Hello everyone! I'm happy that people seem to enjoy the story so far. I was really nervous after the first chapter, but I'm slowly feeling better after this one. Thank you for the encouraging words from those who reviewed, it makes me want to finish this story even more! So let's get to it =)

Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, don't you think Lucy and Natsu would be cannon already?

Warning: Things are getting a little spicy now! –wink wink-

Chapter Three: The Beepong-Breakdown-Breakthrough

"Lucy! Erza! Gajeel! Juvia is so happy to see you all." Lucy smiled brightly at her excited friend, who had also prettied up for the party. Her hair was flared out, and she wore a blue cropped top with tight jeans that appreciated every curve she owned. With Juvia's heels increasing her height, Lucy had to look up to meet Juvia's gaze.

"Juvia, you look amazing," Erza said. Juvia blushed and shyly looked away, never seeming to deal well with compliments.

"Juvia is thankful that her friends could make it to Gray and Lyon's party. Juvia hopes everything is to your liking." From the layout of intricate appetizers, it was obvious that Juvia had helped out. Otherwise, Lucy would have expected to see a bag of chips and some salsa. If they were lucky.

"I think you may have gone a little overboard, woman," Gajeel said, already stuffing his face with a plate full of food. The three girls just stared, none exactly sure what to think of the comedic scene.

"So uh…have the others showed up yet?" Lucy asked, trying to pull her gaze from Gajeel's unnatural eating habits.

"Juvia has seen Natsu, if that's what you're asking." Erza hid her laughter behind her hand as Lucy's face burned red in embarrassment.

"I didn't just say him Juvia! I have other friends you know!"

"Loke and Aries are here as well, and a few of Gray's friends from school. However, Juvia expected to see Levy in your group." Instantly Gajeel's aura changed at the mention of the bookworm. The black cloud that now rained on his head was almost visible. Erza quickly tried to reconcile the guy while Lucy quietly explained to Juvia the situation. It was followed by several apologies from Juvia, which didn't seem to affect the gloomy giant. Knowing that she only had one option, Lucy decided to give Gajeel something to distract himself with.

"You know, Natsu said something about kicking your ass in beer pong." Within a second Gajeel was up, quickly searching the room for the man in question.

"That little punk's got another thing coming if he thinks he'll beat me!" Lucy smiled at hearing the spark back in Gajeel's voice, though quickly regretted it when he grabbed the back of her shirt and dragged her throughout the apartment. "We'll find your little sidekick so you can watch me crush his dreams!"

"I'm not his sidekick, and stop dragging me without my consent! What am I, your hostage?" In truth, she was hoping to stay away from Natsu for as much of the party as she could. Though it bothered her that Natsu hadn't even attempted to text her, Lucy tried to ignore the feeling while dealing with her friends' problems. Lucy gave up trying to get out of Gajeel's iron grip, watching the interesting pattern her heels made along Gray's rug.

"Yo, Natsu!" Lucy looked up from her observation, realizing that she had been dragged out into the kitchen. It was much more spacious than her apartment, making her envious that Gray could cook as freely as he wanted. Then again, he seemed as motivated as Natsu when it came to home economics.

"What do you want now, Gajeel?" Natsu turned from his conversation with Gray to face Gajeel, pausing when he noticed Lucy beside him. He stared for a few long moments at her before he spoke. "…W-Why are you hanging out with this guy?"

"It's not like I wanted to you know! He's kind of got a hold on the back of my shirt." As it was, Lucy felt like her chest was about to pop out of the v-neck design of her top. Some party guests glanced at her, and she knew some were hoping they'd get a free show. Yanking the material up, she glared to Gajeel for the second time that night. "Can you let me go now?"

"Shut up, would you?" Lucy yelped when she felt herself roughly tossed across the kitchen. She was sure she was going to end up on her ass, but Natsu was quick to catch her against his chest. Thankful for Natsu's quick reaction time, she smiled slightly at the feel of his arm wrapped securely around her waist.

"Someone needs to let us know when Gajeel is PMSing. You okay, Luce?" She nodded at his question, though his eyes never strayed from the steel-like connection he had with Gajeel. "You got a reason to be bugging me, or did you come to see what a real guy looks like?"

"Hardly. A little bunny told me you think you can kick my ass in beer pong. That's a lot of talk from someone weak like you."

