A/N: Hey guys! OMG, I'm so excited for y'all to read what I've got written. This chapter is MONSTROUS. It's, like, 25% longer than my normal chapters (which are already kinda long). But there's a lot of awesome stuff going on this chapter, so I'm sure you won't be bored by it. ;)
The response to the last chapter was, yet again, fantastic. I love you all so much! Gah, I just wanna hug you! This story being received so well has boosted my confidence in my writing, and I've even gotten one of my friends addicted to my writing. She gets on my ass about finishing chapters, so I've been writing a lot faster. *Shoutout to Sydnie* Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter full of fluff and sexual tension!
Thank you too all who left reviews, and here are the answers to some of your questions:
Chelsea: You want a description of what Natsu saw when Lucy was under the light? Keep your eyes pealed...
Animallover: I adore your enormous reviews. They are my sustenance, and I would die without them. And I pretty much always agree with you on everything. :P
MissyPlatina: I can't believe you reviewed my story! I love your stuff. I'm so glad you like it!
OTP Trash: I love your username. And about Gajevy not being at the ranch? *EVIL GRIN*
Winterbirdy: You wanted a Natsu POV chapter, right? XD
"And then what happened?"
Lucy laughed at Levy's eagerness, falling back into the pillows on her bed. She heard Levy giggle on the other end of the call. She'd been on the phone with her since she got home an hour before, and Levy had gladly listened to Lucy talk about her day.
"Is that Happy I hear? I might have to hang up so I can get that fish I promised him," Lucy joked, fibbing about Happy having already arrived.
"Come on, Lu! I haven't seen a unicorn since I was nine! Don't leave me hanging here."
"You should've come along, then," Lucy teased, knowing that Levy wished she could've.
"I don't exactly meet all the requirements for unicorn ranching," Levy muttered.
"Scandal," Lucy gasped jokingly.
"Oh, shush. I'm surprised you and Natsu were still qualified," Levy said, voice devious. "Nobody really knows what the two of you do all the time you're alone together."
"We're not like that," Lucy insisted, even though Levy could probably hear Lucy blushing through the phone.
"Oh? Then what are you like?"
"We're friends," Lucy sighed. Best friends.
"Is that okay with you," Levy asked softly.
"Of course it is," Lucy said, voice weak. "Natsu was the first real friend I ever made. What we have is so special to me."
"But I can tell that you have feelings for him," Levy pushed. "Lu, you should go for it!"
"It's just a crush, Levs. It's not worth the risk."
"But Lu-"
"I've gotta go, Levy. Porlyusica gave us a bunch of readings on Ethics for the mind control unit we're about to start."
"O-okay. See you at school tomorrow?"
"See you tomorrow."
Lucy hung up, putting her phone on the nightstand before turning face down. She groaned, loudly, but the sound was muffled her pillow. She was glad that Gray had dragged Natsu back to their dorm, leaving her to contemplate her feelings in peace. It was true that Natsu gave her warm, fuzzy feelings in her chest every time he smiled. And God, when he laughed…
Lucy groaned into her pillow again, frustrated with the swarm of butterflies that plundered her stomach at the mere thought of Natsu's laugh. She had to get these feelings under control before they spiraled into something too all-consuming and irreversible. Because it was one thing to secretly fantasize about your best friend cornering you in the shower, dripping wet in all his naked glory (which Lucy convinced herself was purely due to her succubus hunger). But falling in love with your best friend? That was off limits- to be avoided at all costs. Love was definitely too dangerous a thing to let mingle with the most important relationship in Lucy's life.
"You liiiiiiike him," a devious voice squeaked.
"Happy," Lucy gasped, jolting up to see the blue fiend perched atop her window sill. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to know you want to be Natsu's girlfriend." Lucy choked.
"Why you-"
"Natsu and Lucy sitting in a tree," Happy sang. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
"I'll kill you!"
(INSERT LINE BREAK HERE)
Natsu spent all morning wondering if there was some sorta test he didn't know about. Because, as pretty as she was, Lucy looked like the equivalent of a highly functioning zombie. She had dark circles as deep as plums and a tired stagger to her walk. She'd even spent the majority of first period groaning and banging her head on her desk. The only time she was ever so damned weird and exhausted was when she spent the night cramming for some test or other.
