He started at her unabashedly, well hidden amongst the shadowy trees at the edge of the glade. His voracious gaze drunk in every inch of her, an inferno lighting in his gut at the mere sight of his beautiful best friend. Her rich golden hair tied in a tight braid whipped to the side in a sudden gust of wind, a few strands escaping to frame her delicate face. Around her slender neck he could make out his medallion - a growl of possessive approval threatened to escape him at the sight. Her long and shapely legs were encased in black tough-leather breeches and her slender torso and ample bosom were covered by a harsh cotton shift shirt under the black overcoat - the shift stained red with blood oozing from numerous cuts and bruises. She had finally succeeded in undoing the buttons of her black overcoat. With a grunt she tore the garment off and flung it to the ground, before carefully dismounting from her patient horse. Her breathing was laboured as she slowly lowered herself to the floor of the clearing, wincing and grimacing whenever the saddle brushed her wounds. After a few agonizing minutes, her dainty, moccasin-clad feet touched the ground. She heaved a sigh of relief, leaning against her faithful mount, closing her eyes in fatigue and endeavouring to catch her breath. As she stood thus, Natsu felt the inferno in his gut intensify, the desire to approach her and claim her becoming overwhelming. He dug his clawed fingers into the wood of the tree beside him, his own breathing laboured as he fought his instincts. As much as he ached to approach her, to talk to her, to hold her, to make love to her if she allowed him - a part of him was disgusted with himself for his desires. Even bloody and battered, she still looked so damn pure and unapproachable - an angel amongst beings. He did not even feel worthy of her friendship anymore… How dare he wish for more? And yet, here he was. Longing to express the overwhelming love he felt for her. Hoping she could feel even a little affection towards him in return... And if not, wishing for nothing more than the chance to be by her side for eternity, showering her with his undying devotion for the rest of his days. Natsu grimaced to himself as the last thought crossed his mind - his father had not warned him how sappy a bonding could make a dragon. Although… the giddy smile returned to his face… If the sappy thoughts were about the golden-haired damsel before him, they did not seem that bad. A low chuckle escaped him, the sound carrying on the breeze into the glade before him.

Lucy's eyes snapped open, her hard gaze locking on the shadowy clump of trees where Natsu stood still hidden out of sight. Natsu froze, his breath catching in his throat as he gazed back into her chocolate brown orbs, those beautiful eyes looking so familiar and foreign at the same time. He straightened, releasing his death grip on the tree beside him, and took a step forward to stand at the edge of the shadows, his silhouette visible against the quickly darkening forest behind him.

Lucy squinted, her eyes still not fully able to make out the figure she now knew lurked at the rim of the glade, her hand reaching for the dagger hidden in her saddle bag. She withdrew the weapon in one quick motion, her horse protesting the sudden movement with a whine and a few skittish steps back, as horse and human observed the lengthening darkness at the edge of the clearing.

"Show yourself! I know you're there." Lucy hissed, her grip on the dagger tightening as she aimed it at the shadows.

Natsu cautiously took a few steps forward, his tall form finally bathed in the first rays of moonlight, and easily visible to her human eyes. He couldn't have stayed away a moment longer anyway, the desire to hold her in his arms was causing an almost unbearable ache in his chest.

Lucy took in his sharp claws, his huge taloned wings and muscular build. She gulped, a slight tremble of fear shaking her delicate frame. She steadied herself, touching the medallion around her neck for strength. She dared not look at his face or into his eyes, for she feared he would all too easily read the terror in hers.

"Dragon!" She commanded in the most imperious tone she could muster whilst bleeding and weakened, "Leave me be. I was the treasure of one of your brothers! One of the most noble and fiercest of your warriors - in honor of him, please let me pass unharmed…" her voice faltered, the fatigue and strain of her condition finally catching up with her. She swayed in place slightly, the blood oozing from the cut in her abdomen making her light-headed.

Natsu's heart almost broke at her words. She did not recognize him? Did she detest him so much that she had blocked him from her memory? But she had yet to look at his face, perhaps that was why she had not registered who he was. Cautiously, as if approaching a wounded animal, he inched forward. He could hear her heart rate spike and her breaths become short and staggering in her fright. He froze in place, a strangled cry escaping him.

