A/N: Happy New Year! So excited to kick off the year with this chapter! It only goes up from here, my friends. ;) Thank you for all of the lovely reviews. The Gruvia from last chapter wasn't everyone's thing, but they were all still super positive. I went two whole chapters without writing in a bunch of NaLu, so I might've gone kinda... overboard. You tell me. XD This chapter is SUPER long, and for good reason. I don't want to spoil any surprises, so without any further ado:

Enjoy!

Lucy woke up to light streaming in through her curtains and the sound of the old lady that lives upstairs playing jazz music. Normally, this was one of her favorite ways to wake up. But she'd been up so damned late at Grimoire Heart's rehearsal party that any disruption of her sleep cycle was an unwelcome intrusion, meant to be regarded with irritation and hostility. She clamped her eyes shut, trying to go back to sleep. When she shifted a bit, however, she noticed the presence of a warm appendage wrapped around her waist. It surprised her a little, even though it shouldn't have at this point. This wasn't the first time that she'd woken up to find Natsu in her bed.

This was, however, the first time that she wasn't attacked by lust upon the realization. As much as Lucy hated to admit it, Minerva's chocolate trick had been doing wonders for her self control. She ate the stuff like it was going out of style, and it payed off. For the first time, she could enjoy the warmth Natsu's close proximity brought without the gnawing pain in her gut that usually accompanied. And it was nice. It made something warm and welcoming swell in her chest. It was different than the all-consuming heat of lust, but it somehow felt more jarring. More powerful.

Natsu rustled, waking up. She listened to that little click he did with the back of his throat, trying to get the moisture back in his mouth. Happy was at their feet, purring a little as he nestled into the covers. Natsu groaned and lifted his arm from her waist, presumably rubbing at his eyes. He didn't move his body from Lucy's, still spooning her from behind. She could feel all of the lines of his body pressed against her back. It made an embarrassed flush rise to her cheeks.

"What time is it," Natsu croaked, voice still groggy from sleep.

"Early," Lucy rasped, breath hitching when Natsu looped his arm around her waist again.

"Mmm," he groaned. "Go back to sleep then."

"What time does the bus come, again?"

"Never," Natsu muttered. "I'm never getting on another bus ever again."

"Natsu," she groaned, tone warning.

"... Nine."

"We should probably get up," Lucy murmured, moving to get out of bed.

"No," Natsu griped, clutching her waist tighter and burrowing his face into her neck. Lucy's face warmed. His breath on her neck was jumbling her thoughts, making it difficult to speak.

"Natsu," she whined, struggling in his grip. "I want your family to like me. And they'll like me a lot more if I get you there on time."

"She liiiiiiikes you," Happy murmured, too tired to put any real energy behind his voice.

"Shut up," Lucy groaned, throwing a pillow at the blue furball. Natsu chuckled.

"Don't worry, they'll love you. You're Lucy."

Her heart clenched almost painfully. Only Natsu could make her feel so special with a few simple words. Like when he'd invited her to come home with him for the holidays- well, demanded, actually. She'd been lamenting how lonely her Christmas would be. She had no family to go home to, and everyone would be gone for break. At which point Natsu had looked at her like she was an idiot.

"Are you stupid?"

"What?"

"You're spending Christmas with me and my family. Duh."

He'd said it like he was pointing out the obvious. "Of course you're coming home with me. We're a team." It did strange things to Lucy's chest. Things far beyond the realm of Crush-y Feelings and closer to the realm of Hopelessly in Love. She tried to ignore it because it frightened her a little. More than a little, actually. Much, much more. She remembered Minerva's words from before. "A succubus can only fall in love once." If she fell and Natsu didn't feel the same? Then she was dead. Or even worse: heartbroken.

It was eight o'clock by the time Natsu finally let her crawl out of bed. Thank God she'd already packed her duffle bag- and made Natsu do the same. Natsu took a shower while she brushed her teeth and washed her face. They switched places after he finished, and Lucy tried not to ogle his naked torso as they passed each other. The chocolate wasn't completely foolproof, apparently.

She caught Happy trying to eat the lunches she had packed for the train. Which was to be expected, and was why she'd made two for everybody. Happy teased her for making her lunch consist entirely of chocolate, telling her she was already fat enough. That didn't go over well.

She had to practically shove Natsu and Happy out of the door. They made a mad dash for the bus station, Lucy almost tripping several times. Natsu and Happy, of course, thought her clumsiness was hilarious. In the end, they made it to the bus with thirty seconds to spare.

"In the bag you go," Lucy grinned wickedly, forcing Happy in her duffle bag. "No pets allowed."

"I'm not a pet," Happy muttered, but Lucy could only hear the sound of sweet, sweet karma. The cat had been blackmailing her for weeks, threatening to tell Natsu that she had a crush on him if she didn't deliver tuna sandwiches on the daily.

Natsu gagged as soon as the old bus rumbled to life. His motion sickness was a terrible as ever. Lucy didn't complain when he whined and nestled into her neck, lips twitching in a smile. It was nice to feel needed, especially by someone that she needed just as much. She rubbed comforting circles along his back, reaching her other hand up to twine in his hair.

"I hate all modes of transportation," Natsu declared, sounding like he was going to barf.

"Except animals," Lucy reminded him.

"Animals are friends, not vehicles."

"Sure, sure," she hummed, massaging his scalp. "It's kind of weird, though. That you get motion sickness, I mean."

"It just makes me think of bad memories," he groaned into her neck. She waited for him to elaborate, and he sighed upon realizing that she probably wouldn't let it go.

"I told you that I was an orphan," he started, voice shaky. "Anytime I'm on a vehicle like this, it makes me think of all those long car rides to and from all the different foster homes I went to. Not to mention the times I was stuck in the back of a police car-"

"Police car," Lucy repeated, voice incredulous.

"I told you, I was troubled kid. Anyways, that's why I'm weird about stuff like this. I feel like I'm some lonely, pathetic foster kid all over again, and it makes me feel sick."

"You're not pathetic," Lucy chided, voice soft. "And your motion sickness isn't that bad; you haven't even puked on me once."

She'd been trying to make light of the situation with a joke, but Natsu only clutched her tighter. He pressed his face closer to the crook of her neck, his lips brushing the skin there. Lucy's heart went into hyperdrive, flushed heat spreading throughout her body. She'd never realized until Minerva's clever tip about the chocolate that so much of her attraction to Natsu was purely her own. It was alarming, and it would've been so much easier to just blame these urges on her succubus nature.

"Maybe," Natsu whispered, pulling Lucy from her thoughts. "It's 'cuz you're here. I don't feel so alone anymore."

Lucy gaped like a fish, trying to figure out how to respond. Luckily, Natsu fell asleep after a few moments. His soft snores brushed against her collarbone in little huffs of air. His whispered words could've just been the ramblings of someone on the verge of sleep- nonsensical mutterings to be taken lightly. But they had to be more important than that. At least, if the stinging of Lucy's eyes and her lungs' sudden inability to take in air was any indication. But whether or not Natsu had been serious about what he'd said, Lucy knew one thing for certain:

She felt less alone since meeting Natsu, too.

Natsu didn't remember his family being so damned embarrassing. Like, he loved them and all. But damn. He'd given them a heads up that he was bringing a friend home, but apparently it was some sort of huge deal that his friend was a girl. Which, despite what Wendy said, did not make her Natsu's girlfriend (even though he desperately wished they lived in a world where Lucy wasn't so out of his league).

Igneel and Grandine were acting like Natsu had never had a female friend before. They'd practically dragged Lucy into the dining room and forced chocolate chip cookies down her throat before she could even introduce herself. He couldn't tell why they were making such a huge deal about it. For God's sake, he'd introduced Lisanna to them Freshman year, and she'd actually been his girlfriend at the time. He reminded them of this fact (and saw Lucy frown out of the corner of his eye- weird). Grandine's chuckled response only embarrassed him further.

"Natsu," she laughed, tone almost chiding. "You and Lisanna were cute. But I don't remember the two of you being so touchy-feely."

He sputtered, feeling the blush warm in Lucy's cheeks from where he sat. Which, he hadn't noticed until then, was pretty damned close to her. Natsu had pulled her chair flush against his, and his arm was casually thrown over her shoulders. Did he really touch her that much? It felt right, and Lucy had never said anything about it before. In fact, she was the one who initiated contact half of the time.

