The votes are in; 3 for Lemon, 2 for Fluff. Since it was so close, I did a little thinking myself about the pace of character development. I think I've come to a pretty satisfying conclusion, hopefully to be enjoyed by all readers.

7. Sensations

Natsu wouldn't talk to Mr Breichs. He point blank refused to speak to the old man at all, even when offered tea. Mr Breichs stared at him for a full two minutes waiting for a response, before Lucy spoke up and said no on his behalf.

The little old wan was dressed in a sunshine yellow cloak this time, and it hung off his frame like a tablecloth thrown over his back. His spectacles were balanced precariously on the tip of his nose as he listened to Lucy's story. Several times throughout her recount, he'd make her stop talking so he could readjust them into their perfect position.

She barely restrained her fury, managing to hide her withering scowl behind her cup of tea.

"So, basically the ghosts are being summoned here by someone, who'll try to use them to perform a resurrection spell. Rest assured, Mr Breichs, we'll do our best to find this person and stop them," Lucy finished, resting her hands in her lap. "We'll try tracking them again tomorrow. Natsu has an excellent sense of smell, so hopefully we'll be able to find this guy."

"Wonderful! When will you be able to bring him in? Tomorrow? The day after?" the old man asked, taking a sip from his own cup of tea.

Lucy stared at him for a moment, eyes wide. "Uh, we don't put times on these kind of things. It could take anywhere from a day to a fortnight, Mr Breichs."

The old man frowned. "But I paid extra for the S-Class service." Lucy squirmed in her seat. "Doesn't that mean you guys are better that the regular mages? So you should get it done faster? I want it done in three days' time at the longest. You people are taking up too many resources."

Lucy's jaw dropped, and Happy made an angry hissing noise she didn't know he was capable of. "We're only in the one cabin, and we didn't even eat breakfast this morning! This place is empty anyway; who are you conserving resources for!?"

"Potential customers, of course. If I am to run a profitable business, I have to take these kinds of measures-"

"Yes, yes, we heard this all last night," Lucy snapped. "Look, we'll do our best to get rid of the ghosts over the next three days and conserve your 'resources', alright?"

Mr Breichs thought for a moment, considering her words like some kind of business proposal. "Ok, that will be adequate, I suppose. Is the cat staying in the kennel again?"

"If that's no extra trouble for you," Lucy said sarcastically, while Happy groaned and buried his head in his hands. The elderly manager missed the sarcasm, and gave a curt nod.

"No, we can house the cat for little longer. Thank you for your concern, Miss… uh?"

"Lucy Heartfilia," she repeated herself. He'd forgotten her name three times in the past hour. "Anyway, we're going to go to bed now. Thanks for your time," she mimicked his earlier words.

With a resounding declaration of hatred bouncing around in her head, Lucy led the way out of the reception building.

Lucy groaned as she dumped her bag at the foot of their bed. "I can tell, Happy's going to make me buy him another 8000 jewel fish for staying in the kennel another night. I know he will!"

She dropped onto the bed, eyes fixed on Natsu as he locked the door behind him and joined her on the bed. She'd done her best to clean up his wounds when they'd left Mr Harrigan's house, but he still looked pretty beat up. Lucy felt a horrible, clenching feeling in the pit of her stomach, realising it was her fault he was left like this. She swallowed, staring at the make-shift bandages wrapped around the top of his head.

Lucy let out a breath, eyes fixed to that one proof of his injury. "I'm so sorry, Natsu. I should've done something sooner. You could've been killed because of me-"

"What do you mean, 'because of you'? You did nothing but help me! Besides, I wouldn't have been killed. I'm me, remember? I'm a goddamn fighter!" he shot back angrily. Lucy was taken aback by his outburst. She looked at him for a moment, lips slightly parted, trying to put her jumbled thoughts into words.

"I-I didn't mean that you were defenceless or anything, it's just that… I hate seeing you hurt, you know?" she sighed. "If I'd thought faster, I could have stopped.." she traced her fingers over the bandages on his head, letting out a soft breath. "I could've stopped this from happening."

His hand raced up to encase hers. Looking her dead in the eyes, he gave them a small squeeze. "Why do you think it's always your fault people get hurt? It's their own actions that control that, not yours, Lucy."

