Eeep, I'm so excited to be back. I was seriously lacking in inspiration but I read quite the… intense NaLu (Uncharted Territory by Nicole4211 if you're interested) and was feeling a little inspired. I was worried 'cause I kinda suck at romance but I'm trying to write similar to her NaLu interactions. So, I tried to get some fire in their bellies. I've also started to read the manga. I was putting it off until I bought it -I hate reading on my computer- but... It'll take a while to get it where I live. Sigh. And you know about my laptop breaking. It's all fixed now! Yay!

This chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones. I'm super excited and I'm the one who wrote it! I should probably mention that in each chapter I'm trying out different writing styles and POV's and stuff so… it'll be a bit different from chapter to chapter.

I'm sure you've heard enough about me, if you're one of those people who actually reads these, so without further ado, I give you chapter three.

Natsu pushed the thick wooden door open with his back. He ushered the blonde faerie through the archway and into the room which he hadn't stepped a foot into for over a decade. Maybe he should have gone first.

From Lucy's gasp, he figured it was bad. Walking around the corner he leaned against the smooth stone walls and ran a hand through his thick salmon hair. Well, that wasn't as bad as he thought. It seemed like one of the maids had been through a few times while he was away. Or maybe, when they saw him come in. That was a bit more likely.

"Natsu, how is it so clean? Your place is never clean." It was probably the pure shock in Lucy's voice that had him pouting. Not fair. That was literally one time.

Without answering he walked past her, venturing further into the room he grew up in. It hadn't changed a bit. The smooth sandstone walls were cool under his light touch as his fingertips trailed along, slightly behind him. His two leather armchairs were still positioned facing the large French doors which lead onto his balcony. Outside, the ornate wrought iron railings were still standing, despite his father's protests. Roses were perfectly 'manly'.

He moved, letting muscle memory take over, as he slipped into the next room. His large four poster bed sat in the middle of the room, dominating the open space. The bed clothes had been changed sometime in his exile; the once black and gold sheets were now a deep blue. They looked soft and his tired body was practically singing for its embrace. He'd really been gone for too long, hadn't he? Profound sadness suddenly pulsed through him. He'd really messed up. All those years he's missed Wendy growing up and fighting with Gray and Gajeel. Meeting Laxus in Fiore had almost brought him to tears. Laxus. Tears. Laxus. It was just wrong on so many levels.

Warm arms wrapped around his waist, drawing him into a soft body. Her scent brushed against his senses and mixed with his own as she held him. He could feel her heart beat steadily through his back. It was relaxing and frustrating at once. Did she realize the effect she had on him? Could she feel the way his heart was racing from her touch? Could she tell his mouth was dry, waiting to be sealed against her own? Was it obvious that his fingers were itching where they rested against his thighs, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms? He groaned deep in his throat as he turned and pushed her body away from his. He needed to remember his time limit here.

"It's ok, Luce. Why don't we just go to sleep? We'll sort it all out in the morning." A sleepy yawn was his only response and he watched, dark eyes trailing her every move, as she climbed atop his bed and settled to the right. Her lithe body curled into a loose ball, a hand slipping under the pillow while the other curled beside her peaceful face. Natsu followed her, crawling across the sheets before sliding his body up right behind her own. He would lie here and keep her warm until she fell asleep and hopefully he'd have returned before the last traces of his warmth had faded from her side.

"So, how'd 'it' go?" Natsu had barely closed the library door when Gray threw the question everyone had been dying to ask since he got home. Actually, it was probably the only question they'd avoided during the two hour 'inquisition'. The pinkette shrugged.

"I didn't really notice. There was just a month where everything would set me off. Some jerk would say something about Luce and she'd have to hold me back."

"Darn, is she really that powerful?" The awe in Gray's tone riled him up a bit. True, he accepted that Luce was amazing. Was it possible for him to fall for anything less? Not likely. He just didn't want every other guy within a, maybe 3000 mile radius -was that too short? Maybe- to know. And show interest. Gods, the humans were bad enough. At least until she was his. Then he would be comfortable to show off how freaking perfect she was.

"She's Luce." He shrugged. He'd let Gray take that however he wanted to. Right now his attention was elsewhere. Well, mainly on the books towering above their heads. Would Luce like this room? Should he bring her here tomorrow or save it for the next time he pissed her off enough that drastic actions were needed?

"So, flame head, are you gonna take her to Pel?" How typical of Gray, to bring up the topic Natsu really didn't want to talk about. Or think over, really. Stay or go?

