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Epilogue

WARNING: THIS WHOLE CHAPTER IS BASICALLY NSFW.

THERE IS NOTHING BUT SIN BELOW.

Natsu groaned, the heaviness of the hospital leaving him the moment he stepped from the cab and in front of his house. The fact that he had company only lifted his mood further.

It was over.

The thought by itself was arresting. Natsu could hardly believe how far the wild ride involving Jackal and his own near-descent into madness had taken him. Thinking back, this was an idea which bordered on the insane. Which was probably why Natsu had taken the job in the first place.

He shook out a quiet, calming breath, his eyes fixating on the brownstone he would be leaving. Heart jumping traitorously in his chest, he snuck a glance at Lucy.

She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, her eyes skating over towards him. Slyness entered her gaze the moment she caught Natsu taking a peek at her, his breath catching at the way her hand lifted to slide against his lower back, just over his waistband. Her finger hooked into a belt loop, pulling his hips towards hers.

Checking hers against his, Natsu smothered a grin and dropped an arm across Lucy's shoulder. It was hard to ignore how well she fit against him, all her soft curves and silky touches. He breathed in her clean scent, only a little dampened by the sterile environment of the hospital.

Natsu parted from her to hop up the steps of his stoop, his key sliding into his rusty lock and grinding his deadbolt open. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Lucy paying the taxi driver and waving him off.

Curious, he swung the door open, leaning against the doorframe to better look at the detective. She was acting weirder than usual.

"Uh, Luce? Why'd you get rid of the driver?" he asked, head tilting as he watched the yellow cab zoom off down the street. "We're not going to take that long. I barely have enough shit to fill a duffle bag."

He froze, seeing the expression on Lucy's face.

It was her 'Coffee Time' face.

Oh.

Natsu shifted, an unsurprising flare of warmth shooting down his spine and warming his stomach. He didn't think he'd imagined the looks Lucy gave him while they were in the cab, but he'd honestly thought he was the only one close to his wits end.

The memories of their brief encounters, in Lucy's house both times and again at the hospital. It wasn't just the feverish, desperate and reassuring kisses they shared - but more often it was the steady pulse of simply being curled up against one another.

He ached just to feel her, and their proximity in the seemingly never-ending cab ride had been close to torture.

"Trust me, we're going to need more time than you think, and I'm not interested in running up the meter." The way she swayed up to him caused Natsu's eyes to glue to her hips and his mouth run dry.

He tried to tell his brain how to work, but it was a hopeless cause.

"You're the boss," was what he managed to choke out as they headed inside. His heart raced in his chest, a slick tightness accompanying the delicate way she pressed a hand on his bicep.

It was a light touch, but it scorched him.

The minute he closed the door, her hands were on him. Reaching for his too-tight t-shirt, yanking on his scarf, pulling him down to meet her urgent lips in a hot kiss that left him dizzy. It was all tongue and teeth, sloppy in a way that usually didn't suit his detective-but he sure as hell didn't mind right now, even when her rough actions pulled on his stitches a little.

She was releasing the pent-up sexual frustration that had nearly suffocated the both of them during the ride to his-their, he reminded himself faintly-home.

He'd seen the heated looks she'd cast him, the way her hands had twisted in the fabric of her pants. The flush on her cheeks as she'd peeked at him again and again had made him feel like she was picturing him naked.

And that was what had churned his stomach the entire ride.

She was erotic without even trying.

Even now, her little huffs and whispers as he chased her mouth and ran his fingers through her pretty hair, she made everything in him stand upright and alert. He was ready to fucking go and all she'd done was kiss him.

He was so easy.

As if reading his mind, Lucy softened the kiss until she was no longer trying to devour him whole. Rather, she was taking sweet sips from his lips as she came to a gradual stop.

"I keep forgetting," she panted against his mouth, "that you've never done this before."

And though she certainly hadn't meant it in a demeaning way, Natsu still felt the embarrassment heat the back of his neck. "S'not like I don't know the basics," he grumbled. "I know what goes where and all that stuff."