"What did you just say?!" Fire almost sprouted from Natsu's mouth as he growled at his opponent, instantly feeding off the challenging aura. If there was one thing Natsu loved, it was a good contest. And who better to fight than someone who enjoyed the idea of competing just as much as he did?

"You got wax in your ears, or do I need to repeat myself?"

"I'm going to crush you in this! Lucy, you're going to need a drink before we kick this guy's ass."

"M-Me?" She looked up at Natsu, who was grinning from ear to ear while holding out his hand. She wanted to say no, knowing she should stay far away from him while her feelings were still so jumbled from Levy's comment. Adding alcohol to the equation probably would make it worse. Despite the warnings in her head, she felt her resistance disappear at the trusting look Natsu gave her. He really did enjoy being around her, no matter who else was in the room. It was rare for a boy to think like that. Looking to the now partnered up Gajeel and Gray (who always liked to try and beat Natsu at anything he could), she realized that Natsu could have asked Loke or Lyon to partner up with him. Hell, even Erza would have been better than Lucy.

"Of course you! When we're a team, nobody can beat us." But Natsu, in typical fashion, thought of only her first. It warmed her heart in a way she desperately tried to ignore. Instead, Lucy gave a short nod and grabbed Natsu's extended hand.

"Right!"

"Let's crush these clowns. I'm getting fired up now," Natsu said, turning his attention back to his two "opponents".

"Last time you got 'fired up', you broke my kitchen table with your fists," Gray replied, seeming uneasy with Natsu's catch phrase.

"I got you another one didn't I?"

"That's not the point you idiot."

"You wanna go stripper?!" In an instant the two's foreheads were pressed together, glaring so much Lucy was afraid a brawl was about to break out. Instead, Gajeel yanked his partner back while sending Natsu a less-than-impressed once over.

"Don't let the kid get in your head, he's just trying to psych you out." Steam billowed out of Natsu's ear at the 'kid' comment, but Lucy pulled him back before he could jump over the table. Once settled, the four squared off on opposite sides of the battle field.

"Rules of the table." Gray's house meant Gray's rules, and so Lucy waited patiently for her host to explain his version of beer pong. He looked between herself and Natsu, seeming to calculate something before speaking. "I sink a shot, Lucy drinks. If Gajeel gets one it, Natsu has to drink. Vice versa. If we sink two in a row, we get balls back and you both take a drink. One re-rack allowed, and bounce throws can be deflected by the opponent. You spill a cup, you take a shot automatically. First team to get all ten cups out wins one round. It's best two out of three, so Natsu can't bitch about lucky throws. Any questions?"

"Why does Lucy have to drink when you sink a cup?" Lucy looked over to her concerned partner, who seemed to know something about Gray's skill that she didn't. Gray took a moment to think before he smirked and twirled the pong ball between his talented fingers.

"I always take care of a woman after getting it in." Instantly Lucy's mouth dropped, hearing the obvious double entendre in his tone. Gray was a man, but it was rare to hear him say something so dirty. Gajeel snickered at his partner, and a few whistles from the small forming crowd showed their appreciation. She half-expected Natsu to miss the pun, but she jumped when his fist connected with the table in front of them. The legs creaked in protest, but luckily the table stayed up.

"Talk like that about Lucy again and I'll rip your tongue out." The serious tone in Natsu's voice was something nobody at the table was used to hearing. Even Lucy, who had lived with him for years, rarely heard such a somber note with a threatening glare. Where normally Gray would come up with a sly comeback, the brunette was deadly silent. Feeling a sudden tension in the air, Lucy placed her hand on Natsu's arm and soothingly rubbed the muscle beneath. He peeked over to her from the corner of his eye, but the death aura around him had yet to subside. Taking a slow breath, Lucy sent him the best smile she could.

"We're going to beat them, right? Let them talk; it's all they're good at." She squeezed his arm gently, which finally seemed to snap Natsu out of his murderous gaze. She felt his arm relax, and it was only then she realized Natsu had tensed his entire body. Was he really planning on fighting Gray over that comment? Lucy felt relieved that her words got to him before he hurt someone. Natsu let his eyelids drop half-way while he gave her a smug smile. It was enough to enact another blush from her.

"Thanks, Lucy." The way he said her name shouldn't have left her as breathless as she was. Were Levy's words really affecting her this much? Or was it something else completely? She looked down at the drink that Cana was handing her, wasting no time in taking a huge swig from it.