"Lucy, please don't be afraid. Please don't hate me…"

Lucy's head snapped up at the sound of his voice, her eyes frantically searching out his own. When her chocolate brown orbs locked with his intense jade gaze, her breath caught in her throat.

"... Natsu?"

For a moment, they gazed into each other's eyes, both unbelieving of the reality of the situation they found themselves in.

"I-is it really you?" Lucy breathed.

Natsu nodded, unable to stop the tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Who else, my strange one?"

With a strangled cry she leapt forward, trapping him in a desperate embrace, her sobs rendering her incoherent. Natsu slipped his arm around her waist, his other hand rubbing gentle circles on her back, gathering her closer and burying his nose in her hair. Her scent of sunflowers and stardust both soothed and excited him, his blood simmering with lust and his heart aching with love for her. He held her close as long as her lithe frame trembled with sobs, whispering soft and solacing words in her ear. When her sobs turned into sniffles, she gently pushed on his chest, and Natsu reluctantly let her pull away, still twining his hand in hers. He couldn't bear to see her go too far.

"You truly are alive… I-I couldn't believe it, even though I was told you had survived… I was so afraid that you had died." She whispered, her tone still conveying her disbelief and awe.

He leaned forward, nudging her forehead with his. "Nay, I promised you I would live no matter what, didn't I? I couldn't break my promise."

She sighed, her eyes overflowing with joy and affection. With a cute sound of contentment, she buried her face in his chest, her arms encircling him and hugging him close again. Natsu melted at the touch, sighing in bliss and relief as he responded with a gentle squeeze to her shapely waist.

"Sooo… I gather then that you have forgiven me…" He began, his tone light and cheerful, although his eyes betrayed his anxiety.

Lucy pulled back a little, a frown gracing her dainty lips as she gazed into his emerald orbs.

"Whatever do you mean? What do I have to forgive you for, Natsu?"

Natsu gulped as he gazed down at her. Her tears of relief still clung to her eyelashes, adding an ethereal twinkle to her doe-like eyes in the soft moonlight. Her expression was open and relaxed, and she looked up at him with complete faith and affection - tinged with curiosity as she patiently waited for him to answer her question.

She was gorgeous.

He stammered a little as he replied.

"I-I thought you were upset or angry with what I asked of you in my last letter. At least, that was what I assumed since I never received a response to it. It was selfish of me, I know, to ask something so drastic of you. To hope you would come away with me… I don't know what I was thinking…"

Lucy gasped. "That was what was in that letter?!"

Natsu blinked for a moment before scowling. "Why that… Sting never delivered the letter to you, did he? I knew it! The little bastard was way too quiet after he returned from that errand! I bet he ate it up on the way. Happy warned me against using white parchment! I should've aged it, but I just didn't have enough time…"

He was swiftly halted by a fair and slender finger pressed to his lips. "Hush," Lucy cooed, her free hand stroking his bicep soothingly and her eyes filled with affectionate exasperation. "You are far too quick to accuse that poor dragon lad. Especially when he worships the ground you walk upon. He did not fail his hero…" She bit her lower lip, lowering her gaze to level with his chest, "... Twas I who failed you. I never read the letter. It is still locked away safely in my drawer. I-I was afraid. It was hard enough hearing Sting and Rogue explain why you would no longer be able to write anymore, and although I agreed entirely with the wisdom of your decision… It broke my heart. I was scared of what the letter would have contained, I just couldn't… I was terrified that it would contain your goodbyes…" She looked back up into his eyes, tears glistening in her brown orbs once more.

"A-after Sting and Rogue left, I worried that you would be angry that I sent you no reply… As time progressed, and all of our mutual friends refused to talk about you, I assumed that what I had suspected was in fact true… You were angry with me, and did not wish anyone to discuss your affairs with me…"

Natsu sighed, slipping a clawed finger gently under her chin, tilting her head back to better look into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Nay, strange one. It is true that I instructed our mutual friends to avoid speaking of me if they could. But your reasoning behind it was quite wrong. I did so because I believed you were angry with me, and I did not want you reminded of me only to be upset..."

