A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait... I've been really busy lately. Believe it or not, this was actually ready a long time ago, but I just didn't have the time. So, after an A-Okay (as well as a much needed push) from BlessYourStar21, I actually decided to get my shit together and post this (after a little editing here and there). Thanks Hun, I totally owe you one XD
Summary: Waking up to find Natsu sleeping next to her wasn't much of a surprise anymore. However, waking up to find him draped around her, while she lay in bed, naked, was an entirely different matter all together.
Warning: Language, Humor, Romance, Nudity, NaLu, Flustered!Lucy, Implied GaLe/Gajevy/whatever it's called.
Disclaimer: Nope. Sorry. Me no own.
"I kept them on standby so I could slip them on you while you slept."
Lucy's knees buckled once Natsu's words finally registered in her mind. How could he say something like that so casually?
Her legs no longer able to support her, she slipped to the floor and curled into herself; wrapping the blanket tighter around her as if it would shield her from the onslaught of humiliation. She had often heard the phrase 'hell on earth', but never had she experienced it. Now, however, she was beginning to understand exactly what it was people meant when they came up with that.
"It's actually funny if you think about it," Natsu said with a grin, completely unaware of the shame eating away at his companion. "Every time I came at you with your underwear, you kept kicking and clawing at me." Smile still in place, he shuffled to the edge of the bed and pulled up a tattered piece of fabric from the floor. "Heck, you even ripped this apart."
Ah, so that's what happened to his waistcoat. She had been wondering why he'd been shirtless the whole time.
Letting out a choked off sob, Lucy burrowed herself even deeper into her blanket. It seemed like the more Natsu spoke, the more appealing suicide started to become.
"Sorry." She mumbled a little while later, voice sounding more like a garbled cry rather than an actual word. After some much needed time for recuperation, guilt was slowly staring to make its way through her system. Embarrassment aside, she truly felt bad for having subjected Natsu to such a fate the previous night. To think he had to spend hours with her while she acted so drunk she could even give Cana a run for her money.
Honestly though, why had she done such things? She couldn't even blame her actions on alcohol because she hadn't consumed any.
"For what?" Natsu asked as he got off the bed and crouched beside her. It took Lucy a while to remember that she's just apologized to him, but when she did, the sincerity of his voice caught her completely off guard. There was no blame, or anger, or any emotion of the sort. Too bad he had to ruin it with his next words.
"This was fun. We should sleep like this more often."
Lucy couldn't help it. She sputtered. "W-What?"
Clueless to the severity of his words, Natsu grinned. If Lucy hadn't been thoroughly ashamed, and naked save for a blanket, she would have forgiven him simply because of his innocent smile. "I like sleeping with you," he continued, "and sleeping with you naked was even more fun. You kept kicking and fighting until I had to restrain you–" Okay, Lucy had no idea what kind of kinky shit Natsu was into but there was no way she was going to fulfill his BDSM fantasies, "–but once you calmed down, you got really touchy-feely and it was a little weird at first but then..."
Lucy dreaded the answer. So far, every time Natsu trailed off, the information he held back were like miniature bombs of their own. "Then what?"
"Nothing." Natsu gulped, his eyes shifting from side to side. Apparently catching on to his own awkward behavior, he shrugged and attempted to feign indifference, but all of that was useless. He was such a horrible liar it was a miracle he'd made it this far in life in the first place.
"Then. What." She asked again, eyes narrowing in suspicion. It really wasn't her fault that the question came out as an order. If what had happened was enough to have Natsu – unfiltered mouth extraordinaire – clam up and shut his yap, then it must have been really serious.
"It wasn't anything serious." He said, letting out a shaky laugh to lighten the mood.
If he thought that that would be enough to quell Lucy's curiosity, he was dead wrong. "Then tell me." Her glare intensified, and in a move too quick that even had her impressed, she sat up and grasped him by his dragon-scaled scarf. Due to her brash, sudden movement however, the blanket around her momentarily slipped down to her waist.
"You... Well, you–" Natsu's voice hitched, his explanation ending with a strangled cry. His cheeks reddened for some reason, but Lucy was to focused on finding an answer to her question to be bothered to know why. Had she been in the right state of mind, she would have taken notice of her current revealing state. Blanket bundled at her waist, breasts bared and nipples jutting out; forget embarrassment. She might have had to perform seppuku just to earn back her honor.
"Look, I swear it wasn't my fault." Lucy barely noticed that Natsu was taking deep breaths. His eyes were fixated on the potted plant on her window sill but she paid him no mind. Currently, her concern was hearing about what else went on the previous night. Anything would have to come later.
No doubt fearing for his life, he took one deep breath and released the next sentences all in one go. "You're the one who started rubbing yourself all over me saying things like 'I want you, Natsu', 'Make the pain go away' and 'touch me here, Natsu'. I swear I didn't do anything! Even when you grabbed my–" He cleared his throat rather suspiciously, "–well, when you grabbed me, I didn't cave. I knew you'd kill me if I tried anything with you in that state. And since I couldn't stop you, I promised you we'll do it once you were back to normal. See, I told you not to drink that creepy smelling soda Juvia gave you. But did you listen? No–"
"Wait, what? Juvia?" What did Juvia have to do with this?
