Massive thanks to Lolibeagle for checking this and making sure everything is where it should be.

Disclaimers: Fairy Tail and the characters are owned by Hiro Mashima. The only thing I own is this story based on Mashima's work.

The cover art is owned by the amazing Bludy-chu (Deviant Art, Twitter, Tumblr) who was kind enough to give me permission to use her beautiful artwork as a cover.

The self-defense principles, skills and techniques that I describe in this story are used for entertainment purposes only. Please do not try any of this. If you are interested in self-defense training, please seek out formal classes. I will be drawing on Krav Maga for this story. I won't use it exactly, but it's the style I know so that's what I'll draw from.

A/N: A 'rock snot' is a really, really gross creature. It looks like its name sounds. Don't Google it. Just trust me.

Chapter 4: Fall

Training: Day 15

"Come on princess, harder than that" Natsu yelled to Lucy as she punched the body pad in front of him.

"I'm doing the best I can. Do you see any muscles on my arms? How hard do you think I can hit?"

You're a lot stronger than when you first started, Natsu mused to himself. And a lot more toned too, he added, surreptitiously appreciating the blonde's figure and grinning mischievously.

Since the day Natsu completely admitted his feelings for Lucy he'd been finding reasons to touch her more, but never in a tender way. Oh hell no. He wasn't some pretty boy manservant brushing back loose hair and caressing cheeks and whatnot. He was Natsu 'loose cannon'...'hothead' Dragneel. He'd do things his way.

So during training he'd 'help' her lift her legs for her kicks, or stand behind her and 'help' her move her body just right as she executed her strikes.

Natsu always smiled when he remembered the first time he'd helped her with her punches. He'd finally given in to the need to be closer to her. He stood behind her pressed slightly against her back. The fingers on his right hand were on her lower back supporting her posture while his left hand glided slowly up and down her arm as she punched forward, sometimes light, other times firm, depending on the guidance she needed.

Soon the two of them fell into a smooth rhythm, shifting their weight forward and back as Lucy threw and withdrew her punches. It was nice to be close to her and in sync with her like that in a way that she allowed and was comfortable with. The cheesy, suave, boy toy douchebags could have their ridiculous hip-swaying, shoulder-jerking, ass-shaking girly dancing. Natsu Dragneel had fists and his killer left hook. Feather fluffing wasn't for him.

Natsu remembered how his insides sizzled at being so near to her. His nerves shot heated warning signals all through his body. It was like a firing squad was inside him discharging volley after volley of celebratory shots in the air, loud and unsettling, but thrilling at the same time. And Natsu relished the sensation and strange contradiction.

He remembered turning to Lucy and seeing her looking up at him, her cheeks full, flushed and anticipating. She was working hard and she was eager to know that she was doing well. She'd let him touch her, trusted him to teach her, even hold her, and he didn't disrespect that by pushing his teasing into disregard. He still had a job to do. He looked down at her and bumped her forehead lightly with his own before dropping a short "good job, princess" and moving away from her.

Now, I know what you're thinking, but that was a head bump, not a caress. Head bumps are manly.

Natsu shook off the memory and returned to the present. Yes. He still had a job to do.

"How many times have I told you that your power doesn't come from your muscles only?" Natsu schooled patronizingly to stubborn Lucy. 'Stubborn Lucy' was one of his favorites. At her worst, she was a real pain, but at her best, she was easy to provoke and hilarious as hell. Natsu was grateful that Lucy usually kept her at an enjoyable and decent middle ground.

"You can deliver better and more powerful blows than someone much stronger than you if you know how to use your body. Shift your weight forward to generate momentum. That'll give you a stronger kick or punch. Push off with the balls of your feet. Use your hips and shoulders to add even more power. For the hammer punch, rotate your wrist just before impact. That will generate rotational torque for the moment of impact. It's also not about how hard you hit but where you hit as well. What are the sensitive points?"

Lucy listed them easily. She and Natsu had been training on alternate days for about a month and Natsu had been drilling them into her head every session they'd had together. This was the key to delivering disabling blows.

Threat neutralization, Lucy cheekily thought as she used her shiny new terminology.

"Front points: eyes, temples, nose, jaw, neck, especially the windpipe, solar plexus, lower ribs, kidneys, knees, feet and, my personal favorite, groin"

Natsu groaned internally. He'd learned that last one the hard way.