The four's unintentional performance had attracted most of the party's attention, and a circle formed as the game begun. At first, it was pretty hard for Lucy to see how they could ever win. The first game had been a blowout, Gray and Gajeel way more competition than Lucy had predicted. Natsu was really skilled, sinking in a good amount of shots he made. Gajeel had been great in the first game, but halfway through the second round he caught sight of Levy in the crowd. Lucy could only assume his need to talk to her made his game waver. Lucy was holding up much better than she expected, and the two of them had pulled out a win the second round. Gray made the whole thing look like child's play. It was making Lucy regret letting Cana mix her drink. She was still functional enough to toss the ball into the cups, but occasionally she'd catch her gaze lingering on Natsu a little too long. Really, the black button up he wore did more for his tone body than Lucy had first realized. And remembering what his muscles felt like under her hand were making her fingers twitch. It became even worse when Natsu rolled his sleeves up and popped open two buttons of his shirt, showing off the tan flesh underneath. Even though Gray had lost his shirt long ago, Lucy couldn't keep her eyes away from the tiny tease of Natsu's chest. She got to draw this guy naked? Guess she really was lucky Lucy.

"Are you going to shoot, bunny girl?" Glaring as best as she could while inebriated, Lucy stuck her tongue out at Gajeel before looking back to the swaying cup. She knew there was only one left, but her eyes kept telling her there were three. She swallowed a bit, blinking several times to try and ignore the strong whisky Cana had finished her third drink off with. No wonder Natsu called the girl an alcoholic! This drink could knock out a whale in no time. How Lucy was even still standing and not throwing up was amazing to her.

"Focus Luce, you can do this." The soft voice near her ear made her close her eyes, ignoring the twinge of heat in her body. She knew he was being supportive, but Natsu was doing more harm than good. She opened her mouth to tell him, but the last sober part of her quickly told her to can it. Forcing her eyes to open again, Lucy aimed her shot the best she could with so many distractions around her. Finally admitting she was going in blind, Lucy prayed to whatever celestial being was watching before tossing the pong ball somewhere in the vicinity of the cup. As soon as the ball left her fingers, Lucy closed her eyes and clasped both hands together. She winced at the sound of the ball hitting a cup, though she wasn't quite sure which one.

"Holy shit." Gray's voice hit her ears a second before Lucy felt herself lifted straight off the ground and into the warmest embrace she had ever felt. Gasping in shock, she opened her eyes to see a laughing Natsu lifting her over his head. Her alcohol infused brain took several seconds to process what happened, even when her friends started to cheer her name in the crowd.

"I got it in?" Her voice was slurred, but it got through to the grinning guy underneath her.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my teammate, even if you are shit-faced," Natsu said, making Lucy look away in embarrassment. Really, he had too much confidence in her. He finally dropped her back to her feet, but kept his hands on her waist as he started to talk smack about the two across the table. Lucy couldn't make out what they were saying, her fogged brain convincing her that swaying was more important. She felt a heat press into her back, guiding her to rest her head on Natsu's chest. Her ear laid against his heart, Lucy smiling slightly at how soothing the accelerated beat was to her. She knew he got riled up gloating to the guys, but it was different to actually feel it. Her fingers played with the open flap of his shirt, accidentally brushing the bare skin underneath. She felt him pause in his argument with Gray, but she refused to look back up at him.

"Lucy!" She heard her name called, but her head was too comfortable to lift up. She looked around slowly, realizing it was Levy running over to her.

"Leeeeevy…" She replied, hiccupping before she felt herself giggling.

"Are you going to be okay? You look kind of out of it." That was the understatement of the party. Lucy smiled and tried to pull away from Natsu, but her legs decided to stop supporting her. Lucy's knees buckled, and she was thankful Natsu was conscious enough to catch her.

"Woah! Guess Cana really did a number on you, huh Luce?"

"I'll go get her something to eat, and a glass of water too," Levy said, quickly moving to where the party platters were.

"Let's get you in a seat so we can sober you up." Lucy felt herself being lifted up, but she made no movement to fight it. Her body was cradled carefully, and Lucy sighed as the hot breath of Natsu hit her exposed skin. Really, was this guy made of fire? Her hands were scrunched up in Natsu's shirt, almost tearing the material as she turned her head toward the other side of the table. When she caught sight of a mane of black hair, Lucy lifted her head.

"Yo! Ga-Gajeel!" The man in question paused in his cleaning of the table to look at her. "Lug-nut!"