Come to think of it, why couldn't she remember absolutely anything that happened after she entered the guild?
"Yeah, she gave you some funky smelling drink last night, and you just took it." Natsu went on, seemingly unconcerned at being cut off so abruptly. "It kind of smelled familiar but I couldn't put a finger on it at that time. But after you left, I asked Juvia about it and she told me all about it."
Lucy's embarrassment turned to anger. To think that all this was Juvia's fault?
What kind of sick potion had the woman given her this time?
Before she could continue on that train of thought, something else Natsu had said earlier brought itself to mind. "Wait, y-y-you promised what?"
At that, Natsu smiled sheepishly. Sometime during his talk, he had untangled his scarf from her grip and settled himself on the carpet, facing her. For some reason, Lucy found herself liking and hating their sudden proximity all at the same time. "It was the only way I could get you to stop at that time." Then, all of a sudden, his face turned uncharacteristically serious. "But if you want to do it now, I'm game."
Out of reflex for suggesting such a thing, Lucy shrieked. Then hit him on the head.
It was also around that same time that she noticed the blanket had pooled around her waist, and letting out an undignified squeak, she pulled it up all the way past her shoulders. She considered covering her face as well, but the prideful part of her didn't want to give Natsu the impression that she was hiding her blush. It was stupid really, but given how her morning went, even a tiny, insignificant act like that felt like a victory.
"I mean it." Natsu said, rubbing at his temple. He winced a little, and if Lucy hadn't been curled up under her blanket, hoping for a miracle to whisk her from such a hellish nightmare, she would have felt a little satisfied at the sight. "If you want, we could get down to it right now-"
"What?" Lucy bristled.
Natsu didn't even seem to notice. "And since you're sober, it won't be like I'm taking advantage of you–"
"Now hold on–"
"And you're already naked, so I guess that just leaves me." He went on, unsympathetic as he cut her off once more.
"Wait just a minute." Was all Lucy could scream when Natsu started unfastening his pants. He'd seen her naked so many times she'd basically stopped counting by now, but this was something else entirely. Sure, she'd seen him in his birthday suit several times as well, though even she had to admit that most of those times had been accidents. She was always more focused on averting her gaze than studying her teammate's features.
However, now was definitely a different situation. She couldn't make out what it was but the tension in the air clearly proved that this would just be a simple–
Sweet merciful Lord. Lucy's thought process halted the second Natsu's pants reached the floor. She was never one to stare, but try as she might, she couldn't find it in her to look away.
Smooth, tan skin ran over corded muscle. Lucy nearly drooled at the sultry sight he displayed. She had always known Natsu was well-built, but having him bared before her, was starting to give her all sorts of ideas that she'd never have come up with, even in her wildest dreams. His lean, statuesque form, coupled with his devilishly handsome features, were sure to drive any girl wild. She really had no idea why he was still single.
"Just... Just..." Lucy hadn't meant to, really, but when her eyes accidentally glanced downwards, her mouth instantly went dry. During the few times she had seen him naked, he'd always been limp, unaroused. Now though, his semi-erect state had Lucy's libido building up and rising like a spring tide. Natsu had a reason to be proud. As well-endowed as he was, it was no wonder he was so comfortable in his own skin.
Lucy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Damn it, why was he so distracting? "Just because you say so doesn't mean I'll hop into bed with you."
Natsu frowned. "Why not?"
"Why not?" The only reason Lucy didn't get pissed at him was because he honestly sounded confused. "Do you even hear yourself? What makes you think I'd have sex with you just like that."
"We're nakama."
"Then go ask Happy or Gray to do it with you." She snapped. Was that really what he was going to go with?
Natsu scrunched up his nose. "Why would I do that?"
Lucy opened her mouth, ready to let out a scathing remark, but Natsu's next statement had her words dying in her throat.
"You're the one I want."
What?
Natsu didn't budge. He just sat there rooted to the spot as he awaited Lucy's response. When none came, he continued, "Besides, you said you wanted me last night, so what makes today any different?"
The seconds ticked by, then finally, Lucy replied. "We shouldn't." Even she had to admit that her response sounded weak.
"Why? Gajeel and Levy do it all the time."
Lucy raised a brow. She had not known that. And Natsu knowing scared her even more. What kind of things did he hear and see to arrive at such a conclusion?
Placing her best friend's love life aside, Lucy shook her head and returned her focus back to the matter at hand. She was about to say, 'We just can't, okay?' when she caught sight of Natsu again. He was standing now, tall and proud, as he stared down at her with conviction burning in his dark eyes. There was a hint of hesitation as well, but it was mostly drowned out by the other stronger emotions.
For some reason, his gaze oddly reminded her of when he had finally figured out a way to beat a dangerous opponent. It was determined, it was firm. It was unwavering. His doubts might as well have been nonexistent.
In a move she hadn't been expecting, Natsu bent down and grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her upright. Before what was going on could even sink in, he pressed her flush against his hard body. She was too shocked to push him away, so she did the only thing she could; she yelled. "W-W-What do you think you're doing?" She tried to sound indignant, but her faltering breath seemed to betray her with no remorse.
