Yay, look at that round number! 20 chapters of T&T ^O^ There is some amazing art for this chapter so be sure to check the link on my profile!:3
Also I'm sorry for the long wait, I had a commission to write first and also - hehe - this chapter turned out quitttte long. B)
the not so daily grind
The doorbell rang.
And that was not a good thing. In any way.
"Shit!" Lucy hissed as she stumbled over an intricately woven web of clothes. No way it already was 9pm. Impossible. It was too early. It was- "I'm coming!"
Shaking a pink bra off her left foot, Lucy finally dashed out of her bedroom and towards the door.
A large part of her screamed that she couldn't let Natsu see her like this, but another, more responsible one screeched about punctuality and about how she had failed - even though she never failed! Lucy Heartfilia was not an unpunctual person.
It was just - she hadn't been able to decide on a top. Because she really, really didn't want to look only good today - she wanted to look stunning. Breathtaking.
So that his breath would hitch in his throat.
Oh well. This was what she got for being indecisive. Now nothing would hitch.
She'd have to live up to her mistake.
Quickly, she pressed the buzzer and tore open the door already.
"I'm not done yet!" she called into the hallway, embarassed by the panic in her voice.
But then, to her utter, blissful relief, a person that was definitely not Natsu emerged from the stairs.
"Lucy!" Lisanna beamed, but faltered when she saw the look of desperation on the blonde's face.
"Everything alright?"
"I need your help!"
Ten minutes and three ransacked mountains of clothes later, Lisanna victoriously pulled a blue halter top from the mess on Lucy's bedroom floor.
"This is it! It'll fit perfectly with your leggins!"
"Oooh!" Lucy chimed, snatching the thin piece of fabric from her outstretched hands. "You might be right!"
Ridding herself of the oversized T-shirt she had pulled on in her stampede to the door, she tried on the top and shuffled to the mirror. Her hair and make-up were as perfect as always, she asserted with satisfaction.
And Lisanna was right - the short, light blue top harmonized perfectly with the black leggins, exposing a nice strip of skin. She hadn't trained her tummy for nothing.
"Perfect!" she squealed. "Thankyou so much, Lis!"
"You look great," the other woman winked. "Natsu will love it."
"I-it's not like I… I mean - eep!"
Lucy turned various shades of red, and Lisanna laughed at her without restraint. Geeze, this was embarassing.
"Let's go!"
"Yeah! Natsu seemed a little nervous, said something about standing in a no-stopping zone..?"
"Oh dear. Not again."
But after they had descended the stairs in a flurry, the car was still there with all its occupants - and not a single fine.
His luck was almost supernatural.
The occupants, currently, were only Natsu and Gray, who both looked rather distressed.
"What the hell were you doing so long?" Gray called.
"Small emergency," Lisanna grinned, settling the matter with a stern gaze as she slipped into the back seat beside him.
The front seat was left for Lucy.
With a nervous gulp, she opened the door and clambered inside, trying to look as graceful as possible as she squeezed into the small car.
Natsu gave a welcoming grin, eyes quickly taking her in. Lucy felt heat bubble beneath her skin.
She was looking great, she tried to reassure herself. She knew she was.
But he sure as hell didn't look too bad himself. In black jeans and a faded pink shirt that showed off his bicep, he looked positively scrumptious.
"Hey."
"Hey, Lucy! You all ready?"
"Well what does it look like to you!" she pouted, and heard Lisanna giggle in the backseat.
"Ah, yes! These are my friends! This is Lisanna, and this-"
"No need to introduce us," Gray interrupted, grinning a victorious, almost condescending grin at Natsu. The latter squinted his eyes.
"And why not, Mc Fucking Flurry!"
"Because," Lucy tried to prevent the impending catastrophe, "I already met them. They visited me in my shop this afternoon."
"No way! You sly little betrayers! You didn't say a word!"
Lisanna grinned, but it didn't look sorry at all. Gray crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well, we needed to see for ourselves which girl finally managed to-"
An elbow to the side made him eat the words he had been about to speak.
"Anyways," Lisanna laughed innocently, "how about we finally find that club?"
Natsu shifted into reverse and drove backwards, grimacing at Gray as he looked in the rear mirror. His trusty old Fire Dragon stuttered, but then roared loudly as they made their way to the main road.