"Hey! Stop moving!" Natsu's order was ignored as she squirmed, and he groaned before sitting on the chair with her on his lap. She must have looked as drunk as she felt, because both Gajeel and Gray started to snicker in her direction. Keeping one hand locked in the fabric of Nastu's shirt, Lucy pointed toward her bookworm friend who was now carrying water and a plate of food.

"Come say sooooorry to Levy!"

"What are you talking about? I ain't saying nothing to that shrimp." Anger switched places with the alcohol in her blood, and Lucy could almost feel it boiling within her. What was with these men?

"But you love her! If you…love her so much, why…why you calling her shrimp? She….she AIN'T f-food! She's a wooooman with neeeeeeds!"

"Lu-Lucy…" Lucy looked over to Levy, her eyes brightening.

"Levy! Le-vy Le-vy Le-vy! You wanna hear your name, right? But that…that…uh…what was I…" Lucy swayed on Natsu's lap before clapping her hands together. "That MAN won't call you nothing but shrimp! I'd kick his ass if you didn't like him so much…and you!" Now that her first targets were both speechless, Lucy shifted her attention to Gray's amused face.

"What about me?" Gray teased, seeming to enjoy the show Lucy was putting on.

"Ju-Juvia SHOULD date Lyooooon. He's at…at least interested in…in kissing her!"

"…Excuse me?" Gray's eye twitched at the information, a part of his cool composure cracking as he scanned the party. Lucy frowned as she squirmed on Natsu's lap, trying to get back out into the crowd. They looked like they were having so much fun! And yet she was stuck with two blushing fools, an overly calm host, and a suddenly silent roommate. "And how do you know that, oh wise one?"

"She told me silly goose! Last weeeeek when…when you ignored her offer…ya know, for dinner? Lyon scooped her up! And tried to give herrrrr a smooch!" When her anger had turned into the giggles, she didn't know. But for now, she couldn't stop herself from laughing even as she let information out she probably shouldn't. A drunk Lucy was an overly honest Lucy.

"Is Lucy okay?" Lucy looked up at her name, smiling brightly at the two newcomers.

"Erza! Jellal! Hi!" She bounced in her seat like a little kid at Christmas, making Erza look over her shoulder to her "cushion".

"Do you want me to take over? You look a little out of it too." What was she talking about? She looked back over her shoulder, seeing nobody but Natsu. And Natsu didn't look out of it! Sure, he seemed a little tense, but other than that he was fine. In more ways than one, she thought with a giggle.

"I've got her. Levy brought her water, but she kind of dropped it when Lucy went on one of her honesty sprees. You know how she gets when she's drunk; her own matchmaker," Natsu said it so casually, despite having to grip her hips on both sides to keep her from trying to stand up. The mini conversation was cut short when Gray stepped in front of Lucy, his arms crossed.

"Lyon tried to kiss Juvia? She never told me that."

"Huh? Whatareyou—OH! That. Why would she? You…are not…uh…" Lucy stumbled over her words, laughing at herself and her stupidity. She really was drunk, huh? She looked to her red-haired friend, pointing to Jellal next to her. "What's that word you want him to be?"

"H-huh?" Not expecting the sneak attack, Erza had no defense for the blonde haired girl's question.

"You know…the thing…the thiiiiing…oh oh!" Lucy snapped her fingers, looking back to Gray. "Lover!"

"Lover?!" Lucy nodded with a smile at Gray and Erza's response before breaking out in laughter again.

"Lo-ver!" She sounded out, not understanding why they repeated her.

"Lover?" Erza's head quickly snapped over to Jellal, who was lightly blushing at Lucy's unintentional confession.

"Lover!" Natsu roared in laughter as he looked over to Gray, who quickly took a swing at Natsu's head. Natsu avoided it, grinning lecherously at Gray's angry face. "Yeah Gray, you aren't her lover yet. Lyon might just do her before you do."

"At least I have a girl interested in me being her lover," Gray snapped back, making Natsu's laughter falter. An annoyed twitch started in Natsu's eye, ignoring the yelp from the drunk mess in his lap as he stood up.

"Are you implying something, ice princess?" At the question, Gray smirked and took a step closer to Natsu.

"Just stating some facts that your pea brain might have overlooked." Lucy was now pressed between the two boy's chests, something most girls would appreciate. Being as drunk as she was, Lucy only whined and clutched tighter to Natsu's shirt.

"You sure like to talk big when you haven't made a single move on Juvia!"

