Took longer than expected. Sorry. But I finally finished. Yay.

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Chapter 6: The book part II

After overcoming her shock of learning about the 66 bites she would be receiving Lucy quickly scribbled down the information without even glancing at Natsu. She was annoyed that he hadn't told her every details from the start.

Natsu pushed his improper thougts away before it turned from bad to worse. He cleared his throat and took a quick glance at the blonde. Okay maybe he hadn't pushed his thoughts fully away but it was hard! He could see a good view of her cleavage from his angle.

Keep it cool, Natsu, he told himself gulping painfully, it's Lucy, your best friend. Stop thinking about something like that! It's the stupid books fault. Ignore, ignore, ignore!

"Should I continue, or?" He asked after finally controlling his mind. She glanced up from the journal and nodded. He definitely noticed her change of attitude, she looked annoyed – more than usual – and distant. But he couldn't blame her. He brought her into this mess.

"Alright. Where was I. Ah right." Clearing his throat once more he continue from where he left.

"After finally claiming your mate you have to mark her. A marking that will show on his or her skin to show others of them being your treasure, property, and a simi-" he stopped when he heard the blonde scoff.

"Property my ass. I won't be anyone's property."

"I know but I'm only reading what the book's saying." Natsu replied with a nod. He knew that the blonde was strongly against anyone 'claiming' her to be theirs, like her father did thinking about how he could just marry her off to a stranger because he claimed her as his property so he didn't say anything and continued.

"Anyways. A similar mark will appear on the Slayer's body since the mark will show other Slayers he or she had claimed a mate, boasting about being a mated Slayer. Dragons and Slayers alike like to boast about trivial and minuscule things and this being one of it.

But that's not the only reason the mark will appear. The mark will only appear once the mate, be a female, becomes impregnated. If you are a female Slayer, the mark will first appear on you before it appears on your mate. The whole idea of mating is for you to reproduce and you won't stop mating till a mark appears, your inner dragon won't allow it. Even if you or your make use of contraption your dragon will not want to stop before succeeding. Conception will be 90 % successful with or without conceptions."

Both of them were blushing hard. And Lucy was even more impressed that Natsu could read that without stopping or his voice cracking. He sounded so indifferent but she certainly saw his flushed face matching her own. God! Things just got more awkward.

Natsu was surprised that he hadn't choked on his own spit over reading everything aloud. It was so damn embarrassing and it also fueled his improper thoughts from before. Why was the book making it hard for him to stay normal? He had been okay for the past week but now, alone with Lucy, he was having a hard time.

"Kill me already," he mumbled embarrassed and lowly. Luckily the blonde hadn't heard him.

Lucy gulped and tried to mask her embarrassment with a bored expression. "Continue please." Yet her voice was one octave higher.

Natsu stared at her for a moment, perhaps two, and noticed her cheeks were tinted pink despite her bored look. Thank god I'm not the only one embarrassed, he sighed and nodded turning his gaze back to the book.

"Your inner dragon plays an important part in your mating, so don't try to fight it, it will only be more painful for you. Embrace it and let it guide you. Instincts are important because it will make the ritual and mating more bearable for you and your mate.

After the 11th day, the end of the ritual and the day you consume the bond, having intercourse, and after the mark appear you can both call yourself official mates and in other terms, married. Your souls have bonded. You have officially become one, congratulations." He paused for a second, sighing inwardly. The author sure was weird for even congratulating them on bonding. Everything sure was messed up.

"Being bonded, connected on a whole different level, will take some time to adjust. First, both of you will feel the difference. Emotions. You can feel each other's emotion. The surge often causes the bonded pair to either black out or worst case faint but don't worry, it will get better with time.

Some are better at it than others especially those who has their souls and emotion attuned before they completed ritual. So it is highly advised to get to know your mate before beginning the mating process. It makes it less painful for the both of you."

