🌟 It's my lovlies! Hello lovlies! Come sit with me and share in my bounty of hot chocolate! My Luv said she'd bring marshmallows. :D

🌟 Major brownie points to anyone who can pm me the connection of this chapter's title to its contents! Come on, it's easy if you just think about it. :)

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 me and my friends.

At least let a girl dream!

Chapter 23

Parson Brown

The first thing Lucy felt that morning was an ache in the lower region, "Ugh." She rubbed her forehead, "that's new." Upon opening her eyes, she noticed a red glow emitting from the ceiling. "Wha? Hey Natsu-" she blinked curiously when she discovered she was alone.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Hey Natsu! Where'd you wander off to?"

She heard a thump and a whoosh, and he was suddenly sitting next to her, the red glow above her was gone. "Mornin Luce! Glad you're up! Come look outside!" He started tugging at her arm.

"Ugh, Natsu! I just woke up! Can't we just relax for a little while?"

He stopped and let go of her, "Well yea I guess Luce, so long as you don't mind being snowed in for a few days."

"Huh?" Lucy glanced out the exit and winced at the bright white that was out there, just like that: she wasn't so sleepy anymore, "snow? Natsu! It's snowing!"

Natsu snickered, "Duh! That's what I was trying to show you!"

The blonde hung her head, "Aww... I hate the cold."

"I figured that's why you wanted to mate a fire dragonslayer!" Natsu grinned as though there wasn't a thing wrong.

Lucy snapped at him, "Stop calling it that! I'm not an animal!"

Natsu blinked wide eyed at her, "Well sure you are. If you're not a plant or a bug, and you breath air," he grinned, "then you're an animal!"

Lucy sighed. "I'm not dressed for this."

Natsu squatted next to her and put a very warm arm around her shoulder, "You worry too much, Dragon charmer." He nipped her ear, "it's just cold. I beat the cold everyday when I beat up on Gray."

Chills ran up her spine from those delightful teeth, Lucy turned to look at him, her expression soft and loving. "Are you offering to keep me warm Natsu Dragneel?"

Natsu's eyes rounded a bit and looked past her, itching his cheek, "Well yea, it wouldn't be the first time—Ack!"

Lucy had pulled him into a kiss, his initial shock faded quickly and she felt him zest up his kiss with magic to warm his tongue. He scooted closer and wrapped her into his arms, and she felt like she might melt. His lips pressed to her as though he was more than willing to take her virginity all over again, while his tongue played with Lucy's in sultry caresses. His lips then curled up into a smile as he growled, "I could get used to this," and dove his tongue in deeper.

Lucy hummed her pleasure, Mavis but she loved this wizard. There she was, bundled up into a tiny ball with this man surrounding her, consuming her mouth, and not only did she not mind, she cherished it.

Alas, all good things come to pass and she began to break away. Natsu chose to argue her actions by pulling her back in and upping the passion scale by attempting to lay her down on the carpet. Lucy groaned at him yet he just growled back.

She pushed him harder this time, "Natsu!" She panted, holding him at bay, "we need to pack up and get out of here."

Natsu sighed and began to nibble the crook of her neck and whispered lowly, "Hey, don't blame me, you started it."

Lucy gasped when he brought an extremely warm hand to her breast, "Na~tsuu! And I'm going to," pant, "end it too!"

"Howzat?" Natsu's tongue was trailing down to her tube top.

With a groan and a touch of regret, Lucy shoved him away, sending him into a backwards somersault. She had to give him credit, for someone who tended to act pretty clumsy, he handled his roll gracefully. She stood up quickly to encourage him to stay off of her.

Natsu scratched his head and pouted, "I knew you were gonna do that..."

"Then maybe you should have listened the first time!" She all but yelled.

Natsu grinned, "Listening to my mate... sounds like a bad habit to me!"

Grumbling, Lucy took his ankle and dragged him outside. The snow was coming down fast, she was stunned, "but it was so nice out yesterday."

