Off the coast of Ishgar, there's a chain of tropical islands. These islands are home to a resort many couples frequent when they want an escape from everyday life. Each cabin is on its own secluded cove, overlooking white sandy beaches and clear blue sea.
If you want to experience true paradise, bring your lover here.
Which is exactly what Natsu does not long after the undercover mission. Lucy had been wanting to take a trip somewhere for ages. And this is the perfect place.
He leaves her in suspense for most of the trip. All she knows is that it's an exotic venue far from Magnolia. The suspense remains until they land on the island.
Then she hugs him, eyes glistening with tears.
They get there rather late, so there's not much to do besides change clothes, cuddle in bed, and fall asleep to the sound of gently crashing waves.
The next morning they sleep in. They figure they deserve it, especially given how many hours they've put in at work lately.
After breakfast they explore their cove. Lucy's awestruck. She keeps pointing out features she's read about. Birds, flowers, even this weird looking rainbow colored insect.
She's absolutely geeking out. Natsu loves it, loves seeing that sparkle in her eyes as she tells him everything she knows about that bug, how that flower only blooms certain colors in certain regions, and why that bird's feathers are that particular shade of red.
Beauty, brains, and boobs. She's better than any fantasy, more satisfying than any daydream. And he wants to give her the world.
They swim. He throws her in, chuckling at her shrieking protests. They splash around for a bit, then do some proper swimming. Eventually his hand brushes against hers. When they resurface, Lucy makes the first move. Hops into his arms, kisses him with all her heart.
"Thank you, Natsu..."
"For what, babe?"
"For this. For everything. For loving a silly girl like me."
"I'm just doin' what comes naturally." Slow, deep kiss. She shivers, he quirks his head.
"Let's go back."
She nods. He wraps his towel and his arm around her, then they walk across the beach. She sighs, quite content with basking in the combined warmth of the sun and her boyfriend.
Even in this tropical heat, his temperature is comforting.
The cabin's bedroom is almost like a big porch. Open space, vast windows. Earlier Natsu opened them all to let a breeze in.
It paid off. Now it's nice and cool, a pleasant escape from the humidity outside.
He leads her to the bed, lays down next to her. Cuddling, kissing, listening to the wild birds chirping.
Utterly at peace.
If zen exists, this has to be pretty close.
His hands wander, as they so often did. Deliberately, shifting to her shoulders, loosening a knot of tension by her neck.
She lets out a happy little sigh.
"What're you doin'?"
"Treating my lady to a massage. Unless you don't want me to."
"Go right ahead." She's already mewling from the light pressure of his hands. He pauses, unties the towel, lets it fall to the bed. "...wait." She shifts. Unties her bikini top, casts it aside. Lets him admire her boobs, then lays on her tummy, head resting on her hands. Giggles at his dumbfounded expression. "-Now- go ahead."
He starts by kissing her neck, right below her hairline. Kneads tired muscles, warm hands working wonders in easing the tension.
They work so hard. He's used to it, having been busting his ass even before he joined the force. Girls shouldn't have to work that hard, but she did.
Right now he wants to make her relax, to feel good. She deserves it, especially after the undercover stripper incident.
Standing watch wasn't nearly as strenuous as four hours of erotic dancing nearly nonstop for weeks.
Well at least he had something beautiful to watch even when stakeout action was going slow.
"I did it for you, you know."
"Huh? Did what?"
"Danced. I knew you'd be watching. That's how I could get so into it, imagining you were the only one in the room."
"That's sexy as hell, Luce." She giggles as he kisses her neck. "Any chance of a repeat performance?"
"You never know. I say it'd be a shame not to put that particular skill set to good use again." A sigh mixes with hints of a moan as he rubs down her lower back. "Speaking of skill sets, how did -you- learn about massage?"
"Research." Said with a fanged grin. He had been searching for tips on how to make a girl feel good. One particular article caught his attention.
By the sound of it, this is going to make his girl feel REALLY good, indeed.
Butt and thighs. He unties her bottoms, lets them fall. He's clearly appreciating her form even as he works. Her pert little ass, joined to thick thighs and calves. Muscular yet beautiful, feminine in their softness.
