~Natsu and Lucy~
Natsu and Lucy walked through the woods following their guides, Cana and Gildarts. The father and daughter duo flocked to either sides of the couple. Cana threw her arm around Lucy and Gildarts rested his hand on Natsu's shoulder. Lucy smiled at her friend when she felt Natsu grab her hand pulling her closer to him. Lucy giggled and rubbed Natsu's arm with her free hand.
"So Lucy, how's it feel it be Natsu's mate? Did you always know?" Cana asked watching the couple.
"Uhm, I'm not sure. I figured if anyone was Natsu's mate it would have been Lisanna." Lucy said leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Natsu squeezed Lucy's hand lightly as if reassurance that it was definitely her that was his mate.
"But you've always been in love with him? I figured you would have known something about it." Cana said and Lucy's face was a bright red now. She looked over at her friend with wide eyes. She never told anyone but Levy and Cana about her feelings for Natsu. Now Natsu knew and so did Gildarts.
"Aw. That's so cute. Just last week Natsu was talking about how much he lo-." Gildarts started but Natsu quickly jump at him letting go of Lucy's hand in order to cover Gildarts mouth. Lucy and Cana started laughing as Gildarts picked him up off him and set him on the ground with a little more force than what was intended. Lucy rushed over to Natsu and helped him up. She wrapped her arm around his waist as he got up and he wrapped his around her shoulder.
"Come on you love birds, your cabin is right up here." Cana said as they walked towards a darker section of the forest. The couple followed their guides until a large cabin came into view next to a river and a decent size waterfall. Cana grabbed a key and handed it to Natsu. "That's the key to the cabin. Don't forget you have my calling cards and I'll get here as soon as possible if anything happens okay. Oh and Lucy, I hate to do this but I need your keys." Cana said holding out her hand. Lucy's free hand went to her keys and pulled them out.
"Why?" She asked clutching them before they could be taken from her.
"Because your spirits can open their own gates near the keys so if you have them and someone like Loke comes through when Natsu is going through his jealousy or protectiveness stage that won't end well." Gildarts explained. Lucy nodded understandingly and handed Cana over the keys. Gildarts nodded at the couple and turned to walk back to the guild.
Natsu and Lucy walked up the stairs to the front door and Natsu unlocked it letting them in. They walked down the hallway and looked around the large living room to their right and the equally large kitchen to their left.
"Want me to make you some food Natsu?" Lucy asked. Natsu nodded and they walked into the kitchen. Natsu sat at the island as Lucy started pulling things out of the fridge and cupboard. "After we eat we can explore the house." Lucy added and Natsu nodded watching her. He watched as she moved around the kitchen getting familiar with her surroundings. He was memorized by how gracefully she was and wondered how he never noticed this before.
Natsu stood up and walked around the island to where she was cutting up some chicken and wrapped his arms around her waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed in her welcoming scent. Lucy jumped when his arms came in contact with her waist but quickly settled into his embrace. She sighed contently and leaned further into Natsu's warm body as she finished cutting up the chicken and tossed it into the pan to start cooking. She moved onto the next cutting board and picked up a new knife and started dicing the peppers and onions. She tossed them into the pan with the chicken and tossed in the seasonings.
"I hope chicken tacos are okay." Lucy whispered if not to break to comfortable silence they found themselves in. She felt him nodded and finished cooking the chicken mix and quickly made the rice. She placed everything in bowls and removed herself from Natsu's embrace. She set the bowls on the table in the corner and walked over to the cupboard trying to reach the packet of tortilla shells she seen earlier that happened to be on the top shelf. Natsu smirked and walked over quickly grabbing the packet and handing them to his mate. She smiled as she moved back to the stove to warm the shells up. Natsu made his way towards the fridge and took out the cheese and taco sauce. Lucy quickly transferred the shells from the pan to a plate and set it on the table.
"Dinner! Happy-" Lucy cut herself off sighing forgetting that Happy was not with them. Natsu grabbed her hand pulling her to him and sitting her in his lap. "Sorry Natsu, I forgot that he wasn't here..." Lucy trailed off looking down at their hands in her lap.
