A/N: Hey guys! I'm back already. How are you not sick of me yet? I was gonna stretch it out longer before this chapter (like, maybe a full week). But I figured I'd throw y'all a bone. I literally got a review that only had "Update" written on it (You know who you are). That's what I get for cliffhangers, I guess. I'm gonna try to get up to chapter 14 posted by New Year's Eve, which means a shit ton of reading for you guys. Tis the season, I guess.
Questions!
laxusdrayer2324: Natsu 'seeing red' is a tip off of him going into rage mode. When he gets more in touch with his feral side (his dragon side) is vision starts going weird and he loses the ability to think rationally. The outcome of this will be seen this chapter.
silver light of dawn: When Natsu finds out that Lucy is starving, he won't be indifferent. I can tell you that much...
Twiztidprincess: Hugs back at ya!
RunningWithTheRiptide: Will Lucy tell Natsu about her being a succubus? Wait and see...
wonderlust14: Can you punch Minerva in the face? Maybe stick around for Chapter 12 (which deals a lot with Minerva) before making up your mind on that one.
maalikdb: I can't tell you who wins the fight (you'll find out soon enough) but I can say that there will be dragon mating in this story.
.3: Being a succubus doesn't make you evil, but Lucy's afraid people will judge her because of all the sexy stuff it entails. And succubuses have powers of seduction (as well as a few surprise powers you guys'll see later).
A lot of people are still wondering why Nat's immune to her powers, and I can safely say that that will be revealed in chapter 12. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! We have passed 500 followers! This is madness (no, this is SPARTA). But for real, I love you guys.
This chapter is in Lucy's POV, so don't get confused when it doesn't kick off with the fight. (Because she's still back in the library rn). It also references back to chapter 2, which was about 10 m.y.a. (million years ago, but it's also an acronym for my name). Anyways, enjoy!
Lucy was probably gonna snap and fuck Natsu Dragneel's brains out. Like, Oh my gosh! I totally didn't mean to tear all of your clothes off. My bad. The past couple weeks had been utter torture. She'd always found Natsu attractive- ridiculously sexy, even. But that afternoon when they ran to his house in the rain and she'd seen him shirtless, water still dripping from his hair and sliding down his chest, something in her had snapped. And now ninety percent of her thoughts were consumed with the idea of touching him.
It wasn't like she didn't try to fight the urge. But it didn't help that he was always touching her. Throwing his arm over her shoulders or starting a game of footsie during study hall or putting his hand on the small of her back to guide her through a crowd. The result was her being turned on. All. The. Time. It was near impossible to focus on anything other than the fantasy of shoving him down and having her way with him in the middle of class. Maybe she had started this dangerous game with her playful nudges and her mock punches. But she didn't deserve this. He could completely demolish her thought process with a simple brush of his fingers.
Lucy couldn't even escape Natsu in the solace of her own home. What with his unannounced visits and him frequently sneaking in through the window. He even slept over at her place! He said that sleeping near her somehow kept his recurring nightmare away- which, goddamnit, was ridiculously sweet. And Lucy couldn't deny him after hearing that. She couldn't deny him ever, really. Because as much as she cursed his constant closeness and the havoc it wreaked on her, she would never try to change it. All of her empty protests were more for herself than anything. She'd always been a lonely little girl, after all. And as strange and foreign as Natsu choosing to pester Lucy all the time was, it didn't go unappreciated.
The most dangerous thing about this situation wasn't even what she wanted to do to him in the dark of her bedroom (although the images her mind conjured up were rather scandalous). The most hazardous thing of all was that she didn't want to keep any secrets from him anymore. They'd spent too many late nights talking about their childhoods to count. They shared insecurities and aspirations and would recount every event of their day down to the last embarrassing detail. Natsu knew every hidden side of her- except one. Succubus. The word felt dirty, but for some reason she wanted to share it with him. Because if Natsu Dragneel thought she was fantastic, then there was no part of herself that was bad enough to be ashamed of.
"Lu-chan? Hello? Lu!"
"Uh, yeah," Lucy responded, startled. "What were you saying, Levs?"
"I swear, you've been spacing out all the time lately," the pixie chastised, grabbing an armful of books to put away. "You should keep your dirty thoughts about our resident dragon-boy behind closed doors."