Pulling back, Lucy asked with surprise, "You do?"

Natsu couldn't help but snort and fix her with a wicked grin. "I did have access to porn, y'know. Before, during, and after prison."

As he'd never had the chance to experience sex for himself, of course he'd been riveted by it. As a teen he'd watched B-rated videos when Erza and Jellal had been away, and when he'd been in prison he'd made do with smuggled magazines in his dank cell. After prison? He'd had the opportunity to stream, which was a new concept to him still. Videos and pictures, he was learning quickly, didn't hold a candle to the real deal though.

Nothing could replace the feel of pliant flesh in his palms or under his lips. Or the scent of strawberries and cream as it filled his nose and lay heavy on his tongue.

"So that makes you an expert, then," Lucy mused sarcastically, with a roll of her pretty eyes, "because porn is so real."

No, even he knew that porn was fake.

...But still. It couldn't be that hard to figure out.

"Well...no," Natsu grumbled. "But it's gotta count for something, right?"

Lucy didn't answer for a moment, her head falling to the side instead as she studied him. Her eyes, the longer she perused, gleamed with interest and scandalous promises, making him swallow.

"Mmm...no," she eventually decided. "I don't think it does. And that means...I get to teach you the ropes."

Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Lucy wasted no time and dragged him across the room, shoving him down onto the worn-out mattress in the corner with little regard to his physical state. Too surprised to resist, Natsu simply dropped backwards, hitting the dusty, squeaky thing rather ungracefully. The rusty springs protested under his weight, but they went ignored as Lucy followed right after, making him slide back onto his elbows.

She was out for blood.

Caging him between her legs, she urged him further back. Her hot lips found his skin again, nibbling on his collarbone as she leaned forward, pressing her generous breasts up against his chest. Natsu swallowed as he watched her descend on him like a feline on its prey. She rubbed and pushed along his body until she came face to face with him, lips parted in anticipation.

His eyes were wide, his jaw slack, as he stared up at her, panting.

"Lucy," he tried, but she wouldn't let him speak. Hunger burned in her eyes, raw, passionate lust, and when her lips silenced him, all he could do was surrender.

A low growl crawled up his lungs, and he released it against her mouth, trying to push upwards, to gain control. Lucy just laughed at his effort, a soft, happy sound that still felt weirdly right as it rang through the room. Before he could flip her over, she ground her hips against his, pressing her palms into his hard chest. Hissing as the air was pushed from his lungs, Natsu groaned, lifting his hands in surrender.

"Fine," he panted, "I get it. You're the boss."

"Damn right I am." A mischievous smirk tugged at the corners of Lucy's mouth, golden hair falling freely over her shoulders.

Damn, that sight alone was enough for his pants to feel so much tighter all of a sudden. It was about damn time his detective didn't hide anything about her anymore, whether it be her hair or her newly discovered dominance. Everything she let him learn about her, Natsu soaked up. He hadn't thought it possible to love her even more, but she had always been one to prove him wrong.

"Hey, Detective," he mumbled, reaching up a hand to cup her cheek, "since when are you such a pervert?"

"You know," Lucy mused, leaning into his touch with a grin, "last time you called me detective when we were like this, it made me scared, but now…"

Her hands snaked along his torso, curling around the hem of his shirt. With her thumbs, she painted circles into his heated skin, making him buck his hips at the light contact. Then she began dragging the material up over his abs, leaning down to kiss a trail of fire along the ridges of his toned stomach. With every inch, her mouth became more teasing, more demanding, and when she finally pulled the shirt over his head, she sank her teeth into his throat.

"...it just turns me on," she whispered, and Natsu released a shaky breath, staring at the ceiling as if it could somehow relieve him, untighten the knot that coiled so tightly in his lower stomach.

"Shit," he rasped, his hands flying to her waist to press her against him more closely. He raked her blouse up, desperately craving the touch of her skin against his.

