You guys are so awesome! I'm not even a member of one of those spiffy Nalu communities yet, barely put out chapter 1 nine hours ago, and I have 2 favs, 5 follows and over 60 views! I'm all fired up!

Rated M.

M is for MATURE people.

If I can pretend to be, then you can too.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! *sob* However sometimes I wonder if Mashima-sama used to follow me around and take character ideas from my friends and I.

At least let a girl dream!

Chapter 2

Care for a Swim?

"Shit," Natsu cursed to himself, leaping off the building and rushing to where he heard his partner's yelp. He arrived to see nothing but a very concerned Plue jumping up and down frantically looking to the river.

The fire wizard stared into the water. "Happy. Find Juvia. That current looks strong."

"Aye sir!"

Happy flew off, hearing yet another slash as he flew to the guild as fast as his little wings could carry him.

Natsu was not the best swimmer, but he could hold his own at least. The river's current threatened to pull him under and he followed it, seeing no trace of Lucy from his diving point. He started to get concerned when a few moments had past and there was still no sight of her. It was dark and visibility was low. Suddenly, the moon reflected yellow hair around the next bend. Natsu swam as fast as he could down to a very panicked Celestial mage. Assessing the situation quickly, he saw that her leg was caught in a net long forgotten in the wreckage of an old ferry from who knows how long ago. He looked her in the eyes, his determined expression to her fear-ridden face. Going down to the massive mess of leg and rope, he instantly tried burning it away.

Yea, water. The only way that'll work is if I boil the whole river away. Assuming that was merely a new way to cook his partner, he started to panic also. He lifted himself to her face again and saw that she was turning blue. He needed a knife, and she needed air! Weighing the pros and cons of this dilemma, Natsu decided air was the most important. He gave Lucy a confident yet serious expression and swam back to the surface. Once there he wasted no time in sucking in as much air as he could and dove back down to his drowning friend.

There, trapped underwater, he took the thrashing blonde into his arms and brought his lips to hers, pushing much needed air into her respiratory system. Lucy stopped flailing wildly and when he pulled away, he stared intently at his partner, trying to express his deep rooted need to protect her. I won't leave you like this Luce.

Lucy stared back into his gaze, a hand going to her lips. Suddenly Natsu grinned and lowered himself back to her leg, trying to untangle it yet again. Happy was way better at knots than him. Why did the thing have to be a net? He couldn't do it, so he tried to tear it apart. No good, it was just too slippery. Natsu couldn't get a good grip on the blasted thing. I feel so powerless under all this water! His friend was drowning, and he couldn't even get her out of a piece of old net!

The lady started to thrash again. Natsu came back up to face her and shook his head. He let go of her begrudgingly and headed to the surface for more air. Taking a quick breath for himself, he then sucked a big breath in and dove back under. He grabbed Lucy's shoulders tightly so to anchor him right in front of her and brought his lips to hers again. This time he lingered there, breathing into her slowly. He just needed to keep her breathing until-

Suddenly all the water in their immediate vicinity was pushed away, and a very red Juvia was standing next to them.

"Oh!" Juvia placed both her hands in her cheeks and shyly twirled her foot in circles, "Juvia wishes SHE could drown so that Gray-sama would give her mouth to mouth!"

A twin pair of sweatdrops adorned both Natsu's and Lucy's heads before he released her and swam back up to the surface. As his head popped out of the water, he heard Erza and Gray's voices, slightly winded from running so fast, calling to him from he curb.

Our pink headed mage looked over to them, bobbing in the water and held up his hand. "Knife!"

Without hesitating the busty (she's still in her cat costume...?) requip mage conjured a dagger to her hand and tossed it, hilt down, to the waterlogged fire wizard. He snatched it from the air easily and dove back down to the air bubble Juvia had provided. There he heard Juvia going on and on about how valiantly Natsu-kun held and rescued Lucy and how Lucy should be in love with him instead of her Gray-sama. Natsu grinned to himself as he bent down to cut up the offending rope that had trapped his partner below the surface.

"Natsu!" Lucy frantically pointed to Juvia, "Tell her it's not like that! Tell her once and for all I do. Not. Like. Gray! Tell her you were just keeping me from drowning!"

The fire wizard grinned, placing his hands behind his head. "Luce doesn't like Gray and I was doing a GREAT job at keeping her from drowning!"

Lucy was getting more wet from a fresh sweatdrop, and Juvia just blushed more. "Juvia does not think it is possible for any woman to not love Gray-sama, but Juvia is glad Natsu-kun is making his feelings known so that Love Rival will start looking his direction a bit more!"

"I, uhh," Natsu started.

"Let's go!" The rain woman interrupted and took them to the surface.

^.^

Erza and Gray helped the ladies out of the water as Natsu pulled himself out. He handed Erza back her dagger, "Thanks."

"Of course Natsu." Erza smiled, holding Lucy's arm securely on her shoulders to help her stand. Now that she was out of the water, she appeared exhausted.

"Uh... Erza? Why are you still in that get up?" Natsu asked.

"Gray-sama," Juvia poked him, "your clothes..."

"Why?" Erza had a dangerous twinkle in her eye, "doesn't it look adorable?"

"Oh don't worry Juvia, I did it on purpose this time so I could keep them dry if I needed to dive down there for Lucy!" Gray answered matter of factly.

Natsu took the tired Celestial mage, holding her bridal style, from Erza and slowly backed away, "Nah, yea, YEA! You look great Erza! Thanks for all your help guys! I'm gonna get Luce home!" He took off without another word. Happy landed on Erza's head and snickered, "He liiiiiiikes heeeeeeeer."

"What does Gray-sama mean? You were stripping for Love Rival?" Juvia was now a lovely shade of blue herself, "Gray-sama stripped on purpose?!"

^.^

"Thank you Natsu," Lucy said with a sigh and a smile, "I can walk now."

"Are you sure Luce?" Natsu hesitated before complying.

She nodded and he set her down on her feet. The blonde locked eyes with him for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak, but then her eyes went wide and she glanced around herself, then back to the river.

"Luce?" Natsu blinked, "what's wrong?"

"My fabric!" Lucy wailed, "That amazing fabric Mira found for me! I must have dropped it in the river!"

"...Fabric?" Natsu seemed a tad confused.

"Oh nevermind." Lucy sighed and turned to her door, stopped and looked back to her savior. "Thank you Natsu. Thank you so much."

Natsu just grinned and scratched the back of his head.

The blonde smiled genuinely at her favorite dragon slayer, then turned to go inside.

Lucy opened the door.

SPLASH!

Oh SHIT! Natsu cursed to himself.

"NATSUUUUU!"

I know I know! XD Never a dry moment around here! *Dirty pun intended*

I had a lot of fun writing this guys. Please feel free to review. I'd like feedback and opinions. Remember—I'm easily excitable! Be gentle! :D

Much love

and naughty things,

Seri!