"We're not touchy-feely," Natsu muttered. His father just grinned, not even bothering to point out that Natsu still had his arm wrapped around Lucy.

"So, you go to school with Natsu," Grandine asked warmly, smiling at Lucy.

"Yeah," Lucy said, cheeks still flushing from the earlier embarrassment. "Natsu is the one that brought me to FAEA, actually. I really don't know where I'd be without him."

"She liiiiiiikes you," Happy teased. Natsu's cheeks warmed. If only.

"Shouldn't you be playing with Carla?"

Happy's eyes lit up like the Fourth of July, and he flew off in a hurry. Igneel and Grandine laughed, but the only sound Natsu could focus on was the tinkling of Lucy's giggle. God, he loved that sound.

"Who's Carla," she asked, grinning.

"She's an Exceed like Happy," Wendy smiled. "She's probably curled up by a window somewhere."

"I wish Happy did that," Lucy snorted. "He usually winds up in my dresser with one of my bras on his head."

"That was hilarious," Natsu snorted, cackling at the memory. "Your face was almost purple."

"It wasn't funny," Lucy hissed, swatting Natsu's arm. "He flew outside, and I had to chase him around the entire neighborhood!"

"Happy's always been a troublemaker," Igneel laughed, voice booming. "He gets that from Natsu. Grandine and I were almost overwhelmed when we took him in. He was constantly pulling pranks and trying to break as many rules as possible."

"I'm sure," Lucy grimaced, nudging Natsu's side.

"I have no clue what you guys are talking about," Natsu grinned, eyes devious. "A troublemaker would have already attacked Lucy's weak spot by now."

"Natsu," Lucy gasped, eyes wide and worried. "You don't mean-"

"The tickle monster."

Lucy screamed and ran out of the kitchen, sprinting up the steps. Natsu gave her a brief head start before chasing after her, laughing almost maniacally. He barely noticed his family's amused chuckles. And he pretended not to hear his father's yelled order to "Keep the bedroom door open!" Why did that even matter? Oh. Wait. Natsu grit his teeth. Stupid, embarrassing Dad.

He tracked Lucy down, finding her in his bedroom. She was standing still in the center of the room, gaping at the wall. It took him a second to realize what she was staring at- his paintings. The room was plastered in canvas and oil paint, scenes of burning buildings and fire-breathing dragons covered his room. They were filled with violence and rage, and everything was red.

"Are these… Did you paint these?"

"Uh, yeah," he stammered, nervous. "I mean, they're kinda disturbing, so I get it if you don't-"

"They're amazing," she breathed, stepping forward to brush her fingers along smears of deep burgundy. "I never knew that you painted."

"It's my Dexterity," he explained, embarrassed by her awestruck expression. "My hands, remember? I'm a finger painting prodigy, I guess."

"I can't believe you did all of this. That's," she paused, whirling around to face him. "That's why you smelled like turpentine! When we first met, I mean. And you had paint smudges on your fingers. That explains so much."

"You remember all that," Natsu chuckled, sitting on his bed.

"Of course I do," Lucy murmured, pink dusting her cheeks. "Meeting you was probably the most important thing that ever happened to me."

It was a good thing that she turned back to further appraise his paintings, as Natsu's face promptly went aflame. Because having your best friend/one true love say that meeting you was the most important event in their entire life can do that to a person. He wondered how he came to be so close with someone so ridiculously perfect.

"Do you not paint anymore," she asked, leaning in to observe a sword-wielding knight. "I think I would've noticed you painting before."

"It was just my way of dealing with those nightmares," Natsu explained, seeing Lucy's eyes light up in recognition. "But then you were in my dreams, and eventually they stopped all together. So I don't really feel a need to paint these anymore."

"Why do you think that is," Lucy asked, brows furrowed in concentration. "You have those dreams for so long, and they just stop?"

"I told you already. It's 'cuz you're here."

"That doesn't make sense," Lucy muttered, face red. "I don't know what I could've possibly done."

"Maybe you're so weird that you scared the dreams away," Natsu teased, laughing at the way her cheeks puffed in indignation.

"Am not!"

"Don't worry," he grinned, standing from his bed to loop his arms around her waist. "Even though you're super weird, I still like you."

