Act 4

WARNING: NSFW BELOW.

PLEASE WATCH FOR PURITY MARKS '####'

51

Emma

"Why not seize the pleasure at once? - How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!"

―Jane Austen, Emma

Natsu heaved a sigh as Sting pushed past him to rush to Yukino's side.

He'd done as he'd promised himself and had tracked down and informed Sting of what had happened to his wife. Once the white dragon had finished roaring at him for being an idiot anyway. Though he was starting to think Sting might be right.

He hadn't pulled Lucy aside to talk yet, and the tension was becoming palpable. She hadn't tried to corner him or anything, but he knew she was watching him with that sad expression whenever she thought he wasn't looking.

It was almost unnatural. She was never this quiet for this long. She should be getting in his face and demanding an apology from him. Not... just sitting there like the world had ended.

He growled softly to himself, and decided that even if she never forgave him they needed to talk about this. He needed to at least apologize for what he did to her. Because it couldn't continue on like it was.

He headed over to Lucy, pleased to see that she was looking a lot healthier, physically at least, in the two days since he'd brought her back, "You up for a walk or somethin' Lucy?"

She stared up at him uncomprehendingly for a moment, and he winced mentally at the sight of her red eyes, before his words penetrated and mingled hope and fear crossed her face as she quickly nodded and got up.

"Yeah." She replied, though even her voice sounded weird. Not at all as confident as it should. Though it lacked the anger he'd been expecting.

Was she really that upset? Or was she that afraid of him? He wasn't sure which, and either possibility made his gut twist.

Regardless, it was time to face the music. Natsu's shoulders slouched down as they headed out of the guild. They were both quiet when they walked a distance away, down the cobbled streets of Magnolia.

An uneasy silence stretched between them, neither knowing what to say first to break the awkward atmosphere thickening around them like a fog.

For his part, Natsu thought his vocal cords were going to shrivel into raisins at this rate.

But he was the one to ask her to this walk. So he would be the one to speak first.

Stopping them near Magnolia's prized cherry blossom grove, he wet his lips and looked at Lucy. The blossoms were long since dead, leaving only frost and the skeletons of trees. It ensured they would at least be private since the trees laid dormant this time of year.

"I'm sorry," He burst out in a rush of air, his lungs burning with regret around the words.

"I burned you bad Lucy, and I'm so sorry I hurt you like that," Natsu murmured, pulling his gaze away from her face, too ashamed to even look at her.

"I don't know why you never told me about the book," Natsu said harshly to get around the tightness in his throat, "And I don't know what your feelings about me really are, but I-..."

Lucy grabbed his wrist, surprising him and cutting off his words, "I'm not mad at you." She whispered, ducking her head so her bangs covered her eyes, "Not for that. It was an accident. You warned me, but I pressed anyway, and..." She trailed off and shook her head.

Her grip on him loosened and the scent of fresh tears hit his nose, "I wasn't hiding the book maliciously." She continued, her voice thick with emotions he couldn't quite untangle.

"That book was what triggered my magic. It was part of what made me fall into this world. I showed it to Master Makarov and the others the day we arrived at Fairy Tail. They told me it was special, and that I had to protect it. You hated me back then. I kept it secret to protect it from you."

"Then afterwards..." Her shoulders shook and she looked up to meet his face, her expression the most open and raw he'd ever seen, "I was stupid!"

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to contain her grief and upset, "Everyone else accepted that I was the book's keeper. The guild archivist. The keeper of Fairy Tail's history."

"I was dumb enough to think you would accept it too. That you would be proud, and would like reading our story when it updated, together." She laughed harshly, looking away again, "It was supposed to be romantic."

She scrubbed at her eyes, "But it doesn't matter now does it?" She asked, sounding broken in a way that shattered Natsu's heart, "You're still going to leave me again aren't you?"

She... really hadn't read it? Natsu's heart throbbed with hope and he cupped her cheeks in his hands, guiding her startled face up towards his. He hadn't even known about the 'magic' of the book.

He immediately wanted to believe her. Even if it was a pretty lie, it sounded so nice coming from her mouth.

Even if she wasn't telling the truth, Natsu didn't think he would care. Because Lucy was his friend just as much as she was his love. But it hardly mattered, because when he looked in her eyes and found no deception. Just heartbroken honesty.

