to be his low point; he didn't want to move back home but it seemed like his only viable option. Being around Lucy made him feel better about himself, made him experience life again. He felt like his old self and others saw it too. He felt more energized, more capable… he was getting to the place where he felt like the man his parents could be proud of.

He felt more like himself around Lucy… like he could conquer the world with her. Maybe this trip was a step in the right direction, in more ways than one. He didn't have much tying him to where he lived anyway; maybe a change of scenery was in order?

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the click of the bathroom door. Natsu sat back up in his spot and threw his legs forward over the edge of the futon. He turned his head and couldn't help but drop his jaw at the sight before him.

Lucy walked out of the bathroom and around to the front of the futon. Natsu's eyes widened as they trailed over her whole body and his head moved as she did. Her legs somehow looked longer in the stockings and pumps. The corset she wore on her torso clung to her curves and sprouted a fanned waist with frills to make the skirt poof out. Her chest was barely contained by the corset; appearing as if one tiny yank from the string would cause her to fall out.

Her hair hung down to lay gently over her bare shoulders and frame her face. The headband she wore swept her hair away from her face, showing off her bright smile. She looked beautiful and to top it off, the outfit looked like a maid's uniform (he didn't know why but he has always had a thing for maids… even creepier to know his mother chose this outfit).

She gave a small spin before facing him once more, "What do you think?" He was honestly speechless… choose your words carefully, he warned himself. His eyes roamed once more over her frame; his body was stiff and his chest ached from holding in the breath he had. His eyes met hers once more; he was desperately searching for words in her eyes but instead was met with something he didn't know how to interpret. His eyes flickered to the top of her head onto her headband and noticed it was crooked.

Relaxing a moment to point at the headband, Natsu spoke up, "Y-your headband is crooked." Lucy tried to look up at the headband but couldn't see it because of where it was on her head. Natsu smirked at her absurdity, before motioning her closer. "Come here, I will fix it." Lucy walked forward so she was standing over his legs right in front of him as he sat on the futon. She bent forward at the waist so her face was even with his.

It was odd how nervous she was and how her chest tightened with every inch she grew closer to him. As she slowly bent towards him, the two maintained eye contact the entire time. She stopped just a few inches away from his face and propped herself up by placing her arms on the back of the futon. Natsu was trapped between her arms but it didn't make him feel uncomfortable at all. The two remained silent and stared deeply into one anther's eyes.

Natsu's eyes flickered away from hers and landed on her headband once more. He reached up with both hands to grab the white frilly fabric and move it so it was centered on top of her head. Content with its new placement, Natsu moved his arms away from her head but let them float in the air.

Lucy's eyes shifted her intent gaze between his eyes, searching for something… anything. She felt something creeping up within her, something urging her to move but she remained. She knew what she wanted but this wasn't completely about her. Natsu's arms relaxed slightly and his softened with confidence. He held his gaze on her, making Lucy feel like he was peering into the deepest part of her being. The gesture didn't frighten Lucy or make her feel uncomfortable; it drew her closer.

Her elbows bent slightly as she inched her face closer to his, neither of their eyes leaving the other's. Natsu's hand moved forward and rested itself on the back of her neck just as her nose touched his. He drew his arm in, pulling her along with it to close the distance between them. Her lips fell gently onto his, causing a wave of warmth to run over her. It started off tender, like the kiss they shared earlier, but there was something else to it that made it stronger.

She turned her head to continue the kiss when Natsu moved his head to deepen it. Wanting to be closer to him, she moved her legs, so she was kneeling in a straddling position over him. His other hand rested on her thigh, just on the border of bare skin and the hem of her tights. The touch of their bare skin on one another sent them into a whirlwind of emotions. The intensity of their kisses increased, and their bodies responded to it.

Lucy relinquished her grip of the futon to grab a fistful of Natsu's hair and the other hand wrapped around his back. Natsu, sensing her movement, leaned forward to give her better access to him as well as deepen their kiss. His hand continued to cradle her neck but he allowed his other hand to slowly slide up her thigh towards her body.

Her legs instinctively squeezed tighter around his frame; she could feel her body increase in temperature and passion, but at the same time, she felt her want grow deeper and deeper… she wanted more, she needed more.

Lucy opened her mouth more to incentivize Natsu into exploring her mouth further; he was up for the challenge. As the two deepened their kiss, Natsu tried to decrease the space between them as much as possible. Lucy was getting lost in the feelings she was experiencing in the moment that she gasped in surprise when she suddenly felt Natsu's lips on the crook of her neck.

She titled her head back and to the side to give him more access, which he graciously accepted. His hand moved from her neck to the back of her head, threading through her hair. She smiles in bliss as he sucks at the spot on her neck where her pulse is raging. She grips the back of his shirt tightly as he presses into her ever more slightly. Lost in the sensory overload, she is able to release a single breathy word, "Natsu."

He pulls back slowly but doesn't move far away. He rests his forehead against hers and they stare into one another's eyes as they each catch their breath. His hands rested on either side of her cheek and her arms clung to his biceps. Lucy boldly broke the silence, "Did you mean what you said earlier?" She looked at him directly, "Do you love me?" He moved one of his hands to sweep her now messy hair away from her face. Her heart grew when she saw him smile, "I've always loved you, Luce… but it wasn't until this week when I realized it was more than just friends."

"Me too…" she whispered, now causing him to smile wildly. "So… what do we do now?"

"Well…" he inched closer, so their noses were now next to one another rather than touching. "I feel like we should see where this goes." She smiled and chuckled as he continued, "I'm mean we owe it to ourselves after so many years."

"That's the smartest thing you've ever said," she giggled.

"Hey!" he began to shout in an insulted tone, but Lucy shut him up by crashing her lips onto his. Natsu quickly gave in and the two continued getting lost in their passions for one another. Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and gripped his head once more. She could honestly say she had never wanted something more than she did in this moment.

She squeezed her legs against his body. Natsu seemed to catch on as he moved his hands to grab underneath her thighs. With ease, Natsu lifted them both off the futon and Lucy locked her legs behind him to keep herself secure. Without breaking their make out session, Natsu walked the two of them around the box wall to the bedroom area. With a soft thud, Natsu dropped Lucy onto the bed, this time with him straddling her.

Natsu broke apart for a moment to peer at Lucy. Her headband had been lost somewhere and her hair fanned out on the mattress below her. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat and her eyes glinted from the moonlight shimmering through the window along the wall beside them… she was breathtaking. "You okay, Natsu?" she asked in a worried tone.

He gave her a reassuring smile, "Never been better." She smiled back before their lips crashed together once more, their intensity picking up where they left off. Lucy kicked off her tights as she and Natsu took off his shirt.

Their clothes found their way to the floor, tossed away in a moment of passion. The heat so intense and powerful, they had no choice but to give in to it. Natsu and Lucy made love to one another all night, getting lost in one another and discovering something they had always known but now get to explore.