He couldn't wait any longer.

He wanted her. Right now. Right here.

And just as those thoughts crossed his mind, another thought jolted him back to reality.

He might want her, but - while he knew Lucy wanted him too - did she really want him like this? Here? On a dirty mattress in a dirty brownstone?

No, Lucy deserved something better. He had wanted this - their first time - to be special. Something she could treasure forever. She had wanted a prince in shining armor, and while he could not be that for her, he would do his very damned best to come close.

He couldn't fail now, when he finally had her for himself, fully. They had all the time in the world now. He could wait another day, if he had to.

Lucy, on the other hand… was busy with finishing the work he had started. Pulling her blouse over her head, she discarded it beside them, eyes never leaving his face. The look she gave him made his throat dry up and the blood rush from his head.

Oh god, refusing her would be impossible.

But he had to at least try to bring her back to her senses.

Ignoring the way her chest heaved, the way her damned perfect breasts almost spilled over her lacy bra, the way she licked her lips as her eyes roamed his body…

He couldn't ignore any of it.

Groaning in frustration, he reached for her wrists, constraining her movements.

"Lucy, what're you-" Her hungry lips silenced him yet again, and he furrowed his brows, angry at himself for instinctively kissing her back. His body was so fucking weak when she was the one subduing it. "Wait, wait… I wanna-"

"Shut up," she panted, "and kiss me."

"Lucy, you don't want this," he protested. "Not like this."

His words made her stop, and the expression she gave him made him freeze on the spot.

"What I want and what I don't want - isn't that for me to decide?"

Her gaze was sharp, eyes piercing his. Natsu swallowed the hope on his tongue, gripping her wrists tighter.

"But...don't you want this to be, ugh, I dunno - special? I mean, fuck, Lucy, believe me when I say I would sleep with you wherever and whenever you want if you just gave me the word, but I thought…" He licked his lips, searching for a way to express himself.

Her eyes softened, and he took this as a good sign.

"Natsu Dragneel," she smiled sweetly, leaning forward so that her hair tickled his cheeks. With her index finger, she traced along his jawline, and then locked her eyes with his. "I want you to fuck me."

"Wh-"

"Right now. Right here."

"Here? On the floor? Lucy, that doesn't sound like-"

Grabbing his jaw, Lucy let out a deep breath. Her patience was wearing thin. Did he have any idea how much she had been longing for him? She deserved this.

"We've waited long enough," she told him almost sternly. "That cab ride was torture… Do you know how hard it is to keep my hands to myself around you? I don't want to wait anymore. I can't wait anymore."

"Lucy…"

It was all he had needed to hear and more.

"It's special because it's with you," she smiled, and the desire he had held back crashed over him like a tidal wave.

His hand moved from her cheek to her neck, grabbing her almost forcefully to pull her down into a rough kiss. Their lips and teeth clashed, but he kept on going greedily, breathing her in as if she were his air.

This time, when he flipped her onto her back, she let him.

His weight pressed down on her, heavy but still comfortable, strong arms caging her, calloused fingertips digging into her soft skin. Closing her eyes, Lucy let him ravish her body, let him play and test the sounds he could make tumble from her lips.

He was hungry, greedy, yet still holding back.

In the way he touched her, Lucy felt his inexperience and hesitance despite his roughness. What he did felt good, and certainly made her want to take him right here and now, but she felt like he would go on like this for far too long. Patience was not one of her virtues at the moment. She'd let him have some fun, but now it was time she took control. Time to show him what she was made of.

Grinning to herself, Lucy pushed him back, sitting up with the movement.

"What's that face for?" Natsu asked almost curiously, eyes twinkling. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Undress me," she commanded, watching his adam's apple bob as he swallowed. "You're taking too much time."

She sounded almost needy now, but she didn't care. There was too much fabric on both their bodies, and it needed to be gone.

"Damn, Lucy," Natsu growled, voice dangerously low. His hands were already following her command, settling on her hips and dipping beneath the waistband of her pants.