Natsu didn't seem all that interested in her question though. Pulling her closer, he leaned down. His mouth was only a few millimeters from her own when he pulled away, probably having second thoughts about his decision already. The disappointment that pooled within Lucy's gut surprised her even more than his withdrawal did. Before she could mourn his loss, or even try to figure out what was wrong with her, Natsu started to trail his lips along her jaw line.
Lucy let out a shaky exhale. Butterflies were fluttering wildly in her stomach, and they only grew more ferocious as he moved lower. It wasn't until he was settled on the junction between her neck and shoulder that he stopped. She bit back the reflex of pulling away. She was generally a ticklish person, but the intensity of the situation held her in place. It was futile, considering Natsu's lips were all but glued to her pulse, but she hoped that her heart would just behave and not give her away.
"I don't know why Juvia gave you the freaky potion–" Ha, Lucy knew the reason perfectly well. She'd been going out on missions with Gray for almost two weeks now. Juvia being, well, Juvia, obviously saw her as a threat, somehow. Seriously, the Water Mage had it out for her since before they'd even met, so why not just give her something that will have Lucy make a total fool out of herself? "–but from what I remember, high doses unleash a different side of you."
"Eh?"
"I remember hearing about it from a client a few years ago. That's why I thought the smell was familiar." Natsu seemed to adopt a thoughtful look. Though she was slightly worried he might hurt himself by thinking, Lucy had to admit that the look suited him well. "He said it worked differently depending on the people taking it. I wasn't exactly listening to all that technical mumbo jumbo, but it unleashes your inner desires."
"Say what now?"
"They make you horny for me."
Simply because of that comment, Lucy struck him on the chest.
"Come on, now what was that for?" He whined. Lucy didn't have to be a genius to know he was faking his pain. "It's true. You didn't do anything weird at the bar, but when I came here you were all over me–"
"Whatever." Lucy ducked to hide her blush. "You could at least have tried to use more tact when saying that." Like seriously. Couldn't he even pretend to be humble about it? "I-I-I didn't get horny for you."
"What's wrong with saying that?" Natsu tilted his head. "I get horny for you all the time."
If Lucy had been eating anything, she would have spit it out. Or choked.
No matter how many times she was exposed to it, she never could get used to Natsu's blunt honesty.
Natsu must have taken her shocked expression as disbelief because he continued, "I'm serious. If you knew half the things I want to do to you on a daily basis, you'd probably kick me out of the team."
Not that he'd leave. He was as stubborn as they came and absolutely nothing could change that.
His personality aside, what he said had Lucy reeling. She was speechless, and at a loss of what to do. So, when Natsu pulled her closer, meshing their cores together, it wasn't much of a surprise that her response was a gasp. This was weird so many levels, and as much as she wanted to simply let go, she knew that it would be in her best interest to quit while she was still ahead.
Swallowing, she peered at him.
He was grinning at her, smile dazzling and disarming all at once, but the heat burning behind his eyes spoke of something else entirely. He'd pretty much confessed to her– in his own, roundabout, Natsu-ish way, which considering his oblivious nature, was pretty much a surprise all on its own.
And for the first time, Lucy asked herself what was really holding her back. When she came up blank, she decided to throw caution to the wind and just go with it.
With barely a moments hesitation, Lucy stood on her tip toes, and kissed him. There was nothing passionate, or sexy about it. It was merely a quick, chaste peck on the lips. All she had wanted to do was to let him know his feelings without having to say anything. After all, her thought process was way too jumbled up to form coherent sentences.
Besides, anything deeper than that, and she just might have ended up having sex with him then and there.
Natsu must have understood her reluctance to continue because when she pulled away, he let her go without any resistance. The only part of her he seemed to not want to let go of however, was her hand.
"Come on, let's get back to bed." He was grinning like there was no tomorrow as he gently tugged her back to her bed. Absentmindedly, Lucy picked up the blanket from the floor on her way.
"We probably shouldn't though." She said halfheartedly.
"It's a Sunday."
Oh, right. That was usually the day Team Natsu didn't take up any jobs. "If that's the case, then maybe we can afford one or two more hours before heading to the guild..."
Natsu looked glad at her response. And as he settled on the bed and pulled her against his chest, draping his arm across her middle, Lucy couldn't help but think that waking up like this couldn't be so bad.
She could get used to it.
A/N: Okay, and that's a wrap. I hope you all enjoyed it- after all, this was just written for fun hahaha. So yeah, no deep, soul-searching, dramatic scenes involved. Speaking of, I really need to start writing some serious, plot-induced stuff soon... Or whenever. I'll just figure it out as I go. But at least Checkmate-13 will be beta-ing my next story/stories (yes, I said stories. Please don't kill me :D ) ^^
And yes, I know... LEH GASP! Natsu's self restraint is pretty high. Before anyone starts saying anything, I'd like to remind you Natsu isn't normal. Like fuck, if I'd been though even 1% of the things he's been through, I'd totally be dead by now...
Please don't forget to leave a review before you go :)