Cringing, I awaken in a haze: a massive headache pounds in my ears, my body's weight feels doubled. A sweet scent wafts in the air and I roll my head groggily to the right. My eyes widen in affection at the sight of a certain blonde sitting beside the bed, her arms folded on top of it, with her head resting face-down on them. She was mere inches from me and I suddenly wondered how long I had been here.

Looking around, my surroundings seemed vaguely familiar. The furniture, the smell – it reeked of an old man. Old man Pachy's house? I concluded.

I noticed my top had been removed and replaced by bandages wrapped around my chest. I was abruptly aware of a dull throbbing emanating from my back – almost as if it had been sedated.

"Lucy…" I breathed.

When she didn't respond, I reached out for her, latching on to her wrist and giving her a light shake.

"Luuucyyyy…" I whined, my eyebrows scrunching together in a pout.

She groaned and let out a deep exhale, slowly raising her head. A look of shock and realization crossed her face and suddenly her arms were around me.

"You're… okay…" She choked out. "You lost so much blood… it was everywhere… and… and…"

My eyes widened at how affected Lucy was by my injuries. Did she even notice her own? I sure as hell did. The scent of Lucy's blood had always burned my nose. My heart wrenched at her display of emotions and something tugged within me. I wrapped my arms tightly around her and buried my nose in her hair, eyebrows knotted together.

"Lucy I-"

"Ah..! You're finally awake!" Pachy had entered the room.

Lucy flinched in surprise and, to my dismay, quickly untangled herself from me.

I rolled my head to face the old man and flashed a smile that was probably only half as bright as usual.

Pachy shook his head in awe, the tiniest smile playing on his lips. "You two are really something." He stated, motioning over to the orb now sitting in a rather beautiful display case. It was obvious how much this had meant to Pachy by how carefully the orb had been stored in its case and placed on the shelf. This thought made my smile grow.

"However," he looked deep in thought, "I just don't feel like money is enough to repay you." Another small smile brightened his features, "So I'd like you to have Fortune's Eye."

Lucy immediately spoke up, "We couldn't take that from you! It's a family heirloom – I'm sure it's priceless."

"Yes, well… With my daughter gone, it's not like I have anyone to pass it on to…" His eyes closed bitterly. "And the sight of it only reminds me of what happened to her."

Lucy's features radiated sadness but she seemed to understand. Pachy looked to me and I simply nodded.

"I will never forget you two."

The trip back to Magnolia was long and agonizing. I couldn't lie on my back because of my injuries, but lying on my stomach increased my nausea tenfold. In a word, it was hell.

Lucy insisted I stay at her place for a while so she could treat my wounds. She seemed to feel guilty about what happened – like it was her fault. I felt a little bad about that, but, if it meant I'd be with her for the next few days, I wasn't really complaining.

Before we left, the old man ended up explaining how the orb worked. He went into too much detail for my taste but, by the end, I understood the concept of it.

The orb didn't simply function just by being in someone's possession – you had to activate it. It was pretty easy to do, he said, as all you really needed was a pure heart and good intentions. He continued by saying that the original creators forged the sphere well-knowing that a person with evil intentions could easily take hold of this and cause some serious anarchy. This is why the orb's magic penetrates into both your heart and mind; it passes judgment based on what it finds, then instills or awakens the emotions you need to find or fulfill yourself.

I didn't think we'd ever use it too much, considering its effects were limited to your own emotions and I'd say we're both pretty happy.

I grinned at the thought, glancing at Lucy who had finished dressing my back and was now wrapping more bandages tightly around my abdomen. As I waited patiently for her to finish I thought about how good her fingers felt brushing against my bare chest.

Really good.

My jaw locked as I bit back a growl.

Wait… the hell? It's not even "season" yet, I thought frantically. It's just… now… My gaze dropped to stare unblinkingly at the floor.

Spring…

Shit. That meant the inevitable. Never before had I actually found my mate. Igneel had only ever warned me about this. I never thought this kind goopy crap would actually happen to me.

Aw, man… My mind raced erratically. I don't have that much time. I was hoping to be able to show Lucy how I felt before it got to this point but I guess I may have procrastinated a little.

I began to panic. Now that spring is here, it won't be long until the symptoms start. Aggressiveness, obsession, getting caught up in her – I can still remember the way Igneel described a dragon's mating season: as if it were the most beautiful process imaginable. Yet, here I sit, my mate so close I can hear the blood pumping through her veins – she's even touching me, dammit – and all I can feel is afraid.

And… excited? Shit.

"Natsu," she called. "You okay? You look like you can't breathe." She teased, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

Wait... No. Since when do I notice the way her eyes sparkle?

I guess if I'm being honest, I've noticed for a long time; it took me a much longer time before I knew. And now, as I stared her straight in the eyes, my mouth ajar and our faces mere inches apart, I realized just what my downfall would be: awareness.