Her partner quickly draped the blanket she'd brought over her shoulders. He'd warmed it, but it wouldn't last long. "Hey Luce? How does one of these lacrima tents come apart anyway?"

Holding the blanket close brought a smile to her face. He could say the stupidest things at times, but it was a person's actions that defined them, "You just pull the pegs out." She pointed to the stakes in the ground, but it didn't do much good since those stakes were buried in snow. Lucy started to bend down to where she knew one was, but Natsu lifted an arm in front of her.

Looking over his shoulder at her, "Let me Luce. You just focus on staying warm."

Lucy debated on summoning Horologium, but she didn't want to sit in a clock while Natsu cleaned up her mess. Her legs were freezing by the time Natsu reached his arm down into the snow in search of the final stake. When he yanked it out with a triumphant grin, all the snow on top of the tent came crashing down where the magic tent had been.

"Oh yea!" Natsu grabbed a bag of strawberries that had fallen with the snow.

Lucy laughed through chattering teeth, "You kept those?"

He looked at her like she was clueless, "Well, yea. I'm not gonna let tasty berries go to waste." He popped one in his mouth, "Mmm, they're pretty good cold!" He walked back to her and wrapped a refreshingly warm arm around her, "Want one?"

"Natsu, it's freezing! Why would I want to put something cold in my mouth?"

He grinned and snickered, "So you can give me strawberry kisses!"

Ugh, That has to be his worst joke ever... "Natsu! It's cold! Let's go!"

Natsu sighed, she wasn't being any fun. "Alright Luce, hop on my back, you won't be cold."

"Huh?" Lucy tilted her head, "you never want to let me ride piggy back."

Natsu laughed nervously, a sweatdrop appearing, "Um, well, eh heh... about that. It was never that I didn't want to..." He blushed! Natsu didn't seem to be much for blushing, but that was definitely a blush, "it's just that... I liked it a little too much."

Lucy's mouth made a perfect little "oh" shape. In that case, I wonder if he'll even get us back to Magnolia—since he knows he can act on those feelings now. Great... now I'M blushing!

"Come on Luce! I can see you turning blue."

The Celestial wizard swung her satchel around her shoulders, and they headed out.

Natsu was trying to ignore his mate's generous breasts being pressed into his back; he took great effort in watching his footing instead of the sweet pale legs he held to either side of him. He certainly tried to ignore the alluring humming Lucy produced while she so contentedly laid plastered to his back like another skin. A fire mage sweating was a puzzling sight.

As if it hadn't been already, it became torture when Lucy decided she was bored. First she started drawing circles on his shoulder.

I can handle that.

Then she nuzzled her cool cheek into his hair and he could feel her breath on his neck and the back of his ear.

I can handle this...

Then Lucy gripped him tighter from her legs to gain more leverage to gift him with tiny ghost kisses on his neck.

Damnit Lucy! I gotta get you outta the cold!

The woman then moved her head to the other side of him and planted her teeth on the back bridge of his neck and began sucking, moving her tongue up and down the flesh she'd captured.

"Unnnggh!" Natsu almost slipped, "Hey Lu-" his voiced squeaked! "Ahem, hey Luce! We're almost there!" Trees! Snow! White! Leg...FUCK!

Lucy lifted her head up to see the end of trees and she hopped to the ground. Poor Natsu felt it necessary to kneel down on one knee for a moment once she pranced past him. You can save the world more than once, but this woman can bring you to your knee? Shit! ...I can't move. He lowered his head so that she might not see the distressed little chibi face he was exuding ((adorable!)).

The star maiden stood between two trees, her back to him. "The town is so quiet..."

Natsu tried raising himself, nope, not yet, and said, "Most of them are probably staying in, not really ready for all this cold yet." His voice sounded strained to him.

"I suppose."

Just straighten one leg... then the other... okay. I'm gonna need strength if I'm gonna get her back for that! Walk... forward. Fuuuuuck-

"Hey Natsu?"

"Yea Luce?" He tried to talk normally, I hate her.

Lucy turned around to see her lover standing tall and strong. She smiled and walked back over to him and took his hands in hers down by their hips. She looked straight into his eyes, her deep chocolate pools obviously full of love, raised to her toes and gave him a tender, chaste press of her lips to his. "Thank you Natsu. I would have been in a real bind if you hadn't met up with me back there."

Fuck but I love her... "Yea you would've," he stuttered, "I mean, anytime Luce!"

He noticed a twinkle in her eye when she said, "I really would have."

"You had nothing to worry about." Natsu raised an eyebrow.

Lucy turned back around and started walking to town, "I might have even had to call a certain lion spirit to come help me."

Natsu's breath caught in a low growl, "Hey, hey!" He scrambled to catch up, "not once did you think you needed to call him! Say it! You didn't think about him at all while you were waiting on me!"

She smiled and just kept walking.

"Luce!" I wonder if there's a way to lock a spirit into their own damn world, "Luce!"

^.^

Gajeel watched his prey intently from where he sat on the little sofa. She was contentedly laying on her belly on his floor in front of the fireplace reading a book. Pantherlily had let her in, he had nothing to do with allowing her to invade his lair.

The traitor was sitting on the floor next to the script mage sharpening a dagger that looked more like a long sword in his current form. He'd told Gajeel that he'd bumped into Levy at the market and she'd asked if they had any firewood yet. Of course we don't. He's got his fur and I'm practically cold blooded. Why the hell would we need firewood?

Pantherlily had mentioned Levy's concern over them being cold, and brought the firewood she had been getting for herself over for them. 'Who needs a fire all to herself when she can share it with others?' Is what she'd said.

Why do I get the feeling she just wants to snoop around? She wouldn't find anything. I didn't mind her bein here the other day, so why is it buggin me so much today?

He didn't see it, but Patherlily did. Gajeel was bothered because Levy had done something nice—simply to be nice. Something he didn't think his partner could quite grasp. Levy was an incredibly kind-hearted girl and she was simply concerned for friends being cold. The exceed was sure she would have done the same no matter who she may have run into. Pantherlily felt fortunate that he'd been the one who'd bumped into her, the fire felt really nice against his fur.

So now Gajeel was stuck with the dame laying there in her sexy glasses sprawled out on his floor... ignoring him... again. He'd started to bitch at her a couple of times, but every time he opened his mouth, his cat would give him that damn 'shut the fuck up' look that Gajeel took for good advice.

"Hey Gajeel! I found something, come here!" The excitement in her voice sounded odd to him, what the hell could be so thrilling about letters on a page? She lifted up and sat crisscrossed with her back to the fire, still looking to the book that was now in her lap.

Gajeel stood with a mental grunt and walked over to her. He towered over the tiny woman sitting in front of the fire. Levy lifted her head all the way up to his face and patted the spot in front of her, looking a little annoyed that he was just standing there.

He frowned and sat down after Pantherlily gave him another look, I think I hate having company, where does she get off bossin me around? "What is it Shrimp?"

The blunette smiled brightly, her previous frustration forgotten and showed the open page to him, "Look! It actually mentions Metalicana here!" She pointed to an old sketch of his adoptive father. It wasn't a very good depiction. Gajeel raised an eyebrow, what was she researching dragons for?

Levy read out loud the tiny excerpt the book included about the dragon and frowned. I should have read this to myself before showing him. This isn't anything new at all...

"That's it?" Gajeel asked, annoyance clearly sounding through his voice.

She didn't look up from the book as she sadly responded, "Yea... seems so." She hung her head a little lower, "Sorry Gajeel."

Gajeel was frowning and noticed another 'look' that Pantherlily was giving him. From the way he held that dagger—looked like he was thinkin about using it...

The dragonslayer looked back at Levy. The way she sat buried in her book looked different. She's sad? What for? There ain't gonna be nuthin new about Metalicana in some musty old book.

Gajeel half smiled, "It's alright Shrimp." He put an enormous hand on the top of her head, "I think it's cool that you'd show it to me at all, but if you're wanting to know about him, I'll bet I could tell ya way more than anything you'd read in a thing like that."

Levy knew him well enough to know that his patronizing pat on the head wasn't meant to treat her like a child, but that still didn't make her care for it much. She lifted his hand off of her and brought it to her lap, tracing the top of his fingers with the index from her other hand idly. "Yea, I know... I was just hoping to find something that might be of use to you guys."

Gajeel wasn't sure how to get his hand back. With her touching him, he was unable to ignore that special smell that drove him crazy. He could recall the taste of her lips as though it had just happened. He glanced over to Pantherlily, who just smirked at him and walked off into the tiny kitchen area.

"Uh," Gajeel began, "you don't need to worry about us Shrimp. We'll be alright, with or without dragons."

Levy looked up at him, not smiling, but not frowning either.

Gajeel looked into her eyes for a little while, wondering if she'd get all pissed again if he tried to make a move. "You ain't gonna pull another toothpick on me again are you? Geheh, last time you looked at me like that, you seemed ready to gut me." It wasn't really the same expression, he just wanted her to start thinking the same direction he was, considering her fingertip was starting to give him goosebumps.

The mage smirked, "Toothpick huh? I can bet you weren't thinking it was a toothpick when it was against your neck!"

Bingo. Gajeel grinned widely, "You wanna know what I was thinkin when you were holding it against my neck huh?"

Levy's eyes widened as Gajeel quickly scooped her up and set her into his lap and meshed lips with hers in one fluid movement. He left one hand cupping the back of her head and the other lightly massaging her arm right under her shoulder. This was definitely the best kiss they'd shared yet because, much to his surprise, she was the one who parted her lips to reach past his, and she was the one who intensified their closeness by wrapping her petite arms around his broad neck. Gajeel growled as he simultaneously tasted her tongue in his mouth and her breasts pressed against his chest. His hand had lost contact with her arm so he brought it down to her waist, where he ended up grabbing a fistful of sweater. That fist shook because this time around, he knew he needed to try a little more self control than the first time. She was actually reciprocating his passions! He did not want to frighten her off like he figured he'd done the first night he tasted her.

Everything was going perfect until Warren's voice rang loud and clear in their heads.

::Attention FairyTail! Y'all listen up!::

Damnit! Gajeel thought as Levy pulled away, looking past him. Following directions like a good little girl and listening for more of Warren's telepathy instead of tending to the dragon who had finally managed to get her into his claws.

^.^

Natsu was so relieved when they'd finally stepped through the door of Lucy's apartment. If it hadn't been for the cold, he would have taken her teasing shenanigans down a peg way before they'd made it out of the woods. However, not everyone could be super awesome manipulators of fire now could they? She would have frozen solid romping around in the snow with him, despite whatever efforts he would have taken to keep her warm.

All that was irrelevant now that they were here... in nice warm shelter.

He did not even wait for Lucy to shut the door. The second she stepped through that doorway, Lucy found herself swept up onto the fire wizard's shoulder. He kicked the door shut behind him and started marching upstairs.

"What are you doing? Natsu!" His mate struggled, but there wasn't any hope for her, so he just kept walking.

"You could have broke my door! Lemme down!" She continued to struggle.

Natsu walked her straight to the bedroom and tossed her down onto the bed, her legs dangling off the edge. He crawled on top, straddling her and leaned forward over her, taking both her wrists to either side of her head. That stopped her gibbering. Natsu looked down at his gorgeous mate's wide round eyes and flashed her an evil grin. "You thought I was just gonna forget how you took advantage of my bringing you back to town Luce?"

He could hear her heart beat faster as awareness of his reasons filled her expression. He looked down at her pale pink lips when she licked them nervously as her breathing became labored.

"Natsu~I was just—ohhh!"