Reaching behind herself, Lucy made quick work of her bra. His hands stilled.

Confused, she looked up - and found him staring, blissfully, at her bare breasts. His hands moved from her hips to slide up her waist, finally settling on the mounds. Taking fistfuls into his hands, he watched as they spilled through his fingers. He growled as he dipped his head low.

Lucy gasped as his hot mouth enveloped a nipple, fisting her hands into his unruly hair to pull him closer. "Ah, yes…" She pressed her body against his, begging him to continue with the way her hips rolled against him and her head dropped backwards. A moan softly left her lips as he sucked and kissed and bit her into oblivion. The heat between her legs was almost unbearable.

Impatiently, her hands moved to unbuckle his pants, slender fingers feeling their way beneath his boxers. He groaned against the swollen flesh of her breasts when she wrapped her hand around him, holding his length in a firm grip.

His hips moved by themselves, languidly thrusting into her hand as he buried his face into her neck.

"Fuck...fuck…" he hissed with every stroke of her hand, breathing into her soft skin.

"Do you like this?" she asked, well aware of the unspoken answer. He just grunted in response, slanting his lips messily over her jaw. "Better than doing it yourself, huh."

His hand grabbed her wrist unexpectedly, and Lucy cocked her head.

"Stop," he rasped, chest heaving. Understanding dawned on Lucy, and she pulled back her hand. "If you keep doing this, I'll…"

"It's okay," she was quick to respond, "I got a little caught up in the moment, sorry."

She needed to be more careful with him, or this would be over far too soon. And she had not waited for this, yearned for this for so long, for it to be over before it even had started. Yes, Natsu was very inexperienced. But she knew better than to expect little from him. It just wasn't his type to give up, no matter if it was his first time or the hundredth. He was a stubborn one.

Nonetheless, his pants had to go.

Giving him a suggestive look, she tugged at the material to convey her wish. And he understood, lifting his hips to let her work the pants down his legs. He jerked when his erection sprang free, the throbbing ache overwhelming him full force. Her fingertips ghosted along his length before continuing to take off his pants, and he held himself up with trembling arms. She glanced at him for only a moment before finally tossing the damned pants to the side.

He sat there, naked, and let her take him in fully. He had never been one to feel insecure about his body, but now that her assessing eyes halted between his legs, he felt… exposed.

She cocked her head, but didn't say anything. His nerves almost snapped in the silence, but right when he was about to question everything he had ever been proud about, the corners of her mouth twitched approvingly.

Still not speaking, she suddenly got up.

Dumbfounded, Natsu stared up at her. Only when she unbuttoned her pants did the puzzle pieces in his brain fall into place. There really wasn't much blood left in his head, was there?

He swallowed hard, feeling his erection throbbing against his stomach.

Her pants dropped along with her panties, and then she stood before him as naked as he was himself. He had to finally have done something very right in his life to deserve this woman.

She was fucking perfect.

From her pretty face and her round breasts to the curve of her waist and the crossing of her thighs, there was nothing he couldn't stare at for hours.

And she was so much better than stupid videos or magazines.

Lucy laughed at his expression, kneeling down in front of him and then moving to straddle his hips eagerly. He kissed her again, and she let him - for a short moment.

She was the boss, and she was done waiting.

Her hands settled on his broad shoulders-gently, mindful of his stitches-pushing him back onto the grungy mattress. He fell with a grunt, grabbing her waist as she settled on top of him with that glorious little smirk of hers that made his stomach drop.

God, she was going to destroy him.

Her wet heat was poised directly over his straining length, teasing and torturous, as she rubbed against him. A strangled moan caught in his throat as her hips slowly ground down on him, and Lucy giggled as she leaned down to nip his collar bone with her dull teeth. Her breath was hot against his skin, her tongue wet as it snuck out to lav the sweat from his neck, and she was utterly merciless with her hips and thighs.

He wasn't even inside her and already Natsu thought he was in heaven.