"She has the right to know her ancestry, her powers. I'll let her decide herself in the morning. Knowing her, she'll want to set out straight way." Why did faeries have to be so flighty? Most humans too, now that he thought it over. What made them so different from his own kind?

Dragons preferred to live alone, or with their mate and small hatchlings, but together. Hence, the huge castle and small number of occupants. Eight dragons, including the currently absent Gajeel and his father, Metalicana, were spread over the five floors and four turrets of the castle. Everyone was related -with the slight exception of Romeo, being Wendy's mate- and real, intense fighting -often between the three unmated males- was seldom seen. While a dragon craved space they were also social animals and loyal to a fault. Family was everything.

"If that's the case, then I'd like to come with you. I have… business to discuss with the Titania."

"Ah. Who is that?" Slap. Ah, there really was nothing like the feeling of making someone face palm, Natsu decided, veiling his mirth. It really was outrageous how little his family thought of him. Even Gajeel had more faith than this lot.

"Titania is q-u-e-e-n of the fae." Ok. He hadn't meant it quite that literally.

In fae society, the royalty were elected every decade. To be elected every candidate, including the current Titania -if she wanted to keep her title- must face a number of challenges. They tested strength, endurance, intelligence, intuition, magical abilities, flight, speed and pretty much everything else. At one stage, the participants were even tortured. Royalty was often targeted, after all. Not to mention, faeries were scary. Like, Luce on a bad day and she'd just spoken to her father and been compared to Minerva and he'd finally made her snap, kind of scary. They were fierce, never backed down from a fight and their pride was the size of a small country. Possibly the scariest thing though, was that they never, ever made a threat. It was a promise and they always kept their promises.

"Who is the titania, Gray?" A little exasperation must have slipped into his tone because Gray was giving him that look. The intense stare down which meant he was onto you.

"Erza."

"Oh shit."

Lucy woke up bright and early the next morning feeling uncharacteristically content. And warm. A tanned arm was draped over her side, another wrapped underneath her body and clasped at her waist. Against her back, her dragon was sleeping peacefully, his breathing deep and even. Every rise of his chest had her own body moving forward slightly, which in turn caused his arms to tighten and bring her back, flush against his toned body. And what a body it was. She could feel his well-defined muscles rippling against her spine, the faint brush of his nipples and flexing biceps. Never in her life, had Lucy felt more protected and precious than right at that moment, lying in his arms.

It was nice but she needed to get up. It had been almost 24 hours since she'd last showered and it was starting to show. Lucy pulled at Natsu's arms, undoing his possessive hold and slipping from the warm bed. With one last look over her shoulder she moved into the adjacent bathroom to shower. Within a few moments the blankets moved, a low groan seeming to echo through the room.

When she returned Natsu was already up, clean and dressed for the day. He sat, perched on the edge of his bed, watching her like a hawk. The look she was getting made her gulp and lick her suddenly dry lips. Her eyes roved over his form, discretely tracing the firm muscles and golden skin. She could feel her breathing become a little closer to pants as her heart rate just about doubled. How could he be so sexy without trying?

"So, what are we doing today?" She kept her voice perky and excited, trying to mask the lust in her tone.

"Well actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go to a place called Pel. It's… it's the faerie capital and about half a day's journey." His voice was nervous, she noted as she thought over his question. He knew she'd want to visit her people and learn a bit about herself. A few flying lessons could come in handy too.

"Of course." Without another word, he nodded and took her hand, leading her out of his rooms and down into the foyer where they met up with Gray.

"Time to go?" He questioned, picking up the small bag lying beside him and handing it to Lucy.

"Would you mind holding it for me? It's just hard to hold onto something so small when we're in dragon form." He explained quickly. She laughed slightly, grinning up at the dark haired male. It was nice to be around someone who was polite again, although it was a little hard to see the family resemblance. Natsu was so loud and forward while Gray was all calculating and quiet. Almost like opposites…

Lucy stepped back as Natsu transformed, shielding her eyes from the bright, golden light emanating from his skin. By the time she deemed it safe to look again, he was already a monstrous onyx dragon. She walked up to him, noticing for the first time, that the underside of his legs and tail were covered in pure, golden scales. She climbed quickly up his foreleg, using the three burgundy spikes as handholds to heave herself over onto his back. From there she used the long black spines to navigate her way to his head, seating herself behind his horns. A cold wind seemed to blow from beside her and she turned her head to see Gray.

He was thinner and slightly longer than Natsu, with dark navy blue scales dominating most of his body. However, the webbing on his wings and his underbelly were a silvery blue. Two navy horns sat atop his head, matching the short spines which travelled down his back and tipped his tail. Where Natsu's head was broader, with webbing framing the sides of his face, everything about Gray was more streamlined. To be honest, both looked equally intimidating and Lucy was quite glad she knew these boys before seeing them like this. No doubt, she would have run for the hills or something.