Lucy gazed at him, an unwilling smile creeping up on her porcelain features.

"So… We both thought the other was angry, and therefore refused any information we could gather about them? Oh dear… We are both fools…"

She giggled, taking a step away from him. Her escaped golden locks bounced on her shoulders as she gave into the hilarity of the situation they had created for themselves. Natsu chuckled alongside her, his gaze never leaving her radiant, peaceful face. At last, her mirth subsided, and she looked up into his intense jade gaze once more.

"I could never be truly angry with you, silly dragon. You are my best friend. And oh, I've missed you so much, Natsu..."

His breath hitched. Before she could react, he had gathered her into a warm embrace again, pressing her svelte frame against his strong, muscular one.

"I've missed you too, Luce. And I'm so relieved that you aren't mad at me." He drew back slightly to look into her eyes. "Instead, here I find myself cross with you… what have you been upto that would result in you getting so bruised and battered?" To illustrate his point, Natsu drew his finger lightly along the edge of her shirt, eliciting a hiss from the young maiden as her hands clenched the fabric of his shirt. Natsu frowned, startled by her strong reaction. Ignoring her half-hearted protests, he raised the front of her shirt up a few inches to study the wound there. When his eyes fell upon a long gash, carved deep into flesh and sinew, he let out a horrified gasp, his rage causing flames to rise to the surface of his skin, and his eyes to bleed red.

"Who did this to you?" He growled, his gaze still locked on her wound.

Lucy did not answer. The grip he had on her arm was now bruising, distracting her from the pain in her abdomen. She let out a whine of distress that snapped Natsu out of his ferocious anger and forced him to focus on the problem at hand. With a soft sound of reassurance, he loosened his hold on her, gently coaxing her towards the creek. With soothing words and gentle touches he convinced her to lie down upon the grass by the water's edge.

Turning to the water, Natsu cupped his hands and scooped up a fair amount of the pristine liquid. Quietly he muttered the minor healing incantation his sister had taught him, ending the spell by breathing a little bit of his fire onto the surface of the water, thus sealing it. He turned back to Lucy.

As he straddled her knees and leaned forward with his cupped hands to hover over her torso, Lucy squirmed and blushed profusely, wary of the intimate way he was seated upon her.

"N-Natsu, w-what are you d-doing?"

"Shhh. Trust me, Lucy."

Lucy gulped. She couldn't help but let her gaze wander over his chest, the well-defined, lean muscles evident thanks to the clinging silk shirt he wore. His toned legs pressed on either side of her thighs, the delicious friction igniting a fire in the pit of her stomach. As he poured the first few drops of the healing water on her wound, she had to fight hard to subdue the moan that threatened to escape her lips, as the warm, soothing liquid instantaneously began healing her deep cut, ridding her of the distracting pain and compelling her to focus on the inferno he was igniting within her. She forced her eyes away from his ridiculously attractive body and onto the clearing around her, trying desperately to quell the steamy thoughts arising in her traitorous mind.

Natsu seemed oblivious to her struggle, his brow furrowed as he focused on healing all her wounds. His attempt to heal a particularly nasty cut on her collarbone caused her to wince, his murmured apology drawing her gaze away from the clearing and back to him. Lucy could feel the sexual tension in her body recede to the background as she gazed upon his face, a warm glow of affection for the hovering dragon left in its wake. The contours of his face were similar to what he had in his youth, only a little sharper and well-defined. His eyes were back to their usual brilliant jade color, the laugh lines around them still there. The newest additions to his features were the tiny nicks and scars that littered his face, as well as the deep worry lines on his brow.

Unconsciously, she lifted her hand to trace one of those lines. His jade eyes drifted up to lock on hers, as she languidly stroked his forehead and cheek. She blushed as he returned her gaze with an intense one of his own, some unfathomable emotion buried deep within it.

"You're just as strange as you used to be." Natsu chuckled, although he leaned into her feathery touch.

She pouted, attempting to withdraw her hand, but he covered it with his own larger and calloused one, locking it in place on his cheek.

"Release me then." She grumbled, gesturing to his seated position and her trapped appendage, "If you would rather not be around one so strange, then I would rather leave."