"Lucy," Natsu hissed, trying to get her attention during study hall. She didn't hear him. He sighed and resigned himself to throwing a wad of paper (his Combat Physics homework, actually) at her head.
"What," she hissed, whirling around in her seat.
"Do we have a test or somethin'?"
"No," she answered, confused. "Why?"
"You look tired," Natsu said, not noticing her annoyed frown in response. "I thought you might've spent the night studying or something."
"Oh," Lucy mumbled, cheeks red for some reason Natsu couldn't figure out. "I did the reading for Porlyusica's class, but that's not what kept me up."
"What kept you up," Natsu asked, curiosity piqued. Lucy averted her eyes, only making him want to know even more.
"A certain blue, flying cat caused a ruckus in my apartment. I spent the better part of the night chasing him around my room while he tried to blackmail me into giving him fish."
"I was wondering where Happy was! You guys hung out without me? I can't believe you let me miss all the fun," Natsu pouted. Lucy laughed.
"Trust me. Happy was the only one having any fun at all," Lucy assured, smiling as she gave a roll of her eyes.
"Well, I guess I can let it slide. As long as you're not having fun without me," Natsu grinned. Lucy grinned back.
"Impossible," she laughed, trapping him in the warm brown of her eyes. "It's always more fun when we're together."
It was a good thing that the bell rang at that moment, shifting Lucy's attention away from Natsu. Because he had no idea what sort of conclusions she would've drawn from his face. Had his cheeks ever been so hot? Probably not. Natsu felt a fire like never before sizzle under his skin, making his whole body pulse in time with his frantic heartbeat. Lucy's words slid across every part of him like the worst kind of sunburn. It felt like he'd spent an eternity under her sunshine without bothering to shield himself from the blinding light.
They got ready to head to lunch, Lucy adjusting the strap on her backpack while Natsu picked up her books. She smiled up at him as they approached the door, eyes bright and cheeks rosy. God, when did she become so damned gorgeous? Even when she was sleep-deprived she was pretty enough to make Natsu's mind turn to mush. He would've thought he'd have built up an immunity to pretty girls by now. Somehow, Lucy made him feel every bit the awkward, inexperienced teenager he was.
The two of them were obviously too preoccupied with their goofy soul-gazing, because Lucy didn't even notice someone coming from the side until it was too late. Natsu barely caught her before she hit the ground, dropping her books and wrapping her in an awkward tangle in his arms. He opened his mouth to ask if she was okay before hearing a growled curse.
"Holy shit, Heartfilia," Minerva bit out. "Maybe you should watch ahead of you instead of making eyes at loverboy."
"That's hilarious coming from you," Lucy retorted as Natsu helped her up. "You've had your fair share of 'accidents' this year. At least I didn't ruin your uniform."
"Color me impressed. Shacking up with lizard-man must've given you some backbone," Minerva said haughtily. Natsu heard Lucy grind her teeth.
"Some backbone, huh? You shacking up with everyone must be why you have so damned much of it," Lucy growled.
Oh, God. Lucy looked ready to fight back. Why was that so damned hot? Natsu took a deep breath, trying not to let himself get distracted. Seeing his best friend get in a fight with one of the toughest girls in school should not be sexy. Bad Natsu. Sting stepped between the two girls, which was probably the only thing keeping Minerva from swinging at the now pissed-off blonde.
"Ladies, put the claws away. A cat fight would put a kink in my lunch plans. And Dragneel," Sting drawled condescendingly. "Make sure to keep an eye on your girl."
Natsu bristled at the demand, a growl rumbling in his chest. Being told what to do never boded well with him. He didn't even bother correcting Sting about Lucy being 'his girl', pissed at the insinuation that she needed to be watched after.
"I'm pretty sure my girl can do whatever the fuck she wants," Natsu rumbled through clenched teeth.
"And I'm sure she does," Sting smirked as he wrapped an arm around Minerva's shoulders.
Natsu saw red blurring the edges of his vision, and he took a dangerous step forward. Lucy held him back, grabbing his arm and giving her head a firm shake. It wasn't worth it. Natsu took some calming breaths as Minerva and Sting walked away. He felt himself begin to lose his cool again when Minerva turned back to give Lucy a conceited smirk.