The little incident was soon forgotten, and Natsu laughed as Lucy told him about the afternoon she had spent with his friends, and even the little clothing drama. The conversation continued on with ease.
"By the way, what was that club's theme for tonight again?"
"Uh, I think Soul2Soul? No wait, I think they'll play dancehall!"
"I didn't look it up…"
"I'm pretty sure it's what she said!"
"Well if you say so, I guess it's true."
"Who cares!" Natsu roared enthusiastically. "Let's do this! I'm all fired up!"
The music was loud enough to make anyone's socks fall off the second they entered the club. It was not big, a little raggedy even, but with a certain decayed charm. The bass drove into the ground and made the walls vibrate.
The alcohol burned warmly as it made its way down Lucy's throat. She was currently alone, having ditched her friends for a quick trip to the bar. Originally she had wanted to return with what would have been her third drink, Malibu maybe, but then the special offer of the night had caught her attention. Strawberry Lime Shots for just two dollars each.
The penny pincher in her won that battle.
She'd have to pay her rent soon, after all, and alcohol was expensive.
Well, this one sure was not. She put down the small plastic cup (the third), but it rolled off the table. She guessed she'd had enough for now.
With a happy smile and a warm tingle in her stomach, she made her way back into the crowd.
It sure was full in here. Sweaty bodies pushed against her left and right, and she realized she had walked right onto the dancefloor. She craned her neck to try and catch sight of her friends, but when she finally found the spot where they all had been standing earlier, her eyes found not a single one.
Where the hell had they disappeared to?
She turned in a small circle, looking rather forlorn.
And then suddenly strong arms snaked around her waist, and a head came to rest on her right shoulder. For a split second, shock creeped through her, but the touch was all too familiar, and the scent that invaded her nostrils was one she craved at all times. Not to mention the pink tuft of hair that now caught her eye. It spoke for itself.
"Natsu? Are you drunk."
He hummed against her skin, and the vibration tickled her in a good way. "Just a lil' tipsy. Lucy! Let's dance!"
"I've never danced to music like this…" she stammered, trying to keep her cool as his body pressed up against hers.
"'S not like I'm a masterdancer, tss." She could practically hear him grinning lazily as his breath fanned across her earlobe. "Let's just have fun. C'mon, I'll show ya."
Lucy shivered as his hands glided over her body and came to a rest on her hips, where he played with the golden zippers of her leggins before pulling her hips flush against his. He slowly gyrated his hips, guiding her with him.
She sucked in a sharp breath, reveling in the way their bodies fit together so perfectly, moving in unison.
" Just don't think," he murmured. And she obeyed.
Her hands found his on her hips, and she relaxed her body against his, letting her head roll back onto his shoulder.
The beat seeped into the ground, vibrating through the dancefloor and into the air. As the music filtered into her and commanded her movements, Lucy found it hard to distinguish between reality and dream. All she knew was the movements of her body, and his behind her, coming together without shame or reluctance.
As his hips ground against hers, her breathing became harder. Sweat accumulated on her body, hot and burning. Unable to restrain herself, she reached up and backwards to hold onto his neck.
She wanted to pay him back for the blissful ecstasy he was giving her. Wanted to tease him like he teased her.
She arched her back and pushed her ass back against his crotch. Then she circled her waist, rolling her hips against him. The music was too loud for her to hear the hiss leaving his lips, but she could feel his reaction in the way his hands gripped her more tightly.
His breath against her neck became hotter with each exhale, and then his lips started nibbling on her heated skin, leaving behind a scorching trail of fire as they danced together.
After what felt like a small eternity that could have gone on forever and ever, neither could stand it anymore. Chests heaved, bodies glistened in sweat, and the air was thick with tension. Neither was sure who initiated, but suddenly Lucy was spun around and their eyes burned into each other.
Lucy kept her right hand on his neck, looking up at him before her eyes dropped to his lips. His own hand rubbed against the bare skin of her waist, where his thumb curiously pushed past the loose hem of her blue crepe top.
Natsu opened his mouth, probably trying to find words fitting for the situation, but it seemed like he came up empty. Lucy's eyes were wide with wonder and blazing need. And then she leaned upwards, ignoring the people around them as if they were nothing but puppets in a play that was meant only for her.