"Well we are pretty attuned to each other, aren't we?" Lucy commented, more to herself than him. She immediately regretted it since it made her sound like she was actually accepted everything which she was not!

"Yeah because we are best friends!" Natsu agreed enthusiastically, grinning his signature grin.

Yep, the blonde definitely regretted speaking out loud since she apparently encouraged the young Slayer. Great, just great.

"Sure, whatever," she tried to be indifferent despite her embarrassment. "Just continue reading. It's getting late." He smiled and nodded his head.

"To form a stronger bond you have to mate a lot. Also after the mark appear. The more mating the stronger the bond. Your souls connects more and more each time. Mating again and again is to feed your souls of feeling completeness. So lots of mating."

The book just kept getting more perverted. They get it; they needed to have lots of sex for them to not only reproduce but also for feeding their connected souls to feel a completeness. Lucy was beginning to think that perhaps the author was an old pervert who just loved sex? Because for the last fifteen minutes he or she has kept mentioning sex.

"And to help, I collected a few positions that would be pleasurable for yo-"

"Stop!" She screeched flustered. "Skip that part! Damn that author is a perve!" Her suspicions confirmed. The author was a pervert. If he, she decided it was a male, and he was alive, which she doubted because of the old leather cover, she would Lucy Kick him over and over for being such a pervert. He was much more worse than Gray and his public stripping. At least he had a valid excuse – not that it made it any more acceptable.

"I will skip to the next chapter then because the next is also quite perverted." Natsu stated as he had glanced at the title and remembering some of the content of the chapter.

"Please do so," The blonde let out an exasperated sigh, "just no more pervertedness. This is getting far more embarrassing each chapter." Her cheeks were bright red and unwanted thoughts had entered her mind. Thoughts really similar to Natsu's and it just made her feel like a pervert.

A bad one.

"I agree. I believe the author really loved mating his mate since he deliberating-ly mentions mating every chance he got." Natsu was having the same thoughts as the blonde, so it was better they skip the mate chapter for now. It wasn't as important as the next one anyways.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm skipping to hatchlings, the Slayer hatchlings." She nodded and let him continue.

"Like Dragons, Slayers have hatchlings or offspring in human terminology. As stated before a mark appear when the mate or female Slayer are impregnated. And it will stay permanently, even after the hatchling is born. When a new hatchling has been conceived the mark will glow for a little while as a telltale sign for the mated parents to be and to let them know another offspring has been conceived.

Since your mate or you are most likely humans, the offspring will grow like a human. The offspring will be born approximately nine months after conception. But unlike a normal pregnancy, your mate (female) will have weird cravings. Weird cravings as wanting to eat your element on more than one occasion. Don't deny her since it will help your offspring get stronger and more acceptance of your element which it will possess. The offspring of a Slayer will be a born Slayer inheriting everything you learned from your Dragon parent/parents."

Natsu paused to let Lucy finish writing everything while his mind unconditionally wandered to what his offspring would look like. Pink haired brown eyed babies, he thought remembering Mira's occasional chants when he and Lucy interacted, nah more like blonde and onyx eyed babies. Blonde like Lu – stop right there! He began chastising himself. Don't even go there idiot! You need to find a way out of this mating stuff as to save your ass without damaging yourself and Lucy's friendship. You are best friends!

Lucy was in the same predicament. Her mind had also wandered to thoughts of her with a protruding stomach, huge as ever, a little child grasping her hand with blonde hair in her one and another one with pink in her other. The fuck are you thinking about, Lucy! You don't just start thinking about something so weird. Natsu is right, I am a weirdo.

Her eyes quickly wandered to the pinkette who looked deep in thought. Lips pursed, eyebrows furrowed together and eyes far. A really weird expression on his face, but she thought for a short stupid moment that he looked, "cute."

Natsu head immediately turned to her, eyes stared questioning at her. It was then she realized she spoke her thought out loud making him hear it. She gasped and flushed red from pure embarrassment. She did say that out loud, didn't she?

"Huh?" He looked at her expectantly making her want to die. How was she going to explain to him that she thought he was cute? That was so embarrassing. She groaned, into her hands, in her self inflicted misery.

"Is something wrong Luce? You look a red. Did you catch a fever?" She could clearly hear the concern and worry in his voice as she peeked through her fingers and saw the undeniable worry in his eyes. On reflex she shook her head. Of course she wasn't sick with a fever but she believed she could easily get sick after her turbulent day and mixed emotions.

"I – I'm fine." Came her muffled reply but he heard he clearly and sighed in relief and he worried look changed to pleasant one with a smile that always cheered her up.

"That's good. Don't want you to catch a cold. We still have to go to the Team mission Sunday and going without you will suck, not they I would leave you behind sick and all.." He tried to encourage her, assure her, no doubt, and she refused to believe it was intentional. The guy is a lot dense and hardly pick up on others moods but yet she was grateful for his words. She too would never go on without him with her. They are partners and stick together in sickness and health – almost like a married couple (both would deny it but others would just ignore their protests since they bickered like an old married couple and practically lived together.).

"Thanks, but I'm not sick." She answered softly and cleared her throat pulling her hands away from her face. "Let's just finish for today. I think I got too much information for one day, and I'm hungry." She hurriedly added standing up with a sheepish smile.

Natsu looked at her for one moment and nodded closing the book close. She was right, the book really did take a toll on them both. And not to forget planted weird images in his poor mind. Hers as well – not that he will know. "Whatever you say, Luce. Let's eat the fish we caught today!"

The blonde left the Slayer while she prepared dinner – the bunch of fish they had caught earlier – but her mind was still locked on that book. It was embarrassing, really. Maybe she shouldn't have asked for him to read it for her, then at least she wouldn't had gotten those involuntary images and thougts of how the future – apparently very near future – looked like.

Natsu had decided to take a nap like Happy on the blonde's bed. It didn't take too long to doze off since her scent had a calming effect on him. But it wasn't a dreamless nap. Oh no no. His mind was replaying many of those thoughts he had encountered when he read the book aloud for her.

When he had read the book alone he hadn't had any problem but that's was probably because he read it in a hurry since he had been in shock. Who wouldn't? Your friend (not that he would ever admit it to Gajeel) tells you that you will die if you don't mate before your 22nd birthday, of course you'll suffer from shock. But not before beating the shit of that friend because of denial.

So Natsu was dreaming of a beautiful day in the guild. Everything was as it used to be. Almost everything. He was holding a little baby in his arms showing the baby off to everyone proudly.

The best think about his dream was Lucy standing next to him with an equally proud smile. Her gaze was so lovingly and she kissed him. Like actually kissed him. And he kissed her back.

He jerked back to reality when he had begun kissing her more passionately and that freaked him out. "The fuck?" His heart was beating fast and he replayed the kiss over and over. It almost felt real. And he was actually disappointed by his wake up. But he had freaked out.

His eyes scanned the blonde's bedroom and saw Happy still sleeping next to him. He smelled the food and decided to wander back to the living room area.

"Already up?" Lucy questioned as she saw him enter the living room. She was setting the dinner table.

"Yeah. Had a weird dream and couldn't sleep. Are you done?" He looked at the table and saw a lot of food already placed and cooked. It made him wonder how long he had been sleeping since it felt like it had only been an hour or so since he fell asleep.

"Are you okay?" She worried, looking him, examining his whole body with her eyes and ignoring his question.

Nodding his head he smiled. "I'm all good. Need help?"

"No need. I'm almost done. Can you wake Happy up?" She didn't really believe him but she let it slide. This time.

He left after saying yes and proceeded to wake the Exceed up. Feeling mischievous, he woke him up with one lie that would make him jolt up immediately. "Happy! Lucy ate all your fish!"

As he thought, Happy jolted away and looked at him horrified. "She did! Lushi!" He zoomed into the living room to scold and cry to the blonde for eating his fish.