"Hey it's okay, I know I did too for a minute." Natsu smiled trying to comfort his mate. He instantly leaned forward giving her a peck on top of her shoulder. Lucy giggled leaning into Natsu nuzzling into his chest. "Come on, lets get you some food in you. You'll feel better!" Natsu quickly said scooting them both closer to the table. Lucy smiled and nodded trying to get off his lap. Natsu wrapped his hand around her waist and shook his head and placed both plates in front of them and started making his own tacos. Lucy didn't feel like fighting with Natsu and started making her own tacos.
"Man Luce! These are amazing!" Natsu yelled with food falling out of his mouth. Lucy grimaced and shook her head with a fond smile on her face. The ate dinner in silence and once they were done Lucy quickly cleared the table and washed the dishes. Once she was done she turned to her mate who was missing from the table.
"Natsu?" Lucy called as she exited the kitchen into the hall looking for her salmon-haired counterpart. Natsu popped his head out the living room smiling at Lucy.
"Lets explore!" Natsu exclaimed grabbing her hand and their luggage running up the stairs. When they got to the top of the stairs Natsu dragged her to the room at the very end of the hall and opened up the door on the right.
"Oh, wow!" Lucy smiled at the small study that they entered. Bookcases filled with books and magazines lined the walls. Two desks on opposite sides of a large window help art supplies and a typewriter. In one corner was a large plush reading chair along with bean bags and a small coffee table with cards and board games. The couple exited the room and went across the hallway and both blushed and felt their jaws drop. The couple walked further into the room as Natsu dropped their bag inside the door.
"Wow. This is...nice." Natsu whispered looking around the large master suite. Lucy nodded as she walked towards the bed and ran her hand over the red and black comforter following the spiral pattern. Her hand ran up the bed over the large amount of pillows and up the cherry wood four poster bed feeling a blush rush to her cheeks. Natsu watched his mate take in the room and felt the dragon inside him agree with the idea of Lucy and him sharing a bed. Natsu bit his lip and looked around the room taking in the large room himself. There was definitely a theme to the cabin that seemed to cater to their personalities. Natsu seen a door to his right and walked over to it and opened peering in taking in the large walk in closet. He closed the closet door and moved to the next door that was across from the bed and opened it. He walked into the large bathroom and smiled at the large stone bathtub in the corner and instantly thought about all the bathes he and Lucy could share. Natsu walked further into the bathroom and took in the walk in shower and heard a gasp behind him as Lucy took in the bathtub.
"Lets look around the rest of the house then we can take a bath before going to bed." Lucy suggested and held out her hand with a sly smirk on her face. Natsu perked up and grabbed her hand and pulled her through the rest of the house. He quickly pulled her through another bedroom and bathroom on the top floor and dragged her down the stairs to the main floor. Besides the kitchen and the living room there was a half bath and a separate game room that had a pool table in the middle of the room and a small lounge area.
"Okay, house tour done! Bath time!" Natsu grinned picking Lucy up and rushing upstairs and hustled into the bathroom. He set her down and turned on the faucet letting the hot water run. "Hey Luce, will you make sure this is not too hot for you." Natsu said turning around to her. Lucy stood here with a red face and her arms wrapped around herself and nodded. She walked forward and let the water run over her hand and nodded her head letting him know it was okay.
"Luce, you okay?" Natsu asked resting his hand on her shoulder. Lucy nodded and sighed grabbing his hand.
"Yeah, sorry Natsu I'm just nervous is all." Lucy confessed.
"Why? What's wrong?" Natsu asked sitting down on the edge of the tub and pulled Lucy into his lap. She adjusted herself sitting across his lap and rested her head on his shoulder running her hand over the seam of his vest.
"Nothing is wrong per say. I'm just nervous about us I guess." Lucy mumbled. Natsu stayed quite letting Lucy work at her own pace. "Obviously I am over joyed about you picking me as your mate because honestly I have been in love with you since you brought me to Fairy Tail. You have saved me countless times. I guess I just worry I'm not what you are expecting in the mate side of things. I mean yeah you've seen my naked before but that was different. You never acted like you were into me then. I know it's dumb to be worrying about it but I just can't help but think that maybe you might change your mind..." Lucy finished and Natsu could smell the insecurity and sadness rolling off his mate. He lifted her face to meet his and wiped away the stray tear that escaped her watery eyes. His heart clenched and his dragon ached to comfort her and reassure her that she had nothing to worry about.