Rubbing up and down on his erection, tearing a groan from him, Lucy kissed her way to his ear. There, she whispered huskily, "Ready?" and he felt his stomach flop and his heart thud in his chest.

"Dammit, Luce, are you gonna fuck me or-"

Natsu didn't get a chance to finish his guttural question, as his detective reached down and fisted him. Her slender hand was firm and sure in its grip, stroking him from base to tip twice as she chuckled at his speechless display. The words died in a pitiful hiss of breath as she nudged him into her and sank down slowly, inch by sweet inch.

It was like the air in his lungs was sucked out, leaving him breathless up until their curls came together in a perfect mesh of pink and blonde. Natsu gasped, his fingers clenching around her soft waist in reflex.

His first instinct was to buck up.

It felt so fucking good.

But Lucy's hands ghosted to his chest and flattened, holding him immobile, as she pushed a breath out through her nose. "God," she whispered as her eyes fluttered shut, "that's good."

Pleasure all but choking him, Natsu forced himself to laugh, jostling his length inside her and nearly making himself wince. God, it was so hard to stay still. "Not so bad for a rookie, eh, Detective?" he mused playfully, enjoying the way her nose wrinkled in response.

"Oh, we've got a little while to go before I make that decision, Mr. Dragneel." Her voice dropped down into low tones at the end, eyelids falling half-mast as she stared down at him with a look that could only be described as sultry. "We'll have to see how well you can handle me at my best."

Strangely, it felt almost like a seductive threat.

And before Natsu could snark back a reply, Lucy started to move.

At first, she was slow-sliding up and down almost experimentally, testing the feel of him and humming in appreciation. But, he also suspected that it was for his sake as well. Too fast, too hard, and she feared he wouldn't be able to last. It was silly of her to worry about that, he thought, until she let out a delicious moan and began to go faster.

His startled gasp as she picked up the pace, lightly scratching his chest at the same time, evoked a wicked grin from her.

And, Natsu realized when she leaned down with a husky command of, "Kiss me," she'd been right to fear earlier.

Her wet heat surrounding him, the sight of her heavy breasts just below his chin, her taste in his mouth, soft panting in his ear, the scent of her golden hair as it curtained around their faces… She was invading every one of his senses and, shit, he loved it. If she was going to continue to be this ruthless-grabbing his shoulders, snarling into his mouth, biting his lips-he knew for a fact that he would blow early.

And wouldn't that be a fucking disappointment.

Grimacing at the unintentional pun he'd made, Natsu fought to place his hands on her hips, nipping her bottom lip when she growled at him. He needed to do something with his hands, anything, in order to ground himself and settle the boiling release in his gut.

"I'm the boss, remember?" Lucy mouthed against his jaw, hips working up and down at a frantic pace that made him see stars.

"Shit, shit, shit," he chanted, digging his fingertips into her hips and closing his eyes. He struggled to swallow past the lump in his throat. "Yeah, you're the boss. Definitely the boss. I just need to-fuck."

Lucy ground down onto him, hips rolling in tight circles.

"Mm, yes," she mused as she tossed herself back up, palming his pectorals and flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Fuck sounds good right now." Cupping one of her own breasts, grinning down at him, she continued to gyrate while he watched helplessly.

No longer was she slamming down onto him. In fact, he was hardly moving inside her at all. But the pleasure was just as great-if not greater.

Arching his neck, he pressed the back of his head further into the mattress, letting her work her magic as he struggled to just hold on. She was riding him to the brink of madness.

And he loved every second of it.

This was far better than anything he had ever imagined.

The face she made every time she rolled her hips, the little sounds of pleasure, the way she clamped around him again and again…

Natsu's fingertips dug into her hips as he reached for her, thoughts barely in order. He just wanted to touch her. Feel her.

Her hands came to a rest on top of his, their eyes locking. She began picking up the pace again, breathing a little uneven. Rolling her hips in long sweeps, she ground against him harder and faster with every stroke. Her eyelids fluttered, but before they could drop closed, Natsu's hands gripped tighter.