"Back points: back of the head or neck, spine, kidneys, behind the knee and the calf."

Natsu stared at her.

"You forgot fingers" he scolded.

"'Good job on getting most of them Lucy'" the blond dropped, mocking Natsu's critical tone. "You never lay off, do you?"

Natsu eyed her and Lucy knew that he was waiting for some of the obedience she'd promised.

"Oh! Yes sensei" Lucy said smiling brightly. "You are right. I did forget. Thank you, oh brilliant, all-knowing sensei, for sharing your infinite wisdom with me, the undeserving."

Natsu raised his eyebrows at her and sighed.

If she laid it on any thicker we'd have enough bullshit to fuel the whole country next winter.

"Good. Now that we've properly established my greatness and the kind service that I'm doing, come on, let's practice your hand and arm strikes again from the top," Natsu said just before hitting her on her left side with the body pad. Lucy quickly threw a straight punch at the pad. Natsu moved behind her and thumped her again. This time she delivered a hammer punch. Third time was an elbow. Fourth time was a hard upward jab using the heel of her palm. Each time, Lucy allowed her body to move naturally into the right position, not over thinking the footwork, but just letting it happen.

The last month had not been unlike Lucy and Natsu's first couple of days together. They fought, they teased, they played around and they trained. Each training day was its own bit of fun. The training gave her good skills to use if she was ever in trouble but it was the new ways of thinking that transformed Lucy the most. The philosophy of a fight, defending and attacking at the same time, choosing the right attack, moving around an opponent to get in a neutralizing blow, using attacks efficiently and quickly, keeping her eyes on her attacker while at the same time being aware of her surroundings and planning her escape. It was amazing the amount of work that went into this and the more she learnt, the more Lucy admired Natsu for being able to do it so easily and naturally.

Natsu always told her that she could do it too. That it all happened so fast and instinctively in a threatening situation, Lucy wouldn't even know she was doing it. The point was to not freak out. That way she would be able to use her training.

Still, every day Lucy grew more and more amazed by 'loose cannon' Dragneel and the simple but clever way he thought and lived his life. Under his rough exterior Natsu was a kind, decent and fun guy who was unflinchingly devoted to the things that mattered most to him. From where she was standing, Natsu seemed worlds ahead of all those people who liked to pull him down.

Lucy knew she was falling for him. The more she thought about it, the more she knew that she had probably fallen for him from the beginning, from the moment he first held her and she felt his honest kindness and strong protectiveness.

Admitting her feelings frustrated and annoyed her. It had even caused a big problem in her training about two weeks in. At one point she was actually moving backwards which made her idiot jerkbrain sensei even angrier with her.

Knowing how she felt, and seeing that her feelings were growing stronger and more unassailable day by day, scared Lucy. Natsu didn't see her as anything more than a student, and an annoying one at that. She knew her feelings would only get sturdier, and that Natsu would never reciprocate them.

The knowledge irritated and pained her. All the while her frustration was growing and becoming more and more unbearable.

The whole thing came to a head one evening around Training day 11.

§

Lucy had yet to catch Natsu in their contest but she wasn't giving up. She saw him playing with Happy one afternoon after their session and decided that was her chance. She'd taught herself the slap kick using a training manual she'd found in the school library. She knew she wasn't perfect at it but she could do it, and since Natsu hadn't taught it to her yet, Lucy knew she'd have a chance. She snuck up to him and put all her irritation, frustration and pride into an inside slap kick aimed as his arm. With all her feelings behind it, it was the strongest strike she'd ever delivered.

And the stupid idiot hothead jerk had turned and deflected it like it was nothing but a crumpled piece of paper thrown at him.

With that failure, Lucy blew a gasket. She hated him. She absolutely hated him.

He gave her that God-awful grin of his that usually made her heart melt, but that day only made her blood cold and her taste buds sour, and went on to make some cruel remark about whether she thought learning something new would give her the upper hand.

"Well, try learning it properly next time. That might help," he dropped in his cool, unaffected tone that really pissed her off.

That was when all hell broke loose.

Lucy growled and lunged at him, fists and arms blaring, howling like an angry maniac. She saw the look of astonishment that hit him when she did, and that gave her satisfaction and spurred her on.