"Luce. You have nothing to worry about. You are the strongest, smartest, most beautiful person I have ever met. I'm not very good with my words Lucy you know that but I will try to explain this to you. I have loved you since I met you and brought you to Fairy Tail as well. The mate thing isn't necessarily a choice thing, it's like Gramps said, its closely described as soulmates. Your soul was made for mine and my dragon's soul. We were made for each other. I may not have known it at the time but my dragon instantly recognized you as my mate and even if I wasn't a dragon slayer I would choose you. If it wasn't for Happy's constantly teasing me and Mira's constant meddling I may not have realized it as soon. But I had an idea because I knew you were special to me." Natsu said pausing to take a breath and organize his thoughts knowing this is the most important thing he will ever say. He grabbed one of her hands in his lacing their fingers together and leaned down giving her a gentle kiss in her forehead before continuing. "When you first joined Fairy Tail I was nervous because I seen how all the guys reacted to you. I didn't like it and I didn't know why. Then when Phantom Lord kidnapped you and I thought I lost you I was ready to tear their whole guild hall apart to find you. When I seen you beaten by Gajeel, I almost lost myself to my dragon side because I felt like I failed to protect you. I know you could handle yourself I've witnessed it several times, but there is always this part of me that makes me feel like I need to be with you at all times to make sure you are okay. To make sure no one ever hurts you ever again. I knew then that you were a very special person to me and you were and always will be one of the most important people in my life.
When I told Gildarts how I was feeling he told me it was love that I was experiencing. I never felt like this with anyone else before and I didn't want to ruin anything between us so I left it alone and buried my feelings. Stupid I know. But what I am getting at here Luce is that you are the only one for me, with or without my dragon, you are my soulmate and I would have found you no matter what." Natsu finished closing his eyes and sighing hoping that conveyed his point. He opened his eyes to look at Lucy silently crying. He instantly started panicking.
"You big dummy. I love you." Lucy smiled and leaned forward kissing his cheek. Natsu let out a sigh and pulled back looking her in the eyes.
"I love you too Lucy." Natsu smiled back his eyes flickering from hers to her lips. Her breath caught and she bit her bottom lip before letting it go and tilting her head towards him slightly to give him the okay. Natsu leaned forward closing his eyes as his lips let Lucy plump soft ones. He turned his head to the side slightly to let their lips glide against each other more comfortably. He felt as if his whole body was alive with fire running through his veins. He knew that this feeling could get addictive very fast. He swiped his tongue across her bottom lip experimentally. He felt her gasp and he took the opportunity to let his tongue enter her mouth battling her's for dominance. After several minutes they pulled apart for much needed air.
"Come on Salamander, lets take a bath and go to bed. I feel like we have a long month ahead of us." Lucy smiled before quickly stripping and getting into the bath as it almost overflows. Natsu smiles following suite getting behind her letting her rest against his chest as he plays with her fingers.
"I don't know I think this is going to be a very fun and eventful month." Natsu smirks into Lucy's shoulder before giving it a gentle nip causing Lucy to jump slightly and splash Natsu. The couple have a quick splash fight thoroughly soaking the bathroom before washing and getting out of the bath. Natsu leads Lucy to the bedroom to make sure she doesn't slip in the remaining water on the floor. Natsu throws on a clean pair of boxers and heads into the bathroom to clean up the water as Lucy dresses.
Once finished drying the floors and throwing the soaked towels in the hamper Natsu comes back into the bedroom to see Lucy climbing into bed with one of his shirts on. His face burns bright red as he climbs into bed behind her and snuggles down in the comforters. He reached out grabbing Lucy's hip and pulling her flush against him so her back is against his chest and buries his face in her hair breathing in the sent of summer and vanilla. "Good night Luce." He mumbles already half asleep.
"Good night Natsu." Lucy whispers as sleep consumes her. Lucy smiled thinking that maybe this next month isn't going to be so bad as what the books made it seem like.