Natsu's grin dropped when he heard Lucy's heart rate go out of control. Her face was red as a tomato, and he could practically feel the heat rolling off her skin in waves. She was… embarrassed? No, more like flustered. Whatever it was, her body's response to Natsu's words made his pulse jump. He cleared his throat, hand unconsciously shifting down towards her hips.

"Uh, Luce-"

"I have to go to the bathroom," she squeaked, scurrying out from under his arms and practically running out of the room.

Natsu sighed and flopped back onto his bed. He thought that Lucy had gotten over this weird, easily-flustered stage a couple of weeks ago. She'd stopped running away every time he tried to get closer, and she sometimes was the one to pull him into bear hugs and hold his hand. She'd even stopped yelling at him for sneaking into her bed at night. He'd thought… Well, he'd thought that he might've actually stood a chance- thought that maybe she could fall in love with him, too. At least, maybe in the future.

Natsu turned over and groaned into his bedspread. Lucy falling in love with him? Yeah, right. Some things were too unbelievable to hope for.

This was bad. Kind of. Actually, everything was going great. Natsu's family was as warm and welcoming as she'd always thought they would be, quickly accepting her as something akin to a second daughter. Christmas had gone swimmingly, of course. There was an enormous feast, as expected of Natsu's family. A monstrous turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and a rich cheesecake for dessert. The night ended with everyone curled up by the fire playing Monopoly. Natsu complained about it the entire time, but Lucy wasn't fooled. His grin was brighter than all the lights on the Christmas tree.

Happy ended up dominating the board game, by the way. He struggled at first, but there was no going back once Lucy told him to pretend that the paper money was fish. The cat was a straight up fiend. An evil mastermind on par with Machiavelli. No one else stood a chance. But it was fun. Lucy felt happy, almost giddy from how amazing her company was.

And Lucy felt cared for, more appreciated and loved than she'd ever felt before. Grandine was openly affectionate, gracing everyone with hugs and warm smiles. Wendy took after Grandine, sharing the same soft demeanor and healing hands. It might've been because they were both nymphs, Wendy a nymph of the sky and Grandine a nymph of the air. But both of them were so kindhearted and gentle that Lucy decided it was more nurture than nature.

Igneel, however, was lively and rambunctious. The loud rumble of his voice was enough to shake the house, and his personality seemed to light up a room. Much like a certain half-dragon that frequently snuck into her bed. Natsu and Igneel were both bold and vivacious. Fearless and shameless, but filled with so much compassion. You'd never expect someone so loud and attention-grabbing to be so selfless and warm. But Igneel and Natsu were so attentive towards others that their constant presence in the spotlight was clearly the result of their charisma rather than something they actively sought out. It was probably what made them both so incredibly lovable.

So yes, Lucy was having more fun than she'd ever had around this time of year. But all of this closeness made it damned near impossible to keep all of these feelings from spiraling out of control. Seeing Natsu help his mom carry groceries and roughhouse with his dad and ruffle his little sister's hair did something dangerous to Lucy's heart. She always thought that she'd be jealous after seeing Natsu with his family, but it only made her feel warm. Included. His family was such an extension of himself that it felt like she was just getting to know another side of Natsu. She saw flashes of him in Igneel's brazen laughter and Grandine's kind eyes and Wendy's bright smile. Seeing them together was like putting the last few pieces of Natsu's puzzling personality into place.

Lucy could no longer deny that there wasn't a single part of Natsu she didn't adore. And that was frightening. A succubus can only fall in love once. Minerva's words played in Lucy's mind like a broken record. If she let herself fall in love, this would be it. Natsu would be the only one for the rest of her life. The reasonable voice in her head told her that she couldn't fall in love now. She was too young, and couples that started out in high school rarely last. Not to mention that she had no clue if Natsu would ever be able to reciprocate her feelings. But the whimsical voice that resonated in her chest told Lucy to go for it. To spread her arms like angel wings and let herself fall.

On New Year's Eve, the Dragneels played charades and danced around the living room to 90s music. Natsu and Lucy had won the game, utilizing their uncanny ability to communicate solely with obscure hand gestures. (Train! Food poisoning! Rent money! X-Men!) After Natsu collected their winnings- an awesome batch of Grandine's chocolate cupcakes- Igneel put one of his old records on and swept Grandine into his arms. Natsu grabbed Wendy's hand and spun her around the living room, making her giggle. Lucy smiled at the sound, leaning her face into her palm from her place on the couch.