She punched wildly at him, not thinking about strategy or efficiency, driven only by blind rage and the desire to hit him and wipe that ugly smirk off his face.

But Natsu deflected every blow with those stupidly bulky arms of his, and after about a minute of hardcore raging Lucy dropped down on the grass, angry and spent.

She hated him.

The blockhead just went back to playing with Happy as if nothing happened.

When she'd calmed down, he sat down next to her. He didn't say anything at first, only waited, but after a few minutes of watching the sky he spoke.

"Why are you so angry princess?"

She took a long, deep breath before replying, trying to get her jumbled feelings into some kind of logical order.

"I don't know" she admitted. "I'm just so confused. And nothing's going my way. I feel like nothing's happening fast enough and I think maybe I'm even wasting my time." She paused as the words sunk in for both of them. "It's just so hard. I didn't expect it to be so hard. I didn't expect any of this. It's so confusing. And I know it's not going to happen...and...it hurts," Lucy revealed, pouring all her fears out to him, yet still not saying everything.

Natsu smiled like he understood, but he kept his eyes on the beautiful, blue summer sky.

"I was there once," he said in a warm, kind voice that Lucy had never heard before, or since. "I think it's fine if you don't understand; if it's confusing. Don't worry or over think it. That won't help you. Just let go and enjoy it. Whatever happens. Let it happen naturally. You might be surprised in the end."

This time it was Lucy's turn to look astonished.

Natsu finally looked over to her gave her his annoying-assed smirk.

"What? You didn't think I was capable of wisdom? I'll have you know that I've spent years training and centering my body and my mind. How do your cheesy Shaolin movies say it? Oh, right, 'I am one with the universe' princess."

Lucy only grunted. He really was annoying as hell; especially when he won. She hated when he won.

But Lucy had to admit, he'd properly surprised her with his advice. It wasn't bad at all.

Just let go and enjoy it, huh? Whatever happens.

Lucy smiled. Mr. 'one with the universe' was right. Whatever happens she will always have these days with Natsu. Even if he didn't feel the same, he couldn't take the feelings of these days from her. Or the happiness he brought her. She wouldn't ask anything of him. And she wouldn't expect anything. And when the time comes, she would let it go. All stories end. But for now, instead of fighting furiously with herself and falling behind, Lucy wanted to let go and enjoy it. She would let it run its course.

Lucy expected Natsu to get up and go back to Happy, who was sitting behind them rolling his tongue like the creepy little feline he was, but instead Natsu stayed there with her.

Neither said anything more. They just sat there in the silence, undisturbed.

Eventually Happy got up and climbed onto Lucy's lap, and rubbed his face into her hands. Natsu reached over to pet him as he curled up comfortably on Lucy's lap.

Lucy looked at Natsu's hand and the way his strong fingers moved so gently along the cat's neck and face. She looked up to glance at his happy, playful, smiling face. She sighed resignedly.

It was hopeless.

I love you.

§

"Oi! Princess! Wake up" Natsu called as he thumped Lucy once more with the body pad. "What? Are you done for today?"

Lucy realized that she was just standing there.

"Sorry. I must've zoned out for a moment"

"Okay. That's fine. Let's call it quits for today. We've had a long day anyway."

Lucy paused and looked up at the sky. She knew it was still early. Erza would still be at her council meeting and she really didn't want to walk home alone.

I wonder if he'd let me hang out here for a while. Play some video games with him. More like kick his as-

"So it is true what they say, she-demons need to stock up on light to survive the night," Natsu teased as he watched her marinating in the growing summer sun.

"Har har!" Lucy threw back sarcastically. "Has anyone ever told you that you're more agreeable when you're silent?"

"All the time, but I wonder if you've heard it often enough. Your mouth is actually the most dangerous part of you," Natsu chucked back, refusing to think about the fact that, more and more, it was her damned mouth that was distracting him the most. "I don't even know what we're still doing here. If you were attacked you could simply open that ugly mouth of yours. The guy would probably beg for a quick and painless death." Natsu paused before sealing his victory. "Truthfully, I feel sorrier for the guy who has to listen to you every day rather than the guy who has to fight you."

Instead of reacting, Lucy gave him a brilliant, winning smile.

"Just so you know, right now, both those guys would be you."