"Don't," he asked of her, and she moaned when he shifted his hips upwards. But the action pulled on the stitches in his side in painful warning so he forced himself to still and lay prone as she worked.

"Natsu… please," Lucy begged, eyes pleading.

And damn, he wanted to fulfill her wish. But he feared if he moved any more, his resolve might crumble into bits and pieces. He would pop like a balloon. Natsu felt helpless as he lay beneath her, trying so hard to please her but unable to push her over the edge.

As if sensing his dilemma, Lucy picked his right hand off her hip, guiding it between her legs.

"Here," she mouthed, sliding his fingers along her dripping folds.

His eyes grew wide at the contact. She was so hot, trembling beneath his touch. Everytime he moved his fingers, she squeezed him even more, whimpers and gasps tumbling from her mouth.

"Yes...just a bit..a bit more…Natsu!"

With his fingertips, he could feel himself move in and out of her, and the sensation sent jolts of electricity through his body.

But her responses had satisfied him more when he had worked around that little nub of hers, so he moved back up, using his thumb to circle and push her buttons.

She cried out this time, hips jerking.

"Again! Do that again!"

Her thighs quivered, hips moving feverishly now, small but fast movements that sent her spiraling towards the rapidly approaching high she so craved. He filled her so fully, curving just right at this angle, and his thumb, his thumb-

Screaming her pleasure at the ceiling, Lucy let herself loose control.

Natsu watched in fascination as her orgasm shook her. The pleasure was overwhelming, and he gritted his teeth as she rode the waves of pleasure out on top of him, her tight core clenching around him like never before.

He had done this to her. He had actually succeeded.

Mesmerized - and just a little self-pleasedly - Natsu stared at her as she regained control of her body. Hazy eyes fixed themselves on him, and she smiled happily.

Sighing, her skin flushed from her orgasm, Lucy lifted her hips until he slipped out of her with a wet pop. His erection, glistening and painfully rigid, bobbed against his hard abdomen and he gritted his teeth.

"Mmm…" Her brown eyes locked on it, and it seemed as though she were imagining what their combined taste would be like. But then she blinked, licked her lips, and crawled off his hips.

Natsu couldn't help the disappointment that surged inside him.

Not because she hadn't used her mouth, but because he hadn't even finished. Though, he supposed that it really wasn't that big of a deal. He'd already gleaned an unreal amount of satisfaction from letting her fuck the daylights out of him-he just couldn't help but want that mind-blowing orgasm too.

He'd been literally dreaming about it from day one.

But, if she didn't want to continue, then-

"Well?" Lucy prompted, startling him.

Natsu blinked. "Well what?" he answered dumbly.

One of her golden brows arched as she crawled over next to him. "Don't you want to keep going?"

"Of course I want to keep going," Natsu snorted as a line formed in his brow. "I just thought that you were done cuz you got up," he admitted, and then felt silly when she pegged him with an incredulous stare.

"What," Lucy scoffed as she fell to her hands and knees, "you thought I would just leave you hanging? Orgasm-less?" She looked expectantly over her slender shoulder at him, hair trailing down the curve of her back. "Just what kind of detective do you think I am, hm? I'm all about justice." She lowered herself to her elbows, readjusting, before rising back up and meeting his eyes again.

The sight nearly made him explode.

Instead, his blood roaring in his ears, Natsu sat up and moved behind her as her gaze demanded. God, the view was even better from the back. Her nice, round ass with those dimples right above the cheeks, he bet he could fill his palms with it just like her breasts…

"Are you going to look all day?" came Lucy's teasing voice.

Swallowing, he shook his head and scooted closer on his knees. "From behind?" he asked, but his voice came out a pitiful, desperate rasp.

His fantasies were coming to fucking life.