He felt like something lifted off his shoulders, disbelief that someone like Lucy could truly exist shuddering through him.

He pressed his forehead down against hers and closed his eyes, "I thought you were trying to use me. I thought it was all some elaborate trick, because I was stupid and didn't think anyone could really-..."

He cut himself off when he heard Lucy's sharp intake of breath. He couldn't help but let loose a ragged laugh of his own.

"I'm such an idiot, it was so easy to believe," He murmured. Zeref got in his head and Natsu let himself be fooled. Natsu doubted like the moron he was, and it had been the direct result of his own insecurities.

"I came back for you because I love you," He growled quietly, "But I left because I was ashamed for hurting you. If you want me to stay..." He trailed off.

Lucy wrapped her arms tightly around him and buried her face in his neck, sobbing into it as his warm, smoky, scent hit her nose, "You promised!" She cried, "You promised you wouldn't leave! Please don't leave again. I couldn't stand it if I lost you again. I love you."

Natsu felt his heart twist even as it tried to beat out of his chest. She loved him. Those beautiful words had left her perfect lips. And this time, he believed them.

He held her close, a soothing growl rumbling in his chest, "I'm sorry Lucy." He whispered, gently rubbing her back, "I broke my promise."

He gently rubbed her back and caressed her cheek with a smile, "Will you give me a chance to make it up to you? To prove I won't break it again?"

A smile, a real smile, broke out over her face for the first time since he'd rescued her and suddenly she was kissing him, and it was wonderful, and perfect, and why hadn't they done this sooner?

It was salty and sweet, and he knew instantly that she did forgive him, for everything, and that they would be alright. Heck they would probably be even stronger.

But he didn't worry about that. He was much more interested in the feel and taste of her lips on his and her body in his arms. He loved her and she loved him, and suddenly he wanted to prove it in every way possible.

Natsu deepened the kiss by running his tongue across the seam of her lips. It added to the desperation of finally being reunited over being apart and fighting. Their uncertain future in the face of an enemy greater than Zeref.

They had damaged themselves worse than anyone else could have. But now they were set on fixing it. Natsu backed Lucy up against one of the trees, his fingers threading with Lucy's and curling her hands to his chest.

He was reluctant to part from her for even a second, and he savored every sweet taste of her mouth.

Lucy was much the same. She could hardly believe he was back in her arms. Their home was complete again, and this time there was no room for the whispers of the past to tear them apart.

Doubt had been banished once more from this, and Lucy was certain it would not return.

But it broke her heart a little to know Natsu had been so certain no one could truly love him, that finding the book would be enough to drive him away. That saddened her more than words could say.

But they had persevered together. It was the last, healing piece sliding into place.

Natsu's hard body pressed into hers invitingly, his heat rolling off him in waves of comfort and safety. Her arms circled around his shoulder, hands pulling on the back of his neck.

His chest and hips came in close to press flush against hers, and when they parted for breath, Natsu's mouth sank down to Lucy's throat.

His lips brushed promises into her skin, his gentle bites were vows never to leave her, and a caressing tongue under her ear was a silent declaration of his love.

And she believed every unspoken word. Because Natsu had always been a man of action.

####

"Natsu..." Lucy breathed softly, suddenly no longer exhausted as heat stirred to life in her. She'd been cold since their fight began, but now her dragon was pressed against her, running his lips over her skin, and gently caressing her.

It was like stepping out of the air conditioning on a summer's day in all the best ways.

She moaned softly as he hit a particularly sensitive spot and pulled him closer as the fire grew and spread, "Natsu!" She whimpered, panting softly into his ear, and suddenly he pulled away to crash their mouths together hungrily.

That turned the fire into an inferno and suddenly she was kissing him as if she would never be able to kiss him again while her hands roamed over every inch of him she could reach, sliding under clothes and caressing skin.

She wanted him. She needed him. She needed to feel for herself that he was there, and he loved her, and their bond was still intact.

She gasped into his mouth, hardly noticing his tongue sweeping in, when his hot fingers slid under her skirt and began to rub her. Never had she been more grateful for the fact she wore skirts if it gave him easy access like that!