"I don't know about you, Heartfilia, but I'm starved. Good thing I'm feeding during lunch," Minerva purred with a suggestive lilt to her voice. "Jealous?"
Minerva didn't give Lucy an opportunity to respond, turning back around as she and Sting rounded the corner. Her tone was thick with hidden implication, but as to what Natsu had no idea. He turned back to Lucy to ask what Minerva had meant just in time to see the blonde. Fucking. Lose. Her. Shit. Lucy slammed her fist into a nearby locker, punching the metal door with so much force that the thing almost came off its hinges. She fisted her hands in her skirt, sinking down to her knees. It looked like she wanted to scream.
"Lucy? You okay," Natsu asked cautiously, crouching down and running a hand over her back. Lucy sighed at his touch, dropping her hands to her lap.
"I have a lot of pent up rage," she murmured, voice weak. Natsu laughed.
"Yeah, I can see that. I thought I was supposed to be the tough one."
"No way," Lucy laughed, finally looking up at him. "How else would I keep you in line?"
Frankly, Natsu could think of plenty of ways that Lucy could bend him to her will (like that thing she does where she tucks her hair behind her ear as she peeks up at him from beneath her lashes). Instead of making her hold over him known, he just grinned and helped her up for the second time that day. She didn't pull her hand from his even after he was finished helping her up. He let go reluctantly, reveling in the prolonged contact.
"So, my place? After school," he clarified.
"Yup," Lucy confirmed, the cheery tone back in her voice. "We're gonna kill that SH History project."
They high-fived like the dorks they were, Natsu grinning at the little giggle Lucy gave. He tried not to melt inside when she nudged his side before heading to the library, biting back the hopeless sigh that threatened to tumble from his lips. He always thought it was just girls that get all love struck and weak in the knees. Natsu put his head in his hands and groaned, ignoring the curious looks he received. Lucy had been tearing apart the world as he knew it since the first time they'd met, and it was terribly wonderful.
They met in the main lobby after school once Lucy had finished her library duties and Natsu had finished his special training with Macao. But they left the building only to be met with stormy clouds and the wet drizzle of rain. Natsu groaned at the less than stellar weather, and the way Lucy frowned at the sky made it obvious that she returned the sentiment.
Natsu had never liked the rain. All he could ever hear was the heavy plop of water hitting the cement and splash of car tires driving through puddles. The wet slop of mud and the squelch of rainboots assaulted him in an ugly symphony of sound, and the smells. Rain made all of the different scents of Magnolia run off the side of the street and blend together. The end result was a blur of unappealing fragrances that made Natsu's head more than a little dizzy.
If perfect weather was the convergence of spring and summer, warm and sunny and perfect, then this was the complete opposite. Fall was starting to blend in with winter, and the weather was uncomfortably cold. But it wasn't cold enough for snow days or sledding or nights spent by the fireplace. It was an abysmal in between, clouded with greys and uncertainty. Cold precipitation like this made it feel like June was just a sunspot in his memories. All in all, this was the weather Natsu hated most.
"I hate this weather more than I hate waking up early," Lucy groaned, shuffling her book bag.
"Same," Natsu scowled, glaring at the offensive rain.
"You wouldn't happen to have an umbrella," she asked, voice hopeful.
"Nah."
"Me either."
"I guess there's only one thing left to do."
"Are you sure, Natsu?"
"Positive."
Lucy gave him one last doubtful look as he stretched his hand out. She took his hand, bracing herself. And then they ran out in the rain. It took no longer than ten seconds to get completely soaked to the bone, their uniforms sticking to their frames and their hair plastered to their faces.
"Holy shit, it's cold," Natsu yelled, hopping over a puddle.
He heard Lucy laugh as she followed behind, and the sound was contagious. Passers by must've thought they were idiots, screaming and laughing as they ran in the rain. Natsu felt like an idiot. But he also felt so alive. He'd always thought dancing in the rain sounded dumb, and he still did. But running in it with your best friend beside you? Now that was exhilarating. The rush of wind in their faces intensified the sting of the cold, November drizzle. But their cheeks already stung from smiling so wide, and the chill only sent an extra rush of adrenaline through their veins.
When they finally reached Natsu's dorm they gave a sigh of relief in unison. Lucy hopped up and down as Natsu fumbled for his keys, both of them eager to get out of the cold. Natsu hooted a cry of victory when he finally got the right key in the lock, making Lucy roll her eyes in response. They finally made it inside and-
"Lucy!"
"Happy," she muttered in response, less than pleased with Natsu's kitty companion.
"Aw, come on, Lushi! I thought you weren't mad anymore," Happy purred.
"I may not be, but my dark circles still are," Lucy said dryly.
"They do look really unattractive-"
"Here," she said, pulling a paper bag out of her backpack and shoving it towards the critter. "Tuna sandwiches."
"Yay!"
Natsu saw Lucy's shoulders sag in relief when Happy flew away to the kitchen. He laughed, walking to his room with her close behind. When they were alone again, Lucy threw her wet backpack to the ground while Natsu closed the door. He shook his head side to side, flicking water on her and making her laugh. A happiness so profound it made his heart hurt bloomed in his chest. Who knew it could feel so good to make someone laugh?
"So," Natsu started with a grin. "Ready to get this show on the…"
Natsu trailed off, never quite finishing his sentence. The grin fell from his face. Lace. The shirt that had once been such an innocent and opaque white was now a water-drenched ivory. It was a mere veil of fabric, its transparency giving way to the flushed beauty of her skin. The material was now so sheer. Natsu wondered if it would melt like butter between his fingers if given the right amount of friction. God, don't let him think of friction right now. The thought of it alone was enough to cross wires in his brain, making him confuse the girl he wanted so much to protect with a girl he'd want to do filthy things to. Perhaps the most dangerous part of this situation was not Lucy's sopping wet shirt, but rather what lay underneath it.
Skin. There was so much skin. His eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her now-visible cleavage, and all of her skin just looked so wet and warm and inviting. It made something hot and nervous and uncomfortable clench in his stomach. He wanted to tear his eyes away, he really did. But there was something about the wet sheen of her collarbone and the single drop of water that slithered down and disappeared between the valley of her breasts that held him captivated. He couldn't move- couldn't even breathe. His lungs were held tight in the grip of the transparent veil of her shirt and her flushed skin and all that lace.
And now she was looking at him intently, eyes filled with questions and worry. He just had to open his mouth and pretend like everything was fine. That's all. Make a joke out of it. Natsu's standard defense-mechanism. Keep people smiling and feign obliviousness. It was a surefire way to trick others into thinking you have no insecurities or troubles or desires-
"Natsu?"
"Your shirt," he finally managed to choke out. Natsu could practically hear the seconds tick by as the awkward silence presson on. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Wait, what," Lucy asked, confused. Natsu finally tore his eyes away, errantly thinking that the sight of his bedroom floor had never before brought so much comfort.
"You can borrow one of my shirts if you want," He said, taking tremendous precautions in his attempt to keep his voice even.
"Why would I want to- Oh my God."
Natsu flinched at her mortified squeak, guessing that she had figured out why it might be in her best interest to borrow a clothes from Natsu. He went to his closet and picked the cleanest t-shirt he could find, throwing in a pair of sweatpants. He made a valiant attempt to not ogle her tits when he turned back to hand them to her.
"Here. You can change in my bathroom," he said, pointing to the open door on the other side of the room.
Lucy gave an embarrassed nod as she took his shirt, clutching it tightly on her way out of the room. Natsu didn't know if he'd ever look at her in their school uniform the same. Maybe she was a descendant of Aphrodite, some goddess of love and beauty and sex. No, that wasn't it. She'd given him a clue. Something about weird mating rituals?
Natsu looked back to what he had expected to be a closed bathroom door. But the damned thing had a habit of not staying closed, and through the open sliver he could see Lucy. He could see Lucy changing. Changing the tilt of the planet's axis. Changing life as he knew it. Changing her clothes.
Her skirt already pooled at her feet, giving Natsu an unobstructed view of her legs and how they melted into the delicious curve of her hips. Her shirt still clung to her like Saran Wrap, the sight doing curious things to Natsu's body. He knew he should probably look away, and he wished he could. But the way she hummed as she peeled off her shirt had him transfixed. Now she the only thing shielding her from his hungry eyes was the matching pink lace that hugged her hips and cradled her breasts. When she bent down to tug his sweatpants on, Natsu almost had a heart attack.
She stood back up, and Natsu noticed her shiver. The gentle slope of her shoulders quivered from the cold, making him think of other ways he could make her skin tremble. She'd probably love it if you touched her, something within him growled. The voice was predatory and dangerous, but it was undoubtedly his own.
Natsu finally tore his eyes away, racked with guilt. This was Lucy. Perfect, sweet, kind-hearted Lucy. These things he felt when he looked at the flesh of her thighs and the swell of her lower lip made him feel sick with need- and shame. He shouldn't want her like this. Wild hands like his shouldn't yearn for an angel's skin.
Because that's what Lucy was- an angel. That much had become clear to him the day before when he'd seen her bathed in white light like she'd just descended from heaven. As she ran her fingers through that unicorn's mane, surrounded by nothing but murky wilderness, she'd looked ethereal. Natsu had been half-convinced that light that shimmered around her was completely her own. Never in his life had he seen anything so beautiful.
The thought of Lucy looking so pure and innocent was what finally pushed back his fantasies of her skin. And Natsu felt guilty for wanting her so badly. It was wrong; he shouldn't think of his Lucy like this. It wasn't allowed. The feeling was starting to eat away at him from the inside.
Natsu sighed and stripped his own wet clothes off. It was no use wallowing over what he couldn't have (even though he wanted it desperately). Natsu was an optimist, preferring to dwell on the lighter side of things. He had an amazing best friend that would likely do anything for him (even though she riled up his hormones enough to make his brain malfunction). He had an awesome, talking cat that meant the world to him (even though said cat constantly made fun of him for having feelings for his best friend). And his annoying, wet clothes were finally off (even though Natsu thought changing clothes was an annoying and tedious habit).
"Natsu, thank you for-"
Natsu looked over just as Lucy stumbled back with a startled yelp. His face scrunched in confusion while he tried to figure out why her face was so red. He had sweatpants on, damn it. It wasn't like she'd caught him naked or anything embarrassing. He rolled his eyes, chalking Lucy's frantic pulse up to her being a prim and proper princess. Sighing, he decided to put a shirt on to appease her.
"No, you didn't have to," she stammered, trying to get her words out.
"Didn't have to what?"
"Nothing," she muttered, grumbling something so low under her breath that even Natsu couldn't hear. When she had her attention focused elsewhere, he took his time to admire the way she looked in his baggy clothes. He didn't know why, but the sight made something warm and protective build up inside of him. He definitely liked the feeling way too much.
The rest of the evening went as planned. Natsu put their clothes in the dryer, he and Lucy worked on their project, and Gray tried to pick a fight with him over dinner (Natsu wanted fried chicken while the stripper wanted to order Chinese). All in all, it was a pretty uneventful night. When it got late, Natsu offered to walk Lucy home. She flashed him the prettiest smile and waited for him to grab his shoes.
On their way out the door, Natsu pointed out that she'd never changed back into her own clothes. Instead, she'd kept his clothes on and stuffed her uniform in her bag. Lucy blushed and promised to return Natsu's clothes the next day. In reality, it would be two weeks later that she'd return his sweatpants, remembering that they his favorite pair.
(She would never actually give the shirt back, but Natsu didn't know that at the time.)
They took their time, strolling along and telling funny stories. Their laughter was the only sound in the otherwise quiet neighborhood, accompanied only by the occasional passing of cars on the road and the buzz of old streetlights overhead. Natsu wondered if it would snow soon; Seasons were definitely changing. But instead of the chill and the sorrow that winter typically brought, Natsu only felt warmth and happiness. So much happiness. But maybe that was because nobody had ever smiled at him like Lucy was at that moment.
"Long story short," Natsu laughed, finishing one of his stories. "I got super nervous and completely missed her mouth. Lisanna was super cool about it, but I'm pretty sure I was the worst first kisser ever."
"I'm sure you weren't," Lucy laughed, doing that thing where she nudged Natsu's side and made him feel unbelievably warm.
"Nah, I was. S'okay, though. I got the hang of it pretty fast."
Lucy didn't reply, her eyes growing distant as they often did. Natsu didn't like it. He didn't know what went on in the recesses of her mind, but he never cared for the outcome of her pensive silence. Lucy's long, quiet moments always resulted in her feeling insecure or frustrated or sad. And Natsu hated when she was sad.
"So," Natsu drawled deviously, trying to distract her. "I told you my awkward kiss story. Now it's your turn."
"What," Lucy hiccuped, her face flaring up in the way Natsu so loved to tease her for.
"Come on! I told you all of my embarrassing shit. Your turn."
"What do you wanna know," she asked meekly.
"How many people have you kissed," Natsu blurted out, the question rolling off his tongue without any hesitation. He'd always been kind of curious, seeing as she's never really answered during Truth or Dare. Lucy's flush deepened.
"I- I already told- I mean, I said that I didn't-"
"I mean a real kiss," he clarified, bumping her shoulder. "Kissing booths don't count."
"Well," Lucy finally said after an embarrassed pause. "When I was twelve this boy from my math class surprise attacked me at the school dance. He smashed his mouth onto me so hard that his braces cut my lip. And his breath smelled like tuna."
Natsu broke out in a laugh, clutching his stomach. Lucy joined in soon enough.
"It really was an awful first kiss," she insisted, struggling to speak around her bouts of laughter. "Everyone always told me first kisses were magical."
Natsu laughed harder while she covered her face, and he couldn't help but think she was kinda adorable. 'Magical' was pretty much the worst way to describe a first kiss. Maybe a second, or a third. But the first time was usually spent worrying and messing everything up, making it impossible to actually enjoy it. They finally arrived at Lucy's front porch, Natsu wiping the tears from his eyes and Lucy's laughter dying down to quiet giggles.
"Okay, that so doesn't count. That basically sounds like the worst kiss ever."
Lucy stopped to think, and Natsu watched her contemplate. He really was kind of dying to know how many people she'd kissed. Admittedly, there was a little bit of jealousy he felt. Lucy was probably way too cool and funny for any guy that had ever tried to put the moves on her. None of them deserved her. None of them could make her happy like I could. Natsu shook his head at the thought, trying to clear his mind.
"One," she admitted with a wry smile, distracting Natsu from his thoughts. "I've kissed one person."
She looked at him like she'd just told an inside joke, lips tugging up at the corners like she was trying to keep from laughing. He just stared at her, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. When it was clear that he wasn't getting her little joke, she rolled her eyes and explained further.
"You, Natsu. My only real kiss was you."
Natsu stood frozen as Lucy gave his jaw a fake and extremely affectionate punch before slipping inside. Suddenly, the slow burn in his chest was growing out of control, spreading with the sheer violence and destruction of a forest fire. He'd always been immune to heat, but this girl was making him feel dangerously warm. Her touches were hot coals on his skin, and her smiles were hot pokers stabbing at his heart. Lucy yielded a new fire that Natsu had never known before. And he wanted it all.
It was so utterly Lucy of her to make him feel this way without even realizing the repercussions of her actions. Lucy. Gorgeous. Funny. Kind. Brilliant, despite how oblivious she was to her effect on those around her. Lucy. His Lucy.
"Shit," he mumbled to himself on the way home. "I think I'm in love."
(INSERT LINEBREAK HERE)
December
"We should've gotten a perfect score on that project," Lucy grumbled, looking every bit the petulant rich kid she was.
"Seriously, we got the highest score in the class. Calm down."
"But Natsu-"
"But Lucy," Natsu teased, mimicking her whine. She frowned, crossing her arms as they stopped in front of the library.
"That's not funny."
"I think it is," he smirked, watching her lean her back against the wall in nonchalance.
"Whatever," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Don't you have some princess to guard, dragon boy?"
"What do you think I'm doing," he cackled.
Natsu put his hands on either side of her head, caging her in. Lucy's eyes widened in response, but she didn't seem to have a problem with their new proximity. Quite the opposite, in fact. Natsu watched her bite her lip, stomach clenching at the idea of her being attracted to him. He cleared the thought from his mind, trying not to get his hopes up. This was Lucy, after all.
"I have to make sure you don't fall down a flight of stairs or something," Natsu teased, voice low.
"It isn't your job to guard me," she whispered back, her retort uncharacteristically breathless.
"I know. I want to do it."