"I- I wasn't," Lucy stammered, denying it. Even though her face said that she so totally was.
"Sure, sure. I was just saying that we need to go to Grimoire Heart's band practice soon. They've been practicing really hard for the school talent show next April."
"April? That's so far away," Lucy said, helping Levy organize the library books.
"The grand prize is a full ride to college for all who performed. It gets crazy competitive," Levy said, slightly pensive. "I think I'd enter it if my Dexterity could be used in a performance."
"Dexterity is a…"
"Special ability that varies based someone's SH type," Levy finished helpfully. Lucy pouted.
"I knew that one, I swear. Your dexterity is your memory, right?"
"Yup," Levy said with a grin. "As long as I've read it, I'll remember it forever."
"You could use that. Maybe you could do, I don't know, card tricks or something?"
"I have a feeling the judges would be unimpressed," Levy said stoically. Lucy stuck her tongue out.
"I was just being helpful!"
Levy laughed, and Lucy immediately joined in. Lucy vaguely wondered what a succubus's Dexterity was. Minerva would probably know the answer, of course. But Lucy still held a bit of a grudge for the cruel things Minerva had said about her mother, and their scuffle from a couple weeks before certainly hadn't helped things. The dark-haired vixen glared at her every time they crossed paths in the hall, often times causing Natsu to growl and shift protectively between them. All in all, the relationship between the two succubuses didn't seem like it'd improve any time soon. Which was a shame, because Lucy was in desperate need of a mentor.
She and Levy continued putting away library books, chatting as they went. It was a quaint job, one that Lucy had gladly taken on to pay her rent. She helped Levy organize the library after school Monday through Thursday and cleaned the library on Saturday mornings. Makarov definitely overpaid her, well aware that Lucy didn't have any adults to fund her. Lucy hummed a song under her breath as she went about her business, but the sound of the doors slamming open brought Lucy to a halt.
"Be quiet, Cana," Levy hissed, aggravated with the loud intrusion. "Some people are trying to study-"
"Natsu and Sting started sparring together, and now they're in a full-on fist fight in the gym," Cana blurted out.
"What," Levy screeched, surprised.
"Sting said something to Natsu, and he just hauled off and slugged the fucker."
Lucy immediately dropped the books she was holding and ran past Cana on her way to the gym. She ignored Levy's indignant cry at the poor treatment of her precious books and Cana's yelled warning that this was not a fight Lucy wanted to get in the middle of. The only thing that mattered was Natsu. And the fact that she was going to kick his ass.
Lucy bursted into the gym, expecting a crowd full of people egging on a silly brawl. But what she got was an eyeful of Sting and Natsu at each other's throats, looking ready to kill. Rogue stood in front of Sting, pushing at his chest and trying to force him back. Sting looked rough for wear, sporting a gash on his eyebrow and a bruise on his cheek that was already starting to bloom purple. His breaths were ragged, and the fury in his eyes was alarming. But Natsu? He looked animalistic.
Gray and Elfman were trying to hold him back, but it looked like he was still about to break away any second. In their defense, it must've been hard to get a good grip on him seeing as how he was on fire. The flames rolled off his skin and made Gray hiss in pain as it scalded his hands. Natsu was growling, eyes filled with a rage that Lucy had never seen in him before. If she didn't know Natsu like she did, she might've been… scared. His knuckles were bleeding, and his only other visible sign of injury was the cut on his mouth. The sharpness of his teeth (uncanny and definitely more deadly than before) made Lucy think that Natsu's bloody lip was of his own doing.
Lucy looked over to see Gajeel leaning against the wall, watching the drama with a thoughtful expression. Lucy scowled. Gajeel was a vampire, gifted with an affinity for mind control magic. Why wasn't he doing something to stop this?
"Gajeel," Lucy hissed. "Use your magic to make them stop!"
"You think I haven't tried that," Gajeel hissed back. "Nephilim are immune to mind control magic. And Natsu's got me… Blocked out or somethin'. I have no fucking clue how he's doing it, but when I try to get in his head it's like hitting a brick wall."
"How is that even possible," Lucy asked, worried.
"I don't know," Gajeel grimaced. "But Natsu's serious. It's best just to stay out of it."