Still, the leggings she wore to ward off the frosty bite of the wintery air did manage to deter his burning touch. But the layers were thin enough for her hips to roll towards him in a frustrated wave.

He swallowed her keens with the greed she would have expected from a dragon, her fingers fisting into his shirt to pull him to her closer.

Lucy's other arm looped around Natsu's shoulders, bracing herself against him so her leg could slide up and give him better access.

"Lucy," Natsu growled into her lips. Vibrations ricocheted off the roof her mouth, his other hand palming the globe of her rear and keeping her thigh suspended.

"Can I...?" He asked her, trailing off.

But his intentions boiled beneath his gaze, searing every inch of Lucy's skin. Her clothes felt constrictive, hot, and like wool against her skin despite the frosty temperatures. Because under Natsu's gaze, she burned.

"Yes, please," Lucy held onto him, her hand groping blindly for his. Their fingers threaded together, "Lets go home."

Natsu stared at her for a moment, surprise flickering over his face before a wide grin split it in two. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and scooped her up into his arms. He could get them home much faster, and he wasn't interested in taking any longer than he had to.

"Hold on." He purred at her and felt a fresh surge of desire ripple through him when she did as he asked.

He could smell her. He could smell her heat. Her need. Even through the cold it teased and taunted him, driving him wild.

And the fact that she was feeling it now, right after they'd just made up, made it even sweeter.

He sprinted towards their apartment in record time, uncaring of any noise they made or who was in the way. He had to have her. Right now.

He rushed through the door, kicking it closed behind him, and absently spat a fire into the fireplace as he carried her to the bed and gently laid her down on the bed. He pulled back for a moment, despite the aching hardness in his pants, to just look at her and marvel that she'd forgiven him. That she truly loved him. It was still a little unbelievable given everything that had happened, but he would take it with both hands.

He tugged off his shirt before joining her on the bed, moving to hover over her, "Lucy..." He growled hotly, aching to just tear her clothes off and bury himself into her warmth, but his hands moved slowly over her.

He wanted to savor this for as long as he could.

"I'm not giving you up," He growled lowly as he gently tugged her shirt of and curled his hands around her perfect breasts.

"Promises, promises," Lucy teased back at him, a breathless giggle bursting from her throat. He snorted back at her, blowing a lock of her hair out of her face with a gust of air.

Natsu's lips curved into a smile as he recaptured Lucy's. Their kiss was sloppy and warm, filled with laughter and every now and then an accidental nip.

Lucy could feel Natsu's heated body, flushed and firm against hers. His large hand mapped across her chest, squeezing and rolling a calloused thumb across her nipple. Her back arched up off the mattress. This time her nails scored across his bare chest, fingers digging into thick muscle.

Natsu let out a surprised sounding groan, his stomach tensing in excitement as he went still. Lucy's eyes gleamed at the sight and she took advantage of his distraction to push his side with her knee and flip them over.

With some creative wiggling, she managed to get out of both her leggings and underwear. She settled herself comfortably over Natsu's hips, a breathless smile on her face.

Her dragon looked stunned, but by the hardness she felt grinding into her thigh, Lucy was certain he wasn't opposed to this turn.

He grinned back at her, his eyes raking across her body with a glint in his eyes she could almost label as hungry.

"Lucy, you're amazing," He breathed at her, his hands dropping down at her thighs.

The intensity behind his gaze made Lucy feel a little shy, but the little circles Natsu drew into her skin grounded her.

"If you stare any harder at me you're going to set me on fire," Lucy teased, rolling her hips down against his. Perhaps it was childish to say she enjoyed the strangled sounding hiss that came from Natsu at the way her hips slowly circled and ground down against his clothed member.

"N-not the only thing that'll be set on fire at this r-rate," Natsu struggled to grit out through clenched fangs, his eyes nearly black as they watched her hips gyrate against him.

Lucy laughed a little at the look on his face, but sobered as she remembered that she'd come very close to never seeing it again. She leaned over and kissed him softly, pouring everything she was feeling into it as she began running her hands down his chest to his pants.

Natsu wrapped his arms around her as their kiss deepened, entire conversations being swapped between them and taking up so much of his attention he hardly noticed what she was doing until she pulled away to finish tugging his clothes off.