He pressed his pelvis area into hers to show exactly what she had done to him and his smile grew as he smelled her body's titillated response. "I should burn your clothes away for how you tortured me back there, Luce." His voice was low and husky, he burned for her brighter than the sun's forbidden love of the moon. Natsu brought both her wrists above her head to hold them with one hand so his other incredibly warm hand could slip under her top and clutch her breast. Lucy tossed her head to the side and moaned as he began to grind his aroused lower half against her moistening middle.

Lucy peeked an eye open and looked to him with as close to a smirk as she could manage, and spoke between breaths, "I had no idea I'd effected you so much."

His pink hair waved slightly as he shook his head at her, "Everything you do to me will have an effect Luce. Always."

Natsu's continuous talk of always and forever would never stop making Lucy's heart soar. She knew he didn't lie, he would forever be hers. Never again would she have to walk this world alone with his warmth flooding her heart. That heart was skipping beats by the way he'd taken control and tossed her onto the bed with no intention of letting her back up. It filled her with a powerful lust, knowing that he desired her exactly as she desired him. He acted as though there was not a thing in the world that would stop him from taking her in precisely the way he wanted, and she found that irresistible.

He lifted her top off and over her breasts and planted his lips right on her nipple as he rubbed the other. With sucking motions and devious nibbles he had her calling his name. Leaving a tantalizing bite mark on the underside of her breast, he released her and brought both his hands down to her belt. Natsu endured the hands his mate dug into his hair as he impatiently fumbled at her belt.

"Oh Natsu~damn you!"

He growled eagerly as her words only grew his want to take her. He would make her scream louder this time...

::Attention FairyTail! Y'all listen up!::

At that moment, a man ringing his voice in the fire dragonslayer's head was a complete (for lack of a better word) mindfuck. He reacted as though someone had just punched him in the face and fell backwards on the floor. Natsu held his head, "Ughh, I'm gonna kill him!"

Lucy sat up and pulled her top back down on reflex. Natsu's heart sank as he saw her listening intently. It looked like he and his brand new mate were going to have a decent little argument before the honeymoon.

^.^

Cana was headed down the snow covered walkway with her friend Bacchus. Neither of them wore so much as a jacket as they stumbled and laughed through the otherwise quiet street. It was barely lunch time, yet both of them treated it as a lovely time to drink. The drunken martial arts master paused when he noticed Cana had stopped dead in her tracks, staring off into space.

He stood in a slouched position and a single eyebrow raised as he watched Cana slowly start to smile, eventually smirk, then break out into boisterous laughter.

"Oh man, this is gonna be great!" Winking, the card mage pulled Bacchus' arm, "Come on, you're gonna wanna see this!"

^.^

Warren stood outside a lone pavilion out in the snow covered vacant fairgrounds. Mirajane and Freed stood with resolute expressions to the telepath's left; Makarov had his eyes closed as he stood to his right.

::Attention FairyTail! Y'all listen up!

::I've got Master here with me at the fairgrounds and he's got something to say, so stop what your doing and pay attention!::

Warren laid a hand on his master's shoulder, and Makarov's eyes opened.

::Alright my children!

::It has been brought to my attention that some of us harbor ill will to a fellow member of our family. So I'm telling ya all to get out here and do something about it! FairyTail is having a snowball war!

::It's an all out magical showdown! Anything goes! Anyone hit mortally by snow does the walk of shame until only one team stands. Freed is the home team captain. Anyone who still has even a little problem with him is on the invading team. Invaders! If you win, then revenge has been achieved. Home team! If you win, then Freed will have regained the honor he should never have lost in the eyes of his guildmates.

::The Snowball War of FairyTail starts in one hour! So get your sorry tails over here and prepare for battle!::

Freed and Mirajane looked to each other and sly smiles grew upon their lips. If the boys wanted a fight, they were going to get it.

Who will side with the home team? Who will the invaders be? What's with the microphones and pavilion over there kinda like from the Grand Magic Games? FairyTail is in a Makarov sponsored, all out magical snow battle next time—in Fairy Tail: Let it Snow!

(I own NoT-A-ThinG!)

Much love

Stay naughty

Stay warm and cozy by a fire

Seri aka Lick