"You're one to talk. The only girl you've fooled around with was at my party sophomore year! And you were so confused you barely knew how to take her damn bra off." Lucy's eyes widened as a familiar pain struck in her heart. Unconsciously her hands clenched tighter in Natsu's shirt, her eyes losing focus. Normal Lucy would be able to laugh off the pain and ignore it. Normal Lucy could pretend she was fine. Drunk Lucy couldn't. Like every drop of happiness was just sucked out of her, Lucy felt her stomach drop out. Why did that image make her want to cry so much? Suddenly, Lucy didn't want to be at the party anymore.

"Natsu, I don't feel—"

"You fucking bastard, bringing that up. You lost at beer pong and now you're going to lose your girl to your step-brother! Little Lyons and Juvias running around the apartment, wanting to play with uncle Gray." At the mention of her name, Juvia lifted her head from her conversation with Lyon to watch the battle between the two hot-heads.

"I ain't losing Juvia to him you piece of shit!" Instantly Juvia swooned at the possessive tone Gray took, but Gray didn't notice as he shoved Natsu.

"Boys! You're going to hurt Lucy. Erza, do something! " Levy shouted, knowing the conversation was getting a little too out of control. The blue-haired girl looked to her friend, who was curling up into a ball in the corner of the room. "Er-Erza? W-where's Jellal?"

"Lover…" The red-head moaned, pressing her forehead into her knees in embarrassment. Levy nearly fell over at the depressed aura that surrounded Erza.

"Please get up, the boys are-!" Before Levy could finish, Natsu had shoved Lucy into Levy's arms.

"Take care of Lucy! Don't let anyone touch her!" Natsu shouted before tackling Gray onto the ground. The two wrestled on the floor, nearly knocking over the kitchen table as Natsu pinned Gray down and smirked. "So, Lyon's got no shot in hell? Then why'd he take her out on a date? Shouldn't that be your job?"

"It wasn't a date." Gray said it so calmly, it was almost impossible to catch the grimace on his face. Natsu, however, was used to looking for clues of irritation from Gray in fights.

"Dinner and a kiss? Even I get that's more than friends. Do you even know if Juvia resisted?" Natsu wasn't quick enough to miss the fist thrown at his face, making him fly across the room and hit into the wall next to Levy. The girl screamed, holding tightly to the limp girl in her arms. Natsu quickly launched himself at Gray, starting the fight back up again.

"Why is nobody stopping them? Wait, it's Natsu and Gray. Nobody but Erza can! But she's in a love coma…oh, the one time I need Gajeel's help! It's just like him to go off and pout at a time like this!" Realizing that Lucy stayed quiet during Levy's rant, Levy slid down onto the floor while supporting Lucy. "Hey, are you okay?"

"N-No…I'm n-not." The waver in her voice gave away that she was about to cry.

"Lucy!" At Levy's shout, Natsu quickly turned his attention to the girl in Levy's arms. Though he wanted to do nothing more than let some more steam out by pummeling Gray's face in, one look toward Lucy made Natsu realize she wasn't the bubbly drunk she was two minutes ago.

"Levy, what happened to her?" Natsu was quick to drop down next to the philologist, who shook her head quickly.

"I don't know; she's acting completely different than before."

"Is Lucy okay?" Even Gray had forgotten about their fight as he kneeled in front of Levy, helping the crying girl rest against his propped up knee. Gray gave Levy a nod, letting her know he could handle the situation without her.

"I'll leave the rest to you two boys. I've got to find Gajeel before he punches a hole in the wall."

"I'd appreciate my apartment staying semi intact, thank you."

"I'll do my best!" Levy left after that, and Gray sighed while rubbing his temple. Taking a moment for himself, Gray turned his focus on Lucy.

"Lucy, are you hurt?" Natsu glanced between the two of them, unsure if he should interfere. He knew Gray was closer to Lucy now than in high school, taking many of the same art electives. He was the person Lucy went to when she was confused about which color palate to use or something else Natsu was completely useless for. Some trivia nights they would debate about famous art pieces and artists, making jokes only they would understand. Gray had even admitted (on one of the rare occasions the boys actually talked without the girls around) that he thought Lucy could make a good wife for the right guy. Natsu agreed; he just didn't want it to be Gray. Just like he didn't want Gray to be the one comforting his roommate. Still, he kept silent, knowing Lucy came first.

She always came first to him.