Lucy bit back her protest, knowing she couldn't convince Gajeel to get involved if he'd made up his mind otherwise. Lucy flitted her eyes around nervously, not knowing how she was going to stop the fight. She didn't exactly have physical strength on her side when it came to restraining Natsu. Her thoughts were interrupted by another outburst.
"It doesn't matter if you're lying or not," Natsu growled. "She's different, and you're just jealous!"
"You're dead," Sting yelled, voice hoarse.
"Ha! Some Nephilim you are," Natsu growled. "I'll send you back to hell where you belong, you bastard."
"Stop!"
Everyone halted and turned to gape at Lucy from where she stood in the doorway. She crossed her arms, trying to seem authoritative. She looked Natsu in the eye, seeing his face soften at her presence. Good. I just have to calm him down and-
"Oh, Heartfilia," Sting drawled, voice condescending. "If it isn't the girl all the boys talk about in the locker room."
Before Lucy could respond, Natsu made his move. He barreled through Elfman, Gray, and Rogue with ease. Sting gave him a wild smirk when Natsu flew his way. Sting's smug expression didn't last long, though. Natsu swung at him, fist connecting with Sting's face with a sickening thud. Sting gave a strangled yelp, clutching his nose and getting blood all over his hand.
Sting tried throwing another punch, but Natsu dodged it. The two glared at each other, but the look soon escalated to a stare-off with an uncanny resemblance to the one Natsu had gotten into with that guard the night they met. Natsu's demeanor had been confident and a little dominating that night. But now with Sting? He was vicious. It only took a few moments for Sting's limbs to lock up in terror, making him look like a mouse that'd been cornered by a snake. And then Natsu had Sting pinned to a nearby wall by his throat, the blond struggling to breathe. Lucy gasped, running to stop him before he did something he regretted.
"Natsu! Put him down," she demanded, trying to force Natsu's arm down to no avail. He didn't even look at her.
"He doesn't deserve to breathe."
"Natsu. Now."
Natsu clenched his jaw before letting Sting drop to the floor. Sting gasped for air, and several people rushed to help him. Lucy took Natsu's hand and pulled him away from the gym, deciding to take him back to her apartment. She watched Natsu's eyes cool off and his breathing slow as they got further away. When the blind rage finally drained itself from his body, it was soon replaced with guilt.
"God, Lucy. You must think I'm a monster," he whispered, voice shaking.
"You're not a monster," she replied vehemently. "How can you even think that?"
Natsu never responded, and Lucy didn't force an answer from him. She continued pulling him along to her place, ignoring the cold wind. Lucy was on a mission; The only thing that mattered was Natsu's hand in hers and the antiseptic and bandages that waited at her apartment.
As they waited for traffic to pass at one of the intersections, Natsu gave her this unreadable look. She looked back at him, confused by his attentive stare. After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth.
"Lucy?"
"Yeah?"
"Sting said," he paused, for the first time ever looking unsure of how to phrase his thoughts. "I mean, are you- ugh. How should I say it?"
"What is it," Lucy asked, perplexed.
"Is it true that you're a-"
The blaring horns of an ambulance interrupted Natsu, and he sighed. Lucy frowned at the disruption. She was not used to seeing Natsu deliberate over asking her anything, and it made her kind of nervous. Like, really nervous.
"What were you asking," she prodded, eyes sincere.
"It's nothing," Natsu groaned, swiping a hand down his face in frustration. Lucy frowned, but didn't push further.
When they arrived, Lucy still refused to let go of his hand. She used one hand to dig for her keys and unlock her front door. They entered Lucy's apartment with less boisterousness than usual, the typical sound of laughter replaced with the echoing clack of Lucy's shoes on the floor. She was so concerned and distracted that she forgot to take her them off at the door.
"Sit," she demanded, pushing Natsu towards her bathroom counter.
He complied without any struggle, hopping up on the counter without his usual exuberance. Lucy dug through her emergency drawer, pulling out a washcloth, peroxide, and bandages. She ran the cloth under warm water and took one of Natsu's hands in hers, gently wiping at the dried blood that crusted around his knuckles. The feel on his skin on hers made her palm tingle, but she tried to ignore it; now was the time to take care of her favorite half-dragon, not swoon over him. She did the same thing to the other, and she could almost feel his eyes boring into her face.