She looked away, unable to speak. What could you say to that? "Don't you think people can influence what happens to others?"

"Of course I do. I know they can. But that doesn't mean that everything that happens to them is a direct result of something you did or didn't do," Natsu replied, in that surprisingly perceptive way of his. Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"You say the smartest things I've ever heard, you know that Natsu?" She wasn't sure who initiated it, but somehow, she was in his arms again. The feeling was indescribable; she felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat. Everything about his embrace was so comforting. He had a special scent about him, like smoke from a campfire. It made her think of sitting by a bonfire outside, or by a fireplace in winter. The warmth he exuded seemed to mark his arms home for her; it was where she wanted to be.

She buried her head into his neck, taking in that intoxicating scent, memorising the feeling of his body against her. It was just an embrace, and yet there was so much more to it than that. Lucy found her safe haven in him, in his touch. It made her wonder again, if he felt what she felt. Did he want to hold her and kiss her like she wanted him to? Did he want to sleep with her in that way, rather than just sharing a bed?

Lucy pulled back, questions swirling in her head. She could feel them bubbling up, waiting to be uttered. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Should she tell him how she felt? Would he understand?

"Do you want me to fix those bandages for you," she finally got out. No, it wasn't what she wanted to say, but it was still something to say. Better than the silence beseeching her to blurt out her true feelings.

Natsu blinked for a moment, before remembering where he was. "Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks, Lucy."

Before she could say anything else stupid, Lucy retreated to the bathroom to find the first aid kit she'd stashed there. "Good work, Lucy," she muttered to herself. "You screwed up quite nicely back there. Way to make things awkward!"

She sighed, dropping her hands to her side. "I should have said something. I should have told him." She hung her head, filled with self-loathing. "Idiot!"

Lucy finally found the little first aid kit, and pulled out a few rolls of bandages, some sterile wipes and a bottle of antiseptic. Armed with her medicinal supplies, she re-entered the room. Natsu was sitting exactly where she'd left him, giving her a small smile when she reappeared. Lucy returned it, taking up her spot next to him again.

"Ok, I'm going to take these off now," she said, pulling loose the end of the material. She began to unwind it, taking note of how soft his hair was in her fingers. It was strange for a guy to have such nice hair, but it was a good strange. She liked it.

Lucy discarded the dirty bandage, letting it fall somewhere on the sheets. She looked at his head for a moment, analysing the gash. It stretched right across his head, from the centre of his forehead to his right ear. Most of the dirt had been brushed away, but there was still a bit of grime in the cut itself. Even with her rudimentary medical knowledge, Lucy knew it was the worst possible place to have dirt.

"Ok, this isn't going to feel too great," she warned, pouring a little bit of antiseptic on a wipe. "In fact, it'll probably sting like a bitch at first. Get ready." She leaned in with the little wipe, and pressed it to the cut. To Natsu's credit, he didn't cry out. The only sign of pain he gave was a slight wince. Delicately, she swiped the little wipe over the cut. He hissed a little at first, and then went quiet again when the pain faded away. As Lucy brushed the remainder of the grime off, she felt another surge of affection for her ever-resilient dragon slayer.

Lucy pulled the wipe away, dropping it next to the dirty bandage. She grabbed the fresh roll and pressed it to the gash, wrapping it slowly around his head. She tried to be as gentle as possible, unsure how much it actually hurt. Tying it off, she pulled back to survey her work.

"That should be a little better. I'm no Porylusica, but that should do for now. Does it feel ok to you?" she asked, tracing her fingers over the warm skin of his forehead. She couldn't help it; he was addictive.

"Yeah. It feels really good, actually," he replied, eyes fixed on hers. His gaze was so intense, she couldn't think anymore. She didn't know what she was meant to say or do next. She didn't know anything beyond his name, in that moment. Natsu.

It was sheer magnetism that pulled her closer, an irresistible force of nature. She saw his lips move closer to hers, and leaned forward to bring her own to meet them. Her eyes fluttered shut, as she felt a light pressure on her mouth, as their lips touched together, in a soft, chaste kiss.

His lips are like his arms, she thought to herself. It's so warm here, with him. An arm wound around her waist, pressing her body closer to his. Her own fingers searched desperately for something to hold to, finding purchase on the collar of his shirt. She didn't dare let go, for fear she'd fall away and disappear.