Hang on Luce. As soon as Natsu had warned her, he began to flap his giant, midnight wings. He ran at the cliff, Lucy holding onto his horns with an iron grip, and pushed off the edge. His wings caught the wind and they were ascending, beginning their journey.

"Hey, what's that?" Lucy asked, pointing to the long dark shape on the horizon. It looked like the sky and earth were merged.

That would be the Asech forest. Gray answered, his tone dark. She looked over at the other dragon, waiting for the rest of the story. She could practically feel the excitement coursing through the idiot she was currently sitting atop. She could also pick up Gray's anxiety.

It's been raining there for over 100 years. It started when we were still hatchlings. Now probably wasn't the time to ask how old they were exactly. She'd always just assumed Natsu was about her own age. That's awkward. So now she was crushing on a guy over a century her senior.

It's said that a malevolent spirit lives there, cursing creatures with the constant rain. Well, that wasn't what she was expecting.

"So, if the rain's a curse then heading into it is a bad thing, right?" Anxiety cracked through her voice.

Yeah, no one's ever made it out alive. It looked like they were in deep shit. Rain suddenly began to lash at the dragons hides, soaking Lucy in seconds. The water was freezing and felt like shards of glass cutting away at her skin. She struggled to keep her eyes open through the onslaught, suddenly finding herself feeling lethargic. Natsu and Gray's wings were definitely not beating as often, or with the same strength, as they were moments before.

Down they fell, rocketing towards the earth at tremendous speed. Natsu shook his head, dislodging Lucy and sending her flying out to the right. At the last minute, his tail curved around, smacking into her side and vaulting her back towards the hulking beast. By now Natsu had curved his body, catching Lucy and clutching her against his stomach. He was now falling with his back toward the ground. The spines along his back had already flattened themselves, ready for impact. Lucy noticed his wings were still fully outstretched, bending backwards at an uncomfortable looking angle to catch as much air as possible.

Don't worry so much Luce. I'm kinda built for this, remember? Although it did little to ease her nerves, the thought of Natsu training for crash landings did make her smile a little. With how much his family trusted in his abilities, it wasn't really all that hard to believe. Her poor dragon.

A moment later and they made contact with the ground. It was less painful than Lucy expected, the force more jarring than anything. Although, she'd been protected by Natsu, who looked a little worse for wear. He wheezed a little as she slid off his stomach and into the ankle deep swamp water. She splashed around to his face to make sure he was really alright. She always found it easiest to judge Natsu by looking into his eyes. They were so expressive and seemed bottomless. She could happily spend hours getting lost in his eyes. At the moment though, they seemed clear and she allowed him to roll onto his stomach and stand up.

Not a second too soon, Lucy was picked up by Gray's backpack. A powerful torrent of water hit the spot where she was just standing, smashing Gray and Natsu apart. The water streamed back to the centre of the clearing they'd crashed into until it formed what Lucy guessed was a water sprite. It was the only thing her mother had told her of which would match her description.

She had long, wavy blue hair and big, dark blue eyes. Despite being made of water, she could easily have passed as human, once she'd fully solidified. She was beautiful and something about her made Lucy feel unrelenting grief.

That's it, now I'm all fired up. Before he could even move to set her down Lucy turned and glared at the male behind her. Something within her said that Gray should handle it. The sadness and pain she could feel radiating from the sprite didn't sit well with her. If these were the sprite's emotions than they should be trying to help her, rather than fight.

"Natsu, I want you to leave this to Gray. Gray, could you please transform back? I think she just needs help." Gray nodded his head once, signifying that he heard and agreed before crouching and letting himself shift into his humanoid form. From beside her, Natsu sighed, placing her back on the ground and resting his snout beside her thigh. He nudged her twice, until she reached out and started to rub the scales around his horns. A deep, rumbling purr echoed through the space and they all turned to look at him incredulously. And he'd told people off in the past for not being able to read the atmosphere.

Lucy turned back to the impending fight. She watched as Gray stalked forward, his movements precise and his eyes calculating. It was something she'd seen Natsu do a few times, but only when he was really serious. It looked like Gray was ready to give this fight his all. The temperature suddenly started to drop, Natsu smirking -as much as a giant lizard could smirk- and an icy mist began to flow off Gray in waves. The water sprite narrowed her eyes.