"Y-Yes," Lucy blubbered out, looking up to Gray in pain. Gray nodded slightly, keeping his cool despite the mess of a girl in front of him. He had to hide a slight smile, knowing that she really wasn't physically damaged. He had dealt with Juvia, who acted emotionally drunk on a daily basis. Drunken Lucy was a walk in the park compared to her, so long as you didn't lose your cool. Natsu went psycho when the store didn't have his favorite kind of soda; he was not the person to figure out complex situations like this.

"Where?" When his blonde friend pointed to her heart, he casually glanced over to Natsu. The idiot was too busy worrying himself over Lucy to realize what she actually meant. Not that it surprised Gray. When wasn't Natsu worried about Lucy? Taking the moment of distraction between the two, Gray thought back to the night they had. After going over his and Natsu's fight, he knew exactly what it was that had hurt the girl. Something he, guiltily, said without thinking of Lucy's feelings. The problem was, Natsu couldn't figure it out, and Lucy didn't know all the facts to the 'situation'. These two were denser than he had originally thought.

"What's wrong with her heart?!" Or, at least Lucy was. Gray never really had faith in Natsu's brain power. Like now, for instance. Gray let out a long breath before patting Lucy on the head.

"I'm sorry I said something that hurt you, Lucy." Gray watched Lucy's eyes widen, a set of tears finally filling her eyes despite her attempts to blink them away. "But I promise, you're going to be okay."

"What the hell did you do to her?! I swear—"

"Natsu, I think you need to focus on getting her home. She's just had a lot of alcohol and is over thinking things. She'll be better in the morning. I've got to go find…someone." Gray stood up slowly, brushing his pants off while realizing he had yet again lost his shirt. Thinking of the girl he intended to talk to, he knew she'd appreciate the view.

"Wait a minute Gray!" Lucy heard Natsu shout Gray's name, though the other boy ignored it and left the room. She felt her lower lip quiver at Gray's words, making her heart ache. Why was all of this happening? Why did Natsu make her feel like this? Why did Levy say anything to her about them being 'intimate'? And why did Gray have to open his stupid mouth and hurt her so much? Her drunk brain was filled with unanswered questions. It was making the whole room spin.

"Come on, let's get you home." Natsu started to lead Lucy out of the apartment, but the stubborn girl pushed away from him and smashed straight into a wall. She didn't want him to help her anymore. She braced herself against the solid surface, ignoring Natsu's stunned stare before trying to feel her way to the entrance. "Lucy…"

"No! Go away Natsu!" A trickle of wetness against her cheek signified to Lucy that she was crying, something she didn't want to understand. Her knees gave out quickly, and Lucy sunk to the floor against the wall. Embarrassed, hurt, and still utterly drunk, Lucy yanked her knees to her body and hid her face in her exposed thighs. It didn't take long for someone to pick her up, and she could only assume it was her stubborn roommate.

"Don't need to show your underwear off to the whole place," He joked, though she knew the playfulness he normally possessed had disappeared from his voice. She should have known he could never leave her when she was crying. It was Natsu's biggest weakness. He had admitted that to her years ago. The warmth of his hands under her thighs was relaxing, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to secure herself from falling.

"Is she okay, Natsu?" She heard Levy's voice, which only made her bury her face deeper into his neck.

"Yeah, don't worry. She's just all worked up right now; you know how you girls get." A second later, she heard Natsu hiss in pain. "Ow Levy! What was that for?!"

"You really have nothing in your head but hot air, huh?" A gruff voice insulted Natsu.

"Shut up, Gajeel. At least I don't sulk like a baby over beer pong."

"Just everything else."

"Whatever. I'm going to bring Lucy home, so don't let this blockhead get into any trouble, alright Levy?" Lucy thought she heard the girl giggle, but it was covered by Gajeel's angry growl. She could feel Natsu's chest moving in laughter before he walked away from the two, the noise of the party easily disappearing into the night. The only thing she could hear now was Natsu jogging up the stairs. She knew it wasn't an easy task, but he carried her without complaint. Her eyes opened partially, looking up at the guy holding her. He really was amazing. How had no other girl ever seen that but Lucy? Again, the drunken part of her mind reminded her of Gray's comment, making her wince. That girl had stolen a part of Natsu that Lucy would never be able to touch.

But Lucy could get close.

Without giving it a second thought, Lucy reached up and gently cupped Natsu's cheek in her hand. He paused in his attempt to open their door, looking down at her and smiling.