Their lips crashed together with so much vigor that neither could breath for a moment, and then they lost themselves in their kiss with their bodies pressing hard against the other's.
They continued swaying with the music, but slower than before, solely aware of the way their bodies and lips moved against each other.
When they finally broke apart, Natsu managed a sly grin down at her. But he could not fool her. His cheeks were blazing not only from the heat. He slid his left hand downwards along her arm until he could intertwine their fingers, gently tugging to signal that he wanted her to come along. A small smile played around her lips as they moved through the crowd.
Her heart was hammering so hard from her efforts aswell as her rapturous feelings, she could hear its frantic beat reverbrating in her ears.
When they turned into the corridor, Lucy took a deep breath. The air was fresher here, and the beat that had previously threatened to tear apart her eardrums was reduced to a dull pounding. She could even faintly hear their steps echoing in the narrow corridor. Grafitti graced the walls and turned them into works of art - or distasteful smearing peppered with innuendos. It depended where you looked, really.
Lucy's eyes were flitting across a phone number that promised a night of delight when she almost crashed into Natsu's back.
First she was confused, but when he spun around his intent was clear in his eyes. A hand moved to cup her cheek as he took a step towards her, moving her closer towards the wall.
His grin was predatory; his movements that of an animal about to close in on its prey. His eyes gleamed as his hands found a rest on the wall behind her, and he leaned down closer.
"This time," he purred, and a shiver of anticipation travelled down Lucy's spine. "Happy can't interrupt us."
"Well," she responded with a voice sweet as honey. "You know… Happy isn't at my place tonight, either."
His eyes widened, and she grinned proudly.
"Wellll," he imitated her after a moment of stunned silence. "Your place… will be very happytonight then."
For a split second, Natsu looked really, really proud of himself. Then his overconfident smirk turned to a nervous wobbly line as Lucy stared at him with her brows raised high in amused disbelief.
"Really? That is all you have?"
"I found it quite good," he grumbled like a boy that had just been robbed of his birthday presents. "Were you aware that when I said your 'place' I meant your-"
"Yes. Aware."
"Good. Then I really don't understand what you didn't like about-"
"Oh shut up."
"Aye."
They giggled at each other, and Lucy hiccuped in surprise. Maybe that last strawberry lime shot hadn't been the best of ideas. She couldn't stop laughing - but at least it was not at his stupid joke. She was still proud - and shocked by the boldness - of her own words. It had been hard to restrain her laughter, but she had made it, like a proper adult.
But she didn't have to be a proper adult with Natsu, did she?
She looked at him, who was snorting like an idiot, and then let her head sink against his warm and welcoming chest. Her giggles died down only slowly, but her hiccup still resurfaced from time to time. He held her close.
Inch by inch, their heads moved. First, she craned her neck to rest her head on his shoulder instead, and his moved to press his nose into her hair. Then her lips found his throat, where she placed a soft, lingering kiss against the still hot skin, to which he responded by trailing his hand along her arm and neck until it tangled in her hair, gently grabbing at her scalp. And then, lastly, finally, their heads turned slowly to close the remaining distance between their lips.
And she hiccuped.
They both laughed silently just before their lips connected. The kiss was slow, soft and sweet - and it made her see stars. Or maybe that was just the alcohol. Lucy smiled at the thought, well aware that her fluttering insides had little to do with the intoxicating drink and everything with the intoxicating man that was invading her senses.
Hungrily, she pulled him closer, ignoring the occasional person pushing past them. But if she was hungry, then Natsu was starving.
His lips claimed hers as if he wanted to devour her, and suddenly she was pushed against the wall, caged by his strong shoulders and chained by his lips.
She did not want to flee.
Her hands gripped his shirt as she felt a familiar heat pool deep in her stomach. Oh, this was not good. Her desire was threatening to overwhelm her.
She gasped for breath when he released her swollen lips for just a moment, trying to coherently speak his name before he could rob her of her senses yet again. But he was too fast, and she was lost in him again.
His kisses were as fierce as a wildfire, but with a certain sloppiness to them, conjured by greed and the alcohol flowing through his veins. His lips tasted of coke and whisky. And of smoke, even now. The good kind; the kind you would inhale in front of a crackling fire on a bright clearing, with the sun burning down.
That was how he felt to her. Like summer.