Luce, he's going to make a sword of ice that freezes all it touches. She looked at Natsu, surprised he could tell what Gray was going to do. All she'd seen was him walking towards the sprite. She turned back to the two opponents, waiting to see if Natsu was right. Seconds later, Gray was moving, at speeds she almost couldn't keep up with, wielding a sword. Just as he was about the slash through the sprite, her body fell back into the puddle and a wall of water crashed into him from behind. Although it pushed him forward, Gray managed to swivel his body and strike the deadly mass of water. It froze instantly.

Meanwhile the sprite reformed out of the rain, standing atop the frozen wave. With a hardened expression and clenched fists she glared down at Gray and the ice stated to melt. At the last second Gray jumped away, landing nimbly on a tree branch while the boiling water smashed across the clearing.

Lucy was rather glad she'd decided to jump back onto Natsu's back as boiling water washed along his sides and he sighed contentedly.

Nice choice, Luce. Gray's going to fire ice bullets at her, followed by making an ice geyser. If that doesn't work he'll use an ice dragon roar. Taking his word for it, she decided to sit back and watch the show.

Gray threw his arms back, summoning more of his power; he froze the rain and directed it at the sprite, watching as the deadly shards sped towards their target. Without wasting a moment, he jumped down and placed his palms on the ground beneath the water. A massive, spiked structure grew rapidly, taking up the centre of the battle ground. The sprite was hit by one of the spikes and the force knocked her onto her back. Gray jumped up into the air, summoning his wings and breathing in rapidly. Once he was directly above the sprite, Gray unleashed his ice roar straight into the sprite. It was an attack meant to kill other dragons.

This chick's seriously strong. To survive a dragons roar… Lucy practically wept upon hearing that the sprite was still alive. Gray's last attack; it honestly scared her. It was vicious and everything in the surrounding area was frozen solid.

"Juvia cannot die while the rain falls." The sprite struggled to her feet, her hand covering her thigh which was glowing in a silvery light. Glancing over at Gray, Lucy noticed that the same light was coming from beneath his shirt collar.

No way. Even within her mind, Natsu's voice was filled with excitement and awe, making Lucy feel like she was seriously missing something. Catching Gray's shocked expression doubled it. She watched with curious eyes as Gray dropped down to Juvia's side, moving her hand away from her thigh. An intricate chain of navy snowflakes wrapped around her leg and Gray hesitantly brushed his finger pads across the marking. It was beautiful.

It's a mate mark, Luce. He has a similar one on his chest. Something that symbolises her. It means-it means they're two halves of one soul.

Lucy and Natsu discretely moved away, letting them talk privately. It was so romantic that all Lucy could do was sigh wistfully and sneak glances at the male beside her. The consistent breathy noise was driving Natsu insane. So, he promptly told her. And then called her a weirdo. The stupid, insufferable, infuriating jerk.

Upon finishing their discussion, Gray and Juvia walked over, joining the two who seemed to be engaged in a silent -or rather, telepathic- war. Judging from Natsu's facial expressions and his idiocy, Lucy was winning. Not really too much of a surprise there.

"Juvia would like to apologise. Juvia is very sorry for attacking you. Juvia didn't mean to hurt anyone. She was just scared." Lucy watched as the sprite looked like she was about to start balling.

"Ah, there's nothing to worry about?" Somehow her reassurance came out more as a question -earning her twin glares- but it seemed to calm down the bluenette.

"Juvia would like to ask if you're fae." Lucy blinked in rapid succession. Was she supposed to tell her to go ahead or just answer?

"Yes?" Just answering seemed to do the trick, if Juvia's smile was anything to go by.

"A long time ago, Juvia was cursed. Juvia has lived here, in the forest, to try not to hurt anyone. Juvia can only hold off the rain for a little while." Natsu broke off his silent communication with Gray and turned towards the two females.

We're heading to Pel at the moment. You could always tag along. Juvia looked ecstatic, revealing the largest smile Lucy had ever seen. The sight had the corners of her own mouth uplifting. She could already feel the light, bubbling happiness overtaking the deep sadness that had previously consumed Juvia. The sprite slipped up Natsu's side, landing next to Lucy and squeezed her in her arms.

How did I go? Good? Bad? I did try really hard on this chapter so pretty please leave a review. Even just a little ' :) ' would be nice or a ' :/ ' or whatever. I'm not picky.

'To be in hot water' and 'skating on thin ice' both mean you're in trouble. Just in case you're wondering.

Also, I still don't own the characters (Hiro Mashima) or the place names (Elizabeth A. Lynn) but the plot, that's probably also been used before now that I really think about it… I guess I own nothing. Darn.

This chapter is dedicated to the amazing Anna. Because she is amazing. And sweet. :D