"Natsu…" She whispered, her eyes closing partially.

"Are you feeling better? I really hate when you cry, ya know? The bastard said something stupid again, didn't he? I swear the next time I see him, I'm kicking Gray's ass." Natsu paused, jiggling the door to their apartment open before he continued. "Or maybe I'll just get Lyon to ask Juvia on a real date. That'd go right up the prick's asshole!"

"Natsu." Her voice cut through his rant. When he looked down to her, Lucy felt a swell inside of her chest. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, but the drunken part of her brain was only focused on one thing. Liquid courage coursed through her, and she pushed through any mental objections as she leaned up in Natsu's arms. She saw his eyes widen a fraction of a second before her lips brushed his, Lucy closing her eyes soon after. She pressed closer to his body, her fingers pressing into his cheek as she urged his mouth to react. And after a few stressful moments, Natsu's mouth responded with vigor. The unsuspecting guy stumbled through their now open doorway, shutting the door with Lucy's back and leaving her pressed against it. She moaned at the cold wood against her exposed shoulders before focusing on the kiss Natsu was prolonging. Why didn't she think to kiss this idiot years ago? Both hands were on his face, Lucy barely pulling away for a breath before Natsu attacked her mouth again. She wanted to tell him their position was uncomfortable with both of her legs being supported by the arm underneath them. The wood of the door chilled her leg, and she wanted to straddle his hips so she could feel his body. But the warmth that her tongue found in his mouth was heaven to her cloudy mind. It chased any thought of complaining away, especially when their tongues met to do battle. Wanting to feel any part of his body, Lucy's hand ran down his straining neck and onto the buttons of his shirt.

She felt the door shake behind her when his hand slammed into the wood, though she didn't get the meaning until Natsu was ripping his mouth away from her.

"Damnit!" With his chest heaving, Natsu pulled back as far as he could while still keeping his arm under her legs. She looked up at him in dazed confusion, still trying to find the breath he had captured from her. With a pained look on his face, Natsu slid the back of his hand against her cheek and scowled. "You're drunk." The tone he used made Lucy suddenly feel self-conscious. She wanted to deny it, that she was sober and knew exactly what was going on. She would probably say anything to get his mouth back to where it was moments before. But she knew the flush in her cheeks and the slur in her voice was giving her away.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, of course you're drunk." Natsu looked away from Lucy and pulled her back into a steady grip. Once sure she wouldn't slip, Natsu started to walk through the apartment and toward her room.

"Bu-But…"

"We need to get you to bed. I'll go get you some water and aspirin for tomorrow, cause you're going to wake up with one hell of a hangover. Hell, you'll be lucky if you even remember tonight." He sent her a cheeky smile that didn't reach his eyes. After turning on the light in her room Natsu moved toward her bed, ignoring the completely confused look on her face. "Then again, you may want to forget."

"Huh?"

"Once Erza and Gajeel get a hold of you, I mean."

She wanted to protest as he laid her on the bed, but her mouth wasn't functioning through her wave of emotions. Was this because she was drunk? Did alcohol affect your heart? She watched him leave and return with what he had promised, smiling at her when he caught her gaze. She knew he was speaking, but his words were muddled in her sleep-deprived mind. What had just happened? One second, Natsu had her against the wall kissing the daylights out of her. The next, he was tucking her into her bed like the kiss wasn't real? What was Natsu thinking? Lucy closed her eyes when she felt his rough lips placed on her forehead, Natsu's arms surrounding her for the unknown time that night. She leaned into the kiss, though she couldn't understand why it was happening. What she did know was that her mind was getting fuzzy with the sudden desire to sleep. She rolled over on her side, unconsciously wrapping her fingers around the warmth of his arm. Even if she was confused and hurt by him, his heat relaxed her. She never felt him pull away, and the gentle stroking of her hair was the last thing she felt before she passed out.

...Yup, that just happened. Please don't kill me! –hides- Really I promise it's not as bad as it seems…okay, so it's a little bad. BUT BUT BUT, you did get a kiss. So you can't be mad! If you liked this chapter, I'd love to hear it! As well as any parts you enjoyed or even disliked. So, what will happen with the two roommates? How does everyone else's relationships fair after the party? Will they forgive Lucy for what she did? And whose idea was it to let Cana make the drinks? Then again, she does know her way around a bottle…

Chapter Four: A Hangover Remedy for the Heart