Natsu raised an eyebrow as his lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "I didn't say that I don't like strangeness. And I don't feel like moving. You are far too fluffy and comfy."

Her irritated glare only provoked a long bark of laughter from the unapologetic dragon. However, in accordance with her wish, he carefully shifted off of her, gripping her forearm to gently raise her up. He placed his hands on her hips to steady her as she stood, unable to pass a moment without touching her in some shape or form. He gazed into her chocolate eyes once more, hiding his aching need for her as he gently coaxed her to speak.

"Lucy… What happened? How did you get so injured?"

She dropped her gaze from his, a guilty flush overtaking her features. She placed her dainty hands on his chest as Natsu thrilled at the simple, affectionate gesture.

"Pray, do not be upset." She began a few moments later, "But I, along with a few others, have been doing everything we can to apprehend humans who harm innocent magical races, and magical beings involved in criminal activities. We call ourselves the protectors…" She trailed off, biting her lower lip as she peeked up at him through her long lashes.

Natsu struggled to maintain his stern expression. He could feel his manhood react to her unintentionally coy look, his pants suddenly feeling restricting. He wanted nothing more than to worry those deliciously plump lips between his fangs, run his hands all over her heaving bosom and curvy figure, hear her sigh his name in longing and bliss…

He looked away, frowning at a point in the distance as he struggled to reign in his wayward thoughts.

"I believe I've heard of them." He said, his voice a deep rasp that sent a pleasurable chill down Lucy's spine, "Gajeel is a part of this group, is he not? As is Levy, who is his bonded now?"

Lucy nodded, looking up again into his emerald eyes. "Yes. But of late, I've given Levy more diplomatic missions... and where she goes, Gajeel goes too. It was not an issue until Erza had to leave. Since we are now a little short on hands, I've started handling some of the rougher missions myself." She drew herself up to her full height, her eyes sparkling with defiance, "Do not make assumptions based on what you've seen here today. I am fully capable of handling them without assistance. Today was a silly miscalculation on my part. I will not let it happen again…" She stopped with a gasp as he wrapped his right arm around her, securing her against his chest, his free hand cupping her cheek and tilting her head back so he could press his forehead against hers.

"You are never again attempting another of these missions alone," he growled, his warm spicy breath fanning her face, "I will come with you. No one will ever lay a finger on my treasure ever again."

Lucy smiled wryly as she attempted to shove him away. "That is a sweet sentiment, Natsu, but I am no longer your treasure, am I? Surely the spell you placed on me in our youth has worn off."

Natsu frowned, his hold on her unrelenting and secure, despite her increased struggles to free herself. "What do you mean? The spell I placed on you is for life. As long as you live, you will be my treasure."

Lucy ceased her struggles, her gaze dropping to the forest floor, an unhappy sigh escaping her. "Be honest with me, Natsu. Wouldn't you like to break that spell? It must be a burden, guarding a human being... especially one such as I who is constantly in trouble! I have also changed so much since we last met - I am almost unrecognizable now. Perhaps you would not want to continue protecting me? Or even be friends anymore?"

"Why would you say that, Lucy?" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes worried, as he tried to coax her gaze back to his.

"I am not who I used to be, Natsu."

"Neither am I, Luce. But that's what happens as we grow. It does not mean we need to throw our friendship away…" Lucy looked up at him, a soft smile hiding her grief and doubt, "It merely means we should reconnect. In fact, this fateful meeting only makes me long to spend more time with you, to get to know this new version of you!" Natsu hesitated. His own gaze dropped to the floor as another thought hit him, "That is, unless, you do not wish to know me anymore. I understand if anything I've said or done has repulsed you, and I sincerely apologize…" He was halted abruptly by Lucy's warm embrace, and a gentle brush of her lips on his scaled cheek.

"Quiet, you insufferable dragon!" She whispered into his ear, "I've missed you so much. I too, would love to get to know this new version of you. You owe me seven years of friendship, and I intend to hold you to your debt!"

Natsu held her close, burying his nose in her golden locks and reveling in the ecstasy of just being with her. If only he could tell her that for him, friendship was no longer enough.