Lucy gave a small gasp as he backed away, like him distancing himself gave her space to breathe. Natsu felt guilty, trying to banish indecent thoughts. This is Lucy, he told himself. Lucy. His mantra was soon becoming useless, though. It'd been three weeks since he'd realized he was completely in love with her (and desperately attracted to her). And it'd been a few days since he'd noticed how adorably flustered she got when he invaded her personal space. Her reactions always felt too good to resist.
"Natsu," she whispered, her voice holding too many questions for Natsu's own comfort.
"Catch you later," he grinned, backing away. "Princess."
"You-"
Natsu laughed as he made his escape, leaving Lucy to her library duties. When she started looking at him like she was uncertain of where their relationship stood, it was clearly time to make a getaway. Natsu jogged off to the gym, excited to burn off his excess energy. Macao was officially Natsu's favorite teacher. Optional sparring matches after school for extra credit? Best. Assignment. Ever.
Natsu threw his bag along the wall with the others, practically bouncing his way to the mats at the center of the gym. He was so stoked, rolling his shoulders and working out the kinks in his neck. Gajeel rolled his eyes when Natsu flexed his muscles in a mock show of bravado. Natsu chuckled.
"You scared, Gajeel?"
"As if," the vampire snorted.
They threw a few mock jabs, Gajeel getting Natsu in a headlock before the dragon managed to worm his way out. Gajeel tapped into his mind control magic, making Natsu slap himself in the face. He scowled while Gajeel laughed. Oh, it's war now. Natsu moved in with the intention of throwing Gajeel to the ground, but someone interrupted before things got serious.
"Dragneel! Spar with me."
Everyone cleared out as Sting made his way through the crowd, his gait cocky and aggressive. Natsu gave a wild grin. He never was one to turn down a fight, after all. Natsu gave an arrogant smirk back. He had been wanting to wipe that smug look from the Nephilim's face for the last month (if an asshole like Sting was half-angel, Natsu really didn't know what the world was coming to). And since Macao was apparently running late, Natsu didn't have to abide by any stupid rules. Oh, this would be fun.
"Kick his ass, Natsu," Cana called out. The resounding hollers from the other spectators only egged Natsu on.
Natsu wasted no time stepping up to the plate, the surrounding crowd cheering at his tenacity. Sting was a force to be reckoned with, known for guessing someone's moves before they even made them. But Natsu was impossibly fast, and he knew that he outmeasured Sting in brawn. They circled around each other, both on the defense. Eventually Natsu leapt forward, landing a few punches. Sting blocked Natsu's kick, landing a few punches himself. The fight went on like that, each getting in a few hits and Natsu trying to conserve his energy. Winning required strategy, and he was steadily wearing Sting down.
"Man the fuck up and fight me," Sting hissed, swinging at Natsu's head. Natsu ducked.
"That's what I'm doing," he huffed, confused.
"You're not even trying. I bet you'd get fired up over your girl," Sting grit out. "Plenty of other guys do."
"The fuck are you talking about, Eucliffe," Natsu grit out, landing a solid kick at Sting's ribs.
"I overheard a couple of dudes talking about taking a crack at Heartfilia," Sting panted, feigning a right jab and coming from the left. "So don't be surprised if she goes for 'em."
"What," Natsu hissed, clocking Sting in the jaw and making him stumbled back several steps. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about."
"Come on, Dragneel," Sting spat, rubbing his jaw. "From what I hear, your princess might not be as innocent as you think."
Natsu bristled. He didn't know how Sting had overheard that nickname Natsu had only just given Lucy. He didn't know how Sting was aware of how perfect Lucy was in Natsu's mind, or what evidence he could possibly have to prove otherwise. He didn't know why Sting was trying to start this shit, or how he knew that questioning Lucy's virtue was the fastest way to get on Natsu's bad side. Honestly, Natsu couldn't think about anything but the red-hot rage building up inside him. Every muscle in his body was shaking, his fists clenching and his stance taking on a predatory hunch. All rational thought left him, his body now running solely on instinct.
And all Natsu saw was red.
Another cliffy for you. (Because I know you guys secretly love them, don't lie.) If you have a question in a review, maybe put an asterisk at the end? Just so I can make sure I answer all of you. I already have the next two chapters written, so they'll probably be up super soon. Ask me questions! Tell me who you think'll win the fight... and at what cost?! DUN DUN DUN.
Catch you later,
Mya