The whole scene was so picturesque. They were the perfect family in their own quirky way. Parents that were still madly in love. Protective older brother and his sweet little sister. She wanted it for herself one day. As a girl, she'd always dreamed of falling in love and having a big family. Finding out that she was a succubus had shattered those dreams, especially when she started fearing that she would one day share her mother's fate. But the idea had been plaguing her since Minerva told her more about being a succubus. Maybe Lucy could settle down with a fellow SuperHuman and have a bunch of rugrats one day. Kids with brown eyes and pink hair…

Lucy almost fell off the couch when she realized where her train of thought was heading. Danger Zone. She was not allowed to fantasize about having kids with Natsu. Children. That can't be normal. She knew that she didn't want kids anytime soon. But there was no denying that the thought of tiny creatures with Lucy's nose and Natsu's smile warmed her inside. And Natsu would probably be a great dad someday. He was fun and energetic, but that wasn't all there was to him. Natsu was so understanding and unexpectedly tender. Maybe the two of them together would actually be-

"What's on your mind," A gruff voice grumbled. Lucy squeaked, looking up to see Igneel kneeling in front of her. Natsu had taken Igneel's place, doing lame disco moves with Grandine while Wendy spun around with Happy and Carla.

"Nothing," Lucy rushed to say, seeing Igneel's unbelieving look. "Really."

"Impossible," Igneel scoffed. "Natsu says you're quite brilliant, so you must be thinking about something."

"Natsu exaggerates," Lucy muttered, bashful. Igneel laughed.

"That he does. But if Natsu sees so much potential in you, it has to be there. My boy has a keen eye. So tell me, what has you so pensive?"

"It's just," Lucy stammered, averting her eyes. "I've always wanted a family like this. My mom died a few years ago, and my dad was always too wrapped up in his business to spend time with me. It's nice. You guys are so kind that it's almost hard to believe sometimes."

"That sounds terribly lonely," Igneel murmured, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But you're welcome here, Lucy. It seems that you're part of Natsu's family as well now."

"Yeah," Lucy hummed, her eyes glued to the smattering of freckles that covered the bridge of Natsu's nose. "Natsu's the first person that's ever made me feel like I belong somewhere."

Natsu's eyes flashed over to her, and Lucy realized that he could hear their entire conversation. Lucy's cheeks bloomed scarlet, and Igneel laughed at her clear embarrassment. Lucy groaned, putting her head in her hands. Natsu kept dancing with Grandine, but his eyes never left her frame for more than a few moments. It was almost unsettling, making molten heat pool in her stomach.

"Natsu is amazing in that regard," Igneel murmured, smiling at his son. "It must be that fierce dragon loyalty."

"Dragons are loyal," Lucy asked, mind flashing back to the beast of Natsu's nightmares. Igneel chuckled.

"Why, of course. I have dragon blood in me, too. Mine remains dormant, however. But even though I don't have the powers, I still get flashes of the Dragon's instinct. They're incredibly powerful," Igneel said, giving Lucy a serious look. "Dragons are protective of their family, and their friendships last a lifetime. They're strong and courageous and also terribly romantic."

"Romantic," Lucy repeated, eyes flashing over to Natsu. She could tell he was gritting his teeth from across the room, anticipating whatever embarrassing secrets Igneel was about to divulge.

"You didn't know," Igneel asked teasingly, smirking at the red that graced the tips of Natsu's ears. "Dragons mate for life. Once they find their soulmate, they stick with them. Forever."

"That's," Lucy faltered, her mind flashing to her succubus heritage. "That's incredible."

"It is," Igneel smiled. "Dragons take love very seriously. That's why Grandine and I were so surprised that-"

"Quit tellin' Lucy weird stuff," Natsu interrupted, plopping down on the couch next to Lucy. "You better go dance with your wife, old man. Or else she'll finally realize she's too good for you."

"Grandine would never leave me," Igneel scoffed, putting Natsu in a headlock. Natsu laughed, but it was Grandine's soft chuckle that caught Igneel's attention.

"I don't know," she teased, crossing her arms. "I might need some convincing."