"Lucy..." He breathed, marveling at her beauty and that despite everything they were here together like this. She smiled back at him and stretched out beside him, curling one leg over his hip.

"My Natsu." She replied, though it was far more tentative than he liked.

He growled softly as he curled his hand around her hip and tugged her close, "Yours." He agreed, and pulled her into another kiss.

He would prove it to her.

He would show her that he was hers. That he loved her, and would never leave her again.

Natsu groaned softly as she shifted so he could sink into her depths. She was so tight and hot in a way that had nothing to do with his flames. It was the sweetest, most agonizing, kind of torture imaginable, and he held her tightly as he took a moment to savor it.

"Lucy..." He breathed, a tiny puff of smoke escaping his lips as he slowly began to move. He whimpered softly at the feel of her caressing his entire length and felt something sharp hit him at the thought he'd almost lost this. Almost given it up entirely.

Somehow that made the feeling of her even better.

"Natsu..." She breathed back, and he couldn't help capturing her lips in a fierce kiss as she rocked her hips against his.

"I love you." He whispered, trailing soft kisses down the side of her neck and to her shoulder, "My Lucy. My Queen. I'm sorry."

She curled her fingers into his hair and opened her mouth, perhaps to say something, but all that came out was a gasp as he curled one hand around a breast and massaged teasingly.

He chuckled softly against her skin and nipped lightly at it before rolling her back on the bed. He curled her legs around his hips and descended on her. Though he didn't hurry despite the side of him whining at him with impatience.

He intended to take his time. He intended to worship her like the goddess she really was.

Natsu made good on his promise too, twining them together under their covers until they were so firmly joined it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended.

They wound together, hot rushes of air shared between their gasping mouths. It was nothing short of torture to take his time, alternating between slow, rough grinds and shallow thrusts.

Every inch of her skin he could reach, Natsu tasted, his hands roaming over her hips and underneath her. It wasn't just the fire simmering in his belly that made him want to savor her, but the feeling of being together. The intimacy of being joined, as close as they could be was drugging.

His heightened senses were focused entirely on her until the press of her heels into the back of his thighs encouraged him to go faster, harder.

Natsu complied, his jaw locking at the feeling of electricity jolting through his body in hot sparks. Together, they chased their highs, wrapped up in the feel of one another's arms.

The build up was so slow, so sweet in its agonizing build up, that when they both toppled over the edge they made together, neither could speak.

####

Lazy smiles greeted the other, Natsu's fingers pulling aside a sweaty lock of blond hair from Lucy's face. He pressed a light kiss against her mouth, sighing happily as he took in her scent. Never again would he fight like this with her. He had learned his lesson.

When they were through, Natsu puffed out a sleepy breath against Lucy's neck, his eyelids heavy but his body contented. His heartfelt tender, but whole. Like a freshly healed wound. Everything was right now.

Lucy shifted against him, laughing quietly over her good fortune that Happy was off making wild bets with Macao and Cana. Natsu couldn't help but agree.

He released Lucy from where he was caging her against the bed when she began to wiggle, twisting out from under his arm and reaching into her nightstand.

Her eyes lifted towards his and Natsu couldn't help but tense warily when he saw her withdraw the book.

She bit her lip and looked at him shyly, "It's heavier than before..."

Natsu raised an eyebrow as she dragged the tome over to them, cracking it open on their stomachs. With a huff, Natsu pushed them both upright so they could sit down with their backs against the headboard.

He wrapped his arms around Lucy, dragging her against his chest and dropping his chin on her shoulder.

"It updated?" He asked for clarification. Lucy nodded, seeming to relax once his arms were around her and not putting distance between them.

It seemed to soothe the last bit of tension from them as she looked at him and smiled.

"Do you want to read it together?" She asked.

Natsu snorted, his grip tightening around her waist and his heart feeling very full.

"I'm not much for reading," He drawled against Lucy's cheek, "So why don't you read it to me?" He grinned.

Lucy's entire countenance seemed to light up and his heart beat traitorously in his chest.

"Alright" She laughed, leaning over to peck him lightly.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! We didn't have enough for a sneak peek! Apologies my loves! I hope this satisfied you well enough though!

For readers old and new, here is a reminder: PARALLELS UPDATES ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS.