Welcome back our lovelies to another chapter of Golem. Apparently I picked a good preview for the past chapter because you guys just LOST YOUR MINDS. HAHAHA IT WAS THE MOST HILARIOUS THING TO SEE YOU GUYS ALL COME UNRAVELED.
I regret nothing, but on that note lets kick off ACT 3
THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!
CHAPTER 32
Ghoul
A ghoul is a monster or evil spirit in Arabian mythology, associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh
His eyelids dropped and a lazy smirk began to spread over his face. His fangs flashed between his parted lips, accompanying the devious look on his face.
Where had her doe eyed demon gone?
"Wha-?" Lucy gurgled incoherently, floored by the look he was giving her, and mortified over what it was doing to her pulse, "I... but..."
"I can feel it you know." Natsu purred, his smirk widening by the moment, and Lucy nearly choked in shock. He could feel it? How was that even possible?
"The bond tells me Lucy." Natsu murmured, "I always know what direction to go in to find you, and I can sense your moods." He leaned forward, and nuzzled her cheek. It was just an affectionate bump, but it sent her heart racing all the same. "I knew that night on the beach you were attracted to me."
He'd known since then?!
Lucy pulled back, "Hold on! You knew since then, and you didn't say anything?"
Why hadn't he said anything? Not that she'd wanted him to say something, but shouldn't he have been all over this?
Natsu shook his head, "I wanted to." He admitted, "But you seemed determined to ignore it, so I went along with you."
Lucy's head spun. Did that mean he was only into the idea because she was? She wasn't sure how far this bond of theirs went, but she was pretty sure serving her sexually if she wanted it was part of the deal if she wanted it to be.
Her heart kicked up a notch, warmth spilling in her stomach at the look in his eyes. They were dark, but they seemed to be darkening further by the moment.
His lips parted, his tongue sliding between his lips with a quick swipe. He stepped towards her, reaching out for her hand.
His thumb worked a small circle directly over her guild mark, stepping in so close their chests were brushing.
He stood taller than her by almost a head and his eyes seemed to glide over her body like a physical caress.
"I want the same thing you want Lucy," Natsu's lips grazed the top of her ear. She felt his presence all over her, felt his hands settle on her hips and his breath fan against her neck.
And she wanted it all. Everything he was offering her.
It would be so easy to just look up and yank his head down into a kiss. One that had been haunting her since she dragged him into one on Galuna.
She closed her eyes, her heart crying out for what he was offering, "No." She breathed softly before she could change her mind, and pulled away from him, "No Natsu."
She turned around and wrapped her arms around herself, not entirely sure if it was to keep herself from turning back around and rescinding her decision or to protect herself from the pain she was inflicting on herself.
"It wouldn't be right." She murmured, bowing her head, "You're bound to me Natsu. You don't have a choice but to want to do whatever it takes to make me happy." Her grip tightened as she tried to repress the shaking she could feel starting, "I can't take advantage of you that way. I won't. I love you far too much."
Natsu gaped at her a little, stunned that she was willing to deny herself this. Didn't she know how much he cared for her? Didn't she understand he would never be able to do this, orders or not, if he wasn't interested?
This wasn't like fighting for her, or protecting her back, or even helping her survive. It required his own desire as well. She would have better luck trying to order him to stop breathing.
"Lucy..." He started, wanting to explain everything to her, but she whipped back around to stare at him with tears in her eyes.
"No Natsu!" She cried, "I won't do that to you! No matter what you feel over our bond you're not to act on it. The bond is tricking you and you need to stop listening to what it's telling your heart. You got that?"
Natsu blinked as he felt the order slide over him, and attempt to sink in. She truly meant what she was saying. She loved him enough she would deny them both for the sake of his honor. He loved her for that. Truly he did. But this time he had no intention of obeying her.
And for the first time since he'd awoken he fought the command. She wanted to stop him from feeling for her. That order wasn't possible for him to obey. There was no magic powerful enough to make him shut down what he felt for her.
She turned around again to shield her face from him and collect herself, her hands shaking. Lucy's voice trembled as she gave another command, just like the last.
"Just go Natsu, I need some time by myself," She choked out.
This command too, he fought with something akin to blind panic, because he knew if he didn't there would be no chance for them.
Lucy would insist, stubborn as she was, that he had no free will. That his feelings were only a reflection of hers.
Maybe that was true at the beginning, but that wasn't the case any more.
"No," he growled.
Immediately he felt a punishing crack against his soul. The feeling was so indescribable he had no idea how to even begin to describe it.
It felt like there was a bleeding in his chest, of something being forcibly ripped away by his denial. Every inch of his body was screaming out to obey his mistress. Every second he didn't obey her, it was like all his nerves were being burned away.
"No I won't," he whimpered, his knees suddenly aching. Dazed, Natsu didn't even realize when he had dropped to the floor.
There was a vice squeezing in his lungs, and a trickle of something hot under his nose. Blood slid down his face, a crippling sense of hollowness beginning to flood through him. It was like cracks in a dam and water leaked out from the mortar. Natsu felt that tear through his chest again, but this time half of his vision went with it.
Lucy had turned to look at him the moment he's said "No." the first time, shocked that he could even utter the word to her. However, when he dropped to his knees, and that terrifying blankness started to creep back into his eyes, her shock turned to horror.
"Natsu!" She cried rushing over to him and throwing her hands around his shoulder, "No! I take the order back! I want you to stay! Please stay with me!"
The blood dripping down his nose frightened her even more, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, "I take back all my orders!" She sobbed, "Just please stay with me! Don't shut down... please."
Natsu felt the pain vanish as she took back her order and demanded he stay with her. He haltingly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, "I... won't go." He murmured, affirming he would obey her this time, and their bond surged, giving him a boost of energy that cleared his head and his sight.
"I won't leave you Lucy." He breathed, much more clearly, "I love you too."
He shifted into a sitting position, and pulled her into his lap. He brushed her tears away with his thumb and met her eyes intently, "Listen to me Lucy. You can't order my feelings around. You can't make me want you. It doesn't work that way."
He caressed her cheek gently, "So please stop thinking that because I can't disobey a direct order I'm without my own free will. You know I have that. I can interpret your orders any way I want so long as they're done."
He pressed her hand to his chest, "And there's no order in the world that could make what I feel here happen. Okay?"
She could feel his heart pounding in his chest, as if trying to compensate for the shock he had just given it from consciously refusing the order.
He had come so close to being a husk again, just to prove to her he could think on his own. Neither of them had any idea such a thing could even happen, so they both held onto one another tightly.
They were both too stubborn for their own good.
But now Lucy believed him. Believed in the devotion he had for her even if the strength of it was a little overwhelming. Natsu loved with every inch of his soul and being.
Lucy let out a shaking laugh and wipes away her tears on a sleeve. She used her sleeve to lightly dab at the trickle of blood under his nose.
"We better take you to your mother," Lucy said worriedly, tugging the wobbly Natsu back onto his feet.
"Yeah, I think so," Natsu cringed and rubbed the front of his head, "I'm still feeling kind of strange."
Waving off his comments that he could walk by himself, Lucy looped his arm around her shoulders.
When they were upright, she hobbled with his heavy, unbalanced weight to suffer the wrath of his mother.
Natsu's eyes were still strangely glassy, like there was a part of him that was still slowly coming back. Luckily they seemed to be returning to normal the more time passed.
-::-
The next morning Lucy peeked cautiously into the infirmary, or healing wing as the dragons called it, to see if Natsu was awake yet.
The trip to the infirmary yesterday had been rough. Natsu wasn't exactly a lightweight despite the help he'd tried to give her. Fortunately, Grandine and Wendy had both been there and had rushed to help. Unfortunately, they were also his family.
That had made explaining what had happened rather awkward.
Wendy had been very upset with her for endangering her brother like that, but Grandine had shushed her daughter and nodded understandingly at Lucy.
It had been nice the sky dragoness hadn't blamed her for what had happened. Apparently stubbornness ran in the family from Igneel.
It had also been an acute relief when she hadn't had to explain what had happened again to Igneel or the others. Grandine had taken care of that herself with far more tact and delicacy than she would have imagined.
Her respect for the sky dragoness had gone up several notches for that.
She sighed quietly as there wasn't any sign of Wendy, and Natsu appeared to still be asleep.
She wasn't sure if the little dragoness was still upset with her or not, but she wanted a few moments with Natsu before she got back at least.
She walked over to his side and sat down, immediately curling her hand in his. She'd missed him the night before. Their pillow mound had felt cold and lonely.
"Good morning Natsu." She murmured softly, a small smile playing over her lips.
"Good morning Luce," Natsu cracked an eye open, a devilish grin tweaking at his lips.
She nearly jumped as she realized he had only been faking being asleep. He was looking at her with both eyes now, grinning widely as he sat up.
"I was hoping you'd come to visit me," Natsu's voice was hushed, but the expression on his face was happy.
"Natsu, I thought you had started to sleep better," Lucy instinctively whispered back at him. Ever since Igneel had removed the memories from Natsu's mind, he had slept like a baby.
She was a little worried his near shut-off had caused him to relapse.
"No, I slept fine, I just had to fake for a bit otherwise Wendy wouldn't leave me alone," Natsu tugged Lucy onto the bed with him.
"She's protective, she's just gotten you back, and almost lost you twice already," Lucy mumbled
She shifted her legs on the bed, her cheeks flushing when Natsu pulled her close to his side. He had never lost a fight before. Natsu in a lot of ways seemed unstoppable, but he had been brought to his knees twice since coming to the nest.
It seemed unreal for her demon to have been hurt so many times.
Natsu chuckled softly, his hand drifting idly down her arm and over her side, "That's true." He admitted, "But both times it was my own fault." He flashed her an amused smirk, "Kinda hard to stay mad at yourself when you're the one kicking your own ass."
Lucy had to admit, he had a point.
He leaned over to nuzzle her cheek softly, "I survived. That's the important part."
The feel of his nose brushing against her cheek, and the soft feather light sensation of his breath caressing her ear, had Lucy shivering a little.
Natsu noticed immediately, and his eyes darkened a little, "Cold?" He purred softly, barely resisting the urge to nip at the delicate flesh so near his teeth, "I can fix that for you."
Lucy flushed as her mind plunged straight into the gutter, and shivered again when Natsu chuckled huskily.
"I can feel that you know." He growled, pulling away a little to stare down at her, "And I can smell it." He leaned over to press his forehead against hers, "Gods Lucy... you smell so good."
Lucy felt her flush extend into a full body one that left her tingling, "Natsu..."
He could smell no other on her in that way, and couldn't remember a time he ever had. Gray's scent was there in the beginning, but it was peripheral. Like all casual contact with other people.
He wanted to coat her in his own scent, a territorial feeling that made his heart race. Everything about his mistress was pulling him in. The unsteady gasp of her breath, the sweet scent that radiated from her, and the rapid beating of her heart.
He wanted to run his mouth down against her pulse point and greedily nibble and suck until he had coaxed out every delightful sound Lucy could make.
The way she breathed his name made his nerves spark and his heart skip. But he relished in the sensations, both old and new. In truth though, he felt fantastic. It was almost as if he had been reset back to the factory setting. And now, without all of Lucy's old orders bouncing around in his head, he felt...
Energetic.
Lucy laughed a little breathlessly, but shook her head before curling against him. Her head tilted up towards him, eyes pausing as they took in his face. She reached up and tapped his temple, "Your eyes are glowing." She explained, "They're beautiful."
And really, they were.
They were the classic demonic red, but they didn't burn with hatred and rage like other demon eyes. No, these were warm and spicy. Like a hot fire welcoming her closer. There were even traces of the dragon gold mixing in like a real flame.
