Chapter 6

Warmth

She was so warm and comfortable, it was hard for her to open her eyes even as the morning sunlight tried to pull her out of sleep. Lucy sighed and shifted a little deeper into the warmth that surrounded her. A feeling of something being not quite right was nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her bed was just so cozy…

Wait…bed?

It all came back to her in a rush, the king's death, her arrest, Hades and his deal with the council. Her head shot up and her eyes flew open as she tried to remember where she was. A groan came from underneath her and she froze.

She was sitting rather intimately between Natsu's folded legs, her head had been resting on his firm chest, and his strong arms were still wrapped tightly around her. Lucy let out an unattractive squeak before launching her body away from his with enough force to break his hold, and slid her butt across the dew-soaked ground, putting distance between them.

The pink-haired man grunted and opened his eyes. He nonchalantly raised his hands above his head and stretched before shooting her a grin.

"Mornin' Luce."

Was it just her or did he seem rather self-satisfied? "How did- wh-why was I on your lap!?" She screeched and she could feel her face heat up. She looked like a ripe tomato, she was sure.

"I dunno? Maybe you were really cold." He shrugged and picked himself up off the ground in one fluid motion, squinting as he looked around their camp.

"Looks like we made it through the night, but we need to get movin.' It won't be long before someone catches up to us." He reached a hand out to help her off the ground.

"Yeah. I suppose…" Lucy took his hand, but couldn't bring herself to look at his face. She could still feel the flustered heat coloring her cheeks.

Pulling her smoothly from her sitting position, Natsu gave her an amused smile.

"You're really weird."

"I'm weird? You're the one who let some strange girl sleep in your lap!"

His smile just grew. "You aren't strange just weird."

Lucy wasn't sure there was a difference. She huffed a little but let it go, deciding instead to start cleaning up the camp site. Her partner had said that it was important to try and make it look like no one had stayed there.

After cleaning up the evidence of their presence, they started walking again, Natsu leading the way. The forest was still a wonderful mystery to the sheltered blond and she reveled in the sights and sounds. The sun shone in broken beams through the canopy that was just beginning to thicken with the arrival of spring and birds chirped all around. She gasped when a tiny yellow one landed just a few feet away and stopped for a moment to watch it pick at the dead leaves left over from fall.

Overall, Natsu had been very accommodating to her curiosity always pausing when she did and giving her a bemused smile as he watched her fawn over simple things like a lizard scurrying down the side of a tree. He knew they were in a hurry, but it was hard to tell her to keep moving when she was so enraptured with the world around her.

Besides, first clearing they came across he was going to make their traveling much faster.

By midday, Lucy's stamina was beginning to wane. She'd never walked so far in such a short amount of time before. She couldn't even enjoy the sights when she was huffing and puffing and clutching her side. Natsu didn't even look like he was sweating and she felt resentment join her fatigue as she watched him stroll easily up the hill that was giving her so much trouble.

"C'mon, Luce. Just a little further and we don't have to walk anymore." Thinking he meant they were going to take a break, she let her need for rest push her up the last ascent and over the incline.

When she reached the other side, she had to squint through the bright sunlight. The trees suddenly ended, giving way to a sprawling clearing filled with soft green grass. A clear blue sky opened up above her as she took a few deep breaths.

"Natsu?" He had stopped walking and was just watching her.

"This is where the walking ends. You can relax now."

He didn't need to tell her twice. Without waiting for him to finish his sentence, Lucy dropped to the ground and basked in the lush greenery as she ran her fingers over the short stalks of grass.

Natsu couldn't help but smile gently as his blond companion seemed to relish in the earth beneath her. It was kind of a nice scene and he appreciated the way her hair gleamed in the sunlight. Her skin looked so soft as her features relaxed and her breaths became more even. Sweat glistened across her flushed face but that just made her look even more ethereal. He thought it seemed like she really belonged here, surrounded by wild living things. It felt like they adored her as much as she did them and he hadn't seen her look so…pretty as she did right then.

His instincts screamed that this was somewhere she belonged, but they also reminded him that this place wasn't safe.

With a deep sigh, he made his way over to the distracted girl.

"Luce, we need to keep moving."

She stopped what she was doing and served him with a dejected look, "You said we could rest for a while."

He smiled, "I said you could rest for a while. This is where we do something besides walking."

Confusion was written all over her face. "Time to solve one of those mysteries, Luce."

That brightened her up considerably and she scooted a little closer to where he stood. "What is it?"

Natsu was a little nervous to share his secret. He'd received some pretty negative reactions in the past, but something about Lucy told him that she would be okay. She would accept him.

"Alright. I'm about to do something really cool, but you gotta promise not to freak out."

She nodded enthusiastically, anticipation and excitement entering her sweet scent.

"Okay." Taking a deep breath he concentrated. He could feel the spell surrounding him slip away and knew that he was being shrouded in a bright red mist. As the glamour dropped, he heard a sharp intake of breath and opened his eyes one at a time to gauge her reaction.

To his surprise, and relief, a brilliant smile lit up her face, the stars in her eyes shining brightly in wonder.