With her arms around his neck, she tried to pull his chest closer against hers as his scorching tongue invaded her mouth. She did not care about anything. She did not care who was watching or how they must look like. She didn't-
A strong hand - one that was not Natsu's, she was certain, because his were busying themselves with her behind - tugged at her upper arm, and when she startled and tore away her mouth from his she saw that a hand was on Natsu's arm too.
They turned to the side, one quite grumpy, the other feeling as though every last drop of alcohol had just evaporated from her body to leave her cruelly sober and self-aware.
"Dude, what the hell! Can't you see that we're-"
"I need, uh-" Gray gulped visibly, struggling for words. "…your help."
Now that was enough to catch Natsu's attention. Nonetheless, he kept his body close to hers, sliding his hand into her trembling one. Somewhere in her conscious mind, Lucy knew she must look like a burning four story building, and she sure felt like one, but she tried to focus her attention elsewhere.
Namely, on the squirming guy in front of her.
"You what, loser?!"
"Shut up, flamebrain!"
"Come on, say it again. You need what?"
"….help. Look, there's this woman…"
"Gray-sama!"
His face blanched by several shades when a highpitched voice reached their ears. He groaned, eyes darting towards the opening of the corridor.
"Okay see," he spoke hastily. "I - accidentally, I swear! - brushed her boob as I walked past her, and she almost obliterated me, seriously. But then suddenly she looked all sorry and got this creepy look and now she's following me around apologizing and wanting to buy me drinks. All - the - time. I gotta get rid of her!"
Natsu snorted.
"Poor girl must be blind, confusing an iceblock with a guy that might be interested in girls."
"Oh shut up. This is serious!"
Lucy silently followed their exchange, feeling quite sorry for the sweating Gray. Natsu, however, seemed anything but. His face darkened as a grin stretched his lips.
"Sorry bud, you got yourself into that one. Now if you would kindly let the people who are having fun-" His arm tightened around Lucy, and, if possible, she blushed some more. "-have their alonetime. Have some fun of your own."
Gray's desperate eyes darted to Lucy.
"Please…!"
But it was too late. A young - and admittedly beautiful -woman with hair dyed a curious blue suddenly snatched Gray's arm. Lucy couldn't help but admire the tight azule dress that clung to her like the scales of a fish.
"Here you are! Come on, let Juvia buy you another drink as compensation!"
A devious grin spread across Natsus face.
"Yeah. How about you two go drink some shots. Together."
"Gray-sama, can Juvia sleep in your bed?"
"Gray, don't open the door!" Lisanna screeched as a very sweaty Gray tugged at the doorhandle beside the passengerseat. "I'm driving!"
"Told ya hizza shit passenger," Natsu slurred from the back, and arm tightly wrapped around Lucy as she softly snored into the nook of his neck. He turned his head two centimeters to the right. "If ya break my Fiya Dragon imma break you."
Gray huffed, slowly but awkwardly relaxing back into his seat.
"How the hell did this happen anyways?!" he mumbled under his breath.
The blue-haired girl, who they had found out soon enough was called Juvia (thanks to a very weird habit of speaking in third person), tried to reach across the open space towards Gray's shoulder, but Natsu had the quickness of mind to stretch out his left arm to obstruct her.
Lisanna groaned.
"I'm never driving again. You're all crazy."
Lucy giggled into Natsu's shoulder, drawing his attention. But her eyes were still closed, her breathing evening out again. She appeared to be asleep.
Natsu smiled.
"Alright," Lisanna sighed as the car turned off the main road. "The third to the right was Lucy's street, right?"
"Yeah," he responded, suddenly more somber as he realized he'd have to part ways here - much too soon, if you asked him.
Sure, her offer was probably still standing.
But there was something he had realized somewhere between the parking lot and his comfortable place at her side in the backseat of his car.
He suddenly knew that as much as he wanted this with her - oh, he wanted it so badly - he wanted to do this properly.
Through the haze of his drunk mind, Natsu had realized with certainty that he was in love. And that this feeling wouldn't go away with sobriety. Or ever.
He glanced down at her sleeping face and noticed how her lips had curled into a tiny smile. Her eyelids fluttered and she blinked up at him lazily. The hand that had been resting on his neck started to gently caress his skin, and he shivered pleasantly.
Oh god, he loved her.
He loved her so much.