Last for now, her feet. She thinks they're ugly. He finds them adorable, even if she calls him weird for it. Toes first, then soles. Talented fingers rub and knead, soothing the only rough skin on her body.
"You're good at this, Natsu..."
"Sssh. I'm not done yet. Turn, please."
She complies, takes a somewhat shaky breath. "Give me your hands."
Her hands find his. He squirts a little bit of oil into her palms, starts rubbing slowly. Treats her fingers to tender kisses.
"This part's gonna be a bit different. Do you want me to keep going?"
"Yes." Soft yet certain. She knows, has read about this particular sort of massage, but never imagined Natsu (of all people!) would be willing to initiate it.
Not that she's complaining.
It starts with another one of his famous kisses. His hands travel down to her breasts. Warming, kneading, kissing, tweaking. Slowly yet certainly turning her to goo.
Siiiigh.
Lower.
He kisses a reverent, loving path down past her navel. Pauses at the soft curve of skin where her panties usually sit. He feels a bit uncharacteristically shy here, his voice low.
"Part your legs, please."
"Okay..." He can hear his heartbeat racing in his ears, can also hear her tremble as she does what he asks. She's not scared. Oh, no. That little tremble is pure anticipation over what she knows is his next move.
Somehow he resists the urge to delve right in, refrains from plunging his tongue into her with no forewarning. He puts a hand on her, cupping her most intimate area, feeling the sweet heat of her core.
He's still massaging her, that same strong hand stroking her outer lips. Mmm. She shifts a little to give him better access, lets out a little mewling sound.
"Just relax, baby. I'll make ya feel really good." A kiss over her tiny tuft of hair. Then he gets back to work, if you could call intimately caressing the love of his life something as mundane as work.
Nimble fingers part tender lips, then treat her inner lining to the same treatment, the same caress. Gods, she's so wet. And her scent is intoxicating, making him feel both hazy and horny. Another kiss, this time on her hood. He raises his head, looks up at her.
"Give me your hand."
"Okay..." The moment their hands touch he slips a finger into her. Curls his fingertip, strokes against her inner walls. The sound she makes in response spurs him to keep going, to keep worshiping her.
She's already pretty aroused. When he flicks his tongue against her clit, he feels her get wetter. And she's trembling. Like some sort of current is flowing through her body, amplifying her , sensual agony.
"Na..Natsu?"
"Yes, Luce?"
"This..oh my god..this is amazing but can we...ah, get on with it?"
"Get on with it, huh?"
"Ye-esss... I need a good fucking."
"In that case..." Devilish grin. "I'll give you the best fucking imaginable." He sheds his pants, gently removes his fingers from her hungry little pussy, positions himself over her.
Their hands remain clasped the whole time.
She reaches down with her free hand, gently guiding his cock exactly where she needs him the most. Sinking into her, he makes thi pleased growl. Her hand shifts up, strokes
over his back, fingers finally tangling into his hair. She doesn't get too loud, instead vocalizing in the form of little gasps, sighs, and moans.
Of course, he knows one of her secrets – she's prone to getting louder when she's really into it. So he takes full advantage of that knowledge. He pulls out, leaving the tip brushing against her, then promptly grabs her ass and starts slamming into her.
And damn, it's paying off. Her eyes flutter closed, her head rolls back.
"Mmmmnn, yeah. Just like that, Natsuuu~..."
"Love it when you say my name like that, baby girl."
"Fired up?"
"You have no idea, Lucy." Low, sexy growl. She pulls him into a kiss, keeps her lips locked with his even as passion reaches a delicious climax, even as he fills her with his seed.
Afterward, after he's crashed into her, they lay together. She's stroking his hair, he's murmuring sweet nothings into her neck.
Fingers still entwined, accurately reflecting bodies and hearts.
"Natsu?
"Yeah?" He lifts his head, gazing up at her.
"I love you..." Her next words turn into a snore. He can't help chuckling. She did say she wanted a good fucking, although she's never passed out like this before.
Way to go, Dragneel.
"Love you too, princess."
For now, he wants to let her nap.
He reluctantly slips out of her arms, covering her up with a blanket, then kisses her forehead. He writes her a note then heads to the bathroom for a shower.
There's more to this vacation than sightseeing and incredible sex. Natsu has a plan. And now he's finally going to put it into action.
Provided he doesn't chicken out.
As usual his shower is hot enough to burn anyone else's skin off. He lets the near-scalding spray pepper his skin. Scrubs, shampoos, relaxes in the hot water.
Afterward, he gets dressed. Silky shirt unbuttoned, accompanied by some fairly dressy shorts and his scarf. He air dries his hair, absently noting how it's getting a little longer.
Well, Lucy likes it, so that's what matters.
Then he starts cooking. Chicken, peppers, wild rice, and a fruity drink he knows she loves. About halfway through the bake time he hears sheets rustling, then the telltale sign of the shower running.
She's singing.
He can't make out the song over the water and the kitchen sounds, but he definitely hears her singing.
He smiles to himself, then gets to work setting up the patio table for dinner.
He's an impulsive hothead by nature. Yet somehow one beautiful woman has him acting all romantic and domestic. For once.
Well, it isn't exactly a bad thing. He would rather be in love than on his own. And the idea of spending the rest of his life with Lucy...shit, that's as close to heaven as things could get.
He fidgets with the ring for a moment. How will she react to this? Burst into happy tears and say yes? Freak out, smack him, and ask if he's lost his mind?
For the first time, he finds himself hoping for tears.
He fidgets with the ring again. Hears her call for him, slips it back into his pocket.
"On the deck!" He calls back. Footsteps draw closer.
She steps outside, the setting sun bathing her skin in a golden glow. Her hair's clipped up in a deliberately messy bun. The dress she's wearing is flowing silk with gradients of blue, accented with a variety of bangles around wrists, neck, and ankles. Lucy Heartfilia, celestial queen. Beautiful.
He doesn't know how to respond at first, just stands in awe at her as she walks over to him.
"Hi, hungry. Are you beautiful?"
"Try again, dork." She giggles. He takes a deep breath and gives it another shot.
"Hi, beautiful. Hungry?"
"Famished. *Someone* gave me quite a workout earlier. Not that I mind." Another soft giggle followed by a tender kiss. He leads her to the table, pushes her chair in, then quickly takes the seat next to her.
They share the meal in relative peace, casual conversation, and easy laughter. Lucy finishes eating, rests her head on her lover's shoulder, sips her drink.
The sky is a rainbow of golds and reds. A lone bird chirps in the distance, waves crash.
"Can we talk?"
"Of course. What's up?"
"You know I love you, right?"
"Yes, dummy. And I love you." She sits up, puts her hand on his, looks up into his eyes. "Go on, Natsu."
He pauses. Frowns. Then takes a deep breath. She knows something's up. But...what...?
"You're my partner, my best friend, the girl of my dreams. You've given me more love than I ever thought I'd deserve, and I want to give you everything you could ever need." Somehow he manages to keep his hand from shaking as he grabs the ring from his pocket. "Lucy...Will you marry me?"
She doesn't respond at first. Her bottom lip is quivering, eyes filled with tears. Then she lets out a squeal and hugs him.
"Lucy?"
"YES you big idiot. Yes, yes, yesss!" Another squeal. She lets the tears fall freely. He's about to pull her into a kiss when he realizes they're missing one fairly important part.
"The ring?"
"Oh...right." Big brown eyes glistening with tears, beautiful smile gracing her face. Her response is everything he could have hoped for. He slips the ring onto her finger then pulls her into his arms, right where she belonged.
Right where she would always be.
Once her tears have stopped and the delightful shock has worn off a bit, Natsu leads Lucy up on the roof. They lay together, arms and hands entwined, kissing and watching the stars. Some time later they're back in bed, celebrating love anew. It's the perfect end to a perfect day.
Everyday life isn't exactly a tropical vacation. But for those fortunate enough to find love, even when it's unexpected, life can be pretty close to paradise.
~Fin