"Wow. You're so pretty." She whispered.

Natsu stumbled back a little in shock. That was definitely not something he'd heard before.

But Lucy was entranced. As the mist faded, beautiful ruby scales clearly spattered his tan skin, down his arms, outlining his face, and near his hips. Her eyes trailed downward and found his bare feet replaced with scaled reptile-esque appendages that tapered off into four sharp talons. Behind him, two wings unfurled, the same scarlet scales shown across the tops and the thin leathery skin below was a dull yellow. Something whipped out from below them, a tail she realized, twisting anxiously behind his legs. Two smooth onyx horns curved gracefully to follow the contour of his head as sunlight glinted off of them softly.

He was probably the most majestic thing she'd ever seen. Lucy unconsciously rose to her feet and stepped closer to her friend.

"Can I touch you?" Natsu was shocked by the bold request and couldn't seem to find the words to answer it. Instead, he just nodded dumbly and stood there, open and vulnerable to her inspection.

Lucy started with his arms. The patches of deep red scales that covered them blended so perfectly with his smooth tan skin that she couldn't help but run her fingers across where they met. The change was surprisingly subtle, going almost seamlessly from soft flesh to unforgiving scales. When she looked at them closely, they almost shimmered in the afternoon sun. Natsu shuddered under her soft touch.

Her exploration shifted to his head. Gently, she ran her thin fingers through the soft hair above his ear and he leaned into her wandering touch. Lucy absently thought that his hair may even be softer than her own. Her hand moved a little higher, making contact with the smooth warmth of one obsidian horn. She followed it's curve, wondering at how it seemed to radiate with a relaxing warmth. Actually, everywhere she touched she felt a soothing heat.

Removing her curious ministrations from his head, she walked around to one side, curious about the feel of those leathery wings. She was careful as she took the thin skin and rubbed it between her searching fingers. So thin, almost like parchment, but she instinctively knew that they had the strength to carry more than she could imagine.

Glancing down, she almost laughed as she realized there was hole in his pants that either hadn't been there or she hadn't noticed before. It was cleverly hidden within the pleats. Now it served as an exit for the thick tail that protruded from his lower back. Sighing, Lucy reluctantly removed her hand and took a step back.

"So…what d'ya think?" It was strange to think that the usually confident man suddenly seemed very nervous am jittery.

"Like I said, you're very pretty." She gave him a kind smile.

Blushing, he turned his face away and crossed his arms. "Ain't no way I'm 'pretty.' Unless you mean 'pretty awesome.'"

Lucy giggled at his childish attitude. It was such a contrast to his powerful, inhuman body that it was actually a little cute.

"Yeah, yeah. Pretty awesome I guess."

He turned and gave her a face-splitting smile and she realised his canines had also grown with the transformation, just a little. She had the sudden urge to touch those too. "'Course I am."

For a minute they just stood there grinning at each other before Natsu remembered they had somewhere to be.

Clearing his throat, he said, "So, from here on, we can fly. That way we can reach the village before tomorrow."

"Natsu, I can't fly."

The look he gave her made her feel a little dumb. She'd been feeling that way a lot lately. "I know that. I can fly and I can carry you. It'll be way easier than walking for the next couple of days."

She shifted a little at the thought of him touching her so intimately. It's not that she didn't want him to touch her, in fact she really liked it when he did. That was the problem. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of the feelings his touch evoked in her. Levy's touch never made her feel like this, all warm and needy. Every time he touched her, she felt like she needed more.

"I don't know…" she let her uncertainty slip into her voice and Natsu frowned.

"I promise not to drop you." He paused, frown deepening. "Don't you trust me?" He sounded a little hurt by her reluctance.

For some reason, Lucy did trust him. She shouldn't though. They'd just met a couple of days ago, in a jail cell no less, and she honestly felt she could trust this man with her life. It was a disconcerting realization. There was no way it was healthy to trust someone this much in such a short time.

"I do…" she admitted.

His smile returned full force and he reached a hand in her direction.

"Then let's go. We won't be safe until we get to the village."

Reluctantly, she placed her smaller one in his. She squealed as he put one arm behind her shoulders and one behind her knees, effectively sweeping her off her feet.

"This is gonna be the best ride of your life. Take my word for it, flying is amazing."

She believed him, but she didn't think the heat she felt inside and the butterflies dancing in her stomach had anything to do with the upcoming flight.

Erza was not in a pleasant mood. Not at all.

She and her king, Jellal, had been on the run for almost a year and she was quite tired of fleeing from their enemies. He had ordered her not to draw attention to them. Which meant that fighting was out of the question…

…but these guys were really testing her patience.

"Come on honey, let me see that pretty face." A large blond beast with rancid breath that she could smell as he leaned in closer had been relentlessly following her from vendor to vendor as she bought supplies for their journey.

She held her tongue even as his lackeys joined in. "Yeah sweetie, I can tell you have a smoking hot body under that cloak."

The red head could feel her teeth grinding together as she clenched her jaw, silently paying the nervous shop keeper for some of his bread before continuing her mission.