Igneel gave a hearty laugh, taking Grandine into his arms. Natsu rolled his eyes at their antics, grinning to himself. There was a softness in his smile that made Lucy's breath catch in her throat. Don't fall in love. Don't fall in love. Lucy tried to shake herself from the fuzzy feelings swelling inside of her, but they multiplied faster than she could bat them away. Like a virus. Like a cancer. She couldn't help but to think that this wouldn't be the worst way to go.

"Have you been having fun," Natsu smiled, drawing her attention. "I know my family's kinda lame-"

"Your family is wonderful," Lucy scolded, almost blinded by the love that radiated from him at those words.

"Yeah," he whispered. "They are. And you are, too."

"You've had too much egg nog," Lucy muttered, face warm.

"Seriously," Natsu reassured, eyes terribly earnest. "You're awesome, Luce. I don't think the holidays would've felt right without you."

Lucy was too close to falling. If she didn't fight it right now, she'd hit the point of no return. She'd be in love with her best friend, most likely forever. She felt her stomach clench in anticipation, like it did the moment before arriving at the top of a rollercoaster. Right before everything came crashing down. She had to stop this. She flailed around for some way to stop herself, some way to break this connection she was feeling before it became too unbearably permanent.

"What if," Lucy murmured. "What if I told you I've been lying this whole time? Would you still think I belong here?"

"What are you talking about," Natsu frowned, growing anxious when she continually refused to meet his eyes. "Luce, you're kinda freaking me out-"

"I'm a succubus," she whispered, ashamed. "That's my SH type. That's why I never told you."

Natsu went quiet. Lucy clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to see the expression she knew she'd find on his face. It was the one thing she'd always kept from him. Her biggest secret- her greatest shame. It was the part of herself she hated, and now Natsu knew. Would he still say that she's wonderful? Would he still even want to be friends with her after she told him the truth? Her thoughts were interrupted by the rough caress of his fingers on her chin.

"Hey," he said softly, making her eyes flutter open. "That doesn't matter to me."

"What," she gaped, eyes watering. "Natsu, I just told you that I'm essentially a human parasite-"

"You're Lucy," he hissed, his tone almost reprimanding. "You'll always be Lucy, so the rest doesn't matter. And now we're gonna dance."

"Wha-"

Natsu didn't give her the chance to speak, pulling her from the couch. Lucy wiped at her eyes, noticing Wendy's worried look and Grandine's encouraging smile. She almost squealed when Natsu suddenly spun her by the hand, sweeping her up into his arms to slow dance. He frowned at her stiff shoulders, pulling her in closer in an attempt to make her relax. Her frame grew even more rigid, if possible, but she felt herself calm down after a few moments. Maybe a little too much. Her pulse slowed, and she practically melted into him as the warmth settled over her body.

"Do you really," she murmured quietly, voice hesitant. "Do you really not mind?"

"Of course I don't care," Natsu scolded, a bit exasperated. "You could be a goblin, and I wouldn't mind it. It's part of what makes you Lucy, so I could never hate you for it. Besides, being a succubus isn't that bad. You could be worse."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Natsu teased, brushing her nose with his. "You could be a fire-breathing monster with scales and claws and horns."

"Ha ha," Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes. Natsu grinned.

"If it makes you feel any better, I already kind of knew."

"Wait, what?"

"Sting might've mentioned it," Natsu said, giving her a nervous smile. "During the fight. It was before you came into the gym. I wasn't gonna believe it until I heard it from you, but-"

"I'm gonna kill him," Lucy growled, fist clenching in Natsu's shirt. "I don't care what Minerva says, I will rip off his arm and beat him with it."

"Sounds like fun," Natsu snickered, pulling her closer. "Sign me up."

"Don't tempt me," Lucy muttered, resting her forehead against his shoulder and tightening her arms around him. She felt a low rumble vibrate his chest and smiled, her stomach clenching in anticipation again. It felt like she was at the edge of a cliff again, ready to jump off. She still wasn't ready. Maybe, with a little time. Maybe she could let herself fall in love next year. But not now. Lucy was jolted from her thoughts when she heard what sounded like gunshots firing in the distance.

"Fireworks," Natsu laughed, catching her eyes. "Happy New Year, Luce."

"Happy New Year, Natsu."