"From behind," she affirmed and arched her hips enticingly. The angle propped up her glorious ass, and she spread her knees to make room for him. "I like this position just as much…" Lucy's voice was dripping with desire, just like her core directly in front of him.

Fucking hell, Natsu decided, he liked this one too.

"I...thought you were the boss," he teased, nonetheless getting into place and sliding his straining length through her wet slit and up between her cheeks. They framed him perfectly, and he couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

"Oh, I'm still the boss," Lucy assured as she bit back a moan. "And I'm telling you to fuck me just like this."

More than happy to oblige, Natsu spread her plump and swollen lips with one hand while he guided himself to her entrance with the other. She was hot and damp, closing around him like a tight fist the further he worked inside. The angle was new, allowing him to go just slightly deeper, until his hips met her soft ass.

It was perfect.

"Fuck," he hissed, grabbing the globes and holding her tight as he ground into her.

Lucy gasped, shuddering. "Oh, god…" she whispered. "What are you waiting for? Move, move."

Again, helpless to her demands, Natsu could only comply readily.

He slid out of her easily before pushing back inside in one deep, fluid motion that left the both of them groaning. Though he'd never participated in this sort of carnal act, his body seemed to know just what to do. Gradually, his hips gained speed and power until he set a nice, hard pace that had Lucy gasping below him.

Natsu quickly learned that this position was murder on his side-his stitches were wrenched with every powerful thrust. But he didn't damn well care at this point, it felt too good. And his stitches could always be redone.

He had his hands on her ass, pulling her back to meet his thrusts. But he could have let go at any time because she was surging back against him, meeting his hips, all on her own.

"Oh, god," she whined and collapsed to her elbows, forehead resting on the springy mattress. "Harder."

Fingers digging into her soft skin, creating dents, Natsu yanked her back onto his erection as his hips pistoned. The change in angle, however slight it was, made Lucy jerk every time he thrust-her sharp cries telling him that he was hitting that sweet spot deep inside. Jaw grinding, feeling the sweat dribble down his back, Natsu aimed for that exact spot repeatedly, angling his hips just so.

The harsh sounds of slapping skin echoed in the dingy brownstone along with the grunts that burst from his chest.

Fire burned in his lungs, spreading through his limbs in liquid heat. It was too much and not enough. Just like before, this new position made him feel all sorts of new sensations that threatened to consume him. He bent over her, mouth skimming between her shoulderblades and resting against her neck.

It should have sent a spark of pain up his spine, but he could no longer feel the ache in his left side or right shoulder. The fervid ecstasy smothered everything.

Silky hair tickled his nose and Natsu huffed out a hot laugh against her skin. The distraction allowed him enough time to collect himself from the burning clench of his muscles. Each thrust he made drove another layer of sanity away.

Every tremble of Lucy's body beneath his made that clench boil hotter.

It was shared madness, joined as they were on the abused mattress. Natsu gripped a fistful of her hair and swept it over her shoulder, unable to stop himself from raking sharp teeth across her skin.

Lucy's body shuddered against his when he bit down, his arm snaking around her waist to take a fistful of her breast. It bounced in his hand until he gripped against the pliant flesh, his rough thumb pressing against her nipple.

"Oh, god," Lucy cried out, her arms shaking to hold herself up, her shoulders lowering further down to the mattress.

Natsu's thoughts flew into a tailspin as Lucy contracted around him, growing tighter with every angled thrust. His hips stuttered, the temperature between them almost scalding. Her heat was crushing enough to throw off his rhythm. A whine tore past his throat, hips moving in shallow strokes.

"Fuck," he grunted, feeling himself reach the end of his rope. Despite his efforts to keep this going, there was no way he could survive this more than a couple of minutes.

Desperation fueled them both.

He wouldn't last much longer. But as inexperienced as Natsu was, there was no shortage to his stubbornness. He wanted to see her come undone again. Just the very thought of her flushed cheeks and face torn in pleasure made his gut twist warningly.