If his embrace was indescribable, then his kiss was unbelievable. There was no way to believe how fiercely the blood was pounding in her head, or how warm and content she felt being connected to him like this. The intensity of the moment banished all thought. Right here, right now, this was the most important thing in the world.

His lips were lightly chapped, rough and firm. That pressure anchored her to the spot, the only thing keeping her planted on the surface of Earthland. She barely moved, communicating only with her mouth. Experimentally, she took his bottom lip between her own, brushing her tongue along it. Natsu made a quiet noise in the back of his throat, before responding by deepening the kiss.

His hands danced over her body, fingers feathering her waist in such a tantalising, decadent way. He was so gentle with her, touching her like she was made of glass. Each movement was slow and deliberate, as if he was warning Lucy of what he was about to do before he did it. She felt a powerful surge of emotion overcome her. This was what she'd yearned for; this touch, this kiss, this passion.

Lucy was trapped in a state of delirium by the time he pulled away, lulled into a love-induced trance. She couldn't believe he'd dared to kiss her like that, the boy… No, the man she'd fought side-by-side with for so long, the man she'd thought was oblivious to all things sexual.

"Natsu," she whispered, staring deep into his eyes. "You… You want… Do you want me like I want you?"

"Lucy," he murmured hoarsely, stroking her cheek with a thumb. He brushed it over her lips, as if to move in and kiss her again. "Who else could I possibly want? You're my partner and my friend, and you're the most beautiful girl I've ever known. I dunno why it happened, or when it happened, but I've wanted you for a long time."

"You really think I'm beautiful?" she asked, eyes wide. So when he packed all of that underwear in for me… He did feel something? "Really?"

"Of course," he said in a matter-of-fact way. "You're incredibly beautiful. Your hair is so soft and silky, and it always smells pretty. You always smell pretty, actually. Your eyes always bright and happy, you make everyone else happy too. And your body," he drew in a sharp breath. "Your body is incredible. All of it."

Natsu ran his hands down her cheeks again, trailing down to her collarbones. "Pretty face," he murmured, before tracing over the curves of her shoulders, and daring to run them over the outer curves of her generous breasts. "And these, these are perfect too. One of my favourite parts of you, actually," he added, flashing her a wicked grin that made her cheeks flush with colour. His hands travelled southwards, first in towards her slim waist, and flaring out along the lines of her hips. "A waist made for holding, and a great ass." Continuing their route, his fingers danced across the milky flesh of her legs, sending shivers up Lucy's spine. He ran them all the way to her ankles, gently massaging her heels. "Long, perfect legs as well. And, you have the most adorable little feet. How could I not want you, Lucy?"

By now, her face was pink and an unbearable longing had settled deep in her stomach. Lucy was anxious to touch him again. She'd had no idea he'd felt so much for her. She could barely breathe; it was as if her heart had swelled to the point where it was crushing her lungs. She could barely coordinate her thoughts, let alone her words. She still had to try, though. There was so much she wanted to tell him. "Natsu… I don't know what I'm meant to say. You're the only person I've ever felt this way about. You're my world; my friend and my team mate, and something more than even that. And right now, all I really want is you," she said, letting her fingers wrap around his. "Please, will you kiss me again?"

"Happily," he muttered, sealing their lips together once more.

The first kiss was a so sweet and innocent, a projection of love rather than a projection of lust. The second kiss was far needier. Lucy's hands tangled themselves in his hair, while he gently pushed her back onto the mattress. Natsu's tongue lapped her lips, begging for entrance. She gave it to him eagerly, letting her own tongue explore his mouth at the same time. It was a strange feeling at first, though still pleasurable. She'd never kissed anyone like this before, with this kind of intensity.

Natsu seemed to radiate heat. His fingers were dancing over the flesh of her shoulders, with hot, burning pressure. The feeling was so soothing and so exciting at the same time, it seemed impossible to feel so much at once. Any tension or thought simply melted away, lost in the passion of the moment.

Tentatively, a hand found its way under her shirt, rubbing soft, slow circles over her stomach. Lucy let out a pleasured sigh at the sensation. His touch, no matter how unpractised, seemed to provoke such strong reactions within her. She almost felt like her body was a vehicle that Natsu was piloting.