"So," she murmured. "What was the fight about?"
He didn't respond at first. Lucy paused, looking into his eyes. They looked conflicted, too closed off for her liking. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that it almost felt like he wasn't seeing her. Finally, he answered.
"You," he said simply.
"Me," she asked, confused. "What about me?"
"Sting said stuff about you to get under my skin; he talks about you like you're a piece of meat," Natsu growled. "It pisses me off."
"Natsu," she sighed, continuing her ministrations. "I appreciate it, but I don't want you getting hurt trying to defend my honor."
"I've never lost a fight, Lucy. Don't worry about me."
"There's a first for everything," she grumbled, dabbing peroxide on his knuckles.
His frown deepened, and he rolled his eyes. Still gentle despite her frustration with his recklessness, Lucy started cleaning the cut on his lip. He sucked in a sharp breath, and Lucy gave a tiny frown. The peroxide must sting. When Lucy was done she started to pull away, but Natsu grabbed her hand.
"How does this not bother you," he asked, eyes intense. Lucy's chest seized.
"How does what not bother me," she whispered, a bit breathless.
"Someone talking about you like that," he clarified, voice heated. "Like all you're good for is your looks."
"It's not exactly the first time that's happened. And it definitely won't be the last," Lucy said, dropping the washcloth and putting her hands on his cheeks. "Which is why you can't knock out every guy that's rude to me."
"I just don't understand it," he murmured, resting his hands over hers. "You're- you're so much more than that. You're Luce."
And Lucy was on fire. The nickname was like an invisible hand prying apart her rib cage and clawing at her heart. The emotion it instilled was violent and terrifying and electric. The room was silent enough to hear a pin drop, and the air felt thick with a tension that wound tight in her gut. The touch of his fingers sent a rush of euphoria through her, and she wondered if Natsu had magic hands. Natsu bit his lip, a nervous tick that Lucy had come to know like the back of her hand. Whatever this was, he felt it too.
Lucy slipped one of her hands out from underneath his, entranced. She trailed her fingers along his jaw as they moved towards their destination. They finally rested on the cut at the corner of his mouth, drawn to the little wound like metal attracted to an object with the opposite polarity. There was no way to describe her need to touch him as anything other than magnetic.
His teeth released his lower lip at her touch, letting his mouth fall open the tiniest bit. She traced around his lips, her skin just barely skimming his. Electricity shot through her fingertips, traveling up her arm and finding a home in her heart. Natsu's breath quickened, caressing her fingers in a way that was probably going to drive her insane.
Natsu leaned his forehead against hers (When did our faces get so close together?), and Lucy swallowed nervously. Her attraction to him was rising and building, ready to crash over her like ocean waves. It wouldn't make much of a difference, though. She was already drowning in him. Their noses brushed, and Lucy's lips parted. Her hand drifted from his mouth back to his cheek, ready to bring him closer. She closed her eyes and-
"Lucy! Is Natsu here?"
They jolted apart at the voice, hearts racing. It seems that Natsu's annoying habit of barging into Lucy's apartment was contagious. Lucy tried to calm herself down, focusing her mind on anything other than what almost transpired. Don't think of Natsu's lips. Don't think of Natsu's lips.
"God fucking damn it, Gray," Natsu growled under his breath. Lucy tried not to think of what his frustration meant.
"In here," Lucy called out to Gray, steadying her voice. Natsu sighed.
Lucy started wrapping gauze around Natsu's knuckles so it'd look like they weren't drowning in sexual tension when Gray came in. Natsu frowned at the thin bandages, probably thinking they were unnecessary. Wisely, he chose to say nothing. She'd just finished Natsu's left hand when Gray came in.
"Jesus Christ, Natsu," Gray growled, wasting no time with formalities. "What in the hell were you thinking?"
"I wasn't," Natsu replied stoically, not even bothering to look up at his roommate.
"I guess that's no different from usual. They had to get Sting to a hospital to reset his broken nose. You're probably gonna get detention for the rest of the semester," Gray said, crossing his arms.
"I don't care."
"Damn it, Natsu! You can't go around fighting everyone like you used to."
"Back off," Natsu hissed, finally looking Gray in the eye.
They glared at each other for several moments, expressions combative. Finally Gray looked away, clenching his jaw and focusing his attention on the floor. His voice was strained when he spoke.
"Stop pulling that Vulcan mind meld shit on me. You know I hate it."
"Only 'cuz it makes you scared of me," Natsu snorted.
"I'm not scared of you," Gray grit out.
"Sure you aren't," Natsu smirked arrogantly.
"You-"
"Seriously," Lucy snapped. "Knock it off, you guys. Gray. Go wait in the living room. My bathroom isn't big enough for the three of us."
Lucy practically pushed Gray out, closing the door in his face. She stomped back over Natsu, picking up his right hand. She started wrapping it like the other one, covering his knuckles with gauze.
"You shouldn't fight with Gray," Lucy said gently. "He's just worried about you."
"I know," Natsu muttered grudgingly. "He's just so annoying." Lucy chuckled.
"That's only because he cares."
"Gross," Natsu scoffed, making a fake gagging noise.
"Sure, sure. There was one part of your conversation that caught my attention, though."
"And what would that be," Natsu asked, his eyes meeting hers and sparking heat in her face yet again.
"That mind trick that he was talking about. You did it to Sting, too. And you also did it to that guard the night we met. You convinced him that 'the earth would, like, implode' if you showed your face."
"The guard didn't really believe me," Natsu said, snorting at the memory. "I just made him too scared to try and say otherwise. That's all that the mind trick is; it makes people afraid of me."
"Then how did it work on Sting? Gajeel said mind control doesn't work on Nephilim."
"It's not really mind control," Natsu explained. "It's pure animal instinct- an intimidation tactic. It's a dragon thing."
"Do you use it a lot? That power," Lucy asked, hand still holding his. She had long since finished wrapping it, but she hadn't let go.
"I used to. To get my way, you know. But eventually I realized that it's hard to make friends when everyone's afraid of you."
"You're not as scary as you think," Lucy scoffed, unable to imagine a Natsu that scared her. Lucy looked down at Natsu's hand in hers. She'd seen his bad sides, but the good in him vastly outweighed them.
Natsu gripped her hand tighter, catching her attention. She looked back up to see his eyes searching hers intensely. A small voice in the back of her mind told Lucy that Natsu was trying to use his power, trying to show her how intimidating he could be. But fear never came. Not to say that Natsu didn't make her pulse race and her chest seize up like he had to the others. The reaction was not one of terror, though. Molten heat pooled in her gut, bringing her blood to a boil. Nobody had ever looked at her like that before.
"Lucy," he groaned, nose twitching. (Oh God, can he smell how turned on I am?) "Why do you smell so-"
"You guys," Gray called out. "I think Erza's here!"
Natsu groaned, the sound now more frustrated than sexy, dropping his head on Lucy's shoulder. She sighed, pulling away. Whatever was about to happen was obviously being prevented by the universe for some reason or other. Even though she desperately yearned for what had sparked between them to continue, it probably wasn't the time.
They walked out to the living room together, but all of Natsu's earlier chivalry was gone. He hid behind Lucy, thrusting her in front of him like a sacrificial lamb. Erza waited on Lucy's couch with a deadly calm, legs crossed and expression blank. Judging by the trail of Gray's clothes, he'd made his escape down the fire escape when he'd sensed Erza's presence.
"It was made known to me that you participated in a violent act of misconduct, Natsu."
"I," Natsu stammered, shivering. "It wasn't- We-"
"You know the consequences of breaking the rules," Erza said lowly, rising from the couch. "Lucy, you'll have to step away from Natsu now."
Not one to defy Erza, Lucy sheepishly backed away from the half-dragon. Erza looked Natsu dead in the eyes as she approached, her intent clear. Lucy figured that Erza was immune to Natsu's intimidation, most likely due to the fact that fairies had magic eyes. They couldn't be fooled by Deception magic or, apparently, scared by the animosity that lurked in a dragon's gaze. Frantically, Lucy's eyes flitted around her apartment in search of a way to save her best friend. She breathed a sigh of relief when she came across one.
"Oh, look," she tried to point out casually. "I got a coupon to that new bakery."
Erza stopped in her tracks, fist hanging in the air where it was poised to strike. Natsu looked at Lucy with desperate eyes, praying that her idea worked. Erza reached over and took the coupon Lucy had in her hand, analyzing the slip of paper with great precision.
"I… I just remembered that I have something to do in this area. Do you mind if I…?"
"It's no problem," Lucy rushed to say. "Feel free."
"Splendid. This is rather kind of you, Lucy."
Erza put the coupon in her pocket and smiled at Lucy. Smile still on her face, Erza turned back to Natsu and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She then proceeded to punch Natsu in the gut hard enough to make him see the cosmos. He gasped and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. Lucy put a hand over her mouth, simultaneously worried and amused by Natsu's punishment.
"Never engage in pointless violence again. You're lucky I went easy on you, Natsu."
"Yeah," Natsu wheezed. "So. Lucky."
"I suppose I'll see you two at school tomorrow. And Natsu," she warned, turning back to him. "Stay out of trouble."
Natsu nodded eagerly, wanting to appease Erza's demands. When she finally left, Natsu and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. That confrontation with Erza was a closer brush with death than Natsu's fight with Sting had been.
"How did you know that'd work," Natsu asked, incredulous (and still slightly breathless from Erza's punch).
"Erza's Dexterity may be her eyes, but all fairies have a weakness for sugar," Lucy explained, plopping down on her sofa.
"Huh. Makes sense," Natsu said, collapsing into the seat next to her. "You're so smart, Luce."
"It was just something I read somewhere," Lucy muttered, face flushed. "Um, is that what your intimidation trick is? Your Dexterity?"
"Nah," he yawned, stretching out. "That's just one of the mystical perks of being a dragon. My Dexterity is my hands."
"Your hands," Lucy asked, confused. "What about them?"
"I'm good at anything I use my hands for. It's probably meant for fighting and stuff, but anything else I need my hands for works. Erza used to make me give her massages."
Lucy flushed, unable to keep herself from thinking of all the other things Natsu could use his hands for. Thou shalt not think dirty thoughts about thy best friend. The mantra was far less effective than usual, Lucy's body still flaring with its now familiar hunger. If this went on, there was no telling what she would do.
"You should probably head home," Lucy squeaked, getting up. "I need to take a shower and do some Influence Class homework and stuff."
"Oh," Natsu murmured, suddenly as jittery and nervous as Lucy was. "That's fine. I probably should be going, anyways."
Lucy walked Natsu to the door, wishing that she could've let him stay. But she didn't trust herself to be alone with him right now. One wrong move (or one right move) and she'd jump his bones. Guaranteed. Lucy opened the door for him, looking up to see him staring at her.
"Thanks for patching me up," he murmured, voice softer than she was expecting.
"Anytime. But don't let it happen again," she said, aware that the two statements were totally contradictory.
Natsu grinned at her concern, making no promises. She rolled her eyes, and he chuckled. His eyes honed in on something on her face, making her brows draw together in confusion. Slowly, with the same caution one would use to capture a butterfly, Natsu took a lock of hair that'd fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her breath caught, eyes widening. His fingers brushed her cheek as he drew his hand away, making blush rise to the surface.
"Uh, bye," he rumbled, pink dusting his cheeks. "See you tomorrow, Luce."
"See you tomorrow," she whispered.
When Natsu left, Lucy closed the door behind him and turned around to lean against it. It only took a few moments for her to sink into a pile of hormonal mush on the floor. Her heart was going out of control, and her vision started to blur as it always did when the hunger took over. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. It was times like this, when Natsu held her thoughts at a gunpoint and made Lucy unable to think of anything but him, that the hunger was the worst.
"Natsu, what are you doing to me?"
He's turning you on, Lucy. That's what he's doing. Jokes aside, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Next chapter will deal with a (kinda) crack ship of mine, and it will be in a whole new POV. Some of you have picked up on it, seeing as how they're always together whenever they pop up. I had two reviewers (LuvinAniManga and Evilkitten3) pick up on it. Even if you don't like the ship (which some of you won't) it's necessary for plot-driven reasons. Can you guess the mystery ship and the POV?
Also, I decided that I would update as soon as my reviews reach 465. (Or if the favorites surpass 450) Which could be tomorrow or next month. Depends on you guys. Let the reviews pour in! (But seriously, please review soon. I'm dying to post the next chapter.)