His fingers dug into her thigh, his other hand left Lucy's chest to press into her cheeks. Natsu groped blindly around Lucy's waist, fumbling between her legs, searching…

At Lucy's affirming cry, her surprised shout muffled in his mattress, Natsu's grip on her turned bruising. His hips moved in short, rough thrusts, his calloused fingers moving in torturous circles across that special nub he discovered earlier.

The effect was strong enough for her to clamp down hard on his straining length. Natsu felt himself go lightheaded, air robbed from his lungs.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy's voice keened. Her fingers curled into tight balls on his raggedy mattress, twisting in the thin sheet. "I'm-"

Lucy wasn't given the chance to finish. For the second time she fell apart in his arms, her body freezing hard against him for a split second. The sensation of her fluttering and rippling around Natsu was enough. She dragged him under with her, a hoarse shout breaking free the moment he finally tumbled over the edge.

He slammed her hips back into him, rocking together as they rode out the waves and crests of their orgasms. Breathing harsh as pleasure flooded their minds and made their limbs go numb.

Lucy sighed, falling face first into his mattress again while Natsu struggled to support himself on shaky arms.

Shakily, he pulled his softening member from Lucy, causing a fresh rush of liquid to trickle down her leg and the inside of her thighs. He grunted a little and finally rolled over onto his right side, his arm wrapping around her middle.

Whining at how they were forced to move, otherwise she would get smothered in her own breasts or something equally ridiculous, Lucy rolled onto her side so she was face to face with Natsu. They both struggled to catch their breath, but the warmth in one another's eyes was reflected.

A goofy smile was on Natsu's face. He rolled over, his lips tracing lazy patterns across her collarbone. It caused him to be sprawled half on top of her, but Lucy didn't mind his heavy weight. She was just enjoying the secure feeling of his arm thrown across her waist and his warm mouth lightly whispering shapes into her skin.

"How was that?" he asked after a moment of tracing what she thought might have been a dragon or a slice of pizza into her left breast.

"I think your art skills need a little work," Lucy teased, deliberately missing his point so she could watch his eyes narrow and jaw jut out. The tattoo on his neck flexed invitingly, and she wanted to press her mouth against his skin and draw silly things on him next.

"You know what I mean..." Natsu's cheeks burned. And Lucy knew she didn't imagine his pout.

It was almost amusing how far they had travelled in such little time together. A cop and an ex-felon. Such an odd combination.

Lucy laughed and let her thumb circle the curve of Natsu's cheek. She scooted close enough for him to bump their foreheads together and he made a contented noise. "You did fine," Lucy encouraged him. She folded her legs up to her chest invitingly, Natsu following after her. "But you know what they say…"

A sleepy grin flashed over his face, eyelids dropping to half-mast in his relaxed state. "Practice makes perfect?"

They came together a second time, and this session was nothing but soft touches and gentle exploration and languid strokes that rolled them into rapture again and again. Natsu found the slow, lazy loving just as pleasurable as the first, hard round. In fact, he couldn't decide which was better.

Lucy's beautiful laugh as he pieced himself back together for the second time made him grin like a fool.

He was a damn lucky bastard, that was for sure.

Even if, after their passionate romp on the dirty mattress, they had to wash themselves off in his kitchen sink because his shower was still broken.

"Natsu..."

"Yeah?"

"Why is there blood on your… Did you pop your stitches?"

"..."

"...oh my god."

This is it! The very very last TBF chapter! This was such a wild ride, and Toxineena, Mslead and me are so grateful we could share it with you! Thankyou so much for all your amazing support!

As we already have let slip, there will be a sequel fic. It will be called Circle Of Hell. Dundunduunn. However, it might take a long time until it's finished, as we are all very busy at the moment, and writing it will take a lot of time.

But until then, enjoy this little extra. ;) This was written by all three of us. Yes, simultaneously. We took turns with whole blocks of texts and paragraphs, and even slipped in sentences here and there into each other's parts. It's all completely mixed. I wish you could see the coloured version. :D - Snogfairy