"Hey now, don't be so cold." This one was a scrawny brunette with a large nose and he was getting just a little too close for Erza's self restraint.

She tried with all her strength to ignore them, she really did, but when one of them reached out and put his large, grimy hand on her shoulder, she felt the thin string holding her self-control in check, snap.

In a flash, she threw the items she had collected on the ground and drew her sword from under her cloak.

"Don't presume to touch me. Trust me, you won't like the consequences." The tip of her blade sat inches from the blonde's throat and she saw him gulp.

"L-look lady, we didn't mean to cause no problems. Just some harmless fun. Right, guys?" Simultaneous nods came from his companions.

"Be more careful about who you decide to have your 'fun' with in the future." The blond nodded hesitantly and the knight withdrew, sheathing her weapon and retrieving her things.

By the time she had finished gathering it up, the men had disappeared, but she knew they would. They were just incompetent fools who thought the could bully a lone woman. They'd been mistaken.

She glanced around the street that held the market and realized that nearly every eye was fixed firmly on her, most of them wide with shock. Blushing a little, she replaced her hood, which had fallen back during her outburst, over her hair to cover her face. It was unlikely anyone in this town would recognize her as a royal knight of Edolas, but it was dangerous to walk around without a disguise. She was guarding a wanted man after all.

Deciding she'd had enough of the town and it's inhabitants, she made her way back to where she'd left the blue-haired ruler. It was a small abandoned shack on the edge of the city, hidden nicely among other houses just like it that had long ago lost their previous residents. Most likely to a bandit raid.

Opening the door, Erza immediately scanned the room for any threats. Everything appeared silent and empty, just the way she left it. The windows were open to the elements, paint peeled off the walls, and the debris of what was likely furniture at some point littered the floor. Nothing had been touched, not a single frayed curtain was out of place.

"Jellal, I'm back." It was still strange addressing him by his first name. They'd known each other since they were children, but to her he'd always been the king. Therefore, formalities and titles had always been a must. Now that they were on the run, he'd insisted she use his name, not his title. Calling him 'your majesty' in public could easily get them both killed.

"Erza." A blue head of hair shone in her peripheral and she turned to meet his gaze.

"I got the necessary supplies. We can keep moving as soon as the sun sets."

His deep brown eyes drug over her carefully, both admiring and studious.

"Did something happen? You seem… tense." He made his way across the room to his scarlet-haired companion.

"It was nothing. Some hooligans in town thought they'd be able to take me." Her eyes slit into a glare. "They couldn't."

He laughed and the sound warmed what her trip into town had left cold. "Of course they couldn't." His strong fingers ran through the closest lock of hair and she shuddered imperceptibly. "No one is a match for you. Not even me." His touch on her cheek made her lean into it unconsciously.

"Your majesty…"

"Please, Erza. No more of that. Here, we are equals." His thumb gently caressed her cheek.

Erza gave him a cocky grin, "In that case-" within an instant her lips were crushing his as he stumbled backwards. His shoulders thumped against the nearest wall, but she didn't stop. The fiery knight knit her gloved fingers through the hair at his nape and pulled. Her tongue licked his lips, begging for entrance that he was more than willing to give her. His own hands found her waist and pulled her body tightly to his own, needing her closer.

There was no armor to keep them apart, no social restraints. Not like in Edolas. There she had been a playmate in their youth and his knight when he was crowned king. There was never any room to be more than that. Glances that said more than words and small touches that told of restraint and need had constantly plagued them. The attack by Jude's army had been a curse on the kingdom, but a blessing for her. Finally, they had the chance to simply be a man and a woman. They touched, explored, felt-until Jellal gently pulled away.

"We really need to rest before the sun goes down. We're getting close, but it's still a long journey to the village in the mountains." It was a valid point, but as Erza struggled to regain her lost breath, the validity of the reason they stopped wasn't the issue. The issue was that they stopped at all.

"Why are you pulling away from me?" The bluenette had the decency to avert his eyes.

"I don't know what we're walking into as we get closer to the capital. I don't want to start something we can't finish." He looked back at her and his eyes softened. "I care about you too much for that. You deserve to have everything you want without worrying if it's still going to be there tomorrow."

Erza's gaze narrowed, "I think it is my right to choose." It was her heart on the line.

The former king just shook his head sadly. "I can't let you do that." He pushed her away. "I won't hurt you."

She backed off, but her eyes narrowed even further as she bowed stiffly. He said they were equals, but he still acted like her king. "Yes, your majesty." The red-head turned her back to the man she loved. "I think I will go rest now." She left him standing alone in the quiet afternoon, staring after her sadly.

She wasn't finished though. Not by a long shot. If Jellal thought she was going to give up just because he said so, he was sadly mistaken.

Erza Scarlet did not give up.

AN: Well, looks like Erza and Jellal just showed up. Shout out to glitter-spires for being an excellent beta.

Things are going to start picking up within the next few chapters and I'm very excited.

Again, I'm going to warn that the rating on this is going to go up in the future.

Reviews and critiques are more than welcome, I thirst for them! I want to keep improving and for that, I need feedback.

See you next chapter!