The song changed, making Lucy pause for a second. It was a song she liked. Soft. Heartfelt. Yearning. It spoke to her now, pulling at her heartstrings like never before. She hummed along, noticing Natsu's amused eyes.

"Having fun," he teased, eyes sparkling like the tinsel that still hung over the fireplace.

"I like this song," Lucy said, wistful. "I think my mom used to play it."

"I think I would've really liked your mom," he laughed, stealing the breath from her lungs.

"Yeah. She would've really liked you, too."

~But I'm in so deep / You know I'm such a fool for you~

"You're pretty good at this," he murmured, twirling her around by the hand he held.

"My father made me take ballroom dance in middle school," she grimaced, following his lead with practised ease. "I hated it." He laughed.

"Do you hate this too," he asked with a smirk.

"No," she said softly, voice entirely too earnest for his joking question. "I like dancing with you."

Natsu blushed, and the gooey parts of her heart screamed at how incredibly endearing the action was. He noticed her attentive eyes and tried to distract her from his embarrassment by twirling her again. But it was clumsy, and they almost toppled over. Giving up on the sophisticated floorwork, Natsu settled on lifting her off the ground by her waist. She squealed in surprise as he held her high, spinning in circles with her above his head.

Lucy was still laughing when he set her back down, cheeks pink with mirth. She looked up at him, eyes widening when she saw the expression on his face. He was smiling at her, lips pulled up in a grin so achingly fond that it made her heart hurt. Natsu looped his arms around her, rocking them side to side as they slow danced in place. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, quickly becoming lost in him.

Lucy fell a little bit in love with everyone she met- she couldn't help it. Loving people was a part of her soul. She was in love with the way Levy scrunched her nose while she read and Gajeel's nervous habit of scratching his left ear when the pixie was too busy studying to pay attention to him. She was in love with the maternal way Erza cradled people to her chest when they needed comforting and the blush that dusted Gray's cheeks when Juvia gave him her infamous surprise-attack hugs. But Natsu? For him the list never seemed to end.

Lucy was in love with the way he'd ruffle his hair and yawn when he first woke up. She was in love with his vexation with her front door and his inability to stay quiet during scary movies. She was in love with the way he'd rub the back of his neck when he got nervous and the depth of his voice when he got serious. She was in love with the way his eyes changed color in the light and the wicked waggle of his brows when he was about to do something naughty. She was in love with the indentation on his lower lip from being bitten too many times (He always denied the habit, saying it was too girly.) She was in love with his protective streak and his recklessness and his bravery and every part of what made him Natsu. And she was in love with the warmth he made her feel, so unlike anything she'd ever felt from anybody. And she was about ninety nine percent sure that she'd never feel it for anyone else ever again.

There were little things about everyone that Lucy was in love with. But Natsu was this terribly perfect compilation of little things wrapped up into a person with the ability to make her heart skip a beat and her mind turn to mush. And the littlest thing of all, a soft smile he gave her as they slow danced to The Cranberries in his parents' living room, was what pushed her over the edge. The knotting and twisting in her stomach finally dropped, and she let herself fall. Lucy Heartfilia was madly in love with Natsu Dragneel, and she had no hope of escaping.

"I like dancing with you too," Natsu said after a moment, voice as tender as the moment they were sharing.

He pulled her in closer and rested his chin on her head, squeezing her tight in his arms. She sighed and nestled into his chest, feeling her eyes tear up. It had been longer than she could remember since she'd been so at peace. And she didn't know if she'd ever in her life been so unbearably happy. No, she couldn't escape the hold that Natsu had over her. But when Lucy was there in his arms, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to.

~Got me wrapped around your finger / Do you have to let it linger?~

So, y'all probably have a mouthful of cavities by now. . This chapter was so much fun to write. Some of you were asking about Natsu's foster family, and now you finally have some answers! This chapter was just the fluffiest, gooiest thing. I really hope you guys liked it. (I noticed that I get really anxious before posting chapters I really like because I'm afraid you guys won't like it as much. Like, I LOVE chapter 12. And I was TERRIFIED that y'all would hate it! O/O)

It's getting real. Please leave reviews! They're my sustenance. I'll be hard at work on chapter 15 (15! Can you believe it?) So in the meantime, follow, favorite, and all that jazz. I hope you guys have a lovely New Year! XOXO,

~Mya