Her fingers slid out of his hair and knotted at the back of his neck. Lucy could feel the firm muscles moving beneath the skin, as he hovered over her. Balancing on one arm, Natsu lifted pushed her shirt up that little bit higher, just beneath her bra strap. He was getting so close to where she desperately wanted to be touched, it was making her crazy and nervous all at once.

She felt hot breath on her lips, and then cold air as his mouth left hers. Before she could complain, she felt a soft, sweet pressure up near her ear lobe, as he pressed a kiss there. Then, another to her jaw, and one more after it. He peppered her with kisses, slowing moving southwards like his hands had done just moments ago. She felt him settle at the base of her throat, and gasped when Natsu dared to suck the soft, sensitive skin there. When he pulled back, she felt the blood rush to her neck, and was stunned to realise that Natsu Dragneel had just left a hickey on her neck.

Of course Natsu, with no degree of self-control, didn't dare stop there. His kisses moved lower and lower, nuzzling her shoulder with reverence. His touch was so warm and so powerful, and with her lips free to utter those soft sounds that were begging to pass free. She moaned as his lips dappled kisses over her collarbones, and as his hands made those sensuous circles over her ribs. He hadn't even hit any of the explicit parts yet, and there was already a searing heat pooling in her stomach.

She knew where things were headed. She knew what both their bodies were yearning for, but she was still unsure. On the first night after we… After we… What exactly did we do? Admit feelings?

"Natsu," she breathed, stilling her exploring fingers. "Natsu, I don't think I'm ready." She felt his hands stop moving, and his head lift from her chest. He looked at her, dark eyes bright. Natsu cocked his head. She could see he was breathing heavily, just like she was. "I mean… like sex. I'm sorry, but I'm just not-"

"That's ok, Lucy," he murmured, ducking his head to kiss her again. His warm breath tickled her skin, and the pink in her cheeks deepened. "I just wanna hold you."

"And I just want to be held," she sighed happily. Those large, rough hands slipped underneath her tender body, scooping her into his arms. Her eyes drifted shut, content in his safe, strong arms. Through her contented haze, she felt her body lowered onto the soft mattress. Lucy's head relaxed into the pillow, those arms encasing her still.

Even in the highest level of bliss, one solitary question was still buzzing around Lucy's head. Leaning back into Natsu's embrace, she voiced it. "So, where does this leave us?' she asked. She spoke calmly, but inside, she was a mess. She loved him, whether or not she could bring herself to tell him that was unknown. Whether he loved her as well was a mystery too. She'd said she wanted him, he'd said he wanted her. She'd been so careful with her phrasing, and now she had no idea what he felt. Want, a primal kind of word, with meanings ranging from love to lust. Who could say what Natsu really meant when he echoed her words?

She stared at the creamy white wall dead ahead of her, not daring to turn and look him in the face. "Honestly Luce," he started, shifting his weight slightly. Lucy stiffened, either from fear or from the brief removal of his warm form against hers. She didn't know which. "I don't know. I've never felt this stuff before. I've never cared for another girl like this before. I don't even know what to call the feeling. But, I know what I want to be with you. What do you think that make us?"

Lucy let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. "Well, do you want to be... Together?"

"Like a couple?"

"Yeah, like a couple," Lucy confirmed. "I mean, only if you want to," she finished quietly, quaking with nerves.

"Well yeah, I want to. So does this make you my… Girlfriend?" he asked, brows knitting together.

With a happy sigh, the nerves disappeared, and her eyes slipped shut again. Contentedly, she relaxed into his body, moulding her soft form against his firm one. "It sure does, boyfriend."

Well, there you have it. I've decided that the second night was a bit to early for sex, and I don't think Lucy would give herself way so quickly, even to the man she loves. Yeah, she's happy to use her sexuality as a tool to get her what she wants, but that doesn't means she's so free with her body. As for Natsu, male instincts and all, I think is view of their relationship would have a heavier weighting on friendship than lust. Yes, there will be a big, juicy lemon, and yes, it'll be on its way soon, but for now, in the words of Goldilocks "this one's just right."

If I may say, Kiss from a Rose might just be the best ever song to write love scenes to, even if it's only really a make out scene.

Thanks for reading, everyone.