Natsu shut his mouth with a loud snap of his teeth and searched desperately for a comeback. He hated it when she won. She was just so damn smug about it.

Without an answer Natsu knew just one thing to do.

He walked up to her with his challenging stare, the one he knew she never backed down from.

When he was just centimeters from her face, without taking his eyes off her he positioned his leg to trip her. But, unbeknownst to Natsu, Lucy was also preparing for the same movement. Natsu got his in first, but Lucy, already halfway there, was balancing on just one leg. Instead of falling backwards easily as Natsu had planned, the awkward kick spun her around on her only standing leg and threw her forward.

Shit! She's going to fall on her face! Natsu quickly realized.

He instantly reached out and grabbed her and pulled her securely against him.

He caught her wide, surprised eyes as he pulled her up, and his body instinctively moved to calm and soothe her.

"It's okay. I got you," he whispered in a steady, comforting voice.

The two stayed in that position until Lucy's sudden panic subsided.

As she calmed she looked up at Natsu, into his warm, caring eyes. The sweat glistening off his skin made him look more handsome; glowing and radiant. His intense dark eyes looked like flaming hot spheres burning into her. Lucy desperately wanted to know what he was thinking. What he wanted. She watched as his gaze shifted to her mouth and stayed there. The flames in his eyes blazed hotter with every second they rested on her pink lips.

While Natsu's eyes shone with fire, Lucy's whole body was combusting. Her nerves did their usual firework show, and her blood boiled and her heart raced, but this time Lucy wasn't afraid. She didn't care to over think it, or to analyze it, or to work out how to put it all back together. She'd tried and failed at that time and time again. This time, Lucy wanted to experience it; to drown herself in the sensations and allow things to fall naturally into place.

Without thinking, Lucy licked her lips. Her mouth was dry, after all. The boy didn't seem to do too well holding back after that. Whatever he was feeling and thinking seemed to have overturned and crashed with that one, innocent action.

Lucy felt her body moving backwards. Her eyes widened briefly but then relaxed as she realized that she was being gently lowered. Natsu drew closer and closer to her as he lowered her, never once taking his eyes off of her. When his face was so close to hers that the tips of their noses were touching, Natsu lifted his eyes and, finally, their gazes met.

Lucy's breath stalled when she saw the emotion in the boy's eyes. Little did she know that her brown eyes were a mirror reflection of his dark ones.

There was only one word to describe the emotion hovering unspoken, but acknowledged, between the two.

Longing.

Lucy closed her eyes and waited.

...

Wait...What?

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and shrieked in surprise and disbelief as she hit the ground.

He'd dropped her.

The son of a bubbling, festering rock snot had dropped her!

Lucy sat up slightly and massaged her back.

I can't believe he just dropped me! Lucy thought, shocked at the turn of events. She was so sure he was going to kiss her.

Natsu stooped over her, a wildly mischievous smirk plastered on his rock snot face.

"You shouldn't panic like that. I'm always here to catch you," he said in a warm, reassuring tone that did not match his expression one bit. Lucy looked at him skeptically as he leaned further over her and grinned even more wickedly.

"But don't get complacent princess. If I want you to fall, you will."

Lucy's eyes widened. The nerve of him. Ever since training started all she'd been doing was falling. Mostly because of him!

So what? All this time you've just been conveniently letting me fall?

Natsu looked at her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Adorable Lucy Heartfilia who always displayed her emotions and expressions so openly on her pretty face.

Oh, how he loved her.

Natsu couldn't take it anymore. He had to tease her. He leaned further over her and moistened his mouth.

Lucy saw him leaning towards her and flinched.

What is he up to now?

All Lucy would remember in the days to come would be the feeling of his tongue, and his icky, gooey, rock snot saliva as it ran up the side of her face.

"You licked me!" she screeched as she wiped her cheek. "I can't believe you licked me!"

That was the last straw.

Lucy jumped up and chased after him, determined to get her revenge.

Natsu raised his arms and laughed as he defended the shower of blows that rained down on him.

He'd gotten her good this time.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this. It has to be my favorite chapter in this story.

It seems they liiiiike each other. Who would have guessed? ^^ But will these two ever let go of their stubbornness and confess their feelings? I wonder...

Just one more chapter to go folks, and there's still a surprise or two left in this story, look out for the stunning conclusion of Unguarded next update. Till then, bye ^^