Natsu blinked a little, but grinned broadly, "I'm glad you like them." He purred, "But I'll look later. I've got something more interesting to see now."
Of course, now that she'd mentioned it, he was feeling hotter than before. Had his powers unlocked because she'd taken away all but one of her orders? He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. In the beginning she hadn't known how potent some of her orders could be. Which was probably just as well all things considered.
Lucy blushed at the compliment, sincerely and unhesitatingly given, and smiled up at him, "Flatterer." She teased, and gently pulled him into a kiss before he could open his mouth again.
It wasn't the first time they'd kissed, but to her it certainly felt like it. His lips were warm and firm and seemed to spark with an electricity that had her eagerly pressing closer.
"Natsu..." She breathed as she came up for air, and smiled a little at his soft growl before diving in for another one. His taste was even more addictive than the first time they'd kissed, and this time there were no demons watching, or to hide from. And that made all the difference.
She moaned softly as his tongue swept experimentally against her lips, and shivered as it slipped inside and caressed her own in a playful dance.
No one had ever kissed her like this. Like she was the center of their universe and they simply could not get enough of her. It was intoxicating.
She absently registered Natsu gently pushing her back until she was stretched out on the bed with him, and squirmed happily when one of his hands started to brush over her curves in tentative exploration. But when he got to the hem of her shirt and tenderly brushed the skin under it, she reached down and grabbed his wrist without a moment's hesitation.
"Not yet." She murmured when he pulled away to look at her in alarmed confusion, "I know it's what you want, and what I want, but I'm not really ready for that step yet. Let's... just explore a little at a time okay?"
Natsu smiled softly back at her, nodding his understanding. His hands drifted back up to safer territory, drawing his arm around her hips and middle. Wants were tricky things, and he still didn't quite understand them.
He knew that having a want and acting on it was different. And being ready to take that step with Lucy, it was a huge step for both of them especially so fresh into the fragile thing they had.
He badly didn't want to mess up.
So he swept back up to Lucy, his lips falling over hers to draw in more of those soft sighs and moans he was quickly growing addicted to.
Pink lips that were as soft as clouds pressed against his, sweet in their teasing caresses. Natsu just wanted to hold onto Lucy forever and claim those lips over and over and over again.
He laughed into the kiss, sparking Lucy to giggle along with him, lips moving in lazy patterns against one another.
But it quickly changed, as Natsu could feel a spark coiling in his stomach at the insistant press of Lucy's mouth against his. He growled when Lucy's fingers dug into his hair.
Her fingers curled into pink locks, pulled and - oh wow.
Natsu let loose a guttural moan at the feeling of her sharp tugs, his breath escaping in a rough gasp.
Lucy blinked a little and giggled, "You like that huh?" She asked with a grin, and tugged again. The soft, guttural, moan he let out confirmed it, and she smirked as she pecked him on the lips before moving down to pepper kisses along his jaw.
Natsu swallowed a bit at the new sensation, but eagerly bared his throat as she continued to explore. He'd known, intellectually, what this would be like, but somehow the knowledge did not match the reality even slightly.
Reality was much better.
Her soft lips brushed against his combat hardened body in a caress that felt a little like getting tickled with a feather until she reached his ear and delicately sank her dainty little teeth into his earlobe.
"Gods Lucy..." He groaned, melting at the touch. Heat scorched through him to pool between his legs, but he ignored it in favor of wrapping his arms around her and carefully stroking her hair.
He wondered if he could do the same to her and carefully nuzzled her neck, a pleased rumble escaping him when she bared her throat to him, and lost all track of time as he began carefully trailing his lips over her exposed skin.
His teeth were sharper so he took care with them as he let his fangs graze over her creamy skin. She squirmed beneath him, especially when his lips curiously latched onto a section of skin under her ear and sucked.
Her body jerked in a fascinating spasm, and Natsu's eyes travelled over her. Lucy's fingers were tight against the back of his shirt, her breathing growing more ragged as his mouth travelled.
Enthralled, Natsu mapped out areas against her neck. At first he was cautious, careful even.
But as he applied more pressure to his lips and teeth, Lucy's reactions became increasingly more pronounced. Her back bowed up into his chest, their hips brushing together in a way that sent electricity burning through his body.
Her fingers scratched into his scalp and she dragged his face up to hers. This time when they kissed, there was almost something fierce about it. Their breaths were gasping and shared, an eagerness to it that had Natsu bracing his hands on the bed.
He pulled himself up when he began to feel a familiar flame lick through his veins. He pushed himself up to hover over Lucy, breaking their kiss so he could force them to catch their breath.
He gasped raggedly, a crooked smile growing over his face.
"Take it slow?" he laughed.
Lucy laughed a little sheepishly, "Well... at least I didn't rip your clothes off?"
Natsu snorted around his grin as he settled back. He couldn't hide the effect her kisses had on him, so he didn't bother to try, nor did he let go of her hand as they cooled down, but he never took his eyes off hers and couldn't quite resist kissing her fingers the same way he had at Metallicana's nest.
He froze, however, when a sound from far away caused one of his tapered ears to wiggle.
He swore, when he realized they had garnered some attention and were about to have some unwanted company.
"Sting's coming." He huffed at her confused look, and hastily shifted into a position where at least the physical aspects of their time together weren't visible while Lucy quickly got up and hastily smoothed her clothes as she dropped into the chair next to his bed.
Which was good, because a few moments later. Happy, followed by a curious Sting, came into the hospital wing.
They paused at the doorway, and Natsu watched as Happy cocked his head in confusion while Sting stared at them in shock.
He couldn't quite contain his scowl over their moment being interrupted, but throttled the reaction back as much as he could. They were in a relatively public place, and he should've expected others would come by to see him.
Of course, that didn't help his frustration one bit.
"Uh..." Sting managed after a moment, "Did we come at a bad time?"
"Not as bad as it could've been." Natsu quipped only for Lucy to smack his shoulder lightly.
"Sass not required Natsu." She huffed as she blushed.
Sting blinked and then burst into laughter, "Well, you're bold as brass brother, I'll give you that, but congratulations!" He beamed happily at them, "Just try not to let dad catch you okay? You might give him a heart attack."
"Gods..." Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands, "I want to sic Taurus on him the longer he talks. Or maybe Aquarius."
"I don't get it, what's going on, and why does it smell weird?" Happy asked innocently. He had a bouquet of fish and flowers between his small paws.
"No reason," Sting squeezed the bridge of his nose. He gestured towards the couple in bed and nodded at Happy, "why don't you give Natsu your gift?"
Natsu's face immediately lightened at the thought of a present and crawled forward on the bed a little awkwardly.
"Thanks buddy," Natsu smiled at the kitten, who dumped his smelly bouquet into his hands, "Whoa! A whole fish? Just for me?"
"You bet!" Happy buried his face into Natsu's neck before flapping into the air, "Get better!"
Natsu raised an eyebrow at his brother as Happy flew over Sting's head.
"What, don't tell me you got a present for me too," Natsu said wryly. Sting quirked an eyebrow at his twin and crossed his arms.
"Depends I guess, on how you see Igneel's ruling on the human's war," Sting shrugged, "He's made a decision."
You're welcome.
30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK!
Natsu couldn't wait to kick some demon ass so he could go on a vacation with Lucy in a nice, secluded part of the world.
His was interrupted from forming any other cheese riddled thoughts when a loud blaring sound interrupted their dinner.
Blinking, Natsu looked up.
"What is it?" Lucy asked, her hand loosening in Natsu's grip.
"It's a proximity alert," Sting growled angrily, "We have a visitor too close to the mountain."
"Gonna try to rip their heads off without finding out what they want first?" Gajeel snorted.
"That was one time, you have to let it go," Sting's cheeks flushed