Without even checking if the blue haired woman on the other seat was awake or had finally fallen into a slumber, he lowered his head and captured Lucy's lips with his.
She smiled happily against him, lingering even after they parted. She brushed her lower lip against his with half-lidded eyes.
"Ew, gross." Gray could be heard from the front seat.
Natsu rolled his eyes, and Lucy grinned up at him, trying to blink the sleep from her eyes.
"Rya gonna come home wimme?"
"Yeah."
He smiled, smoothing her hair and tugging her head back against his chest.
Change of plans.
Because, yes, he had decided he would do this properly. And that meant taking care of her in every way he could. He didn't want her to leave him tonight. She was as drunk as him, and he would look after her.
Because that was what it meant to be in love, right?
He watched her rub her eyes in an effort to wake up enough to leave the car. In a roundabout motion, he untangled his arm from behind her back.
"Hey Lis, do you remember the way to my place?"
He caught her gaze in the rear mirror, and she smiled knowingly.
"Sure. Just leave the keys on the seat."
"Thanks. You're the best."
He grinned, and Lisanna chuckled to herself. It was quiet in the car now, as it slowed down and came to a halt in front of a tall red brick-lined building tugged inbetween more tall buildings.
The air was cool now in the dead of night, and Lucy shivered unvoluntarily as they left the car. Worried, Natsu tugged her closer against him before turning back towards the car, making her wallow in his arms.
"Bye!" they both called in unison - which caused them to break into another low fit of giggles.
"Bye!" came mixed voices from the car, and the two of them watched silently as the headlights disappeared around the next corner.
"Thanks for comin' with me."
"Gotta make sure you get home safely!"
"Natsu, my house is right here."
"Still," he grinned and pressed a kiss to the back of her head. "I'll protect ya."
Lucy laughed softly as she fumbled for her keys. It was a happy sound.
For the next door, the one to her flat, she didn't need to fumble. because she had kept the keys in her hand. It took her two tries to hit the keyhole though. She snorted.
Natsu ushered her through the door, laughing at her clumsiness. On his way to the couch, he grabbed an open pack of gummybears from the kitchen counter.
They both sunk down with a happy sigh, and Lucy gave a lengthy yawn.
"I'm drunk," she stated, causing Natsu to almost lose it as he shoveled a handful of sweets into his mouth.
"No way!" he snorted. "I might be too."
They laughed quietly alongside each other until the sounds were nothing more than a low occasional gurgle. His chest hurt. Lucy snuggled up closer against him, folding her legs beneath her in the process.
Now his chest hurt even more, but in the best of ways, contracting with each touch of her hands as they weakly grabbed at his shirt.
"You're warm," she whispered.
"You should change into something warm and comfy, Lucy! I'll get it for ya, just tell me where."
"S alright," Lucy mumbled, eyelids drooping. Slowly she leaned over the side of the couch, producing a creamy blanket from the woven basket beside it. It looked really fluffy. Suddenly, Natsu wasn't all too eager to get up either.
"Pervert," she added, but the reasoning behind it was lost to him.
He watched as Lucy clumsily unfolded the blanket on top of her while simultaneously shuffling back against him until she bumped into his chest.
"Cuddles!" she called out with sudden enthusiasm, toppling him over and throwing herself and the blanket on top of him. The gummybears spilled onto the ground.
The air was pressed out of his lungs, but even in his surprise his arms had immediately found their way around her waist. Her hair had landed on his face, tickling his chin and invading his mouth. She lifted her head with a grin, puckering her lips demandingly.
He craned his neck to press a sloppy kiss to her mouth.
That seemed to satisfy her, because her face relaxed and she slightly cocked it to the left, a fond expression in her eyes.
"You know, my place really is happy tonight."
For a moment, he struggled to make sense of her words, but then their banter in the club resurfaced in his mind, and he grinned brightly.
"And by place, you mean-"
"Oh shut up."
She squeezed him tightly, probably trying to suffocate him in her grip. Natsu just chuckled, tangling their legs and turning to the side so that Lucy came to a rest between him and the back of the couch. His hands stroked her back as he tried to warm her with so much determination that he felt like his body heat was consciously seeping into her tired limbs. She gave a content sigh.
And so they remained, indeed uninterrupted by Happy or any other disturbances throughout the whole night.
They fell asleep in each other's arms, a content smile on their lips.