"How could you eat all – wait, why is the fish on the table?"

"Because I prepared dinner like I promised? Did you already forget, you stupid cat."

"But Natsu said," he paused as he saw the Slayer sniggering behind rather loudly. He finally realized that his best friend played a trick on him. "You lied! You said Lushi ate all the fishies!"

"Stop arguing and just sit down. I'm hungry." The blonde cut in before the two could begin to start any arguments. Her heads was throbbing badly as it was and she didn't need the two partners high pitched (mostly Happy) piercing through her skull.

"But Lu-"

"No buts. Sit. Down." The duo cowered by her angry glare and immediately took their seats. "Good, now eat. That side is yours Natsu, and that side yours, Happy." She gestured to the smoked fish and the raw ones. Just like they liked it.

"Thanks for the food!"

Lucy did her best not to gag as she watched the two gluttonous pigs in front of her shoving the fish and side dishes down their throats. It was so disgusting. Especially when Happy put a whole fish in his mouth only to pull it out moments later. All bones, slimy bones, safe for the head. Just eww. Good thing she learned not to converse with either one of them when eating. Imagine the disaster. Ew.

"So how did your talk go?" The cat asked after finishing his meal. His tiny belly was protruding heavily.

"What talk?" Lucy questioned, wiping her mouth with the napkin.

"The one about that old book. Did it mention about fish?" She rolled her eyes at his question. He had just finished eating a dusin fish yet he was still thinking about it.

"No it did not. And our talk went fine. Nothing interesting." A lot of interesting things but nothing for you to know. She mentally added. Heck no if she was going to tell him the books contents and have him tease her. Nope. She would rather die.

Happy looked at her suspiciously then turned to the still eating Fire Dragon Slayer expectantly. If Lucy wasn't going to say anything then Natsu certainly would.

"Mmm?"

"Your talk and the book. What did it say? Lucy acts suspicious and won't say. Tell me." He pressed the Slayer narrowing his eyes

"I do not act suspiciously! All I said it wasn't interesting."

"But you looked smug when you said it. It was creepy. But then again you are creepy and weird."

The blonde turned red from embarrassment and anger, quickly jolting out from her seat to catch him. "I'm not creepy or weird, cat!" She hissed trying to catch the quick reflexed blue feline.

"Natsu! Lushi's trying to eat me again!" He cried horrified but the Slayer just shrugged them both off as he continued filling his stomach with the remaining food. He didn't want to be dragged into their meaningless fight.

The shouting and cries ended a little while later. Natsu was done eating and the two visiting duo helped cleaning the table. After everything was done Natsu decided against on staying. The book's content took surface on his mind and he thought that maybe if they stayed apart from each other for a little while he would forget those thoughts and images resurfacing again.

The two partners bid her goodnight and jumped out of the window. Happy thought it was weird that they didn't stay like they normally did. But maybe it was for the better.

After they were far away from the apartment building he rummaged his little back while Natsu was in deep thought. With a mischievous grin he snickered and brought out a book.

Natsu getting pulled out from his thoughts by the snicker looked at his feline friend and notice the journal in his hand. "What's that?" He gestured to the journal as his curiosity piqued. He took a sniff and was welcomed by Lucy's scent.

"This," he held out the book proudly as his paws held on the journal tightly, "Is Lucy's list of eligible males." He grinende widely. "I found it under her bed when I dropped my wish in her bedroom."

The Slayer's eyed widened at the information. Happy found the book? Lucy's book. He quickly snatched the journal from his friend and flipped it over. He's eyes widened as the many names he passed and he couldn't help but let out a low growl.

"I did good, right?" The blue feline said fishing for praise for his finding.

Natsu's eyes halted at his own name, and then looked at Happy with a shit eating grin. "You sure did buddy. You sure did." Oh the Slayer was going to enjoy this. So much.

What did the blonde exactly write about him. He just couldn't wait to read it.